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Silent Heart

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Throughout every floor in the house the chanting was heard, the Latin called to each of the tormented souls that were imprisoned within its walls, drawing them to its center.

The Juggernaut slowly recoiled, as did the Hammer, all the while Dennis and Serena stood in confusion and terror as the two vengeful wraiths disappeared from their sight.

The Latin persisted, as did the disappearances, slowly but surely every spectral being in the entire structure dissipated in evanescence... but to where?

Dennis paused in bewilderment, he took off his viewers and rubbed his eyes as he leaned against a nearby wall. Just then something caught his attention, he glanced over at the center room, the spinning rings on the floor had vanished in the middle, and were now reappearing, and Evy was trapped in the middle.

"Evelyn?" Dennis muttered in disbelief.

The rings which spun around her now violently lifted from the floor, twisting and grinding in mid air, spinning so fast you could hardly see them move. The razor sharp rings formed around her cowering figure like a huge gyroscope, encaging her to where she could barely move without being sliced to bits.

"Oh god, Evelyn!" Dennis shrieked as he ran to the entrance of the room.

Serena stared through the glass in astonishment at the spinning blades, she then remembered something crucial.

"The basement." Serena mumbled to herself, she then ran around the corner in the opposite direction in search of the stairs.

*

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"Fetch the book!" Cyrus called to Kalina as he made his way outside the room towards the center of the house.

Kalina turned voluntarily to where the Arcanum rest in the chair, she picked it up and followed Cyrus. Just as she caught up with him suddenly the glass divider between them slammed shut, trapping her in the narrow corridor.

"Cyrus!" she cried to him for help, she then noticed that his hand was on the lever that closed the divider on her. "Cyrus!" she called again, now more in dismay than in need. "What are you doing!?!"

"You just can't teach some people..." Cyrus sadistically implied as he began to step away from where she was trapped.

"Cyrus!!!" Kalina now screamed in horror as the glass walls beside her began to move inward.

"I thought I told you, greatness requires sacrifice!" Cyrus pontificated as the frightened woman pushed at the walls frantically, using the book that was clutched in her shaking hands to push the pieces of glass back.

But no matter how hard she pushed against the glass it continued to close in on her until it was too late.

"Cyrus!!!" she cried out for her life one last time as the heavy pieces of glass enclosed around her, slowly crushing the life out of her trembling body as the Arcanum slid to the floor next to her broken form.

*

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"Dennis!!!" Evelyn screamed, her terrified voice barely audible through the loud grinding of the blades and chanting of Latin that surrounded her.

"Evy! Hold on!" Dennis shouted back in response, his mind on overload as he desperately tried to think up a plan.

He then remembered the glasses in his hand. Dennis put the viewers on quickly, he gasped at the sight of all twelve earth bound spirits circling the spinning rings which twirled around Evelyn.

His mouth opened slightly as he stared at the ghosts' orchestrated design around the center of the room, for the first time in his life, Dennis was utterly speechless.

A surge of images rushed to his head, Dennis retreated in pain, as he turned his wounded head to the right he noticed something at the end of the hallway next to him... it was Cyrus Kriticos.

Dennis stared in disbelief as Cyrus stood at the end of the hallway proudly, his cane gripped in his hand as if it were a weapon, then he remembered something Kalina had mentioned earlier in the library.

Dennis turned back towards the large room where the ghosts circled Evelyn, slowly he began to count as they passed by him on the spinning rings they hovered above.

"One, two, three, four..." he muttered as each spirit passed by, Kalina's voice calling off the names in his head. "Five, six, seven..." he mumbled as the Torn Prince, the Angry Princess, and the Pilgrimess spun past him. "Eight, nine, ten, eleven... twelve..." he uttered, pausing after the Juggernaut passed, Cyrus was beginning to become annoyed. "And if I'm the thirteenth..." Dennis began to say, he then looked back at Cyrus.

Cyrus tensed as he slowly removed his viewers... Dennis then understood, Cyrus wasn't dead.

