And now after all this time in the past, it is finally time to return to the events in the present. After all, there are still antagonists to deal with.
Even rarer are manufactured or otherwise crafted objects able to directly and strongly affect the deceased. Any knowledge of such an object's location should be reported immediately to a caseworker.
Currently identified artifacts with such qualities include, but are not limited to the following:
The Seal of Solomon: Though misidentified by the living to target demons or djinns, it is a signet ring constructed of brass and iron that can compel any member of the deceased to follow the wearer's commands as long as they are within range. The original is accounted for and copies have little effect.
Adder Stones: Naturally-formed stones with holes through them caused by water erosion combined with power, adder stones can be used by the living to more easily see the deceased. There is no limit to the number of possible adder stones in existence and no way to locate all of them.
The Gem of Osiris: A green gem stone that can amplify the power the living can wield over the deceased. This allows their will to exert greater effects during summoning, bindings, exorcism, etc. The current location of the object is unknown.
The Ghost Scepter: Topped with a red orb, the scepter can mesmerize and compel obedience out of any ectoplasm-based ghost that catches a glimpse of it and will remain under its power until released. The effect on non-ectoplasm ghosts is weaker and short-lived. The current location of the object is unknown.
Twin-sided Blade of the Trapped Dead: A dual-edged knife with symbols marking the sides as "free" and "destroy" respectively, one sharp edge can destroy a ghost while the other can sever bindings. The current location of the object is unknown.
-Excerpt from "The Handbook for the Recently Deceased"
He didn't quite wake up. He was too tired for that; he felt completely exhausted and everything ached. Diving through that portal was definitely one of the dumbest moments of his long existence, but Betelgeuse didn't regret it. Not really. He just couldn't summon up even a small flicker of energy at the moment. He didn't really wake up, but he did drift a little bit out of complete unconsciousness.
His thoughts were hazy, but he remembered a few scattered dreams. An older boy helping him drag a drunk man home. A small girl offering a striped mantle. A beautiful young woman running out the door in tears. Ancient memories of a life that ended so long ago, faded and worn by his centuries as a poltergeist since then and rarely remembered. And as he usually did when his mind brought up those long-lost times, he gently pushed them to the back of his mind and out of the way. He didn't generally feel like reflecting on those days, even when he wasn't barely conscious.
Stirring slightly on the couch, he vaguely remembered where he was and the semi-conscious poltergeist felt a flicker of concern. There was no one else in the attic. It was too quiet. He was alone. She was gone again.
Unfortunately, he'd used up all his stubborn willpower for the day. He couldn't find the strength to move or even think beyond the vague concept to find her. He was still mostly unconscious, but that didn't completely stop him.
He reached out to feel the metaphysical surroundings. There was the voodoo doll-like town model the Maitland couple managed to create, bending and overlapping reality until it was both part of the land of the living and the Netherworld at the same time. It was very close, distinct, and clear without him needing to concentrate. Stretching his focus a little further, he tiredly felt what he was looking for a few floors down. Four ghosts and three humans. Two were obviously the resident specters, he'd recognize Juno anywhere, and the strange ectoplasm-based and half-alive boy was very unique and practically glowed like a neon sign. The human auras were pale and weak things compared to ghosts', almost impossible to distinguish from each other. But the three he felt were a little brighter than most, hinting that they were more involved with things that go bump in the night than most people. The boy's hero complex and Juno's continued presence reassured him. Lydia would be downstairs with them and protected, not missing.
Lydia was safe. No Sanduleak. No crazy evil aunt. He had time before anyone started messing with him or his girl. He had time before he needed to start enacting revenge.
And he would be working on revenge the moment he recovered from his trip through the portal. He couldn't let people start thinking they could get away with messing with the Ghost With The Most. When he got through with those two, no one would even think of bothering him or Lydia again.
But he had time. He could rest for now. Betelgeuse let himself relax and slipped back into complete unconsciousness.
The first thing the teenagers did as they slipped out of the attic, leaving the exhausted poltergeist snoring (he didn't even need to breathe and he still snored…) and drooling on the couch, was call their families. Lydia was a little impressed by how easily they crafted explanations and excuses for their absences. Danny was at Tucker's house. Tucker was at Danny's house. Sam was dragging both boys to a Goth poetry reading session with a special appearance by Alastair Ravencroft for a midnight reading of his newest work. And thanks to their cell phones, no one would see an area code revealing they were in Connecticut. By the time Lydia left a message for her aunt, she'd prepared her cover story of spending the night with Sam and could say it convincingly. It was semi-true though. She had no intention of returning to that woman's house anytime soon and that might involve hiding at her friend's home at some point.
