Disclaimer: I do not own Thirteen Ghosts, characters, places, etc. All rights belong to Dark Castle Entertainment, Warner Brothers, and their respected owners.

In Pieces

Summary: There were eleven choices. Eleven out of twelve who could follow her. Thirteen years after the glass house, a wiser Kathy Kriticos inevitably finds herself caught in a dangerous game of cat and mouse, where an unlikely acquaintance is the only one who can save her. Kathy/?

Prologue

Willow Grove, Pennsylvania

October 26th, 2000

…

I'm next in line and my supply is running out
It's time to leave, the clouds are hanging low
The truth begins to show

Lover, hunter, friend and enemy
You will always be every one of these
Lover, hunter, friend and enemy
You will always be every one of these
Nothing's fair in love and war

In life, in love, this time I can't afford to lose
For one, for all, I'll do what I have to do
You can't understand, it's all part of the plan

Broken pieces of the night
Sing like hollow lullabies
You and I, always in disguises

Lover, hunter, friend and enemy
You will always be every one of these
Lover, hunter, friend and enemy
You will always be every one of these
Nothing's fair in love and war

"Love and War" — Fleurie

…

When the chanting ended, everything in the glass house seemed to come to a dramatic standstill as those bound by the strange, hypnotically entrancing chant were freed from the spell. Only the sound of sharp, moving blades that ascended from the center of the floor and two frightened youths—a boy and teenaged girl—shattered the silence.

None within the circle said anything as a nearby altercation between uncle and nephew ensued amid the grinding cacophony until the latter knocked the former to the floor. The two in the center of the deadly, rotating rings were, naturally, forgotten as most of those enslaved turned both their attention and rage towards the two, albeit one Cyrus Kriticos—an adventurer, collector, and would-be demigod—drew ire from both sides of life and death.

Most of the captive ghosts moved from their positions on the platform as they walked toward the man responsible for capturing and enslaving them. A multitude of faces glared down at the man in anger, as it was this man who inevitably received a preternatural form of justice of twelve angry ghosts who had judged, weighed, measured, and found the despicable mortal sadly wanting.

A mass of hands grasped at their quarry, collecting and carrying him forward, as those no longer of this world ignored the nephew and his miserable family completely.

Cyrus Kriticos screamed in absolute terror, his face drawn in surprised disbelief, as they threw their oppressor into the hungry jaws of death. A groan from the blades was heard, and then blood and a mass of dismembered body parts splattered the glass walls and metal floor finish. Ironically, the elder Kriticos was now a part of his beloved collection of tomes and relics.

He had spent a lifetime obtaining such treasures of material value.

And now, he was part of that illustrious collection.

In the end, Arthur was able to save his family, with the gentle prompting of a smiling Dennis, now unbound from his mortal shackles, and Maggie's success in setting the machine off its gilded course to godhood. Time passed in mere seconds, as the sun rose in the distance, a new day, and, most certainly, a new life.

The family and Maggie were safe, the ghosts posing no longer a threat as one Jean Kriticos, now returned to her appearance before the fire, ensured her love and said her good-byes to her family before, too, disappearing.

Arthur could only smile, now knowing that his wife loved them and was at peace. Taking in his children's tearstained faces and realizing the gift he had been given, he once again held them close. Never again, would he dare put his family in danger. There was too much to live for, and he refused to think otherwise as knew that they would one day be reunited with Jean on the other side.

Maggie had been the one to break the comforting silence as she told—other rather, kindly vented without profanity—that she was on the first flight back to New York, effectively quitting her position as nanny in the process. Of course, she would have to ride back with them since both Dennis' "power company" truck and Ben Moss' car were locked.

Neither Arthur and his family nor Maggie would dare consider explaining the deaths of two—possibly even, three—people as Kalina could not be accounted for. Arthur hadn't seen her with Maggie, but the latter would later tell him that Kalina had been in cahoots with Cyrus Kriticos the entire time; and, as such, was possibly dead because of him.

Either way, no one had any wish to return to the house or scavenge for any undamaged treasures. The house held nothing but death and terrible memories that would manifest in various forms for years to come.

