The night was dark, and there was a chill in the air. The boy crouched in a thicket, shivering despite the thick down jacket he wore. Beside him, his older sister trembled as well. She held his hand tightly; squeezing his fingers painfully, but he said nothing. He didn't want her to let go. He could hear his sister's heavy breathing in the sudden silence, and felt his own heart pounding in his chest. He reached his other hand into his coat pocket and fingered the box he kept hidden there, and sighed. The boy hated October, when the days grew shorter, and the night came sooner. The night time was dangerous. That was when the ghosts came out.
"Are they gone?" He whispered.
"I doubt it," his sister replied in a hushed voice. "They don't usually give up that easily."
The ghosts had jumped them as they cut through the park on the way home from school. Together the siblings managed to fight the creatures off, however, and had taken refuge in the tall thick bushes that lined the north side of the city park. They hadn't seen or heard from the ghosts for several minutes.
"Maybe they're after somebody else, now," he suggested.
"Maybe. You stay here," the girl ordered. "I'm going to check . . ."
"Sissy, no!" The boy cried, grabbing a handful of his sister's leather bomber jacket, pulling her back.
"Be quiet!" She hissed through her teeth.
"But, I can help," he said quietly. "I have something . . ."
"No, you can't help!" She growled at him. "You're only ten years old, you'll get in the way!"
The boy winced at her harsh response. He turned his face away and sniffed. His sister sighed and put her arm around his shoulders.
"I'm sorry, little brother. I didn't mean to yell at you. I'm just scared, and I'm trying to get us home safe."
The boy remained silent and didn't turn towards her. She squeezed his shoulders and continued. "Gah! I cannot wait to get my driver's license! Two weeks, kiddo! Two more weeks, and we won't have to deal with this crap anymore! Okay? Now, please, just stay here and be quiet until I tell you it's safe to come out."
The boy sniffed loudly and wiped his nose with the sleeve of his jacket, then nodded. She smiled and mussed his thick black hair with her fingers. Usually he hated when she did that, but on this night, he found the familiar show of sisterly affection comforting.
The girl carefully crept out from their hiding place in the tall shrubs, and took a few tentative steps forward. She slowly scanned the park for any sign of their attackers, moving further and further away from their sanctuary. The boy held his breath and waited. Finally, his sister turned, and raised her hand to beckon him. It was then the terrible shrieking began again. He pressed his hands over his ears, but the sound still got through. He tried to shut his eyes, but found himself mesmerized by the scene. The three ghosts who had chased them through the park pounced on his sister. She fought them off as best she could, but three against one weren't very good odds. They pulled at her arms and legs, tore at her hair. They lifted her high into the air then threw her down again. She hit the ground hard, but staggered to her feet, and continued to fight. She kicked them and punched them, but the ghosts never grew tired and they never gave up.
She turned to the bushes and caught his eye. "Run!" She cried. "I can't hold them off much longer!"
"NO! I won't leave without you!"
The boy burst from the bushes, he reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a small black box. He extended the antenna a few inches, placed his thumb over the shiny silver button, and aimed it at the ghosts.
"Unhand my sist . . . aaaaahhhhhh!" The boy yelled in surprise as he was suddenly lifted off the ground. A ghost grabbed him by the collar of his puffy orange jacket, and flew out of the park. Behind him he heard his sister screaming his name. The ghost paused beside the third floor window of a nearby building, and flipped the boy over, dangling him by one leg over the sidewalk. The other two ghosts, carrying his sister hovered a few yards away.
"Put my brother down," she cried. "Please! He's just a little kid! He's no use to you!"
"Hey!" The boy cried, disgruntled.
His sister ignored him. "I'll give you whatever you want," she pleaded with her captors. "I'll do whatever you want, just please, please don't hurt him!"
The two ghosts holding the girl conferred, then nodded to the third ghost, who took the boy, turned him right side up, and gently set him down on the sidewalk. It sneered at him, brushed some imaginary dust off his shoulder, and mussed his hair with its icy hand.
"Don't do that!" He yelled, pulling away. "Nobody can do that except my sister! You let her go! NOW!"
The ghost laughed at him, then turned to join his friends. The boy felt a burning rage grow inside him. He remembered the device in his hand, and pointed it at the retreating ghost.
"I said LET. GO. OF. MY. SISTER!" The boy screamed and pressed the silver button. A bolt of green lightning shot out from the antenna, and struck the retreating ghost, enveloping it in a cloud of green smoke. When the smoke dissipated, the specter was gone.
"It worked?" The boy said, slightly surprised, then shouted triumphantly. "IT WORKED!"
The ghosts holding his sister stared, slack jawed, and she took the opportunity to wriggle free from their grip, and escape. Unfortunately, she'd forgotten she was hovering several yards above the sidewalk, and rather than escaping, she fell, landing hard on her back, the air rushed out of her lungs with a loud Ooof! One of the ghosts rushed after her and landed on top of her, pinning her shoulders against the pavement. It snarled; its gaping maw mere inches from her face. She could feel its icy breath against her skin; smell its rancid stench. She struggled against it, but the ghost was too strong for her. She turned her head and squeezed her eyes shut against the sight, shuddering as it slowly licked the side of her face.
Suddenly there was a flash of light, and a startled cry, then the pressure was gone. The girl opened her eyes in time to see the last trace of the ghost vanish into the night air. She sat up and looked around, but saw no ghosts; only her brother running up the sidewalk towards her.
"Did you see it, Sissy?" He shouted. "The device! It worked!"
"I sure did see it," She said, slowly getting to her feet, and brushing dirt off her jeans. "What is that thing anyway?"
"It's a Ghost Zapper," he replied. "It's my latest invention!"
His sister laughed and mussed up the boy's already disheveled hair. "Well, kiddo, I don't know where you get these crazy ideas of yours, but you're a dang genius!"
"Yes, I am," the boy agreed confidently, and striking a victorious stance, he pointed the device at the black night sky. "And, one day, Dani-Jean, all the ghosts in this world and the next will tremble at the name Jack Fenton!"
"Um, okay. As impressed as I am with your sudden ghost-fighting prowess, can we just go home, now, Jacky? You know, before the two of us are trembling at the names of mom and dad?"
"Oh, yeah, sure," Jack said, as the two turned and walked up the street. "Hey, Dani-Jean, I have another idea for an invention: the Ghost Splitter. You know, to split ghosts in half with! Or, hey, what about the Ghost Goo Evaporator? Or the Fenton Ghost Spotter, or . . ."
"Oh, for the love of Pete!"
Danielle Fenton smacked her hands over her ears. As much as she loved her little brother, he could sometimes be very annoying. She turned and leaned down towards him. "Look, kiddo, that's enough ghost crap for one night, okay? How 'bout I race you home? Last one there's a rotten egg!"
She whacked him playfully on the shoulder and took off running down the street.
"Wait!" Jack called as he ran after her. "Don't you want to hear my new ghost fighting invention ideas? Sissy? Hey! Wait up!"
Fin