Hunter Spector exclaimed on TV, "Do you believe in ghosts? Join me, Hunter Spector, leader of the Academy of Really Good Ghost Hunters (ARGGH!), as I explore the most terrifying place in any home: THE BASEMENT! This Sunday at 8:00 PM. Don't miss it, or you'll be left in the dark. ARGGH!"

Over at Lincoln's house, I couldn't contain my excitement.

Lincoln marked the date on his calendar.

"It's finally here! The live season finale of the GREATEST SHOW EVER!" Lincoln exclaimed.

I chimed in equal excitement, "Oh yeah! ARGGH!"

Lincoln nodded, "Alright, I know you're probably saying to yourself 'Lincoln, with 11 sisters, there's no way you're going to get to watch your favorite show.' And you'd be right. Every sunday at 8, it's the same thing."

(A flashback of his sisters fighting over the remote control played in his mind)

I said, "I'm betting it's like walking into a lion's den."

Lincoln nodded, "Exactly. Tonight, I have a plan." Then, he whipped out his walkie-talkie and called Clyde. "Cadet Lincoln calling Cadet Clyde, do you read me?" he said into the device.

Clyde's voice crackled over the walkie-talkie, "This is Cadet Clyde, I read you loud and clear! I'm super excited! We finally get to watch ARRGH together. And by together, I mean you at your house and me at mine, right?"

Lincoln turned to me and explained, "For such a landmark event, we decided that it'd be best for us if we watched it separately. Clyde's got a huge crush on my sister Lori."

I raised an eyebrow. "Your oldest sister?"

Lincoln nodded sheepishly. "Yeah, it gets pretty awkward.'"

Clyde gazed dreamily at a drawing of Lori, swooning, "Hubba Hubba."

Lincoln interrupted, "Clyde? Clyde? Do you copy?"

Clyde responded, slightly distracted, "Uh, you better hurry, Lincoln. It's almost 8:00!"

Lincoln declared, "It's time to put our plan into action: Operation: Distract My Sisters So That I Can Get to the TV First and Watch the Special Live Season Finale of ARGGH... and think of a shorter name for this operation."

I whistled in response, "Whoo! That's a mouthful. How about Operation: ARGGH Distraction?"

Lincoln agreed, "That's perfect."

I asked, "How are we gonna pull this off?" Lincoln handed me two frogs, prompting my question, "What do we need frogs for?"

Lincoln simply replied, "Follow me."

I follow him over to the twins' room, where Lola and Lana emerge, their eyes shining with excitement.

The twins burst into a chant, "Cartoons! Cartoons! Cartoons! Cartoons!"

Lincoln asks mischievously, "Did someone say tea party?" and reveals a teapot and a box of cookies.

Lola squeals with delight, "Eeeee! Thank you, Lincoln!" and snatches the treats, disappearing back into her room.

I think to myself, "Oh, I see how he's doing it."

Lana shot them a glare, complaining, "Hey, I don't want to be part of some dumb old tea party, I want to watch TV!"

I chimed in, "Not even if..." and pulled out something from behind my back. "These guys are invited?" I held out two frogs, one of which let out a croak.

Lana's expression changed instantly. "Eeeee! Thanks, J.D.!" She snatched the frogs and returned to her room.

Lincoln called out, "Hey Luan!"

"I was just heading downstairs to watch TV," Luan replied.

Lincoln cautioned, "You might want to grab your video camera instead. The twins are at it again."

Lola and Lana were engaged in an all-out brawl.

"This is totally going to go viral!" Luan exclaimed, racing to capture the fight on camera. "Thanks, Linc."

I chimed in, "Hey Luan, why couldn't the 11-year-old get into the Pirate Movie?"

Luan took the bait, "Why?"

I delivered the punchline, "It was Rated ARR!" and added a cheeky wink.

Luan burst into laughter, "Good one, J.D.!"

I quickly added, "No offense, Lincoln."

Lincoln chuckled, "None taken, J.D., but that was a good one."

I beamed with pride, "Thank you."

Laney emerged from her room, book in hand.

"Oh, hey Laney!" Lincoln greeted.