As Arthur ushered Bobby out of the house, Kathy, albeit battered yet not broken, looked around for a final time. A sea of glass covered the floors as the house's metal framing looked like nothing more than a gutted skeleton. She glanced up at the second floor and saw that the bathroom she'd admired had also not been spared.

She frowned. This place…could have been a paradise, had it not been just a machine powered by the dead. Her family could have had something akin to what they had before the fire. And yet, seeing her mother again…that was the greatest treasure she could ask for in this house of death. Seeing her mother again…She was now confident that things would be all right. Things would be better, now that she knew her mom was all right and that they would see each other again.

Long ago, she recalled attending services at a Greek Orthodox Church her paternal grandparents attended. Her father wasn't overly religious, but neither was he an atheist. It was just that they never really attended all that much. Though after tonight, perhaps she would renew her faith in something more than nice houses and beautiful bathrooms.

As she considered this, she absentmindedly stroked her cheeks, inwardly flinching at the pain the claw marks caused. Aside from the day she'd lost her mother, last night had been the worst she experiened in her life. She dared not think how she would feel the next time she closed her eyes and slept.

It was during these ruminations that he heard her father call her name.

"Kathy, we're leaving!" Arthur called from outside.

Kathy turned toward him. "I'm coming, Dad!" she exclaimed as she glanced once more at the formerly beautiful glass house. A combination of a shudder and a sigh escaped her as she felt a sense of sadness at what could have been, compared the very real reality her family faced now.

Would they go back to the dingy little apartment that had housed them like a can of sardines? Granted, Maggie would be gone, and undoubtedly her father would urge her to return to college. She'd left the local community college after her first year.

Her mother had been dead for six months, and her grades for the spring semester had plummeted. Arthur had hired Maggie during that time, and he'd bade she continue her classes, but she had not the heart, the mind, nor the will to continue. How could she? Her mom was gone, and her father had sunk into a form of deep depression—not mild, she silently corrected his doctors—that forced him to smile every time his children looked at him. She couldn't stand the way he forced himself to go through each day, pretending to be alive for them.

If anyone needed to look after Bobby, it should have been his sister; the family's means were already stretched to the limit as it was, and hiring Maggie had only furthered the debt the family owed.

If anything, she would put off college—until they could pay off the debt and Bobby no longer required someone to look after him. That would be a few years, but then…maybe she could take a few online classes to make up for time. It wasn't ideal to put off college for so long, but she was willing to do it.

I can do this, Mom, she thought to herself, promising her dearly departed mother. I can take care of Dad and Bobby. I won't let you down.

And she wouldn't, not as long as she had breath in her body.

The morose thought made her slightly shudder. After last night, she'd received a cold slap of reality.

Death.

It was a bitter, dark taste—acrid and toxic—and yet…so deeply alluring. She couldn't explain it. What she'd felt in the basement and was then bound alongside her brother as she breathed in the suffocating splendor of it…There was a force she could not even begin to explain in words. She'd felt something. For even without seeing any ghosts, she had felt something—someone's—eyes on her…and they had not been her father's.

Even now, she felt it. There was something, almost quiet and tucked away in the shadows of her mind, that seemed to tug at her thoughts.

It's all right. They're all gone. No one's here to hurt ya. Go, and be with your family.

Dismissing the thought, she turned away from the room that held her great-uncle's remains. She silently prayed that he would not haunt them. She'd had enough of ghosts and haunted houses that would last her a lifetime and beyond. She had so much to look forward to—a future, not yet paved and undoubtedly full of promise.

As she glanced at the sunrise in the distance, she smiled, inwardly grateful to see another day alive. She walked towards the station wagon and those who awaited her. Everyone was—save for Dennis, as she wasn't sure where he was—alive and, seemingly, all in one piece. They were alive, even if Maggie's expression illustrated that she was beyond pissed to be with the likes of the Kriticos with them a second longer, and that was all that mattered.

Without another thought, she took a seat on the passenger side and sat by her father whose smile was genuine this time.

"Let's get out of here," Arthur said to her and the others as he pulled the car in reverse before turning and driving at a faster-than-normal speed. Maggie harrumphed in the back, while Bobby was strangely silent, almost subdued.

Kathy turned to look at him, giving him a half-smile of reassurance. "It'll be okay," she murmured, reaching to touch one of his knees.

