Title : Deception
Author: Susie Owens
Summary: Ray's world has fallen apart, can he get it together in order to help a friend?
Warning: It's safe.
Disclaimers: I don't own the Ghostbusters, but Odella is mine, as far as I know this is my own idea except for having each person tell the story. I know others have done it.
Copyright 2006
Part 1
Peter:
I stood there looking at the man in the mirror. This wasn't me. I was looking at a stranger. Someone who made me sick. I was his best friend; or at least I should have been. But I wasn't. How could I be when I betrayed him. I would never forget that looked on his face when he saw us together. The hurt, the betrayer he must have felt. I watch her get out of my bed quickly and tried to explain. But he would have no part of it. He told her to get out and that he never wanted to see her again. Then he turned to me with such disappointment in his soft brown eyes and said to me quietly. "I thought you we're my friend. Peter. What a fool I was."
Then he left the bunk room and went downstairs. I followed him and looked down over the banisters and watched him throw her stuff out the door. I watched as she again tried to explained. But he wasn't buying it. He again told her to get out. She picked up her purse and left without saying another word. I went to the bathroom and just stare at the stranger in the mirror, wondering how was I going to fix this?
Winston
I looked up from Ecto's engine when I heard Ray telling her to get out and practically push her out the door. I've never seen Ray so angry. He was always the gentle type. I left Ecto and went over to him.
"Ray? What's wrong? Why did you tell her to get out?"
The way he looked at me scared me. This was not the face of the man I knew .
"Why don't you asked two timing Pete." He said to me even-though it's sounded more like a snarl. "I'm going for a long walk and I have no idea when I'll be back."
I watch Ray leave then I ran upstairs to talk to Peter. I enter the room and saw Peter sitting on his bed with his head in his hands muttering " What have I done?"
"Pete? I asked as I went over to him. He looked up at me and I noticed that his eyes were red. I think he might have been crying. Which alarmed me. "Peter." I said as I sat on his bed beside him.
He looked at me and for the first time since I meant Peter Venkman he grabbed me and broke down and cried.
"Winston. Oh God I may a terrible mess of everything. I'm so sorry. Ray hates me."
I felt stranger with Peter crying on me but I patted his back. "Come on Peter. It can't be that bad. You and Ray have had fights before and Ray always forgives you."
Peter shook his head and sniffed."Not this time Winston. I went to far."
"Peter? What could you have done that Ray won't forgive you for?"
He was quiet for a moment. I was wondering if he even heard me. But finally he answered.
"I had an affair with his girlfriend."
I just looked at him not wanting to believed him but by the sound of his voice I knew he was telling the truth .
"Why? I asked."You knew she was his girl friend. Peter how could you do that to Ray?"
"I don't know. I don't know. Winston, I'm so sorry."
I slowly got up and stared at Peter. "I'm not the one you need to apologize to. I just hope he can forgive you this time. I'm not sure I would if you had an affair with Sarah." And at that I left the room leaving Peter alone.
Egon
I drop her off at the airport. She didn't say one word to me and when we got there. She just took her bags and left. I was now driving home. I needed to talk to Ray. What made him act so? He's never been that way. I pulled in to the headquarters and saw Janine and Winston talking.
"I can't believed Peter would do such a thing to Ray." I heard Janine say.
"Oh I'm sorry to say this but I did expect it." Winston answered.
I heard enough and walk over to them. "Janine. Winston. I want to know what is going on, and I want to know now."
Winston looked over at me. "Peter and Ray so called girlfriend were having an affair and Ray saw them together."
I just nodded my head. I wasn't surprise, Peter made it clear how he felt about her and whenever she wanted to do something Ray was always busy and asked Peter to fill in for him. So the two of them falling in love was not surprising in the least.
"Where's Ray and Peter now? " I asked
"Peter upstairs feeling sorry for himself and Ray went for a walk." Winston replied.
I was about to say something else when the phone rang. Janine answered it and then wrote down a number.
"Guys there trouble at 566 Height Avenue."
I got my pack on while Winston called down Peter and without saying a word we all climbed into Ecto and went on the called , minus Ray.
Part 2
Ray
How could I've been so blind? I should have seem it coming. Seeing them together like that just felt like a bunch of demons pounded my guts out. I was hurt and didn't want to deal with it. As far as I was concerned the world turn against me and I wanted nothing to do with it. As I was brewing in my self pity I saw a woman trying to hold on to her bag and unlock her door at the same time. I wanted to just walked away. But I knew I couldn't it wasn't her fault that Peter and that girl had betrayed me.
"Excuse me? Do you need any help?"
She turned and looked at me. I saw her feature now. She was an old lady with gray hair and eyes as black as a crow. She was wearing a long blue gown and a pair of blue boots with high heels. She smiled at me, showing me the whitest teeth I have ever seen.
