Hey everyone! I had every intention of posting the new chapter Halloween night, but obviously that didn't happen. I must say that I unfortunately didn't have any fun plans of Halloween - my favorite holiday - but that was alright because that gave me plenty of time to write. So I hope you guys like this chapter, and don't be afraid to leave me a review of what you think! :D
"…What are we doing here, Lucille?"
John's voice was soft as he glanced at the haunting alley around them. Lucille still had her arms wrapped around his torso tightly, her eyes closed as she cried a few silent tears. John hesitantly touched her dark hair and brushed it over her shoulders.
"You know…no matter what Angela has said about you since you've been gone…I never stopped loving you." He murmured. Lucille's green eyes flew open and she pulled away from him slowly.
"Angela…" She repeated the name, thinking of the woman she had seen John with both at the restaurant and the bar. John blinked at Lucille's sudden mood change and then nodded slowly.
"She's been keeping me company ever since the accident. Like she was afraid I would do something reckless, I suppose." He said, laughing uncomfortably. Lucille's gaze intensified, almost unseen by John in the dimly lit alleyway.
"Would you have done something reckless?" She asked evenly. John ran a hand through his hair nervously.
"Probably. It was awful without you, sweetheart. You don't know what I went through…"
"What you went through?" Lucille's cold voice interrupted. John stopped and stared at her confusedly. "You weren't the one who died!"
"I…I know…but-"
"And now…to hear that I've been replaced…how do you think that feels, John?" Lucille's voice echoed down the alley, sounding more and more menacing the farther the sound reached.
"Replaced? Lucille, you don't understand…" John said as he tried to explain.
"No, I understand. After all we went through together…both of our families shunning us because none of them wanted us to be together…having to spend several nights alone in the bars up into the early morning hours because we couldn't go home…I didn't mind all of that so much because I had you. I'm guessing it didn't take long for Angela to swoop in and steal your heart from me." Lucille said, as she lunged forward. John spun away from the angered girl, his hands raised.
"Lucille…listen to me!" He shouted. She glared up at him, her eyes almost glowing green. "Angela is my sister!"
Lucille stopped.
"Your sister?" She finally repeated. John nodded.
"You didn't know her because, like you said, my family was against our being together. But she was the only one who seemed to care about how I felt after losing you. She checks in on me a few times a week to make sure I'm doing alright." He shrugged.
Lucille studied him sadly for a moment before stepping closer to him, her right hand clenched into a fist. She glanced down at her hands as she stepped into his outstretched arms.
"I…I'm sorry." She murmured. "You must think I'm crazy."
"No…I know it's hard, Lucille…but things are different now…for both of us. That's just how time works." John said reassuringly. He smiled wearily down at her as she slowly raised her gaze to his.
"Things are different now, John. But I know how to fix that."
She flicked something in her palm and quickly swiped towards John who cried out as he felt a flash of pain across the top of his shoulder. He backed away from her next attack, clamping his palm against his injured arm. He pulled his hand away to see the faint glisten of blood on his fingers. His eyes widened as he stared at Lucille in confusion.
"How did you…"
"You know...it's funny, really. You still carry a simple pocket knife on you after all these years. Why didn't you ever think to trade up for something more useful?" Lucille glanced down at the weapon in her hand and then looked up at him. Her teeth were bared in a sarcastic smile as she approached him slowly.
"Please…" John breathed. He slowly stepped back as she continued her unceasing advance.
"Sorry John…but it's only fair." She said as she flicked the pocket knife out of its sheath once more. She raised it up and brought it down into thin air. She angrily spun around as John ducked beneath her arm. She lunged forward with the blade aimed at his chest.
"Lucille, this isn't you!" John shouted. Before she could bring the knife down on him, he swiftly kicked her in the ribs and she slammed into the wall of the alley. The breath was knocked from her lungs, and as she fell to the ground, the pocketknife clattered to the sidewalk beside her.
"What happened?!"
John whirled around after staring at Lucille's unmoving form on the ground to see four other figures running towards him. He backed away instinctively, still grasping his shoulder with blood-soaked fingers.
"John Bennett? Please tell us that's you…" Another voice said. John squinted and recognized the four Ghostbusters approaching from the street.
"Yes…yes it's me." John said slowly.
