That accursed smile was back, and Keith learned at last that it hadn't been his own at all. "Keith" stood up and walked to the diary, while Keith grabbed the corner of the table. "Keith's" smile got bigger. "What's the matter, Keith? Scared, are we? Well, isn't that just too bad." Keith didn't respond, only tightening his grip. Who...who are you? What are you?! "Keith" laughed. "I'm sure you agree that 'what' I am isn't all that important. But as for 'who' I am...call me Ishmael." I-Ishmael? This is no time for jokes! And the 'what' is important to me! "Should I bother? It's not as if you deserve it. ...But if you're going to die anyway, I might as well give you that much. I'm a ghost, and my name is...Lyle." Keith nearly let go in his surprise, but he managed to hold on, albeit weakly. D...Dad?
"Yes, Keith. I am the man whose life was ruined by you. I lost both of the women I loved, and my children as well. Bet you didn't know I jumped off of a bridge after that. It was a tall bridge, and the water was dark and cold. It didn't take long for my life to fade away. When I found out I had become a ghost, I began to follow you and Tabitha around. I wanted to tell you I was sorry." The word 'sorry' came out in a hiss, as if Lyle regretted every second he had believed in his son's innocence. "But then I saw your mother write the most interesting thing in her diary about what you had told her. I realized that you had killed me. I invaded your mind and waited patiently for my chance. Why didn't I try to make you kill yourself right then and there, you ask? Because you were so content with your life. If you died then, you would have died with the knowledge that you were deeply loved. In fact, if I had been able to, I would have killed you in that room. The gas, of course, couldn't and didn't affect me. But by being a part of you, I could see what you saw, and I knew how you felt. If you believed you died in that room, you would have merely been comatose. I wanted you dead!"
Lyle ripped Keith's fingers off of the desk and grabbed the diary. "This is the perfect chance...to show you what you have done wrong by continuing to exist. So goodbye...Keith." Keith felt himself growing cold and tired, but he couldn't give up now. Dad...no...please...You have lost any of the chances you once had. Prepare to die. With a flourish, Lyle opened the book. "W-what? What is this?!" The diary page seemed to contain no true secret, but Serena's true feelings and the instructions to her last puzzle. And the last paragraph...Keith could just barely see it, almost surrounded by a cold darkness. You...wanted...me to...stay me...and to...hold..on... Strength he didn't know he had opened his eyes once more. Keith found that he could force Lyle to let go of his fingers, and then his hands. "How? How are you...?!" Keith did not respond, continuing to push against Lyle's resistance. For the longest time, father and son fought their battle for supremacy, but Keith could soon feel control returning to him. The mouth was the last part to retrieve.
"NO! After everything you've done to me, I deserve this! Let me...just let me kill you!" Oddly enough, Lyle did not seem angry. He seemed sad and afraid, as if he knew but couldn't accept that he was going to lose. Father...even if you hate me now, I will always love you for who you have been. Thank you for raising me...and for trying to keep me happy. I'm sorry, and goodbye. And just like that, Lyle seemed to fade into the air. How Keith knew his father had left was a mystery even to him, but he could feel tears of relief and joy on his face. "Now then...if this is what you truly want, Serena, I'll read the whole book. And maybe I'll even...be able to face your last secret." Keith turned the page.