“I would but gain my enemy’s strength if I could consume his soul” –

Edward Deathe

“Oh come on – you’re not really going to tell me you’re afraid of some old wives tale,” Melissa Newman said to Joe Hardy as she overheard Joe and Iola talking about Deathe House.  Chet’s Halloween party was a success and his date, Melissa, had made her way over to sit with Iola and Joe after Chet went to help his mother bring out some more food from the house.  

Joe and Iola were sitting with Biff Hooper and his current date, Amanda Something-or-other, and Tony Prito who had come stag.  

“Joe isn’t afraid of anything!’  Iola boasted proudly in her boyfriend’s defense, making him blush while his friends laughed.  

Across the room Frank Hardy heard their laughter and turned around to see what was going on.  

“Looks like they’re having some fun at Joe’s expense,” his blond-haired girlfriend, Callie Shaw, remarked as she then turned his face back to look at her.  “Now where were we…?”  She took his hand and led him onto the barn floor, which had been converted into a dance floor and it was almost an hour before he glanced around again and noticed that the little group who had been chatting so gaily were gone.  

“Hmm…that’s strange, “ Frank remarked.  As if on cue Chet, dressed as a pirate, came puffing over to them, his eyes searching the barn.  

“Hi guys, did you see my date?  I got delayed in the house when we ran out of sausage rolls and Mom sent me to get some more,” he explained.  He was pleased that everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves.  

“The last time I saw Melissa, she was talking to Joe and Iola,” Frank admitted.  

“Oh I’m sure they’re just outside for a breath of fresh air,” Callie said as she tried to distract him.  She had been looking forward to this Halloween party and didn’t want Frank ruining it by being so worried.  

“Yeah – you’re probably right”, Frank agreed, as it was a beautiful October 31^st night and the barn was getting stuffy.   “Let’s say we do the same thing – it’s awfully warm in here.”

Callie agreed, as she knew it was a full moon tonight and that would make it even more romantic.   

It was quite a change from the previous evening, when an unexpected torrential thunderstorm had assaulted the area, bringing down power lines and phone lines in the city.  Some areas were still without power, including Frank’s house.  But thankfully enough, his father had come home a couple of days early, otherwise Frank probably would have opted to stay home so his mother wouldn’t be by herself.  

“Hey that’s strange,” Chet said as he followed the couple out into the brisk autumn night. “Tony’s jeep is gone.  Did he say goodbye to you guys before he left?”  

Shaking his head, Frank saw Chet was right.  Tony had saved up the down payment for a second-hand jeep and his father had financed the rest, with the understanding that Tony would work at Mr. Pizza to pay him back – and indeed, Tony’s pride and joy was nowhere to be seen. 

Looking around at the handful of teens who had also come outside for some fresh air, Frank saw his friend Phil Cohen talking to Biff Hooper and Amanda, but there was no sign of Joe, Iola, Melissa or Tony.  

“Hey Frank!”  Biff called out as he and Phil walked over to them, “I was just coming to look for you.”  Amanda walked past them, huffed, and went back into the barn.  

“What’s with her?”  Chet asked, mystified by her rudeness, and Biff rolled his eyes.  

“Nothing a new personality wouldn’t fix,” Biff explained. “Anyway Frank, Joe wanted me to tell you that he’s gone with Iola, Melissa and Tony to that old haunted house off Millers Road.”  

“What?”  The word came out as a gasp as Frank paled.  He wasn’t sure why but for some reason an intense panic gripped him.  “Not Deathe House?”  he asked, hoping there was another haunted house on Millers Road …although he knew there wasn’t any.  

“Yup, that’s it.  Anyway, I don’t think he really wanted to go, but Melissa kind of goaded him into it.  I think he is doing it more to impress Iola than anything,” Biff speculated thoughtfully.  “They wanted me to come too, but Amanda spazzed and, as they say, the rest is history.”  His eyes indicated the barn as he too was now officially ‘stag’.  “Tony offered to drive them although, no offence intended Chet buddy, but I think he really likes Melissa.”

Chet sighed – he had kind of suspected that.  But that did explain why Tony’s jeep was gone.  

Frank looked at Callie with wide eyes.  “Callie…I have to go and get them.” 

The blond haired girl looked at him critically.  “Why?  It’s only a spooky old house – they’ll be fine”, she surmised, but Frank was already getting out his car keys; seeing the set look on his face, she knew it would be useless to argue, so she just sighed, “Fine – but I want to come with you.”  

“NO!”  The word came out harsher then he intended and Frank immediately apologized as he grabbed her in a tight hug, “I’m sorry Callie, but please stay here….”  

Callie looked like she was about to protest, and Frank gently stroked her cheek.  “Please…I can’t explain it, but I just have a bad feeling about that house.  I can’t be worrying about you too!”  Dark chocolate brown eyes implored her to understand, and she groaned resignedly.  

“All right but don’t be gone long!”  she said as she made a mental note to rip a strip off Joe for doing something so stupid that Frank was worried.  

Biff and Phil automatically started to follow Frank towards Mrs. Hardy’s car, and when Frank looked at them Biff just flexed his muscles and grinned, “You might need backup!”  while Phil chimed in, “Or a brilliant thought.” But deep down both boys were just curious about the old house.  They knew the rumors as well as everyone else.  

Biff would have gone with Joe and the others if he didn’t have to ‘deal’ with Amanda.  I gotta stop going out with girls like that…even if they are so darned attractive! he thought as he slid into the passenger seat and buckled up the seatbelt, while Phil, the shortest of the three, hopped into the back seat.  

