Chapter 35: The Haunted Mansion
The air inside the mansion was suffocatingly still, heavy with dust that clung to every surface. Dim, narrow beams of light barely penetrated through the grime-covered windows, casting sickly yellow patches on the walls. Cobwebs, thick and heavy, hung like veils over doorways, draping themselves across the chandeliers and corners of the room. Every creak of the floorboards seemed unnaturally loud, echoing down the long, empty halls. Faint, untraceable noises whispered from somewhere deep within, as if the mansion itself was alive, watching, waiting.
Luigi and Shantae walked side by side, their footsteps hesitant. Each step seemed to take forever, the silence around them amplifying the slow, rhythmic creaking of the floor beneath. Luigi's eyes darted around, scanning every dark corner, every flicker of a shadow. His breathing was shallow, his grip on the Poltergust strap so tight that his knuckles turned white. He glanced nervously over his shoulder every few moments, as if expecting something to leap out at him.
"I-I'm telling you, Shantae... this place... I'm sure it's the same mansion I've been to before," he stammered, his voice barely a whisper, as if speaking too loudly would awaken something hidden.
Shantae, her eyes bright with a mix of concern and excitement, stayed close, offering a supportive smile. "Well, if it is, then you already know what to do, right? You've dealt with ghosts before." She kept her tone light, trying to coax Luigi out of his fear and into a more confident state.
Luigi swallowed hard, nodding slightly. "Y-Yeah... I-I mean, I caught them. Used the Poltergust to, uh... suck them up." He managed a small, nervous smile, but it faded quickly as another creak echoed down the hall, sending a chill through him. "But it wasn't easy... there were... a lot of them."
"Sounds like quite the adventure," Shantae said, her voice a gentle reassurance. "And you handled it. So, you can do it again. We've got this, right?" She nudged him playfully, and for a moment, the warmth in her voice seemed to cut through the cold fear that had wrapped itself around Luigi's chest.
They continued down the corridor, passing darkened doorways and faded portraits. The faces in the paintings seemed to follow them, their eyes glinting eerily in the low light. As they moved deeper, the sounds grew stranger—faint whispers, distant thumps, the occasional clink of glass—as if the mansion was filled with things that couldn't be seen, but were always there, lurking just out of sight.
"So, what was the scariest ghost you've ever caught?" Shantae asked, her eyes flicking to an old, cracked portrait of a stern-faced woman whose eyes seemed to bore into them.
"U-um, there was this one... Melody Pianissima," Luigi said, his voice steadier now as he lost himself in the story. "She played the piano, and her music was... eerie. It was like it came from somewhere else, not just the instrument." He shuddered at the memory but continued. "She was hard to get close to, but I was able to catch her."
Shantae nodded, genuinely interested. "That's pretty impressive, Luigi. I'm glad you are here now so I don't have to handle it on my own." She looked at him with admiration, and for the first time, Luigi felt a bit of pride swell up inside him, pushing away some of the fear.
They approached a set of large, wooden double doors, the handles tarnished and cold to the touch. Luigi hesitated, his hand hovering over the handle, before finally pushing them open. The doors creaked, revealing a dark, musty music room. Inside, a grand piano stood at the center, its surface covered in a thick layer of dust, the keys exposed like a mouthful of broken teeth. A harp leaned against the wall, its strings slack, and other instruments—a trumpet, violin, and an old drum set—sat scattered around, all draped in cobwebs.
As soon as they stepped inside, the door behind them slammed shut with a thunderous bang, the echo reverberating through the room. Luigi's heart skipped a beat, and he spun around, tugging at the handle. "It's locked!" he whispered, his voice cracking with panic.
The room fell into an oppressive silence, the air so still it felt suffocating. Then, without warning, the grand piano began to play, a slow, haunting melody that filled the room. Luigi's eyes widened, and he took a step back. "T-There's a ghost in here," he stammered, backing up toward the center of the room.