"Are you alright?" Winston asked him, noticing how tightly the man held his injured arm.
"I'm…I'm fine." John replied as Winston switched a flashlight on to examine the man's shoulder.
"Where's Lucille?" Ray asked as he turned another flashlight on.
"She's over there…she tried to attack me and I-" John tried to explain as Winston confirmed that the knife cut on his shoulder wasn't severe.
Ray rushed over to the still figure against the wall, checking for her pulse.
"I should have believed you guys…I'm sorry…I thought she wanted-" John tried to explain again, but he was interrupted by Egon who was watching Lucille carefully.
"It's alright, we're going to take care of it. And hopefully Keira can help us." Egon said. He held the modified dark matter generator in his arms which was also hooked up to the proton pack on his back. Ray glanced worriedly over his shoulder at the weapon in his colleague's hands. As he looked back down at the girl in front of him, she moaned in pain and started to stir awake.
"Keira?" He said hopefully as her eyes fluttered slightly.
"Uh, Ray…" Peter said warningly as the PKE meter he had switched on hummed to life in his grip.
"Get the knife away from her!" John suddenly shouted as he noticed her hand slowly crawl to the side, feeling for the fallen weapon. Ray glanced down hurriedly as Lucille's fingers found the knife and he was able to leap out of the way before her swing could strike him.
Ray scrambled back as the girl climbed to her feet, the knife tight in her grip. Lucille shrieked furiously as she whirled around to see John staring at her in terrified surprise.
"Hey-!" Ray's voice said nearby.
Lucille stiffened as she felt strong arms grab onto her shoulders. She cried out as his hand clamped down on the spot where the proton stream had grazed her arm and she struggled to break out of his grip, the knife shaking in her hand.
"Let go of me-" She growled through her clenched teeth. She jerked her right elbow back towards where she pictured his face to be but he caught it quickly and used her momentum to spin her around to face him.
"Ray-" Peter exclaimed as he rushed forward to help his friend from where he was struggling against the strength of the possessed woman.
"I've got it, Venkman – just get Egon ready!" Ray said as he pinned Lucille against the wall behind her. She fought against his hold, managing to nick the knuckles of his left hand with the blade.
"I'm not sure hitting her with this much power while she's…" Egon paused as Ray dove out of the way of Lucille's flailing arm. "…while she's this irritated…will be a good idea. We might end up doing even more harm to Keira since their spirits are too deeply connected now."
"Well Egon…what do you want me to do? Sing her a lullaby? Will that calm her down?!" Ray shouted over his shoulder as he once more slammed Lucille's arms against the wall. She cried out as he finally wrestled the pocket knife out of her grip.
"You – you can't do this!" She screamed as she uselessly tried to shove against the Ghostbuster's hold.
"I'm sorry Lucille…but we tried to settle this your way." Ray said, his voice strained but gentle.
"You don't know what you're doing! It's clearly obvious that you don't!" She growled as she finally stopped fighting against Ray's hold on her arms. She glanced hurriedly at Egon who was struggling under the weight of the dark matter generator in his grasp. She flicked her gaze back at Ray, a smug expression on her face.
"You think you can still save her, but you're too late, Dr. Stantz…" Lucille said, her voice hiding a tinge of remorse. "She's all but gone, now."
Ray shook his head as he felt the other three Ghostbusters closing in on the couple.
"She's bluffing." Peter said, standing close behind Ray. Ray blinked hurriedly before clearing his throat and forcing Lucille to look at him.
"Keira…" Ray said, staring at Lucille's bright green eyes. "Keira, I know you're still in there."
Lucille's gaze darted away from his as she scanned the other Ghostbusters' expressions. She shifted slightly against the wall, but Ray kept her arms by her sides. She smiled wearily up at him as she shook her head.
"I told you…it's too late." She whispered, her eyes sad. She bit her lip and closed her eyes against her tears. Ray glanced back at Egon who nodded.
Egon handed the dark matter generator to Winston and told him to switch the proton pack on. The pack hummed to life, casting a bright glow in the dark alley. Egon then switched on the generator in Winston's arms and primed the thrower, looking up to Peter who was once more studying the PKE meter in his hand. Peter's face turned puzzled and as he raised the meter up for Egon to see, Lucille suddenly slumped to the ground unconscious.