I hope that everyone had a nice holiday season. I know I did. But it is now time to get back to the story at hand. Diabolical schemes are on the horizon. Everyone needs to get ready for what is to come.
Designing a circle to assist in summoning or entrapping the deceased, the required components are the shape itself physically existing, at least one candle, and greater willpower than the deceased in question. Certain materials can make the process easier, more efficient, and more effective overall.
In regards to setup, a secondary circle for the protection of the living performing the process may be employed. A third circle for spectators or other members of the party may also be created. Arranging the circles in stable and even geometric formations will increase stability. Equilateral triangles and straight lines on smooth surfaces are particularly efficient.
The circles can be formed in a variety of methods. The most common is drawing the circle. This is generally accomplished but is not limited to using chalk, paint, ink, blood, graphite, colored wax, carving into the surface, and metal casting. Another common method is pouring or laying a material on the surface to form the lines rather than drawing them.
Some materials prove more effective at summoning and containing the power of the deceased. Such materials include but are not limited to: fresh grave dirt, salt, oak wood branches or shavings, rowan wood branches or shavings, forged iron, and silver.
In regards to candles, only a single candle is necessary, but multiple candles can be used to enhance the effect. White or red candles are ideal, but any color or size will suffice.
-Excerpt from "The Living and the Dead"
"Shouldn't Danny be doing this? It's his locker," complained Tucker as he tried to remember his friend's combination.
"Don't complain. It'll take five minutes. Six if you take too long opening that thing," Sam said, leaning on the neighboring locker casually. "You broke into a safe yesterday. Danny's locker shouldn't be this hard for you."
"Lydia's aunt had a high-tech lock on her safe. This involves spinning a dial. Completely different skill set."
"Whatever. Just stop complaining and hurry up. Lunch doesn't last forever and I still want a chance to eat."
Tucker started to respond, but the combination lock finally gave with a click. Grinning, he opened the door and peered inside Danny's locker. Past the stack of books, a couple of pencils, and what looked like a crumbled test paper from a few weeks back was a mirror. And the mirror was the reason they were breaking into Danny's locker in the first place.
"Hello?" called Tucker awkwardly. "Anyone there?" Not knowing what else to try, he reached over and knocked on the glass surface. "Hello? Earth calling the Ghost Zone. Someone home?"
Nothing. Only silence responded to his efforts. Feeling embarrassed at his attempt, Tucker glanced at Sam.
"Hello?"
Tucker would later deny it, but his yelp of surprise was fairly high-pitched and girly. When he was done flailing his arms defensively, Sam rolled her eyes and pointed back towards the mirror. Trying to sheepishly regain his lost dignity, Tucker looked back into the locker to find a monochromatic face peering out of the reflection.
"There you are, Poindexter," said Tucker. "We thought we should let you know what's happening since you were nice enough to tell Danny about the whole Ghost With The Most situation."
"Oh. That's nice of you. Wait, what happened? Did he win? Is he all right?"
"He's fine. We're all fine," he assured the nerdy ghost, briefly rubbing at the bandages covering where he scraped his arm on the road. "Danny met Beej." Poindexter flinched slightly, but Tucker continued hurriedly, "And he really isn't as bad as everyone thought. Or at least not currently trying to attack everyone. He was looking for his friend, Lydia. Friend, not bride."
Sam added, "He listens to Lydia, so she'll keep him from causing too much trouble. Which means you guys don't need to panic."
"Though you might want to stay away from Amity Park for the next few days," said Tucker quickly. "Lydia's aunt is evil and has a freaky magic necklace of doom and a Ghost Shield, so that could be really bad news for ghosts until we fix things. And the ghost of Jack the Ripper is still running around."
The ghost in the reflection blinked in surprise and said, "Jeepers, you people are complicated. I just talked to you yesterday. You sure the Ghost With The Most isn't dangerous?"
"Oh, he's definitely dangerous and scary," said Tucker. "He just isn't on a rampage against the Ghost Zone. I think I've figured him out a little. It's a little like those games with the dice and inventing characters for your quest, Castles and Creatures. He isn't evil. He's mostly chaotic neutral, but with some chaotic good tendencies tossed in when Lydia is around."
"I guess that's all right then," Poindexter said uneasily.
"But we do appreciate your help," said Sam. "That's why we're warning you about staying out of Amity Park until Lydia's aunt is dealt with. We don't want you to get caught in the crossfire. We don't want you getting hurt."
