Chapter #11 Garrett's Confession and The Prophecy

Sally's point of view

Garrett and I left the séance room and followed the doom buggies beside the catwalk. As we went down the catwalk, I noticed out of the corner of my eye. Garrett was staring at me with his mouth hanging and his eyes glazed over.

"What?" I asked as I stopped and turned around.

That snapped him out of his trance and he stopped his wheelchair.

"What are you talking about?" he asked confused.

I raised an eyebrow then remembered what happened back in the séance chamber.

"If it's about what happened..."

"No, no Sal...I mean Sasha it's not that, it's..." he stopped, not sure of what to say.

"It's, I never knew you can fly or had wings or anything."

I smiled a little.

"Yeah." I agreed as I looked at my small wings. "These wings were for decoration and not many notice them much. I sometimes forget that I have them. Madame Leota and Dorothea said that I can fly with them."

My wings twitched a little as I said that. "I doubted it at first until Dorothea told me what to do."

"Who's Dorothea?" Garrett asked.

"She's my Spirit Guide." I explained. "She appears when I need her. She appears in person when she wants to. But that happens rarely."

Garrett stared at me for a few minutes before saying. "She's like an angel or something?"

I pondered his question. "Yeah sort of."

"Ok, so where's the attic?" he asked, changing the subject.

"It's pass the ballroom." The Ghost Host's voice spoke up. "Just ahead."

"Ballroom, it is." I said.

Garrett and I headed towards the door. As we got closer music from an out-of-tune organ met our ears. When we reach the end of the hall. We found ourselves on a balcony overlooking the ballroom. This hadn't changed much since the last time my family and I were here. Ghosts sitting around at a dining table talking, toasting and drinking. A woman trying to blow out 13 candles on a huge cake but the candles kept relighting themselves. Six ghost couples danced to an out-of-tune organ which was played by a ghost organ player with screaming ghosts rising out of the pipes as the ghost struck a note.

"Whoa, some party." Garrett said. I smiled at his expression.

"Yeah." I said as I watched two ghost men appear in front of two paintings of two men with guns, turned backed away from each other, fired and disappeared before the bullets hit them.

"Yes and the happy haunts have received your sympathetic vibrations, and are beginning to materialize. They've assembled for a swinging wake, and they'll be expecting me. I'll see you a little later."

"Huh? What do you mean by 'later'?" Garrett asked.

"Come on, Garrett." I said as I walked towards the doorway at the other end of the balcony. Garrett followed.

We walked up the catwalk until we reached a dead-end near the entrance to the attic.

"Well, here's the attic." I said. "But I don't know how you're going to get in there."

Garrett looked at the dead-end, then around him for another way. "You're right. Unless there's another way into the attic."

I looked at the wall beside me and noticed some light bleeding through a crack in one of the panels. I placed my hand on the panel and gently pressed against it and noticed it was loose.

"What is it?" Garrett asked.

"I think I found another way into the attic." I replied.

I pushed against the panel and slid it aside to reveal a hallway lit by a few candles on the walls. It wasn't too narrow and it wasn't too big. But it was big enough for someone in a wheelchair to fit through. I turned to Garrett, who was staring at the passage way with a worried look.

"Are you ok?" I asked.

"Huh? Oh nothing." he said as he gripped the wheels of his wheelchair tightly. "It's nothing."

I raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure?" I asked "You looked like you saw something."

"It's nothing." he said. "Let's go."

I held up a hand and mouthed 'Ok.' I reached into my pocket and pulled out a flashlight.

"You carry a flashlight?" Garrett asked.

I looked at him like he just smoked some pot for a few hours.

"I left most of the stuff I need to perform magic back in the R.V. my parents and I are staying at." I answered as I turned the flashlight on.

"Which are you staying at?"

"The Wildness Lodge."

"Hey that's where my friends and I are staying at."

"Oh really?" I asked as Garrett and I went through the passage.

"Where's your site?"

"Near the restrooms at the entrance." Garrett answered.

"Same here. We must be neighbours."

I thought for a minute.

"Wait, are you staying in the dark green tent next us?"

Garrett thought for a minute.

"Yeah, that's our tent." I noticed he said that quickly but I paid no attention to it.

I know he wasn't ok but he doesn't want to talk about that's fine.

"He'll talk when he wants to." I thought as we traveled through the dark passageway until we saw some light ahead of us.

When Garrett and I reached the end of the passageway. We entered a large room that was covered in more dust and mildew then the other rooms and was filled with junk like paintings, baskets filled with trinkets and tapestries that were made in the 19th century.

"Hello junk heap." I said as I stepped over a telescope on the floor.

"You can say that again." Garrett said as he wheeled away from the passageway like a demon was after him.

I eyed him suspiciously. Then there was a creaking noise.

"Who's dare's enter my attic?" A sharp female English accent cut through the silence.

Garrett and I winced. "What was that?" Garrett asked sticking a finger in his ear. I had an unpleasant feeling in my stomach. For I knew what that voice was. Then the sound of a heart beat filled the attic.

I turned and saw the ghost of a young woman standing near a broken window. The woman was dressed in a white wedding dress. Her long blonde hair was hidden behind a long white veil. She held a bunch of dead flowers in one hand and a candle in the other. Glowing through her dress was her heart, glowing red at each heartbeat.

She turned to me and gasped.

"You." she said. Pointing the candle at me. The wax dripping onto the floor.

"You can't stay here."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"They're after you." The ghost bride said. "The demons, they know you're the Helper of Humankind."

