Chapter 10

Kat opened her eyes, still half asleep, and frowned at the coffee table a few feet away from her.

She couldn't remember it being there the night before.

Squinting through the darkness she recognised it. A thrum hit the back of her throat as she remembered everything about a simple coffee table. It was when mom had been around. Of course, it was mom's coffee table...

No...It was probably all a dream.

A scream echoed from behind the lounge door, and Kat wondered if this sort of awakening was to be expected from now on. At least she wasn't the one doing the screaming for once.

The door flung open and Fatso toppled in, his body and mouth gibbering around like jelly;

"Guys...we got a problem here...big...big problem!"

"Lemme guess, a big ball of light, right?" Stretch was hanging from the chandelier, looking lazy and like he was far too used to this. Kat was beginning to know the feeling.

She rubbed her eyes. "What's the problem, Fatso?"

"Just what you said, it's the ball of light, it's come back! And it's got Stinkie!"

"What? Shut up," Stretch groaned, before flitting down to Fatso's level. "You sure you ain't been dreamin'?"

"Well I thought I was...then I thought I wasn't, cos Stinkie was there too. Then I thought, wait, what if Stinkie's dreamin' and I just happen to be in his dream? But then I thought wait, if I'm in his dream I'm not really me, and then I-"

Stretch covered his mouth; "we get the idea," he looked at Kat. "Fancy being all brave and stupid again?"

Kat almost tripped off the couch as she followed the other two ghosts into the kitchen, where the garden could be plainly seen.

If she recalled properly, Kat could remember that yesterday the garden had been tranquil against an orange-red setting sun, and there had been the sounds of birds all around, like some hot summer evening. Yes, it'd been very beautiful. Besides the manure, of course.

Now the sky was patched with grey and purple bruises, clouds sifting around with a fast and noisy wind. The flowers were being torn up from the lawn and the trees were whipping about, barely staying rooted.

In the middle of all the chaos was a bright light, much larger than Kat had imagined, and now she could understand why Fatso had been in such a state about it.

The manure was all gone, though wherever it was wasn't the issue anymore. Stinkie was out there, yelling and screaming, clawing at the air very vainly. It was clear he was being sucked back toward the light.

"He's a goner," Fatso lamented. "Poor guy didn't even see it coming,"

Stretch whacked him on the head, "don't talk stupid, pillow brains." he flew through the panelled windows out into the garden. Kat opened her mouth to protest, but realised it was all too late. She opened the door and met the freezing cold wind herself.

"Stretch! what're we gonna do?" she cried; it was hard to hear anything, and she had to shield herself against the wind. It was like being trapped in some huge typhoon.

Stretch looked back at her, somewhat surprised. "'We'?" he yelled back.

Kat staggered the rest of the way to him, reached out a clumsy hand and found his tail. She held on tight and managed to glare even if she felt like she was going to fly away.

"Yes, we,"

Stretch gave her a funny look, though it lost it's effect against the mass of air that was attacking them. That and Stinkie's ever growing screams didn't leave much time for thought.

The ghost was dangerously close to the light, and Kat could see it was very similar to the strange portal that had enveloped her dad, and then of course herself and everyone else into this strange world. Only this one was blindingly bright and seemed intent on sucking it's victim into something far more unpleasant.

Kat felt a tug on her arm.

"Not that I don't appreciate the fleshy help," Stretch was as sarcastic as ever, prying her hand away from him. "But I don't think that's the greatest idea you've ever had,"

Kat fell back onto the ground, before realised Stretch had pushed her away. She watched with odd pangs of fright as the ghost swooped toward the light, making a beeline for Stinkie.

"Stupid," Kat muttered, grappling to her feet.

"Hey, grab on, Stink," Stretch called to the other ghost.

"I...I can't.." Stinkie was holding onto the ground now, like it was his last lifeline before he got sucked away.

"You gotta," Stretch said, inching as close as he dared. He held out an arm and extended it quite a few lengths. Kat supposed Stretch could live up to his name, after all. "C'mon, grab on."

Stinkie looked conflicted, then he screwed his eyes shut and reached out a blind arm. He grabbed Stretch, but not before a powerful billow of wind wrapped through them both.

Kat raced forward, diving to catch Stretch's tail.

Stretch turned to look at her; "nice catch," he grinned.

