P.I.E.: A Nymphic Faerietale

Chapter 2

Johnny Ghost closed his eyes and let death claim him. It wasn't an unusual feeling. His body shut down, but his inner thoughts never did. Ghost retreated into the black depths of his mind to confront his distraction. If Jimmy hadn't been jeering at him, Ghost would never have gotten shot. He saw the same Afterlife bridge he visited often. Jimmy was on the far side that led to the Underworld, an evil place where evil beings went when they died.

Something struck Ghost as strange, though. Jimmy's head was down, and his eyes were closed, his knife hung loose in his hand. Jimmy's dark brown hair looked as though he hadn't brushed it in weeks. His pale skin was almost as pale as Johnny Toast's. He wore a red shirt, a tattered black hoodie with a missing zipper, dark wash jeans, and red sneakers.

"Well, I guess my plan there worked." Casket snickered, looking up, his red eyes seeming tired. "What do mean, plan?" Ghost shouted back. "Your plan was to make us stop? Why?"

"Well, if you didn't keep telling me to shut up when I was trying to tell you, I wouldn't have had to distract you so you would actually listen to me!" Jimmy yelled, seeming as if he were about to throw a temper tantrum.

"Ok, fine. What is it then?"

"I went out one night. I made sure you were asleep so you wouldn't have to see the things I see, but I saw a black haired woman who didn't even look at me. She knew I was there, but she didn't even look to see who she was talking to, which was me!"

"Huh?"

"I know!"

"Go on," Ghost pressed. This was interesting. Jimmy had been trying to tell him this? This was creepy, even for someone as insane as Jimmy was!

"She said 'The moon is gone, and only chosen ones can bring it back'. Why she told me, I have no idea, but I expect we'll find out eventually." Jimmy explained, with fear in his eyes. This was something that Ghost rarely saw in Jimmy Casket. What was he scared of? But then again, it did sound like whoever that woman was, she was talking about some prophecy or something.

Just then, Ghost heard Johnny Toast. Ghost sighed in relief. Toast's telepathic abilities were weird, but at least Ghost didn't have to deal with Jimmy alone. What's taking you so long to recover? Toast asked. It's nothing but a bullet wound! "I'll explain later Toast." Ghost replied. Toast was right, this had taken way too long.

Ghost closed his eyes, and when he opened them, he jolted upright gasping a heavy breath. Yup, just like every other time he had stopped. Everyone was crowded around him. Papa Acachalla seemed flabbergasted. Toast was crouched beside him, his face blank, hand on Ghost's shoulder. Ghost was still breathing heavily, but by the way everyone seemed, he could tell Toilet Toucher had left. Ghost calmed down. Everything was fine. He took a glance at Sarah, who seemed unnaturally surprised. "Something I haven't told you yet, Sarah. I'm immortal." Ghost told her. Sarah nearly jumped out her skin after hearing this news.

"Immortal?" Sarah shouted in shock. "Why didn't you tell me?" Ghost smiled to himself. "It's something Toast and I found out just recently, not that it's a bad thing, it's just, I don't know too much about immortality myself." Toast closed his eyes and sighed. "It's almost a complete mystery to us," Toast explained to Sarah and the Acachallas. "Why Ghost blacks out from lethal injury is strange, and immortality has never been imagined in a way that's similar to death in and of itself." Papa Acachalla was still confused.

"Are people born with immortality, or is it acquired in some supernatural way?" he asked. Ghost stood up with little sign of difficulty. "Immortal beings are very rare, and even so, each one of them are a special type of human being, known as paranormal humans," Ghost explained. "Toast and I are both different types of paranormal humans, though I'm still not exactly sure which type I am." That was a lie, and Ghost did it just to keep Jimmy Casket a secret. Toast was indeed a paranormal human like Ghost was, and yes, they were different types, but Ghost was an extremely rare type that was considered a myth. Johnny Ghost was a Split-Mind, a creature that shared a mind with another being. The other being was Jimmy Casket. The fusion had made them immortal.

"We do, however know what type of paranormal human Johnny Toast is," Ghost explained. "It's pretty weird, but Toast is an Esper, a being with extra-sensory perception, meaning he can effectively stretch his senses, and, even cooler, use telepathy. Espers are one of the more common types, but even so, given how rare paranormal humans are, well, you get the idea."

"Well, then," Gertrude spoke up. "If Johnny Toast can 'stretch his senses' like you say he can, then he should be able to tell us who's standing right behind him." Toast closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and relaxed his muscles. "Easy to figure out," Toast said, smiling, but still not opening his eyes. "It's Billy." "Hi, Mama!" Billy said from behind him. Toast slowly opened his eyes and turned to look at the teenage medical student. "Hey, Billy, how was medic school?" Ghost greeted him. "It was fine, I guess." Billy replied, scratching the back of his head, nervously.

"Don't tell me Maddie-Friend chased you again," Papa Acachalla sighed. "How'd you know?" Billy said, sheepishly.

"Well, we'd best be on our way,' Ghost told the family. "Thanks again!" Sally shouted to them as PIE walked out the door.