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Counter Earth Chronicles

Chapter 133: Today, Tomorrow, Forever (Our Resolve Part Five)

Quote:

Between the world we see and the things we fear- there are doors. When they are opened nightmares become reality.

Day 1016 (continued)

“There has to be something wrong with the probe! No one can simply just disappear!" I said jumping into the passenger seat of the blue coupe.

I activated the copilot monitor and keyboard and examined the data with my own eyes. Yes, my mistress, Arthur and Minka had disappeared. Overwatch was right.

“Where did they go?!"

(SHIT!)

*Are they with the Shadow Chasers and Mr. Cheetah?*

I exited the prototype and ran back over to the red van.

“Anything?" The female orangutan asked in a serious tone.

“Nothing for an entire mile in either direction. It is like they just left Counter Earth."

“Far out to the extreme." The Ghost Hunters' tech expert said. As I stared at the Fox family's former house and now Mr. Cheetah's.

It seemed to be staring back.

“Flo what are we going to do?" I asked.

“Mellow out and look for clues." She said looking at the monitors in the surveillance van. “You were quite unsettled after watching the footage from the other paranormal group. Show me?"

We went over to the display where I had viewed the Shadow Chaser's footage.

So for the next hour we studied their video and images from the probes Arthur and Minka had deployed in the haunted house before they disappeared. Probe after probe we studied showed nothing out of the ordinary- no ghostly voices, no weird apparitions. However the video from the Shadow Chasers' investigation was quite revealing.

“Investigation 272 we are here at a small farmhouse in the countryside of World One at the request of Steven Cheetah who has asked for assistance."

“That is Peyton Palla at the start of the Shadow Chaser's investigation." I said as Flo studied the footage. “What about it?"

“Um, yeah what do you see in the background?" The female orangutan said stopping the playback and forcing me to study the image.

“Steven Cheetah walking out the front door to greet them?" I answered.

“Look closer."

(OMG!)

Staring at the aardwolf from the window was a dark shadowy something.

“They were being watched right from the start! You're good." I said to the ape.

“Experience." She replied resuming the video feed.

“Mr. Cheetah can you describe to us what you have been experiencing here?" Pia Pampa the group's skeptic said.

As their recording device focused in on the aardwolf, Flo and I watched as the shadow in the front window disappeared.

“What hasn't been happening! I bought this place after separating from my mate, I was hoping to make a new start. But after moving in weird things started happening - doors and windows opening and closing by themselves, mysterious voices in the middle of the night, smoke appearing for no reason at all and just this morning as I was leaving for work, I was pushed down the stairs!" Steven Cheetah said as the group followed their client into the haunted house.

“There, right there!" The orangutan said stopping the playback again.

“Where?" I asked.

“Along the walls, do you see it?" She said zooming in.

I did. Our original shadow was joined by several more. They were moving away from the door toward the hallway.

Did you see who pushed you?" Geff asked.

“When I looked, I didn't see anything!" Steven said.

“Can you show us where?" Peyton asked.

“This way up the steps toward the bedrooms." Mr. Cheetah said trembling.

Flo and I watched as the parade of shadows moved along the walls from the kitchen and up the stairs moments before Steven, Peyton, Geff and Pia did.

“Were they 'running' away?" I said to the Ghost Hunters' tech expert as she resumed playback.

“Guys I am sensing something." The sand cat shouted out as the group followed the aardwolf up the stairs to the second floor.

“What is it?" The leopard cat said turning to the sand cat.

“It is hard to discern, it feels like some type of gateway or portal."

“Where?" The margay asked “And to what?"

“Right over here." Geff said to his colleagues. “This area on the--."

Flo watched the rest of the video feed to the exact point there was the flash, a scream and the team and their client disappeared.

“No Alex, I think it was a trap, the same one our friends fell into."

(What if we never ever find them?)

*beep* *beep*

“What is it?" I asked as the tech expert slid back over to the feeds from the probes in the haunted house.

“WHOA..." The female orangutan said suddenly.

“What did you find?" I said walking over to her.

“Look at this!" She said switching to a live feed from the probe in the great room. We watched a disembodied shadow walk by the kitchen and living room, through the hallway- past the study, great room and then up the stairs where it disappeared from the view of the probe in the hallway.

“That is just, just- wooow!"

(Did I say that?!)

“Did you notice it stared at each of the probes? Like it was taunting us to follow?" Flo said after seeing what we saw.

