She's Got the Jack
Adara swooshed outside Casper's room at the appointed time, having waited till the wee hours of the morning when both the other humans - and hopefully the older ghosts - were asleep, or better yet, out of the house.
She found him, floating above his bed with a book in his hands. Not wanting to scare him, she tapped on the window and called his name. His eyes got big and he leaped up, flinging the book in the air. It fell to the bed.
"Hey, Kel!" he blurted out enthusiastically, glad to see her. "I was hoping you'd show up! My uncles have been talking about you all day." He rolled his eyes. Kelli was more than curious. Unconsciously folding her arms, she said,
"What have they been saying?"
He blushed. "You don't wanna know."
Kelli smirked, but blushed herself. "I get the idea." She swept up to the toy train track and sat down. "Are they here now? Or are they out?"
Casper sat beside her on his train. "Don't worry, you're safe for now." he smiled. He had the most charming little smile. She'd love to see this kid grown up. "Ok, here's what I wanted to tell you in the store earlier but couldn't..." He proceeded to describe the sledding night where he'd gotten frostbite and hypothermia, much like he'd told Kat a few months ago. She couldn't help but feel sorry for him. "When Kat and Dr. Harvey came to live here, it changed my afterlife." He chuckled. "This is my old room, and Kat fixed it up. You wouldn't have even recognized it before...even I didn't recognize it until I went up to the attic and found my old sled. Then everything came back to me." He gazed out the window at the ocean. Kelli smiled and said,
"You know, maybe I could fix up your Uncles' room."
Casper laughed out loud. He actually did summersaults in midair. "They'd be in therapy with Dr. Harvey for the rest of their afterlife if you did that!" He laughed some more.
"I take it they like things dirty and disorderly?" Kelli confirmed, understanding sinking in.
Casper nodded. "The cleanest thing in their room is the vent over Stinkie's bed." He added in a dramatic whisper, "The locals say that his old socks still get up and walk through the town." He finished with a snicker. Kelli laughed too.
"The Sentient Socks from Hell, coming soon to a theatre near you." she said in an imitation announcer's voice. Casper lost it with a fresh round of giggles. He was laughing so hard he was hiccuping. They were on a roll now.
"Round up the artilery!" Casper shouted in his best stage voice, pantomiming an invisible air gun. "POW!POW!"
When Kelli caught her breath, she thought of something. "How did they die, anyway? They don't look that old, but what can I tell from looking at ectoplasm?"
Casper got serious and said in a quiet voice, "I'll tell you but you have to promise me you'll never tell them." He sighed, looking into space. "I was actually a ghost before they were. They lived here for a long time after Dad died. It took 'em a while to get used to me being a ghost, if you can believe that. But then New Year's Eve came, and they went out to have some fun." He dropped his head and swung his feet nervously. "They got drunk and drove the car over the cliff, same place Crittendon did. You know the rest of the story." He turned to look at her.
"They look like the types who would be more likely to die in a bar fight, not a car wreck." Kelli shook her head. "But it dosen't really suprize me. They're wild boys, and they're not gonna change even after death. Still, I kinda like them. They've got some redeeming qualities."
Casper snorted. "Name one."
"They've got a good sense of humor." she offered. Casper rolled his eyes.
"Hang around here long enough, and you'll lose yours." he said. "But they're still family. Gotta give them credit for that I guess." He shrugged. Then Kelli remembered her idea.
"Oh! I wanted to tell you about my little plan." There was sudden exitement in her voice. Casper perked up.
"What is it?"
"I'm gonna try to beat them in a game of poker." Casper giggled.
"Good luck. That's their specialty, and my uncle Stretch is the best player there is. What are you playing for?"
This kid was nosy, but in a loveable way. "If one of them wins, he gets to go out on a date with me." She rolled her eyes. "But if I win, I get to avoid going out with all of them. Then again, it would be interesting to see what they'd be like one-on-one..." she trailed off, then shook her head. "No, no, that's too scary. I might need a session with the doctor myself if I lose this game."
"That's all they've been doing all day is arguing about that." Casper said with annoyance. "They haven't been like this since Miss Banshee was around. She was my old ghost teacher. Weird, I know. She ended up with some bachelor across town. But I think they like you even more." He did his best impression of his eldest uncle. "Stretch said, 'She's like a deck of cards and she has a nice pair'...what's that supposed to mean anyway?"
Kelli blushed. "You're too young to know."
There was an awkward pause. "So when's this card game gonna start anyway?" he asked.
