Skeletons in the Closet

[Fox of Hearts]

Team Snark - Milton, London and Marten

A cloud of black feathers and yellow eyes turned into a never ending spiral. Somewhere at the back of his mind, Kelsey's voice whispered "Uzumaki". He shoved imaginary Kelsey away and reclaimed his spot. This wasn't the time to think of that B-grade horror manga she loved encouraging people to read. He suppressed a sigh. Kelsey, Kelsey, even when she wasn't around, his annoying friend managed to spook him. It made him all that much fonder of Ethan. Not that he would ever admit that to either of them, of course.

Outside his head, Milton watched the birds warily knowing that this behaviour wasn't normal. He considered voicing out these thoughts, but he didn't want to freak the girls out. It was the only thing way he could control their emotions indirectly. A no mere feat considering how they kept staring at the moving swing. He knew he had to do something fast or watch everything could go downhill. So, the birds or the swing? He didn't need to ponder too long to know which he preferred tackling first, those annoying birds. At least, he could see them.

"You're kidding," he spoke as calmly as he could. Almost sounding bored. "Stop thinking about that trash movie of Kelsey's and you'll be fine." He kinda felt sorry for dissing one of Alfred Hitchcock's best films but the insult was really meant for Kelsey. If she was here, he would have told her that straight to her face. "Heck, you know as well as I do what happens when we throw a stone at a bunch of birds."

The latter was said with a mischievous smile as he got up. Stuffing the bottle of water from Marten into his emptier pocket, the young man picked up the biggest rock. He turned it around inside his hand. "Just you wait," he reassured. "Those birds won't know what hit them."

He gripped the rock tightly like a baseball then tried aiming. He stared at the birds circling overhead, studying their pattern. Mapping their speed. When he was ready, he threw the rock as hard as he could. Yes, that's it! Home run! He chanted silently, watching as the stone hit the first bird unlucky enough to cross its path.

"Score!" he yelled, punching the air. "Take that you lousy buzzards!"

Everything froze.

The birds with their wings spread out appeared to be suspended by some unseen strings. No, not really. The entire scene reminded him of Kelsey scrambling to hit the pause button before the crows descended upon the children in the playground. He winced.

"Now is a good time to run …. " he suggested to the girls as he started backing away slowly. "At the count of 3, okay? 1 …."

The many pairs of gleaming yellow eyes were turned on the three college students. Milton wondered if he could even remedy the situation at this point. He wrecked his brains for plausible survival tactics but none came to mind. In the movie, you were pecked to death period. No chances. Even if there was a way to survive, he must have missed it.

".... 2 …."

Lightning flashed across the sky. Dark clouds rolled into sight, hiding away the friendly white puffs. The clouds so black that the birds appeared almost camouflaged. Disembodied laughter filled the air. Claps of lightning lanced down, illuminating the area in a very ominous way. Milton couldn't help going "um, um". It was the first time he found himself unable to think of an appropriate comeback. A simple "sorry" didn't seem to suffice. He was starting to feel that he pissed off a thunderbird or whatever that mythical bird was called.

The birds disappeared one by one as if absorbed by the clouds. Each pair of beady eyes winking out of existence following each clap of thunder. As the last pair vanished, a shadow started growing from underneath the swing. Milton could tell that this was very, very bad. He remembered Kelsey's Thai horror movie binge last summer. Hell, he was almost hundred percent certain it was called Last Summer. Whenever a shadow appeared out of nowhere… no, he's going to stop right there.

"Do you think holy water will help?" he asked weakly.

His eyes were riveted to the figure appearing on the swing. It was a little girl dressed in a white flowy dress. Her long tresses obscuring her face completely. More disembodied laughter filled the area followed by the creepiest child's voice they ever heard. It was chanting something.

"Wh-what?" Kindall sputtered. He was pretty sure the entity was addressing him even though his brain remained in denial. "W-who are you?" he yelled towards the little girl.

"I'm telling him!" she warned.

More laughter followed as she swung out towards the creek on last time. The girl flew off the swing and landed on the tips of her toes in the center of the creek. She spun around like a disjointed ballerina and waved to London and Marten. Her head tilted unnaturally towards her shoulder displaying her jack-o-lantern smile and empty eye sockets. A macabre smile that looked like someone slashed her face with a knife while trying to extend the ends of her lips.

"You should go home!"

With that, she spun around one last time and leaped to the top of the nearest tree. Bright light blinded the trio as a deafening boom filled the area. As the stars disappeared from their vision, the three students could only look on speechlessly as they saw the rustling tree tops indicating the spectre's path. Every now and then they would see her body weaving through the thick branches. Just as she was about to disappear beyond the river bend, a nasty bolt struck the very same tree. Smoke filled the air followed by a piercing scream. This one sounding a lot more alive. The little girl's scream lasted no more than a second before a mighty roar overpowered hers. It was the dying cries of a forest titan felled by the Zeus.

From the banks where they stood, Milton pointed down river. A massive patch was visible amongst the cloistered tips of evergreen. The presence of which indicated that one of the green giants had fallen after being struck by lightning. "Do we even want to go?" he asked, noticing that the birds were back. This time they were circling over the place where the tree must have fallen earlier. Their bodies barely distinguishable from the storm clouds each time lightning flashed. "I think we should find shelter. This thunderstorm's just weird."

 

[Fox of Spades]

​

The largest member of the group was offering him milk and calling him a... child. Splendid. Salem's brows furrowed in disdain, but the look didn't last, Ethan only meant well. Still, he was 17, and he stood tall and proud despite his ruffled appearance. "Thank you very much for the milk." Awkwardly, he reached for the carton, his eyes flitting from Ethan to Jace to Ana.

They were looking for someone as well...

He cleared his throat. "Perhaps I may be of some assistance. I live in Henbard Chateau." Most of the people in Bellwoods Hollow knew of Henbard as the creepy manor in the woods but almost no one ever went there. "Last week, there was a girl snooping around the forest. She was looking for a dog. It was around eight in the evening and mother and father invited her over for dinner. She left shortly after, that was the last we saw her. She did leave a scarf behind, maybe I can show it you after we find Ella? You might recognize it." Judging by the way Salem was talking, he had no qualms about teaming up with the search party of three. They were both looking for people after all, and it was safer in the White Woods amongst friends because spirits liked playing tricks on those who traveled alone.

He looked to Jace and Ana. "Could you give me more information about this girl?"

He waited for their responses, and a good few minutes after, a loud thunderous crackle sounded outside. There was a loud boom - something heavy falling to the ground, sinking into mud and soft riverbed soil. It was raining loudly now, but the sound was horrendously loud and distinct. It lasted only a moment before there was only the harsh pitter-patter of raindrops.

"Ella," Salem gasped. "She's still out there. Please help me find her. I'll take you to Henbard after, you have my word."

The loud crash sounded like it was coming from the Still Waters creek. Perhaps these strangers would help?

---

​

Shortly after the thunderclap, it began raining cats and dogs. It was a harsh, irritating rain - the kind that drummed across rooftops and sent umbrellas spiraling in the wind. Eight-year-old Ella had been playing by the riverbank, skipping stones across the water when forked lighting tore through the skies and when the loud thunderclaps rendered her frightened.

She and her older brother Salem had been playing hide-and-seek, and he'd yet to find her. It was silly how bad he was at it, but she enjoyed spending time with him. Today, however, was different. The tree beside her had fallen, and in a blind panic, she had waded into the stream. Still Waters looked peaceful, but it was a raging river that had taken more than a handful of lives.

The tree hit the water, she lost her footing on loose gravel, and the current threatened to pull her under.

The world was a blanket of white noise. The raging current was sweeping her away. Small hands reached for whatever they could grab. Ella clung to the bark of the fallen tree as she struggled to keep her head above water, but the currents were fierce and she couldn't hold on forever. Her saving grace... somewhere in the distance, she could hear people.

"Help! Someone help me!" She shrieked as water rushed into her mouth and nose. The tree's bark was rough against her smooth palms but she held on even tighter as the rain only helped to intensify the current. "I can't swim! PLEASE, SOMEONE!"