Poindexter looked momentarily surprised by her words, but he nodded and said quietly, "I understand. I'm not used to people worrying about what happens to me, so thank you." He gave a weak smile before adding, "If you need help with bullies in the future, just get on the horn and give me a call."
"Uh… Okay," said Tucker.
The ghostly victim of untold amounts of bullying in life, Poindexter smiled at them. Then the black-and-white face vanished from the mirror and left Tucker staring at his own reflection. He waited a moment to see for certain that Poindexter had truly left, but Tucker eventually closed the locker and turned back towards Sam.
"Now what?"
"Now we grab lunch, try to get through the rest of the day of school, and hope they have a plan by the time we get back to Danny's house," she said. "Though I have a feeling tonight is going to be even crazier than last night."
"I really hope you're wrong. Last night we were nearly murdered by a serial killer ghost, teleported to another state, and had to explain the truth to the Fentons. Not to mention almost no sleep. A crazier night than that would be a nightmare."
"Look on the bright side," Sam said. "We have a poltergeist and a couple of ghost hunters on our side this time. We outnumber that woman with her necklace and Sanduleak. That's got to be worth something, right? We might be able to handle the craziness."
Lydia ran the edge of her red cloak through her fingers, smiling to herself as she read. She felt more like herself than she had since arriving in Amity Park. Even sitting in a dark basement with the sickly green glow of the portal helping to illuminate the room, it felt closer to normal than anything to do with Aunt Melinda and Uncle Roger. With her spider-web cloak back on her shoulders, the ring back on her hand (not the ring finger), and an insane poltergeist back in her life, Lydia was no longer afraid of her aunt. She wasn't worried about angering or provoking the woman. And she wasn't completely terrified of Sanduleak. She was confident and felt like she was in control of her life again.
Of course, she wasn't alone in the basement lab. Maddie Fenton held a notebook as she scribbled down information. Jack was over at his work station tinkering with one of their numerous inventions or weapons, but he was definitely paying attention to the rest of them. In his human form, Danny sat on the stairs and occasionally explained something related to himself or the Ghost Zone. But as he always did when offered the opportunity, Betelgeuse took center stage and commanded all attention.
He rarely stopped moving for long. Sometimes he was pacing around the basement. Sometimes he started poking at the various pieces of ghost-hunting equipment. Sometimes he would grab a creepy and crawly creature from the dark corners that he would munch on, earning grimaces from his audience. Sometimes he would sling an arm around Danny's shoulders and mess with his hair, clearly wanting to annoy him at least a little. And occasionally he would start getting too close to Maddie, staring at her form-fitting outfit, until someone reminded him to back off. The only place in the basement he didn't wander too close to was the portal itself. He kept a reasonable distance from the thing.
At the moment, Betelgeuse was draped across the desk right beside Lydia, staring at the ceiling and occasionally tossing a small knife in the air and catching it. He'd pulled out the same blade from one of his pockets earlier to scrape out the ancient dirt from under his fingernails, but he'd clearly grown bored of that quickly. So he'd turned to the more dangerous activity instead. But it wasn't like he would get hurt if he missed and he wouldn't miss, so Lydia didn't complain. A bored Betelgeuse was far more dangerous than one who chose to entertain himself with sharp objects. And he was honestly trying to be on his best behavior, so she stayed quiet.
Mostly, he talked. She'd learned a while back that Betelgeuse enjoyed talking. Give him a chance to show off and a willing audience, he would happily talk for quite some time. And the Fentons were very eager to learn what he knew. Maddie was recording any relevant information she could in the notebook as the talked. It would do them some good to learn what they could about a few topics and it might even help eventually if they had to deal with Sanduleak before Juno found him.
So while he told the Fentons more about the Netherworld, ghosts, and so on than she could easily answer, Lydia looked through her recovered copy of "The Living and the Dead" for any ideas about what Aunt Melinda might have in mind. It was the best strategy she could come up with. Her only other idea was to go back to the woman and ask, but that wasn't going to happen.
"So in regards to the organization of the Neitherworld leadership…," said Maddie.
"Netherworld," Betelgeuse corrected. "And it is more a bureaucracy than the normal leadership stuff. No kings, emperors, presidents, or fast-food restaurant managers running things. But lots of red tape."
