Disclaimer: I do not own Strange Days, any characters (besides Grace, but I don't care too much for her), or the short portion of a song in the chapter. Which is a nursery song, sung by various artists, again, I don't own. Or the book I mention either.

Chapter 5: One Hell of a House

The remaining two rushed to remaining way up the old house.

The old Victorian looked exactly like the house Grace had pictured while telling the story. Appearing to be abandoned, but the light in the attic told a different story.

The paint weathered to an ugly brownish-yellow color, not like the perfect brown it once was back in the day. The faded shutters were falling off their hinges, the most of the shingles on the roof were gone or cracked in various places, overgrown bushes surrounded it, looking as if they were about to swallow the house.

Their was no doubt in Grace's mind, it was true it was her story!

Lucas seized Grace's hand and squeezed it gently. Together they climbed up the wooden stairs that lead up to the grand doors, the wood creaking with each step, not use to the amount of weight rested on it any more.

Standing hand and hand, legs like jell-o, they shared a quick glance at each other, the same thought squiring their minds. That the hand carved wooden door was waiting for them . . .

CRREEEEEK! The door slowly opened - before either even thought about opening the looming door - revealing a pit of empty darkness.

Grace timidly crept forward, "Hello? Anyone home?" her voice bouncing around the inside.

Suddenly the lights flickered on.

"Voice activated?" Lucas breathed, but the his twisting insides told him different.

The inside looked new, the grand stair well was right in front of them, neatly polished. A room to their left and a huge book case to their right. There were voices coming form the room, but the voices seemed out of body.

Hands together, they moved forward into the room where they saw the weirdest and least scientific things possible. Ghosts!

Ghosts playing poker! The ghosts were playing and chatting away like nothing. 5 of them, playing five card stud.

Lucas founded his voice first, "Hello? Umm . . . . can . . . umm."

They directed their attention to the new comers.

"Well, howdy there, can I help you young folks with somethin'?" The one closest to them asked.

Grace smirked, "Why yes you can, have you seen fours other teens around?"

The five ghosts shifted glances with each other, not answering Grace's question.

"NO!" the one to the right of them yelled.

"OH . . . okay then . . . we'll just keep searching then, thanks!" Grace said as she starred at the one who answered with such harshness.

She glared, a stare could burn right through him, well, if there was something to burn through.

Lucas turned around and walked out. Grace followed, the ghosts continued on, hollering away like before.

"They're no help, but I can tell you they're hiding something!" Lucas whispered to Grace.

She nodded, "We have to continue searching! I know they're in here, that's one thing I had in mind when I was telling you guys the story. I just know it!"

"OKAY, we should split-up. We'll start upstairs, I'll take the left rooms and you'll take the right rooms."

They nodded, their minds focusing solely on what their tacks were. Jogging up the grand stair well, they were amazed, it was new, and the interior of the house seemed new, nothing like the outside.

Lucas gave Grace a quick kiss on the lips before heading down the hall towards the two left rooms. While Grace walked the opposite way down the hall.

(o) (o) (o) (o) (o)

Slowly he walked down the hall , floor boards creaking underneath him, not sure what he was to expect. There was the first door out of the two, he turned the brass knob. Inside, was darkness, Lucas reached to the left, flicking the light switch on. Nothing. The circuit was out, or the light bulb was burned out, whichever.

He stepped forward, seeing his reflection in a mirror . . . well, the best he could in the darkness, more like his out line. Suddenly the door slammed shut. Causing Lucas to jump at the sudden noise. He tried to re-open it, it wouldn't budge. It was locked, jammed probably.

"Oh no!" He whispered to the empty darkness.

!

There was Grace, all alone in the first room she had arrived in.

It seemed as if it was a little girl's room. With ponies covering the pink walls. A wooden rocking chair, next to a small bookcase filled with fairy tales. The bed covered in multicolored flowers with bees, butterflies, and lady bugs.

It must have been a little girl's room, but when?

A faint girl's voice filled the musty air, singing,

"When you wake, you shall have
All the pretty little ponies
Blacks and bays, dapples and grays
All the pretty little ponies"

While the voice sang, the rocking chair silently rocked back and forth, back and forth.
When the song finished, a little girl, know older then 6, appeared in the chair. Something was wrong with that girl . . . she was transparent! Another ghost!

(o) (o) (o) (o) (o)

His reflection faded away, a young women dressed in a white tattered dress replaced Lucas' reflection.