The large tree had fallen across the riverbank, creating an oddly convenient bridge if someone wished to cross. However, the wood was old and rotting and looked as if it would only be able to hold a person or two at most. Ella continued to scream.[/HR]

 

[Cartoonicat]

Had she not been so thoroughly spooked, London would have snorted at Kindall's skepticism. Always the critic, Milton Kindall. But, being things as they were, London offered no retort. Simply reached out too late to grab his wrist in effort to stop him. "Kindall, wait-!" Her breath hitched when the rock went flying. It struck a bird and London's blood went cold. Nothing good ever came from fighting with Mother Nature - one of the reasons why London always ran from bugs, rather than smash them - especially in what was likely a haunted woods. Around them, time seemed to freeze. Slowly, London lowered her grip on empty air and brought it to the handle of her katana where her other fist resided, white-knuckled and curled.

Trying to fight that many birds was a death sentence, Alfred Hitchcock had told her that well enough through the movie The Birds, but if swinging her prop earned her any extra time to make a break for it London would be glad she brought it. Her knees buckled, ready to flee, and she felt her foot move prematurely by the count of two... Though before she could commit to the retreat, lightning crackled far above them and zapped the courage right out of her. Abandoning her katana, London dropped to her knees with a screech and covered her head with her hands. Refused to look up.

"Ay carajo, ay carajo...!" She repeated the familiar phrase under her breath. London knew little Spanish, having been raised by a monolingual English-speaking mother most of her life, but some phrases she'd heard enough to become instinctual. She thought briefly of her grumpy abuelita - rest her soul - and the colorful vocabulary London had picked up on as a kid. Those thoughts, comforting and nostalgic, were gone as quickly as they came. Now wasn't time to reflect on the past; it was time to get the hell out of there.

At the lack of painful pecking against her skin, as well as the repeated 'Um, um' by Kindall, London lifted her head just enough to see what he was looking at. Her eyes widened. A shadow had formed from under the tire swing, turning into a little girl with what only London could describe as a demonic horror movie child appearance. Of all scary films, London hated the ones with creepy children the most. At Kindall's question, London felt ridiculously stupid for not bringing Holy water. She believed in cryptids, demons, and any kind of paranormal monstrosity but she'd never truly believed in God. Hadn't thought it worth bringing. Abuelita was probably rolling in her grave now, yelling "I told you so!" alongside all of her favorite explicatives.

London watched, eyes blown wide, as the little girl went across the water. Gave warning that she'd tell her brother - oh God, there are two? - and then told London and Marten to leave. Lightning shot through the sky and London flinched again, hearing the sounds of a tree falling. The little girl was gone, at least, but that last scream...

It sounded human.

London wasn't aware of the tears that'd formed in her eyes until she stood up, knees wobbly, and everything was blurred. With a sniffle she wiped her eyes, thankful that this had happened with only Kindall and Marten around. Then she paused. This might not have happened if Kindall hadn't been so reckless. "Great going, genius!" London whirled on him. It may have been one of the only times she'd yelled at Kindall - or anyone, really, outside of video game tournaments - in her life. "Why the hell-"

Another cry - faint, dulled by the thunderstorm - hit her ears and London sputtered, falling silent. Narrowed her brows, listening. Then she paled. Someone was calling for help.

"Guys, do you hear that?" London asked quietly, trying not to be too loud to overpower the noise. She looked in the direction of the sound; it was further upstream. By the water. Eyes wide, London gulped:

"...Bunyips?"

 

[Ashi]

​

Jace relaxed as Salem stepped out of the shadows, releasing a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. The young man couldn't have been much younger than Ethan or Ana, or anyone else in the group for that matter; however Jace was the oldest and had at least three years on the dark-haired teen. He might have asked what the young man was doing there, but Salem explained himself. He'd been playing hide and seek with his sister; how cute. Jace could remember playing with and hiding from his sister, two things he rarely did simultaneously.

"Sounds like he's got your number, Milk Man." Jace joked with a grin to Ethan, when Salem mentioned people who liked to tell morbid stories about the cave. It just so happened that that was exactly what Ethan had been doing but moments ago. Salem also mentioned that he lived in Henbard Chateau. A shiver shot up Jace's spine at the mention of that place. There were many stories surrounding it and he'd always made a point to avoid that part of the woods.

When Salem asked if they'd seen his sister, Jace shook his head, muttering a "Sorry, bro." It seemed they were in the same boat, only Kelsey had been gone for days where Ella had been gone only a matter of hours. As if the nickname had bid him to do so, Ethan offered the boy some milk, proposing a deal. Salem looked perturbed and awkwardly accepted the milk, which probably wasn't necessary for him to agree to help. Jace decidedly focused on finding Kelsey, to prevent himself from bursting into laughter.

"Ah, she's about this tall with long brown hair. She was wearing a blue beanie, a green sweater, and red glasses." Bringing a hand up, Jace indicated Kelsey's height as Salem had done for Ella. He could only just remember seeing her that morning and feeling bad that he couldn't go with her because of his exam. He'd wished her luck when she left. Apparently, it wasn't enough. "Better yet... here." He pulled his phone from his pocket and showed the boy the most recent picture he had of his friend, nearly dropping it when the crash sounded in the distance.

"What the hell?" Jace turned to look towards the mouth of the cave. Perhaps a tree had fallen? But it sounded awfully close, definitely within the direction of the creek. As it was agreed that they'd help, Jace started into the downpour, heading in the direction of the creek. He ran a few paces ahead of the others, an amazing feat considering his heavy backpack. As they drew closer to the creek, just audible of the roar of the water and the pounding of the rain was a voice. A cry for help. Jace jogged along the bank of the creek until he saw the fallen tree. Holding onto a branch was a little girl.

Jace dropped his bag and neared the tree. Its bark was rotten and slippery with rain; with the strength of the current, it was doubtful she could hold on much longer. He fished through his bag for his bundle of paracord, unraveling it and tying it around his waist a few times before handing the remainder of the bundle to Ethan. He tossed his jacket, shirt, and boots then started carefully climbing onto the log.

"I'm here to help you!" He called to her, walking as quickly as he could while maintaining his balance. He crouched and grabbed her arm, then he was gone. The bundle of cord rapidly began to unravel.

 

[Impudimp]

Collab by @Cartoonicat, @Impudimp and @Fox of Hearts

Team Snark - London, Milton, Marten

London's rage snapped Milton out of his frazzled state. He got the necessary mental reboot and the cogs in his head began turning at twice their usual speed. No matter how he denied it, there was only one solid conclusion. They saw a ghost! Dare he admit it? Not to Kelsey, that's for sure! He had a reputation to defend.

He was the skeptic to her believer. The one snorted derisively whenever she went on and on about the creatures living in the woods. The sheer number of unique beings listed made it sound like this freaky forest surrounding Bellwoods was a ghostly metropolis. A place where the undead outnumber the living almost 5 to 1. A statistic he'd quote ever so often while rolling his eyes.

Today … well, how could he explain today rationally? Inhalation of hallucinogenic spores? Hunger delirium? Dehydration? He flat out refused to admit they saw a spirit. Just thinking about it made him feel like he lost some IQ points. He was so done with this spooky forest!

London would never find out how close Kindall was to admitting he couldn't explain away their earlier encounter. She was too caught up freaking over bunyips. So, Milton conveniently decided to let her freak out a bit longer. He glanced in Marten's direction several times, hoping she'd get distracted by London. He didn't get what all the fuss was about. Seriously! What was so bad about these "bunyips"? Anything that "yips" belonged in the same category as Joseff - fat, furry and too shrill.

"Hey, London!" He waved a hand in front of her face to get her attention. His usual stoic mask was back on, hiding his uneasiness. Honestly, if he had his way, they'd be heading back already. But, he knew his team a little too well. Both were sure to object to that idea. "London! Marten! I'm sure you heard that too!" He paused to check the girls were listening. "Let's go!"

It took several waves of Kindall's hand to snap London out of the quickly closing tunnel-vision that had enveloped her thoughts. Bunyips, bunyips, bunyips in the water -

"Wha-?" She blinked rapidly. Closed her gaping mouth and looked at Kindall with wide eyes. "Go where- Wait- Kindall what are you-?" London stepped after him, only to pause when she realized it was in the direction of the cry for help. In the direction of the water. She went to grab him - a second attempt to stop him from doing something she thought was stupid - but he'd already ventured closer to the bank than London dared. Instead, she whirled on Marten and grabbed her bicep, grip surprisingly tight for someone with so little physical strength. Maybe it was the coffee; maybe the adrenaline; maybe a mixture of both but, regardless, London was wired and not willing to let her friends rush off to what she could only assume was a watery grave.

