Chapter Seventeen: The Haunting of the Sunset House
Arriving at the location of the Sunset House Connor, Kyler, and Tercero all looked up at what looked like burnt ruins of the house.
"This is it? It's nothing but a pile of rubble," Kyler spoke with his hammer laying on his shoulder.
"Wait for it, there is a reason why it's called the Sunset house," Gabriel spoke as the sun began to set and when night fell the house appeared in the ruins, glowing white.
"Looks like a normal house to me, a very creepy, magic ghost house," Connor chuckled slightly nervous while looking at the white house and seeing Tercero open the gate and follow him up the hill towards the large house.
"Yeah, there is something very strange about this place," Kyler said looking around and spotting a gazebo.
"Hm," Tercero grunted approaching the center of the massive white gazebo and studying the odd statues in the center.
"What is it, Tercero?" Connor asked approaching the statues and getting an eerie feeling about them.
"There's something very extraño, strange, about these statues," Tercero said sensing a wicked magic about this place.
"Other than the fact they're too lifelike, yeah they're very strange," Kyler spoke crossing his arms and watching Roscoe sniff one of the statues and touch his nose to one making all of them jump back when the statue moved and changed positions.
"Are they alive?" Roscoe asked watching Connor examine one statue then began to adjust each statue.
"They're some kind of lock, I bet if we figure out the correct positions they'll unlock something," Connor spoke adjusting each statue several times till he triggered something that flashed the area in a blinding light.
"What the?!" Kyler yelled drawing his hammer ready for an attack seeing the strange glow the area had was now gone.
"Seth was right, something powerful resides in this house," Tercero warned looking up to the house quickly doing the sign of the cross, "this is no ghost, this is a demonio at work here." (Demonio = Demon / Demonic)
"Well let's get in there, no use standing out here," Kyler spoke heading up the trail toward the house.
"This house wasn't always cursed, it became that way when a bed from Garth's Tower was sold in the market and obtained by a wealthy man who filled this home with beautiful furniture," Gabriel explained.
"A bed? A Bed is behind the haunting here?" Kyler scoffed.
"A bed that was once in Wraithmarsh, a long time ago an innocent life was taken and her body was hidden away in a chest, forgotten. Little did her tormentors know that this chest had ties to the Old Kingdom and absorbed her soul now filled with nothing but anger, sorrow, and murderous thoughts," Gabriel explained, this story making Connor feel sad.
"Who was she? The soul whose life was stolen?" Connor asked.
"Her name was Myrtle, she was a lonely child who grew up in Oakvale a very long time ago, ignored by her parents, all she wanted was to have a friend. You see at her school she was the target of vicious bullying, then one day, the bullying went too far and poor Myrtle lost her life, fear they would get in trouble her bullies hid her body away in a toy chest in an abandoned house in Oakvale where she was never found, coming back as a vengeful spirit she claimed the lives of those who wronged her before retreating to a realm out of our reach, except a single bed, where those who sleep on it will be pulled to her realm and forced to play her twisted games or lose their lives," Gabriel said telling the story of Chesty making Connor narrow his eyes.
"Then I know why we are here," Connor spoke getting the other's attention.
"You wish to free the girl's soul, help her to find peace?" Tercero asked crossing his arms.
"I don't know Connor, you heard Gabriel she was turned into a hateful spirit, I don't think the little girl who wanted a friend is still in there anymore," Kyler said as they approached the front door to the house.
"I think we can," Connor spoke pushing open the doors where they found the entranceway, decaying and burnt, and hanging above them was a skeleton that hung in front of a small table with a note.
"NOPE!" Kyler spoke turning around to leave but the doors slammed shut on him, in response Kyler scoffed, "Oh please!"
With a smirk, Kyler swung his hammer and his eyes widened to see that what was the exit outside now led down a hallway with many doors.
"It's too late, the spirit of this house won't let us leave, not till we beat her," Connor sighed approaching the table and picking up the note.
