Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters here, they are owned by the super-duper Meg Cabot!
Prologue starts with excerpt from Darkest Hour and the rest is by me. Rest of story is set in Haunted.
Excerpt
"And then, suddenly, there was something. A figure, striding toward us. I was filled with relief. The gate keeper, at last. He would help me. I knew he would.....
Except that, as he came closer, I saw it wasn't the gatekeeper at all. This gur didn't have anything on his head except hair. Curly brown hair. Just like-
"Paul?" I burst out incredulously.
I couldn't believe it. Paul. Paul Slater. Paul Slater was coming toward us. But how-"
End of excerpt.
"Suze!" he cried, suddenly breaking into a run. When he reached me he stopped, and noticed Jesse beside me. "Is this that ghost dude Jack exorcised?" he directed to me. However, Jesse answered.
"Yes I am, and who, may I ask, are you?" he asked, rather coldly. I noticed the tension, and stepped in, feeling that otherwise theere would probably be a fist fight.
"Woah, Jesse! It's ok, this is Paul Slater, Jacks brother. He's a friend." With that said, I turned to Paul. "This is Jesse, he's my best friend." Paul opened his mouth to speak, but I held my hand up. "No, let me speak. How the hell did you get up here, and how do we get out?" I yelled. Paul looked at me strangely.
"Wait, don't you know?" he questioned.
"Of course not! Why do you think I asked? And hurry up and explain, because I've only got five minutes until Jesse and I won't be leaving this place!" I was getting worked up by this time. Why was he acting so stupid?
Paul started to speak again. "You exorcised yourself didn't you? Well in that case we'll have to find the hole. Infact, I think I can see it, there." He pointed to a spot about a meter to my right. I grabbed Jesse's hand and ran towards it, pulling him with me. As we reached it, I turned to Paul. "Coming?" I asked him.
"Oh no. I'll get home my way," he said, half-laughing. At me? I wondered. "But-" I started, but he cut me off.
"Don't worry, I'll exlain one day. Now go, before that pretty dress of yours is lying on a corpse down there." I blushed, at thw ord pretty in reference to me.
"I-" I started to speak again, but before I had a chance to finish, Jesse pushed me down the hole. I fell back into my body with a bump, and started to sit up. And that, I'm sorry to say, is when all hell broke loose.