"Oh yes Raymond. I could use your help."
"How do you know my name?"
"Now isn't that a silly question. You're on the news a lot and this old lady watches the news. Now please help me and then we can have a nice some tea and a nice chat about what Peter did to you."
I took her bag as she unlocked her door. "How do you know about Peter?" I asked.
" Oh I know everything you see dear. I'm a witch. My name is Odella"
Part 3
Peter.
Oh great I haunt house. The guys know I hated haunted house. They just give me the willies and without Ray this could be bad. I felt bad for what happened but what's done was done and it was time to tried to move on. I hope that Ray would forgive me. Winston ones kept coming back to me. What he said about if it had been Sarah.
"Hey Peter? Peter? "
I turned and looked at Winston. "You coming? Egon got a reading."
"Yeah sure. "I follow them in my weapon ready.
"We better split." I heard Egon say. "We're cover more ground that way."
"I hated to split up. I wanted to stay together but Egon and Winston were gone before I could say anything. With my weapon held steady in my arms I headed in the other room.
Suddenly I felt something grab my pack and ripped it off of me. It landed on the other side of the room. I was now helpless as the walls around me seem to come alive. The floor also had a mind of it's own as it wrapped itself around my legs. I tried to scream but before I even had a chance. a wire came down from the ceiling and wrapped it self around my mouth. Making it impossible for me to scream. The last thing I saw before the floor swallowed me up was a strange little man.
Ray
I sat there drinking the tea Odella had made. It was sweet maybe too sweet but I drank it anyway. I watched as she move around the room. For an older person she seem to move with the grace of a younger one.
"Do you hate him?" she asked me.
I shook my head. "No. I don't hate Peter. I'm just angry at him."
"Why?"
"Why? Because he betrayed me."
"Are you mad at him or yourself for letting it happened?"
I stood up ."You have no right to say that. I didn't let it happened."
She walked over to a large standing cover up mirror then slowly took the cover off . At first glance it looked like any other mirror. But as I got closer I saw that it was not.
"This is my all see mirror. It can see the past and the present."
"What about the future?"
"The future can be changed so the mirror has no power to it. Now watch and understand my words."
I watched and it was all the same. She wanted to go somewhere and asked me first but I was always busy. So Peter went instead.
"He was suppose to protect her . Not fall in love with her."
"But you knew he was in love with her and yet you let them be together."
Her words hit me hard and I knew what she said was true.
"If it's makes you feel better she loved neither of you."
I wanted her to tell me more but then her face changed. Something was wrong.
"Go! Now! go to him. He's needs you. Go now or he will died."
"Go? Go where?"
"To the house."
"House? You have to be more cleared then that. There are a lot of houses."
"The one you visited before. Peter life depends on you. Now go before it's too late
Part Four
Winston
Egon and I had manged to get out of that house when it came alive. But a quick search told us our worst fears Peter had not been so lucky. I was now watching Egon as he was taking reading.
"What just happened in there? That house came to life."
Egon looked over at me. "I'm not sure, according to these readings it's not haunted."
"Then what?" I asked not really sure I wanted to heard the answer.
'I believed it may be a life form of some kind."
"Like what we battle on that space station?"
"No. Winston. I think this made be worst. I think it may have eaten Peter."
"No way man. No way! Peter still alive we just have to find him."
The sound of a car pulling up and we both turned to see Ray getting out of a taxi.
"Man am I glad to see you." I said.
He went right past me and into the house. Egon and I both followed. "Ray you got to come out . This house is dangerous." I said.
He turned and looked at me . "I can't Winston. Peter needs me."
Part Five
Ray
I knew there was danger in this house. I felt it . But Peter was in trouble. And somehow I knew only I could help him.
"Peter!" I listen but heard nothing. I looked back and saw Egon and Winston trying to get in but the door wouldn't them pass. I had a funny feeling that was going to happened.
"Don't worry guys I'll find him." I called as I descended down the basement where I knew I had to go.
As I enter the basement . The smell made me gag. .It was horrible. When my eyes got a justed to the dim lighting I looked and saw bones of long dead and decayed bodies. I shuddered even though I knew none of them were Peter. Then I saw him. He was chain to a wall and all he had on were his jeans but they have been torn. He was looking straight ahead but his eyes were not focus. They had a far away look on them. I approached him.
"Peter?"
He didn't response and my bones chilled. He wasn't dead but he wasn't here either. Suddenly I felt scare early today I want only for Peter to go away. But now all I wanted was to have him back.
"Please Peter. I need you. Please come back. I need you. I'm sorry"
"You wanted him to go. So why are you sad?"
I turned around and was now facing Odella
"What did you do to Peter?"
"Only what you wanted."
