Miriam was cooking spaghetti for dinner that evening, when the Ghostly Trio came in and gobbled up all the crunchy, dry pasta. Kat and Casper were sitting at the table, watching the show until Miriam chased the ghosts out the door with a broom.
"Go back upstairs and sit in that closet till dinner is ready!" she ordered them.
"Yer a mean old thing!" Stinkie said with a snarl.
Stretch agreed. "Yeah, why can't you be nice like us? Did your husband ever cheat on you?"
"Yes, he did," Miriam answered.
Kat's eyes widened. "He did? That's awful!"
Miriam nodded. "Yep! He cheated all the time…whenever we played checkers!"
"Ah!" Kat rolled her eyes in exasperation.
The Ghostly Trio burst out laughing. Casper looked at them with confusion.
"I don't get," Casper said. "What's the joke?"
"I'll explain later," Kat told him, warily.
Then Dr. Harvey came into the kitchen and glanced at everyone. "What's going on in here?"
"Old Granny here sure is funny, Doc!" Stinkie said, smiling.
"Yeah, she's not so bad when you get to know her!" Fatso exclaimed. "By the way, whose mother is she? Yours or your wife's?"
"Never mind that." Dr. Harvey sat down at the table and faced the Trio. "She told me there's something that you were hiding from – something that frightens you. Care to tell me about it?"
"Doc, the only thing we have to fear, is fear itself…and the vacuum cleaner!"
Miriam suppressed a laugh as she looked at Dr. Harvey's face.
OoOoOo
Kat tossed and turned in bed that night, trying to get to sleep. Casper was sleeping soundly beside her, a satisfied smile on his face. Kat frowned and looked at her clock. It was just a little past midnight. She groaned and pulled the blankets over her head.
Then she heard something.
What was that? she thought, pushing the blanket off her face. It was a heavy thumping noise – like the footsteps of a large person. Then she heard it again. The sound was coming from out in the hallway. Probably just the Trio trying to mess with me, Kat thought with a huff.
Then she heard a few different voices talking in the distance. She couldn't make out what they were saying, but they sounded quite frantic. It like sounded like the Ghostly Trio – all except for one particular voice that she didn't recognize. It was low and raspy…almost like it could belong to the Devil himself.
Kat jumped when she heard a high-pitched scream from down the hall. She looked over at Casper – still asleep. Then she got out of bed and walked quickly to the door. She was standing close to it but she didn't open it. "Dad? Grandma? Is everything alright?"
Another scream tore through the house, sending a chill down her spine. Kat slowly turned the doorknob and peered out into the hallway. She took a step out and looked around. Of course, it was always possible that the Ghostly Trio were restless and up to no good, but she still decided to investigate.
"Hello? Is there someone out here?" Kat felt her skin tingling from the goose bumps crawling up her body. Just as she was walking past the closet, she heard another scream. Then she noticed a smell…a terrible smell.
Wrinkling her nose in disgust, Kat wrapped her hand around the closet doorknob and prepared to open it. She noticed that her heart was racing. Come on, Kat. Don't be a chicken-butt. Just open the stupid closet.
Then she opened the closet and almost passed out from what she found.
The Ghostly Trio. All three of them were tied up with ropes and caked in blood. There were deep lacerations on their heads and dark bruises on their faces. They also had legs (for some reason). Their legs were streaked with crimson blood, caused by injuries further up their legs – their kneecaps had practically been bashed clean off. The ghostly beings turned their heads and stared at Kat, showing their stained faces and yellow eyes. "Help us."
Kat gagged and fled as fast as she could. She ran to the bathroom and threw up in the toilet. She tried to get the appalling image out of her mind.
"Are you okay?" Casper was hovering in the doorway. He had woken up and noticed that Kat was missing from her bed.
Still leaning over the toilet, Kat held up a hand to Casper to indicate that she wasn't ready to talk yet.
"Are you sick? Should I get your dad?" Casper asked, his big eyes filled with concern.
"I'm alright," Kat sniffled, as she grabbed some toilet paper and wiped the slime off her mouth and nose.
Casper sat down beside her on the tile floor. "What happened?"
"It was your uncles…," Kat said in a painful whisper. Her throat was sore from puking.
"What did they do to you?"
"Nothing. I-I saw them…in the closet. I think they were dying."
Casper stared into her eyes, seeing her this upset made him nervous. "I think we should tell your dad about this."
Kat nodded and stood up slowly. Casper took hold of her hand and carried her along as he flew to Dr. Harvey's room.
"Okay, tell me exactly what happened," Dr. Harvey said as he and Miriam walked to the closet to see for themselves.
"Kat says she saw them dying, Dr. Harvey," Casper explained as he followed them down the hallway.
"How can they be dying if they're already ghosts?" Miriam wondered.
