So... yeah. I know I'm extremely late with this chapter. I'll explain why at the end of the chapter. For right now though, please enjoy the chapter that I should have posted months ago.
Courage was busy today. Busy digging around all over the yard, searching desperately for something he hidden away, but forgotten where. Avery had been spending a good portion of the morning just watching him go to work all around the bare yard. She had tried asking him what he was looking for, but he would just give her some gestures by waving his hand up and down over and over again while babbling about. She didn't quite understand what he meant, but had a feeling that whatever it was was important to him. So she had merely patted the top of his head and wished him the best of luck in finding it.
As she got bored watching him, she decided to head back inside and see what her aunt and uncle were up to.
Muriel was busy dusting around the living room while Eustace sat in his arm chair, reading the newspaper and doing nothing as usual. Unlike the norm however, Muriel wasn't humming or even smiling for that matter and was, instead, eyeing a picture that she had set out earlier that day. She paused her dusting session to pick up the picture and take a better look at it.
"Ah your sweet brother, Horst," she said to Eustace. "I do miss him."
Avery stood next to her aunt to get a better look at the photo. It was of an older man whom looked very similar to Eustace, only more muscular and with a more adventurous demeanor to him. With his Panama hat and holding the end of a large snake with the rest of it draped over his shoulder.
Avery looked at the photo and began to wonder if she had seen him before as he did seem familiar. She hadn't met much of her extended family, but then again the years do things to the brain as they come and go.
Eustace clearly didn't share the same fondness as Muriel did, as Eustace looked up from his paper and angrily said, "Blah blah blah! I don't!"
Muriel merely shook her head and said, "You two never got along and today is his birthday isn't it?"
That is when it clicked for Avery. She had met her other uncle once, only once in her life. She had only been five years old at the time and it had been for his birthday and retirement party as well. She remembered just how nice he had treated her. Letting her have the first piece of his cake, raising her up on his shoulder and even telling her stories about some of his adventures. She had had a great time at the party and had looked forward to meeting him again some time. Sadly, it was just a few years later that he had his accident and that was the party was the first and last time that she would ever see him. It had pained her to know that he was gone and it pained her even more to know that he and Eustace had always had a rotten relationship, even as children. She couldn't understand why and with Eustace's brother gone, she'd probably never know.
Eustace, however, cared less and less as he crumpled up his paper and said, "Who cares? Anyway, the bum died before he told me where he hid his box full of money."
"Box full of money? What box full of money?" Avery asked, suddenly intrigued.
"Your uncle Horst made a fortune off of treasure hunting and kept most of it in an iron box he had. All I know is that he left me this house and everything in it when he died, but I never could find that box and he left me no clues on where it was. So happy birthday to nobody," Eustace said as he threw the crumpled up paper away.
'Geez, how bad was their relationship?' Avery asked herself.
It was here that Courage came walking into the house from the yard, with a metal box inside of his mouth. He sat right at Eustace's feet and tried to babble something with his mouth full, but found that task to be harder than he thought.
Eustace was turned away from Courage and said, "Get away from me."
But Courage tried babbling again and even let out a whine to try to get Eustace's attention.
Eustace slammed his fist down on the arm of the chair and said, "What's the matter with you stupid dog? One little clue is all I-"
Courage grumbled a bit more with the iron box still in his mouth, until he opened his mouth wide and the box fell out of it. Unfortunately it landed right onto Eustace's foot, crushing it and making the elderly farmer scream out in pain. Even Avery had to cringe at the sound of Eustace's scream.
Eustace hopped up from his seat and angrily shook his fist at Courage and saying, "Ya stupid-"
But he stopped as soon as he looked down at the box and, very quickly, realization began to click in his head.
"That's it! That's the box I've been looking for!" Eustace said excitedly as he kneeled down to pick it up.
Even Avery felt her excitement begin to build. A box full of money? All for them? Maybe this could help her find the financial stability she's been needing. After all, she needed the money and no one in town was hiring currently. Any start would be a good one at this point for her.
Both she and Muriel pat Courage on the top of the head with Muriel calling him a good dog at the same time and wondering what was inside the box.
