Chapter 5: Chapter Five – The Ghost

Harbor pulled into the mostly empty trail head. His car rolled across the rock road of the parking lot and came to a stop near the back of the lot.

    “We’re here.” He said to May gazing off into the distance. The atmosphere which had been lively up until this point turned somber as May and Harbor confronted the place that had caused the duo so much anguish recently.

    May took a deep breath, “No time like the present.” They mumbled back a shaky smile peaking on their lips.

    “Let’s get you human again.” Harbor smiled warmly, though it didn’t meet his eye.

    “Yeah, let's do it.” May agreed as they attempted to open their door only for their hand to go right through it. “Fuck.” 

    Harbor laughs a little bit, ;lighting the atmosphere slightly. He popped the door on his side open before coming around and opening May’s.

    “Curse my lack of hands.” They muttered glaring at their hands as they made their way out of the car, accidentally passing through the top portion without realizing it.

    Harbor did not comment. The duo stopped at the entrance to the trail they were on not so long before.

    “This is really donting isn’t it.” May muttered, a pit in their  stomach growing.

    “We just have to find some clues and then we can leave, simple.”

    “Right, simple,” May found it hard to believe those words.

    Together the duo took their first steps back into the woods where the nightmare had started.

    Harbor began to whistle a bit to calm his nerves. The woods around them are silent except for the crushing of leaves beneath their feet and the wind blowing all about.

    “Where should we check first?” May questions.

    “I’m thinking the campsite and then that river. Maybe that spooky box had something to do with what’s happening.”

    “Yeah that’s what I was thinking that too, I rather not have to resort to checking… the last place.”

    “Hopefully it won’t come to that.”

    “Yeah, I hope so too.”

    The friends rounded the hill approaching the campsite they could finally see in the distance. 

    “Oh hey would you look at that, our tents are still here, who would have thought.”

    “Looks like no one decided to investigate this area or take our stuff down. Not even people who went down this path.”

    “Maybe they heard about what happened and were deterred?”

    “I hope that’s what it is.” 

    The duo stopped at the site standing not far from the tent that still stood and the firepit that had long gone out.

    “The box is gone.” Harbor observed eyes furrowing and lips tugging into a frown.

    “That’s not freaky at all.” May commented, skin prickling as goosebumps began to form on their ghostly skin. “I’m getting goosebumps.”

    “You’re getting goosebumps?”

    “Yeah? Oh what no how does this happen? Wait a minute.” May mouth opened as their brows furrowed and their mind searched for an answer. “Wait a minute!”

    Harbor laughed as May began spiraling. “Let's look around the site before your brain starts melting.”

    May slapped their cheeks, “Alright fine I’ll look around the fireplace.”

    “And I'll check out the woods.”

    The friends split heading in different directions. May wandered over to the fireplace peering into. Ashes laid at the bottom, and the stones that formed it look the same as they had when they had left it. May continued to inspect it looking around the perimeter for hits of something odd. Finding nothing They broaden their search.

    Stepping back from the fireplace they began branching out farther. They looked around the chairs that had fallen over at some point. Their eyes scanned over where the box had once laid. They backed away farther, getting a better overview of the place. Nothing seemed to be out of place.

    “There isn’t anything over here!” May called.

    Harbor stood outside the tent having already searched the interior and the boxes and bags of luggage they had brought.

    “Nothing over here either.”

    “We should check out the place we first found the box and then head to the river.”

    Harbor nodded, turning and walking to his partner. “Let’s do it.”

    “Oh~ I thought I sensed some oddities in my territory, didn’t expect this! Were you not alive last we met?” A sing-song voice rang out from behind the tree line.

    The duo tensed up, hairs rising on the back of their necks as their heart beats picked up the pace.

    “Harbor?”

    “Yeah.”

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    “No hello? And here–”

    The duo took off screaming. Harbor dashed into the woods heading back the way they came. May fled next to him, their ghostly form floating above the ground as their legs sprinted slightly above the ground.

