Ghost Program by Marion Desaulniers Read Free Book Online

to squeak out.
       Gregg set down his pipe on the windowsill, then stood and walked towards him, shaking his hand and smiling grandly as if making the acquaintance of royalty.  “I’m sure all the pleasure is mine,” he said.  “But Brent, Sam is in some danger.  She is being hunted, I think, by a most loathsome beast.”
       “So I heard,” Brent replied quietly.  Brent looked at me, trying to make sense of an illogical situation.  I was just glad we could both speak to Gregg, and I felt a close connection to Brent because of it.
       “I saw him, you know,” said Gregg.  “Sam was attacked in the bathtub by some unholy degenerate, but I hope he’ll not dare to set foot here, again.  Of course, of that I couldn’t be too sure.  Mother and father have a summer cabin, but I can’t seem to find either one of them, and when I’ve looked for my horse, well, that seems to be gone as well.  I could tell you where the cabin is, though.”  Gregg paced around, trying to appear helpful and concerned.
     
       Brent’s previously ruddy cheeks now looked pale.  He sat on my bed, placing his face in the palms of his hands.
       “Oh God.  This isn’t happening,” he whispered.  His feelings reflected mine the first time I’d seen Gregg.
       “Well, why would He come back?” I said.  “As far as I know, He may have moved on, found some other women to bother.”
       Brent appeared to be trying to regain his composure by panting into his hands.  Supernatural experiences do that to people.
       “That’s all very true,” said Gregg.  “But there is something I need to explain fully.  I sensed something from Him ; in a way, I feel that I have read His thoughts.  He doesn’t just want anyone, Sam, for some reason He came for you specifically.  I felt Him and understood Him as sure I as stand here in front of you today.  He wants you dead, and He won’t rest until his accomplishes his evil endeavor.”
       “Why would anyone want me dead?”  I asked in a sad voice.  But in a way, I knew why.  It was because I could see Him when no one else could.  It was like that time I was nice to the fat kid in school, and then he wouldn’t stop following me around, trying to talk to me.  I’d been singled out because I could communicate with them , and now I was going to pay for my ability.  And if they could get to me, they could get to Brent as well.
       “When does your quarter end at school, Sam?” asked Brent dully.
       “I’ve got two more weeks.”
       “And then you transfer to the university?”
       “Yes.”
       “Finish out your courses, and you can stay in my apartment in Seattle.  It’s only a studio, and there’s not much room.....but you wouldn’t have to risk living here any longer.”  He still had a stunned look on his face.
       “Grand!” shouted Gregg.  “Send her away, and maybe the creep will not follow!  I couldn’t have come up with a better plan.”
       “Why does He want me?  Why come to my house?” I asked.
       Brent replied.  “You remember the story of Pandora’s box?  Maybe you learned it in school.”
       “Sure.”
       “I think your Casper software is precisely that.  You opened a gateway that was meant to remain closed.  Perhaps you should stay away from it from now on.”
       “I can’t stay away from it.  It’s my final computer programming project.”
       Brent sighed.  “I can’t make you do anything.  But I think you may have invited the devil into your home.”
       I began to cry.  I’d done a lot of that lately.  “You can’t say that.  You don’t know how long I spent creating it.  I was going to open a business with that program.  Maybe, I don’t know, help people connect with long dead relatives.  You can’t possibly be telling me to just forget about it.”
       Gregg sat down next to me while I sniveled, looking at Brent accusingly.  “You’re upsetting her.  I