personHaunted 10: Mist (Final)The atmosphere was eerily quiet, so much so that one could hear the light scurrying of a mouse. A heavy patch of mist blanketed the entire field, but unlike their previous visit to this domain, not a single sign of marble-like trees, grass, or shrubs could be found. Jac slowly opened her eyes to find herself laying on a cushion in what appeared to be a house.. or rather, what was left of it. The flames had chewed out a large portion of the abandoned structure, which allowed the heavy fog to seep inside. The first thing she could discern as she gazed up was the charred remnants of what appeared to be a mural painting that had been discolored and withered over the span of ages. It depicted a battle between a woman wearing white robes and a large, multi eyed black monster with multiple people scattered about on both sides cheering them on. "Ah! You're finally awake!" The baritone voice shook Jac out of her laying position. She turned to find an older gentleman who wore a black cowboy hat. "I brought you over here to rest up. There was quite a commotion out there earlier. Destroyed this old place, it did." The old man sighed. He looked up at the mural when he noticed the young woman had taken an interest. "And to think that this was one of the few things that survived the onslaught. Such an odd thing, that fate is." "Am... I dead?" Jac said reluctantly. "Oh no! You still have that cord that's chained to your body. You can't see it, but it's there. You'll live. Oh!" The gentleman recalled. "There's someone outside who's waiting to see you. He's been worried sick about you ever since you arrived, and he kept on apologizing--" Without another word Jac sprung up, and while she struggled to maintain her footing, she managed to make her way past the burned up corridors until at last she found an opening. There on the Veranda stood a lowly person who carried a large plumage of red and gold feathered wings on his back. His arms were folded on the guardrail, and his face was completely sheltered in them as he slumped low in deep despair. Jac paused for a moment, before she found her voice again. "...Aiden?" The familiar red head swung his head back the instant he heard her voice and immediately lunged himself forward to wrap his arms around her. The young woman was no less shocked than she was a second ago, but she would nonetheless embrace this moment by squeezing him tighter. "I'm so sorry Jac!!" Tears were running down Aiden's face. "I didn't know what else to do to get rid of that witch, but I was so worried you might have--" "It's alright. You... saved me.. but..." Jac looked down at the enlarged wings on his back, and upon further inspection discovered that they were transparent. Tears started to form in her eyes as well, as she planted her face onto the chest of the puzzled Wile. Jac said nothing to alleviate his confusion but her crying grew louder all the same. "What's wrong?" Aiden sniffed. "You're dead, that's what's wrong..." "WHAT?!!" Jac then brushed her fingers on the tip of his wings, and that's when he realized what she was referring to. "OH! Oh no. This?" He then began to lightly swat at the wings while saying "Shoo! Shoo! Shoo!" And they in turn gradually faded out of sight. "This is just what happens when I use my powers too much and wind up in, um... limbo, of sorts." Aiden placed a hand behind his neck. "I may be gone for a little bit, but I promise I'll be fine, okay? I just need some time to recover, that's all." "Are you an angel?" Jac asked with sadness in her voice. "No.." "Are you... satan?" "NO!" Aiden grumbled. "I'm just a regular Wile giant who just happens to have magic that's a bit different from everyone else." "You weren't kidding..." Jac chose to drop it for now; she's seen him come back before, yet this was the first time she got up close and personal with witnessing his spirit form. Speaking of which.. "How long have I been here for? I hope it's not too late before I--" "No need to worry about that." Said the older gentleman as he stepped out to greet the two. "Even if you spend a long time here, it'll only be like a few seconds in your world. So you can take as long as you need to unwind.. Or not. It's your choice." "Oh. That's... convenient." Jac uttered. She felt a large weight thrown off of her shoulders upon hearing that revelation, but it would not be long before a new problem caught her eye. She turned her attention to the edge of the veranda, where she spotted two bright lights that were perched atop the railing. Jac squinted her eyes before she decided to have a closer look. The glow of the two objects had cut through the mist, as if they were a beacon from a lighthouse, except of course much smaller. "Is that...?" Jac gasped when she immediately recognized the glowing butterfly, which was laying on its side with what appeared to be a broken wing. "Yeah, that's her." Aiden spoke with a slight crack in his voice. "I burned up her spirit, so her core is all that's left. I believe all of her magic is gone." Jac breathed a sigh of relief. "Serves her right. Well, what is… who is that glowing bug standing next to her?" "I'm not sure. I found him inside of the collective demon's body, believe it or not. He actually helped me to get my head together and fight back." "You're kidding!" "Hold on just a minute!" The gentleman with the black cowboy hat pulled out his monocle and began to look very closely at the small speck. And upon a thorough examination, he nearly dropped his glasses in his flabbergasted state. "Mr. Jones!" He said rather bitterly. "Hello Reginald." The firefly replied after a brief moment of silence. With that confirmation, the old man took out his leather wallet and swatted at the poor bug, which caused audible squeaks to be heard from the two youngsters behind him. "I should have known you would show your face around here again! Scoundrels like you never get Tickets!" "Hey hey hey, no need to resort to violence, okay?" Aiden said as he stepped in between them. "He helped me out, so I brought him here. I had no idea he was...that guy..." "It's alright." The white speck said with a strained voice, though he was otherwise unfazed. "I had it coming for a while. When I was in the body of that beast I had about a hundred years to reflect on my past transgressions. I deserved every bit of punishment that I had received during that time, and I've accepted the fact that I won't be forgiven for most of them." He then turned to the golden butterfly and paused. "I haven't caught wind of everything, but it seems as though my wife had done all of these things with the sole purpose of trying to bring me back to life. If only she knew, that would have been impossible..." "After what you've done I don't understand why she would go through all this trouble!" Reginald huffed. "I knew of those rumors, and I understand why you don't see me as trustworthy. But mark my words, I've never cheated on her since we were