They'd already seen a living blurb of Hitchcock's famous film, alongside a freakish spirit child with a cheshire grin London hoped to never see again. If Kindall and Marten seriously thought the water was safe there in Whittle Grove, especially after seeing that paranormal display, London wouldn't trust their judgement.

"No! If it's a bunyip, Marten, it'll go after us. We'll draw it out!" She protested, eyes darting between her two friends. "Tell him, Marten. We can't go to the water!"

London acted ridiculously selfish. She knew this and knew it well. The only reason she'd gone on this search was to find Kelsey - one of her friends. London would have never done such a thing for a stranger. Someone needed help further down the creek but it simply wasn't worth the risk of losing another one - or worse, both - of her friends. Bunyips were nasty creatures from what she knew and, after extensive research, London had yet to uncover a weakness. Typically they only attacked humans when food was scarce, but who was to say it wasn't? Very rarely did people venture into Whittle Grove. If there really was a bunyip or two in the water, they might just be starving.

Damn! It just had to be a kid ghost! Alright so maybe, Marten was a bit more freaked out than her facial expression would let on. Of course, that didn't mean she wasn't vexed. A creepy girl ghost had just obviously threatened them, and she was shaken to say the least. The scream caught her though. Despite the bird amalgam, the phantom, and the pouring rain, the scream pierced her consciousness thoroughly, drawing her green eyes downstream.

Kindall was moving already, and she almost wanted to use the transition period to tell him off about pissing off poltergeists! And that was definitely not some kindly apparition… not with eyes like that. Soulless, black eyes… that-- Later! She'd revisit her trauma later! She'd stared into darkness before anyway! She used the internet every day!

Yet, even with her internal pep talk, she wasn't moving for some reason. Peering over her damp form she noted the extra appendage and traveled upward to find a thoroughly spooked London. "Ah, hey, hey, it's okay. I ain't afraid of no ghost!" She quoted with a slightly queasy smile. Not that that was helping the dark haired girl at all at the moment. Liar! Her brain decided to follow-up helpfully.

"But Marten-!"

Sighing she lightly patted the hand on her bicep, putting on a longsuffering look as she spoke to her friend, "Look, we're already here London, searching for our friend who might even be the person who screamed. But even if it isn't Kelsey, I can't stand by and not help someone. So let's go. Cause I'm not leaving you behind!" She grinned and took that tight squeezing hand into her own, running off after Kindall with London in tow.

So what if they were fighting ghosts or landslides or raging waters or bunyips, even? She believed being human meant fighting for each other.

Arriving at the scene the trio spotted a young girl holding onto a fallen tree for dear life, and Jace to the rescue. The source of the calls for help. Across the creek stood a figure with a familiar face; Ethan, holding a paracord that soon lead into the water as Jace was swept away.

"Ethan?" London sounded surprised. There were two others on the bank with him: Ana and someone new. Jace was gone, into the water, with a splash. "Jace fell in!" London pointed to the cord, quickly unravelling. "Look! Marten, what do we do?"

And she had been preparing herself for the cold water too. Jace was already there towed under with the current it seemed and the girl she had only briefly caught glimpse of. Narrowing her eyes, she scanned the very old looking felled tree. Ethan appeared to be a strong guy, but what if he needed help getting Jace back from the rushing waters? Mother nature wasn't a pushover.

"I'm going across to help Ethan reel Jace in." She shot a quick reply to London as she started trekking toward the log. It had held Jace so she should be able to make it. He had to weigh more than she did. Climbing up with a breath she spread her arms for balance, bent her knees to lower her center of gravity, and made her way across as quickly as she could manage. Sure it was dangerous, but if Ethan needed help there were only two scenarios. Jace and the girl potentially drowned or Ethan and the rest of his team got pulled into the water too.

Behind Marten, still on the bank, stood London with her katana raised. She hadn't protested Marten crossing - perhaps because it wasn't just a stranger in harm's way this time, but someone they knew. "I have eyes on the water," she called, "be careful!"

"There isn't enough time," Kindall thought. Marten crossing over slowly meant that precious seconds was whittling away. Seconds that could mean life or death. He couldn't tell how long Jace has been in the water but he definitely could see huge bubbles floating up the surface. "Tell you what," he spoke to London. "I'll give you my holy water to fend off bunyips if you promise not to let go of the rope no matter what."

He was as good as his word. A blue laundry spray bottle filled with holy water was tossed to London less than a minute later. Milton didn't even bother checking where it landed, because he was busy rummaging in his bag.

A loud "Aha!" filled the tensed silence as Milton pulled a thick coil of rope out of his bag. He wasted no time tossing his backpack aside and tying one end of the rope tightly around his waist. The remaining length was tossed to London as well.

He flashed her a thumbs up then sprinted down the slippery slopes. He stood less than a second by the water's edge before wading in. The shocking cold made him gasp but he wasn't deterred. Clinging onto the fallen tree, he made his way towards Ella and Jace.

Wide, innocent chocolate eyes met his. The little girl and her rescue stared at each in silent acknowledgement. Hard as it was to maintain eye contact, Kindall did his best not to look away. He could literally feel the waters pulling him under. Not to mention the things wrapping round his ankles. Seaweed? Nah… probably some kind of water grass.

"Hold on a little longer," he shouted when Ella was within arm's reach. "I'm going in!"

A loud splash filled the area as the Milton's bushy brown hair disappeared beneath the water. The young Hayes bit her lower lip, staring worriedly as she saw the pale brown hair darkening slowly before disappearing altogether. She whimpered, clinging closer to the tree. The rumbling from above grew louder and louder.

 

[IceQueen]

Ana did like dogs, but not particularly when they were yelling in her face. The sound of a man talking was more comfort, causing Ana to fall out of defense mode. Her hand was already shoved down her bag, which she had hastily moved to one shoulder. As the men talked about Kelsey Ana tried to calm her pounding heartbeat. She wanted to keep going as she was like nothing had happened, and that she really didn't want to cry a little bit at the moment.

Taking a few deep breaths from her gut Ana pulled out her whip, deciding it would be better placed at her side than in the bag. She then reached for her rain coat. If the consistent drumming of raindrops was any indication she would need it to stay dry. Ana was about to put it on when a loud crack sounded. She glanced around, waiting for the clap of thunder but there was nothing. Instead, Jace took off running. Ana wasn't far behind.

Bag in hand half open Ana started sprinting after Jace. "Hell if I know what goes on in this forest but I am not about to be in it alone!" She mumbled to herself, racing after the lunatic that was her friend. By the time she had caught up Ana was partially soaked and feeling like a soggy cat. And Jace was stripping. Flushing a dark shade of red Ana glanced around, spotting the fallen tree. Ana could hardly hear over the roar of the water but the next thing she knew Jace was leaping over the edge, the rope lying in Ethan's hands.

"JACE YOU DUMBASS!" She screamed, chucking all her things as she lunged towards the rope, catching onto it as it slipped away. "You and you're dumb hero complex can stop trying to kill yourself for once!" Ana tried to plant herself in the muddied riverbank but with the water pouring down she couldn't stay. Her grip on the floor quickly slipped, causing her to go flying with the rope towards the river.

 

[Fox of Spades]

As they ran through the forest, one thing became certain—people were screaming. A knot began to tighten in the pit of Salem's stomach. He wasn't nearly as fast as Jace or Ethan, and by the time he reached the clearing, things had already taken a turn for the worst. The first thing he saw was the rope, taut in Ana's hands. Everything else was a blur, and as rain poured down and as lightning tore across the sky, he watched as the girl lost her footing on the muddy banks.

He saw Ana before he saw Ella, and when the girl hit the ground, instinct took over. Salem ran, kicking up mud and grass as he dove for her legs. His fingers wrapped around Ana's ankles and he struggled to keep her from falling into the stream. Most of her body was stuck to the muddy banks, but her face was merely a few inches away from the raging waters.

He couldn't let go. He couldn't do anything to help his sister.

"Ethan!" He remembered the other two had called the milk man by that name. "Ethan! Help me reel them in! Ella hold on! Someone, please help my sister!" He could feel himself getting pulled towards the water, but the dread died down somewhat when he felt Castor's presence. The dog had bitten down on Salem's pant leg, his paws digging into the soft mud as he struggled to keep his owner's brother in place. Growls came from the doberman's throat, as pulled and tugged.