"You son of a bitch!" Dennis shrieked in anger as he lunged for him.

Dennis slammed his fist into Cyrus' face, too upset and angry to realize that he had touched him. They both fell to floor in pain, Dennis grabbed his throbbing skull in agony as Cyrus regained himself, he now stood over Dennis, towering above him with his cane pointing down in a threatening motion.

"You're pathetic!" Cyrus nagged cruelly as he smacked the cringing man with his cane. "Years I have dedicated to this! Every waking moment!" he shouted viscously, now beating the psychic even harder. "Have you ever showed that kind of dedication? Have you! The world has no time for little people like you, only those willing to do anything for greatness, anything!" Cyrus shouted, Dennis only moaned in pain as he thrust the end of the cane into his shoulder.

Dennis grabbed onto the end of the cane in hopes to pull it away from Cyrus, but when he did only the bottom came back, revealing that the cane was also a sword-like weapon. Dennis leaned back farther, his back completely against the glass wall behind him now as Cyrus pushed the long blade closer to his neck, almost cutting him.

"The machine requires a ghost to be created out of an act of pure love, and after seeing your childish feelings for Ms. Chase I knew you would be stupid enough to take the spot under the guillotine! Its sad really, spending you whole life a freak, never being able to touch someone without going into a seizure, its quite fortunate that she happened to except the offer to help me in my search... fortunate for me that is... it seems that she is your only real weakness, so I used that to my advantage!" Cyrus harshly explained to the now furious Dennis Rafkin who had to grit his teeth to keep himself from leaping forward. "It will be a small sacrifice, only two dismal lives for me to achieve such greatness... congratulations Dennis, you get to become the Thirteenth Ghost, now get on your feet!" Cyrus demanded as he tightened his grip on the weapon.

*

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Serena's glance jumped from one switch to the next, from one button to the other all with one agenda in mind, stop the machine. She first decided to do something about the annoying spells, which blasted in her ears, clouding her train of thought. She pressed almost every button on the tape machine, the chanting speeded up then slowed down to a crawl just to speed back up again involuntarily when finally she just gave up and ripped the tape from the machine violently.

The next step was to open some doors, Serena flipped every switch she could lay her hands on, muttering in aggravation to herself the whole time.

"Dumb ass machine... stupid Cyrus!" she mumbled in irritation while lowering as many levers as she could.

The doors in the house slid from side to side, opening suddenly just to close again at the same speed. Unwillingly the glass glided across the block floors, making as many exits from each cell that could possibly be made.

The machine spun violently out of control now, grinding one way, spitting gears another, Serena turned towards the massive metal mechanism, her eyes filled with fear and surprise at the sight of what her lever flipping had caused it to become... a giant contorting time bomb just waiting to go off.

*

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Cyrus stopped dead in his tracks as the chanting began to continuously change speed then disappear completely from the speakers, he looked around in confusion as to how his master plan could allow such a glitch to occur.

"Ya know..." Dennis said calmly from the floor beneath him. "This whole obsession with greatness you have is very unhealthy." He stated confidently, Cyrus only glanced down at him even more puzzled than before.

Dennis then out of nowhere kicked Cyrus to the floor beside him, the man hit his head on the glass block flooring and collapsed incoherently in an outstretched heap on the floor.

"You need more mental help than I do!" Dennis sighed as he struggled to regain his breath and knowledge of what was happening.

The twelve spirits broke from alignment as Dennis fumbled to find his viewers, then suddenly Cyrus' body began to levitate in midair by an unseen force or forces. Cyrus shook his head quickly, coming to as he was raised into the air by his invisible captors, Dennis grabbed the glasses from the floor and threw them on his face as fast as he could. He then gazed speechlessly as the man was moved towards the spinning blades by the twelve vengeful ghosts who carried Cyrus in anger through the room. They then slung his struggling form towards the rings that were now contorting uncontrollably, Cyrus screamed in terror as he flew into the twisting razor sharp metal to his final death.

