Spear Forest

Chapter seven

" Goodnight mom goodnight dad." Michael called as he walked up the stairs to him and mitch's room.

"Goodnight? Son it's only 7:30pm . On a Friday. Why aren't you out with your girlfriend? I can see why Mitch is here ."
Mitch stepped out the kitchen with a bowl of cereal in hand. " what's that supposed to mean." He grumbled as shoved a spoonful into his mouth.
His dad scratched his head and chuckled innocently . " nothing son. Nothing at all."
"Hmph." Mitch walked passed him and followed his brother into their room.
Mitch sat down on his bed completely ignoring his brother who was laying on his bed staring holes into his head. He put his focus on the meal he was consuming.
Michael continue to stare. At first Mitch had no problem ignoring him but after ten minutes Mitch was finished with his bowl and nothing else to focus on. Fifteen minutes passed . Michael's gaze never faltered.
Twenty minutes.
Mitch sighed and sat back on his bed. Finally he made eye contact. " There is a small brief case under your bed . I've been to the library and wrote down as much as I could." Michael got up and went for the brief case.
" The research at the library lead to a place where I'd never guess."
Michael sat on his bed brief case in his lap. He looked up at his brother. "Where ?"
Mitch dropped his gaze, "grandpa's attic."
Michael swallowed. He looked down at the case and paused for a moment. He wasn't sure what feeling crept it's way on him but he was sure he didn't like it.
With his left he popped the left lock ,with his right he popped the right lock. Slowly he lifted the case open.
Inside the case was worn out yellowing newspapers ,old photos and little clippings of newspaper images.
Michael took them out and examined them.
" before you read to far I should warn you..there won't be no chances of turning back if you decide to do something."
"I think you're making this creepier than it should be ."
Michael picked up one of the news papers and started reading . After he finished the first he moved on to the second and then to the third. The more he read the more sense it made sense on why Mitch kept warning him.
Finally he put down the last paper. He was sweating and his mouth felt like he just ran a marathon.
" on second thought", he choked "maybe we just underestimated this thing entirely."
......
"Cheers!!"
At once Mitch Michael Agatha Sam and mudon chugged down their half gallon of apple cider lemonade ,a signature favorite among the town's people.
Michael finished first. " and my record still stands."
Agatha followed seconds behind. " not for long." She says as she wipes her chin.
Sams put her mug down on the table and pulls a jenga piece. " you'll never beat me in a beer chug though."
Mudon also pulls a block with one hand and his mug in the other. " I have no interest in chugging down a delicious drink ,you're supposed to savor it. Where is the pride?"
"Pride ? Our pride is deep fried topped in powdered sugar and fried again. It's in the first bite of baby Ray's world famous funnel cake. Thats-" Mitch pulls a block from the jenga tower . The tower wobbles ,enough to have everyone holding their breath but it doesn't topple over. "..Where our pride is ."
Just as Agatha was about to take her turn at pulling a block ,Mrs.Dean . Mitch and Michael mom taps a spoon on her wine glass. Everyone's attention is now on her. " Okay everyone I know you're all ready for cake . I promise it will be out momentarily,but before that we have great news. Honey will you do the honors?"
Mr. dean steps forward with a envelope in hand . He opens it and pulls out a piece of paper.
" It is our honor to inform everyone that our boys Mitch and Michael have been accepted into white peak university!"
For a moment no one uttered a word. Shock and disbelief was on everyone's faces.
"What the hell!" Mudon's raised his hands to his hair.
Everyone finally cheered and gathered around the two boys.
The boy's friends was the first to congratulate them.
"I can't believe you two got in but we didn't. You guys must have done something." Mudon squinted at Mitch and Michael who also had the same expression as everyone else.
"Yeah it's so weird mom and dad didn't tell us either." Mitch scratched his head.
"I can see how you got in Mitch but not Michael." Agatha joked as she lightly punched him in the side.
"Thanks. Darling. For the support." He shot a fake smile towards her.
"I'll show you support." Agatha grabbed his hand and lead the way towards his room.
"Babe wait..you don't mean.." he stuttered as he allowed himself to be dragged through the crowd.
The rest of the gang just watch them disappear among the crowd.
"Gross..." Mitch mumbled as he took a sip of his refill of the apple cider lemonade.
"I second that." Sams says . She turn her gaze back towards the jenga tower.
Mitch squints " you say that like you're innocent."
Sam shot a glare at him and trailed to mudon who had let a laugh escape from his lips. His eyes darted everywhere else but towards her.
....
Agatha closed the door behind them and pushed Michael on the bed and climbed on top and f him.
" sweetheart w-wait."