"I was just headed to the living room to get some peace and quiet," Laney explained. "I can't concentrate with Lola and Lana arguing next door."

I nodded understandingly. "No problem."

I pulled out a pair of earmuffs and gently placed them on Laney's head.

"Thanks, J.D.," Laney said gratefully.

Laney returned to her room, and Lisa and Lily emerged. I reached out to grab Lily.

Lincoln approached them, holding out some items. "Hey Lisa, I saved you a trip downstairs and got what you needed."

Lisa listed out the ingredients, using their scientific names: "The lactose, triticum protein, sodium chloride crystals, sucrose, and galus galus ovum."

I translated for her, "You mean milk, flour, salt, sugar, and eggs?"

Lisa nodded, "You say tomato, I say solanum lycopersicum. Thank you." She took the ingredients and headed back to her room.

Lynn exclaimed, pumping her fist in the air. "Only two minutes to game time, woohoo!"

Lincoln interrupted her, "Hey, Lynn, check this out!" He held up a football that magically floated in mid-air. "I filled it with helium, perfect for the extreme player who demands more."

Lynn's eyes lit up. "That's me! I demand more!"

Just then, Leni emerged from her room.

"Go long!" I yelled, launching the ball into Lynn's room. Lynn scrambled to catch it, but it floated just out of her grasp.

"Get over here, you!" Lynn shouted chasing the ball.

Lincoln exclaimed, "Oh my gosh, Leni!"

Leni panicked, "Is there a spider on me?" She frantically rubbed her head, repeatedly shouting, "Get it off! Get it off!"

Trying to distract her, I said, "I have some amazing fashion designs you can create." I pulled out a piece of paper with the designs and handed it to her. "Check these out."

Leni's eyes lit up as she took the paper from me. "These are totes adorbs! I'll get started on them right away." With that, she darted back into her room.

Luna emerges from her room.

"Hey bros, tonight's TV is going to be rockin'!" Luna exclaimed, strumming her guitar enthusiastically. "Yeah!"

"Rock on, Luna!" I cheered in response.

Lincoln suggests, "Or why not have your very own flashlight rock show in the comfort of your bedroom?" He holds out a colorful flashlight, and Luna's eyes light up as she takes it.

"That's so cool! Thanks, Linc!" Luna says, beaming with excitement before heading back to her room.

Lori emerged from the room.

"Lori, has anyone seen my phone?" she asked, panic rising in her voice. "I need it to live-tweet my show!"

I produced her phone from my pocket, pressing a few buttons as I approached her. "I've got this. Lori, I found it in the bathroom. I figured you must have left it there by mistake."

Lori's face lit up with gratitude. "Oh, thank you, J.D. How are you enjoying it here?"

"It's awesome," I replied, just as her phone started ringing. She answered it, greeting the caller with a cheerful "Hello?"

"Oh, hi Bobby," she said, laughing. "No, I didn't text you to call me, but I'm glad you did." She turned to me, expressing her thanks again. "Thanks for finding my phone, J.D."

I waved it off. "No problem, Lori."

We glance over to see Lily fast asleep.

"Aww, she's tired," I remark, catching Lincoln's attention. "Watch this!"

With a subtle flick of my wrist, I harness the Force, and Lily's blanket floats over to me. I gently wrap it around her, and Lincoln's eyes go wide with amazement.

"How did you do that?" he asks, stunned.

Smiling, I reply, "Let's just say I have some extraordinary abilities. I'll put Lily down in her crib and meet you in the living room."

Lincoln's response is filled with enthusiasm. "That was Awesome!"

After tucking Lily in, I rushed downstairs and asked, "Am I on time?"

"Yep," Lincoln replied.

But I couldn't shake off the feeling that we'd overlooked something. "I have this feeling we forgot something," I said.

Lincoln chuckled. "Like I said, I might not be the fastest, and I might not be the strongest, but to get all of my sisters out of the way, it pays to have a plan."

Just then, Lucy piped up, "You forgot me."

As the eerie sound of a pipe organ filled the air, Lincoln and I dropped to the ground in fright.

"Lucy! I always forget about Lucy," Lincoln exclaimed.

Lucy summed it up with a sigh: "Story of my life."