“Two years ago this place was crawling with ghosts. Now we just have one lone shadow that seemingly disappeared. What is going on here?" I said.

I thought about it for a while- thinking back to my the original case here with Minka and Arthur. My mind then wandered to what Minka told me at the conclusion of their investigation a line that she heard from a hub program when she was little.

“I think I know what is going on here." I said to the tech specialist. “I think someone opened up a 'door'."

“You mean to the spirit world? That would explain why there aren't any ghosts."

“Remember when we fled before, the entities stuck here were being tortured by that demon Minka released? But now they are gone- mostly."

“So someone opened a portal and they left. But who and to where?" The she beast said.

“Perhaps it was the Shadow Chasers?"

“No- doubtful, I gather they didn't know it was there- remember they fell through it as did our friends. Which doesn't make sense because only spirits can enter the spirit world." Flo said. “How can the living?"

“Then it had to be someone else- that is the only explanation that makes sense." I said looking back at the haunted house.

“That is so deep... So if that theory is true why haven't the Shadow Chasers and Mr. Cheetah returned?"

“Perhaps they can't- you did suggest that it could be at trap or a one way door?" I said thinking out loud. “This reminds me of a story series I read some years back."

“You mean Into The Darkness?"

“Flo you read that?"

“Yuppers. I was really into adventure porn back then." The red orangutan said to me.

“Um, yeah- the protagonist of that series was a young tiger that entered a portal into another realm and wound up stuck there. He ended up spending the rest of the series searching for a way home."

“That was after he became the love interest of one of the locals." Flo reminded me.

“Yeah that too. Damn, I hate to say it, but we are going to have to rescue them."

(But what does one take on a rescue mission to another realm?)

I had Flo follow me back to the blue coupe. She sat down on the driver's side while I activated the prototype's probe.

“Nice tech!" She said.

“It is a weapon the knight core uses for various purposes. I mean the whole vehicle is the weapon." I said as I piloted the probe into the house slowly and carefully retracing the steps we saw the shadow take. I carefully steered it up the stairs where Lady Ursa, Minka and Arthur were headed when we lost contact with them. About half way up I saw Arthur's cube and what looked like a illuminated tear on the wall. It was glowing!

“That was most likely Arthur's serious mysterious." The she beast said to me.

I slowly advanced the probe up the stairs toward the tear and into it until the video footage went black. I abruptly stopped and pulled back until the image returned.

“Our portal Flo."

“On the staircase?"

“Yup. Do you have any ropes that we could- I mean I don't know what is on the other side." I said as I piloted the probe out of the house.

“What are you thinking?"

“I mean what if the other side of that portal materializes in the sky?"

(Or above a table in a conference room?)

“I will see what I have!" She said heading back to the red van.

“Damn, we are going to have to go back into that house." I mumbled.

*Can I be of assistance Mr. Winter?*

“Yes Overwatch, give us an hour. If Flo and I do not return, contact the Watch Supervisor and let him know what transpired here; what we have found."

*Affirmative and you?*

“The remaining Ghost Hunter and I are going to try to rescue our friends." I said docking the probe on to its launch bay.

Flo grabbed some supplies including a bundle of rope from the van. I connected it to a tractor hook of the right side-pod and fed it into to the farm house, past the kitchen, living room, great room and study into the hallway and up the stair case. Where it disappeared into the portal to who knows where.

The orangutan looked at me and I at her. “Any special equipment you Ghost Hunters take on missions like this?" I asked her.

“Despite all of the cases we have investigated, not one of them has ever been like this." She said to me picking up Arthur's cube.

“Well here's to new experiences then." I said taking her paw and together we walked through the illuminated tear in the wall.

I happened to know a thing or two about entering and exiting portals to other worlds the wrong way. I am happy to say when we reached the other end. It didn't appear in the sky but in cavern a dark one.

“It is very, very warm." I said to the orangutan as we examined our surroundings by some portable lights. It looked like we were below ground.

“Well, at least it isn't a dark forest." Flo quipped.

I looked at the stats on my PDA- the air was breathable and the temperature quite warm.

“We better make note of where the exit is." With that I grabbed what materials I was able to find- a stone and started carving on the ground spelling out the word exit and making a series of arrows. “Well at least we now know how to get out of here when we find our friends."

“Don't think so." Flo said pointing.

I looked up from where I had been writing and the portal rope and all disappeared!

(Ok now we know why the others haven't come back.)