Waving to Callie and to Chet, who had to stay behind and attend to his party, Frank carefully backed out of the driveway and pulled onto the road. 

* * *

The little girl knew they were coming before she saw them.  It was not hard to sense them - especially the girl, who glowed with an aura of white brilliance…or the young man who was seated directly in front of her.  His was a different aura, and the child shuddered as she saw the link.  Nothing good could come of this – she thought as she tried to block out the feelings of increasing rage from within the house.   

And then, if possible, the rage paused as it too sensed the impending visitors.  

I’m hungry – it whispered.

* * *

As the car came to a stop in front of the ominous…decrepit old mansion Joe paled from the intensity of emotions he felt.  Fear…pain…anger?  As he absently rubbed his throat, a horrible foreboding seemed to creep into his mind, and he unconsciously glanced at Iola for support as he resisted the strong temptation to just grab her hand and start running.   

Run away…run away…the trees whispered…  

Joe turned to look at the dark forest that closed in behind him, and he shuddered as their gnarled old limbs cast twisted – tormented – shadows…creaking and groaning in agony under the Cyclops’s bright eye.  Even the trees don’t want to be here, he thought.  

But it didn’t make sense!  Joe didn’t believe in ghosts and he had never been to Deathe House before.  So why did he feel an animosity so heavy that he doubted his legs could bear the weight, to carry him in through the door?  

“Are you coming or what?”  Melissa called out, as she was already on the first step.  Tony, closing the trunk and coming around Joe’s side with a couple of flashlights, glanced at his friend and saw how pale Joe looked.  

“Are you all right?”  he asked the younger boy as he gave him one of the lights, which Joe took with quivering fingers.  Taking a deep breath, Joe let go of Iola’s hand and nodded.  

“We’re here.  Can we go back to the party now?”  he asked, even as he heard Iola opening her door to get out.  She also had noticed Joe’s pallor and couldn’t figure why he seemed unnerved.  

“What?  And miss out on the chance to solve the biggest mystery for miles around?  Do I smell chicken?”  Melissa taunted as she reached out to open the heavy door.  

“WAIT!”  Joe shouted as he jumped out of the car.  Startled, Melissa’s hand fell away from the door as Joe, Tony and Iola caught up to her.  “Look if you’re that insistent about going into this crypt, let’s set some ground rules!”  

“Crypt?”  Tony said, slightly taken aback by Joe’s choice of wording.  “Do you think there are dead bodies in there, or something?”  He suddenly didn’t feel so confident about going inside anymore.  Maybe Joe was right and they should just go back to the Halloween party.  While he did not believe in ghosts, dead bodies were another thing….  

Joe felt a cold shiver spread over him as his mind projected a quick image of a dark room with decaying bodies strewn about.  Shaking his head, he decided that he had been watching too many horror stories in the last couple of days!  

“It does kind of look like a big mausoleum,” Joe heard Iola remark.  

“What kind of rules?”  Melissa demanded, impatient to go inside.   

“Ground rules – we stick together.  No one goes anywhere by themselves and we stay on the ground floor,” Joe said as he gave his flashlight a shake to make sure the light was secure.  “Okay?”  

“Okay, Dad,” Melissa smirked, and pushed open the door.  

“Ignore her,” Tony whispered as Joe gave him a pained look.  Tony followed Melissa into a large dark grand hall.  Iola gave Joe a small smile as she stepped in after Tony, with Joe bringing up the rear.   

…trick or treat…the house echoed.  

“What?”  Joe said as his heart leapt into his throat and he glanced nervously around the room.  The other three teens turned back to look at him questioningly.  They hadn’t heard anything.  

“Are you okay?”  Iola whispered as she saw Joe’s eyes darting around nervously.  She had never seen him so jumpy before.  

“I thought I heard something,” he whispered back.  Melissa shot him a look as Tony paled slightly.  Joe usually had very good hearing….

* * *

Frank, Biff and Phil pulled up next to Tony’s jeep and hopped out.  

“Do you have any flashlights?”  Biff asked as kicked himself for not thinking about it before.  

“Hold on,” Frank said, and began digging under his mother’s front seat for her roadside emergency kit.  He pulled out a small flashlight and passed it to Biff.  Then he popped the trunk and rummaged around for a few minutes until Biff shone the light inside, and Frank grinned and pulled out another small kit.  Inside this one was a lock pick set and another flashlight.  “Dad thought it was a good ideal to keep a lock kit in the trunk.  And I added a flashlight, just in case.”  

“Cool.  Especially if you ever get locked in the trunk of your own car,” Biff surmised grinning.  

“Okay, we have two lights and three people, so how do we want to do this?”  Phil asked as Frank switched on his light and gave it a quick sweep over the inside of Tony’s vehicle.  

“Well,” Frank started, “normally I would suggest that we split up into two groups but I think this time we should stay together.”  He paused and then added, “I just don’t like this place.”  

“Why?”  Biff queried, a bit surprised by Frank’s reaction to the house.  As logical thinkers, Frank and Phil were the staunchest disbelievers in their bunch; surely Frank didn’t actually believe the house was haunted…did he?  

“Let’s just call it a hunch for now.”  

Frank couldn’t explain it any better than that, because he wasn’t really sure why this house was bothering him so much.  And he couldn’t shake the feeling that they were running out of time.

* * *

“Wow, this place is creepy,” Melissa said as her eyes lit up in excitement, and then before anyone could stop her she yelled out, “HELLO!”  and her voice echoed through the empty halls and rooms on every level, as Tony reached out to grab her arm.  