"Okay, so what is the setup for the bureaucracy? What sort of organizational structure is in place?" asked the woman.
"Well, there's the poor working saps. Like the receptionists, the janitors, the pencil pushers, and other grunt work. They're the bottom of the ladder of suicides," he described, still tossing and catching the blade. "Next are the assistants to the caseworkers. Still a boring job, but a little better. Then there are the caseworkers like our grumpy June-bug. From there, things get a little fuzzier. She's got a boss and they have a boss and then they have a boss and so on. The farther up the chain you go, the less anyone knows about them. Only their immediate underlings who report to the guy might know about them. Go high enough and no one can tell you a thing about them. Some of the more imaginative rumors about the guys near the top suggest they aren't normal ghosts anymore or were something completely different originally. Me? I figure they're exaggerating since no one knows much anyway. All anyone knows about the main boss and their immediate underlings is that they're powerful and probably did something about creation of the Handbook and the rules. Including my name thing."
"More powerful than you, Beej?" Lydia asked with a smirk. "Perish the thought."
Chuckling briefly, he said, "Honestly, I've got no clue. Like I said, no one really knows much about those ultimately in charge of the bureaucracy. Not even me, Lyds. They really don't socialize much. But it would take something impressive to be stronger than the Ghost With The Most."
"I pretty sure Clockwork and King Pariah are stronger than you," said Danny.
"Those of ectoplasm ghosts. They don't count," he said quickly.
Flipping through her notebook to a different page, Maddie asked, "So exactly how strong are you? I know you explained that you are a poltergeist and what that means a little, but you weren't clear on the exact limits and capabilities of your powers."
"Well, he's got the whole name issue, but he has the usual tricks like telekinesis to move objects, possession, voice control and mimicry, the ability to manipulate and warp his appearance to an extent, resistance to physical damage and pain, and so on," said Lydia. "But he's also stronger than he looks, can float under his own power when he wants to, can use mirrors for communication or spying, is surprisingly fast with great reflexes, and centuries of experience at making the rules work in his favor or getting around them." She saw Betelgeuse preen as she talked about his powers, clearly enjoying the attention. She continued, "His biggest advantage, however, is his minor reality warping ability."
"Minor?!" shouted Betelgeuse mid-toss, shoving himself off the desk and looking annoyed. This resulted in the knife falling and embedding itself in the wooden surface about where his chest used to be. "Who are you calling 'minor'? That's just insulting, Lyds."
Lydia responded to his childish complaint by sticking her tongue out at him. He retaliated with a gruesome face of his own. And when a ghost attempts a gruesome face, they could really cause some nightmares. So she quickly reached out, snagged the hat from his head, and lightly smacked him with it.
"Cut it out, Drama King," she scolded gently. "You know you're the strongest and scariest poltergeist around. I'm just telling Mrs. Fenton what you can sort of do."
"But 'minor' sounds so… pathetic," grumbled Betelgeuse, crossing his arms.
"Fine, moderate reality warping abilities. Beej, you can do almost anything," Lydia said, trying so sooth his bruised ego enough to keep him from sulking. "You're practically the opposite of pathetic. Everyone knows it. You just have a bit of a limit when it comes to distance. It is an impressive range, but we both know it exists. As long as you're working relatively close to yourself, you can do whatever pops into your overly-dramatic imagination."
"Almost anything," admitted the poltergeist somberly, a cool hand briefly touching the bandages on Lydia's head gently. "Can't fix the living. Mess with them, yes. Fix them, no."
Lydia gave her friend a brief smile, hoping he understood she didn't blame Betelgeuse for anything that happened the night before. Saying it out-loud would only make things awkward. She knew that it was better to approach embarrassing situations with a bit more subtlety. As long as he got the message that it wasn't his fault she got hurt, what did it matter if she said it directly or not?
Danny, obviously and thankfully realizing it would be a good time to distract them, stood up from his place on the stairs and said, "So you were really holding back on me before, weren't you?"
Betelgeuse grinned at the boy while Lydia turned back towards her book. A vague idea began to form in the back of her mind. She turned to the pages concerning the requirements for summoning and entrapment circles.
"Of course I went easy on you, Danny-boy. It was more fun that way. But I did gradually turn up the juice as you kept up with me," said the poltergeist. He glanced towards the confused and increasingly concerned parents and said, "Your boy is tougher than he looks and can pull of some rather clever tricks. Surprisingly, I had to actually focus on the fight and try a little. That sonic thing packed a punch. But it was all a misunderstanding. Danny-boy thought I was after his girlfriend."
