Disclaimer: I don't own them at all. They are strictly and legally owned by Marvel and Kid's WB (which I'm hoping will bring back the show soon).

Author's Note: Hey you guys! This chapter took a little longer to write. Well, unfortunately this story is coming to an end in two chapters. Yes, two more chapters and it'll all be over. Lately, though, I think I've been reading more stories than writing and that made me angry at myself. But, once again I'm back. When I really set my mind on doing something, I do finish it though. Oh and this chapter is just a little shorter than the others, but I promise the ninth will be longer! By the way, where was everyone last chapter? I didn't receive any of your comments about it and I became worried that you guys are getting bored of this story. I sure hope not, but either way, I will finish it. I hope you are able to review this story and honestly tell me what you think, it would make me very happy! Well, anywho, enough of my babbling and on with the show! Read, Review, and *ENJOY!*

Sweet-destiny3: Hey again! Jeez, you writing that many stories has put to the challenge of trying to catch up to you - yeah, like that would ever happen! Thank you for your continued honesty and dedication. Hope this chapter doesn't disappoint - and oh, by the way, you're story made me cry but then of course reading "Do You Want To Play" had me falling off of my seat in laughter! You're nuts! Anyways, enjoy this chap!

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Fright Fest

By: pinkchick

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Chapter 8

"It looks lahke a door ta me," Rogue said, squinting in the dim light that the flashlight gave out and looked to Jean who was standing next to her, peering at the doorway. Rogue placed a black gloved hand onto her hip and tilted her head. Sighing she walked closer to the door. This was getting annoying. How in the world did they get down here to begin with anyway? She couldn't really remember. It hurt her head to remember. She just kept seeing the ghostly girl. That's it. Nothing else. Placing her gloved hand onto what looked like a doorknob, Rogue turned it.

It wouldn't budge. It was somehow stuck. Rogue huffed and pulled harder, but all of a sudden the knob gave her a shock and sent her flying backwards and into the back wall. Jean immediately ran over to her friend and placed the flashlight's light onto her figure. She widened her eyes for a second. The door had just flung Rogue back. It was as though there was some kind of shock. Jean bent down to Rogue's level and helped her sit up. "Are you ok?"

"Ah'm fahne," Rogue quickly stated. She looked at the black gloved hand that she had placed onto the doorknob and held it. She grimaced at the electrical shock that it still sent through her hand. "Ah think."

"What happened? Wasn't that a knob?" Jean asked, looking over Rogue's gloved hand to make sure she was ok. She made sure she didn't touch her bare skin in the process. Checking over her once more, she concluded that Rogue was ok, it was just some slight shock. But what?

"It is a knob, but it shocked me!" Rogue exclaimed. "It's lahke it's trahyin' ta keep us in here against our own will."

"What? The door has a mind of it's own?" Jean asked. She gulped back the fear and suspicion rising within her. Why was this happening to begin with? It was a question taunting her from the beginning. The first thing that came to her mind was that this place was haunted. But, did she really believe that? Jean had practically lived here all of her life and not once had any of these things happened before. The questions and thoughts raced through her mind like a car on a race track. They were too jumbled and she had to get back to the situation at hand; just thinking about it drove her crazy and sent her heart beating even faster than it had been before.

"Maybe," Rogue said. "Wait a minute, what am ah sayin'?" Rogue bopped herself on the forehead. What was she saying? The door could definitely not have a mind of it's own. Unless it was…possessed. She shook her head quickly. No, why was she thinking things like that. Rogue looked back up at Jean and then at the door. She decided that in a situation like this - she'll believe someone telling her that Kurt will one day become a monk.

"Let's just get out of here," Jean suggested.

"Alraght," Rogue said.

Both girls walked over to the door and Jean laid the flashlight's glaring light onto it. Jean reached for the knob, but before she could properly place her hand on it, there was a noise coming from behind them. They both turned around and their eyes widened dramatically. Jean let the flashlight slip out of her now sweating hands. They both gulped back the panic rising in their throats. Jean and Rogue both started shaking visibly, out of fear or cold, they didn't know. They backed up until their backs hit the hard stone that was the door.

The black shadow just stood there. And stared. In the dim of the light they noticed how odd looking it was. It was as if it was deformed in some way. The shadow was bulging on some sides and flat on the other. It was incredibly and uncharacteristically large. Jean and Rogue had both never before in their lives seen anything like this. They failed to move an inch or a muscle. It's as if the entire situation had them paralyzed from fear and panic floating over every inch of their bodies, even making it harder for the two girls to swallow.

The black shadow figure continued to stand there. It swayed from side to side and the flashlight's gleaming glow made it look extremely deadly. It started lurching forward a bit. It stopped immediately and glared. Jean and Rogue were still too petrified to move. Their sudden paralysis seemed to wear off and Jean and Rogue began shaking visibly in their own skin. "D-d-do you see that?" Jean asked Rogue, still staring forward blankly, in no attempt to turn to her friend and look her in the face.

