Blog Post

A Great Haunt: Part 3

September 13, 2020

George sat on the couch with his sister’s camera clutched to his chest. Looking over he saw Kevin was still slumped over holding the bag of pretzels like a child would hold a favorite teddy bear.

“What are we gonna do? He knows! They both know! Annie is gonna kill us.” Coal continued to walk around the room talking about how Annie would kill them as his hands waved widely.

Roger grabbed the bag of pretzels from Kevin and began eating them after giving the still sleeping boy a dark glare.

Amber blocked out all the distractions, most of all Coal, and began thinking of a logical way to make this problem go away before Annie returned.

Elizabeth knelt in front of George, “Can I get you anything? We don’t bite. That’s not what our kind is known for. Actually I don’t know what our kind would be known for besides giving a little scare now and then.” She smiled sweetly.

“Revenge.” Roger retorted as he sat down in the chair across from Kevin with the bag of pretzels still in hand.

“Oh, he is just kidding, sort of.”Elizebeth tried to help, but from George’s expression, it did not.

“This can’t be real. Ghosts aren’t real.” George whispered to himself watching the four Ghosts in front of him.

Roger, hearing George’s desperate plea for some sense of this being a dream, demonstrated his ability to place his hand through the table next to him. After a few times and George’s shocked face, Amber smacked Roger in the back of the head.

“That is not helpful.” She said continuing her pacing.
“We could have a Wizard come and wipe their memories,” Roger suggested nonchalantly while eating his reclaimed pretzels.
Coal continued to offer reasons why each plan offered would not work. Mainly due to his fear of Annie and what she would have them clean if she found out.
“Hey, Coal can you go check on the kids? They should get started on a new exercise.” Amber suggested, trying to get some crazy out of the room.

“Oh! That is a great idea! I’ll go too! We’ll get the kids started on the next lesson and Coal you can show them one of your tricks to make paint float while you’re out of the room!” She said ushering Coal off. Before completely leaving she turned, “Don’t worry, they’ll take great care of you while I’m gone.” She winked at George before following Coal out.

Amber continued to pace as Kevin began to wake up, seeing the situation before him.
Roger nodded toward him with a pretzel in hand, “Hey.”
Kevin looked at the bag he had and now in the guy’s arms. He glanced at George with wide eyes finally realizing where they were. George motioned for him to stay quiet as Amber began to speak.

“Why did you return after we scared you last time? Normal people don’t return. Curiosity after the scare we give them tends to disappear, so why are you back?” She asked the two on the couch, though her mind was still on the situation rather than actually desiring an answer.

“We came back because this was the first place we actually found Ghosts. And we needed money for a new camera. This is my sisters,” George replied holding up the princess camera, “We brought the others to confirm that this place wasn’t a hoax. Kevin was curious, I didn’t want to come back.”

“Well, at least one of you has commonsense,” Roger commented.

Roger looked offended but remained quiet after George motioned to Amber who was processing the information.

“Memory wipes don’t usually last long term. We could keep you, but then we would have to tell Annie. We could take you to a Haven, but then the Court might find out. We could let you go, but clearly that can’t happen since you already told others and we don’t need the world finding out about us. We could tell Annie you are Ghosts. She was expecting new instructors for the kids we are expecting. Thoughts? Questions? Concerns?” She asked turning to the two.

Kevin looked at George, George nodded.
“Better this than whatever else you have in store for us if we say no,” Kevin spoke for the first time.
“Don’t look so afraid. You boys get to now learn all about Ghosts from the sources themselves. Wasn’t this what you wanted? Proving we were real and all that?” Roger asked popping another pretzel into his mouth.
After a moment he grabbed a few from the bag and made his way over to Kevin. Kevin sat still not knowing what was gonna happen next. Almost in the mindset of when a wild animal approaches and you let them make the first move before you run off screaming.
Roger grabbed Kevin’s hand and turned it palm up.
“Have some pretzels. It helps with an anxious stomach.” Roger stated, dropping the pretzels into Kevin’s palm.

Kevin looked at George, then Amber, then Roger.
“I really don’t understand what is going on. Am I still dreaming?” He asked looking at the pretzels.

“Amber! Coal! Elizabeth? Roger? Kids? I need help with the supplies.” They heard Annie’s voice call from the kitchen.

“Coming!” Coal yelled, walking down the stairs followed by Elizebeth.

Amber beckoned the two to her, “Someone needs to move their car, watch them, and the other two need to help Annie. We can’t let those two go near the door.”

Coal went to move the car. Elizabeth stayed with the two since she seemed to have some ability to keep, George at least, calm. Amber and Roger went to help with the supplies.

The two boys sat with the only noise being Kevin’s occasional snacking on the pretzels Roger gave him.
Annie soon walked out into the family room, followed by the other two.

“And who is this?” Annie asked, slightly skeptical after what she walked into recently when she returned from her trips. She was a lot older than she appeared considering she was over three hundred years old at this point. Coming from South Korea to a Haven to teach young Ghost’s all she knew. Never would she have thought she would play den mother to a bunch of unruly Ghosts that she took care of now.

“This is,” Amber began the introductions before realizing she did not know their names.

“George,” He said standing to shake Annie’s hand, “This is Kevin.” He introduced his friend.
“Your new instructors.” Amber jumped in.

“That is perfect timing. We have a new group coming to join our current class. Welcome to Hill Mansion.”

“The bus is here!” Coal shouted walking through the wall as the doors often creaked horribly.
As Kevin and George stood not sure of what they were getting themselves into, little Ghost children walked into the house through the walls overwhelming the two new instructors with what they were seeing.
Kevin looked to George and smiled, before once more ending up on the floor.
Annie smiled at George, “Don’t worry about your friend. I had the same reaction when I started working with kids too.”
George nodded, yeah, sure, that’s what it was.