How strange to realize that she already considered the trio to be her friends. Obviously attacks by ghost serial killers were great bonding experiences.
Once they made it downstairs, the group tried to settle in the living room. It had been redecorated to how the Maitlands originally wanted their home, though the furniture was covered in sheets since the living residents had left. Even with the covering, it was easy to sit everyone on the couch or one of the chairs she dragged from the kitchen.
Sam, Tucker, and Danny looked around curiously at her home, but didn't say much at that point. And Adam and Barbara definitely looked confused about the entire situation, giving Danny a lot of very inquisitive looks, but they didn't say anything yet either. No one could deny that this was a particularly strange day.
Once they were around the fireplace and comfortable, Juno gave them all a no-nonsense look. The caseworker seemed particularly interested in Lydia.
"I know at least some of the recent events from reading the poltergeist's file, but there are a few gaps that I want to be cleared up," said Juno, blowing out another cloud of smoke. "Ms. Deetz, could you explain how someone alive managed to nearly exorcise and successfully bound his powers, even temporarily? He is too powerful and experienced to get trapped that easily. People have tried it in the past and he's always managed to overwhelm them and break loose before they could succeed. So how did they do it this time?"
"It was my aunt. She knew things about ghosts and how to affect them," she said, not even bothering to hide her hatred. Looking towards her confused ghostly godparents, Lydia said, "She knew about you. She didn't reveal that she knew about anything until the night we left. I couldn't tell you or warn you. I'm sorry. She dragged me across state lines and made it pretty clear that she'd do something to the two of you if I didn't behave. And after what I saw her do to Beej, I knew she could pull it off. I hate her."
Giving her a worried look, Barbara said, "Oh Lydia, you shouldn't have to be going through any of this." Reaching out to brush the girl's hair out of her face while taking care not to touch the bandaged injury, she continued, "I wish we could have kept you ourselves."
"Unfortunately, we're ghosts," said Adam. "They won't give guardianship to someone without a pulse."
"I know," Lydia nodded before turning back towards Juno. "My aunt went through my stuff. Even the things I tried to hide. She found our copy of 'The Living and the Dead.' She read my journal, which talks all about Beej and even has his name. And she found this."
She held up her hand, letting everyone see the ring. She wasn't wearing it on the left hand. It might be a wedding ring, but it was now more a symbol of friendship and forgiveness for the almost-wedding than it was a symbol of matrimony. Lydia was perfectly happy wearing it on a different finger and pretending it wasn't nearly used to bind her in marriage. Adam and Barbara still didn't look happy about its existence, though.
"I still don't understand what's so important about the ring," said Tucker.
Looking at him with an expression of resigned annoyance that seemed permanent, Juno said, "This is why I don't deal with ectoplasm ghosts. They and their friends just don't have a clue about anything."
"That's because no one will talk to us without attacking," complained Danny.
Rolling her eyes briefly, she continued, "If the living want to have a chance at messing with the deceased, a personal belonging helps. The more meaningful, the more effective. And if it was important during their life, that makes it even better for summoning, binding, and exorcism. That makes it more dangerous for new ghosts because they're more likely to have personal and meaningful objects still lying around whatever house they're haunting, but there are plenty of older ghosts that don't let go of the past either. And apparently not only did that poltergeist decide to leave the ring in Ms. Deetz' possession even after the attempted marriage fell apart, but he actually gave her something from when he was alive in the first place."
She glanced towards Lydia's hand again. The gathered audience did the same, looking at the very ordinary ring with a new curiosity. Juno nodded with a look of certainty.
"He's changed it over the centuries with his powers. I recognize his work well enough from his time as my assistant. But it is definitely an object of significant meaning from his life."
Juno gestured towards her with her cigarette. Lydia saw the ring on her hand shift briefly. It wasn't a true physical change like Betelgeuse could manage. The caseworker was good, but she wasn't as powerful as the Ghost With The Most. It was simply an illusion. But she saw the traditional wedding ring reveal an older and simpler design. No stone setting, thin, and worn from age, it was still beautiful in its own way. But the glimpse of the ring's original appearance lasted only a moment before the more familiar one returned.