together. When I made my vows to her... I wanted to change because she became the light of my life... and now..." The light of the firefly had grown to a mere flicker, as his voice began to well up uncontrollably. "Now she won't even speak. She's been unresponsive ever since she got here! It's as if she's dead, even though souls can't die... I expect some form of damnation. But not like this..." "Now now. There's no need to go that extreme." Reginald sighed. "I could transfer a little bit of my energy to her, but I don't believe it'll be enough to revive her." Nothing was said for the next few minutes as the room grew heavy with the Firefly's increasing grief. As much as it pained her to do so, Jac was also trying to come up with a solution despite her grievances against the witch. "Are you absolutely sure she can't regain her magic?" She asked the Wile. "Positive." Aiden replied. "Wait, why?" "Does your regenerative powers work on others?" "I... I never considered using it that way before. I don't think it's impossible, just... hard." "I have a suggestion." The firefly said after giving it a bit of thought. "Perhaps, lad, I could ask you to give a little bit of your energy to me so that I may use it to try to revive her myself? We have what you folks call, a Link, a contract of sorts. I can help her, but not if I'm trapped in this... pitiful state." "Well, I can sure try. Sharing energy is a piece of cake. If you think you can use that to charge up your powers, then go for it." "I'm willing to try anything." The firefly wasted no time getting on the shrunken Wile's hand as soon as he was prompted to do so. Aiden cupped him with the other and closed his eyes, and within moments his energy wings reappeared as he began to take on a gentle, yet otherworldly orange glow. Beams of light were absorbed into the small form underneath his fingers. Almost instantly, a bright light flashed between his fingers; as soon as the Wile opened his palms, the firefly shot out and reemerged as a tall, dark man sporting a pompous suit and a tuft of hair on his chin. "Great Scotts! I... I'm free...." Mr. Jones was nearly speechless. "Wait... I thought you were a much older guy than... this?" Jac questioned. "You're looking at someone who is eternally 38 years young! Whoever gave you that impression?" The man said as he gave a teasing leer to his former butler, who only raised his arms coyishly in response. Without further delay, Mr. Jones lifted the lifeless butterfly onto his open palms, and tried to imitate what was done to him just moments before. After a minute of no change, despite giving as much of his own light to her as he could muster, he immediately knelt down, and embraced the tiny insect in a pool of tears. "I... I'm so sorry for what I've done to you..." He whimpered as softly as he could, "none of this would have happened if I hadn't... If I didn't... with my own..." Just then, he heard the faintest whisper from between his palms. "It... wasn't your fault..." The man opened his hands and his expression melted as he looked down upon his wife. The former witch was now a tiny little thing, with small, white butterfly wings on her back. Her robe was a pure sheen of gold unlike the dusty white of her past self, and her expression was that of bewilderment and simultaneously of overwhelming relief. "Bartleby...?" She gasped. "Evangeline!" He cried. "Why are you so big?" "I don't know! Why are you so little?" He laughed while shedding tears of joy. "I'm sorry, but I'm afraid that I can't make you any taller..." "I don't mind. So long as I'm with you, I don't care either way." "Likewise." The two shared in each other's warmth for some time, as everyone cried tears of joy for them.. except for Jac. Laughter was shared and formal introductions were made, and while the young woman was still incredibly salty about what happened just hours before, this would change somewhat quickly after it became apparent that Evangeline couldn't recognize her or Aiden, and had seemingly forgotten everything that had happened since her reawakening. Jac thought 'If she was faking her amnesia, she was putting up a damn good act,' but she eventually dropped making any mention of it further. Bartleby Jones called for a celebration, but Aiden and Jac felt that they had enough adventures for one day. "Time for you two to be heading home then?" Reginald asked. Aiden looked at his friend for confirmation and got it with a swift nod. "I want to rest up in my own body, I think. Aches and all." She said. "Well, that's understandable. Feel free to come by and visit any..." The realization settled in that the ghosts didn't have any home to return to, for their mansion had been left in shambles. "I'm sorry..." Aiden felt guilty. "It was an accident." Reginald said, and with a long sigh he gave a fraction of a smile. "I guess this means it's about time for me to get a move on. Got a Ticket for a train I've been meaning to ride for quite some time. I heard the destination is nice." "I wish you the best of luck on your journey." Mr. Jones said. "Unfortunately, due to my... actions in the past, I was never gifted a Ticket." "Heck, almost everyone gets one eventually. Even scoundrels like the two of you!" Reginald chuckled. "You just have to earn yours over time. It may take a millennium or two, but it will happen." "Well, that's plenty of time for us to explore the world at our own pace, isn't that right, Bart?" Eva announced. Bartleby smiled at his wife on his left shoulder. "I'll be glad to go anywhere if it's with you, my love." ….. After one last goodbye, Aiden took Jac by the hand, and with the lift of his magical wings he flew her en route back to reality. When he finally sets her back down to the spot where her physical body laid, the Wile too, would have to part ways. "I have to go build my nest now… I'm so gosh darn tired, I'll likely need a month to fully rejuvenate. I'll be on standby if you need me." "Wait!" Jac exclaimed. Aiden turned around and saw that Jac was on the verge of tears. "Thank you.... For everything... for saving everyone!" Aiden didn't feel like a hero, but he accepted that form of sincerity nonetheless. "No problem, Jac. I'll see you around!" And with that his spirit took off into the air, heading off to what was likely a place where he could use his Phoenix reviving power in peace. ..... "Jac... Jac...! Please... wake up..." Jac slowly awakened to the sound of her Wile giant's voice. And the first thing she saw was his face overtaking her entire view, with his nose propped up against her cheek. "Rich…ard...?" She said weakly. "Y...you're alright..." "I'm the one who should be telling you that!!" Richard cried excessively, though the volume of his voice remained low. "I thought I lost you for real this time!...I can't!... I just want to..." Jac watched as the Wile giant's lips parted, to which she immediately reacted with a sharp "NO!" But the smaller human was surprised to get a series of