Hal looked at Tom and Alex as they analyzed the invisible barrier that seemed to stretch across the entire kitchen walls. He couldn't pinpoint why exactly, but something about this whole situation was making him more nervous than usual. He felt a voice in the back of his head blaming him for everything that was happening. His evil side never did let him have a moment's peace.

"Y'know, you're being awfully calm about this" Alex said, looking at him.

"I've been alive five hundred years. I've seen my share of weird happenings."

"Anything like this, though?" Tom asked.

Hal shook his head. "Alex, are you sure you don't have anything to do with-"

"Oh, you don't want to finish that sentence, Hal" Alex warned.

"Okay, let's just take a breather now" Tom said. "This whole day'll turn us bonkers if we don't calm down."

Alex sighed. "I know, I'm sorry. I just hate it that I can't rent-a-ghost outside. You two still have all your abilities, but I feel like someone decided to just take away a part of what makes me a ghost."

"Don't you worry, we'll sort this out" Tom said, patting her shoulder.

"Well we better do it quick because we can't afford to be trapped in here for too long" Hal said, "not with that woman in the house. We can't risk her finding out anything about our world. Especially since she's with the police."

Alex shrugged. "I dunno, it doesn't matter what she'll see, does it? She ain't going anywhere right now."

"But she will eventually."

"I reckon you can go all vampire-faced in front of her and it wouldn't matter. No one will ever believe her."

"There's always someone ready to believe anything, no matter how nonsensical" Hal said.

Alex shrugged. "Then we're stuck."

The kitchen fell in silence.

"Look, we'll figure something out" Hal said "we just need to find out why the house is locked down first. And until then I suggest we try to keep all supernatural events under wraps."

"How, though?" Tom asked "Keller's gonna want to go home eventually."

"Yeah, Tom's got a point. How do you draw out a police chatting without looking suspicions?"

Hal rubbed his forehead. "I'll... think of something. You two just try and find out what's making the barrier around the house. And try to do it as fast as possible."

"What if we can't?" Tom asked.

"I think it's best if we don't think about that" Hal said. "Please just hurry."

Tom and Alex nodded, and then headed outside the kitchen. Left by himself, Hal took a look through the kitchen port-hole and prepared to go back outside. But he abruptly stopped once Alex rent-a-ghosted in front of him.

"Seriously, Alex, this isn't funny" Hal said, trying to calm his already rattled nerves.

"I dunno, I think it's a little funny. Vampires can't have heart attacks, but you sure flail around a lot when you're startled."

"You're supposed to be off with Tom. What's wrong?"

"Just wanted to make sure you'll be okay out there by yourself."

"I'll be fine."

Alex pressed her lips together. "I'm just a little worried, you know. All that stuff you told us back when you were in the chair - about you going mental and swearing and everything. Thought you'd have gone bananas by now."

"Alex, nothing is going to happen out there" Hal said "I feel in control. And if I'm ever about to go... "bananas", as you put it, you can send me right back into that bathroom and tie me up. But until then, you can trust me."

Hal cringed inwardly as he spoke, knowing that he would come across as such a hypocrite if Alex knew about his blackouts. But this was hardly the time for confessing anything.

"Alright then" Alex said, nodding "But you watch yourself, cause I won't pull any punches. Especially since getting to zap you around last time was so fun."

Hal rolled his eyes. "Yes, I recall your fondness for physical violence ever since you mentioned your desire to beat up Cutler."

"That's being Scottish for ya. You can't deny what's in the blood" Alex said, smiling widely. But Hal didn't bat an eyelid. "Really? Nothing?" She sighed. "Tom would've found that funny..."

"I appreciate your attempt at lightening the mood, but I'm fine, Alex. Really."

The ghost nodded. "Fair enough. Good luck out there." And just as she had popped into the kitchen, Alex disappeared right back, leaving Hal by himself.

