Masters's Son

Nine

I drag my feet up the few stairs to the entrance. I put my hand on the knob. It's cold. I start notice that I'm cold too.

I shiver and goosebumps form on my skin, making my hair stand on end. The fall air chilly at nighttime.

The door's unlocked when I turn the cold knob. The door clicks open and I step inside. The lights are on and a frantic Jazz sits on the couch. She must've turned her head when she heard the door open because she's looking right at me.

"Oh my God—Danny!" She jumps up and embraces me in a huge hug. "I was so worried. I couldn't call anyone. I-I didn't know what to do." A quiet sob comes from her lips after her voice cracks. Guilt is all I feel at this moment.

Absolute remorse takes over, "I'm so sorry, Jazz. I never meant to make you worried. It was night by the time I woke up and I didn't have a way of contacting you." At this point, it probably just sounds like excuses to her. It would to everyone else I know of.

She unwraps her arms around me to rest her hands on my shoulders, "Woke up? When did you fall unconscious?" And she doesn't know. Should I tell her about Lunch Lady Patricia too? No, she doesn't believe enough in ghosts. The things Jack and Maddie have told us were terrible about ghosts, the complete opposite of what I'd tell her. And what she saw at the mall would confirm that belief. Why would she believe me?

"I think I was hit with an airborne plate. I was able to get to a safety exit before blacking out.  After I woke up, I walked." And my crutches are gone. But if I told her, that'll just make her more concerned for my well being.

Now that I think about it, I've already established that the portal gave me side effects, but how much side affects was I given? My ankle doesn't hurt and the gash on the back of my head is crusted over and smaller at this point. I would've taken longer if it weren't for the portal, right? Do ghosts have faster healing than humans?

Invisibility, intangibility, and fast healing. Is this it or is there more to be found out and dealt with? I think I'll need to get the hang of these even if they're temporary. Who knows when I'll sink through the floor or drop another cup of water.

They need to be set under control. If this isn't temporary, and if I can't figure out how to get them to settle down, I don't know what I'll do. I can't tell Jazz about this. I don't have anyone to talk to about this. Maybe miss Lunch Lady, she's nice.

And a ghost.

"On your ankle? From the mall? Where are your crutches?!"

"At the mall. I dropped them when I lost you." Embarrassed, I play with the sleeve of my shirt.

She sighs and pulls me in for another hug, "I'm just glad you're okay. Too much has happened these past few days. I'd hate there'd to be more."

"Uh... About that..." I trail off. Maybe I should tell her about the social worker lady that came over. It'd be a surprise if one day if I'm picked up by people that say, "Hey kid, you're an orphan now. Yippee! Get in the car." and then she's stand there not a clue in the world what's going on. If she's still here by that time.

"What happened..?" She asks, looking me in the eye while I force myself from making contact. "I'm not really sure why she came or how she found out, but there was this lady..."

"Yes?"

"And, well..."

"Yes?!"

"I think she comes from social security, she asked me a few questions the day after my release from the hospital." I finish. I have yet to look her in the eye. I can't look her in the eye.

Nothing is set in stone. I don't know if the state will decide to take me from this house. I know I can't stay with Jazz, and who knows if my 'parents' will be thrown in jail or walk away with the minimum of punishments.

If I'm put in the system at age 14, for a fact I'm not going to be adopted so I won't have to worry about a bad home for too long. I can't really imagine being tossed from home to home, but whatever works for them. I'll be another pay check for my new temporary guardians.

She doesn't respond for several seconds. The silence making me sweat bullets as it drags on. The seconds feel like minutes and a minute feels like hours. I finally look her in the eye. The shocked, scared look will haunt me. Knowing that I was the cause to that look makes me feel a gut wrenching guilt. Something I'm so familiar with. Something I feel only when I'm with her.

Being the strong sister she is, she recovers. "Danny," She starts slowly, "does Jack and Maddie know about this?" I nod, "She spoke with them too." I say.

She nods her head with a distant look on her face. "Jazz?" My throat swells with a lump. I feel queasy. "Do you think they'll take me away from them?" I ask. My voice cracks at the end, I pay no mind focusing on the task of not crying in front of my sister. I'm not sad that I'll be taken away. I was planning to get out of this house as soon as I turned seventeen or sooner.

I'm crying because I don't know when I'll see Jazz. Will she be able to find me? How far will I travel to a new shelter? Am I even able to see my sister? My loving parents can go to hell. So can all my class mates and teachers from Casper High. Go Ravens my ass. All I care about is my older sister.

She swallows, "I'm not sure myself, little brother."

We stand in silence for a minute longer. Jazz decides it's a good time to go to bed. She sends me to my room. At first I was just going to go to bed, but the scab on the back of my head has crusted the surrounding hair in clumps. It's uncomfortable and quite frankly disturbing to see flakes of dried blood on my pillow in the morning. No thank you.

Thank goodness Jazz didn't realize, or say anything, about the newly found head injury. Maybe I could play it off as mud or dirt if she asks.

I take a long, hot shower getting rid of any dirt, blood, and some weird green stuff on a couple of visible limb injuries.

Strange. It kind of looks like that stuff they mess with.

Ectoplasm.