Sorry to split up another story. It’s been a really busy week and I need to get some sleep. Until then, what happens when you’re ready to go to war against a ghost..

The garage is usually drafty, but it was a warm Autumn day and even though the sun had already started to set I should have more than comfortable folding laundry, but instead a shiver went down my back.

I knew something was wrong.

I threw on a windbreaker that I had just pulled out of the dryer and that helped… until the cold breeze blew across my neck like icy fingers. I whipped around and verified again I was alone.

I hate this haunted house. Last time I complained to my mom she said it was just in my imagination and to ignore it. Easy for her to say – the ghost (or ghosts?) never bugged her. Just me and my older brother, Jessie.

“It’s nothing,” I said aloud, a little comforted by the sound of my voice. “I’m fine. Almost done. Just some more shirts… There’s nothing here that can hurt—”

A box fell with a crash off the top of one of the storage racks.

“Laundry can wait!” I said as I hurried for the door. One of my dog Spooky’s Kong chew toys flew right past my face and bounced off the wall. “Ah!” I let out a little scream and sprinted for the door, leaping through and closing it behind me with a slam.

“Jacob, don’t slam the door,” my mom said evenly as she browned ground beef for Taco Tuesday. “Did you finish folding your laundry?”

“Mom,” I panted. “Mom! The ghost! It threw Spooky’s Kong at me! It knocked a box off the rack!”

“Jacob, really? You’ll do anything to get out of folding the laundry!”

“Mom! I’m serious! I was, like, almost done! I just had a couple shirts!”

“Uh huh. Look, there’s no such thing as ghosts, Jacob.”

“Mom!”

“If you’re not going to finish your laundry then go work on your homework. The news says we’re probably going to lose power tonight – you won’t have the computer.”

“Mom, why won’t you believe me about the ghosts?”

“Would you like me to check the garage for you? Here, stir the meat,” she handed over the wooden spoon as she walked to the garage door. “Oh my god, Jacob!”

“Do you see the ghost?!” I said, abandoning the sizzling taco meat and running to the garage where there was no ghost, but instead all the clothes I had just folded were strewn everywhere like a tiny tornado touched down in my laundry basket. “Wha?” was all I could manage.

“Just a couple of shirts, eh?” my mom stared at me with that Disappointed Mom look. I withered under it.

“Mom! I was almost done! The ghost did this! I’m not joking!”

“Honey, we’re not having this conversation again. Go upstairs. Homework!”

Knowing a lost cause, I let out a huge sigh and headed upstairs.

“Ghost?” Jessie asked when I got to our room.

“Yeah. Knocked over a box! Threw Spooky’s Kong at me!” Spooky raised his head off the carpet at the mention of his name, then set it back down. “Then it tossed my folded laundry all over!”

Jessie lay on his back bouncing a tennis ball against the far wall and catching it. “Huh,” he said, “This isn’t good,” he bounced the ball off the wall and caught it. “Sounds like they’re escalating their activities.” Bounce, catch.

“Who?”

“The ghost,” he said bouncing the ball again, catching it, and sitting up. “This is starting to get serious. We’ve got to do something…” He squinted like he did when he thinks. Like really thinks. Only a year and a half older than me, he was way more devious. If anyone could come up with a way to deal with this ghost thing, it would be him. He stopped squinting, and a smile lit his face. “I got it, JT.” He was the only one who called me JT, and I thought it was the coolest thing. Still do, actually. “Operation: Blackout.”

“What?!”

He looked around conspiratorially, then opened the window. “Where’s mom?”

“Making dinner.”

“Alright,” he removed the screen and crawled out onto the roof of the first floor. “We’ll stay on the roof – we can still hear her call when dinner’s ready. Are you coming?”

“What? Why?”

He cast suspicious glances at the bedroom walls. “The Ghost, man. The walls have eyes! Or at least ears. We can’t have them overhearing. Let’s go!”

I followed him. He was my brother and he had a plan, of course I followed him.

…

During dinner my mom’s phone rang. She picked it up, “Hi Mom… Already? I didn’t think they were supposed to turn the power off until tonight… Well, sure, okay. Really? Mom…okay… hang on…” she pressed mute on the phone and said, “I told her not to watch ‘The Purge’ on HBO! Your Nana’s power was already shut off and she wants me to come over.  Sounds like that dog-sized racoon got into her trash can again and she’s convinced it’s a vigilante out to steal her prescriptions. Can you boys take care of yourselves tonight? She wants me to bring Spooky… and an axe handle, but Spooky will suffice. You boys will be okay, right?”

Jessie waggled his eyebrows at me. “We’ll be fine, mom. Go take care of Nana.”

“You sure?” she asked him again. He nodded. She looked at me.

“Yeah, we’re good, mom.”

She hesitated for a moment then unmuted the phone and stood up. “Okay, mom, I’m on my way over… no, they’ve still got homework. Yes, our power is still on.” She slung her purse over a shoulder as she cradled the phone with the other. “No, they’ll be fine on their own.” She kissed Jessie on the forehead and then kissed me on the forehead, too. “Be good” she mouthed to us. “Spooky!” she called and our Australian Sheppard bounded down the stairs. “Sure, mom, what do you need from the store? No, I don’t think our Walmart carries bear mace…” she headed out the door with Spooky in the lead.

An hour later the power went out.

I was actually working on an essay due the next day and, of course, hadn’t saved it when the room plunged into complete darkness. Jessie was downstairs. I was alone. In a haunted house. I fought down the panic rising fast.

“I’m here, JT.” I heard a voice in the darkness. “Just chill, man.”

“Okay,” my voice cracked a little.

“This is perfect,” his voice was closer. “We are go on Operation: Blackout. We take care of this tonight. ”

His emphasis on that last word steeled my nerves. “Yeah,” I said with bravado laced with real resolve. “We got this.”

…

I heard the footsteps start coming up the stairs and my courage flagged. One creaky step. Then another. Then another. Then another.

I balled my fists to keep my fear in check. I was in our bedroom reading by my iPhone’s flashlight. Another step…. Another step. I knew what it was going to do. This was going to be like the garage, but with my mom gone, it knew it could torment me in any room it wanted to. Like our room. Our frickin’ sanctuary. My fear hardened into anger as the footsteps kept coming up the stairs one… by one…

“RAWR!” Jacob bellowed as he charged up the stairs letting loose with the Super Soakers he was dual wielding.

There was a huge thump on the floor, like the ghost vaulted the banister to get away. Then quick footsteps through the kitchen and the door to the garage slammed.

“Holy crap, Jacob! That worked!”

“Cut the light, JT!” he said shielding his eyes with one of the Super Soakers. “Told you they didn’t like water. Phase two now, buddy. This is about to get real!

To Be Continued!