"I'll tell you what's in it. His money! My good for nothing brother's money!" Eustace said as he took the box into the next room and slammed it down onto the table.
He grabbed the top of the box and began to struggle, trying to open it, saying, "It's all mine!" And even began biting at the edges of the box in a desperate attempt to get it open as Muriel, Courage and Avery watched him from the doorway. He even began using his foot for extra leverage on the table. But no amount of effort would allow him to get the box open.
So he slammed it down on the table and said, "I'm getting me tools," as he walked out of the room and Muriel went to dust the box off. Avery even took a look at it and at the lock, wondering what kind of key it would take. Courage himself walked over to the box and looked into the lock with one eye.
He remained quiet as he looked inside, but after a few seconds, Courage pushed himself away from the box and screamed at the top of his lungs.
Avery watched him through the whole moment and suddenly began to pale. At this point she was well aware of Courage's instincts and how they were usually correct. If he saw something horrible in that box then, more than likely, there was something horrific inside that box. Even worse is that her uncle believed there was a ton of money in said box. Avery liked money herself and was in desperate need of it, but she knew better than to mess with other worldly entities that could be between her and it. But try explaining that to her greedy uncle, who would do anything to get whatever his greed desired. Even if there was something horrible between him and the cash.
Speaking of whom, Eustace took that opportunity to come back into the room with a wrench in hand. Courage, knowing what he was intending, stood in Eustace's way of the box and whined something that sounded like, "No!"
Eustace glared down at the dog and said, "What's the matter with you dog?"
"Uncle Eustace, you may want to let him explain it to you," Avery said, knowing that it'd be a futile effort but hoped that he'd listen to her a bit more.
Courage took this time to point at the box and then mimic what he'd been doing with the box just a minute earlier. Even morphed into a creature with a mouth full of sharp teeth. It ended with Courage getting down on his knees, pleading with Eustace and latching onto the farmer's feet. Eustace merely pushed him away from his feet.
"Uncle Eustace, was that really necessary?" Avery said.
"What? It didn't hurt him," Eustace retorted and then went to work on trying to open the lock with his wrench, but to no avail.
Avery couldn't bear to watch. Not because she was scared, but knowing that what Eustace was doing would only break the lock on the box. If he did that, then they'd never get it open. Even if they found a key for it. Even the bracelet vibrated in a way that told her that it too was pitying this old man.
With a sigh, she gathered up Courage and said, "Come on boy. This issue might sort itself out."
Courage nodded, though she could still feel his agitation and fear.
Eustace spent the entire day messing with the money box and trying to open it, but everything he did would not help him in the slightest. He eventually got too frustrated to carry on and rejoined the family in the den to fume and vent.
He sat in his armchair with his arms crossed and the lock box in his lap as he fumed and said, "I can't open it without the stinking key. Darn dead Horst, he hated me."
"Did you ever trying talking about it to him before he passed? I'm sure deep down he cared something for you. Brothers usually do," Avery said in an attempt to try to cheer him up.
Eustace sneered and said, "With Horst? Please. All he ever did was try to one up everyone around him. Always trying to be the best at everything and then they'd all laugh at me when he accomplished it."
"Sounds like it was just friendly competition to me. Maybe you just never gave him a chance to get close," she retorted.
"I gave him chance after chance and he still always treated me like a child. The only good day I ever had with him was the day he died. No longer bothered me after that," Eustace said irritably.
Avery cringed and decided to drop the subject entirely. She'd seen her uncle hate plenty of things, but his brother was one topic that clearly angered him the most. So this subject was one that was likely better off just being let go of.
Muriel rocked in her chair and said, "What a shame you and Horst never settled your troubles."
As if on cue they turned to a local station simply titled The Channeling Channel and the commercial that was airing was one that looked like it could solve all of their problems. Or in Avery and the bracelet's case (as it was pulsating now), open new ones as she recognized the face of the person in the commercial.
"The Channeling Channel," the TV said, "Will return after a word from our sponsor. Are you trying to contact the dead?"
Muriel went wide eyed as the commercial went on.
