Resetting the Past-The Haunting Re-Imagined

Warnings: This is going to be a time travel story and is going to make it so Luke and Eleanor are alive at the end of the story. So the opening matches the end of the movie, before the Dudley's arrive, if some names match my last story. It's coincidental now.

Disclaimers: I don't own the story or the characters, the plot line belongs to me, everything else belongs to Shirley Jackson and Jan De Bont.

Chapter 9: Dinner Discussions And Scare Tactics II

"But then it shifts to true attacks and I'm talking along the lines of the poltergeist intrusion on the movie. As such never let your guard down, because you're going to on get a nasty shock if you do. But just because going on rational ways to explain this, but..., okay say everyone's upstairs and we heard a loud crash. And we all know none of us did it, because we were together that entire time. But that's what I mean, none of us caused whatever to break or get knocked over, as to how or why."

"It's because we were always together, and none of us were separated, so rational question. If we were always together how did that get knocked over or destroyed when we never left each other's sides for more, or barely more, then five minutes?" she said and he nodded to that. "That's case studies of that Fred Savage movie or just a case of ghost pulling pranks on you right now, but at the moment it's playful."

"And soon enough the childish pranks turn to practical jokes and ones that cause damage or hurt feelings and it resulting in pointing fingers at each other. So were you expecting to wind up in a ghost story this time around, because this house has all the makings of the haunted mansion at Disneyland here." he asked and they started laughing as Theo answered that with a smile. "Like that?" Todd asked and I turned at that question.

"Well there's the evidence to what you mean by that remark, since we met, and aside from unpacking, David never left your side at all." he addeded and I nodded in agreement. "Testing the paranormal in the group as time goes on and it turns to alienation of the other subjects in the team. So with that, look at my personality, would I do a thing like this just to get attention?" Eleanor asked and he and Mary nodded gently.

"At least there aren't any rugs in the house, you remember that book, first the carpet, then the walls and finally the painting after he scared the daylights out of the kid. Her and her friends at the girls birthday and he started insulting her parents, prior to that." Mary said in response. "Yeah and that is just what I'm talking about, we been together since we all unpacked, so would any of us do it?" she asked and we nodded to the point.

"Nope and it just made it clear, I was with you all afternoon, and never left your side leading into dinner, and we left the door between our bedrooms open as well." Theo said and I nodded to her remark. "Before this even started we decided on the buddy system, since we met the kids after our arrival ar the moment. But just where the heck did he come from and they were created 100 years ago." she said and I got a better look then.

"A 100 years ago and the creator in the legend died in 1901, so best guess is that your mom bought these guys to pull a steady case in charades. In leading you in the right direction, didn't they say that the house never had visitors since this Mr. Craine died?" Mary asked and she nodded. "Little white lie, mom brought me up here at least 80 times for 18 years and my bedroom was the nursery and then the room she gave me earlier."

"That was my bedroom, how I know is I found this on the make up table." she said and passed me a picture and I saw her as a teenager and with the Dudleys. And they were looking 15 years younger then they were when I met them. "So the bedroom I have?" Theo asked and I nodded. "That was Dana's bedroom, mom had us next to each other with the bathroom between us, so they decided to do that again, only with you."

"But you remind Beth of Dana, so just wait for the confirmation when they get in tomorrow." she said and we nodded to the news. "I studied a degree in artifacts in history, your mother worked at the museum Todd, this was part of my training. That character was created back in the early 20th century, during 1910, but marionettes. They were created back in the 1900's." she said and we nodded to the history lesson then.

"So that character, our creator of the house, he died 100 years ago?" Theo asked and she nodded to her. "The bloodline transcended through five generations: Caroline, Fred, Suzanne, Bill, mom and me. I get married and my children are next to inherit the house Fred was born was in 1886, as was Alicia, Andy though. I'm guessing was born in in 1893, so the dating was exact, our creator of the house died 80 years ago now."

"So that sums it up, he died in the 20th century after whatever tragedy happened here at the house, that was the 'sounds of children' remark. And why no one comes closer then the tree line in view of the house, but now the question is why. We know the house is haunted by a bunch of kids, so what is the secret in the walls of this house. Why choose for her to come to you David and most of all, why now was the time for them to get me."

"Get me involved, as that character was a clue to me, as was the billiard ball table, a game charades in getting us to crack why. Andy was born in 1893, as were his friends, but Jake's young brother a year later, so 100 years to the day. What show came out that they decided to use that as a way to communicate with us?" she asked and I nodded. "They chose the age group that just turned fourteen as a way to commnicate with us."

"Okay so if that's the case, then why bring this character into the room and right after we ordered them to bed?" Todd asked, as his gaze shifted sideways and Luke nodded gently. "And that one looks the blasted dummy in the show, before her father replaced him with Slappy, season one, Night Of The Living Dummy II. This house is creepy enough as it, don't over do it." Luke said and we all turned to see a dummy on the china hutch then.

"Whoa, alright where the heck did he come from?" Mary asked and she nodded. "Well there's my proof to my explanation, we know none if us did that." she said and I nodded in agreement to her thoughts. "If it is turning into that we stick together and don't get separated and whoever brought the King books. I hope you didn't bring 'The Shining' with you, or this could be considered both that and 'It'." she said and Eleanor chuckled.

