Author's note: A little late but... it's here now! My Halloween story! Read, read, read!
Disclaimer: Don't own the turtles & company but I do own the plot and all ghosts! Mwahahaha!
Raph lazily twirled his sai before he looked up at his brothers. Donny was in his lab with the door open typing away on his computer, Mikey was playing one of his latest video games, and Leo was absentmindedly watching from the couch. Raph stopped twirling his sai and said, "Ya remember dat haunted house we saw when we was kids?" Mikey paused his game and looked over at him.
"Please tell me you're not talking about the Black-Moore Manor," Donny said from his lab.
"Yep, dat's da one!" Raph confirmed.
"What about it, Raph?" Leo asked, suspiciously.
"I was thinkin' we could go dere, ya know, tamorra night?" He said, going back to twirling his sai.
"No can do, Raph!" Mikey said, outraged, "Tomorrow's Halloween! You can't do that on Halloween! Haven't ya been payin' attention to those horror movies I watch? Halloween night and haunted houses do not mix bro! Ghosts and other scary monsters come out at that time more then other times!"
"Ya chicken, Mikey?" Raph asked as Donny walked out of his lab and sat down next to Leo with his laptop under his arm.
"No…no…of course not!" Mikey said, nervously. Raph chuckled.
"What do you plan on doing there?" Leo asked.
"WE are goin' inside and look 'round." Raph said as an evil glint entered his eyes. "Dere should be sumthin' worth seein' in dat old dump." Leo and Don shared a look, and then looked back at their brother.
"That would be breaking and entering…" Donny said, "We can't do that…"
"That place's been abandoned for years," Leo said, "It could be dangerous inside."
"Yeah, the ghost type!" Mikey added. Leo looked at him, briefly, causing Mikey to smile nervously, before turning back to Raph.
"Donny, we do dat anyway. What's da difference dis time?" Raph said, "Leo, dat old place can't be any more dangerous den our battles wit' da Shredder. And Mikey? Cut it wit' da ghost crap!"
"I'm tellin' ya, they're real!" Mikey said, before Raph hit him on the back of his head.
"Shut it, Mikey!" Raph said. Donny placed his laptop on his lap and started working on it.
"I think I saw some articles on that house…" Don mumbled as he browsed the internet, "Ah, here it is!" He moved the screen so the others could look at it as well. "There are records of countless suicides happening at that place. Every resident has ended up dead. There are even records of children going missing in that area; children that the police suspect went into that house. Do you really think this is a good idea, Raph?"
"So a few litta humans couldn't handle da place, no big deal," Raph said.
"Raph, it is a big deal," Leo said.
"People died in that house, Raph!" Don said.
"Whateva," Raph said.
"Ugh!" Don said, letting himself fall against the couch. His laptop shifted and almost fell if he hadn't caught it in time.
"You guys are jus' scared," Raph said, knowingly, "I betcha wouldn't even be able ta step a foot in that house wit'out ya frickin' out!"
"That's not the point…" Leo began.
"You are scared, aren'tcha?" Raph said.
"No, why would I be?" Leo said, "The point is, that place is too dangerous."
"Hmph, right…" Raph said skeptically, "Yer not scared at all, Leo…"
"I AM NOT!" He yelled.
"Then prove it!" Raph said. Leo folded his arms and slumped down in the couch, choosing not to respond. Raph smiled in victory and Leo glared back at him. "We're going tamorra."
***
"You know," Mikey said as he looked up at the mansion-house fearfully, "Maybe I should've stayed home today. I don't feel too good."
"Don't make excuses, Mikey," Raph said, eyeing him.
"Did I… no," Donny said, shaking his head, "It's not possible…"
"What?" Leo asked, taking his eyes off the house and turning to him.
"I thought I saw something in the window…" He said.
"What exactly…?" Leo asked.
"A…a girl, but she was almost transparent…it could've been the lighting…or something…"
"I think I saw her too…" Leo said, "She was waving her arms as if to tell us ta leave…?"
"Yeah…"
"Yer scaring me guys!" Mikey said, looking from one to the other. Leo turned to him, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Well, I could have just imagined it…" He said, smiling nervously.
"It's not like it was possible anyway…" Don said, trying his best to hide his fear.
"Hey! Are you guys comin' er not?" Raph called from the front door. He used his sai to cut down the boards blocking the exit and opened the door.
"Raph!" Leo said as he ran over to him. Donny glanced back at Mikey, nervously.
"Do you want to go in?" Donny asked.
"No way, bro!" Mikey said. "Raph can go ahead and be killed by the ghosts in that house, but I ain't stepping in that house no matter what!"
"Didn't think so…" He said.
"DONNY! MIKEY! GET OVER HERE!" Raph yelled from just inside the door. Donny sighed and walked towards the door, leaving Mikey behind.
"I'll…I'll just stay righ…right here for you guys…" Mikey said. "…Whe…when you return…" He looked around nervously. A strong wind blew by him with the sound of a strange whisper.
Inside the old manor, Raph watched Mikey though the open door.
"How long do you think he can stay out there?" Leo asked, watching as well.
"I think he'll be runnin' ova in no time at all." Raph said. The next second, Mikey ran past them and into the house, screaming. Raph smiled. "Toldja!" He said, victoriously, "So, Mikey? What happened out there?"
"Nothing!" Mikey snapped.
"Yeah," Raph said, sarcastically, "Dat's why ya ran in screamin' like a baby!"
"It's really dark in here," Donny said as he looked around what must be the foyer.
"Yeah," Leo said, rubbing the back of his neck, "Kinda…ah…like…bravin' the unknown…" 'kinda scary actually...but I can't let my brothers know that…' He thought to himself. He turned back to Mikey and Raph just as the front door slammed shut. Mikey jumped and landed in Raph's arms only for Raph to instantly drop him.
"What was dat?" Raph said as he looked at the door.
"The wind…?" Donny suggested. "Maybe…?
"Maybe…" Raph said walking over to try to open it again.
"It's the ghosts!" Mikey said, "They know we're here and they've locked the door! This always happens in horror movies! Can't you see?! Now we're gonna have to spend the night in horror-ville 'cause Raph just had ta bring us here! We'll be haunted and hunted all night until…until we're all dead! That's why if ya take out the 'a' in 'haunted' all that's left is 'hunted'! They probably just added the 'a' ta represent the sound we'll make when the ghosts start chasin' us!"
"Da door's jammed!" Raph said as he held the doorknob and leaned back, using all his weight to hopefully get it open, but it didn't work.
"See!" Mikey said, pointing frantically towards the door, "It's a ghost lockdown!"
