The Blackwood's

Blackwood's 3

Ghost Collision: The Search Begins

Nelson sat on his worn-out couch, scrolling through his phone, fingers drumming against the armrest. Across the room, Stacey stood by the window, her translucent figure barely visible in the dim light of his small apartment.

"You’re serious about this Ghost Collision thing?" Nelson finally asked, his voice edged with doubt.

Stacey turned to face him. "I wouldn’t have brought it up if I wasn’t. This is our best shot at taking down Ethan."

Nelson exhaled sharply. "And you think we can just Google ‘ghost collision ritual’ and find a step-by-step guide?"

Stacey smirked. "You’d be surprised what people know but choose to ignore."

Nelson hesitated. He wasn’t sure if he was ready to cross the line between the living and the dead in such a drastic way. But if this was the only way to get Ethan...

"Fine," he said, sitting up. "Let’s see what we can dig up."

Stacey nodded approvingly. "And be quick about it. My father will come looking if we take too long."

Nelson’s stomach twisted. That was the last thing he wanted.

"If he can come looking for us like we’re elementary school kids, then he should’ve just crawled out of his haunted mansion and handled the mission himself," Nelson muttered, smirking.

Stacey shot him a look that said, Talkative, before nodding silently.

Nelson’s smirk faded as a thought crossed his mind. "Wait a minute—have you and your family ever tried executing the mission yourselves?"

Stacey hesitated, as if hiding something. "Yes… but ghosts that roam freely often get possessed by evil spirits, and those spirits drive them to do crazy things. My family and I had a mission, sure… but who knows? Maybe the demon that possessed us wouldn’t even have a shred of interest in killing Ethan, which is our actual goal. And the main reason is..." Her voice trailed off. "Just forget it. That’s all."

Nelson turned to her, suspicion flickering in his eyes. "You’re hiding something."

"Oh, chill, old man," she scoffed, arms crossed. "I’m just saying my dad was a man obsessed with power when he was alive. That’s why he knew so much about ghosts and spiritual stuff before we even died."

"Ooo…kay," Nelson replied, but the look on his face showed trust was the last thing on his mind.

Stacey, growing impatient as Nelson continued searching, finally asked, "Any information yet?"

Nelson sighed, tapping his phone screen. "I’m battling with a bad internet connection. I’m surfing YouTube now—hopefully, I’ll find a video about your so-called Ghost Collision." He made quotation marks with his fingers.

Stacey rolled her eyes. "I get that you don’t like working for others, and you don’t like being under a car… bla, bla, bla. But why do you hate Wi-Fi routers so much? Getting one would save you from all this mobile data drama."

Nelson scoffed. "Young woman, if your High and Mighty self wanted fast internet, you could’ve just brought your house’s Wi-Fi router along. Seems like my mobile network doesn’t have any respect for your angry ghost father. Just keep complaining while it keeps getting slower."

Stacey smirked. "Let’s go to a nearby restaurant. We can use their Wi-Fi while you buy a cheap drink."

Nelson glared at her. "Does your father know how spoiled you are? And must you emphasize the word cheap? Who says I can’t afford an expensive drink? Even in death, your bad attitude still clings to you. Anyway, when we get there, don’t even dare speak to me—I won’t answer."

"I’ll try," she replied mockingly.

---

A Suspicious Video

The small restaurant buzzed with quiet chatter, the clinking of cutlery, and occasional laughter from a distant table. Nelson found a seat in the corner, away from the crowd, and pulled out his phone. Stacey, unseen by anyone else, sat across from him, tapping her fingers impatiently on the table.

"You better order something, or they’ll think you’re weird just sitting here," she whispered.

Nelson rolled his eyes and waved over a waitress. "Just a coffee," he muttered, pulling out his phone again.

The waitress nodded and walked away. Stacey leaned forward. "Have you found anything yet?"

Nelson scrolled through a video titled Ghost-Human Fusion: Myth or Reality? He clicked on it, but the video buffered endlessly.

"Great. Even with Wi-Fi, this thing doesn’t want to load," he grumbled.

"Maybe it’s a sign that this is a waste of time," Stacey smirked.

"Or maybe your ghostly presence is interfering with the connection," Nelson shot back.

Before she could respond, the video finally started playing. An old man appeared on the screen, his dimly lit room casting eerie shadows over his face.

"If you’re watching this, you’re either a fool... or desperate."

Nelson and Stacey exchanged glances.

"Ghost Collision is real, but it’s not something to be taken lightly. The bond between a human and a spirit isn’t just about power. It’s about merging souls, memories, and sometimes… consequences beyond your control."

The old man leaned closer to the camera, his eyes dark and serious.

"To perform the ritual, you need three things: an object that connects the human to the ghost, a place of spiritual significance, and a willing spirit."

Nelson paused the video. "Well, that doesn’t sound too bad."

Stacey raised an eyebrow. "You’re missing the important part. What does he mean by ‘consequences beyond your control’?"

Nelson shrugged. "Guess we’ll find out. But first, we need to solve those three puzzles first."

"You’re the one who wants to make Daddy proud," Nelson said, side-eyeing her. "So why are you suddenly concerned about consequences? The priority is getting the job done."

Stacey turned away. "Oh wow, first time hearing an inspirational speech from Mr. Nelson."

Nelson glared. "Do you want to keep attacking me with words, or should we find answer to those three criteria?"

It was then Nelson realized people were staring at him for talking to himself. He quickly lowered his voice. Damn, I got carried away by this disrespectful ghost’s annoying behavior.

Stacey smirked. "Old man, stop the drama. Just pretend you’re on a video call with the YouTube guy. Simple!"

Nelson turned to her, realizing she had a point. "Oh… that’s true. But I’m not an old man—I’m only 30!"

"Doesn’t matter," she replied.

Nelson refocused on the video. "Alright. First requirement—an object that connects the ghost and the human."

Stacey frowned. "I don’t think there’s anything that connects us."

Nelson scoffed. "Stacey, you cannot make your father proud if you do more talking and less thinking."

She crossed her arms. "Fine, then think, Mr. Genius. What object connects us?"

Nelson tapped his fingers on the table. Then, a realization struck him. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a rusty old key. "This. The key to your house. It was given to me before I entered. Technically, it connects me to you, right?"

Stacey’s eyes widened slightly. "Huh. Who gave you the key to my house ?"

Nelson feeling guilty. "I payed 50 bucks to your plumber to give me the key, almost everyone who have ever entered your house get the key from him, he already made a lot of copy of the key, the key being one of the answer should be our joy."

She replied with pride "yeah, the key will help but it still doesn't change the fact you come into someone's house without an invitation"

Nelson replied trying to justify himself "you all are dead, and it's a bad idea to break into your house and besides your door is more bigger than what someone can angrily break."

She ignored him. "Okay, what about the second thing? A place of spiritual significance?"

Nelson frowned. "Your house is haunted, but is it spiritually significant?"

"My dad did a lot of rituals there," Stacey admitted. "But if we need real spiritual power, we need something stronger. A graveyard? A church?"

Nelson scratched his head. "A graveyard sounds like asking for trouble. A church… well, you’re a ghost. Wouldn’t that burn you or something?"

Stacey smirked. "I’m not a demon, Nelson. I think I’ll be fine."

Nelson suddenly remembered an old monastery, rumored to be a gateway between the living and the dead.

"I think I know just the place."