"You're crazy," Kat told him, and felt the dirt moving under her belly. She was being pulled forwards, and so were Stretch and Stinkie, and this was apparently how they were going to...die? Was that really what it was?

No that wasn't right. Ghosts didn't die anyway.

"Hey Fatso, be a pal and save us, would ya?" Stretch yelled.

Fatso was dithering at the kitchen door, terrified and uncertain all at once. "I...I can't..."

Kat screamed as the dirt scraped more painfully against her, and then she felt the strain of her grip on Stretch beginning to slip away. "I can't hold on!" another rush of wind past through her, enough to make her let go, and then she felt the bright light painful in her eyes, ready to engulf her...

"Where'd you think you're goin'?"

"Huh?" Kat shook her head, trying to be rid of the light, till she felt a cool but hard grip all around her wrist.

Stretch had somehow shifted himself just in time to catch her, but now he was compromised, holding onto both she and Stinkie.

"Well thanks," she called, trying to smile but knowing it was a grin of terror.

"Welcome," Stretch looked back over his shoulder. "Anytime, Fatso, anytime!"

Fatso's eyes darted about, full of conflict. Then he took a breath and rushed forwards, attacking the wind and snatching Stretch's tail end up.

"I got you," he rumbled, and started hauling back.

The ground scraped favourably against Kat this time, and she listened as the noise of the wind started to ebb away. After a while she thought she could open her eyes again (she hadn't even been aware of closing them), and found she was on soft earth, and three ghost were looking down at her with concerned faces.

At any other time Kat was would have been alarmed. Now she only had the energy to smile and think about how great it was to be alive.

"You're an idiot," Stretch said, and helped her into a sitting position. "Stop doing that,"

"Doing what?" Kat rubbed her head.

"Being an idiot, idiot,"

"Better than bonebag," Kat pointed out.

"Yeah, right," Stretch sounded like he wanted to be annoyed, but Kat noticed his vague smile. Stretch turned to Fatso; "hey, nice work. I always knew you could pull your weight. 'N with weight like yours that's saying somethin',"

"My tummy feels sick," Fatso said miserably.

"You were right," said Stinkie. The ghost was wide-eyed and clearly still not quite over his brush with the strange ball of light. "You were right for once...that thing coulda killed me!"

"Yeah, I was right, wasn't I!" Fatso was less victorious, more surprised. "See you guys, something's out to get us."

Stinkie glanced at Stretch; "whatta you think?"

"I dunno," Stretch didn't seem convinced either way. He was watching Kat, who felt self-conscious for some reason. "You okay, Miss fleshie?"

Kat nodded, and hurried to get up, if only to feel less of an invalid. It didn't entirely work. Her feet felt shaky and her head was swimming in a dizzy daze. She started to fall, before arms pulled her upright.

"You look pretty beat to me," Stretch said, something like concern on his face. It was kind of funny, really. Then Kat thought she might be getting a bit delirious. She tried to pull away from the manhandling ghost.

"I can walk..."

Stretch let her go with a reluctant face, but Kat was stubborn and strived to prove him wrong. She walked back toward the house, each step feeling like lead, and each moment feeling as though she might pass out.

When she got into the kitchen she was grateful for the chair, and she breathed out an uneven sigh, waiting for the dizziness to pass.

"Well the storm's all cleared up," Fatso pointed out.

"Yeah," Stinkie stared morosely at the garden; a picture of serenity once again. "Took my sweet darling with it, too,"

"Aw, you'll get over her," Stretch gave him a small pat on the back, "besides, she was way outta your league, and you know it,"

"I guess she was. Too good to be true,"

"Exactly. And who can trust other worldly pieces of manure anyway?" Fatso said. "One minute they're all over you, and the next they're off with a piece of garbage from the dimension next door."

Kat blinked between them; "who cares about manure? Didn't we all just nearly die out there?"

"You nearly died," Stretch said.

"Well from where I was almost dying, you guys looked in pretty big trouble too,"

"Trouble and dying ain't the same thing though, fleshie. C'mon, use that noodle-noggin of yours," Stretch tapped Kat lightly on the head.

"Fine. Trouble, death. They're both bad. I'm past the point of caring about the smaller details now."