"Mikey…" Leo said, calmly, putting an arm around his frightened brother, "It's alright. Nothing's gonna happen in this old mansion."
"I guess we can take da time ta look around!" Raph said as he leaned back against the door this time.
"I guess…" Donny said, a little nervously, just as he heard something in the distance. "Can…can you hear that, guys?"
"Yeah," Leo said, looking around for the source, "It sounds like a piano or an organ…"
"Oh, no!" Mikey said, wrapping his arms around Leo and laying his head against his chest. "It's the ghost piano player! Once you find the piano, he vanishes!"
"Let's check it out!" Raph said, eagerly. He led the way past the old elegant stairwell as Mikey kept hold of his eldest brother. Leo held an arm around him as much for balance and comfort for both Mikey and himself. "Found it!" Raph called as he held open a door for his brothers. The four of them walked inside and looked around. As soon as they had entered, the eerie music had stopped. Raph walked around the old piano and shook his head at his brothers.
"Dere's no one here," He said, confused. "Hmmm…" Donny followed him, but Leo was forced to stay back by Mikey, who obviously didn't want to get anywhere near the 'haunted' piano.
"That's strange…" Donny said as he examined the old piano. He lifted open the top of it causing dust to fly off and up his nose. He coughed a few times before he was able to look inside. "What?!" He said, before he started coughing again. He let the top slam shut, stirring up more dust causing Raph to join in on the coughing and said, "There's no way this piano could be playing! It's been broken for what seems like years! The inside is even empty!" He touched a few keys to prove his point. No sound was heard. The four brothers shared a worried look.
"I told you…" Mikey said in a small voice, muffled against Leo's chest. Leo sighed and rubbed the back of Mikey's shell.
"Maybe we should leave this room…" Donny said, eyeing Mikey. Leo nodded and led them out.
"Sooo…" Raph said, looking around. "What sound we check out now?"
"Raph…" Leo said, eyeing him over the top of Mikey's head.
"Come on, Leo!" Raph said, "Just 'cause Mikey's a litt'a scared doesn't mean we hafta just sit here and wait for the door ta open again!"
"I'm not scared…" Mikey said, lifting his head a little to look at Raph.
"That's not the point, Raph!" Leo said, "This place is too dangerous for exploration! So far nothing's happened, but I'm not going to take any chances!"
"We can handle ourselves!" Raph shot back, both ignoring Mikey completely, "Maybe I should just go off by myself cuz yer all chicken!"
"No!" Leo said, sternly, "No one is going off on their own in this place! Tha-"
"No, you can't!" Mikey said, forcefully, finally supporting himself, "Every time they split up in the movies, something terrible goes on! They either die or become bait for the others! It even happened to us once, though in a totally different situation… Since I know these things and you guys obviously don't, I'll take charge!" Leo looked over at him, already annoyed he cut him off.
"Are you sure about this, Mikey?" Leo asked.
"You gotta admit I know all the tricks!" Mikey stated, proudly.
"Well, he does kinda…" Donny admitted.
"Hmmm…" Leo said, "How 'bout you just tell us or warn us, instead?"
"Oh, alright…" Mikey said, pouting slightly. The three of them looked around and noticed Raph wasn't with them anymore. Looking closer, Leo spotted him about to go through a door the next to the one they left. The three brothers quickly caught up to him and Leo sent him one of his looks.
"I told you we were NOT going to separate!" Leo said, sternly.
"Whateva, Splinter Jr." Raph said as he lazily waved his arm over his shoulder. "Look at dis." He pointed inside the room and Leo looked inside. It could've been a parlor or something like that. There were a few old puffy chairs and little tables. And old fireplace was at one end, but none of that was what caught Raph's attention. On one of the tables sat a glass case with a miniature version of the Black-Moore Manor. It was detailed down to the smallest detail like the little light by the front door and even a doorknocker that no longer hung on the door. Mikey knelt down next to it and looked through the tiny windows.
"This is so awes-Yikes!" He said, before he quickly backed away and bumped against one of the tables. The table tittered for a second, and then went still.
"What's wrong, Mikey?" Donny asked.
"The…there…there's a…a…a ghost da…danc…dancing in the…there!" Mikey said, shakily as he pointed to the model house.
"Dere's no such thing as ghosts!" Raph said in irritation. He walked over to the model house and looked through the windows. "Dere's nut'n' dere!"
"I swear I saw something!" Mikey complained. He walked over to Raph and pointed towards one of the windows. "That one!"
"Nu'in' Mikey," Raph said, "See fer yerself." He stepped aside and allowed Mikey to look through the tiny window.
"I know I saw something…" Mikey said, "It was there. I…the ghosts are playin' with me!"
"Come on, Mikey," Leo said, offering his hand to help his brother to his feet. "Let's keep moving."
"Yer gonna let us look 'round?" Raph said, staring at him.
"I guess," Leo said, "It's not like I can stop ya anyway." Raph sneered at him and led the way out of the room.
"Hey!" Mikey said, pointing across the room, "It's the kitchen!" He ran forward and opened and closed drawers and cupboards, searching for something. "Nothing!" He said. He looked around the room and spotted an old fridge. He walked over and opened that as well, revealing nothing inside. "Great!"
"What are you looking for, Mikey?" Leo asked, sighing.
"Food of course!" Mikey said, "I'm hungry!"
"Yer always hungry," Raph said, shaking his head.
"I'm a growing kid!" Mikey explained.
"Nothing here will be edible even if we do find food," Donny said, "This house has been vacant for years. Everything would be expired."
"Mmmm…" Mikey said, sniffing the air, "FOOD!" He ran off back towards the foyer and through another room. His brothers ran after him, finding him in the dinning room. He was already sitting down, savoring the smell of the mountains of food on the table. The chandelier above held flickering candles and it illuminated the room. Even the fireplace in the far corner held a warm fire behind the grate.
"We'd all dis food come from?" Raph asked.
"I was wondering the same thing…" Leo said, slowly.
"Who cares!" Mikey said, "I say we dig in!"
"Ah, Mikey?" Donny said, looking around, "Did you light the candles?"
"Those?" Mikey said, pointing upwards before stuffing some of the food in his mouth, "Nope. They were on when I came in!"
"Mikey, don't!" Leo said, rushing in and holding his arm back from grabbing more food. The food in Mikey's hand began to move and maggots wiggled free of it. Leo almost had to look away as he felt himself start to feel sick.
"What's wrong, Leo?" Mikey asked, completely oblivious to the slowly desecrating food he was holding.