“What do you think you’re doing?”  he hissed, as they could still hear her voice resonating throughout the house…hello…hello…hello.  

Before she could answer, Joe felt the hair on the back of his neck rise…  

…hello…  

As if in unison, Melissa, Tony and Iola turned terrified white faces towards Joe – this time they had all heard it.  It was a low, sinister-sounding voice from deep within the walls.  

“It didn’t echo…” Melissa whispered, sounding a bit panicked, as for the first time she began to think this was not such a good idea.  “Did you hear an echo?  It didn’t echo!”  The other teens realized she was right.  While her voice had reverberated throughout the whole house, this one had not!  

Joe didn’t say anything, but for some reason he found their fear reassuring, and drew strength from it.  

“Come on, let’s get out of here,” Tony started, but Joe reached out and grabbed his arm, stopping him.  

…you can’t go back…the child whispered.  

“We can’t go back,” Joe said suddenly, as he shone his light around the walls of the corridor where they stood.  Although he had never been here before, he knew they were almost to the kitchen.  

“What do you mean ‘we can’t go back’?”  Iola asked the question before Tony recovered from the unspoken sentiment.  Joe turned, and his vibrant blue eyes drilled into each of theirs as he took in the three faces, one at a time, before answering.  

“I… don’t… know,” he said slowly, “I…just…know.”   

“Joe, you’re really starting to creep me out,” Tony admitted as his dark eyes looked around fearfully.  

“I’m creeping myself out,” Joe confessed as they continued deeper into the belly of the house.

* * *

The heavy front door groaned in protest as Frank opened it.  Indicating the other boys should follow him, he stepped into the large grand hall and did a quick scan of the room with his flashlight.  He then shone the light on the floor and gasped in disbelief.  

“What’s wrong?” Phil asked as both he and Biff peered down into Frank’s flashlight beam.  Frank knelt down and dragged his fingers along the dust-covered floor, leaving a noticeable mark, “No footprints – it’s as if no one has been here in a long time.”  

Standing up he turned around and indicated the footprints that they were leaving and the others were equally shocked. 

"Maybe they didn’t come in?”  Biff offered skeptically.  

“Maybe…”  Frank said distractedly, shivering slightly.  

“Are you ok?”  Phil asked as he noticed his friend flinch, and Frank nodded.  

“Yeah I just got a cold shiver.”  

“I know this is probably not the place…but do you know what my grandmother says about ‘cold shivers’?”  Biff offered and although the other boys knew they were probably going to regret it, they implored him to continue.  

“Well she says that you get the ‘cold shivers’ when someone walks over your grave!”  This brought a loud groan from both Frank and Phil.  

“You were right,” Frank said grimly, “This is not the place!”  

“So if they didn’t come in, then where are they?”  Phil asked, mystified.  Surely if Joe or Tony had seen their car, they would have shown themselves…unless…. “Wait a second!”  

“What?” chorused both Frank and Biff as they looked at the quiet, sandy-haired boy.  

“Maybe they’re playing a joke on us; you know for Halloween and all?”  he explained, and Biff and Frank looked at each other and then grinned – of course that had to be it!  

Frank visibly relaxed – that made sense! 

Biff leaned forward and said in a hushed voice, “Watch this – let’s see if we can turn the tables on them!”  Cupping his hands to his mouth he deepened his voice and yelled, “COME OUT…COME OUT…WHEREVER YOU ARE!”  

Phil started to snicker but Frank shushed him as he grabbed Biffs arm in alarm, “Where’s the echo?”  

“What?”  Biff asked, confused at first, but Phil knew exactly what Frank was talking about and he gulped nervously.  

“S-soundproof?”  he stammered, as the walls just seemed to inhale the sound instead of reverberating it throughout.  

“In a house this old?”  Frank retorted as he turned around and reached for the door and gave it a yank to open it up.  He had decided that maybe he should ask for his father to come along to help them look, as he began to feel that they might just be in over their heads.  His worry escalated when the door refused to open!  

“Ah, we have a little problem here,” he said casually, as Phil and Biff came over to see if their combined strength could open the door.  It groaned and protested but the door refused to open.  

“Now I know it’s the guys fooling around,” Biff growled as he slammed his fist into the door.  “Okay guys – you got us!  We’re scared out of our wits, now PLEASE open the door!”  

The door remained shut.  

“Joe?  Tony?”  Biff said nervously, “Iola…Melissa?”  

“I don’t think this is a joke,” Frank finally said soberly, after a full minute of absolute silence.  There was no way four teens playing a practical joke could keep from making some sort of gloating noise!  

And then they heard the scream.

* * *

The little group made its way into the dark kitchen.  Joe was now leading with Iola and Melissa following.  All levity was gone as they felt the heavy weight of the darkness around them.  Tony brought up the rear, and every few steps he would quickly turn around and shine his light back as if expecting someone to be there.  

His nostrils flared as a rancid odor permeated the room.  

“Ooh, what’s that smell?”  he heard Iola whisper as she swiped the air in front of her nose to try and get rid of it.  Melissa did the same as Tony screwed up his face and commented, “That’s just nasty Joe!”  

“Shh,” Joe said as he rolled his eyes, and whispered, “It’s not me!”   

Hearing a shuffling sound – the little group froze.  Someone was in the room with them.  

Twin flashlight beams played around the room but they saw nothing.  And then they heard the sound again, but this time it was coming from the doorway.  Immediately they backed away from the door, plunging deeper into the dark room.  

