The Key To Ghost World Read online

  The Key To

  Ghost World

  By DL Stalt

  © DL Stalt 2009

  Table of Contents

  Chapter 1 - Jaedon

  Chapter 2 - Jaedon Meets Randy

  Chapter 3 - Jaedon and Randy have fun at Sam's expense

  Chapter 4 - Sam (better known as 'the jerk')

  Chapter 5 - Randy goes to school with Jaedon and makes trouble

  Chapter 6 - Hannah sees Randy

  Chapter 7 - The Fat Man follows Jaedon

  Chapter 8 - Jaedons treasure goes missing

  Chapter 9 - Clown's Pizza

  Chapter 10 - Jaedon sends Randy away

  Chapter 11 - Jaedon meets Hannah's family

  Chapter 12 - Jaedon gets help learning about ghosts

  Chapter 13 - The Fat Man returns

  Chapter 14 - Jaedon and Alex get in trouble at school

  Chapter 15 - Alex forgives Jaedon

  Chapter 16 - Jaedon tells Alex about Randy

  Chapter 17 - Jaedon figures out what the popping smell is

  Chapter 18 - Jaedon's mom finds a job

  Chapter 19 - Jaedon ends up in Ghost world

  Chapter 20 - The Fat Man finds Jaedon in

  Chapter 21 - More ghosts find Jaedon and Jaedon finds the key

  Chapter 22 - The key master

  Chapter 1 - Jaedon

  Jaedon tossed his red book bag on the ground and dropped to his knees next to the basement window. Dark hair draped across his tanned forehead, covering his right eyebrow.

  "Would it be that hard to give me a key to the house?" he grumbled, wiggling his slender fingers under the bottom of the window and prying it open. A warm May breeze carried the scent of blooming flowers from the neighbor’s fence line to his nose. He reached for the book bag and shoved it through the open window, hearing it drop to the table below.

  Small for a 14-year old, he had no problem fitting the upper half of his body through the small opening. His hands reached to find the table. Bracing himself, he started to slide the rest of his body through the window but got only as far as his hips when he felt someone grab his leg.

  “Give me the key!” a deep voice growled.

  Jaedon struggled to flip himself over to see who had grabbed him, but the hand held him firmly.

  “Let me go!” Jaedon yelled, kicking as hard as he could with his free foot. “They don’t give me a key.”

  “I need the key.” the voice demanded.

  Jaedon kicked again and felt his foot contact soft flesh. The grip on his leg loosened. He yanked himself free and pulled the rest of his body into the basement. He slid off the table and landed with a thud on the floor.

  Scrambling to his feet, he turned and caught a glimpse of a large shape moving through the yard away from the window. His breath came in gasps as he slammed the window closed and flipped the latch. He picked up a scrap of wood and wedged it under the latch so it was tight. Then skirted the dirty laundry piled next to the washing machine and moved to the bottom of the stairs where he hesitated, cocking his head to listen for any unusual sounds. He heard nothing and slowly climbed the steps.

  At the top of the stairs he paused. Taking a deep breath, he opened the kitchen door and poked his head through. His intense blue eyes scanned the room and grew large when he saw the chair perched on the table. A stack of books teetered on the edge of the chair. Just like yesterday.

  Chapter 2 - Jaedon Meets Randy

  He shook his head. “What the heck?”

  Feeling his heart pumping in his chest, he craned his neck to look around the room. Except for the chair and books, everything seemed normal.

  He eased his body into the kitchen and stood still listening. Finally satisfied that he was alone in the house, he moved the books and carried the chair to the cupboard. He used it to reach the cookies his mom always stashed on the top shelf. She didn't know that he knew where she’d hidden them. As long as he only took one or two, she never missed them.

  He carted the chair to its place by the table, picked up his book bag, and turned down the front hallway, past family pictures hanging on the dark blue wall to the front stairs. He stopped long enough to hang his book bag neatly on the oak coat rack by the front door, then climbed the stairs pushing his younger brother’s toys out of his way.

  His jaw clenched when he stepped into his room and saw his PSP, covered in jelly, lying on the carpeted floor. Games for the handheld system were scattered across the neatly made bed. More jelly was smeared on his bedspread.

  "Crap!" Jaedon muttered. As usual, his half brother, Sam, had been busy. Pursing his lips, he picked up the games and put them in the drawer. "Some day I'll get you for this, Sam."

  He picked up the PSP, rubbed the jelly with his finger and licked the sweet grape flavor from his finger. Carrying the PSP into the bathroom he yanked a handful of toilet paper and rubbed it on the PSP. The toilet paper stuck to the black plastic. It separated into little wads of gummy paper that were harder to get off than the jelly was.

  Jaedon closed the toilet lid and sat down. Wetting the washcloth, he bent over the game and scrubbed until it came clean.

  Taking the sticky washcloth, he strode to Sam’s room and shoved it under the bed covers. He left the room with a smile and crossed the hall to his own room.