"Are you trying to reach the unreachable?" said the voice on the TV.
Eustace however went on to mock the commercial instead of paying attention to it.
"Shirley the Medium can put you in touch with the hereafter," the TV continued
Avery went a little pale as she saw the familiar chihuahua woman on the TV. The one whose advice she had unwisely ignored some time before.
"So you can live and die happily ever after," it finished.
Avery gulped as she dreaded encountering the gypsy chihuahua again. She had given a very clear warning to Avery about putting the bracelet on and had even told her to figure stuff out about the bracelet, otherwise she'd find a new permanent home inside a crystal. That was the one thing she did not want. Not only did Shirley not trust her after ignoring her advice, but in the past month or two she'd been living here, she was no closer to discovering the bracelet's secrets or how to remove it. Shirley would no doubt seal her away if she found this out.
Good thing she didn't know where they were right?
Muriel beamed at the commercial and said, "What a wonderful idea. We could hire Shirley."
'Crap!,' Avery shouted in her mind.
"I don't know about that Aunt Muriel. Remember what happened the last time we let strangers into the house?" Avery said, still remembering the incident with LeQuack.
Muriel merely shook her head and said, "Don't worry about it dear. We'll all keep an eye on her this time. Besides she seems harmless enough to me."
Avery looked away and said quietly to herself, "You're not the one who incurred her wrath when you ignored her sound advice."
Muriel looked back to Eustace and said, "Now you and your brother can lay your troubles to rest, once and for all."
Eustace, still feeling angry, kept his arms crossed and said, "Our differences are settled. He's dead and I ain't."
"Come now Eustace. Isn't there anything you want to talk to him about? It is his birthday," Muriel responded.
That's when a sly grin came to Eustace's face and he said, "Yeah, now that I think about it, there is."
He laughed as Muriel picked up the phone as enthusiastic greed overcame him. Courage suddenly gasped and Avery then knew what he was sensing.
Eusatce was going to try to get the location of the key that opens the box, the box containing something other than just money. Something that had Courage more than just spooked. Even though a lot of things scared Courage, usually when he went into these kinds of hysterics, it was incredibly serious.
Then again, she did hear about his freak out at the burger place a week earlier and that had turned out to be a complete false alarm.
Muriel began to dial and Courage began tugging at her apron to get her to stop. But Muriel didn't pick up on the message.
"Don't worry Courage dear. I'll feed you in a minute," Muriel said and Courage just grumbled to himself in response.
Avery just began to pet his forehead.
Later that night, Avery looked out the attic window to see a familiar chihuahua woman approaching the farmhouse. Even though she knew that the chihuahua wasn't coming here for her, she still didn't like the idea of Shirley knowing exactly where she lived. She could come back at any time and ambush her in the middle of her daily mundane tasks and seal her away then and there.
What was she going to do?
She had no time to decide though as within a few moments, Shirley was up on the front porch and knocking on the door. Avery took a breath and prepared herself. This was the moment of truth.
The rest of the family answered the door, but looked around for a moment as they couldn't see any sign of Shirley. That is until they looked down and saw her standing before them.
Shirley looked back up at them with a serious glance and at once said, "One thing. If you contact the dead for personal gain, there will be tragic consequences."
Avery stood between the door frame and the window and out of Shirley's view. She gulped as she heard Shirley's warning, already experienced with what happens when you ignore her warnings. And she knew that personal gain is exactly why she invited to the house this evening. She already knew that this was going to be bad.
Eustace confirmed her thoughts when he said, "Just dial my dead brother and shut up."
With that, everyone turned to go back into the house and Avery hid as best she could as Shirley walked into the house. Things seemed to go well for her when she didn't see the chihuahua turn her head in her direction. But when she paused, Avery felt some trepidation as the dog woman stood still in the living room. For but a moment, when she walked towards the doors leading to the dining room.
Avery sighed in relief, but this was short lived when Muriel called out.
"Avery dear, come join us. Wouldn't you like to say hello to your Uncle Horst?" Muriel said.
Avery sweat dropped, yet complied with her aunt's request.
