They crossed over back to the closed wing. The long hallway was filled with shut doors that identically resembled each other. It seemed almost endless in its expanse. At the very end was a single door with a red frame. That was where she felt the air turn cold. Each step closer took her closer to the dead. Alfred kept glancing around him as the doors closed behind them.
"H-hey, Nataliya. We should hold hands… y’know, for good luck. It'll keep the ghosts away."
"Don't be afraid. Ghosts can feed upon that energy."
Alfred gulped. "J-jeez, that's just what I didn't want to know."
Laughter echoed down the hall. It felt different somehow. Older. Still, Nataliya knew a lost soul when she heard it. "Do you want to be a true hero, Alfred?"
He gave her a shaky thumbs up. "Eeeh---- I can do it. If someone as cool as you is beside me, the g-ghosts won't stand a chance!"
Nataliya pushed open the red door.
The simple classroom was overtaken by memories of another time. Inside, floating dancers soared across the ceiling. The feel of heat, and scent of smoke filled the air. She wore a long white dress of older times. The twenties, she'd guess. Above them translucent dancers floated to the sounds of an old victrola. Right next to a stack of records was her textbook. She'd recognize it anywhere from the amulet bookmark she'd left between its pages. The tassel, with runes that Lukas had made himself hung down, shifting like a metronome in the faint breeze.
"There you are, my prince..."
In a quick motion, Nataliya poured salt around them.
The ghost girl giggled. "Do you think that would stop me?"
The long drapes fluttered as a great wind. The circle held even as the woman circled around them. She twirled like she was dancing with her arms held out.
"What is your name?" Nataliya demanded of her.
"My name?" She tilted her head. "I've almost forgotten. I've been waiting so long for my date to arrive." She swayed in time to the music. "Just one kiss, just one dance, my love. I've been waiting for so long."
"Your name," Nataliya said firmly.
"Georgina...that sounds right. It sounds like an old song I've almost forgotten the words to, but I still remember the melody. Like..." She started to hum a tune, and floated nearby.
"Georgina, you must return to where you came from!"
"Just one dance," she said. "Then my prince will take me home. I've been waiting for so long. What a mean boy to keep a gal like me waiting this long."
"All right," Alfred said. He stepped outside of the barrier.
"Don't!"
"It's just a dance. Besides, a hero never leaves anybody crying."
Georgina reached out. His eyes turned glassy as he danced along with her.
"What a smart boy. That's why you're my prince... Now we'll be together forever....my love."
Nataliya stepped beyond the salt barrier.
Another ghost appeared. This was a schoolgirl with thick glasses and a bag covered in little charms.
"It doesn't end this way. The story can't end this way!"
If this was the ghost that had been summoned via the ouija board, then who was that?
"Alfred! You have to resist her! She'll drag you over to the veil with her!"
Georgina's image faded into something darker, smokier. "Can't a girl dance in peace?"
The ghosts above grew thicker, stronger with the Georgina's anger. They spread out like a web.
Alfred's eyes had turned glassy. Now, Georgina wrapped around him like a snake made of smoke. Her eyes burned like a set of coals.
Knives wouldn't work with ghosts, not even if they were blessed by priests. And Georgina was rapidly coming to the point where no reason would work.
Nataliya lifted up her shaker of salt and threw it across the dance floor. The glass shattered and the ghosts moved back with a grumble.
"I have to cut in," Nataliya said coldly.
"You're a real square. He's my prince. He wouldn't be interested in a plain and cold girl like you."
Slowly, comprehension came over his blue eyes. Alfred was stunned out of his trance. "That’s not true! Nataliya is the coolest person I’ve ever met! She should have her own comic series and television show and that wouldn't be enough! She'd need at least a multi-movie deal! Then she'd have to play herself because there isn't a person around who would be cool enough to portray her!" In that moment, he let go of Georgina's hand. Nataliya quickly grabbed his wrist and pulled him to the pile of salt and glass in the middle of the floor. The scent of smoke filled the room. Alfred coughed and reached for his jacket. He instantly pulled it off and handed it to her. "We have to get out of here!"
Every day, she relived the same fire. What a horrible existence to be caught in for decades and decades. Waiting and agony, waiting and agony.
