Almost there... I'm almost there...

"Phantom! It's you! And it's that..."

"You actually did it?"

"Y-yeah, looks like it." I was still a bit tired. I ran as fast as I could. I took a look a the key I had. It was twice as big as any ordinary key, and it spread a strong blue glow.

"What are you spacing out for!? Hurry up, free us!"

"Yeah, yeah, I get it! How does this work?"

I held the key closer to the keyhole and tried to find out how to open the cage, when the glow grew bigger. It flew to the lock and the door of the cage disappeared. It took both of us a second or two to realize it, but then a grin appeared on Skulker's face. He grabbed the key from me and held them to his handcuffs, who disappeared the same way the door of the cage did.

The Box Ghost smiled. "My turn, my turn!" he screamed. But Skulker shot an ecto-beam at him.

"As if I'd help you!" He looked at me. "And you, you're just as pathetic as he is! I'll let you stay alive because you saved me, but you'd better not meet me again!" And he phased through the ceiling. I tried a 'wait!', but it didn't work. I looked at the Box Ghost.

"I'm sorry."

"That jerk! Once I'm outta here, he'll feel my wrath!"

"Quick everyone! The sounds came from upstairs!" The guards.

I looked at the Box Ghost. I couldn't just leave him behind here, I promised that I would free him.

"They're coming..."

"Quick, escape!" I didn't understand. Why did he tell me to run away and leave him there?

"Listen, that metallic guy is a jerk and a traitor, but you are a good person! You fought the big boss to help us, instead of escaping by yourself! Now go away!"

"But..." Why is saving him so important to me? It's JUST the Box Ghost. Is it because of my promise? "I'll defenitely come back!" And I phased through the ceiling.

From the sky above the prison, I had a pretty good view of the Ghost Zone. The castle seemed even bigger and scarier than before. And the longer I looked at it, the bigger and scarier it seemed. That's where he lives. Whoever took over the Ghost Zone AND the human world, that is. I really wonder who it is. But that's not the main issue now! I looked over the floating islands. Or island, because they were so close to each other that you could barely tell them apart. And I finally found what I was looking for. A ghost in metal with a small, blue, glowing thing, flying away from the prison. I flew after him with full speed, and chased him like that for a while. When I had almost reached him, he turned intangible and entered a small house. I turned intangible and followed him.

It was a small wooden house with wooden furniture and no doors to other rooms. There was one oil lamp for light and warmth. On a bench, I saw a woman with blue flaming hair and a white face.

"You! How dare you show your face again!?"

"Honey..."

"You were gone for three months!"

"I was caught by the police! I've been in prison all this time! But look what I've got!" And Skulker showed her the key.

"You managed to steal that! That thing's worth a fortune if you sell it to the right gangs! Oh, how could I ever doubt you! You'll always be my sturdy little Skulky!" And they grabbed each other's faces and kissed for over a minute.

Gross!

They would've stayed like that for I-don't-know-how-long if I hadn't taken action. I froze Skulker, and grabbed the key from his hand, while accidently turning visible.

"What!? You little brat!" She grabbed her guitar and played a loud tune. It blew me against the walls, and broke my ice around Skulker.

"What!?" He looked at me. "What do you think you're doin', you little-"

"Is this what you stole the key for!? To sell it to bad guys! Come on, tell her! You stole this from me! You broke your promise!"

"I have no idea what you're talking about!"

His words. I heard them, but I wasn't listening. 'I don't know who you are...', 'This is my key...', 'I never promised anything, you little brat...'

"If you break a promise, you'll have to pay for it yourself," I said quietly.

"What!? Can't hear ya over there!" Skulker said.

"C'mon Skulky, finish him off already!"

Skulker pointed a gun at my head. "You took the words right out of my mouth, babe." He looked at me. "Any last words?"

I stood up, but I was still looking at the ground. "You have to pay," I said even more quiet than before. And I was going to make him pay. I used my ghostly wail on him, and he flew towards the wall. But the wall broke at my overwhelming power, and Skulker flew out of the house. A lot of stuff flew out, and so did Ember. Some houses behind Skulker and Ember's house also broke, because they weren't very strong. By the time I finally stopped, there was a whole path of destruction before me. I looked at the key, and I left for the prison. But at the time I arrived there the prison on the right, the one I had entered, had double as much security as before. Maybe even three times as much.

"No way I can break in there!" For some reason the second prison, the one on the left, drew my attention. I didn't see any improvement in the security there. And I suddenly remembered something.

"Sam... Valerie... Even Dash... I also have to save them... I almost forgot..." I flew down to the ground and changed into a human. I put the key in my backpack. And I wasn't sure why, but I left for the prison on the left. It seemed too strange to me. To my surprise, I could easily phase through the main gate.

That's weird. I'm sure the other prison had hidden ghost shields in the walls. The courtyard was empty. But to be sure, I turned intangible. I also succeeded in phasing through the main entrance. There was this same hallway with very high ceilings. I figured that if I would say something, an enormous echo could be heard. After a while, I reached a place with cages. I couldn't believe my eyes. Instead of ghost, these cages were filled with humans.

I see... So there are seperate prisons for humans and ghosts...

My thoughts were interrupted by a scream. It came from upstairs.

"NO! STOP! NO MORE!"

I quickly ran to the first stairs I could find and climbed up. The screams became harder and harder. I was standing in front of a door when they sounded so close that I thought I recognized the voice. I looked at the door. Itwas very old, and its sign said, 'To-tur- Ro-m'. A torture room!?

I phased through the door. A painful scenery appeared before my eyes. Sam, Valerie and Dash were chained at the wall. Dash and Valerie had already passed out, and now a ghost was holding Sam's head with his big filthy hand.

"Stop it! No more!" Sam started gasping and her eyes slowly started to close, while she was trying with all her might to stay awake.

"What? Passing out already? But our fun just started! C'mon, be a good girl and play with me a little while longer." And he hit her with a green-glowing whip. And again. And again. And again. Until her face and body were all red. Her head hang down, and I couldn't see if she was still conscious or not.

I turned visible. Good. No one has seen me yet, so my identity won't be revealed. Wait- This isn't what I'm supposed to think about right now!

"C'mon, let's have some more fun, shall we?"

"Don't you lay another hand on her!"