A/N: Some of you may have seen the link on my profile to my Halloween story, which is part of a collaboration on the RLt profile. However, for those of you who prefer a happier story, I wrote an alternate ending for you. The main story is exactly the same, but I'm breaking it into smaller chapters here. If you haven't seen the original, you can find the link on my profile, but be warned that it is not my typical story. It doesn't have a happy ending; if you want all characters to remain happy, stay right here. I hope you enjoy it, whichever version you choose to read. Thank you.
Disclaimer: SeaQuest DSV and its characters are not my creation. They are the creation of Rockne S. O'Bannon as a 1990's television series. This work of fanfiction is for entertainment purposes only and is not for financial gain. I am just borrowing the characters for a bit and promise to return them unharmed and in their original condition, maybe just a bit happier.
Chapter 1
"Diabolical forces are formidable. These forces are eternal, and they exist today. The fairy tale is true. The devil exists. God exists. And for us, as people, our very destiny hinges upon which one we elect to follow."-Ed Warren
Kristin cringed inwardly as she walked into the ward room, seeing it decorated for Halloween with skeletons, fake cobwebs, giant spiders, pumpkins, and the like. She'd nearly forgotten what time of year it was, and though she'd never had a problem with the festivities in the past, after last year's fiasco on the George, she wasn't particularly enthusiastic about it now.
The captain was already seated at the head of the table. She gave him a cordial nod and took her seat when she happened to notice him staring at her worriedly. "Something wrong?"
"I was wondering the same thing," he told her. "You look like you've lost your best friend. Aren't you feeling well?"
"Oh..." She offered him a weak smile, motioning to the skeleton in the corner. "I see someone's been awfully busy already this morning. I didn't expect to see decorations up so soon, that's all."
"That's Ben and Lucas' doing," he said. "Halloween's only four days away, so I figured I'd let them have a little fun. You know morale always picks up around a holiday, even Halloween. Everyone's excited."
"Not everyone," she muttered.
A brow rose. "I thought you always liked Halloween."
"I don't mind it, but after last year..." She let out a sigh. "I'm sure you can understand why I'm not exactly jumping for joy."
He nodded. "I guess spirit possession-"
"Nitrogen narcosis," she corrected.
"Or nitrogen narcosis would prevent you from doing that." He reached over to pat her hand. "But that was last year, and this year, we're staying put. We're on patrol at the moment, so I promise fresh oxygen to the brain at all times and no ghost ships."
"Much as I'd like to hold you to that promise, you know as well as I that can change in a moment," she replied.
He sighed. "Fine, you win. Tell you what. If a mission comes up and there's anything questionable about it, you'll be free to stay here. If a doctor is necessary, Levin can go in your place."
"I appreciate that, thank you."
"You're welcome. But for now, can you try to enjoy it? Let loose and have fun. Nothing's going to happen."
She crossed her arms over her chest. "I know, I'm being a bit silly, aren't I?"
"Not exactly; you have every right to be a bit cautious, but you know what they say. You fall off a horse, you have to get back on it."
"If I'm thrown off a horse, I will gladly get back on. But I will never, ever step foot on another supposedly haunted ship again."
He laughed softly. "Fair enough. So...does this mean you'll at least be attending the crew party?"
"I'm not sure," she replied with a shrug. "Why? Are you asking me to go with you?"
"I was hoping you would. Besides, you'll need someone to help you ward off evil spirits, won't you?"
"When you put it that way, how can I refuse?" she said, giving his arm a playful push.
"I'm glad to hear it." He motioned towards the doorway as the rest of the senior staff began to file in. "Seeing as we need to get down to business, we'll discuss the details later."
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"...as long as there's nothing else?" Nathan looked around the room as the others shook their heads. "Then meeting adjourned. Have a good day, people."
"That was short and sweet," Kristin said as she got up and pushed her chair in. "I'll see you at lunch perhaps." She turned to leave when Nathan placed a halting hand on her arm.
"I have a little time before I need to be on the bridge; do you mind if I accompany you to the lab? I thought we could discuss costume ideas on the way."
She nodded, and the two walked into the corridor, seeing white sheets strewn about the walls to resemble ghosts. "The boys certainly worked hard on this," she said, pointing towards the wall.
"If only we could get them to work this hard on other things," he replied with a smile, ushering her into the mag-lev.
"As you said it boosts morale, and surprisingly, Ben's kept himself in check lately."
"True; I wonder if we should be prepared for a setback."
She laughed. "I certainly hope not. So...about costumes?"
"Yes, about that...do you have any ideas?"
