To say the most, Hanna was taken aback. He jumped slightly, but he never took his hand from hers as she shook it violently. The others were too stunned to move, or say anything – but that's why Hanna was the head Paranormal Investigator. He knew what he was doing.

"Hello there?" He said cautiously, waiting for whatever was gripping him to calm down.

"Yes hello!" The girl grinned, dropping his hand as she did. "Oh, I ought to make this quick – I really need to make this quick."

"Make what quick?"

"Things I have to tell you – oh it's so good of you to notice! Oh thank you!"

"No prob-" But Hanna was cut off by the girl suddenly disappearing right before his eyes. Like when the power had been cut off from the television, the image of her zapped out.

It was at this point that the rest of Hanna's company came to their senses. Toni gasped, Veser clenched his teeth, and Balthazar instinctively grabbed Hanna's shoulder, wrenching him back. Conrad screamed – a loud, short scream.

Hanna stuffed a finger in his ear. "Connie, what the hell?"

"WHAT JUST HAPPENED." Conrad shouted.

"I actually have no idea what's going on." Toni span around, trying to fathom where the girl could have gone.

"Well, see," Hanna shrugged, still staring at where the girl had been. "I'm pretty sure I just had half a conversation with a ghost."

"Oh fuck that – I'm out." Veser threw up his hands and backed away quickly. "I don't do ghosts, man! You know this!"

Conrad pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and index finger as he rolled his eyes. "Hanna? Can we go one day without encountering someone who is living longer than they were supposed to?"

Hanna took a moment to genuinely ponder that one, then slowly, he answered. "Nooo, actually. We can't. Because you're technically supposed to be dead. And so's big guy over here." Hanna added, nudging his green friend with his elbow.

"Rhetorical!"

"Oh. Sorry." Hanna then turned to Balthazar, grinning. "You can let go, yknow. I highly doubt we're in any real danger from a little ghostie girl."

Without a word, the zombie released Hanna's shoulder from his grip, and Hanna turned back to where the girl had been standing moments ago.

"Now where did she-"

Hanna's question was met with a fist to his face, a loud 'crack' and a bleeding nose.

"ACK."

"Oh goodness gracious – I'm so sorry! I am so so very sorry!"

"See, Hanna?" Xerxes grabbed the man's shoulder YET AGAIN, and pulled him back once more. "Worth said 'no ghosts'"

Toni bit her lip as she grabbed Hanna's cheeks, examining his face. "Mr. Cross, your nose is bleeding."

"Yes Toni, thank you I had no idea." Hanna spouted as he pulled his glasses off.

At least one good thing had come out of this. The blue girl was back.

"I am so sorry about that!" She shouted twitching slightly.

"Yeah, yeah." Hanna placed a hand beneath his nose, trying to see if it was still bleeding and how badly. "So why'd you do it?"

"I had to." She assured him. "I have to do things like that to keep myself from zapping out."

Conrad groaned, visibly annoyed. "What is she talking about?"

"It's hard to manifest as a full body specter!" She huffed out at the vampire as she pointed out into the woods. "It's easy enough to show up as a bunch of glowing balls, but as myself? Not simple!"

Conrad leaned back. "I did not mean to offend you."

"Of course not! Being dead is so easy! All you have to do is lie in the ground all day!" She placed her hands on her hips. "Not! True!"

Toni cleared her throat in interruption. "If it counts for any points, you're manifesting very well right now."

The girl glanced down at her body, and then smiled brightly. Toni was correct – the image of the ghost girl was clearer than it had been before. "Oh! That's great! Anger truly is the easiest emotion to channel. Please don't let me upset you."

Toni grinned. "We're probably more afraid of you than anything, really."

Xerxes raised a hand. "Weren't you supposed to do something quickly?"

The ghost's face lit up. "Ah, yes! I must tell you about the circus! You!" She pointed to Hanna quickly. "You were right when you said there was something wrong."

"I knew it!" Hanna replied proudly. "And it isn't just the phoenix, is it?"

"All of them." The girl replied. "And you said – you said you're investigators, right? So you'll investigate this, won't you?"

Hanna removed the hand from his nose. "Tell us all you've got."

"Please follow me into the surrounding dark forest." She gestured to the mass of trees behind her.

Conrad spoke suspiciously. "And whyyyy would we do that?"

"Well for one, it's further away from the circus. It would probably be better to talk about our plans to ruin them a distance away." She turned to the woods, coughing lightly over her next answer. "Also, it's easier for me to manifest there."

As she continued to walk into the woods, no one bothered to question that second part. So naturally, Conrad took it upon himself to be the one to do so.

"And why, might I ask, is it easier for you to manifest there?"

"Oh I don't know." The ghost mumbled the second part as she sped through her response. "I was probably buried around here or something who knows."

Conrad stopped walking, and tossed his hands out in the direction of the girl. Everyone else continued following her without halt.

"Is everyone just going to ignore that? A little girl's body is buried somewhere in these woods! And we're walking into them! Why would we do this?!"

Toni was the only one to turn to Conrad. "C'mon Mr. Achenleck, it's not like she asked to be buried here. Besides, what's the worst that could happen?"

Conrad grumbled as he followed along behind Toni. "Oh I don't know, Ms. Ipres. Maybe all of us getting buried out in the woods? But that's just unheard of, Conrad."