"I'd say this is along the lines of Dracula or the House on Haunted Hill actually, the scenario may be tranquil. But there's got to be several surprises hiding in the walls here, so we better keep an eye on that." she said and the duo nodded in agreement to her opinion then as Todd answered her at that remark with a bemused smile. "If I hadn't read up on his books or anything else along the lines of cult classics now."

"I'd be worried right now, but this house gives me the creeps." he said and she smiled at him. "Eerie settings usually makes a good way to write a story actually, Authors like King or R. L. Stine try to scare their readers by driving up the suspense. Till the surprise twist really scares the daylights out of the reader. Robert Stevenson did the same for Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, if this house is along that era, I'd say we wound up in a horror story."

"And ghost story rolled into one." she said and he nodded in agreement. "The books are one thing, but if we got a possessed ventriloquist dummy or a walking spider like maniac dressed in a clown suit running around this house, get ready it's going to be a very long night." Theo said and she chuckled at that. "Alright guys I think we better drop the scary stories for now." Luke said and they nodded and switched subjects, to that remark.

But before she could answer I heard a secondary crash in the kitchen. "We're in here and no one's in the kitchen, hey wise guy if you're trying to scare us it's not working." Luke called out and she smiled at him as she answered him, smiling. "Anyone suspect poltergeists here, because that's the second crash. That we've heard all day aside from possessed billiard balls getting into a street hockey and croquet game in the hall."

"And a fork getting launched across the table, water fights, and the salt and pepper shaker trying to get off the table. And before we catch them in the foyer and the Dudleys already left for the night, so it's just us now. And our invisible friends are a bunch of kids needing an adult looking after them from whoever the malevolent spirit in the house is." Eleanor asked and they nodded in agreement to that as Todd answered her at that.

"Why do I feel like whoever's doing that is going to keep that up for the rest of the week?" Todd asked and I answered that. "I think the wise guy is trying to test our limits with everything needed here, but we don't need any more shocks than necessary this week." I said and he nodded in agreement to that. "Well if it's just a bunch of kids, they're trying to keep us entertained, though an adult poltergeist is going to drive it up."

"And in the scare tactics and start throwing things across the room next here, though if he was like Fred Krueger, he jacked into the cable network. And started reading a ton of King novels and started watching horror movies, the ones with a dead homicidal maniac. Took notes and decided if one of us is the target to scare us out of the house for whatever reason, though that's true and if the gentle intrusions don't work."

"Get ready for the next step in poltergeist intrusions such as the ones that were part of that book trilogy, or just get ready to dodge what gets chucked across the room." Eleanor said, though just as she finished saying that a roll got launched at my head and I quickly dodged it, as it hit the tea set behind me at the hutch then. "Well there you go, that gives a perfect punchline to your theory here Nell, so with that get ready.

"And with that fact in mind watch it, or you're going to get hit by accident." Mary said and she nodded in agreement to that. "If it was an adult poltergeist, you're looking at the haunting that scared everyone in the movie, 'Poltergeist' out of their wits at the time. Although determining some monster punched a hole into our realm is going to be more difficult here Mary, and I'm slightly rusty in knowing that as well, my training."

"Because my training got cut short when my mother had the heart attack at the time. But to answer your remark, if we have to do this again, best to have a true medic in the house, and a small triage team as well, as to why here. If this poltergeist gets lethal and then turns homicidal, I only know basic first aid and it would take a true medical expert, or in your case Doctor, a psychiatrist, just to keep the person from having a coronary."

"I'm lucky I took first aid training back in college though at the moment, by that I mean both versions of first aid, normal injuries. But injuries needing a few stitches and the life threatening ones, because mom's condition resulted in needing to do several. Several areas that resulted in injuries or a trip to the E.R. at the time here. Which I managed to stabilize, before that trip to the hospital, but if anyone gets hurt I can cover it."

"But I just took basic first aid, in the case of triage, I'm not a paramedic." she said and we both nodded to that information as I answered her then. "Us too, but none of us took the real stuff in the areas of survival 101: but the Berkshires are freezing. At this time of year, but you know the most on this, but we ever make a secondary trip up here. We're bring an M.D. with us to do medical areas." Mary said and I nodded in agreement then.

"Well if I do choose to do this again and we're all here, I'm getting a small medical team set up, though if this is your house. And you got the entire inheritance than we can afford to do the entire thing and pay damages, right now, but for now it's taking it easy for a while." I said to her and she nodded as she changed the subject at that. "So what kind of art do you get into Theo?" Eleanor asked and she chuckled as she answered her then.

"I do everything actually, the current one was a marble statue and my projects get a lot of renevues as a result of being involved with other well known artists. All those carvings are good, but they give off a sense of pain and anguish and I can see whoever the builder was as a sick and twisted man if he turned into a recluse, if that's what happened, though if he's acting like Jack the Ripper..." she said and she nodded to that.

As she answered her. "With what looks like ninety kids in this house, it's pranks and practical jokes for a while. And they're acting like kids from this decade, though it's ending in two months. This decade and last, as well as the 70's, had some seriously sick ways to make movies, including slasher flicks, though the profanity is one thing. And it's the violence that'll get you every time with the amount of scary movies."

"Haunted houses and slasher flicks they created these days." Mary said to her and Eleanor answered that. "Tell me about it, but haunted houses are another thing altogether, and there's only three in existence. Ones that fit this situation,'The House on Haunted Hill'. The Haunting of Hill House' and 'The Thirteen Ghosts' and their all the 1960 versions as well, I suppose you saw the third Nightmare film before."