"No I didn't want this."
She didn't answered me at first just went over to Peter. I watch her as she touch his face. She then turn to me.
"The hour is neared the great beast comes. He will feed as he has many times. Find a way to stop him."
She was gone before I could say any thing.
Part Six
Winston
"I didn't even think about it. I just grabbed Egon and we were both back in that house. I looked at Egon as he adjusted his PKE meter. "He went down into the basement"
We both descended down the stairs and there we saw Ray and Peter. Ray was talking to him but we didn't hear Peter answered him. We started towards then. When Ray yell out.
"Stay back!" Don't come any closer!"
We both stop. Then I spoke. "Ray! We came to help."
"No! Stay back. Any sudden move will cause it to attacked."
"It?" I question.
Ray just pointed to the left of him and Egon and I both saw it. A long slimy like creature with scales and eyes as red as the inside of the sun.
Egon nodded his head at me and I was hoping that I figure out what he wanted. Carefully we both raised our weapons. The creature turned to the sound of it and suddenly charged us. Egon and I fired at the creature. I can tell you it didn't like it one bit. It turned and slide under a crack in the floor and was gone.
"Guys. Come and help me with Peter. We got to get him out of here." Ray cried.
We hurried over to Peter and together we got him out of the chain. Then We help him get to Ecto. Once he was inside with his head on Ray's shoulder I got in and started to head back towards the firehouse when Ray spoke up.
"Winston. take us to 455 Grand View Avenue. There's someone there who might have answers."
I nodded my head and drove to 455 Grand View Avenue.
Part Seven
Egon
We arrived there in record time. I turned to looked at Ray. He seem so lost as he gentle push Peter's hair away from his forehead.
"Ray? Are you okay?" I asked
Ray looked up at me. " Something wrong with Peter and it's all my fault."
"No it's not. Your reaction to seeing Peter and your girlfriend together wasn't wrong. I'm kind of surprise you didn't strike Peter." I admitted.
Ray didn't say anything just nodded his head.
"Hey homeboy we're here. Now what?" Winston asked.
Ray made Peter comfortable before getting out of Ecto. "Now I go and talk to Odella, like I said she has the answers."
We watch Ray as he headed up the stairs to her door. Winston gave me I don't know about you . But I'm not sitting here. I'm going to find out what is going on.
I nodded and we both got out. Soon we were both joining him at the door.
Part Eight
Peter
I can't seem to think or remember what happened. I can heard voices but they seem so far away. I wanted to response but I can't seem to.
"Hey guys help me I'm scared. Ray please forgive me. I love you. I needed you. Please guys hear me."
Ray
I turned when I heard them behind me. "One of you have to stay with Peter."
Egon turned and went back to Peter Winston and I went up to Odella door and I knock. She answered it and we went into her home. She looked out at Ecto. "Is he here?" she asked. I nodded my head.
"Bring him in and I'll see what I can do."
Winston headed back to Ecto and soon he return with Egon and Peter. Odella motion for Egon to place Peter on an old beat up sofa. Then she sat down and looked at his eyes.
"There maybe time to saved him. There is still light in his eyes. But you must do as I say without asking questions. Are you able to do that?"
We all looked at each other and knew the answers. "Yes." I said."Tell us what to do."
She nodded. "I will need you to get the following items. Some slime from a ghost, an toe nail from an ogre, scales from a dragon and the most important thing is a bottle of tears from the creature you saw earlier."
Part Nine
Egon
I watch as Ray stare at her. He seem so lost."Ray we have everything back at my lab except for the tears of that creature."
Ray nodded his head but his eyes were on Peter."I'll get the tears."
"Not with out me homeboy." I heard Winston say. "We all saw that creature and there is no way any of us can handed it alone."
"Then it's settled. I'll head back to the lab and get the other stuff we need and Ray, you and Winston, go and get the tears." I replied.
Ray took one last look at Peter then turned to Winston."Come on. I don't think we have much time."
"You have till midnight." Odella said.
I looked at my watch it was now 9:30 pm. "Ray's right we better hurry."
Once I was back at my lab Janine and I search for what we needed.
"Egon, I found the dragon's scales."
"Good Janine,place them in this container. I have the ogre 's toe nail. Now what else did she asked for?" I asked myself more then Janine. I hated it when I forgot things.
"HEY EGON!"
"That it! I need some slime from a ghost. Slimer, I need you to fill this container with a bit of your slime."
"Why Egon?"
"To save Peter." That did it Slimer fill the container quickly and I was on my way back to Odella place.
Part Ten
Winston
We arrived back to the house where we last seen the creature. I was worried about Ray. He wasn't his usual self.
"Ray? "
"Winston, I'm fine . Come on we got to find that creature and make it cried."
