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Skeptical silence filled the dinning room as Max finished his story of the events that happened last night. He waited on baited breathe to what their reactions might be.
Rick snorted. "Sounds more like a nightmare, than anything else."
"But…"
"Yeah, I mean, come on," Eddy said. "What? You think we have ghost or something?"
"Oh, please," Emily gave an undignified snort. "Ghosts aren't real. They're just an figment of your imagination."
"You were just tired. Maxie," Judy soothed. "Your mind was playing tricks on you, that's all."
"But, mum…!" Max tried to protest.
"Give it a rest, Max," Steve said. "You said there was loud bangs coming from your room right?"
"Yeah, it sounded like something was going to break through the wall!"
"If that's true, then why didn't anyone else hear it, hmm?" Steve concluded.
Max remained silent. Why didn't anyone else hear the noises? Maybe his mind was just playing tricks on him.
"Yeah, I guess you're right," Max sighed in surrender. "It probably was just a nightmare. Felt so real though."
The conversation was suddenly turned to dreams as Judy and Emily tried to come up with scientific explanations for why people dream. Some say that it's our subconscious giving us information to better ourselves, while others say that it's just our minds ridding itself of useless and dated information.
During the entire conversation, Michael stayed silent, usually he too would throw his two cents in, but he opted to remain silent. In truth, he also heard noises last night, but they weren't loud bangs that Max had heard, they sounded like heavy, angry footsteps.
After breakfast, everyone had ventured back to their rooms to get ready for a day of training. When it comes to the PPB they don't waste any time.
Michael quickly got changed into his normal gear, then sat at the foot of his bed and pulled out a blank hardcover note book. He placed a date at the top right hand corner than proceeded to write what happened that night and recounted the story Max told at breakfast.
Usually, Michael likes to pride himself for being levelheaded and rational, but this house was something else. Something he knows science can't explain. Something he doesn't think anyone can explain.
He wrote as quickly as he could, so not to be late for training. He's not in the mood to get an earful for Judy today. When he was done, he closed the book and placed it in his backpack. He carries that bag everywhere, and he feels better knowing that unless one of his teammates mug him, they won't stumble across the book. If they did he'll never hear the end of it.
Swinging his bag over his shoulder, Michael exit the room and raced downstairs, relieved that he was getting away from the house.
"Is everyone ready?" Judy asked.
"Emily isn't here yet," Steve replied.
"She must be busy putting her face on," Rick smirked.
"Enough," Judy scolded. "Stop picking on Emily."
"Yes, Ma'am."
A few moments later Emily came down the stairs.
"Sorry it took so long, Judy," Emily apologized. "I couldn't find my things. I could've sworn I placed them in the cupboard, but I found them in my bag."
"Your mind plays tricks on you when you're tired," Judy said. "Anyway, everyone ready to go now?"
The American team nodded and they piled out of the house, much to Michael's relief and into the minivan.
Michael's relief didn't last long, however. Even as they pulled out of the driveway, he still could feel those eyes of malice bore into him.
… … … … …
"If I have to deal with another house that has bad wiring haunting the place, I'll hurl," Bryan muttered as he walked wearily into the large lounge room in one of Kai's mansions he, along with the rest of the Blitzkrieg boys, were staying in.
Spencer followed behind his platinum hair teammate. "Hardly worth getting out of bed for, isn't it?"
"The only reason we're even checking out these places is because we haven't got anything better to do," Bryan muttered as he plonked himself down in one of the oversize chairs.
"I suppose since we've been doing this for so long, that we've upped our expectations," Spencer said.
Bryan remained silent for a moment. "Yeah, I guess you're right. Remember how we use to jump as every single noise and immediately jump to the conclusion that it was supernatural?"
Spencer smirked. "Yeah, I remember. And we managed to catch every single noise."
"But we got nothing this time," Bryan muttered. "And you didn't pick anything up on the motion detector either."
"You don't think our equipment was faulty, do you?" Spencer frowned. "I mean it is getting pretty old."
"Yeah," Bryan agreed. "I think it's time that we upgraded, right?"
"Right, and what cases we get in the meantime will have to wait until we've finished upgrading."
… … … … …
After a reasonable day of light training, the young American team and their coach, made their way home, around 5 o'clock that afternoon. Everyone went their separate ways, taking a little time to themselves before they have dinner. None of them are in any particular mood to cook, so they're having take out. They'll either get it delivered, or go out and get it themselves, they haven't got that far yet.
Slowly and reluctantly, Michael wondered up to his room. He opened the door, peered in and then stepped inside. He opted to leave the door open ajar. His room was at the end of the hallway anyway, it's not like anyone will wonder by and take a peek in.
Rifling through his bag, Michael pulled out the note book again, and jotted down what Emily said about her things being in a different place than she could remember. Judy kept telling everyone that they were just tired, but he doesn't buy it. They've all been tired before, some on the brink of exhaustion, but none of them had encountered anything like this before. And it isn't because they're in some strange place. They've travel all over the place, staying at some new and some downright dodgy hotels.
"Hey Michael!" Came Eddy's voice from down the hall. "You're needed downstairs!"
To argue with the others about what they should have to eat no doubt.
"Coming!" Michael called back.
He slipped off the bed and placed the now dubbed 'Paranormal journal' back into his bag. As he did so, his fingers moved over something cold and hard. Startled, Michael riffed his hand out of the bag and peeked inside. There at the bottom of his bag was a silver cross.
"I forgot I had that," he muttered to himself, trying to get his heart rate back to normal.
He picked up the cross and looked at it as it laid in the palm of his hand.
"Hurry up, Michael!" It was Eddy again.
"All right, I'm coming!" Michael yelled back. "Sheesh."
He stood and place the cross on the bedside table, reminding himself to place it somewhere safe later as he exit the room.
… … … … …
After much discussion, the All stars settled on pizza. It was quite and easy to clean up after. They watched TV for a couple of hours then decided they should turn in. Others more reluctant. Max crept into his room, feeling slightly nervous, but kept telling himself that what happened last night was just a bad dream. Nothing in this house can hurt them, right?
Right?
Yawning softly, Max changed into his orange night clothes and crawled into bed, nuzzling his cheek into the pillow. He peeked open one of his eyes, then closed it again when he was satisfied to see his torch sitting on the bedside table.
He was hoping that nothing happens tonight.
Soon the house turned quiet as one by one the occupants fell asleep.
But, as if something was waiting for everyone to fall asleep the noises begin again. This time, sounding like someone was taking a sledgehammer to the walls and to the ceiling.
Max sat up startled, but he wasn't the only one. Eddy, also sat straight up in his bed, staring up confused at the ceiling. He shrugged, figuring that there was some wild animal in the ceiling and sunk back into bed. But a moment later he sat up again when he heard a noise that sounded like wood splintering.
That doesn't sound like a wild animal. Not that he has heard before anyway.
The noises continued, and all Eddy could do was lay still in bed, hoping that he doesn't draw any attention to himself. He suddenly remembered what Max told them all at breakfast. They all scoffed at him and said it was a nightmare.
This might be a nightmare, but, one has to be asleep for it to be a nightmare. And Eddy was pretty sure he ain't dreaming.
Not a very scary chapter, I know. You see I finished it this morning after spending nearly all night watching the intros of old cartoons I use to watch. Ah, I'm getting old. Anyway, I hope you liked the chapter anyway. Next chappy should be better. Also, I was suddenly hit by inspiration so I'm doing a sequel for 'Golden Opportunity' some time soon.
Next chapter: Judy still doesn't believe the silly little ghost stories.
Please review.
