Disclaimer: All rights belong to the creators and writers of Julie and the Phantoms (2020). I take no credit, and I do not mean to break any copyright rules. This is simply a work of fiction made for enjoyment. No money is being made.

Rating: K+

Chapter 34

"Ghost Fortress. There it is."

Their entire group stands around Alex, who has the map spread out in front of him. Ahead, no longer a menace in the distance, is Caleb's fortress. The stone walls are forty feet high, the lower portion covered in a slick layer of ice and the top guarded by fur-robed and heavily armed sentinels who pace and forth. A thin stream of soldiers and travellers wind up the path to the front gates. The largest peaks of the castle tower above the walls, casting a dark shadow upon the snowy surroundings.

"It's even bigger in person," Nick says, almost sounding in awe of it.

"Those walls are definitely higher than expected." Luke's eyes travel up them slowly. "Are you sure you're ready for this?"

"Yeah." Nick clears his throat and tries again. "Yeah."

Julie glances over at Alex and gives him a thin smile. "You ready to see Willie again?" she asks. He nods once, his expression grimly determined.

Nick secures a couple coils of rope to his belt and then grabs the ice picks from his pack. He's also secured sharp metal contraptions to the front of his boots for the climb. He tests the ice built up around the wall before starting his ascent.

Julie holds her breath without realizing it as she watches him climb. He scales the ice-covered part of the wall quickly and pauses where the ice melts away and leaves just the stone. Holding himself in place with one hand, he contorts his body so he can reach the ice picks secured to his boots. He snaps them off and then continues his climb to the top. He waits just below the cusp of the rampart while the guards pass, and then he slips over. Julie loses sight of him until he appears a minute later, a few lines of rope thrown over the side for them.

She and Luke climb up first. She hears the sound of fighting as she nears the top, and when she rolls onto the parapet, she sees Nick backed up against the wall, the two guards closing in on him. She and Luke run and each take out one guard, covering their mouths and lowering them slowly to the ground to avoid making a scene.

By the time they've hidden the bodies, the others have also reached the top. They cut the ropes and head down the stone staircase to the ground, hiding behind a full wagon of hay parked against the wall.

Everyone looks at each other as they crouch, all of them knowing that the time to split up has come and none of them wanting to part. Julie looks over at Luke, knowing full well that he could be about to lose his last life before she sees him again. He meets her eyes, and she knows the same thoughts are running through his mind.

She feels a hand on her arm, and she turns to see Carlos watching her.

"I'll look out for him," he promises. He holds out his unmarked arm. "I have lives to spare."

Julie pulls him into a tight hug. She has no doubt he'll watch over the others for her. She is, however, worried that she doesn't have anyone to watch out for her; she's also on her last life, and if she fails, she may never see her brother again.

"Te quiero, Carlos," she says.

"I love you too, sis."

Julie bids the others good luck and farewell, and then she and Nick split off. The others are going to rescue Willie. She and Nick are going to try and win the game to get them all home.

Luke watches as Julie and Nick dart out from the cover of the wagon and disappear. There's so much he wants to say to her in case they never see each other again, but maybe it's for the best that he didn't have the opportunity. If something does happen, maybe it's better that they leave things the way they did last night. It would be unfair to open up a whole new can of worms just to leave them and never return.

"The dungeons are that way," Alex says, pointing to the eastern corner of the fortress. Although he's acting calm and serious, Luke can sense an undercurrent of excitement and anxiety bubbling just beneath the surface. He's doing a good job of keeping it under control.

They run out from behind the wagon, ducking behind a set of barrels and then behind a tied-up horse, and then behind a stack of flour bags. The courtyard of the fortress is bustling with activity, dozens of people rushing around from one place to another. Though they're trying to keep cover, they probably don't need to; who is going to notice them amongst all the others?

They've almost made it to the castle when an alarm rings out. Guards start running to the walls, shouting orders to each other.

"They must have found the guards' bodies," Luke says, watching it all. "We have to move faster. It's only a matter of time before Caleb knows we're here."

Throwing caution to the wind, they run across the last stretch between their hiding spot and the castle doors. There's a large lock but Carlos simply reaches into his belt, pulls out two long pins, and jimmies it open. They disappear quickly inside.

The halls are dark. Alex finds a torch on the wall and Trevor strikes a rock against the wall to create a spark to light the torch. It flares into life and reveals a small, cramped passageway.

Luke holds the torch while Alex leads them, his map held out in front of him. Whenever they encounter guards, Luke and Carlos take them out quickly and quietly. Every little noise echoes in these dark halls.

