Word spread quickly through the woods, carried by the efficiency of old fashioned gossip.Soon, dozens of ghosts were gathering near the Devil Oak Tree, all whispering eagerly about the possibility of experiencing corporeal pleasures once again.
The crowd represented centuries of afterlife experience—spirits from different eras and backgrounds united by the common desire to reclaim the physical sensations they'd lost to death.The diversity of the gathering added to its festive atmosphere.
"Is everyone ready?"Finn asked, surveying the growing crowd with satisfaction.He rubbed his hands and held the over the mark on the ground.Nothing happened.
“Let's make some magic happen!"Chet declared and elbowed Beau, who both assumed the same stance as Finn.All in an effort to accomplish something none of them knew exactly how to do.
Miraculously, as if summoned by their collective determination, a familiar light began to pulse.But this time, something was different.The light sputtered and sparked irregularly, creating an uneven rhythm that made the air around it crackle with unstable energy.
Finn glanced sideways at his friends, “hold steady boys.”
"That doesn't look quite right," Beau observed, his Southern gentleman's instincts warning him of danger.
But none of the trio gave up.They were all too eager to succeed.
"It's probably just...artistic variation," Chet said hopefully, though his voice carried a note of uncertainty.
The light began to spin, but instead of the smooth, controlled vortex they'd experienced before, it created a jagged, sizzling tear in the air that looked distinctly unsafe.The edges crackled with energy that seemed to fight against itself.
“That looks dangerous.”Someone said from the back.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” Finn said with the reckless confidence that had gotten him into trouble throughout his life, "when has a little danger ever stopped us?"
The rhetorical question hung in the air, challenging anyone to suggest caution.
"Never!"the assembled ghosts chorused, their collective enthusiasm overriding individual concerns about the portal's obvious instability.
Without further hesitation, the entire group pushed and shoved their way toward the unstable loophole, laughing and joking as reality bent around them.The tear expanded with each passing spirit, growing larger and more jagged until it resembled a gaping wound in the fabric of existence itself.
One by one, dozens of ghosts tumbled through the dimensional rift, their excitement overriding any concerns about their obviously irregular transportation method.The portal groaned and sparked with each passage, struggling to accommodate the massive group while maintaining even basic stability.
Back at the sacred grove, Sean and Roam arrived to find the Ghost Prom in full swing—but with a notable absence of guests.The stage continued to host spirits of a once famous rock and roll band, but their audience had mysteriously vanished, leaving behind only a few confused ghosts who looked around in bewilderment.
"Where is everyone?"Sean asked, surveying the empty dance floor with growing alarm.
The contrast was jarring—elaborate preparations for a grand celebration, complete with floating lights and spectral refreshments, but almost no one left to enjoy them.
"This is not good," Roam said grimly."The cemetery.We have to check the cemetery immediately."
"The loopholes," Sean realized with dawning horror.“Do you think they….”
His professional confidence crumbled as the possibilities hit him.The paperwork he'd just filed, the assurances he'd given about containing the situation, the reports that were already winging their way up the divine chain of command—all of it had been based on the assumption that his repairs would hold.
"Not sure," Roam corrected."Either way, we need to get there now."
The two men raced through the woods, following the path back toward Cauldron Falls with the desperate urgency of people who knew they were already too late to prevent whatever chaos was about to unfold.
Chapter 20
Alive One Night Only
The ancient ginkgo trees of Cauldron Falls town square had witnessed many celebrations over the years, but nothing quite like the extravaganza that erupted when dozens of ghosts materialized among their golden branches.
The transportation was instantaneous and overwhelming.Where moments before there had been a peaceful autumn night, now there was chaos of the most joyful kind.Spirits who had just tumbled through the dimensional rift created a carnival atmosphere in the town square that defied every rule of natural order.
Finn and his companions had quickly rolled the stolen kegs of Ghost Draught vapor from Murphy's icehouse to the center of the square, where they now presided over the most extraordinary party in the town's magical history.
The trio had been the first to inhale the vapor, while the other ghosts had been shocked and thrilled to see them in solid form.
