"All those nightly noises aren't just the old pipes. Up and down all night he rattles his chains, so to speak," replied Cyfer. "How come you're not so spooked, Sage?"
"Well, I've seen a lot," replied Sam who had come across all kinds of supernatural occurrences both real and manufactured among his many leaps.
Cyfer looked at Sage and replied sweetly. "You're only a tender twenty-two."
Sam looked down and quickly retorted. "And I've READ a lot too. Lots of strange things happen in those gothic novels."
"Then you need to get out more! Your knowledge though is most impressive. I thought that you'd been reading mostly my stories. And they're only supposed to amuse the Brady Bunch group," exclaimed Cyfer.
"And enlighten those older than them," added Sam.
"Hey, don't go pushing me into the next generation! We're in the Pepsi generation here. Not our father's!" joked CeCe who never seemed to lose her youthful vigor.
"It is funny when you can remember being the age of your kids. That IS a new generation. Now forget about Sir Green of Plumbing. We have guests and I am going to tend to them," said Cyfer sternly. "After we put my little princes to bed. Coming ladies?"
"Sure. But what will you say about that foul odor?" asked Sam. He stepped out of the bathroom to escape the pungent smell.
"Swamp gas!" she quickly retorted.
"There isn't a swamp in thirty miles," said Al. Sam said the same thing to Cyfer.
"And I suppose you won the national geography bee, too?" she asked sounding peeved.
"Nope, just live around here," replied Sam.
"And you have a world of information from Ziggy the Wonder Horse," quipped Al.
"Neeiighhhh!" exclaimed Ziggy back through his multi-colored handlink as Al just looked up at the ceiling for some spiritual guidance.
"What about your guests? If you want to keep this quiet, then…" replied CeCe.
"Right! I see your point. The party is over. I have a FUNNY SMELL, but nothing serious!" said Cyfer. Cyfer was determined to keep her garlic eating apparition off the public's radar.
"Unless you call an otherworldly guest something serious," said CeCe under her breath. "WE CAN do something about it! That's OUR specialty!"
"No-no-no! Retired! I'm not going to make a big production of this. I want to live a normal life. You know, love, marriage and children!" she insisted tucking in her son. "Good night, sweetie. Give your aunties a kiss, Stanley."
"But between you and me we could send this malevolent spirit off to the happy hunting ground," said CeCe pointing to the sky. "Many A time we did that."
"You think he is an angry Indian?" asked Sam sounding confused again.
Al checked out his trusty handlink. "No known unhappy aboriginal spirits in this neck of the valley," he reported.
"NO! I am through..." Cyfer said louder.
"Sweetie! It could endanger your kids, your husband, your family," pleaded CeCe. "And I don't want to bring my kids into such a dangerous situation!"
"Any kind of spirit scares me," said Al. "Just a little bit. Cyfer help yourself out for once!"
Cyfer shook her head. "No! It'll toughen them up and make them see…"
"That their Mom doesn't care!" CeCe interrupted.
Cyfer began to get angry. "Now just a minute! You don't know what we invested in this place. It's our children's home and we don't want them thinking that they are growing up with the Addams Family!"
"And a live-in Casper is not going to shield them from it. We're both Wells; well we were, and we sisters stick together! It's always been like that CYFER!" exclaimed CeCe looking straight in her sister's eyes.
"True, but I want to move on," she said quietly almost whining. "As far as I'm concerned that part of my life is over!"
"Fine. DO IT! Move on. Forget about where you came from. Forget about Dad who you really are. But after we solve one more case!" she said holding her tightly.
"We don't have Sue!" she retorted. "Even if we wanted to do it I don't see how!"
"No, but I bet that Sage will replace her temporarily. You're good at research?" asked CeCe
"Ziggy is all up and ready," interjected Al since that was his number one job.
"Yep. I've done a few theses," said Sam.
Cyfer replied, "Sage. You didn't even finish the first year at TroyCommunity College!"
