Chapter 8

"So how did the tour go?" Janet asked Prince and Paris as they were eating lunch. After the dream Prince had last night, he hadn't said a word all day. But Janet always knew about that sort of thing.

"What's the matter?" Janet asked, sitting at the table.

"Why do you assume that something's the matter?" Prince asked softly.

"I know you. You're just like your father. Now what's up?"

Prince gazed at Paris. "Janet, please don't let Evan take Neverland. Please."

Janet sighed. "Jermaine talked to me about it and he convinced me it was a good decision. The right decision for you guys too."

"You know that's not true!" Paris cried. "No matter how much money came out of it you would never give it away!"

Janet sighed again. "Please don't make it harder than it already is," she whispered this more to herself than the kids. She got up and left the room.

"We got to go back." Prince said. Paris shook her head as she chewed on a bite of her sandwich.

"No??"

"No." Paris confirmed. "i'm not going back."

"But--"

"I'm sick and tired of this. I want to let it go, Prince. I want to accept that dad is gone so it can stop hurting, okay?"

"But he's NOT. You saw what I saw--"

"You act like you're the only one who misses him! I don't want to go on this pointless ghost search. Do you know how many other people in our family have died? It could be anyone for all we know."

"Paris..." Prince begged. "Don't do this..."

"Now, I'm going to watch some TV, okay?" Paris got up and left the room. Prince went after her.

"Paris, what are you doing? You're just gonna ignore the fact that Michael's ghost exsists? Is that what you gonna do? Is that it?"

Paris ignored him and sat down. She turned on the TV. Some reality show was on.

"How could you do this to me? To dad?"

Paris continued to ignore him. "Ooo, Ashley was voted off?" she said, commenting towards the TV show.

"Paris, come on..." Prince continued.

Paris tried to change the channel but the remoted wouldn't work. She hit the remoted on the palm of her hand. "Stupid thing."

THen the sound of the TV cut off. Then the picture was lost. The only thing seen was a gray fuzzy screen and static was heard.

"Great." Paris said.

"Paris," Prince said.

"What?"

"Listen."

Through the static they could hear someone speaking words. They didn't even have to listen hard. The static was speaking.

"Paa-a-aar-risssssss-sss" it hissed.

"You're being paranoid." Paris said and stood. As soon as she stood the TV turned back on.