Dennis quickly turned his head to the right in hopes to avoid as much blood splatter as possible. His eyes were shut tight, from fear... relief, then suddenly something made him open them, he didn't know what it was at first but he soon realized it was a sigh.

*

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The machine spun uncontrollably to the right, then to the left, emitting cogs and screws at every grinding turn. Serena cringed as she stared at the large malfunctioning heap of metal, her eyes widening with every gyrating twist.

"Oh shit." She mumbled in fear and anticipation. "Now what?" she then muttered hopelessly while awaiting the contraption's demise.

*

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"I figured it would come to this..." said the small blonde who now leaned comfortably against the metal brace across from him. "The others have been planning it for months!" she explained with a subtle sigh while staring at her best friend's frightened figure amiss the winding blades. "Its sad really... I mean we have so little to look forward to anymore..." she said sadly, yet not allowing one shred of emotion to show on her timid facial features.

"Alex?" Dennis quietly whispered in confusion, she said nothing in return, only smiled angelically.

Dennis stared at her figure in disbelief, removing his glasses from in front of his eyes, she disappeared, he then slipped them back to where they were before, she reappeared. His eyes trailed from her face to her feet, his mouth open slightly with astonishment, Dennis' teal eyes then landed on the bloody gash upon her abdomen, he kept his gaze there for a moment.

"Are you looking at my cut?" she asked abruptly with sarcasm and suspicion in her tranquil voice, Dennis quickly looked away in awkwardness. "Ah, don't feel bad... I couldn't quit staring at it either the first time I realized it was there." She muttered while looking down at her shirt as if she had spilt ketchup on it only seconds ago.

"I'm sorry." He whispered as if it would wash away the blood.

"Please..." she said with a kind chuckle. "That's all I've had to hear for the past, what has it been, two months, three... anyway that's all Dana says to herself 'I'm sorry, I'm sorry' not to me though... I've grown to learn she only thinks of herself, if she can even think anymore!" Alex told him, her voice now starting to fill with regret.

Dennis slowly understood that Alex had been trapped in the same cell as the Angry Princess, his heart began to sink at the thought of her having to spend all this time locked away with her killer in silence.

"Don't feel sorry for me, I'm not the one who needs your compassion..." she muttered again gently in her own universe. "Tell Evy I love her..." she said finally after a long pause. "And that I'm sorry I'm gonna miss out on being her Lamaze partner." She smiled as she looked over at him for the first time, glancing at him with sympathy and benevolence in her glistening eyes.

"What?" Dennis questioned innocently, now more confused than ever before.

"You'll figure it out, now go to her..." she answered meticulously. "She needs you."

With that in mind Dennis nodded to her in understanding as he rose to his feet and moved towards the open doorway, throwing his viewers aside.

"And so do I..." Alex said to herself as she watched him step up to the spinning rings gallantly.

*

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The machine gave its last turn as the smoke began to rush from its insides, breaking down slowly as it maliciously grinded against itself.

"Oh god!" Serena gasped as she retreated from the room as fast as her legs could carry her.

She dove through the doorway just as the metal unhinged itself and combusted chaotically in a cloud of smoke. The glass began to shatter throughout every corridor and entranceway that the house could muster, shrouds of broken glass covered every inch of the basement as the shattering continued in the upper levels of the now broken skeleton that was once a confiding prison.

*

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The golden blades of the machine twisted around the frightened female figure, Dennis stood at the threshold of the sharp blades, as he leapt forward, almost willingly, the metal grinded furiously, blood dripping everywhere from its last encounter with flesh and bone.

The slicing suddenly ceased, but only for a moment, just enough time for Dennis to slip between the shredding rings and land safely on the same ledge as Evelyn's cowering body.

"Hold on!" he screamed to her through the loud grinding, she wrapped her arms around him tightly as she pressed her tear filled face against him in fear.