“It’s behind us,” Melissa said frantically as they heard heavy, labored breathing; and Joe shivered as he felt hot breath on his neck.  Grabbing Iola’s arm, he beckoned the others to follow, and raced towards a small door and pulled it open, batting away the large brown spider before it even dropped on him.  Stooping down, he crawled in and pushed open a concealed door and started to crawl through.  He heard Tony closing the door behind them as Iola followed him into the crawlspace.  

“Joe!” she hissed and he turned around to look at her with the flashlight held in his mouth.  “How’d you know there was a secret door in here?”  she asked, shocked at how fluid Joe’s actions were…it was as if he had been here before.  But that was impossible…wasn’t it?  

The door rattled behind them, and Tony yelled, “MOVE!” as he lunged into the crawlspace, saving Joe having to answer as he wasn’t sure how to explain it – he just knew the crawlspace was here.   

A second later the door between the kitchen and the pantry was ripped off its hinges, and Melissa screamed.

* * *

Frank, Biff and Phil took off as quickly as they could towards the sound of the scream, their flashlights scanning the floor so they wouldn’t trip.  

“That sounded like Melissa,” Biff said as he ran beside Frank.  

Frank didn’t say anything as the last of the scream echoed throughout the house.  Biff was right.  It was Melissa and she sounded terrified!

* * *

Joe’s eyes widened in terror and then he was racing through the crawlspace as fast as he could on his knees, with Iola, Melissa and Tony scrambling after him.  The darkness filled the doorway and then shrank back.  Joe had seen it, and it was what propelled his urgency.  There was something in this house…he no longer thought it…he knew it.

* * *

Frank barreled into the kitchen first, and screwed up his nose as he recognized the putrid smell.  

“Ohmygod,” Biff commented a second later, “What is that smell?”  Frank’s answer never came as he looked behind Biff and asked, “Where’s Phil?”  

Biff whipped around.  “He was just here…PHIL?”  Both boys shone their lights but saw no sign of their friend.  

“Where’d he go?”  Biff asked as Frank debated briefly what to do.  And then he saw something curious and walked over to look at it.  A small door was hanging over the edge of the big table in the center of the room.  But it wasn’t where the door was that had piqued his interest…no…it was the fact that the table was still tottering.  Either it had just been thrown there, or something had just brushed past it.  

Spinning around, Frank played his light over the wall and saw a small opening.  He started towards it when Biff grabbed his arm.  

“What about Phil?” he asked as his blue eyes flashed in concern and Frank bit his lower lip.  He was worried about his friend and knew they should double back and look for him.  But at the same time, Frank had a feeling so intense it was almost smothering – he needed to get Joe out of this house.  

He was worried about Iola, Melissa, Tony and now Phil, but he didn’t feel the same sense of urgency that he did whenever he thought about Joe…but he did feel responsible.  

“Damn,” he hissed in frustration, and turned away from the small dark room.  “Let’s make this quick!”  

Biff was taken aback by Frank, as his dark-haired friend was normally very level-headed and calm, but then Biff decided this situation was anything but normal! 

However, they didn’t have to go very far before a low moan sped them up, and very quickly their flashlights’ beams illuminated the disoriented form of Phil Cohen struggling to get to his feet.  Frank extended an arm for the boy to support himself as he stood up.  “Are you okay?” he asked as he watched Phil shake his head as if to clear it of cobwebs.  

“Yeah,” Phil said thickly, “I tripped.” 

“Can you keep up?”  Biff asked, shining his light on Phil’s face, causing Phil to shield his eyes, as Biff wanted to make sure his friend was all right.  

‘Try to stop me,” Phil growled, and began trudging towards the kitchen…in the dark.  

Frank and Biff looked at each other and then ran ahead to light the way.  

They were almost in the kitchen when Phil stopped and turned around.  Flaring his nose like a horse smelling the air, the smaller boy looked around the room – I’m hungry.  

As Frank and Biff made their way across the room, Phil walked over to the table and quietly picked up one of the heavy chairs.  Oblivious to his action, his friends peered into the small room.  

“Hey, is that a passageway or something back there?”  Biff asked, leaning in as Frank turned around to see what Phil was doing.  Instinctively he leapt out of the way as Phil swung the heavy chair at him.  He didn’t even have time to warn Biff who was instantly knocked out from the impact of the chair as it shattered across his broad back.  

“PHIL!”  Frank yelled as he scrambled to his feet, “WHAT ARE YOU DOING!”  

Phil didn’t answer.  Instead, he grabbed Frank and hurled him against the wall, knocking the wind out of him.  Frank lay there stunned as he watched his friend purposely cross the dark kitchen and start pulling open drawers.

Struggling to recover, he coughed and tried to crawl over to where Biff was still out cold.  His body was sore from hitting the wall but he pushed the pain away.  He didn’t have time to lick his wounds.  

“Biff,” he said, shaking his friend as he saw Phil turn around.  Frank felt the blood drain out of his face – Phil was carrying a large hunting knife!

* * *

“Stop,” Joe said quietly, after they had crawled along for a few minutes.  

“Do you see something?”  Tony demanded as he glanced nervously behind him.  He was half expecting at any moment to feel someone grab him, and he really just wanted to get out the house.  

Joe peered through a small crack in the wall and realized they were off the grand hall.  “Tony, can I have your car keys?”  he asked.   

“What are you going to do?”  Tony asked, perplexed, but he still dug out his keys and passed them along the line to Joe.   