Dr. Harvey froze in his tracts, causing Miriam and Kat to almost run into him from behind.
"Well, what's the matter with you?" Miriam demanded.
Dr. Harvey turned and looked at her with wide eyes. "I don't know, it's just that…I had this dream recently…and in it, Casper's grandmother was talking to her son. She was telling him something…"
"What did she say?" Casper asked, curiously. Miriam had heard about Dr. Harvey's nightmares and he had told her all about them, but Casper was still in the dark about it.
"I can't remember every detail about the dream, but I do remember a few things for certain. I remember her explaining about what happens to some people when they die. She told J.T. that every year, on the anniversary of their death…"
"Yes?"
"Wait a minute," Dr. Harvey looked at Miriam. "What day is today?"
"Thursday."
"Thursday what?"
"Dad, I'd really like to hear about your dreams but right now we have to find out what kind of malicious forces are going on in that closet!" Kat pointed at closet door.
"James, I think you might have something there," Miriam began to understand. "Don't you see, Kat? Every year the Ghostly Trio have to relive their horrible death. We have to put a stop to that. Tonight."
"How are we going to do that unless they crossover?"
"Maybe there's another way?" Casper ventured.
"Perhaps," Miriam said, moving closer to the closet. Then she knelt down by the door and began to speak in a soft voice. "Can you guys hear me in there? I want to tell you something. I want to tell you that you don't have to go through this anymore. You'll be able to rest easy now. Do you want to know why? Well, you remember your mother, right? She passed away not too long after you did. She was very upset when she died, and therefore she became a ghost. And after she became a ghost, do you know what she did? She moved in with the people who took your lives. For years, she haunted them and made their lives a living Hell. She continued to do this until they all croaked. That was her business and she finished it. Do you understand what this means? It means you can continue to be ghosts but you will NEVER have to go through this nightmare again."
When Miriam was finished, she stood up and took a few steps away from the closet door. Dr. Harvey, Kat, and Casper were in awe.
"That was amazing," Casper said. "How did you know what to say?"
Miriam smiled and put her hand on the doorknob. "Before you congratulate me let's see if it worked."
Then she opened the door, releasing a whirlwind of blue and white air. Everyone shielded their eyes from the gust, except Casper who was eager to see the outcome of his uncles.
"TA-DA!" The Ghostly Trio sang out, as they reformed themselves in front of everybody.
"They're back to normal!" Kat said, relieved.
Miriam laughed. "Yep, back to their normal, nasty selves."
"Go back upstairs and sit in that closet till dinner is ready!" she ordered them.
"Yer a mean old thing!" Stinkie said with a snarl.
Stretch agreed. "Yeah, why can't you be nice like us? Did your husband ever cheat on you?"
"Yes, he did," Miriam answered.
Kat's eyes widened. "He did? That's awful!"
Miriam nodded. "Yep! He cheated all the time…whenever we played checkers!"
"Ah!" Kat rolled her eyes in exasperation.
The Ghostly Trio burst out laughing. Casper looked at them with confusion.
"I don't get," Casper said. "What's the joke?"
"I'll explain later," Kat told him, warily.
Then Dr. Harvey came into the kitchen and glanced at everyone. "What's going on in here?"
"Old Granny here sure is funny, Doc!" Stinkie said, smiling.
"Yeah, she's not so bad when you get to know her!" Fatso exclaimed. "By the way, whose mother is she? Yours or your wife's?"
"Never mind that." Dr. Harvey sat down at the table and faced the Trio. "She told me there's something that you were hiding from – something that frightens you. Care to tell me about it?"
"Doc, the only thing we have to fear, is fear itself…and the vacuum cleaner!"
Miriam suppressed a laugh as she looked at Dr. Harvey's face.
OoOoOo
Kat tossed and turned in bed that night, trying to get to sleep. Casper was sleeping soundly beside her, a satisfied smile on his face. Kat frowned and looked at her clock. It was just a little past midnight. She groaned and pulled the blankets over her head.
Then she heard something.
What was that? she thought, pushing the blanket off her face. It was a heavy thumping noise – like the footsteps of a large person. Then she heard it again. The sound was coming from out in the hallway. Probably just the Trio trying to mess with me, Kat thought with a huff.
Then she heard a few different voices talking in the distance. She couldn't make out what they were saying, but they sounded quite frantic. It like sounded like the Ghostly Trio – all except for one particular voice that she didn't recognize. It was low and raspy…almost like it could belong to the Devil himself.
Kat jumped when she heard a high-pitched scream from down the hall. She looked over at Casper – still asleep. Then she got out of bed and walked quickly to the door. She was standing close to it but she didn't open it. "Dad? Grandma? Is everything alright?"