"As soon as the Three Stooges fly through the window."
Kelli had fallen asleep sitting on the windowsill as Casper lay snoozing on his own bed. She didn't know what time it was when she was rudely awakened by a series of chaotic noises as the uncles made their return to the house somewhere down below. Before Casper could wake up and say a word, she flew out of the room to confront them. This was it. Showtime.
She snuck up behind them across the room and stood in a doorway, waiting for them to turn around and notice her. Stinkie was the first to do so, his keen nose catching her scent.
"You smell somethin'?" Stretch said, taking his cue. Stinkie waggled his eyebrows, what there were of them anyway, and snickered knowingly.
"I usually don't go for the good smells, but somebody's just planted a rose garden in here." The smiles spread to the other two faces and they inhaled dramatically before letting their breaths out in a unanimous "Yeeeaaaahhhhhh!"
This was going to be easier than she thought. Kelli mused as she watched their predictable but no less humourous (and dare she say...flattering?) reaction. "Hello boys." she teased in her best seductive voice, lowering it a tone. "Miss me?"
They caught sight of her and immediately surrounded her like vultures, grinning like lunatics. She pushed them away on both sides. "I have a little proposition for you, and no, not what you're thinking." She paused to smirk at them, keeping her distance. Before one of them could make any kind of sick or smart ass comment, she continued, "I think we can make bootiful music together, if we play our cards right."
Stretch raised one eyebrow, still trying to invade her personal space. He put one hand on the wall on the side of her head and said, "Are you sayin' what I think you're sayin' Dollface? You wanna play POKER wit' us?" The other two cracked up and Stretch chuckled. "No, no, this could be interesting." He turned back to wink at them. "To the game room for a round of 7 Card Stud...lead on, Sweetcheeks." He gave her a hearty smack on the bottom, and she soundly kicked his, narrowing her eyes.
"Touch that again and I'll have all three of you in an ectoplasmic marshmallow roast...no, more like flambe'."
"Such a tease!" Stretch said enthusiastically. Adara rolled her eyes. She just couldn't win. The uncles set up the table in a mini-tornado of shuffling cards. Stretch lit up a suddenly appearing cigar and blew a heart-shaped smoke ring over her head before he dealt them.
Kelli looked on in confusion. "Where's the pot?" she asked.
"Hey!" Stinkie said with mock horror. "We might smoke like chimneys, but we don't do no funny green stuff."
Kelli bit back a laugh. "No! I meant the stakes! The bank...the chips, whatever."
In answer, Stinkie threw down a pile of smelly cheese. Fatso threw down a box of half-eaten doughnuts. Stretch threw down what remained of his winnings(or stealings, depending on who you ask) at his last horse race, a whopping $20.
"There it is, sister." Stretch said, leaning forward to emphasize his point. "I think I'll go first." Adara hid a secret smile, knowing she was going to play slow and use all the bluffs she could. She was determined to beat these guys at their own game. "CASPER! Fetch us a rounda' cold ones!" he shouted in the direction of the kitchen, where he'd seen Casper scooting in for a midnight snack.
"Why can't you get your own?" Kelli challenged, sick of the way they ordered the younger ghost around.
"Why don't you butt out, or your first round will be your last?" Stretch leaned across the table and got in her face. She only narrowed her eyes. Oh, she'd get him!
Suddenly, out of nowhere, the AC/DC song "She's Got the Jack" started up and she had to stifle a giggle. She knew it was Luke providing atmosphere. He was in a mischievious mood tonight, then again, he always was. But he'd found Whipstaff, and he was going to pull every trick in the book to make it a memorable night. Kelli tensed despite her amusement, wondering what he would do next. The Trio just stared.
"Is this one of your little tricks?" Stretch challenged Kelli, thinking it was her doing. "Cuz this is damn good!" They all started swaying to the music before Stretch started dealing the three cards to each of them. "And just to make sure I don't make it too EASY for ya, I'm gonna throw in a Wild Card..." He shuffled the deck dramatically, eyes on Kelli the whole time, then snapped out a Joker. "This, my friends, is officially designated the King."
Now all four of them had three cards: two face up and one down. Stretch started narrating again. "Now, I usually open the door for the ladies, but this time it's your turn sleekbuns." he said to Kelli, referring to her face up card. "Bet's on you."
"Anything you say, cupcake." she hissed, throwing $2 on the table. "I bet two dollars."
