Sorry for a later-ish update. This chapter has been written for a while, but I forgot to post it. Whoops!


Once I fell asleep, the night passed quickly. I awoke when the morning sun poked through the window's curtains. I gave a groan and placed my hand over my eyes to block them from the sun. I turned in bed to face Flora's bed and to my surprise, she was gone. In a bit of panic, I jumped out of bed and grabbed my hat from the edge of the bed. I put it on and ran out the room, heading towards the stairs. I quickly walked down them and entered the inn's lobby. Flora was sitting at a table in the lobby, drinking tea and talking to Aggie.

"Good morning!" she smiled, as she set down her tea. "Don't scare me like that," I sighed, pulling out a seat next to her. "I thought something had happened to you."

"What could have happened?" Flora asked. I gave a shrug. "I don't know. You just had me worried." Aggie gave a chuckle. "Ah, young love," she said dreamily. "Reminds me of the good old days."

"What do you mean!" I cried out. "Flora and I aren't... in love." I paused, a bit off put the idea. I was like a little schoolboy. The idea of love had never entered my radar. I noticed that Flora had turned a little red. This was quickly becoming a disaster. "When you're done with your tea," I started, regaining my composure, "we should check out the Professor's room." Flora nodded and took a sip of her tea. "I'm done! Thank you for the tea, Aggie. It was absolutely delicious!" Flora gave a curtsey and stood beside me. "Anytime dear," Aggie smiled. "I don't get customers too often, especially ones as sweet as yourself."

Flora and I headed back upstairs, towards the Professor's room. It was only a few doors away from ours. The door was closed, but Aggie said that it should be unlocked. I grabbed the door knob and gave it a twist. The door opened without problem, and when I looked inside, there was nothing immediately strange about the room. Sitting on a chair was the Professor's trunk. It was the same one he had been using for years. It was brown and a bit worn from all its use.

"He didn't come back for his trunk." I observed. "The Professor normally takes it everywhere, so he must not have planned on leaving yet." Flora bent down beside the trunk and opened it up. She grabbed a leather bound book from it. "Isn't this one of the Professor's journals?" she asked. "I've read some of his ones from earlier adventures. The two of you had a lot of fun before I arrived."

"Can I see it?" I asked. Flora handed me the book and I carefully opened it. It wasn't completely filled out yet. In fact, there were only a few entries. "He didn't write much yet," I explained. "He was just getting started before something happened. Maybe this journal can give us more information on what the Professor was investigating."

A Letter From a Stranger

This morning I received an odd letter from an anonymous person. It requested my presence in the small seaside town of Spectre's Cape. Though I am trying to focus on teaching my classes, there is something about this case that peaks my interest. The letter says that the town is being haunted by the ghost of a young girl. Every night, she seems to roam the streets, crying out for something or someone. I doubt this is caused by the supernatural, but I must admit I'm curious. I plan to leave tomorrow. Hopefully, Flora will be fine for a few days while I am away.

"A ghost?" Flora asked. "We haven't heard anything about a ghost so far."

"You're right," I replied. "But we happened explored the town yet. Perhaps there are some people that can give us more information."

Arriving at Spectre's Cape

The seaside village is as I expected. There is something calm and peaceful about it. It seems like it would be a popular vacation spot. I checked in at an inn in the downtown area to settle for the night. Tomorrow I will begin my investigation. The townspeople seem to be incredibly open and cooperative. I hope to talk to many of them tomorrow.

A Ghost in the Night

During my first night in Spectre's Cape, I was awoken by the sounds of someone outside. It sounded like the cries of a young girl. I rushed to the window and was amazed to see a ghostly looking girl walking through the street. I ran out of the room and dashed out to the street. When I arrived however, she seemed to have vanished. Is this the apparition that the owner of the strange letter reported? How could such a thing be possible? There must be more to this than meets the eye.

"The Professor saw the ghost!" I exclaimed. "And this is his last entry. Did something happen to him because he saw the ghost?"

"The ghost didn't appear last night," Flora added. "Do you think she'll appear tonight?"

