"C'mon, we're gonna be late! We HAVE to be there ten minutes before midnight!"
Calex said, urging his friends on.
Lorelei let out a groan, and stared her friend down.
"We are girls, you know. You boys can run faster than us. It's your one
advantage."
"And our disadvantage." Myranda agreed, panting.
"Why are we going?" Lorelei asked, tilting her head curiously. Blond curls
bounced into her face, as her face grew more and more pink.
"The bet, girls. Remember, we won. We need to make sure they do this. They
really think the mansion is haunted." Calex snickered, his voice as steady as
his jogging.
"Calex, watch out for the--" Lorelei began frowning, and coming to a stop.
"Watch out for that rock!" Myranda squeaked, stopping beside Lorelei.
The two girls stood, watching as Calex tripped. Arms flailing above his head,
he yelled as he flew into the air. Wings burst through his shirt, tearing it in
two places. They flapped as they saved him from a humiliating fall.
"Don't understand why you bother wearing a shirt." Myranda said watching him
in the air, slowly landing back on his feet.
"It looks better off," Lorelei agreed.
"Stop standing around. Let's go. I'll change it later, I have an extra shirt
in my pack."
The two girls grinned knowingly at each other, and began to pace behind Calex
once more.

As they entered a dimmed sitting room, Calex grinned happily. Myranda glanced
around with a disgusted look upon her face. A thick layer of dust had settled
on all the surfaces in the vicinity. An ashen material that may previously have
been curtains collected in a thin film over the windows, allowing a depressingly
brown tint of light to filter through. All color had faded from the furniture,
and the woodwork was plagued by cavities of rot. A painting with a woman
proudly exhibited on a wall glowed slightly.
"Why did we make this bet?! Arg. I can't believe this. This is creepy!"
Myranda said, eyeing the painting. "Though...this diamond necklace is a
beauty."
Calex stretched his wings out, letting out a yawn. "Five minutes. If they
aren't here, we can run off. Dang, this place makes me so uneasy," he grinned.
"Calex?" Lorelei blinked, watching her two friends. "Myranda?" she let out a
sigh and shivered. " Bet you this place IS haunted. You're so stupid for
wanting to come... and so are we, for agreeing," she grumbled, talking to
herself.
"Just a moment," Calex said. With his eyes sparkling, he watched the door,
gripping his staff tightly.
Myranda leaned closer to the painting. "Baroness Tatlana Paavik," she
whispered, her eyes glazed.
"Myranda?" Lorelei peered at her friend.
Myranda leaned further, merely inches away from the painting. She eyed the
necklace Baroness Tatlana Paavik wore.
"Okay, it MUST be midnight now. Look, there's nothing here. Let's go! They
didn't come. I almost think WE were tricked into coming. Leave it to us..."
Lorelei babbled on, loudly.
Looking in Myranda's direction, Lorelei frowned. She didn't even look
affected, or as if she heard a word that was being said to her.
"Ohh, don't TOUCH anything!" Lorelei yelled frantically as she ran towards her
transfixed friend.
"That jewel on the necklace...is so...beautiful," Myranda said, tracing the
outline of the gem with her finger.
The painting glowed with an eerie green light as the ghost of Baroness Tatlana

