Fear of Ghosts Fear of Ghosts
Chapter 2

Amelia stared in shock at the girl up ahead.

A girl? There was someone else here in amongst these ruins?

Suddenly Amelia was struck with a horrible thought.

What was this girl doing here?

What she doing in this abandoned place?

What was she doing, being a soul in a place empty of them?

As Amelia stared at the figure, the answers came much quicker then she expected....

The princess was then struck suddenly by the horror of realisation. And as the horror sank in, Amelia's eyes widened in fear.

The princess blinked in disbelief. Was she seeing things? Was this a trick of the light?

Because she was certain that she could see right through the girl, at the bushes on the other side.....

Suddenly revelation sank in. In a flash Amelia understood why this girl was out here on her own in such a decrepit place.....

This wasn't a girl, this was.....a....

GHOST?!

As the nightmare of the revelation and the harsh reality of this encounter sank in, Amelia soon found herself frozen on the spot. She couldn't move. She couldn't run. She couldn't blink. She couldn't scream. She couldn't unleash any of her justice speeches. She couldn't even whimper. All she could do was remain in a paralysed state as the apparition roamed before her.

Suddenly the ghost turned her head. This was odd - something was wrong here. Something felt unusual and indeed out of place. She could feel the presence of another.....

It was then that the ghost saw Amelia.

The ghost smiled and moved towards the fear-stricken princess.

But Amelia didn't run. How could she? She was petrified with fright. The sight of the ghost had sealed off all communication to her brain and the rest of her body. Her brain may as well be screaming for her to run but it was to no avail. But now that the ghost was now heading towards her, wasn't making the situation any better. Amelia could do nothing but remain frozen as the ghost advanced.

Then something disturbing happened.

The ghost smiled.

But this certainly wasn't no ordinary smile. This certainly wasn't a warm smile. And this most was definitely NOT a friendly smile! This was a freakish smile. A ghastly smile. A crooked smile. A deformity. A poor imitation what humans did. A mockery of what people did to make one feel better.

Amelia blinked in horror.

Just then, the ghost drew her hand forward, towards the princess.

Amelia stared at the cold, unnatural, outstretched hand....

And then something in her head clicked. The horror of this situation before her, had been building up inside her head, rendering her paralysed, destroying her courage, eradicating her brave soul and leaving the destructive powers of fright to tidy up the mess.

Seeing the ghosts hand outstretched was the final nail in the coffin. Suddenly Amelia broke out of her paralysed prison. Screwing her eyes up real tight, Amelia unleashed a scream. A scream projecting her terrified self into any ears listening. Then, riding on the wings of pure terror and with blindness as her guide, Amelia turned away from the apparition and sprinted back down the hill and towards the village.


Elsewhere, Zelgadis blinked in confusion. If he had heard Amelia's scream, he didn't show any signs of it - He was too concerned with the chaos that now occupied his thoughts.

Zel was growing increasingly bewildered with this chain of events. First he stumbles upon this abandoned village, then this unsettling unnatural mist comes creeping in and now, right in the middle of a ghost town, he starts to hear the sound of children laughing! What the hell was going on here?!?

Zel moved on in the direction of the laughing. He moved closer and closer towards a clump of trees, situated on the edge of the ruined village. He was certain that was where the laughter was coming from.....

Suddenly he caught himself.

What was he doing here? Why was he moving towards a bunch of kids? What guarantee did he have that they won't run screaming from his cursed form? What guarantee did he have that they won't brand him a monster? How could he be sure that they won't shun him away their eyes? How could he be sure the children won't attack him with weapons and the cruelest of words?

As Zel pondered over these questions, he gradually began to feel uneasy. He couldn't shake the feeling he was being watched.

Suddenly his ears pricked up at the sound of a foot treading on a twig. The chimera flicked his head around.....

....only to come face to face with a small child. A boy.

Zel's eyes hardened. His suspicions about being watched were correct. But what about his unease about being persecuted? It would appear he would find out soon enough.....

But if Zel was expecting the boy to run screaming from the vicinity, he was about to get the surprise of a lifetime. The boy didn't flee. Nor did he shout abusive comments at the chimera. In fact, the boy did nothing of the sort. Instead he just smiled at the chimera. It was, at once, a warm, friendly and harmless smile.

Needless to say, Zelgadis was both, at once, perplexed and suspicious. What was with this child? Why was he smiling so friendly? Why wasn't he perturbed about the chimera's cursed form?

Was this some sort of trick....?

"Hi there!" laughed the child.

He seemed a cheerful soul. And he certainly was oblivious to Zel's appearance.

And the glaring look that was written across the chimera's face!

