Spirits and Ghouls
By Sanoon

Chapter 1: Deadly Findings

     “Any news about the spontaneous combustion incidents?” Dib asked, to what everyone else would guess, himself. But really, he wasn’t alone.
     The boy’s nightly trips to the park were now common after his first encounter a month ago. August was well in bound. The leaves were already starting to fade.
     “Today’s police are horrible,” Jack said, staring off into the shadowy distance. The sun was down, and the lamps only illuminated the park’s paths, nothing else. He chuckled. “Do I sound like an old guy or what?”
     Dib laughed as well. “You have been around for a while,” the boy commented.
     “I suppose you’re right.” Jack took out a cigarette from the pack in his pocket. “Anyways, I haven’t found much from the incidents. The police are blocking off the newer places too well for me to investigate properly.”
     “You’re a ghost. What’s stopping you?” Dib asked, slightly confused.
     “Well, it’s not like I can just grab evidence right out of the police’s hands.” Jack sighed. “The police found it first. They get to keep it.” He lit his cigarette and took a long puff, expelling the smoke into the night air. “I’m going to try to go to one of the older fires and see what I can find. The police don’t really pay enough attention to those.”
     “Mostly due to the lack of manpower,” Dib added. “They’re just too concerned with the newer fires to have anyone at the older ones.”
     Another puff. “I’m going to go to Mr. Franklin’s house tomorrow and see what I can find.”
     “Want me to join?” Dib asked, smiling.
     “Not this time, kid,” Jack answered. The boy’s smile disappeared. “It’s too dangerous for you. The rubble could be too unstable. I’d hate for you to end up like me, especially at your age.”
     “I guess so.” The boy jumped off the bench. “Good luck Jack. I need to get home.”
     “Right,” Jack replied, nodding his head. “Good night, kid.” The two went their separate ways, one fading out of sight, while the other walked out of sight.

-----

     The old house used to be a two story, blue Victorian, but was now a tarnished, black ruin. The flames that consumed the house a week ago were extinguished by the fire department before the house had crumbled to the ground. The second floor was barely intact, but existent nonetheless. Many holes had been burnt through the walls, which let the morning sun fill what little parts it could with sunlight. A week may have passed since the incident, but the only thing the police did was put up a yellow ‘Do Not Cross’ line around the premises.
     The yellow line shook faintly, even though there was no wind in the air today. A figure, unseen by all, walked through the burnt, dilapidated door. He didn’t bother to open it, but the door didn’t move as if something did hit it.
     The man that stood in the house glanced around the rubble, while a small stream of smoke rose from his cigarette. The remains of furniture littered the floor. Old couches that people once used, remains of chairs, a TV crushed by a brittle desk that fell from the room above, picture frames which once held pictures, a smashed lamp that once lit the room, and a coffee table, shattered in the middle by the weight of the objects on it when the fire weakened it.
     A quick noise brought Jack’s attention to the hole in the ceiling. It sounded like a kid was running around upstairs. The ghost walked out of the living room, and into the hallway. The staircase, or what was left of it, was at the very end. Jack continued down the hallway. Dust and ash fell from the ceiling, as what seemed to be faint, deranged laughter echoed from a hole leading to a room on the floor above. Jack increased his speed to a quick walk.
     He started to ascend the destroyed circular oak staircase, but stopped halfway up when the balcony for the second floor snapped off and fell. Jack quickly glanced over to see what it was, but was rather puzzled when he saw something small dash into a room. It resembled a furless dog almost. He walked up the rest of the stairs, and walked over to the room he saw the creature run off into.
     The floor of the room he was starring at had collapsed into the room below it. There was hardly any space for anything to move around on. Jack glanced down at the rubble-encased floor below. No sign of any animal falling through.
     He stepped back into the hallway when he heard the floorboards creak in the next room. He quickly ran over and peered into the room. Nothing but the remains of a bathroom. Jack sighed and shook his head. There was no dog. His mind must be playing tricks on him…but for a ghost…was that a good or a bad thing?
     Jack continued down the hallway, floating over a hole in the process. He heard the creaking sound again, this time coming from right behind him. Jack quickly turned around and saw that creature running into the bathroom. He didn’t get a full sight of it, but it looked familiar. Deadly familiar.
     Jack ran to the bathroom, but didn’t see anything. The creaking sound came again, but this time, it was moving above him, in the attic. He looked at the ceiling in the bathroom. There was a hole leading to the attic.
     No doubt about it, something was in this house. Never before in Jack’s time after death did he wish he had his trusty pistol back. Another creak returned his attention to the hallway. Jack’s eyes widened when he saw what was lurking his way.
     A small, green creature, maybe four feet long, was crawling across the ceiling. It was using its three claw-like fingers to grasp onto the ceiling, as well as its two-toed, clawed feet. The creature’s dull yellow eyes stared him down, while it showed off a row of vicious, hungry, razor-sharp teeth. It was wearing a tattered white shirt with black stripes, and tight, pure black pants. It’s yellow dotted backpack kept the back of his shirt from dangling. The creature dropped from the ceiling, spinning in the air to land on all fours, facing Jack.
     “You!” Jack shouted at the creature, his cigarette falling out of his mouth, and fading out of existence.
     “That’s Anakras to you,” the creature replied, grinning at the ghost, “and don’t you forget it.”
     “I’m dead because of you!” Jack shouted at the creature as he clenched his fists.
     “And I’m dead because of you,” Anakras replied, his eyes narrowing at his enemy.
     Jack grinned and held in a laugh, causing the Irken to frown in a mixture of confusion and anger. “You don’t know how happy I am to hear that,” he said. “Do you know how long I’ve been searching for you?”
     “Fifty of your Earth years,” the alien replied. “Do you realize how horrible this planet is?”
     “This is a great place if you actually live here. But you came here to kill people. It’s good you died. No one else had to suffer by your hands since you died.”
     The alien laughed. Not just a short laugh, but real laughter; laughter that was caused by something really, really funny. Jack only stared at the alien, baffled as to what it found so funny. “Do you think my death would stop me? Who do you think started all these fires?”
     “So you started them!”
     Anakras nodded. Jack charged foreword, landing a punch on the surprised alien’s face. The Irken fell back, but quickly recovered. He jumped onto the ceiling again and quickly crawled to a spot where Jack couldn’t touch him.
     “Where do you think you’re going!?” Jack shouted at the other ghost.
     “Sorry I can’t entertain you human, but I have to go collect my thoughts about our encounter.” The Irken quickly exited the house, running across the ceiling and jumping out a broken window. Jack didn’t follow. He knew he couldn’t catch the alien, but he also knew he’d see him again. They had a score to settle.