Groaning, Rick stood up slowly and opened the door. And he found the person that he least expected.

It was Leota.

But not Leota in the crystal ball. A slender, corporeal Leota with long black hair, wearing a black dress and large hoop earrings. As soon as she saw Rick, she threw her arms around him in a big hug.

"Leota?-" Rick started, but got the wind knocked out of him by the hug.

"You did it! You've vanquished William!" Leota said happily, "Now we can finally be free of this prison!"

"What are you talking about? What's going on!"

"C'mon!" Leota said, grabbing his hand. He glanced back at the door, and grabbed the keys from the lock before Leota pulled him along. She led him through the house, and to a large staircase with a giant glass window at the top.

"Look!" She said excitedly, pointing skyward. Rick looked up.

Floating through the air were the ghosts. Hundreds of them, each soaring around, circling with glee, and flying through the window and into the sky, finally able to move on.

Rick saw the three ghosts from the crypt, and they winked and waved as they floated through the giant window.

The dog that attacked him earlier, now a handsome, fur-covered pit bull, barked happily at him.

"You're forgiven," Rick said to it with a smile as it floated around and then flew away.

The singing quintet, all wearing pinstripe suits and matching hats, floated out together, still singing. They tipped their hats to Rick as they vanished.

Another ghost that stood out was a beautiful young girl in a sparkling pink dress…now blood free. Smiling at him, she mouthed 'thank you' before floating away. Hundreds more ghosts passed, including Tyler, and soon, they were gone.

"By sending William to the afterlife, you've broken the curse. I have been restored," She said, gesturing to her body, "and can move on with everyone else. But there's one ghost that would like to thank you personally."

Leota nodded to the staircase, and Rick looked in its direction. Slowly descending the staircase was a woman in a beautiful wedding dress with a flowing veil…Meadow.

"Thank you," she said in a sweet and gentle voice, "I can finally go and see my family…and the people who truly love me."

"Oh! Wait!" Rick said, remembering something, "Before you go…" He shuffled around in his pockets, and eventually produced the beautiful ring that he'd found earlier in the trunk. "I think this is yours."

"You keep it," Meadow said, giving him a smile, "Give it to your own special someone some day."

Rick nodded with thanks, and Meadow closed her eyes and turned her head upward. Spreading her arms wide, she slowly vanished in a cloud of glittering gold sparkles.

"I should go too. Once again – thank you," Leota said, and gave him a kiss on the cheek. Blushing, he watched as she slowly ascended the stairs.

And for the first time in over a century, sunlight streamed through the windows of the mansion. Leota vanished just as the first rays of daylight pierced the giant window.

Rick easily found his way back to the portrait gallery now that the mansion wasn't twisted and warped. As soon as he touched the secret panel, it slid open, much to the surprise of the people on the other side.

In a hospital not far from the house, Maria the psychic suddenly awoke from her mysterious coma. Sitting up and looking out the window of her hospital room, she could see the Mansion, a speck in the distance, and smiled.

"Well done," she whispered, before resting her head on the pillow again.

It turned out, according to the police, Rick had been in the mansion for…say it with me now…thirteen hours. They found that as soon as he returned, they could easily open any window and door in the house. And once everyone had left, the mysterious stretching room returned to normal, never to elongate again.

Rick stood outside the house in the daylight, admiring it in its former glory. As he was about to leave, something caught his eye on the front steps.

A little girl, wearing a white dress, with black hair was watching him. Rick stared at her curiously, but the girl returned a mischievous smile.

Her words floated over the ground and Rick was the only one who could seem to hear them, while the others were busy getting in vehicles and leaving.

Rick never forgot the little girl's words, spoken in a soft little voice with a playful grin on her face.

"Hurry ba-aack…hurry ba-aack…be sure to bring your death certificate…if you decide to join us…make final arrangements now. We've been dying to have you…"

With that, the girl faded away to the afterlife with the others. With a smile, Rick got in his car, knowing every soul was finally at piece. As he drove away, he looked at the beautiful house in his rearview mirror.

"I love this job."