"Be there in a minute," she said and ran right up to her room.
Inside the dining room, the entire family was gathered around the table with Shirley sitting before a crystal ball. Avery had her face hidden behind a hat and some sunglasses. She also made sure to wear a long sleeved blouse, to keep her wrists covered up. She doubted that it would work, but was desperate to keep Shirley from recognizing her. It seemed to work though as the psychic chihuahua never looked up in her direction.
Not even once.
Shirley sat before her crystal ball and said, "Join hands."
Everyone in the family did exactly that with Avery taking Courage's free paw after he grasped Muriel's with his other paw. Shirley closed her eyes and then opened up her mouth. The last thing Avery expected to hear was the sound of a phone ringing on the other end of a phone line. Yet that what she heard as Shirley was contacting the other side.
'Channeling spirits is bizarre,' she thought to herself.
Eustace was becoming impatient as he banged on the table and said, "You're on my payroll now. Wake up and get my brother on the line."
Avery looked to him and said, "Uncle Eustace, please be patient. Can't you see she's concentrating?"
Eustace snorted and said, "Lazy home services."
They sat there and waited, but there was no response from anyone. All they heard was the continuous ringing sound, but not the sound of anyone picking up. They all leaned in closer, eager to hear Horst answer on the other end of the line. But yet there was no answer.
Finally Shirley closed her mouth and said, "The party is not answering."
Avery sighed and shook her head as Eusatce slammed his fist down on the table and said, "He never took my calls."
Courage took the opportunity to utter something that sounded like 'yoyo' to Shirley.
She seemed to get the message and said, "I shall try."
With that, Shirley gazed deeper into the crystal ball and said, "I see, I see, I see, I SEE!"
Courage gasped in eager anticipation as Shirley got more intense with her observation.
Finally she looked up from the ball and said, "A yoyo!"
Courage squealed in delight at Shirley's answer. Avery couldn't help but smile at the little dog's outburst, his innocence being too cute for words to her.
"I see a yoyo. It is under the sofa," Shirley said as she pointed to the living room door.
Courage jumped up from his seat and dashed out into the living room. Avery looked through the cracked door and could see him as he found his prized yoyo as the dining room doors swung open and closed. She might not have been able to understand the little dog at times, but more often than not his antics spoke for themselves. For her, there was just no getting mad at him.
As Courage played with his yoyo, Shirley turned to the rest of the family and said, "Any other little requests?"
Avery and Muriel shook their heads as Eustace continued to fume.
Courage returned a moment later and retook his place between Muriel and Avery, grasping their hands like before.
Eustace growled before turning back to Shirley and saying, "Try my brother again."
Shirley did just that and the ringing sound from her mouth resumed like before. This time they received an answer almost right away. However, the person on the other end was not Eustace's brother.
"Hello? Hello?" came an older woman's voice.
Muriel went wide eyed and said, "Aunt Gertrude?"
Avery had to chuckle at that, even when her uncle facepalmed and said, "Oh for Pete's sake!"
"Muriel? Oh Muriel, how are ya?" Gertrude asked on the other side.
Muriel smiled and said, "I'm just fine, thank goodness."
Eustace was getting impatient as he tried interrupting the call by saying, "Hang up! You're tying up the line."
They ignored him though as Gertrude kept talking to Muriel asking her something about using vinegar in raspberry jam. The very thought of it was enough to make everyone else at the table gag. Vinegar was a specialty ingredient that many of the cooks on Muriel's side of the family used in many of their recipes. They swore it helped enhance the flavor and texture of certain foods, but everyone at the table had their doubts. Then again, since Muriel's cooking had won her many awards in the past it was possible that vinegar really did help in some way.
Eustace's patience ran out however as he stood up and said, "Will you two quit jabbering!" He pointed back to Shirley and said, "Now get my stinking dead brother Horst on the line!"
Shirley tried again in vain to warn Eustace by saying, "The dead should not be bothered for personal gain."
"What? Oh just do it!" Eustace said irritably.
In an act of desperation, Courage leapt onto the table and waved arms and babbled to Eustace. Even did his standard morphing by becoming a smokey phantom and then becoming a sharp toothed creature once again.