"Look fer yerself!" Raph said, clearly grossed out as well. Mikey looked down at the food and, quickly dropping it, backed away from it.
"Ewe, ewe, ewe!" Mikey whined, "Gross, uck, ewe!"
"You okay, Leo?" Donny asked as he noticed the expression on his eldest brother's face. Leo nodded, holding his hand over his mouth, not trusting himself to speak just yet. He indicated they should leave and Raph led the way out. Leo turned back at the door and his eyes widened at the now bare and dusty table. The lights were out and fire was just as cold as if it there had never been a fire going on in it.
"That's strange…" Leo muttered. Then he turned and left the room. As he left, a ghostly butler shimmered into view and, taking out a dusty, transparent rag, began wiping down the table.
***
Leo soon caught up to his brothers, crossing the foyer and entering the library. Books were stacked all the way to the ceiling, covering the walls. An old grandfather clock ticked away in the corner. There were a few comfy chairs scattered around the room and a lectern standing freely on the other side of the room.
"Woah!" Donny whispered. He walked around the room, scanning the titles as he walked by them. "'A History of the 1800s', 'An Adventurer's Journal', 'Registry of the 1830s'…" There are mostly historical documents here, but there's a few classical fictions."
"This room is boring!" Mikey said, yawning to emphasize what he said.
"Are we gonna hafta drag ya out, Don?" Raph asked, watching as Donny walked around the room. Donny glanced back at him, glaring.
"Shut it, Raph!" Donny said as a strange feeling came over him, "Jus' 'cause your head's so full of hot air nutin' more can fit in it, doesn't mean ya hafta say sumthin' like that!"
"Why I oughtta-" Raph growled as he stepped forward, raising his clenched fist.
"Knock it off, guys!" Leo said as he held Raph back, "What's gotten into you, Don?"
"I…I don't know…" He said as he held his head.
"Let's go," Leo said. He went to pull Raph out of the room, but stopped as the grandfather clock chimed. The four of them looked towards the clock just before it chimed again. It read three o'clock which didn't seem right to them. The clock chimed one last time before any of them could say anything.
"What time is it?" Leo asked. He waited for a response, but when none came he said, "Don?" He turned and saw one of the bookcases had fallen. The chiming of the clock must have muffled the sound of the crash. Leo looked around and saw Raph next to him and Mikey staring at the broken bookcase. "Where's Donny?"
"Under here…" Donny's muffled voice came from under the broken boards and books. "Could someone help me out of here?" Raph and Leo worked together to lift the boards off of Donny and helped him to his feet. "Thanks…" He mumbled as he tested his footing. He winced, briefly, and then stood on his own.
"You okay?" Leo asked.
"Fine," He said, "I like books and all, but I never wanted to be that close."
"Three o'clock…" Mikey said. They turned to him to see him staring at the old clock. "It's stuck on three o'clock…"
"What?" Donny asked.
"Three o'clock!" Mikey said, "Ya know, the witching hour? That's the worst time ta be in a haunted house!"
"Dis house isn't haunted, Mikey!" Raph said.
"Yes it is!" Mikey whined, "Haven't ya noticed tha signs, Raph?"
"Dere is no such thing as ghosts!" Raph yelled. Mikey was about to respond when they began hearing music playing.
"Oh no, not again!" Mikey said, "You just had ta anger them!" Then he followed Leo and Donny out of the room. Raph sighed and followed as well.
***
Leo was the first to enter what they now realized was the ballroom. All the candles in all the chandeliers above were lit, illuminating a man and women dancing to the music playing. Leo watched them as though in a daze. He slowly walked forward without realizing what he was doing. The dancing couple seemed so happy, but he seemed to know their happiness would not last. Only he could see the shadows surrounding the couple. Only he knew what hid in the dark.
"Leo?" Raph called after him, but he did not respond. It was like he didn't even hear Raph call him. He just continued to walk towards the center of the ballroom. When he reached the middle, he stopped. The couple had stopped dancing as well. They both looked right at him and then towards the ceiling. Leo followed their gaze and looked at one of the chandeliers hanging directly over him.
Donny and Mikey watched from just outside the double doors, unable to move as they saw the chain holding the chandelier above Leo slowly began to crack. "Leo!" Raph yelled, shocked that Leo still stared up at the chandelier without moving as if dazed, by what was happening. "Leo, get back here! Dat thing's gonna fall!" When Leo still did not show that he heard him, Raph ran forward. He grabbed Leo around the waist just as the chandelier fell. Donny and Mikey ran over to them to find Raph underneath Leo, whose legs disappeared under the chandelier.
"Raph! Leo!" Donny yelled, "You guys alright?"
"I'm fine," Raph said, grumpily, as he squeezed himself out from underneath Leo. Leo didn't respond to Don's question and the three of them crowded around him.
"Leo?" Mikey said, softly.
"Couldja help me get dis off o' 'im?" Raph asked. He began trying to lift the chandelier, which was surprisingly very heavy. Donny grabbed Leo under his shoulders and pulled him out when Raph lifted the chandelier. Leo hung limply in Donny's arms and only stared to warily look around when Don tried to help him to his feet.
"Ugh! What happened?" Leo asked, rubbing the top of his head.
"What do ya mean, 'what happened'?" Raph yelled, "A stupid chandelier fell on ya and you just stood dere and watched it happen!"
"Huh?" He said, stunned. "Really? Ooh," He rubbed his head again, "Why would I just stand there?"
"Don't be askin' me that," Raph shot back, "Yer da one who did it."
"You were possessed!" Mikey told Leo, "You had this blank look in your eyes and was walking all zombie-ish!"
"Knock it off, Knucklehead," Raph said, as he hit his youngest brother on the back of his head. Mikey rubbed the place where he was hit, wearily.
"It's true…" He said, slowly.
"I'm starting to believe you…" Leo said, still leaning against Donny for support. "Remember the food on the dinning room table? When I looked back at it before I left the room, the table was bare. There was no trace of anything ever being on it in years. And those dancing ghosts?! I hate to say this, but…I think this place is haunted."
"What dancing ghosts?" Raph asked.
"I saw them too," Donny said, "Mikey?"
"Yep!" Mikey said, "I saw them twice actually! They were the same ghosts I saw in the model house!"
"I didn't see nu'in'!" Raph said, "Yer all crazy!"
"Come on," Leo said as he moved to stand on his own, "Let's go."
"Yeah!" Mikey said following Leo, "Away from the ghost zone!"
"I can't believe ya believe dis crap, Leo," Raph said as he watched Donny follow the other two.
"Are you coming or not?" Leo said, without turning around.