"Then I've got some catching up to do," said Sam sheepishly. "But between the three of us I am really sure we can give him his walking papers!"
"We'll send him to the moon. RIGHT?" CeCe asked grinning.
"RIGHT?" she again asked Eunice
"OH all right! Just do it QUIETLY!" she whispered.
"Hang up our shingle. "Wells" is back in business!" exclaimed CeCe proudly.
Ushering out her guests mentioning vaguely about the odor from a small dead animal, the three ghost hunters sat down around the antique dining room table. Each had a non-electronic notebook and non-electronic pencil in front of them. Cyfer nervously tapped her pencil incessantly. She looked up and looked down until she could hear the pipes rattling behind Sam.
Sam turned around looking startled.
Cyfer pieced her lips. "Nope. Just the toilet flushing. That's the charm of this old house and not some demon pipe fitter working on the plumbing, Sage."
Sam sat up straight and nodded his head. Sam had seen ghosts before and the one thing he was sure about was that they were capable of anything.
Al who had been shadowing Sam as usual reported in. "Yep, according to Ziggy the indoor plumbing was installed in the nineteen twenties. That still puts it on the far side of forty years old. Give me my nice new ranch house in Stallion's Gate any day!"
CeCe banged on the table. "All right, let's get started. Any regularities with this spook? Anything that's even minutely repeatable. I wish we still had all our old cue cards that contained our corporate memory. I'm relying exclusively on my own."
Cyfer agreed. "Me too. No definite signs. Just that stinky green thingy hanging around the pipes. His presence rattles whatever is next to it. Walls, pictures, furniture at very irregular times. When he finds one of us, he moans, dances about and moves things. You know he tries to scare us, but only a couple of times a week," said Cyfer trying to seem nonchalant though her eyes looked very flustered.
"And when did you first notice it?" asked Sam while taking down some notes.
"The odor, about nine months after we moved in. Then the excess noises started beyond that irritating flushing sound you just heard. And then two and half years ago he made his first appearance scaring my husband. Me he just made mad," cringed Cyfer. Though she wouldn't admit it, the sounds still sent shivers up and down her spine.
"And THAT should have been enough! Ever see her eyes pop out?" CeCe asked Sage.
"Ah, no!" he replied.
CeCe chuckled. "Never get my middle sister mad. Her temper never goes beyond a verbal lashing, but her hands fly up and her eyes pop out ever since she was in high school. Annoying a spirit won't make him leave. You can't really offend a ghost!"
"Then how do we get rid of him?" asked Sam.
CeCe wondered, "Is it a guy? Who knows! The four major methods of eviction are to help him finish some unfulfilled mission in life, convince him that his mission no longer matters, trick him into leaving or the final last straw is to magically push him into the hereafter. That's where our family voodoo comes in handy," she said raising her eyebrows looking for a reaction from Sam.
"OK," replied Sam calmly.
"And you're OK with that? Most people find it hard to believe that magic does exist," explained Cyfer.
"I have read of some fairly credible examples," replied Sam cautiously.
"And also seen a lot through your leaping," added Al. "But I think you've played the experience card enough. You are much too young and innocent, my dear Sage."
CeCe stood up, but not too quickly. "OK then. You should find it interesting. We do do, that voodoo so well. Now back to finding Mr. Green Goblin. We have to spread out and catch the uninvited spirit. I'll take the first watch and then…"
Cyfer shook her head. "On no! We're not turning this place into a scientific treasure hunt. I have my work and my kids and Sage has to…"
Sam put up his hand. "Well, I'll just tell them that we're working closely. We do have your book to finish proofing, Cyfer," Sam reminded her.
"And my vacation can be extended indefinitely if I have to. Stony is great at running the business," said CeCe. "I am NOT leaving here until we are done, sister dear!"
Cyfer objected. "Wait! I write alone. No one is looking over my typewriter."
"That's just a cover story while we hunt down the stinky whatever it is," explained CeCe who seemed to be taking the role of the older sister around the hesitant Cyfer.