Shantae's eyes darted around, trying to pinpoint where the sound was coming from. "I-I hear it too... but where?" Her excitement had given way to a nervous curiosity, but she still moved closer, trying to spot whatever was hiding in the shadows.
The harp joined in, plucking out a discordant tune, followed by a violin that played a slow, mournful song. Slowly, three ghostly figures materialized, hovering above the instruments, their bodies flickering like dim flames. They glowed with an eerie blue light, their faces stretched into twisted grins.
"Oh... oh wow," Shantae whispered, her voice shaky yet amazed. "So these are different." Her tone was somewhere between awe and nervous laughter. "Nothing like a pirate ghost."
Luigi's hands trembled, but he raised the Poltergust, his instincts kicking in despite his fear. "J-Just stay behind me, Shantae! I-I can handle this!" he said, trying to sound confident, though his voice wavered.
As Luigi attempted to capture one of the ghosts, another swooped down, knocking him off his feet,the straps of the Polturgust coming loose, sending it skidding across the room, coming to a stop near the piano. Luigi gasped, scrambling to get back up, but the ghosts began to play 'keep-away' with the Poltergust, passing it between them as they giggled and mocked him. "Oh, come on!" Luigi groaned, swiping at thin air as another ghost flitted out of reach. "Just once... stay still, will ya?" he muttered under his breath, his voice tinged with a mix of frustration and disbelief. The ghosts cackled louder, clearly enjoying their game, while Luigi shook his head, muttering, "It's like chasing mushrooms back home... except they're laughing at me."
"Hey, that's not fair!" Shantae shouted, stepping forward. She dashed toward one of the ghosts, whipping her hair at it while trying to grab the Poltergust, but it threw the Polturgust to another ghost and disappeared, reappearing in another part of the room. She scowled, planting her hands on her hips. "Alright, fine. If you want to play, then let's play!"
Luigi managed to shine his flashlight at the ghosts, the beam temporarily stunning them. Seizing the opportunity, Shantae lunged forward while whipping her hair at the ghost making direct contact with a loud crack. The ghost dropped the Poltergust. Which she managed to grab before it hit the ground. She fumbled with the controls for a second, then activated it, the machine roaring to life. The vacuum's suction pulled at the ghosts, their forms swirling and stretching as they were sucked inside.
"Gotcha!" Shantae said, grinning triumphantly as the last ghost vanished. She turned to Luigi, her face glowing with excitement. "This thing is actually pretty fun!" She handed it back to him, and he took it, still catching his breath, but managing a small, grateful smile.
"Y-Yeah, it... it can be," he said, feeling a little steadier now. "Thanks, Shantae."
"No problem. You're not getting rid of me that easily," she said, giving him a playful wink.
The last ghost attempted to lunge at Luigi, but he was ready. With a swift, determined motion, he aimed and activated the Poltergust, the suction grabbing the ghost by its tail and pulling it into the vacuum. As it was pulled in, the doors unlocked with a click. Luigi took a moment to steady his nerves and catch his breath. "We should keep going." He said
They resumed their journey, the mansion's eerie atmosphere feeling slightly less oppressive with every step. Smaller ghosts tried to spook them, but Luigi's confidence grew each time he captured one, and Shantae was always there to help. For the first time, Luigi felt like he wasn't just surviving—he was fighting back, and he was glad he wasn't alone.
Eventually, they reached a set of grand double doors, light flickering from the cracks around the edges. Luigi cautiously pushed them open, revealing a vast ballroom. Chandeliers hung from the ceiling, their lights dim and flickering, casting shadows that stretched across the polished floor. There was a purple rift in the back corner, similar to the ones seen in the sky only smaller. Hovering in the center of the room, surrounded by an eerie, purple glow, was King Boo.
King Boo's crown gleamed, a new, shimmering jewel embedded in its center. It glowed, casting strange, ghostly light across the ballroom.