soft kisses, wet kisses, and cheek rubs back to back. Jac had no energy to make a fake protest against it, for the overwhelming relief of surviving all of this had finally started to set in, as she too released a cascade of tears of her own. "I'll be ok Richard! Don't worry! We don't have to worry about that witch or the curse, or anything anymore!" Jac held onto Richard in a tight hug for a good, long time. A new dawn approached, and this meant that that frightful Hallows Eve had finally come to a close. The friends would take it easy for many months thereafter, with Aiden reuniting with the gang shortly enough. He made up with Jillian, and thanked her for helping him to snap out of it during his rage. To which she humbly replied no hard feelings towards. Everyone avoided high magic thrills and paranormal hijinks for a long, long time. After all that excitement, they all deserved a little break.gifHaunted 9: SkullDarkness Absolute nothingness surrounded him, as the Wile felt like he was slowly dissolving in a pool of black gold. Such is the fate of souls that get usurped by the man-of-war monster.. As if that wasn't hellish enough, swarms of piranha-like teeth were gnashing him from head to foot. No wounds were shed, no bruises nor blood. The very core of his spirit was under attack instead, the pain of which exceeds that of any other. Aiden genuinely wished for anything to put an end to this, the madness he was slowly sinking into seemed inescapable. The evil spirits had made good on their promise to make his suffering slow and merciless... The Wile was unable to ignite his flame no matter how much he yearned for it to burn, for the body of the collective spirit had completely enveloped him, just enough to not crush him. He had long since gone past the panic stage.. overwhelmed, defeated.. he was too tired to even turn a head. He was forced into a state of isolation within his annihilation, frozen.. without hope… 'What are you doing, lad?!' A strong, yet unfamiliar voice echoed in his brain, which snapped him straight out of his trance. 'You have to keep fighting!' "I... I can't!" Aiden whimpered in his mind. 'Yes you can!' The voice shouted. 'You've done it before! If not for yourself, then do it for--' Just then the Wile heard a nauseating scream. He followed the sound to the best of his ability against the intense pressure of his entire surroundings, when he saw that at least two of the foul spirits had ganged up on something that gave off a faint, minuscule light. Aiden could not understand why, but he had the sudden urge to squirm with everything he had. Pushing and thrashing his way towards the scene, the Phoebe Wile's internal ferocity was starting to build up, and with it the drive to slash his nails, loosening his hand just enough to reach out and grab the foul spirit that had just consumed the speck. With a quick squeeze, ignited with the heat of his mystical fire, the wisp-like blob let out a chilling shriek as the Wile ripped out its very core, revealing the weak essence of what appeared to be a glowing firefly from within. In their combined fury, the surrounding community of the single minded demons pressed down onto the Wile even harder, this time compressing his body to the point that it became difficult to breathe, let alone stay on the surface of the ever increasing black pool. But with a bit of good timing, Aiden was able to slip his arm pass the pressure point. Despite the numbingly intense pins and needles that snagged onto his loose appendage, he managed to grab the hapless firefly and absorb its essence into his body. And with it securely tucked away, and his main source of energy still exposed in the open, the Wile had just enough power needed to start wreaking havoc with his inferno. With his ferality no longer in check, the Wile set out a tremendous scream as he began to set himself ablaze. Aiden's renewed adrenaline gave him the perfect opportunity to push against the mass of blobs for just one second, which was all the time he needed to let loose all the chaotic energy that would make the kings of gehenna proud. ....... The chill in the air intensified as the entire yard became lit with a soft, yet unsettling white glow. Jac had kicked off her shoes and was walking towards her two dumbfounded friends. With each step she took, the grass would grow wildly around her bare feet- every blade of which taking on a dusty white color that gave them the appearance of marble. Her hair had turned a similar shade, and the light from her eyes had made her pupils a disturbing bleach. "Jac... what's happened to you...?" Richard spoke barely a peep. "Don't touch her!!" Jillian screamed. "Please," The witch and Jac's voice said simultaneously. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am called The Witch of the Dawn and I was once the goddess of the land you are standing on. Jac made a contract with me, and has become my host. She is sleeping now, but she will awaken and reunite with you soon enough." Richard had drowned out every word as he held Jac close and rubbed his cheek against her; tears ran down along his face, which had softened the glow of her hair somewhat as it made contact. He didn't care that touching her left his hands numb and caused his skin to crack, he just wanted his best friend back dammit! "Jac... This happened before, so I know you can snap out of it again! Please! I beg of you! Wake up~!!" Richard kept up his tight embrace all while Jac remained largely emotionless. A hint of reflection was spotted in her eyes, but it disappeared just as quickly as it came. She saw the damage done and the visible shaking of the giant's hands, which triggered a reaction that was likely from the possessed herself that caused her to jerk away and jump off onto the grass below. "The elf is right. It's best that you don't touch me while I am active." The witch said. With a renewed burst of rage, Jillian stomped on the ground. "What are you plotting, Witch? What is the purpose of all of this?!" "I came to reclaim what is mine." The witch proclaimed. "Where my long time enemy sought to reap what was left of this land, I choose to make it beautiful once more. I will do away with the industrialized cities that have encroached in my domain for far too long, and bring the forest back to its former glory! The way it was always meant to be!" "Your idea of paradise is a wild unchecked forest with weird looking white plants that don't even look edible and are already half dead. Got it." Jillian quipped. "Leave me out of it." "Talk down to me again elf, and I won't be so merciful next time!" The hair behind Jac began to rise ferociously, as it flowed eerily with the unsteady wind. Jillian remained firm but chose not to take it further, for any rash response could result in injury to Jac. Richard felt just as helpless, if not more so. He stared blankly at who he formally knew as his best friend, as she approached what was left of the cursed tree and began