Eusatce didn't have any of it and said, "SIT DOWN YOU STUPID DOG!"
Courage did as he was told and returned to his seat.
So Shirley returned to trying to call Horst. This time after only a couple of rings, someone picked up and this time they got pay dirt.
"Hello?" came a gruff older man's voice.
Muriel smiled again and said, "Isn't this wonderful Eustace? Finally you can settle your differences."
"Yeah yeah yeah!" said stated as he dropped Muriel's hand and stood up from his seat.
Eustace picked up Shirley and shook her a bit as he said, "Where's the key to the box."
"There is nothing in the box for YOU Eustace," Horst said angrily.
Eustace's anger increased as he said, "You would say that ya cheap-"
But Horst interrupted him by urgently saying, "Bury the box Eustace and forget it ever existed."
Eustace growled as Courage once again pleaded with Eustace. But Eustace merely told Courage to get away from him and pushed him away.
"Uncle Eustace please," Avery started.
"QUIET!" Eustace snapped.
"Listen to the family Eustace. It's for the best," Horst urged once again.
"Money! Money! Where's the key?" Eustace demanded once again.
"There's nothing in there for you!" Horst responded.
Eustace tried one last time as shouted, "GIVE ME THE KEY!"
Finally having had enough of Eustace's badgering, Horst sighed and said, "Okay!"
Confusion crossed Eustace's face and he said, "Okay?"
"If it'll get you to leave me alone, I'll give you the key. Search the lining of your hat," Horst said.
Eustace did just that and in no time at all, he pulled a key out of his hat.
"So that's where it was," Eustace said gleefully.
"How was he even able to hide it in there? Where COULD it even hide in there?" Avery asked out loud.
Horst gave her no answer and merely said, "You have been warned brother. Whatever happens is now on you."
And with that, they disconnected from Horst as Eustace picked up the box and laughed triumphantly.
Shirley however wanted to take the time to defuse him by saying, "You should heed your brother's word."
Instead, Eustace pulled a few bills from his pocket and started pushing her to the dining room door and pushed her out.
"We don't need you anymore lady. TAKE OFF!" he said and turned away from her.
"You shall not be warned again," Shirley said with a shake of her head and turned her attention to Avery, who froze under her gaze. "You! Walk me out."
Avery felt a chill run down her spine, but nodded her head and obliged with Shirley's request. They walked through the living room and to the front door. Avery even took the time for courtesy by holding the door open for her and felt some relief as the psychic chihuahua stepped outside. She was about to close the door when Shirley turned back to her and looked her straight in the eyes.
"Step outside," Shirley ordered.
Now Avery could feel herself begin to sweat, but there was an intimidating tone in Shirley's demands that she felt herself obeying them unconsciously. She stepped outside with no one else in sight and closed the door as soon as she was out on the porch.
Shirley continued to look her in the eyes and said, "Take off that pathetic disguise. It didn't work once child."
Avery sighed. She figured that her disguise hadn't fooled Shirley in the slightest, but had hoped that the more Shirley failed to acknowledge her the more likely it was that she wouldn't address her at all. Clearly that was a fools hope.
In the end, she obliged and took off the hat and the sunglasses.
"Never try to fool a psychic you silly girl. They're psychic for a reason," Shirley said.
"It was worth a try though," Avery said. "So... my great uncle then?"
Shirley shook her head and said, "Never mind that child. Have you figured out anything about your ornament?"
She even reached into her pocket and pulled out the crystal that Avery had dreaded so much since her first night there.
Avery sweat dropped, looked down at the bracelet on her wrist and said, "I'm afraid not. All I know is that it has a tendency to work whenever it wants. I'm still not sure what it's capable of, but when it works, it tends to work in ways that I need it to. Like it protects me sometimes."
Shirley narrowed her eyes and said, "I see... I suppose that's enough to keep you out of the crystal."
Avery sighed in relief as Shirley put the crystal away.