"I'm comin'!" Raph said. He went to follow, but he suddenly froze. He shook himself, firmly to find his sai in his hand without any knowledge of reaching for it. He looked around and saw his brothers walking around the corner. Raph quickly replaced his sai and ran after them.
"The door's locked!" He heard Mikey say. He saw him pulling at a door and trying to open it. "What do the ghosts not want us ta see?"
"You okay Raph?" Leo asked as he looked at him.
"Fine," Raph said, then he turned to Mikey, "If da door's locked, den dere's nu'in' ta see 'ere. Come on!" He led the way back the way they came, past the kitchen until they came to a circler breakfast nook. Then he turned left and looked through the door at the end. "Hmmm…found the laundry room."
"This is boring now…" Mikey said. He leaned against the way and then looked at the wall he had leaned on, "Wait! I think there's a door here!" He knocked on the wall and listened, "It is hollow."
"Let me see," Raph said, nudging him aside and using his sais to cut into the wall revealing a door. He opened it and looked inside. "Stairs?"
"…to nowhere!" Mikey said. Raph glared at him.
"Shut it, Mikey!" Raph said.
"What?" He said, "It so called for that!"
"I'm gonna check dis out!" Raph said, beginning to walk down the stairs.
"Wait, Raph," Leo said, "I'm coming with you. Don, Mikey, you two search the upstairs okay?"
"We're splitting up?" Mikey asked.
"Look for bedrooms," Leo said, "I think we're spending the night here. We will need a place to sleep. Wait for us up there."
"Got it," Donny said. "Come on, Mikey."
"I'm comin'!" Mikey said, grumpily. Donny led the way back to the spiral staircase as Mikey complained. "I don't think this is a good idea! Now it'll be easier to separate us all! What if…?"
"Mikey please stop it," Donny said as they reached the stairs. Mikey sighed and followed Donny up the stairs. When they reached the top, Mikey ran over to the balcony over the ballroom.
"Woah!" He said as he looked over the edge, "Wait! Where's the broken chandelier?" Donny walked up beside him and looked over the edge as well. The chandelier that had fallen on Leo was gone. Donny looked up and saw it firmly in place, hanging from the ceiling.
"That's weird." He said, "It's like it never happened."
"Alright, let's check out the rooms now!" Mikey said. Donny shook his head at his energetic brother and followed him into one of the rooms adjacent to the balcony. It turned out to be one of the bedrooms. It was an L-shaped room with a sitting area. The walls were blood red, giving the room an almost eerie quality. "I don't think I like this room…" Mikey said from the sitting area.
"It is kinda dark, isn't it?" Donny said.
"This is Raph's room!" Mikey said, before he ran out and Donny had to run after him.
"Wait up!" Donny said.
***
Meanwhile, Leo was trying to keep up with Raph's quick pace. "Raph, slow down!"
"Yer da one who decided ta follow me," Raph said, glancing into each room he paced before running off again, "Why don'tcha go back wit' Mike and Donny?"
"I can't, you know that!" Leo said, "I'm not gonna leave ya alone in this place!"
"I'll be fine, Leo!" Raph said, "Hey, look at dis!" He stopped running and walked inside one of the rooms off the hallway. Leo followed him in and watched as he removed a sheet to reveal a mirror. Raph looked at it before going to reveal another one. "Dere all mirrors. What are dey doin' down 'ere?"
"Ya know, I didn't notice any mirrors while we were looking around upstairs…" Leo said, helping Raph reveal the rest of the mirrors.
"I didn't either," Raph said, "I wonder why dat is…" He heard Leo gasp and turned just in time to see him collapse to his hands and knees as he stared at one of the mirrors he had just uncovered. "Leo?" Raph asked. When he didn't respond, Raph grunted, "Not again…Leo?!" Raph began shaking his eldest brother, hoping to snap him out of it.
"The…the mirror…" Leo mumbled. Raph turned and saw that the mirror was cracked. He turned back at Leo and watched in shock as a cut appeared across his face right where the crack on the mirror was. Realizing what was happening, Raph quickly stood and covered the mirror with one of the sheets. He turned back to Leo to see him breathing heavily and trying to wipe the blood off his face.
"You okay now?" Raph asked.
"I…I think so…" He said, shakily.
"Here," Raph said. He tore a piece off one of the sheets and tied it over the cut above Leo's eye.
"Thanks," Leo said.
"What happened?"
"I don't really know," He said as he looked past Raph and the now covered mirror, "I couldn't look away. I saw…things. Let's just go, okay? I don't want to see that mirror again…"
"Dat's da second time sum'thin's happened ta ya in dis place," Raph said as he stood and helped Leo to his feet.
"I know," Leo said, "And I really don't like it. I think it's time we stop looking around and find Don and Mikey."
"I'm startin' ta agree wit'cha." Raph said.
***
Donny and Mikey had finished looking around the top floor when Raph and Leo finally caught up to them.
"What happened to you, Leo?" Mikey asked.
"Don't ask, please!" Leo said, "I don't want to think about it!"
"It's a long story and ya kinda hadta be dere," Raph added.
"So, what did you guys find?" Leo asked his youngest brothers.
"Four bedrooms each with their own bathroom," Mikey said, "We already picked out a room for you, Raph. It matches your personality: blood red walls and dark!"
"Don't mess wit' me, Mikey," Raph said.
"What about the other three?" Leo asked.
"Well, behind us is one of the two smaller rooms. It's covered in carved faces." Donny said.
"It was spooky! I swear they moved!" Mikey said.
"That was just your imagination," Donny told him, then continued, "On the other side of the staircase are two more rooms. Closer to the front of the house is the second small room. It's kinda a sad light blue color."
"Perfect for you, Leo!" Mikey said.
"The one closer to the balcony over the ballroom is the other large room." Donny said, ignoring Mikey, "It's filled with books and there's even a few suits of armor."
"Perfect for Donny, but I wanna big room!" Mikey said. "Why do I get stuck in one o' the smaller ones?"
"You're getting the one with the carved faces?" Leo asked Mikey.
"I don't want to, but…" Mikey said, "The blue room is kinda perfect for you…"
"Leo, remember that first ghost we saw before we even went in here?" Donny asked.
"Yeah?" Leo said.
"She must have been in the carved faces room," He whispered in Leo's ear. Leo's eyes widened slightly.
"I've had enough ghosts for the day," Leo said, slowly, "Alright Mikey, I'll take that blue room, and you get the carved faces room. Donny, you can have the book room. And that leaves the red room for you, Raph."
"I can handle dat," Raph said.