The man who'd fallen in had yet to resurface, and now, someone else had disappeared beneath the waters. Kindle had told her to hold on, but her fingers were slipping and the currents were powerful. "I... I can't!" She screamed as another rush of water threatened to pull her under. "Brother!" That was the last word that tore through Ella's throat before she disappeared.

Something was in the water...

Ella's eyes shot open as she felt it, hands - cold and numerous. She felt fingers brushing across her skin, tightening around her arms and ankles. The same thing was happening to Jace and Kindle, hands were dragging them to the bottom and those who stood by the river bank were none the wiser. The eight year old flailed and kicked, the current eventually causing her to collide into Jace's body. Meanwhile, those left on the surface were met with a different problem.

Two pale hands shot out of the water, and they reached for Ana's arms. The tiny fingers dug into her flesh.

"I told you to leave," the voice came from beneath the waters. "I told you to leave and you didn't listen." The grip on Ana's arms tightened as the same ghostly child from earlier pulled herself from out of the waters. "If you like it here so much, perhaps you should all stay forever!" She tried to drag Ana into the water and Salem let out a bloodcurdling scream.

Ana was now caught between two forces - Salem who was tugging at her ankles, and the ghost girl.

"Ethan! I won't be able to hold on for much longer!" The teen snapped.

 

[Haru Nyan]

Everything and everyone went past like a blur, like a video on fast-forward from beginning to end. It was all too much for Ethan's mind to handle, so he took a deep breath, trying to get the full grasp of the situation and what just happened. First up, rope. He was gripping at it tightly, as if his entire life hanged in the balance between the cord, yet it is not his own life but rather Jace's. Sweat began to coat his body from the sheer paranoia of what would happen if he just didn't hold on tight enough, he had half a mind to agree with Ana on this one, just what in hell's name was Jace thinking?! There always was a thin line between bravery and stupidity after all, and Ethan didn't know if this was treading on both territories.

Second, screaming, practically everyone was screaming at the top of their lungs. Ana, London, Sal, he knew that if he didn't do something other than just grip the goddamn rope, nothing would change or worse..."C'mon, Marten! Help me with this thing!!" He shouted, inquiring the immediate assistance of his friend in trying to save the lives of the other two. Mustering up all his strength he could, as well with the help of the others the young man began to reel in the rope as hard as his body could.

The rain wasn't helping, it was jut adding to the constant pressure of everything. Everything...everything was just one big mess now, but he couldn't give up! Not when so much was on the line here! Panting and heaving, the man braced himself once more, and with all of the force that his hardened body could, reeled it all in with a heavy heave ho.

He urged Salem and Ella to just cling on to hope, just a little bit longer, "FUCKING HOLD ON TIGHT KID!" It came out of nowhere, but during that time, he felt a surge of power emanating from his body, must've been the adrenaline. Damned as all hell that the fucking Lady of the Lake over there would even dare to lay a finger on Sal's sister! Damn it all to hell! She fell...she fucking fell!! Little fucking turd! Ethan didn't know who to blame now, the fucking saltwater ghost, Ella for not clinging hard enough, or himself for not being strong enough to reel them in like in one of those fishing games.

Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck, were the only things his brain were capable of processing right now, and not the good kind either, more of a ya dun goofed kind of fuck. The worry culminated even more when he saw that Ana and Salem were being dragged along for the ride too.

 

[Cartoonicat]

"Uh, sure? What are you- whoa!" London's arms floundered in attempt to grab the soaring spray bottle. Catching it sloppily, she gripped the throat tightly and watched Kindall with raised eyebrows. Realization dawned on her when he wrapped the rope around his waist. Scrambling for the rope, London tried to pull him back, but Kindall was already wading in the water by time the rope pulled taut as she reached the tree line. "Kindall what are you doing!?" She yelled after him, tugging relentlessly on the rope to haul him out but not finding a good enough foothold on the slippery bank. Plus, upper body strength was never really her thing; strength in general wasn't, actually. He waded further into the water before going under the surface with a splash that had London's throat tightening.

Two screams - Ana and the unfamiliar kid - sounded from far bank, and then Ethan telling them to hold on. London realized then that she was all alone where she stood, what with Marten crossing the fallen tree and Kindall somewhere underwater. Recognizing the spirit girl from earlier, London's jaw dropped. It had Ana! London had never really liked the spunky girl, if she were being honest, but she didn't want to watch her be drowned by an angry poltergeist or whatever that thing was. London would have to consult her cryptodex afterwards, assuming she made it out in one piece.

Which she might not if she didn't get away from the trees. "Alright, Kindall," she took her end of the rope and wrapped it around her waist, tying it in several knots. "You better not get me pulled in..." London wasn't entirely sure what the holy water would do, but it was worth testing out. She drenched her katana in it, hoping the regular rainwater wouldn't null its effects, before shoving the spray bottle in her backpack. Brandishing her sword, London returned to the edge of the water. Marten was still on the log, so crossing safely wasn't an option and she sure as hell wasn't going in the water.

Now that she was close to the creek the rope had a significant amount of slack. Enough for her to maneuver here and there in case of any emergency on her side of the bank. Which was perfect, because she was about to do something entirely stupid and probably suicidal, assuming it worked. Assuming she could gather the courage. Beneath her, London's knees buckled and her mouth went dry. "H-Hey...!" Her shout came out as a trembling whisper, not nearly loud enough to reach the other side.

Come on. Come on! Marten is going over there and Ethan is trying to help. What happens if that poltergeist pulls them in with Kindall? London tightened her grip on the katana's handle, body shaking from a horrible cocktail of fear, adrenaline, and the cold. If they're gone, you won't have any friends left.

London might not have cared a year ago - she didn't really have friends until she and Marten got paired up in class for a group project - but things were different now. She liked working with Kindall on his Murder Mystery Events; liked playing video games with Ethan; liked the time she spent with Marten just being herself. She didn't want to lose that.

"H-HEY!" This time she was loud enough to be heard. It hurt her throat, but she'd screamed just as loud at video game losses before. London kicked her foot in the water, sending forward small splashes that certainly wouldn't reach the poltergeist but might help draw it's attention. "You- Just- Come try that with someone your own- erm... - someone who can defend themselves!" She yelled. Hopefully the spirit girl would take the bait; London was alone after all, and trying to drown one person was easier than dealing with three at the same time.

The tiny hands clutching Ana's arms loosened, began to fade. Within seconds they had disappeared. The group on the other side was safe for now, but that wasn't the case for London. Reaching from the shallow waters, the same hands that had grabbed Ana before latched onto London's ankles. Startled - "Shit, you're fast!" - London nearly slipped into the water trying to get away. The spirit had an iron grip; evasion wasn't an option anymore.

Time to test out the holy water, then.

Raising her wooden sword, London brought it down on the spirit's wrists, hoping with all of her might that it would do some good. If not, well, she could try to untie the slew of knots and pray that Kindall could swim out on his own.

 

[Impudimp]

Four-fifths of the way across the long was the guestimate closest to when Marten actually realized the chaos of that moment. The saving grace of that otherwise terrifying instant was that the girl hastened to the other bank without much more prompting, slipping just a little once but having enough core control to avoid the water and stumble away with little more than a slightly twisted ankle on the slick, sludgy soil.

Only when she got to Ethan did she breathe and take it all in. Jace, Kindall, and the little girl were still in the water and not visible. Ana and an unknown boy were being pulled in currently. London was alone... Well, ain't this the freshest hell I ever did see? She mentally groaned and took up stake behind Ethan, winding the cord around her wet hands and settling a hard glare on the water. Then... the sailor came out. Step 1: Remove friends from the water. She went with the scheme her brain thought up immediately. "Alright, dead bitch, you messed with the wrong ones today," She muttered, giving a mighty heave of the rope guided by the thorough grounding of her feet into the friable dirt.

It was a little known fact, she was sure, among her friend group just how colorful her vocabulary was. Then again she was always happy around them in some way or other. Under duress the grunette had the tendency to voice her opinion in distinctly unpolished language. The secret reason she never played videogames with any of them. Even with being so close to Ethan she was thankful for the rolling torrent of the rain to hide her shame.