to spread her arms wide. "The time has come for me to reestablish my rightful place in this world! This will be the start of a new era! People will flock to my forest and worship me again...." Hints of tears began to fall from Jac's eyes, but it was unclear whether she or the witch had shed them. "Then my full power will be replenished and I will finally have enough strength to... bring him back to me..." The jewel in front of her chest began to float upward and took on a sinister red glow. The whirlwind then kicked up and surrounded her like a barrier which would have blown Jillian back if it wasn't for the giant hand that had caught her. The wild plants then exploded in size right where Jac stood, rapidly enveloping everything in her surroundings like an infestation of white, otherworldly weeds. "It's not safe here! We have to go!" Jillian shouted. "But... what about Jac?" The words that came out of Richard's mouth stung and the start of tears formed on Jillian's eyes as well. "I know! But we don't have a choice!" No matter what however, Richard wouldn't budge. It took a sudden lightning flash between them to break the Wile giant's fixation of his back-turned Link partner. The electrical current was situated at that very point in the sky before them- Jillian understood right away that this was far from any natural phenomenon, and her fears were confirmed when a ripple through space began to form just above the cursed snag. "Come hither spirits and lend me your power!!!" The Witch shouted with a fiery passion. “We shall take the night this All Hallows Eve!!” All of a sudden, just as the peak of the gusts were whipping, and the opening of the void had made a visible dent in the night sky, she heard a crack. And then another. And then... With a loud smash, the glass oval jewel shattered into a thousand tiny pieces. Immediately after, the storm had quieted and the disturbance had caused the magic to come to a complete halt. This left the Witch absolutely livid. "NO!!! THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING!! HOW IS THIS--" At that exact moment in time, something caused her to lose her voice, as she, and the others behind her, gave out a series of audible gasps. A set of bony fingers as intense as the surface of the sun appeared from the ripple in the sky. They began to pull it apart, tearing a hole in space just wide enough for it to go through. And out of it came the biggest and most horrifying giant that anyone had ever laid eyes on. A macro being engulfed by flames all over its body, with a torch that bloomed from the top of its skull-like head. Blotches of mass could be seen all over, which wailed individually, and yet all at once in sheer agony, in tandem to the enigma's earth shaking shrill. It sat its foot down, instantly igniting the path it treaded, swallowing up the last of the cursed tree as it made its way towards the haunted house. Jillian screamed as Richard finally broke from his petrified state to scoop her up and onto higher ground. But try as she might, Jac couldn't move. No matter how much the holy apparition screeched in her head, the jewel was no more and the ability to have control over her was destroyed along with it. Jac's natural fear of immense fire kept her firmly rooted in place, as the titanic monster was now just a few feet away. The beast locked eye sockets with the young woman and was about to reach out to grab her with a finishing hand. Against her better judgment, Jillian struggled to break free from Richard's grip and charged head on towards the fiery demon. Her personal safety was put on the sideline in a brief moment of adrenaline and sheer willpower. Just as the infernal being's finger was mere inches from the terror stricken witch's face, Jillian dived as close as she could just behind the wall of flames and began to scream at the top of her lungs. "DON'T HURT HER!!!" Much to everyone's surprise, the giant suddenly paused. "WHATEVER YOU DO! PLEASE!!! DON'T HURT JAC!!" After a moment of tense staring, the surrounding flames caused the girl to overheat and collapse. The hand immediately grabbed hold, but not before its fire was let out, revealing a sun-like glow to an otherwise normal giant hand. Against the ground, the being laid his hand gently over the fainted Jac. And with a light tap of a finger against her chest, a part of her spirit fell out from behind, along with that of the Witch of the Dawn. The Witch desperately tried to get away but it was no use, for the giant instantly snapped her up. With the foul spirit now in its clutches, the glowing giant then proceeded to crush inward while reigniting its hand. With a horrendous final cry, the witch was disintegrated into hundreds of glowing butterflies, each one burning with an intense flame which had made all but one disappear as it's embers went out. When that was over with, the enormous skeletal beast pulled back and looked upon Jac with great concern. In this very position it gradually faded away, and along with it the flames it had left in its wake had all gone out at once. In the giant's place, a multitude of faint white orbs began to float into the sky, as if they were being pulled into the moonlit night. This gorgeous scene was overshadowed by the young woman who lay still on the forest floor, in front of where the tree once stood. Richard wasted no time to return by Jac's side, and with tears anew, he held her limp body to her face, and pleaded. "Please wake up Jac.... please! Wake up....”Haunted 8: Moonlight Jac placed the glass oval stone in the center of the hollow. Just being near this cursed snag made the hair on her skin crawl uncontrollably; the rancorous aura still oozed strong, but had dwindled greatly thanks to the fresh cinders that continued to flare up between the crevices of the wood. With no further delay, the young woman stepped back and stood just a few feet away from the tree, as her three friends watched on from a distance. "You can do it Jac!" Jillian said, "I believe in you!" Richard and Aiden shared in her sentiment. Jac took one more look at them with a quaint smile. She then took a deep breath, sat upon the earth, and began to concentrate. She mentally called for The Witch of the Dawn to assist her with the final spell. The glowing butterfly manifested itself within the confines of the jewel, and with its arrival a voice as vibrant as sunshine echoed in Jac's mind. "You must repeat this incantation exactly the way I tell it, and you mustn't stop until I deem it safe to do so. Now, are you ready?" Jac affirmed her commitment and vowed to do whatever it takes. And with that, the light of her eyes glowed a bright yellow momentarily, before she closed them shut and began her chant. The words were intangible to anyone including the one who spoke it aloud; the lyrics carried with it a divine meaning that felt like a reflection from a far distant past. Jac continuously looped the spell, and with every passing minute, the miasma that