"This stinks", Lacey complained from her spot on the floor.
"Tell me about it", Shawn agreed.
There were no new cases, no one needing a "psychic's" help, no where to go since the thunder storm AND nothing to watch on the television.
Gus, of course, was content catching up on some of his work for the pharmaceutical job.
Then Shawn got an idea.
He waved his hand to get Lacey's attention, when he had it- he pointed to an unnoticing, unsuspecting Gus.
They looked questioningly at each other, trying to figure out what to do.
"We can't just hide, it would be too obvious", Shawn thought.
"It's never any fun just to throw paper-balls at someone, oh jeeze-what a horrible nickname that would be…hm…but what to do with Gus", Lacy pondered.
"LOOK!", Shawn yelled pointing wildly.
Lacey stood up, and Gus looked up abruptly.
"What?" Lacey asked, looking questionably at Shawn, but Gus wanted nothing to do with it and was trying to get back to his work.
"OVER THERE!!"
"Where?", Lacey asked.
"DON'T YOU SEE IT?", Shawn asked jumping on a chair.
"I SEE IT! I SEE IT!", Lacey said, jumping on the couch and pointing.
"Quick, Gus watch out", Shawn managed to shout as he leapt into the air and tumbled over Gus' desk.
"Shawn-", Gus mumbled as he quickly got out of the way, "Seriously Shawn, I have work to get done!"
"WATCH OUT!", Lacey piped in, jumping from the couch onto Shawn's desk, "Don't let it get you!"
Shawn dived down to the floor and army crawled across the room under his desk.
"Oh no! Lace—I think", he paused, "something's happening…AGH!"
There was a struggle from underneath the desk as Shawn was wrestling the imaginary attacker.
"You'll never get me alive!...What-NEVER!...You can't have any of them…no, No, NOO!"
Then suddenly everything was quiet, Lacey and Gus looked at each other.
Lacey lay down on the desk and peered under the top.
Shawn suddenly sprung up and pulled her to the ground. They mock wrestled each other for several moments before Shawn pinned Lacey down and started tickling her relentlessly.
"Not---fair---get---off---uncle---Shawn!" Lacey managed to get out in between breaths.
"Never, my dear!" Shawn laughed maniacally.
Gus just sighed and watched with a smile on his face.
After a few more minutes, and a very persuasive bite from Lacey to Shawn's hand, they ended.
"OW! I can't believe you bit me!"
"Hey", Lacey held her hands up, "I told you I would! You know I'm a girl of my word!" She winked.
"You two are nuts", Gus laughed and went back to his work.
"Thank you", the two said in unison.
"Well that killed some time, any ideas on what to do next", Shawn asked Lacey and Gus.
"We could be quiet and let the adults….well adult work", Gus piped in from his position behind the desk.
"Nah, that's boring Gus", Lacey joked, "OoOo, we could tell ghost stories!"
"But there's no such thing as a good ghost story Lace", Shawn sighed.
"I don't see you coming up with anything better", Lacey whined.
"She does have a point Shawn", Gus said.
"I thought the 'adult' had work to do", Shawn huffed.
"He's taking a break", Gus smiled, "and ghost stories could be fun."
"This coming from the man who can't even watch the first fifteen minutes of 'The Ring'", Shawn said exasperatedly.
"Hey, that is a legitimate thing Shawn—that girl's scary!"
"If you're five maybe", Shawn said, "and that whole thing about turning the people like blue—what was up with that?!"
"She did not just turn them blue Shawn, she killed them. They just happened to take on a bluish tint with their mouths agape."
"That's another thing, I forgot about it, why were their mouths open? I didn't see any pineapple, so they obviously weren't eating…"
"Oh you just assume that since there's no pineapple, they weren't eating? That's ludicrous!"
"No, Gus, it is NOT ludicrous, pineapples are delicious and practical to have around at all times!"
"But still, maybe their mouths were open in mid-scream—ever think of that psychic?"
"But, once again, why would they be screaming? Only a five year old finds that little hairball scary."
"She comes from the t.v. Shawn!"
"Tivo dude, just pause it!"
