Extreme Ghostbusters:The Sky Is Falling
By A. Rhea King

Chapter 1

Kylie looked over at Eduardo. He was fast asleep with a grin of pleasure on his face. She shook her head, going back to her book. They weren't doing anything so she wasn't going to wake him up and listen to him whine. Kylie began to daydream as she read and the words merged into black. The phone ringing made Kylie sit up straight, realizing she'd fallen asleep. She got up and answered it on the third ring.

"Ghostbusters," Kylie said, rubbing her eyes. "Mm-hm...mm-hm. Yeah. Yeah. We can be there in fifteen minutes. Bye." Kylie hung up with a yawn. Kylie came back into the living room, stretching.

"You go. I'll stay," Eduardo groaned under the blanket. Kylie walked over and yanked the blanket off. He groaned from under the pillow covering his face and Kylie yanked the pillow away. Eduardo covered his eyes with his arms, Kylie drug him off the couch.

"All right! All right." Eduardo got to his feet, stretching. "Up don't mean I'm awake."

"Just make sure you shoot the ghost, not me," Kylie warned him.

Eduardo yawned, scratching his chin. "Whatever."

The two walked downstairs, still trying to wake up.

"Think we should let Egon know we're goin'?" Eduardo asked, stretching again.

"No. Gotta feeling it's a false alarm. Never heard of a cloud that ate people."

Eduardo yawned, getting in behind the wheel. "Me neither."

They pulled out, heading down the street.

#

Eduardo stopped Ecto-1 homeless shelter. There were no lights on and no one came out to greet the two of them.

"Maybe it was some kids," Eduardo said. He yawned again. "Let's go back."

Kylie laid her head on the dash. "If it is kids, I'm going to find them and shoo them instead."

Eduardo chuckled, looking at the building. His smiled faded suddenly.

Kylie looked up to say something and noticed the sudden change. "What's wrong?" she asked, watching Eduardo tense some more.

"I think we ought'a call the others, Kylie," he said quietly.

She scowled, getting out. "Chicken."

"Kylie, I'm telling you, this doesn't feel right. Seriously. I think we ought'a at least call Egon or something. Let 'im know where we're here." Kylie stopped at the back, looking around the corner at Eduardo. He looked really upset and it wasn't fear. "Eduardo, what aren't you telling me?"

Eduardo looked at Kylie. "Kylie, I really think we should call Egon."

Kylie walked up, putting a hand on Eduardo's chest. "You go call Egon. I'm going to have a look around."

"NO!" Eduardo grabbed her arm before she walked away.

Kylie looked strangely at him, pulling away. "Eduar—"

Both looked up. A cloud was hanging over their heads.

"Uh-oh," they said together. Then the cloud ate them.

#

Eduardo felt like he was lying on air. He picked himself up and shook his head some before looking around. He sat down with a sigh. All he could see was what appeared to be black clouds. He heard a low moan and Kylie sat up, holding her head. Eduardo crawled over to her, sitting down again.

"Where are we?" She asked.

"My best guess wouldn't even come close," Eduardo said. "Are you okay?"

"My head hurts. You?"

"Fine. Last thing I remember was being eaten by a cloud thing."

"Ditto." Kylie started to get to her feet. Tentacles of cloud shot up and pulled her below the clouds.

"KYLIE!" Eduardo screamed, jumping to his feet. Tentacles lashed out, wrapping around him and drug him below the cloudy surface. Everything went black and he was falling through space. Eduardo landed hard, a spike of pain racing up his arm.

"Eduardo," Kylie said, kneeling by him. Eduardo looked up at her, then around.

Two men, a woman and a boy were with them, eyeing the two. The six were in a room with no obvious exits. Eduardo got to his feet, holding his bruised armed.

"Are you okay?" Kylie asked.

Eduardo nodded.

They heard screaming and looked up. A ceiling of black clouds opened and Roland came falling through. Followed by Egon, Garrett and Janine. Egon got to his feet, brushing off his pajamas. Roland helped Janine to her feet and both helped Garrett get upright again.

"You are in my game now," a voice bellowed. A cloud face appeared in the black clouds over their head. "You have a chance to leave. You must find the exit."

"How? We're in a closed room?" A man wearing a smart business suit demanded.

An opening appeared. "That might be the exit," the voice chuckled. Another opening appeared. "Or that one might be. You decide. If you lose, you will never see your world again." The face disappeared.

There was a moment of silence. Garrett started towards an exit and Eduardo grabbed the back of his chair, hauling him back. A hand reached through the opening, grabbing air where Garrett had been.

Garrett visibly shuddered. "It would have grabbed me."

"Yeah. I know," Eduardo said.

"How are we supposed to get out of here when this thing trapped the so-called Ghostbusters," the man in the business suit jabbed.