"I don't know, but we don't have time to wait around for her. We need to start looking around town. The longer we wait, who knows what could happen to the Professor!" Flora nodded in agreement. "Let's start off by talking to the townspeople. That was what the Professor wanted to do first, so we should follow in his footsteps."

Flora and I headed outside and took a quick look at what we were up against. The town was small in comparison to most, but there was still a lot of people to talk to. Across the street from the inn was a cafe with a big sign with a coffee cup on it. We decided that the cafe would be the best place to start.

When we walked in, a small bell above the door rang. "Welcome," a waitress, holding a tray of treats, said with a smile. She took the food of the tray and set it down at a table where an older couple was sitting. "Excuse me," I said. "Could I talk with you for a moment?"

"Sure thing, sugar!" she replied. She had a big smile plastered on her face. I wasn't sure if it was a real smile or a show she was putting on. "How can I help you? Would you two like something to eat? Or how about a nice cup of tea or coffee?"

"Actually, we have a couple questions for you," I explained. She raised her eyebrows. "What kind of questions? I'm very busy, ya know."

"We're looking for a friend," Flora said. "He looks really smart and has a tall top hat. Have you seen him?"

"Can't say I have, dear," the waitress answered. "There's no folk around here like that. Though I did hear that some stranger had entered town for a visit. That might be your friend. Don't know where he could be though."

"We have one more question," I continued. "What can you tell us about a ghost that haunts this town?" The waitress's face turned a bit pale. "How do you know about that?"

"That's not important. I just need to know what you know."

"I don't know too much. I try not to believe in all that supernatural mumbo jumbo, if you know what I'm sayin'. It's not good for the nerves. If you're really wondering, I'd ask the old lady that lives down the way. She's been here for years and knows all about the town, including your ghosty. Blue house, you can't miss it."

"Thanks," I smiled. I left a bit of money on the counter as a thank you for her help. The waitress grabbed it and put in her apron pocket. "You're a good kid," she added. "I can tell. I hope you find your friend." Flora and I gave her quick thank yous and left the cafe. "Isn't this exciting?" Flora said, almost skipping down the street. "A lead already!" We arrived at the blue house. The blue paint was starting to chip. It was obvious the house had been there for a while. I walked up to the door and gave a knock.

A short, old woman answered the door. Her huge black glasses just barely stayed on to her small nose. She gave me a questioning stare. "Can I help you?" she asked. Her voice was crackly. "I have a few questions for you. We would be really greatful if you could answer them for us. The waitress in the nearby cafe said you could help us."

"That's my granddaughter, Ailsa," the old lady sighed. "That girl can never keep her nose out of trouble, but never mind that. Please come in." The lady let us in and took us into her living room. We all took a seat, and she gestured for us to start talking. "What do you kids need?" she asked. "I've never seen you here before. Are you visiting someone?"

"Sort of," I said. "We're looking for a friend of ours, Professor Hershel Layton. He's tall and has a top hat that he likes to wear. Have you seen him at all?" The woman thought to herself for a moment. "I believe I saw a character like him a few weeks ago. He was a nice looking fellow. I watched him help out a couple of kids with a tough puzzle. Is he missing?"

"Yes," I replied. "He's been gone for a while and we're trying to find him. He came here on the request of investigating a ghost that's haunting Spectre's Cape. Could you tell us more about that?"

"You kids are well-informed," the old lady said. She leaned back in her chair. "Not many people know about our town's little secret. It's true that we have a ghost, though she hasn't shown up in many years. It was only recently that she started making an appearance. There's an old legend about a young girl who fell off a cliff while running away from home. It's a really a tragic story. She fell in love with some man that her father didn't like. She ran away from home, hoping to elope with him, but met an untimely death. Rumour says that she still wanders the town, searching for her love."

"That's so sad," Flora whimpered. "She never got to be with the person she loved and died instead. Love was all she had and even that was taken away from her."

"Has that ghost been an issue?" I asked. The old lady shook her head. "Lately, you can hear her moaning at night. Lots of people have left town after being spooked. A bunch of cowards, that lot. It's a bit bothersome when you're trying to sleep though."

"Have you seen the ghost outright?"

