Ghost Byte by John Larkin

Author:John Larkin
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Random House Australia
Published: 1994-07-27T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 16

‘Mum! Bed!’ said Brendan as he walked past the lounge room. She’d fallen asleep, as usual, on the lounge reading another SBS movie.

He went into his room and flicked the computer on again.

‘Okay, Nick. Saturday’s forgotten about, but you’re not getting into my body again for breakfast or anything.’

> FAIR ENOUGH.

‘What do you want from me? And I know it’s more than breakfast.’

> I WANT MY LIFE BACK.

‘What happened to yours?’

Nick went on to tell Brendan all about how he’d been murdered about a hundred years ago by a Scot named Hamish Campbell. Nick had owned a small gift shop in York called ‘Nick’s Nik-Nacks’. Brendan found it hard to keep a straight face when Nick told him the name. But apparently he and Campbell had been in love with the same girl. And the only way Campbell could have her was by getting Nick out of the way.

‘What was she like?’ interrupted Brendan.

> SHE WAS, WHAT YOU MIGHT CALL, TECHNICALLY SPEAKING, A TOTAL BABE.

‘Bummer.’

> ME AND CAMPBELL WERE FRIENDS, YOU SEE. I DIDN’T EVEN KNOW THAT HE WAS IN LOVE WITH HER UNTIL WE WENT FISHING ONE DAY AND HE SMASHED ME ON THE HEAD WITH AN OAR AND SENT ME TO SLEEP WITH THE EELS.

‘Total bummer.’

Nick then told Brendan about how Campbell took over his shop, his girl and his life. But because Nick had died an unnatural death, all he had to do was catch whoever had killed him, in this case Campbell, and he’d get his life back.

‘But isn’t your body all decayed and that?’

> YOU NEEDN’T WORRY ABOUT THAT. IT’LL BE TAKEN CARE OF.

‘Well, it should be easy. All you’ve got to do is get Campbell, right? I can’t see what’s taken you so long.’

> HE’S A SLIPPERY CHARACTER. KEEPS HIDING IN PEOPLE.

‘In them?’

> RIGHT. THERE’S NOTHING MUCH I CAN DO TO GET A GHOST OUT OF SOMEBODY. HAVE TO WAIT TILL THE PERSON DIES, USUALLY, THEN THEY BOTH COME OUT.

‘So it’s a sort of possession?’

> THERE’S NOTHING “SORT OF” ABOUT IT. HE TAKES OVER THE BODY AND EVENTUALLY THE MIND. LIVES HIS OR HER LIFE AS IF IT WAS HIS OWN.

‘Is that where Campbell is now? He’s taken over some poor person’s body.’

> YES.

‘You mean, he can just sneak up on somebody and take over?’

> NO, IT’S NOT THAT EASY. THE PERSON HAS TO BE VULNERABLE. A BIT DEPRESSED IF YOU LIKE.

Brendan thought about this for a couple of minutes. There was a connection there somewhere but he was stuffed if he could figure out what it was. ‘But how can I help you?’

> LIKE I SAID. A GHOST CAN’T GET ANOTHER GHOST OUT OF SOMEONE, BUT SOMETIMES A HUMAN CAN.

‘So what do you want me to do?’

> I NEED YOU TO COME BACK WITH ME.

‘What, back to York?’

> YES.

‘But it costs heaps to fly there, and I’ve got school and all that.’

> I FORGOT TO EXPLAIN.

‘Explain what?’

> WE WON’T BE GOING BACK BY PLANE. I ONLY CAME THAT WAY TO FOLLOW YOU. THERE’S A QUICKER WAY OF GOING.

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