Chapter 32: Part 2 — A Ghost of a Chance
Author's note: This is the sequel that you guys have been requesting to Chapter 21 in this series. Sorry for the delay! Human! Klaus was leading a paranormal investigation team to explore the famed Forbes' haunted estate. What happens when estate owner and stubborn skeptic Caroline notices something a bit 'para' about Klaus' 'normal' behavior?
"No, the menace of the supernatural is that it attacks where
modern minds are weakest, where we have abandoned our protective armor of
superstition and have no substitute defense."
― Shirley Jackson, The Haunting of Hill House
This might be a world record for getting dumped. Except we never went out. But there were implications. A brief, electric kiss on the lips is implied social contract. Fairly certain that's in the Constitution.
Caroline couldn't hide her confusion as she climbed the basement stairs with Klaus. She had thought they were on the same page about getting together soon and she had started tentatively making plans in her head about when he would travel to Portland to see her. She had tried to start several conversations with him, mentioning favorite local hangouts she wanted to show him, and casually asking about his timeframe for traveling, but she was met with either brief, one-word mutterings or a few notes of that tune he kept whistling. She was at a loss to explain his odd behavior, especially considering that he had seemed interested in her earlier. What happened? She normally was able to avoid alienating the guy until the second date.
Kol and Davina came into view, holding small rectangular instruments that made odd clicking noises whenever they swept them around the parlor. Grinning mischievously, Kol exclaimed, "Finally! Did you and the lovely Caroline wrap up your investigation?" Wiggling his eyebrows suggestively, he added, "Tell me, Nik, was it in-depth?"
Flushing, Caroline immediately looked down at the gleaming cherry floors, muttering under her breath while she waited for Klaus to berate his brother in their usual fashion. When a cold silence greeted her ears, she glanced at him and was hurt to see the impassive, almost vacant expression upon his handsome face.
His voice, oddly devoid of his accent, seemed especially cutting as he didn't bother looking at her when he flatly answered, "I can assure you nothing untoward occurred between us. My good sir, simply because a young lady dresses like a slattern doesn't give you leave to behave in such an ungentlemanly manner."
Blue eyes wide, Caroline said indignantly, "What the hell, Klaus?" She peeked down at her cream peasant blouse and inched the scoop neckline up slightly, but only because the parlor had gotten a bit drafty, she reasoned.
Davina raised a judgmental eyebrow at the exchange, mumbling to Kol, "Christ. Your brother isn't usually this hopeless at women. Maybe the Oklahoma humidity is getting to him?"
With extreme effort, Kol finally tore his gaze away from Caroline's fabulous cleavage, frowning at Klaus. "I realize you're a bit rusty, mate, but most ladies aren't fans of name-calling." He paused briefly, adding helpfully, "Well, except in cases where you have a special arrangement with a funny bird who goes in for a bit of slap and tickle before you get down to business, but that usually costs a lad a bit extra."
At Klaus' confused expression, Caroline bit out, "Whatever. Do you need me for anything else or can I trust you'll lock up and give my property manager the keys when you're done?" She noticed that the sun was almost below the horizon and with a pang of regret, thought about the lonely drive back to the airport. She hated that she'd spend the whole time thinking of the dimpled British bastard and how he had inexplicably run so hot and cold with her during their brief encounter.
Davina stopped her from leaving, her long, dark hair whipping around her as she ordered around everyone in a no-nonsense voice. "Caroline, don't go yet. Why don't you come with me and we'll go upstairs to finish setting up while Kol discusses camera angle concerns and data gathering with his brother." With an edge in her tone, she glared at Klaus and commanded, "That should give Klaus enough time to pull his head out of his ass."
Ignoring the group, Klaus turned and began walking out of the parlor, his heavy footsteps echoing on the wooden planks. Kol called after him in irritation, "Oy! Why are you so keen to head back to the basement, Nik? If you found that old git's treasure, we expect you to share with the rest of us!"
Caroline found it odd how Klaus' entire body went rigid at Kol's playful words. She was just getting ready to ask if he'd shoved the treasure up his amazingly toned ass (which would somewhat explain his asshat behavior), when he turned to face the group. His normally beautiful, expressive gray eyes had completely disappeared and he stared at them menacingly with terrifying white orbs. Her heart thudded in her chest when he snarled in a scratchy, unearthly voice, "What do you know of my treasure, boy?!"
Gulping, Kol backed up a step, standing protectively in front of Davina as he tried to draw Klaus' attention away from Caroline, who was standing the closest to him. "Now mate, whatever is going on here, let's all calm down."