"The Medical psychiatrist never listens and this killed five people in the storyline at the time in the movie. As to that, whoever the owner is probably lost his mind when he became a recluse and turned into maniac with a possessive need for children. But in order to create that theory on the carvings, and number two he probably got in. Said in, into the occult and was reading Lovecraft and other books that had to with mazes."

"If this was the video game he's acting like whatever demon decided to remodel both bases and the moons, before driving those aliens versions of the infernal regions to earth, if this guys into the occult, which explains the added Greek statues here. But what I can say is if he's as much a nutcase as we think he's lost his mind completely. Before he finished creating the house, and as for the doors, I think that's going to come later."

"Whatever history this house has I'm not sure yet, but I remember my mother telling me her family grew up here in Concord, before moving to Boston. I can't remember the maternal family name though here, though mom was descended Frederick Craine, I don't know where the family originated from. But if the Dudleys know I'll ask them if if she's my godmother and the chief, father." she said and they nodded to that to the news.

"What's the theory on the doors exactly?" Luke asked and she sighed as she answered him. "Mom gave me her theory on those doors last time we were here, and you're not going to believe this, but they glowed gold when she and I come to visit at the time." she said and we nodded in shock. "So why didn't we see that today when we arrived, if they know who you are and what were they created for?" Luke asked and she said it then.

"Well if you grew up a skeptic this is as crazy as it sounds, but for every person growing up in this town who studied the doors like that it's more to do with faith and the paranormal than art, as to that. So far we've seen images like the doors in most art, like the one she mentioned, 'The Gates of Hell'. But this version is meant to be a message and if the creator made them, it's a method to judge a person's soul."

"It's like the dream demons poster they put into the final Freddy Krueger flick, or the wall of faces on the video game, the first person shooter 'Doom', and that's what I'm referring to here. And with that, if we just ended up with the real thing, with the fact the series ended at the time now. But whoever had the doors made I don't know, but at the moment I hope they're not related to me, because that's enough of bombshell."

"After everything I been through the last two years at the moment." she said as she finished with a sigh then as she said it to him as I exchanged looks with Mary at that. "You don't think that Caroline was married to the creator, do you, if your mother knew the dangerous secrets hidden inside this house?" Mary asked and she sighed then. "Honestly I don't know, I can't remember, but if there was a darker part of that story."

"I grew up with basic understanding of this stuff, but here's where the paranormal and whatever legends they created about this house comes into it, and like I said. If my grandfather was from here I can't remember, because mom never told me. In why my grandfather was now based in Boston, why he and Alicia moved or why now. In why Caroline gave them that amount and created that will at the time here now."

"But the questions of where our family originated from, or why he left, though my great aunt was his twin and they both were carrying a few hundred quadrillion on them. And when they left from their origin, why I forgot Andy was the one following me around. Some of those memories faded, maybe we get that information once we reach a certain level with the gift we inherited I don't know, but she would say take it slow here."

"But what I can say, is if she left me the money to pay and finish college I can finish my research and we can run this more easily. So if your boss at the hospital was head of mom's department, because she's a parapsychologist and I'm her student in this and I studied this. So once I get the money, I can finish college and take my place at her office and it's a family ran business." she said and we nodded as Todd said it for me gently.

"Best guess we'll be finding out later this week, if it's connected to what he's going to tell us later. Though at this rate I bet it's connected to all the crashes we keep hearing in the kitchen." Todd said, before we heard another crash in answer to that. "For gods sake this is getting ridiculous here, alright again cool it wise guy, enough already. Guys I mean it now, I hear another crash come out of that kitchen and you're in serious trouble."

"Because if you're trying to get put in time out you're doing a really good job of it right now, buster." Luke said as he called out to whatever just did that as she tried to keep from laughing at his remark. "Nice tension breaker in the conversation at the moment, but you don't have to over do it right now Luke, take it easy man." Todd said as he started laughing and Eleanor nodded as she and Mary started laughing at his remark.

"Yeah I agree with him, don't over do it Luke." she said though her laughter at that. "Nice word for it Luke, are you trying to start a riot here?" Todd said with a laugh. "What, what I say?" he asked and she answered that through her laughter. "For a group of preteens, they hear this stuff it's like you're asking to start something with them and with that fact in mind." Todd said and she finished his sentence as she started laughing.

As I hid a smile as she said it. "You do realize they're going to see that as a reason to test your limits with all the pranks Luke. Because our little invisible friends are kids looking for some attention right now so they're going to do anything they can to get it. You just threw them a challenge and and they took it, they're now going to start testing our limits with all the practical jokes." she said and Theo chuckled at that remark then.

As Todd answered her with an amused look on his face. "Yeah you're right about that, but to get back that remark on what you said. If it is, and they do, they better take it down several notches or their getting put in a time out. To get back to it though and to change the subject, best guess is the builder was just a normal man. But a house this size is like a maze and you're looking for the right way out of it at the moment."

"Like rats in a maze and at the moment the six of us are just learning our way through that maze as we get used to the house. But at the moment it's quiet, but our lunatic monster is biding his time until he walks into us or us into him. If this was one of the first person shooters games I'd say I'm half expecting the menace. Whoever is playing that imp, to come leaping out of a closed door or around the corner or something."

