Chapter 22 – Presley
PRESLEY
“Do you think this place is haunted?” I asked Daphne after dessert was served. “Ink and I were talking, and he thinks it’s a marketing ploy.”
Daphne glanced at Dice as she swallowed the food in her mouth. “I don’t know, but Dice does,” she laughed. “He swears the walls have eyes.”
Dice leaned back and crossed his arms over his chest. “You can think whatever you want, but I know the astronaut was looking at the moon when we got here, and now he’s looking in the opposite direction. Same thing with the alien flying the spaceship.”
“Buck’s curtains keep blowing without wind!” Walter announced.
“Walter thought a ghost stole half of his socks!” Buck shouted.
“No, I thought you stole my socks.”
“You also thought the A/C was blowing my curtains, but I closed the damn vent.”
“Eugene and I heard something tapping on the turret windows,” Mom added. “But there’s nothing anywhere near the windows to tap the glass.”
“I heard footsteps during the night a few times,” Ariel said quietly.
“What?” I gasped. “Why didn’t you say anything?”
“I thought it was Pop going to the bathroom.”
“What about you, Nora?” Mom asked. “Have you had any strange experiences?”
“No, I don’t think so. Unless you think London laughing at nothing and Diablo chasing invisible shadows are strange.”
“This is getting spooky,” Mom said excitedly. “And right before the séance!”
“What séance?” several people asked.
“For our last evening here, Eugene and I are hosting a séance in the lower level of the library. Anyone who wants to attend is welcome.”
“No thank you,” Pop said. “I’ll stay with Nora and London in case you conjure up the devil.”
“Do you want to go to the séance?” I quietly asked Ariel.
“I don’t know. What’s supposed to happen at a séance?”
“You’re supposed to communicate with the dead,” Ink said. “But I don’t think you have anything to worry about.”
“Neither do I, because I’m going to stay with Pop and Nora.”
“Do you want me to stay?” I asked seriously.
“No, not unless you want to,” she said. “I’m not scared, but I want it to stay that way. Plus, that’s where Diablo will be, and dogs are great at detecting paranormal activity.”
“If you’re sure,” I said.
“I am,” she assured me. “Have fun.”
“Come on, sweetheart,” Pop said to Ariel. “I need to get my motion detectors from my room so I can keep you safe while these thrill-seekers make poor decisions.”
I chuckled as they walked away.
“Please excuse us,” Mom said. “The séance will begin in twenty minutes.”
When Nora finished her coffee, Dice and Daphne accompanied her to her room with London and Diablo.
“Your mom and Dice have a neat relationship,” I said.
“He lived with us for a while,” Ink said between mouthfuls of pie. “When we were at the farm. I didn’t tell you about that?”
I shook my head. “I don’t think so, but I was a little nervous that night.”
“I wasn’t,” he joked. “But, yeah, Dice was sixteen or seventeen when the farm was raided. His parents decided to leave, but he didn’t want to go with them. He lived with me and Mom until he was old enough to move out on his own. She plays the ‘responsible yet comforting aunt’ in his story.”
“There they are,” I said when I saw Dice and Daphne in the hall. “Are you ready?”
“Yeah,” he said and wiped his mouth before kissing my cheek. “The pie was delicious.”
We caught up with Dice and Daphne as the elevator was opening.
“Wait for us!” Buck shouted, with Walter on his heels.
“You know it comes back, right?” Ink asked.
“I want to get there early to get a good seat,” Buck said.
“Why are we having a séance in the library?” Dice asked.
Daphne shook her head. “Alice told us during the tour on the first day. That’s where the dungeon used to be.”
When we entered the library, Mom and Dad were seated at a large round table covered with a dark tablecloth. A large crystal ball was the main centerpiece with lit candles, tarot cards, picture frames, and crystals scattered around the table.
“Where’s the Ouija board?” Ink mumbled.
