Yes, I know I wasn't supposed to update til after my exams on Tuesday but this was already written out last week--I just used my breaktimes during studying to edit this, that's all. I'll explain more at the end of my Authors notes.
Dedication: daseyrocks, sonnycentral, best with breadsticks, Kylie Robbins, MusicFreak-Sonny, and mindless scribblesfor their lengthy long reviews. And actually, just to anyone who took the time to leave a nice juicy review in which they wrote who they thought the ghost was.
I was actually pretty impressed with how you guys think!
And bravo to MusicFreak-Sonny for solving the mystery first—assembling all the clues, cutting down the suspects. She like OWNS this chapter now, haha! And the next 2, since originally this chapter and the next two were supposed to be one whole chapter, but that would had been about 20 pages long (The first two chapters of the original chapter 5 came out to be 15 pages).
Oh, and I've used an element from sonnycentral's Halloween fanfic …well, what her story is based off of. So if you know where her story is partially based from, you'll find an aspect of it here in mine!
Also, a super dedication to lifeisveryshortsoami for writing a WONDERFUL Channy fanfic called "C.O.W.: Crush of the Week". Go read it, it's insanely amazing!
Tomorrow's the 4-month anniversary of my SWAC slumber party story! Woohoo!
Disclaimer: The quotes from "Suite Life with Zack and Cody", Scooby Doo, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban movie, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, The Wizard of Waverly Place movie, SWAC of course, and whatever you think relates to something you've seen before. Just please tell me because I'd like to give credit to the main source at least!
Haha, and I'm having some sort of a 'competition' for who can write the longest review PER CHAPTER by the Halloween/ the last chapter of this story. (Sorry mindless scribbles—you wrote for 2 chapters in one review but you still have time to make it up!) In the last chapter, THEN I'll address who "won". And for people who think they'll try to win by just quoting my own stuff—that won't work for this competition (Though I really do enjoy hearing which was your favorite parts!) So you can include the quotes, I just won't count it fully...yes people, I'll go all genius and actually try to devise and equation for how much quotes go for in terms of "points". And "rambles" goes the same way...maybe 1/3 points from the characters in each? Of course, I'll come up with the equation AFTER my physics exam.
I just found out this story is THE longest story in terms of 'SWAC mystery' fanfics go! EEP! Thanks to everyone who's reading! I'll personally address each and everyone at the last chapter.
MAN, leaving you guys long author notes feels good! I've been studying a total of 8 hours each day for these two days...and this chapter was written long before I studied, so don't worry—I'm studying. Just whenever I have my 30 minute breaks, I come and work on this!
POLL STAT: Who do YOU think is the Ghost of James Esser?
The Ghost: 18%
Ms. Rodnoc: 18%
Josh:13%
The Rodnoc Studio Actors: 13%
Condor himself: 13%
Dakota: 9%
Two or more people above: 9%
Murphy: 1%
Only 8 voters!? Awh! Oh well, it's too late to vote now! Let's see who's right!
With the piercing electric blue eyes meeting her own, Sonny Monroe screamed bloody murder, her eyes shut tight in fear. "AHHH!"
And Sonny would have continued screaming had one blue eye not gleam from the moonlight through the cracked windows of Studio 13. Through her mentality now containing murderous desires,she tried containing herself. Oh yes, Sonny realized who it was.
"Chad!?"
Chad, his smug on his lips promoting his cocky disposition, walked forward under the pale moonlight to reveal himself. "Sonny," he stated, smirk still on his lips when he cracked up laughing, pounding on his knee. "That was hilarious!"
As the environment stirred ominous feelings as it was already, Sonny felt shocked, unable to make sense of anything.
"What are you doing here?" she spat, the words bitter on her tongue.
With hands pulling down on his pockets, Chad shrugged. "Doing what you said: Solve this puzzle for the attention."
Sonny's eyebrows crinkled. "Attention?"
"Yeah," Chad lamely nodded, not quite understanding what Sonny was on about.
The girl pursed her lips, confused. "But I thought you don't believe in all those stuff."
Chad gave another plain shrug. "Well…I don't,' he hazily said with a look of boredom on his face when he brightened. "But that's why I'm gonna solve this mystery—so that I, Chad Dylan Cooper, will be known to be the most handsomest, hotteriest, dreamiest—"
"And worst spelliest?" Sonny joked, grinning ear-to-ear. "Haha!"
She was rewarded with a glare. "And bravest throughout the land," Chad continued to muse, tugging arrogantly on his collar.
"K, your majesty," muttered Sonny.
But her mutter echoed through the empty arena, which Chad clearly heard. " Ah," he playfully smirked breathily. "So you admit it?"
Her eyes rolled as Sonny bit the inside of her lip in irritation when she thought of something—a tight smile on her lips.