She leaned in close. " Relax. I won't do anything unless you cooperate."
Michael raised a brow. " why do I suddenly feel like I'm being blackmailed."
Agatha bit her lip. " I heard you and Mitch talking back at the hideout."
Michael went pale and his eyes widened.
"Michael..?"
He was silent. Agatha could feel his heart racing beneath her. Her own hear rate picked up at the strange aura he was giving off. He looked petrified.
She backed up off him and laid beside him. Her gaze never left his .
She snuggled up against him. " Talk to me hun."
Moments went by before Michael found his ability to speak again. " Mitch and I have been dealing with some crazy things."
"Crazy things? What do you mean?"
"Ghost."
"Ghost?"
"Yes. Ghost,But not just any ghost." Michael sat up and folded his hands in his lap. He closed his eyes.
" I don't understand." Agatha sat up beside and looked at him.
" Neither do I . It should be some story you tell to scare little kids not some twist off true events."
" True events?"
Michael stood to his feet and threw his hands in the air. He began to pace from the door and back to the bed. Agatha folded her arms tightly against her body.
She only witnessed this state of his once before. It was the night after her father's accident. She knew Michael was behind it but she didn't tell him that. She didn't hate him at all for it ,if anything it deepened the fondness she had for him.
She stood up and grabbed both of his arms ,stopping him in his tracks. She looked him in the eyes. " Michael. Breathe."
He obeyed.
"Again."
He did.
" Now tell me what's on your mind."
" spirit forest." He swallowed. " Rarely known as speared forest aka speared spirit forest."
Agatha furrowed her brows "Okay?"
" The legend or the folktale that every elder keeps reciting at story time for children. It's real."
Agatha release him and put her hands on her hips.
"As if . How do you even know that."
"Mitch dug up some history in the library which lead him to our grandfathers attic. There he found actual news paper dated from back then. We even saw photos of the spirit."
"It could be fake ,that doesn't prove anything."
Michael raised his gaze from the floor to Agatha's.
"Photos of the spirit .."her eyes widened. " you're saying you saw it yourself?"
" no but Mitch did. He said it looked exactly like the man in this photo."
Michael got down on his knees and pulled out the briefcase from under his bed. He placed it on his bed and opened it.
" Man these are old." Agatha wrinkled her nose. " and they smell too." She picked up the first photo she saw. It was a picture of a group of guys standing near what looked like a cave. Each one of them was wearing the same uniform and holding shovels and rock picks. " they look like miners."
"That's because they are. Remember what the story says. The hunter was a local miner. Focus your attention to the far left on the second to last guy."
"Is that him?"
Michael nodded and took the photo from her. He put it back in the case and slid it under his bed.
They both stood in silence. Thoughts swarmed in Agathas mind. She didn't want to believe what Michael was telling her but the way he was spooked about it didn't sit right with her. She still didn't understand why he and Mitch seemed so wrapped up and secretive about it.
She looked up at Michael's face. His eyes was droopy and had bags beneath them. She could tell this had kept him up for many nights. She reached up and cupped his face. With one of her thumbs she gently rubbed it across the eyebrow that was silver,his birthmark. Then she brought both of her hands up to the back of his now nearly bald head. " Well hey on the bright side you don't have to worry to much longer of seeing some ghost. We are leaving for college in two weeks."
Michael gave her a small smile and gently placed his hands over hers. He brought them down and held them in front of him. " I wish it was that easy."

Agatha frowned. " What do you mean?"

"I mean I think it's after us and I don't think it's gonna stop and until we confront it or it...you know..."

"Confront ? After you?What ,why is it after you ."
Michael sighed and grabbed the brief case again and this time he pulled out a newspaper for Agatha to read. As she did he could see the color slowly vanishing from her skin. By the end she was shaking. Michael had to pry her fingers open to remove the newspaper so she wouldn't rip it.
"That's ..that's awful Michael. Why wasn't there justice brought for that family? Why does everyone lie about what really happened."
Michael put the newspaper away and pushed the case back under his bed. He sat there for a moment then he looked up at Agatha. " well if you was the offender would you want such a title on your grave stone ? And besides the whole town was in on this . I think everyone was in a silent agreement on keeping it under the table. Especially my great uncle ,for he was behind it all."

Agatha covered her mouth with both hands. " So you're saying its after you and Mitch now because it wants ve-"

The door flew open. " He wants vengeance."

Michael and Agatha turned towards the door and was shocked to see the boy's grandfather standing in the doorway.