The glass barriers all around them shattered unmeticulously in one loud swoop of the explosion from below. The spinning blades were hit hard by the sudden impact which left them flailing unsteadily as they fell against each other wearyingly.

It was over.

*

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The house was demolished, the glass walls were now scattered among the cracked floors, the spells were broken, and the twelve earthbound spirits were no longer its prisoners.

They exited its broken structure one by one, the First Born Son racing across the field into the woods in hope to find a new playmate, The Pilgrimess scurried towards the trees in hope of release, The Hammer marched in search of his lost family, The Torso carried his head along after them while the Torn Prince drug his splintered bat into a field he could not play a game on. The Bound Woman untied her hands as she danced to her own song, The Great Child held his Dire Mother's hand as she followed in line with the circus of souls, The Withered Lover smiled at their maternal affection as she ascended into a new realm, The Juggernaut lurched towards the highway like a hitchhiker, The Jackal hoped along flailing his now free arms in the night air as The Angry Princess glanced back one last time at the structure that once held her captive... only now she was free.

*

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Evelyn still clung tight to him as they rested upon the unharmed metal platform in the center of the now idle rings.

"Are you alright?" Dennis asked almost frantically as he raised himself upward, unshielding her.

"I think so, are you?" Evy answered in a shaky voice.

"I am now." He responded calmly as he stared at her in relief.

Evelyn hugged him even tighter then she had before the rings had stopped spinning.

"Marry me." Dennis said suddenly, Evy eased back from their embrace and stared at him.

"Okay." She concluded with a smile as her eyes filled with new tears, only this time they were tears of happiness.

Alex watched them in silence as she leaned against the same metal brace as before. A peaceful smile grew on her face as she witnessed their love... she then disappeared.

*

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Serena stumbled through the wreckage that was once a machine designed by the devil and powered by the dead. She made her way towards the large room where Evy and Dennis embraced, shaking the bits of broken glass out of her hair, when suddenly she came across something at her feet. Slowly she looked down at the bloody, crushed figure that was once her sister, Kalina.

Slowly Serena sighed, fighting back every tear she felt building in her eyes, then suddenly something caught her attention, it was the smashed leather bound book that rest beside Kalina's broken body. Serena bent down and gathered up the Arcanum in both hands, wiping off the splatters of blood and pieces of broken glass, she then held it to her chest and sighed, this time a sigh of determination as she continued to step through the rumble into the approaching dawn.

The End.

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[If this were a movie the credits would begin now... but what would a good movie be without a killer soundtrack to follow...]

(Music In: Evanescence, Bring Me To Life)

How can you see into my eyes like open doors

Leading you down into my core

Where I've become so numb without a soul

My spirit sleeping somewhere cold

Until you find it there and lead me back home

Wake me up inside

Wake me up inside

Call my name and save me from the dark

Bid my blood to run before I come undone

Save me from the nothing I've become

Now that I know what I'm without

You can't just leave me

Breathe into me and make me real

Bring me to life

Wake me up inside

Wake me up inside

Call my name and save me from the dark

Bid my blood to run before I come undone

Save me from the nothing I've become

Bring me to life

Frozen inside without your touch without your love

Darling only you are the life among the dead

All this time I can't believe I couldn't see

Kept in the dark but you were there in front of me

I've been sleeping a thousand years it seems

Got to open my eyes to everything

Without a thought without a voice without a soul

Don't let me die here there must be something more

Bring me to life

Wake me up inside

Wake me up inside

Call my name and save me from the dark

Bid my blood to run before I come undone

Save me from the nothing I've become

Bring me to life

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The Thir13enth Ghost: The Ocularis

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Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters portrayed or depicted in this story, the idea is purely based on the creations of Dark Castle Entertainment and Warner Bros. Pictures. Any similarities to real life people or events is truly coincidental.

Do not sue, plagiarize, or even think about taking me to court cuz ya won't get one dime from me damnit! Not one measly dime, you hear me!!!

P.S. 3rd Series, The Thir13enth Ghost: Legacy, coming soon! (Title may change)