I said, "Hey Lucy, do you need any help with your latest poem?"

Lucy shook her head, "Not this time. It's the season premiere of my favorite show, "Vampires of Melancholia". How are you liking it here in Royal Woods, J.D.?"

"I'm loving it, thanks for asking," I replied.

"You're welcome," Lucy responded politely.

Lincoln exclaimed in protest, "This ARGGH episode is going to be the talk of the school tomorrow! Can we please, please watch it? Pretty please with a black cherry on top?"

I suggested, "I would've chosen a black rose instead."

Lucy replied, "Those are my favorite flowers, J.D., but I'm sorry, guys - you know the rule. I was here first," she added slowly and deliberately, emphasizing her point.

Lincoln protested, "NOOOOOO!" He then looked at the remote, stuck out his tongue, and licked it. "Ha!"

I reacted in disgust, "Ew!"

Lucy calmly held up another remote control and said, "That's the old remote Lily threw in the toilet."

Lincoln gags, spits out the germs, and rubs his tongue to clean it. He starts crying, and I comfort him.

Lucy apologizes to Lincoln, "Sorry, Lincoln. I just can't miss my favorite vampires. Edwin is so cold, tormented, and mysterious. Sigh... If only he wasn't from another century."

Lincoln whispered something to me, and I smiled and winked, giving him a thumbs up. "That's okay, Lucy. You watch your show on the big color TV. I'll watch my show on Dad's old black-and-white TV."

Lucy's ears perked up at this. "Black and white are my favorite colors," she said.

I chuckled. "Yeah, it'll make watching my show a little spookier!"

Lucy added in excitement. "Spooky is also my favorite color."

Lincoln rolled his eyes. "Well, enjoy your vampires."

But Lucy had a sudden change of heart. "Wait, I'll take the old TV!" she exclaimed.

I carried the old TV into Lucy's room and set it down on her bed.

Lincoln's eyes widened as he exclaimed, "Wow, J.D., you're really strong!"

I shrugged it off, "It's not that heavy, I help Dad out around the yard all the time."

Lincoln gestured to the TV. "Now, let's plug it in."

But when I examined the plug, I saw it was damaged - dented, bent, and with exposed electrical wires. I hesitated. "This plug needs to be fixed, but let's try it anyway."

So I plugged it in, and instantly the power went out. "Oh, tire logs!" I exclaimed in frustration.

The room fell silent as The Loud kids murmured in confusion, trying to make sense of the sudden power outage.

Lori's voice cut through the chaos, "All right! All right! Everybody just calm down!"

Leni's panicked cry echoed through the room. "Guys! I can't see anything! I think I've gone blind!"

Lori reassured her, "No you didn't go blind. What the heck happened?"

Lincoln sheepishly explained, "J.D. and I were trying to plug in the old TV for Lucy, and I guess it caused the lights to go out."

Lori sighed, "Of course it was your fault, Lincoln."

Laney tried to calm her sisters down, saying, "Girls, please! I'm sure Lincoln didn't mean to cause a blackout."

Lincoln defended himself, "Hey, all I did was plug in a stupid old TV!"

I jumped to his defense, "Yeah, we didn't mean to make the lights go out!"

Luan, always the jokester, chimed in, "I know why the lights went out - because they liked each other!" Luan and I burst out laughing, while her siblings rolled their eyes. "Get it? Get it?"

I laughed, "Yeah, good one Luan."

Lisa agreed, handing Luan a cookie, "That one was so good it deserved a cookie."

Luan exclaimed, "Oh, thanks," before taking a bite. "So, what did one light bulb say to the other?" she asked, suddenly radiating a bright glow.

The rest of her siblings and I gasped in unison.

"Whoaaaa," I breathed.

Lincoln stared at Luan saying, "You're glowing."

Luan's face fell, her excitement deflated. "Oh, I already told you that one."

But Luna corrected her, "No, dude, you're glowing!"

I joked, "You look like a human light stick!"

Luan's eyes widened in surprise, and she breathed, "Hey, wow!"

Lori interrupted, "Everyone back away from Luan." The siblings quickly obeyed. "Lisa, Mom and Dad said you're not allowed to use your siblings as experimental guinea pigs anymore."