“Thanks,” Joe whispered as Iola gave him the keys, and then to their surprise, he drew back his hand and slashed at the wall.  

“What…!”  their combined shock dissipated as they saw the keys tear a chunk out of the wall.  Seconds later the hole was large enough for Joe to get his hands through and he ripped out big pieces of the old plaster until he had cleared a section between the old beams.  

“Iola, squeeze through,” he whispered; and giving him a look of disbelief, the dark haired beauty managed to crawl out of the opening and into the hall.  Joe motioned for Melissa to go next.  Melissa was a bit bigger then Iola, but finally she too was standing in the big hall.  

“Tony, you’re next,” Joe said, but the Italian youth shook his head.  

“I don’t think I’m going to fit,” he said, eyeing the opening suspiciously.

Joe frowned, “I can’t make it any wider because of the beams.”  He shone his light around, but each beam was equally spaced.  

Iola heard the dilemma and came back to them.  “Try it first – you never know!” she said optimistically.  

Tony was skeptical but he did so, and after getting stuck briefly he finally tumbled out of the wall and onto the hall floor, hastily picking himself up and brushing the dust from his jeans.  Joe sucked in a deep breath, and a few minutes later he also squeezed through and was standing in the room with his three friends.  

Tony sighed in relief and grabbed the door to open it up, but it wouldn’t budge.  Although he knew it was futile, Joe tried to help, but the door refused to open.  

“Give me a break,” he muttered, realizing they were no better off than they had been before.  

“Now what?”  Melissa asked as her eyes darted around the room nervously.  Tony was tempted to put his arm around her in comfort, but stopped himself – she had been Chet’s date, after all.  

“Well, we can try going another way,” Iola said as she brushed a long strand of black hair out of her face, and smiled weakly at Joe when he looked at her.  

Tony groaned, “Or go back the way we came and see where it goes.”  Although he did not relish trying to get back into the crawlspace, as he was feeling a bit claustrophobic.  

Joe ran his hands through his hair in frustration – if only he had his cell phone.  But he had forgotten to take it with him when they left, and it was still at the Mortons’ farm.  He glanced around at the other three teens with him.  “I don’t suppose anyone has a cell phone they’ve been holding out on?”   

“Mine’s in the jeep,” Tony admitted sheepishly, “I was recharging it and forgot to grab it when we got out.”  

Melissa’s was also in the car – in her purse; while Iola’s was back at the farm.  

“Okay,” Joe finally said as he let out a big sigh, “obviously this door has no trouble opening from the outside, right?”  

“Right,” they chorused in agreement, waiting to see what Joe was planning.  

“You guys wait here.  I’ll go back through the crawlspace and see if I can find some way outside.  Then I’ll double back to this door and let you out.”  Joe didn’t like the plan very much.  He really didn’t want to go back into the wall period, let alone go alone.  But it was the best idea he could come up with.   

Frank, I wish you were here, he thought, figuring that his older brother would have come up with something less… lonesome.  

“You can’t go by yourself,” Iola protested as Tony piped, “No way, man – what if you meet up with Mr. Dark and Creepy from the kitchen?”  

Joe shuddered.  Although he knew he was running that risk, it seemed more chilling to actually hear the possibility voiced instead of just thinking it.  

“It doesn’t make sense for all of us go back in there – and I don’t want Iola and Melissa left by themselves in this old house!”  

“I’ll go with you.”  A voice boomed from the darkness behind them, and both Melissa and Iola screamed as the boys instinctively stepped in front of them, as they turned to meet the darkness.

* * *

“PHIL – WHAT’S WRONG WITH YOU!”  Frank screamed as he heard Biff groan.  Good, he was waking up!  

Phil paused in the center of the kitchen and then cocked his head to one side….He’s waiting for you.  

Frank slowly stood up and prepared to face him.  He had to try and disarm Phil…without hurting him.  He couldn’t understand what was going on, but he figured Phil must have hurt his head or something when he tripped.  

But Frank’s plan went out the window a few seconds later when Phil lunged at him.  Frank deflected the blow, but was pushed back into the wall where Phil sliced him across the forearm with the knife as he swung it back.  

Screaming out in pain, Frank clutched his arm and then slumped down, as Phil grabbed the still groggy Biff and placed the knife next to his throat. 

* * *

The child watched as the shorter boy with the knife quickly bound and gagged the brother and his friend with shards of dirty old rags.  Then he tossed the knife in the sink and left the kitchen.  With him left the darkness, and the child knew that time was running out.   

…the angel must be awakened…  

* * *

Chet saw a familiar vehicle pull into the driveway, and trotted over towards it from the barn.  

“Oh no – someone call the press – Frankenstein’s monster lives!”  he said jubilantly as he recognized Mr. Hardy in his Halloween costume.  

Laura Hardy, not costumed, laughed, “Hope you don’t mind.  He’s the latest in husband models and I’m taking him out for a test-drive!”  They had seen the last of the Trick-or-treaters, and decided to drop by the farm and see how the party was going – or at least that is what they told each other.  In truth, both Fenton and Laura were worried about their sons and wanted to make sure they were ok.  

“Take me to my sons,” Mr. Hardy said stiffly as he played his part, making Chet and some of the other teens that had come outside for some fresh air, laugh.  

“They aren’t here,” Callie Shaw said as she came up behind them and admired Mr. Hardy’s costume.  

“Where are they?”  Laura asked, trying to keep the worry out of her voice.  

“They’re gone to the Deathe House,” Callie answered honestly, and was surprised by their reactions.  

