The Almost Rock Star (A Ghost Story) (DRAFT)

The Almost Rock Star (A Ghost Story) 11, Joe

Chapter Eleven

Joe

I ran down the trail after Aja, who was walking fast. Big drops of rain began spattering around us. I knew it would only be seconds before the black cloud opened up. 

Right then there was a loud crack followed immediately by a crashing boom of thunder so loud that it moved me over at least three feet. Then I fell.

Aja had not even slowed down. He didn’t hear fall. I picked myself up and ran after him. He had opened the passenger side car door and was looking around the parking lot.

“Allie, are you in?”

“No,” I yelled from the grassy field. “I fell.” 

“Well, hurry up. We’ve got to get out of here.” 

I was afraid. I had this overwhelming sense that the killer was somehow still in the park. I ran all the way to the car, Aja’s pride and pleasure. At least, that’s one of the quirky little things he used to say about the car. It was his wife and cost like one. A 2013 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland with all the everything you could ever want on an SUV, and more. His Uncle Rishi, who owned the Palm Beach Jeep dealership, gave him one in black forest green pearl on his last birthday. The insurance, Aja had told me, was as expensive as having a wife. So he named it Jennifer. After Jennifer Aniston. He was always taking her for spa treatments and the like. I always thought that was overkill. But between the spa treatments and Aja’s DUI and four accidents in the last five years, his insurance payments alone could have kept me pretty well.

I was all the way to the Jeep before I stopped running. I was out of breath. I looked at Aja, realized he couldn’t see me, and said, “Aja, this is stupid.”

“What are you talking about?” He looked confused.

“This is stupid. I’m a ghost. Why am I running from my killer? I should go back and find him and haunt him or something, right? He can’t kill me again.”

Right then, the burning pain started again. Hotter and hotter all along my soul’s edges. The pain was so intense. 

“Aja. I need some water quick. The pain is starting again.”

Aja looked concerned, but closed my door and got in the driver’s side. He reached into his backpack and pulled out a bottled water. 

“Here. I didn’t know ghosts got thirsty. And what pain are you talking about?”

I poured the water all over myself, which meant it splashed all over his tan leather seats. 

“Hey! That’s leather! My mother said ghosts can’t drink anyway. What are you doing?”

I didn’t speak right away. I relaxed as the pain disappeared, filled instead by a cooling feel. Then I got really angry. 

“Let’s go over where the children play. I’ll see if I can get someone to come find my body.”