"Six hundred years and a completely different continent," remarked Juno, shaking her head ruefully. "Through all of that and he still kept it. Who would have thought he would have a scrap of sentimentality?" Taking another puff from her cigarette, she said, "The ring would have made it easier, but I still have my doubts that it alone would be enough to hold him."
"Aunt Melinda was prepared. She set everything up before trying to call him. Candles, circles, and everything. It looked like she was doing things by the book, throwing in every precaution listed. And there's something about her necklace that seemed to give her a boost," Lydia said.
"Figures," said Tucker. "Freakshow had a ghost-controlling scepter until Danny broke it. I guess we shouldn't be surprised his evil sister would have more weird ghost tools."
"Wait, Lydia's aunt is Freakshow's sister?" interrupted Danny. "When did we find that out?"
Looking a little guilty, Sam admitted, "Right before Sanduleak attacked, after breaking into her safe for Lydia's stuff and Tucker's search on the internet was finished. All right, we should have told you sooner that Lydia's aunt was up to something, but we were just gathering information first. When we found out who she was, we were going to tell you as soon as we got the chance."
"I asked them to keep quiet earlier," said Lydia. "I didn't want you provoking her accidentally. I didn't know if exorcisms would work on a half ghost, but I knew she could hurt Barbara and Adam."
"Half ghost?" asked Adam.
"Back on topic," Juno ordered. "You said her necklace was helping her, giving her enough power to handle him? Did it look like a green gemstone?"
Lydia narrowed her eyes slightly at the long-dead woman. The pearl necklace around her slit throat was pretty, but nothing spectacular. So the girl doubted she was asking out of a particular interest in fashion. She knew something about Aunt Melinda's jewelry.
"Yes," she said. "That's exactly what it looks like. How did you know?"
Juno cursed quietly before turning her attention back to her cigarette. The smoke curled around her head, billowing out of her mouth and slit neck. Lydia could smell the smoke, but there was something about it that wasn't normal. It was like how the Maitlands were technically solid to her while still feeling insubstantial. She doubted she would have to worry about second-hand smoke actually affecting her.
"Nothing can ever be simple," muttered Juno before finally turning back to her audience. "It sounds like your aunt somehow managed to get her hands on the Gem of Osiris. We lost track of the thing about a century ago and no one heard a word about it since. And then your aunt apparently shows up with it. Between that and your effect on him, your family certainly makes my afterlife complicated."
"Sorry," she said. "I'm not a fan of that side of the family either, if that makes any difference."
"Osiris? Ancient Egyptian God of the Dead?" asked Sam.
"I didn't name the thing," said Juno. "It's far too old for that. It's been tossed around, sold, misplaced, stolen, traded, and shuffled around for over a thousand years. The thing is old enough that very few ghosts have ever encountered it and the reports about it are a little vague. But the name certainly hints at what its purpose is. And, judging by the fact it worked on him, we now have a decent estimate of how much power it has."
"And if she's anything like Freakshow, she could have more toys. After all, like Tucker said, he had the mind-control scepter until I broke it and then he wound up with Reality Gauntlet. Freaky ghost objects is sort of his specialty," Danny said.
"I have a feeling we're going to be doing another burglary," remarked Tucker.
Looking between the teenagers, Adam said, "I don't think we need to go that far. Surely there are caseworkers or someone who are responsible for these kinds of problems. We don't need to involve children in this."
"While we do have a few people that we send on errands, it would actually be safer to have the living get the gem," said Juno reluctantly.
"So the woman doesn't do the same thing she tried on the Ghost With The Most?" Sam asked.
"Because it would be dangerous for a ghost to gain possession of the gem," she corrected. "For everyone."
Paul rolled his eyes as best he could when one was dangling out of its socket. Between the broken limbs and the visibly-cracked skull, he looked like someone who was dumb enough to jump off a building. Which, coincidentally, is exactly what happened to him and why he was stuck as a civil servant in the Netherworld. The only thing he liked about the situation was that he managed to find a task with the least amount of paperwork.
Clearing out Saturn of strays.
There was always some poor lost ghost who decided to wander outside their haunting perimeters. And someone would have to go drag them out of the sand dunes and the gullets of sandworms whenever they managed to get stuck. It was easier than dealing with the headaches of being a caseworker. Still, there were days where he wondered if the survival instinct vanished with their heartbeats. Far too many spirits just couldn't understand that wandering out to where sandworms roamed was a bad idea.