“Right here,” Mom said, pointing to the gameboard hidden by scattered tarot cards.
After we took our seats, Mom began. “I’ve never done this before, so I can’t make any promises.”
“Sorry, Mom,” I interrupted. “Did you say what we’re trying to do?”
“No, I suppose I didn’t. The purpose of this séance is to contact any of the spirits haunting Silvermoon Castle.”
The lights shut off, plunging us into darkness. I grabbed Ink’s arm. Someone screamed. It might’ve been me.
“Oh, come on,” Ink said. “That’s quite the coincidence. The lights went out as soon as she stated our intentions.”
“I’m kinda scared,” I whispered and pressed myself closer against him.
“There’s nothing to be scared of,” he said and wrapped his arms around me. “Unless you’re afraid of the dark.”
“No one’s afraid of the dark,” I said. “People are afraid of not being alone in the dark.”
“Say what now?”
“People are afraid someone is going to get them in the dark, not darkness.”
“Never thought about it like that before, but yeah, you’re probably right,” he said thoughtfully.
“Can someone turn the damn light on?” Walter asked.
“What happened to the candles?” Buck asked shakily.
Someone sucked in a sharp breath, and Ink tensed beside me. Well, I thought he tensed until I realized he was trying to hold back his laughter.
“Is anyone else cold?” Walter asked.
Buck said the same thing I was thinking. “I wasn’t until you asked!”
“Did the temperature shift because a spirit is near?” Ink asked, trying to sound spooky. “Or did the A/C kick on and blow out the strategically placed candles?”
“The lights?” Dice asked insistently.
Ink straightened in his seat and slightly turned toward Dice’s voice. “You good?”
“Yeah,” he said. “Daphne didn’t feel great after dinner. I want her to be able to see if she needs to leave.”
“I really don’t know what’s going on with the lights,” Mom said. “I have the remote right here, but it’s not working.”
“Let me see that,” Dad said, followed by a loud smack.
Then another.
“Fixed it,” my dad said proudly when the lights came back on.
I exhaled in relief, closing my eyes as I sagged back into my chair. “I think that’s enough for me for one night.”
“Daphne?” Dice called, sounding concerned. “Daphne!”
My eyes popped open and searched the room.
Daphne’s chair was empty.
“Daphne!” Dice yelled again as he ran toward the door with Walter and Buck right behind him.
Ink jumped to his feet, grabbed my hand, and pulled me along with him.
“My parents!” I said, tugging on his hand.
“We’re right behind you!” my mom called.
“She probably went back to the room,” Ink said while Dice repeatedly pressed the elevator call button.
“Without telling me?” he asked incredulously.
“Maybe she couldn’t tell you,” I said.
“What?” several people shouted at me.
“Like if she threw up in her mouth,” I explained. “You said she didn’t feel good after dinner.”
“She would’ve squeezed my hand or something.” Dice shook his head and slammed his palm against the wall. “Where is the fucking elevator?”
Ding.
We piled into the elevator and headed to the third floor.
“Daphne!” Walter shouted while Dice unlocked the door to their room. “Daphne!”
Between Dice, Ink, Walter, and Buck, they determined Daphne wasn’t in the large suite within a matter of seconds.
“Maybe she went to get London,” Ink suggested. “Want me and Presley to go down and check?”
“I’ll go with you,” Dice said. “Walter, you and Buck stay here in case she comes back.”
Walter snorted. “Let’s see you wait for London to come back if she ever goes missing. Not happening.”
“We can wait here,” Mom offered.
“Thank you,” Dice said and rushed out of the room. He came to a sliding stop halfway down the hall, in front of an open door—one that wasn’t on the castle map. “What the fuck?” Dice said before he disappeared through the door.
“Go check and see if she’s with your mom and London. We’ll go with him,” Walter said to Ink as he and Buck followed Dice.
“Come on,” I said and grabbed Ink’s hand, pulling him toward the elevator.
