"So how did this Vincent Wolf Fang find out the true story of what happened?" Johnny asked excitedly, always one for a true crime story.
Chester opened his mouth to answer, and then closed it with a frown. "I have no idea," he admitted.
"Some things can just stay buried," Falcon added.
Annabel, Norma, and Johnny had joined us back at the house, after we had told them telepathically that the danger had passed. Johnny especially seemed a little sulky that he had missed all the action. I hoped that Ghoulmaster would approve of my, Chester, and Shadow Falcon's decision to disclose everything. We had all agreed that we did not want to live in a house where half of us knew this secret and the other half didn't.
Ghoulmaster arrived after several hours, sinking onto one of the couches and closing his eyes. He had gone through this grieving process when his brother had died the first time, and now he would have to go through it again. But who knew where Vincent had really gone, and who knew if or when Ghoulmaster would see him again? Forever was a long time.
We all gave a startled response as Elissa breezed in cheerfully, as we had all completely forgotten our nightly meeting with her. "Come on, you guys!" she called out pleasantly. We all changed into our bodily forms, Falcon wincing as his pain returned. Annabel snickered and Falcon swatted her in return.
I don't know if the others had momentarily forgotten our PR difficulties with Six Flags management, but I had. "Oh, no, we've still got a problem," I groaned with my head in my hand.
"Well, that's what I was coming to talk to you about," Elissa responded lightly.
Annabel cocked an eyebrow at her. "Oh?"
"Thanks, Norma, for telling me just before the board meeting tonight that everything was taken care of regarding these occurrences. I know that was risky with the park still open," she began.
I, for one, cocked an eyebrow at that. Norma had chosen a good time and occasion to force herself to speak.
"It was a hard sell convincing them that the happenings would stop, and that you guys had been the ones to put a stop to them," she said. "So, a condition of our compromise is that nothing else must happen in the next two weeks in order for them to follow through on my idea."
"Your idea?" Chester said with trepidation.
"Well, the next order of business was figuring out how to respond to the reporters. I told them that the paparazzi believed that one of two things were going on: either something supernatural, or some kind of publicity stunt. Going off their beliefs, it would be easiest to convince them that something supernatural was not going on if it were, indeed, a publicity stunt. But the question would be, a publicity stunt for what? What event would be so big, during Fright Fest, that Six Flags management would risk a bad reputation to promote it?" She gave a sly grin and tucked her hair behind her ear. "With your permission, of course, Ghoulmaster. But without it…I'd hate to see you all in danger of the paranormal investigators coming in."
Ghoulmaster was not in the mood, but he was listening. "Permission for what?"
Elissa leaned back and crossed her legs, enjoying her moment of triumph. "Rehearsals," she answered. She wrinkled her nose. "And a whole lot of Febreeze."