A/N: Guys! WARNING!! This is the last chapter that will be in PG 13, and I
will leave this here for about four days before changing to R, okay? I have
received a few suggestions that the rating should be raised, and I'm
obliging, so PLEASE STILL REVIEW! Thanks, me and Katie love youz all!
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Okay now, when Paul walked through that fire? Hey, just dandy, no problem. Me? Yeah, I unfortunately, was a slightly different story. That fire BURNT! Not, like, how real fire would burn, but just really, really sore. I could feel every inch of my body screaming in protest at the sudden, scorching, blistering orange inferno that was sliding up my legs, but not quite charring my skin, or anything. I seemed to be physically protected, just not from the pain. In my panting, something that I had desperately been trying to do, more willingly than screaming at the tops of my lungs, I turned to see that Jesse was right behind me.
'It hurts, doesn't it?' he said softly, his eyes hollow.
I didn't credit him with an answer, just glared. It was so painful, to see his face then. There wasn't any compassion etched in his face, only evil. I'm serious. He truly looked plain evil.
So, there I was, surrounded my a searing blaze, and nothing else, as far as I knew, except the sky above which was identical to the previous chamber's. A mad, cursed ghost was behind me, and presumably, a mad, bad ass ghost was ahead of me. It wasn't the most soothing situation, you know?
It was weird, just about then, as I was stepping over what looked like coal scattered over the glassy floor, that was black with soot, may I add, that I suddenly felt it. It was a burst of energy within me, around the pit of my stomach. I felt fuller, somehow, more whole, stronger. It wasn't as if this strength was motivated, so what gives? But, hey, I SO wasn't complaining. I remained quiet, except for my gusty breaths, trudging through the fire that seemed to go on and on and on . . .
'Suze!' rang out a voice. I saw Paul, standing there, on what looked like a platform. He wasn't being burnt to a crisp. Well, I wasn't, but . . . well, it was hurting a lot, so shut up.
I still glared at him. I couldn't believe that the person standing there, with his mop of dark brown curls, his long, khakis, a very flattering top, and his pale eyes, was a demon. No, on second thought, I could. But I couldn't believe that the person BEHIND me was one. I mean, how had he become on so fast, if he was only cursed not so long ago? Cursed just before-
He'd stabbed me. Jesse Da Silva had stabbed me.
Whenever I thought about it, even now, it still hit me hard. I mean, I'd been totally in love with him, and goes around, and pops me a blade? A Ghost Hunter's Knife, no less. Which brought me to ask . . .
'Paul, a question,' I said savagely, as he helped me onto this platform, which was higher than I thought it was. He grasped my hand, and pulled me up, and kind of into him, but this was no time for any making out, or anything. It felt so good to be out of that fire. Sure, it was still muggy, but I was out of the fire, right?
'Ask away,' he said, and kind of coughed as Jesse joined us, glowering. He seized me hand, but didn't technically pull me away from Paul, which I took to be consent for me to continue to converse with Mr Slater.
'When Bozo himself here stabbed me with that knife,' I said quietly, jerking my head at Jesse, who was looking around, his eyebrows low and angry, 'Why did I just die, and not, like, get wiped off the face of the earth, and all? You know, from existence, I should say.'
He raised an eyebrow. 'It's pretty obvious, isn't it Suze?'
'Nup,' I replied, and looked cautiously at Jesse, who was now gazing intensely across the fire chamber, 'Care to shed your wisdom?'
He smirked, and I saw that his eyes were still remarkably dark, but not totally black. I looked away from them. 'Well, you weren't a ghost, so it acted as a normal knife. However, if Bozo, as you refer to him as, was to do it again, you would, as you say, be wiped of the face of the earth.'
'Oh,' was all I said. 'But what if-'
Jesse jerked me forward. 'We are going this way,' he grunted, lugging me to follow him, Paul strolling along behind. Again, Jesse set me down in the flames. Instantly, the pain shot up my legs again. I inhaled a sharp breath, and squeezed Jesse's hand really tightly, against the pain. Paul was looking at me sympathetically.
'Da Silva,' he said, 'You think that you should Carry- uh, Susannah? She hasn't been a ghost for very long, and-'
'Neither have you,' pointed out Jesse, not very politely.
