AN: Ack! I'm putting up another chapter before Big Brother Newsies Style ends! I must have way too much free time…but that's okay! I lurve you guys anyway…Yes. Lurve.^__^

In answer to the slash question, in my suspense fics, I usually use you-decide-if-it's-slash. That way, I don't cut out on any readers' enjoyment (remaining neutral, that is), and it really could go either way. But, if you want my opinion…well, look at Big Brother Newsies Stlye. Hey, and who knows…I think this story has great promise with Specs/Dutchy. Just maybe. We'll have to wait and see.  

                                                                                                                                               

Mush

We got back that evening after selling, and surprisingly, Kloppman wasn't waiting at the counter to make sure we signed in and paid. Instead, he was sitting back in the office, a stack of papers in front of him. They looked like letters, but I couldn't be sure.

Even more interesting was when Specs and Dutchy came in for the night. They stood outside for about fifteen minutes and appeared to be arguing- something they never did- until Dutchy finally dragged a reluctant Specs through the door. Specs was acting more like Skittery- nervous, jumpy, even irritable. And when Kloppman saw him come in, he seemed to concentrate all the more on those letters.

"Somethin' weird is goin' on." I said to Blink in a hushed whisper. He just nodded, watching as Specs sat down against a wall and watched the poker game with disinterest.

"Ever since dat stupid séance…" Blink muttered. "I should soak Jack for dat."

"At least Skittery's been sleepin' well." I said with a shrug. Skittery didn't seem to change at all. It was just that Dutch speaking episode, and then nothing. Or so it seemed, anyway.

But that didn't last.

"Skitts, are you payin' attention? Do ya call or raise?" I heard Race say over the din.

"Houd je rots moel!"  

Everyone fell silent. Because Skittery looked really pissed at Race, and he had just spoken in Dutch.

"Dutchy…what did he say to me?" Race asked.

"He told you to shut the hell up." Dutchy whispered as Skittery looked down at the table, his hands shaking and his eyes closed tightly.

After a few moments he looked up again, straight at Dutchy. They had a short conversation in Dutch, while we all watched in shock. Kloppman had come out of the office and was now watching in fear, his arms clamped tightly around himself.

Skittery suddenly got up, speaking as he did so. "Hoeran jong!"

Dutchy hastily translated that as 'son of a bitch' to us, and we all held our breath as Skittery made his way over to Specs. Specs stood and started for the door, but Skittery grabbed his arm and held him back. We all waited, interested as to where this was going. We were sure this had to be one of Skittery's pranks or something. It couldn't be real.

"Mooi…m'n beminde." He began, and Dutchy's face gave away his confusion as he translated to us.

"He just called Specs beautiful. His beloved."

Skittery continued, unphased by Specs' obvious terror. "Ik begrijp het niet…Ik geliefde je."

"He says he doesn't understand…he loved you." Dutchy said, his voice rising in pitch by the second. Specs tried to pull away from his captor, but it was no use. And we were all too scared to move.

"Komen feruggaan mij. Alsjeblieff."

"Come back to me. Please."

Then, quite suddenly, Skittery kissed him. No hesitation, nothing. He just leaned forward and kissed him.

This certainly got a reaction from us. Blink and I leaped forward and pulled Skittery off of him, but Skittery suddenly went limp in our arms. He was unconscious. Specs fell back against the wall, raising a trembling hand to his lips. Dutchy ran over to him, holding him up and gently leading him outside to sit down on the stairs.

I looked at Blink, knowing we were both thinking the same thing.

What the hell just happened?

Dutchy

            Specs was absolutely terrified, even though he was out of the lodging house. He kept looking nervously back at the door, as if expecting Skittery to come back for him, still possessed.

            "He was so cold, Dutchy…like her…" he said, his voice weak.

            "I think it was her. She's using him ta get to you."

            "But why me?"  

            "I…I don't know."

            The sound of the door opening behind us made Specs jump, but it was just Kloppman.

            "Are you okay, Specs?" he asked, and Specs nodded.

            "Do you know anything about dis?" I asked Kloppman, and he hesitated and then shook his head.

            "I don't. I'm sorry."

            With that, he left. And I knew he was lying. I could tell just by the look on his face that he was lying. I heard him yelling to everyone inside that it was time for lights out, time to get some sleep.

            "I'll take you ta David's house. Dey'll let ya stay there." I said, helping Specs to his feet.

            "No…I don't wanna be alone." He insisted. I just laughed.

            "David will be there."

            "No. I don't need David. I need you." He said forcefully, and I was taken aback. "Please, Dutchy? You're the only one…who understands."

            "Sure, Specs."

Blink

            Somehow, I got to sleep. I don't know how- many of us couldn't sleep after all that. But I guess since I hadn't been directly involved in all the mayhem, it was easier to think I would stay uninvolved.

            I was wrong if I thought that.

            I woke up to my sheet being tugged down off my body, and thinking it was just the wind, I pulled it back up, rolling over and drifting off again. Then it happened again, and this time, I opened my eyes. And I immediately wished I hadn't.

            On the foot of my bed sat a girl. Maybe a woman- it was hard to tell in the dark. Her eyes were piercing and her skin a pale white, with a skeletal appearance and thin, greasy looking blond hair that hung like a shroud around her face. She smiled, and what teeth she had left smeared in blood.

            "Heee, Lekker ding..." She hissed, and that's when I found my voice. And believe me, when I screamed, it could've woken all the dead, not just that one.

            I tried to get away, ending up tangling my feet in my sheet and tumbling off the top bunk to land with a loud thud between Race's and Snipeshooter's. They were both awake- well, everyone was awake by now- and they helped me to my feet and I made a run for the washroom. I promptly threw up, the image of that disgusting…creature…still fresh in my mind.

            "Blink, what's wrong? What happened?" Mush asked.

            "It was a dead person! I swear, Mush, I swear on my right eye she was dead!" I shrieked, putting my face in my hands and trying to block the picture from memory. But I didn't want to block what she'd said. I needed to remember that, to ask Dutchy.

            "Where's Dutchy?" I demanded before he could say any more, and he pointed out into the bunkroom. I ran up to Dutchy, grabbing him by the shoulders and shaking him as I spoke, even though I didn't mean to.

            "She was talkin' ta me in Dutch! At least…I think it was Dutch!" I said, and he pushed my hands off his shoulders.

            "What did she say?" he asked. By now, everyone was listening.

            "She said…heee, lekker ding. Somethin' like dat."

            Dutchy gave me a skeptical look. "Are you sure?"

            "Yes, I's sure! Believe me, I remembah! What does it mean?"

            "It means, 'Hey sexy'."

            I could feel the blood draining from my face. "Are you sure?"

            "Well, I am Dutch, you know."

            "Hell, no! Hell, no!" I said over and over, pacing the bunkroom. First Specs, now me?

            Mush grabbed me and stopped my frantic pacing, and I just kept shaking my head. There was no way. I was not getting called 'sexy' by some dead ghost chick!

            "What do we do?" Race asked, for the first time seeming actually concerned.

            No one had an answer. What could we do?

                                                                                                                                               

AN: I love my GoingInsane!Blink. He's very fun. And he has good lines. Yesh, I luvvles him a whole lot. And in the next chapter, more mysteries are solved, more mysteries arise to take their place, and the stakes are raised…