Chapter Thirty-Eight

The last of the trick-or-treaters had left, leaving the harvest moonlit night eerily quiet. It wasn't quite ten yet. Through the library window, Destiny could see the fog enshrouded cemetery. Shadows crouched in the dim corners of the book depository, quivering with fear from the candles' light. With timid curiosity the busts tried to read over the shoulders of Destiny, George, Dustin, and Koji as the quartet hovered around an open book on a small table. They had moved to the library for privacy, but they had their doubts they could hide their actions from a certain mystic. Destiny recalled her conversation with George that had happened in this room just a few days ago. She also remembered the disturbing voice she had heard in her mind afterwards. Whoever that had been, what if it was watching them now?

The little red volume open before them was an occultist's recipe book. Every page had an incantation, a ritual, instructions, or a list of supplies and illustrations. The eerie sketches sent chills down Destiny's spine. They were old, copies of woodcarvings that went as far back as the 1600s. With primitive etched lines artists had been able to properly convey a spirit possessing someone's body, a zombie rising from the grave, or an unfortunate victim reacting to the stabbing of a voodoo doll. Destiny had often heard the phrases "witchcraft, white magic, black magic, green magic." She had also been told that magic, or magik, however one wanted to spell it, had no color at all, was neither good nor bad, or did not even exist. A month ago, she believed that David Blaine would be as close as anyone would get.

She knew deep down she had been wrong. And all of this magic was meant to be bad.

Sitting in a high backed chair, George flipped back and forth between pages. "What we need," his voice was grave yet rushed, "is to find common coincidences that you've experienced and narrow it down to which spell she's using. What weird things have happened lately?"

Destiny stopped in her nervous pacing to give him an incredulous glare. "You mean besides the ghosts and weird noises and dead people jumping into my computer?" she snapped sarcastically. When George glared back at her, she muttered an apology. "Well, the necklace is gone…" George flipped through the book with Dustin and Koji looking down at the pages on either side of him.

"Okay, an important item missing… Go on."

"You can't just dog-ear pages in an occult book!" Koji exclaimed as Gracey began to fold the tip of a page.

"And why not?" the aristocratic spirit snorted. Suddenly the book leapt at his face and tried in vain to bite his ear and fold it down to his lips.

"They dog-ear you back," Koji smirked. "Tried doing that to the Necronomicon and it whooped my ass."

Grunting and straining, Dustin and George forced the tome back onto the table. "Point taken," Gracey breathed, exhausted. "Dustin, put our finger there, would you, to hold the place."

Obliging, the Englishman grumbled, "What next, my tongue in a mousetrap?"

"All right, an item of great meaning," George continued. "Anything that's personal? Or an every day object?"

Destiny was sure she was leaving a shallow ditch in the carpet by now. "Let me comb my memory…Comb! My brush! My hairbrush is gone!"

"Hmm," George mumbled. "And with your hair brush goes your hair. That's not good."

"What?" Dustin and Destiny cried at once.

Gracey pulled Dustin's wrist back, pulling his finger off the page, and then turned to the next page. In bold black letters the top of the yellowed parchment read Possession.

"I'm afraid," George announced, "we've come to the answer to our dilemma."

"Well, what's the answer to the answer?" Destiny asked, her voice shaking slightly. Dustin went to her side and put comforting icy hands on her slender shoulders.

"She can't possess her if she can't get to her," Koji remarked. "Leota's trapped in the ball. I admit that she seems to be able to draw people to her if you go anywhere near her room. She can't tap into your head if you're not close or looking at her, right?"

"Hmm…" George had noticed Destiny's odd silence. Her gaze had shifted to the floor. "Have you heard her, Destiny?"

"Uh, I think," she faltered. "Maybe. Only once. It was after we had that talk in here. I didn't know what it was when I heard it. But I haven't since! And I'm not going close to her!" The glint in George azure eyes made her defensive. "What are you thinking?"

"I was thinking we have to make sure you can't be persuaded by Leota."

Dustin furrowed his brow, confused. "How do you propose that?"

O.o

"This is stupid. This is really stupid."

"So you've said, Destiny," sighed George, leaning against the bedroom doorway. He inspected his fingernails. A very reluctant Destiny stood on the other side of the locked door, arms folded across her chest. It seemed the easiest way to keep her away from Madame Leota's chamber was to simply keep her locked in her room. Koji was twirling the key on his finger.

With a look of pity at the door, Dustin pleaded, "At least let me keep her company!"

Koji shook his head. "No can do. If you're in there, you'll let her out if Leota gets in her head. Or if she starts controlling you."

"And you have been swayed by her as well, Mr. Dust," reminded George.