"But remember the sequence to that game: first normal guys with handguns, snipers, imps, demons and then a monster that look Satan after he turned into the devil. Followed by lost souls, a demon that looked like the head of another character. From another game and a character that looks like a more souped up version to to a hell prince. Before we see a chain gun toting version of Pennywise in his natural form in that video game."

"Before they added 7 more monsters, but this is getting ridiculous right now." Todd said to him and he nodded in agreement to that. "Tell me about, but the references, the river styx, you need any further intel on that crossing the river styx. Translation: after Phobos and Deimos, but those names in Greek are connected to you thesis, Dave. Phobos: fear, Deimos: terror, river Styx, Hades." Eleanor said and I nodded to the remark gently.

"If this was a scary movie I'd say they turned the house into a maze right out of a video game here, said video games first person shooters and the environment starts changing positions on you till you run into someone you're looking for. If that's what this house is trying to assimilate it's not amusing right now, because we don't need it. Those types of scares, or the one from poltergeist this week." Mary said and Theo looked at her.

"That's what I hate about these games, that one focused on demons and hell, now that is really taking theology and Greek mythology a bit too far here. That door is like asking for someone to call in the monsters completely, I mean on the one hand we got a slightly clean mentally healthy living environment. And then we find that door and a carving that is dressed like the grim reaper." Theo said to her and she nodded in agreement to that.

"Lovecraft was obsessed with ancient menaces and mazes, if he loved to study Greek mythology, he's acting like he's into the occult here, with the amount of statues he created." Todd said and she answered that. "With Harry Houdini up by that point, this is sixty years prior to that, and with what I've seen he's got a demented sense of a humor, though if he became a recluse, he turned to studying the occult and then went crazy."

"But if we keep talking like this and it's not going to matter if we're here for sleep deprivation or not, we're going to be having nightmares from all this stuff if this keeps up." Eleanor said to her and she nodded. 'Nice touch for getting the eerie setting to the environment set up here, because with them talking like that. They're going to love the legend of the house when I tell them this.' I thought as he looked at her to answer her.

"Alright subject change now then, what's your movie preferences exactly?" Luke asked and she chuckled as she answered him then. "I'm into Scifi, crime comedies, comedies and anything that has to do with the paranormal." she said and he chuckled as he exchanged smiles with Todd. "Same here actually, I'm from L.A., my personal favorites have Christopher Lloyd in them, after our conversation in the foyer, I think they're going to see this as a reason to be doing anything they can to get attention."

"Though if they start doing crime comedies I'm sure it's going to start getting out of hand here." he said and she started laughing. "Yeah well don't encourage them, they hear this they're going to see this as a reason to drive up the pranks and jokes." Mary said with a chuckle. "You used to say that about me and Rick, Mary." Todd said smiling and she chuckled at that. "Why do I feel like that's going to mean several jokes and running gags all night?" I asked and he smiled and she answered that question.

"Because once he finds someone of the alternate personality they started acting like a couple of wise guys and tried to get us to start laughing every time they did a comedy hour when we were kids David, with you choosing Luke. He's found his opposite half and with things needing an adrenaline come down once they start something it results in one of us choking on something through our laughter and don't do it at the table." she said and I nodded as Eleanor smiled at that as she looked at the duo.

"Great, you just selected the wiseacre duo now Doctor, alright we just entered movies we all have in common here. What's the big one we all like exactly anyway, with us being in a haunted house right now, with our conversation regarding Clue, I think we started something?" she asked and Mary looked at the duo. "Before you say it, no not at the table, we got to get out of the room, before you go for crime and comedy hour here alright guys." she said and I chuckled at that as Eleanor said it for me then.

"If it is, they're going for movies that we all share in common with each other, aside from mixed animation numbers, such as Roger Rabbt, just don't give them any ideas, because once they hear this it's going to start getting out of hand. And while we're on the subject here with comedies and crime comedies, just who dragged in the Christopher Lloyd flicks into this exactly, because two of them are considered crime comedies and she already said not to do that." She said and Theo grinned as she answered her question as I chuckled at the fact I just added on to her therapy with the duo.

"I'll keep that in mind where the duo are concerned here and to answer your question it was Luke. Okay so what's the scariest horror movie you've ever seen exactly?" she asked and she chuckled as she answered her. "At the time I was running my thesis, I was working on dream and sleep deprivation in case we really did have a lunatic like Krueger running loose in someone nightmares, but that's my thesis actually."

"And that's not just a theory or supposed science either, aside from Craven's childhood, it's been confirmed that there were two deaths from sleep deprivation. I was running studies on this for several years at the time. Though anyone who's seen this series has a really warped sense of humor, because these movies just keep getting more violent every year." she said and I nodded in agreement to that as I answered her at that.

"That's the truth, these horror movies and violence in cinema is one thing, but life imitating art is getting a bit too out of hand these days." I said and she nodded. " It's art imitating life is one thing, that's what A New Nightmare was focused on, but life imitating art, imitating life that's another thing altogether. This duology is taking that a bit too far and then it's the Pamela Voorhees syndrome and from what I gathered from the latest one it's a Prom Night theme to it, but every movie follows the exact same pattern."