"I admit…" she grinned her retort, remembering their Prom, "that you danced with a fish and you liked it!"
Chad's jaw dropped. "Take that back! You were a mermaid!" he gasped dramatically.
As the two glared at each other, Sonny just then noticed that he too was in his Halloween pirate costume, wearing his puffy (sexy) white billowing shirt and baggy pirate-y trouser—she had a very hard time not to be caught staring in admiration of how Chad's see-through shirt worked his body. Shaking the thought away, she looked over to find where his black bandana and eye patch when her eyes caught them in the pile of where the rest of her 'Sonny-flower' costume laid by the exit door.
Remembering why she was here in the first place, she looked around the scene.
"This whole place is charred down," she muttered, getting her flashlight to roam about. Silence awkwardly crossed between the two as Chad continued following Sonny into the darker parts of the studio.
"So what do you have figured out so far?" Chad asked lazily, wanting to provoke her, steal her work if he could. Hey, Sonny has changed him, but not all of him. With no answer, the Random pulled out her small handy notebook into Chad's hands. His eyes skimmed towards the first page:
Suspect:
X= no
?X = maybe not but still could
(blank)= maybe
X_ MacKenzie Falls cast—wants attention
?X Josh—seen with bouquet of rare passion flowers that are Mr. Ghosty's trademark
?X Dakota—carried bugs that was released by Mr. Ghosty
?X Murphy—seen breaking in to Condor's office
__Rodnoc Studio actors—hates us
__Ms. Rodnoc—hates us too, but nice! Thumbprint
__ Mr. Ghosty a.k.a. The Ghost of James Esser is real
clues:
Stamp found on Mr. Ghosty's messages
Ms. Rodnoc's fire insurance? Looked really old—not recently bought
Ms. Rodnoc's contract?
Ghost made by Special Effects, meaning Head of Studio must give permission
Rodnoc Studio has lots of $ but save for themselves
Chad looked from the notebook in bewilderment, seeing Sonny still tightly clenching her flashlight, its beam dancing about the room.
"You thought we did it!?" he croaked in awe.
"Hey," Sonny pouted, looking up at him. "I crossed it off after you guys started getting hurt!" she snapped back.
"Oh, gee," Chad rolled his eyes sarcastically. "Thanks!"
With both a bit infuriated with each other, the two were in the midst of the darkness, in some unknown hallway. The light on Sonny's flashlight was beginning to grow dim, spreading more tension. As they continued walking down the corridor, Chad shivered, staring into the eyes of the ghastly framed pictures of people during the lively time of when Studio 13 was in use.
The flashlight died. The two stopped in their tracks, in fear of not knowing where to go anymore in the fright of the blackness. Chad nearly jumped as he felt his clammy hand be clasped by someone's—Sonny's. The overwhelming darkness wasn't much of a help either. As he looked over to her with morphing slight amusement, Sonny's retort didn't help her.
"It's dark and I can't see a thing! I'm scared!" she hissed, wanting to make sure Chad knew by her tone that she would never hold onto him for comfort on her own…well, not yet.
Chad marveled at himself, exceptionally full of himself right now. "Well it's a good thing you're with Chad Dylan Cooper. I never get—"
Just then, a voice erupted from the further end of the musty old hallway, deafening the two stars' ears as the sound became a stomach-hurling shriek.
"OOHHHHHOooohhhh—AHHHHHHH!!!!!!! HELP MEEEEEEEEEEEEeeeeeeee……"
The scream was gone, though its echoes remained, as if the person who screamed had never truly left yet. Soon enough, the air was quiet as the kids huddled against each other in fear.
"Alright, I'm scared too," squeaked Chad.
No longer had Chad whimpered in fear that a startling fire appeared out of nowhere, circling around the teen stars with blazing burning devilish flames, its embers spewing out. With the suddenness from blinding dark to blurring bright, Chad and Sonny squinted, unable to make out anything at this point besides the inferno they found themselves in the heart of.
With Chad's manly screams hurtling right into her ear, Sonny looked around in devastation, her head whipping left and right to find something to get rid of the fire…when she saw it. And she stared at it in mystification, knowing she had seen it, but she couldn't believe it.
As if the circumstance wasn't horrible enough, each star facing their death, a cold chill wrapped around the two, despite feeling blaring heat from the flames. That was when they found themselves face-to-face with James Esser…the ghost. They had never been so close to the disembodied body: Blood stains glittered in silver across the man's heart, all over his suit and tie—the clothing from the 50's. His face was unusually handsome…despite it being twisted by death, morphed into an underworld-like state…his eyes pallid black like never-ending tunnels with no escape…
"Leave now," the ghost dangerously whispered in a somber state, "or join me in death…" Not wanting to become…distracted by the ghost from her sudden unveiling, Sonny's hand jerked from Chad's sweaty palm, as she tried slamming her hand into the flashlight to make something happen at least. She had to try…she had to make sure.
