Chapter 17: The Pie-Eating Contest
It was a crisp autumn afternoon when Juniper found herself in yet another peculiar situation. She sat cross-legged on a patch of grass outside a small, run-down bakery at the edge of town. The sweet scent of freshly baked pies filled the air, a stark contrast to the decidedly un-sweet mission Jace had just informed her about.
“So, let me get this straight,” Juniper said, staring at the floating, translucent figure in front of her.
“We’re organizing a ghostly pie-eating contest? For... a ghost who can’t rest until he wins?”
Jace nodded, his expression a mix of amusement and resignation. “Exactly. He was a pie-eating champion in life but died right before the biggest contest of his career. Now, he can’t move on until he claims the title.”
Juniper’s brow furrowed as she stared at Jace.
“And I’m supposed to take this seriously?”
Jace floated down to sit next to her, his ghostly form hovering just above the grass.
“I didn’t say it was the most dramatic unfinished business, but hey, unfinished business is unfinished business. And this one happens to involve a lot of pies.”
Juniper groaned, running her hands through her hair.
“How are we supposed to pull this off? It’s not like ghosts can eat physical pies, right?”
Jace grinned.
“Nope, but lucky for us, the bakery used to be owned by an old witch. Some of her magic’s still floating around inside, so with a little effort, we can make pies that ghosts can actually eat.”
Juniper’s eyes widened.
“Wait, there’s magic pie dough?”
“Basically, yeah,” Jace said, shrugging.
“We’ll need to tweak the recipe a little and add a ghostly touch, but it’ll work. I’ve done weirder things.”
Juniper shook her head, trying to wrap her mind around the sheer absurdity of it all. “Okay, so… where’s this ghostly competitor? Does he have a name?”
Just as she finished asking, the air around them grew colder, and a loud, boisterous voice echoed from behind the bakery.
“Did somebody say pie?!”
Juniper turned to see a large, round ghost with a thick mustache and a striped apron floating toward them. His translucent belly jiggled as he moved, and his face was split into a wide grin.
“That’s him,” Jace whispered. “Meet Gus, the undefeated pie-eating champion of Monroe County.”
Gus floated closer, his ghostly form almost gleaming with excitement. “I’ve been waiting a long time for this, kids! You’re finally gonna help me win the contest of a lifetime!”
Juniper couldn’t help but smile at the ghost’s infectious enthusiasm. “We’re here to help, Gus. But first, we need to figure out how to make pies that, you know, you can actually eat.”
Gus let out a booming laugh, his ghostly belly shaking. “Oh, don’t worry about that! I’ve been haunting this bakery for years—I've seen all the tricks! I can help you whip up the best ghost pies in the afterlife!”
Jace floated up beside Gus. “Then let’s get started. The sooner we bake these pies, the sooner we can have our contest.”
Juniper stood and dusted off her jeans. “Alright then, let’s bake some pies for the dead.”
---
The trio made their way into the old bakery, which, despite its dilapidated exterior, still had the equipment needed to make a pie. Ancient mixers, flour-stained countertops, and shelves lined with mysterious jars filled the room. It was like stepping back in time.
“Welcome to my haunt!” Gus declared proudly as he floated behind the counter, his mustache twitching with excitement. “This is where the magic happens. Now, to make ghost pies, we need to start with regular dough—but with a twist.”
Juniper and Jace exchanged a glance. “A twist?” Juniper echoed.
“Yep,” Gus replied, floating over to one of the shelves. He knocked over a jar labeled *Essence of Specter*, which rolled to the edge of the counter and hovered just above the floor before stopping. “We’ll add a dash of this and a sprinkle of that. Ghosts love flavor, even if we can’t taste it like you can.”
Juniper eyed the jar skeptically. “Essence of Specter? And what exactly does that do?”
Gus grinned. “It binds the pies to the ghost world. It’s like adding an extra layer of ghostly goodness. Trust me, it’ll work.”
Jace chuckled as he floated over to the mixer, inspecting the equipment. “Alright, I’ll mix the dough, and Juniper, you can help Gus with the ghostly ingredients.”