"You want someone to blame, take it out on the person who started it, not an innocent victim, these psychos have their wires crossed for blaming the people that had nothing to do with their deaths." she said and I nodded. "Dealing with psychotics, they got a one tracked mind, in their heads they can't take the responsibility for their actions and try to foyster it onto someone else. Which is why my compatriots see these movies as a reason to get violence out of the movie theaters now, it's not healthy." I said and she nodded.

"I hear that, these slasher flicks just keep getting worse every year, Hannibal Lector, the Candyman, Pinhead, Michael Myers, Jason Voorhees, just who creates this crap exactly, because whoever it is has a warped sense of humor nowadays, and then they create a duology of horror crime movies the last three years with the latest coming out next summer. These movies don't make serial killers, they just make them even hostile than they are already." Todd said and she nodded in agreement with his opinion.

"So far these jump scares in these movies are enough to give a person with heart disease and problems a heart attack, before the end of the movie, but with it being the one month of the year you really get to enjoy these movies, and we're spending a week in a haunted house get ready it's going to be a very long week now." she said and they nodded as he got ready to answer her at that with a smile on his face.

Before he could though the wine bottle started edging itself off the table and I quickly grabbed it. "You try and jump off the table without the cork you're going to make a mess pal, you're not going anywhere." I told it and she looked at me. "With a bunch of preteens this is going to be a very long week now at the moment. Though if these seven are constantly hanging around next question is who are they if they were human."

"Though I think they're trying to test our patience by pulling disappearing acts with the food and staples on the table." she said and I nodded as the butter started edging it's way off the table in answer to that. "You had to say that, alright if you want some cookies or whatever she made for dessert, go ahead guys." Mary said and the butter stopped as a plate of chocolate chip cookies got taken off the bar and went into the kitchen as Todd called out to them with an amused smile.

"Just leave us whatever she made us for dessert, you guys got the cookies, but whatever else she cooked is ours, alright." Todd said, and in answer to that a chocolate cake the size of bicycle tire was set on the table and we nodded, followed by two pots of coffee and three jugs of milk and as we exchanged looks at this. "Mom, if you the medical records, mine with Malcolm and Dr. Marrow here, I don't suppose you wrote up a list."

"Of who suffered from what, with my being a live at home nurse, and at times, I did, what the EMT's did, before I got you to the hospital, did you." she said and an invisible hand left a piece of paper on the table for her and she read through it and nodded. "Medical allergies are one thing, but what about food exactly guys, with what they just set on the table, anyone allergic to what we just ate or are having for dessert."

"Because..." she started to say and I heard a tapping on the China hutch behind her and Luke turned around and saw a medical bag sitting there as he opened it it and checked and nodded. "This bag has every medication needed for allergic reactions and another piece of paper regarding fast triage medical info, Nell." he said and Todd looked at the paper and nodded as he answered her gently as he looked over her shoulder.

"Yeah, I think your mother knows that with you acting as a nurse, fast medical triage is the best way to go and the added alternatives. Before we, if we have a problem tonight, are on the paper, and I'm not allergic to anything we ate right now." he said and the trio nodded as I did the same and she nodded as she answered him. "Alright I saw what looked like white or vanilla cake batter and a mixing bowl of chocolate icing."

"I think that's what she chose for dessert in our case, but the coffee..., mom when you helped with the volunteer contracts. Did you get the volunteers medical records, just to check for allergies and passed the allergy records. If they're food allergies off to Mrs. Dudley so she can set meals safely for us?" she asked and the salt shaker jumped off the table and we nodded in relief at the news as she smiled at that.

"Had the issue of diabetes, during that ten year period it was setting snacks and drinks accordingly for mom. If Jefferson at the local hospital knows, then they know with three medical ailments I was getting beyond frustrated at it. But that's what I meant by that remark, to much or too little sugar is dangerous. But blood-sugar tests, insulin shots and the added steroids to go with it, believe me at the moment, now."

"The fact Jane took off on me just to have a party, while I got stuck at home, looking after mom, that's why I hate her and her family so much right now. On top of the will at the moment, all in all right now, it's going to be payback. And without a shot fired, because mom rigged the probate right now." she said and we nodded. "Well I'd hate to be him right now once he realizes this and that your mother rigged everything."

"But meeting us is right now, it's enough to make it clear at the moment here, in regarding that remark, nice guys finish first and the bad finish last." Luke said with a smirk and we nodded in agreement then. "Well I guess that answers that question, though with that in mind, it's better we don't drink too much tonight." Mary said and Luke nodded in agreement to her thoughts as he went into it.

"No drinking or drugs, never have sex and never say I'll be right back, horror movie cliches, this is a haunted house, not a scary movie, what's next exactly?" Luke asked and I sighed. "I'm not sure, but with it being the week leading up to Halloween, it's going to be a very long night. Alright you little wiseacres leave the wine bottles alone alright." I said as it started edging itself off the table in answer to that.

And I put it back into place as the biscuit basket started doing the same thing and he sighed in exasperation at that. "They took the cookies and are now trying to pretend they're kids older then 16, but they're age group didn't have legal restrictions. And it's only the last 60 years that age requirement came out on everything." Eleanor said and we nodded in agreement as he said it firmly to our invisible charges.

"Hold it right there pal, you're not going anywhere." he added and it froze and put itself back. "Well at least they're too young to start drinking at this age." Mary said and I nodded in agreement to that as the rolls started edging themselves out of my reach and I grabbed it a second time. "Well that's one way to get levity into the room, after that last conversation." Todd said and she chuckled at that as Luke said it for both of us.