Hanna jogged forward slightly, matching the ghosts' pace. "Okay, so introductions! Hi, I'm Hanna. And you are, ghost girl?"

"Technically a ghost. But not really." She turned to him, continuing through the foliage. "More of a wisp, if I do say so myself."

Hanna gasped loudly. "A wisp?"

"Will o' the." She smiled. "So technically a ghost, but more of a subcategory."

"That's crazy! So – what? You're just a little kid."

"I think I was."

"How old were you when you died? How'd you die?" Hanna cleared his throat. "Assuming that isn't too personal."

The wisp turned left on their voyage. "Not too personal. Not sure how old I was. I believe my death has something to do with the large dent in my head, or maybe the popped vessel in my eye. It probably has something to do with both, really!"

"So you-"

She disappeared into thin air again. Hanna and his company were left behind, deep in the woods, now without a guide.

"Wow, no way, who would believe. The ghost has mysteriously left us in the woods. I never would have guessed." Conrad shouted sarcastically as he brought up the rear, Veser close behind.

Jonah tapped Hanna's shoulder uneasily. "Think she's coming back?"

"Oh she probably-"

Before the comment was finished, Hanna was winded by the punch dealt to his gut, and doubled over.

"OW."

"Sorry!"

"Course you are!" Hanna accidentally shouted as he tried to catch his breath.

The wisp placed a hand on Hanna's shoulder. "Not to be rude, but it is probably for the best not to let me get sidetracked. Less disappearing."

"Yeah – yeah okay wisp lady." Hanna coughed, straightening. "Whatever you say."

"Please call me Willow." She waited a moment until Hanna seemed stable, then continued into the dark woods. "Now, about the phoenix! Things are horrible!"

"How so?" Hanna inquired, finally feeling that they were getting somewhere.

"You're right. What you said about the phoenix being contained. It is caged at all times, for one, unless it is performing. Harmless little thing wouldn't fly off, either way, really!" Willow turned to Hanna. "It gets even worse right before a performance. They bind it in all sorts of chains and shackles – then they douse the poor dear, and cover it in one of those blankets that smothers flames."

Toni audibly gasped.

"Then of course, right before the bird makes its entrance, they get rid of most of the chains, and take off the tarp. It's usually dry by then, so they release it completely, and then give its tail a light with one of those lighters for cigarettes to set it blazing again." Willow shook her head. "Gruesome, really."

"So they douse the phoenix, then light it to make a big entrance?" Jonah reconfirmed.

The wisp nodded. "Correct. For a while, they even tried to get it to do tricks and things, but really, phoenixes weren't made for that sort of riff-raff."

"And the others?" Hanna prodded.

"The gryphon – poor thing – not to be rude, but it's too dull to really notice how bad things are. He's kind of like a little puppy; he'd do anything for the Ringmaster, just about. But on the occasion that he doesn't do something, they've got whips for that, or they'll starve the dear." She sighed sadly. "They keep the beast locked up in an even smaller cage than the phoenix has. But he seems to forget all that when it comes to the ringmaster.

"Not to mention the Hellhounds, who probably have the worst of it, really." Willow continued steadily through the brush. "Mum is the oldest one; the other four are her puppies. They were practically born into the circus, so they don't know much else. Mum, on the other hand, wants nothing more than to leave the place."

"But they use the puppies against her." Hanna finished for her.

Willow nodded. "Yes. Unless performing, they are kept apart at all times. Mum couldn't ever plan to escape with them – she never knows where they are."

"This makes me feel ill." Hanna concluded the conversation as they finally reached what must have been the wisp's destination.

They'd reached a wide clearing, with a small pond centered in the middle of the area. The trees surrounding it made it nearly invisible to anyone who was unaware of its presence, and the bright moon left a blue hue to the surrounding area that blended seamlessly with Willow's own shade.

"So you see why I need your help?" She asked quietly, staring off into space.

Hanna narrowed his eyes. "I get why they need our help."

Conrad stepped in here. "Still not seeing where you come into this equation."

"Basically." Hanna agreed.

"Oh." Willow's eyes widened. "Oh I… I just wanted to help, really."

"Really?" Hopper asked skeptically.

Willow shrugged, the clarity of her image dimming. "I get on with the phoenix pretty well. I have for a long time."

"How do you 'get on' with a bird made of fire?" Veser asked, peering from behind Conrad cautiously.

"Oh I don't know. Find it some treats, nurse it back to health." Willow's figure grew brighter. "Not putting it in a cage? Treating it like a living thing?"

"Okay alright shit I see where you're coming from." Veser sputtered out, reassuming his spot behind Conrad's height.

Willow shook her head. "Not to offend – really. I would just love if you all would help, sorry."

"Hanna?" Toni asked, folding her arms behind her back. "You're really the only investigator here."

Veser leaned away from Conrad for a moment to confirm that. "The rest of us just kind of hang around."

"Hey, hey!" Hanna stepped back, wrapping an arm around his zombie friend. "Josiah is an investigator too!"

"But will you help them?" Willow burst out.

"Huh? The animals?" Hanna asked, turning to Willow with a somewhat blank face.

"Oh! Hell yeah."