Leni jumped in, "Yeah! Not after what you did to me!"

A flashback showed Leni's horrific experience with Lisa's experiment, her face severely swollen and covered in blemishes.

Leni touched her face, wincing. "My face feels funny."

Flashback ends

I asked Lisa, "It was some kind of experimental cream that was created to get rid of acne forever, right?"

Lisa nodded. "That's right, J.D. Classic. All I did was infuse the bioluminescent DNA of the Aequoria Victoria Jellyfish into a cookie. I call them Gloweos. Besides, now we can see."

I joked, "How illuminating." Luan and I shared a laugh, while the others let out a collective sigh. "Lisa your experiment was a success."

Lisa confirmed, "Indeed it was."

Luan joked, "I always knew I was the light of your life." Luan and I laughed, while the rest of her siblings sighed.

Lincoln suggested, "How about we get the power back on?"

Lori stepped in, assertively taking charge. "Hey, when mom and dad are out, I'm in charge. So first we need to get a head count to make sure we're all here."

Just then, Lucy appeared, startling Lincoln.

"That's right," Lucy confirmed.

I helped Lincoln to his feet.

Lincoln, still shaken, asked, "Can I please flip the circuit breaker before Lucy gives me a heart attack?"

Lori asserted her authority. "Again, I'm in charge. I'll do it. Where's this circuit breaker thingy?"

I pointed her in the right direction. "It's usually down in the basement."

We gathered in front of the dimly lit basement, where Lori's shadow loomed large over the darkness.

"Why am I the one who has to do this?" Lori complained.

The rest of us chimed in, "Because you're in charge!"

I added, "You even said so yourself."

Lori reluctantly agreed, "All right, all right! Come on, Luan. Light the way."

Luan quipped, "That's the brightest idea you've had all day!" We shared a laugh, but Lori quickly pulled her away from the rest of us. As they parted, Luan's glow faded, leaving us all in awe.

"Whoa, I thought I was staying in tonight, but I guess I'm going out!" Luan chuckled, and I joined in, while the others let out a collective sigh.

Laney grasped Luan's arm, pleading, "No, please don't go out! I don't want to go down there!"

Lori instructed, "Lisa, give her another one of those cookies. We won't tell."

Lisa consulted her clipboard before responding, "Negative. That was the only one. Prototype."

I groaned in disappointment. "Aww, man! I was really looking forward to trying one of those."

Lori exclaimed, "Just great..." and then froze, her eyes wide with fear, as she heard the creaking of the wooden floorboards beneath her feet. "There's something in the basement! I'm not going down there!" she declared, her voice trembling slightly.

Lynn, attempting to provoke her, chimed in, "Ooh, you're scared of the dark!"

Lori retorted, "I am not! You're the one who's scared."

Lynn confidently asserted, "I'm not afraid of anything."

Just then, Lucy suddenly shouted "Boo!" causing Lynn to let out a loud, startled cry of "AAH!"

As the argument erupts among the girls, the twins are paralyzed with fear.

Lola and Lana burst out crying, "THERE'S A GHOST IN THE BASEMENT!"

Lincoln tries to intervene, "Guys, I'm running out of time! This is really important, I...I..."

But I interrupt him, "Lincoln, your sisters are terrified. We need to do something."

Lincoln nods, realizing his priorities, "You're right, J.D. I need to fix this." He raises his voice to get everyone's attention, "OKAY, QUIET!" The girls fall silent, and he beckons them, "Come here, you two. It's okay, there's nothing to be afraid of." He envelops the twins in a comforting hug.

I reassure Laney, "It's okay, Laney. I'll make sure nothing happens to anyone." I pull her into a hug as well.

Lincoln declared, "Don't worry, your big brother and best friend will keep you safe. In fact, we'll protect all of you! I'm Cadet Lincoln, a highly trained student of the renowned Academy of Really Good Ghost Hunters, or A.R.G.G.H.!"

I stepped forward, adding, "I'll protect all of you too! I'm Cadet James, Elite Lightsword Specialist of the Academy of Really Good Ghost Hunters, or A.R.G.G.H.!" A loud crack of lightning illuminated the dark sky.

