Chapter Twenty

The Portal

I woke up on Sunday with a start. Someone was shaking me awake. I could feel Phanny's warm presence near my stomach, and could feel as she hopped off the bed. I blinked several times to clear my vision, listening to the voice of whoever was shaking me.

"Wake up, Ellie! Wake up! It's Christmas!"

I turned, hearing the snap as my stiff back cracked. I was now looking up into the eyes of an absolutely ecstatic Deyton, still in full pajama-wear (although he did have his hat on, which made me want to laugh), with a huge grin on his face.

"What?" I said, my mind slowly catching up.

"It's," Deyton said slowly, pronouncing every syllable as if I were hard of hearing, "Chr-ist-mas."

I stared at him momentarily, then looked at my clock. "It's also only six fourty-five, Deyton. My Christmas doesn't start until at least eight, and I'm not merry until nine." With that, I turned over in hopes of ignoring him.

Deyton pulled on my shoulder, flipping me over. "Everyone else is already up, Ellie! It's Christmas, and I'm not leaving you alone until you come downstairs."

I looked out the door, where a disgruntled Danielle and a rather weary (but still somewhat peppy) Aunt Jazz were making their way downstairs in bathrobes.

"Fine," I said. I stepped onto the cold floor, really rather tired from my excitement last night. I reached under the bed and dragged out Phanny, clutching the squirming cat in my arms and staring at my cousin defiantly. He still smiled, and we both followed everyone else down the stairs.

Everyone had congregated in the living room. The tree twinkled merrily in the corner, and a menorah glistened in the window. Many, many multi-colored gifts lay scattered on the floor. As tired as I was, I still smiled. Some had Christmas wrapping, some Hanukkah, and some I think were even birthday wrapping (I guess we ran out of the rest- we did have quite a lot of people staying with us). I could hear the sizzle of pancakes in the pan from the kitchen. Early as it was, I couldn't help but feel the infectious spirit seep into me, too.

Deyton still stood next to me. "Merry Christmas," he said.

"Merry Christmas, Deyton," I said back, releasing Phanny. She brushed against my legs, then along my grandparents', Uncle Tucker's, and my father's. He patted his lap and the cat leapt lightly onto his lap.

"Morning, Dad," I said.

"Morning, Ellie," he said. "Aren't you going to hand out the presents?"

My dad usually kept his distance from Christmas merriment. He seemed to enjoy the celebration, and had always loved to watch me hand out presents happily, but kept his happiness to a minimum. I always assumed he just kept his excitement on the inside, shy, like I was. That was just the way he was- always happy, always funny, but never really letting anything about himself known. That was the dad I knew and loved and respected, but now I knew of at least one thing he had hid from me, and I couldn't help but wonder what else there was to him that I didn't know.

"Of course I was," I said.

"Then let's get started!" my grandfather interjected. My mom scurried into the room, and I began handing out the numerous gifts.

This Christmas probably had the most varied gifts I had ever seen. I had gotten everything from pajamas with ghosts on them (my grandparents) to a palm pilot (Uncle Tucker had gotten them for all of us) to a cell phone (my parents). I also received cat stuff that matched my room for Phanny and Aimi.

But probably the oddest gift was not given to me. My grandparents saved the gift they were going to give my mom and dad for last. We were forcibly taken out in the snow (which now had the consistency of limestone, just saying) to the Fenton RV. Here, we were forced to watch as my grandfather labored to get the back hatch open (which was frozen shut, and he accepted no help) and stand there freezing. The thought of the pancakes going cold made me want to get inside even faster. Finally, the ice gave (after my grandmother blasted the hatch with an odd gadget in her watch) and my parents' gift was revealed.

It was one of the oddest contraptions I had seen my grandparents make. It was a large ring with several receivers along the sides. There was a small control box on the side. It had to stand at least ten or twelve feet tall- I wasn't sure if it was a good or bad thing that we had high ceilings right now. As odd as it looked, I believe that the entire family recognized what it was. It was a ghost portal. My very first memory- I guess from when I was about three- was my grandfather taking me down to the basement and explaining it to me. Then, I admired its grandeur, then, it just seemed silly and useless, and now, I was beginning to think it might be more important than I had originally thought.

"You got them a ghost portal?" Deyton said, interrupting the shocked silence.

"Yep," my grandfather said proudly. "Even newer than ours. Better model. Isn't it just a work of art?"