"For now at least. Keep an eye on it and you'll be fine. Also, I'd heed your deceased uncle's words and keep the stupid one from opening that box. I sensed fear in his voice so naturally it's to be kept closed. Mark my words," Shirley said and began walking off.
Avery watched her for a moment and then went back into the house. She reentered the dining room to see that Eustace was on the phone with an aggravated look on his face.
"You're not getting MY money whoever you are. So just shove off, "he said and then slammed the phone down on the receiver.
"Who was on the phone?" Avery asked him.
"Nobody, so quit bothering me. Shouldn't be this complicated to just open a lock," Eustace said as he picked the box up again.
"Uncle Eustace wait!" Avery stated, but he waved his hand in front of her.
"I waited long enough. Money money money," Eustace laughed as he inserted the key into the lock.
Avery's heart leapt into her chest as she saw a green glow begin to emanate from the box.
"UNCLE EUSTACE NO!" she screamed, but now it was too late.
She watched as he turned the key in the lock and he laughed even more. Even as the green glow grew brighter. Courage came running into the room from the kitchen and his eyes grew as big as saucers at the sight.
Eustace continued laughing as he ignored the glow and said, "I knew it. We're rich! WE'RE RICH!"
Muriel came walking in and said, "Did you say something Eustace?"
She let out a little gasp as Courage pushed back on the door, forcing her out of the room. Eustace picked up the box as the glow grew brighter still. By now however, his smile had vanished.
"Uncle Eustace he kept that box locked for a reason!" Avery hollered, but she was again too late.
Two large green arms shot out of the box and Eustace threw the box right to the other side of the room.
He pointed at the creature and said, "What are you doing in my box? With MY money."
The creature, now visibly angered, smacked away the dining room table and chairs reached out to Eustace. Courage let out a scream and grabbed the lanky farmer and started running for the dining room door as Avery ducked into the kitchen where her aunt was, stirring a pot of jam.
Muriel looked at her and said, "Oh my! Avery what's going on in there?"
Avery caught herself and said, "There was something else in the box. There's a reason Uncle Horst didn't want us to open it."
Before she could explain more, Courage ran into the kitchen without Eustace. He screamed as he slammed the door shut, but it then flew open, knocking him and Avery to the side as a giant hand came into the kitchen and grabbed Muriel.
Muriel screamed as the hand pulled her back into the dining room and hollered, "Courage! Avery! HELP!"
Avery helped Courage back up to his feet and they both dashed back into the dining room to see the giant hands were trying to pull both Eustace and Muriel into the box. The elderly couple were holding onto the radiator in the room for dear life as the hands tried hard to pull them into the box with it. It was working, but the radiator began to pull up out of the ground and it wouldn't hold for long.
Courage ran out of the room, leaving Avery amazed by him.
"Courage where are you going? We need to do something," she said, but the dog was back a second later with the clothesline. Avery began mentally kicking herself and said, "Oh! You were going to get a rope. Duh!"
"My clothesline? Did you fold the clothes?" Muriel asked and Courage nodded. "Such a good dog."
"Aunt Muriel, we have bigger priorities right now than the laundry," Avery said.
"I know," Muriel said with a frown and then screamed again.
Courage acted quickly as he took the rope and tied it around the couple and then tied them together. He and Avery then took the rope, went outside and wound it around the house multiple times in a desperate bid to keep them secured for as long as possible. But they still had no idea how to fix the problem.
Avery saw the panic in him and a thought crossed her mind. Her Uncle Horst had to have trapped that thing in the box before. So surely he must know how to trap it again.
She looked at Courage and said, "Let's go find that medium and contact Uncle Horst again. If he put it in the box once, he must know how to trap it."
Courage nodded in approval and, holding her over his head, ran from the farmhouse and towards town. Right as some of the wooden boards of the house began to creak and crack.
In short order, they were both back in town. It was late, so no one was really out so no one could stop and question what they were up to. The speed to which they got to town amazed even Avery, but she knew that whenever the little dog was determined, he was capable of doing amazing things. From the town entrance, they made their way to the local TV station and to their relief, they saw Shirley's little wagon sitting just outside of it. They ran inside quickly and it didn't take them long to find the studio that Shirley worked in (thanks to all the supernatural decals right around the door). They went inside to see Shirley was flossing her teeth for no discernible reason.