"Now if anyone runs into any problems in your room, go directly to any of the other rooms. I don't want anything happening to anyone, okay?" Leo said. They nodded and the four of them went off to their own rooms. As soon as they were gone, a transparent woman in old Victorian dress and her hair blowing in a nonexistent wind appeared and watched them leave. She looked around, quickly, and disappeared again just as a shadow went to grab at her.
***
Mikey stopped just inside the door to what will now be his room for the night. He gulped as he looked around at all the realistically carved faces. "This room kinda reminds me of that movie, Rose Red…" Mikey said out loud. He shivered as the light from the window caused one of the carvings to seem to blink…or…at least he hoped that's what happened. He took a deep breath and walked over to the bed. He shivered again as he felt eyes watching him…following him. "Ugh! Why do I get this room? Why did I listen to Leo? Why couldn't he have taken this room instead?" He let himself fall onto the bed and looked up at the ceiling. He didn't notice how long it took before his eyes finally closed.
"Noooooo…" An eerie squeal sounded through the room, causing Mikey's eyes to snap open. He quickly sat up and looked around, frantically. The shadows had deepened in his room, making it harder for him to see in the far corners. He narrowed his eyes as he tried to focus on the darker corners of his room. He started as he thought he saw something move in the dark. He blinked and moved to stand, but thought better of it. That's one of those stupid things the victims do in horror movies. Rule number 1: Never check out scary noises or movement. He shook his head and went to lie back down.
"Oooooooaaaaaahhh…" A moan sounded through the room. He froze as a chilly wind engulfed him. He shivered and looked around for the source. His window was open with the white curtain lazily blowing in the wind. Mikey quickly looked around before he, unwillingly and against his better judgment, got up to close it. The window squeaked loudly with an eerie moan that would've sent his hair standing on end if he had any. He took another deep breath and warily smiled at his foolishness.
"Llllleeeeaaaaafffffffff…" He heard a low moan sound through the room.
"Alright!" Mikey said, "Stop messing with me!" He glared around at the room bravely.
"Nnnnooooooowwwwww…!" The low moan sounded as all the carved faces in the room seem to turn and look at him. He gulped, the bravery he had shown before immediately wiped from his face. It took approximately two seconds before Mikey ran, screaming from the room. He ran directly to Raph's closed door and paused. He looked around fearfully and then threw open his door.
"RAPH!" Mikey yelled as he jumped on his bed and shook his sleeping brother. "RAPHIE, WAKE UP!" Raph immediately backhanded Mikey, pushing him off the bed and onto the floor.
"Go away, Mikey," Raph mumbled, grumpily.
"Oof!" Mikey grumbled as he hit the floor, he quickly bounced back up and began squeezing his brother's neck, "Raph, please! I'm scared!"
"Go bother someone else," Raph said as he pushed Mikey away from him, "I'm trying to sleep!"
"But Raphie-!"
"Go!" Raph said before he pulled his blankets over his head. Grumpily, and a little less scared then before, Mikey stomped out and slammed Raph's door. He quickly looked around, before speeding down the hall, throwing Donny's door open, and quickly slamming the door behind him.
"Wazgoin'on?" Donny mumbled from his bed, his blankets completely covering his face. He pulled them down a little to look at Mikey, "Mikey? Wazrong?"
"Don," Mikey said as he ran over and jumped onto the bed, "There's something in my room and the faces! I swear they moved! They all looked at me and there was this moaning! It like they were talking to me! They said…they said 'leave now' I think, but it was so slow and quiet I couldn't really tell… What's happening Donny!"
"Wait! Slow down!" Donny said, sitting up and yawning, "What joo say?"
"I said," Mikey said, trying to calm himself, "The faces in my room told me to leave. They moved, Donny! It's exactly like that scene from Rose Red! They looked at me!" Donny rubbed his arm against his eyes and yawned again.
"You probably just had a nightmare, Mike," Donny said, "Why'djoo go all the way to my room anyway?"
"Raph wouldn't listen to me," He said.
"Oh," Donny said. He yawned again as he looked at his brother, "You alright now?"
"I guess, but it wasn't a nightmare, Don," Mikey said, "It really happened! I knew I saw them move before!"
"Mikey," Don sighed, "Just go back to sleep, alright? I'm tired!" He went to lay back down, but Mikey stopped him with a nervous shake of his head. "Yer still scared?" He asked.
"Mmhmm," Mikey said, nodding.
"Alright, come on," Donny said as got up from the bed, "I walk with you back to your room, okay?"
"Al-alright Donny," Mikey said, nervously. Donny smiled reassuringly at Mikey before opening the door and letting Mikey go first. Mikey paused for a second before he walked through the doorway and lead Donny towards his room. As they passed Raph's room, the door opened and Raph walked out.
"'S Mikey alright?" Raph asked.
"Yeah, just a little frightened," Donny said.
"I thought you didn't care," Mikey shot at him.
"I couldn't get back ta sleep," Raph said, simply.
"Why?" Mikey asked, a small smile spreading across his face.
"None of yer business," Raph said as he closed his door. Mikey chuckled as he looked at Raph's closed door.
"Mikey," Donny said and Mikey grudgingly followed him the rest of the way to his room.
***
For the third time that night, Leo abruptly woke up and sat up in his bed. Every time he tried to get to sleep, he'd have this vivid dream. He gave up sleeping and walked over to the window. He pulled the curtain back and looked out the window as he tried to make sense of the dream. He didn't know why he was dreaming of two people he didn't know. His eyes widened then as he remembered where he had seen those two before. The two ghosts from the ballroom? Why is he dreaming about them? Ghosts aren't supposed to be real. So why was he seeing them?
Leo froze as he heard something behind him. The room had suddenly gone cold and he folded his arms in front of him as he turned around. There were the ghosts, in his room. The female ghost looked like she was yelling at the male ghost, but no voices were heard. It was like watching a silent movie. Then the female tuned to leave, but the male caught her arm. The female pushed him back roughly. It seemed she had tears in her eyes.
Leo felt anger rise within him. He didn't know why, but the female made him mad. The male threw the female on the bed so hard, she bounced off and fell to the floor. She quickly got up as fear entered her eyes. The male quickly charged after her and pushed her hard. She hit the wall, but managed to keep standing as she started yelling again. The male yelled back this time and the female seemed surprised. The male then pushed her through Leo and glass seemed to explode behind him as she went through the window.
