The sun hung low in the sky as Ghost loaded the last of the luggage into the small car. A small huff left her lips as she bent backward, stretching her back out with a small pop. The cool autumn breeze passing by with a slight whistle, ruffling her long hair as it passed, brushing softly against her skin. A small smile overtook Ghost’s face, taking a little moment to stop and enjoy the cool fall weather.
“Almost ready to go?” Pumpkin called, from the front door, breaking Ghost from her trance. He step out from the patio, having just finished cleaning up the house.
Ghost’s attention turned to her twin, addressing him with a grin, “All set here! We’re just waiting on Becky now.”
Pumpkin hopped down the few stairs leading up to the porch, approaching his twin, “She should have been here by know, do you know whats holding her up?”
Ghost shock her head, “No, I’ve tried calling and texting her, but she hasn’t gotten back to me.”
“Hmmmm, its not like her to be late like this…”
“I’m sure she’ll be here soon, maybe she just got stuck in morning traffic.”
“Maybe--”
Riiiiiing! Riiiiiiiiiiiing!
Ghost quickly searched her pockets as the sharp ringing of her phone cut Pumpkin off. She ruffled through her pockets, searching them before her hand grasped the smooth surface of her phone case after the second ring, enabling her to pull the phone out of her jacket pocket. Her eyes landed on the name of the caller first reading Becky’s name in bold letters written across the screen of her phone. Her finger swiped the screen in an instant, answering the call.
“Hello?”
“Hey Ghost,” Came the voice of Becky from the other side of the phone, sounding tired and worn down.
“Becky? Are you alright?” Ghost asked as her brows furrowed, concern welling up in her as she listened into the tried tone her friend carried.
“Yeah… no not really,” Becky sighed from the other end, “My grandma’s in the hospital, she had a heart attack late last night.”
“Oh my gods, are you ok?”
“Yeah, but I’m not going to be able to go on the trip with you and Pumpkin. I’m sorry.” She sounded truly remorseful, Ghost wouldn’t have been surprised if she’d been crying moment before the call.
“Don’t worry about it! You just focus on taking care of your grandma alright? Me and Pumpkin will be a just fine on our own.” Ghost hurried to reassure Becky, fake cheer and real concern in her voice.
“Thanks, I’ll see you guys next week then?”
Ghost firmly nodded, not really considering Becky couldn’t see her, “Absolutely, take care alright?”
“You to, bye.”
“Bye.” Ghost said back just before Becky ended the call. She brought the phone down from her ear with a sigh, turning to Pumpkin, “Becky’s not going to be able to come, her grandma had a heart attack.”
Pumpkin’s eyes widened at the news, “That’s awful is she alright?”
Ghost nodded, “Seems so, but Becky’s staying with her for now.”
Pumpkin sighed, gaze drifting to the car filled with luggage, “Well I suppose there’s nothing more for us to do.”
“Might as well get the show on the road then.” Ghost agreed finishing Pumpkins thought.
The twins tucked the conversation away in their minds as they headed to the car, climbing in with no more fuss. Pumpkin gently turned the key to the engine, causing it to come to live with a small grumble. Soft music filter in from the speakers as Ghost fiddled with the aux cord, hooking up her playlist. The music changed as Pumpkin backed out of the driveway, turning from mellow to up beat.
Ghost began nodding her head to the rhythm as the duo exited the small subdivision they live in, absent mindlessly scrolling though her phone as she pulled up google maps, quickly plugging in a town near to Weeping Hallows. Because of the town’s remote nature google could only take them an hour out from the town, after that they were going to have to resort to the beaten up maps that they’d thrown into the back seat.
While Ghost messed around with directions, Pumpkin relaxed into the drivers seat. His eyes on the road as he mindlessly obeyed the orders of google, following its directions to the interstate without a fuss. He drove the little car down the road listening to the Halloween themed playlist Ghost put on, and following the demands of a map. He breathed softly, taking in the local scenery as he left the little college town he lived in. Onto the next adventure he went, accompanied only by his twin as they raced towards a town they only barely remembered.\
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Pumpkin drove for hours, the sun rose and fell in the sky as he passed town after town. He and his sister stopped a few times for bathroom breaks, gas, and lunch, but that’d been it. His mind wandered, only paying a little attention to the road ahead. Ghost had offered many a time to take over driving, to which Pumpkin shot down each time. She instead found herself forced into selecting a playlist, getting directions, and staring off into space. Ghost found herself in one little instance of staring into space when the quite music was suddenly cut off by the tyrant google.
“You have arrived at your destination.” Come the monotone voice.
Ghost snapped out of her trance, focusing forward to the little town of circleville, located an hour away from Weeping Hallows. Pumpkin turned, pulled over into a nearby gas station. He drove up to the nearest pump, parking the car before climbing out. Ghost, now all alone in the car, raised her arms above her head touching the roof of the car as she stretched to the best of her ability. Her body bending back with a long satisfied sigh, relaxing as she took a deep breath.
Blinking her eyes a few times Ghost turned, looking into the backseat. Huffing slightly she began reaching back, fingers just grazing the tips of the maps that laid on their sides in the back. Her eyes narrowed as she stretched out more wiggling her fingers, trying grasp the maps. Her fingers glazed the corners before finally she pinched the edge of one of the maps. A sharp grin over took her lips as she leaned back, pulling the maps with her. She wrapped her hand around the edge of them, getting a better grip as she brought them up to the front.
Ghost folded the first map on out, taking in all its glory. Her eyes scanned the it, up and down, side to side. Her searching gaze paused only twice, once when she pinpointed her and Pumpkin’s location, and again when she found the little town of Weeping Hallows marked not a hundred miles away. She focused on the two towns, looking closely for the quickest route between them. A small hum left her lips as she considered the contents of the map. Her attention only braking to the sound of the opening and closing of the driver’s door.
“We almost there?” Pumpkin asked, peering over Ghost’s shoulder to see the map she held.
Ghost turned her attention to Pumpkin giving him as small nod as she lowered the map to her lap, “Nearly, we’ll need to take highway AA another twenty miles, then turn onto this little road here,” She pointed to a road on the map, “For another fifteen miles. Then there,” She pointed to the last road they’d need to travel, “We just have to take that road ten miles then we’ll be in town.”
Pumpkin nodded, a smile slowly creeping up his face, “Alright! What do you think we’ll find there?” He exclaimed, leg bouncing with nervous energy. His hands gripped the wheel tightly as he turned out of the gas station, heading down the road.
Ghost shrugged, folding the map slightly, “I’m not sure, do you really think what we saw there will be real?” She asked, voice low and filled with anxiety.
Pumpkin took a long moment to consider that, “I’m not sure either, but if it is…” He trailed off glancing momentary to Ghost.
Ghost nodded, determination written out on her face, “We will find out.”
The duo fell silent, conversation dying on their lips as they watched the open road roll pass them, minds filled with circling thoughts. The strange little place called Weeping Hallows never quite leaving their minds. Together they drove for miles, entering a forest with no end in site as they drew closer and closer to their destination. The sun dipped down, down below the horizon, setting softly behind the trees and rolling hills they drove past.
The last few rays of sunshine illuminated the ground, shining softly from behind the thick trees. The sun provided just enough light to show a small worn down sign sitting to the side of the road. A sign covered in leaves and debrie, slowly rotting away.
A sign that read: Welcome to Weeping Hallows.