As he was too wrapped up in his doubts, Zel did not reply. But it didn't seem to bother the kid too much.

"I'm Sam!" the kid said. "Who are you?"

Figuring he had nothing to loose, Zel answered:

"I'm Zelgadis" he murmured. "What are you doing here?"

Suddenly, The child burst out laughing.

"You're funny!" he giggled. "I like you!"

And then, before Zel could open his mouth, Sam ran off. The boy headed off into the trees and disappeared.

Zel blinked in astonishment. What was going on here? This village was getting more and more bizarre by the minute....

With a thousand questions buzzing around inside his head, Zel got to his feet and set off after Sam....

What was with this kid? Where did he come from? What was he doing here? Where was he going? Where was he leading the chimera?

And why wasn't he bothered with Zelgadis' appearance.....?

Zel's pursuit suddenly came to a grinding halt. It was then that he realised that when he met Sam, the boy didn't seem too concerned that Zelgadis was a monster. A freak. A deformation. In fact, the boy seemed quite friendly. He didn't act in a hostile manner - which was the case when Zel met someone new....

Was this a new form of acceptance.....?

Was this the first time, in a long time, that he didn't feel shunned? Neglected? Forgotten?

Was this the closest he'll ever get to true happiness?

Zel, now holding onto a firm resolve, sped off after the boy. If this was truly the nearest he'll ever get to acceptance, then who was he to refuse?

It wasn't long before Zel found himself at the edge of a small clearing within the trees. There, right in the middle of the clearing was the source of the laughing: It was a group of children dancing around in a ring. It was this ring that Sam ran up to and began chatting.

Relying upon instinct, Zelgadis immediately ducked out of sight, behind a tree. He didn't want them to see a monster. He didn't want them to run away screaming in fear.....

"Hey mister!" called a voice that sounded very much like Sam's. "Where are you?"

Zel blinked at the child's voice. But he emerge from hiding.

"We want you to play with us!"

At this comment, Zelgadis' suspicions scaled new heights. It was there and then that he was struck by a revelation. A revelation so obvious yet so clear. A revelation which answered all the questions that where burning in his mind. A revelation that made him as wary as ever.

With his hand resting firmly upon his sword hilt, Zelgadis emerged from hiding.

There, right before him, stood the group of children. They hadn't moved. They had broken from their ring and were now waiting for the chimera, smiles written across their faces.

Zel's eyes hardened. These kids were all waiting for him, smiling the most friendliest of smiles.

Yet these smiles were the type that was best suited to a mazoku than a child...

Slowly but surely, Zel advanced towards the children. His expression hardened and suspicious. But if the children noticed, they didn't show it. They just giggled at the chimera. They seemed interested in the chimera.

As Zel advanced, his mind whirled. These kids certainly showed no signs of being bothered by his appearance. They all seemed quite friendly and accommodating.

Even if they still held an aura of unease around them.

Zel blinked. These children don't seemed frightened by my cursed form. He thought. They seem....

Fascinated?

Could this be some sort of trick?

Zelgadis drew nearer towards the children...

Then it happened.

Without warning, the children all giggled at the chimera.....

Before fading away into nothingness!

Zelgadis gasped in horror, as the giggling faces faded away into mist! What was once a group of happy, laughing children had now disappeared into thin air. What was once a clearing filled with games and happiness was now as silent as a tomb.

Zel fell on his knees, shaken by what he had just seen. Those children..... they had gone. Vanished. But how? Why? What was going on here in this accursed village?

Those children.... They looked so happy. They looked so friendly. They looked so keen to meet him. They looked like his best chance of not being perceived as a monster....

But now they were gone.

Zel beat his fists upon the ground. How fickle fate can be.....

But now, his suspicions were correct. There is something very wrong in this village.

There must be some sort of evil force at work here.....


The rest of the day passed rather quickly. It wasn't long before night descended upon the abandoned village.

Amelia was still roaming around the village, still quite shaken after meeting the ghost up in the trees. Like Zel, she too was feeling extremely suspicious about this place.

An abandoned village.....

An abandoned village with a deathly aura....

An abandoned village with a deathly aura and a resident ghost!

Amelia sighed. That's it. Her mind was made up. She's getting out of here. The deserted village was unsettling enough but the presence of a ghost was a good enough excuse. No doubt about it, she's getting out of here. No question. With or without Zel.....

Then Amelia caught herself. Should she leave the village by herself? Should she leave the chimera to his fate in this accursed village? Should she leave without letting him know where she's gone?

Amelia sighed and turned away. No. She won't. Let the bastard suffer in this village. Let him pay for his cruel behaviour. Let him pay for hurting her feelings.

With a toss of her head, the princess then set about getting out of this village.