She thought for a moment. "Nothing concrete. I just know I don't want to do anything too complicated. I think we can come up with costumes with things we have lying around."
"I was hoping you'd say that," he replied. "I have the perfect idea then; we can go as a Victorian couple."
"A Victorian couple?" She shook her head. "I don't exactly have anything Victorian lying around."
"Sure you do. Lillian's dress, remember?"
Her jaw dropped open slightly. "Oh..."
"You still have it, don't you?"
"Well, yes, but... I'm not so sure it's a good idea."
"Why not?" he pressed.
She sighed, unsure of how to answer. She didn't really have a very good explanation, other than the fact she felt uneasy about it.
He put an arm around her shoulders. "Kristin, it's just a dress. It can't harm you. Even if Lillian did exist, she's where she should be now. She doesn't mean you any harm."
"I know." She thought for a brief second and sighed. "All right, I'll wear it this one time for you...but you'd better make it worth my while."
"I promise," he replied, holding up his hand as they stepped out of the mag-lev and onto C-deck near the moon pool, which had also been given the Halloween touch. "They certainly went all out, didn't they?"
She nodded, noticing a rather intriguing painting placed on the wall right across from the moon pool. "Though this isn't something you'd find in a box of Halloween decorations, is it?"
From the looks of it, the painting seemed to be rather old, the colors of the paint faded. What looked to be a once-vibrant night sky now appeared as a dull blue. In the painting, however, were six figures. Five people were lying down in a circle, and it seemed as though their throats had been slashed. The way the bodies laid, though, the blood all converged into one pool in the center of the circle.
The sixth figure was very much alive, standing in the center of the circle of bodies. She couldn't tell if the person was intended to be wearing a mask or if he just happened to have the head of a black cat with horns on its head, but he also had large black wings that seemed to be that of a crow. His hands, however, were indeed human, and he sat in the middle of the puddle of blood, smearing it on his naked body. In the corner of the painting was a strange-looking symbol of a horned creature with pointed ears inside a circle painted in blood-red paint.
She felt a shiver crawl down her spine, instantly making her feel ill. "Why in the world would they ever want to put such a ghastly thing up?"
"I'm not sure," Nathan replied, "but I'm hoping it's just that they didn't quite understand what it was. I'm not sure I even know." He took the painting off the wall and put it under his arm. "Don't want people having nightmares over this thing. I'll lock it away in my quarters, and when I see Ben, I'll be giving him a stern lecture."
"Thank you," she replied with a nod. "Well, I suppose I ought to get some work done. See you at lunch?"
"Of course; I'll see you then."
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As lunchtime rolled around, Kristin made her way to the mess hall. As she glanced towards the wall across from the moon pool, however, she frowned. The odd-looking painting was back in its place again. "Strange," she muttered to herself. "I was sure Nathan had taken that thing and locked it away." She shook her head and continued on her way. Maybe he'd already spoken to Ben and deemed it safe after all? She'd have to find out.
She entered the mess hall, seeing Nathan already seated, and waved. She picked out a sandwich and side salad and sat down. "How was your morning?" she asked, trying to keep the conversation light before asking about the painting.
"Uneventful," he replied. "Yours?"
"The same, mostly, but I-"
Nathan placed a hand on hers. "Hold that thought, please." He pointed towards the door, showing her that Ben and Lucas had just walked in. "Mr. Krieg," Nathan called, motioning Ben over to their table.
Ben obediently approached the table. "Have you gotten a chance to see what we've done to the boat, sir?"
"Indeed, I have...well, most of it anyway."
"Do you like it?" Lucas asked with his tray in hand, taking a seat next to the doctor. He nodded his head towards a group of skeletons and cobwebs in the corner. "I think those are my favorite."
"Yes, they're just bone-chilling," Nathan quipped before turning back to Ben. "I was particularly curious about that painting near the moon pool, however."
"That's pretty creepy, isn't it? I found it online and thought it would be perfect," he said with a grin.
Nathan raised an eyebrow. "And you didn't think it was a little inappropriate?"
"Inappropriate?" He shook his head. "It's just a little Halloween party painting, isn't it?"
Kristin nearly choked on her sandwich. "Is that what you thought it was?"
"Just how well did you look at that painting before hanging it?" Nathan asked.
Ben shrugged. "Pretty well. At least, I thought I did. It's just a guy in some sort of weird costume."
"Smearing himself in blood," Kristin choked out.
Lucas held up his hands. "Don't look at me. Ben did the moon pool area all by himself."
"Thanks for throwing me under the bus, kid," Ben muttered.
"Anytime," Lucas replied, flashing him a grin.