'Yes, but I'm a demon, as you know so well by now. Suze- I mean, Susannah, isn't. You've been a ghost for a while, centennial boy, and she's knew to the whole-'
'Paul shut your mouth if you intend on keeping all your teeth,' growled Jesse, still pulling my towards the end of this chamber, which seemed too far away for my liking. For a split second, I almost felt proud of Jesse, when he said that. It was something that I would have been more likely to say. I flatter myself to say that he learn his modern lingo from the best, but that would be going to far. However, when he turned and basically pushed me down into the fire, as if to defy what Paul had said all together, I didn't feel so proud. I mean, it plain HURTS, you know!
I bit my lip hard. It was all I could do from yelling blue murder. Jesse, momentarily satisfied with the way that Paul paled, pulled me back up, his hand still firmly clasped around my wrist. It was about then, I'd say, when I felt the second spurt of energy. It was kind of like a mild gunfire within me. I, again, felt stronger, like I could break rock. The fire was starting to ease up, too.
Okay, I was getting a bit high and mighty, when a saw it. It was just a flash of back that I dismissed to be my imagination. However, when I saw it the second time, what appeared to be a long, rapidly moving black pipe, I kind of got a bit worried.
'What was that?' I asked plainly. I mean, I wasn't scared, just curious.
'What was what, Suze?' asked Paul in my ear, as Jesse had made no indication to reply. We were almost at what looked like a door, now, when, for the third time, I saw a glimpse of black among the fire.
'That,' I said, pointing at where it had been. Paul squinted, and replied, 'There's nothing there, Suze.' I frowned, because there WAS.
Okay, he ended up believing me when this thing coiled a long, scaly black tail around my leg, and slid my from between the two guys. I yelled, as I felt myself being dragged across hot coal. The tail thing was wrapped firmly around my leg, and was drawing me towards what looked like a huge, black fireplace. That was when I panicked.
'JESSE! PAUL! GET YOUR ASSES HERE!' I roared, flipping like, crazy, the fire searing on my skin . . .
That was when the tail thing got way over excited, and lifted me up. UP- SIDE DOWN! Like, oh my God, Paul was going to see my knickers! Ew! I struggled to conceal my underwear, but realized I had bigger problems when the black tentacle was actually pulling me into that fireplace! It didn't connect before, that just because we were going near there that we were going IN. Well, I freaked. I began to thrash so violently that the owner of the tentacle felt it necessary to send out another one.
'Shit,' was all I said. Now, this was more like it. I was finally getting back some of my coolness, and wasn't such a nervous wreck any more. I mean, so what, Jesse raped me, big deal? I'll get over it.
Paul was below me, trying to grab my foot whenever I got near enough, and, most disgustingly, had full view to up my skirt, which was just wrong, but I tried not to think about that, you know. And Jesse was just standing on the platform, watching me, a smirk pasted on that illegally hot Latino face, that was looking so sickly entertained. It was appalling, really.
Okay, when I felt another tentacle thing wrap around my stomach, I got pissed off. I snatched up the tentacle around my waist, and, being all resourceful, slipped out one of my hair slides. It was one of my butterfly ones, that I guess I'd forgotten to take out, but the edge was adequately sharp. I pressed it against the scales, then, in one blow, plunged it into the constricting tale.
From within the depths of the fireplace, I heard an inhuman shriek. Then again, this thing wasn't exactly human in the first place, so I shouldn't have been as startled as I was. That tentacle promptly released me, green blood seeping out of where I'd most disgustingly inserted my hair clip.
Uh, now this was the weird bit, so brace yourself. Paul, yes, Paul, FLEW up, and stabbed the tentacles around my legs with that Ghost Hunter's Knife! But the point was, he FLEW! Defied the laws of gravity, and everything, and just seemed to be thinking his flight, rather than actually using any energy to propel himself up so he was eye-level with me the way he was. Now, in my opinion, that was the most freaky thing.
Yeah, so the tentacles kind of shrank away with more embarrassing squeals on the thing's part, resulting in my falling, unfortunately, right into Paul's waiting arms. Mind you, it was a heck of a lot more appealing than landing in the arms of Mr Da Silva, in his current state, and even more appealing than landing in the ominous fire. I panted, as Paul wrapped his arms around my legs and my back, and flew to the ground, not at all affected by the fire that was knee-height to him.