"She's not my girlfriend," Danny shouted, making Lydia and Betelgeuse smirk.
"Whatever you say," said Betelgeuse far too innocently before turning vaguely serious for a moment. "Want my advice? Tell that girl how you feel and try seeing what she'll say back. And remember her answer might change. Don't waste all your time, Danny-boy. Take it from a dead guy. Enjoy your life while you're still mostly alive."
"Considering he tried to flirt with my daughter and wife, I'd be careful with his advice," Jack said, briefly looking up from his work. "But I will admit that last part does sound reasonable."
"He's crazy, but not stupid," said Lydia absently, running her fingers across the page as she read. "And ghosts understand better than most not to squander or throw away your life. Death doesn't make things better or easier and life's too short."
Maddie nodded thoughtfully and glanced back towards her notebook. She flipped through her pages for a moment before settling back on some of her scribbled notes.
"So you have a particular range of effectiveness," she said. "About how far would that be?"
Settling back on the desk and returning the knife to his bottomless pockets, Betelgeuse said, "Let's see. Since I'm usually working in a haunted house or somewhere similar, I don't usually have to worry about distances. I can just tell when it'll be too far to bother and either get closer or do something else. So I usually don't think about it too much. But I guess I can use my powers about a distance of about ninety feet. Maybe a hundred if I actually concentrate."
"And you can just do whatever you want within that range? Almost anything? You're like a localized version of the Reality Gauntlet," said Danny.
"I think I've got it," Lydia said abruptly, slamming the book shut.
Leaning forward a little, Betelgeuse asked, "Got what, Lyds?"
"What Aunt Melinda is up to. The necklace, the Gem of Osiris, would let her more easily summon, bind, banish, and exorcise ghosts. How effective it'll be on ectoplasm ghosts, I don't know."
"You can exorcism them," interrupted Betelgeuse. "It isn't quite as easy or effective, though. The exorcism has a harder time getting a grip or something on them. She'd have a slightly better shot with the ones who used to be alive, but it'll still work a little on those who just formed randomly from ectoplasm."
She nodded briefly in thanks before continuing, "Regardless, if she wants to ensure the ghosts don't get loose and definitely get properly ensnared, she'll use a circle. That's what she did with Beej. You can make it work without a circle, but it is more likely to fail that way."
"So she'll try to make a circle for whatever ghost she's after," said Jack, stepping away from the work desk.
"Ghosts, plural," Danny corrected, clearly following Lydia's train of thought a little. "She moved to the most haunted city possible. She doesn't plan on stopping at one. She'll want as many as possible."
Maddie, frowning in thought, asked carefully, "What kind of limits are there for creating one of the circles you're talking about? Are there particular steps or materials necessary?"
"There are some materials that work better than others, but it mostly depends on the mindset and stubbornness of the one doing it. I could do it with crayons, cheap birthday candles, and some determination," said Lydia quickly. "But a stronger ghost might still break out if I cheap out on the circle. But she's got access to something that ghosts literally can't go through."
"The Ghost Shield," Danny said. "It projects a huge sphere of energy, all the way through the ground and out of sight. And a sphere is just a three dimensional circle.
Lydia nodded and continued, "Now, Axion Labs is full of high-tech equipment. I'll bet you anything that she's working on a way to make the Ghost Shield even bigger, letting her catch more ghosts."
"Mom and Dad expanded it once to cover the whole town. That could include a lot of ghosts, some who are just trying to hide from the Ghost With The Most," he said.
"Considering how much she hates ghosts, she'll try to exorcise all of them she can. Netherworld ghosts? Ghost Zone ghosts? It won't matter to her. She'll go after all of them in Amity Park."
"Babes, it gets worse than that," said Betelgeuse uneasily before gesturing towards the portal. "Remember what these geniuses did over there? Their back door leads right to the Ghost Zone, which could end up inside the giant entrapment circle. Not to mention that it might include doors to the Netherworld if someone is visiting their caseworker at the wrong time. The thing would be big enough and there are bound to be at least a few normal ghosts around here." He shook his head briefly at the thought. "So that would mean it could include the Netherworld and Ghost Zone. Almost all ghosts could be considered inside that Ghost Shield thing when she starts her exorcism."