"Fucking shit... Give me all the slack ya got, Milk man! I'm going for it!" She ground out between clenched teeth using all the strength she had in her body-- Considerable, but not on par with a man her same age in most cases-- to head toward the treeline. Thank God she had power in her legs! Each pull was hard, but it got done as she set her eyes on a thick tree trunk, hauled ass over to it, and finagled the cord around it with all her might. Once she'd made a good knot, she was pulling-- and cursing-- in time with Ethan to retrieve Jace, grinning as she felt they were making progress. At least, Ana didn't seem in immediate danger anymore. But what about Milton? Her heart clenched, an even more determined scowl settling onto her face. She'd go in after him herself if she had to. But in the meantime she believed in London; there was more than enough strength in her to fight... If she decided to grab it by the balls and use it.

 

[Fox of Hearts]

Milton's glasses floated off his face the moment he dove in. Everything descended into a mess of blurriness even though the waters were crystal clear. Panic tickled the animalistic part of his brain, sparking off a short lived tussle between logic and instinct. Logic won and Kindle stopped floundering around. He had to find Jace! The guy had been exposed to this freezing temperature for god knows how long!

He squinted. Blurry patches registered in his visual centers much to his relief. For the first time since he stepped foot into Bellwoods, he was glad the townsfolk were a superstitious bunch. It was because they feared disturbing the spirits of the creek that the waters remained so pristine. A rarity really in this day and age. He bet it was even drinkable if one wasn't afraid of catching cholera or dysentery.

Fighting to keep in position, he scanned the area for a dark coloured blob - maybe a deep chocolate or more mocha tone. He couldn't for the life of him remember Jace's exact skin tone at the moment. He only recalled that at his darkest Jace often reminded him of a bar of bittersweet chocolate. Not too different from the ones his mom used whenever she baked brownies. All around him, though, were huge patches of wavering white.

Seaweed? He wasn't the most well-versed in aquatic flora, but he suspected that seaweed could only be found in oceans, seas and large saline lakes. The waters here seemed a bit too swift for even moss. Shrugging away that thought, he swam forward. He felt things grabbing and caressing his legs. The sensation more or less reinforced the imagery of seaweed in his mind. He was secretly thankful that a few sharp kicks was more than enough to shake them off. So much for Kelsey's ghost hands? He thought smugly. Boy, if he ever gets the chance to, he'd rub this in her face. A friendly "Guess what, Kels! Your grabbing hands don't exist. There's white seaweed in the creek. A whole farm. People get tangled and drowned".

He didn't need to swim to far from the fallen tree to spot a dark mass in the center of a huge patch of white. Jace! Milton dove towards his Native friend with a single hand outreached. He reeled back in shock the moment he touched skin. He expected to brush against something warm or lukewarm at least but what he felt was cold and clammy. Almost dead!

Squinting harder than ever, Milton began swatting at the annoying "seaweed" that seemed hellbent on wrapping itself round him. He lashed out violently and accidentally hitting Jace in the process. It was only after he freed himself from the assault that he realised he felt something warm. Jace! He was okay!

Relief bubbled inside him. Kindall thrusted both hands forward into the biggest mocha patch he could see. He felt something hard. Bumpy and hard with a deep groove. Abs? He didn't want to sound weird but he was quite sure he was feeling up Jace's stomach. He noticed think lines of white creeping up towards his pale hands over the darker skin.

Not you again! He growled inside his mind. These weeds were starting to get on his nerves. He gritted his teeth and started swatting them away. He slapped, shoved and kicked viciously without any regard for Jace. He was just too hell bent on venting his frustrations on whatever these things were.

Bit by bit, the white patches began disappearing like a field of underwater touch me nots. The young men felt much lighter all of a sudden. Kindall felt a sharp tug from around his waist at that very moment. Realizing it was London and that they better surface for air soon, he reached out and tapped Jace. He pointed upwards to indicate where they should be headed.

He was about to follow after Jace when a huge patch of white bloomed right under him. A sensation similar to being grabbed for several pairs of hands weighed him down. Pulling him towards the bottom of the creek. He stubbornly pursed his lips, unwilling to gasp lest he swallowed water. He already used up too much oxygen judging by how lightheaded he was feeling currently.

The term "I quit" wasn't part of Milton's everyday vocabulary. Any other person may have resigned themselves to their fate but not him. Kindle allowed himself to relax long enough to figure out that these things grabbing onto his jacket and jeans rather than his actual limbs. A feeling of smug triumph glowed inside his chest. Quickly, he shed off his jacket and rid himself of half the weight. His hands moved towards his fly and he ripped his zipper. Pants came loose along with his sneakers.

The half-naked young man wasted no time making his way to the surface. He needed air! Lots of it! He was so desperate that he by-passed a blurry Jace who was holding onto something small, white and black. He didn't even notice that panda blob was Ella until he broke the surface and gulped down sweet lungfuls of air. He clung to the wet bark gasping. He was on his third lungful when he realized the little girl was missing. Something he would have spotted earlier if he wasn't as blind as a bat.

Shit, shit, shit! He swore. I need to get back down there! She must gotten pulled in!

 

[Ashi]

​

Bubbles flurried around Jace in a swirling vortex, not letting him see which way was up. He thrashed about a moment before returning to rational thought. The last thing he wanted to do was panic; it would only tire him out and make getting back to shore more difficult. Once he'd stopped flailing, the surface was made known and he was able to swim towards it. Jace surfaced with a gasp, finding he was swept downstream a ways with the raging current; however, not too far as his paracord had prevented it. A wave of relief washed over him, drowning out if only for a moment the shock of being submerged from the neck down in freezing cold water.

Grasping onto the cord, Jace pulled himself closer to the fallen tree, kicking his legs to propel himself forward. He had to get back to Ella and get her back on dry ground, but swimming against the current was just as potentially fatal as panicking. Something felt odd as he kicked though, like his legs were being weighed down in some obscure fashion. Jace stopped kicking to look, seeing the ghostly white hands gripping his jeans, the arms wrapping around his legs. He almost lost himself to panic again and began to recite his grandmother's prayer in his head. There was no telling if this really worked or not for Jace found that kicking hard enough would make them disappear.

"Ow! What was that?" Jace grimaced as something smacked the side of his face, nearly hitting his eye. "Glasses?" He grabbed the delicate frames that the current hurled at his face. These were Kindall's; what on earth were they doing in the water? He slid them into the pocket of his jeans. Not too far away, there was a blur of color in the clear water, though it was hard to make out due to the surge. As it got closer, it became clear that it was Kindall himself. Mixed feelings churned in Jace's stomach at the sight of his friend. He was happy to know that his friends were there to help, but not so happy that Kindall thought it was a good idea to jump in the water, too. It was too dangerous for all of them to go jumping into the creek. He sincerely hoped that no one else would.

Kindall's hand found its way to Jace's abdomen and it seemed to take the young man a moment to realize what he was touching. Under less dire circumstances, Jace would have made a joke. The pale ghost hands returned, coursing over his midriff and his friend's hand. Kindall flailed in attempt to free himself from the numerous arms reaching up from the depths of the creek, whacking Jace in the process. "Oof!" Jace maneuvered to the side slightly, trying to avoid getting hit anymore. At this rate, he'd lose an eye.

At that moment, Jace's lungs took the opportunity to remind him that they needed air. He wouldn't be able to hold his breath much longer. He nodded as Kindall gestured to the surface and started to swim up, then the reason Jace had fallen into the water in the first place hit him with an almost literal smack of realization. "Ella?!" The current sent the little girl plowing into him. Jace had just the presence of mind to grab onto her when they collided. With the last big of oxygen in his lungs, Jace shot toward the surface. He wrapped an arm around Ella's legs, lifting her up so that her head was above the water. Jace was close enough that he was able to catch a breath by tilting his head back. It was then that he saw just how close to the bank that they were. He decided then to take a chance.

Summoning all his strength, Jace tossed Ella toward the muddy bank with an upward thrust. She should have landed relatively close to where her brother and Ana were, hopefully without getting hurt since the ground was soft. He resumed pulling himself along until he reached the log, where Kindall was gasping for air. If he held onto the log, Milton could easily make it back to bank where London waited with his rope tied around her waist. Jace did the same, clambering onto the bank finally where he collapsed, coughing and gasping, next to Ana. He pushed his long wet hair from his face, which had come loose from its bun. The elastic band that held it was long gone, never to be seen again.