With an almost feral roar, Klaus pushed past Caroline and charged toward his brother. Fortunately, his movements seemed oddly out of sync with his body, and Kol and Davina were able to sidestep the furious man. Just before they could meet Caroline at the front door, Klaus leapt in front of the cowering group, effectively cutting off their escape route.
Barely holding back a scream as she looked at the stark white eyes and wrathful, ugly lines that had embedded themselves into Klaus' face, Caroline's instincts kicked in. She decisively commanded Kol and Davina, "Follow me!" Then, she quickly ducked underneath Klaus' outstretched arms, racing toward the grand staircase. From the series of footsteps behind her, she realized that they were keeping up, and she took small comfort knowing that she was not alone in facing whatever was going on.
She gasped for breath as she hopped past the last two stairs and was relieved to see that the master bedroom was at the top of the landing just as she remembered from her mother's ramblings. She flew into the musty room, Kol and Davina at her heels. They quickly slammed the heavy maple door, trembling with fear as they heard Klaus' angry bellows. "What the hell is going on," Caroline shrieked, her hands shaking.
Kol let the back of his head hit the door with a thud, his sweaty chestnut strands sticking out at odd angles. "That," he panted, glancing at both women, "would be definitive proof of paranormal activity." He sighed in exasperation when he noticed Davina's empty hands. "And I bet we didn't get any of it on camera. Do you even have your camera on you?"
Davina angrily glanced down at her tight black tank top emblazoned with the Original Investigations company logo and her skinny jeans, viciously answering, "Where the hell would I put a camera?"
Kol's brown eyes lingered on her cleavage, but he managed to bite his tongue and instead turned to Caroline to ask, "Why in blazes did you have us run up here? You've gone mad if you think we can subdue an angry spirit with a few dusty doilies."
"There's no way Klaus was letting us run out the front door so I had to improvise," Caroline yelled. "My mother has been droning on and on about renovating this place and her latest fixation has been on the fireplace in the master bedroom." She gestured toward the opposite wall that boasted an enormous, hand-carved white marble mantle and hearth. "More specifically, she says she finds the cast iron fireplace tools 'common' and has had lengthy conversations with the property manager about suitable replacements."
She looked somewhat sheepish as she added, "I may have caught an episode or two of Supernatural and recalled that iron repels ghosts. Or, maybe there's a perfectly rational explanation like Klaus having a psychotic break; in which case, I bet a couple of whacks to his skull will still do the trick."
Davina looked at her incredulously, asking faintly, "You gambled all of our lives on an TV show? A CW TV show?"
"Let's not be hasty, little bird," Kol said soothingly. "Those scruffy devils didn't get it all wrong," he admitted, flipping open the pouch in his leather tool belt to pull out a small carton of table salt.
"Seriously?! In between you shipping Destiel, you picked up some ghostbusting lessons?" Caroline rolled her eyes as she walked across the room and pulled out the tools from the ornate cast iron stand. The reassuring weight of the fireplace poker, shovel and tongs seemed to ground her, giving her strength.
Kol frowned as he took the poker from her. "No need to get shirty."
Davina took the tongs, eyeing the sharp, curved ends warily as she mumbled, "He's actually a closet Sastiel shipper."
Brown eyes widening, he whipped his head around to glare at Davina. "Is nothing sacred, little bird? Besides, I never said I shipped them, I just said it was nice when they set aside their differences and worked together to save Dean," he finished defensively.
Pinching the bridge of her nose, Caroline tried to get the two to focus. "So, are we really saying that your brother has been possessed by the ghost of my great-great-grandfather?"
Kol shrugged, "Did anyone else with unfinished business die here violently?" At Caroline's headshake, he said grimly, "Okay then, that's John Forbes out there."
They suddenly heard the heavy footsteps outside the bedroom door, accompanied by the creepy, somewhat familiar tune that Klaus had been whistling earlier. The sickly-sweet notes seemed to slide over their trembling bodies, chilling them where they stood.
"Oh God," Davina urgently whispered, "I think that's 'Beautiful Dreamer'. I had to sing that in my school's talent show when I was a kid. I didn't think it was possible for that song to get any creepier."
Caroline gripped the iron shovel tightly in her sweaty palms. She answered faintly, "I think that's the song John would whistle for my great-great-grandmother, Rosalie, while they were courting."
"Was she a psychopath too," Davina screeched as Klaus began pounding on the locked door with both fists.
Ignoring the girl, Caroline whispered to Kol, "Do you know how to exorcise a ghost? We need a plan now."
