The truck loaded, the boys waited on Bob.

“Where’d he go?” Jack asked.

“Search me, if’n I know.” Willey answered.

Then Bob came around the corner, carrying a large black bag.

“What ya got in the bag?” Jack asked.

“I got me some protection.”

“What kinda protection?”

“I done whittled me some stakes, and I took my water pistol down the street and stole me some holy water from, Saint Mary’s”

“You be thinking them Whistlers is vampires?”

“May haps, or them black dogs. I ain’t gonna be no snack for no vampire.”

“Well just throw it in the back, and let’s be going.” Jack said.

Ten minutes down the road.

“We got us anything to eat?” Willey asked.

“Willey! We’s just got started.” Jack complained.

“I know’s but my big gut is looking real hard at my little one.”

“He ain’t kidding. You ought to be hearing the sounds it be making back here.” Bob added.

“It be a good thing my mom done made us something.” Jack said.

“What ya got?”

“She said, we already been eating her out of house and home, and all she had was peanut butter and jelly, so’s she done made us a bunch sandwiches with that.”

“Got any soda water? Them peanut butter sandwiches gum up in your throat.”

“Does I have to bring everything? Yes! I brung some soda water. They be behind the seat in the ice chest.”

  Jack’s jaw dropped. “Ya really gonna make me go all by my ownself?” He looked as if he was about to cry.

  Willey looked at Bob, and they both began laughing. “Jack! How long has we been doing things together?”

  “Ya don’t think we’s gonna let you go off and have all the fun?” Jack added.

  “You boys sure had me going there.” Jack said.

  “Where is this Anck Ville?” Bob asked.

  “That be the good part, it be right here in South Texas, down by Kerrville. We can be being there in about two hours.”

  “Okay! You boys go about getting us some things together, I’ll go get my computer and see if’n I can find anything on these, ‘Seven Whistlers.’ Willey said.

  While Bob, and Jack, loaded their truck, Willey began reading up on the Whistlers. Setting in the cab of the truck, with his lap top, he found it.

Jack stuck his head in the cab, “Ya find anything?”

  “They’s all kinda things about them. It says they is flying around looking for lost souls. If’n you be hearing them, they is followed by this pack of big black dogs.”

  “What’s the dogs got to do with it?”

  “My guess is them dogs does the killing.”

  Bob over heard all this. “We’s gonna be eaten by a bunch of dogs for sure on this one.”

  “It don’t say the dogs be eaten no body. They’s just there, and the folks die.” Willey said.

  “That don’t be making no since. If’n the dogs ain’t eaten nobody, then how is they dieing?” Bob asked.

  “I guess they see them dogs and just fall down dead.” Willey explained.

  “I know’d it! They’s ghost dogs.” Bob cried,

Ring! Ring! Ring!

“Is you gonna answer that there phone?” Jack asked.

“I got it, already,” Bob answered. “Hello!”

“Is this the Ghost hunters?” A female voice asked.

“We’s done retired.” Bob said.

The woman on the other end of the phone began crying. “What am I going to do now?”

“What be up, Bob?” Jack demanded.

“They’s this woman on the phone, and she be asking for the Ghost Hunters.”

“Didn’t you tell her we’s retired?”

“Yeah! She done began crying.”

“You let me be talking to her.” Jack took the phone. “Lady! We done gave up Ghost hunting for our health.”

Still crying, the woman asked, “what am I going to do? Me and my son are doomed for sure.”

“Now, you just be calming down. Why is you and your son doomed?”

“You know what the Seven Whistlers are?”

“Of course, I be knowing about the Seven Whistlers.” Jack had no idea what she was talking about.

“Well! Late last night I herd them.”

“What was they whistling?”

“They weren’t whistling anything, they were just whistling. If you know what the Seven Whistlers are, then you know me and my son are in great danger.” She began crying uncontrollability.

Jack had always been a sucker to crying women, but. “I’m sorry lady, but we done retired.”

“So you’re just one of those fake guys. What do you have one of those TV shows, where you pretend to hunt ghost?”

“Mamm! You is calling me a fake. I’ll have you know, I is what you call a gen- u- wine expert in the field of phychical fee- nom-a-nons.

“Oh no! If you don’t help us, we’re doomed.”

“Can’t you call the police?”

“And tell them what? I heard seven birds whistling, so I know my boy and I are going to die. What do you think their going to say? That’s why I called you. You have dealt with the superstitious, haven’t you?”

“Yeah! Lady we have but that just about got us kilt.”

“If you’re afraid to help, what am I going to do?” She began crying again.

“Alright lady, we’ll help you. Where is you living?” After a few minutes, Jack turned to Bob, and Willey, we’s going to Anck Ville.”

“Why’s we going there?” Willey asked.

“We gots to help Miss Colms from the Seven Whistlers?”

Bob and Willey’s faces showed they had no idea what he was talking about.

“What be the Seven Whistlers?” Bob finally asked.

“Heck if’n I know.”

“Then how’s we gonna help her against something we don’t know?” Willey asked.

“This ain’t got nothing to do with no ghost?” Bob asked.

“May haps it does and may haps it don’t.”

“You don’t know! I done knew it. You done let some crying woman get you feeling sorry for her. I thought we was done chasing no ghost. That done nearly got us kilt last time.” Bob cried.

“I done gave my word, we be helping her.”

“That be your word.” Willey pointed out.

“Now, boys! We done everything together all our live long lives. You ain’t gonna leave me out there all by lone self is you?”

“Maybe!” Bob answered.

The boys are back

“We’s back?” Willey asked.

“I sure think so.” Bob said.

“Did ya see that crap, about that there guy Jake? He done got someone inside of him. I think that be why we’s back.”