had been blown to the edge of the field had slowly parted. A strange sensation washed over Jac as time went on- she began to feel almost lighter than air. Nonetheless she carried on without ceasing, voicing the purification hymn until the voice in her head had come to a complete stop. When she finally opened her eyes, Jac found herself in a strange, misty forest. Everything that surrounded her, from the trees off the distance to the grass beneath her feet, were colored a dusty white. The only object that seemed as natural as she could discern was the full moon that lit up the night sky, its light being the one source able to cut through this thick blanket of fog. "W-Where am I...?" Jac gasped lightly. "I wish I knew..." Said a familiar voice from behind. Jac twirled her head back to find, as she had been expecting at this point, Aiden standing with his hand behind his neck. "Where's Richard and Jill?" Jac cried out. "I think we left them at the yard..." Aiden spoke in a dampened mood. "It's always something, isn't it..." "Yeah..." Jac raised an eyebrow. Even she was starting to grow suspicious about Aiden's sudden appearance basically everywhere that involved the supernatural. "I guess we have no choice but to look for a way out. Notice anything strange?" "Of course! Everything is..." "That's reassuring." Jac sighed. The two friends decided to walk down a path in hopes of finding something, anything, that could send them back. After trekking past the leafy groves in silence for some time, Jac decided that it was about time that she had a little talk. "Aiden, I..." Jac hesitated. She steeled herself before saying the next words. "I think you know more than you're letting on." "How so?" The shrunken Wile had a slight unevenness to his voice. "About ghosts and all kinds of weird stuff! You don't need to hide any of that from us, especially if you think it could help in any way. So tell me, is there anything else you know about all of this that you haven't told us yet?" "I, honestly... wish I had an answer to that." Aiden gave a deep, long sigh through his nose before he had the courage to continue. "It's not like I understand entirely what's going on, but I know that since a certain point in my life, I've been able to see and affect stuff that others can't. To me it's like the normal things you witness every day, so it surprises me... and sucks, when I find out that others don't... and are afraid of me for it." "...I'm sorry." "Don't sweat it okay? That's how it is when you're a Phoebe Wile." "Is that why Jillian...?" Aiden's demeanor changed when he heard her name, and he stopped walking momentarily was he took a deep breath. "I did something the other day that scared the living daylights out of her." "What the heck did you do?!" "I- -" Suddenly, a burst of wind left the two friends with a bitter chill. The two raced in search of shelter, using the moon as their guide. They eventually made their way towards the center of the forest, where they found rows of white stags that stood in an aligned circle. What they witnessed at that exact moment left Jac in a state of shock.. for the first time since this ordeal began, Jac was quivering throughout her entire skin. Near breathless, she finally spoke. "What the hell... is that?" Aiden meanwhile was cowering down on his knees. All the visions from those sleepless nights had manifested themselves in the form he saw before him- it was all of his worst nightmares come true. The Wile was desperately holding back the ferality that was screaming to claw its way out, although he was running on paper-thin restraint at this point. Before them was the titanic Portuguese man-of-war-like monster… the swarm of evil spirits that have merged to form a single entity, confined with strange otherworldly chains to the hollowed tree that the two friends were all too familiar with. And standing right in front of this catastrophe of a creature was The Witch of the Dawn, who was looking upon it with content in her eyes. Not even a moment later, Aiden felt a gut wrenching sensation in his body that caused him to wince even further. He then coughed up a strange, smoky blob that floated up like a magnet to fuse with the rest of the spirits. While helpless to do anything about their situation, the combined entity were seething with infernal rage. "Thank you for bringing me the last of the spirits," The witch said with a calm, gentle voice, "As well as for completing the task, Jac. No one else would have accomplished this so spectacularly. You are deserving of a gift worthy of a god." She turned back to the multi-eyed fiends and added. "It appears that there are only 107 of them left. One of them was completely eliminated from existence, or so I've heard. Which, I won't lie, makes my job easier." 'He was a natural born leader!' A female voice cried. 'When we get out of these chains, Phoebe,' shouted a male voice, 'mark our words, we will burn you to a crisp as you did so mercilessly to our comrade! We'll make sure you'll suffer!' "Oh pipe down, you ingrates." The Witch huffed. "You all will get what you want, so there's no need to complain." "Wait, WHAT?!" Aiden screeched. "W- What's going on?" Jac was quaking, "What are you talking about? What even is this place? And why is...?" "So many questions, Jac! But I suppose you of all people should know." The Witch walked up to the young woman and held a hand to her cheek. The witch spoke these next words with a sweet, almost motherly tone. "I will need a new body to complete my resurrection, but to do this I must have a powerful source of energy that would sustain me for a long time, as well as a sacrifice." She then extended an arm towards the collected evil spirits, as if showing off a grand display. "This demon will provide that energy source. They will get what they want in the end with an immortal host, but rest assured they will have no control over us. Their influential powers will be no more, for my divine essence will eventually eat away at them bit by bit. Poetic, don't you agree?” The foul spirits struggled against their chains wanting nothing more than to charge at the holy woman, but that was all they were really able to do. "And what is this... sacrifice?" Jac was near petrified. What she didn't realize was that her being frozen in place was not of her own doing, and without warning an unseen force slowly lifted the young woman into the air with a tight grip between her chest and neck. Jac's airway was obstructed and she struggled to utter a word, let alone breathe. All the while the witch looked at her with a blank, expressionless face. "JAAAAAC!!" Aiden rushed to her aid, but it was no use. In that very instance white tree roots exploded from the earth and latched onto the shrunken Wile giant, wrapping themselves like a snake's coils around his entire body. He let out an obscene, bone curling scream as he realized that he was reliving his prolific night terrors in real time. The tree roots drew