Ghastly

Ghastly 5

"Think," Bam. "Think," Bam. "Think," Bam. This riddle was going to be the death of me. I tore the page I was brainstorming on out of my notebook, crumpled it up, and tossed it into the direction of the trash bin.

I began writing again in my neatest handwriting. Rene always said my handwriting is like what an anti-doctor would have. Considering my powers let me help dead people, her joke was much more accurate than either of us could comprehend. I titled the list: Non plant things that grow.

"Animals," I spoke aloud, "Fungi, people, emotions, doubt, a collection.... That's good for now,"

I took out a different colored pen and added to the title so it would be: Non plant things that grow, that have been touched by demon.

I tapped my chin thoughtfully before crossing out some of the list. It would have to be something corporeal. I reread the new list aloud, "Animals, Fungi, people, a collection,"

I scratched the back of my neck; I was missing something, I knew it. What could deadly scenery mean, anyway?

I stood up, knocking my chair to the floor and making a bit of a mess of my desk. "Hair!" I said aloud. "Rene's hair!"

As I paced my room, congratulating myself, I double checked it met all of the criteria. Hair grows. It is the hair of someone dead, who was killed by the demon, and thereby touched by it. And in no way is it a laughing matter.

I bent down, throwing the covers hiding the underside of my bed onto the bed, and pulling out the small box hidden there. It was what Rene and I lovingly called a 'little bitch-box.' It held random sentimental crap that neither of us could bring ourselves to throw out, but still thought was stupid, or useless. I hoped it would work. That piece hadn't technically been touched by the demon, but it was the hair of someone the demon did in fact kill.

I sat down on the bed as I opened it. I felt warm, salty tears pool in my eyes and slowly fall down my face and into my lap. It was great I had this, but it brought so much sadness to the surface. I felt a cool wind bring the room temperature down a few degrees. "Hi, Rene," I muttered, not prepared enough, emotionally, to look up.

"Please stop crying, Jordan. It makes me feel so useless; I can't comfort you like I used to," Her soft voice filled the quiet room.

"I'm sorry. It... It's just this box isn't going to have anything else added to it. It's stupid, but I always looked forward to when we would have to get another box or something," I ran my hand delicately over the content after wiping away the salty tears from my face. I picked up a small, cool river rock, "Do you remember this one, Rene? We went hiking and you were sure this stone had magical powers,"

"Well I mean, we were fairly young and I could have swore I saw it move. Anyway whats with memory lane?" I forgot, I hadn't told her about the spell.

As I delicately picked through the box I explained. "I found a book. It has a spell in it to kill a demon and I'm gonna use it on the asshole who killed you. The thing is, the ingredients are cryptic poems so I'm trying to decode it. And you only get the next ingredient after you put the one you just got on the book. I just solved the first one. It's a piece of hair from a person the demon you want to kill has killed. Well I think."

I found what I was looking for. A section of wavy blond hair tied in a pink ribbon. I shook my head at our foolishness. Rene decided sidebangs were "in" and she needed to get then right there and then. I, being the idiot I am, immediately volunteered to cut her hair for her. I didn't do a bad job, but Rene doesn't suit bangs, and we both regretted the decision. We kept the hair I initially tied off as a way to remember to never do any spur of the moment makeovers ever again.

I placed the lock of hair on the open page of the book. I held my breath, and for a few seconds, nothing happened. Suddenly, the thin, yellowing pages absorbed the hair as more faded print appeared underneath the first ingredient.

"The child of the ocean, but not by birth, has been expelled and not for mirth. Stained crimson with tears, it must be true and blessed by years," I read aloud.

"Is that the next ingredient?" Rene asked.

I curtly nodded, "Yeah. I... I think I'll start on it tomorrow," The sun had only just set, but as soon as the piece of hair had been absorbed, I felt like I hadn't slept in eighty years. "Goodnight, Rene."  

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Author's note: Please leave comments, I live off of them, both good and bad ones. I want to improve as a writer but I need people telling me what I'm doing wrong to do that.  Thanks