She was pale white, like a piece of paper. Her hair jet black; it was tangled and appeared wet. Dripping water, no, not water . . . but blood! In fact, her dress was spattered in red, probably blood . . . no, defiantly blood! And she looked pissed!

"Bloody Mary!" Lucas gasped.

"Your right Lucas . . . ready to die?" her voice was screeched.

(o) (o) (o) (o) (o)

Grace stood there, dumbfounded, starring at the ghostly figure of a 6 year old little girl. The girl had red, curly locks, freckles across her checks, and a sweet smile. She turned toward Grace.

"Hi! I'm Amber! Will you play with me please? No one wants to play with me anymore, PLEEEEASE!" she rambled on, getting louder and louder.

She gave Grace another sickly sweet smile, showing her two missing front teeth. Grace smiled back, she seemed memorized by Amber. She seemed so cute and sweet, she just wanted to play. What is the harm in playing with a little ghost girl?

(o) (o) (o) (o) (o)

CRASH! The sound of glasses hitting the title floor of the bathroom, the bathroom with Bloody Mary!

Lucas felt a fiery burning sensation in his eyes. He covered his eyes with his two hands, blood seeping through his fingers. His knees buckled beneath him.

THUD! The door slammed open and hit the wall hard enough for plaster to rain off the wall. That's when he felt it. A wet but firm hand grabbed his arm and he was being dragged out of the bathroom by the person . . . or something else.

!

Grace and Amber sat on the floor playing house with dolls in Amber's room. They played and talked about nonsense. Amber was as sweet and nice in the inside as well as she appeared on the outside.

Grace forgot all her troubles and fears. Even what her mission was -to find her friends- she never had real friends before now, and she wasn't ready to lose them because of her story!

Amber's smile faded, her gaze landing on her door.

"You're looking for you friends, right?"

Grace nodded, she never told her that! "Do you know where they are?"

Amber's eyes, wide with fear, never left the door. "Umm . . . I . . . can't . . . I'm sorry! I-"

(o) (o) (o) (o) (o)

Lucas wasn't sure where he was being dragged off to, but he knew he was bounding down the stairs. They came to a halt at the bottom of the stairs. The red headed blob turned to face Lucas. All Lucas could see were blob-sh shapes without his glasses. He was almost blind without them! He knew that face, it was Josie!

"Josie! You're alive!" he embraced his friend, she smiled, but it wasn't a sweet smile, it was more of a twisted evil smirk.

"Do you know where-" he never got to finish his question.

He was stopped by Josie punching him -with all her might, by the way- across the face. It stung for a moment before he fell into darkness. 'Josie' dragged his body over to the bookcase. She pulled out one of the books and they disappeared.

(o) (o) (o) (o) (o)

While the voice sang, the rocking chair silently rocked back and forth, back and forth.When the song finished, a little girl, know older then 6, appeared in the chair. Something was wrong with that girl . . . she was transparent! Another ghost!(o) (o) (o) (o) (o)His reflection faded away, a young women dressed in a white tattered dress replaced Lucas' reflection. She was pale white, like a piece of paper. Her hair jet black; it was tangled and appeared wet. Dripping water, no, not water . . . but blood! In fact, her dress was spattered in red, probably blood . . . no, defiantly blood! And she looked pissed!"Bloody Mary!" Lucas gasped."Your right Lucas . . . ready to die?" her voice was screeched.(o) (o) (o) (o) (o)Grace stood there, dumbfounded, starring at the ghostly figure of a 6 year old little girl. The girl had red, curly locks, freckles across her checks, and a sweet smile. She turned toward Grace."Hi! I'm Amber! Will you play with me please? No one wants to play with me anymore, PLEEEEASE!" she rambled on, getting louder and louder. She gave Grace another sickly sweet smile, showing her two missing front teeth. Grace smiled back, she seemed memorized by Amber. She seemed so cute and sweet, she just wanted to play. What is the harm in playing with a little ghost girl?(o) (o) (o) (o) (o)CRASH! The sound of glasses hitting the title floor of the bathroom, the bathroom with Bloody Mary!Lucas felt a fiery burning sensation in his eyes. He covered his eyes with his two hands, blood seeping through his fingers. His knees buckled beneath him.THUD! The door slammed open and hit the wall hard enough for plaster to rain off the wall. That's when he felt it. A wet but firm hand grabbed his arm and he was being dragged out of the bathroom by the person . . . or something else.!Grace and Amber sat on the floor playing house with dolls in Amber's room. They played and talked about nonsense. Amber was as sweet and nice in the inside as well as she appeared on the outside. Grace forgot all her troubles and fears. Even what her mission was -to find her friends- she never had real friends before now, and she wasn't ready to lose them because of her story!Amber's smile faded, her gaze landing on her door."You're looking for you friends, right?"Grace nodded, she never told her that! "Do you know where they are?"Amber's eyes, wide with fear, never left the door. "Umm . . . I . . . can't . . . I'm sorry! I-" (o) (o) (o) (o) (o)Lucas wasn't sure where he was being dragged off to, but he knew he was bounding down the stairs. They came to a halt at the bottom of the stairs. The red headed blob turned to face Lucas. All Lucas could see were blob-sh shapes without his glasses. He was almost blind without them! He knew that face, it was Josie! "Josie! You're alive!" he embraced his friend, she smiled, but it wasn't a sweet smile, it was more of a twisted evil smirk. "Do you know where-" he never got to finish his question. He was stopped by Josie punching him -with all her might, by the way- across the face. It stung for a moment before he fell into darkness. 'Josie' dragged his body over to the bookcase. She pulled out one of the books and they disappeared. (o) (o) (o) (o) (o)