"It doesn't work that way and you know it! I bet if she came out of your television screen you wouldn't be so calm!"
Just then a huge thunder and bolt of lightening broke up the debate, making both parties jump.
"Anyway, well do you know any good ghos…. Gus?"
"Yeah Shawn?"
"How come we always misplace Lacey?"
Shawn and Gus looked around the office; just then the lights went off.
"Aww, lame. The power must have gone out", Shawn exclaimed.
Another clash of thunder brought the two subconsciously inching closer together.
"Lace?" Shawn asked.
"Dude", Shawn whispered, turning to Gus. "She has to be up to something."
"Maybe she's using the lavatory", Gus asked hopefully.
At the look he got from Shawn, Gus added, "Or not."
-BOOM-
Another crash of thunder brought them closer still.
"Gosh, I hate thunderstorms", Gus admitted fearfully.
"I know dude, remember that time at Frankie's in the second grade", Shawn said in a whisper.
"You don't have to tell me twice", Gus whispered back, "I'll never look at a microwave the same."
Just then a bolt of lightening struck, emitting a bright flash.
And with the flash, the television turned on. Static.
"Well, that's a little creepy", Shawn whispered even lower.
-BOOM-
Another crash.
-FLASH-
Another bolt.
'Seven Days' a disembodied voice whispered.
"Ha ha, very funny Lacey", Shawn's voice cracked as he said it—displaying his fear.
"Ye-yeah Lace, joke's over", Gus stuttered.
Shawn and Gus moved until they were practically on top of each other.
-BOOM-FLASH-
'Seven Days' the voice repeated.
Just then a bolt of lightening filled the room with light and standing right in front of Shawn and Gus was a girl.
A girl with long, black hair in front of her face, arms extended saying 'Seven Days!'.
Shawn and Gus screamed.
Just then the lights came back on, revealing a laughing Lacey.
Shawn and Gus quickly jumped away from each other.
"Not funny Lacey!"
"Oh the contraire, Gus my good man", Lacey smiled, "finding you two nearly clinging onto each other as if your lives depended on it was quite hilarious!"
"I didn't believe it for a second", Shawn tried to reclaim some of his manhood.
Lacey just rolled her eyes, "So…ghost stories anyone?"
"Yeah, sure, but I don't have any good ones", Shawn said.
"Dito", Gus answered, "why don't you tell one."
"Jeeze", Lacey fake complained, "I have to do all the work around here!"
"Okay it's not much of a ghost story, but a little creepy…I'll start with the real reason I came here this summer", Lacey began.
Shawn looked at her questioningly, "You mean it wasn't just because you missed me?"
"No", Lacy said with a wink, "It's because my parents were actually worried about me for once."
Shawn smiled.
"You see, my academy got shut down", Lacy paused-trying to think of where to go with this, "momentarily at least".
Luckily for her, Shawn (who saw she was struggling) stalled, "Yeah, I heard something about that—something about the apple tart right?"
"Exactly", Lacy said solemnly, "you see every third Friday of the month the dean would make his famous apple tart, I don't know why it was famous—it was disgusting!"
"Should have been made some pineapple upside down cake", Shawn had no idea where she was going with this.
"Tell me about it", Lacy also shared her cousin's love of the exotic fruit, "but anyway, on every third Saturday kids would go to the infirmary feeling sick. It would pass in a few days, but the illnesses got increasingly more and more violent."
"Why wouldn't they stop giving out the apple tart", Shawn asked.
"Well, first off- it was the deans, and who really wants to tell the dean that he's such a horrible baker, he makes the entire academy sick. And secondly, there are a number of things that could have caused it, every school has novelties."
Shawn really did not know what to do here, so he looked over at Gus; who he noticed was starting to buy into the story.
"Until one Saturday, a kid died", Lacy said lowly.
"Now we all just thought it was due to his asthma, you see he had a heart attack brought on by stress, which lead to his asphyxiation. We all noticed that Jimmy hadn't taken his inhaler that day, and it was particularly gruesome."
"Then all hell broke loose", Lacy shuddered, "The faculty assured everyone and their parents that all was well, it was just a horrible accident. The newspapers ate it up, selling out the sympathy story."