"What does it say?" Roscoe asked.
"If you are reading this, then the house has returned somehow, I feared this might happen, so before I burn it down, I left a note for those that might follow, then as the house burned, I realized the note would burn too, so I wrote a second one but when I went to place that note, I found the first one untouched so I had to write a third one to explain all of that, which is this one, but the point is the house is cursed by an entity of pure evil and malice, it is the stuff of nightmares so whatever you do, do not sleep here, you've been warned" Connor read aloud their attention being drawn to a lullaby when doors in front of them slowly swung open.
"Nope, nope, nopety, NO!" Kyler spoke about to take his chance with the endless hallway but was grabbed by the back of his shit by Tercero.
Entering through the doors they ascended stairs leading to a large room where a single bed stood in front of a row of changing stands and behind them were massive toys and flames.
"Gabriel was right, the spirit is a kid, and the toys are a dead giveaway, I'll do it, I'll sleep in the bed, if I can just talk to her, maybe I can help her," Connor spoke touching the bedframe.
"Ok, while YOU do that, Tercero and I will explore the rest of the house," Kyler spoke heading down the stairs.
"Be careful, this spirit, it has not been a niña for a very long time, mi amigo, if you must destroy it then do it," Tercero warned following Kyler.
"Do you really think you can help this spirit?" Roscoe asked watching Connor climb into bed.
"I don't know but I'll try," Connor spoke lying on his back and closing his eyes and waiting a few seconds, "I may have underestimated the sleep part of this plan, I can't exactly sleep on command, any ideas Roscoe?"
Waiting for a reply Connor opened his eyes to see the wooded roof was now replaced by the night sky, "Roscoe?" Connor asked in a child's voice looking around to see he was in a grassy field at night.
Having heard his voice Connor looked at his hands to realize he was wearing clothes he used to wear at the orphanage with Seth, "I'm a kid again? Well, this is going to suck.
"OH, WHAT THE BLOODY HELL IS THIS NOW?!" Connor heard a child's voice yell from down the hill where he climbed and saw a redhead child with a large hammer on his back.
"Kyler?" Connor asked both turning to see a child version of Tercero approaching in a red hoody but wearing a red bandana over his mouth and nose.
"It would seem the spirit wants all of us to play," Tercero spoke.
"Weren't you two exploring the mansion?" Connor asked confused about how Kyler and Tercero got pulled into this dream realm.
"We were! One minute we were exploring a dining room then the next my vision got blurry and I woke up here!" Kyler spoke noticing an envelope on a table and picked it up.
"We must be careful, this is a powerful spirit indeed if it can force us into sleep," Tercero spoke seeing Kyler open the letter.
"You are cordially invited to a Super Best Friend Party! I will be serving team biscuits, cakes, and arsenal. I do hope you can make it! Chesty, your friendly chest!" Kyler read raising an eyebrow, "Who the bloody hell is Chesty?"
Hearing a child laugh the three turned towards a forest where they slowly entered going deeper into the woods till they reached a large tree with a door in its trunk with the sign 'invite only' written on it.
"Uh were here for the tea party?" Connor said knocking on the door where it slowly opened leading into a dark hole, "guess we jump down the rabbit hole?"
"I ain't jumping nowhere!" Kyler spoke about to turn around but was grabbed by Tercero and thrown down the hole.
"YOU LITTLE BASTARD!" Kyler yelled as his voice echoed the deeper he fell.
"Let's go!" Tercero spoke jumping down next followed by Connor.
"WHOOOAA!" Connor yelled the deeper he fell feeling the drop turn into a slide where he slid across a colorful tile floor inside a massive bunny burrow.
"Seems the party started," Tercero spoke pointing to the very long table, each seat occupied by a skeleton each one with a weapon impaled in them.
"There the chest!" Kyler pointed to the head of the long table where a chest stood with a note on it, then pulled out his hammer, "Alright, let me smash it!"
