Scratching The Surface

Chapter 18

Keys rattled outside the door before Jason made his entrance, stepping into the parlor as if he was stepping over a minefield. He looked around once before heading to Piper, his work clothes wrinkled and dirty. "Pipes, I have something to tell you."

Piper waited until he walked into the room before looking over, having been hanging a picture frame on the living room wall. A nice breeze came into the house, dulling the heat of summer by a good ten degrees (-12 in Celsius if I converted right?). She was wearing a nice tank top and shorts, feeling better about the new ghost (which she thought to be a pervert) now that Nico had talked to Katie. If she was right, the new ghost was more afraid of her than she was of him.

"I talked to Nico yesterday." Jason started, setting his bag by the couch. "He said...he said something strange, made me think that we aren't alone here."

"Of course we aren't alone here, Jason." Piper laughed. "When were we ever?"

"I mean besides Nico." Jason corrected himself. "Like another ghost. You should have heard him, Pipes, he-"

"You're right." Piper broke in. "Nico just talked to Katie about it. There's two other ones, actually. They're dating."

Jason threw his hands up in surrender. "This is never going to end!"

"What? Ghosts?" Piper asked.

"New ones, changes. Something else to worry about." Jason started to pace. "Have you met them?"

Piper shook her head, deciding not to tell him about the bathroom. "Nope."

"What did Nico say to Katie about them?" Jason asked. "Did he say we can trust them?"

Piper smiled. "What, you trust Nico's opinion, now?"

Jason rolled his eyes. "Answer the question, Piper."

"He said they're fine. They're scared of us." Piper shrugged. "Don't worry about it. It'll be fine."

"Yeah, sure," Jason replied sarcastically. "Two ghosts are fine."

Piper rolled her eyes and headed towards the kitchen. "I need to start dinner."

"Wait," Jason followed her. "Where're the girls?"

"Playing in the backyard," Piper responded. "Don't worry, Jason."

"You're always saying that." he peaked outside to check on the girls. "But you never even take it seriously yourself."

"Oh my god, you're defensive today." Piper shook her head. "Just go sit down." She got a couple pans out before starting dinner, filling the room with the smell of chicken.

Jason opened the back door, watching his kids. "Piper...we've been arguing so much lately..."

"You always start it, Jason." Piper agreed. "And it's always about our ghosts."

"Well, not many people just say 'our ghosts'," Jason argued. He then sighed, letting his anger drain out of him. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Piper. I'm just so stressed."

"I know, but you don't need to be." Piper moved to kiss his cheek before going back to the stove. "Nico said we can trust them."

"Did he say who they are or how they died?" Jason asked. "Because that'd be helpful."

Piper shook her head. "Ask him at dinner. He's coming down. He promised Katie."

"Okay, I will." Jason leaned against one of the counters. "I'm going to go work on the outside of the house. It's not too hot outside."

Piper nodded. "Okay. I'll bring you a cold drink soon. Oh, and ask the girls if they want to come in and get a drink. They've been out there for awhile."

Jason did as he was told before getting his toolbox, heading for the old barn in the distance. He hadn't been inside it yet and wanted to see if it was safe and in working condition. The red slanted building looked to be as old as the house, with a door that was falling off the hinges and broken slabbed windows. Weeds and moss grew over it, covering most of the red with the green only seen in shrubbery.

"Looks like a damn disappointment." Jason sighed, edging the door open with his foot. "Probably full of spiders and rats and..." His train of thought stopped when he saw around the back of the barn, saw the door almost completely hidden by the structure of the barn and the plants that labeled it as their own. It was wedged open and revealed a staircase going into the earth, dark against the pale sun.

"Damn..." Jason glanced back to where his girls were playing before getting his phone out, turning the flashlight on. "Let's see what's down there-"

"Jason!" Piper called from the house, her head sticking out of the back door. "Leo's here!"

Jason stopped in his tracks before turning to look at Piper, making sure she couldn't see the odd staircase behind him. "Send him out here for me?! Thanks! And tell him to bring his toolbox!"

His flashlight flickered in the eerie shadows, his heart sped up as he waited for Leo. For the first time, he wished Nico was with him. Having a ghost on your side could never be a bad thing.

"What are you doing on here?" Leo questioned as he walked up, his heavy boots murdering the dry grass beneath his feet. Everything around the barn, including the plants that grew on it, seemed to be dead or dying. "It's hot as hell."

"If it was so hot, why did you leave your air conditioning to come here?" Jason smirked.

Leo sighed. "Had a fight with Calypso. Had to get out of the house. So, what are you doing out here?"

Jason moved aside so Leo could see the door and staircase behind him. "Exploring that. You in?"

Leo grinned. "You bet."