Another scream tore through the house, sending a chill down her spine. Kat slowly turned the doorknob and peered out into the hallway. She took a step out and looked around. Of course, it was always possible that the Ghostly Trio were restless and up to no good, but she still decided to investigate.
"Hello? Is there someone out here?" Kat felt her skin tingling from the goose bumps crawling up her body. Just as she was walking past the closet, she heard another scream. Then she noticed a smell…a terrible smell.
Wrinkling her nose in disgust, Kat wrapped her hand around the closet doorknob and prepared to open it. She noticed that her heart was racing. Come on, Kat. Don't be a chicken-butt. Just open the stupid closet.
Then she opened the closet and almost passed out from what she found.
The Ghostly Trio. All three of them were tied up with ropes and caked in blood. There were deep lacerations on their heads and dark bruises on their faces. They also had legs (for some reason). Their legs were streaked with crimson blood, caused by injuries further up their legs – their kneecaps had practically been bashed clean off. The ghostly beings turned their heads and stared at Kat, showing their stained faces and yellow eyes. "Help us."
Kat gagged and fled as fast as she could. She ran to the bathroom and threw up in the toilet. She tried to get the appalling image out of her mind.
"Are you okay?" Casper was hovering in the doorway. He had woken up and noticed that Kat was missing from her bed.
Still leaning over the toilet, Kat held up a hand to Casper to indicate that she wasn't ready to talk yet.
"Are you sick? Should I get your dad?" Casper asked, his big eyes filled with concern.
"I'm alright," Kat sniffled, as she grabbed some toilet paper and wiped the slime off her mouth and nose.
Casper sat down beside her on the tile floor. "What happened?"
"It was your uncles…," Kat said in a painful whisper. Her throat was sore from puking.
"What did they do to you?"
"Nothing. I-I saw them…in the closet. I think they were dying."
Casper stared into her eyes, seeing her this upset made him nervous. "I think we should tell your dad about this."
Kat nodded and stood up slowly. Casper took hold of her hand and carried her along as he flew to Dr. Harvey's room.
"Okay, tell me exactly what happened," Dr. Harvey said as he and Miriam walked to the closet to see for themselves.
"Kat says she saw them dying, Dr. Harvey," Casper explained as he followed them down the hallway.
"How can they be dying if they're already ghosts?" Miriam wondered.
Dr. Harvey froze in his tracts, causing Miriam and Kat to almost run into him from behind.
"Well, what's the matter with you?" Miriam demanded.
Dr. Harvey turned and looked at her with wide eyes. "I don't know, it's just that…I had this dream recently…and in it, Casper's grandmother was talking to her son. She was telling him something…"
"What did she say?" Casper asked, curiously. Miriam had heard about Dr. Harvey's nightmares and he had told her all about them, but Casper was still in the dark about it.
"I can't remember every detail about the dream, but I do remember a few things for certain. I remember her explaining about what happens to some people when they die. She told J.T. that every year, on the anniversary of their death…"
"Yes?"
"Wait a minute," Dr. Harvey looked at Miriam. "What day is today?"
"Thursday."
"Thursday what?"
"Dad, I'd really like to hear about your dreams but right now we have to find out what kind of malicious forces are going on in that closet!" Kat pointed at closet door.
"James, I think you might have something there," Miriam began to understand. "Don't you see, Kat? Every year the Ghostly Trio have to relive their horrible death. We have to put a stop to that. Tonight."
"How are we going to do that unless they crossover?"
"Maybe there's another way?" Casper ventured.
"Perhaps," Miriam said, moving closer to the closet. Then she knelt down by the door and began to speak in a soft voice. "Can you guys hear me in there? I want to tell you something. I want to tell you that you don't have to go through this anymore. You'll be able to rest easy now. Do you want to know why? Well, you remember your mother, right? She passed away not too long after you did. She was very upset when she died, and therefore she became a ghost. And after she became a ghost, do you know what she did? She moved in with the people who took your lives. For years, she haunted them and made their lives a living Hell. She continued to do this until they all croaked. That was her business and she finished it. Do you understand what this means? It means you can continue to be ghosts but you will NEVER have to go through this nightmare again."
When Miriam was finished, she stood up and took a few steps away from the closet door. Dr. Harvey, Kat, and Casper were in awe.
"That was amazing," Casper said. "How did you know what to say?"
Miriam smiled and put her hand on the doorknob. "Before you congratulate me let's see if it worked."
Then she opened the door, releasing a whirlwind of blue and white air. Everyone shielded their eyes from the gust, except Casper who was eager to see the outcome of his uncles.
"TA-DA!" The Ghostly Trio sang out, as they reformed themselves in front of everybody.
"They're back to normal!" Kat said, relieved.
Miriam laughed. "Yep, back to their normal, nasty selves."