Sam shrugged, "Honest. I just feel like it my duty to help you two out."
"And I can watch over my two cute little nephews," suggested CeCe happily.
"And I can watch over your two cute tooshes," echoed the holographic observer.
"Hey! That's my job!" snapped back Cyfer while standing up very quickly.
Sam inquired, "I thought that you were writing!"
"Well, having both jobs can help me pass the time," admitted Cyfer. At times between the boys and deadlines she never seemed to have anytime for herself.
"Great. Then it's all settled. And with Stony heading home, it'll be just us girls!" CeCe said holding onto both her sister and her new friend.
"Right!" exclaimed Sam as he looked over to Al and then up to the ceiling to the mystical leaping god.
One partner kept watch upstairs and one kept watch on the main floor at all times. Boredom was passed by taking care of the house, taking care of the next generation and trying to identify every strange noise they heard.
Nothing sounded out of the ordinary until four o'clock two days later when a taxi drove up to the front door. A tall distinguish woman with short dark hair exited the yellow cab and approached the front door. The driver took several large boxes out of the trunk.
Cyfer ran down the stairs and nearly knocked over her big sister. "SUE! I can't believe my eyes! It's so good to see you. And now we're all together, a family again! And you're here. But why are you here?"
She stood up straight, crinkled her little nose at Cyfer and said frankly. "I got CeCe's telegram. You can't open up our old company again without me. We're sisters, SIS!"
Cyfer took one step back. "Oh no. We're NOT reopening!"
She tilted her head to one side. "True, but I do feel that the game is afoot. I could feel the old tingles up my spine and I had a longing to run through some dark deserted house. And besides it always took the three of us to send them on to their last rewards. Heaven, hell or wherever they are supposed to be."
Cyfer replied, "WE have Sage!"
"Hello?" Sue asked as Sam approached.
Cyfer piped in, "We're very close since you two," Cyfer pointed to CeCe and Sue "… aren't! Aren't here that is."
Sue took a short breathe and then regrouped. "Sorry about that. I do miss our working to together. And doing things together as a family. We were very close for the first twenty-two years. And before we ever became spirit chasers, we were SISTERS!"
Cyfer retorted. "Think of her as your half-sister. She reminds me so much of you."
"Me?" Sue asked putting her hand on her chest. "No, she's a little pale for the Wells family. Unless your evil spirit scared her enough to turn her white as a sheet," said Sue smiling.
CeCe came up next to Sam. "I'd say she has accepted you, Sage. With that biting wit of hers. Umm! Hi, Sue. Good to see you."
"Likewise. And Sage welcome to our little Wells reunion for whatever the reason," chuckled Sue waving her arms around.
"To get rid of Cyfer's ghost!" said CeCe cutely.
"It's not my ghost. Just a resident leftover from some previous tenants," she jumped in denying any ownership of the ghostly apparition.
"Maybe he's from one of our old projects. Well, if my sister is haunted, then we're all haunted. And we Wells sisters WELL stick together!" said Sue as she put her arm out.
"Together!" chirped in CeCe placing her hand on Sue's.
"All for one and one for all," replied Cyfer as she joined in. "Come on Sage. You're practically a member of the family."
Sam reached in put his hand on top of the pile as the pipes began to moan and a mournful sound passed through the house. They all looked up eying the house ready to take on whomever or whatever it was.
That night Sue was on watch as Cyfer finished up a fast shower using up the last of the hot water.
"Whoooooo!" the spirit moaned. Clanging could be heard in the bathroom walls.
Cyfer grabbed a towel while Sam and the other ladies came running in.
"Whoa!" cried out Sue as CeCe and Sam checked out the walls. Sam looked away slightly blushing.
The green misty thing was hovering over the bathtub drain while the tub danced an impromptu jig.
Al walked through the wall screaming, "What in heavens name is that?"
Sue flashed the ghost with her old infrared camera as CeCe ran over toward Cyfer who was about to panic.
The bathtub bounced a couple of times and then the green mist dispersed. The foul odor never left the room.