We followed and followed numerous pathways before finding the right one leading from the cavern to the surface.

“Wow... just... just... wow!" Flo said.

“This is Alex. Lady Ursa? Mistress if you are there please respond." I said trying the communicator on my PDA. I then tried to contact Minka with the same result- nothing.

“Wait, try contacting Arthur's cube." The female orangutan said.

“But we have it right here?!" I said to the Ghost Hunter's tech expert as she looked at me. “Oh, I get it."

So I tried contacting Arthur's cube with the communicator on my PDA.

“Anything?" I asked.

“Nope." She said staring at it.

“Then we are definitely not anywhere near the empire, I would say not even on the Counter Earth either!" I said as I looked around. The 'door' we stepped through led us to a wasteland of fire, lava and volcanos as far as the eye could see. The sky was red, the landscape stone and rock for miles in every direction. “What is this place?"

“The spirit world?" Flo said as we watched undulating gaseous white mists flying through the air. “They do look like ghosts, but how is it that we are able to be in their realm?"

“As Arthur would say serious mysterious." I said looking at the readings on my PDA.

“Where do we even begin searching?" The she beast asked.

“I don't know. We could ask directions, should we even ask for directions?" I said tossing ideas out into the open.

“What if the creatures that inhabit this place are horrifying, not friendly or both?" Flo said pointing to something flying in the distance.

Did I say something, there were a whole lot of somethings in the distance and they were coming this way!

“We need to hide." I said grabbing her paw.

We ended up heading toward a boulder at the entrance of the cavern just in time to hide from the aerial armada.

“Will you look at that...."

“Was that a group of wyverns?!" I gasped.

“Yuppers. Ten to be exact."

The creatures seemed to be as real as we were. They appeared to be dragon- serpent thingies with red scales, long necks, spiked foreheads and yellow eyes.

“I don't think I would want to ask them for directions."

“For sure." Flo said studying Arthur's cube.

“Are they alive or dead?" I asked her.

“I don't know." She said to me. “Which way?"

“I don't know." I said right back to her.

(Should we go the direction they were coming from or where they flying to or another direction?)

“That way." I said.

So we started walking away from the cavern in a straight line. Flo was marking our direction while I was watching the red sky in case we needed to hide. But away from the cave where could we- especially in this wasteland?

We walked for miles dodging and hiding from every creature that seemed to inhabit this place. Some of them were close calls. We saw a Phoenix chasing after a terrified entity in the sky. Possibly a ghost. Then there was the blue gumdrop shaped creature that was digesting a luckless entity which we could clearly see in its stomach(?) It looked like laundry on a spin cycle in a dryer. The creatures seemed to increase toward the direction we were heading.

“How about a break?" The orangutan said to me.

“There is an interesting fountain up ahead we can stop there."

“Alex, that isn't a fountain- it is a pool filled with lava." Flo said correcting me.

“Still it is a good place to rest- just don't get too close."

Flo soon joined me.

“This looks like a big place indeed; it is going to be very difficult to navigate let alone find our friends." I said looking at the ghost hunter.

“Well we could ask that." Flo said pointing.

“That?" I said turning around. As I did I locked eyes with a reddish brown something that had emerged from the lava pool.

(Was it bathing?)

The creature looked like a large reddish brown bowling pin with yellow eyes and arms!

RORGE?

Its size was paralyzing. To say the least, I was scared. I couldn't move!

“Um- excuse me kind sir. Is it sir? Well no matter. Like, we are searching for our friends." The laid back orangutan said addressing the creature in a relaxed tone.

RORGE!

“Um they look like us." Flo said showing the fire being a picture of Arthur and Minka.

M...m...mortals! The creature said.

“Yes, mortals. Like, have you seen them?"

URRR!!! The fire being said pointing.

“Yes t-thank you kind sir for pointing us in the right direction and you know, not burning us to a crisp." I said bowing respectfully while Flo pulled me away.

The creature watched us leave and then returned to what it was doing in the lava pool.

(Well at least it didn't chase us.)

Flo and I continued toward the direction the creature had pointed us in.

“That was brave of you to do Flo." I said to her.

“We had a 50/50 chance." She said to me.

“Of what the being- being friendly?"

“Of course."

“I don't see your logic." I said to the she beast.

“It was bathing and enjoying itself." She said to me as we started to approach a stone object ahead of us. “I don't think it would want to stop that and chase us, unless it had a very good reason to."