They wind their way slowly downward, eventually reaching a corridor that's cold, wet, and dirty. The two guards at the door are slumped over, snoring and smelling of alcohol. Their group steps over them and into a hall lined with barred doors.

"Willie?" Alex calls out softly, peering through each cell. "Are you here, Willie?"

A few people moan and crawl to the front of their cells. Carlos stops to pick all the locks as they go. Some of the prisoners don't move at all.

They're almost to the end to the hall when they hear a familiar voice.

"Julie? Is that you?"

Alex turns and grabs the bars between his hands. A dark figure in the back of the cell slowly moves forward into the torchlight. Alex's face breaks out in a grin.

"No, it's me, Alex. We changed avatars."

Luke waves over Alex's shoulder. "Hey, Willie. I'm still me."

Carlos rushes over and picks the lock. When it clicks open and he steps back, Alex wrenches the door open. Willie wraps him in a tight hug and they hold each other for a minute. Luke smiles and then turns away, not wanting to intrude on their moment.

"I'm so happy to see you again," Willie says. He cups his hands around Alex's face. "But...why are you back? I warned you not to come. If Caleb catches you…"

"He won't," Alex assures him. "We're going to get out of here. And this time, you're coming with us."

"I can't believe you'd risk everything for me."

Carlos ruins the moment. "Oh, he didn't. It's totally my fault we're stuck here. I saw the video game and wanted to try it out."

"But I wanted to come for you, anyway," Alex says. "I haven't stopped thinking about you. About how you risked everything to save us…"

Luke hates to interrupt, but since Carlos already ruined things, he doesn't feel too bad. "And unless we want to risk everything ourselves, we have to keep moving."

Willie and Alex aren't bothered. They both nod. Luke holds the torch out in front of him and leads them back out.

When Willie passes Trevor, he pauses. "Reggie?" he asks. "Is that you?"

"No," Trevor says slowly, glancing over at Alex.

Alex sighs. "That's Bobby. Our fourth bandmate. I think I told you about him. It's a long story."

Willie points to Carlos. "Then who is that? I don't remember ever seeing him before."

"New avatar. He's Julie's little brother. Another long story."

Willie's seen and been around long enough to not question it. Luke leads them back out the maze of passageways, heading up towards the surface.

They make it back to the outer doors. Carlos hangs back as they exit into the courtyard.

"I'm gonna stay behind, take a look around," he says. "Make sure Julie's okay. I'll see you at the rendezvous."

The rendezvous point is a place just outside the fortress that's easily accessible. Since they were splitting up, the idea was to meet there in case Julie got the gem before the boys got Willie out or vice versa. No one wanted to leave anyone behind this time.

Luke doesn't like Carlos sneaking out on his own, but he has all three lives and a pretty hyped up avatar. He's also supportive of the idea of Julie having another helping hand. Caleb shouldn't be underestimated.

Since they're leaving the fortress instead of sneaking into it, they don't try to hide.. Alex gives Willie his hat and Willie tucks his hair up into it in an attempt to disguise his face, in case any of the soldiers recognize him. They stroll through the courtyard, trying to look as unassuming as possible.

They're halfway to the gates when a shout goes up. Luke and the others lengthen their strides. The gate is within view and the distance is closing.

The cry spreads. Luke glances around and sees soldiers starting their way. He begins to run, his boots pounding dully against the packed snow beneath them. The gate begins to shut and soldiers close in around them.

They're only a few steps away when they're completely surrounded, spears pointed at them. Luke backs up to the others, painfully aware of how vulnerable he is. If he could reach the men, he might be able to fight them, but they're smart enough to stay out of range while keeping their weapons in his face.

He supposes he could grab one, twist it around, and use it to fight, but he's not confident enough in his abilities to hold them all off and he isn't going to use his last life to do something so stupid. The worst thing that can happen now is that they'll be taken to Caleb - where Julie and Nick hopefully already are. They may be captured now, but they might be able to break free and be in a better position to help Julie.

Besides, Caleb doesn't want them dead. They're useful to him. As long as they play along, maybe they can provide a distraction for Julie.

Luke raises his hands in surrender. "We're here to speak to Caleb!" he shouts. He ignores the weird looks the others shoot him. Hopefully they'll pick up on his plan eventually. "Take us to him!"

"That's exactly where you're going," one of the soldiers sneers. He pokes at Luke's shoulder with his spear. "Turn around. March single file. And don't make any trouble, or else we'll decide your fate for Caleb."