CeCe walked over and ran her hands along the side of the tub. She found one sensitive spot and then held onto it for almost a minute. Her head dipped as her mind reached out to the spirit world. And it clicked.
Sam looked closely at CeCe. "You're psychic?"
She composed her thoughts and then answered Sam. "Yea, pretty heavy into it. Worked best with evil spirits. Never could pick the horses with it though," she said with a twinkle in her eye.
Cyfer tucked the towel tightly around herself. "So what's your
en-psychic-pedia tell us?"
She put her hands together and closed her eyes looking very thoughtful. Her voice sounded far away. "Pain. Regret. And a name. Van Dusey. Mainly a lot of unfulfilled regret. Wow! One of the strongest emotional psyches I have ever encountered," said CeCe. The trance took a lot out of her as let go of the tub sat down on the nearest convenient spot.
"You all right, CeCe?" asked Sue.
CeCe took a deep breath. "Definitely. I haven't tried that trick since we found Colonel Clements at my house."
Sam motioned to Al.
"Come on Ziggy!" he cried out hitting his handlink buttons a bit too hard. Ziggy broke in. "If you keep abusing the equipment, you can check it out on the Internet yourself, Admiral!"
"I know you've looked into the past history of this old house. Any sign of that name?" Sam asked Cyfer.
Cyfer shook her head. "Well, not in the twentieth century. I didn't dig up everything on my house. The last family lived in it for three generations. Sounded safe then. Now I'm not so sure," Cyfer sighed. She loved the house and didn't want to be driven out.
Al's face lit up. "Bingo! Family named Van Dusen lived here in the early to mid-nineteenth century. Erik Van Dusen claimed to be cheated by a New York warehouse owner in about 1843. He died shortly thereafter," explained Al. "In this house!"
"Any strange deaths?" asked Sam.
CeCe lit up. "That's a very good question, Sage. I knew you would be good on this spirit business. Cyfer?" she asked turning to her older sister.
"There was a long line of sea captains living here. No violent deaths that I knew of. No major crimes committed. No suicides," replied Cyfer knowing that these kinds of incidents do sometimes leave behind scared spirits.
"Sam, you better not give them your information. Have them try out the local library," exclaimed Al.
CeCe jumped in. "Guess we better try the local library."
Al raised one eyebrow. "Now why didn't I think of that? And try the Hudson Star, a local news rag. Check... um… February 12th 1843. But I'd stared in the 1840s," suggested Al as he plunked away on his handlink.
Cyfer sighed, "Well, back to the old archives hunting. Got a lot of lung infections from all the dust back in my time. I don't really miss it!"
CeCe added, "All that dirt and mold and ..."
Cyfer added, "And Sue thrives on it!"
"I do have knack for finding solid research material," Sue said looking very pleased with herself. She loved delving into history and finding out lost bits and pieces of forgotten tales.
"Is that a knick knack?" asked Cyfer with a hint of a smile that could break out any second.
"OOOOOOO!" Sue shot back throwing her pad of paper at her sister.
Checking through the county library and the local historical society archives in record time the Wells sisters and Sam put together a rather thick folder on Erik Van Dusen, his personal and business dealings and his death. They found out that Erik Van Dusen was a successful ship captain and dealer in the Oriental trade until the Panic of 1837. Barely surviving the panic, he lost his shirt in a deal with a new partner, Rufus Calavicci.
Sam quickly looked at Al who went back to Ziggy for more information.
The handlink beeped and Al began to read off it with more than a passing interest. "Rufus Calavicci. Wholesaler and entrepreneur in New York City. No record of his partnership with Van Dusen, but our database for 200 years ago is rather sketchy. He did provide seed money for many business concerns including those involved in shipping. And to answer the obvious question, I don't know enough about my own parentage to find a connection to Rufus C. Orphan, you know," Al reminded his leaping friend.
