"Don't hurt Grace, she- brought me here- to you", Max said warily from behind.

"Max-Is that really you", I could hear the shock in his voice. The knife wasn't digging into my back anymore and fell on the floor with a thud. I turned around to find Max embracing my assailant which I guessed was his uncle Joe. They broke off abruptly, looking so happy to finally meet each other, after all these years.

"I have looked for you everywhere uncle Joe, I thought you didn't live here anymore".

" Mia requested me to perform numerous rituals to find any of you, she-she thought one of you guys will stay back for her, but sadly we were unsuccessful. ".

"I didn't know if I wanted Mia to find me. She couldn't have seen me anyway.", Max shrugged, his jaw clenched, he said the words more to himself. I saw guilt flash through his eyes.

"It's okay Max", Joe sensed the tension in Max's voice.

Max cleared his throat, "Uncle Joe this is Grace, she is lives at our old place."

"I am very sorry for attacking you." Max's uncle gave me a apologetic look.

"If I was in your position I would have taken the same step."

"So is this guarded by some spell to not let any ghosts in?" Max asked pointing to the impassable door that Max had tried going through.

"Yes but any medium can get in. Your sibling can too, Grace. Is she or he a medium?", Joe said looking at me.

"Yes, my baby sister but how did you know?"

"You can see Max and given you couldn't pass the door, I assumed you have a medium sibling. As siblings who have shared the same womb with a medium get some of the powers transferred to them also"

"So Max's father had the inborn talent of seeing ghosts given he's your brother".

"Yes-so did Max, as Max's little brother Marco was a medium".

"I thought mediums were born in a family every fifth generation. How come after you Marco came in the next generation?"

"Yes but in every century special medium is born who doesn't follow the every fifth generation rule- I have the power to bring one ghost back to life in my whole lifetime. That's why I have to be on a run because let's face it Grace no one's ready to die".

I knew that already, given Max provided me those information before. "So that mean my sister-".

"Yes your sister is a normal medium who can communicate with ghosts and help them but she doesn't possess the power of bringing a ghost to life".

"How do you bring a ghost back to life?" Max asked.

"Something that involves opening a portal to past, specifically- the day that person died and bringing the body back to present through that portal. As two souls can't stay in the same world together, the ghost vanishes leaving its body with its soul behind" All this was a bit too surreal for me.

"How do you make an entity leave the present world?"

"By exorcism".

I quirked an eyebrow at him, "You mean the ones they show in the movies?"

Joe laughed his hair falling on his forehead, "They look so dramatic, in fact it's quite different than that. A medium just says a bunch of verses from the holy book while the entity sits, surrounded by blessed salt".

"So there is no screaming demons or spirits or anything?"

"No its much simpler than that actually".

"Uncle I want you to perform an exorcism on me", Max said clearing his throat.

"Why? We just met I don't want you to leave me just yet", Joe said his brows arched.

"Well I have been lurking this world for years now. I think it's time for me to go. If I would have found you earlier I would have made you do that long ago". I saw the desperation in Max's eyes and so did his uncle Joe.

Joe sighed, giving up."If that's what you want then okay, let me fetch my supplies", Joe started retreating to the basement door. But I stopped him.

"Wait-" I said, he stopped in his track and looked at me.

"Max you can't do it today- Audrey's birthday is in a few weeks, she would want you on her birthday. She- she has grown attached to you in these few days, you even know that. And you are thinking of leaving us- I mean her without a proper goodbye.", I reasoned tentatively hoping to explain my side of the argument.To be honest, I wasn't ready for it.

My eyes met Max's and I looked away.

"Yes Grace is right Joe. It would be convenient if you perform the exorcism later, I feel like- I am not quite ready yet either".

"Hmm", he nodded in agreement, "Then I will see you in a few days".

..................

"Can we stop here?"

"What, now?" I asked.

"Yeah..".

"Are you sure? We need to head back before-"

"Please Grace, just for some time", I stopped the car in front of what seemed to be a abandoned warehouse. Lately I have been going to a lot of shady places.

We both got out of the car. "Are you planning to murder me?"

He finally laughed, his eyes reflecting the rays of the sun, "No just follow me".

We took the path around the warehouse, it was a secluded land with lots of weeds and grass covering the area.

"Wow", I nodded appreciatively upon finally arriving at the place. It was a small lake with a makeshift wooden bridge across it. The sunlight upon the water made the lake look like a combination of white, blue and sea green, there were wild flowers everywhere.

"How do you know about this place?" I asked walking up the makeshift bridge with Max following me behind.

"I used to come here often when I got exhausted by this world".

"It's beautiful!", I exclaimed. We walked to the middle of the bridge. I leaned over the metal railing taking in the view.

"Grace?"

"Hmm"

"Do you think I took the right decision?"

The answer was at the tip of my tongue. It was no. I wanted him to stay.

"I don't know Max. Do you think you took the right decision?" I threw his question back at him.

"Neither do I Grace", he sighed observing the ducks swimming down the lake. "I always wanted this for the last ten years, only I couldn't because I couldn't afford to leave my baby sister Mia alone. I thought she needed to be protected and now- no matter how much I deny it- Mia is a grownup who can take care of herself. I don't have a purpose to stay here anymore.".

"Don't you want to find the person who- murdered you?"

"Yes I did once but honestly I don't care anymore. After ten years I have let that anger go".

"Then take your time, think about it. There is a lot of time left. Go talk to your uncle sometimes, you just met him today".

"Yeah. But I will miss you guys a lot though. I bet Audrey will miss me a lot, but I don't know about you", he said sardonically, smirking at me.

"Nope not at all", I said sarcastically returning him a smile.

"You are finally getting rid of me though".

"Yes, finally", I joked.

"Grace", I looked at him, "Thanks for enduring me and being a great friend. Honestly you guys are the best thing that has happened to me after I came to this world as a ghost", he kissed me on the forehead leaving me astonished, his emerald eyes gleaming under the sun.

..........................