As they're marched back to the fortress, this time through the front doors, Luke pretends to trip so he can get close enough to whisper in Alex's ear, "Play along. We need to distract Caleb. And pass on the message to the others."

A soldier grabs his arm and hauls him back in line as they march towards their fate.

Nick and Julie slip into the back of the fortress using the servant's entrance. Julie tries to not feel too guilty as they jump two servants and steal their clothes. Nick must feel the same way, because he says, "This just feels wrong. Like something you'd see in a movie, not something you'd ever do. I mean, what have they done to deserve this?"

"They're just computer characters," Julie reminds him. "They're not real. But I know what you mean."

"Did it feel weird being back in the real world after experiencing all of this?" Nick asks. "I know we've only been in here for less than a week, but I feel like a different person."

"You are. You're…" Julie searches for the name of his avatar. "Brad Wilson or whatever. When you get back to the real world, all your memories in here are like a strange dream, like a scene from a movie you watched, not a part of your life."

Nick smiles a little. "That's a relief. I'd like to think that in real life I'm not capable of doing something like this."

"You aren't," Julie assures him. "Trust me."

Once they're outfitted, they follow a few other servants into the kitchen, which is stifling hot from the several large ovens. A woman hands them each a large pitcher of what Julie guesses is wine and shoos them out with a line of other servants bearing trays of food and drink.

"Must be dinnertime," she says to Nick in an undertone.

They enter a large room with a roaring fireplace dominating one wall and large tables stretched out in parallel lines. Some of the tables are laden with food and table settings. Guests loiter around, dressed in barbaric finery. It's like some fantasy viking royal banquet.

"Do you see him?" Nick asks, glancing around.

Julie shakes her head. "Not yet. But he'll show. I'm sure of it."

"What if he knows we're here already and this is some elaborate trap laid out to catch us?"

"He probably does, and it probably is." Julie doesn't try to hide the shortness of her tone. "That's why I had us split up. If something happens to us, the others still have a chance. Last time we faced him as a group. That's probably what he's expecting us to do this time."

Even as the words leave her mouth, Caleb strides in. He looks like a western god among the rough guests in his elegant black and purple outfit and cape and his freshly shaved face. He has a black and gold cane in his hand, and the amethyst proudly shines from around his neck.

"Greetings, everyone." Caleb smiles widely. "I'm so glad you could all make it tonight. I hope you enjoy the food, and shortly we'll be having a surprise entertainment."

The guests clap and some eat while others turn and talk with one another. Caleb's eyes sweep the room and Julie turns away, pulling Nick with her.

Caleb sits upon a raised chair, not unlike a throne, and simply watches. Julie walks around the room, playing her part as the dutiful servant, the entire time trying to brainstorm how to get that amethyst off of Caleb's neck. She doubts she can run and snatch it. Caleb would see her coming from a mile away, and she has no desire to know how his cane would feel smacking her.

A soldier runs in the room, kneels in front of Caleb, and then rises to whisper in his ear. A slow smiles stretches across his face. He says something in return and the man disappears. Caleb brushes down his jacket and stands.

"Honored guests," Caleb says, brandishing his arms. "I promised good entertainment tonight, and now I deliver on my promise."

The doors burst open and a group of soldiers enter, escorting a line of people. It's only when the soldiers step aside that Julie sees who it is. Her heart sinks in her chest.

"Some of you may remember them from my tavern in the first version of the game," Caleb says, smiling down at a scowling Luke, Alex, and Trevor, and Willie. "Now they're back, due to popular demand!"

What kind of sick joke is Caleb playing at? What kind of entertainment are the boys? Julie almost doesn't want to know.

"Have you reconsidered my offer, then?" Caleb asks, stepping down from his chair in front of Luke and Alex.

"We've thought about it." Luke crosses his arms. "What do you want from us, anyway?"

Caleb laughs. "What do I want? The same thing you want, of course. I want your music."

Julie feels as surprised as the boys look.

"Then take it," Alex says when he recovers. "But let us go."

Caleb tuts and shakes his head. "No, no, Alex, it's not that easy. I'm not like your old friend Bobby. I have no intentions of stealing what's not mine. I want you to play your music live for me, the way you did the first time you were in the game."

"Have you ever heard of a record player? Or an iPod?" Luke shoots back. "That's music on demand. Not us."

"Once again, you misunderstand." Caleb spreads his arms out. "Haven't you ever wondered why I created this game?"

"Because you're an evil person?" Willie suggests.