  His mouth dropped open when he spotted a boy standing next to his bed. The game system slid out of his hands dropping onto the carpet with a soft thump.

  The stranger's lean frame filled the space between the bed and the dresser. Sun from the window added a shine to his fine, brown hair. He was neatly dressed in a black t-shirt, tan slacks, and athletic shoes. His left elbow rested on the dresser and his chin was cradled in his fist. He looked at Jaedon over the top of his dark sunglasses.

  “Hi, Jaedon.” The stranger drawled. He glanced at the game and a crooked grin filled his face.

  "Who are you?" Jaedon demanded. He felt his heart begin to race. "You aren't supposed to be in my house."

  "My name is Randy," said the stranger, brushing his long hair from his grey eyes. "And technically, this is my house, too."

  "No, it’s not. You need to leave." Jaedon said, taking a step into the room and poking his finger towards the stranger. "If my mom finds out I had someone here, I'll be in trouble. So get out. Now."

  Randy smiled, raised his hand in a wave, and with a soft pop, disappeared.

  Jaedon sniffed the air. A faint odor lingered for just a second. He sniffed again, but the smell had disappeared as fast as the boy named Randy.

  "Hey, wait!" Jaedon yelled. “How did you know my name?”

  There was no answer. Jaedon’s thoughts were a tangle of amazement and uneasiness. The boy had disappeared into thin air. It wasn’t possible. Was it?

  He looked over his shoulder and scratched his ear. He moved around the bed to the dresser and stood where Randy had been standing. His body barely fit between the dresser and the bed.

  He tried dropping to the floor to slide under the bed. He tried jumping over the bed to the doorway. He even tried running to the window. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t move as fast as Randy had.

  He returned to the dresser, dropped to his knees, and pulled the bottom drawer completely out and set it on the floor. Reaching into the open space left by the missing drawer, he produced a small wooden box with a gold clasp and padlock. He bent over the box and twirled the combination, carefully finding the numbers 7-5-9-9 – his dad’s birth year followed by his own. The lock opened and Jaedon gazed at his most treasured possessions.

  He picked up a picture of his dad, tall and handsome in his Air Force uniform. People told him that he looked just like his dad, but Jaedon didn’t think so. He thought that his own head w
as too big for his body.

  Replacing the picture, Jaedon picked up another. His dad was holding Jaedon when he was only a few weeks old. Far in the background were tall hills. He knew the picture had been taken in Korea just after he was born, but he didn’t remember living in Korea. His mother had moved back to her hometown when Jaedon was just a baby, taking him with her. Now Jaedon only saw his dad a couple times a year.

  Setting that picture carefully back in the treasure box, he moved aside a few trinkets and pulled out his most treasured possession. The gold pocket watch. His hands warmed instantly. A soft glow seemed to emit from the watch, spreading through his body, making him feel calm and happy.

  Gold squiggles and tiny squares decorated the watch. Four chains dangled from the case, each with a hinged loop secured by a threaded collar. One held a gilt crank key for winding the watch. Another held a gold heart. The remaining two chains had gold seals that could be unlatched so you could put the watch on your belt loop.

  You could open the front of the watch and see black roman numerals on a white face. If you opened the back of the watch, you would see the workings. A few nicks were visible on the case and Jaedon wondered how they had gotten there.

  He rubbed his thumb over the smooth surface before opening the clasp. The hands were stopped at 3:15. It didn’t matter when he wound the watch; it always stopped at 3:15.

  Jaedon leaned back against the bed remembering the day he and his dad had gone treasure hunting at garage sales. Jaedon had seen the watch in a pile of junk and had been drawn to it. Picking it up, he’d felt the now familiar calm, happy feeling. He’d stood gazing at it, not wanting to look at anything else. His dad had smiled and, taking the watch to the table, purchased it and handed it back to Jaedon.

  Jaedon now opened the back of the watch and inserted the key to wind the watch. He carefully placed the watch back in the wooden box, making sure to lock it, before tucking it back in its hiding place under the bottom drawer of his dresser.

  He was replacing the drawer when he heard his mom’s car in the driveway. Pulling the curtain aside and peering out the window, he watched as Sam tumbled out of the car with his hands full of candy.

  Chapter 3 - Jaedon and Randy have fun at Sam's expense

  The television in the living room below suddenly blared Sam’s favorite show and Jaedon heard his mom’s soft footsteps coming up the stairs. She padded past Jaedon’s bedroom door, dropped some department store bags in her room, and then stopped at Jaedon's bedroom door.

  Samantha Thomas was a slender, dark-haired woman with a wide mouth. She was barefoot, wearing a black blouse and stiff, new jeans.

  "Sam was in my room again," Jaedon said. "He messed my stuff up."

  "Sam did not mess your stuff up. Come downstairs and help him with his chores."

  Rolling his eyes, Jaedon followed her downstairs. Sam smirked from the couch with his dirty sneakers propped up on the coffee table that Jaedon had polished yesterday. A mound of candy lay next to him.