"Me too," Stinkie nodded enthusiastically. "And since Fatso was right all along, I say we get outta here before anything else happens. Besides, this place has too many painful memories of my time with her,"

"I second that, and the part about me being right all along." Fatso said.

"We can't just leave, what about Casper and my dad?" Kat looked incredulously between them all. "The whole reason we got into this mess in the first place!"

"Excuse me," Stretch raised a brow, "can I remind you the reason we got into this mess was because of that little baldhead!"

"No, my dad-"

"That crazy doc was bound to wind up doing something like this at some point, but Casper's a special case."

Kat stared at Stretch; "even if you don't care about my dad...or anything else, we still need him to get out of this place!"

"And how do you propose that?" Stretch matched her snapping tone.

"I don't know...go look for them?"

"Fine,"

"Fine,"

"Erm," Fatso spoke up carefully; "not to sound like a know-all, but that was my idea all along."

"Shut up," everyone else said.

8

Kat folded her arms and stared at the front door of the house. It wasn't that she didn't want to go, she just wasn't sure about leaving. They'd met up with both Stinkie and Fatso here, wouldn't it make sense just to stay put? Brave the crazy, random storms, piles of manure and deadly balls of light till they were all together again...

"Okay, I think I can put it all behind me now," Stinkie said. "The memories are still painful, but I can move on,"

"It was a few hours," said Kat. "And it was a pile of manure."

"Don't talk like that about her!"

Kat rolled her eyes. She found herself looking over at Stretch, who appeared just as moody as she felt; his arms folded and frown tightly set.

"Well, are we leaving?" she wasn't sure why she was still asking him these sorts of questions and expecting a reassuring answer.

"Sure, whatever,"

Yeah, definitely wasn't sure.

Kat opened the front door and braced herself for whatever might be out there. She was sort of disappointed to find it was all just as barren and plain as they'd left it. No new strange mind-monster or illusion had come to traumatize her again...

Fatso and Stinkie flew straight out the house, relief crossing their faces.

"Ah, back in the wilderness which is a fleshie's mind. I've missed that stench," Stinkie said.

"Me too," Fatso agreed. "Come on you guys, lets get outta this place,"

Kat stepped out, still half-expecting something awful to happen, but it didn't. "Okay," she looked over her shoulder, and was confused to find Stretch still in the doorway. He was watching what appeared to be nothing with a perplexed face.

"What's up?" Stinkie said. "You comin' or not?"

"I can't get through," Stretch put a hand up, still examining what appeared to be nothing. His hand seemed to rest on something invisible too, either that or Stretch was a pretty good mime artist. The thought did cross Kat's mind.

"Okay, no games. Let just get out of here," she grumbled.

"I'm not playin', fleshie. For real, I can't get out of here,"

"This isn't funny," Kat took a decisive step toward the ghost and reached out to grab his arm. She gave him a sharp tug but was met with a weird halting sensation and a sound like muffled thudding.

"Ow!" Stretch rubbed his head with his free hand and gave Kat a disparaging look. "Didn't I just tell ya-"

Kat tugged harder on his arm, like that might work, and watched with confused fascination as it seemed to thump against nothing again.

Stretch pulled back in annoyance. "You finished?"

"I don't get it," Kat stepped back into the house, "there's nothing there. Why can't you get through?" she looked at him like it might be his fault, and he seemed to gather it.

"Hey, I didn't do nothin'! You're the one with the crazy mind games, here. Maybe you dreamt it up just to annoy me?"

"As if. I'm far more imaginative than that," Kat testily put a hand out against the air between the door and the outside world, waving it briefly. "Okay, now you go," she looked at Stretch, who didn't seem interested in doing as he was told. Kat sighed and grabbed his hand.

"Hey!"

"What does it feel like? Is it like some sort of invisible force-field?"

"How should I know?" Stretch pulled angrily away. "Point is I can't get outta here."

"But we can," said Fatso.

"Thanks for rubbing it in, smartmouth."

Kat walked outside the house again, before turning to appraise the strange problem with Stretch. It didn't make any sense, and he looked rather sad if extremely angry, all on his own like that. Kat didn't like to feel bad for him, but there it was.

"I guess this plan's out of the question then," she sighed.

"But I liked that plan. It didn't involve this creepy house," moaned Fatso.