As quickly as they came, they disappeared. Leo's anger disappeared with them and he looked around shocked. He touched the window which was still unbroken and looked through. That was what he saw in his dreams. The female ghost seemed to think the male ghost was cheating on her. They were recently married and this house was meant to be their first one together. When the male heard her accusations, he immediately denied it. It wasn't true. He had loved his wife. He grew angry with her doubts, but it wasn't his anger. It was foreign to him, but he didn't try to overcome it. The next thing he knew, his wife of only two weeks was falling out the window. He killed himself almost immediately afterwards by jumping after her.
Leo didn't know how he knew this. It was as if someone had been whispering the story in his ear while he had been sleeping. He walked to his door wondering if he should just walk around for awhile. He was surprised when it wouldn't open. He pulled hard on the door before he had to admit to himself it wouldn't open. Great! He was locked in his room! He let himself fall onto his bed. Now what? He sat up and froze when he saw the male ghost looking right at him.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!" The ghost yelled in an eerie, echoing voice. Leo sat back, stunned as the ghost continued, "GET OUT, OUT, OUT! IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT! YOU DID IT! YOU RUINED MY LIFE! IT WAS YOU! GET OUT!"
"What are you talking about?" Leo asked before he realized. He's talking to a ghost!
"YOU CAUSED EVERYTHING! YOU! YOU HEAR ME?! EVERYTHING! I HATE YOU! I WANT YOU OUT! I WANT YOU GONE! DISAPPEAR! LEAVE! FOREVER AND NEVER RETURN! NEVER COME BACK! LEAVE MY HOUSE! LEAVE MY ROOM THIS INSTANT! BE GONE!" The ghost just continued endlessly and Leo didn't know what to do about it. Before long the room got really cold again. The air in the room slowly disappeared until there was nothing left. Leo couldn't breathe…
***
Donny sighed as he returned to his room. He sat down on his bed unable to sleep anymore thanks to his younger brother. Donny didn't blame Mikey. That room could scare anyone late at night. He just wished he could get back to sleep somehow. He looked over at the shelves of books in the room. Maybe that will help him sleep… He stood and scanned the titles on the books. He spotted one that looked like it could be a journal. With an inquisitive look on his face, he pulled it out. Suddenly, the room felt very cold. He quickly looked around and shrugged.
He brought the journal with him and sat in one of the chairs in the sitting area of his room. He went to open it and he felt a tingling sensation in his hands. He ignored it as he opened to the first page.
March 21, 1846
My first day in Black-Moore Manor has gone well so far. No mysterious circumstances have arisen as of yet. The house is calm as I thought it would be. The legends surrounding it are pure myth. I will finally prove my hypothesis is correct. There are no signs of any paranormal activity. Ms. Alyssa Black-Moore herself probably invented the legends to keep people away from her old home. She was always a spoiled and selfish little girl when she was a mere child. They say she killed her father when she was eight years old after she found out the old man had killed his wife. I do not know how true this is. Maybe I will find something in this old place that might help me better understand the age-old family…
Suddenly, the book was torn from his grasp. Donny looked around, shocked. A strange gust of wind blew Donny off the chair. He quickly got to his feet and looked in shock as a ghost appeared in front of him.
"STAY AWAY FROM MY BOOKS!" The ghost yelled. "THEY'RE MINE! MINE!"
"Oh…kay…" Donny mumbled.
"OUT!" The ghost yelled. A gust of wind blew Donny into the door. The window burst and the glass shot out at him. His eyes widened and he quickly stood, opened the door, and closed it. A shard of glass made it through before he managed to close it and he let out a pain-filled gasp as the glass embedded itself in his arm. He quickly pulled out the glass and grabbed his arm to stop the blood flow. He leaned against the door and breathed heavily for a few minutes.
After a while, he realized how completely alone he was. He walked down the hall, still holding his arm and stopped in front of Leo's door. He opened the door and looked in. Leo was lying on his bed, breathing heavily.
"Are you alright?" Donny asked.
"I'm…fine…" Leo said. He turned to Donny and noticed he was holding his arm. "Are you alright?"
"It's just a small cut," Donny said, "Can I sleep in here?"
"Ah, sure," Leo said, "Come here." He ripped a piece of the blanket and told Donny to hold out his arm. He wrapped the blanket around his brother's cut.
"Thanks." Donny said.
"No problem."
***
Raph stared up at the ceiling above his bed. He hoped Mikey got back to sleep all right. He might never admit it, but he cared for his youngest brother especially. He felt bad for kicking him out earlier. Mikey needed him and he acted like he didn't care. And for what? To keep up his apathetic attitude? He really needed to stop doing that.
He didn't realize his eyes had closed until he felt something drip onto his forehead, startling him. He instantly sat up and felt for where the drop had landed. He looked at his fingers and was shocked to see blood. He looked up at the ceiling, curiously. 'Where did it come from?' He thought. The ceiling showed no sign of being the source of the drop of blood. 'Oh…kay…' He thought. He still hadn't found the source of the blood and it was really starting to annoy him.
He heard the pitter-patter of rain outside the window and looked towards it. He wasn't sure, but something about the rain didn't look right to him. He stood and walked over to the large double window facing the back of the house. That's when he figured out why it didn't look right. There wasn't one thing wrong with it, there was two things! The rain wasn't going down like it usually did. For some bizarre reason, it looked like it was going up! The color of the rain was also wrong. It looked red! Raph shook his head in disbelief. It wasn't rain, it was blood.
As he stared out the window, he suddenly had the feeling someone was behind him. He turned, sharply, and saw a little girl about six to ten. He wasn't quite sure. What was really strange about this girl was that she was, well, transparent. He could see right through her. It was like she wasn't really there. Her old-fashioned nightdress seemed to have blood splattered across it. And the look on her face! She didn't seem to see Raph at all! She just stared at the window just as Raph had done. Her mouth was open slightly and she seemed transfixed by the sight of the blood-like rain.
Suddenly, as if she felt him watching her, she instantly turned towards him. The look on her face seemed to change to pure horror. The girl began to back away from Raph and stepped through the bed as if it wasn't there. As she watched him, blood began to seep from the cracks in the wall. Raph looked at the walls in shock. "Where's all dis comin' from?" He asked out loud. He looked back at the girl to find that she wasn't there anymore. He glanced around, quickly, searching for her. He looked down to see blood seeping towards him and he backed up into his bed.
A low growl caused Raph to look up at the ceiling. Blood splashed down on him and he struggled to wipe it off. Cuts appeared on his arms and he screamed out in pain. He fell back onto his bed and grabbed at the newly acquired wounds. He caught sight of the little girl watching him. Transparent tears formed in the corner of her widened eyes. As he watched her, more cuts appeared on his arms forcing him to look away.