"Almost!" corrected the bespectacled specter. The master's supercilious tone grated on his nerves. Before he could stop himself, he added, "And maybe you should quit making these comments, mister 'I nearly strangled my barely legal bride-to-be while hypnotized by a deranged psychic!' Considering that, wouldn't you be the biggest threat, then, under your assumptions? Perhaps we should put you under confinement as well."

The two dead men glared at each other.

"Ooh! Stick 'im in the attic!" came Emily's yell from the foyer.

"Watch the movie!" George shouted back at her. In one swift and petty move, he knocked Dustin's top hat off of his head. Then the smug spirit regally adjusted his jacket cuffs. "Point well taken, Mr. Dust," he admitted calmly.

Dustin dusted off his hat before putting it back on. "Are you feeling well?" he asked through the door.

"I'm kinda hungry," whined Koji. "Can I get some more of those cookies?"

"Not you!"

Destiny placed her palms against the door and she had the suspicion Dustin's were in the exact same spots on the other side. "I know George means well," she began, "but what if something happens in here and I have to get out?" She did not add how stupid she thought it was that rooms locked from the outside in this house.

"Easy." Koji grinned. "I unlock it!" The key he had been twirling flew off of his finger. With a hissed curse he dashed after it. Bounding back like a puppy with a fetched stick, he beamed proudly. "Got it. No worries!"

Dustin rolled his eyes and sighed. "We'll stay right out here." Koji and George dragged a couple of chairs in and situated them on either side of the door and sat down. "I know this seems asinine," Dustin said into the keyhole, "but we really are trying to keep you safe. It's just for tonight."

"I know." Destiny huffed, making a strand of dark hair float up. "I just feel worried and trapped. Not to mention silly."

"If Leota's going to try anything it will be on Halloween," George remarked from his chair. He smiled and softened his tone. "It's just for a few more hours. I'd suggest getting in some reading or taking a nap." With that he settled into the chair and took out the spell book and started reading.

Dustin put his hands through the door and felt Destiny intertwine her fingers with his. "We'll be right here." Slowly he pulled his hands out then stood with his back to the door and waited.

O.o

Little Leota had grown bored with the movies. The things she could see with her mind were better than what the screen wanted her to see. So she had skipped away to find Clairece.

An aura of foreboding washed over the child as she walked down the hallway. Around her, doorknockers and handles rattled and creatures moaned. But that wasn't what made her run. Something wasn't right. Under the howling and growling, there was an unfamiliar noise, like a scratching. But it wasn't the scratching of claws. Slipping in and out of the familiar musk of dust was another scent, a burning. But it wasn't candles.

Quickening her pace, her white slippers barely made contact with the floor. "Clairece!"

"What?" her babysitter called down from the second floor hallway. She could oddly be seen, even though she clutched the candelabrum. Like the other spirits, Clairece too had felt the surge of energy that came with Halloween, but it was used more often to keep up with L. L. and tidying the mansion than for celebrating. For once, she thought this would be one of the rare nights where she could take care of things she'd had on her to-do list for the past half century. Judging by the worried expression on her ward's face, those activities would have to be pushed back yet again.

"What is it?" Clairece asked, hurrying down the stairs. She set the candelabrum on a nearby table and stooped down to one knee, eye level with L. L.

"Fire!" the little girl blurted.

"Where?" The nanny sprang up. They sniffed and ran, following the smell of smoke. Curious specters stepped out of walls and peeked through doors, wondering what the fuss was.

A small crowd had rallied behind them now, asking each other what was wrong, panicking when they too smelt the smoke. Led by the nanny and child, they ran out the back door.

Fire, a choppy ring of it, encircled the mansion. Flames soared near the back porch where the blaze had been started.

Reaching next to her blindly, Clairece grabbed a spook by the shoulder and pulled him towards her.

"I swear I didn't do it!" Ezra yelled.

"Try to put it out! I've got to make sure Miss Chalmers is all right!" She dashed back in.

"You heard the lady!" crowed Ezra.

"Yeah!" Phineas chimed in behind him. "We might not be able to burn, but this mansion is our home! Get anything that can hold water!"

The ghosts sprang into action. Raiding a garden shed and a long abandoned livery stable, spirits found buckets and a feeding trough to haul some water from the nearby river in and shovels to fling dirt. Bea had the bright yet highly controversial idea to use coffins that had been unearthed or left above ground. She assured everyone she'd see to it that any "leftovers" would be put back.

Filled buckets were put in the back of the hearse and Rolly the expired equine galloped it to waiting ghosts. Once empty, the buckets were put back, and he'd run back to the river where they would be refilled.

With a watering can with a broken spout dangling from his bicycle's handlebar, Manny Festation pedaled furiously. He came to a sudden halt beside Bea. "We're losing this battle!" Fear and anger coursed through them as the flames grew.