He took a deep breath to steel himself, reciting in his own head that he was in control and he could finish the interrogation. It didn't matter that Keller was human, something he had once considered nothing but prey. She was a cop and that meant she had a gun. And even though weapons couldn't kill vampires, Hal remember just how much a gunshot hurt. He tried to grab onto the memory of that pain, to remind himself that he could stay calm. He could do this.

Hal walked back into the living room.

"Decided against the tea, then?" Keller asked when he sat back down.

Hal frowned. "Tea? Oh, the tea. Well, it turns out we ran out of it. Terribly sorry about that."

"It's alright. Would it be okay if we continue with the questions?"

Hal nodded.

"From what I recall, when we left off I was about to ask you if you've ever noticed anything off about your workplace."

"No, nothing out of the ordinary."

"No co-workers or customers acting strangely?"

Hal shook his head, suddenly getting a strange feeling in the pit of his stomach. Keller seemed like knew something she wasn't saying. But then again, so was he.

The woman pulled a series of papers from her briefcase. "Two days ago the body of one of the students attending St. Jerome's was found close to the school grounds. We also found several tracks that lead to a back alley. The one behind the Café on the Corner." She paused to look at Hal, trying to gauge his expression. "That would suggest that the victim died there, but was later dragged away. The killer tried to cover it up."

Hal swallowed, feeling his mouth going dry. He couldn't have killed anyone. There was no way. But he couldn't shake the silent chuckle that seemed to be coming from his other self. He had done something during the blackouts.

"We took these photos from the alley" Keller said, pulling a series of pictures from her briefcase. Hal didn't want to look, but he couldn't help it. He took the photos from Keller. In the first one there was a student lying on the ground, his throat slit. There was a pool of blood forming around his head.

Something was wrong. At first he couldn't figure out what, but then Hal because aware of what the nagging sensation at the back of his head was. The photo had triggered something inside him that he had forgotten about.

Too late he realized his eyes had turned black. And that Keller was staring right at him, her gun at the ready.


Tom and Alex weren't having much success tracking down whoever or whatever had imprisoned them inside their home. Searching the house had proven to be a complete waste of time. If they hadn't known better, they could assume absolutely nothing was out of the ordinary.

"It's really buggin me that we can't find the ghost that made all that mess" Alex said. "It's probably hiding outside, taunting us or something."

Tom shrugged. "Maybe it's not a ghost at all."

"What'd you mean?"

"I'm thinkin' that maybe the house is alive. Like in the movies." Tom paused. "I don't much like that idea, though."

"You been watching the telly before going to bed again?"

"I couldn't help it. They have film marathons and everythin'."

Alex had to smile at that. Tom had been made aware of how dangerous the world was ever since he was a child, and yet there were still the little things that got to him. It was nice that someone in their home still retained a bit of innocence.

"Well I wouldn't worry about it" Alex said, confident. "You're an arse-kicking wolf who's got an ancient vampire and a very talented ghost for mates. Nothing could possibly defeat us right now."

"What if the house just crumbles on top of us?"

Alex paused. "... yeah, that would be a bit of a problem. C'mon, we better keep looking. Hal won't be able to stall forever."

A scream stopped both of them frozen in their tracks. A soon as they realized what had probably happened, Alex cursed under her breath, and then rent-a-ghosted into the living room. Tom sprinted down the stairs.

The living room was devoid of any presence, but a few things had obviously been disturbed. Two of the chairs by the table were toppled over, and the couch had been moved slightly.

"Where are they?" Tom asked, as soon as he had made it next to Alex.

The ghost held up her hand, suggesting she was listening for something. A few seconds later and they heard what it was. There were no more screams, but a few sounds of a struggle coming from nearby.

"Cellar" Alex said.

Both Tom and her dashed down the stairs, and came up to Hal sitting with his back on the cellar door. Behind him, they could hear someone banging and scratching at the door.

"Hal, what're you doing?" Tom asked.

"What in the hell happened?" Alex added.

Hal looked hopelessly back and forth between his friends, struggling to find the proper thing to say.