Chapter Six: Chainsaw

"We know our purpose," Hamtaro told the other hamsters, "Boss is… Boss is going to kill another family of hamsters. Then another and another."

"How do you know this?" Maxwell asked him, "Not to boast, but I'm the smartest hamster among us, and I haven't even thought of a reason for us to still be ghosts."

"We…" Bijou shuddered like a vibrating phone, "We saw a paper with his plans. He- he- he…" Bijou shook her head, unable to finish her sentence.

Sandy shut her eyes tight and took a deep breath, "He's going to kill that family, the new one. First the 13 year old, then-"

"But she's so young!" Oxnard wailed.

"Ookwee! Ook!" Penelope argued.

"Penelope is younger," translated Pashmina, "But still…"

"Well, anyways," Sandy said when no one else talked, "Then she's going to kill the 15 year old, then their only parent, then… the… the little four year old."

"Oooooookweeeee!" Penelope wailed.

"Oh my gosh! That's so horrible!" Stan exclaimed, "How could anyone be so evil? What a despicable mind he has. He needs to die!"

"Uh… yeah, he does," said an unfamiliar voice from behind Cappy.

Cappy slowly turned around to see Snoozer emerging from the bloody wall, "Snoozer!"

"Hi," Snoozer said, "It's impossible to sleep while you're dead. You're mostly awake and your dreams are invaded by death, the reason you died (Stan bowed his head sorrowfully and Snoozer glanced at him), skulls, death, and murders and suicides that are being committed as you sleep. Dreams are filled with people left in bereavement as their loved ones decay. It's just so-"

"Please!" Pashmina interrupted, "That's so…"

"Sad, gross?" Howdy said, finishing her sentence.

Pashmina nodded.

"I have an idea," Oxnard said, "Let's make a plan. We have to stop this. This is why we are ghosts. We have to save that family and find out as much information as possible."

"Good idea," Sandy said, "Let's get to work."

xxx

Howdy and Dexter floated around about Boss, making sure their translucent figures weren't seen. Boss looked about every now and then, but had no clue that two of his victims were watching him, waiting for any useful information as they spied upon him.

"How will I get that dumb 13-year old alone?" Boss mumbled to himself as he looked at his chainsaw, "She stays with her family all the time!"

Dexter flew under Boss' bead and watched him while Howdy floated up to the ceiling. This was important information.

"Let's see…" Boss looked at some papers, which Howdy detected to be a schedule of what Audrey did every day for the past week. It sickened him to see such a thing, "Let's see," Boss said, "Hmmmm… yes she goes on a walk every evening by herself. A small one, but it's good enough."

Dexter gasped and sunk down under the ground, hoping that Howdy would fly through the ceiling.

"Who's there?" Boss demanded, "I demand to see who just gasped!"

Howdy tried to hold back a giggle as he watched Boss look for another hamster, but he found none. When he finally gave up his search, Dexter and Howdy flew off to report their discovery.

xxx

"Okay, what do we do to save this poor girl?" Bijou asked as everyone floated in a circle around a bloody table.

"Haunt him?" Cappy suggested.

"No, no, that's not right," Panda said, "But it's a good thought."

"I have an idea," Hamtaro said, leaning in and telling them his plan.

xxx

Audrey whistled, her brown fur blowing in the cool evening breeze. She looked at the trees and screamed. Two ghost hamsters were staring at her from the treetops. Audrey whirled around and started running for dear life but tripped on a small root. She grunted when she landed on the ground. Bijou and Hamtaro floated down to her. She got up and shook with fear.

"Wh-what do you want with me?" she stammered.

"We want you to be careful," Bijou replied.

"What?"

"We were killed by a hamster who we thought would be our friend," Bijou told her, "But he wasn't. He's going to keep on killing, and you're next on the list. The rest of your family will be killed after you."

"This is insane," Audrey muttered, "You've got to be kidding! Who are you hamsters anyway?"

"I'm Hamtaro," replied Hamtaro, "That's Bijou. You have to believe us, or at least walk with other hamsters. You're supposed to be killed while you're out walking… like tonight."

Audrey didn't say anything, she just tried to think of a solution, "Well… how come I haven't seen you two around here. Do you have any kids?"

Hamtaro and Bijou blushed. "No," Bijou said, "We aren't together and we live with… oh my gosh, Maria!"

"Maria?"

"My owner!" Bijou wailed, "I live with a human and she must be worried sick!"

"Along with Laura and the other hamsters," Hamtaro added. He looked back at Audrey, "I'm sorry, I forgot about you. Just stay with at least one other hamster at all times… and make sure the rest of your family does, too… he's planning even as we speak."

Audrey's eyes filled with tears, "I don't want to believe you, but I do. Why does he want to kill me!"

"I guess he's just sick," said a voice from the bushes.

They looked towards the bushes and heard the sound of a chainsaw. Boss jumped out of the bushes and ran at them, his chainsaw held with both paws. Audrey screamed and ran, but Boss was much faster. He lunged at her and his chainsaw caught her tail, almost slicing it off completely, but leaving it hanging by a thread. Audrey screamed in agony but kept on running. Without thinking, Bijou flew inside Boss. He stopped for a moment and his eyes got hollow. Bijou made him lift the chainsaw to throw it aside, but screamed and shot out of his body. Boss cursed and chased after Audrey, who had gotten a small head start. He gained on her, though, and pinned her down.

"You should have listened to your new friends," Boss snarled, "Good-bye, Audrey."

All through the forest, you could hear the scream of a hamster with a chainsaw slicing her head off, and if you go through that forest, you're sure to find a little bit of blood the rain never carried away.