"Look, Cap, I...I'm sorry. I guess I didn't pay too much attention to it after all," Ben finally admitted. "Like I said, I found it online. It was packed with a whole bunch of other Halloween stuff inside a chest, and I just hung it up. I didn't know it was some guy smearing himself with blood. I'll go take it down right now."
"There's no need; I've already taken care of that," Nathan told him. "Given the bizarre nature of it, I took it down and put it away in my quarters. Thankfully, besides the doctor and myself, I don't think anyone else saw it."
"Wait...did you say you took it down?" Kristin asked.
"Yes. You were with me when I did."
She nodded. "Only when I passed by the moon pool on my way here, I saw that you hadn't."
"What?"
"It was still hanging up," she said quietly, suddenly noticing that all eyes in the room were focused on them.
"Okay, people, nothing to see here," Nathan told them before coming to Kristin's side. "Are you feeling all right?" he whispered.
"If you're asking if I imagined it, I certainly did not," she replied, being sure to match his tone so the entire mess didn't overhear.
"Kristin, I put that painting in my desk drawer and locked it myself," he said gently.
She frowned. "If you don't believe me, then I'll show you. Come on."
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Not only had Nathan followed her, but so did Ben and Lucas, along with Katie, Tim, Jonathan, and Miguel, who'd been at the adjacent table. Kristin didn't mind; it was a small boat, and she knew word about this would spread like wildfire eventually. Plus, she knew she was right. Well, rather, she hoped she was. She'd never had a problem with imagining things before, and she didn't want to start now. But upon nearing the moon pool, relief washed over her when she saw it hanging there, plain as day. At least she knew she wasn't crazy.
"I don't believe it," Nathan muttered, shaking his head. He turned to Ben. "You didn't have two of those things, did you?"
"No, I swear it."
Then Nathan started laughing.
Kristin's brow furrowed. "Did I miss something?"
"Very funny," he told her. "You went into my room and got it out as a prank, right?"
"No, I'd never go into your room without your permission. Besides, didn't you say you'd put it in a locked drawer?" She shook her head. "I don't have a key, and I'd never use that wretched thing in a prank."
"Maybe that's what the ad meant," Ben commented. "The listing said it was haunted."
Everyone turned to look at him.
"Did...did you say haunted?" Katie asked.
"Yeah, the AuctionNex ad claimed it to be haunted, but I had assumed it was a bunch of bunk," Ben explained. "I'd figured they had just said it to make a sale. I got the whole thing for five bucks."
"Whole thing?" Miguel said. "You mean you got other weird paintings like this?"
"No, not paintings. But this was inside a chest with some old candles, incense...things like that. We actually didn't use any of the other items," he replied.
"Wait, did you say AuctionNex?" Lucas chimed in. "There wasn't some old book that seemed be covered in human skin, was there?"
"Very funny."
"No, I'm serious," Lucas replied. "You've seen Evil Dead, haven't you?"
"That was just a movie," Tim replied. "Things like that don't happen in real life. At least not very often. I don't think Ben unknowingly discovered an ancient Book of the Dead." His brow furrowed in question. "Did you?"
Ben shook his head. "Of course not. I was just trying to be a frugal shopper and get enough decorations for the boat for a good price. Besides, it's not like it's really haunted. I'm sure it was just a fluke, just as I'm sure there's a logical explanation as to why it showed up out here again." He patted Nathan's shoulder. "You sure you haven't been working too hard, Cap? Maybe you just forgot you-"
"I did not forget," Nathan replied. "I am positive I put it away."
"Getting back to this haunted thing," Lucas continued, "it might not be so far-fetched."
"What do you mean?"
"A lot of famous item claiming to be haunted turned out to actually be...and they were sold right over the Internex on AuctionNex or similar sites. Maybe the cap and the doc aren't crazy. Maybe something put it back on the wall."
"What...what sort of something?" Tim asked nervously.
"Well, a ghost," Lucas said in a matter-of-fact tone. "But don't worry; I'm sure it's not dangerous. It wouldn't be the first time we've dealt with ghosts, right? And look how well that turned out."
"Not ghosts; nitrogen narcosis," Kristin reminded him, though she felt a chill run through her bones.
"Whatever you say," Lucas replied. "The fact of the matter is that this painting is haunted. That's what I think anyway."
"But, Lucas, I-"
"Why don't you show us the original posting, Mr. Krieg? Perhaps we can get some answers that way, hm?" Kristin suggested. "Speculating won't get us anywhere."
"That seems like the best thing," Nathan agreed, taking the painting off the wall. "And this time, I won't be leaving this thing out of my sight."