"You should know better, my dear William. If I was evil, would I have offered you mercy when you were a scared child on his last life?" Caleb shakes his head. "No, I am not evil. I'm a businessman, plain and simple. What I need is power. When people play this game, I gain more power. I've had to adapt the game over the years to continue drawing in players, but in the past couple years technology has advanced to serve my purposes quite generously."

He waves his hand, and the guests in the room flicker. At first Julie thinks he's getting rid of them, but then their beards and furs disappear and the room is filled with mis-matched avatars, not unlike the guests in the tavern from the first game. It's not until usernames pop up above their heads that Julie realizes what is happening.

"It used to be that only players who found the physical game could play," Caleb says. "Now, thanks to the internet, online players can drop in and drop at will. The more people playing my game, the more power I have. While the game itself does a decent job of attracting players, never was Jumanji more popular than when I had a live rock band in the tavern. People would come to the game just to hear you guys play. Fortunately for me, your music in the real world was forgotten after your bandmate changed his name and started his own career. Your music became exclusive in my game."

"Wait." Alex lifts a hand. "People came to the game just to listen to us perform?"

Caleb nods. "That's exactly right. And when you left, people were begging on the chat for you to come back. As the weeks passed and you remained absent, people stopped playing the game. My power began to wane. So, this is my deal for you: stay in the game and play for me, and you'll all be safe. You can live in this castle, or in one of Willie's quaint little cabins, or wherever you want. You can have anything in the game, or anything I can make for you. All you have to do is play music."

Julie glances over at Nick and sees the same worry reflected in his eyes that she feels. It's not a bad offer by any means; what, really, do the boys have in the real world that Caleb couldn't give them here? They wouldn't have to pretend to be someone they're not. They could get all the glory from their playing. They wouldn't have to go to school or worry about being discovered. If they were in a video game, no one would think twice.

Julie knows their greatest desire is to play music. How much are they willing to give up to do so?

And what does Caleb even need all this power for, anyway? It doesn't pass over Julie that he conveniently left out the reason behind his goal.

"I see your brains turning. Good. Keep thinking about it. It's a good offer." Caleb's smile widens. "And, say, since I'm in a generous mood today, I'll even throw in some extra goodies. For you, Alex, I'll give Willie his immunity to the game back as well as his freedom. And for you, Luke, I'll even let Julie go back to the real world."

Julie has to cover her mouth with her hand to mask the gasp that comes out. No wonder Caleb waited until now to reveal his full hand. No wonder he infiltrated their group via Nick. He wasn't just sabotaging them from the inside, he was collecting information on them so that he could manipulate them.

Julie knows that Luke won't turn down his offer. Not with her and Willie's freedoms on the line. And Alex - why would he turn it down, either? He gets Willie, he's with Luke, and he gets to play music. It's everything he needs from life to be happy.

Caleb looks over the shoulders of everyone in the room, his eyes settling on her. "Yes, Julie, I know you're here. I've known since the moment you stepped foot in the castle. Come on up, don't be afraid."

Julie inches forward slowly, the crowd parting to make a path for her. Even the soldiers surrounding the boys step away, though whether it's in their programming or if Caleb is controlling them, she isn't sure.

When she's standing next to Luke, she risks a glance over. The eyes staring back aren't his, but the expression in them is. Julie hasn't seen him look this sad since she saw him with his parents.

"Don't do this, Luke," she begs. "We said we were going to fight. That we were all going to return to the real world together."

His voice is choked with emotion. "There's nothing left to fight, Jules."

She knows why he's making this decision, that isn't about them, that it's about everyone - Alex and Willie and her and Luke. She knows he feels backed into a corner, that he's doing what he thinks is right.

She knows all this, and yet her heart still feels like it's breaking.

"What about Reggie?" she asks. "You would leave him all alone."

"He's not alone. He has you and Carlos and Ray and Victoria. He has a real family, which is all he's ever wanted."

Julie can barely swallow back the lump in her throat. "And what about us?"

Luke looks away. His eyes settle on Caleb, and when he speaks his voice is strong and even. "If we agree to play for you, Julie and Carlos and Nick get to go back to the real world. All of them."

Caleb waves his hand. "Done."

Luke glances over at Alex. Alex slowly nods. He reaches over and intertwines his fingers with Willie's. Beside them, Trevor has an accepting look on his face. He probably never expected them to get out of here alive in the first place.

Caleb claps his hands together, and servants start bringing out a drum set, guitars, amps, and microphones. "Good. Now, won't you play us a song to celebrate? I have some other musicians I've recruited over the years to help ease you into your first official performance."