She looked up from her flossing to see the two of them run in. She already had a good reason to believe why they were there. Even before Courage began his usual babbling, pointing and morphing routine when he explained all the horrible things that they had just witnessed.
"The Stupid One, he opened the box yes?" she asked.
Courage nodded and Avery said, "Yep, he did. I did try to warn and stop him. But he's always been so stubborn and refuses to listen. Especially when money and his brother are involved."
"That is why I call him The Stupid One. Alright, take me to him," Shirley said.
Avery looked at Courage and said, "Courage, if you please."
Wasting no time, Courage picked Avery up and placed Shirley on top of them and began running for the farm again. As they ran, Avery decided that now would be the best time to get in contact with Horst again.
"Shirley, I have a favor I need to ask you," Avery said.
Shirley looked at her and Avery was expecting a stern or cold look from her. Instead, she saw something a little more sympathetic.
"What is it child?" she asked.
Avery took a breath and said, "I need you... to contact my Uncle Horst again. I need to know what this thing is and how to beat it."
Shirley nodded and said, "I will try. Take my hand."
Avery did just that and waited as Shirley opened her mouth and heard the ringing sounded.
"Please Uncle Horst. Please answer me," she said quietly to herself.
After a few seconds, she heard the sound of someone answering.
"Well Eustace, did you like what you found? I did try warn ya," came Horst's voice in a condescending tone.
"Uncle Horst, it's not Eustace," Avery said.
"Huh? Who are you," asked Horst.
Avery chuckled and said, "Not surprised you don't recognize my voice. The last time we saw each other, I was just a little girl."
Horst was quiet for a moment and said, "Avery? Little Avery? Is that you?"
Avery couldn't help but smile and say, "Yep."
"Avery! I can't believe it. Sounds like you're all grown up now," he said.
Avery chuckled and said, "Well I'm older now if that's what you mean. Though whether I'm grown is... debatable."
She laughed at her own joke, referencing the fact that even in her 20's she still wasn't very tall. Not that it really mattered to her.
Horst chuckled as well and said, "So what do you need kiddo?"
Avery stopped chuckling and said, "Well for one, you were right. Eustace ignored your warning and opened the box. Now something is trying to pull him and Aunt Muriel into the box. I need to know. What is it? How do we stop it?"
Horst was quiet for a moment and said, "It's my fault that that thing exists and it's my fault it's in there. The one nice thing I tried to do for my brother and I still screwed it up."
"What do you mean?" Avery asked.
Horst sighed and said, "First Avery you need to know that I have not been a good brother to Eustace. Always putting him down when our ma always put him down as well. Pa was about the only one who ever showed him any love or compassion, even when he screwed everything up. So every time I went on my expeditions, I always put some of the money aside and stashed it away. I figured that if i could do anything nice for him, it might as well be with my passing."
Avery took a moment to think and said, "You were going to leave your money to him anyway? Why'd you make his younger life miserable?"
"Eustace was always a wimp and I wanted nothing more than for him to find that inner warrior and be a strong man. That's why I was always like that, hoping one day that he would snap and find the courage to stand up to me. Clearly that was never going to happen. So I figured that if I should do one nice thing for him, it should be my last act ever. But I still screwed that up," he said
"What happened?" asked Avery.
"I got too ambitious with my discoveries. So I decided to try to discover something that no one had seen before," he said and then let out a sigh. "So I turned to demons and the occult.'
Avery's blood ran cold as her heart sank and she said, "You didn't."
"I did. And clearly I got more than I bargained for. I summoned a real demon and it attacked me. The only way I could stop it was to trap it in something and seal it and the first thing I grabbed was that damn box. The box I was planning to leave to my baby brother. After that, I buried it somewhere and took the secret to my grave. Now I wish I had taken it as far away as I could before burying it," Horst said with despair in his voice.
Avery could feel some tears welling up in her eyes. He WAS planning to do something decent for the one person he picked on relentlessly. That deep down, he truly loved his brother, but had no way he could show it. And the one nice thing he was wanting to, he accidentally screwed up.
