Chapter 3
"The Minister Seated Behind Me"
It was official, we were coming back here to New Orleans to solve another ghost mystery. I will admit as a former television reporter with her own show, the memories were a lot to take in. But Six Flags New Orleans was no Moonscar Island, I will tell you that. I actually went through a traumatizing experience here of which I will discuss more later in the story. The only clues I will give you is that I was thrown into a lake, my clothes torn to the point where I was nearly exposed and I have cuts and scrapes all over my body as a result.
However, even before we got on the plane to New Orleans, there was a sense that what was happening at Six Flags New Orleans was no isolated guy in a costume. I actually began to think back to an episode of "Coast to Coast," where we were in Southern California, just before we reunited.
"Hey Freddie," I asked as we flew to New Orleans. "This whole mystery at Six Flags New Orleans, doesn't this remind you of something?"
I had been looking at my phone of pictures that were still in my phone of us being at a house that was once haunted by ghosts.
"Cuesta Verde? That's where we did that episode on the Freeling family. Why bring this up?"
"Because do you remember when all those strange occurrences were happening? The ghostly piece of meat? A haunted swimming pool with skeletons? Part of me is getting those vibes."
To Fred, this seemed out of the ordinary.
"I mean, think about it," I continued. "What this family went through was in reality that their home, rather their own community was built on a cemetery. It's like Steve Freeling said when we interviewed him for our show a few years back. The guy who "
"But how can you believe that Six Flags was built on a cemetery? It probably wasn't and if there are ghosts, it's probably the ghosts of those who died during Katrina."
"All I am saying Freddie is that they had to go somewhere. You know and I know that spirits, real spirits don't die. Remember that Steve Freeling said that there was more than one ghost involved in the hauntings? The youngest child being attracted to the television set. Part of me thinks that what is happening at Six Flags New Orleans also happened in Cuesta Verde."
…
Now there is something about me that I have never revealed to you until now. I, Daphne Anne Blake, had a special gift that I was born with that was part of why I was into fashion and shopping.
"Daphne, maybe you're overreacting to this whole thing. Unless you had contact with the ghost yourself in a dream."
"Being neurodiverse has its advantages, Freddie," I replied as I turned my phone off and stuck it back in my purse. "I can do many things, you know that. Like I believe that there is a sign that what happened in Cuesta Verde is happening in New Orleans."
Of course, Fred felt somewhat insulted being that he thought I was trying to take over the case.
"Daph, you can't just count your chickens before they hatch. Let's solve this mystery before any conclusions are made."
…
Suddenly, I felt a sudden chill on the back of my neck and it felt like something or someone was breathing on me. It wasn't coming from Fred who was seated next to me, but from the seat behind me.
"Hey, do you feel that?" I asked.
"Feel what?" Fred wondered.
"Someone is behind us," I whispered, taking off my seat belt even though the sign was turned on.
"Daphne…"
But just as I got up to look for the source of the breathing, there suddenly was a sudden bump of turbulence that caused me to sit back down.
"Uh, ladies and gentlemen," the pilot announced on the intercom. "We're just hitting some minor turbulence, so please keep your seat belts fastened. Thank you."
"I know there is someone back there, Freddie," I whispered, but Fred turned and saw nobody sitting behind us.
"There's nobody back there, just an empty airplane seat. Maybe your anxiety is getting the best of you. It's not like someone is going to have fun with you. Remember, I am here to protect you."
But I knew what I saw. Fred thought I was probably overreacting, but he was wrong. There was indeed someone back there and he was dressed like he was a minister. Being a Roman Catholic, I knew a priest or reverend or minister when I saw one. I reached into my suit jacket and pulled out a pair of rosary beads that I kept with me at all times. Quietly, I began to say a few Catholic prayers asking for our lord and savior to protect us from what was to come as well as to process my emotions that were part of my diagnosis as a young girl.
"Lord, I don't ask for much," I whispered. "But hear me, your humble servant, Daphne Anne, I fear that a strange force is coming for me and my friends. I am the youngest of my family and the youngest of Mystery, Inc. If there is a spirit coming after me, I ask you to protect me and my friends. I ask this in your name, Amen."
…
Finally, the time came for us to land in New Orleans and as we were descending, I turned around and saw the minister sitting behind me again, smiling sinisterly at me almost as if he was fixated on me. Could it be because of my looks or does the minister see something in me that he finds fascinating? I didn't know and instead focused on praying the rosary.
Like the others, I would face my own challenges with this mystery culminating in what would transpire as one of the scariest moments of my life.
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