"Enough with the disappearing acts already guys, come on." Luke added and the rolls picked themselves up and rolled right off the table to be eaten. "I guess they were hungry, if he grabbed that, because she made six batches of crescents and that's the rest of the basket with what we just finished here." Theo said and he chuckled. Just as he got ready to say it I heard a crash. "Well now they're really trying to get start something here." he added and I nodded, before I could answer I heard a slight hissing.

"Did someone leave a wine bottle out, because that sounds like the pressure building before it explodes?" Eleanor asked and I thought it over. "They put too much sugar and yeast into those things to build the carbonation levels to the exploding point it's like gun going when the cork is popped. But if that's enough to scare us with it being the one month for horror movies the wiseacres are now trying to scare us." he said gently to her.

Just as I was answering him, we heard, with a loud bang, what sounded like the repercussion of a rifle going off followed by what sounded like a handgun going off with it and the guys and I stood up at that. "Finally, we got something we recognize here now, our conversation followed the same pattern and he chooses now to make his entrance in noises, explosions. And scare tactics now." Luke said and she, Theo and I relaxed in relief then as Eleanor moved then.

Around the table and stood next to me and Theo as Luke moved to us at that "Who brought the damn fireworks, that sound like a cannon going off?!" Mary asked in shock. "No that sounded like a gun going off, at the moment, although I think that was a champagne bottle. Not a wine bottle." Theo said gently and the duo nodded. "We didn't bring a gun in the house, what was that?" Eleanor asked me quickly and I got up with the guys to check as they stood up with us.

"I'm not sure, but stay close girls." I said and they nodded to that as he looked at me. "Well there it is, it finally happened right now, he just made his entrance and decided to signal me. And by destroying a glass bottle in hearing range of us." she said and the three of us nodded sternly. "He knows you came back, as an adult, you look like Becky, but if this doesn't work, it's back to the cruel practical jokes." Mary repeated and the four of us nodded as she said it then.

"Did anyone hear a follow up explosion, because the first had the tone of handgun, but the second a shot gun." she asked and I nodded. "And the hand gun put a dent in the wall here behind us, but where's the shotgun blast?" Luke asked and I nodded, and Mary nudged me in the shoulder and I turned and found a destroyed mug in pieces on the floor. "I think that answers your question, the cork went by me so fast, it destroyed a mug." I said and he nodded.

"That was either someone shaking up a wine bottle to get the pressure right, before they popped the cork or they got a hold of a revolver or something." Luke said and I nodded in agreement to that. "Either way that's meant to scare us, that's not a playful intrusion, it's meant to make us think we got a maniac in the house." Eleanor said and we nodded. "You said these bottles have 90psi, shake it up, it doubles that?" Mary said and he nodded and I nodded then.

"Well trying to get the conversation back on track and he follows it up with destroying the wall, okay we're back on track right now." I said and Eleanor and the duo nodded. "So this happened in the middle dinner after our conversation veered into this element. Shall we jump over knowing about the will and the pranks in the library, since we know everything?" Todd asked and I nodded. "Yep, alright back at it and stick close, 7 to 6a.m..." Eleanor said to me then.

"Back to this again, alright we're back on course finally, the pattern is following exactly as the four of us remember again, so someone shook up that bottle. And blasted the cork across the room so stick together and make sure the bathroom door is unlocked. And Mary, before playing with it after the story check the knobs and unwind it." I said and she nodded in agreement then. "Well now we can relax, the pattern was off kilter and back on track." Theo said and I nodded.

"Okay we can relax now finally in the four of us, but listen you bastard, you're not fooling us into pointing fingers at each other right now. We know it's you, but just give it your best shot, because we're staying right here." Luke said sternly and I nodded in agreement. "Girls leave the bathroom door between you open." Eleanor said and they nodded. "Mew?" Crystal said as I saw her fur standing up and I nodded. "Yeah bad cat broke drinking bowl." I said to her gently then.

"But you never stepped in broken drinking bowl did you, if you did, we got red pawprints all over the place, did your paw get hurt by broken see through drinking bowl?" she added and she gave a 'no' meow to her and she checked each paw and then ran her hand through her back fur to soothe her then. "Dave, I'm looking at playful intrusions and things that are meant to scare us, and that's meant to scare us, with your reaction guys, and you're a psychiatrist as well."

"As to that, it's like he said, that either they, or just Hugh now, used a bottle of wine so shaken up it explodes once the cork is popped. But as this could be seen we got a homicidal maniac on the grounds though the gate is locked at the moment, Hugh is trying to scare us here." Eleanor added and I nodded as she moved closer to me and I knew she felt safer around me to do that after our last time here then as we looked around the room, before Todd got my attention.

"It's just us in this house, and I can bet if that Hugh is trying to scare us, it's by use of guns, explosives and fireworks, he's trying to scare us enough to get us out of the house. Alright nobody panic, stick together, we need to what caused that." she said as we spread out and started looking around the dining room, till Luke called to us then. "Dave, Nell honey, just found it over here, the rest of the bottle struck the wall." he said and we moved to him as Todd said it.

"Found it, the, whatever it is that is trying to scare us, just knocked this bottle of champagne off the counter and the fall caused the pressure to hit carbonation levels, when the bottle or can is shaken up, and caused the cork to go flying across the room after the explosion." Todd said walking over to the wall to find a cork lying on the floor and picked it up and I nodded and I sighed at this as I thought over the wiseacre who just did that, knowing it wasn't one of the seven who liked being around us then.