"I poked my head out the window and saw her one night. With my poor vision though, I couldn't tell much about her. She was pale though and ghastly looking. Her voice could give you the chills. Hopefully, that poor girl finds some peace and that leave the rest of us some peace during the night."

"You're awfully calm about this," I observed. "When you're as old as me," the old lady started. "Nothing gets ya anymore."

"Thank you for all of your help," I said graciously. "You've given us a lot of good information."

"Feel free to come back if you have anymore questions. That friend of yours is a good man. It would be a shame if something happened to him." Flora and I left the house, and I grabbed the Professor's Journal, which I had put in my bag. I jotted down someone of my own notes in it.

"Look!" Flora said, tugging on my shirt sleeve. "There's someone down the street. Let's ask them." Before I could stop her, she had run away. She ran so fast that she accidentally ran into the man she was going to talk to her. She hit him and fell against the ground with a loud thud. The man looked down at her with an angry gaze. "What are you doing?" I heard him yell, even from far away. "Look where you're going, you stupid girl!" I raced over and helped Flora of the ground. She looked like she was going to cry.

"It was an accident!" I shouted at the man. "No need to be so angry!" He crossed his arms and gave a huff. "She should be paying attention to where she was going," he retorted. "I'm so sorry," Flora cried, giving the man a small bow. "I wasn't paying attention." I put my hand on Flora's back. "It was just an accident," I glared at the man. "Nothing to get upset about." The man rolled his eyes and walked away. Flora still looked extremely upset. "Don't get down," I said, grabbing her hand. "Ignore that guy. He's a jerk." Flora nodded and gave me a smile. I smiled back. She seemed to feel a lot better after that.

Flora and I continued walk down the main street of the town until we reached the end. There were few people out on the street to talk to. We gathered only a bit more information. Only a handful of people had seen the Professor and know one knew where he had went. Most people knew the legend about the ghost girl and had reported seeing her a few times. No one seemed to be worried about her though. Everyone was relatively calm about it.

At the end of the street, we noticed a small, gravel path veering off from the main way. It seemed to lead up in the more mountainous area of town. In the distance, I could make out a large house. It was far away from most of town, such a strange location. "I wonder who lives up there," I pointed up at the house. "It must be a pain to get down to town from way up there." Flora and I gazed up at the house, when we were interrupted by someone's voice.

'What are you looking at?" the person asked. I turned around to see a middle aged man with a large bag on his shoulder. "Just that huge house," I answered. "It's magnificent, but it looks like it's really far away."

"That's the mayor's house," the man explained. "That house has been in his family for years. I don't think he'd ever move out. It's the nicest house in town. The mayor rarely comes down here though. Too much work to do, so I guess the distance isn't a big issue."

"Is that so?"

"By the way," the man said, sticking out his hand. "The name's Lewis. I'm the mailman around here. Can't say I've ever seen you two here before."

"We're visiting," I explained. I was getting tired of explaining to every new person what Flora and I were doing in town. "That's nice," Lewis said. "Hey, since I've stopped to talk to you, I'm running a bit behind on my route." He pulled a map from out his pocket. "My normal route is here on this map, but it's a bit long and tedious. Do you think you could find me a shorter route that still hits all my stops?" He handed me the map and a pencil.

"Sure," I said, taking the map and pencil. It took me a few seconds to work out what route would be best and then I drew it on the map. "Here," I handed Lewis the map and pencil. "That should work. You'll be done before you know it!"

"Thanks a bunch!" Lewis replied graciously. "I might use this route all the time." He headed off down the street to deliver the mail. "You're so sweet," Flora giggled. "And just like the Professor, you could never turn down a puzzle." I blushed at the compliment.

"Something about that house seems off to me," I said, getting back on topic. "We should check it out at some point." Flora agreed. I noticed that the sun was beginning to set. It was almost night time. "Let's head back to the inn," I said. "Maybe Aggie could help us with dinner. Tomorrow, I want to walk up to that mansion and check it out."

Aggie was happy to cook us a wonderful meal. She was extremely motherly and her biscuits were excellent. With full stomachs, Flora and I headed off to bed to finish our first day of investigation in Spectre's Cape.

