Beyond Life and Death
I don't have ownership over Danny Phantom.
Chapter 4: Shrouded in Mystery
The Ghost Zone. A place that hovers between the boundaries of the living and spiritual worlds. The landscape is draped in a green and purple atmosphere that gives it some kind of powerful feeling of death and dread. Upon landing on the ground, one can look around at its equally dead landscaping. The dirt looks polluted with its purple coloring and the trees are also purple and their limps bend out in numerous positions that they look like the hands of humans stretching out to that dead sky. This is truly no place any human would venture, be they daring or stupid.
Hovering over the landscape is where it gets confusing. Looking as the far as the eye can see, there are a multitude of doors in the sky. They come mostly in the colors of blue, green, and black; adding to the all ready dead atmosphere. There were either big or small or had different sized doorknobs, but no two doors were alike. In them lay things that just didn't make sense. They were ghost domains; the private property of ghosts. And we can't forget them. They were floating around this dimension or the previously mentioned doors. Floating around with no direction or living in the past life they never wanted to let go. Should be a surprise that they were once living people. Men, women, and children who are living never-ending lives without meaning and purpose. What made them want to give up the afterlife for living in such a terrible world? Fear? Needs? The want of clinging on to just wanting to do anything without boundaries? Who knows, but here they are.
Moving further on into the zone, one reaches a new destination. This is no other then Sheriff Walker's prison complex. That is pretty much the most logical since it literal is a prison. It has everything like one; high concrete walls, barbed wire, guard towers, and the huge steel door. Unlike other prisons, it was glowing and was floating out in the abyss. Owned by the ghost named Sheriff Walker, this was his last stand against injustice. He thought of himself as the last line of defense in keeping the peace in the Ghost Zone. He had developed his own rules and was using them to arrest ghost he believed, "going against his standards". In reality, he was a psychopath. He wasn't protecting the ghost zone, he was just going mad and building on it. And he just managed this prison and watched all those ghosts who came in and were beginning to rot away.
New prisoner's came would go in and never come out. They were never brought directly to the Warden's office unless under special order. And today was one of those special days. A new inmate was being escorted to his office. It was a female ghost who had light blue skin as all the others. Her hair was also blue and her eyes were light green. She wore a black crop-top, black tight pants, and a chain belt. On either side of her were two green ghosts hovering over the floor, each in SWAT like jackets and helmets and holding green batons. On of them was holding onto a large rouge guitar with a dial on it. They walked down the corridors decked out with prison cells on either side as the prisoners started to go crazy at the new arrival.
"Look at that! We finally get some ass here!" a green haired prisoner called form the girl's side.
She stopped and turned towards him until their eyes were meeting. She glared at him and remarked, "What's your deal? Your shower-daddy not given it to ya!"
"You little bitch. I ought to-" the inmate was cut off as he shocked by one of the guard's stun batons.
"You settle down:" he yelled as he walked back to the side of the girl and the three continued their trek. Eventually, they reached a large double door. The guard with the guitar gave it tio the girl, who put the strap for it around her neck and cradled it in her hands. The two guards then turned and walked back down the hall.
"Wait! You're not going in?" she asked. Just then, the doors behind her opened and voice with a deep southern accent called out, "Get in here."
She entered the room only to have the doors behind her then slammed shut. The room was illuminated in a pale purple light from two over headlights. In front of her was a large desk that was glowing green like everything else here. Sitting in a chair behind the desk was the owner of the voice that welcomed her in. He was a huge, muscular ghost wearing a white button down shirt, white pants, black oxfords, black gloves, and a black fedora with a white trim. His face appeared to be a skull with a square jaw and he had menacing eyes that were glowing green.
"Miss Ember, I presume?" Sheriff Walker asked in his think accent.
"The one and only," Ember replied as he leaned against the wall and folded her arms in front of her.
"Sit down," he offered as a green chair materialized in front of his desk.
"I know what you do to prisoners here. I sit down and I get fired," she said.
"So much for Southern hospitality." Walker remarked. "I take my guards gave you a very good trip here?"
"They rescued me from that annoying guy who kept calling my name, but begin dragged her in a van in chains isn't really a good time."
Walker got up from his chair and said," To chance the subject. Its time to discuss the matter with which I got you here."
"If you're in need of a mistress, I am not interested," Ember said with a glare.
"Smart mouthed and headstrong, very nice. But, the real matter here is that something is in the works."
"And what would that be?"
"Why, the one thing that very ghost wants: Taking back the Earth."
