Disclaimer: I do not own the Phantom Manor, or any of its characters. I only own several characters. Phantom Manor is owned by Disney. This story is written in honour of Walt Disney, a man with dreams, and made them a reality.
I will introduce characters from the ride in this chapter, like The Phantom (voice) and Melanie. Others may be introduced.
Something I forgot to mention in the first chapter. This is not only a supernatural/romance fic, but also with a bit of humour. I have something planned that involves Ezra trying to bribe Zeke a train ticket. Zeke is named after the main character in the Haunted Mansion game.
After my first review from Aquarian Wolf (I still admire her work), I decided to change Zeke's age to 35, just to not confuse things. So if you read the first chapter and get confused, you'll understand in this chapter.
Chapter 2: The Stretching Gallery and the Mysterious Bride
The following morning, Zeke and Hilary were on their way to Ravenswood Manor. Travelling from Louisiana to Texas was longer than expected. Hilary had fallen asleep in the car as Zeke had been driving for the past six hours. But eventually, Zeke found his ancestral manor, hidden in the middle of Texas, looming over the ghost town of Thunder Mesa, like a god being praised by his worshippers.
The car grinded to a stop, and Zeke stepped out of it, followed by Hilary. Zeke looked up at the ramshackle house, looking unimpressed.
"Nice place," he said sarcastically.
"Looks like it's been abandoned for years," said Hilary.
"Come on, let's go see if there are real ghosts in there," said Zeke and stepped forward through the open gate.
Neither of them saw the demonic face of a dark creature built onto the bronze plaque on one of the walls. It seemed to create some sort of terrifying atmosphere, which caused birds to take off into the sky. The two walked along the cobblestone path, past the vine-covered gazebo and crumbling garden pavilion. As Zeke walked on, Hilary halted in her footsteps, listening to the whistle of the wind. To Hilary is sounded like there was a horrible melody of moans and groans, roars and screams, travelling through the channel of wind. As if the wind was warning Hilary, not to enter the forsaken house.
Zeke walked around the house's catwalk, heading for the sealed front doors. He heard several ominous sounds emanating from the manor's environs, like a baying of a dog, a squawking of a raven and what sounded like…singing?
Zeke turned to Hilary who stepped up beside him. Zeke knocked on the front doors, as the door knocker was broken and there was no doorbell. The doors suddenly opened by themselves.
The two entered in, Hilary looking a bit shocked. They were in a dimly-lit foyer. Wooden panelling was built on top of the peeling wallpaper. A cobwebbed chandelier hung from the ceiling. Hanging from the walls were two gloomy mirrors. One sat normally on the wall, dressed in a brown frame. The second was round, covered by red draperies. Hilary curiously approached the mysterious mirror and stared into its foggy recesses. She started flicking hair out of his face.
"This is not time to be checking your hairstyle, Hilary," said Zeke, rolling his eyes.
"I saw you checking your hair last night in the bathroom," said Hilary, causing Zeke to blush slightly.
Hilary chuckled and then turned back to look into the mirror, but what was reflecting in the mirror made her leap back in fright. Replacing Hilary's face was a beautiful young woman with long curled hair. She seemed to look sad and as soon as Hilary blinked, the face was gone and replaced by her own.
"That was weird…" said Hilary.
"What was?" asked Zeke, appearing beside his daughter.
"I though I saw a woman with brown hair staring at me in the mirror," said Hilary, pointing to the empty mirror.
"You were looking at yourself, as you are very beautiful," said Zeke, pulling his daughter in for a hug.
"Dad, stop it," said Hilary.
Suddenly, a harsh wind blew into the room and the front doors, which Zeke had closed behind him, creaked noisily. The lit lights on the chandelier flickered and weird shadows on the walls made odd shapes. Then from the corners of the room, a cold voice boomed out.
"You, you who have dared disturbing the serenity of this place. You must have a lot of courage to step through the door of this house," said the eerie voice.
"Thanks, I guess…" said Zeke. "But who are you?"
"Come on, don't make me beg you. Come in! What are you waiting for? Don't be frightened, you've come this far already. Step into the plain light so I can see you a bit! You have nothing to fear, my dear friends," continued the voice.
"Just one second! Who are you?" shouted Zeke.
"Come on, come in, I have so many things for you to discover. Including my identity…" said the voice and the room went silent.
"What was that all about?" asked Hilary nervously.
"It's probably some criminal using a megaphone to creep us out. But it won't work on us!" said Zeke.
Suddenly, a recessed panel in the wall slid back… back… and back, until it created a door, revealing a new room shrouded in flickering darkness.
Zeke took his daughter firmly by the hand, and led her into the next room.
The new strange chamber was tall and large. It was octagonal shaped and eight walls towered up to the ceiling above. Sixteen rusted bronze gargoyles perched on a shelf that ran around the top of the room, leering down at the two mortals, each wielding to dripping candles. The light from the candles revealed four large paintings, each of a young woman with red hair. One portrait showed the woman picking roses from a bush; another viewed her treading through a deep stream; a third of the woman holding a parasol; and a final painting of the woman sitting with a man wearing a cowboy hat on a picnic blanket.
The voice of the man spoke up again.
"Our tour begins here, in this gallery, where you can admire the softness and innocence of youth," said the voice.
"These paintings would make my art teacher faint," said Hilary. "They're amazing!"
"You're telling me, Hil, but there is something about them," said Zeke, examining each painting carefully.