Juniper raised an eyebrow. “Why do I get stuck with the weird ingredients?”
“Because you’re good at weird,” Jace replied with a smirk.
With a dramatic sigh, Juniper joined Gus at the counter. Together, they added all manner of strange ingredients to the dough: a pinch of spectral salt, a dollop of haunted honey, and, of course, a few drops of the infamous Essence of Specter.
As they worked, Gus regaled them with tales of his pie-eating glory days. “I was unbeatable!” he boasted. “No one could down pies faster than me. But then... the Big Contest came, and I—” He paused, his voice lowering as if the memory pained him. “I didn’t make it to the table. A bad piece of steak got me.”
Juniper winced. “You… choked on a steak?”
Gus sighed. “Yeah. Worst way to go for a pie champion, right?”
Juniper stifled a laugh, shaking her head. “Well, we’re going to make sure you finish what you started, Gus.”
Jace, now covered in flour from head to toe, floated over with the freshly mixed dough. “Dough’s ready. Let’s bake these babies and get the contest going.”
---
A few hours later, the pies were baked to golden perfection, filling the bakery with the smell of buttery crusts and sweet fillings. Gus hovered excitedly above the table, his mustache twitching with anticipation.
“They look perfect!” he exclaimed, clapping his ghostly hands together. “Now, all we need is some competition.”
Jace grinned. “Don’t worry. I invited a few other ghosts who’ve been lingering around town. You know, just to make it interesting.”
Juniper looked at him, wide-eyed. “Wait, you invited more ghosts? You didn’t tell me that!”
Before Jace could respond, the room grew colder, and one by one, ghostly figures began to materialize around the bakery. Some were transparent and wispy, while others had a more solid, albeit spectral, appearance.
“Hey, Gus!” one of the ghosts called out, floating over to the table. “I heard there’s a pie-eating contest. You ready to lose, old man?”
Gus’s ghostly chest puffed out as he floated up to face the newcomer. “You wish, Dave! I’ve been waiting for this rematch for years!”
More ghosts joined the table, each of them eyeing the pies hungrily. Juniper, now standing behind the counter, watched the scene unfold with a mixture of amusement and disbelief.
“I can’t believe we’re hosting a ghost pie-eating contest,” she whispered to Jace.
Jace grinned. “Welcome to my afterlife.”
Gus floated to the head of the table, his mustache twitching in excitement. “Alright, boys—and girls,” he added, nodding to a few female ghosts. “The rules are simple: first ghost to finish all their pies wins!”
Juniper blinked. “Wait, they’re going to *finish* the pies? I thought ghosts couldn’t—”
Before she could finish, the contest began. To her astonishment, the ghosts started shoveling pie into their mouths or at least where their mouths would be devouring the spectral pies at lightning speed. Crumbs flew through the air, and pie tins clattered to the floor as the ghosts raced to eat as many pies as possible.
Gus, true to his word, was in the lead. His ghostly form blurred as he inhaled pie after pie, his mustache covered in crumbs.
Juniper couldn’t hold back her laughter any longer.
“This is the weirdest thing I’ve ever seen.”
Jace chuckled beside her, watching the chaos unfold.
“It’s definitely up there.”
As the contest raged on, it became clear that Gus was the undisputed champion. With one final pie, he floated up from the table, his translucent form glowing with pride.
“I did it!” he cheered, his voice echoing through the bakery.
“I’m the pie-eating champion once again!”
The other ghosts groaned in defeat, some of them laughing as they congratulated Gus on his victory.
Juniper wiped tears of laughter from her eyes as she watched the ghosts disperse, their unfinished business finally complete.
“Well, that was… something.”
Gus floated over to Juniper and Jace, beaming with pride.
“Thank you, kids. You’ve done me a great service. I can finally rest knowing I’ve claimed my title.”
Jace smiled.
“It was our pleasure, Gus. Now go enjoy your afterlife.”
With a grateful nod, Gus slowly began to fade, his ghostly form disappearing into the ether. As he vanished, a small, glowing orb appeared in his place the aura orb they had been seeking.