Ghosts

Chapter 8

A few hours later.

The trio's arrival to Prosperity was definitely a noisy one, earning the wall guards attention and nearly half of the settlements attention. As they pulled up, a crowd gathered just at the front of the gate, staring at the contraption they had arrived in and it's occupants.

Mai hopped down from her perch just as her father and Thomas came to the forefront of the crowd. Good to know the Highwaymen had not retaliated just yet for taking Rush from them. She was eager to greet them after another successful rescue, but the Captain wasn't even sure if she could still stand straight after being tossed like a bobblehead. Her headache and honestly she was ready to hurl at any moment. She took two steps forward before nearly veering off to the side sudden vertigo hitting her like a bat to the face.

"Whoa there!" Thomas called as he dashed towards her grasping her until she could steady herself.

"Thanks, Rush." she sighed as she leaned against him until she felt confident enough to stand on her own.

She caught the sight of her father approaching, his turn to embrace her, "I'm glad you're in one piece."

Their sentiment was interrupted by squeals of joy from behind them. The three turned to see Kim and Carmina now present, overjoyed at the sight of Nick as he descended down from his plane. The Rye family clung onto each other, forming one large entity as the rest of the crowd cheered. Mai wanted to feel that same zest and relief knowing that she had returned her best friend's father to her, but she could not help but feel her stomach twist in knots as her mother's face flashed across her mind.

"Is that envy I'm sensing?" a man's voice cautioned sarcastically over the sound of the crowd.

Mai rolled her eyes as she turned her head slightly, seeing the man in blue standing idly by the plane without wings. The mere sight of his smug face sent her flying off at the handles.

"Why don't you fuck off-!"

"Mai." Grace's voice snapped her attention back.

Mai's head jerked in confusion before realizing she was still within the presence of her father, Thomas, and now Grace.

"Who are you talking to pup?" her father asked, appearing a bit disquieted.

Mai stuttered, looking back to the plane, then back to the gazing eyes around her, "I-"
What the fuck am I supposed to say? she said to herself. That she was clairvoyant? That she kept seeing the two same strangers at the most haphazard of times? She shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts. This had to end somehow.

Perhaps talking about it would help?

She took her father's hand, looking up at him with the eyes of a little girl who just needed reassurance that he would not think she was crazy for what she was about to confess to him.

"Can we talk in private?"

-----

This had been the liveliest Mai had ever seen Prosperity, even before the Highwaymen had invaded their lives. Everyone was just so relieved that Grace and Nick had returned; their specialties meant that they could finally get a leg up over the Highwaymen in terms of weapons and vehicles. Mai and her father sat along the wall, watching as the others set up tables, plates, and utensils. An outside BBQ to celebrate their small victory. Thomas seemed to be at the helm of the BBQ, the newly reunited Rye family passing out plates of food.

Mai had just spilled the beans about the so-called ghosts that had been plaguing her. The random man in blue and the woman in white. How they would appear during times of stress, or right before something horrible happened. Her father never gave any tells of what he was thinking as she poured her heart out to him, he simply lent a listening ear as she concluded her confession. Jacob adjusted himself as he took a deep sigh. Mai studied the way the simple movement of his eyes as he stared off into the distance. Like this had not been the first time someone had confessed this to him.