My eyes glowed green as Lincoln swiftly donned his night vision goggles and grabbed his Walkie-Talkie.

Lincoln's voice was urgent as he spoke into the device, "Cadet Clyde this is Cadet Lincoln. Forget the plan. I'm going to need backup."

Enter Clyde.

Clyde stepped forward, saluting sharply. "Cadet Clyde reporting for duty!" His eyes locked onto Lori, and he suddenly froze. "L-L-L-Lori?" His voice stammered, and his body began to twitch. "RED ALERT. RED ALERT. DOES NOT COMPUTE. CIRCUIT OVERLOAD."

I snapped my fingers, and Clyde jolted back to reality.

Clyde exhaled a sigh of relief. "Thanks, J.D."

I smiled. "No problem, Clyde. I take it that's what you meant by 'awkward Lincoln'?"

Lincoln nodded, preparing to venture into the basement. "Yep. I will now descend into the scariest place in the house: the basement. But fear not, with my official ARRGH! Branded night vision goggles, I can see in the dark " With a deep breath, he began his descent, but his footing faltered, and he tumbled down the stairs, losing his walker-talkie in the process. I rushed to the door to see if he was alright.

I expressed concern, saying, "Lincoln, are you okay?"

Lincoln replied, "The bad news is, my goggles are just a toy and do not really see in the dark! The good news is they cushioned my face from the hard basement floor."

Luan suddenly suggested, "Hey, I think my video camera has a night vision setting."

Lincoln's eyes lit up. "Sweet!" He grabbed the camera and exclaimed, "It's just like the ones they use on ARRGH! I'm going in."

I cautioned, "No, let's all go together."

I ignited my lightsaber, its bright green blade humming to life.

Lisa gasped in amazement. "Is that a real lightsaber?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Absolutely," I replied, a hint of pride in my tone.

Lynn's eyes sparkled with excitement. "Cool! Can I touch it?"

As Lynn reached out, I quickly intervened, blocking her hand from getting too close to the blade.

"Don't touch the blade, Lynn," I warned, my voice firm but gentle. "It's a blade of pure energy, powerful enough to slice through anything with ease. Don't worry, I'm very careful with it."

Lincoln led the way through the dark basement, Luan's camera guiding him.

"You may want to stay close.," Lincoln warned. "There's no telling what could be lurking down here in the dark."

Luan's voice was deadpan. "There's nothing funny about this situation. Although, I do like dark humor."

Leni's voice trembled, "Is someone holding my hand?"

Lynn rolled her eyes. "You're touching your own hand."

Trying to reassure them, I said, "Don't worry, I've trained for this. We'll get through it okay."

Lori just groaned, "I hate basements."

A chill ran down their spines as an eerie sound echoed through the air.

Lori gasped in alarm. "What's that moaning?" she whispered urgently.

The girls gasped in unison, their eyes fixed on the source of the noise. Lincoln, I, and Clyde turned to face it, our expressions wary.

Lincoln's calm tone was reassuring. "Hey, don't freak out. It's just the pipes settling."

Suddenly, another scary sound fills the air.

"What's that scratching?" Leni asks, concerned.

I turned to investigate and found the culprit. "It's okay, it's just Cliff the Cat using his scratching post," I reassured them. Cliff meowed, still busy scratching away.

Lynn pinches her nose shut. "What's that smell?" she asks, her voice muffled.

The girls gasp again, and Clyde's eyes land on the source of the odor. "It's just Lily with a full diaper," he says matter-of-factly.

Luna looks mortified, holding her baby sister and clearly put off by the stinky situation. Lily, oblivious to the commotion, giggles and exclaims, "Poo-poo!"

"I'll take care of it later," I reassure them, planning to change Lily's diaper soon.

Suddenly, another ominous noise erupts, catching us off guard.

"What's going on?!" I demanded.

An eerie voice responds, "J.D., Lincoln, Clyde..."

Lincoln, Clyde, and I let out a terrified chorus: "IT'S THE GHOST AND IT KNOWS OUR NAMES!"

We panic, dashing around in circles, screaming at the top of our lungs. Except for Lucy, who remains eerily calm.