"Uh-huh," Rogue stated roughly as she also continued to stare at the figure. It inched another step closer. The figure's body moved gracefully, yet ferociously in hunger across the small span of floor in front of it. Suddenly an idea struck Rogue. She curved her lips into a wry smile. "Jean," she whispered.

Jean swallowed the deep lump in her throat and turned slowly towards Rogue. "W-what is it?" Jean questioned. The fear was visible in her words and her eyes as Rogue stared at her through the dim of the flashlight.

"Ah have a plan," Rogue said and glanced at the flashlight lying mere inches away from them. "The flashlight, Jean. We need to get tha flashlight."

"I know, we also need to get out of here," Jean answered back. She took another slow glance at the black shadowy figure and nodded in determination. "Now!" There was no way in telling what the creature was intending to do. Jean and Rogue didn't want to stay here long enough to find out. They looked to each other for a split second and without even uttering a word, knew what they were about to do. At that exact moment, Jean wished she could have used her telepathy. Even her telekinesis wasn't working. She sighed and closed her eyes. Fearing of the worst, horrible images flashed through her mind and she immediately snapped her eyes open again. She couldn't zone out and think like that at a bad time like this. Not when she and Rogue needed a quick exit out of this place.

"Ah'll create a distraction, while you head for tha flashlaght," Rogue said. Jean nodded. Rogue was about to say something else when the creature lurched forward suddenly, inching very close to the two girls. In the distance, and also very near, the two girls thought they heard a loud rumble and deafening screams that eventually died out as the silence came back and hung over the room. Rogue and Jean turned towards each other with fear, concern, and most of all, suspicion in their eyes. Their hearts started pounding and they both nodded at each other.

"Are ya ready?" Rogue asked, her voice still below what was a whisper.

"Yeah." Jean nodded. "On three, ok. One." Jean bent down and got ready to lung for the flashlight, her body shaking from nervousness. The black shadow was now only mere inches away from them.

"Two," Rogue said, taking a quick glance at where the flashlight was laying and then gave a fearful glance towards the creature in front of her. Shaking away her fear, she got ready to execute her plan. She slowly peeled off the black glove on her right hand and narrowed her eyes, forgetting everything except her mission.

"THREE!" Jean and Rogue shouted simultaneously. Jean immediately reached for the flashlight and she was a few centimeters away from grabbing it when it moved. It just moved, just like that. Jean reached for it again, but it moved away from her reach yet again. She looked up at the black figure that was looming over her. It had what seemed to look like a wicked devilish grin on it's dark and hideous features. The figure was turned away from Rogue. Apparently, it was focusing all of it's attention on keeping the flashlight away from Jean. She tried to grab for it once more, but to no avail whatsoever.

Rogue smiled for the first time that night. They were actually getting somewhere. Maybe if she could just reach for the figure and attempt to touch it - although she highly doubted that it would do any good - things would be a little better. After all, how much more worse could it get?

"Rogue!" Jean called from the floor. "I can't get the flashlight!" She pointed towards the black figure, who was still trying to get the flashlight away from Jean. "It's. Not. Letting. Me." Jean, in one last attempt, finally grabbed it, but it shocked her and sent her back towards the door to where she had been standing before. She grimaced and held her stomach in pain.

Rogue watched the scene unfold before her in horror. That was it. That was the last straw. Rogue felt the rage build within her and she jumped forward in a last attempt to touch the black figure that was trying with all it's might to keep them contained within this room. "No one messes with the Rogue!" she shouted at before reaching her hand out to touch it. Closing her eyes, she waited for the impact of the physical contact to reach her. It never came. To Rogue's dismay, her hand went right through the black shadow figure and Rogue landed with a hard thud against the cold and dusty floor. She got up and moved towards where Jean was sitting. She placed her black glove back on immediately.

"This is not good," she muttered to her. Jean nodded. The black figure smiled and lifted the flashlight from the ground. Before their own eyes, Jean and Rogue watched as it lurched it towards them. They both ducked away in time. The flashlight landed right beside them with a resounding crack. The light disappeared and they were shrouded in darkness once again. Unfortunately, this night could get a lot worse.

Unbeknownst to Rogue and Jean, the black shadow creature moved towards them. It took it's time, there was definitely no need to rush these things. It's now large protruded body swayed back and forth with it, not noticing the extra weight. In fact, the figure enjoyed it. Nothing was more satisfactory than doing it's job and it had definitely succeeded before. Now, the figure only had a few more steps to victory. The dark side would win again. At that thought, the black shadow figure advanced more quickly. At first, it pondered why the two girls were so quiet. But then again, they were probably paralyzed with utter fear. That was what the black shadow wanted. It was perfect.

As Jean and Rogue heard the figure creeping closer and closer, they both clung to each other for dear life. This was it, the end. They wouldn't even have the chance to say good bye to anyone. Never be able to see anyone again. The room was more deathly silent than ever. Each of them could hear their own breaths and panting. Their hearts pumped back and forth within their chests as if it were ready to explode. Sweat trickled down their face in tantalizing fear and the question of: what if? Jean and Rogue tried to slow down their breathing. They strained to hear the shadow figure, but it's movements were very slow and creepy. The two girls thought this was like some bad movie. Their doom was waiting at the corner and they were powerless to stop it.