him closer to the evil spirits, who wasted no time swallowing him whole into the massive blob of their gaseous form. "A...A...id... en..." Jac stuttered as hot streams of tears began to roll down her cheeks. "Don't worry..." The Witch remarked. "He'll just regenerate like his kind are known for. This makes him the perfect scapegoat. That lucky bastard." Try as she might, Jac's efforts to escape from her position were fruitless. Every lash, each jostle resulted in her body being squeezed tighter and tighter. And with this came a recollection- she went through this very same feeling that fateful night.. when the vengeful spirit in white rags covered her mouth. “I…It was you ... that night. You… processed me…” The witch was chuffed to finally be acknowledged. “Caught on at last.” She whispered. “You… lied to me…” “I did what I had to to free myself, and by ridding ourselves of the wicked spirits, I'd say I'm well beyond redeemed at this point!” As those very words were spoken, the 107 spirits all wailed in otherworldly fashion as they were slowly being vacuumed into the glass jewel that was still wrapped around Jac's neck. The Witch then approached her with a radiance that pierced through her mind. "The task is complete. As soon as you awaken, you will be immortal, for I will be reborn… as you." Jac's eyes shot open as she heard that statement, yet the witch tried to lessen the blow by wrapping her arms around her. Jac struggled ferociously, but this gentle hug has sealed her fate. "I'm sorry for keeping this from you before, but I knew you would object to it. Do not fret, I will let your soul have control over our body frequently. We shall take turns! I made a promise to the Bean that I wouldn't harm you, and I'll keep my word, especially after all you've done for me." Despite everything, Jac was able to gather as much strength as she could to shout as loud as possible, all while hyperventilating between words. "YOU... YOU USED ME!!" "Immortality is a blessing. You should be honored." "YOU USED ME!!" "I can't thank you enough for everything you've done for me." "ENOUGH WITH THAT BULLSHIT!! YOU'RE NOT EVEN LISTENING!! YOU!...USED!...ME!!! YOU USED ALL OF US!!!" At that precise point in time a dazzling white light engulfed the two, completely overtaking the entire witch's domain in its wake. Reality was calling for their return together, and Jac was screaming to the top of her lungs all the while.Haunted 6: Shimmering "Where... am I?" Jac opened her eyes and found herself floating, or perhaps submerged underwater.. but she was still breathing somehow. Everything around her was an unsettling black void as far as the eye could see... save for a small, flickering light that emitted from the glass egg that hung from the necklace she wore. Jac could just make out the faint hint of a butterfly pattern from within. "Why do I...?" As soon as she gave the item a tap, the illumination at its core suddenly grew to envelop her entire surroundings with a majestic, white sheen. Jac watched in awe as she saw a mysterious, yet beautiful figure manifest itself before her eyes. She shimmered with a golden radiance that sparkled over her snowy dress. "You freed me..." The being spoke. "I can't thank you enough for what you've done." "W-who are you...?" Jac gasped. "I am called The Witch of the Dawn. For a long time I was the tutelary guardian of this land... At least, until the evil spirits of the hallowed bark destroyed my precious home. You are the first person to succeed in finding my precious jewel! The very one that will aid in my resurrection..." "Uh..." "Don't worry dear. Rest assured that no harm will come to you so long as I'm around. I promised a friend of mine." "Wait! How did I... wind up here?" "WAHHH! ANOTHER ONE!!" Jac whipped her head to the source of that scream just as she saw a familiar red headed Wile literally fall into the strange 'room' they were in, where his descent gradually slowed to a halt. Jac hovered as fast as she could over to his side. "Aiden!! How the hell did you get here?!" "I haven't the slightest idea..." Aiden grumbled as he managed to float upright again. "I was in that guy's house... And it turned out.. he was possessed by one of the evil spirits in my dreams…” "You mean? The head of the scavenger hunt?" The shrunken Wile nodded. “Some stuff then happened and, I ended up here.” He then took notice of the witch again and immediately slinked behind Jac for cover. "Who's this?!" "Do not fret. I am not your enemy." The witch replied, her expression was soft, yet somber. She appeared graceful, yet simultaneously she seemed as though she was searching through the very essence of Aiden's soul. It was almost like he could “feel” her presence tap into him, which didn't help to calm his relentless nerves at the slightest. "Hold on!" Jac exclaimed. "Weren't you the one who led me here? You look suspiciously similar to a certain butterfly I know..” “You would be correct. My true power was locked away in that jewel. Had it not been for my light, you would have still been under the control of that foul spirit.” “Wait… you saved me?” “Correct, dear.” The witch's smile beamed even brighter. “And now you are truly free from that wicked being. It was the least I could do… for freeing me in spite of your affliction. Again, I am eternally grateful.” As Jac was trying her best to wrap her head around all of this, Aiden's mind was brewing as well. His thoughts failed to escape the ethereal witch however, as the infiltration of his very essence quietly continued. "Indeed, it is as you suspect I did know Bartleby… long before he became possessed.” "I wish you had warned me before you read my mind..." Aiden mumbled. “Huh?” Jac was completely lost. “Don't let the stories lead you astray. Before he became broken.. he was a kind man. One who went above and beyond to help everyone he could…” The room fell quiet momentarily, as the witch's eyes began to cloud. The two friends looked at each other before Jac broke the silence. "So you're…the woman from the story?” “You know about that part?” The witch looked down. “...Yes… I was his wife, before I lost everything…” The two friends uttered not a sound, even in their heads. After a brief moment the witch continued. “He didn't want to hurt me. But, the 108 were relentless. They knew I had the power to eradicate them, which is why they came after me specifically.” “The 108…” “That doesn't li- -” Aiden uttered before Jac interrupted. "Wait, I'm confused.” Jac tugged onto the glass egg lightly, noticing then that it was somehow fastened tight. “What is this exactly? And why are the evil spirits using the scavenger hunt to go after it?” “My jewel solely holds the key to completely destroy them. That is why they will stop at nothing to destroy it first.” The witch explained. “Even before they became sealed to the hallowed bark, they cannot touch this jewel, its purity is greater than their dark energy. Unfortunately, anyone who ventures