by C. Fennessy
They slammed the door and held it tightly shut.
"Holy-- Did you see that?" Ava shouted frantically.
"Yes!" Kacey replied, "But it can't be a ghost! It can't be!"
They froze, not knowing what to do. After Kacey regained her composure, she said, "It can't be a ghost! There are no such things! But we have to find out where Brittany is! Let's ask her!"
Ava agreed, mostly because she wanted to see if her eyes had deceived her or if the ghost was real. Thunder boomed again, but there was no lightning.
They opened the door and peered into the darkness. Kacey aimed the flashlight into the room.
It was empty.
There was only a bed and some antique furniture. A wooden paneled wall on the opposite side of the bed drew Kacey's attention. She saw that the rug had been pulled back next to the wall. A circular scratch on the floor gave Kacey an idea. She pushed against the paneled wall, but it didn't move.
"Look!" Kacey cried, "I think she went through this wall! I think it moves! Help me!"
Ava ran to her and they both pushed against the wall without success. They stood, scrutinizing the wall for some clue as to how it opened. They began trying to move objects near the wall. A wall sconce holding a candle caught Kacey's attention. She pulled on it and heard something click. The wall panel opened a crack, revealing a hinge on one side.
"A secret door!" Ava exclaimed.
They pushed the door open a little and peered into darkness. They turned on their flashlight and pushed the panel open wider. A stone archway led to another spiral staircase, smaller than the one in the tower.
The steps led upward into darkness. Knowing the 'ghost' must have gone this way, they followed.
At the top of the stairs was another door. From behind, they heard muffled screams. When they opened it, they found Brittany tied and gagged, and a 'ghost' was dragging the girl to her feet.
"Let her go!" Kacey shouted.
The 'ghost' turned to the girls. They recognized her immediately.
"Hannah!" they shouted.
Hannah was furious. She pulled Brittany to her feet and held her in front as a shield.
"Get away from me!" she screamed at the girls.
"Let her go, Hannah!" Kacey cried.
"No! Not until you give Garth the papers and leave this castle!"
Ava looked at Kacey. On Kacey's nod, they both made a rush for Hannah. Together, they grabbed Hannah's wrists and pulled them off of Brittany. Brittany broke free and rolled to the other wall.
Hannah struggled against the two girls. She bit Ava's hand and kicked Brittany's leg. Both girls let go and Hannah rushed toward the stairs. As she took her first step, her feet became entangled in her long gown, and she tripped. Falling face forward, she tumbled down the stone steps to the foot of the stairs, screaming as she fell, her shrieks echoing through the stairwell.
The girls ran down the stairs and flashed their light where Hannah lay at the bottom of the steps, unconscious.
Quickly, they returned to the room where Brittany lay and untied her.
"Oh, thank God you came!" Brittany sobbed. She threw her arms around the two girls and they hugged her tightly. Brittany was shaking and sobbing uncontrollably.
"Come on," said Kacey, "Let's go downstairs. We're taking you home."
Brittany was too shaken to respond, and they helped her climb down the spiral steps to where Hannah lay. Hannah's hair had been powdered white, and white make-up covered her face and arms to give her a ghostly look. Dark shadows were painted under her eyes.
Ava felt for a pulse on Hannah's neck.
"She's alive," she said, "But she may have a broken neck. We'd better not move her."
"We'll call an ambulance when we find the guys. Come on," Kacey urged.
They stepped carefully over Hannah and went through the secret door to find their way back down the tower stairs. When they reached the main hall, they found Josh and Rick standing guard over Garth, who was sitting on the floor with his wrists and knees taped together.
Joshua smiled at Kacey.
"You found her! How is she?"
Kacey looked at Brittany, who seemed dazed and shaken.
"I think she'll be okay once we get her out of here."
"Good. Let's go!"
The guys told Garth to get up while holding a sword to his back. As they approached the door leading to the cave entrance, it suddenly swung open, and Dave and Emma appeared.
Dave wore an anxious look on his face.
"Stop!" he said, "We aren't going anywhere."
"What? Why not?" asked Josh.
"The storm has gotten a whole lot worse, and The Phantom was smashed against the dock by the waves. It has a huge hole in the hull and it's sinking!"