"Hey! We didn't even know this thing was in town, buddy," Garrett snarled back. "So—"

"Garrett," Egon said quietly. "We can't get out of this fighting. And we obviously cannot go through that door," Egon said, motioning to the one that Garrett had already tried.

"Then we go through that one," the man pointed to the other door.

"That would be a bad idea too," Eduardo told him quietly.

Everyone looked at him. He looked down, shoving his hands in his pockets.

Egon looked at the others. "I think Eduardo is right. I don't think the entity would let us leave so easily."

"I think you're wrong. And when I get back you all are going down," the man snarled, then scoffed. "You didn't even know it was in town." He spun, storming towards the second exit. The man passed through the doorway, screamed and disappeared.

"He chose poorly." Eduardo smirked to himself.

"How are we going to get out? If both of these doors are traps..." the woman started. She was middle-aged with dark brown hair dressed in jeans and a baggy, tattered sweater.

"We'll think of something," Roland assured her.

"Like what!?" She screeched. "I have two kids to pick up from the sitter at three! I have to get home!"

"We're doing the best we can. Now if—" Egon started.

"We aren't doing anything at all, mister," the second man snapped at Egon.

"Hey, what do you know?" Kylie snapped back at the man.

A full-fledged fight broke out with Egon and Janine trying to calm the others down. Eduardo crossed his arms, watching them for a moment. He looked around them at the boy. The child had his knees hugged to his chest as he rocked. Eduardo walked over, kneeling down. "Hey," Eduardo said.

The boy looked at him, sniffing.

"It's okay. Really. What's your name?"

"Th-Th-Thomas."

"Eduardo." Eduardo held out his hand.

Thomas shook it. "My friends call me Tom," Thomas informed him.

"Tom it is. You like the Ghostbusters?"

Tom nodded.

Eduardo grinned, leaning close. "I'm kinda fond of them myself."

Tom giggled.

Eduardo stood, looking down at him. "Stay here and watch my back, okay?"

Tom nodded. Eduardo walked over to the wall. He touched it and quickly shrank back from it with a disgusted cringe. Eduardo began walking along the wall, pushing on it as he walked. He suddenly disappeared through the wall. Tom scrambled to his feet, watching the spot. Eduardo came back through, smiling at him. Tom ran over, leeching onto Eduardo's hand. Eduardo looked at the group. They were still fighting and now Egon was the only one trying to stop it. Eduardo pulled his hand free from Tom, pulled his glove off and let out a shrill whistle. The room echoed it, sending it painfully back. Everyone turned, looking at him.

"Wha—" Garrett started to yell.

"I'm leaving," Eduardo informed them. He grabbed Tom's hand and disappeared through the wall.

Egon didn't wait for the others. He followed Eduardo and Janine was right behind. Then the five followed them. The group was standing on a ledge high above molten rock. A narrow natural bridge was the only way to the opposite side.

"There has to be another way," Janine whispered.

"Yeah, Wonder Bread. This ain't it," Garrett snarled at Eduardo.

Eduardo only glanced at him. He crouched down, holding Tom's shoulders. "You trust me amigo?"

Tom nodded.

"That could be a crazy thing to do," Eduardo teased, standing up. He held his hand out for Tom's. Tom took it, smiling up at Eduardo. The two headed for the bridge.

Tom stopped before his foot sat down on the bridge. "What is that stuff?" Tom asked, pointing at the liquid below.

"Ever seen a volcano on T.V.?" Eduardo asked.

Tom thought, and then nodded. Tom looked back up at Eduardo. "That's the stuff that comes out?"

The two started walking across the bridge.

"Yeah," Eduardo answered. "Called magma down here. When it comes out they call it lava. See the black stuff?"

"Yeah."

"That's what it looks like when it cools."

"Cool! Where'd you learn all that?"

"In school. In books."

"When we get home, will you show me?"

"Sure thing."

Tom and Eduardo disappeared over the top of the bridge.

"Eduardo just got that kid to cross the bridge," Roland said, amazed.

"Forget the kid!" Kylie cried. "Eduardo just crossed it like it was the way home."

"It is," Egon said. He grabbed Janine's hand, heading towards the bridge.

They disappeared across it. The five followed at a run. The woman leapt off the bridge as it began to collapse under her. The nine of them stared at it, watching it fall apart.

"Eduardo...what would'a happened if it fell when we were on it?" Tom asked. Eduardo looked down at him. He turned, starting to walk down the tunnel ahead of them.

"You like basketball?" Eduardo asked, obviously avoiding the answer to the question.

"I like hockey more."

"Hockey's cool."

Tom giggled. "Yeah. It's cool."

The two laughed, letting the others pass by and lead the way.