Lydia grew pale as she imagined it. The Maitlands would be safe, but almost no one else would be. Juno would certainly be vulnerable. And other innocent ghosts in the Waiting Room. Almost everyone would be at her aunt's nonexistent mercy. All the ghosts in Amity Park, the Ghost Zone, and the Netherworld would be at risk. It would essentially be genocide. That was terrifying.
"What would happen if Aunt Melinda tried to perform an exorcism with that many ghosts at once?" she asked anxiously. "At least, what would happen while she has the Gem of Osiris to help?"
Shoving himself off the desk once more, Betelgeuse said, "That's a little hard to judge for sure. No one's ever tried it. Best guess, Babes? It'll knock out your crazy hag of an aunt. Or if she's stubborn enough, give herself a stroke or a heart attack. Unfortunately she'll probably exorcise a lot of weaker ghosts before she drops. Maybe even a few tougher ones. That necklace has a lot of punch and exorcisms don't require a too much power per ghost. Look at how easy it was for that Otho guy to accidentally pull it off."
"So not all ghosts, but still a big chunk," Lydia said. "Okay, even if I hadn't already told Juno we'd get that necklace, we'd still need to keep that from happening."
Grimacing briefly, Betelgeuse said, "I don't know. Letting your aunt fry herself sounds pretty good to me, Lyds. Not to mention I don't work for Juno anymore."
Danny crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow, saying dryly, "Okay, ignoring the fact we're talking about the destruction of untold ghosts in the process, you're currently standing at ground zero for the mass exorcism thing. You might be able to survive it. But based on your condition last night, do you really want to take the chance that you're recovered enough?"
Lydia watched Betelgeuse grumble and complain quietly, but she was paying far more attention to his body language and subtle expression. She knew he wasn't quite as resistant to the idea of stopping Aunt Melinda as he was acting. He'd just been acting too cooperative for the last few hours. The poltergeist had a reputation to uphold, so occasionally he said or did something to remind people of who they were dealing with. And that meant acting like he wasn't concerned about anyone else in the world. Like all that mattered was himself and what he wanted. He wasn't heartless. Not really. He just preferred pretending that there wasn't any humanity or the rare heroic tendencies buried deep, deep, deep down. With Betelgeuse, Lydia knew how to read between the lines and spot the truth.
"Well, now that Beej has made his obligatory heartless comment and complaint about common decency, let's get past the dramatics and figure out how to stop my aunt," said Lydia. "Aunt Melinda will need to be outside the circle in order to do the exorcism."
"The Ghost Shield would be projected from the inside," Jack added. "It was designed to keep ghosts out, after all."
"So she'll need someone inside to activate it while she's outside," said Danny.
"I guess we know what Uncle Roger will be doing," Lydia said.
Betelgeuse dusted off the sleeve of his jacket and said, "Danny-boy and I need to be outside her circle when it goes up. Otherwise there's not much we'll be able to do."
"Jack and I will focus on stopping the Ghost Shield," said Maddie, setting aside her notebook. "We built the thing, so we should handle it."
"Take Jazz with you," suggested Danny. "It wouldn't hurt to have some extra help. She's got a mean swing with the Fenton Anti-Creep Stick."
Lydia nodded and said, "Great. Sam, Tucker, and I will help stop my aunt. Between us, Beej, and Danny, we should be able to get the necklace from her." She paused briefly before adding, "Danny, I know Juno wasn't certain how it would affect you, but let's not take any chances. No grabbing the Gem of Osiris directly. Let the non-ghosts do that instead."
He held his hands up defensively and said, "Fine. No touching the evil jewelry. I don't need the bling anyway."
"Now that we know the who, the what, and the how, we really need to figure out the where and when," Betelgeuse said. "Where will the Ghost Shield activate from? Where will that witch be hiding outside it? And when will they get the show on the road?"
"Freakshow, you have a visitor," announced one of his captors over the intercom system.
That statement sparked Freakshow's curiosity. Ever since he ended up in the strict captivity of the Guys In White, he hadn't enjoyed that much company. A few loyal fans of Circus Gothica visited during his short stay in a more traditional prison for his thefts. But once his knowledge and manipulation of ghosts and powerful artifacts gave the Guys In White priority in regards to jurisdiction, there were far fewer people able to gain access to him. Even his dear ghostly Lydia, dependable and loyal to him even after death, could not easily reach him.
