When You Hear the Knell of a Requiem Bell by Flashbeagle

Chapter Twelve

In this chapter: Kim gets help from the Attic Bride and finds herself….well, you'll find out!

            "What is it, Kim?"

            "Look, Ben, I'll be honest." I started, casting a look behind me, seeing that the grim, grinning army was closing in close behind me.

            Uh oh.

            "I'm being chased by an army of the dead who think I'm the reincarnation of their mistress and their master is trying to kill me and I keep forgetting who I am!" I blurted out at max speed. "And I'm not making any of this up, I swear, and I'm not crazy and you have to come to Gracey Manor and save me or else I'm gonna die, and Ben, I don't want to! I don't want to spend eternity here! I want to go to Tokyo Disneyland!"

            "Whoa, Kim. Don't worry. I'm gonna leave the restaurant right now, and I'll be there ASAP."

            "Do you know how to get here?" I panted.

            "Yeah, I'll figure it out." Ben said soothingly.

            "Ben, you have to hurry."

            "I will. Don't worry." Ben said. "You'll be okay, Kim."

            "Ben, hurry." I insisted, turning around to face everyone as I hung up.

            "Um…"I said, before I turned and ran.

            Must. Get. Out. Of. Here.

            Must.Not.Die

            Must.Not.Let.Ghosts.Win

            Come on, Fox. I told myself. You can do this. You can do this!

            I thought about high school basketball, when our coaches used to call me "Foxy Baby." Whenever I'd be losing heart, or struggling, they'd shout out,

            "C'mon Foxy Baby! You can do it, Kim!" and that would always make me play harder and fight back.

            Hmm…what would Kim "Foxy Baby" Fox, #3, starting varsity shooting guard, do in a situation like this? It felt so odd to think that…like I was never a member of the St. Joan of Arc High School Lady Crusaders Varsity Basketball team, two time state champions. em.

            But I mean, I couldn't even remember my own name not even ten minutes ago. It doesn't help that I haven't done anything remotely athletic since then.

            Enemy forces surrounding me. Time's running out. I've got the ball. (Well, not really.)

            Starting varsity shooting guard Kimberly would've put the ball on the floor, put up a shot at the three point line, and tried to have drawn a foul.

            Dressed up like a dead girl Kimberly is going to have to do something a little different.

            They're all closing in on me. They think they've trapped me. They're all smiling.

            It's hard to outsmart a Fox. Be quick like the Fox. Come on, Foxy Baby. You can do it, Kim. Those thoughts swum through my head as I started running to one side, jerked my body to the same side, and in a flash, I switched directions and sprinted like hell.

            They all fell for it. One of the oldest tricks in the (basketball) book, actually. Although this was much easier to do when I was in my old shiny uniform and comfy old Nikes. I kept hoping that suddenly I'd be back in my normal clothes, since it's really hard to run in this stupid dress, but of course, it didn't happen.

            They kept coming after me, their ghostly voices echoing in my head.

            But I'm not going to let them scare me this time.

            I raced up to the attic.

            "Are you alright?" Emily asked me, the moment I walked in.

            "No, not really." I said, shaking my head, and sitting down on a truck.

            "What's wrong?" She asked me, moving closer.

            I stood up and moved back towards the door. I mean, well, what would you do if some dead girl in a wedding dress, with her heart glowing through her dress, was trying to talk to you while you were in a state of horrified terror?

            "Please don't be scared." Emily said.

            "Look, okay, it's really not your fault. I mean, okay. What's going on is that…"

            And then I started from the beginning, recounting everything…from the first time I felt woozy upon entering the Manor to just a few minutes ago. I just sort of blurted everything out at max speed. It felt so good to finally talk to someone who listened to me when I insisted that I'm not Katherine's reincarnation.

            "And then I called my best friend Ben on my cell phone and asked him to come here and help me out but I don't know if I'm still going to be alive by that time!"  I finished, near tears.

            "I know. And I'm sorry." Emily said, smiling sadly.

            "And all I want to do is just go home and lock myself in my room and never ever come back to this stupid place again!"

            "I understand." Emily said kindly. "It's awful here. Most of the 999 are quite happy, actually. But those of us who feel sorrow are completely miserable. You would be miserable too."

            "You got that right."

            "I'll do everything I can to help you." Emily stated suddenly. "You are such a kind person."

I am? That's a pretty generous thing to say considering I've run away in terror every other time I've seen her.

            "Thank you so much." I said. "I'm going to go wait for Ben downstairs. Do you want to come with me?"

            Emily nodded. "I will. I'll wait with you."

            As we were walking down the stairs, I accidentally skipped a few stairs and fell down.

"Are you okay? Are you hurt?" Emily asked.

"Whew, um, I'm fine!" I said assertively. I stood up again, but I tripped over my very long dress. I tumbled down the stairs, and I hit my head HARD, and fell into blackness…

            "Oh…"I moaned as I opened my eyes.

            "Katherine? Dear, are you alright?" It's Edward, and he's holding me in his arms.

            "Um, I don't know."

            "You gave me quite a scare."

            "I did?"

            "Yes," he whispers, brushing some hair off my face.

            "My love." I slightly tremble as I wrap my arms around his neck. "Oh Edward," I say as my head falls on his chest. "I'm so confused."

            He pulls me closer. "It is alright. But we must go back to the party." Edward says, rising to his feet, but still holding on to my hand protectively.

            I stand up slowly, still clinging to his hand. I lean my head on his shoulder.

            He looks down at me and smiles.

            Ramsley, dressed for the party, and escorting a portly woman with gray hair, passes us by, and he grins.

            "You've come to your senses, I see, Mistress Gracey."

            Although I do not know what he's talking about, I nod.

            He smiles and says, "You always were the loveliest couple."

            I beam with pride. I feel slightly ill, but I also feel joyous. My true love and I are finally together again.

            Everyone in the ballroom is dancing, and they all look so happy. An organ plays a slow, but joyous song, and laughter fills the air.

            "You finally made it, darling. You're here." Edward whispers in my ear.

            "At last." I murmur.

End Notes: I love cliffhangers, don't you? J Will Kim remember who she is? What happened to Emily? Will Ben make it to there in time to help Kim before she becomes the 100th ghost of Gracey Manor? To all my readers; I am so glad you are enjoying this! I feel that this is one of my best works, quite frankly, and it makes me feel good to know that people are enjoying it too.


To my Power Rangers friends: Do you get the name connection between Kim and another character in the story? Believe it or not, that was unintentional!