This time, I don't even have an excuse. I was just downright lazy. For future reference, expect these updates to be late.
Well, at least I got this chapter done! This will be my last post for the decade, can you believe that? I had to post something.
So, without further ado, I present, chapter 6!
"What the heck?"
For once Jim actually agreed with Toby.
What the heck?
Upon arriving at the canals, Steve and Eli appeared quite suddenly. After he, Claire, and Toby recovers from the sneak attack, the duo led them underneath the bridge, which provided a safe place to talk without being overheard or seen. That particular night, the moon reached the pinnacle of its cycle: the full moon.
Jim couldn't help but feel a looming sense of premonition as he neared the bridge, since he didn't have such fond memories of the place.
In the darkness of the bridge, Eli and Steve relayed what they discovered.
This is where Jim began to get confused.
Their discovery included this: them finding that the goo had turned to blood, and why. Eli was especially keen to explain that the creature could be both human and creeper. Like the Murkling, a comic book character that was created using the same phenomena.
Steve and Eli stopped to let the information sink in.
It did.
Jim couldn't help but think that their new evidence just blew whatever he and Claire (and Toby) found out of the water. It seemed impossible that a person could be both dead and alive, as their evidence found that the creature was, in fact, a ghost, and not a living thing.
Ugh.
Jim remained trapped in his thoughts as he replayed every single bit in detail over and over again, scanning every word he conjured up for hidden meanings.
He found none. So, he remained silent, not knowing what to say or do. He glanced briefly at Claire, who seemed to have come to the same conclusion.
Toby spoke first, saying what Claire and Jim had thought as the evidence came together.
"What the heck?"
Eli sighed. "It's simple! Even Steve understood, and he doesn't understand anything!"
Steve pouted next to him. "Hey!" He punched Eli gently on the shoulder. Eli clutched his shoulder and gave Steve a dirty look.
This seemed to have knocked Jim out of his stupor.
"It just doesn't make sense." Jim finally said. Steve scoffed as Jim turned to Claire. "Show them Claire!"
"What?"
"The blog!"
This snapped Claire from her hazy state. Her eyes widened.
"Right."
With newfound energy, she proceeded to put down her bag she was carrying and pulled out a laptop. She booted it, found the website, and called them over.
"Is this the creature you saw?"
On the screen was the same picture that had shocked Jim earlier.
Danny.
Eli gasped.
"Yes! That's it!"
Steve pushed Eli to the side and looked at it himself.
"Woah. Trippy."
"I know, right?" Toby replied.
Claire scrolled to the top of the page and sat down on the concrete. Hs emotioned for everyone to do the same. Jim sat down next to her.
"It says here that its a ghost, one of the more... dangerous kind."
"A ghost?" Eli inquired, "That can't be right."
"You bet your Nougat Nummy it is!"
Ignoring Toby's remark, Claire continued, "So, That couldn't have been blood that you found."
"I know what I saw!" Eli yelled. "It's blood!"
"The buttsnack's right."
"So how can somebody be both alive and dead?"
"I don't know!"
As the five argued, Jim stayed silent.
How can someone be alive and dead? Could he be wrong about Danny Fenton? Maybe he was just acting crazy.
Or was he?
Jim remembered the ghostly book, nestled deep in his backpack. The book has the answers he needs, if only they could decode it. There was always the possibility of failing at doing so, but Jim had to take it out. The answers… they must be in there!
"Wait!" Jim yelled, catching the attention of the five. "I've got something that could help!"
Claire and Toby's eyes widened as they remember the book as well, while Steve and Eli remain as oblivious as ever. Jim didn't hesitate in ripping it out of his bag, and flaunting the glowing green cover to the five.
"Nice work, Jimbo!" Toby exclaimed as Steve and Eli marveled at the cover.
Eli interrupted, still staring at the book. "What is it?" He asked.
Claire stepped forward and gently took the book from Jim's outstretched hands, and flipped through its pages.
"It might hold the answers we need—"
"Neat!" Eli exclaimed, tripping over himself, to catch a glimpse of the pages….
….. only to see that the text was in another language.
Claire humphed.
"—If we can decipher it."
Eli, thoroughly disappointed, scanned the pages, attempting to find any reason with the strange lettering. In the end, he found nothing. Jim wasn't surprised.
"I don't get it!" Steve yelled, now flipping the book from page to page. "It's not in English!"
Jim grabbed the book from Steve, before he can ruin the sheets any further and gently placed it back in his bag. The rest remain stumped. Once again, they returned to the theory of the creeper.
Only, before they could say anything, the sun had almost sunk into the horizon. They were so preoccupied, they didn't notice how dark it was getting.
So, with a few goodbyes, each person went on their way.
Except for a boy, hidden in the bushes.