Sue continued. "Calavicci was a successful banker. He went into a venture in 1840 buying silk in China and shipping it to the US. Calavicci was one of his partners. Three of Van Dusen's ships were lost in a typhoon in the western Pacific eighteen months later. That resulted the complete failure of his shipping business. "
Cyfer added, "Yea, those clipper cruises like that back then were really risky business."
Sue continued. "Our ghostly ship captain spent the next two years trying to make up for the loss without success. He kept blaming his backer for getting involved."
CeCe said, "But the meteorological catastrophe wasn't Calavicci's fault."
"That's damn straight," replied Al. "You tell them, CeCe!"
"And he died here soon afterwards leaving his family destitute. They sold the house. The house that he died in!" said Sue solemnly. "This house."
"And it became the tomb of his spirit!" said CeCe looking around at the walls and ceiling thinking that the house didn't look like a mausoleum.
"Please. This is creepy enough," sighed Cyfer. "My home, remember!" Still, she found herself doing the same comparison as CeCe. "Cemetery or home?" she thought.
"So now that we know the facts. How do we get him to move on?" asked Sam.
CeCe thought. "Well, we can't reclaim his business. He wouldn't know what to do with the money anyway," quipped CeCe.
"How about his descendants?" asked Cyfer.
Sue sounded discouraging. "Nope! His children had no kids so unless you find a fourth cousin."
"Then we have to contact him directly," suggested CeCe.
"Didn't you already do that?" asked Sam wondering about her previous psychic connection in the upstairs bathroom.
"Not as good as the old séance routine," said CeCe as her eyes sparkled.
"Séance?" replied Sam. "Ohhhhhhhhhhhh boy!"
As the clock struck twelve midnight, the spook hunting sorority gathered in the dining room. A circle of blue candles surrounded the table that was draped with a purple tablecloth with strange Caribbean symbols on them. One lone tall white candle stood in the center of a three candle candelabra. Dozens of shadows of human images danced on the walls and the ceiling as the women walked in front of the flickering candles.
A shiver ran up Sam's back as the once friendly atmosphere of the old house turned into a Halloween haunted house. He felt the change in his bones, on the tips of his nerves and in the back of his head. Al's presence walking around the candles without shadows falling on him was also unsettling to Sam.
CeCe had each participant take one side of the large table. Sam sat between CeCe and Cyfer looking across at Sue whose classic face become even more stunning in the flickering candlelight.
"Now let us begin," CeCe said solemnly. "Put all your worldly thoughts from your mind and join hands."
Sam turned and whispered to Cyfer. "Does she know what she's doing?"
"You bet your ass. Sue and I never left the mortal plane. Felicity here is the only one who was on a speaking business with these otherworldly visitors," she said quietly. "If anyone can do it, CeCe can."
Sue hushed them.
CeCe closed her eyes while still staring deep into the white candle. "We need to reach out our minds. Reach out beyond this world. Lose all connections with what we know. Let us reach out together," she said quietly, solemnly.
Sam closed his eyes and tried to imagine himself elsewhere floating in nothingness which was easy since he did it between every leap. Off in a cloud he could see the sky, feel the humidity from the damp air and feel nothing supporting him underneath. He was floating on a white cloud underneath a clear blue sky.
Al walked around and through the table looking up and down. He saw nothing happening and dreaded that something just might happen.
"Tonight we are not here. Tonight we are joining the spirits. Tonight we want to speak to, to communicate, to commune with one who inhabits here," she said as her voice became calmer and more distant. She leaned back as did the others.
"This is nonsense," exclaimed Al. "No intercosmic whatzits happening here. Hey CeCe. Why don't you try contemplating your navel!"
CeCe droned on and on about communicating with the spirit world as Sam felt himself drifting off. He was floating further and further from the house on the Hudson. Up in the clouds in another place and time.
"We are now one with the spirits. We are the spirits. We call for one who has inhabited this place. We call for Erik. Erik, do you hear us?" she called out as the candles began to smoke.
"We sure hear you," thought Cyfer looking at her sister who was almost floating. Her breathing had become shallow as her stomach rose and fell in front of the table.