He smiled weakly in return. He said nothing, but his face reflected her own timidity. She couldn't promise him that everything would be all right; she wasn't sure that they would be completely fine, but they were alive, and that was all that mattered.

It was then that Arthur said that he would call his and Bobby's schools and tell them that they would be away for a few days. "I'm going to get us back," he voiced aloud, determined, now that he felt himself back on track, "and get Maggie back to New York—today. We'll go to the zoo tomorrow, as a family, and then we'll think of what we're going to do then."

Maggie grunted in accordance at the thought of going home to her native Brooklyn. Bobby seemed to brighten at the idea of going to the zoo the next day. And Kathy…quietly felt a sense of relief at the thought they would finally get their lives back. She felt comforted by the belief that her father was finally getting back to himself. They would finally have their family back.

But, still…

Everything…seemed…so uncertain now.

Where would they go? What about the debt they'd accrued? Could she watch Bobby hold down a job when he was of age to do so? Surely, she could do that and more. Surely.

Your family will be fine.

The thought erupted from her mind, the voice the same from the house. Kathy tried to shake it off, but found herself unwilling to let go, to expel it from her thoughts. For the first time since her mother's death, she felt certain of what was in front of her. She almost began to hope again—to dream again—and she welcomed it with open arms.

Okay, conscience, because that's what I'm calling you, she replied back with a quirky grin. You have me there.

She banished any response as she looked toward the road in front of her—a road filled with infinite possibilities—as she accepted whatever path that would lead her away from the present nightmare from which they escaped. She felt something—almost the ghostly touch of a hand come across both her mind and shoulder—comfort her.

It's gonna be all right.

And Kathy smiled to herself, after what had seemed an eternity of keeping a straight face.

Indeed, everything would be all right.

The future was ahead of them. No more sorrow. No more ghosts. No more fears. No more uncertainty.

With the sun shining brightly above them, only a promising life lay before them. And Kathy reveled in it. A ghost of smile graced her mouth as she looked ahead, feeling only the faint traces of a spectral sense of confidence urging her on. She welcomed it, quietly, and it thrived, relishing in her acceptance as the bright rays of a new day washed away the shadows and horror from the night before. Only life. No death.

Everything lay ahead.

Everything. For her and for her family.

Everything, including the future.

…

Author's Note: So terribly sorry about coming this late to the party; however, I've only just found myself revisiting this film within the past year. I saw it, years ago, on my senior trip, and I haven't been able to forget about it. Ghosts, such as the Angry Princess, the Jackal, and the Juggernaut really stood out to me. However, there is one ghost, in particular, that I could never forget, and it's left an impression on me since.

As such, I've seen a lot of stories focusing on certain ghosts—which, in fairness, have long appealed to many, but I really want to take my own story in a different direction. It's honestly a challenge to which I'm looking most forward in undertaking.

So, yeah, this story will focus primarily on Kathy, her family, and one of the ghosts from the house. I am not going to reveal anything, including which ghost, who may or may not have caught Kathy's attention—just yet.

As everyone can see from the tag, I've listed it as Horror/Drama, but I will also include Romance/Suspense, as I can't add any more genres. This story will focus on life, death, loss, and love. Kathy will be at the forefront of this story, naturally. It's just that I just don't see her character utilized enough in this archive, which honestly saddens me. :/

Regarding the prologue's date, I set it on the day the film came out to cinemas in 2001; however, details from the film suggest the setting takes place in 2000. In the DVD's extras section, there's a newspaper article detailing that the house fire that claimed Jean Kriticos' life happened on December 7th, 1999. Kalina Oretzia briefly mentions "St. Luke's Hospital, six months ago," which would put Cyrus Kriticos capturing Jean's spirit from the hospital, somewhere in the summer of 2000.

I apologize, but I will be that meticulous from the get-go. I've spent months researching the living daylights out of this movie, and have learned much. XD

So, yeah.

I hope everyone has enjoyed the prologue. I have most of this story drafted, either on paper or in my head, so it shouldn't be all of that long of a story. In the next few chapters, we shall see just who may be comforting Kathy with promises of a happy future. ;)

Until the next update!

— Kittie