"G-Ghost!" Jack yelled like a Scooby-doo character, and just like one, he ran as fast as he could out of the bathroom.

Jack's lath of travel was through the bathroom and retracting his steps back to the hall and down the stairs. He nearly tripped down the stairs as he turned to look back and took an overstep barely hitting the stairs of the stair.

"Woah!" Jack said, moving his head to the stairs and watching as his legs did high knees down them.

The ghost continued to chase him. From the few glances, he got it looked like it was wearing a dress so long that he didn't see her feet—or maybe she just didn't have any. The ghost also had white and at least pale hair, or maybe it was a veil or some kind. Jack wasn't sure.

He was too busy running.

Jack continued to run. He had now made it down to the ground floor. In front of him was the front door and the veranda which was waiting for him, Jack's mind wasn't the most logical when he was having a ghost chasing him so instead of running straight ahead to safety; Jack did a U-turn and ran down the hall, through the back hall and out into the porch.

Jack placed his hand on the railing of the porch as he caught his breath. His head was positioned towards the door that separated him from the house. As soon as he saw the ghost or even a strand of hair, dress, veil, or whatever was a part of the thing, he would continue his pursuit for freedom. Probably to the car and out of this small town.

From the porch, he could see the street. He watched as a familiar car came dome the dead-end road which lead to his house. It could only be one person or should I say two people.

Jack sighed a breath of relief as he speed-walked around his new house to the front part. He keep looking up at the window as if expecting to see a veiled face or a white silhouette, but he didn't see anything, just the sun's reflection in the 2nd story bay windows. Maybe it was just in my mind. Jack tried to reason, but he couldn't believe that it was. It felt too real.

He passed a large oak tree that was on the side, its branches and leaves casting shapes upon him and pasts of the house's siding. Something people don't want to accept reasons or explanations because it's contradictory to their viewpoint, thinking, or life. If it was truly in Jack's mind then he would be mentally mad, experiencing auditory and visual hallucinations. No one likes to think they are crazy. Crazy people don't think or believe they are crazy; so did that make Jack crazy? He didn't know, he was confusing himself.

"Maybe I am crazy," Jack said facing the oak tree. It was fall and the tree's once luscious green leaves were now the color of fire and death. Its leaves fell to the ground where Jack had crushed them under his feet. "With the things I've done; maybe I am."

Jack continued his little nature walk to the front of his house where his mother and father were already out of their small SUV. When the older woman shall him she smiled and reached out her arms for her son as she approached him with a wide grin on her face. "Jackson, there you are." She included him in a hug that was firm, yet loving. Her scent was mostly firewood and a sort of flower. It was something that Jack would never forget. She released him and looked up at him through her circular spectacles. "Ronald and I were worried since we didn't see you. We tried the door, but it was locked."

Jack blinked in confusion and looked at the entrance, the veranda cast a shadow down over the door which made it look more ominous. The door wasn't locked when he entered it, but now it was. How?

A gust of wind blew through the silent air sending chills through his spine. His mother noticed this and ushered them inside the home. "Come on Jackson, let's go inside the house. I want to see it." It was nice of her, but Jack didn't really want to go into the house because a wrathful thought crusted his mind.

What if it wasn't a ghost or a hallucination...but an intruder?

The person may still be inside the house which would put all of them in harm's way. His parents were 61 and 59 and they could get seriously hurt.

"Mom, Dad, I don't think today is a good day fore to move in..."

"What do you mean?" his mother asked. She held onto his hand as if he was blessing him dearly. "Is something wrong, Jackson?" She had a worried look on his face that showed her confusion and yet fear for her son. It only made Jack more worried and want to make all these negative emotions leave. "Is the move too difficult? I know that you wanted to move to a new town and away from everyone, but maybe you're just not ready yet."

"No, Mom, it's not that, it's just..." Jack put the hand—which his mother was not holding—around the back of his neck, sort of messaging it. His blue eyes glanced back to the front door. "I'm just not sure." He didn't know what it meant. He didn't know what was wrong. Was it a ghost? Was it an intruder? There were so many uncertainties in his life right now. He just wanted to end his past mistakes and begin anew but it seemed that misfortune followed him where he went.

"Oh, honey, you don't have to move today. Ronald and I can pay for the moving van for another day. We can go back to the house and maybe think more about his move later." She had a twinkle in her eyes. "Maybe even cancel it. I'm sure someone will buy this beautiful house soon when it hits the market." She vaguely motioned to the Victorian house. Her words were kind, but her expression was filled with the desperation of some type.

Jack knew what she was doing. She was always so protective of Jack. When he first broke his leg she was the one to nurse him all better. When the school caught fire she was the one to run into the school and care him out on her shoulders. She was the one to help pay the bills. Make the food. Do everything. She was there for him more than she was there for her own husband.

Jack looked off at the distance, Ronald was his stepfather, but the only father he knew. He never met his real father and he didn't care that much to find the man. He probably wouldn't want him away. Ronald was a good father, but through the years he distanced himself from Jack and thus his own wife. She still loved him and lived happily with him, but that was one of the reasons why he had to leave. He relied on his mother way too much. She deserved to love her husband now that they were nearly dead. If she was to be 100 years old she needed to start taking care of herself more than her son.

Jack put his hands on his mother's shoulders, making her stare into his ice-cold eyes. "Mom, I'll be okay. Just let me move the plants out of your van and you two can go home without me." The last two words were like an unbreakable order. Jack had put his foot down for this and he hoped he wouldn't regret it.

Jackson's mother gave him a calm smile like a parent would give to see their children grow up and leave them to start lives on their own; a bittersweet smile. "Okay, Jackson, but at least let me help you."

Jack nodded and the two of them walked to the van where Ronald was, then the family picked up the potted plants and began their trek to the house.

.~👻~.

Shalom Seedling!
(If you haven't figured it out yet, that is what I call my readers; the remaining behind the name/title is because my name is Spring and I like sunflowers so my readers are all seeds/seedlings. I don't know.)

Have you ever seen a ghost or thought you saw one?
I've never seen a ghost in real life, but I'm quite scared of the dark and also think someone is watching me. I hate the feeling.