But then, just as Zeke spoke those words, something odd and supernatural happened. The walls seemed to stretch, the ceiling and gargoyles getting higher and higher. Either it was the ceiling rising or the floor was lowering, but it appeared that the gallery was stretching, and so were the paintings. Each one revealed a terrifying fate to the woman, including a zombie reaching out to grab her, her in a boat about to plunge down a waterfall, about to be attacked by some sort of water demon, and the painting with her and the man, showed that an army of ants, spiders and snakes were crawling and slithering to their presence.
"Dad! What is happening?" said Hilary, hugging her dad for protection.
"I have no idea," said Zeke, trying to show a brave face.
"Alas, things aren't always what they seem. This room's walls, for example, maybe don't really stretch? And as you can see there is no door and no window. What a frightening problem to solve… where is the way out?" said the voice.
The room suddenly went pitch black, as a strong wind had blown the candles out. The voice of the man suddenly bellowed with laughter, evil laughter that is.
"I am afraid you're bound to follow me!"
Then the ceiling in the gallery started to glow and disappear. Zeke and Hilary could now see the manor's distant attic, which seemed like miles away. A shadowy figure dressed in a billowing cloak and a top hat stood on a wooden beam, laughing maniacally as lightning flashed overhead. Then Hilary let out a scream, as she spotted a swinging corpse hanging from a rafter. The corpse was clad in a shredded tuxedo. Zeke was petrified. Hilary was so terrified, she looked like she would fall unconscious at any moment. But then, suddenly the lights came back on and everything was back to normal.
The ceiling was back and the room was its original size, as were the paintings. Zeke looked about sharply, searching for any signs of the corpse or the laughing man.
Another panel suddenly slid open and Hilary was pushed out of the room by Zeke.
"Dad, I want to go home!" sobbed Hilary.
They were in a long dimly-lit corridor, which appeared to be another gallery. The walls were decorated with an assortment of mirrors and family portraits, all covered in ruling dust. There were five large pictures in the hallway. One of a knight with his noble steed, standing on a cliff. Another of a woman standing in some sort of temple. A third of a woman sitting on a sofa, and a fourth of a ship sailing elegantly across the ocean.
But as the two walked past each painting, they morphed into horrific situations, unknown to Zeke and Hilary.
At the end of the hall, was a large portrait, of a young woman with long curled red hair, dressed in a bridal gown which flowed beautifully across the floor. She smiled sweetly with red lips and her deep green eyes seemed to stare at Zeke and Hilary and follow them.
A large room came into view, kind of half sitting room and half hall. A grand staircase led up to the floor above. Zeke happened to notice a stern-looking bust perched on a shelf. Zeke looked at it for a moment and then looked about the room at the overstuffed chairs. When he glanced back at the bust, it had somehow physically turned and was staring right at Zeke. Zeke turned away, quite surprised.
"Where should we go?" asked Zeke to Hilary.
"I suggest you go upstairs," said a sudden voice.
Zeke and Hilary turned around and the two screamed. Striding towards them was a walking corpse, dressed in a yellowy shirt, a shredded brown cowboy vest, and a green hat that gamblers sometimes wore. He had hardly any flesh on his skull-like face and he had bloodshot green eyes. He grinned as he approached the two. Zeke was astonished as well as amazed, while Hilary just screamed.
"Howdy strangers," said the corpse in a western accent.
"I'm warning you! You take on more step, and I'll dislocate your jaw!" threatened Zeke, raising a fist.
"My jaw's already dislocated, partner," said the corpse. "Now what you be doin' in these parts?"
"I am Zeke Ravenswood, and I'm here to solve a case of this manor!" shouted Zeke, his fist still raised.
"Well isn't that swell. You got your self a pirdy daughter there, Mr. Ravenswood," said the corpse. "Name's Ezra. Stationmaster of the Thunder Mesa Railroad!"
"Uh-huh? This is my daughter Hilary," said Zeke, motioning to the quivering girl behind.
"T-t-thanks for the compliment, I-I-I-I think," said Hilary, who was scared silly.
"Your welcome missy," said Ezra and he suddenly reached in a pocket and pulled out a ripped train ticket. "You want a ticket?"
"Er… no thanks, Ezra," said Zeke and nervously shuffled toward the aging staircase with Hilary.
"Ah, come on! Nobody ever buys a ticket from me anymore!" cried Ezra. "Just because Ezra dead, after being run over by a steam train, nobody wants a ticket anymore!"
"We'll just be going now, bye bye!" said Hilary and she and Zeke raced up the stairs and disappeared.
"Oh, dagnabbit!" said Ezra sadly and he walked to a chair and sat in it, but his leg suddenly snapped off.
Character Cards
The Phantom: A mysterious villain who rules over the Phantom Manor. Able to shape-shift and having other such powers, The Phantom is dangerous as well as creepy. The Phantom killed Melanie's fiancé and hung him from the rafters. Nobody knows who The Phantom is. Some people say he is Melanie's father, and even Eric Plutocrat, Melanie's dead groom!
Melanie Ravenswood: Melanie is the daughter of Henry Ravenswood. She was ready to get married, but on the day of her wedding, her fiancé disappeared. From that moment, Melanie has searched the manor, in both life and afterlife, searching for her love. She has never taken off her wedding dress or dropped her bouquet, in case the groom appears. Melanie has a wonderful singing voice and her lonely melodies can be heard within the dark halls of the Phantom Manor.
Ezra: Ezra is a cheerful and dead stationmaster of the Thunder Mesa Railroad. Ezra tries to give out tickets to anybody, whether mortal or ghost. Ezra was sadly killed when the earthquake struck the town. He had stumbled out onto the crumbling station to help get passengers to safety, but he tripped and fell onto the rails, and at the same time, a runaway train collided with Ezra and killed him. Even when dead, Ezra likes company.