He thought for a minute, and then shook the container of salt in her face. "Clearly John Forbes' unfinished business is linked to the treasure. The spirit will have no choice but to move on to the afterlife once we locate the treasure." At Caroline's skeptical expression, he explained, "Think about it! Your father died in the basement with a shovel. That teenager that died here a decade ago was found in the basement. The ghost kept trying to direct Klaus' body back to the basement and he only became enraged after I mentioned the treasure."
"I doubt Klaus is going to willingly walk into a ring of salt," Davina said, clicking her iron tongs impatiently, "It could get messy."
Caroline felt her stomach drop at the thought of hurting Klaus. Surely between the three of them, they could avoid causing too much harm? Adjusting the weight of the iron shovel in her hand, she tried to block out the haunting, undeniably terrifying whistling that continued outside of the door. She whispered to her companions, "If we quickly open the door, it will take him by surprise. Kol should stand in his line of sight so he'll rush toward him. Davina and I will come in from the sides and knock him out."
Kol looked at her in amazement and whispered, "Your plan is to use me as bait? Bloody hell woman, when my brother's himself again, he's probably going to ask you to marry him."
Hating the slight flutter that Kol's teasing words caused, she squared her shoulders, lightly stepping toward the door with Davina. Once they were all in position, Caroline quickly unlocked the door, throwing it open and barely withholding a scream as Klaus barged in. As predicted, he immediately went after his brother, throttling him with a disturbing about of strength that lifted his feet off of the ground a couple of inches. The white orbs were somehow filled with mindless rage and his lips were pulled back into a fierce snarl. Kol accidentally dropped the fire poker, the heavy iron falling to the cherry floor with a resounding thud.
Caroline and Davina quickly ran to Kol's aid, each taking a side as they swung their weapons at Klaus. Unfortunately, because their strokes were timid in their efforts not to hurt him, Klaus let go of Kol long enough to easily toss Davina several feet. Terrified by the cruelty she saw reflected in that dead gaze, Caroline brought down the blunt end of her iron shovel on the back of his curly head, knocking him down. He seemed somewhat dazed as he struggled to get back up, but she brought down the weapon several more times until he was completely knocked out.
She stood over Klaus' body, relieved to see that he was still breathing. Shovel in hand, she glanced over at Kol and Davina and commented wryly, "Still not the worst date I've been on."
Kol and Davina exchanged questioning glances, but quickly got to work helping her move Klaus toward the edge of the four-poster bed. They added the ring of salt on the floor and secured his limp arms around one of the intricately carved maple posts with several plastic zip ties they normally used for storing equipment cables.
Studying his handiwork with the restraints, Kol said cheekily, "It's just like how most of my dates end."
Davina scoffed, "Please. The one time I tried to get you to wear the furry pink handcuffs, you started sweating like crazy and mumbling something about carpal tunnel."
"Can we focus here? Can the ghost jump bodies and possess one of us? Is that a thing," Caroline asked in a tone full of concern. "What if one of us is possessed right now? How would we know?"
"Well, I'd assume if one of us was possessed by your great-great-grandfather, there would probably be some signs like an urge to snort Viagra." He turned around to face Davina and asked, "Little bird, you once dated my oldest brother, Finn, who's practically an AARP member, can you tell us what it's like to have an old codger inside you?"
By the fierce glint in Davina's dark eyes, Caroline was fairly certain a fight was brewing that they did not have time for. She hastily asked, "So this salt ring — even if Klaus wakes up, the ghost can't cross the barrier, right?"
"Right," Kol answered. "Salt binds the spirit and the possessed body cannot move without it burning them. So, let's go find the treasure and finish this."
The trio hurried out of the room, weapons still in hand as they headed toward the basement. Caroline paused at the threshold, biting her lip nervously. She steeled herself for finally seeing the room where her father died. So much had happened in such a short time that she hadn't fully processed the fact that there was likely more to her father's death than just a mere heart attack. She grimaced as she realized that her great-great-grandfather probably killed him in his mad search for the Dalton brothers' treasure. Full of trepidation, she walked into the basement, watching curiously as Kol quickly poured a thin line of salt across the threshold.
"Just in case," he said grimly.
She had questioned how long they would need to search to find the hidden treasure, but the ghost had made it surprisingly obvious. The wooden planks from the floor had been crudely ripped open near one wall, and they all raced to see what was inside. Davina gleefully shouted as she kneeled down and reached into the exposed space, pulling out multiple bags, the dusty gold coins tumbling carelessly out of the rough canvas sacks. They all cautiously touched the coins, amazed at the wealth they had uncovered. Their excitement was short-lived, however, when an inhuman growl at the open doorway startled them.