"Yeah, maybe we can all go ahead and come back for you when we find the others?" Stinkie suggested. "we can find you again,"

Stretch didn't seem too bothered by the idea, but he didn't say anything to agree with it either.

Well Kat certainly didn't. "We can't split up now. It makes more sense to stay together. And anyway, we don't know how long this house will stay here. Things keep reappearing and disappearing all the time..." she cast Stretch a hopeless sort of look; "is there any way you can get round it...I dunno...slip under it perhaps?"

"I'm a ghost, not a teleporter,"

"But I've seen you guys, you can do loads of weird stuff!"

"Yeah, but this sort of situation doesn't really crop up often enough for us to deal with it...you know what I mean?" Stretch was mildly sarcastic, but Kat noticed he was resigned too. "Look, fleshie. You guys go ahead. I can stay here and admire the crazy garden view. Count sheep, that sorta stuff. Then when you get back I'll yell at you for a while. Sound good?"

"No," Kat shook her head. She walked back into the house, internally finalising the decision. "We'll stay," she looked at Stinkie and Fatso. "All of us,"

"But I don't wanna die," said Fatso. "It's not good for my diet plan."

"You're already dead! And it's probably for the best. Casper and dad will probably find us here anyway, just like you two did."

As Fatso and Stinkie trailed unenthusiastically back into the kitchen area, Kat held back, to see Stretch was still examining his invisible barrier with great frustration.

"I don't get it," he said, aware that she was there. "What kinda dumb thing is this?"

Kat shrugged, following his eye line on the unseeable barrier. She waved a hand through it. "Maybe you're right,"

"About what?"

"Maybe I am punishing you...somehow."

"Hm," Stretch didn't sound annoyed. He turned to face her, arms folded and maybe confrontational. Kat was never sure. "Why'd you stay, anyway?"

"I just thought we should all stick together. Hey try it now, maybe the barrier disappears,"

"It won't," Stretch tried again, "see. No, I mean, you coulda gone on with Stinkie and Fatso, it's not like I got a problem with it. I'm a big ghost, you know,"

Kat smirked, catching the way he mocked her own words. She waved her hand through the barrier again. "I feel safer when we're altogether. Maybe that's what my mind's trying to tell me. We have to stick in this house."

"Well whatever you mind says, I think we can definitely come to one conclusion,"

"What?"

"You're a very disturbed sort of fleshie," Stretch grinned and then swerved up, closer to the ceiling.

Kat followed him into the kitchen, where Stinkie and Fatso wore long faces and seemed as miserable as that one time they got caught in the jumbo sized vacuum, after a really nasty session with Doctor Harvey.

"We've been thinkin'," Stinkie spoke up. Seriousness was weird on his face. "Me and Fatso. We think it'd be a good idea if we go lookin' for the Doc and baldhead..."

"We'll be back, promise!" Fatso put in. "Even if we don't find anything...isn't it better than sitting around here?"

Kat turned to Stretch, knowing he was always the final word on whatever the trio decided to do. It surprised her then that he was looking at her, seemingly waiting for her answer.

"Erm...I don't know...I think we should stick together.."

"Maybe they got a point," Stretch said. "I'm thinkin' so long as you're in this place, nothin' here is gonna disappear. So those two are alright to go wherever so long as they remember the way back," at this he looked a bit uncertainly between his two brothers. "You'll remember, won't you?"

"Sure," Stinkie said with confidence. "Count on us,"

Kat felt a bit sick in the stomach. She still wasn't very used to the idea of counting on trio.

"Be careful," she told them. Awkwardly, she took a step forwards and offered both Fatso and Stinkie a short hug. She heard Stretch snigger near to her shoulder.

Neither of the ghosts seemed to know how to react, except for exchanging confused faces. Then they were flying out the house within a moment or so, and Kat and Stretch were left to themselves once again.

"Funny," Stretch commented. "Who'd a' thought Fatso would be interested in doing anything besides sitting around? This is freaking me out."

"Lots of freaky stuff has been happening," Kat moved into the lounge and sat down on the couch. She hoped Stretch would follow and was pleased when he did. "Stuff I didn't think I'd ever see."

"What, you mean like crazy new dimensions and freaky old houses?"

