Ghostbusters
The four penguin brothers were gathered around their faded table, Skipper dealt out the deck of cards in his flipper; distributing a fair amount to each player, before resting the remaining in the centre.
Private eyed his hand, he looked over them addressing him with a raised eyebrow "just what are we playing here?".
Skipper righted his cards and tapped them against the table, he looked across the table at the confused avian. "Slappy cards" he answered nonchalant.
Private folded his flipper over his chest "Skippah, did you make that up?".
He scoffed "of course not. I, uh picked it up in Denmark".
Private stared at him for a moment before sighing and turning back to his cards, attempting to figure out the rules in another of Skipper's absurd games.
The fish bowl hatch flew open, and Marlene flew through in a haze "it's horrific, awful, need help!" she babbled. She lost her footing on one of the rungs of the ladder, and toppled to the floor.
He quickly stood up and reached out a flipper to the hysteric otter "Marlene, are you okay?" he asked with concern.
She accepted his flipper, and he gently helped her to her feet "no, I'm not okay" she cried with a firm shake of her head.
Skipper leapt up from the table in full attack mode "what's wrong? Is there an intruder? Is Blowhole back?!".
"There's a ghost in my habitat!" she exasperated.
He breathed a heavy sigh, and put his head in his flipper "Marlene, not this again. The last time you claimed there was a so called ghost it was Roger".
"Yes I know, but this time is different" Marlene tried to explain.
"There's no such thing as poltergeists, or any other demons from the underworld" Kowalski reassured, eyes on his cards.
"Yes, there is" she argued "I saw it with my own eyes. You have to get over there and help me".
"Well, excuse us if we don't believe you" Skipper replied, flippers on his hips.
A distant ear splitting screech traveled to their ears, her eyes widened "do you believe me now?" she squeaked.
"Just a coincidence" he brushed it off as stubborn as ever.
"Uh Skippah, you might want to have a look at this" Private said, he stepped aside from the periscope, and allowed him to see what he was gesturing to.
From the small glass the zoo lay in ruins, thick black clouds had rolled in; shafts of bright green light penetrating through them. Skipper blinked and stepped back, stupefied at what he had just seen.
"Kowalski, analysis" he commanded.
"It looks to be some sort of strange weather pattern" Kowalski spoke as he examined it closely.
They slowly climbed out of the hidden headquarters and outside, feeling the cool air against their faces. The five strolled through the seemingly empty zoo, taking the damage into account. A shadow darted to the right, they looked to the right; it was gone.
"What was that?" Private quivered.
"Nothing" Skipper replied "come on". He led them past an overturned snow cone cart. Rico stopped, and hurriedly lapped up the spilled syrup that leaked out.
"I would say some kind of storm hit" Kowalski opined, looking around him as he waddled along.
"I'm telling you guys, it was a ghost" Marlene spat.
"Preposterous, they don't exist" he rejected with a shake of his head. A moan sounded behind them causing the fur, and feathers on their necks to stand up.
"Don't exist, huh?" Marlene trembled "how do you explain that?".
Before he could open his beak to form a response a large ominous shadow loomed over them. He slowly turned around, his jaw hitting the ground. An otter stood in front of them, its white fur ragged, and stuck together. Its eyes were hardly visible from the bangs covering them, only one which glared at them as black as night. Trails of black liquid ran down her face, leaking from underneath them.
The five went rigid, unable to move, unable to think. The spirit hissed, its lips curling back; it had no teeth. Instead three ribbons of blood dribbled from its mouth, and down its pale fur. Private gagged, and nearly threw up. The otter roared, and swiped at them with its paw; there was no skin or fur- only bones.
With a shriek he and Marlene ran in the direction of her rock cave, they dove into the pound in one swift movement. Rico and Skipper stood their ground, ready to attack. Kowalski stood in astonishment, eying the strange creature with heedful eyes.
"Kowalski, what are you doing?" Private hissed "get out of there!". He whimpered and ducked back down "oh, he's a goner".
"Private, calm down" Marlene instructed, she gently stroked his flipper "everything's going to be fine".
"Fine" he gawked at her "there's an actual ghost, a real ghoul, poltergeist-".
"I get it" she interrupted dryly.
Rico regurgitated a chainsaw, and lunged at the Poltergeist, she evaded the attack and with the wave of her skeletal paw swept him off his feet and crashing into the brick wall. Private yelped and scrambled out of the water and into the cave, his small form trembling madly.
Marlene looked at him and back, shrinking further in the water. Skipper's eyes narrowed as he stared down the spirit "I ain't 'fraid of no ghost".
The otter growled at him as if to say 'you should be'. The neon green cloud of mist surrounded her, and several more appeared beside her.
Kowalski took a step backwards "I ain't 'fraid of no ghost" he chocked out, despite the obvious fact that he clearly was.