too close.. are ultimately prone to their influence.” “So.. that would mean that they possess people to try to do their dirty work for them…” Jac put a hand to her chin. “And if they succeed?” “I pray that it won't come to that. The 108 must be plotting to stage something elaborate, if they are this desperate after being dormant for so long.” The witch then took a deep breath, and looked towards the great white void that surrounded the three of them. “All Hallows Eve draws near, the time when spirits are at their strongest. It's not a coincidence.. they could pose a great threat to many lives if they are released." Aiden gave out an involuntary squeak. In contrast, upon hearing this revelation, the pit of Jac's core began to boil. She clenched her fist with renewed vigor, determined more than ever to set things into motion. "Tell me what I need to do." She said. “Are you certain?” The witch asked. “Once you embark further on this quest, there is no turning back.” “Positive! The whole world could possibly be at stake here! I don't want to stand back and watch after everything I learned … If there's anything I can do to stop this before it's too late, well.. Then I guess it's worth trying!” “But Jac! It's too dangerous!!” Aiden exclaimed. “We have the tools for it! So it can be done, right?” At first the witch seemed apprehensive towards the idea, but then she saw the sheer look of fire in Jac's eyes. One that showed total conviction to the cause, someone perhaps worthy… to actually succeed. This was enough to make the ethereal witch cave. “Perhaps the stars had aligned for us to meet at this exact moment. Very well then! If you insist on stopping the 108 once and for all, then you must heed to my instructions and listen well!” The witch floated over to Jac's side, resting a hand on her shoulder. The human could feel a cold chill from her touch, signifying that she was indeed not of this world. "You must go to the hallowed bark and place the jewel underneath it. You must then repeat the spell that I will give you at that time. The foul spirits will stop at nothing to make sure that you will fail, so you must stay vigilant!" The witch then turned her head to Aiden, who jerked upon seeing her soft smile once more. "You have the power to burn even spirits. Your fire will come in handy if the need arises. Can I count on you to protect her?" Aiden gulped. "I'll try my best, ma'am." The shrunken Wile still shivered at the prospect of making eye contact with her. It was as if his gut was telling him something important, but he couldn't discern what exactly. Just then, Jac and Aiden suddenly began to lift out of their positions; steadily at first, but at increasing speed, they were being carried off higher to who knows where. “What the?!” Aiden cried. “What's going on?!” Jac shouted. “Your physical forms are starting to awaken. You should remember everything I've taught you here, so don't fret.” The witch stayed behind in her exact spot, yet her brilliant radiance could be seen far in the distance. “Hold on!” Jac shouted as she began to fight in vain against the current. “I still have so many questions!!” As the two drifted further away, the world around them literally cracking in its foundation, Jac was surprised to hear the good spirit speak now in her mind one more time. "Farewell for now. If all goes well, we shall meet again. Stay strong you two, you don't have a moment to lose!” ..... "Jac...? JAC!!" Jac slowly blinked her eyelids awake, and the first thing he saw was a crestfallen, human-sized Richard. As soon as the Wile witnessed her return from the brink, he pulled her close and wrapped his arms around her as tight as he could. The young woman could feel the sweat that had previously drenched his skin and shirt, as well as his pouring tears. "Thank God!" Richard cried, before saying nothing else for a long time as the two continued to soak in each other's embrace. Jac gathered as much strength as she could to look around. She realized that she was back at the cemetery as a light rain poured down where they stood. Furthermore, they were alone. "R-Richard...?" Jac said weakly. "Wha… Where's Aiden...?" "Aiden's not here. What are you talking about?" "Oh.... nevermind." She put her hand on her chest to find that the jewel was still present. Everything she saw leading up to this point had all felt like a wild fever dream, but it was obvious that this was anything but. "Let's go home..." Jac said. "I'll… try to explain on the way..." Richard lifted the exhausted woman over his shoulders. As he was about to carry her away, Jac spotted what appeared to be a small piece of yellow paper next to the crater that she had dug up. She asked the Wile to hand it to her, and while she couldn't make out the misshapen writing at first, she was eventually able to decipher its code. 'The final task is a simple one. Bring the necklace to me. If you can't do this then destroy it. You will then receive your prize.' Jac then crumpled the paper into a ball and tossed it afar. "Yeah, like that's going to happen." She thought.Haunted 5: GravestoneAfter many delays, the time had finally come. With the wretched sticky note at hand, Jac had set out to the graveyard off the edge of the human district to find the eponymous Bartleby's tombstone that was etched so vividly in her mind. She hated this wild goose chase more than anything- after the events of the previous nights, she felt as if she was being dragged into this otherworldly mess without having any say on the matter. Aiden and Jillian had split off to find the mastermind behind this dubious scavenger hunt, so without the red head's protection Jac had brought along the next best person. Or rather, he volunteered to accompany her while she tried her best to to insist that she'd be fine on her own. "You didn't have to follow me here, you know." Jac said. "You can't technically go any further anyway since this is a human restricted area." "I don't like this at all Jac," Richard spoke rather uneasily. "Tell me again why you have to do this?" "If I don't, then the ghosts will just keep coming back." "Jac..." "I know you don't believe in these things, but you have to trust me on this one! The visits have become more frequent as of late, and every night I get the exact same dream of this woman with white rags pointing her finger towards me..." "You may need some therapy..." Richard mumbled. "After this is all over with, I think I will take you up on that." Despite the fact that the two friends had visited the cemetery during midday, the atmosphere within the area still felt eerily cold. Barely anyone else was present even at this hour, and the scenery throughout appeared misty and hollow. Nevertheless, Jac proceeded to march through the main entrance without losing any of the confidence she had whipped herself into. As soon as she stepped forward, she suddenly felt the Wile giant's finger brushing her shoulder ever so gently. "Wait," he said with