I was still catching my breath, when Jesse said threateningly, 'Put her down, Slater.' Paul did so with undue urgency, the outcome being my falling into the fire.
'Jeez, watch the merchandise,' I snapped at him, and scrambled painfully to my feet. I saw that my legs were starting to get all red and puffy, which irritated me very much so.
'What's the good of being a ghost if I'm not immune to pain?' I asked grumpily.
'Well, that was the Serpent, and it affects everyone, despite their status or form. So, basically,' he said, misreading my blank expression, 'it hurts ghosts too.'
'Uh, Paul, last time I heard, snakes? Yeah, they only have one tale,' I scowled at him. Jesse chuckled darkly, causing the flames to flicker in a way that didn't serve to soothe me.
'Susannah, Slater, come,' he said. Okay, for one freaky, utterly alarming moment, I thought he said Susannah Slater! As if, like, I was married to Paul! It dawned on my after five seconds that they were separate references, and I remained quiet.
'So, how do we get out of here?' I asked, my hands on my hips. I do not like being freaked out, let me assure you.
Paul and Jesse exchanged dark looks, which were different to the common loathing ones they frequently provided each other with.
'Well, unfortunately, Suze- I mean, Susannah,' Paul corrected himself hastily under Jesse's low growl, 'there are only two ways to get into this room.'
I didn't get him. 'Yeah, the way we came, and?' I asked expectantly.
Paul went to break it to me easily, but Jesse, who was enjoying my ignorance, said, 'Think, Susannah. Think real hard.'
I frowned, crossing my arms. His taunting voice still acted to make me feel very unsafe. His tones were no longer reassuring and loving, but now snide and, well . . .
Evil.
Looking around, I saw the door that we'd come in by, and saw the fireplace where this mysterious "Serpent" dwelt, but no other openings. I voiced this fact, and Jesse started laughing.
'What is so funny?' I wanted to know, glaring. Then my heart stopped entirely.
The fireplace . . .
No WAY!
'Yeah, Suze,' said Paul softly, as if reading my thoughts, 'Sorry.'
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Okay now, when Paul walked through that fire? Hey, just dandy, no problem. Me? Yeah, I unfortunately, was a slightly different story. That fire BURNT! Not, like, how real fire would burn, but just really, really sore. I could feel every inch of my body screaming in protest at the sudden, scorching, blistering orange inferno that was sliding up my legs, but not quite charring my skin, or anything. I seemed to be physically protected, just not from the pain. In my panting, something that I had desperately been trying to do, more willingly than screaming at the tops of my lungs, I turned to see that Jesse was right behind me.
'It hurts, doesn't it?' he said softly, his eyes hollow.
I didn't credit him with an answer, just glared. It was so painful, to see his face then. There wasn't any compassion etched in his face, only evil. I'm serious. He truly looked plain evil.
So, there I was, surrounded my a searing blaze, and nothing else, as far as I knew, except the sky above which was identical to the previous chamber's. A mad, cursed ghost was behind me, and presumably, a mad, bad ass ghost was ahead of me. It wasn't the most soothing situation, you know?
It was weird, just about then, as I was stepping over what looked like coal scattered over the glassy floor, that was black with soot, may I add, that I suddenly felt it. It was a burst of energy within me, around the pit of my stomach. I felt fuller, somehow, more whole, stronger. It wasn't as if this strength was motivated, so what gives? But, hey, I SO wasn't complaining. I remained quiet, except for my gusty breaths, trudging through the fire that seemed to go on and on and on . . .
'Suze!' rang out a voice. I saw Paul, standing there, on what looked like a platform. He wasn't being burnt to a crisp. Well, I wasn't, but . . . well, it was hurting a lot, so shut up.
I still glared at him. I couldn't believe that the person standing there, with his mop of dark brown curls, his long, khakis, a very flattering top, and his pale eyes, was a demon. No, on second thought, I could. But I couldn't believe that the person BEHIND me was one. I mean, how had he become on so fast, if he was only cursed not so long ago? Cursed just before-
He'd stabbed me. Jesse Da Silva had stabbed me.