"Wait, Kyler! Let me try and talk to her first, you read the letter and saw the toys, she is still a child who wants a friend, if I can reason with her maybe I can get her to move on," Connor spoke watching the other sigh and put away his hammer.
Walking down the table Connor approached the ominous chest, reaching out Connor opened the letter and read aloud.
"Hello! Super Best Friend - oops sorry I mean Super Best Friends with a SUPER S! I am so excited to have more than one guest come to Chesty Super Awesome Tea Party! That's me by the way! I'm Chesty, your friendly Chest. PS What are your hobbies? Sometimes I like to cut the legs off of...people and see how long it takes them to bleed out..." Connor read slowing down towards the end when the letter got graphic.
"I am once again putting my suggestion on the table to let me smash the chest," Kyler spoke getting elbowed in the arm by Tercero to keep quiet.
"Ok let's cut the crap," Connor spoke crumpling up the letter, "Myrtle we need to have a serious talk."
Trying to open the chest Connor saw another note appear and picked it up to read it, "Dear Super Best Friend number one! Do you like games? I love games! Let's all play a game of Chesty Hide and Seek! Find Chesty before the seeker finds you! PS the seeker loves eating people alive!" Connor read feeling the bunny burrow shake before everything went dark.
"Guys?!" Kyler yelled when the lights turned on and the group found themselves in a maze all separated by a maze of children's toy blocks, "Connor! Tercero!"
"I hear you!" Connor called back looking around, "Myrtle stop this right now!"
"Find the chest, if we find her we win the game!" Tercero called hearing a noise down the maze ahead of him and saw some claws grab the corner and a large Balverine with black and green like fur, steam was coming off its body and was drooling a venom on the ground.
Sniffing the Poisonous Balverine turned its head and roared before charging towards Tercero.
"Shit!" Tercero growled running down away from the pursuing Balverine and began turning corners in the maze, "muévete! There's a Balverine!" (Muévete = Move it)
Hearing the roar Connor and Kyler raced through the maze each trying to find where Chesty was hiding, "Tercero where are you?!"
"I'm busy at the moment vato!" Tercero yelled turning the corner and finding a dead end looking around before looking up the massive child blocks. (Vato = man/dude)
Turning the corner, the Balverine found that Tercero had vanished, Getting on all four the creature sniffed around not noticing Tercero had climbed the top of the block and peeked down before jumping down with a knife in hand landing on its back and began to stab over and over.
Roaring the Balverine tried to shake Tercero off being stabbed over and over before it smashed through a block knocking into Kyler's side where he saw the Balverine toss Tercero off.
"Oh shit!" Kyler growled seeing the Balverine turn and roar charging towards him but ended up being uppercut up with Kyler's powerful punch.
Growling the large Balverine slashed its claws smacking the child Kyler aside before being hit in the body by a Phantom Blade, "Oy ey! Over here!"
Roaring the Balverine pounced at Tercero who slid under the beast slicing his knife across its belly making the creature roar and then spin slashing Tercero's arm.
"Ay cabrón!" Tercero swore holding his bleeding arm and glaring at the creature with Kyler at his side holding his bleeding side. (Ay cabrón = Outch, Bastard)
Inching closer the Balverine was ready to charge again only to end up being crushed under a massive block that was pushed over by Connor, "finish it!"
"RAH!" Kyler yelled smashing his hammer down on the Balverine skull killing.
Approaching with anger, Tercero kicked the Balverine's smushed skull, "tómala pinche, de la chingada de mierda pendejo son of a bitch!" (take that, you stupid fucking Asshole, son of a bitch!)
"I have no idea what you just said but I agree!" Kyler smirked spitting on the dead Balverine and winced when his injury hurt, "I thought dreams weren't supposed to hurt! That bitch claws sure as hell felt real!"
"We're lucky it's just one, being the size of children is a huge disadvantage," Connor spoke using his magic to heal his comrade's injuries.