I followed Ray inside and we search for the creature. We went down into the basement where we had last seen it.
The smell was just as bad as it had been the first time.
I looked at Ray but the smell didn't seen to bother him. In fact it looked to me like he was inhaling it. He looked around for a minute or two then back at me.
"The creature this way Winston."
I nodded and followed. When we came around the corner there it was curl up asleep. Ray pointed to the creature's eyes tears were coming from them.
"Winston, keep your weapon ready I'm going to get those tears."
"Ray. You be careful. I don't like this ." I said
He turned to me."It's the only way, Winston. We need those tears."
I only nodded as Ray approached the creature. He slowly place the jar he had out of his pocket and placed it under the creature's eyes and got a few drops. Then he slowly cover the jar and move away.
"Okay, Winston, I got them."
Ray no more then got those words out when the creature awoke.
Ray
I stood still staring at the creature. This wasn't a ghost it was alive and had eaten humans so I hate to admit it but I was scared. I slowly started to move back when the creature spoke.
"Haven't you done enough? You scared the living daylight out of me and now you're back to finished me off. Well go ahead. I'm tired of living this lonely live."
I heard Winston moving up beside me. "Ray?"
"It's okay Winston. I don't think he's gonna hurt me."
"Ray. I know you have a soft spot for animals. But that creature is a man eater."
"I am not. I'm a herbivorous. I don't eat meat."
Both Winston and I stared at each other. Then we both face the creature.
"What about those bones and bodies we found. If you didn't killed and eat them? Who did?" I asked.
"She calls herself Odella She a troll from my world. She needed me to get here."
My heart felt like it had stop. I glance over at Winston and he looked pale as I felt. I knew I had to keep calm.
"Winston. We got to go Odella with Peter."
The creature spoke again. "It's almost midnight and that's when she will change. You will never get there in time without my help.
Part Eleven
Egon
I sat on the chair by Peter and kept an eye on him. He didn't seem to be worst. I could hear Odella moving around in the other room. I looked at the clock and saw that it was ten minutes to midnight. Odella came into the room.
"It's almost time for me to eat."
"Odd" I replied . It's almost midnight."
"I love to eat late. But I didn't really expect dessert."
I slowly ran my PKE meter over her and the reading when off the scale.
"You're not human."
"No, I'm not. Dr. Spengler but you're never find out what I really am."
Before I could even move her tongue shot out of her mouth like a snake and then the room became dark.
Winston
Ray and I hurried out of the house . The creature told Ray what he had to do and now we were racing back to Odella's house.
"Hurry Winston. There not much time. It will be midnight in 10 minutes."
I nodded my head and put the pedal to the metal. When I stop Ecto- 1 Ray didn't even wait for me he rushed up the stairs of the house and ran in. I followed after him.
Once inside we saw nothing but we did hear something.
"This way Winston." Ray said as he ran down the hall. I was right behind him.
When we turn the corner to the room Peter was in . I almost ran into Ray because he had stop.
"Ray? What's wrong?"
But I got no answered except a gasp from Ray.
I moved Ray aside to see what was happening and saw a two legged demon holding both Peter and Egon neither one looked very good.
"My dinner so tasty." it purred as it took a sniff of both of them.
"Ray snapped out of it we got to help Peter and Egon. What did the other creature tell you to do?" I said shaking him at the same time
"What? Oh sorry Winston, I remember now." Ray turned towards a stone that sat in the middle of the room, funny how I never noticed it before.
"No! Leave my stone alone. Ray I'm your friend please don't hurt me."
I saw a looked in Ray's eyes I saw earlier today and I swear I never want to see again.
"You're not my friend. You're the one who hurt Peter not the other one. I know how to stop you from hurting others."
"If you send me back your friends will never recover."
I watch Ray shake his head his fingers now squeezing on his weapon. "If I don't and you hurt others no one will ever forgive me. We all knew this job was dangerous."
He then turned and fired upon the stone shattered in in a millions pieces . The creature we once knew as Odella screamed and then shattered in to pieces as well and then the wind took her away. I watch Ray as he ran over to Peter and Egon. I stood there for a moment so he could have his time alone with them.
Part Twelve
Peter
Why was Ray holding me so tight? Did this mean he forgave me?
"Ray?"
"Peter! You're alive!"
"Yeah. What happened?"
I listen while Ray told me everything. I then looked over at Egon who was being help up by Winston.
Ray looked at both of us. "I don't understand I was told you two would never recover once Odella was send back."
Suddenly the earth shook and a what appeared to me a dinosaur. "Your friend were spare because you put the welfare of others before them. Thank you for sending her back I will see that she stays in prison for a very long time." Then he was gone. On the way home I looked at Ray.
"Ray I am sorry for what happened."
He turned and smiled at me. "All is forgiven Peter."
The end