O.o

"So, you're like a bodyguard?" asked Emily impressed. She had left the foyer after L. L. did and quickly found Koji. Now she was sitting with her arms wrapped around one bent knee and her other leg relaxed and swinging, her toes a few inches above the floor. She was floating so that she was sitting level with Koji, sans chair. "What can't you do?" she asked in awe.

He thought about it for a moment. "Juggle."

George snored softly, the book lying open on the chair since it had fallen through his lap. Dustin sighed. Every minute that passed felt like an hour. How long had they been waiting anyway?

Destiny looked at her bedside clock. Fifteen minutes had passed since she had been locked in her room. Cabin fever must have been setting in because on top of the boredom she was becoming uncomfortably warm.

She was lying on her bed, staring at the ceiling. The smothering warmth was having a lulling effect on her. Her heavy eyelids were almost closed when she heard the yelling. Lightheaded, she slowly sat up and looked out the window.

Catching sight of the flames, she screamed and flung herself towards the door. It was if her nightmare had finally come true. Fists clenched, she shrieked and pounded on the door. "LET ME OUT!"

Emily fell, hitting the carpet with a un-ghostlike thud. George was jolted out of his nap.

More alert than the others, Dustin snapped, "Koji unlock the door!" The dark haired young man was already on his feet.

"Wait," bellowed George, "what if this is some kind of trap?" Koji paused, his grip tight on the key as he prepared to turn it in the lock. But even George looked doubtful of his words as they heard the screams.

"Unlock it!" Dustin commanded frantically, not bothering to cover the fear in his voice. He jumped through the door and to his horror discovered that smoke filled the room. Destiny was crouched on the floor, coughing and weakly smacking the door. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her up to her feet.

The handle turned and the couple burst out, the smoke trailing behind them. Destiny's thin body wracked and trembled with the force of her coughs while Dustin and Koji held her up.

"Poor dear," murmured Emily, gently pushing any hair out of the mortal's face.

Sincerely and with an edge of pain in his tone, George whispered, "I'm so sorry."

"Master Gracey!" The group turned. Clairece ran towards them, shouting. "The mansion is on fire! The whole back and sides are engulfed in flame! Get to the front yard!"

The group did not hesitate. Quickly they made their way for the front door.

No one saw the calligraphy that appeared on a blank page of the book George left behind. Like fresh, wet ink the black letters shone.

A Gracey trapped me.
For so long I've been confined.
But a Gracey will free me.
And the mansion's Destiny will suffer for all time.

O.o

Destiny, Dustin, Emily, and Koji huddled together on the front lawn, watching as ghosts tried valiantly to put out the fires. Tears welled in Destiny's eyes. Her home, the one place she had felt welcome in since her father's death, was now crumbling.

"Who could have done this?" Koji asked. "This wasn't Leota." Looking around, he noticed someone was missing. "Where's George?"

The master of the manor had slipped away from the group. He pulled open the gallery door and ran in. Soon the portrait chamber would be ravaged by fire. The air was already thick and hazy, the heat intense. He had to act quickly.

He flew up to Lily's portrait, grabbed the frame, and yanked it off the wall. "I'm not losing you again!" With the painting tucked against his side, he ran for the door.

"George!" It was the voice of his mother. Slowly, he turned to look at her image. "Georgie! Georgie, dear little Georgie, come back and get your poor old Mommy!"

Without a moment's hesitation, he said brightly, "Bye Mother!" and ran.

"Georgie? … Damn you George! Come and get me now! Ahhh! It burns! It burns! You're no longer my son, you selfish brat! AHHH!"

Another voice began calling him back. "George! Please, save me!" Against his will, he ran back into the gallery and opened the second secret panel. He ran up the stairs to Leota's chamber. "Please!" Leota intoned. "Save me! I can't move! My crystal ball will be broken!"

He almost grabbed her, but stopped when he felt the canvas under his fingers. Glancing down he saw the sweet, beautiful face of his darling Lily. His true love Lily, who had been taken from him not once, but twice, by this harpy who was now pleading for his help.

"You can burn, Leota!" He slammed the door when he left.

A beam fell, smashing the crystal ball.

O.o

"George!" cried Emily as he rushed out of the house. "Where have you…" She saw the painting. "Oh."

"My cell's in the house," Koji grumbled. "We can't call the fire department. My car keys are in my coat pocket, which is probably smoldering about now." He glared. "You run past my car keys and grab a painting! That better be the original 'Mona Lisa'!"

"Someone should just run in and grab the keys and the phone!" Destiny suggested, exasperated. "Someone already dead!" She shivered. It was bizarre. Her house was on fire and she was freezing.