(I can't argue with that logic.)

“Is that this place's version of a sign post?" I said examining the stone object.

“That is not a sign post." She said examining it. “Look again.

I saw what looked to be three beastials- a leopard cat, a sand cat and margay.

“Like, those are the Shadow Chasers Alex."

(OMG!)

The three paranormal investigators that tried to help Dongo's friend had been imprisoned in stone for all to see. Their faces frozen in a scream, their eyes wide open.

(I bet Pia Pampa isn't a skeptic any more.)

“Are they alive?" I said touching the stone looking for the aardwolf. He wasn't there.

“I don't know. Regardless, we can't do anything for them now." Flo said pulling me along.

We again traveled for some time in the wasteland of fire and lava somehow avoiding the creatures and beings that inhabited this bizarre realm we found ourselves in. That was until we saw a truly weird site, this one was stranger than the lava pool. We encountered many spirits surrounding what looked like some type of horrifying fire creature.

The being was humanoid looking mostly; it had long legs and arms, was lava red and black in color. But was missing its head! Its face had electrified looking eyes and mouth with sharp teeth and was on its abdomen! The horrifying creature was dancing and gyrating its um, body on a pedestal to some unheard rhythm. The entities and sprits that surrounded the creature were on their knees bowing up and down toward it!

I looked at Flo and she at me.

“Is this the one in charge?" I said.

“Let's ask." She said.

(REALLY?!)

Bravely the orangutan interrupted one of the horrifying creature's worshippers.

“Um excuse me true worshipper can you like, help us? We are looking for some friends of ours."

“It's YOU from that red horseless carriage!" The ghost whisper-shouted.

Wait a minute that entity looked familiar!

“Smith Snow?!" I whispered.

“I remember you and the animal children from the study!"

“What is going on here? Did you and the other ghosts find your way to the spirit world?" I asked the long dead farmer.

“No after you three fled, I, along with the others were tormented by 'Big Daddy'.

“Who's Big Daddy?" I asked.

“The demon you released. He tormented all of us for a long time." Mr. Snow said as he continued bowing.

“For two years I think." The orangutan said.

“Um yeah sorry about that." I bleated. “Not helping Ms. Fuller. Mr. Snow, how did you wind up here?!"

“Big Daddy grew tired of the realm of the living. He he constructed this one."

“Where is here exactly?" I asked the ghost.

“Some place between the spirit world and the world of the living." Smith Snow whispered.

“So you didn't quite make it back." I concluded.

“No." He replied.

“So you and the other entities traded the farm house for this place."

“Is it better?" Flo asked.

“No." He replied. “I prefer 100,000 nightmares to this place."

“But you are no longer trapped in the house." I said smiling at the ghost trying to put the best spin on it.

Smith Snow wasn't having any of it.

“MORTALS!! The ghost yelled alerting the fire being who stopped dancing(?)

Time seemed to stop as the creature and its worshipers turned to stare at the human and beastial that had interrupted their ceremony(?) ritual(?) celebration(?)

“Oh my." Flo bleated as we were surrounded.

I couldn't count them all but there had to be at least thirty spirits looking right at us.

“It is ok, I am not sensing any danger." I said to the lady orangutan. “Um hi." I managed to say as the horrifying creature extended it long arm and pointed at us with its finger.

**ZAP**

(I should have sensed we were in danger, but I didn't.)

Flo and I took a direct hit and passed out. Everything went black.

(Apparently my clairvoyance only works on Counter Earth.)

I take it Mr. Snow was mad that the Ghost Hunters abandoned him when he requested help two years ago and seeing us again two years later sent him over the edge.

Flo and I awakened to some beast crying. We were in a chamber some where above ground, underground we could not tell. To our right was Steven Cheetah! The aardwolf was on his knees bawling.

“Relax Mr. Cheetah we have come here to save you. My name is Alex and this Flo."

The he beast ignored us and continued crying.

“Hello Mr. Cheetah?" Flo asked.

“They have devoured my soul! I have lost everything!" The he beast said as he continued to sob.

“More mortals?!" Another fire creature said floating into the chamber. This one was humanoid (thankfully with a head) much larger than the one who had zapped us, oh and he was on fire literally. “My lucky day!"

“Who are you?!" I asked as the creature stopped before us.

“The one in charge." The fire being was a good seven feet taller than the one we had seen previously.

“Um... yeah, what happened to Big Daddy?" Flo asked.

“Away."