Paavik walkwed out of the frame, her eyes narrowed.
The ghost of Baroness Tatlana Paavik looked at the three teenagers as she said
in a chilling tone, "Who disturbs my rest?"
Myranda fell backward, sprawling onto the floor, sending motes of dust
spiraling through out the air. Calex turned at the sound. His eyes glazed, he
frowned at Myranda.
"Why are you on the floor?" Calex questioned Myranda.
Myranda shook her head and smiled at him. "I've got it!"
Lorelei blinked at the two, and back toward the floating ghost.
Lorelei narrowed her eyes as she stuttered, "Wh-what have you done to them?"
"I've got it! I knew it wasn't lost.. Knew it! It was just here, hidden.
Maryava must have played with it." Myranda exclaimed, standing.
"My memories." Baroness Tatlana Paavik said, smiling sadly. She began floating
higher. "They are simply replaying my memories. Why are you here? Disturbing the
peace? Did you come to torment us with our memories?"
Lorelei winced at the tone the Baroness began taking on.
"No!" Lorelei said quickly. "It was a bet, some people were suppose to--"
She was lifted into the air and thrown at the wall.
"Liar!" the ghost screeched. "LIAR! Watch now, as your friends fade away,
afterwards, you will end the same way!"
"We can go now, let us leave. I am glad you found it." Calex said, smiling at
Myranda. He offered his hand out to her, and she stepped forward to take it.
"Myranda! Calex!" Lorelei said, jumping up.
Time seemed to stop, and she felt as if the air was stolen from her very own
lungs. Myranda wore the same necklace the Baroness wore. The necklace she
outlined.
They both walked slowly to the door, leaving the same way they entered. As
they walked, they began to fade slowly. Lorelei frowned as she noted, by the
time they would get to the door, they would fade completely. The Baroness
continued to watch the two, still in the air. Her sad smile seemed to be all
the emotion she could show as she watched the event.
Lorelei ran forward towards the pair. She grabbed Myranda by the shoulder, but
was just pushed along with them. She felt her grip, no matter how hard she tried
to hold on, slacken. She almost felt as if she were putting her hand through her
friend. She grabbed the first thing she could think of: the necklace around
Myranda's neck. Myranda seemed to not notice, but the Baroness screamed in
outrage mixed with pain. Lorelei felt the necklace was the more solid object of
her three fading choices. She jerked the necklace and felt the chain give way.
The gem flew from her hands and shattered onto the floor.
Her two friends became solid once again. Myranda fell into her arms, making
the two collapse.
"Nice catch." Myranda muttered to Lorelei.
"Was off balance from shattering your necklace." she argued childishly.
"Guys, lets go." Calex said, helping them up.
"Not so fast..." a sad voice said, almost as if the person behind it were in
tears. "You...will...pay....for..MY NECKLACE!"
Ghostly shards flew around in circles. The chain of the Baroness' necklace
dangled from her limp hands.
"Wonder if she's going to kill us with her shards." Myranda said, curiously.
"...Myranda, the real shards are on the ground." Lorelei said, as they stood.
"Run!" Calex said, pushing the two girls forward.
Calex ran ahead of Myranda. Lorelei paced behind the two, trying to keep up.
The Baroness flew through the wall between Myranda and Lorelei. Lorelei came to
a sudden stop, looked around, and bolted east.
Calex slowed as he looked behind him. Myranda caught up to Calex and slowed
her pace.
"She's not following Lorelei, let's go!" he said as he took her hand and
helped her run faster.

Lorelei ran, looking behind her. The Baroness did not follow. She could not
help but to wipe the back of her hand across her brow relieved. She turned her
head to look where she was running...
Pain erupted through her leg as she stumbled over something, and flew forward.
Her head hit a wooden hanging on a wall, and all around her turned black. All
that could be heard was a single giggle.

Lorelei moved slightly, but held her eyes closed, unwilling to face the light
of day just yet.
"What an odd dream..." she murmured to herself.
She groaned and knew eventually she would be called for breakfast.
"Fiiiire!" a little childs voice was heard, yelling in a distance.
"Kit?" she mumbled, her sister always had to wake her. She opened her eyes
slowly. The brightness of the day left her covering her eyes. "Arrgh, can't
see! Kit?!"
The light finally faded, and she lowered her arms.
"You finally woke!" the ghost of Maryava Paavik giggled. "I knew my fire would
do it!"
Beaming, the ghost child put her hands together and blew softly. A light
shimmered into view. The more air she let out, the brighter the light would
become. Eventually, she made it as bright as it was when she woke from her
unconsciousness.
"...What?" Lorelei moved to sit upright, before she noticed she had been
sleeping...In mid-air. "Ahh!"
"Did you want to play?" Maryava flew to level her eyes with Lorelei. "With my
doll!"
She thrust her doll in Lorelei's arms. Lorelei groaned as she looked around,
and rubbed the top of her head. A bump had formed, causing her head to ache. A
painting was exhibited on the wall across from where she sat. When she tripped,
she must have hit the painting hung low on the wall. That explained the giggle
she heard before she went unconscious. All she could do was guess that soon
there would be light, and the ghost child would fade away. The most she could
do for disturbing the mansion would be playing dolls with Maryava. Or, she
mused, face the same wrath she faced with the Baroness, from a little child.
"Play." she agreed, smiling softly at the little ghost girl.