    “GHHOOOOSSSTT!!!!!” May cried.

    “AAAAAAAAAAA!!!” Harbor screeched.

    “Well that's not very nice is it?” A tall ghostly figure appeared in front of the duo, made of black and purple wisp forming a humanoid figure with a tall tophat. It was featureless, seeming to be made of the shadows that surrounded them.

    The duo slid to a stop screeching louder and darting in the opposite direction.

    The ghost clicked its tongue, “What rude guest!”

    The two friends ran as far as possible only stopping to take a breather once they were sure they had lost the ghost. Harbor placed his hands on his knees breathing heavily, trying to catch his breath.

    “What the hell puff huff huff was that thing!” Harbor panted out wild eyed.

    “Did we lose it?!” May asked frantically looking around, twirling their body and head to observe their surroundings.

    “I think so.” Harbor commented.

    “I have terrible news for you.” the ghost manifested before them, “Please do not freak out.” it quickly added.

    Harbor and May screamed in unison.

    “Don't run!! I’m not a threat!” The ghost shouted backing away rapidly so as to not make his pre– guest flee yet again.

    The two friends continued to scream for a long moment, but their legs glued themself to the ground, keeping them from fleeing once more.

    “Are you done?” The ghost asked with a tinge of disapproval in its voice.

    The duo started wide-eyed.

    “Great,” The ghost cheered, clapping its hands together, “Then I believe introductions are in order! I am Rumor, and you are?” Rumor introduced in a rather dramatic fashion.

    The two friends stared at each other and then at Rumor, a squeak escaped May’s lips.

    “Nothing huh, how rude.” Rumor crossed his arms over his chest.

    “You tried to kill us!” Harbor accused pointing a finger at the floating figure before him, fear turning to anger.

    “Kill you? Why in the heavens would I ever do such a thing?” Rumor placed a hand on his chest, voice full of disbelief. 

    “That day we were fleeing we saw you!”

    “Yeah you probably made that box appear as well!” 

    “Box? What box?”

    “You know what box!!” May growlered.

    “Had it been pitch black and reflected the light oddly well, maybe gave you a bad feeling?” Rumor questioned making gestures with his hands.

    “Yes,” Harbor confirmed.

    “Ah that wasn’t me it must have been one of the other more sinister ghosts that sometimes slip past my notice.” Rumor argued voice light and airy. “It’s rather hard to keep them all out, with my territory being so big and all, I’m just one being, you understand.”

    May wavered frowning, “What about when we were trying to get out of here? You seemed like you really wanted to kill us then.” 

    “No no no! You have it all wrong, all wrong indeed, you see I was…” Rumor paused for a second, “Trying to warn you! Yes yes yes, I noticed the box you had been keeping around, nastily little thing that was. So I tried to warn you. Unfortunately that freak storm showed up and well…. Now we’re here.”

    May frowned, struggling to believe the ghost.

    “Please understand I never would have tried to warn you if I knew what would happen, trust me.”

    May felt her skin crawl at those words. Their eyes flickered over to Harbor, Harbor looked back uncertainty creeping its way onto his face.

    “How do we know we can trust you?” Harbor interrogated, taking a deep breath and a step back.

    Rumor’s shoulders slumped, “Well yes I suppose you can’t trust just my words, though this does pose an interesting question, how can I show you I’m sincere, tricky, tricky.”

    May shifted looking at the ground, trying to think of something to answer that question. Harbor’s brow furrowed contemplating. Rumor stood looking down at them.

    “I suppose there is no fool proof way to be sure…” May concluded, “Unless you have an idea?”

    Harbor shook his head slowly, “No, I’ve got nothing either.”

    “Alright, then show us our sincerity by helping us!” May demanded floating up subconsciously allowing them to stare directly into where Rumor’s eyes would be. Man that’s creepy as hell.

    “It's a deal then~” Rumor purred.

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