"Yeah, but other things too," Kat tucked her knees up to her chest. She watched as Stretch flew onto the nearby coffee table, that hadn't been there before. And she noticed the way he grimaced and glared at his arm. "Did it hurt you?"

"Huh?" Stretch blinked.

"I mean, that weird white light thing...did it hurt you?"

"I don't know, not really,"

"Let me look," Kat jumped off the couch, and in the same second Stretch flew to the ceiling like a bolt. He looked down at her shadily;

"I already told you, ain't nothin' wrong with me,"

Kat frowned at him; "I was only going to look at it."

"So here," Stretch extended his arm with a forced sort of grin. It floated close enough so Kat could barely reach it, but she wasn't going to play that game.

"Fine. It looks fine," she said instead, and sat back down on the couch.

Stretch curled slowly down, like he didn't really trust Kat, then settled back on the table.

Kat fixed him with a grateful expression' "anyway thanks for helping, you didn't have to."

It was funny really, watching Stretch's face move between outrage and embarrassment, because there was no way in hell he'd ever admit it. If he was alive Kat was sure he'd be blushing, or popping a blood vessel.

She laughed, and he spluttered something incomprehensible and whipped off the table in a flash;

"Yeah well, Stinkie's my brother, ain't he? Who wouldn't help a brother out?"

"And a 'fleshie' too?" Kat wasn't sure how far she could push it; Stretch looked livid. "Alright, okay! I'll shut up now,"

"First good thing you said since we got here,"

Kat lay back on the couch, stared at the ceiling; "but I do mean it. Thanks." she knew Stretch was still watching her, she could practically sense his deliberation; should he act the jerk or just admit something cordially for once?

"I already told you not to mention those sorta things," he ended up saying, which Kat thought was agreement enough, especially considering his much quieter tone of voice. "Anyway I blame this place. It's your mind...it's screwing with every else's mind,"

"Do you think that's really all it is?" Kat wondered. "Is it really all that simple? I mean with all the food and that pile of muck?"

"Whadda y' mean?"

Kat shifted onto her side, to look at Stretch; "it just seems a bit easy, that's all. You said yourself...ghosts dream, they have their own wants, just like anyone else, right?"

Stretch seemed begrudging to admit it, but he nodded anyway. "I suppose. What're you getting at?"

"I just think its all a bit...basic. Is food really all Fatso wants? And is Stinkie seriously just content with a heap of dirt? Don't you think they're a bit more complicated than that?"

Stretch gave her a funny look, as if she might be an alien. "You overestimate my brothers,"

"And what about you?"

"You overestimate me too, fleshie,"

Kat rolled her eyes to the ceiling. She knew it was like coaxing a frightened rabbit out of a hole when trying to pull any sort of emotion from Stretch. She thought in the future she'd give her dad less of a hard time about his "insane" attempts at trying to cure the trio. It really was hard work.

And she wondered why she was trying so hard.

She closed her eyes and tried to recall Casper; for some reason it was much harder than she'd anticipated, which was stupid because she saw Casper every day, and he was her best friend really.

She remembered his voice though, and it was soothing just to hear it in her mind, telling her memories about himself. He'd always do stuff like that when Kat was feeling upset, and it helped, because it reminded her she was still alive and she had everything Casper couldn't have.

She twisted her head and looked at Stretch. "Why'd you stay?"

"Huh?"

"Why'd you stay here? What's your unfinished business?" She'd never been so forward about it before. Actually, it had never really interested her before, and the thought had never occurred that she might just be able to ask.

"Didn't we give up playing the Doc a while ago? It don't suit you, Miss Fleshie,"

"I just want to know,"

Stretch edged off the table. "Hey, was this thing here before? I don't remember it,"

"It wasn't here yesterday...or whenever yesterday was," as if time really existed here. "Will you tell me?"

Stretch scowled. "Why the sudden interest? Did it ever occur to you that some of us just don't have unfinished business?"

"Don't you?"

"I didn't say that,"

"Or maybe you do. You just forgot what it was," Kat said, feeling sad about it for some reason.

Stretch zipped over to her, his face half amused. "Are you writin' all this stuff down? Sounds like pretty nice brownie points you could be handing to the doc,"

"Please. I'm not thinking about anything like that,"

"No?"

"No. Aren't I allowed to just be interested?"