  Even though Jaedon and Sam were half-brothers, they looked totally different. Neither looked at all like their mother. Both looked exactly like their own father. Jaedon was slim with brown hair and blue eyes. Sam, not quite two years younger, was dark and stocky - and almost as tall as Jaedon.

  Ignoring Sam, Jaedon took the dishes out of the dishwasher and put them away.

  "When you're done with that," said Sam chuckling, "you can do my homework."

  Jaedon stuck his tongue out at his half-brother and stalked up to his room.

  Lying on the bed with his hands clasped behind his head on the pillow and his ankles crossed, was Randy.

  "Where did you come from?" demanded Jaedon, stepping into his room. "Who are you?"

  "I told you. My name is Randy." He reached towards the ceiling, arching his back and stretching his long legs before turning to Jaedon. “And this is my house.”

  Jaedon looked at him. "This is my house. We moved here a month ago."

  "Well, it's my house too. This is my room." He rolled over and dropped his feet to the floor.

  "No, it's my room," Jaedon hissed.

  "Who are you talking to?" Samantha Thomas had quietly entered the room. She had changed her clothes and was now wearing a blue sweat suit with furry slippers. Her eyes scanned the room.

  Randy was sitting on the end of the bed smiling. Jaedon looked from Randy to his mom. He could tell that she did not see Randy.

  "Are you going to answer me?" his mom demanded.

  "Umm. I wasn't talking to anyone."

  "You were talking to yourself?" Her lips tightened making her mouth look like a slash across her face. She craned her neck to peer around the room.

  "I guess." Jaedon felt his face burn.

  "I wonder about you, Jaedon." She shook her head as she turned and walked away.

  Jaedon turned to Randy who was giggling so hard that he seemed to be having trouble breathing.

  "How come my mom couldn't see you? Who are you? What are you?" Jaedon hissed.

  "I'm Randy, your friendly ghost. Call me Randy. Call me The Rand Man. But don't ever call me Casper. That cartoon was a joke."

  This set Randy off again in a fit of giggles that knocked Jaedon's PSP onto the floor.

  "Jaedon!" his mom screamed from downstairs. "Stop throwing your things around before I come up there."

  “Samantha,” Randy bellowed, throwing his shoulders back so he could yell louder. “Leave Jaedon alone.”

  Snorting, he looked back at Jaedon. “Don’t worry. She can’t hear me.”

  "Settle down!" Jaedon whispered. "You’re getting me in trouble."

  "Doesn't look like you need much help from me," said Randy, laughing. He picked up the video game that was lying on the bed. "Sounds like you’re always in trouble. Show me how to play with this PSP thing. I didn't have one when I lived here."

  Jaedon studied Randy, then sat down next to him and switched the game on. Soon Randy was crashing cars and whooping at the game. Jaedon smiled as Randy scrunched his face concentrating on the game.

  "Hey, Rand Man," Jaedon asked. "What's it like to be a ghost?"

  "I don't know," said Randy. "I guess it's OK. It's cool that you can see me. Most people can't."

  "How long have you been a ghost?"

  Randy thought for a second, " I've been a ghost for two years."

  "Can other people see you?"

  Randy looked up from the game. "Your mom can't. Your step-dad can't. Your step-dad -- now, he's a real treat. What a jerk!"

  "Yeah," Jaedon agreed. "John is a jerk. Until I was about five, I used to think that moms were nice and dads were jerks. I thought that was just how the world was. But, then I started realizing that John wasn't a jerk to Sam. Just to me. My real dad isn’t a jerk. He's cool."

  "I don't think Sam can see me,” Randy continued, setting the game aside, “but he looks around a lot when I visit, so maybe he can feel me.”

  “The lady in the gray house down the street can see me. One time, she saw me and her mouth dropped open and she started screaming. She's the one who killed me so I guess she was scared to see me. They had to call the ambulance and everything for her that day. She just kept crying and pointing at me. But no one else could see me so they must have thought that she was crazy."

  "How’d she kill you?" Jaedon asked, leaning forward. He had never talked about death. And now, here he was, talking about death with a dead boy.

  "Well, it was my fault. I was kicking a ball and it went out in the street. I forgot to look and when I ran out to get the ball, she was driving down the street. I ran right into the side of her car. That's all I remember. The next thing I know, I was back here and my parents couldn't see me. They moved last month. They went back to England. They really missed me. Now you live here. We can be friends."

  "So why are you here? Why aren't you in heaven?" Jaedon rubbed his arm absently.

  "I don't know." Randy shrugged.

  "Where do you go when I can't see you?"


  Randy put the PSP on the bed and closed his eyes before answering. "I stay right here.”

  He sprang to his feet. “Hey, let's see if we can scare your little brother. I'll go down and mess with him. When he comes up here, pretend that you don't see me no matter what I do."

  In a blink of an eye, Randy disappeared. Again Jaedon heard the soft pop and smelled a faintly unpleasant smell. He thought he recognized the smell, but he couldn’t quite place it.