Stretch chuckled. "I raise ten dollars." he said with a flourish, throwing the money onto the pile. Stinky started eating the cheese, then belched soundly. Kelli rolled her eyes. Fatso chuckled and matched his burp with a resounding fart that got them all to giggling, even Kelli. By this time, Casper had appeared with the requested beers, and the Trio clashed the bottles together. "To doughnuts!" said Fatso.
"To garbage heaps on a hot summer's day!" shouted Stinkie
"To kicking fleshie ass!" finished Stretch, taking a big guzzle from his bottle. "Here sweetcheeks, ya want some?" he offered the bottle to Kelli, who was looking at them like they were crazy, not for the first time. Three big puddles were oozing out all over the floor. She didn't have to guess who would have to clean it up later.
"No thanks." she said wincing. "I don't want to lose my edge."
"Suit yourself." Stretch shrugged. "I'm strolling on over to Fourth Street now."
He dealt them all another face up card. "I'm the King!" Stinkie announced, referring to his open King card. He morphed a cheap crown atop his head and posed for a second. "I'll pass." he finished, passing another explosion of gas to emphasize his point.
"The king of farts, you mean." Kelli murmured while Stinkie laughed evily.
"Yeah, stop doin' that or you're gonna melt the cards!" Stretch half jokingly admonished, whomping him on the head. Stinkie conjured up miniture stars and planets that circled his head while crossing his eyes. Stretch rolled his eyes at him, then looked over at Fatso, who looked deceptively innocent. "It's on you, Fats. "Bet or pass?"
"Bet...oh, that reminds me of but, which reminds me of butter..."
Stretch took his now empty beer bottle and hit him over the head.
"OWWW!" yelled Fatso. "Ok, I bet $20."
"That's better. Welcome to the River." Stretch said meaningfully. "The River Styx, in SOME cases..." he narrowed his eyes at Kelli, who stuck her tongue out. "Hey, don't do that unless you're serious, ya little minx." He finished with a teasing growl, which she chose to ignore. "Ok boys, it's showtime. Read em and weep." Stretch flipped his holed Wild Card, which had been dubbed the King, up for all of them to see. Kelli resisted the urge to roll her eyes. She had an Ace, so unless one of the other two had one, she had this game. Stinkie sighed, and flipped over a pathetic ten of spades. Then he promptly morphed into a shovel and mimicked digging his own grave before turning back into his slumping self at the table. Fatso turned over his Queen and put his head on his arm, weeping. Kelli smirked and proudly turned over her Ace.
"You were saying?" she looked at Stretch, who stared at the winning card, turned even whiter with shock, then red with rage before puffing up to twice his size.
"ARGGGGGGHHH!!!!" he screamed loud enough to shake the whole house. To add insult to injury, the Jack on the Wild Card came to life as a miniture Get Lost Luke, dancing around and singing, "Loser! Loser! Oh, what a dooser!" before whacking Stretch on the head with his septer. He winked at Kelli, who just had time to catch the movement, before he disappeared. Kelli formed a fan with her cards and fluttered them over the steaming Stretch.
"Cool off, Loverboy. It's just a game."
Stretch, who had now returned to his normal self, albeit still seething, said in a voice barely above a growl, "I call for another round."
"Fine with us." said Stinkie and Fatso in unison. Kelli shrugged.
This time it was Stinkie who had the lowest door card, and he raised the bet by ten dollars. They were interrupted by Kat storming down the stairs to yell at them for waking her up.
"You guys keep it down! The whole town must be awake by now!" Then she saw Kelli in her astral form and her eyes went wide. Before she could give her away, Kelli put a finger to her lips and said, "sssssssshhhhhh! I'm a ghost!" in a whisper, nodding to emphasize her point. Kat just stared, frozen in shock, but she recovered enough to say,
"O...Okay. Uh, I'm going back upstairs now." She glared at the Trio, especially Stretch, before running off, casting a last suprized glance back at Kelli before she was out of range.
"Nighty night! Don't let the ghostbugs bite!" teased Stretch, laughing at Kat.
"Oh, ba-dum-bum. That was so funny I forgot to laugh." Kelli proffered, rolling her eyes as she passed her next play to him. She didn't have anything good to offer, and she was getting nervous. She hoped her constant talking was distracting them from knowing that. By this time, they were at the Showdown stage once more, and Stretch pulled the highest card, not an Ace, but a King that outranked all the others.
"WOO-HOO! Looks like a night on the town for US, Toots!" he waggled his eyebrows at Kelli, who was sitting slumped with her head in her hands. This was bad. This was very, very bad.