Mrs. Hardy paled as her hand flew over her mouth to keep from gasping, as her husband immediately opened his car door and started to get back in.  

“Laura, stay with the Mortons until I get back,” he said tersely, and seconds later gravel flew in the driveway as he quickly turned around and sped onto the road.  

“What’s wrong?”  Chet asked, slightly stunned, and it was a few minutes before Laura answered,  

“The boys know better than to go up to that old house!  It’s dangerous.”  And then she went inside to get a cup of tea and wait for her family to get back.  

Callie and Chet looked at each other as an intense feeling of dread came over them – something was wrong.

* * *

Frank struggled with his bonds, but they were tight.  Next to him, Biff was having no better luck.  He couldn’t understand why Phil had attacked them or why he would have just left them tied up like this unless…  

…he’s gone to kill the brother…a voice whispered in Frank’s ear, and his head whipped around but he saw no one.  And then he felt something cold and metal against his fingertips.  Deftly grabbing it, he realized it was a knife!  

Thank goodness, Frank thought as he carefully hacked away at his bindings, although he didn’t remember seeing a knife there before.  Biff watched with wide eyes, and as Frank finally pulled his hands free and saw the knife that he had found, he understood the terror he saw in Biff’s eyes – it was the same knife that Phil had slashed him with and then tossed in the sink.  

“How’d this get here?” he gasped as he spat out the dirty old gag, and then untied Biff and hauled him to his feet.  Frank fought the temptation to look in the sink – he didn’t want to know.  Phil was going to kill Joe.  Frank wasn’t sure how he knew it, but he just did.  

Grabbing the flashlights where they still lay lit on the floor, the boys burst into the hallway and then froze momentarily as they heard screams.  Iola and Melissa’s screams!

* * *

‘Thank God!”  Joe blurted out in relief as he instantly relaxed.   

“Don’t thank God,” came the deadpan reply, and before anyone could react, both flashlights went out and the room was enveloped in darkness.  

Joe reached for Iola in the dark but then felt someone grabbing his arm so hard he thought it was going to be wrenched out of its socket.  

“AAHH,” Joe screamed as a powerful arm snaked around his throat and he was dragged deeper into the darkness.  He tried to break the vise grip but it was too strong, and as he felt himself growing dizzy from lack of oxygen he heard his brother’s voice:  

“JOE!”  

In desperation, he brought his mouth down and bit down hard on the hand.  He heard a curse and for one brief second the pressure on his neck was released and he choked out, “FRANK!” and then the arm was back and Joe passed out.

* * *

Frank and Biff raced down the corridor towards the light ahead, and then suddenly the light went out and they heard the sound of a struggle.   

Bursting into the grand hall, Frank heard someone scream, and his heart chilled as he recognized his brother’s voice.   

“JOE!’  he yelled out desperately, shining his light around the large room.  Iola…Melissa…Tony.  He heard Joe’s strangled voice, and for one brief second he saw his brother’s form illuminated – and then both his and Biff’s flashlights went out as well.  

Cursing, Frank shook his and it came back on.  “JOE!” he yelled again, but this time only silence answered him back.  

“Where’s Joe?”  Iola asked desperately as she grabbed at Frank.  Biff checked on Tony and Melissa, who while visibly shaken were uninjured, and then he and Tony picked up the other flashlights and turned them back on.  Bathing the room in light, they saw no sign of Joe.  

Frank looked at the terrified girl and then grabbed her in his arms and gave her a strong hug, wincing slightly at the burning pain in his arm.  “I’ll find him,” he tried to reassure her.  

…Frank…help me…  

Frank released Iola and turned around – did he just hear Joe’s voice?  But as silence hung heavily over the house, he sighed – no it must have been his mind playing tricks on him.  

“Biff, Tony – can you guys take the girls back to Chet’s house and call my Dad,” Frank said wearily.  He wanted to take off and find Joe, but first he needed to make sure everyone else got out all right.  

“We can’t, the door won’t open,” Tony said, and pulled on it for emphasis.  But this time, the door swung wide open, and he stumbled.  “What the…” he gasped, sucking in a large lungful of the fresh night air.  

“It wouldn’t open before, honest!’  Iola said with eyes as big as saucers.  Biff and Frank looked at each other and then at the other three teens.  

“It wouldn’t open for us earlier either,” Biff admitted.  

“So why now?”  Melissa demanded, getting braver as she stepped out of the old house, but before anyone could speculate, the house seemed to whisper the answer they didn’t want to hear…  

…because it’s got what it wanted.…  

“You can’t go looking by yourself,” Tony started, but Frank cut him off.

“I have to…I can’t leave Joe, but I can’t let you risk yourselves any more!”  

“And Phil’s in there,” Melissa put in as she, Iola and Tony were unaware of what happened in the kitchen.  Biff threw Frank a look.  

“That definitely clinches it for me – I’m going with you,” Biff said and put up his hand to stop Frank’s further protests.  “Look if…I mean when you find Joe, you might need some help with Phil.” He looked at Frank and knowingly gestured to his injured arm.  “You can’t carry them both out.”  

Tony detected something was going on but didn’t say anything.  Right now he was too creeped out, and he knew that it was better for him to send for the cavalry than to stay behind himself.

“Okay, come on girls, let’s get back to Chet’s and call Mr. Hardy and the police,” he said, adding, “they should know that someone is out here messing around in this old house.”  He had decided that was what was going on – some hobo or vagrant was using the house and trying to scare them away.  And as much as he hated to admit it, it had worked.  He never wanted to hear about or go anywhere near Deathe House again.  