"Apresúrate! We must find that chest before she unleashes another one of those monstruos!" Tercero spoke climbing up the fallen piece of toy block wall. (Monstrous = Monsters)
Exploring the maze Connor turned a corner to spot Chesty waiting on the other end, slowly approaching he saw another note appear on the chest, picking it up he thought about reading it before tearing it to pieces and tossing the paper, "No, no more games, Myrtle!"
Hearing a rumble Connor stepped back when the blocks of the maze began to roll and shift creating a giant toy tower of toy blocks with Chesty appearing at the very top.
"Why do you keep calling that Super Best Friend? My name is Chesty!" a girl's voice echoed around them.
"No Myrtle! It's not!" Connor called up to the chest and began to climb up the toy mountain, "Your name is Myrtle! You were once a little girl who lived in Oakvale! Don't you remember?"
"I-I don't know what you're talking about! Come on Super Best Friends let's play another game! Oh! How about Chesty Chess!" Myrtle's voice echoed sounding ton Connor she was refusing to face her past life.
"I know it's been a long time, it must have been so lonely," Connor spoke climbing up a block and looking up at the high distance between him and the chest, "but none of this is ok either! Killing and torturing people? That not you!"
"S-Shut up! I don't think I want to be Super Best Friends with you anymore!" Myrtle yelled the world around them shaking while down below Tercero and Kyler began to make the climb noticing that the dream realm they were in was cracking.
"Uh Connor!" Kyler yelled making Connor look around when he noticed that the realm cracking must be the wall Myrtle put up when she became Chesty he needed to push more.
"That's fine! I don't wanna be Super Best Friends with a bully! You're just as bad as those rotten children who bullied you!" Connor yelled climbing higher.
"NO, I'M NOT!" Myrtle yelled her voice breaking making the blocks start to slowly float making Connor hang onto a block that began to spin.
"Then stop this! I know you are angry about what they did to you! I know you must be sad that no one ever found you! No one deserves to be forgotten but killing people? Making them play mean games? You've become a bully too!" Connor yelled jumping onto another block and seeing Chesty chest shaking a few away.
"I'M NOT! I made those bullies pay! All I ever wanted was a friend!" Myrtle cried while Connor jumped closer looking back to Kyler and Tercero below.
"Ok great but then you decided killing people was the next thing to do?! This needs to stop! You're not Chesty! Your Myrtle! What happened to the sweet girl who wanted to make friends?!" Connor yelled feeling winds trying to knock him off the block.
"LEAVE ME ALONE!" Myrtle cried.
"I WON'T!" Connor yelled getting a running start then jumped hanging onto the edge of the block the chest lay on.
"THEN I'LL MAKE YOU SUFFER!" Myrtle yelled the block tilting to try and drop Connor.
"Why?!" Connor yelled hanging on for dear life.
"BECAUSE YOU...because...because," Myrtle stammered unable to think of her reason making the cracks grow larger and letting light in.
"Because you want others to feel how you felt!" Connor grunted pulling himself up and fighting the winds as he inched closer to the chest, "Surely there was someone who loved you!"
"Stop it!" Myrtle yelled as the chest she resided in shook and started to crack.
"You have to remember! Remember that one person who loved with all their heart! You need to remember!" Connor yelled grabbing the lid of the chest and flung it open releasing a light that engulfed the entire realm.
Shielding himself from the light Connor blinked when it dimmed finding himself in the woods, looking around he saw Kyler and Tercero at his side, all of them hearing crying behind a large tree near the outside of a village.
Slowly approaching Connor touched the large tree turning the corner to see a little brown-haired girl tied in pigtails with glasses, and crying into her knees she hugged closely to her chest.
Still in child form, Connor took a seat next to Myrtle, "You know, I wish I had been born in your time, had I been, you and I would have been friends."
"No, you wouldn't," Myrtle cried still hiding her face, "I'm an ugly four-eye freak, no one wants to be my friend, no one loves me."
"That's not how I remember it," Kyler spoke taking a seat next to her, "I remember it like it was yesterday! We were in class, some bullies were calling you names so I went up to the leader of the group and sucker punched him in the nose!"