Adara swooshed outside Casper's room at the appointed time, having waited till the wee hours of the morning when both the other humans - and hopefully the older ghosts - were asleep, or better yet, out of the house.
She found him, floating above his bed with a book in his hands. Not wanting to scare him, she tapped on the window and called his name. His eyes got big and he leaped up, flinging the book in the air. It fell to the bed.
"Hey, Kel!" he blurted out enthusiastically, glad to see her. "I was hoping you'd show up! My uncles have been talking about you all day." He rolled his eyes. Kelli was more than curious. Unconsciously folding her arms, she said,
"What have they been saying?"
He blushed. "You don't wanna know."
Kelli smirked, but blushed herself. "I get the idea." She swept up to the toy train track and sat down. "Are they here now? Or are they out?"
Casper sat beside her on his train. "Don't worry, you're safe for now." he smiled. He had the most charming little smile. She'd love to see this kid grown up. "Ok, here's what I wanted to tell you in the store earlier but couldn't..." He proceeded to describe the sledding night where he'd gotten frostbite and hypothermia, much like he'd told Kat a few months ago. She couldn't help but feel sorry for him. "When Kat and Dr. Harvey came to live here, it changed my afterlife." He chuckled. "This is my old room, and Kat fixed it up. You wouldn't have even recognized it before...even I didn't recognize it until I went up to the attic and found my old sled. Then everything came back to me." He gazed out the window at the ocean. Kelli smiled and said,
"You know, maybe I could fix up your Uncles' room."
Casper laughed out loud. He actually did summersaults in midair. "They'd be in therapy with Dr. Harvey for the rest of their afterlife if you did that!" He laughed some more.
"I take it they like things dirty and disorderly?" Kelli confirmed, understanding sinking in.
Casper nodded. "The cleanest thing in their room is the vent over Stinkie's bed." He added in a dramatic whisper, "The locals say that his old socks still get up and walk through the town." He finished with a snicker. Kelli laughed too.
"The Sentient Socks from Hell, coming soon to a theatre near you." she said in an imitation announcer's voice. Casper lost it with a fresh round of giggles. He was laughing so hard he was hiccuping. They were on a roll now.
"Round up the artilery!" Casper shouted in his best stage voice, pantomiming an invisible air gun. "POW!POW!"
When Kelli caught her breath, she thought of something. "How did they die, anyway? They don't look that old, but what can I tell from looking at ectoplasm?"
Casper got serious and said in a quiet voice, "I'll tell you but you have to promise me you'll never tell them." He sighed, looking into space. "I was actually a ghost before they were. They lived here for a long time after Dad died. It took 'em a while to get used to me being a ghost, if you can believe that. But then New Year's Eve came, and they went out to have some fun." He dropped his head and swung his feet nervously. "They got drunk and drove the car over the cliff, same place Crittendon did. You know the rest of the story." He turned to look at her.
"They look like the types who would be more likely to die in a bar fight, not a car wreck." Kelli shook her head. "But it dosen't really suprize me. They're wild boys, and they're not gonna change even after death. Still, I kinda like them. They've got some redeeming qualities."
Casper snorted. "Name one."
"They've got a good sense of humor." she offered. Casper rolled his eyes.
"Hang around here long enough, and you'll lose yours." he said. "But they're still family. Gotta give them credit for that I guess." He shrugged. Then Kelli remembered her idea.
"Oh! I wanted to tell you about my little plan." There was sudden exitement in her voice. Casper perked up.
"What is it?"
"I'm gonna try to beat them in a game of poker." Casper giggled.
"Good luck. That's their specialty, and my uncle Stretch is the best player there is. What are you playing for?"
This kid was nosy, but in a loveable way. "If one of them wins, he gets to go out on a date with me." She rolled her eyes. "But if I win, I get to avoid going out with all of them. Then again, it would be interesting to see what they'd be like one-on-one..." she trailed off, then shook her head. "No, no, that's too scary. I might need a session with the doctor myself if I lose this game."
"That's all they've been doing all day is arguing about that." Casper said with annoyance. "They haven't been like this since Miss Banshee was around. She was my old ghost teacher. Weird, I know. She ended up with some bachelor across town. But I think they like you even more." He did his best impression of his eldest uncle. "Stretch said, 'She's like a deck of cards and she has a nice pair'...what's that supposed to mean anyway?"
Kelli blushed. "You're too young to know."
There was an awkward pause. "So when's this card game gonna start anyway?" he asked.