Whenever I thought about it, even now, it still hit me hard. I mean, I'd been totally in love with him, and goes around, and pops me a blade? A Ghost Hunter's Knife, no less. Which brought me to ask . . .
'Paul, a question,' I said savagely, as he helped me onto this platform, which was higher than I thought it was. He grasped my hand, and pulled me up, and kind of into him, but this was no time for any making out, or anything. It felt so good to be out of that fire. Sure, it was still muggy, but I was out of the fire, right?
'Ask away,' he said, and kind of coughed as Jesse joined us, glowering. He seized me hand, but didn't technically pull me away from Paul, which I took to be consent for me to continue to converse with Mr Slater.
'When Bozo himself here stabbed me with that knife,' I said quietly, jerking my head at Jesse, who was looking around, his eyebrows low and angry, 'Why did I just die, and not, like, get wiped off the face of the earth, and all? You know, from existence, I should say.'
He raised an eyebrow. 'It's pretty obvious, isn't it Suze?'
'Nup,' I replied, and looked cautiously at Jesse, who was now gazing intensely across the fire chamber, 'Care to shed your wisdom?'
He smirked, and I saw that his eyes were still remarkably dark, but not totally black. I looked away from them. 'Well, you weren't a ghost, so it acted as a normal knife. However, if Bozo, as you refer to him as, was to do it again, you would, as you say, be wiped of the face of the earth.'
'Oh,' was all I said. 'But what if-'
Jesse jerked me forward. 'We are going this way,' he grunted, lugging me to follow him, Paul strolling along behind. Again, Jesse set me down in the flames. Instantly, the pain shot up my legs again. I inhaled a sharp breath, and squeezed Jesse's hand really tightly, against the pain. Paul was looking at me sympathetically.
'Da Silva,' he said, 'You think that you should Carry- uh, Susannah? She hasn't been a ghost for very long, and-'
'Neither have you,' pointed out Jesse, not very politely.
'Yes, but I'm a demon, as you know so well by now. Suze- I mean, Susannah, isn't. You've been a ghost for a while, centennial boy, and she's knew to the whole-'
'Paul shut your mouth if you intend on keeping all your teeth,' growled Jesse, still pulling my towards the end of this chamber, which seemed too far away for my liking. For a split second, I almost felt proud of Jesse, when he said that. It was something that I would have been more likely to say. I flatter myself to say that he learn his modern lingo from the best, but that would be going to far. However, when he turned and basically pushed me down into the fire, as if to defy what Paul had said all together, I didn't feel so proud. I mean, it plain HURTS, you know!
I bit my lip hard. It was all I could do from yelling blue murder. Jesse, momentarily satisfied with the way that Paul paled, pulled me back up, his hand still firmly clasped around my wrist. It was about then, I'd say, when I felt the second spurt of energy. It was kind of like a mild gunfire within me. I, again, felt stronger, like I could break rock. The fire was starting to ease up, too.
Okay, I was getting a bit high and mighty, when a saw it. It was just a flash of back that I dismissed to be my imagination. However, when I saw it the second time, what appeared to be a long, rapidly moving black pipe, I kind of got a bit worried.
'What was that?' I asked plainly. I mean, I wasn't scared, just curious.
'What was what, Suze?' asked Paul in my ear, as Jesse had made no indication to reply. We were almost at what looked like a door, now, when, for the third time, I saw a glimpse of black among the fire.
'That,' I said, pointing at where it had been. Paul squinted, and replied, 'There's nothing there, Suze.' I frowned, because there WAS.
Okay, he ended up believing me when this thing coiled a long, scaly black tail around my leg, and slid my from between the two guys. I yelled, as I felt myself being dragged across hot coal. The tail thing was wrapped firmly around my leg, and was drawing me towards what looked like a huge, black fireplace. That was when I panicked.
'JESSE! PAUL! GET YOUR ASSES HERE!' I roared, flipping like, crazy, the fire searing on my skin . . .