“I done read that. How’s it we be back?” Bob asked.

“Cause this guy, Skip done wrote us being back.” Jack said.

“You be joshing me. What’s this Skip’s writing got to do with us?” Willey asked.

“He done wrote what ya just be saying.” Jack said.

“He done wrote what I just said?”

“Yep! He done wrote what you’s gonna say next.”

“No he didn’t!”

Jack goes over to the computer and reads, “No he didn’t.”

“He done wrote that afor I be saying it?”

“Yep!”

“I’m for getting out of here.” Bob said, and heads for the door.

“How can I keep this Skip from writing what I’s gonna say?” Willey asked.

“Don’t be saying nothing.”

Bob yells from outside the door, “he done quit writing for me?”

“He done said you was gonna be saying that.”

Discussion blog for members of The Writer’s Chatroom.

  “Okay! Can you explain how you and he live in one mind and body?”

  “I’ve studied on it for some time. I’m found that there have been twins who seem to know what each is thinking. Of course they split from one egg. It seems the slit was not complete in some way. There are even tails of one twin feeling what the other experienced from long distances. Some how my consciousness and his are inner twined.”

  “So! He knows you are there?”

  “Yes! We talk all the time. I’m afraid I get a little upset with him. He can’t help what his mind lacks, but it frustrates me sometimes.”

  “How often do you get to come out?”

  “Like I said before, his weak mind has to rest a lot, so I get out a lot. When we were living alone, no one noticed, but now you know our secret. I just hope I’m not upsetting you.”

  “Not at all. I’m enjoying talking to you.”

  “And I you. I’ve never had the chance to have a real conversation with anther person before, I mean as me, John. I find it quite exciting.”

  “I’ll tell you what, anytime you get out, you come to me and we’ll talk. You know I find this all weird, but on the other hand I like you. How long do you think he’ll be asleep?”

  “He mostly takes these naps for about two hours.”

  “Do you know when he’s coming back, waking I mean.”

  “I get a little warning, just before I fade. He’s about half awake, and I’m loosing control. I try to leave the body in a way, he won’t know I was in control. It would just confuse him more.”

Jake headed back to his room.

There’s something not right here. I can’t let it go like this. Mary hurried to catch up to Jake. She caught up with him, just before he entered his room.

“Okay! There’s something different about you, and I’m not leaving until you tell what it is.”

Jake turned toward her. He stopped, as if in thought. Head down, he began, “okay I’m not Jake. Jake’s asleep.”

Mary looked at him confused. “If you’re not Jake, then who are you, and how come you look like Jake?”

“I’m sorry, it’s complicated. I’m not sure how to tell you this.”

 “Well tell me something. I’ve been watching you all evening. You don’t act, talk, or smell like Jake. Are there two of you? If so, you better tell my dad, he thinks there’s only one of you living in that room.”

“There is only one of us living in the room, strictly speaking.”

“Now you’re not making any sense.”

“It’s a long story.”

“So tell it!” Mary insisted.

“Our parents threw us out when we turned sixteen. Dad couldn’t handle us talking to each other, he thought Jake was just nuts. We’ve been on our own ever since.” He stopped there.

“That doesn’t explain you being here, and not Jake, by the way what do I call you?”

 “My parents never named me, so I call myself John. Okay! Over the years, I found that when Jake went to sleep, I could take over the body. As you probably already know, Jake has a weak mind, a good one mind you, but weak. The effort of thinking, tires him out a lot. So he takes mental naps. That’s when I can come out. Mostly I just take the time to read, I love to learn so I read a lot.”

“Why haven’t you found a way to take over for permanent?”

“Now, that wouldn’t be fare. I’m using Jakes body, mine died. I’m just thankful for the time I get.”

  Jake

 After Mary left, Mr. Phips knocked on the door.

  “Come in,” Jake said.

  “How are you settling in Jake?”

  “It’s right nice in here.”

  Mr. Phips handed Jake a bundle he had under his arm. “Here! Some cloths we had in the back that I think might fit you.”

  “Thank you. You’re sure are being nice to me.”

  “Well you get cleaned up and then come for supper.”

  “Yes sir.”

  When Mr. Phips left, Jake looked over the cloths. “We ain’t had no cloths this good afore.”

  You get a good bath before you try any of those on. If you didn’t notice, Mary was holding her nose around you.

   “Ain’t my fault they’s no bath in the ditch.”

  Just take one now, then let’s go to dinner.

  After Jake got a good bath, he began to dress in his new cloths.

  Not the pink shirt with the red pants, you fool.

  “Will you leave me alone? I’m gonna take me a short nap afore dinner.”

                                                         ****

  “I wonder where Jake is? I told him when dinner was.”

  “I hope he doesn’t come. It would be hard to eat with his smell,” Mary said.

  “Mary! You’ve got to be more kind to Jake, he can’t help who he is.”

  Just then, Jake entered the room. Mary looked at him and was surprised. Here was a Jake she had never seen. He was clean, and well groomed. He looked almost handsome.

  “Sorry I’m late. Had to wash some of the scum off me. Thank you for inviting me. I’ll be glad to do any work you have to pay for the meal.”

  Now Mary was really taken back. He didn’t look nor speak like the Jake she knew.

  “We’ll talk about what you can do around here latter. Right now you just enjoy our home.” Mr. Phips told him.

  “You have been very kind to me, Mr. Phips. I hope to be a great help to you in return.”

  Mary was now confused, this was not the Jake she has known for years.

  “You are Jake?”

  “Why, Miss Mary, of course I am.”

  Mary watched him through out the meal. This surprised her as well, he ate with manners, and offered to help with the dishes.

  “No! No, you get yourself settled in, there will be plenty of time for choirs tomorrow.” Mr. Phips told him.