"We need to fill her last wish."
"But we have no idea where the guy could be," Alfred said.
"We can do both. When I count to three, get ready to run, and don't let go of my hand."
Alfred nodded. "You don't have to tell me twice."
The ghosts behind them were a howling horde, a dark cloud of smoke and agony. Each step felt like it might be their last. She struggled for breath. It was like swimming through ashes. The doors in the hall opened, one by one. Dark clouds of eyes oozed out of the room. The closed wing, the kitchen, the front entrance was so close. Alfred never let go of her hand, not even once. It was only when the cold air hit her that she finally gasped for breath.
Alfred bent down and coughed. "Jeez, I sure got my training in for today."
They were still alive.
*
A candle flickered in the Occult club. The salt barrier was thick enough that though the doors rattled, they didn't budge.
Arthur glared at his cards. After three spreads, they'd been reduced to playing strip poker with tarot cards. Vasil wore nothing but his top hat, his clothes beside him in a neat folded pile. Arthur had an inkling Vasil was throwing the games. At least it wasn't Monopoly. In the Nap Club, Herakles and Feliciano slept on, unaware of the chaos around them. Down the hall, Mikkel and Lukas walked on, unperturbed by the ghosts.
Mikkel snickered. "Well, somebody pissed them off. It's trolls versus ghosts now."
Lukas rolled his eyes.
A thin sheen of light surrounded them. The troll perched on Lukas' shoulder was almost visible now.
Outside, Berwald and Tino looked up from the little snowman they had finally given in and let Peter make.
"I guess it really was good we took a break. It would've been horrible if Peter was in there when this happened."
"I'm a big boy, I could've handled it," Peter protested.
Tino patted his head. "Sure you are. Though we really need to get Peter home. It's way past his bedtime."
Peter puffed out his cheeks. "I said I'm a big boy! I don't need bedtimes! I can fight ghosts!"
"--Nap Club," Berwald muttered.
"Oh, we were supposed to go get them, weren't we? Oops." Tino just shrugged his shoulders. "Looks like we'll have to go get it later."
A Ghost Of A Chance 5/several
They crossed over back to the closed wing. The long hallway was filled with shut doors that identically resembled each other. It seemed almost endless in its expanse. At the very end was a single door with a red frame. That was where she felt the air turn cold. Each step closer took her closer to the dead. Alfred kept glancing around him as the doors closed behind them.
"H-hey, Nataliya. We should hold hands… y’know, for good luck. It'll keep the ghosts away."
"Don't be afraid. Ghosts can feed upon that energy."
Alfred gulped. "J-jeez, that's just what I didn't want to know."
Laughter echoed down the hall. It felt different somehow. Older. Still, Nataliya knew a lost soul when she heard it. "Do you want to be a true hero, Alfred?"
He gave her a shaky thumbs up. "Eeeh---- I can do it. If someone as cool as you is beside me, the g-ghosts won't stand a chance!"
Nataliya pushed open the red door.
The simple classroom was overtaken by memories of another time. Inside, floating dancers soared across the ceiling. The feel of heat, and scent of smoke filled the air. She wore a long white dress of older times. The twenties, she'd guess. Above them translucent dancers floated to the sounds of an old victrola. Right next to a stack of records was her textbook. She'd recognize it anywhere from the amulet bookmark she'd left between its pages. The tassel, with runes that Lukas had made himself hung down, shifting like a metronome in the faint breeze.
"There you are, my prince..."
In a quick motion, Nataliya poured salt around them.
The ghost girl giggled. "Do you think that would stop me?"
The long drapes fluttered as a great wind. The circle held even as the woman circled around them. She twirled like she was dancing with her arms held out.
"What is your name?" Nataliya demanded of her.
"My name?" She tilted her head. "I've almost forgotten. I've been waiting so long for my date to arrive." She swayed in time to the music. "Just one kiss, just one dance, my love. I've been waiting for so long."
"Your name," Nataliya said firmly.
"Georgina...that sounds right. It sounds like an old song I've almost forgotten the words to, but I still remember the melody. Like..." She started to hum a tune, and floated nearby.
"Georgina, you must return to where you came from!"