Flora and I changed clothes and got into bed. I was about to turn off the lights when Flora started to speak. "Luke," she began. "Yeah?"

"Nothing..." she trailed off. "What is it? You can tell me?" I said. "I'm just worried about the Professor," she sighed. "He's done so much for me. If it wasn't for the Professor, I might still be waiting in St. Mystere in that lonely tower. I feel like I haven't repaid him yet. If don't know what I'll do if he's gone."

"Don't worry," I said. "You have me. Remember, I helped get you out too."

"Oh yeah. You were there too."

"Hey!"

"I'm just kidding," Flora laughed. "Thanks. You seem to always know what to do to make me feel better."

"It's a gift," I joked. With that, Flora and I fell asleep, but that wouldn't last very long. It was about 1:00 when I heard a noise outside the window. It sounded like moaning. I threw back the covers and called Flora. She opened her eyes and asked me what was wrong. "I think I heard the ghost!" She quickly got up and tied up her hair. I looked out our window, but I didn't have a view of the street from it.

We ran out of the room and down the inn's stairs, trying not to wake Aggie. We exited the inn and were on the street. I looked around, but saw nothing nearby. Did we miss it? "Over there," Flora exclaimed, pointing towards the place where the street turned a corner. I saw someone turn the corner and disappear behind a building. "Let's go!" I yelled. Flora and I raced down the street after the ghost. We turned to corner and found the ghost hadn't gotten to far ahead of us.

This was the first good look I had gotten at her. She looked a bit younger than Flora and I. Her pink dress was long and seemed to be dirty and tattered in some places. Her hair was long and in a braid. Her skin was pale, but not as white as I had imagined. The most haunting thing about her was her moan. She seemed to yell out as if she was searching for something. "Stop!" I yelled to her, sticking out my hand. The girl quickly turned around, alarmed. Her eyes were wide in fear.

She started to run, so Flora and I ran to follow. "Where is she going?!" Flora asked in between breaths. "I don't know," I gasped. The ghost was fast and she probably knew this town better than we did. It was likely that she would lose us eventually. The ghost turned another corner into an alley. Flora and I entered the alley and found ourselves in a dead end. The ghost girl was stuck at the end.

She was shaking. It was clear to me that this girl was no ghost. It seemed that Flora had realized the same thing. "Don't be scared," Flora said in a soft voice. She reached her hand out to the girl. "We won't hurt you." The girl looked up at her, still looking frightened. "Leave!" she shouted. Flora moved back towards me. "Leave!" the girl yelled again. "You must leave!"

"What's wrong?" I asked, approaching the girl. "Who are you and why are you pretending to be a ghost?" Had this girl fooled this entire village into thinking she was a ghost? Had she fooled even the Professor? It was obvious she was know ghost, so how has everyone been so gullible? She was trapped and had no choice, but to answer our questions now. I didn't want to scare her more, but I needed answers.

"Have you seen a man with a tall hat? He's a Professor?" The girl's eyes widened. She knew something about the Professor. "Please tell us. He's our friend," Flora pleaded. "You must leave!" the girl repeated again. "Or you will both suffer the same fate as your friend!"

I became alarmed. What was she talking about? It was almost a threat. "What happened to him?" I demanded to know. The girl seemed about to cry. "Luke," Flora scolded me. "Calm down. You're scaring her even more." The girl looked at Flora and then to me. Suddenly, she dashed past us. "We can't let her get away!" I exclaimed as our chase began again.

Unfortunately, our efforts were fruitless. She disappeared from our sights almost instantly. "I can't believe we lost her!" I groaned. "We were so close."

"What do you think she met?" Flora asked. "What 'fate' has the Professor sufferred? Luke, I'm scared. What did she do to him?"

"I don't know," I said, trying to put on a brave face. I didn't want Flora to know that I was scared to. After all, a gentleman always helps a lady in need and right now she needed me. I couldn't back down and cower in fear. I had to find some answers. Who was that girl and what did she know about the Professor?


Reviews and criticism appreciated :)