“Another top dog?! There is so much turnover with you demonic types." I said under my breath.

“Wow, far out." Flo said trying to make sense of the being we were staring at.

“My magnificence is too much for you mortal?"

“A bit much." I said.

Flo nodded.

The fire creature before us then reformed his shape into a large imposing muscular anthropomorphic dark wolf with red eyes, sharp claws, and fangs and bracelets around his wrists, biceps and ankles.

“A shape changer." I said amazed.

“For your benefit only." It responded.

Flo and I were in deep trouble. We were trying to rescue our friends while stuck in a realm between the spirit world and the world of the living. Oh and we just met the big dog, the acting ruler. How were we going to ever get out of this? Abject begging? Guile?

“Sir, it is sir right?" Flo asked as the wolf demon snorted. “We are looking for others like us who entered your world accidentally."

“Why?"

“They were searching for him." I said pointing to the crying aardwolf.

“The hedgehog and monkey? I have them. As I do you now." The dark wolf said making a come here motion with his paw. Instantly as if by some force Flo and I were pulled to the creature's feet and made to cower on all fours.

“Well, if you don't mind, we will take them and be on your way." I said looking up at him.

“GRRR... No."

“But why?"

“I enjoy torturing the living. It is much more fun than torturing the dead."

Flo and I looked at the crying aardwolf and the back at the wolf demon.

“He is reliving his deepest, darkest fear over and over."

“For how long?"

“Eh, all of eternity. As you all will." The being said as he waved his paw showing us an image of Flo's colleagues. From what I could make out the two were in some sort of prison cell.

“Get them off!" The Minka screamed rolling side to side as if her fur were on fire.

Such tasty blood! A mysterious voice said as the monkey-girl screamed. “Yes tasty blood! Let's drain her dry!!" Another voice said.

“We failed are all dead." Arthur said crying. “We tried our best, but couldn't help them."

You failed... failed.... a horde of ghastly figures chanted as they swirled around the hedgehog.

(Nice trick.)

“You mortals are the most amusing entertainment I have had in a long, long time!" The dark wolf said as a throne appeared behind him and he sat down to study Flo and I for a moment. “Now let's see what you two fear the most."

“LET THEM GO!!!" I heard a fierce ursine warrior say as she charged into the room with what looked like a makeshift sword.

“Mistress?!" I shouted.

“And another! How delightful!" The dark wolf squealed with glee.

(I started getting the impression the wolf demon was not the least bit intimidated by my fierce ursine warrior.)

“Creature you will free the Ghost Hunters, the aardwolf, my pet and let us return to our world!" Lady Ursa ordered.

My mistress looked like she had been through hell, she had several slashes, scrapes, bruises and gashes. Her uniform had been torn, her communicator damaged and her arms and legs had teeth marks on them.

Nonchalantly the demon wolf stared down the Knight of Wundagore who had raised her sword against him before flicking his paw.

My warrior bear was flown backward onto a operating table which appeared out of nowhere. As she landed on the table she was strapped in by five of the KLIS who decided to start working on her immediately.

“NO!!! STAY BACK!!! DON'T!!!" She roared.

“What did you do to her?!" I screamed.

“She is experiencing the ultimate torment; her deepest darkest fears come to life."

It was terrifying to see the beastial that I loved in such pain, torment and aguish as the grey aliens stripped her fur from her body showing only the muscles underneath.

“Please stop this!!!" I pleaded to the demon. “Let her go!!!"

“Now who is next?" The dark wolf asked coldly as Flo and I gasped.

He studied the orangutan and myself again like he was probing the deepest recesses of our minds looking for what horrified us the most.

“I have your eternal torment ready for you Mr. Winter." The creature said bouncing his eyebrows at me.

“Um what is it?" I asked trembling.

“What do you fear the most?" The creature asked giving me a demonic grin.

He watched as my eyes grew wide and I started blushing. Despite Flo's confusement.

“I see, deep, deep down you fear that you are bisexual- you like females and recently discovered you also like males; you enjoy vaginal, but you also like anal as well... maybe a tad more!"

I turned a deep shade of red at the demon's pronouncement.

“That is a good guess, it is true, but that is just your second biggest fear. Your biggest is right over there." The being said pointing at the operation table where the greys had finished there work.

“Get away from her!!" I screamed running over to the table. My now furless fierce ursine warrior was still. Without her fur, she looked like Bertha only with a ursine face and paws.