Shawn interrupted, "Everyone but you believed it was an accident you mean."
"Well of course", Lacy paused, "I could have sworn the two instances were related. But who could I tell; I mean who would believe me?"
"Well, more of these little 'accidents' started happening everywhere, winter had come on and most attributed it to the flu or pneumonia. Everyone was getting sick, teachers, students, and janitorial staff. But they kept on selling that tart", Lacy looked at Shawn to see if this was having any effect.
Shawn gave her a slight nod to keep going, but his look said get to the point.
"Well, seeing as so many people were sick I got a job in the kitchens", Lacy continued, "And one Saturday it was my job to put out the tart. Dean Simmons was running a little late, so I started the preparation without him. Well, when he came in and saw I had started he was a little taken aback, said I forgot to add his secret ingredient."
"Which was", Shawn probed knowing full well an unidentifiable possible poison would get Gus' attention.
"I didn't get a chance to see it", Lacy took a breath, "He pulled out a small glass vial and at my questioning glance simply said it was an old family recipe for vanilla extract. I could tell he was lying, but what could I say? And anyway, he's a horrible liar because it smelled more like a rotten egg than vanilla extract. A least I had solved the mystery of why it tasted so horrible."
"An unidentifiable substance with a putrid smell", Gus thought aloud, "that could be any number of poisons, let alone homemade ones."
"He wanted me to have the first bite", Lacy said, "He said normally the students don't stay and help him bake it, only Jimmy did once. He said it was his own little way of saying a thank you; the first piece is always the freshest with the strongest taste. I told him I wasn't feeling too well and didn't want to discourage the taste by not being able to taste it. He wasn't too happy, he already had sliced out a piece, but he gave it to one of the kitchen maids, who was on a break."
"Let me guess", Shawn said, "She was the next to go."
"Spot on Shawn", Lacy stopped for a beat, "Hers was the worst. She was sick for several weeks before it ended. Normally kitchen staff isn't allowed to eat his tart, except for the students I mean, so no one knew she had had any. Except for me."
"Well, Dean Simmons knew how this must have looked and he started pulling me favors left and right. I got the best bed, the best food, the most breaks, lenient grades… he just acted as if I had actually deserved any of it. I turned a blind eye—not even questioning his motive."
"That was my first mistake. I am known for being a bit more on the opinionated side, so when I didn't even question him, he knew I was suspicious. He ended up giving me an ultimatum—he would expel me, and load me on my way to juvie, or I could leave willingly with a spotless record and several very impressive letters of recommendation."
"So why did you just leave", Shawn asked, "You knew you had him?"
"He was a bit more persuasive than just words. Like in the form of a fist or two?" Lacey shuddered.
"Well anyway, I left. Told my parents I had to get out of there, Jimmy's death was too much for me to handle at the moment or something like that. So with the 'heartfelt' request and good report from the Dean, I was out of there; but not before I left some little hints as to what was really happening there. I just hope the right people find them and piece the parts together as soon as possible. So here I am…but I know things are still happening at the Academy. I just feel as if Dean Simmons isn't done just yet."
"Why do you think he started in the first place", Gus asked.
"I don't know, but I'm surprised he let me off so easy. I have a nagging suspicion his goodwill will expire, and he'll come looking for me; except this time I'll be permanently expelled, if you catch my drift."
Lacey looked at Shawn, who looked at Gus, who looked like he completely bought into the story.
"I'm disappointed Lace", Shawn stated, "You normally think of better bone chilling adventures of near death."
"I'm sorry", Lacey sighed, "I'm running low on sugar and high on sleep depravity."
"Well, I guess it's time for me to get back to work", Gus said, but Shawn could see he was still running through lists of possible poisons.
"I think I'm going to crash on the couch a bit Shawn, wake me when it's dinner time…or if you're having pineapple."
"Will do", Shawn went to his computer and started playing some games.
Yep, today was pretty much a drag.
Author's note:
sorry it took so long to update, school's starting and I have so much work to do already. I'll update as much as I can. I tried to make this a bit longer to compensate...not my favorite chapter...Read&&Review please ;p