So the question was simple. Who would they allow to visit him? Friends and fans certainly wouldn't be let in. And ghosts certainly wouldn't. His parents were dead and gone, their legacy passed to him. And from a message a few years ago, he knew Cathy was dead. That left only one possible person in his life.
Standing up from his perch on the edge of his cot and straightening his clothes, the pale and bald man calmly approached the front of his cell. One of the nice benefits of serving his sentence in the Guys In White's version of a detention center rather than a more typical jail was that he could wear his preferred outfits rather than an orange or striped jumpsuit. No one actually looked good in those things anyway.
It only took a few moments for one of the agents to lead her down the grey hallway. She was dressed in enough white to rival the entire organization. Her black hair was pulled into a practical bun and she was a little on the pale side, though not nearly as pale as Freakshow. The biggest splash of color was the green gemstone around her neck that he would recognize anywhere.
"Melinda, my dear sister," he greeted cheerfully through the Plexiglas of his cell. "Welcome to my new humble abode. Not quite like Hannibal Lecter's place, but close."
"Hello, Little Freddy," said Melinda stiffly.
Grimacing at the childhood nickname, he asked, "Do you have to call me that? Can't you call me 'Freakshow' like everyone else?" He shook his head tiredly before asking, "So what's new in your life?"
"Cathy's daughter is living with me and Roger now. She's named Lydia Deetz."
"Cathy always did get along with my girl," he said, briefly smiling fondly at the memories. "I'm glad she remembered all of us even after she left."
The woman scowled sharply at Freakshow before turning towards the Guy In White and asked, "Can I have a moment of privacy with my brother? I really think we should discuss a few recent life choices."
"I don't know. I'd have to double-check regulations," the agent said, scratching the back of his head awkwardly.
"Please don't make my older sister scold me like an ill-behaved child in front of witnesses. It will be humiliating enough as it is. Allow me some dignity," said Freakshow, rolling his eyes. "Just wait down the hall out of earshot."
Shrugging, the agent said, "Well, I guess that will be all right. Not like she can break you out without the pass-code anyway and she'll never guess it."
Freakshow waited a few moments for the man to step out of range before commenting dryly, "I'll bet you tomorrow's meatloaf that part of the pass-code is 'white.'" Straightening his jacket slightly and adjusting his bowler hat a little, he said, "Walking in here with the Gem of Osiris around your neck? What a bold move, Sister. And here I thought I was the theatrical one in the family. The Guys In White would love get their hands on such a thing. They were pretty eager for my portion of the inheritance, after all."
"Shortly they will be obsolete," she said, dropping her previously disapproving expression. "What purpose would the Guys In White serve when there are no ghosts?"
"Do you truly believe you can do such a thing? There will always be ghosts in the world. They have more power than humans can ever imagine. Why destroy them when you can control them? Use them? I never understood why you would rather waste such potential. Mother and Father squandered what they had, but you wanted to destroy them."
"Ghosts aren't toys or tools. They are dangerous, deceitful things and everyone would be better off without them. And I intend to make that happen."
A momentary flicker of concern for a tattooed and loyal companion, one that he once declared that he loved when they were both young and he had no reason to envy her, made Freakshow frown. He didn't know how exactly Melinda intended to go forth with her plan or anything beyond her insane goal, but a part of him worried.
"And what about my Lydia? You were friendly towards her when she was alive. Would you destroy her too? I lost her once, though only briefly. Do you plan to take her again?" he asked.
Without a hint of hesitation or doubt, Melinda said calmly, "Your girlfriend was lost a long time ago. There is nothing left except a thing with her face. Your Lydia doesn't exist anymore."
He stared at her a moment before shaking his head. His sister wouldn't succeed. What was the chances of Melinda doing much damage? And his Lydia was smart, strong, and dependable. She would be fine. She would be fine and loyally awaiting his eventual escape.
"Why are you here, Melinda?" he asked finally. " Did you come to gloat?"
"No. I just wanted you to know that things will be different soon. They'll be better. All of our family's problems were because of ghosts. Our parents, Cathy leaving, your transformation into… this criminal in front of me," she said, gesturing towards him. "Those things shaped and ruined our lives for far too long. Now we will be free of ghosts and can finally control our lives properly."
