When Crystal entered the ballroom balcony, she was shocked at the changes that had been made. The birthday party that had been going on last time she was here was now gone – instead a Christmas party was taking place.
"With some treats and some games, you can make a scene merry…why, even a gingerbread house could seem scary! All at once happy haunts did materialize – like a nightmarish painting by Currier & Ives." As if on cue, ghosts appeared on the ballroom floor, waltzing to an off key rendition of Carol of the Bells, which was being played on the organ. There was a huge gingerbread house on the table, and Crystal realized that it was actually in the shape of the mansion! Garland decorated the windows, and there was a large Christmas tree set up near the back of the room. It was more of a Halloween tree though – spider webs, pumpkins, and other assorted Halloween decorations covered the tree.
"Wow. You guys really know how to party," Crystal said as she drank in the scene.
All of the ghosts that she'd seen before seemed to have returned, and continue to party merrily as if they had never left. Perhaps they were under a spell. Or maybe…they were happy to be back?
"More awaits in the attic, my dear mortal friend…I'm sorry to say this isn't the end. A bagful of toys Jack had slung on his back. They were strange and bizarre…and on the attack."
George led Crystal up to the attic, and when they entered, she was shocked to see that amidst the usual clutter, there were all sorts of demented Christmas toys! But what surprised her most was the giant snake in the attic – it was orange with black stripes, and seemed to be eating a giant list with names on it. Apparently this was Jack's list of good girls and boys.
"Wait…" Crystal said, avoiding the huge snake as much as she could, "Where's Emily?"
The obnoxious bride from Crystal's last visit had been up here, but now she was nowhere to be found.
"I'm over here!" Came a cry from the far side of the attic. George and Crystal made their way through the clutter to find Emily sitting in the corner of the attic.
"I'm trying to hide from that atrocious snake! It's already eaten most of the stuff in this room!" She said, and then realized who was standing before her.
" Crystal!" Emily squealed, and jumped up. She leapt forward to give Crystal a hug, but instead stumbled through her and tripped.
"Oops," She said sheepishly, solidified, and then hugged Crystal.
"Hi Emily," Crystal said, "How's it going?"
"How do you THINK its going? I'm up in the afterlife, enjoying eternal bliss, and then poof! I'm back here in this dump of a house, which seems to have been taken over by a complete lunatic! He's released all of these toys and that…that THING!" She stopped to point at the snake, "That thing in here and I'm too afraid to go near it and so I've been sitting in this corner without anyone to talk to, and George wouldn't even come up to save me! Typical male! And what's worse is that I have dry, unmanageable hair again!" The ghost pointed at her white hair, and glared at George.
"This is all your fault, I'm sure of it. Somehow or other, it's connected to you."
"Emily!" George said, taken aback, "What makes you say that? I never did hurt you…not even call you fat!"
"Oh please. I can see everything from up there. I know that you and Leota have a child! And that, although rather abstractly, lead to her locking me into that trunk over there!" Emily pointed at it, but Crystal didn't look. She'd already seen it once before, and once was too many times.
"So it's a good thing that you're stuck down here forever while I'm up having the time of my life! HA!"
"Emily…" George started. Emily's expression lightened, and she suddenly threw her arms around George.
"Oh, you're right George! I could never stay mad at you! You always know what to say!"
George looked helplessly at Crystal for an explanation, but Crystal just shrugged.
"Well, you two go and get that bad skeleton man out of here! I'm counting on you! And make sure you both get me something nice for Christmas!" She said, and resumed her vigilant post in the corner.
George heaved a sigh, and they headed out the window and out into the graveyard.
