Panic Room

Molly looks in the mirror at her Halloween costume one last time. She's a ghost princess, wearing a faded blue gown with an icy blue crown, makeup to make her look pale with dark circles under her eyes, and her blue wig which she's made look a bit darker and messier. She truly looks like a princess who came back from the dead to haunt someone.

"This night is going to be the best, scariest, most enhappifying Halloween ever! I can't wait!" Molly said.

Molly looks to Scratch's ghost house, feeling a bit sad he still isn't back from the Ghost World to celebrate.

I wish you were here, Scratch. A ghost princess is nothing without her ghostly best friend by her side. Well, at least I'll have my friends to trick or treat with. Still, something feels off…I feel like everything around me is fading.

Suddenly, Molly watches as her bedroom turns a dark blue all around while her bed, dresser, and toys glow neon blue. Then it all crumbles as bright lights flash on and off. She closes her eyes and covers her ears to block it all out, but she can still hear distorted voices.

"What's going on? Please, make it stop!" Molly said.

Then Molly hears a knock at the front door, and opens her eyes. Everything around her is back to normal as if nothing happened. This leaves her even more confused and frightened, but she decides to brush it off for now.

"Huh, that must have just been my overactive imagination combined with adrenaline from the spookiness of Halloween night. No need to fear, Molly! You're okay." Molly said.

Molly tries to reassure herself she's fine as she runs downstairs, excited to see who's at the door as she rushes to open it.

Molly opens the door and smiles when she sees Libby, Andrea, and Ollie in their costumes and ready to go. Libby is a turtle human superhero hybrid, Andrea is a pop star, and Ollie is a zombie.

"Happy Halloween! Woah! I love all your costumes!" Molly said.

"Thank you, Molly. You look spooky, like a real ghost!" Libby replied.

"She also looks beautiful! I mean look at that dress. Are you a ghost princess?" Andrea asked.

Molly nods, happy that her costume looks so authentic. Then she looks to Ollie for his reaction but sees that he's blushing under all of that zombie makeup which causes her to blush too.

"You look incredible, Molly." Ollie said.

Molly nervously looks away, then back at Ollie with a shy smile. Those butterflies make her feel so happy and in love all over again. She takes Ollie's hand and they all head out together.

"How cute! A zombie and a ghost princess falling in love. Adorable!" Andrea said.

"You know, that could make an interesting romance novel. Both undead creatures from different worlds falling in love. It practically writes itself." Libby said.

Molly looks back at them and smiles.

This is perfect. Just me and my friends all together on Halloween night. It's dark and ominous, but fun and exciting too! I'm going to enjoy every second of this special moment with them. Nothing can ruin this night.

Suddenly, flashbacks fill Molly's mind. She sees her nightmare, going to school and seeing the shadow creature, walking home with Libby and seeing ghosts all around her, and finally coming face to face with the shadow creature as it takes over her. Then, she blacked out.

Molly gasps for air as she falls to her knees. Her heart's racing and she's breathing fast. Her friends gather around her, nervous but trying to help.

"Molly, what's wrong?" Ollie asked.

"Are you okay?" Andrea asked.

Libby then puts her hand on Molly's hand and starts breathing, gesturing for her to do the same.

Molly nods and tries to take deep breaths to calm herself down. Thinking she must be having a panic attack, relieved Libby knows exactly what to do.

Things start to slow down, the world around Molly starts to fade in and out once again and this scares her. Trying to hold onto the reality she's built around herself, Molly finally realizes what's going on as it all crumbles.

Molly then looks around and notices it's just her and Libby left, alone together in the darkness. She knows exactly what's going on.

"This isn't real is it?" Molly asked.

Libby shakes her head, trying to hold back tears and stay strong for Molly. Then, she holds out a little glowing yellow light in her hands.

"No, this is all in your mind…The good news is it's like a dream. To wake up, you just need to shine a light in the dark." Libby replied.

Molly takes the light in her hands, a ray of hope for her to hold onto as she starts to cry. Then, her eyes glow bright as she starts to come back to herself.

"Molly, everything is going to be okay. You just have to wake up. Please…" Libby said.


Molly opens her eyes, shocked to see bright lights all around her. She blinks, trying to make sense of her environment. She then realizes where she is. In a hospital bed, an IV in her arm, wearing a blue gown, a blanket wrapped around her.