"Are you all okay?" He asked, looking round at everyone.

 

[IceQueen]

Ana was trying to hold onto the rope as tight as possible. Luckily for her it seemed Salem, the man from the cave rather, was keen on helping. Well, he was after Ana went flying towards the river. Her face said it all, it was filled with terror. Ana couldn't imagine a worse scenario. Not only was Jace in the water somewhere, now things were coming out of it. A strange pair of water made hands began to rise, only increasing Ana's nervousness.

"GUYS!" She shouted over the roaring river, soon to be grasped and tugged harder towards the water by the arms of doom. Ana couldn't take it anymore. She screamed from the bottom of her lungs, eyes wide and staring at the monstrous hands tugging her towards the water. Her body was already coated in mud and dangling precious inches over the black whirlpool of river. The water was splashing her in the face as she thrashed, shaking her upper body to try and rid whatever demon thought it was funny to grab her.

Fortunately for her someone came to try and flush the hands away, and they did. Ana quickly fell and scrambled back up onto the riverbank now coated in mud. She was starting to wish she had brought a change of close when a small girl landed on the bank as well. Looking over, Ana pulled at the ground. "Are you ok?" She asked gently, before a arm came up beside her.

Screaming again, Ana sighed as Jace hauled himself up onto the bank. After a few seconds Ana sat up and smacked Jace's arm harshly. "Don't you dare do that again you asshole!" She yelled, glaring at him and starting to clean the mud off herself. "I am so done with the forest right now, so done with fucking water hands, SO DONE with all this stupid budding hero complex." She huffed, flicking mud off her eyes. "God it's freezing." She mumbled, hugging her body.

 

[Fox of Spades]

Pure unadulterated chaos. Those were the only words Salem could think of to describe what had just happened. People screaming left and right, dogs barking loudly, and a ghost girl who whispered words of death. She had tried to drown them. He couldn't blame Ana for practically screaming her head off, he'd done the same during the last few moments of their encounter with the spirit - though most of his screams had been frantic cries for his sister.

It was over now.

The ghost girl had sunk back into the water before London could strike, he hadn't seen it clearly, but the sword went through her and it was as if she were never there. Ella and her hero had resurfaced, and the other boy would be fine as long as he used the log to help guide him back to the river bank. "Will you be alright?" Salem called out to Kindle. A thick layer of mud caked his clothes and skin, but he didn't care. He picked himself up and rushed to his sister who was shivering beside Ana.

Ella was too shaken to respond when the older girl asked her if she was alright, so Salem responded on her behalf. "Thank you for your concern, and thank you for helping me find her." He knelt down beside his sister. "Ella, are you alright?"

"Salem!" Ella threw herself at her older brother, burying her face in his chest as she wrapped her arms around him. "I... I was so scared! There... there was lighting and a tree fell and the waters were so strong." Tears were streaming down the eight-year-old's muddied cheeks, and she bawled loudly into Salem's chest, not caring that the rest could see.

"There, there. Shh, you're fine now Ella. We'll go home, and mother will whip up some warm soup for you." This continued for another minute, but once Ella quieted down, Salem ruffled her hair and stood back up to his full height. Castor took his place and Ella wrapped both her arms around the Doberman's neck. The dog snarled at anyone who tried to approach.

"She'll be fine, Castor." Salem whispered before he turned his attention to the friends gathered by the river. By now, Milton was out of the water and standing beside the girl with the sword. "I wish we could have met under better circumstances." He looked mildly embarrassed. "I met your friends Jace, Ethan, and Ana in the caves and they helped me find my sister. They told me you were all looking for someone, a girl named Kelsey Crane?" Salem wondered if they could hear him over the heavy rain. He tried his best to speak in a loud and clear voice. "She stopped by Henbard ten days ago. My family and I could tell you more over dinner. She left a scarf as well, perhaps one of you will be able to confirm it belonged to her?"

Another flash of lightning tore through the sky and Joseff yipped loudly before darting behind Marten. It was followed by a booming clap of thunder. It didn't look like the rain would stop anytime soon. "You could stay until the rain stops. I'm sure mother and father wouldn't mind having guests. We were going to celebrate Halloween with mother's pumpkin pie." His eyes flitted to Jace and Kindle. "We'll lend you clothes, and you can rest awhile and get out of this blasted rain. What do you say? Besides, it's not safe here. You all saw the girl. Things live in the White Woods, and they aren't good things."

 

[Haru Nyan]

​

"Is....Is it finally over?!" The boy cried out, looking at the aftermath of the sheer pandemonium the event had caused, his breathing was ragged and amidst the relentless pitter-patter of the rain and the howling winds, he swore that he could hear his heart beating nonstop. Promptly, the youth fell down flat on his buttocks after the ordeal, still panting and heaving, if he could, he would've given the sky one big "Fuck You!" out of spite, but settled with just sitting on the ground for now. He was half-tempted to lay down amidst the grime and the dirt, not even bothering if it would make a mess but decided against it. Lazily, he pumped a fist up towards the sky with a deadpan "Woo" . It was one of those moments that felt like defeating the very definitely final boss' final form, but with a lot more hype and adrenaline he would've thought of.

He looked over Ana, who's vitriolic statements were something he could look through and justify, "At least warn us the next time you want to be SuperJace, 'kay?" He glanced at Jace, he had to admit...It was super cool of him to just do that as if it was natural to him, actually...everyone was pretty cool in their own little ways on how they handled the situation. He gave Marten, London, and Milton a thumbs up with a goofy grin on his face, if it just wasn't raining like Poseidon's piss right about now, he would gather all of them in one big group hug.

The not-so celebration however, came to a serious point when Kelsey was mentioned once more.

Lifting himself up from the ground and dusting off his shorts, Ethan's attention immediately set its sights on Sal's tale. Henbard, eh? He wasn't familiar with the name, but it sounded fancy...In his mind, all Ethan could imagine was a French restaurant back in the city with glimmering chandeliers and champagne. If it's as fancy as it sounds, he wouldn't mind having a taste of fine dining...assuming it is fine dining.

A roar of thunder crashed throughout the heavens, if the rain was Poseidon's piss then this thunder must be Zeus' lightning rod. The hairs on the back of his head stood up on end from the abrupt roar, tempted with the illusions of pumpkin pie, Ethan almost couldn't resist nodding his head...Even if they wouldn't stay for dinner at least they could stay away from the fucking downpour.

 

[Cartoonicat]

With a heavy exhale, London stumbled back from the water's edge. Bent over to rest her palms on her knees, eyes shut tight. She would have dropped her katana if she wasn't secretly terrified that that's what the ghost girl wanted. Nope, she wasn't going to let go of that thing for the rest of the night. Terror aside, though, adrenaline rapidly thrummed her heart against her chest. Her ears were numb and she was pretty certain her face was red from the excitement her courage had caused.

London threw her arms in the air with an ecstatic "Woo!" and looked at Kindall on the shore beside her. "I can't believe I did that!" She yelled loud enough for those on the opposite bank to hear, wanting the whole world to know that she was just as brave as her valiant friends - something she'd highly doubted until now. London felt on top of the world. Nobody could knock her down, not even a creepy little poltergeist girl. She smiled so wide her cheeks hurt. Maybe I am like Diana after all…! The thought - and near death experience - bubbled a small laugh in her chest, drowned out by the storm, but London didn't care. She'd never done anything so brave before. Didn't know she even could.

An exceptionally heavy raindrop landed on her foot. Looking down, London stared straight into the eyes of a frog. One beat; two beat; three heartbeats later she screamed. Loud. Kicked her foot out, stamped around, and then bolted for the log. The rope around her waist pulled taut, connecting her to Kindall, but London grabbed the cord and pulled sharply. Yelled out gibberish because oh my fucking God a frog just touched me! Yanked him after her, practically dragging the poor guy. It was slippery and she had no idea how she managed to cross without incident, especially with Kindall in tow, but she only stopped yelling when she made it to the other side, nearly crashing into Marten.

At the concerned, borderline confused looks she received, London sobered up and shot them all a sheepish smile. "Um… a frog jumped on me… erm, my foot. Jumped on my foot… a frog did." She was as red as before but now due to embarrassment rather than the exhilaration of playing hero. Daring a glance at Kindall, London bit her lip and shrugged her shoulders lightly. "S-Sorry." As if to further show her apology, London untied enough of the knots around her waist to rid the rope, effectively releasing Kindall, too.

