A/N: I'm SO sorry for abandoning this story! I had a severe case of writer's block and eventually I lost interest in writing. I know it's been about six months since I last updated, but I actually want to finish what I started. I also know what I want to do with the rest of this story, so chapter five should be here soon! Thank you so much for putting up with the long wait!
UPDATE: Nevermind, I'm not going to finish this story because nobody is reading it.
Has it been forever yet? Mordecai didn't know. It seemed as if winter consumed the fall in a heartbeat, and yet at the same time, the world was slowly spinning forward in a slow-motion blur. It wasn't winter yet, it couldn't have been. Perhaps he was just cold. High Five Ghost turned him and Rigby into ghosts temporarily and perhaps the lack of body heat was causing him to slowly become consumed by coldness. He knew it hadn't been long enough for a change of seasons anyway. It was just hard to keep track of time when the world seemed to be nothing but a dark haze of hopelessness.
He and Rigby had seen it all for the past two days. The alley where James was violated and killed. The police station where a certain blue jay and raccoon were reported as missing, thus hindering any possible investigations or court hearings. Why did they even turn into ghosts? Why couldn't they have just waited to go to court? They didn't know much about the justice system, but surely the state would have provided them with a lawyer, right?
It didn't matter. They had eighteen hours left. Fifty-four hours wasted. Fifty-four hours wandering the empty streets, watching the case of James Robin turn into a standstill. What had the investigators done? Performed an autopsy? Sure. Search for any DNA evidence? Yep, a few strands of blue jay and raccoon hair in the alley. There was, of course, evidence that James was raped, but no other comprehensible DNA could be found as of yet. Whoever actually did the crime had covered it up really well. Meanwhile, Muscle Man was in the hospital, still alive. High Five Ghost had stayed with him for the past two days, too busy making sure his friend was okay to chase after Mordecai and Rigby.
"I swear, somebody is setting us up," Mordecai said, sitting (well, floating) on top of a building next to Rigby, looking out at the sunset cast upon the city. He was fiddling with his hands, trying not to look at his friend. "What I don't understand is, why have we been left alone this whole time? First we were accused of killing that James guy. Then suddenly we were framed of shooting Muscle Man... and then we've been left alone for two days."
"Don't feel too comfortable," Rigby said. "I just know that something's going to happen when we least expect it. Whoever framed us has GOT to come back for more, I bet he's just waiting for the right moment to strike like that psycho killer in Teen Party Massacre Two. Geeze, I can't believe it took so long for someone to finally die in that movie. Anway, come on, man. We can't just stay here. We need to do something! How much longer do we have left?"
"I think eighteen hours. I've been counting, in my head. It's just a rough estimate, but yeah..."
"OW!" Rigby said as a rock richoted off his head. He saw a dark figure disappear into an alley. "What the... how did that happen? Nobody can see or hear us."
"Nobody but another ghost!" said Mordecai. "Hey, get back here!" Mordecai flew off the building and dashed into the alley. But it was dark. He was floating in a black abyss. Except he could hear something in the distance. Laughter. Somebody was laughing at him.
"Over here Mordecai," the distant voice said. It was a female's voice.
"Mordecai, where are you?" Rigby said from the rooftop.
"Just stay where you are, Rigby! Now who are you?" Mordecai said.
"I'm the spider," the voice said, still in the distance.
"What?"
"And I see that your friend High Five Ghost lied to you about ghosts," said the voice.
Mordecai floated around, holding his arms out, trying to feel something, trying to just escape the blankness he was floating in now. "Listen you, I don't have time for your bullshit. What's going on?"
"Mordecai, I'm your friend, honest. If you trust me, you'll float on over to the left," it said.
"Trust you? I was just framed for a horrible crime twice! And now I'm a ghost in a dark alley and -"
"You know, this is the same alley James Robin died in. And I'm surprised that you haven't sought out any true evidence from this area. If you want retribution, you'll follow my voice to the left."
"Why don't you show me your face! I don't know who the hell you are, so I'm not about to listen to some creep in a dark alley where someone was murdered!" Mordecai was growing indignant.
"Oh, you wouldn't like my face. I am a being of questionable honesty on the surface due to fear of my kind. But I assure you that I am here to help. You have what? Eighteen hours of being a ghost left?"
"How did you know that?" Mordecai began floating himself backward, trying to get further away from the depths of the alley.
"I saw what they all did to you." The voice was coming closer. "How dare they accuse you of something like that. Don't you remember how instantly Benson ran to call the police when he found the report on the news? Benson has always expected the worst of you, hasn't he? Poor, poor Mordecai."