Sue seemed less in a trance and more interested in CeCe and her act. Sage or Sam was definitely in a trance.
"Sam, you all right? SAM! Get Doctor Beeks in here Ziggy. Pronto!" he called up to the ceiling.
"Yes, KE-MO-SOBIE!" cracked Ziggy.
Cyfer lifted one eyebrow as her friend Sage seemed to be in as deep a trance as her psychic sister. "Sage? Sage!" she whispered. "Anyone in there?"
"Careful," whispered Sue. "Remember how violently CeCe came out of her trance back in Bloomington, 1961? Fell out of her chair and broke her arm!"
"Which is why I'm worried about our novice here," she said never letting dropping her hands as she nodded over to Sam.
"Me too, Cyfer," added Al as Cyfer seemed to look over in his direction.
"Cyfer?" asked Al.
She shook her head and then looked up. "Uh, yes!" she called out as her eyes darted all around the room and landed right on Admiral Calavicci.
"Erik. Erik speak to us. Come and join us in our circle," now moaned CeCe.
Sue looked peeved at Cyfer. "Now what is it?"
"Just some spook calling me. Van Dusey is that yousy?" she called out.
"No!" responded Al.
"Then who are you? Get out of my head, you mischievous misfit!" cried out a pissed Cyfer.
A shaken Al stepped back into the corner as Cyfer seemed to lose track of his presence.
"Erik. Erik Van Dusen," said CeCe. "We wish your presence. We wish to help. We wish to know your pain. Come and commune with us."
Sam began a low rhythmic moaning himself echoing the rhythm of CeCe. The smoke from the candles got thicker and the shadows danced around them.
Sue's eyes darted around the room. "I feel something. There is a presence here? Hello! Mr. Van Dusen!"
"Yea, at this rate the fire department will be here in ten minutes from all this… Cough… smoke, CeCe," exclaimed Cyfer.
"Quiet and patience," exclaimed Sue tightening her grip on Cyfer's hand.
Both Sam and CeCe seemed to lose control of their necks as their heads began to rotate around counterclockwise.
"Sam! You're starting to do aerobics here," said Al quietly. "Don't lose it, old buddy!"
"What the hell are aerobics?" asked Cyfer who took a long slow look around her dining room.
"Jeeze. Cyfer can hear me!" exclaimed Al.
"That would be correct, whoever you are," she said shaking her head while looking in Al's direction.
"Not too familiar with the workings of the world of the dead, Admiral, I would hypothesize that Doctor Beckett is hearing you and channeling your holographic image to Eunice Wells," explained Ziggy.
"Thanks, Ziggy!" he whispered.
"Who the hell is Ziggy? We are looking Erik van Dusen, you misdirected dead person," she shouted. Cyfer wanted to strangle the second voice in her head, but didn't break contact with the human circle.
Sue looked at them as if she were crazy for Sue did not see the Admiral from the future.
"Dusen. Erik Van Dusen," moaned CeCe as Sam had began to say the same thing in unison.
"That's right. What they said," yelled Cyfer looking up toward the vast cosmos.
"Easy, Cyfer. You don't want to break their trances," whispered Sue just a wee bit louder.
"Yea, I'm not in a trance and I'm still hearing voices! This is my first long distance call to dead and I don't like it," she complained. Her eyes tried to locate Al, but he was hidden among in the constantly moving shadows.
"You best keep quiet, Admiral Calavicci," suggested Ziggy who did not want to disturb the rivers of time.
"Calavicci! We're trying to find the spirit of my house haunter Erik van Dusen and I get on his banker's party line," complained Cyfer to Sue.
"Be quiet," whispered her older sister.
Al just stood still not knowing where to go or what to say as Sam's head rolled round and round imitating CeCe's actions. He figured that Sam was so far out of it that he wasn't up to taking his advice or even hearing him.
Al texted Ziggy to also remain vocally quiet as he tried to get more information out of her.
Cyfer watched her sister and best friend carefully as they leaned back and forth to some intercosmic musical interlude provided by Al's handlink.