"Sonny…!!" Chad panicked, grabbing onto Sonny even tighter as they felt their bodies molding into one, trying to avoid getting burned by the encircling fire that narrowed in closer and closer and closer…
"We're…" Sonny grunted, bashing the thing into her hand, praying she wouldn't break it, "not getting scared today, Chad," she encouraged—the light sparked on.
Quickly grinning, Sonny waved the flashlight over to a small device in the ceiling—as soon as she did, everything disappeared—flames, ghost and all.
Shaken, Chad looked down in a disheveled state, finding his arms tightly around Sonny before he abruptly let go. "W-what h-…how'd you do that?" Chad found himself at a loss of words.
Sonny's frightful nature suddenly lightened up as she faced Chad. "Look up there," she stated, her flashlight beam still on a small device. Chad narrowed his eyes to gain better sight—in the light beam was a…a scene…playing like a movie…of fire, and the ghost…
"It was a hologram the whole time," Sonny whispered for some unknown reason. If there was a hologram, then there was someone behind the hologram. She peered around. "I bet there's speakers somewhere too."
Chad looked in awe, still shaken when Sonny tapped his arm. "C'mon, let's go. We need to solve this," she whispered, her statement partially a plea to Chad for his help.
With one firm nod from him and gently grabbing the flashlight from Sonny, the two continued walking down the way, with Chad leading the way. Sonny had just unmasked one aspect of the mystery, he couldn't let her do all, it'd show him as a ninny then!
The hallway adjourned to a room. As Chad was near it first, he narrowed his eyes, holding the flashlight stiffly like a knife, eye-level.
"Well that's weird."
Unable to see behind his taller frame, Sonny stood on her tippy-toes, trying to look besides him though the small hallway wouldn't allow it.
"What?" Sonny piped.
Chad turned around to Sonny, his pale face illuminated with a curious expression. "What's a random library doing in a stage?" Chad then chuckled at his joke. "Awh, guess you'll fit right in, you Random."
Usually, Sonny would have shook her head, glaring at Chad but it surprised Chad to find her lightly smiling. She gave him a playful punch to the jerk's arm. In actuality, Sonny couldn't be happier to find herself not alone in this phantasmal environment—she would had left running out screaming if Chad hadn't gripped her with such security. With a smile, Sonny playfully punched the jerk. In truth, she was grateful that his ego was large enough to lighten the mood, and yet not so inflated today to annoy her.
She peered around the room, awestruck at the intricate Victorian design of the whole room. Each wall was covered in mahogany shelving. Inside each shelving contained literally hundreds of books, all dusty, each in solitude for 50 years, their stories unread. On the opposite side from the door was what was left of a fireplace. The place appeared to not have been in use for hundreds of years…or fifty. Light burn marks scarred the velvet curtains, the rich wooden casings and pillars. It seemed as this was the only part of the original studio that was left nearly untouched by the fire all those years ago.
Narrowing his eyes on Sonny's behavior, Chad awkwardly stood silently looking around when Sonny comically lowered her voice. "Now let's split up, gang!"
The boy hesitated, scratching his ear. "Um…Sonny? Seeing as it's only us two, I'd rather not," he shuddered, every so often looking behind him nervously when he heard a creak.
Sonny nodded before her excitement burst out once again. "There's always a secret kind of passageway here… Chad, help me find a book that'll open some doorway!" she urged. Before long, ten, twenty frail and crisp books were safely piled as she continued searching for a fake book that was the switch to a secret room.
Chad stood on the side, rolling his eyes as he watched Sonny in boredom pulling away books.
"Nooo," he sarcastically shuddered. "It's in this light switch," he retaliated, slowly walking over to where a nearly-burnt light switch dial was.
Sonny wrinkled her nose. "The whole place is burned down. Why would the lights still work?"
Her remark was too much for Chad to bear as he stood near the switch, his hand ready to turn the knob when he looked at Sonny dubiously, wondering if she really could be that dumb. Somehow he found his own hand slapping his forehead as he unintelligibly muttered.
"I…" he found himself saying to the girl numbly, "was being …sarcastic…"
After staring at each other in tension, Sonny snorted. "You were right. Humor doesn't work for you." Grumbling, Chad turned the knob over when suddenly they heard a loud slide, like wood falling into a catch…
"AHHH!"
Sonny screamed. Chad swerved, looking over to where Sonny had just been when he noticed a square piece of the floorboard missing. "Sonny?" he callously called out in confusion, walking towards the missing floorboard when he realized it was a trapdoor.
"I'm over here."