Finding herself, she said, "You made a mistake, it happens. You didn't mean for anything bad to happen. But now you can fix it. How do we stop it?"
"Just close the box and the creature will be trapped inside again. Simple as that," he answered.
Avery listened and said, "Thank you. You rest easy now Uncle Horst."
"You take care of yourself Avery. When I see your parents next, I'll send them your love," he said.
Now some tears did run from Avery's eyes at the thought of her parents. The ones who's deaths, still rang freshly through her mind.
She shed some more and said, "Thank you again."
And with that, a hanging up sound was heard and Shirley closed her mouth. It was at the right time as well since they had just arrived at the farmhouse and Courage set them down. The wood was starting to rend and break under the pressure of the rope keeping Eustace and Muriel from being pulled into the box.
"Get everything you need?" she asked Avery.
Avery nodded and said, "Yes. I did."
Back inside, Eustace and Muriel were still hanging on for dear life. Thankfully in no worse case as earlier, but given that the house's structure was weakening, it wouldn't last much longer. Now however, there was less to fear. Avery walked over to the box as Shirley went to face Eustace.
"You had to open the box didn't you?" Shirley scolded him and then muttered something in her native language.
Eustace scowled and Avery just frowned at him as she closed the lid of the box with her foot. Almost immediately, the hands scream out in pain, releasing both Eustace and Muriel in the process. The hands twitched in agony and then pulled themselves back into the box. Avery and Courage sighed in relief and then a crisp hundred dollar bill flew out of the box and into the air. Shirley caught the bill in her hand and then pocketed it in her dress.
"House emergency fee," she said as she pocketed it and began walking away.
Eustace sat up at the sight of the bill and said, "I knew there was money in there."
He got to his feet and ran for the box again and picked it up.
"EUSTACE NO!" both Avery and Muriel screamed but they were too late once again. Or, more likely, Esutace just wouldn't listen.
He opened the box and he was immediately sucked right into it. Muriel shook her head while Avery just facepalmed as her uncle's stupidity as the box clattered to the ground. Yet they could still hear him.
"Look at all this money! Whoopee! I'm rich! I'm finally rich!" he hollered from inside the box.
Shirley shook her head and muttered in Spanish once again as she walked out.
Muriel looked at her and said, "Thank you again at least."
Shirley didn't answer her, but looked at Avery instead and gave her a nod, which Avery returned.
The very next morning, Muriel, Avery and Courage were sitting in the living room as Muriel and Avery were tasting Muriel's freshly made jam while Courage sat in the arm chair, playing with his yoyo.
"Aunt Muriel I have to admit, your aunt Gertrude was right," Avery said as she ate another spoonful of jam.
Muriel nodded and said, "I agree. This jam tastes heavenly."
"Can I buy some from you?" came Eustace's voice from the box on the stand by the arm chair.
'Poor Eustace,' Avery said in her head. 'All that money and no place to spend it.'
"You can have all the jam you want when you get out of there," Muriel said. "But first we have to find that key."
Avery chuckled as she and Muriel had some more of the jam. Neither one of them noticed that Courage actually had the key on him and was not about to use it.
So now let me explain why this chapter is so late. After my update back in October, the rest of the year got hectic. Worked extra time in October to help with my sister's wedding. And then there was final planning and the wedding itself in November plus a trip I had been planning shortly after that. Then came the Christmas season which is always a busy time for me. So I worked as much as I could during that time and it's not easy during that time of year.
Then we come to 2020. Oh boy, you don't need me to tell you just how stressful this year has been for everyone. Lost my job due to the current pandemic and haven't been able to find work. Been stressing on it so much, that the will to write just wasn't there. So I finally forced myself to do a little writing and... it honestly took a lot of the stress off of me. So I think I'm going to use writing for a bit as a way of helping take the pressure off of myself.
I'm REALLY sorry that this chapter was so late and i promise the next one will be out much much sooner than this one. Especially with my newly rediscovered passion for writing, I should be able to keep it.