“Dice?” Daphne yelled, her voice muffled by distance. We stopped abruptly, listening for more.
“Daphne!” Dice called. “Are you okay? Where are you? Daphne?”
With his hand gripping mine, Ink wordlessly turned and hurried to the hallway door. It led to a small room with a table along one wall and cabinets on another. The door on the far wall opened to stairs and walls made of stone.
Dice, Walter, and Buck continued to shout Daphne’s name as we descended the stairs, but their voices seemed to come from different directions.
“Dice?” Ink shouted, startling me. “Sorry,” he whispered and squeezed my hand.
“Ink! Where are you?”
“The hidden stairway. Where are you?” he asked, sounding confused.
“Keep going. At the bottom, pick a closed door and leave it open,” Dice yelled.
“What?”
“Keeping going,” Dice replied, sounding farther away.
“I don’t know about this,” I said as we continued moving forward.
The stairs led to a small room with four doors along the far wall—two closed, two open.
“That’s what he meant.” Ink nodded once and opened the third door. He paused and turned around to face me. “I think you should wait with your parents while we look for Daphne.”
“I’m a nurse,” I reminded him. “I’m going.”
“Stay with me,” he said and tightened his fingers around my hand.
“How far down do you think those go?” I asked when the third door opened to another set of stairs.
“It couldn’t be more than—”
A door opened behind us. Ink whirled around and moved in front of me before I could see anything.
“Presley!” Mom shouted. “Oh, thank goodness!”
“Mom?” I asked and stepped around Ink. “What are y’all doing down here?”
“We thought we heard Daphne’s voice in the hallway. Your dad saw the open door, and we heard your voice,” Mom rushed out and threw her arms around me. “Sorry, I got scared for a second.”
“I’m okay, but we need to help them find Daphne. Can you and Dad take that door while we take this one?” I asked and pointed to the remaining closed door.
“Yes, of course,” she promised and kissed my cheek. “Be careful and stay together.”
“You, too,” I said before following Ink down another set of stairs.
“When’s the last time you heard one of the others calling for Daphne?” I asked.
“I don’t know,” he said. “I don’t think I’ve heard anyone since we entered the third door. You think that means they found her?” he asked hopefully.
“No,” I said. “I think it means we can’t hear them, and they can’t hear us, which means Daphne can’t either.”
“You’re probably right.”
After what felt like endless flights of stairs, we came to a door.
“It’s locked,” Ink said, jiggling the handle.
“Well, I hope you like it because this is where I live now,” I said. “I am not walking back up all those stairs.”
“Hello?” Ink called, hitting the door with his palm. “Dice! Daphne!”
He was trying to get the door open while I was searching for a hidden button or access panel when the lights went out. Again.
“Ink,” I said shakily. “Where are you?”
“Right here, baby,” he said. “Keep talking, so we—oh, there you are,” he said, wrapping his arms around me. “I hope your mom leaves this place a shitty review.”
I opened my mouth to tell him I would leave the review when the sound of locks clicking stopped me.
“What was that?” I whispered.
The handle jiggled, and the door creaked open. Neither of us moved.
Then we heard voices. Familiar voices.
“Presley?” my dad called.
“Over here, Dad.”
After several minutes of playing Marco Polo in the dark, our initial search party was reunited.
“Where the hell is my wife?” Dice shouted, sounding like he was losing control.
“Right here,” Daphne said from somewhere in the dark.
When I turned toward her voice, a wraith-like creature dropped from above as a bright light flashed. The lights clicked on, revealing a small room with a large TV on the wall.
“What the fuck?” Ink asked and stepped closer to the TV.
On the screen was a picture of our group. Dad, Ink, Dice, Walter, and Buck looked scared to death, while the rest of us, including Pop and Ariel, were smiling.
“This was planned?” Dad asked.
“Yes,” Mom said proudly. “How’d we do?”
Ink threw his head back and laughed. “It was perfect.”