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Ben brought everyone to his quarters and immediately brought up the web page for all to see on his laptop.
Nathan stood over his shoulder and read the post out loud. "A chest full of accursed items: I acquired this chest at an estate sale, but since I've had it in my home, weird occurrences have been happening. I've stored it in the shed for the time being, but I'm not a fan of spirits and want it gone." He turned to Ben. "And that little story wasn't a tip-off for you?"
He rolled his eyes. "Because no one ever lies over the Internex, right?" He clicked around the site a bit. "See this one? A Coke can that holds the soul of this guy's dead cat for a hundred bucks. Or this..." He clicked a different link. "A stuffed penguin that's supposed to be inhabited by the soul of this woman's deceased daughter, yet she's selling it for twenty dollars?" He gave a shake of his head. "No way are all these items really haunted. People will do anything to make a quick buck."
"And you would know," Katie said with a smirk.
"At least I can spot them from a mile away. I don't get had that way."
"Ben has a point, though," Kristin said. "Some of these stories do seem rather fabricated."
Nathan nodded. "Right, it doesn't mean this chest is haunted. Where is it, by the way?"
Ben walked towards his bunk and pulled out a worn wooden chest with something carved into the lid.
"What's written on there?" Lucas asked.
Ben shrugged. "Something in Spanish, I think."
"Latin, actually," Tim corrected. "Libera nos a malo. Deliver us from evil."
Katie shook her head. "That's not ominous at all."
Ben held up his hands. "It still doesn't mean it's haunted."
"What else is inside?" Nathan asked, moving to stand next to him.
Ben lifted the lid and took out the items one by one to show the others. "Some old candles, a bit of incense, and a piece of chalk. The rest all seems rather harmless to me."
"Or it could be for some weird spell of some sort," Lucas pointed out. "You could have very well unleashed hell just by opening that chest."
"Calm down, everyone," Nathan said. "Look, Ben's absolutely right."
Jonathan's brow rose. "He is?"
The captain nodded. "Surely, you don't believe in this stuff being haunted, Commander?"
"Of course not," he replied with a smile. "It's just that I never thought I'd hear anyone say Ben was right about anything."
"Haha, very funny," Ben said.
"All joking aside," Nathan continued, "the truth is, I might have forgotten to lock that painting up. I remember taking it off the wall and putting it under my arm, but then I had to get to the bridge. I honestly don't remember putting in my room. Maybe I just hung it back up and thought I'd take care of it later."
"You're sure?" Kristin said with a shake of her head. "That doesn't sound like something you'd do."
He shrugged. "Well, do you really think some sort of invisible force put it back? I thought you didn't believe in spirits?"
"I don't." She glanced around at the skeptical faces in the room. "But it does seem to be the most logical explanation. We really have no other proof at the moment."
"Doesn't mean we can't find proof," Lucas piped up. "I could put my computer skills to work." He gave Nathan a hopeful look.
"How very kind of you to offer to push your regular duties aside, Mr. Wolenczak," Nathan replied, "but I think we all just need to forget about this chest. I'd also like you all to kindly forget about the supposed legend associated with it. We don't need to create any hysteria, and I don't need my crew worrying over nothing. Therefore, everyone will keep what they know...or think they know...about this confidential, is that understood?"
"Yes, sir," they all replied in unison.
Nathan then placed the painting back in the chest. I will keep this in my quarters from now on." He glanced to the doctor. "You can be my witness that this time, I am putting it away. As for the rest of you, finish up your lunch hour and get back to work. There's nothing to worry about."
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"You don't mind being my witness, do you?" Nathan asked as the others obeyed the orders he'd given.
"Not at all," she replied. "But if you don't mind me asking..." She lowered her voice. "Did you really forget to put that painting away like you thought?"
He shrugged. "I must have. Besides, isn't it easier to believe that rather than some unseen spirit moving it back. What would the purpose of that be anyway? Just to play a prank on us...or Darwin?" He laughed. "Can you imagine a ghost that only haunts dolphins? Surely, you have to admit how silly that sounds."
"Certainly," she replied with a smile. "I'm just not sure why you'd have put it back on the wall."
"I can't give you an answer on that, but if we keep trying to over-analyze it, we're only going to scare ourselves. It's just a painting along with a few other items. They're just things, and they can't harm us."
"You're absolutely right. I guess with my apprehension about the upcoming day, I let my imagine run away with me...and so did everyone else."
"It's understandable," he replied, picking up the chest. "That's exactly why I'm locking it away. Out of sight, out of mind, right?"
