Note: "Grim Grinning Ghosts" lyrics by X. Atencio and B. Baker. The Mayor's words based on actual ride quotes.
Chapter 6: Comic Relief in an Unexpected Place
Adrianna landed with a thud. She grabbed her shoulder in pain – that was a long fall.
"Mike?" Adrianna called into the darkness.
"Hey," He replied meekly.
"You okay?" She asked, getting slowly to her feet.
"I've been better," Mike replied. They found each other and grabbed hands to make sure they stayed together.
"I think I hear music," Mike said absentmindedly. Adrianna listened.
"Hey, you're right!" Adrianna said, "Your hearing's getting better!" Mike smiled, but Adrianna couldn't see it in the darkness.
They walked towards it slowly, feeling bones crunch beneath their feet. They rounded a corner, and suddenly saw some eerie light.
The glow seemed to be coming from something that Adrianna and Mike knew by know was not a good sign: caskets.
They were all shut, light and music escaping them.
"This isn't good." Adrianna said. The coffins suddenly jarred, and more light escaped from them.
An old, bony hand appeared from one of the coffins and pushed the lid opened. It sat up slowly and stared right at Adrianna and Mike.
They stared at it for a few seconds.
And screamed.
"Hey! Shut up!" It said in a raspy voice, "You're gonna wreck the mood!"
They stopped screaming.
"Guys, get up! We have an audience!" The skeleton announced to the other coffins. One by one they opened up. They had tattered clothes on, stained with dry blood, and a few wisps of hair still sticking on their heads.
Some skeletons had xylophones made from skulls, a few had bongos, and others had drums. They started to play a musical number, and Adrianna started taping her foot to the beat.
"And now, introducing the stars of our show!" The skeleton announced, pointing a bony finger at a far wall. It was suddenly illuminated, and Adrianna and Mike could see five busts, sitting on marble columns. They broke into a rousing chorus of a strange song.
When the crypt doors creak and the tombstones quake
Spooks come out for a swinging wake
Happy haunts materialize and begin to vocalize
Grim grinning ghosts come out to socialize!
Now don't close your eyes and don't try to hide
Or a silly spook may sit by your side
Shrouded in a daft disguise, they pretend to terrorize
Grim grinning ghosts come out to socialize!
As the moon climbs high o'er the dead oak tree
Spooks arrive for the midnight spree
Creepy creeps with eerie eyes
Start to shriek and harmonize
Grim grinning ghosts come out to socialize!
When you hear the knell of the requiem bell
Weird glows gleam where the spirits dwell
Restless bones etherialize, rise as spooks of every size
Grim grinning ghosts come out to socialize!
When the busts finished their songs, they bowed with their heads, and Adrianna and Mike clapped.
"That was great!" Adrianna said.
"Oh, thank you. We love having an audience – but as you can see, the earthquake knocked us down here, so we don't often get one," Said one of the busts.
"Would you like to hear another number?" Another bust asked, "We know a wide variety of songs…"
"Um…no thanks," Mike said politely, "We were actually wondering if you knew how to get out of here."
"Are you sure?" The busts asked, sadly.
"Yeah…sorry guys. If we have time we'll be sure to come back for another performance!" Adrianna promised, patting the busts' heads. A skeleton band member pointed the way out, and Adrianna and Mike headed out of the catacombs.
They soon came back to the ground level, and they realized that they were now in front of Phantom Manor. But things had changed.
The once abandoned ghost town was now filled with ghosts of all sorts.
"Wow." Adrianna quipped.
"I guess they don't come out during the day," Mike said.
"I'm sure the Phantom's out here somewhere…we gotta find him." Adrianna said, and Mike nodded in agreement. They started to explore the ghost town, searching for the Phantom.
They passed cowboys on ghostly horses flying through the sky, a hearse crashed on a train track, and came to an old wooden ticket booth. There was a skeleton in a stationmaster's uniform, slumped over, dead.
"I wonder how long he's been here," Mike muttered, looking at a shredded ticket that was in his hand.
"Oh, not too long, not long at all! Days just fly by here!" Said a voice. Mike realized it was the body talking, and jumped back.
"Our train service is the best in this land of frontier! Don't be left out in the sunshine, and hop aboard for the wildest ride in the wilderness!" The ticket taker grinned and offered the shredded ticket to Mike.
"I think I'll pass this time, but thanks for the offer!" He said quickly, backing away slowly.
"Are ya sure? We've got great rates on trips to New Orleans-" The stationmaster said, trying to convince Mike.
"I'm good. Really."
"Well, I'll be here if you decide to change your mind!" The skeleton said cheerily, and suddenly slumped over, 'dead' again, on the ticket counter.
Meanwhile, Adrianna had been looking for other signs of 'life,' so to speak. She found herself in front of what looked like a tattered old city hall, and just as she was about to open the door, it burst open, knocking her on her butt.
It was the mayor – but he, like everyone else here, was a ghost. In his hand, he held a large key with a skull painted on the end: The key to the city.
"Welcome, foolish mortals!" The mayor said jovially in a deep voice, "There's no turning back now!"
"Thank you for that acute observation," Adrianna said huffily, "Now, we're looking for someone. Skeletal face, ugly, tried to murder us."
"Your cadaverous pallor betrays an aura of foreboding."
"Ah. You noticed."
"Indeed I did! And I'm afraid that who you just described sounds like many of the townspeople in our fair town. Actually, we have nine hundred and ninety-nine happy haunts here…" He said, smiling at Adrianna, "But there's room for a thousand."
The mayor's skeleton key smiled and winked at her.
"No thanks. I'll just…keep looking then." Adrianna said, staring at the key.
"Well, if you should decide to join us, final arrangements may be made at-" The mayor started to say, but was interrupted by Mike running up to Adrianna and saying "I think I found out which way to go."
Adrianna waved goodbye to the mayor and the key. The mayor, instead of taking his hat off like a human would, took his whole head off and bowed farewell to the two as they continued through Boot Hill.
The most dangerous part of their journey was just ahead…