“Shoot!” he said a second later and everyone turned to him.  “I gave Joe my keys.  They’re somewhere in the house, still!”   

Frank immediately tossed him the keys to his mother’s car. “Take mom’s…and Tony, please hurry!”  Tony needed no further encouragement, and seconds later he, Melissa and Iola were speeding away from the old house.  The other two boys turned and raced back inside, the light from their flashlights weaving in front of them.  

“Come on.” Frank grabbed Biff’s arm and indicated that they go into the crawlspace which Joe and the others had used to escape from the kitchen.  

“Are you nuts?  They didn’t go in there!”  Biff refused although he had no idea what direction they had gone, but he knew it would have been difficult to haul a resisting person in through the small opening.  

Frank ignored him and pushed his way in, getting stuck and then groaning loudly as he finally got through.  Looking down, he saw the cut on his arm was still bleeding.  

“Suit yourself,” he said to Biff, “I don’t have time to argue.” As he started crawling, he kept replaying that brief second when he saw his brother slumped in Phil’s arms, and he knew what was going to happen if they didn’t get to him in time.  He just knew….  

Muttering, Biff sucked in his breath and fought his way into the crawlspace behind Frank.  “I think I’m having a flashback to my birth”. 

Frank shook his head and continued crawling.  

“How can you be so sure we need to go this way?” Biff grumbled, feeling vulnerable as he crawled along behind Frank.  His pace slowed down as he had to take the flashlight out of his mouth to talk.  

Panting, Frank paused and looked back at him.  “Biff, I haven’t told this to anyone before, but I think I had a daydream or a premonition or something about all this.”  

“Really?”  Biff said with his interest piqued.  

“Well kind of,” Frank tried to explain, which was difficult because he didn’t completely understand it himself.  “I think so anyway.  Although some things were different, a lot of it is the same.  Except for one major difference…” and then his voice broke off.  

“What?”  Biff asked in a hushed tone as he suddenly got the impression that Frank was holding something significant back.  

Frank didn’t say anything, but crawled a few more feet before he removed the flashlight again and said quietly, “Except that it was me that took Joe…not Phil.”  

“No way,” Biff said in disbelief, “and what did you do?”   

“I ripped his throat out with my bare teeth.”

* * *

Iola couldn’t shake the feeling that she needed to stay.  It was so intense that she reached for the door handle and kept turning around to look back at the house.  

Tony saw her in the rearview mirror.  “It’s okay, Iola – you know Frank’s gonna find Joe,” he tried to console her, but for the one brief moment when Iola’s sorrowful brown eyes locked onto his own in the mirror, he shuddered and wished he hadn’t said anything.  

…go back…  

“What?”  Iola said. 

Tony glanced at her again. “I said that Frank’s gonna…”  

“No, not you,” Iola cut him off, and glanced back at the house once again.  

…go back…  

“Go back?”  Iola repeated, confused – whom was she talking to?  

“We can’t go back—”   Tony started, but was once again cut off by the girl.

“Not you!”  

…he will die…you will die…  

Iola turned around again and then screamed, “STOP THE CAR!”  

“What the…” Tony broke off, slamming on the brakes, but before he could even ask Iola what was wrong, the raven-haired girl was out of her seat and running back towards the house.  

Tony started to get out of the car, but Melissa grabbed his arm.  “Please Tony, let’s just go and get help!”  Normally, Tony Prito would have jumped out after Iola and dragged her back to the car, but he knew that they were in way over their heads and he needed to get help!

* * *

“Where are you?”  Iola shouted as she got close to the house, “I know you’re here – show yourself!”  As if on cue, the small girl of about six or seven appeared in front of her.  It was the same child that she had seen when she looked back at the house and had been compelled to go back.  And she knew hers was the voice that was telling her to return.  

“Who are you?”  she demanded with a quivering voice, and as the child spoke, Iola knew who she was – she knew her.  

…you know me…  

“Y-es,” Iola said slowly as she tried to make sense of the knowledge she had and how she had it, “But how?”  

…you know that as well…  

“STOP TALKING IN RIDDLES!”  she yelled, frustrated – why did everything have to be so hard?  

…. fine.  What do you want to know? … the child asked in a quiet voice.  

“Who are you?”   

The child turned her empty eyes at Iola, who shuddered beneath their gaze as she answered…I am Audrey Deathe and this is my father’s house…

“Why is he doing this?”  Iola asked frantically, “Why did he take Joe?”  She had decided that somehow it was Edward Deathe who was behind all this.  After all, if she could be standing outside his house having a conversation with his dead daughter, then anything was possible – wasn’t it??  

The child didn’t reply for a few minutes.  It was as if she was weighing the consequences of telling Iola the truth and then she spoke…  I would but gain my enemy’s strength if I could consume his soul.  

“What?”  Iola said confused, another riddle?  

The child sighed…this was going to be harder than she thought…and reaching out she placed her hand on Iola’s chest.  Iola flinched in a sense of strange déjà vu, but didn’t pull away.  Instead she felt the warmth that she had been expecting, and this time when the child looked at her, it was through Joe Hardy’s eyes…when you realize who you are, only then can he be saved…can YOU be saved…but my angel…if HE is consumed before your knowledge…you will both go into HIS belly and he will have consumed your strength and your souls…  

And then the child disappeared.  She had told the girl the truth and now it was all up to her.  If it was possible to be tired…the child was exhausted…please…I want to sleep.

* * *   

Biff was too shocked to say anything.  Surely Frank must be kidding?  