I wouldn't exactly call what I mostly considered a gigantic steel death-trap to be a work of art. To me, even if there was such a thing as a ghost portal, I strongly doubt my grandparents had the capability to make it.

"I thought you guys had given up ghosts!" my Aunt Jazz exclaimed. She was always telling them how unhealthy their obsession with ghosts was. "Bringing this 'ghost portal' into Danny's house will bring up suppressed childhood memories, causing him to sink into a state of severe guilt and anxiety!"

I looked at my dad. He seemed used to Aunt Jazz's over-analysis of his mind, but when he saw me looking at him, he gave an exaggerated roll of his eyes at the situation. I nodded, trying to suppress laughter.

"So, where do you want it?"

My entire family looked at my grandfather. As much as we appreciated the thought he put into the gift, I don't think any of us wanted that thing in our house.

"You're an adult now, Danny," Aunt Jazz whispered to him. "You have the right to exert your independence by saying you don't want it…"

My dad shot Aunt Jazz a fierce look, and she backed off. He looked to my mom for an answer.

"Erm-" she said. "Put it in the basement?" She obviously didn't want it any more than I did, and I strongly doubted any of us would be going in the basement after this.

So for the rest of the morning, the entire family had to heave, push, and haul the ghost portal through the house and into the basement. This process only confirmed my thoughts that it was nothing more than a big steel deathtrap. My grandfather spent the rest of the time setting it up, and forcing my dad, Dylan, and Deyton to help him. The rest of us thankfully ate pancakes, hardly noticing how cold they were, just thankful we dodged that bullet. Dylan was sent up about an hour later after he gave himself a mild electric shock (his bright red hair now seemed slightly frazzled and he shocked everything he touched).

I was sent downstairs to get the rest of the guys just before lunch. Thankfully, I found them finished their task. Deyton looked rather grumpy but ran thankfully upstairs at the mention of lunch. My grandfather looked at his handiwork one last time before retreating. My dad, however, stayed put.

"You know, your Nanna and Granddad had one of these when I was your age," he said, out of the blue.

"Really?" I asked. "That long?"

"You calling me old?" I had never really considered my dad 'old' per say. To me, he seemed ageless, never changing. But now that I looked at him, more gray in his hair showed than ever.

"No…" I replied.

"Anyway…" he continued, "your mom, Uncle Tucker, and I used to explore the ghost zone. We made a whole map of it."

"That thing actually works?" I said.

My dad laughed. It was rare for him to laugh, but I liked it when he did anyway. "Yes, it works. Ghosts can get out of it, whether we want them to or not."

I picked this as a perfect time to ask him about ghosts. "And who puts them back in?" I asked knowingly.

My dad looked into my eyes, as if he could figure out if I knew anything just by doing so. I stared back unblinkingly, wanting to know if he would ask me if I knew anything. He turned back to the ghost portal. "They go back in by themselves."

I nodded. "Dad?" I asked, trying him again.

"Yes, Ellie?"

"Is there such thing as a half-human half-ghost?"

Again he looked at me. I knew the answer to the question, and I knew he knew, but I think we were both testing each other. I held the upper hand for once, but he didn't give. "Ellie, sometimes I think you have a more active imagination now than when you were little." He began to head upstairs. I stayed, staring at the portal, wanting it to tell me something.

"Don't you want lunch, Ellie?" my dad said, turning back. The dull light bulb in the ceiling illuminated his face, making him look more ghostly. For a second, I could have sworn his eyes turned green.

"Of course I do," I said, and made for the stairs. With one last look back at the portal, still revealing no secrets, I turned out the light, and the whole room filled with gloom once more. All, that is, except the green glow from in-between the doors of the portal.

A/N: Well, there you go! I actually started planning for the Christmas part BEFORE Christmas, and it's taken me this long to get here! Anyway, big plans for the future. Danny's going to show up more, but sadly, our two favorite weirdo friends will have to go on hiatus for a few chapters after the next one (although Ellie probably will speak with them). Thank you guys so much for reviewing! I never imagined that anyone would like my story as much as they do. I'm sad though, because I'm going on vacation the day the next episode airs! But it'll be on again, and I don't think tropical resort vacations will come again. Anyway, everybody, have a really great almost start of summer and stay tuned (I always wanted to say that!)!

-Rachel