Chapter Nine

Heavy fists pounded furiously on the doors and the handles and knobs rattled and shook as ghouls demanded to be released from the rooms. At first, the screams and snarls had terrified Destiny as she made her way down the long, dark corridor. Now it was just annoying.

"I wish they would stop it," she heard Clairece say somewhere in front of her. The young ghost had remained invisible. The candelabra she was clutching provided hardly enough light to see more than a few feet ahead. "I mean, it doesn't get them anywhere, does it? It's not in the least bit productive. Maybe if they could put that energy into cleaning the house every once in a while…"

Destiny chuckled softly as Clairece droned on. She turned her attention to the details of the hallway. The violet wallpaper was patterned with leering goblin faces. The eyes of the creatures seemed to be following her, watching her every move. The chorus line of Rockwell's "Somebody's Watching Me" started to play in a continual loop in her mind. Oh, great, now I'm being haunted by eighties music.

Clairece stopped in front of a large, wooden door with a placard above it that read BALLROOM AND DINING ROOM. "Here we are, Miss Chalmers." The spirit materialized and pushed the door open just enough for Destiny to slip her slender form through.

Destiny paused in front of the door and asked, "Are you coming with me?"

Clairece shook her head. "Sorry, miss, but I've got babysitting duties to tend to. L. L. and I have been playing hide and seek." She scowled. "For three hours." After she vanished again, Destiny could hear her grumbling as she walked away. "'Being a ghost is better than Hell', they said, 'Could be worse', they said. Yeah, well they're not stuck chaperoning the little brat!"

With a fleeting feeling of pity for Clairece, Destiny slunk in. The door shut behind her and the following creak resonated throughout the enormous room. Destiny took no notice of it as she watched the scene before her with amazement. The majestic ballroom was filled with apparitions of all shapes and sizes, and, she noted as she spied a man dressed in a toga, from many time periods. Hanging from the ceiling was a giant cobweb covered chandelier. Perched on it were two ghosts in Egyptian garb. A portly spirit leaned precariously on the edge of it using only the hook of his cane to secure him. Six ethereal couples waltzed across the tile floor as the massive organ was played. The organist's cape flapped behind him and his bushy white hair stuck out from underneath his top hat. With every note, a group of skull-like wraiths floated out of the pipes. On the other side of the room was a long table where spirits happily chatted.

Destiny was so mesmerized by the ghostly party that she did not even notice as a couple danced through her. Jumping back at the shock of the icy feeling, she stumbled and slipped in her socks, nearly twisted her ankle, and landed ungracefully on the organ's keys.

The resulting sour, screeching notes brought an abrupt halt to all of the activity. The organ player glared up at her angrily at being interrupted. The dancers and party guests turned and stared at Destiny. "Oh, I'm so sorry!" she stammered. The silence was getting her unnerved.

"I didn't mean it!" She sprang up and examined the keys. "I didn't break any did I?" She touched one of the ancient ivories and it feel to the floor with a clatter. With a yelp, the terrified woman bent down to pick it up and tried to put it back in place.

One of the ghosts seated at the table snorted, sputtered, and then burst out laughing. The others laughed uproariously, unable to hold it in any longer. Destiny was still fumbling with the key.

"Great Jupiter woman!" snapped the organist gruffly. "Give me that!" He roughly snatched it from her hand and put it in its proper place. "Was that so hard?" He huffed and began playing again.

"Uh, sorry?" Destiny offered weakly.

"Oh, don't mind him, dearie," said a sympathetic voice next to Destiny. Destiny quickly recognized her as the spirit who had started laughing first. The ghost was a plump woman who appeared to be in her mid sixties. Her red-orange hair was piled into a loose bun on her head and she wore a very simple old-fashioned dress. The areas around her eyes and lips were wrinkled slightly as proof that she smiled often. Her bright, hazel eyes studied Destiny for a second before she spoke again. "I'm Amelia Audley. You must be Miss Chalmers, the mortal my nephew mentioned." After Destiny nodded, Amelia turned to the organist. "Mr. Baker, this is Destiny, the woman who bought the mansion."

Without looking up from the keys, the organist muttered, "Good for her."

"He doesn't really mean to be so grumpy."

"Of course I do!" Mr. Baker replied.

"Xavier is really a sweet man, once you get to know him."

"I most certainly am not!" Xavier Baker shot back.

"Old grouch."

"Thank you."

Amelia sighed, causing a stray orange hair to float up. "Xavier's just in a bad mood… Twenty-four-seven." She smiled when he scowled and twitched his mustache in annoyance.

"By 'nephew', did you mean George Gracey?" asked Destiny.

Amelia nodded. "Yes, I've taken care of him since he was ten. I hope he didn't try to frighten you. He tends to get a little carried away with this whole ghost nonsense, and people referring to him as 'Master Gracey' since he was a young boy has given him quite the ego."

"I figured as much," said Destiny, remembering how the overly dramatic spirit had introduced himself. "Not that he's a bad person or anything," she quickly added, hoping she had not offended Amelia. "He's just a little…" She faltered for the right word.

"Melodramatic," finished Amelia. She shook her head and sighed. "He's always been that way. It covers up insecurities."

Destiny arched an eyebrow. George had seemed quite the opposite of insecure. The guy just oozed smugness and self-confidence. She decided not to question Amelia, feeling it was none of her business in the first place. She yawned and glanced down at the watch and was shocked to realize it was already eleven thirty. "I'm going to have to get some sleep. It was nice meeting you, Amelia."

"It was nice meeting you, too, dearie. We'll wrap things up here so as to not keep you awake. Don't mind the ghouls."

Destiny rolled her eyes as she walked out of the room. Some ghouls. After shutting the door behind her, she looked down the dark hallway. It was quiet. A little too quiet. She shrugged and started walking down the corridor. Her suspicions fell as she neared the end. Maybe the ghouls won't give me any more trouble after all. She smiled to herself. Yep, I'm the big, bad master of the manor now. She added a bit of a cocky strut to her walk.

A door to her right slammed open and an ugly phantom sprang out. "BOO!"

"AAH!" Destiny shrieked. She ran the rest of the way to her room and ducked under her bed covers. She decided not to come out of hiding until the next morning.