Chapter 2

"So let me get this straight." Emily said as the four friends walked home from school that afternoon. Emily was best friends with Danny, Tucker and Sam, and she was sort of dating Danny. Neither of them had really dated before, so they were keeping it low key for now. All they really did was sometimes go out to the local McDonalds together, and occasionally the light-hearted kiss.

"You had some weird dream last night about some ghosts using me to get to you? Who were these ghosts, anyway?" Danny roused himself out of his half-slumber to respond.

"Yeah, that was basically it. And I'm not sure who the group of ghosts was, but I have a feeling it was…" Danny hesitated, unsure whether he should send his friends into a panic over something that might not even happen. "…the Purists." The result was instantaneous. Sam and Emily gasped, and Tucker stopped in his tracks.

"The Purists? Danny, are you sure?" Sam said, her voice quavering slightly. Sam was especially fearful of the Purists, since their mysterious energy had sent her into a coma.

"Sam, it's OK, it's just a guess. I'm not even sure." Danny hastened to reassure her. Tucker looked up from his beloved PDA to add something.

"Plus, it was only a dream." He pointed out. "It might be just that-a dream. With our past experiences with the Purists, I wouldn't be surprised if you had nightmares."

"True…" Danny mused. Everybody was so busy thinking about this latest puzzle that nobody noticed that Emily had fallen behind. With a swift whoosh, an invisible ghost plunged straight into Emily, knocking her off-balance. Then, she regained her balance and smiled, a very different smile from her usual spastic grimace. Her usually hazel eyes flashed red for a split second before they returned to their usual color. She smiled that cold smile again, then ran to catch up with the group. Since she was a swift runner for short distances, she soon caught up.

"Hey guys!" she said brightly. Her voice had an odd, false tone to it. Sam scanned her friend thoughtfully. She knew something wasn't quite right.

"Uh, Em?" she said cautiously. "Are you okay?" Emily grinned, a grin that made shivers go down Sam's spine. That was definitely not Emily's grin.

"Sure, I'm fine!" she said cheerily. "Why wouldn't I be?" Sam opened her mouth to say something more, but was cut off by Danny's ghost sense jerking him out of a doze.

"Huh? What?" he said quickly, looking wildly around. Sam giggled.

"Wake up, stupid, there's a ghost in the area!" Danny changed into ghost form, still glancing around for the source of the ghost. Finding none, he was about to change back when a shrill cry pierced the air.

"I am the Box Ghost! I have been sent by one who promises to eliminate you mere mortals so I can harness the power of the many boxes you have in the mortal world!" Then the Box Ghost was suddenly silenced, and he disappeared with one last "Beware!" Danny changed back into human form, looking amused and slightly puzzled.

"Does he really think we don't know his name by now? That was easy. I didn't have to do anything. If only all ghosts were that easy…." Danny's words trailed off as he fell back to sleep with a loud snore. Sam sighed and poked her friend awake.

"Didn't you hear what the Box Ghost said? Besides his own name, I mean. He said 'I have been sent by one who promises to eliminate you mere mortals'! The only ghost we know of who wants to do that is the Purists! Something is going on, Danny, and we should find out what. Right Emily?" Sam looked around, expecting an affirmative answer. When none came, she glanced around. Emily was nowhere in sight.

"Emily?"

"Look!" Tucker bent over and picked up a scrap of paper from the ground. He read it softly aloud.

"Help. Purists overshadowing me. Can't resist. Help." It was written in a messy scrawl, as if it had been scribbled in a great hurry. Tucker slipped the paper into a slot on his PDA. Accompanied by a few whirring sounds, a beep sounded after a few seconds. Tucker squinted at the display on his PDA.

"It says the handwriting is…Emily's!" he gasped. Sam quickly prodded Danny awake.

"Danny!"

"Hmm…someone say my name?" he mumbled. Sam poked him even harder.

"Danny! The Purists have got Emily!"

A/N: Well, that was a slightly longer chapter. Not much happened, but then again it's the beginning of the story. Things will pick up within the next chapter or two. As always, review!