The poltergeists moved forward in a flash, a low growl rumbling in their throats. Skipper tensed up his muscles and lunged at the one in front, she vanished and he scraped across the ground.
He found his footing, his flippers stinging. The otter smiled sadistically at him, more blood fell from its jaws, and onto the ground. Skipper pressed his beak together with a scowl. The snow cone cart hurtled towards him, he quickly rolled out of the way.
The wind picked up, blowing his feathers back "what does it want?!" Marlene screeched over the high winds.
"I don't know, but whatever it is its not getting it" he stated firmly. "Kowalski, options" he commanded.
"I-I don't know" Kowalski stammered, he peered up at the intimidating creatures, his body shook uncontrollably. Their dark eyes stared back him, he could take no more, with a scream he took off towards the penguin habitat.
"You coward!".
The spirits roared, Private cringed and covered his head with his flippers "make it go away!".
Skipper grabbed the umbrella from the totalled cart, and swung it at her. She snarled and grabbed hold of his chest feathers, piercing her fingers through the flesh. He grimaced in pain, she smiled a twisted smile and raked her bony fingers down his chest, sucking up the blood that followed with her tongueless mouth. He winced, and pressed his beak shut to keep from crying out, feeling the bile crawl up his throat as the blood from her lips dribbled down his feathers.
"I ain't 'fraid of no ghost" he grunted, he swung the umbrella back, and struck the otter in the jaw. A splash of blood spewed from her mouth, and onto the ground, she shrieked with rage. She swiped her paw, sending him hurtling into the pound of the penguin habitat.
"I ain't 'fraid of no ghost" Private whimpered, he slowly stepped out of the cave, and faced her. She stared back at him, and he shuddered under her gaze.
"Marlene, where did this thing come from?".
"I-I don't know" she stuttered "it was just there when I woke up".
"Private!" he turned his head to the right, Kowalski ran towards him carrying what looked to be a vacuum cleaner, he also had one strapped to his back.
"Use this, it will suck the ghosts up" he instructed, Private leapt over the wall and took the device handed to him.
He sized it up unsurely "are you sure it'll work?".
"Fifty percent sure" Kowalski nodded.
Private took the nozzle, and aimed it at the poltergeist, and flicked the switch on the side.
"Let me tell you something, busting makes me feel good!".
She shrieked as it tried to pull her in, thrashing out she sent a ball of ectoplasm at him and roared, sending droplets of blood splattering against his feathers.
He brushed it off with a determined gleam in his eye "I ain't 'fraid of no ghost".
Kowalski aimed his at the others and powered it up, the spirits screamed as they were sucked in one by one, howling.
He smiled smugly "I ain't 'fraid of no ghost".
The otter clawed at the air in a desperate attempt to free herself from the force pulling her in. She was sucked in with a final howl, more spirits gathered around them by the hundreds.
"There's too many!" he cried as he sucked another away.
"Where are they all coming from?" Skipper questioned with bewilderment.
A flash occurred from the corner of Marlene's eye, she spun around facing the cave, a bright blinding light shone from the entrance. She wandered inside, finding a swirling vortex; ghouls were streaming out of it, replicating with each number.
"There's a portal!" she called back to them.
The four trailed behind her, stepping inside their eyes widened to the size of saucers.
"Sweet Caesar's ghost!" Skipper exclaimed.
Private and Kowalski hastily fired at the spirits, bringing them in one by one.
"We have to shut down the portal. Maybe if we are able to shoot at it it'll reverse the vortex and suck them back in" Kowalski suggested.
Rico regurgitated a plasma blaster and handed it to him, he quickly tweaked it and fired at the vortex. It emitted a bright burst of light, sucking the poltergeists back inside with each howl and shriek. Rather than closing it remained open, sucking in everything in sight.
Marlene hurriedly leapt up and grabbed at her possessions before they could be taken out of existence.
"Kowalski, what have you done?!" Skipper screamed.
Kowalski cringed "I may have miscalculated a slight bit" he admitted. The force pulled them closer, Marlene shrieked and dug her claws into the wall, feeling them crack off. Skipper grabbed hold of her foot, Rico gripped his, and Kowalski held his flipper. Private tried to reach the chain feeling the increasing force pull him back, he jumped. His flipper was inches away from Kowalski's, he fell back and was sucked in with a deafening holler. His screams shook the room, growing in anguish and intensity as he was torn apart molecule by molecule by the strength of the vortex.
Skipper screamed to him, but his voice was lost in the rippling gusts of wind. Marlene's grip was slowly slipping, she gritted her teeth and tried to drive her nails in further. The pain pulsed through her paws along with the blood slithering down her frail fingers. She could hold on no longer, with a pained cry she let go, and they hurtled inside never to be seen again.