With a burst of courage, Lincoln declares, "I'LL SAVE YOU, SISTERS!" and charges boldly towards the ghost.

The lights flicker back to life, and it turns out Lincoln launching a karate kick at the laundry basket.

"Hi-yah! Take that evil spirit!" he yells.

I intervene, having just restored power by flipping the circuit breaker. "Uh, Lincoln, I think you'll find that's not a ghost - just everyone's dirty laundry."

Lincoln emerges from the laundry, looking sheepish, and I notice that the strange noise is coming from his walkie-talkie. Our friend Liam's voice is on the other end.

"Lincoln, Clyde, J.D.?" Liam's Southern drawl crackles through the speaker. "Everything okay at that there house? All your lights were out."

Lincoln responds, still looking a bit embarrassed, "Liam? Yeah, we're alright. The power's back on."

Leni exclaimed, her eyes shut tight, "Guys! I still can't see!"

Lisa instructed calmly, "Open your eyes."

Leni's eyes sprang open, and she shouted in amazement, "IT'S A MIRACLE!"

Lori yelled out, "First one to the TV is couch commando!"

Lincoln shouted, racing off, "I can still beat you, Clyde, J.D.! Come on!"

Lincoln rushed to the couch, pulling Clyde and me along, determined to be the first ones to grab the remote and catch the latest episode of ARRGH! He managed to get there before his sisters, but as soon as he turned on the TV, they were greeted with the episode's finale.

Hunter's voice came from the TV, "WOW! Wasn't that by far the best episode of ARRGH! ever. I'd hate to be you if you missed it!"

Lincoln, Clyde, and I let out a collective gasp.

Lincoln and Clyde cried out in unison, "NOOOOOOOOOOO!"

I disappointedly sighed, "Aw, fish sticks! I didn't even get to see it."

Lincoln lamented, "I can't believe I missed my show."

Lincoln and Clyde broke down in tears, and Lincoln's sisters couldn't help but feel sorry for them.

Lori handed us some popcorn and apologized, "Sorry you missed your show, guys."

Luan chimed in, "But you lived it! Check this out." She plugged her camera into the TV, and we all watched the footage Lincoln had filmed. We relived our exciting adventure, and I, Lincoln, and Clyde couldn't help but feel happy that we'd experienced it firsthand instead of just watching it.

"I guess we did live it, didn't we?" I said, smiling.

Lisa nodded in agreement. "Yes, indeed."

Lincoln turned to the viewers and said, "You know, I may have missed my show, but sometimes it's not about being the first one there. Sometimes it's about sharing the experience with the people you care about."

I nodded in agreement. "You said it."

Lucy suddenly appeared, saying, "You forgot about me."

Startled, Lincoln, Clyde, and the girls turned to face her.

I nodded in agreement, "Oh yeah, same to you, Lucy." Glancing at my watch, I exclaimed, "Wow, look at the time! This has been an amazing day. I can already tell we're going to be the best of friends."

Lincoln nodded in agreement, "I think so too."

Lori added, "It's been literally great having you around."

Luna tossed in, "You're one rockin' dude."

I threw up a rock-on sign with my fingers, "Rock on!"

Lynn conceded, "I'll admit, you're alright, J.D."

Lucy said, "Yeah, you're pretty cool... for a mortal man."

Lola smiled and said, "You're welcome to all my tea parties, I really enjoy your company. Just don't be late to all of them, or..."

Lana interrupted, gently pushing Lola.

Lana clarified, "What Lola meant was, we're thrilled to have you over more often."

Lisa nodded in agreement. "We could really use another male presence in this household."

Luan chimed in, "Yeah, anyone who laughs at my jokes is a-okay in my book."

Lily giggled and said, "A.D.!"

Leni cooed, "You're really sweet, J.D."

I smiled and replied, "Thanks, Leni. I think you girls are all sweet too."

Lincoln exclaimed, "Come on, guys! Group hug!"

As we shared a group hug, I exclaimed, "Oh wow, well, I've got to run. See you all tomorrow!"

The loud kids chimed in, "Bye, J.D.!"

I began my walk home, eventually arriving at my house. With a sense of contentment, I thought to myself, "Yeah, I think I'm really going to like it here in Michigan."