GD 2: GRAVE DWELLING

Grave Dwelling Chapter 4

I was peacefully eating my lunch when Ghost Martin appeared at the other end of the table.

"Ugh, what do you want?" I asked.

He sighed, hanging his head. "Please don't exorcise me,"

I spat steak at him, and it passed through his translucent body to splatter onto the floor, where Obby ate it. "As if. I don't want you in my house anymore."

"But I haven't even done anything!" he whined.

"You tore down my drapes, and you kept me up last night, plus you made me fire all my staff, so now I'm all alone in this giant beautiful incredibly expensive house with Obby, and I don't want you to be here with us."

"You don't enjoy my company anymore?" he asked.

"I don't enjoy ghost company at all, now leave me to eat in peace,"

"But I don't wanna!" he whimpered.

I heard the doorbell ring, and left the room as he floated behind me. "That should be the exorcist!"

"Please, Raven," he pleaded. "I don't wanna go!"

I pulled open the door and saw a hunched figure in an overly large navy cloak, his hood pulled down so that I couldn't see his face. "Hola, senorita," he whispered. "¿Tu casa está embrujada?"

"Huh?" I asked. "Sorry, I don't speak Italian. Are you the exorcist?"

He gave a single slow nod.

"Great, come in and get rid of this creepy ghost guy for me,"

"Raven," Martin cried. "Please don't get rid of me!" he tried to stamp his little ghost foot, but he was hovering too far above the ground. Not like it would have made any sound if he had been on it, though, since he was a ghost.

"So, mister," I ignored Martin and addressed the creepy old geezer. "How long is this going to take?"

He stood up straight abruptly, sending his over-large hood blowing off his head to reveal his beautiful face.

"Aiden!" I cried.

"WHAT?!" Ghost Martin screamed.

"Hey, Raven," he stepped forward and smooched me on my lips. I swooned.

"How is this possible?!" Ghost Martin raged.

"Well," Aiden started, taking off his exorcist robe and dropping it on the floor. His shirt was just tight enough to show his chiseled abs. "I outsmarted the bandits,"

"How did you do that?" he whined.

"I played dead," he said. "After they stabbed me, I pretended to die, so that they would leave me alone. Then, after they left, I just pulled out the knife, got up, and walked away."

"Wow," I fawned. "That's such a heroic and masculine survival story,"

He winked at me, showing a dashing smile.

"So what happened to the bandits?" I asked.

"Called the cops on 'em," he said proudly. "They said they would send all they had to arrest those punks, so I guess now they're all rotting in prison, like they should be,"

"That's amazing," I breathed out, my voice choked by fangirling.

Aiden shrugged. "It was nothing, really,"

Ghost Martin whimpered, reminding me of his obnoxious presence, which I had almost forgotten in the presence of Aiden.

"So, can you get rid of Ghost Martin, or what?" I asked.

"Well," he sighed. "Not really. I'm not a real exorcist, that was just my cover for why I was so beat up and what-not. Surprisingly easy job! They pay me really well, too. I just leave for a few hours, come back and tell them I exorcised a house--boom! Thirty grand,"

"Wow, that's so hot," I remarked.

Ghost Martin let out a strange cry of distress and rage.

"So, what are we going to do about this ghost, then?" I asked.

He shrugged. "I'm not sure. Maybe we'll have to go find a real exorcist,"

Ghost Martin tried to spit, but since he had no salivary glands it was more like a 'poof' sound. "Good luck with that, ya kook, there is no way in the Sam hill you ever gon' find an exorcist around this here place, they're way too haughty and rich for that kinda weird junk,"

Aiden looked at me, confused. "Why does he talk like a backwoods hick now that he's a ghost?"

I shrugged. Ghost Martin screeched in enraged defeat.

"Well," I sighed. "I guess we should go find an exorcist,"

As I turned for the door, he stopped me by the wrist. Ghost Martin let out a whine at the physical contact he was now incapable of as a ghost. "Raven, wait,"

"Yeah?" I turned back towards him.

"It's just, I missed you so much," he said. "And all this time apart has made me realize how much I.... I..."

"Yes?" I held my breath.

"How much I love you,"

I swooned again.

"Will you marry me?"

"WHAT?! NOOOOOO!" Ghost Martin sobbed.

"Oh, of course I will!" I exclaimed.

Ghost Martin hovered next to us, enraged, as Aiden produced an engagement ring and slipped it onto my finger.

"This. Is. Not. Possible!!" Ghost Martin cried out in a fifteen-year-old girl sort of upset voice, trying and failing again to stamp his ghost foot.

"Oh, get over it," Aiden said without looking away from me. "You never had a chance with her, after you left her for four years to try and find out the truth about her parents' demise,"

I giggled. "Good point, babe,"

He flashed another grin. "C'mon, let's go get married,"

Ghost Martin let out a terrible screech as we exited the house.