Just then before Amber could finish her sentence, the door busted open. And there stood a lean figure dressed in a heavy black coat and instead of a right hand there was a hook. The Hook Man!

He lunged forward, grabbing Grace by the throat and pulled her down the hall.

"Stop! LEAVE HER ALONE! She's my FRIEND!" Amber shouted.

He smirked and continued to drag her down the hall, down the stairs and toward the bookcase. He held his hook against her neck, slowly pushing in.

Blood seeped through the cut that he created, causing Grace to gasp at the intense pain that coursed throughout her neck. With the his only hand, he pulled out the same book as Josie did before, Black Holes - a traveler's guide . And the two of them disappeared just as before.

The next thing Grace knew, she was hanging buy chains in a dungeon like room, the room damp and musty. It took a couple of minutes for her eyes to adjust to the dim lighting. That's when she saw them, her five best friends tied up across the room. They were gaged and bond, it looked as if they had gone through hell and back.

The her gaze fell on three monsters huddled together, talking, the guy from before - the Hook Man-, a werewolf like creature, and . . . Josie?

'But that is impossible! There couldn't be two Josies! Well there was Josie's clone, but she was gone or did she return? NO! NO, she couldn't have come back, at least not here or now!' Grace thought, trying to comprehend way there was 2 Josies.

That's when her suspicions were correct, it wasn't Josie! Josie - er - the monster was a shape shifter, it then turned into its real image.

Grace could barley make out his - its - face, but it appeared only half of a face, the other a miserable glob of skin. Red tribal markings on its forehead and chin, skin pale white and it was ripped.

Suddenly she was woken out of her daze, by the familiar voice, Lucas' voice.

"Grace! Grace, this is your story. You an make anything happen! Just - " he screamed, but was cut off.

The shape shifter advanced on Lucas and pulled a knife out of his cloth.

"Shut up you little brat!" he whispered as he plunged it through his stomach.

Grace squeezed her eyes shut, sheltering them from the pain written all over Lucas' face.

She began to whisper to herself, "This is all make believe, this is all make believe. This is not real, this is all make believe!" By the time she ended, it was no longer a whisper but a yell.

The house was gone and they reappeared in the car just as before. Everyone sat stunned, not believing what they were seeing, thinking that their eyes were playing tricks on them. But it was very much real.

Lucas groped where the most unbelievable pain he had ever felt before was, but he felt no pain, the stab wound was gone.

Everyone's eyes search each other, nobody dared to speak, afraid they were just in a daydream for a while. An unbelievable real day dream, if it was true.

Vaughn finally had enough and broke the silence, "Am I crazy or did that just really happen? 'Cuz if not, just call the loony bin and I'll happily go!"

No one else spoke, not sure what to say.

Finally Grace answered, "Yes and No. I'm pretty sure we all experienced that, but it's the exact time the car broke down."

The other five glanced at the clock, it was true. They stared at Grace, not knowing what to say.

Josie was the first to speak, no, actually yell. "Grace! Don't you EVER tell another story! EVER!"

Everyone nodded, knowing it was the best thing for everyone and that's what they wanted to say but didn't have the guts to.

"Don't worry Josie, I swear I never will! I have learned my lesson." She raised her right hand, "Cross my heart, hope to die, stick a needle in my eye! I SWEAR!"

She gave the group a weak smile before staring out the window.

Vaughn turned the key, the engine roaring to life as he raced back home. That was a little too much adventure for him!

END