"The smoke is so thick now, you can't see anything," George said wearily.

Dustin's attention was oddly diverted from the argument. Peering into the woods, he thought he had seen a dark shape running from the mansion. Without explanation to the others, he took off after it. A book of matches lay on the ground near the edge of the forest. No, Leota had not done this, nor was it an accident.

"Hey!" he called out, sprinting after the thing. It was solid and human, crashing through the underbrush clumsily. Concentrating as hard as he could to make himself as solid as possible, Dustin leapt and tackled the person.

With a yell, the man went down. Craning his neck around, he searched for whoever had jumped him. His shoulder was grabbed and he was turned so he was lying on his back. Now looking up, he still couldn't see his attacker.

"Wha'?"

"You!" Dustin screamed, rage making his voice hoarse. The man lying on the dirt had a face filthy with soot and ash, but the bandages on his nose could still be seen. Dustin used the bandages as a target for his fist. "Why can't you leave her alone?"

Craig Jordan struggled. It felt as if a knee was pushing into his chest. Flailing, he couldn't hit anything, but something was surely hitting him. He rolled, the thing staying with him, pushing him down, and punching him. Maybe it was just a trick of the light that he couldn't see the other. If something was solid enough to hit him, he should be able to hit it back.

He grabbed for where he thought a throat could be. "Who are you?" he growled. "That bitch's new boyfriend?"

Hate like he had never felt before filled Dustin. He grabbed Craig's shirtfront and pulled him close. "If I kill you, I will tear you apart every hour of every day for an eternity! I will make you wish you had gone to Hell! I want you to feel every ounce of pain you made Destiny feel!"

Craig's eyes grew wide in fear and his bloodied face paled. The air in front of him seemed to shimmer and flicker. A faint, blue outline of a man appeared. Details were blurred, but the phantasm's face was twisted in a snarl and his green eyes were fierce behind his glasses. The apparition was a lanky man, and Craig felt ashamed he had been overpowered by him.

Craig growled. Destiny rejected him for a geek! A dead geek!

Perhaps it was the magic of the night, the energy of the ghost's rage, or a bizarre coincidence, but Dustin was visible to Craig now. The mortal pushed himself up, ducking out of the way of the ghost's hands. Both jumped to their feet.

"No, you're not real! You can't be!" Craig babbled, backing away.

"Oh, I am very real," hissed Dustin, taking a step towards Craig for each scramble back. "And so is the pain I'm going to inflict on you for hurting Destiny!"

Craig whimpered, but just as Dustin approached him, the ghost was suddenly pulled back. Not wanting to miss this opportunity, Craig bolted.

Dustin felt like he was being snapped back on a bungee cord. What was going on? It had not been an hour and he was still on the property. He landed on his back at the base of the porch steps.

"Dustin!" Destiny rushed to his side. She and the others had joined in the fight to put out the flames. "Where have you been?"

He stood up, still dazed. "Uh, how to put this?" he asked himself aloud. He could not help but feel a little bit of pride. "I was kicking your ex boyfriend's arse."

She stared at him, mouth agape. "Craig did this?"

"I'm afraid so." He put an arm around her shoulders and they looked up at the once majestic mansion. It had witnessed so much just to be taken out by a Neanderthal who had discovered how to use fire.

Dustin squinted. Then blinked a few times. "How…?"

It looked as if the fire was shrinking, dwindling all on its own. But it was not weakening or dying out. It was retreating back, like a video played in rewind. Bits of the mansion that had fallen off rose up and went back into place. Scorch marks shriveled.

The others had noticed this too and stared in awe and confusion. In mere minutes, Gracey Manor was back to its not quite pristine gothic beauty, just as it had been an hour ago. As one, the spirits cheered and clapped. Many started dancing and singing.

"There's something unsettling about this," Destiny murmured. Dustin nodded his agreement. Whatever had put the house back together had probably pulled him back.

Without warning, she was torn from his arms. Not unlike Dustin, she was pulled against her will by unseen hands. She was dragged, kicking and screaming, up the steps, over the porch, and into the house.

"Destiny!" he screamed just as she disappeared into the mansion.

He ran after her, following her shouts. Even if she had not made a sound he would have been able to track her. He knew where she was being taken.

Dustin arrived in the dark séance room just as Destiny was thrown roughly onto the floor. He ran to her side and did not have time to say any comforting words before a dark voice chuckled and clicked a tongue.

"Sorry 'bout the rough landing there, poppet," Asher cooed condescendingly, stepping out of the shadows. "It's just that you're late to the party and we really can't get it started without you."

O.o

A/N: A huge "thank you!" for WerecatBoy who helped a lot by looking over this chapter and suggesting the bit with George's mother's portrait, and just overall helpfulness!