"Dear sister, remember my scepter? Part of my inheritance? Long, red orb on the end, kind of glow-y? That let me control ghosts. Not the other way around. Perhaps you might be a little obsessed with them. The occasional psyche evaluation they try on me certainly suggest I might be, but at least I don't blame all my problems on them. The cops, that Goth girl from the train, and the Guys In White deserve some credit too."
"You'll see, Little Freddy," she said as she turned to walk away. "Someday everyone will understand that I was right."
Rolling his eyes, Freakshow remarked sarcastically under his breath, "Nice visit, Sis. Good luck with your crazy idea. I'll ask them to reserve you a cell next door."
The city of Amity Park shared its name with a very nice park that stood relatively close to the center. It was fairly pretty. There were trees, grass, flowers, and curving sidewalks that wound through the place. The entire park was picturesque and perfect for a picnic. It would serve as an ideal spot to start making the world a better place.
Melinda watched as her husband set up their updated version of the Fenton's Ghost Shield generator device. They'd chosen a place slightly away from the main foot traffic through the park to minimize witnesses who might grow curious. From her calculations, this particular spot would let them engulf the majority of the town. A few buildings on the outskirts would be outside the formed circle, but that was it. Houses, apartments, the schools, businesses, and even the popular fast-food restaurant with the unappealing name would be inside. And every ghost would be destroyed.
She was confident it would work. All the ghosts in Amity Park would be destroyed. She would succeed. And she could do it again and again in other towns. In time, those things would be gone from the world. All the problems she'd ever faced were because of ghosts and now there would be no more ghosts. Everything would be perfect.
"Do you know what Lydia plans to do after school, my dearest?" asked Roger as he worked. "She stayed with her friend, Sam, last night. Will she go back this evening or do you believe she will return home first?"
"I left a note for the darling at home so she won't worry about us, but it shouldn't matter either way," she said. "She won't be harmed being inside the circle. And she won't naively try to prevent it like she tried with the poltergeist. Our darling Lydia will be perfectly safe."
Reluctantly and quietly, Roger said, "She may be safe, but she won't be happy. Melinda, my precious, I don't believe she has shown any happiness since we met her. She may not see this as a kindness."
"Of course the darling doesn't seem happy. Her father and step-mother just died, she's a teenager and they are naturally moody, and of course all those ghosts have completely warped her mind with lies and tricks," she scoffed lightly. "Trust me, my cupcake. With a little time and no more ghosts to twist her thinking, she'll improve. That poltergeist is to blame. He poisoned her mind and tried to use her for his foul desires. But we banished it already, so our Lydia will improve. Someday she will thank us for this. You'll see."
And as always happened when he expressed his rare doubts, Melinda's words reassured Roger's worries. His expression relaxed in the face of her certainty and he nodded in agreement. Melinda knew everything would be better without ghosts. It was a clear and simple truth that could not be denied.
"Finish setting everything up, my sweet. You don't want to still be working on it when it gets dark," she instructed. "I'll go on ahead to get ready on my end. Call me if you have any trouble. Otherwise I'll simply begin the mass exorcism when I see the Ghost Shield in place."
He nodded in acknowledgement as Melinda started heading out of the park. She briefly touched her necklace with a smile as she walked. Her ancestors gathered knowledge and artifacts for generations. But none of them realized the potential they possessed to change the world. But with a combination of a powerful necklace, information, and science, she would make ghosts a forgotten issue.
Right outside the park waited the white windowless van they'd rented specifically to carry all their supplies for this particular day. Honestly, Melinda wasn't certain she knew the exact contents anymore. She'd added anything and everything they could possibly require for the plan. It was better to be prepared for all eventualities, but it left the van rather crowded and chaotic in the back.
She climbed into the driver's seat and the engine started with a rumble. The woman shifted into gear and started the vehicle forward. It was almost over. She was so close.
Yes, I decided to invent a fictional version of Dungeons and Dragons: Castles and Creatures. Because, why not? My second choice was going to be Graveyards and Ghouls.
So this is the last update for 2015. Hopefully this will end the year on a relatively interesting note. Things are moving quickly towards Aunt Melinda's evil plot. But the protagonists have a strategy in mind to handle her. Let's just hope that things go smoothly. Though I seriously doubt that they will.
Remember, reviews are nice and I always appreciate them. I love hearing feedback on this and all stories I write. Thanks.