THE GHOST AND THE EARTHBOUND DEMONS

SHOOTING DEMONS WITH A BANANA

Terry and Jimmy walked through the deserted neighborhood. Well, Jimmy walked, and Terry kind of floated beside him. 

"What is it like to be dead?" 

"I haven't been dead for long, so I think am a kind of a newbie."

"You have been dead for six months, Terry. That's a long time ago."

"Six months! Oh, It seemed like yesterday to me."

"Is heaven real?"

"Verily."

"And hell?"

"Yes."

"Tell me about heaven?"

"I didn't make it there. I was stopped in front of the pearl gate ."

Jimmy's eyes became huge. "It's the gate truly made of Pearl? It must be really beautiful."

"Yeah. Very beautiful and filled with shining light. I'm unable to glance at it because of the dazzling light, so I can't describe it to you in detail."

"Tell me everything that has happened to you since you died."

Terry cleared his throat and began to narrate everything he had passed through, he told him about the tunnel and the floating dots, about Saint Peter, the earthbound demons, and then about the reason why he was sent back to earth. Through his narration, Jimmy's jaw remains open and his eyes get bigger with astonishment. 

"Amazing," Jimmy muttered. "So you only have a month to be alive?"

"Yes," Terry muttered in response. "If everything works as planned, I will be back in front of the Pearl Gate in a month."

Seeing a young man talking to himself was an uncommon sight, and this made people gawked at Jimmy as he walked passed them. But Jimmy was too engrossed in his conversation to notice the strange look.

"Just punish Bobby and warn him from bullying me before you go," Jimmy said at last. 

Terry smiled. "When last did you see my mom?"

"During your burial. She was a shadow of herself. Will you visit her before going back?"

"I don't think it will be wise to."

"Hmm!"

Terry swallowed a large spit. He felt sorry for his mother. She had lost her only son, and he was afraid she may never recover from that. "What about my stepdad?"

"He didn't come to your burial. I guess he was still angry with you ."

Terry shrugged. "Let him be." He was about to open his mouth when a kind of orb materialized in front of him and dashed towards him. Terry glanced up as the virtual help hologram floated beside him at shoulder height.

"You must be the hologram from Saint Peter. I have been waiting for you."

"What?"

"Am not talking to you, Jimmy." 

"Then who are you talking to?"

"My hologram. It's here."

"I can't see anything, Terry."

"Oh! I think it's only a ghost that can see it. Never mind, it's here because of me."

"I feel uncomfortable when you talk to something I can't see ."

"Shut up, Jimmy... Hologram, please tell me what you are. "

The icon blinked and flickered. " I am your EctoLink and personal Help program. You can call me Holo. If you have any problem or question, I will be here to be of help."

"Good. Now tell me about my mission. How can I capture demons and send them back to Ghoul without any weapon?"

"But you have a weapon, Sir."

" What weapon are you talking about?"

"Check your pocket."

Terry dipped his hand into his pocket and then brought out a small revolver. His face was filled with shock as he muttered, "I don't remember keeping this here."

"It materializes just like me. Just point it to any demon, pull the trigger, and boom. The demon will be hurled back to their home in Ghoul."

Jimmy pointed at Terry's hand and then burst into uncontrollable laughter.

"What is it, Jimmy?"

"What did you have in your hand? A banana! So funny, Terry. But I don't see how you are going to shoot demons with a banana."

I'm not holding a banana but a gun."

"But I can only see a banana. "

"I. said. It's. a. gun. "

"Don't argue with him, Terry. To a mortal's eyes, you are holding a banana. But any demon who sees you with this will know his or her time on earth is limited."

When Jimmy won't stop laughing, Terry smacks him on the cheek and yells. "keep your mouth shut or you will be the first to feel the pain of my bullet -." He paused his speech and turned to the blinking light beside him. " Is this loaded?"

"Yes. With unlimited bullets...if I may ask, where are you guys going?"

"To haunt a good friend of mine."

"That's against the rule, Terry. You are not supposed to hurt anyone except the demons."

"Who made the rule?"

"Saint Peter, of course ."

"Well, the Saint is not here. "

The diminutive animated icon tutted, "I must activate the ectonet and send a live feed if you ever digress from your mission."

"You won't dare do such a thing, I won't hesitate to squash you with my feet if I think you are about to stand in my way."

"I advise you not to try it ."

"What if I do?"

"Hurting me or trying to will lead to a pain surge in your mainframe," the megabytes spirit bobbed along beside him. 

"What about my friend here? He would love to help me if I asked him to."

Jimmy had been listening to Terry's speech and he immediately uttered, "Who? Surely not me. How will I squash what I can't see?"

The hologram offered what could be likened to a grin, and this seemed to annoy Terry.  

"You are an idiot, Terry. Your friend here is wiser than you. He can't hurt me if he can't see me."

Terry grunted. "Damn hologram from a damn- "

Before Terry could finish his highly graphic and uncomplimentary sentence, his brain spasmed with a jolt of fiery pain. Not an actual brain obviously -that was lying moldering in a cheap pine box. But spiritual pain is every bit as excruciating as the physical kind. 

After several moments, Terry's ears stopped ringing. 

"Disrespecting the Saint or not listening to me will activate punitive feedback. It is not wise."

"I need to see Bobby," Terry whined.

"Good. But you must listen to me henceforth."

Jimmy shrugged. This is going crazier than he had imagined. 

Bobby was in a foul mood. There was a gap in the curtain and the light was reflecting off the TV screen, affecting his viewing pleasure. As much as Bobby would like to fix it, he hates to stand up, so he decides to wait until news time is over.  

 Some minutes later, Bobby had a vision. There was a werewolf kind of creature that suddenly materialized out of thin air and then stood before him. Bobby wasn't worried. He'd been expecting hallucinations for some time. He'd heard that people who deprived themselves of reality often saw phantom images. 

"Hello, werewolf," he said as he reached out his hand to tickle it under the chin. 

The creature growled and batted away his hand. For a moment they connected, and Bobby saw everything. He saw and understood. 

"Oh no!" He screamed with fear.

"Oh yes," grinned Shrek. "I have come to eat your soul."

Bobby screamed louder as the creature invaded his mind and began feeding on his essence. He continued to scream as he was banished to a musty corner of his brain, and no one could hear him anymore.  

At that moment, a loud knock sounded on the door.