"This is getting creepy... go away you stupid bitch!" Mordecai turned around. He could see the lighted opening of the alley in the distance, so he raced toward it. Then, in a flash, the opening was closed off.
The voice was now in front of him. "You shouldn't interrupt, Mordecai! That's very rude. If you don't want my help then you can go on wasting your own time. Do you understand?"
"What the hell is wrong with you?"
"The only thing wrong with me is my patience, and you're wearing it very thin!"
"And you're creeping me the hell out, so leave me alone!" Mordecai lunged forward but he only fell to the ground. At least it didn't hurt, since he was a ghost in an invisible state. He floated back up and turned around, this way and that, trying to find his way in the darkness. But no matter how far he floated around, no matter which way he went it was the same: Nothing. There were no walls surrounding him. There was nothing above him. It was as if he were in an empty vacuum instead of an alley.
"Tired yet?" the voice whispered in Mordecai's ear.
"AAHHH! Fuck you, bitch!" Mordecai turned and punched his fist in the voice's direction, but his fist came into contact with nothing.
"You really shouldn't be calling me names, Mordecai. I'm trying to help you!" The voice's tone was getting deeper, more serious and angrier. It was also coming from all directions. The voice was spinning in circles this way and that, all around Mordecai, it was everywhere.
"Yeah, right. How are you supposed to help me?" said Mordecai.
"I know who did it. I know who killed James Robin."
Mordecai paused. He stayed there, floating in nothing to let it all sink in. Then, in a dry voice, he said, "Why... why didn't you just tell me this from the start?"
"Because you weren't supposed to know yet, you fool! You ruined my plan. But seeing as how you wouldn't listen to me I had to do whatever I could to get your attention. So there, now you know! And because of you, I have to come up with a new plan."
"Fine, whatever. Now tell me who did it! Who's been setting me up?"
"I can't tell you that, yet. If you knew who did it, it would ruin everything. But I'll tell you this," the voice said. There was a pause, and then the voice was a mere whisper in Mordecai's ear. "It's somebody that you know."
Mordecai's stomach clenched itself tight, then sank down as his entire ghostly body ran cold. Why would somebody he knew want to ruin his life? He didn't have much money, or anything that anyone would want to take from him. He couldn't remember wronging anyone he actually knew to the point where they would want to ruin his entire life. He couldn't believe it, it just wasn't possible. "You're lying."
"Fine, I guess I won't help you."
"Wait, hold on!"
No response.
Mordecai flew around in the endless darkness. "Please, come back! I just need more answers. This is a lot to take in. I remember you said that High Five Ghost lied to me about ghosts or something. Why did you say that? And how could somebody I actually know put so much effort into framing me? Please, I just need to know that I can trust you." Mordecai floated as high as he could but to no avail. He floated right, then left, he had no idea how long he had been traveling in the darkness but eventually he gave up.
He buried his face in his hands and curled into a ball. Mordecai never thought he could ever feel so lost and hopeless. "Hello? Anyone?" Mordecai called out in a weak voice. The only response he received was the sound of his own echo. He knew that there was no sense in trying to escape the blackness. He felt as if he would be trapped forever.
But then something brushed his shoulder. Mordecai jerked up and turned around, even though he still couldn't see a damn thing. "Hello? Lady, is that you? Whoever you are?"
"See what happens when you treat me like that?" the voice said in a loud and booming tone. "I am the one and only! The only living being in the entire world that can save your life and you think you can just say that I'm lying to you? I can leave you here in the dark for the rest of eternity if I wanted to! You have no idea of the power I have over you, and how generous I am in wanting to use that power to actually help you!"
Mordecai was speechless. He didn't know how we was supposed to respond so he only mustered up a simple "I'm sorry."
"If you're truly sorry, then you'll show me that you trust me!"
"Okay, I trust you."
"Show me!"
Mordecai gulped hard and said, "Okay... okay. Just tell me what you want me to do."
"Turn to your left, then float forward."
Mordecai did as he was told but he was still just traveling through emptiness. But he kept floating forward, wondering what could possibly await him in the dark. Suddenly he floated into something - something sticky. It felt like he had slammed into several hanging ropes that were tied together and coated in some sort of sticky fluid. He could no longer move, he tried to struggle but he was utterly paralyzed. Then Mordecai remembered what the voice had said to him. I'm the spider. He was caught in a spider's web.