CORY

It's just as I thought. My next mutation as the Ultimate made me part zombie. I'm not sure if the Weirdo was infected when I bit it, though. I now have more stamina, and a higher pain tolerance. I can't even bleed. At least my limbs can't easily come off.

Lisa's doing all she can not to mentally die and become emotionally destroyed. If she does, Fier can easily control the Dark Chaos. But she's got a strong spirit. You'd need something strong enough to shatter diamonds to break it.

Today was Mark's turn to be on patrol. And he returned with odd news: There's been some odd activity in an old mansion. Apparently, he recognizes the design. That place, he says, is none other than Shudder Mansion.

It's supposed to be based on a game. One and a sequel, Death at Shudder Mansion, both of which I've never played. But Mark's got evidence to back up that it's just like the game, and thus, there's a copy of it back in Cyberspace. A lot of games can be accessed in Cyberspace.

"So, it's basically like Castlevania, right?" I ask.

"Yep. Basic enemies, with each level having you try to escape. But it resets, and every time it gets harder and harder. You've got spirits, Shadow Snakes, goo that can't stick to human skin, shapeshifters, a Mouse Monster, The Dancing Skeleton, the Shadow Ghost Girl, the Monster Mother, and finally, the Beast. Beat the final boss, and you hit a reset button that takes you to the next harder level."

"And to beat it?" Lisa asks.

"A golden cup full of spiders. But if it's empty, just knock it over the head to shatter it. But the rules could be different this time. And the reset button can erase your memory and mess with time. As this Riley Shiner boy found out the hard way."

"Hopefully we only have to do this once." I add. "Because I am NOT hitting that reset button."

"Yeah. For all we know, this could be one of Slappy's minions. If they've been waiting for us, then it won't be long before he figures out we're here."

I bet. Eventually, we reach the mansion. It's large and ominous, as if anyone who even takes one step inside dies instantly.

We only don our armor and Mark activates his Cyber Shinobi ninja form. Alright, Shudder Mansion…game on.

The three of us step into the mansion, ready for whatever horrors it throws at us. It's just like Dead House. We've had our experiences with paranormal buildings like this. Horror House. Payne House. Shadow House. The works.

To others, the monsters would be unbeatable nightmares. But to us, they're just laughable. Plus, Mark's played the game, so he leads the way. Yet still…there's some bits the game didn't include…

There's a few deadly spirits here and there. They're just sent back to the Shadow Realm with some magic. The Dancing Skeleton that we face next ends up becoming a pile. Next, a mouse monster is shrunken down to a mouse's normal size thanks to an old gadget of mine: The Supersizer.

Finally, we make our way into the basement. If I'm correct, this is where we fight the final boss: The Beast. Evil, hungry, typical monster. He can tear people in half with his teeth. Well…only NORMAL people…

In the darkness of the basement, a darkness we're all familiar with, I bet it's hard for the monsters to sense our fear. But soon, we sense THEM.

Hold on…three figures reveal themselves by stepping from the shadows. A man, a woman, and a girl. But there's no ignoring the evil intent and dark magic I'm sensing.

"Blenders." I whisper. We keep our guard up.

"Welcome, visitors." The woman says, the family looking and smiling menacingly. That's never a good sign. "We've been expecting you."

"We're so glad you could make it." The girl adds. "Just in time for dinner."

"Hold on a second…" Mark notes. "Mia and Margo? Uh oh…"

"More victims under Slappy's control?" Lisa asks.

"Well…I just realized…the final boss isn't fought by himself…"

Suddenly, the family laughed before shedding their human forms! Mia becomes a see-through ghost with a visible skeleton! Margo becomes a shadowy snake monster! She seems small and frail, but she also seems to have amazing powers of strength. She could rip off an arm and break a leg.

Meanwhile, the dad transforms into a giant green furry monster with yellow eyes with purple pupils, sharp teeth, and sharp claws. He also wore shiny armor over a purple robe. He has a beard and dark hair, with wolf-like ears that stand straight up. He had a snout-like nose and long-toothed grin that made him look more like a monster than a man.

Yep. This is the Beast. If that look doesn't scream Final Boss, I don't know what is.

The Beast lets out a loud roar before we meet in battle, three against three. Lisa goes for Margo, recalling her training with Lynne. Meanwhile, Mark uses his game knowledge against Mia, watching the attack pattern and attacking when there's an opening.

Meanwhile, the Beast finds me, with my Monster Armor, as no ordinary meal. I deliver a hard sock and uppercut to the jaw to send him to the ground. That armor will make him tough, sure. No matter. I'll just hit the parts that AREN'T armored.

I hold back the jaws with tremendous strength and slam the Beast down onto the ground. He spits out green goo, which I flip and leap to dodge. If I'm stuck in that, I'll have to discard my armor…leaving myself vulnerable.

But it gives me an idea. I block some more goo with my shield, then block a fist with it! The Beast ends up getting stuck, and I pull it in to deliver powerful punches! And I'm a lot stronger than normal humans with this armor. He can't throw me around so easily.

Seriously though, he's tough. As are his wife and daughter. Mark's weapons phase through Mia, so he and Lisa trade opponents. With her magic, Lisa's able to actually hit Mia. Meanwhile, Mark does the same tactic with Lisa: Wait for an opening in her attack pattern.

But some of these moves are one I bet weren't in the game. Like the Beast's high speed and agility! If we don't beat them soon, they'll wear us out and…er…replenish their health.

That's when I remember something. The spider cup! It should still be around here somewhere!

I manage to deliver a powerful blow to the Beast to knock it into the basement wall, buying me time. I dig around in some junk until…YES!

I turn to the charging footsteps behind me and splash the Beast with the spiders! It roars and swats at them, and he even EATS some of them! He manages to squish and squash every single one of them, but the distraction is enough.

"Alright, Beast. Time to break your curse."

I smash the cup over the Beast's head as hard as I can. Instantly, I hear something shatter. And it's NOT the cup.

Following the Beast, Mia and Margo scream before they shatter as well. I only toss the cup aside, just in case we accidentally hit the reset button.

"Well, guess I'm a pro at the game now." Lisa chuckles, before deactivating her armor. "Those were some weird Blenders. I can see why there was a game based on this place."

"Woah…what the heck is this?!"

Huh? I turn back to see Mark kneeling down at the junk pile I rummaged through to find the golden cup full of spiders. He ends up picking up some kind of old newspaper. The Dark Falls Daily.

Hey, the date! It's early 1992!

"Mysterious stone uncovered near chemical plant and plastic factory." Mark reads the headline. "Testing via Lazarus Project to begin shortly…"

"Lazarus Project?" I ask. "What's the Lazarus Project?!"

"No idea." Mark says. "We're gonna have to look into this…"

"Hold on a sec…" Lisa adds. "Lazarus was this guy that Jesus brought back to life! You know what else can bring things back to life?"

My eyes go wide when I look back at the headline.

"Oh my god…the Dead Stone!"

That's part one of what happened here solved. But…how did the Lazarus Project make this whole place a ghost town?!

And if my theory's correct, and it's a pretty terrible one…well…GULP!

I've got a really, really, really, really, REALLY bad feeling about this…