"What's with your swaying? Getting some dance instruction from Mozart?" asked Sue who looked particularly careful at her way-out sister.
Cyfer shook her head. "No, these tones keep coming into my head. Not unpleasant, but no musical theme to them. Beep-beep-beep beep-beep beep-beep!"
Al then directed the handlink to a silent mode before Cyfer started humming the five tones from "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" which had not yet been written. Yet.
"There. It's gone. Thanks to that Calavicci spirit," she sighed as Al stiffened hoping that his name wouldn't be spoken out loud in history. Again! Al just could not win whether he did anything or whether he did nothing. He looked up as Sam's head stood erect and CeCe's eyes popped open.
"Well? WELL!" inquired Cyfer.
"CeCe, sweetie. What is it?" asked Sue who then first glanced over at Sage.
"We are in the presence of the spirit we have been calling for," said CeCe ever so solemnly.
"I don't see anything. Not a mist, a sound or even the pungent stink of the demon from the drain," complained Cyfer as she looked all around the dining room.
"No, there is a chill in the air," Sue announced as Cyfer immediately shivered as she felt it. Al couldn't help but shiver too as an unreal atmosphere permeated the room. White mist seemed to flow in from under the kitchen door. A fog filled the entire room as new shadows seemed to dance among the mist.
Al walked over to Sam. He stared off into space. Al could see that no one was home in the mind of Doctor Samuel Beckett.
CeCe looked up and announced, "Erik? Are you with us?"
"Why do you summon me, mortal?" asked Sam in a deep voice with an old world accent.
Cyfer retreated without letting go of her circle while Sue leaned forward utterly fascinated by the deep voice coming from their friend Sage.
"Sage? You OK?" asked Cyfer as Sam just stared ahead. "My, what a deep voice you have there Grandma!"
CeCe said quietly, "She's fine. Her mind is merely in a recessive state."
"She's sleep talking so to speak. Just like with that Creole priestess in New Orleans back in '60," snapped in Sue. Sue had always been more into the that part of ghost hunting than Cyfer who was really the bookkeeper of their team.
"Shh," whispered CeCe.
"Why have you summoned me!" the voice again said as Al shook shivered.
Cyfer straightened her back. "Are you the dude or person who has been living here in MY house and rattling my PIPES?"
"My essence does reside within these walls," Sam said with a bit of arrogance.
"Now we're on the right channel. Or channeling as the case may be. Now Mr. Van Dusen or can I all you Erik?" she asked cutely.
"Cyfer! Keep it serious," cautioned CeCe.
"One. This is my house. And two. I never took this too seriously or my inner demons would've given me such nightmares! Whoa!" retorted Cyfer. "All right. Spirit. W-w-w-why do you haunt h...h...h...ere?" she asked. "Better?" she said quietly to CeCe who was looking much too cute.
"Woe to those within these walls. Remember. Remember to care for those in your life," Sam said woefully.
"I believe that that's the same advice Marley gave Scrooge," replied Sue. "And this is not nineteenth century London."
"No, but he did die in that part of the world. As to caring for my offspring my will is in fine shape," snipped Cyfer.
"Do not leave thy affairs amiss for it may be too late. Thou cannot from be-y-y-yond the grave," Sam moaned as his head began to wobble.
CeCe added, "Do you have unfulfilled actions dealing with your last business calamity?"
"CeCe! That's a bit TOO direct!" suggested Sue.
"Oh-h-h-h," moaned Sam as his eyes rolled in his head.
"Right on target, sister dear. Now Erik, whom I am going to call you, your past business deals just don't affect life here anymore. Not us and not your family nor any of your descendants which you should know that you don't have," explained Cyfer anxious to get his creaky road show finished.
"Easy Cyfer," said CeCe, but she was on a roll.
"So you can stop the bad Lon Chaney imitations and move on to that great final resting place," she said pointing up to the sky. "So get on with it!"
Sam started rocking back and forth as his eyes rolled around in his head.
