Meanwhile, on another side of the house, activity just as odd as the happenings in the study was taking place.

In a small dark room with no windows, a strange glowing crystal ball sat upon an old table with a red velvet cloth thrown over it. A large cushy chair sat at the table, for someone to sit in while predicting the future.

But the fortune teller was not in the chair; she was in the crystal ball.

Madame Leota was her name, and magic and the future was her game. She had become trapped in the crystal ball many years ago, when the rest of the residents in this mansion were all of a sudden shed of their 'corruptible, mortal states.' That's what he had called it anyways.

Mortality was a funny thing to Leota. She, unlike the rest of the ghosts, was still corporeal, but because she was missing most of her body, the soothsayer was basically like the dead. Leota figured that she was dead, but because of her being trapped, plus her magical abilities, she still retained her beauty and human characteristics.

Madame Leota had a lot of time to think.

And when she wasn't thinking, she was practicing what little magic she had left. Conjuring temporary spirits, opening portals to the land of the dead, and practicing small magical abilities that she was ashamed to call her own.

Magician tricks, she had always thought about her diminished capabilities, anyone live or dead with half a brain could perform them.

Anyways…

October nights were always Leota's favorite. It was near Halloween – the strongest magical day of the year – which meant that her powers were slowly increasing for a short time. After psychically skimming her large spellbook on her table, she found one that she had never tried before. The yellowed pages of the giant book had gold lettering at the top, which read: "Invocatio Exanimus" – "Calling the Dead."

Madame Leota raised an eyebrow.

"This could be interesting," she mused, "It's been so lifeless around here…some new blood could liven the place up." Leota chuckled at her little pun, and recited the spell.

"Horn toads and lizards, fiddle and strum! Please answer the roll by beating a drum!

Rap on a table it's time to respond, send us a message from somewhere beyond!

Goblins and ghoulies, old friends and new! Blow on a horn so we'll know that it's you!

Serpents and spiders, tail of a rat! Call in the spirits, wherever they're at!

Creepies and crawlies, toads in a pond! Let there be music from regions beyond!

Wizards and witches, wherever you dwell! Give us a hint by ringing a bell!"

A stream of light appeared in midair in front of Leota's table. It seemed to open up like it was being unzipped, and it revealed a dark purple portal, swirling violently; a gateway to the underworld and the beyond.

At once whispy wraiths started to fly out of the portal, screeching happily at finally being freed. Leota watched the ghoulish beings with pleasure – George would not approve of her summoning like this, but the chance to use this kind of magic only came once a year.

But Leota failed to notice the dark shadow that slipped out of the portal and immediately slunk to the ground; she was too busy watching the wraiths screech and circle about. The shadow moved along the floor to a safe distance from the table and portal, and slowly started to rise up and become three dimensional. After a few minutes, it formed the outline of a sinister looking figure in a cloak, still concealed in the shadow.

He took a step into the eerie light, and Leota finally noticed him.

She gasped in shock.

The tall man was wearing a purple cloak, held by a ruby clasp. His gnarly white hands clenched into fists as a smile of malice appeared on his thin lips. The man's face was old, wrinkled and withered, but he had a fire in his moonlight silver eyes that made him seem menacing, even to Leota.

"You," She whispered, her mouth agape.

"Yes," the man said in a gravelly tone, "It's been a while."

Leota's brow furled. She couldn't let him see that she was surprised, and had to seem like she wasn't afraid.

"Atticus Thorn…how did you get out of the underworld? I thought I had some of my companions keeping a close eye on you," Leota said waspishly. Atticus chuckled.

"I have you to thank for my escape, my dear," he said, his eyes narrowing on the gypsy, "Once you opened that portal, all I had to do was slip out."

Madame Leota's look of anger changed to one of horror. She had accidentally released her arch nemesis…the man who had trapped her and everyone else in the house…her ex-boyfriend.

"Glad to see you looking so green," Atticus said sarcastically. Leota glared at him.

"You scum. Do you not have any remorse for what you did to me? And to your daughter?"

Atticus turned away sharply.

"I have no daughter. That girl is a sad excuse of existance, and she is certainly no child of mine," he said with no remorse in his voice. Leota bit her lip angrily.

"You abandoned us! I loved you, and she loved you too! Didn't what we have mean anything to you? Or were you too obsessed with power, with finding the secret to immortality that you just used us?"

Atticus turned back to her, and from the look on his face, she knew the answer. She fought back tears as her former love spoke.

"I have found immortality – I've surpassed both realms of life and death," Atticus said coldly.

"Yeah, and you've become a freak! Look at yourself!"

"Shut up! You have no idea what I've sacrificed to gain this power!"

"Oh, I have an idea," Leota muttered, not taking her eyes off Atticus.

"And now…I've finally returned. All because of you."

"What are you going to do?" Leota asked, her voice unwavering. She knew that she couldn't return Atticus back to the depths of hell with her diminished powers.

"What I did so many years ago…take over the mansion."

"I'll stop you. I've done it before, and I can do it again," Leota said simply.

"Oh, I don't think so," Atticus said, "Even though you are no longer just a foolish mortal, you cannot compare to my superior powers."

He lifted one hand into the air like a conductor in a band. Leota was suddenly lifted from her table, the crystal ball enveloped in a smoky purple glow. Atticus lowered Madame Leota to the floor, and then kicked the crystal ball under the table.

The roll rattled Leota, and she desperately tried to get her bearings in the darkness, but was still confused and dazed. She heard Atticus' footsteps, and then the door slam as he left.

"George isn't gonna be happy about this," Leota muttered. She sighed, trying to calm herself down after her erroneous spellcasting, and tried to figure out what to do.

"None of the ghosts can defeat Atticus…he can control the dead." She thought hard, and suddenly her eyes lit up with an idea.

"But a mortal…now one of those could help." The soothsayer closed her eyes, concentrating hard. And she sent out subliminal waves of psychic energy, calling out to whoever could hear.

Help us…we're all in danger…come to the mansion…