I quickly checked for a pulse. Nothing. I then put my head next to her snout. Still nothing.

“Oh no!" I said as I placed my head to her chest. There was no heart beat. She was dead.

“Delightful simply delightful!" The dark wolf said as Flo watched me in my misery.

“Wow. Like, we aren't going to get out of this one are we?" The female beastial said staring at Lady Ursa, myself and the still crying aardwolf.

“No you are not. It is your turn Ms. Fuller."

“Mister dark wolf can we talk? While you are like, probing my mind for what terrifies me the most- I would like for you to consider a proposition." Flo said hugging the demon's leg.

“You have a proposition?! What can you possibly offer me mortal?!"

While grieving over my she beast's remains I noticed that the demon wolf and the orangutan started talking- for a while, a long while. At times, Flo dropped to all fours begging and pleading before the dark creature who shook his head- no.

Those two were negotiating... something. Then the two of them vanished right before my eyes.

“Eternal torment is over." The demon wolf creature said suddenly reappearing.

The being snapped a paw finger and in a blink Lady Ursa, Minka, Arthur, myself and Mr. Cheetah were standing next to each other.

“Mistress you are okay!" I said hugging her. The fur had returned to her body. My warrior bear hugged me back as did Arthur and Minka.

“We are free!" The hedgehog-boy said.

“Thank goodness!" The monkey-girl said. “Those ticks were draining me dry!"

“Mortal escort your friends." The wolf demon ordered.

Flo stepped out from behind the dark wolf wearing nothing but a red collar and leash.

“Yes Diamantopoulous. Everyone this way."

The dark wolf looked at her weirdly as she said that before swatting her backside.

“Um, sir." The orangutan said correcting herself.

“Where are we going?" The aardwolf said.

“Home." Flo said her voice containing an unnatural easiness.

“Flo you convinced him to let us go?" Lady Ursa said.

“Not exactly." The she beast said as we followed her to a room outside of the chamber we were in.

“Flo what happened to your clothes?" Minka asked.

The red orangutan didn't respond instead she took us into the room. At the far side of it was the 'door' to back to our world complete with the rope.

“Flo, Flo what did you do?" Arthur said asking his colleague.

“What was necessary." The she beast said. “To save all of you."

“Isn't it obvious, she sacrificed herself for all of us." Mr. Cheetah said. “Say where are the Shadow Chasers?"

“Uh, I couldn't save them." The Ghost Hunter's tech specialist said.

“Why?" Lady Ursa asked.

“The master has something special planned for them."

“Flo you became his servant?!" Minka asked running to hug her friend.

“No. Slave." The red orangutan said.

“Why?" Arthur asked running to hug her.

“There was not other way." Flo said as the dark wolf appeared next to her. “I am to serve him to the best of my ability, with all of my ability until my last breath."

The five of us exchanged glances with each other.

“In return, I want the five of you to do something form me." Flo said as she continued to hug Arthur and Minka. “Live each day of your lives to the absolute fullest, because like, tomorrow is not promised to anyone."

“You mortals assume her existence here will be much, much worse than in your own world. Will it? Let's see if you still feel that way in a few months. Now leave before I change my mind!"

After exchanging hugs with Arthur and Minka, Lady Ursa and I did the same.

One by one we went through the 'door' winding up back inside the hallway of the old farm house which started shaking and rattling as if an Counter Earthquake had taken place.

Lady Ursa, Minka, Arthur, Steven and myself quickly ran outside just in time to see the farm house explode and then implode most like it was being sucked into that dimension portal. The rope attached to the tractor hook of the prototype was cut in the process. After the haunted house imploded, there was nothing left but scorched ground.

“My house!" Mr. Cheetah screamed.

“It was your house in name only." Minka said correcting the aardwolf. “It was cursed long before your purchase and you just got caught up in it."

“What? How?"

“There are some things that you need to know about this property Mr. Cheeath." My warrior bear said.

“So what happened?" I said to two remaining Ghost Hunters.

“It looks like the dark wolf decided to close the portal." Minka said.

“Poor Flo." Arthur gasped.

That afternoon the Shadow Chasers paid a a high price for entering a 'door' to the realm of fire and the Ghost Hunters paid an even higher price. Their friend and colleague who they had worked with for years sacrificed herself so that we all could escape.

We had visions of that demon's new slave, our laid back orangutan at the wolf creature's side like a lap dog serving him faithfully for the rest of her existence.

To Be Continued....