Jean and Rogue both clenched their eyes tightly shut and waited for it. They didn't know what the figure was going to do with them, but they knew that it wasn't good. Anything that looked that evil did not want to invite them out to lunch. It felt as though they were waiting there for eternity. Their end never came. Instead a sudden flash of light filtered the room and Jean and Rogue opened their eyes slowly. That was odd. The black shadow figure was no longer there. It had just vanished. Jean looked over to where the flashlight was still laying and noticed that it was still broken and lightless. Jean widened her eyes in disbelief. If the flashlight was broken, where on earth was the light coming from?

Jean and Rogue sat up from their huddled position and looked around the small room. They glanced around a hundred times to take in the same surroundings that hadn't changed from a second ago. Then, they glanced at each other. "What happened?" Rogue asked, puzzled at what was going on.

"I honestly don't know," Jean answered back. She was just as confused as Rogue was. There were so many unanswered questions and they didn't even know where to begin. In a rush of panic Jean tried to reach out to Scott or anyone telepathically, but nothing happened. They were stuck here without anyone or any help, and no hope of getting out. Slowly, the two girls started to get up. Before they could though, the black shadow appeared out of nowhere and swept around the huddled teens quickly. Rogue and Jean screamed at the top of their lungs, but they were drowned out.

The black shadow kept circling them until it could smell and taste everything of their being - including their fear. The girls continued screaming because that was all that they could do; they were helpless. Another sound came from somewhere else in the room. It was another entity. The only thing that noticed was the shadow. It stopped circling Jean and Rogue and turned to stare at the new arrival. It unraveled it's evil from around the girls and faced the other presence completely. It was the ghostly girl, standing a few feet from the shadow with a glare that could kill.

Jean and Rogue stopped screaming and looked past the figure to see something else standing there. No, it was someone else. The girl they had seen in the kitchen stood there looking eerily as usual, but more so. The girls watched as the two figures had what seemed like a staring contest. The ghostly girl narrowed her eyes at the shadow and stepped forward. The shadow did the exact same. All Jean and Rogue could do was stare. They tried to get up, but something was holding them back. They couldn't figure out what it was, nor did they want to know. The black shadow and the young girl continued just staring at each other, as though they had the rest of eternity to do it.

The young girl seemed to contort her face into a sardonic stare and with an evil glare and one look back at Jean and Rogue, the black shadow disappeared without a trace that it was ever there. Jean and Rogue took a deep breath and looked at the ghostly girl. Their horror stricken faces didn't hid much, they were scared out of their wits. It was just getting to the point where lack of understanding and fear combined into one. The young girl just stared at them at first. Then, she started floating towards them. The closer she got the more Jean and Rogue clung to each other for safety. They had to get out of there, and quickly.

Whatever was holding them back had released it's hold and the two teens jumped up and turned to the door behind them. Jean reached for it first, but paused. She didn't want to turn the knob for fear of getting shocked like Rogue had. But, it was a risk she was willing to make. Anything to get out f here and to safety. Rogue kept her eyes focused on the girl that was seemingly inching closer and closing the distance between them. "Jean, what are ya waiting for?" Rogue cried out.

"I'm trying!" Jean gritted her teeth and pulled with all her might. "The door's not opening!" She wished she could have used her telekinesis right about now. That was hopeless and she had to focus on trying to get out like a normal person. Even that wasn't working at the moment.

"Jean!" Rogue exclaimed. "Hurry!" The girl moved closer and closer. When she was close enough, she let out her hand for them to take. Rogue immediately backed away and turned to Jean who was still struggling with the door.

"I've almost got it," Jean said and pulled one final time. The doorknob finally turned and the door opened with a very loud creak. Jean and Rogue gave each other high fives, but their joy wouldn't last for long. As the door was pushed open to it's full extent, the ground started rumbling beneath them. Rocks and pieces of the ceiling quickly started falling around them and formed a barrier between them and the ghostly girl. The girl was still extending her hand and looking at them. The features on her face softened, but Jean and Rogue were still scared of her.

The floor ricocheted beneath them and started to break apart. "Let's move!" Jean shouted over the loud crashing of debris and rocks around them. With one last glance at the ghostly girl, Jean and Rogue started to make their way out. The young girl smiled and disappeared as quickly as she had come. Just as Jean and Rogue stepped beyond the door, the entire room collapsed behind them. They had no time to see the door close behind them and the light disappear as they realized that there was nothing beyond the door but darkness. Quickly trying to step back, their backs hit the door. The door started to melt away on impact as Jean and Rogue screamed in terror. Everything was covered in darkness as they took a step away from the mysteriously melting door only to find there was nothing there to hold them in place. They fell into nothingness below only leaving their screams echoing behind them. The rain collapsed harder onto the ground and the thunder seemed to rumble in a satisfactory reply.