a tense voice. "A-allow me." And before she was given the chance to turn around, she witnessed a whitish-blue radiance that blossomed across the yard, illuminating the area in a soft, warm glow. Jac understood right away what this meant, yet it still left her completely stunned. She slowly looked behind her just as the magic had started to fade, and there stood Richard not even a foot taller than her. Jac knew Richard felt vulnerable in this form, and would never think to shrink down out in the open under normal circumstances. This situation must have been truly dire for him. "You! You didn't have to--!" "Don't sweat it, okay?" Richard said after he shook some of his dizziness away. "Let's go, I want to get this over with before nightfall." Jac remained silent, but pressed onward after she snapped herself back to focus. Best not to question his decision, although deep down she appreciated the act more than he realized. Searching through hundreds of different gravestones, most of which have been worn through the passage of time, was no easy task. For the next couple of hours, the two companions decided to engage in small talk to help alleviate some of the stress that had been building up since their arrival. Jac made a passing statement that Richard uses magic much more frequently in her dreams, to which the shrunken Wile replied as being hogwash. The human laughed, only to lose herself in quiet sorrow as she admits to missing such lighthearted night visions. Ever since that fateful night, they've been replaced by the sinister being that seemed to have taken up residency in her head. .... "I... I think I found it!" Jac raced over to Richard's side after he made that declaration. There stood a large tombstone with what appeared to be vines with razor sharp needles wrapped all around it. Engraved was the name of Bartleby Jones, and just underneath was the worn and torn fragment of something yellow that fluttered in the wind. There was no mistaking it. Jac hurriedly pulled out the paper and scanned it frantically..only to drop to her knees, eyes narrowed in utter disbelief. "You.. You can't be serious!" Jac didn't have the energy to shout her fury to the wind. Dumbfounded, speechless, lost, and even more afraid…She handed Richard the note briefly before she slowly got up, and walked away. The shrunken Wile was no less shocked, for a single written word had brought everything to a stand still: ’Dig’ "Screw this, I'm going home." Jac spat angrily as she tore up the note and tossed it into the rubble. "I'll get a medium or the Bean to help me fight this ghost. Destroying private property isn't worth it." "Yeah..” Richard sighed. “Couldn't have said it better myself.” .... Jac was infuriated by the fact that she had wasted her time and energy on this thing, this entire thing. This was looking more and more like a case of a gravedigger's folly that had incurred the wrath of those who should have been left undisturbed. Jac was secretly kicking herself for allowing these consequences to happen to her, and getting her friend Aiden involved only made her overwhelming regret even worse. These were the thoughts that would plague Jac's mind the following evening, and she couldn't shake off the feeling that it was all her fault. The tossing and turning had become relentless. As she began to mentally stew herself in a dark corner of her mind, Jac slowly turned her head. Somehow, subconsciously, she knew it was there. Perched on her left shoulder once more was the glowing butterfly. Jac remained semi-conscious however, so at this moment in time she believed she had already fallen asleep. "Oh. It's you again." Jac said flatly. "What do you want?" The pretty little insect fluttered about as it usually did whenever it was addressed. Jac pinched her eyes shut and tried her best to ignore the slight nuisance, and sure enough the glow had faded. With a quaint smile, Jac turned to lay on her back before she gave out a long, drawn out sigh. And as soon as she opened her eyes again... She saw that the apparition that was by the entrance on previous nights was now hovering right over her head. Jac would have had the start of a scream, if it wasn't for the ghoulish hand which was at this very moment pushing hard onto Jac's face. Using the other hand to restrain her left arm, the otherworldly being had effectively pinned the young woman down. Jac struggled with all her might, but it was no use- in no less than a few minutes time, the human would lose all consciousness... ..... Richard tried calling Jac multiple times. He had a gut feeling that something had gone horribly wrong, for his friend never failed to leave a message or two to give at least some kind of signal to how she was doing. Using his phone's tracking system, he was able to pinpoint the human's approximate location, his eyes widening at what he saw. This can't be… no. He couldn't believe it. And yet, his gut told him to follow. It was half past midnight, and a shrunken Richard wasted no time retracing their tracks at the lowly cemetery. The Wile frantically searched for any signs of his best friend- - Jac's scent, yes!! He whipped his head and was able to spot her from a far distance. Kicking his legs to catch up, Richard's eyes began to tremble as the realization began to set in. His walking slowed, his breath started to labor, as he increasingly became mortified by what laid before him. "J... Jac?" Richard nearly choked up. Jac turned to face him slowly and mechanically, she bore eyes that flashed bright with what appeared to be no signs of any eyeballs in her sockets. As if being pulled like a marionette, the woman slowly jilted her head back and resumed what she was doing. Upon seeing that she had taken a shovel and was using it to upheave dirt, Richard crouched down to the ground, tears dripping without ceasing. To say he was about to throw up was an understatement.. this HAD to have been nothing more than a horrendous nightmare… it's gotta be. And he wanted nothing more than to wake up from it. Then, she suddenly stopped. Tossing the shovel aside, Jac pawed into the crevice that she created and pulled out an object that sparkled against the light of her eyes. A vintage trinket lopped by a piece of string- it resembled an oval shaped gemstone, center as white as snow. The Wile could feel an unnerving and mysterious aura emitting from it, but that was the least of his concerns. Jac suddenly cried, in laughter, and with hysterical sorrow, back to back in an uncontrollable fit.. as she embraced the object close to her heart, the shine in her eyes slowly fading out. A similar light would then reappear inside of the abnormally in her hands, and with this it felt as if a great weight was lifted from her entire body, a euphoria unlike any she has ever felt. And just as soon as she would have regained her sense of self, she would then lose consciousness once more. She would have plummeted to the pit below if it wasn't for a timely catch.