"How much pressure was in the pop exactly, because we normally point the bottle away from our faces when opening the damn thing?" I asked and he looked at the floor soaked in suds and then looked at the wall and I saw a gentle puncture in the wall. "Rick and Beth are not going to like this, once she sees what the bastard did the house in the opening. Guys watch the glass, so you don't get cut here." she said and I nodded in agreement as she left her hand on his back.

"Well the touch up should help fix that, before I match the wall paper Nell, as for this, if anyone of us had been in range of that blast, it could break a rib." Luke said to her and Todd nodded sternly. "We're looking at the paint can shaking April Fools joke in the fifth season of 'The Simpsons'. If you've never seen that show, this episode is as cruel as it gets, because it's like Home Alone, when Culkin created all the booby traps to keep his house from getting robbed."

"It's the one that Bart created in the show that landed his father in the hospital if that had enough pressure that slight abrasion in the wall would be a dent." he said and I nodded, that made it clear that my project was getting toyed with slightly as I thought it mentally to the kids or our invisible assailant then. "If that says anything, it's that whoever just did that is trying to play practical jokes on us, in parlor tricks." Eleanor told him as she put her hand on his shoulder and he nodded as he looked at her.

"Yeah well we had one today by the possessed billiard balls and it's been mostly childish pranks of a preteen or teenager all afternoon. Though this has all the makings of an adult ghost like beetlejuice in the house." Todd said to her and she nodded. "Yeah and that guy was a dawg no less, but this maniac. If he gets any worse, is going stalker and start terrorizing one of us girls if this keeps up." she told him and that did it as I thought it mentally to whoever just did that as I injected a warning growl into my mental tone.

'Listen wise guy, I'm running a minor scare study, I'm not trying to scare my patients out of their wits right now to the point they have a nervous break down here, leave us alone. And you come near the girls and I'm going to kill you a second time, stay away from them.' I thought to myself angrily as she answered him at that. "Yeah I was right, he's trying to scare us out of the house, alright, nobody take in more than two glasses tonight, so nobody gets loaded, if someone gets hurt, we got a designated driver."

"And secondly we stick together for the rest of the night till we go to bed. We got to make more than one key, in case one of us gets hurt enough to need a trip to the E.R. here David." she said and I nodded in agreement as her change from my title to my name got my attention as Mary looked at her as she hid a smile at the address she just gave me. "Yeah and good point, and with that, we've all had only one glass, so take it easy. Thought frequent scares at this rate are beginning to get annoying now."

"But to repeat that remark here guys, nobody takes in more than two, and we stick together till we all call it for the night." Mary said and I nodded in agreement. "Well constant jolts of stimulus is beginning to get annoying at this rate, but if you want to hear that story, alright shall we." I said and they nodded and we headed for the library and while the quartet were talking Mary was fooling around with the clavichord harp.

"Wait grab the plates, the silverware and these things and we can do dessert in the library, before we get the entire story." Eleanor suggested and we nodded. "Agreed, we can settle in tonight, and get the fire wood, because we're there for the rest of the evening. And before we hit the hay for the night." I said and she nodded smiling as we grabbed the cake then. As we grabbed them and took them into the library with us then.

While we were getting settled in the room, I saw the quartet suddenly focus on the layout in the library and I felt my shock go through me, because I saw what looked like three hundred to five hundred books on the shelf and a piano, harp, a clavichord harp and several other musical instruments by the door next to the clavichord harp as Luke said my thoughts out loud as he looked at Eleanor with a smile.

"Well you were right about there being a library in this house, but this room is huge." Luke said and she nodded in amazement at the amount of books on the shelves. "Whoever owned the house must have built a cross between a music room and library if there's several musical instruments in here along with what looks like half the book store at Barnes and Noble." Theo added as she looked around in amazement at this.

"At the rate this is going I'm expecting trouble right now from, mom knows I'm a book worm, but as Ryder said. It's that the books needed for college were mostly Dickens, Stevenson and Verne, if she left the books here, she was intending on me. Finishing my education in college, and getting into a job at the hospital, if she left this quite clearly now." she said and we nodded as Luke said it with a smile to her at that.

"You feel like we're in a maze here, because this is beginning to get ridiculous?" Luke asked the girls and Todd started laughing. "If it is, it makes a good way to create a house, because it's maze and funhouse built into one, though at this rate I'm expecting a monster, demon or zombie to come charging in here with a loaded shot gun or pistol." he said and Eleanor answered that with an amused look on her face as she said it.

"Unexpected movements in here, I saw the door slam shut and no one got a hold of it guys. If it's just us, we better stick together or at least pair off when doing whatever tests he's giving us." she said and the trio nodded in agreement to that. "Mazes inside a house, and a cork giving off the sound of gun going off, great, at this rate if this keeps up. I'm expecting that first person shooter game to wind up in the house and the monsters. Or just the zombies come charging in here with a loaded gun." Luke said to her and she chuckled as she looked at the duo smiling.

Hearing that I saw Eleanor as she hid a smile as she answered him. "You just trying to make this exchange familiar to put them at ease, we did this once already, why need to repeat it?" she asked and I started laughing at that. "Then again after our discussion at the table, this house is a maze so why not, before we scare each other out of our wits. But make this comfortable right now as we do this." Theo said and I nodded in agreement with her opinion as she went further.