Poltergeist battles and frog pursuits were more than enough to have distracted her from the fact Kindall had returned with no jacket, no shoes, and no jeans and that Jace stood shirtless a few feet away. Not that she would have really cared on a normal day - neither one looked like an anime guy to her nor did they resemble one of the videogame characters she low-key crushed on. Fiction was a strong preference of London's.

Plus, Kindall was like an annoying older brother. Jace, her coffee buddy in passing. So, instead of blush or stammer, London quirked a brow at Kindall's half-naked state. She was certain he'd gone in the water fully clothed.

The she gasped.

"Did a bunyip eat your clothes?"

 

[Fox of Hearts]

Milton sneezed. He couldn't even feel his hands anymore nor the roughness of the bark. All he knew was that he needed to get to shore. Hopefully without drowning in process. He sneezed again, letting go of the log in the process. "WO - ACHOO!"

Mud tsunamis rose around him. They rippled outwards, turning him into a Clayface cosplay. Chilled to the bone, shivering and dripping with mud, Kindle was the poster boy of misery. He really wanted to go home, dry up and drink a cup of steaming hot tea. "Lo - ACHOO!" He staggered to his feet and hobbled towards a greenish blob not too far from him. He wasn't a hundred percent sure what it was without his glasses but he assumed it was his backpack. There weren't any boulders near the water's edge as far as he could remember. "ACHOO!" he sneezed in London's direction as he failed to call her name yet again. "A-a-UN-CHOO!"

He was finding it incredibly hard to maintain his balance with her tugging him like that. His fingers kept glancing his backpack but, after lots of staggering and kicking mud into his own face, Kindall managed to grab his backpack. He clutched it tightly in his hands while he tried to fight against gravity. London's strength really surprised him, considering she was usually a flaccid blob hidden by piles of whatever held her fancy at that time. Books, junk food wrappers, wires or scraps of cloth. Tried as he might, she was definitely winning this tug-o-war. "S-sa-s-TOP IT!"

The warning fell on ears as deaf as his. Milton was pulled face first into the mud and dragged like a helpless cartoon pet owner by his over excited dog. He wanted to spit out the mud accumulating in his mouth and yell at the same time but all he succeeded in doing was swallowing that sickly mouthful. Following a second wave of mud, he simply gave up and screwed his eyes shut. His arms just wrapping round his bag for dear life. Something told him he was going to be a bundle of scraps and bruises once London's calmed down.

SPLASH!

Water smashed into his already aching body. He resisted the urge to gasp although he felt like he just cannonballed into a ton of bricks. He was barely able to do much thanks to the paracord connecting him to that mad woman. A string of fate that snapped just as he ended up face first in the muddy banks on the other side.

He spat loudly. Swiping the mud off his best as he could, the young man staggered to his feet. The skin of his arms and legs stung badly almost as if the skin had been scraped off with a grater. Shitty as that felt, he was glad that he could hear again. "B-un-choo? Bunyips?" He sputtered at the nearest blackish blob he assumed was London. "BUNYIPS?" he shouted then sneezed as he dropped his bag and grabbed Salem's shoulders. "BUNYIPS? I tore off my pants to get out of the water."

He shook "London" roughly not quite realizing he was actually grabbing onto a very shocked 17-year-old. "I don't ... oh just forget it..." He sighed, releasing the muddied boy finally. "Sorry about that, London"

He paused. "I - Can we go home now? I feel like crap."

Salem frowned, visibly worried by how much the half dressed boy was sneezing. "I was just asking your friends if they wanted to come to Henbard." He'd noticed Ethan nodding at the invitation, but the rest had yet to speak their minds. "You can all stay for dinner, perhaps until it stops raining. I'll ask my father to lend you and your other friend some warm clothes as well."

"W-choo! W-a-a-CHOO!" Milton rubbed his itchy nose with the back of his hand. Slowly, he stepped away from the blurry stranger not wishing to get the kid sick. Kid? He guessed. The guy sounded younger than them. "Choo! Isn't that like a drafty, empty place?"

Kindall cleared his throat. When he spoke again, it was quite obvious that his voice was thickening with flu. It was only a matter of time before his nose dripped like a leaky tap. "Kels and I were there last year. It looked like it'll collapse soon," he explained.

"Ah, my family and I only moved in a month ago. It's my great great grandmother's old house, she's gone now. Anyways, you're all welcome to stay for dinner. We're new here, so mother would be thrilled if Ella and I brought home some new friends."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Streamers sporting flapping bats and cackling witches ran across the ceiling of the dining room. A huge paper moon lantern dropped down from the massive chandelier. It shimmered brilliantly, capturing the light falling onto its reflective surface. Beneath it was a long table laden with steaming bowls and plates. The aroma from a keg brimming with piping hot beef stew, freshly baked garlic bread embedded like Eastern Island heads in sand made from powdered croutons, a molten cheese lasagna shaped like a volcano and a massive pile of charred "zombie" chicken wings filled the room. That was only the start of what promised to be a huge feast. Empty plates were still sitting there waiting to be dressed for the spooky holiday.

Against one wall was a thinner long table covered with cotton wool cobwebs. The polish surfaced barely seen under the bowls and hollowed pumpkins overflowing with rainbow hues. Candy, lollipops, candy corn, caramelized popcorn and chocolate covered apples toppled out of their cradles. These conquerors didn't stop at tiny colonies. Aided by gravity, they soon formed burgeoning metropolises that shoved any newcomers towards the smoking cauldron.

The black pot - a stout stock pot painted black - had been filled with dry ice chunks to form a rocky nest. Resting in the hollow of the nest was a crystal punch bowl filled with a curious green liquid, a spruced up bubbly green goddess. Edible glitter, silver and gold, lay hidden at the bottom. An entrancing delight for any guest who happened to stir up the bottom.

Tucked in a discreet corner nearest the kitchen door was a pile of sealed boxes waiting to be unpacked. These were cleverly painted with black and brown paint so they appeared to be worn out crates. Jack-o-lanterns with flickering candles sat on the crates, providing extra ambience in the deliberately dimmed room.

A old fashioned gramophone sitting on the lowest shelf of the bare china cabinet hid the laptop from view. If anyone checked, they would notice iTunes opened on the dimmed screen of the MacBook. A model whose shell had yellowed until it was hard to believe it used to be white. The current song being played was "I Put A Spell On You". A long list of family favourites were waiting on queue.

A very different tune drifted in from the kitchen. The bubbly beats were from a song that wasn't really recognizable by most people. It was perhaps a song from Charlie Chaplin's era. Rather than an old woman reminiscing over the bygone days, it was a woman toeing thirty-eight that hummed this tune. Mrs. Hayes bobbed her head merrily as she swished around in her chosen costume. A dreamy number that turned the stay-at-home mom into the Sugar Plum fairy for a day. It was a costume any little aspiring five-year-old ballerina would love to have in her collection.

She pirouette around her tiny queendom, dividing her attention between the pumpkin pies cooling on the rack, the chocolate tombstone cake she was trying to decorate and the jelly bean stuffed dough balls she needed to fry. The latter was Salem's favorite. He told her once before and she remembered it till this day. Realizing her mind was starting to wander, Adelaide clicked her tongue. Tut, tut! She had oh so much to do still. There were the Devil's Eggs chilling in the fridge that needed to be served, the potato wedges baking in the oven and the homemade gelato forgotten in the freezer. Will she finish on time?

Determination shone in her eyes and she returned to her tasks with extra gusto. When the wedges were finally out of the oven and the gelato saved from crystallizing, she picked up the piping bag filled with cement gray icing again. A bit more here and there and the cake would have been a show stopper. Unfortunately, it was a show stopper that had to wait. Lightning lit up her entire kitchen at that very moment causing Adelaide to freeze. She stared out the window worriedly. When did it start raining?

"Salem? Ella?" she called to the siblings she assumed were still at home. They mentioned they were waiting for Paul to get ready before going to town for some trick-o-treating. "Kids? I think you might have to wait…" she trailed off. Call it mother's instinct but she noticed the house was too quiet. "SALEM? ELLA?" she yelled, running up the stairs towards the bedrooms.