"Well, this doesn't look good," Shantae muttered, glancing around nervously. Her eyes locked onto the rift, its purple edges crackling with energy. "And what is that?"
Before Luigi could respond, King Boo's chilling, echoing laugh filled the ballroom, a sound that made Luigi's skin crawl and his hands tighten around the Poltergust. "Ah, Luigi, back for more? I thought you'd learned your lesson last time," King Boo sneered, his voice reverberating through the room like a twisted melody. "Still jumping at shadows, I see."
Luigi felt a jolt of fear run through him but pushed it down, meeting King Boo's mocking gaze with a determined glare. "Not this time," he muttered, raising the Poltergust. "I stopped you once, I'll do it again!"
King Boo's smile twisted into a snarl, and he lunged forward, his eyes glowing a fierce red. Shadows leapt from the walls, taking on ghostly forms that swirled around Luigi and Shantae, cutting off any escape. "You'll regret those words, plumber!"
King Boo lunged forward, his eyes glowing a fierce red. Shadows leapt from the walls, taking on ghostly forms that swirled around Luigi and Shantae, cutting off any escape.
Luigi aimed the Poltergust, trying to pull King Boo toward him, but the ghost twisted away, laughing. He launched smaller orbs of energy, forcing them to dodge and weave across the room.
"Luigi, keep him distracted! I'll handle these guys!" Shantae yelled, swinging her hair to smack away the shadowy figures as they tried to swarm Luigi.
King Boo's laughter grew louder as he conjured more shadows, the rift above crackling with energy. Luigi focused the Poltergust on him, slowly drawing him closer, but the struggle was intense. The ballroom became a chaotic blur of shadows and light, their fight a desperate dance across the floor.
Shantae dodged, weaved, and attacked, using her agility to leap over shadows and keep them off Luigi's back. "Keep at it, Luigi! We're almost there!"
With a final pull, Luigi managed to get King Boo close, he yelled to Shantae to help him "There's a button… on the vacuum, it traps ghosts."
Shantae ran over quickly, "I'm on it!" She pressed the button, activating the Poltergust's secondary function, trapping the massive ghost. King Boo struggled, twisting and contorting, but the vacuum's suction was too strong. With a final, echoing wail, he was pulled inside, vanishing in a burst of light as his crown fell to the floor, the gleaming gem breaking off as it hit the floor.
Shantae slumped back, catching her breath, then noticed the gem that had fallen from King Boo's crown. She picked it up, turning it over in her hands. "Huh, this looks pretty valuable," she said, smiling. "Not bad for a ghost hunt."
Luigi's eyes caught the purple rift shimmering in the corner, a stark contrast to the gloom of the ballroom. Its edges flickered like a soft purple flame, crackling with energy, and through the shifting haze, he could see familiar trees and rolling fields, vibrant greens spilling through the tear in reality. The warmth of sunlight peeked through, a sliver of the world he thought he'd never see again. "That's... that's home," he whispered, a flicker of hope lighting up his voice. It felt like the Mushroom Kingdom itself was reaching out to him, pulling him away from the shadows that had haunted his journey.
Shantae glanced at him, then at the rift. "Well, what are we waiting for?" she said, nudging him forward. "Let's go." She grabbed his arm and headed towards the rift.
Luigi tried to pull away, "Wait, we don't know if this is safe".
Shantae stopped for a moment, then ran back to grab the remains of King Boo's crown. She tossed it through the rift where it landed calmly on the other side. "That's good enough for me!" She said excitedly as she ran towards the rift.
Luigi felt a surge of relief wash over him. For the first time, he didn't feel alone. As they stepped through the rift, he looked back at the dark mansion, a mix of fear and gratitude in his heart. He was still scared, but not as much as before. His new friend, Shantae, had been by his side.
Together, they crossed through the rift, stepping back into the Mushroom Kingdom, their journey bringing them closer to home.