"What are you talking about?"
"It's a way to finally get back to the human world and dominate it in the name of the ghost citizens."
"I think being here as gotten to your head." Ember said as she rolled her eyes. "There is next to no way of getting out of this stink hole. And besides, what are you going to do when you reach their world? More or less, torture the humans with your psychotic rules."
"I still don't understand why my boss wanted you," Walked said as he glared at her.
"Your boss? Can't believe that the high and mighty warden of Ghost Zone is taking orders," Ember said.
"I think it would a better if I did some explaining," a voice then called out. Ember looked to Walker's side to see another ghost appear smilingly out of thin air. Of course, it was hard to know who this ghost was. He wore a long robe that draped his arms, legs, and his head with a hood. He was about Ember's height, it appeared, but slightly up to Walker's elbows. His robe also was adorned with strange symbols. Ember then shivered as she felt something-strange wrap around her body. It suddenly realized that she was feeling cold, which one always felt, but this was a sort of stronger cold. She looked over to Walker, who was also shaking slightly but trying very hard not to shiver uncontrollably.
"Walker, go torture some of your inmates." The man said to Walker. Without so much as giving with him, Walker looked back at Ember and quickly materialized back into the floor.
The man's hood then turned towards Ember, signaling that she was looking at her. "I thin you are aware of who I am," the man said with a sort of undistinguished accent in his voice as he noticed her shivering.
"I don't believe this. Like you can be "him"," she said as straightened herself out.
"Oh, but I am. I am mysterious. So, wouldn't I be hiding a secret. Maybe I am the great one. I see you are shivering. Ghosts can't make other ghosts shiver, only-"
"Yeah, yeah, I known that shit. Ghosts shivering, powerful one, all mighty, blah blah blah. This is just probably some stupid set up before Walker comes and blows me to oblivion."
"This is no trick. I am the one and only." The ghost said as he took a bow.
"Cute. But what makes you think I can believe you?" Ember asked.
You're right. Seeing is believing." The ghost said. He then raised one of his clocked arms and chanted some indescribable words under his breath. Just then, to Ember's left side, The air began to split apart as though a blade had sliced it right down the middle. Ember at looked closely into the hole, and then her eyes shot up in surprise. Her body then seemingly dragged itself over, as she looked closer into it. Now doubt, it was whatever ghost wanted to see: a portal into the human world. And this portal was pointed to no ordinary place. Beyond the rooftops of buildings and the stoplights, she took note of a sign hanging over one building's entryway. It read "Amity City Bank" and that was all it took to nearly cause her to pass out.
Just the, she felt cloth move against her neck as a voice whispered, "One way to every ghost's dream."
Ember was fully aware of the clocked man behind her. She felt like giving him a blow right upside his head, but that cold breath of his just made her freeze, oddly enough, with terror. "Why this place."
"Motivation," he said." I know you and Walker have a connection to this place. I need people who are motivated to do my deeds. And what better motivation then what you couldn't dominate? It's so beautiful. And to think, that this small city is going to be the template of my next empire."
"If you want me to go down and take over some humans, I'll be more then happy to. You creep me out. The only thing is I want to have some revenge."
"Do as you please. But, just one thing. Walker may not need a mistress, but I could use one," the man said. Ember then felt his hands underneath his cloak as they moved around her back and started to fondle her breasts. This got Ember out of her trance. She quickly spun around, bringing her guitar in to take him out. The ghost quickly materialized out of the way and appeared a few feet behind Ember. "You're right. We can do that when you get back."
"In your dreams," Ember said as she jumped through the portal, which closed behind her soon after.
"Obnoxious one, isn't she?" Walker asked as he came up through the floor and turned back into his visible self.
"Doesn't believe me, she says. Very foolish."
"You do expect that she will fail, correct?"
"Quite right," the hooded ghost said as he turned to Walker. "Even if she fails, I just sent her to see if I could use her as a possible accomplish. Either way, the next phase of my plan will be successful. Have your men found it yet?"
"No, my master. They are still looking. Are you sure this thing you speak of will help."
"Are you questioning me?"
"No sir."
"I sense fear on your voice. Be a ghost, show no fear to me. I am trying to build us all a new utopia. I may have failed once, but never again."
"As you say."
"Tell your men to search deeper into the zone. It should be there."
"Will do so." Walker said as he disappeared back into the floor.
"In time, my vision will be reality. It just needs a little more time."
How is this ghost? Why does Walker and Ember show fear near him? Chapter 5 is coming soon.