That was when the tail thing got way over excited, and lifted me up. UP- SIDE DOWN! Like, oh my God, Paul was going to see my knickers! Ew! I struggled to conceal my underwear, but realized I had bigger problems when the black tentacle was actually pulling me into that fireplace! It didn't connect before, that just because we were going near there that we were going IN. Well, I freaked. I began to thrash so violently that the owner of the tentacle felt it necessary to send out another one.
'Shit,' was all I said. Now, this was more like it. I was finally getting back some of my coolness, and wasn't such a nervous wreck any more. I mean, so what, Jesse raped me, big deal? I'll get over it.
Paul was below me, trying to grab my foot whenever I got near enough, and, most disgustingly, had full view to up my skirt, which was just wrong, but I tried not to think about that, you know. And Jesse was just standing on the platform, watching me, a smirk pasted on that illegally hot Latino face, that was looking so sickly entertained. It was appalling, really.
Okay, when I felt another tentacle thing wrap around my stomach, I got pissed off. I snatched up the tentacle around my waist, and, being all resourceful, slipped out one of my hair slides. It was one of my butterfly ones, that I guess I'd forgotten to take out, but the edge was adequately sharp. I pressed it against the scales, then, in one blow, plunged it into the constricting tale.
From within the depths of the fireplace, I heard an inhuman shriek. Then again, this thing wasn't exactly human in the first place, so I shouldn't have been as startled as I was. That tentacle promptly released me, green blood seeping out of where I'd most disgustingly inserted my hair clip.
Uh, now this was the weird bit, so brace yourself. Paul, yes, Paul, FLEW up, and stabbed the tentacles around my legs with that Ghost Hunter's Knife! But the point was, he FLEW! Defied the laws of gravity, and everything, and just seemed to be thinking his flight, rather than actually using any energy to propel himself up so he was eye-level with me the way he was. Now, in my opinion, that was the most freaky thing.
Yeah, so the tentacles kind of shrank away with more embarrassing squeals on the thing's part, resulting in my falling, unfortunately, right into Paul's waiting arms. Mind you, it was a heck of a lot more appealing than landing in the arms of Mr Da Silva, in his current state, and even more appealing than landing in the ominous fire. I panted, as Paul wrapped his arms around my legs and my back, and flew to the ground, not at all affected by the fire that was knee-height to him.
I was still catching my breath, when Jesse said threateningly, 'Put her down, Slater.' Paul did so with undue urgency, the outcome being my falling into the fire.
'Jeez, watch the merchandise,' I snapped at him, and scrambled painfully to my feet. I saw that my legs were starting to get all red and puffy, which irritated me very much so.
'What's the good of being a ghost if I'm not immune to pain?' I asked grumpily.
'Well, that was the Serpent, and it affects everyone, despite their status or form. So, basically,' he said, misreading my blank expression, 'it hurts ghosts too.'
'Uh, Paul, last time I heard, snakes? Yeah, they only have one tale,' I scowled at him. Jesse chuckled darkly, causing the flames to flicker in a way that didn't serve to soothe me.
'Susannah, Slater, come,' he said. Okay, for one freaky, utterly alarming moment, I thought he said Susannah Slater! As if, like, I was married to Paul! It dawned on my after five seconds that they were separate references, and I remained quiet.
'So, how do we get out of here?' I asked, my hands on my hips. I do not like being freaked out, let me assure you.
Paul and Jesse exchanged dark looks, which were different to the common loathing ones they frequently provided each other with.
'Well, unfortunately, Suze- I mean, Susannah,' Paul corrected himself hastily under Jesse's low growl, 'there are only two ways to get into this room.'
I didn't get him. 'Yeah, the way we came, and?' I asked expectantly.
Paul went to break it to me easily, but Jesse, who was enjoying my ignorance, said, 'Think, Susannah. Think real hard.'
I frowned, crossing my arms. His taunting voice still acted to make me feel very unsafe. His tones were no longer reassuring and loving, but now snide and, well . . .
Evil.
Looking around, I saw the door that we'd come in by, and saw the fireplace where this mysterious "Serpent" dwelt, but no other openings. I voiced this fact, and Jesse started laughing.
'What is so funny?' I wanted to know, glaring. Then my heart stopped entirely.
The fireplace . . .
No WAY!
'Yeah, Suze,' said Paul softly, as if reading my thoughts, 'Sorry.'