"Hey, easy on MY FRIEND there! Erik, there is nothing more you can do here. Move it out now. Two, three, four! MARCH!" she commanded.
"NOOOOOO!" moaned Sam as the painful sound reverberated through the house and sent tingles up the spines of all who heard him.
"Quit complaining! You're already dead! Leave this place!" she replied as Sue and CeCe looked at each other worried.
Another lonesome wail came from Sam sounding like a lost being that was half-coyote half-vampire.
Sue tried to say something, but she continued, "If you can't deal with it here, then try and deal with that Calavicci spirit that's hovering around here!"
Al looked first at Cyfer and then at Sam who sat up straight and then looked in the direction that Cyfer had pointed. Sam vibrated slightly and then collapsed.
"Sam!" screamed Al as a greenish smoke appeared to come out of Sam.
Sue observed, "He may have left her. I can't say for sure."
"That is definitely the Van Dusen spirit. I can feel it," said CeCe not letting go of their hands. "It has the same mystical qualities that I felt earlier."
Sam moaned and rocked as the two sisters tightly held onto his hands not wanting to break the circle. The green spirit slowly flew around the room faster and faster.
"Look at 'em go!" yelled Cyfer. "Yippee! Now ... just go!" she said cheering him on.
"Fascinating," replied Sue never taking her eyes off the spirit on the merry-go-round above them.
Al seemed to have the same reaction. He wasn't fascinated, like Sue, he just wanted it to go away.
It traveled around the ceiling, then under the table, over Al and then headed for the far wall and went through it. The unreal atmosphere vanished almost immediately while all the candles suddenly went out simultaneously.
"Well?" asked Cyfer.
CeCe searched and searched. Then she smiled. "Nothing. All gone!"
"Really?" asked Sue.
"I'll check the rest of the house, but I don't think I'll find any residue from Erik Van Dusen. You're little tongue-lashing tirade may have done it," said CeCe. "Not the usual way we handled our spooks in the past." "Well after all the trouble he put me through what did you expect?" asked Cyfer who broke into a big smile.
"Nothing less from my middle sister," said Sue patting her hand as Sam seemed to come around. "I always knew that temper of yours would come in handy some day."
"Sam you, OK?" asked Al.
"Hey, Sagebrush! How's that mouthpiece of the demon world?" asked Cyfer rocking her gently.
"What? Did I leap?" he asked unconsciously.
"Nope! Not quite yet though Ziggy says that you're almost finished here. You spoke for Master Van Dusen who seems to have been given his walking papers," explained Al bringing the previously unconscious Sam up to date.
"That's good," said Sam quietly as he massaged his throbbing temples.
"You were a good addition to our trio," said CeCe touching his shoulder as Sam barely heard her. "I knew you had it in you, Sagebrush."
"Absolutely," replied Sue. "I am very impressed."
Cyfer added, "And that as a great complement from Susan "Van" Wells!"
"And no other problems seem to bother Miss Eunice Marie Wells Hettering," said Al who looked over toward her. "CYFER!" he called out.
"She can't hear you," mumbled Sam.
"Yea, thank God. There is still NO record of this ghostly apparition in Ziggy's data banks. But Cyfer is now twice as successful as an author of children's gothic tales long before Goosebumps ever became popular. Eliminating this little "distraction" must have helped her concentration."
"Come on Sage. You're getting some sleep," said Cyfer. "It's been a hard day's night so to speak"
"Ah, mother Cyfer. Very encouraging. Things are definitely back to normal," replied Sue.
"You're so great with kids. I hope I will have kids someday," sighed CeCe looking rather dreamy.
"You will. And thanks," Cyfer said as Sam stood up. "I couldn't have done it without ALL my sisters!"
"Sisters first. Ghosts second," said Sue. "Leaping third," jumped in Al. "So long, my little ghost buster!" Sam stood up, tried to say something, but then vanished into trillions of microscopic packets of blue quantum energy and was on his way to another adventure sometime somewhere.