Chp 12 Windswept
Once again the group found themselves searching the halls and rooms of the castle. This time, Zack had come along.
"Why have I passed this corridor 5 times tonight?" Woody mentioned.
"Because we have done nothing but chase sounds and missing people." London commented.
"Guys, do you hear that?" Zack asked as the sound of a flute started again.
"Not again." London said.
"Who keeps playing it?" Addison asked.
"I don't know, but it could be Bailey. We should go back to that room." Cody mentioned. The group once again rushed upstairs and headed to the room. The door was slightly open and Cody gently touched it to open it. Bailey was stood in the centre, playing the flute.
"Bailey?" Cody asked as he stood in the doorway looking at her.
"Cody?" She asked. She didn't turn around and Cody stepped into the room. Zack reached out and grabbed Cody's arm.
"Don't." Zack said.
"She won't hurt me Zack. I have to go to her." Cody said. He stepped closer but she still didn't turn around. She carried on playing. "I didn't know you could play."
"I can't. But I can't stop. Help me." She sobbed. Cody reached forward and put a hand on the flute. He pulled it away and she stopped. She looked at him and took a step forward. She glared at him with menacing eyes. Cody couldn't see this, all he could see was his hurt and scared girlfriend. She looked at him. For a moment Zack thought she was going to go crazy again.
"Cody?" He said.
"I'm okay." Cody replied. "Bailey, come outside with us." He said taking her hands and leading her from the room.
"I can't." She said.
"Why?"
"I hurt Zack...........I didn't mean too. I can't be with you. I could hurt you."
"Its not you Bailey, it's the ghost. Chance. She is using you to do her dirty business. As soon as we get out of here, the sooner you will feel better." Cody said. The youngsters came from the room and Bailey stood and looked at Zack. He was trying to stand straight on the crutches. He had a bruise and a gash on his forehead.
"I am so sorry Zack." She said.
"Hey, no biggie, I know it wasn't you." Zack said. Bailey hugged him and Cody smiled as he enjoyed the reunion of the two people he loved the most.
"Now we have all made up, let's get out of here." Woody said. Moseby looked at his watch.
"Well its sunrise and the weather seems to have stopped. I wonder if the phones are back on." He said.
"We should check." Zack said.
"Cellphones." London said. They pulled out their own cellphones but none of them had a signal.
"Look, a landline." Addison said pointing to a table in the corridor. On it was a plant and a phone. Moseby picked up the receiver and the teens looked at him with hope. He shook his head.
"The lines must be down." He said.
"What do we do now? No contact, we are locked inside a creepy castle, what do we do?" Woody said.
"Let's return to the lounge and discuss options. Its clear that Adam, or not so lovely host, is not around. So we need to come up with a plan." Moseby said. Cody put his arm around Bailey and Woody helped Zack as the group walked through the halls.....again.
Miss Tuttweiler had not slept a wink all night. She had enjoyed her trip with the group and was itching to tell Mr Moseby. But when he had not returned with the kids she had become worried. The evening had turned into night and the weather was torrential. She had tried to call his cell phone as well as the phones of the kids but each line was down. A call to the mini bus firm had made her worry as the driver had not returned at the end of the day and had not called in as per company procedure. Emma had got a message to the Southampton police who agreed to look for them but only when the weather had improved and the morning had arrived. They were eager to search for the group but were cautious as they believe the group made have sheltered somewhere out of the weather. Emma found herself pacing the floor of the sky deck, trying the phones over and over again. She had called Mr Tipton who had indicated he would send some assistance to the ship as well as the search for the group. The sun was rising and she realised she had been sat at the juice bar for a while since waking up early. She anxiously waited for the time to tick by and for the call from the police saying they were going to start the search. Emma was worried.