Stretch's eyes narrowed, he looked kind of guarded, but at the same time Kat could see his interest peaking. "You remember what I said before, about ghosts an' bonebags getting too close...and how it ain't a good idea?"

Kat nodded, refusing to back down from his stare. "I remember,"

"Well that's just it. It ain't a good idea." Stretch flew back, onto the coffee table.

Kat released an unknown nervous breath. "Well it's a good thing you're not Casper then, isn't it?"

She hadn't meant to sound so spiteful really, but it was too late, and she guessed...hoped Stretch could take it. She lay on her side and watched as he flew up onto the fancy chandelier, making it sway a little.

He wouldn't talk to her about anything now, she knew. It wasn't supposed to bother her, but now it did.

Now she remembered he'd helped her, even if he didn't want to. And he'd looked surprised when she'd asked if he was okay. Surprised in a thankful sort of way. Kat was beginning to get used to that expression, and she did sort of like it. Just like how she enjoyed the way all the Ghostly Trio weren't so bad really, and seemed more afraid of things than she'd ever thought possible.

Well...she wasn't so sure if Stretch was ever afraid. Maybe it was better not to know. Kat still felt safe with Stretch there, she didn't like the idea he might get scared.

She closed her eyes and prayed she'd have a dreamless sleep.

888

Whether it was night or early morning, Kat couldn't tell. Whether time even existed in this place, Kat had given up trying to figure that out. But she felt hot, a burning running all over her body and telling her to get up.

She sat upright and stared around the lounge. It was very dark, too much so to see anything but the shapes of furniture. Looking up she noticed Stretch wasn't there anymore. He'd probably gone off to wait for Stinkie and Fatso to come back...

Padding out the room she entered the kitchen, where a brilliant stream of pink light hallowed through the windows. It was very early dawn, and outside it was raining lightly. It all looked very pretty, except for one peculiarity.

A figure was standing in the middle of the garden, almost a shadow, til Kat neared the window and made out the confused face of a man.

She wasn't sure if she was dreaming.

Her body still felt so hot, and was drawn like a magnet to the kitchen door, telling her to go outside and meet the figure.

So she did; light on her feet and with a weird sense of urgency, she ran across the lawn. The features of a bewildered Doctor Harvey came into place.

Kat wrapped her arms all around him, collapsing into a tearful hug. "Dad! You're alright, thank god!"

"Kat I missed you," his voice was muffled in her shoulder, and he sounded tired but relieved. "I was searching...for a long time."

Kat pulled back, concerned and happy all at once. "Well I'm alright. Looking a bit better than you, anyway." she tugged his arm back toward the house. "I'll fix you a drink,"

Dr Harvey peered up at the house. "how beautiful, just like the old place,"

The thought had never crossed Kat's mind before, but now she was alarmed about how similar it all looked. The small patio area reaching out onto the garden, where her and mom used to play...and that stable door connecting into the kitchen, just where her little toy easy bake oven was...

And there it was.

Kat shook her head. Maybe it'd always been there, but she'd been distracted with other things. No big deal.

She watched her dad start sifting through cupboards, like he knew where everything was.

"Honey, you okay?" he turned to her.

"Fine," Kat hesitated. "Um..are you?"

"Sure," he petted her on the head. "Just glad you're safe. Hey, why don't you go in the lounge, tell them I'm making some breakfast?"

Kat looked at the lounge door. "Them?" she murmured, and then remembered the trio. "Oh yeah, right."

She pushed the door open, and a light filtered on her face. It was so warm and welcoming, and a million strange scents rushed through her mind and body, recalling so many memories all at once, it was almost too overwhelming,

"Wha..."

She blinked, and took proper focus on the woman standing in the middle of the lounge.

She was so beautiful and just as Kat had always remembered her.

"Morning honey. You sleep well last night?"

888

a/n: things just got strange(er)! I hope you guys are following my weird ideas okay! fast update because when I'm in a Casper mood it's best to just writewritewrite! And actual Casper will be coming back soon, I promise it! Next chapter even ;)

take care.

Oh also I hope people don't mind I disabled anonymous reviewing because of a random flamer...I hate to do it, but I also hate needless hate too! I'm all for constructive criticism (it's one of the reasons I love a good review, and write anyway!) But to just tell me my story sucks...well, that's a waste of my time and theirs too actually.