Ghost [Boyxboy]

Chapter Ten

[Here it is! The last chapter of Ghost! ENJOY! <3]

Chapter Ten

In light of the fact the janitor lived close to Jacob Smithes, or Ghost, the boys decide it is time to investigate the man further. 

One day, while Sean and Quinn held a free period, they notice the Janitor leaving the basement.  Quinn had seen him coming from that door many times before.  When he brought that up to Sean they knew what needed to be done.  Sean thought perhaps the reason they found nothing in the Janitor’s Closet might be because it’s all in the basement, another place frequented solely by the custodial staff. 

Sean entered first, followed quickly by Quinn.  They started down a long, creaking metal staircase.  Quinn caught sight of numerous cobwebs.  How is a Janitors space this dirty?

The pipes clinked and clanged, covered with years of rust.  The smell was damp and dusty.  Lights flickered overhead, throwing shadows across their path, creating creepy images in the spaces around them.

“What are you boys doing down here?”

Both boys jumped as the voice, sounding so loud in the silence, erupted for nowhere. They turned around slowly, only to come face to face with the one man they hoped to avoid.  The janitor.

“U-ummm….” Quinn was shaking, what were they going to do?!

“We, uh, we were just curious about the basement of a school.  Thought we’d check it out.” Sean thought quickly.  Maybe they can plead ignorance and nothing will happen.

“Shouldn’t you be in class.” He asked lowly.

“Free period.” Quinn said.  Not wanting to get into trouble even if the situation may be on the dangerous side.

“Ah, so no one is expecting you?”

“YES!”  Sean said loudly, “We have another class in an hour, the teacher will be expecting us to be there….for a uhhh….for a test!”  Both boys cringed as the stated sounded false even to their ears.  Would they make it out of this?

“An hour? That’s plenty of time.”  The janitor responded, “sit.”

Quinn gulped. “Plenty of time for what?”

“To talk. Now sit.”  He said a little forcefully.

Talk, they could do that, if they keep the man talking then maybe someone will notice their absence and come looking.  Or maybe they’ll brush it off as skipping class and not do a thing.  Quinn felt his stomach twist at the thought, will anyone notice their missing?

They sat with the janitor at a rickety table in the middle of a random room.  Cement blocks made up the walls and a single bulb hung from the ceiling, providing just enough light to see the man in front of them.

“I’ve seen you boys around the school, heard you talking to the teachers.”

“About-about what?”  Sean asked, knowing the answer but hoping to keep him busy for the same reasons as Quinn.

“Asking about a missing kid, I knew someone who has been gone for a long time, Jacob.”  He said the name as though it was familiar to him, as though he knew it well.

“You know about him, Jacob Smithes?” Quinn asked softly, taking the leap that it was the same boy.  Fearing the answer but still hoping to find out the truth.

“Yes, I knew him.”  Their heart skipped a beat, this was the first they’ve come across someone who recognized the name and remembered the boy, although possibly for the wrong reasons.  The Janitor continued on his own, “He was such a quiet kid, always sat by himself.  We lived close to eachother.  I would try to talk to him sometimes, when he look particularly lonely.  We even walked to school together once.  Jacob, he-he was the only one who believed me.”