"As soon as the Three Stooges fly through the window."
Kelli had fallen asleep sitting on the windowsill as Casper lay snoozing on his own bed. She didn't know what time it was when she was rudely awakened by a series of chaotic noises as the uncles made their return to the house somewhere down below. Before Casper could wake up and say a word, she flew out of the room to confront them. This was it. Showtime.
She snuck up behind them across the room and stood in a doorway, waiting for them to turn around and notice her. Stinkie was the first to do so, his keen nose catching her scent.
"You smell somethin'?" Stretch said, taking his cue. Stinkie waggled his eyebrows, what there were of them anyway, and snickered knowingly.
"I usually don't go for the good smells, but somebody's just planted a rose garden in here." The smiles spread to the other two faces and they inhaled dramatically before letting their breaths out in a unanimous "Yeeeaaaahhhhhh!"
This was going to be easier than she thought. Kelli mused as she watched their predictable but no less humourous (and dare she say...flattering?) reaction. "Hello boys." she teased in her best seductive voice, lowering it a tone. "Miss me?"
They caught sight of her and immediately surrounded her like vultures, grinning like lunatics. She pushed them away on both sides. "I have a little proposition for you, and no, not what you're thinking." She paused to smirk at them, keeping her distance. Before one of them could make any kind of sick or smart ass comment, she continued, "I think we can make bootiful music together, if we play our cards right."
Stretch raised one eyebrow, still trying to invade her personal space. He put one hand on the wall on the side of her head and said, "Are you sayin' what I think you're sayin' Dollface? You wanna play POKER wit' us?" The other two cracked up and Stretch chuckled. "No, no, this could be interesting." He turned back to wink at them. "To the game room for a round of 7 Card Stud...lead on, Sweetcheeks." He gave her a hearty smack on the bottom, and she soundly kicked his, narrowing her eyes.
"Touch that again and I'll have all three of you in an ectoplasmic marshmallow roast...no, more like flambe'."
"Such a tease!" Stretch said enthusiastically. Adara rolled her eyes. She just couldn't win. The uncles set up the table in a mini-tornado of shuffling cards. Stretch lit up a suddenly appearing cigar and blew a heart-shaped smoke ring over her head before he dealt them.
Kelli looked on in confusion. "Where's the pot?" she asked.
"Hey!" Stinkie said with mock horror. "We might smoke like chimneys, but we don't do no funny green stuff."
Kelli bit back a laugh. "No! I meant the stakes! The bank...the chips, whatever."
In answer, Stinkie threw down a pile of smelly cheese. Fatso threw down a box of half-eaten doughnuts. Stretch threw down what remained of his winnings(or stealings, depending on who you ask) at his last horse race, a whopping $20.
"There it is, sister." Stretch said, leaning forward to emphasize his point. "I think I'll go first." Adara hid a secret smile, knowing she was going to play slow and use all the bluffs she could. She was determined to beat these guys at their own game. "CASPER! Fetch us a rounda' cold ones!" he shouted in the direction of the kitchen, where he'd seen Casper scooting in for a midnight snack.
"Why can't you get your own?" Kelli challenged, sick of the way they ordered the younger ghost around.
"Why don't you butt out, or your first round will be your last?" Stretch leaned across the table and got in her face. She only narrowed her eyes. Oh, she'd get him!
Suddenly, out of nowhere, the AC/DC song "She's Got the Jack" started up and she had to stifle a giggle. She knew it was Luke providing atmosphere. He was in a mischievious mood tonight, then again, he always was. But he'd found Whipstaff, and he was going to pull every trick in the book to make it a memorable night. Kelli tensed despite her amusement, wondering what he would do next. The Trio just stared.
"Is this one of your little tricks?" Stretch challenged Kelli, thinking it was her doing. "Cuz this is damn good!" They all started swaying to the music before Stretch started dealing the three cards to each of them. "And just to make sure I don't make it too EASY for ya, I'm gonna throw in a Wild Card..." He shuffled the deck dramatically, eyes on Kelli the whole time, then snapped out a Joker. "This, my friends, is officially designated the King."
Now all four of them had three cards: two face up and one down. Stretch started narrating again. "Now, I usually open the door for the ladies, but this time it's your turn sleekbuns." he said to Kelli, referring to her face up card. "Bet's on you."
"Anything you say, cupcake." she hissed, throwing $2 on the table. "I bet two dollars."