She flung open her son's bedroom door, her daughter's bedroom door then finally the playroom. Empty. "Oh …" A word not suitable for Ella's ears had nearly been uttered but Adelaide stopped herself in time. The children must have left earlier. Fumbling, she pulled out her handphone from her apron pocket and called her husband. His ringtone chirped from somewhere downstairs. Huh? Wasn't he with them?

"Paul, PAUL!" she cried, slamming the study door wide open. "Paul! It's a thunderstorm! The kids left without you. We need to get them. Quick!"

 

[Impudimp]

Marten felt the anxiety and righteous fury leave her in a rather gusty breath as she took in the situation that had finally de-escalated. Friendship: 1; Ghosts: 0. All her precious people were accounted for. Although is seemed they would soon have to figure out how to get London and Kindall onto the right side of the river bank. London wasn't keen on the water at all, and poor Kindall had just hauled himself out of it.

"I'm alright with getting out of this weather for sure... How do we get London and Milton though?" She was quick to accept the boy's offer for shelter. They wouldn't find Kelsey at all in this, especially with a vindictive ghost on the loose.

It just so happened that there was no need for a plan in the end as the dark-haired girl took off across the log like a bat out of hell. Her green eyes were sure to be obscured by the rain, because she wasn't even sure the girl had to the ground through her shrieking and flailing. A frog? Snorting, she thought how just like London it was to freak over small animals and critters. And even though it was super funny, she cringed at Kindall's state. He'd catch his death out here. Actually, they all would. Her clothing was completely soaked through at this point and no one else seemed to come out any better after that predicament.

The water was coming down in waves. At the least they should move farther away from the water before it slipped out of its banks and they were back where they started. After the adrenaline rush she was even beginning to feel the fatigue of hiking all day. She was too tired to even admire the fact that she was surrounded by attractive, half-naked boys! What a shame... such eye candy... wasted in this wilderness.

"That poltergeist-... Has she ever-... Erm, have you seen that ghost girl? Before now, I mean. O-Obviously you saw her just now, so... yeah, um, have you ever seen her before?" London looked uncomfortable, but that was to be expected. It seemed her curiosity about the unknown was too great, though, for she spoke anyway. Rather, stammered and backtracked in a way that was almost painfully awkward to watch. "Also, uh, bunyips. Are there bunyips-? I mean, do you even know what a bunyip- erm..." The girl took a deep breath, visibly flustered, then exhaled. "Do you know if there are, um, things in the water?"

London had a point. If the kid's family had just moved in, they'd know more about this place than any of them. He even mentioned that there were "things" living out here. She'd be sure to ask him what kind over some soup.

 

[Ashi]

​

"I'm sorry." Jace frowned to Ethan, feeling guilty about the state everyone was in, especially Ana and Milton. Ana had nearly been pulled into the creek by a poltergeist and Milton was a mostly-naked, shivering, and sneezing mess likely to end up with the flu all because he'd been clumsy enough to fall into the creek. Not to mention, London just dragged him through the mud and the creek. That was not to say that Jace was sorry for leaping into action though. While he regretted the others getting dragged into the situation, he did not regret saving Ella. There was no way he could have stood aside and waited for someone else to act. It wasn't in his nature.

Sitting up, Jace wrapped an arm around Ana's shoulders and pulled her close to him. It was one of those heavy, brotherly hugs that was often reassuring. When Nita wasn't riding his ass about one thing or another, even she enjoyed Jace's hugs. Releasing Ana with a pat on the shoulder, Jace stood and made his way towards his things. He untied the paracord from around his waist and from around the tree trunk, gathering it back into a bundle and shoving it back into his bag. From his bag, he pulled one of the two bandanas he always carried, which he used to wipe mud from his face and arms. Then he put on his jacket, stepped into his boots, and threw his bag over one shoulder. Kneeling by the creek briefly, Jace dipped the bandana in the water and wrung it out.

"Milton," He addressed Kindall as he stepped in front of him, so he knew who was there. With the bandana, he began wiping the cakes of mud from his friend's face. He didn't really care about getting sneezed on at that point. "Sorry it's cold, but the water helps get the mud off." He apologized, knowing the cold fabric wouldn't be comfortable on Milton's face. From his pocket, he pulled Milton's glasses, which he placed in one hand. In Kindall's other hand, Jace put his shirt. "Here's your glasses. And my shirt. It's a little wet, but it's better than nothing." He added with a bit of wry humor. He moved to stand by Ana, throwing his jacket over her too.

All the while, he considered Salem's words. Jace remembered the place as a decrepit old mansion, ready to fall in on itself. On the occasions that he entered the woods, he always made a point to avoid it, given all the spooky stories that surrounded it. But if Salem's family was living there, perhaps it wasn't so bad? Maybe it had been renovated. The younger young man and his sister seemed normal enough; but whatever the case, it had to be safer indoors where they could eat and dry off than out in the wet woods where an angry ghost was hellbent on terrorizing them. Jace took a brief look around, noticing Ethan nodding. Marten had voiced her interest in going and Kindall was likely inclined to agree given the circumstances. All London seemed interested in was whether or not there were things in the water. Jace might have told her that there were, but decidedly did not.

"I'm with Merten and Ethan. Let's get out of this rain." Jace said with an affirmative nod.

 

[Fox of Spades]

Everyone was in favor of returning to Henbard Chateau, and Salem nodded in response to their decisions. "It's not too far from here. A fifteen to twenty minute trek at most." It might take them a little longer due to the horrible weather conditions, but the warm soup would make their soggy suffering worthwhile. Slowly, he made his way towards Ella and reached for his little sister's hand. "Let's get you out of this rain, El. I'm sure mother and father are worried sick."

Ella sniffled as her tiny fingers wrapped around Salem's much bigger hand. Castor stood right beside her. The girl was still visibly upset, but she wasn't outright bawling anymore. She stopped and looked to Jace. "Thank you for helping me." Her mother and father told her to always say 'please' and 'thank you' and to introduce herself politely in the presence of new friends, but she was still too out of it to say anything to the others.

"Okay, Henbard is this way - Bunyips?" Salem gave the girl a puzzled look. Oh, she was the one who'd fended off the spirit. The confusion on his face shifted into an amused smile. She could fight off spirits but not frogs? Interesting - cute even. "I don't quite know what a Bunyip is, but there is something in the forest. I've seen them before." He didn't know if there was anything specific in the water, but he'd seen enough spooky things happening in the woods, had experienced them to know they were true. "It's not safe here. You should all listen to the legends." He didn't care if he sounded superstitious.

The walk to Henbard was mostly cold and quiet, with people huddling together to conserve warmth.

Salem and Ella walked on beside London. The young man had take an interest in her previous question, and halfway through their trip, decided to speak to her. "You're curious, aren't you? About the things in these woods?" He allowed the question to sink in. "Are you familiar with the nursery rhyme?"

"Brother," Ella tugged on his hand.

Salem didn't elaborate, merely recited the poem softly so only those standing closest to him could hear.

"Peter, Peter pumpkin eater,
had friends he thought were keepers.
He put them in a pumpkin shell
and there he kept them very well"
​

Salem recited it in a soft and pleasant voice, and once he was done, he gave London a smile. Back in the day, he didn't believe in the rumors either. He thought it was nothing more than an old wives' tale. He was wrong. "We're almost there? Is everyone still doing alright?" As the trees melted away into the backdrop, a three story mansion came into view.

Henbard Chateau towered above the tallest tree in the area, and while the house itself was old, it wasn't nearly as decrepit or abandoned as rumors made it out to seem. There was an iron gate surrounding it, and from outside, one could notice that the lights were on. It was growing dark in the forest now.

Henbard

"Mother and father usually leave the gates unlocked in the morning," Salem explained. He left Ella with Ethan and approached the gates. He placed his hands against the cool metal, and after a push, swung it open. "Here, before you all catch a cold." Slowly he led the group towards the front door, and as soon as Salem pushed it open, the scent of his mother's cooking wafted from the dining room all the way to the house's entrance. "Mother's already cooking dinner. Come in, come in."​

He ushered them all inside, but froze when he saw his worried looking parents making their way towards the door.

"Mother? Father? Did we worry you? Sorry, Ella and I got separated in the forest." He gestured to the group he'd invited into their home. "They helped me find her. I hope it's not too much trouble. It was storming out so I invited them in for supper."