Family Ghosts

Hours later, Gerard and Mikey sat on the bed in Mikey's room. They were still reeling from what the MacDougals had told them.

"I just don't get it, dude," Gerard said. "Some little kid and his mom disappear here in colonial times, and now all of a sudden ghosts start popping up in the 21st century? Seems like a damn long time to wait before coming back from the dead, you know?"

"I don't get it either, Gee," Mikey sighed. "I mean, seriously, ghosts? Even if I did believe them - which I'm not sure I do - objects falling? Voices and footsteps? This was something that required two complete strangers flying over from America to deal with? And what are we supposed to do? Zap them with proton packs? Go all Exorcist on them, 'the power of Christ compels you,' and all?"

Gerard chuckled. "Frank's the one that went to Catholic school, man, we ought to get him out here for that." He shook his head. "I guess we should have asked more questions, but Hamish just took me by surprise with this. I was expecting maintenance problems or something. Vandalism, even. But ghosts?"

Mikey sighed again. "I don't know, man. I just don't know. Maybe we ought to turn in for the night and try to figure this out in the morning."

"All right," Gerard said, getting up and making his way towards the bathroom and through to his own room. "But the first sign of the Boogeyman and I'm coming in here and waking your ass up, and you can deal with it..."

"You do that, Gee..."

* * * * *

Gerard lay in bed a while, thinking. He stared up at the high ceiling of his room, his eyes following the intricate patterns in the tiles. His mind kept wandering to a portrait on the wall.

It was a dark-haired woman, in her early twenties. By the look of her dress, it had been painted in the late eighteenth century. Her dark eyes made him think of Mina. Mina...

He felt the heat rise in his face. He placed a hand to the side of his face and was stunned. Damn it, he was blushing.

He couldn't understand it. He'd just met her. Barely spoken a word to her! What was wrong with him? He certainly didn't believe in love at first sight. He was too cynical for that. What the hell was going on, here? Why couldn't he get her out of his mind?

As he pondered this, his face flushing more and more, he became aware of a noise outside of his room. It was coming from down the hallway, in the opposite direction of his brother's bedroom. it was soft at first, but grew steadily louder.

It was the sound of a woman crying.

Though he'd never admit it to himself later, Gerard's first thought was that it might be Mina crying out there. He leaped out of bed and was nearly at the door when he paused. A seed of icy fear had slipped into his stomach. It was tiny, to be sure, but he still felt it.

What was there to be afraid of? It was just one of the girls out in the hallway... Crying, yes, but that could be solved. Why was he afraid?

And what if it was Mina...?

Pushing his fear aside, he wrenched open the door and peered into the moonlit hallway. At first glance, there was nothing in sight. He then did a double take as he noticed a shadowy figure near one of the stained glass windows.

Its feet did not touch the ground.

And brave Gerard, who routinely sang of vampires and death and revenge, did the first thing his tired, frightened brain could think to do.

He turned tail and ran shrieking for his brother.

* * * * *

"Mike! Mikey!" Gerard crashed into his brother's room.

"Huh?" Mikey sat bolt upright as Gerard landed on top of him. He fumbled for his glasses. "Gerard? What's the matter?"

"I think I just had a close encounter!"

"What?" Mikey waved a hand in front of Gerard's face. "Were you dreaming, dude?"

"Mikey, I swear, I just saw... Something..." Gerard shuddered. "It was... It was... I mean, it..."

"Whoa, whoa, slow down," Mikey said, placing a hand on his brother's shoulder. "You're white as a sheet, what happened?"

"I was in bed, just laying there, I couldn't sleep," Gerard gasped out. "I heard a girl crying... I thought..." He paused. "It doesn't matter what I thought, I just got up and went to check it out... I saw something out in the hallway... It didn't touch the ground!"

"What?" Mikey blinked at him. "What did it look like?"

"Like a person... It was all shadows, though, I couldn't make anything out."

"Then how can you be sure you saw what you saw?"

"Mikey, it was full moonlight out in that hallway! The only shadowy thing was... It!" Gerard said forcefully. "It was shaped like a person, but dark, like a shadow."

Mikey cocked an eyebrow and looked at him disbelievingly.

"Look, I know what I saw, Mike!" cried Gerard.

"Well, is it still out there?" Mikey asked.

"I don't know, I came running for you."

"Well," Mikey sighed, pushing the covers off himself and making his way to his door. "Let's find out, okay?"

Jesus, he thought. He's supposed to be the big brother here...

He opened the door and peered out.

"Gee, there's nothing out here."

"Are you sure?" Gerard asked from his spot on the bed.

"I don't see or hear anything," Mikey turned to come back into his room. As he moved to shut the door, he heard a whisper behind him.

"Where...?"

For a moment Mikey was paralyzed with fear. Then, without looking back, he slammed the door and made a flying leap onto his bed.

"Okay," he mumbled as he pulled the covers over his head. "I believe you!"