When Danny flew to the canals, he hadn't expected any company, especially company who were talking about him. The ghost side of him, that is.
And it wasn't just anybody, it was his very own "welcoming committee", Jim, Claire, and Toby, and two other kids who he didn't recognize.
Danny's curiosity got the best of him, and decided to eavesdrop.
He didn't get far, however, because it was then that he noticed a leather-bound book written with glowing green ink. Only, it wasn't just any ink, it was….
…. Ectoplasm.
Ectoplasm?
Oh, he had to check this out.
Danny flew invisibly towards a bush near the top of the canals, and peered downwards.
"It's getting late. We should… head home."
The voice, which belonged to Jim, was met with agreement from the others. The girl, Claire, handed the book back to him, and grabbed her bag. The book caught Danny's eyes again.
Wow.
"Who's there?"
Danny seized up, and instinctively turned invisible.
Crap.
"There's no one here, Jimbo."
"But… I was sure I saw…."
"I don't see anyone buttsnack."
"Yeah, what Steve said."
Danny released a breath he hadn't even realized he'd been holding, and sank into the bush.
That could've been bad.
"Well… okay. Let's go."
Jim gently placed the book back in his bag, and motioned for the others to head out. The group began walking.
With the book in the bag, Jim won't notice it missing until later.
I wonder….
Danny, still invisible, flew out of his hiding spot in the bush, and followed him, careful not to make a sound. Jim trailed behind the group, walking slower and slower, until he stopped completely. Danny smiled as he neared Jim, and reached out his hand, ready to phase the book out of his bag. Danny felt the leather of the cover, and pulled it out, clutching it to his chest. Jim remained oblivious.
Or so he thought.
"Who's there? I know there's someone!"
Jim pulled out what looked like a blue stone, a glowing blue stone, and waved it in front of him. The glow either turned brighter or dimmer, depending on which way it was facing.
In the increasing darkness of the night, the stone looked almost magical.
Danny caught himself staring at it, and hadn't noticed that the stone glowed brightest when pointed at him.
What the—
Danny frantically flew away from the stone, but it seemed to follow him. He let out a squeal of terror, which alerted Jim to his presence.
"I know you're there!"
Oh no.
Jim was gaining on him; it was only a matter of time until he found him out.
He was tired, so tired. He can't fly home, he doesn't have the energy. If he tried, hell probably pass out midway, and end up anywhere in town. He dared not to risk it.
Danny grew restless, looking for an escape route, anywhere… anywhere….
He stopped.
Trollmarket.
He'll go to Trollmarket! Jim can't follow him there.
Danny, with new energy, searched the walls for the marking he made earlier, and at last, found it. He phased through the wall, and promptly collapsed on the stone ground, exhausted.
Danny was about to take a nap, right then and there, until he remembered the reason why he went through all this trouble.
The book!
Danny lifted homeless off of the floor and gently caressed the leather-bound book in his hands.
"This really is ectoplasm."
He touched the marking with his hands, and stared at the green glow of the ink.
Wait, was it glowing before?
Danny gasped as a searing pain fled up his fingers to his hands, and ripped them from the book. It fell to the floor, the sound echoing off of the cavern walls, as thigh Danny had dropped a brick instead of a book. He flinched.
That's not good.
Before Danny could recollect himself, the green glow coming from the book grew brighter.
Danny collapsed on the floor once again, though this time, out of pain, not exhaustion. Familiar rings of light washed over him, burning his vision, causing him to squeeze them shut. Danny braced himself for another wave of pain, but it didn't come. Tentatively, Danny opened his eyes again.
"What the heck just happened?"
"I'll tell you what happened."
Danny seized up again and jumped off the floor. He backed up against the cavern wall as he cougar a glimpse of who the voice belonged to.
Danny gasped.
It was a violet beast in regal-like robes. The beast was surrounded by others like it, holding menacing spears and hungry expressions.
"I am Ursurna. And you, will come with me."
"What?"
Two of the beasts behind the the one in robes, Ursurna, each grabbed one of Danny's arms, squeezing them. Danny struggled against their grip, but failed. Their grips were like stone.
As Danny struggled, Ursurna knelt to pick up a book on the floor.
Danny's book.
"Interesting… guards, take the human down, I would like to have a word with it."
Danny wheezed with pain.
"Oh, and please keep him alive. I can't speak with a corpse."
With this, Ursurna swept her robes behind her, and proceeded down the steps into Trollmarket.
Danny mentally berated himself.
What has he gotten himself into?
The plot thickens! I have big plans for the fic, and with this chapter, I believe I found my motivation again. I'm excited for what you all have to say about this chapter, so please leave a review!
The next chapters will come eventually, but expect the updates to be random, like I said before. I will try my best to update as soon as possible, but I can't make any promises.
Until then, see you next decade!
-TheZanyMaker