"Just one dance," she said. "Then my prince will take me home. I've been waiting for so long. What a mean boy to keep a gal like me waiting this long."
"All right," Alfred said. He stepped outside of the barrier.
"Don't!"
"It's just a dance. Besides, a hero never leaves anybody crying."
Georgina reached out. His eyes turned glassy as he danced along with her.
"What a smart boy. That's why you're my prince... Now we'll be together forever....my love."
Nataliya stepped beyond the salt barrier.
Another ghost appeared. This was a schoolgirl with thick glasses and a bag covered in little charms.
"It doesn't end this way. The story can't end this way!"
If this was the ghost that had been summoned via the ouija board, then who was that?
"Alfred! You have to resist her! She'll drag you over to the veil with her!"
Georgina's image faded into something darker, smokier. "Can't a girl dance in peace?"
The ghosts above grew thicker, stronger with the Georgina's anger. They spread out like a web.
Alfred's eyes had turned glassy. Now, Georgina wrapped around him like a snake made of smoke. Her eyes burned like a set of coals.
Knives wouldn't work with ghosts, not even if they were blessed by priests. And Georgina was rapidly coming to the point where no reason would work.
Nataliya lifted up her shaker of salt and threw it across the dance floor. The glass shattered and the ghosts moved back with a grumble.
"I have to cut in," Nataliya said coldly.
"You're a real square. He's my prince. He wouldn't be interested in a plain and cold girl like you."
Slowly, comprehension came over his blue eyes. Alfred was stunned out of his trance. "That’s not true! Nataliya is the coolest person I’ve ever met! She should have her own comic series and television show and that wouldn't be enough! She'd need at least a multi-movie deal! Then she'd have to play herself because there isn't a person around who would be cool enough to portray her!" In that moment, he let go of Georgina's hand. Nataliya quickly grabbed his wrist and pulled him to the pile of salt and glass in the middle of the floor. The scent of smoke filled the room. Alfred coughed and reached for his jacket. He instantly pulled it off and handed it to her. "We have to get out of here!"
Every day, she relived the same fire. What a horrible existence to be caught in for decades and decades. Waiting and agony, waiting and agony.
"We need to fill her last wish."
"But we have no idea where the guy could be," Alfred said.
"We can do both. When I count to three, get ready to run, and don't let go of my hand."
Alfred nodded. "You don't have to tell me twice."
The ghosts behind them were a howling horde, a dark cloud of smoke and agony. Each step felt like it might be their last. She struggled for breath. It was like swimming through ashes. The doors in the hall opened, one by one. Dark clouds of eyes oozed out of the room. The closed wing, the kitchen, the front entrance was so close. Alfred never let go of her hand, not even once. It was only when the cold air hit her that she finally gasped for breath.
Alfred bent down and coughed. "Jeez, I sure got my training in for today."
They were still alive.
*
A candle flickered in the Occult club. The salt barrier was thick enough that though the doors rattled, they didn't budge.
Arthur glared at his cards. After three spreads, they'd been reduced to playing strip poker with tarot cards. Vasil wore nothing but his top hat, his clothes beside him in a neat folded pile. Arthur had an inkling Vasil was throwing the games. At least it wasn't Monopoly. In the Nap Club, Herakles and Feliciano slept on, unaware of the chaos around them. Down the hall, Mikkel and Lukas walked on, unperturbed by the ghosts.
Mikkel snickered. "Well, somebody pissed them off. It's trolls versus ghosts now."
Lukas rolled his eyes.
A thin sheen of light surrounded them. The troll perched on Lukas' shoulder was almost visible now.
Outside, Berwald and Tino looked up from the little snowman they had finally given in and let Peter make.
"I guess it really was good we took a break. It would've been horrible if Peter was in there when this happened."
"I'm a big boy, I could've handled it," Peter protested.
Tino patted his head. "Sure you are. Though we really need to get Peter home. It's way past his bedtime."
Peter puffed out his cheeks. "I said I'm a big boy! I don't need bedtimes! I can fight ghosts!"
"--Nap Club," Berwald muttered.
"Oh, we were supposed to go get them, weren't we? Oops." Tino just shrugged his shoulders. "Looks like we'll have to go get it later."
The windows rattled. The ghosts were unleashed.
*