White eyes glaring, Klaus' menacing frame crowded the doorway. "That treasure is mine," he snarled threateningly.
"It's okay," Kol said, eyeing the salt line carefully. "The ghost is bound by the salt barrier and can't cross the threshold."
"Really? Then explain how he escaped from the one upstairs," Davina shrieked, tightly gripping the iron tongs in her hands.
Kol thought for a moment, and happened to look down at his sneakers, shutting his eyes in irritation when he realized his laces had come untied. "I must have accidentally broken the salt ring when we were tying him up. Damn it, the spirit is stronger than I thought — he tore through the plastic zip ties."
Caroline took a deep breath, trying to make sense of everything. "Okay, so he escaped, but we found the treasure. Shouldn't that take care of his unfinished business? Why is the ghost still possessing him?"
Davina's voice was unnaturally quiet as she replied, "Maybe because the treasure wasn't John Forbes' only unfinished business."
Curious, Caroline looked at the girl and was immediately nervous when she saw how the blood seemed to have drained from her face as she stared down at the exposed hole in the floor. "What else is down there," she asked uncertainly, her stomach in knots. Together with Kol, they started prying off additional floorboards, gasping when they saw what Davina had caught a glimpse of.
Klaus howled, "No!" The anguish tore through his body as he collapsed to his knees, helplessly watching the trio from the threshold.
A shriveled corpse dressed in the decayed remnants of what was once a lacy Victorian dress greeted them. "What the hell," Caroline gasped, unable to tear her eyes away from the horrifying image. She unwillingly kept cataloguing new details, such as the silver locket wrapped around the throat, or the few strands of long blonde hair that stubbornly clung to the skull.
"Rosalie," Klaus called out hoarsely, unable to raise his head as he stared at his hands in despair.
"No," Caroline said, stubbornly shaking her head. "My great-great-grandmother didn't die in Oklahoma. The hot summers made her ill and she went back to the East Coast to live with relatives."
"I spread that falsehood. I discovered that cursed locket and she confessed Emmett Dalton had given it to her and she was running away with him. I strangled her with it and then hid her body with the treasure," Klaus explained, finally lifting his head, the ghostly white orbs disappearing into Klaus' familiar steel gaze. Suddenly, his entire body shook as a wisp of smoke rose, floating in the air briefly before finally evaporating.
With a start, Klaus leapt to his feet, looking at the group with wild eyes. "Is it over? Are you all okay?"
Caroline was relieved to hear his familiar accent had returned, but Kol said suspiciously, "We're fine. Are you, Nik? Why don't you prove it by crossing that salt barrier?"
They all seemed to hold their breath as Klaus stepped over the line, all relaxing as they realized they were safe. Klaus immediately took Caroline in his arms, hugging her tightly as he kissed her blonde curls. "I would never have forgiven myself if I had hurt you, sweetheart," he shakily confessed.
Caroline allowed herself to melt in his comforting embrace. She breathed in his spicy cologne and knew she had never felt more at peace. She looked up at him and answered, "Um, sorry about whacking you over the head with the fireplace shovel," she said awkwardly.
He snorted, "Unfortunately, I suspect that won't be the last time you get the urge to do that."
Interrupting the couple's playful banter, a scowling Kol grumbled, "Bloody hell, after all that, we still didn't capture a bit of it on camera."
Shaking her head, Davina grabbed Kol's hand and said, "Let's just be grateful we all made it through in one piece." Together, they exited the basement to head upstairs and call the police.
Realizing they were alone once more, Klaus flashed Caroline a mischievous smirk and said, "I swear our second date will at least include dinner, love."
She chuckled, reaching up to kiss him soundly on the lips. As she pulled away she said, "You sure know how to show a girl a good time." She started to follow Klaus as he left the basement, but instead her curiosity got the better of her and she knelt beside the hole in the floor once more.
At Klaus' raised eyebrow she explained, "I just want to see what all the fuss is about," and then carefully reached down to remove the silver locket. Seemingly fascinated by the morbid artifact, her fingers lightly traced the delicate lines. Shaking her head, she kept the locket clutched in her hand as she stood back up to face Klaus.
He stood on the other side of the doorway, watching her curiously. "Aren't you ready to get out of here, sweetheart?"
Caroline studied him, taking her time answering until she noticed the way his heavy boot had brushed against the salt line. She suddenly flashed him a brilliant smile as she accepted his hand to cross the threshold. "Yes. It feels like I've been stuck in this basement for ages."