"With the front door we saw I'm not surprised you're saying that Luke, Theo did you ever check out that tapestry focused on the supposed gates of the underworld?" she asked and Theo nodded to her. "Yeah and that and the front door is pretty disturbing, that painting is enough to scare the daylights out of anyone and as to why it's considered. Now, covering the heart and soul here, and all these monsters and creatures are from the Hercules legends."

"The video game dragged up areas that would, if that was real, would be considered blasphemy and as to why, first it goes from our versions of hell and the denizens in it. To the swastika and Nazis and those people are lunatics, so if whoever created the doors must have been really into theology, took pieces from three different times. And mashed them together to create the carvings, the statues and the doors, because those demons on the door look halfway human, so it's essentially hell and heaven style looks here."

"Or Greek mythology, because I found a griffin on the stairs earlier, Griffins, cherubs, if those lion statues are what I'm thinking, the Nemean Lion as well, the boar from the Hercules legends and a dozen other carvings and marble statues, but all together the architect and builder really over did it in this when he built the house. That video game mixed Greek mythology into a Catholic's version of hell and the results were monsters that met our opinions of demons and Lucifer when he got reincarnated as the devil."

"While screwing around with the achitecture in the process, and the guy who built this house must have read a lot of Lovecraft if he's now doing this." She said and Eleanor and Luke nodded as she got ready to answer her. "That's what scares me, if Hades or or Lucifer is hanging around that door would be the prime way to end a fight, I mean 'all who stand before these doors shall be judged', if that's not enough of a message nothing is right now." she told her and she nodded in agreement to that.

"That's an understatement, those demons looks closer to lost souls and skeletons than human, but we probably got unknowlingly judged innocent and good when we were standing there, but the poor soul who isn't is getting yanked into it if it comes to that. The monsters were using several Greek legends to reconvert the moons and that's another catch, Phobos, Deimos, imps, demons, monsters that look like our interpretation of the devil and zombies, underground mazes. But the guy who built this house must have loved ancient history if he created his own version of a funhouse."

"My major goes into philosophy a bit, but I'd say this is covering ancient history now too, we got a maze built into a house, a door that looks like the gates to the underworld, and multiple carvings and statues of characters from Ancient Greek mythology and the ones that appear the most are lion heads. So with that, if this is enough to scare we stick together if the wiseacre is now trying to scare the daylights out of us." she said and Eleanor nodded in agreement to that.

Before she could answer though I heard a door slam shut and I got up. "That wasn't any of us David, we're in here and the Dudleys already left for the night, so with that our mysterious assailant is trying to spook us, before you tell us that legend on the house. Alright the wise guy trying to scare us, better knock it off, we're not falling for it." Todd told me as he called out to whoever or whatever did that and she looked at him.

"Alright Todd keep it together here, it's probably just a draft from an open window somewhere in the house. And anyway the wiseacre is going to keep testing our limits so we don't make it easy on him, besides I bet it's just another scene from a movie or show." Eleanor said and he nodded as she patted him on the shoulder, as Luke decided to change the subject by lightening up the mood, before he could though she looked at Todd.

I could tell she was trying to find some way to keep him calm. "Remember when I said our invisible host was going for poltergeist intrusions, well this is what I meant. The six of us are together, no one else is in the house but us and we hear that. So trying to get us to start pointing fingers at each other, but what I can guarantee. It's that though I may figure it in, trying to rationalize this just makes it harder to see it."

"Aside from that I think they're trying to lighten up the mood." she said and then I heard a mental chuckle as she said it out loud as I saw the smile on her face. "What's so funny exactly Nell?" Mary asked and she smiled. "Alright we got six people in the house, one a psychiatrist and the other five are of the same personalities of the characters of a certain board game that got turned into a movie here so with that fact in mind here, remember our conversation in the dining room over movie jokes."

"Alright think it over guys, what movie had both of these in the exact same scenes, we heard a gun going off, but the lights weren't out and we were at the dinner table talking about haunted houses and it turned to mystery movies and stories in the middle of the conversation." she asked, before I could answer I hear a gun go off, followed by something shatter and then a scream in the hallway.

"If I'd hadn't seen any crime comedies I wouldn't be finding this too amusing right now if there was more than six people in the house." Todd said and she nodded as Luke looked at her then at that. "Great, Christopher Lloyd and movie jokes entering the conversation and with us being the only ones in the house..., oh great. Several thunks, a groan and then a gun goes off next." Todd said and Luke nodded to her.

"Wait I know that scream, Crime comedy, crime comedy, alright I see where you're going with this, bullet one in the dining room, two in the hallway, we heard something made of porcelain shatter, and then we heard a scream and of the trio the one most recognizable was Scarlett." Luke said and she nodded. "Our conversation at dinner was crime comedies and this happened to be one of the ones Lloyd played in, so what else exactly."

"If we were playing in a movie here the murder was in the study, the bullet missed by an ear and even with the fire it was too dark to see anything, though the vase was destroyed when they turned on the lights and the gun was lying on the floor next to the murder, and they started arguing over it." Todd added and she nodded as she answered him at that. "I think they took your remark literally on waiting till we were done eating, before they started Mary." I said and she nodded as Eleanor answered with a smile.