***
Mikey really tried to ignore the creepy carved faces in his room. He didn't want to complain to his brothers again, but the faces were still there, watching him, warning him to leave this place. He wanted to listen to them, but that would mean leaving his room and entering the dark hallway beyond. He can handle this, right? It's only eerily realistic faces carved into every part of the wall that watch him every minute of the night as they whisper and moan warnings to him as he tries to sleep… Okay, he can't handle it. He pulled the pillow over his head to try to muffle the voices, but it only seems to get louder.
"Go away!" Mikey whispered, harshly, against the pillow.
"You need to leave now!" The voices echo in his ears. "You need to get out!"
"I can't!" Mikey said back.
"He needs you!" They said.
"Huh?" Mikey lifted the pillow off his face and almost instantly replaced it as he saw all the eyes on him. "You never said that before…"
"He needs you!" They repeated.
"Yeah, I got that!" Mikey said, slightly annoyed now. "Who?"
"He needs you!" They said, "He needs you NOW!"
"WHO?!" Mikey almost shouted.
"He wants him… He wants him dead!"
"Okay, stop with all the he stuff and tell me who."
"We don't say his name. He is the master of this house. He kills the one in his room first. Red is his symbol, blood is his desire. He will kill us all!"
"Stop talking in riddles!" Mikey glared at each face in turn.
"The one in red! The room in red! He will kill us all!"
"Oh, now I get it!" Mikey said as he threw the blankets off him, "Raph!" He ran out of the room and down the hall. The lights flickered as he passed them and he felt himself unwillingly slowing down. He forced himself to go faster, but it didn't seem to help. Two ghosts appeared in front of him and he tried to stop. He felt a cold chill as he fell through them. He quickly stood as they appeared in front of him again. One was a small little girl with blood splashed across her nightdress. She was holding hands with an older woman in old Victorian dress.
"Who are you?" Mikey asked.
"I am Alyssa Black-Moore," The older ghost said, "Follow me. My father can not stop you if you are with me."
"What?" Mikey asked. Instead of answering, she turned around and led the little girl away. Mikey quickly followed and was surprised when Raph's door almost instantly came into view. "Woah!" He looked around to see the ghosts had disappeared. He shrugged and opened Raph's door. Raph was lying on his bed. Mikey could see cuts on his arms that seemed to be bleeding badly.
He quickly ran over to his brother and leaned over him. "You alright, bro?" He asked. Raph pushed Mikey away slightly as he sat up.
"M'fine," He grunted.
"Yer bleeding, Raph," Mikey said in a disbelieving tone similar to Leo's.
"So?" Raph said as he looked down at his many cuts, "S'not like I'm dead 'r anythin'. Dere not even dat bad." He tore off pieces of his bedspread and struggled to wrap them around the wounds by himself. Rolling his eyes slightly, Mikey took them from him and helped his brother. "Why'dja come in 'ere anyway, Mike?"
"Ah, a ghost told me to…?" He said more as a question then a statement.
"A ghost…?" Raph asked, watching Mikey in slight annoyance as he finished wrapping his wounds.
"Yeah," Mikey said, "Strange huh?"
"Why would a ghost tell ya ta come into my room?"
"I don't know actually," Mikey said, "Maybe there are both good ghosts and bad ghosts in this place. The good ones are probably stuck here and can't leave. Maybe we can help them!" Raph stared at his youngest brother.
"Are ya serious, Mikey?" He asked. "Even if dere are ghosts in dis house, what makes ya think any of 'em are good?"
"Well, Alyssa Black-Moore helped me get to your room so she's good, but her father is definitely evil. The little girl with blood on her might be good too…"
"No, she isn't," Raph interrupted him. Mikey turned to him in slight surprise.
"You've seen her?" Mikey asked.
"All she did was watch," Raph said, ignoring his brother's question, "Who does dat?"
"You did see her! So you believe in ghosts now!"
"Don't getcha hopes up. I don't know what I saw."
"You saw her-er," Mikey said, "What was she doing?" Raph turned away from him and Mikey understood that to mean he wasn't going to tell him. "Come on Raph! What was the girl doing other then watching?"
"Cryin'," Raph grunted under his breath just loud enough for Mikey to hear.
"So she was watching and crying. That doesn't sound like…" He stopped talking when the lights started flickering. The two brothers quickly looked at each other and then looked towards the door.
***
Leo had that dream again. He started moving in his sleep. His movements woke Donny and he quickly shook Leo to wake him. "Leo? Wake up…" Leo's eyes snapped open and Donny jerked back a little in fright. Leo's eyes weren't their normal brown, but a crimson red. "Leo?" Leo closed his eyes and shook his head slightly.
"Donny…" Leo mumbled, "Leave…now…"
"Huh? What's going on, Leo?" Donny asked, fearfully. When Leo's eyes opened again, the red had gotten deeper.
…The anger quickly grew within him… How dare she? He had always been faithful… How dare she accuse him of such treachery? She's the one who wanted this house in the first place… He got it for her! Why can't she see all that he had done for her… Sacrificed for her… Lost for her… He loved her! He would die for her! Why can't she see that?
Leo's fist clenched as he struggled to separate his thoughts from the presence in his mind. He pushed Donny away as he got up and walked towards the window. He grasped the windowsill and stared out the window, not really seeing anything. 'Please leave, Donny!' He thought, 'Get out while ya can!'
…What was she thinking? She started it all… She had blamed him! Is she insane? No… He still loved her… He would never hurt her… What's wrong with her? She's the one messing up! Why would she blame him? Why would she accuse him? Why this anger? He loved her… Why is he so angry? He cherished her…
Donny watched Leo, nervously, as he snapped the windowsill in his clenched fists. 'What's going on?' He thought as Leo grabbed at his head and fell to his knees. Donny ran forward and kneeled down next to his oldest brother.
"Get…going…NOW, Donny!" Leo said as he pushed his brother away again.
"What's wrong?" Donny asked. Leo snapped his head toward him.
"IT'S YOUR FAULT!" The words came out of Leo's mouth, but it wasn't his voice. His crimson red eyes glowed fiercely. Donny stumbled backwards at the demented look on his oldest brother's face.
"Leo…?" Donny said, fearfully. The red eyes dimmed as he looked at Donny.
"Leave, please…" Leo mumbled, wearily, back in his normal voice.
…KILL HIM! IT'S HIS FAULT! HE DID IT! KILL HIM NOW! WE DON'T NEED HIM! WE DON'T WANT HIM! KILL…HIM!
