(Sorry about the wait. I had lost my journal I had written my dream in, but I found it. I have also been busy with other writings, so the next instalment may take a while.)
I don't know how Dan and I managed to escape the Drablow house without being caught by the ghosts, but we did. Unfortunately, he still had to go back and find what he had been searching for. Despite the fear I had felt earlier, I was actually curious about the ghosts I had seen and wanted to go back. My cousins, Ashley and Erica, had tried to dissuade me from returning to the house with Dan, but I ignored them. Then, feeling the need to "protect" me, since I'm their baby cousin, they decided to come along.
Once inside the Drablow house, Dan began to rummage through desks and drawers on the bottom floor while Ashley and Erica were huddled together, fear etched upon their faces. From up above, I could hear a soft crick, crick, crick, crick and the sound of murmured voices. I stared up at the ceiling for a moment before heading towards the staircase.
"Wait, where are you going?" Ashley called out to me.
"Get back here!" Erica added.
Ignoring my cousins, I climbed up the stairs all the way to the second landing. I followed the noise into a small parlor and I stood in the doorway staring at the ghosts. They didn't seem to realize I was there. The elderly man was in a rocking chair, which happened to be the source of the crick-ing sound; the two women were sitting on a moth-eaten sofa chatting away, and the teenaged girl was sitting cross-legged on the floor, staring up at the two women. The woman in black was not around. It was the teenager who had spotted me first.
She must have sensed my presence, because she turned around and smiled at me. "Hello," she said. The other ghosts turned in my direction. Their sunken in eyes made me cringe, and I involuntarily took a step back. The girl's smile faded and she jumped to her feet. "Oh, please don't leave."
"There's no need to be afraid," said one woman wearing a red dress.
"We won't harm you," said the elderly man.
"What about the woman in black?" I inquired in a small voice.
"She won't harm you either," said the second woman who wore a white dress.
"Yes," the teenager agreed, "Just don't make too much noise, though. It'll alert her and she can be quite temperamental."
"Why have you returned?" the old man asked.
"My friend is looking for something," I confessed, "And the five of you scared us out of here before he could find it."
"Cassi," I heard my cousins call my name. I turned to see them climbing up the last of the stairs with Dan. He had a manila folder stuffed with papers and a journal clutched in his hand.
"Who are you talking to?" Erica demanded as they stopped beside me.
Ashley saw the ghosts and shrieked, backing up and slamming into a wall, dust exploding around her and the wood creaking. Dan grabbed my arm and yanked me out of the doorway.
"Come on," he cried trying to drag me down the stairs, but I pulled my arm out of his grip.
"Wait," I said, "They won't hurt us." I turned to face the ghosts once more, but found myself staring deep into the sunken eyes of the woman in black. Her face was just inches from mine, and I felt my breath catch in my throat as my heart pounded against my ribcage.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!" she roared. I stumbled backwards and landed on my behind gazing up at her. "GET OUT!"
Dan and Erica each grabbed one of my arms and hoisted me to my feet. Not wanting to be anywhere near an angry ghost, I allowed them to drag me down the stairs with Ashley in the lead. We had all hit the first landing and were heading for the front door, but skidded to a halt. The last four ghosts were blocking our path.
"Don't go," the teenaged girl begged, her hands clasped before her in a pleading gesture.
The woman in black swooped past us and hovered above the others looking furious. "Move," she ordered them.
"No," said the woman in scarlet, "Didn't you see what the boy is holding in his hand?" Every single one of us turned to see the folder and journal he was carrying. "They'd be able to help us!"
"Young man," said the old gentleman, "Is that what you came here for? Why would you need my son's journal?"
Dan eyed them suspiciously and slowly replied, "A man sent me to retrieve these."