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After seeing that Nathan did indeed lock the chest away, Kristin returned to the lab, and the rest of the afternoon was completely normal. In fact, she was able to put the memory of that horrific painting behind her and pushed it of her mind. She'd become so engrossed in an experiment she'd been working on about the effects of carbon dioxide acidification on sea urchins that she'd barely noticed how late it had gotten. She nearly jumped out of her chair when Lucas touched her shoulder.
"Sorry, Doc," he told her. "I didn't mean to startle you. I just wanted to let you know I finished typing up those files for you. Is there anything else you wanted me to do?"
She gave him a smile. "No thank you, dear. Go and have a good evening."
"You're not going to dinner?"
"I'll probably grab a snack from the galley a bit later; I'd like to work on this a little longer. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"
"Sure thing, Doc. Goodnight."
She watched as Lucas left followed by the other science personnel working that day until she was alone. Seeing as there was no one else in the lab, she decided to put on a bit of soft music while she worked and then turned back to the tank she had set up with the sea urchins. She continued with her observations when she thought she heard approaching footsteps.
"Did you forget something?" she asked, not bothering to look up to see who it was. However, she didn't receive an immediate answer, so she finally turned around to find no one there. "Hello?" she called.
After a minute or so, she's assumed she hadn't heard footsteps after all and shook her head. "Get a grip on yourself, Kristin. You're hearing things." Giving a shrug, she turned back to her sea urchins.
Thirty minutes passed when she thought she heard footsteps yet again. She glanced to the door, thinking perhaps the sounds she'd been hearing were coming from the corridor, but that, too, was empty. She listened a little longer, but all was quiet, save for the music. Letting out a sigh, she once again determined she must have imagined it and decided she ought to pack up for the night. "Just after I finish this section of notes," she said with a nod, turning up the music a touch to prevent her mind from creating any more fictional noises.
She hurried to finish writing the effects of urchin number three when the music suddenly stopped. She froze, realizing she couldn't have imagined the click of the radio being shut off. She was too afraid to turn around. "Is...is someone there?" she choked out, trying her best to keep her voice steady.
Though she didn't receive an answer, she heard the footsteps come just a bit closer and warm breath on the back of her neck. Shutting her eyes tightly, she swallowed hard before turning to look. Upon seeing no one there, she'd had enough. Urchin three would just have to wait; she quickly ran out the doorway, not even bothering to clean up her work space.
As soon as she entered the corridor, she collided with something and let out a cry, stumbling backwards and falling flat on her bottom. Stunned, she didn't immediately realize what she'd hit until she felt hands on her shoulders. She instantly remembered what she'd been running from and was sure whatever it was had caught her. "No!" she screamed, struggling with all her might.
"Kris?" a familiar voice said to her. "It's me. Easy, easy. It's me."
She instantly stopped struggling, her mouth falling open in confusion upon seeing Nathan's face creased in worry.
He put his arm around her shoulders. "I wasn't trying to scare you. Are you all right?"
She nodded, still in shock.
"Why don't we get up off the floor?" he suggested, holding out his hand to her.
Feeling her cheeks go warm, she accepted his hand and allowed him to pull her up. She then brushed herself off. "I...I'm fine," she said quietly. "I didn't mean to bump into you. I was just..."
"Running?" he offered.
"Y-yes, but..." She didn't know what else to say, unsure if what she'd just experienced was real or imagined, but her scientific side was winning the battle and telling her she was just tired. That was the logical explanation, wasn't it? "I'm sorry," she recovered lamely.
"No harm done. I was just coming by to see if you'd needed help. Lucas said you were working late." He paused and eyed her carefully. "You sure you're all right?"
She nodded. "I decided to call it a night and see what I can rustle up to eat in the galley."
"And you were so hungry that you decided to run?"
She shook her head. "N-no. Y-yes. I mean..." She sighed. "I...I might have been hearing things, and I got a little scared."
"Hearing things?"
She nodded. "It sounded like there was someone else in the lab with me, but every time I checked, there was no one. I thought I'd forgotten all about that painting, but I think my subconscious hasn't. My mind was playing tricks on me, I'm sure."
"Sounds that way. Well, I'm glad to know you're not really in any danger. And since you're not working any more tonight, there's no reason I need to bother you. I'll leave you to relax. Have a good night."
She watched as he started to walk away when she realized she still felt rather uneasy. "Wait, please."
He obediently stopped and turned back to her.
"If you don't mind, maybe you could sit with me? I'm still a little shaken, even if I imagined it all."
He smiled. "Of course I can do that. I didn't have any plans anyway. The cook put the leftovers from dinner in the galley refrigerator, so I'm sure we can find you something."