So at the end of a strange and twisted hallway that defied any attempt to understand it, he stared tiredly at the large door. It was constructed of dark wood and covered in carvings that seemed to shift and change the longer someone looked at it. To the right was a vast dial with markings that were likely part of some dead language, if you didn't mind the pun. He'd long since stopped being impressed by the structure.
Taking a last look at the current list of misplaced ghosts and their locations, Paul reached for the dial and twisted. Once he had the settings correct, he opened the door.
A sandy landscape filled with twisted rock formations lay beyond the door. Above was a strange and alien sky, one that showed odd planets that were never seen by the living. And beneath the dunes lurked the serpentine and predatory sandworms. Saturn was not a hospitable place.
Paul peered through the door cautiously. He should be near where the wayward ghost was, but sometimes he needed to look around a little.
"Please don't be stuck in a sandworm," he muttered under his non-existent breath. "I don't want to drag another one out if they were eaten."
Leaning forward a little and worrying that the poor ghost was in the belly of a temperamental sandworm, Paul was startled when a hand grabbed the door frame. The hand then pulled the rest of the ghost through, revealing a well-dressed gentleman with a cane, a dark expression, and a knife in his chest. He stepped into the hallway without giving Paul a second look.
"So that plan didn't work right," he said quietly. "I wonder if the girl made it. I hope so. If she did, I could try again. A hit to the head just isn't enough for me."
Falling back on protocol, Paul said, "Sir, you'll need to head to the front desk and fill out some paperwork."
"I should lay low for a while, but when have I missed out on the fun? Not to mention he actually cares. That half-grown child means something to him. It'll hurt him more than I could have ever hoped. I have to see if she survived. I'll bide my time. If she lived, she'll be alone again eventually. And I'll take care of her voice before she has the chance to interrupt. Then I'll take my time. Do things exactly how I want to. I'll have all the fun I want with his precious Mortal Bride. And when I'm finished, I'll make sure he gets a good look at what's left of her before I disappear."
"Sir?" Paul repeated, growing uneasy by his rambling.
The well-dressed ghost finally responded to his presence, though he immediately wished the stranger hadn't. He abruptly shoved Paul through the open door. Paul tumbled wildly across the sand before finally coming to a stop. Then he heard a click, Paul looking up to see the door close. And then it vanished, someone turning the dial to change locations to another part of Saturn.
Groaning in frustration, Paul dropped his head back onto the sand and muttered, "I need a vacation."
Danny stared at the older woman as she made that ominous statement. She looked so serious that he halfway expected for the room to gain dramatic lighting to accompany her words. Actually, now that Danny paid attention, the lighting had changed. There was a red tint to the room, not coming from any obvious source. Sam, Tucker, Barbara, and Adam glanced uneasily at the unnatural light that practically painted the room a foreboding shade. Lydia just rolled her eyes.
"What is it with ghosts and dramatics?" she muttered. "Even I'm not that bad."
Ignoring the comment, Juno explained, "The gem was meant to be used by the living, strengthening the power of their will enough to overcome that of a ghost they wish to summon, bind, banish, or exorcise. It is a tool meant only for the living, not the dead. Bad things happen when ghosts get a hold of it."
"How bad?" asked Danny.
"The last report we had on the Gem of Osiris was when a rather weak and timid ghost found it. He made the Maitlands look powerful and violent," said Juno, gesturing towards the pair on the couch. "Perhaps you've heard of the Tunguska Event?"
"Big mysterious explosion about a century ago?" Tucker asked.
"That's the one," she nodded. "Turns out that the gem, in the hands of a ghost rather than someone alive, will significantly boost their power. Which makes sense considering that strength of will makes up a significant portion of our power, along with other factors like creativity, emotions, and strength of spirit." Another cloud of smoke drifted around the woman's face briefly as she shook her head. "But it isn't good for us. We can only control and maintain so much power, specifically the amount of power we have. No more than that. Adam and Barbara wouldn't be able to handle my level of power and I certainly couldn't handle the power level of the poltergeist upstairs."