Down below stood Sonny, about six feet below, just tall enough for her to stand to her full height without having herself bent over.
"Whoa," Chad muttered to himself. "That's weird."
As Chad quickly followed suit, he and Sonny looked about the tunnel they had just entered—a gruesome watery tunnel with a particular kinda of stench stretched miles before and behind them.
"C'mon," Sonny whispered, turning her flashlight on again as the two made their way quietly through the secret tunnel. Scampers through the water were heard, and Chad could had sworn he felt something brush by his feet. Along the way, they sighted another pathway, but the feeling it gave off, being the 'demonic' kind of dark, with cobwebs and eerie creatures sounding from the distance, they decided to go through their later…if they ever survived. For now—they would continue on the straight path.
The two continued walking, for what seemed like ages when fifteen minutes later, with aching feet and Chad's back hurting from having to hunch down a little, a light source was found from the top of the tunnel.
Glancing at each other, mentally conversing whether or not they thought it was safe to go up, Sonny gently pushed the floorboard up. To her surprise, it eased open easily, and thus she slid it onto the floorboard above, fashioning a way to get out. Moments later, Sonny found herself in a dark small room—a closet of some sort with broomsticks, garbage bags—a janitor's closest.
Finding the coast clear, she quietly gave out a hand to Chad, helping him up to get above. Not before long, the two stepped out, finding themselves in a hallway, in which branched out towards a stage similar to their own... in a synonymous company...
...Rodnoc Studio...
Sonny turned to Chad in awe. "We're in Rodnoc Studio, aren't we?" Chad's shocked gaze at the room infront was answer enough. The two faced the stage they were in, though it looked nothing like gorgeous falls or a fast-food restaurant or any other set at Condor's. Lighting was managed such a way that heat actually soothed out from the source, as if it were the sun, tanning the multiples missing Condor stars on authentic Cuban white sand...the missing Condor stars...all here, enjoying themselves.
Tawni and Portlyn, on beach chairs, appeared to be politely arguing back and forth over rumors, both in silky sundresses. As the sound of the ocean waves crackled from the hidden hi-tech speakers, handsome topless servers in just shorts and black ties strolled around, handing out icy cool drinks in the stimulated heat. Zora of course, was playing with the random otters in the artificial ocean. All in all—Chad and Sonny happened upon the set of paradise.
Soon enough, one of the topless brazen men cleared his way over, wearing the flirtatious smile Sonny always found in Chad one too many a times.
Biting her lip blushing, Sonny gave a generous smile as thanks as the suave man offered them a drink. Somehow she found her finger twirling her hair.
Chad's eyes narrowed, knowing Sonny well.
Smash. The pineapple pina-colada drink just in Chad's hand mere seconds ago splashed right at the handsome server's face and his glistening copper chest.
"Oh my gosh," Chad stated in mock sympathy. "I-I am so sorry. I'm just so clumsy. I tripped over this," Chad looked around him, finding white sand and nothing more at his feet, "rat," he apologetically smiled. "This big...old...rat," his smirk began showing up. "You guys really should see to that." With one final conceited shrug, Chad happily guided a confused Sonny who so happened to be looking for this big rat, not knowing it was Chad himself, as the server behind them huffed angry mutters.
"Heh," Chad then took a sip from Sonny's strawberry-lime drink as the two wandered back to the quiet hallway, thinking better to address their pals who seemed to be enjoying themselves. Attention need not to have been brought when one was at a rival studio, having entered through a secret tunnel. "No wonder the guys never came back. If I was kidnapped, I'd definitely like to stay here."
Sonny's ears perked up: footsteps were head from the hallways around the corner. Gently tugging on Chad's soft pirate-y shirt, she motioned for him to lie low to the pillar near them. Unseen, the two noticed Ms. Rodnoc humming to herself as she quietly made her way towards the paradise set doors.
With the hallway cleared, Chad popped out leaning on the pillar, with Sonny doing so like-wise below him comically.
"Chad, look," she whispered. On the column opposite to them, a large sign was scene:
"*NOTICE*
Rodnoc Studio will be shutting down in one week until further notice"
"Let's go back, alright?" Chad whispered, a bit edgy for some reason since they've been at the rival studio. He could feel his awesomeness dropping and had to stop it.
"Yeah," nodded Sonny. "You're right. I think we've found enough we can here."
Before long, the two crept back into the tunnel, now deciding to take the other passageway they passed early on. It hadn't taken that long as it did the first time when Chad this time propped open the trapdoor, easing into the darken and burnt room before he helped Sonny out.
Chad quickly wiped off the soot and dirt from his white shirt. "Whoa, where are me?" Instantly, Sonny drew out her flashlight—though dim, it was able to cast out and illuminate their surroundings.
Sonny gasped horrifically in awe. "This is James Esser's room!"