"How is Sasha the Helper of Humankind?" Garrett asked. A little annoyed.

Then loud shrieks filled the attic. Garrett and I covered our ears. Trying to block the horrible noise. I could never stand loud noise. My hearing was sensitive to certain frequencies, which was the main reason why I don't go to parties often. Then three or four ghouls dressed in black suits jumped up from behind the junk, shrieking loudly before disappearing back into the junk heaps. One knocked me to the ground. I landed on my butt on the floor. Garrett was knocked out of his chair when a ghoul jumped up from underneath where he was. He landed in a trunk beside the ghost bride and the lid closed behind him, locking him inside.

"Garrett!" I ran to the trunk and tried to open it but the lid won't move.

"Come on." I groaned as I struggled to open the trunk. I stopped when I heard the ghost bride giggling. I glared at her.

"What are you laughing at?" I snapped.

"Garrett will die if I don't open this thing!"

"What!" Garrett's muffled voice exclaimed.

"Don't worry, Garrett." I lied. "You're going to be ok." I bit my tongue. I felt bad lying to Garrett, but I don't what him to worry.

"Silly girl." The Ghost Bride said. "You're a Witch, aren't you? Use your magic to free him."

I stared at her. "I'm still in training." I said outraged. "I can't unlock a lock, that's just stories."

The Ghost Bride smiled slyly. "Is that so?"

"Hey, get me out of here!" Garrett screamed, pounding on the lid. "I can't breath!"

I looked at my hands, then at the lock, then at the Ghost Bride. I thought for a minute, and then placed my hands on the lock of the trunk. As my hands made contact with the lock. I felt a warm surge flow down my arms, into my palms and into the lock. Then the lock went click and the lid opened a crack. When I opened the trunk, Garrett quickly sat up and wrapped his arms around me, hugging me tightly. He took in deep breathes as he rested his head on my shoulder.

"Garrett, are you alright?" I asked as I returned the embrace.

"I'm fine." Garrett panted.

A few minutes after we broke the embrace. I saw Garrett looked pale and clammy. Like he saw a demon.

"Garrett you're sweating, you're not ok."

I reached into my pocket and pulled out a tissue.

"Sasha, I'm fine." Garrett protested.

"Garrett!" I said sternly as I handed Garrett the tissue.

"What is wrong with you?" Garrett stared at me in complete shock. Then faltered.

"Umm...Sasha...there's something I should've told you." he said as he took the tissue and wipe the sweat off his face.

My expression went from annoyed to concern.

"What is it?" I asked calmly. Garrett stuffed the tissue into his pants pocket before he said anything.

"I'm...afraid of enclosed spaces." his voice became hoarse as he said the last two words. I stared at him for a few minutes.

"I sensed he was hiding something. But why didn't he tell me he was claustrophobic before we went into the passage way?"

"That's why you were sweating while we were in the passageway." I said calmly.

"But why didn't you tell me?"

"I was known for being fearless." Garrett answered.

I frowned. "That's dumb, Garrett. Everyone has a fear."

"If that's so, what's your fear?" Garrett asked.

I lowered my head. What I was going to tell Garrett was something I feared ever since I became a Witch.

"Being alone."

Silence hung in the air. I felt Garrett's hand on my shoulder.

"Sasha, I'm...sorry. I..."

"It's alright." I interrupted, gently taking Garrett's hand off my shoulder.

"Hey look on the bright side." The Ghost Bride said as she glided towards us. "You now have a friend who likes you for who and what you are."

Garrett blushed. I smiled a little.

"She's right about that." I thought. Then I remembered why we're up here.

"Uh your name is Emily right?" I asked.

The Ghost Bride nodded.

"I am." she replied.

"We're here for the prophecy. Madame Leota said it was in here."

Emily shuddered with anger when she heard me say 'Madame Leota'.

"Oh that woman sent you up here, eh?" she snarled.

Garrett and I winced. Her accent was worse then my dad's.

"I won't forgive her after what she did to me. But for your sake as well as everyone else's in this mansion. I'll help you."

Emily waved her hand and a few items beside the broken window moved aside, revealing a dusty white sheet with red writing on it. I winced when I saw the writing. In the moonlight, the writing looked like it was blood.

"It this it?" I asked.

Emily nodded.

"Yes."

"Well let's see what it said." Garrett spoke up as he wheeled towards the broken window.

I followed, taking my time. I was starting to regret asking about the prophecy. But there was no turning back now. I stood beside Garrett. Who scanned the prophecy. When he finished, his face turned white.

"Uh...Sasha...you better read this."

I bit my lip. I never had much luck with reading at fast speeds and math because of my dyslexia I can read. But not in certain light. I shined my flashlight onto the sheet. The writing shined in the bright light.

"You'll have to forgive me." I told Garrett. I have dyslexia I can't read as fast as you."

"You have a problem?" Garrett asked.

I nodded and returned my attention to the prophecy and read it out loud.

"'With the demons trapped and the mansion cursed.
No one can leave its grounds until the spell is reversed.
One demon will be free again when the chosen one enters its halls.
The other will remain trapped in the clock while the other will still never be able to leave the mansion's walls.
The spirits will be free again but only by the chosen one who freed one of the demons inside.
She'll have until next sunrise to put the tail back in the clock or forever in the mansion her soul will reside.
The Helper of Humankind must do this alone.
Only she can free the trapped souls and her own.'"

My mouth went dry and it wasn't from reading the prophecy. Garrett and I exchanged worried looks. I looked at my watch which reads 11:54pm. I looked at Garrett.

"We have to move fast." I said "We're running out of time."