But....um..... where was the way out?

The day was coming to an end and all the natural light was evaporating with it. What was even worse was that the unnatural mist encasing the village was now growing even more thicker then before. And if that wasn't enough a cold wind was breezing it's way into this nightmarish scene.

Great. Just great. Now how was she going to find her way out of here now?!

Indeed not ready to spend the night here or to take no for an answer, Amelia pushed on her way through the mist. Sure it was thick, and her field of vision wasn't one hundred percent reliable, and she may as well be trudging on blind, but she mustn't give up or give in. She must get out of here....

But where exactly was she?

Was she even heading out of the ruins? Was she making any progress? Was she just going around in circles?

Eventually, Amelia halted. She gave up. The situation was hopeless. She can't see a thing through this forsaken mist.....

Well, what is she going to do now?

Amelia felt a cold chill run down her spine. She hated this place, she was hungry, tired, unhinged and not entirely keen on spending the night here....

But unfortunately it would appear that way....

Sighing with regret, Amelia abandoned all hope of ever escaping. Instead, she began to concentrate on finding shelter.

But what would exactly constitute as shelter in amongst these ruins.....?

Suddenly Amelia's train of thoughts was interrupted by a loud bang. The princess jumped a foot in the air.

Once she had recovered from the shock, Amelia's eyes darted left and right, trying to locate the sound of the bang. Where on earth did that loud noise come from? There wouldn't be anyone else in amongst these ruins than herself....

Would there....?

Suddenly the stillness was interrupted again by another loud bang. Amelia's eyes hardened. She could indeed identify where that noise was coming from....

It wasn't long before the princess' ears picked up a third bang. Followed by a fourth. And a fifth! Following on a chain of repetitious bangs, the princess made her way towards the noise.....

....And it wasn't long before she found herself standing before the entrance way to a coal cellar. The wooden doors had been caught in the breeze and were creating the loud bangs that were disturbing the stillness of the ghost village.

Amelia grabbed the doors and was just about the shut them up securely when she just happened to peer inside the cellar itself.

It was actually quite sturdy - surprising something that strong was still lasting in a decrepit place like this! Furthermore, it looked sheltered, it looked clean and it seemed quite comfortable. And hey, when something this good comes along, you certainly don't refuse it....

Amelia's mind was made up. Without a moment's further hesitation, she descended into the cellar and closed the entrance doors behind her.

Once she was convinced that she was safe within this newly discovered cellar, she then settled down upon it's cold floor and went to sleep. As she had a very busy day, she had no difficulty going to sleep....

But she didn't stay asleep for long! Minutes later, her eyes shot open, at the sound of a noise.

Amelia's eyes then went from tired to worried. She thought she'd heard something and it was the unmistakable sound of....

No wait. That's impossible!

Hang on.

There it is again!

She was certain that she had heard voices....

Voices speaking to her. Voices calling to her.....

From within this very cellar!

Strange. She didn't think she was alone in here....

"...Who.....Who's there?" Amelia inquired, her voice radiating with fear.


Meanwhile, Zelgadis was also finding some place to settle in for the night. His bewilderment over, and searching for, those children had drawn him to a blank wall. He searched in and amongst the ruins for the children but without success. Now he was convinced he wasn't going to see them again....

But now, what mattered was he settled down for the night, within a reliable shelter. So far he had succeeded in locating such a shelter - it was a ruined mansion, standing out from the rest of the ruins. It was one of the few buildings left standing.

Slowly the chimera made his way through the wrecked doorway, stumbling in amongst the broken pieces of wood and the debris. Slowly his eyes adjusted to the light and allowed him to view his surroundings.

He was standing in the entrance hall of the mansion. Before him stood a staircase leading up to a balcony. Garbage and rubble was strewn all about the place. Suddenly Zel gasped.

Up ahead, on one of the walls was a mirror, and in the mirrors face was....

The face of an old man?!

Zelgadis charged over to the mirror. What was this?! Another apparition?

But before Zel could lay one finger upon the mirror the face disappeared.

Zel blinked in disbelief. What was going on here? Was this village truly a home for many a ghost?! And were they toying with him - as an intruder?!

Suddenly Zel flickered towards the staircase.....

...and his jaw dropped.

There, upon the balcony marched a row of figures. They were all covered in a heavy robe and cowl, thus concealing all their features. They were all milky white and faint - So much so that they may as well have been transparent....

And what was even more disturbing was that they walked without a sound.

Zelgadis felt a shiver down his spine as he came to the one logical conclusion, at the horrors he saw before him.

It was a procession of ghosts.....

And they were now coming down the stairs.....

Towards the chimera.....


Chapter 3
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