Chapter 37: Escape
“Leave this place as soon as you can if you wish to avoid trouble,” Miles states after coming up to Mr. Beach’s residence. “The ghost baby seems to have taken a peculiar interest in Coral, an interest that only grows with time. When I first encountered it, the ghost domain was out of its reach. Now, it shows clear signs of mastering that skill. It’s impossible to predict what it will learn next.” A shiver of dread passed over him at what this implied, “Once it reaches full maturity, the degree of horror it could inflict is simply unpredictable.”
Visibly shaken, Mr. Beach inquired, “What are you exactly, Miles? A human or a ghost?”
“I can’t say for certain,” replied Miles. “Perhaps I’m human, or maybe I’m a ghost. I myself am unsure. But that’s not what’s important. Right now, my ability to protect you is all that should matter. We should not waste time debating this.”
“Right, we must leave this place. I’ll gather some necessities,” said Mr. Beach, nodding quickly in agreement.
Mrs. Ocean, still recovering from her shock, asked, “Is that creature… dead? Will it return?”
Miles looked at her gravely. “It’s not dead, and there’s a substantial likelihood that it will return.”
“What? Why didn’t you kill it?” Mrs. Ocean cried out, upset. “You were hired to handle this ghost! You let it escape, so what’s our next course of action? If you can’t kill it, we’re not paying you. How do we know you didn’t deliberately let it go?”
“Look, just because Coral and I share the same classroom doesn’t mean our personal relationship interferes with my job. Are you attempting to avoid payment?” Miles stared at her pointedly.
“Do you think you deserve to be paid despite failing to solve the problem? Is half a million an amount you think can be casually given?” Mrs. Ocean snapped back.