"What?" Myrtle asked confused and looked to Kyler who smiled.
"The day the four of us became friends! Don't you remember Myrtle?" Kyler smiled.
"That right!" Tercero spoke pulling down his hood and sitting across from her crossing his legs, "After Kyler punched the bully he cried like a big bebé!"
"The teacher demanded who started the fight so, the three of us said the bully did," Connor smiled, "she was so mad she gave us a good spanking with her paddle! She was always such a mean old prude!"
At this, Myrtle giggled a bit whipping her eyes, "The four of us were super best friends?"
"No, we were real friends," Connor spoke taking Myrtle's hands, every day since we met we would all walk down to the lake after school to skip rocks and fish!"
"Dare each other to swim into the cold!" Kyler added.
"We even had a camping trip there! None of us lasted the night, we were all big chickens!" Connor chuckled.
"We made a promise to always be amigos, even as adults," Tercero spoke watching Myrtle smile.
"What happened after?" Myrtle asked resting her head on Connor's shoulder.
"Now? Well, I say the four of us had enough fun for today, I am tired, aren't you?" Connor asked seeing her fighting to keep her eye open.
"Do you think my mummy will be waiting for me?" Myrtle asked her body glowing a bit.
"Do you see a light? Who waiting for you?" Connor asked watching her look around and stare ahead to something they couldn't see.
"Nana?" Myrtle asked while the others saw a figure of light appear and slowly approached reaching out a hand to Myrtle, "she says it's time to go home."
"Well we don't want you to get in trouble, goodbye Myrtle," Connor smiled watching her take her Nana's hand before starting to fade into the light with a tear escaping her eye.
"Thank you," Myrtle spoke leaving the three alone in the forest who all yawned and leaned on the tree watching the world around them start to fade into the light.
"I think the curse is broken everything fading," Kyler yawned closing his eyes before vanishing.
"Do you think she is at peace?" Tercero yawned laying back on the grass vanishing before Connor looked up to the sky above him.
"Yeah, I think so," Connor smiled closing his eyes before waking up when he fell out of the bed and hit the floor hard, "OW!"
"Connor move!" Roscoe yelled tugging onto Connor's arm who looked around to see the flames of the cursed place spread.
"Oh shit!" Connor yelled getting up and running back to the main hall seeing the flame spread.
"Hurry!" Kyler yelled breaking open a door and entering the entranceway with Tercero behind him.
Turning the others saw the entrance to the mansion open before an invisible force grabbed the heroes and threw them out the front doors.
"What the hell?!" Connor yelled looking back to see ghosts who had been trapped in Chesty's realm all walking out of the mansion becoming balls of light and floating up to the night sky while the mansion became engulfed in flames.
"So many," Tercero said watching all the spirits walk free.
"Hey look!" Kyler spoke pointing when three ghost children left the mansion each looking down at the ground.
Crossing his arms Connor approached, "Don't look at the ground, you look at me, you little brats!"
Looking up Connor glared at who he knew were Myrtle's bullies, "You may be children but I sure as hell am not going easy on you!"
"Damn right, let them have it," Kyler spoke watching Connor scold the children.
"I want you to take a GOOD look around! All these people, all these spirits, they died because of your actions! Killing her? Hiding her body in a chest? Shame on all of you! I don't know if the light will let brats like you in, but if it does I expect you to each give Myrtle an apology, is that understood?!" Connor growled.
"Yes sir," the three children said in unison looking ashamed and fighting back tears from the scolding.
"Good, now go on, get going, I better see some well-behaved kids when I die and come up there," Connor spoke watching the three vanish into the light.
"Do you think Myrtle will forgive them?" Tercero asked seeing Connor look up to the burning mansion watching the roof cave in.
"Yeah, I do, kids that age can easily forgive, I suspect by the time we all die and join them up there, those four will be the best of friends," Connor shrugged turning from the burning building and walking down the road.