Within minutes one side of the large banquet hall has been set up with risers, instruments, and equipment. Women playing jazz instruments stand upon the riser and, at a motion from Caleb, begin to play. Caleb himself sets a top hat on his head and begins to sing.

You know you wanna take the chance and be a little bit bad

Ain't nothing quite like living on the edge, so get ready to go

I'm chasing down a thrill, and looking fit to kill

So listen to the words a wise man said

He said, "Covington, I got an offer that you can't refuse" Ha!

You got nothing to lose, boys, lose

Nothing to lose, boys, lose

Nothing to lose

Julie slowly steps away, horror growing in her stomach. She doesn't stop until she's halfway in the back of the room and runs into someone who doesn't move for her. She feels two hands hold onto her arms. Though she would never admit it out loud, she's not sure her knees would have the strength to hold her body up without the support.

"I don't understand," Nick says quietly to her. "Are Luke and Alex and Trevor - "

"They're staying." Julie's voice cracks. "They're sacrificing themselves for us. Without even a fight."

Nick's hands tighten around her arms. "Julie, I'm so sorry - "

She steps away from him. "You better leave before you disappear like everyone else who gets close to me."

Up on Caleb's stage, Alex has started playing a solo. Trevor is next, and then Luke. All three of them look like they're in pain. That just makes things worse; if Julie knew they were going to enjoy it, then maybe she could accept their decision. As it is, she just feels worse.

Caleb is singing and dancing around on stage with Luke and Trevor. Julie clenches her fists at her sides. When is Caleb going to send her back in to the real world already? She doesn't want to watch this any longer. She doesn't want to hear this any longer. It's like rubbing salt in a wound.

Her eyes drift upwards and that's when she sees him. Her jaw begins to drop before she covers it up, more than aware that Caleb probably has an eye on her. He's waiting for her to do something impulsive or foolish. Normally, she might try. But for all his moonlighting as Nick, he still managed to overlook one major component of their group.

Julie keeps her eyes focused on the performance ahead of her. She catches Luke's eyes and subtly glances upwards without tilting her head. Luke frowns and shakes his head, still playing his guitar along with Caleb the whole time. Julie repeats the motion a few times before he finally wisens up and follows her gaze.

His eyes widen the moment he sees the dark figure balancing on the chandelier. Julie wants to look up so badly but she doesn't dare. Luke looks away and back at Caleb, and suddenly he's playing with more heart and energy. He even manages a smile for Caleb's benefit.

As clever as Caleb is, he can also be a huge fool. Despite Luke being a terrible liar and actor, Caleb actually believes him. He turns and focuses on Luke, the smile on his own face growing as he scats along.

And that's when Carlos makes his move.

In his dark robes, he almost looks like a shadow descending upon Caleb. Caleb doesn't even notice until Carlos lands on his back, bringing him crashing down to the ground. The two of them wrestle on the floor. Julie feels her shoulder bumped into from behind and Nick races past her, jumping into the fray.

The entire time, the band keeps playing. Julie gives Luke and Alex strange looks, and they shoot back helpless ones. Neither of them open their mouth to talk, although they look strained, and Julie realizes that they are no longer in control of their bodies. Both of their movements are jerky and robotic, as if they're fighting whatever force is controlling them, but they're like marionette puppets, forced to continue to play despite the chaos erupting around them.

Caleb's soldiers close in on her. She feels something at her back and turns to see Willie facing the opposite direction. He gives her a tight-lipped smile as he wields a wooden chair against the spears and swords of their opponents.

Julie lets her avatar's instincts take over. She hasn't tried out berserker mode since the trading outpost, and she finds herself amazed and fascinated at how her body responds, kicking away spear shafts and the flats of swords and delivering solid kicks and punches in return. She spins and flips in ways she didn't think was even possible for the human body, every move taking out another man.

The entire time, the band plays. Luke, Alex, and Trevor look increasingly stressed but they can't break free of Caleb's grip. Julie knocks out her last opponent with a roundhouse kick when she sees Carlos holding Caleb in a headlock, both of them sprawled out on the floor, while Nick lunges forward and snaps the amethyst charm from around his neck.

He stands, hurls it at the floor, and then stomps on its scattered pieces, grinding them to dust for good measure.

Nothing happens.

Nick turns horrified eyes to Julie. She turns to look at Willie. He sweeps his hair back from his face and says, "Call out its name!"

"Jumanji!" Julie shouts.

The last thing Julie sees before she's sucked away into a dark vortex is Caleb's cruel grin as he mouths, "You're too late."