Chapter 13 - What Ramon wants

As Logan goes to get the phone, Al sits down on the floor next to the books. She picks one up but once she opens it, she gets bored of it quickly and puts it down again. "What exactly did the note say again? Where water meets the sky...", she mutters. "Hm, maybe a fountain?"

They can think of one fountain near Gulf Haven civic centre, a modern affair that looks a bit like a wet wall, recently built.



The kids in summer are constantly trying to bathe in it, despite the GH police efforts to try keeping them away.

Logan calls home and gets permission from Gram to stay at Johnny's for the barbecue.

Logan thanks Geam and heads back upstairs to the others. It's all set, I can stay for the barbecue. Now where we're we... Sitting back down he dives back into the remaining books.

"We should go to that fountain by the civic center!", Al announces. "Maybe that's what the clue meant." She jumps up but is stopped by a loud growl of her stomach. "Actually, let's go there after we eat."

That could be it, but isn't that a bit... modern compared to the lighthouse? I mean odds are Ramon made the clues when he was younger. So it may have been before the fountain was put in. Logan sits back and continues to look through the books. Yet it seems to be the only option that we have. We're running out of books and we still haven't found anything solid.

"He could have made the clues when he was old," Al argues. "Or when he was already a ghost."

Logan looks up at Al with a confused look on his face. How could he have made the clues when he was old? He probably couldn't move around that well. Better yet, how could he have made the clues when he was a ghost? You know it takes a lot of energy to even touch something... let alone leave a clue behind.

"Okay, maybe not when he was old," Al agrees. "But we dont know what kind of ghost he is. So you dont know if he could have done it then."

Johnny frowned a bit. Mr. Ramon died yesterday... I'm pretty sure he didn't make all this up in the afternoon the day he died I'm pretty sure he probably stashed the stuff and made the clues when he first came to Sunny Haven, whenever that was. He didn't know, or remember if he'd been told, but he had an idea who would. Ethel and Eleanor would probably remember what year Ramon came to Sunny Haven. If the fountain is older than that it's possible that there could be a clue there

"Why not just go to the fountain then instead of ask them? It'll be just as quick and if it's there, we save a trip! Also, I bet Ripper would love to play in the fountain with the water spouts!" She turns to her puppy. "Right, Ripper?"

After looking at the books for another hour, the three hunters conclude there are no more clues to be found in the volumes.

Fast forward to the barbecue. Johnny's Aunts and their boyfriends are gathered in the backyard, and Roger has done a good job of prepping and cooking on the grill. The smell is delicious, and everyone is enjoying grilled corn and juicy burgers in hot buns. The sun is hot and the sodas are fresh, from a bucket full of ice against the fence. The hunters are having a good time eating the juicy food.

"This dog is adorable!" says Charlene, playing with Ripper.
Rolls on her back, enjoying being rubbed on the chest.
"Don't get any ideas... I'm not walking any pets, if you get one!"







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"So glad you invited your new friends around, Johnny!"
"Yeah. So that Library summer program is going well? Mary told me you started."
"He did - and he started volunteering at that Rest Home too, our Johnny!" she says with pride. "What's it called, again?"

It's called Sunny Haven. Johnny answered his Aunt Mary. It worked out pretty well volunteering at both places. They're both air conditioned and that's a big plus in all this humidity.
One of the residents died the day I applied and he left a bunch of books behind with no one to claim them so I'm donating them to the library in his name. Sunny Haven won't have to store them or throw them out and the library gets a big box of books for free. Win-win, for everyone but Mr. Ramon, I guess... Johnny enjoyed finishing his Pepsi and burger. He had to admit that Roger knew his way around a grill even if he had to convince him to leave a couple of hotdogs on until they were just about totally black...just the way Johnny liked them.
I met Alana volunteering at the library and she introduced me to Logan. That's how I met them. So yeah, it's been a good experience in Gulf Haven so far. he had to admit to Mary and Harold both.

Al digs in eagerly, eating until she feels like she's going to explode. With her parents not around to rein her in, she knows no limits. She also sneaks Ripper some food, a sausage here, a burger there.
"Ripper is really cute!", she replies to Charlene. "But she's also a big scaredy-... dog. She was supposed to be strong and brave and fight monsters with me but I think I have to protect her more than the other way around."

"Oh... So sad. Did they have no family?"
You can see a wrinkle of concern creasing her brow. Maybe in her eagerness to get Johnny busy in the new place, she has not considered that he would be exposed to death, in that Retirement Home...

"fight monsters..." she chortles. "She's just a puppy. Maybe one day. Now she still needs you to look after her." "What monsters you wanna fight Alana? Vampires? Werewolves? Are there many, in Gulf Haven?" he teases, speaking with his mouth full.

"And I'll take very good care you, Ripper, won't I?", Al asks the puppy before throwing her another sausage from the table. Underfeeding definitely won't be a problem.

She turns to Roger. "Well, I'm still new in town but we already fought a killer robot, an evil ghost and a bunch of giant insects, kind of," she explains, her mouth just as full as his. "I would like to fight a vampire at some point. Maybe he could even bite me so I would become one. It would be really cool to be able to fly and turn into a bat. And since my hair is way too curly to comb anyway, I already don't really use mirrors that much."

"Right. Sounds like you wanna become a monster! Then you'll have to fight yourself" He chuckles amused. "Hey I didn't know we lived in the monster capital of the world! Better watch out..."

He lowers his voice in a conspiratorial tone, "see Mary and Harold over there? Definitely monsters..."

She glares at him playfully, "ROGER!"

"I'll be a monster-hunting monster!", Al grins. "I wonder if dogs can become vampires too..."

She leans in with an excited smile, even knowing that Roger is joking. "What kind of monster are they?"