Molly sees her family and friends in the room with her, all asleep in their chairs. Her Dad, Mom, and Darryl are all here for her. Even Scratch who's asleep on the window sill.

Then Molly sees Libby resting her head next to her while sitting in a chair. She's asleep too and never left her side.

Putting all of the pieces together, Molly starts to remember what happened. She cries, letting it all sink in and wondering if any of it was real or not. If there was a shadow creature following her and ghosts all around or if she was hallucinating. It's all so blurry, but seeing her family and friends all around her makes her feel safe and loved.

Suddenly, Molly feels Libby start to move as she slowly wakes up. She looks at Molly shocked, tears of joy in her eyes as she carefully hugs her best friend.

"Molly, you're awake! I was so worried, but you're okay. You're okay…" Libby said.

Molly hugs Libby back, still weak and tired. She holds her friend close, knowing this is real and holds onto this moment.

Once they break out of the hug, Molly looks around and is surprised but happy to see everyone else is awake.

"How are you feeling?" Pete asked.

Molly looks at her Dad and picks up on the fact that he's holding back tears. It makes her sad to see everyone so worried about her, but she knows she needs to be honest.

"I'm feeling better, just tired and kind of out of it. I guess I'm just confused. What happened to me?" Molly asked.

Sharon takes Molly's hand. She can feel Molly's still ice cold and that worries her, but feeling her daughter's hand in hers again is enough. At least she's safe.

"Well, when Libby called us, she explained how you were seeing and hearing things that weren't there. She said after she brought you home, you ended up fainting. She said it looked like you saw something really scary, then passed out." Sharon replied.

"Yeah and I read books on ghosts and curses. I even talked to most of the ghosts in the Ghost World to see if there was something suspicious going on or if what you were experiencing was a haunting, but they all said that nothing like that is happening this Halloween now that they're free of the old Chairman's control." Scratch added.

Molly takes in this information, realizing what happened was all in her mind. She looks out the window at the dark night sky. Ominous but beautiful, just like in her dream about going out with her friends for Halloween.

"So what you're all saying is, none of what I saw or heard was real. I guess that means I'm as crazy as everyone says I am…A freak." Molly said.

Molly then lies down and stares out the window with tears falling. She always knew she was different, but she always saw her quirks as a positive thing, so this is hard to accept.

Everyone looks around at one another sadly, then back at Molly with concern. Then Libby speaks up.

"Molly, look at me." Libby said.

Molly turns around, she tries her best to look and feels a bit better when she sees genuine care in her friend's eyes.

Libby takes Molly's hand.

"You're not crazy, and you're not a freak. You're brave, creative, kind, and optimistic. Sure you're hyper and overly positive sometimes, but that's what makes you, well you. You're my best friend, and me and everyone around you loves you so much for who you are. We'll help you get through this." Libby said.

Hearing those kind words from Libby and seeing the caring looks from her family all around her fills Molly's heart with joy.

Molly wipes away her tears with a smile and opens her arms up. Then everyone joins in for a group hug.

"Thank you so much everyone. Whatever's happening to me, I know I'll get through it. I'll be okay." Molly said.

Suddenly, everyone breaks out of the hug when the therapist comes in. A young adult blonde woman with a caring demeanor and warm smile.

"So sorry to break up the special family moment, but I need to talk to Molly." Dr. Waybright said.

Molly nods. She knows now that she can get through this.

"Alright, this isn't going to be easy to hear. Molly, what you were experiencing was psychosis. A break from reality that led to you hallucinating and having vivid nightmares and dreams. For your own protection, we'll have to have you stay in an inpatient treatment center for a while." Dr. Waybright said.

Molly's shocked to hear this. She looks around at her family and friends for help. The last thing she wants is to go to treatment, but she knows it's what's best. She almost panics, screaming in her mind that she can't go. She can't be alone and leave behind the people she loves. At that moment, she almost loses herself again, so she tries to ground herself.

Molly takes deep breaths, in and out, and stays calm. Then opens her eyes and looks around at her family and friends with hope. Assuring them she'll be okay and trying her best to stay positive.

"All I want is to get better and recover, so I'm ready for whatever comes next. Let's do this!" Molly said.