From the diary of Griselda Vargas-Beilschmidt

52

"What did it say?" Fred whispers into the dark after a few heavy seconds of silence as we're letting the words sink in. And the language. It wasn't english, Italian or french.

It was spanish. Old spanish, at that. Like, the kind that you don't really talk with anymore. The kind that's just too complicated to translate. Even I, who knows spanish (not 100% fluently, but I'm no amateur), couldn't understand more than the last word. Gabriel.

How does it know Gabi?! How?!

"I think it was spanish," Ashleigh whispers back. "But Idk man. It sounded weird."

The ghost said something more. I couldn't see George, who surely knew what was going on, but when I reached out, I feel his back turned to me. That means the ghost is right in front of us. But- nothing. Darkness. Not a single light.

Then Gabe replies to it.

In the exact same language.

"What's he saying, Gabriel?" George asked. Well great. If George didn't know-

"He's- his name's also Gabriel," my cousin whispered, as quiet as I've never heard him before. I'm so used to him shouting so he could have final word over me (ha! Not likely!) that I'm really surprised to hear him this soft.

"He?!" Ashleigh squeals, apparently holding something to her mouth.

"Si, dumbass," Gabi continues. "It is a person. And he won't hurt you."

That's reassuring...

"How do you know?" Ashleigh says, muffled once again. This time, George comes to help.

"I wouldn't summon something dangerous, Ashie," he says softly. "It won't hurt you, I promise." I could swear I heard Fred scoff at that.

"It's a he!" Gabriel yells angrily, making a fast move with his arm and smacking what turned out to be George's arm.

Then the candles lit up again.

And the bundle of us see the ghost we summoned.

I think we are all surprised, because, well... first off, he's young. And I mean really young. Barely older than me or Gabi. Not George's age, not even Fred's. Second, his..apparence? Appearence, I think is the word. He is sitting cross-legged there, before us, wearing weird weird old-looking clothes...from different era. He is from a different era, after all. He doesen't look at all scary, thank god. If I didn't know better, I'm say he's a normal boy wearing historic clothes, because he doesen't even look dead. He looks pretty lively, watching us with these dark eyes, half covered by the dark fringe. His hair is longer than boys usually wear, but it actually makes him look better?

And his skin is also not translucent as one would think, not even pale, but even darker than Gabi's. He watches us amusedly. He smiles. And it doesen't look creepy. It looks friendly. The ghost-Gabriel?- keeps his eyes on our Gabriel, for some reason it seems like the rest if us aren't worthy of his attention.

"Who the fuck are you," asks Gabi calmly. The ghost chuckles. I can hear a ghost chuckle. What is this.

"I told you," the ghost replies (in a spanish I can lowkey understand) and closes his eyes. "My name is Gabriel, and I was a member of Captain Carriedo's crew."

Captain- ...Carriedo-

UNCLE SPAIN?!?!?!??!???!!!?

"WHAT!" Gabe spits out, equally astonished. (That word exists, right?)

"Captain Carriedo?" George whispers and his narrowed eyes glow more.

"Who?" Fred raises an eyebrow at him.

"I have heard that name before," George admits, suddenly glaring at the ghost hostilely. The ghost chuckles.

"Si, many people heard about us," the boy says proudly. As soon as Gabi translates, George frowns. "But I've never heard of you," he deadpanns.

The ghost boy shrugs. What comes next are minutes of Gabi and the ghost Gabriel talking in extremely fast old spanish, that even I can't follow. The four of the rest of us stare at them, trying to find out what topic did they ramble on about.

"He's such a weird ghost," Ashleigh mumbles from behind George's shoulder.

"You've seen ghosts before?" Fred asks. Ash blushes with a "no". George sides with her, and admits that he's seen a lot of ghosts, but Gabriel is indeed special. Ash looks at Fred with a "ha!" on her face. George explains that by Captain Carriedo he really means Uncle Spain. Ash and Fred gasp.

They ask me if I can translate. I tell them I can't. This... just, no, I can't follow this. I'm not a linguist! But I do recognise several names being said. Gabriel, Captain Carriedo, Romano...

What does it all mean?!

After forever, Gabe quietens. Ash starts asking him a ton of questions, but he doesen't look like he hears anything. He looks so... lost. I hug him tighter, I don't want him to be sad. He doesen't say a word.

"Oh, and Gabriel," Gabriel calls "let Romano know that I'm sorry I didn't get to..." I don't understand the last part. Gabi nods. And- is he crying?! No, thankfully not, but his eyes are sparkling like he's about to. But he looks... peaceful. Calm. Like this ghost somehow poured water over his burning rage in his soul... I mean... you understand, right?

The ghost Gabriel looks peaceful too. Like he's got rid of a big burden. He breathes in and out. I'm not scared anymore. He then repeats his last sentence, adds something, to which Gabi nods and smiles, and then...

The lights flick off for a second. When they flick on again, the boy is gone.

We don't talk for a moment, until Fred breathes and accidentally burps. That sets us off laughing. Except George, he's facepalming, hiding his smile in his palm.

After five minutes of laughter, George gets up and opens the door to the deck. There's light now, so Ashleigh, trying to be useful, starts to pack the candles. Gabi goes up to the deck without looking back. He utters "I want to be alone," and is gone. Me and Fred look at each other. Fred glances to where the two are cleaning, back at me and asks if I want to watch the sea for a bit.

"Sure!" I say, and follow him on the deck, on the opposite side of where Gabi is staring out at the waves.

"What a summoning," the Canadian mutters. "But I'd really like to know what were the two talking about," he admits.

"Si, me too. But Gabi will tell us..." Maybe. If he'll want to.

"No pressure there," the awesome of my cousins assures. We don't talk after that, we don't need to, we only watch the dark waves.

"Do you think this is how Spain felt?" Fred sighs later. "While exploring? Not knowing where you'll end up but enjoying every second of it?"

Wow.

"I think so, si."

And that might be how this little boy of his crew named Gabriel felt, too.