Stretch chuckled. "I raise ten dollars." he said with a flourish, throwing the money onto the pile. Stinky started eating the cheese, then belched soundly. Kelli rolled her eyes. Fatso chuckled and matched his burp with a resounding fart that got them all to giggling, even Kelli. By this time, Casper had appeared with the requested beers, and the Trio clashed the bottles together. "To doughnuts!" said Fatso.
"To garbage heaps on a hot summer's day!" shouted Stinkie
"To kicking fleshie ass!" finished Stretch, taking a big guzzle from his bottle. "Here sweetcheeks, ya want some?" he offered the bottle to Kelli, who was looking at them like they were crazy, not for the first time. Three big puddles were oozing out all over the floor. She didn't have to guess who would have to clean it up later.
"No thanks." she said wincing. "I don't want to lose my edge."
"Suit yourself." Stretch shrugged. "I'm strolling on over to Fourth Street now."
He dealt them all another face up card. "I'm the King!" Stinkie announced, referring to his open King card. He morphed a cheap crown atop his head and posed for a second. "I'll pass." he finished, passing another explosion of gas to emphasize his point.
"The king of farts, you mean." Kelli murmured while Stinkie laughed evily.
"Yeah, stop doin' that or you're gonna melt the cards!" Stretch half jokingly admonished, whomping him on the head. Stinkie conjured up miniture stars and planets that circled his head while crossing his eyes. Stretch rolled his eyes at him, then looked over at Fatso, who looked deceptively innocent. "It's on you, Fats. "Bet or pass?"
"Bet...oh, that reminds me of but, which reminds me of butter..."
Stretch took his now empty beer bottle and hit him over the head.
"OWWW!" yelled Fatso. "Ok, I bet $20."
"That's better. Welcome to the River." Stretch said meaningfully. "The River Styx, in SOME cases..." he narrowed his eyes at Kelli, who stuck her tongue out. "Hey, don't do that unless you're serious, ya little minx." He finished with a teasing growl, which she chose to ignore. "Ok boys, it's showtime. Read em and weep." Stretch flipped his holed Wild Card, which had been dubbed the King, up for all of them to see. Kelli resisted the urge to roll her eyes. She had an Ace, so unless one of the other two had one, she had this game. Stinkie sighed, and flipped over a pathetic ten of spades. Then he promptly morphed into a shovel and mimicked digging his own grave before turning back into his slumping self at the table. Fatso turned over his Queen and put his head on his arm, weeping. Kelli smirked and proudly turned over her Ace.
"You were saying?" she looked at Stretch, who stared at the winning card, turned even whiter with shock, then red with rage before puffing up to twice his size.
"ARGGGGGGHHH!!!!" he screamed loud enough to shake the whole house. To add insult to injury, the Jack on the Wild Card came to life as a miniture Get Lost Luke, dancing around and singing, "Loser! Loser! Oh, what a dooser!" before whacking Stretch on the head with his septer. He winked at Kelli, who just had time to catch the movement, before he disappeared. Kelli formed a fan with her cards and fluttered them over the steaming Stretch.
"Cool off, Loverboy. It's just a game."
Stretch, who had now returned to his normal self, albeit still seething, said in a voice barely above a growl, "I call for another round."
"Fine with us." said Stinkie and Fatso in unison. Kelli shrugged.
This time it was Stinkie who had the lowest door card, and he raised the bet by ten dollars. They were interrupted by Kat storming down the stairs to yell at them for waking her up.
"You guys keep it down! The whole town must be awake by now!" Then she saw Kelli in her astral form and her eyes went wide. Before she could give her away, Kelli put a finger to her lips and said, "sssssssshhhhhh! I'm a ghost!" in a whisper, nodding to emphasize her point. Kat just stared, frozen in shock, but she recovered enough to say,
"O...Okay. Uh, I'm going back upstairs now." She glared at the Trio, especially Stretch, before running off, casting a last suprized glance back at Kelli before she was out of range.
"Nighty night! Don't let the ghostbugs bite!" teased Stretch, laughing at Kat.
"Oh, ba-dum-bum. That was so funny I forgot to laugh." Kelli proffered, rolling her eyes as she passed her next play to him. She didn't have anything good to offer, and she was getting nervous. She hoped her constant talking was distracting them from knowing that. By this time, they were at the Showdown stage once more, and Stretch pulled the highest card, not an Ace, but a King that outranked all the others.
"WOO-HOO! Looks like a night on the town for US, Toots!" he waggled his eyebrows at Kelli, who was sitting slumped with her head in her hands. This was bad. This was very, very bad.