Danny prompted, "So when you overcharge them with the gem…"
"It overwhelms them. It messes with their heads; destroying inhibitions, increases aggression, distorts their thought processes, and sometimes ruins their ability to focus. They lash out with their power, unable to contain it. The stronger they are normally, the more intense and worse the gem's effects will be. And if they keep a hold of the gem for too long, they burn themselves out. Some quite literally. But until that happens, they're dangerous to themselves and those around them. And the reports we've collected on the thing indicate that only weaker ghosts have ever messed with it. I'd hate to see what would happen if a poltergeist of any level of power was unfortunate enough to come into contact with the gem."
"Does it have that effect on all ghosts or just the ones from the Netherworld?" asked Sam, glancing towards Danny meaningfully.
Juno nodded in approval of the girl's question. He had a feeling the woman rarely approved of anyone.
"Clever," she said. "Like I said, the records are vague and it has been a little while since I read them. I have no idea how it'll affect an ectoplasm-based ghost, let alone one that is still alive. But I suspect it'll at least be far less effective than on other ghosts."
"I'm beginning to wonder why no one destroyed that thing a long time ago," said Adam.
"The living want the power it provides or see it just as a valuable gem, depending on their knowledge. And the dead that know about it try to avoid the thing like the plague," Juno explained. "And even though it is generally wise to never trust the living, it is the safer option this time. I can't order you to steal the Gem of Osiris, but I would like to ask you to do so. That woman must not be allowed to keep it."
"She won't," said Danny and Lydia in unison, both surprised by the other's immediate and determined response.
"Good," she nodded before turning towards Lydia specifically. "Ms. Deetz, I suppose the next immediate issue of importance we should address is Sanduleak. Obviously the troublemaker upstairs felt the situation was serious. I'm sorry to ask, but do you agree that Sanduleak intended to kill the living?"
Shuddering slightly at the memory, causing the Maitlands to wrap their arms around her, Lydia said, "Jack the Ripper? He made his intentions very clear." She gestured towards the bandages around her head. "He wanted to kill me, but not immediately. He… He had other ideas first."
"What other ideas?" asked Barbara, a dangerous edge to her voice suggesting she had a few suspicions.
"Let's put it this way. Even at his worst, Beej only wanted to marry me. And as much as he might annoy you with how he acts, Beej will take 'no' for an answer," she said.
There was a moment of silence as the girl's words sank in. Danny had wondered, the dark and twisted thought lurking in the back of his mind. Between Sanduleak preferring to target women and a few odd remarks he managed to overhear, he'd wondered. He was the ghost of a serial killer, so it was natural he was worse than a lot of the ghosts Danny dealt with on a regular basis. They had some type of warped sense of boundaries. But now those barely considered fears about what Sanduleak was capable of were confirmed.
Then the moment of stunned silence passed and the temperature of the room dropped several degrees instantly.
"I'll kill him," snarled Barbara as several objects exploded off the mantle. "I don't care he's dead; he's not getting away with this."
"Think we can trap him in the model? It'll make it easier to handle him," Adam suggested, apparently unconcerned with the rocking chair going wild or the light flickering overhead.
Reaching towards her dead pseudo-parents' hands, Lydia said, "I'm fine. Honest. Other than a lucky hit to the head, he didn't get the chance to do much damage. So please calm down." Then, smiling weakly in an attempt to distract them, she said, "You know, if your haunting skills were this good a couple of years ago, you would have been a lot scarier. You probably wouldn't have even needed those designer sheets."
Unfortunately, her words didn't seem to completely reassure the pair, though the random haunting around the room stopped. And through it all, Juno didn't even flinch.
"If it makes you feel any better," said Tucker hesitantly, "Beej said something about sandworms when he got rid of Sanduleak."
"He sent him to Saturn? Good. That should make things easier," Juno said. Rising from her chair, she remarked, "I'll go find his file to see if he's tried this sort of stunt before and deal with him. Waiting might not be the wisest move in regards to Sanduleak. He doesn't need the chance to try again and he honestly should have been handled a long time ago."
With that particular declaration, she walked away. Danny had a feeling she went a lot further than the kitchen. She probably disappeared out of sight the same way that she appeared in the attic.
Of course, he then realized an important fact. Until Betelgeuse recovered enough to repeat his transportation trick, they were pretty much stuck there. In Connecticut. With no real way home.
"Oh, and Lydia?" added Tucker awkwardly. "I think Beej might have turned your bike into a metal pretzel to restrain Sanduleak… and sent it to Saturn with him."
Protective ghostly pseudo-parents. You've got to love them. And some more information about Aunt Melinda's green gem has finally been revealed. That should make things interesting in the near future.
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