Donny backed up to the door, but he didn't leave. The red grew in Leo's eyes and Donny finally guessed what was happening to his brother. 'He's being processed…' He thought, 'but that's supposed to happen only in movies!' "Leo! Come on, snap out of it!" Donny said. His hand closed around the handle of the door before he realized he was searching for it. 'I'm not leaving unless I have to,' Donny thought without loosing his grip on the handle of the door.
"Don-NY!" Leo said, halfway through, his voice changed and Donny was really starting to worry. He could tell his brother was having trouble staying in control. One of Leo's hands grasped his katana and Donny began to regret leaving his bo staff in his room. It's not like he could've retrieved it anyway, but that didn't make him feel any better about it.
"Leo, please," Donny said, "I know you can fight it off!"
"Can't…" Leo said, before he lunged towards Donny, his katana held offensively. Donny got the door opened, got out, and slammed it closed behind him. He leaned against and fell as Leo crashed into the door on the other side. 'I gotta tell Raph and Mikey, but,' He turned back towards the door he was still leaning against, 'I can't. Leo needs help…' Donny looked over at Raph's door. He'd have to follow the circular path to get there. The lights started flickering and Donny ducked his head before Leo's katana cut through the door where it had been moments before. 'Alright, I have to go now!' He thought. He took a deep breath and ran away from the door. It crashed open behind him just as he slid around the corner. He was halfway there now. He ran the rest of the way and threw open Raph's door, closing it behind him.
"Are ya alright, Don?" Raph asked. Donny turned towards him and just noticed Mikey was there as well.
"You look like ya seen a ghost, bro!" Mikey said.
"Leo's…possessed…" Donny said as he tried to catch his breath. Before anyone could say anymore, the door was almost forced open, but Donny held tightly to the handle to keep it from opening.
"What do ya mean, 'Leo's possessed'?" Raph asked.
"I mean, he's possessed," Donny said, "Some ghost has him under its control."
"Sweet!" Mikey said, "It's like 'The Exorcist'!"
"Except it's real and Leo wants to kill us now," Raph said, glaring at his youngest brother.
"And wasn't she possessed by demons in that movie?" Donny asked.
"Well yeah, but it's close!" Mikey said.
"Will ya stop thinkin' 'bout movies fer once in yer life!" Raph said as he hit Mikey at the back of his head.
"What happened to your arms, Raph?" Donny asked, noticing the make-shift bandages for the first time.
"What about yer arm, huh Donny?" Raph asked instead of answering. Donny rubbed at his arm a little. He had almost forgotten about the cut there. There was another slam at the door and Donny almost fell forwards.
"This is more important right now!" Donny said, "I can't hold it closed for too long and Leo had one of his katanas last time I checked. He could cut through the door like he did last time!" Just as he said this, he had to duck as Leo's katana cut into the door above his head, "I told you!"
"Get away from the door, Donny!" Raph said as he stood and grabbed his sais. Donny nodded and ran to the other side of the bed.
"Where's your bo staff?" Mikey asked him.
"In my room," Donny said, "A ghost had chased me out so I didn't have time to grab for it." The door burst open then, revealing Leo. His eyes were glowing and even deeper and brighter crimson then before. Raph had to force himself not to step back from him. Why's it always seem ta be Leo?
"IT'S YOUR FAULT!" Leo said in a voice that did not belong to him.
"What that shell are you talking about, Leo?" Raph asked him.
"It's not him, it's the ghost possessing him," Donny explained. Leo quickly looked over at Donny. He pointed his katana directly at him and then went to charge at him. Raph used his sais to block the attack.
"Leo, stop this!" Raph said.
"I don't think he can…" Donny said. "He doesn't look like he's fighting it anymore."
"What should we do?" Mikey asked.
"I will be of assistance," A ghostly voice said. Behind Leo, a ghost simmered into view. Mikey recognized her as Alyssa Black-Moore's ghost. Leo froze as she shot her arm through him.
"What are ya doin'?" Raph asked. The ghost did not answer. Instead, she pulled her arm out again. She was holding the shirt back of a male ghost and continued to pull into the ghost was completely out of Leo. Leo gasped and fell forward. Raph quickly grabbed him before he hit the ground.
"LET ME GO!" The male ghost yelled as he struggled against the female's grasp. "IT'S THEIR FAULT! HIS FAULT!"
"No it is not!" Alyssa said back.
"It's another ghost's fault," Leo gasped as he tried to get back to his feet. Raph forced him onto the bed instead.
"What are ya talking about, bro?" Mikey asked as he crawled over to his eldest brother.
"I've been seeing it all night," Leo said, "Both in dreams and while I was awake."
"The ghost that is responsible is my stepmother," Alyssa said.
"You're stepmother?" Donny asked.
"Yes, she was always the type to foul up relationships," She said, "She was once my father's maid you see."
"She made me kill my wife," The male ghost said, "I loved my wife."
"How many ghosts are in this house?" Mikey asked.
"My father, my stepmother, the scholar, the little girl, the ghosts connected to each carved face, a few servants, him, myself and I believe my mother as well," Alyssa said as she counted them off. "My mother is probably locked in the first floor bedroom."
"We're all trapped here," A little voice said. Raph turned to see the bloodstained little girl standing behind him. "I'm sorry I didn't help you mister. The master would've been very cranky at me."
"What's she talking about," Leo asked.
"Nothing Leo," Raph said, abruptly.
"Are you mad at me, mister?" The little ghost-girl asked.
"Do I look mad?" Raph asked.
"Ye-yes mister," She answered. Raph grunted and decided to ignore her.
"Is there any way to help you all?" Leo asked.
"Not here," Alyssa said, "My father will return to this room. He will want to finish the job."
"I'm really startin' ta hate ghosts," Raph growled.
***
The ghost named Alyssa led them to the door the turtles had already found locked the first time they were there. "This was my mother's bedroom. My father's always kept this door locked even in his death. You will have to get into this room. If you do not, you will be trapped in this house forever. No one has managed to open it yet. We ghosts can not help you. Only the scholar knows the answer, but he is stingy with his books as he proved to you." She pointed to Donny who instantly looked away as he felt his brother's eyes on him.
"Are ya tellin' us we hafta confront a stingy ghost?" Raph asked.
"You need the scholar's journal for he will not tell you himself." She said. Donny looked at her sharply.
"NO!" Donny snapped, "The last time I picked up that journal, that ghost almost skewered me with broken glass!"
"That's what happened to you?" Leo asked.
"Yeah," Don said as he absentmindedly rubbed the wrapped up injury on his arm.
"I really hate ghosts," Raph grumbled.
"You're not the only one, bro," Mikey said.
Author's note: I hope to have the second part out as soon as I finish it!