The group had gathered once again in the lounge. Cody had cleaned Zack's wound and Woody had made fresh hot drinks for everyone with the help of Addison. Moseby had decided to let the group rest awhile and recover their strength before trying to find a way out. He paced the lounge, looking for ideas, going over possibilities in his mind. The teens were dozing on the couches. The events of the night had taken their toll on them. Moseby had been to test all the doors and windows again, but they were still locked. He wanted to learn more about the occupant of the castle, the tour guide, their captor. There had to be a reason behind the locked doors and windows. It seemed to Moseby that Adam wanted to keep the group in the castle. But for what reason, their safety or for other horrible reasons. He started to go through the drawers of a desk, he found bills and letters addressed to Adam, nothing that would scream out that the guy was a weirdo.
"What are you doing?" Asked Zack as he noticed Moseby going through the desk. Zack hobbled over to the desk.
"You should be resting." Moseby said.
"I was, but then Cody and Bailey started being cute together. Had to get away from them. So what are you doing?" Zack asked.
"I wanted to find out something about Adam. He should be around and he isn't, that means he isn't what he said he is."
"You think he locked the doors and windows?"
"I am sure of it. But why, I don't know." Moseby said.
"You think he knows about the freaky lady ghost?" Zack asked.
"I don't know. Of all the people here, she has decided to use Bailey, a lady. If Adam lives alone, she might not have had a chance to manifest."
"But if ghosts can inhabit people, why would she wait for us to arrive and use Bailey?" Zack asked.
"I am not a professional and I am still not sure I believe in ghosts, but the ghost is the lady, Chance who dated someone who looked a lot like you and Cody. Ghosts are normally about because they had unfinished business. I think Chance has unfinished business with her boyfriend."
"The reason behind why Bailey, I mean Chance, attacked me." Zack said.
"And made the water go over Cody." Moseby said.
"Wait, I remember." Zack exclaimed. The group looked at him. He hobbled back to the group. "When Chance was controlling Bailey, she said her full name Cassandra "Chance" Lacey and she called me Ed. She wanted to know what I had done. Seems Ed might have killed her. And she wanted revenge."
"And seeing as you look like Ed, she thought you were him." Cody said.
"You look like them too mister." Zack said.
"But you were nearby. Easy target." Moseby said.
"Wait, what if she tries it again. I can't be near you Cody, I could hurt you." Bailey said.
"We won't allow it." Moseby said. "We are finding a way out of here. Break the windows, throw things at them, break them."
The group got up and rushed to the windows. Zack got up but Cody put a hand on his shoulder.
"Not you, you rest." Cody said. Cody went to the desk picked up the chair. Zack sat and watched as the group tried to break the glass in the windows. But nothing happened. The group stood despondent.
"Now what?" London asked. All of a sudden a cold wind could be felt in the room.
"Did something break? Is there an opening?" Moseby asked. The wind got more intense and started to whip around the group. They dove to the floor, trying to avoid the wind as it picked up speed. Cody reached out and brought Bailey closer to him.
"What's going on?" Woody yelled above the wind.
"Everyone stay down." Moseby yelled. The wind whirled and whipped around the group and around the room, paper was flying, ornaments crashed to the floor. Pictures fell off the walls and the tall lampshades fell over. Zack ducked as one came close to him.
"Where has this come from?" Bailey asked.
"I have no idea." Cody said. He pulled Bailey tighter to his body but the wind started to form around him. It whipped around him and pulled him from Bailey. Cody lay on the floor trying to reach for Bailey, the wind formed a cyclone around him. He was struggling to breathe.
"Cody!" Bailey yelled. The group all got up and looked on in terror as the wind formed a tunnel around Cody. Bailey tried to reach out to him. The wind tunnel pulled Cody up and raised him in the air. He gasped for air. "Help him." Bailey yelled.
"Cody!" Zack, fearing for his brother rushed forward and tried to pull him down as he was raised into the air. Moseby grabbed Cody's other leg and the two pulled hard, trying to bring him down and out of the wind tunnel.
Cody's face began to drain as he struggled to breathe.