And then a second later, Frank held up his hand to stop him.  

“What?”  Biff demanded.  

“They’re right below us,” Frank whispered, and as Biff started to ask him how he could be so sure, Frank answered, “Trust me I know this.”  

Actually Frank knew a couple of things.  He knew that the floor would give away beneath him if he crawled any further; he knew that the room was strewn with bodies in various degrees of decay, and that it was the decay that they could smell in the kitchen, ironically enough; and he knew that Phil would rip Joe’s throat out in this room and then the darkness – Edward Deathe, would consume his soul.  And the only other thing he knew was that he had to stop it…he just didn’t know how.  

“So what do we do now?”  Biff demanded, growing more uneasy by the moment.  

“I don’t know,” Frank answered honestly, but they needed to do something now!

* * *

Joe felt himself being dumped on the ground and fought to regain consciousness.  Opening his eyes slightly, he was not surprised to see the room he was in was strewn with bodies, and his nose wrinkled up as the stench overtook him.  

“Welcome back, sleeping beauty,” Phil’s voice said, and Joe bolted up as he suddenly remembered what had happened in the grand hall.  Phil was standing in front of him but Joe knew it wasn’t the Phil he knew.   

The terrified teen got to his feet quickly, trying to ignore his splitting headache as he rubbed his sore arm.  Even as his sore throat seemed to throb painfully,  Joe knew that it would be trivial in a few moments if he didn’t do something.  

“Phil, it’s me Joe – remember…Frank’s little brother,” he said, desperately trying to break through whatever was wrong with the other boy. 

Phil scoffed, “Of course I know who you are…and shortly you will know who I am”.  

Moving at a speed that caught the younger Hardy by surprise, Phil tackled Joe and they wrestled to the floor.  Joe couldn’t understand why he was having so much trouble breaking free because the older boy, a self-professed computer nerd, was not very athletic.  He swam competitively and that was about the extent of it.  

Joe finally managed to buck Phil off and scrambled to his feet, but Phil, recovering quickly, managed to hook his arm.  Savagely he twisted it behind Joe’s back as he spoke in a voice that Joe didn’t know; “Your guardian is still mortal.  As I devour your soul, I damn hers and her power will fill me…” and then proclaimed loudly, “I would but gain my enemy’s strength if I could consume his soul.”  

“You’re not making any sense!”  Joe yelled at him, trying frantically to break away, but Phil twisted his arm harder.  

“W-W-hy are you…doing this?”  Joe asked through clenched teeth, as the pain in his arm and shoulder was excruciating.  

Phil leaned over and whispered in his ear.  In a horrifying déjà vu, the boy mouthed the words that he spoke, ”because I can!” and then Joe Hardy screamed as Phil gave one more sharp twist.

* * *

Frank Hardy would always remember that sound.  Joe’s scream was loud, but the sickening crunch of the bone breaking seemed to deafen him as he crashed through the ceiling.  

Frank knew he didn’t have time to figure out a better plan, so he went in full force and hoped to surprise Phil.  He didn’t have time to warn Biff as he threw all his weight onto the weakened part of the floor when he heard his brother.  

Landing in a heap, Frank rolled away as the pain in his arm almost made him pass out, but then Biff jumped down beside him and hauled him to his feet.  They were not prepared for the sight that met them.  Phil was kneeling on Joe’s back, and the younger boy’s face was gray with pain as his arm was bent into a sickening angle behind his back.  Tears were streaming down Joe’s face as he soundlessly mouthed for help. 

Frank was enraged.  Joe had only turned 16 a couple of months ago – he was just a kid…  

“HE’S JUST A KID!”  Frank yelled as he hurled himself into Phil, knocking him off his brother. 

Biff had never seen Frank so furious before, and it took him a second to recover.  He knelt down beside Joe.  “Come on Joe, you can’t stay here.”  Gently he helped his friend sit up but before they could get to their feet, Phil managed to throw Frank off and he fell onto Biff and Joe.  

Frank heard his brother gasp as Joe ended up on the bottom of the pile, and both he and Biff rolled off him quickly.  For one brief second Frank’s eyes locked on Joe’s, and then Phil was there, grabbing Joe and yanking him to his feet.  

“NO!”  screamed Frank as he tried to stop what he knew was going to happen.  But it was as if unseen hands were holding him…as he watched Phil lower his teeth towards Joe’s bared throat.  “NOOOOO!”

* * *

Mr. Hardy saw the car coming towards him and was shocked when it flashed its lights at him.  Pulling over, he recognized his wife’s car, and was alarmed when he didn’t see either of his sons in the vehicle.  

“The house! They’re at the house!” was all Tony had to say before Fenton jumped back into his own car and sped towards Deathe House.  He just prayed he would not be too late.

* * *

Iola screamed; she felt like her arm had been wrenched from its socket – it’s Joe, she knew, something had happened to Joe!  

She tried desperately to figure out the child’s words, but it seemed a garbled riddle to her – what did she mean…when you realize who you are, only then can he be saved…can YOU be saved…but my angel…if HE is consumed before your knowledge…you will both go into HIS belly and he will have consumed your strength and your souls…  

..but my angel?  Iola focused on these words, as she felt like they were the key.  The child had said it casually but as she thought about her message those three little words seemed to shine brightly in her mind…but my angel…but my angel…but my angel…And then in a moment of clarity Iola was bombarded with a series of images so intense she fell to her knees and started throwing up…  

…She felt her own death.  She felt the fire coursing through her entire body as she was engulfed in a fireball….  She heard her mother crying over her grave, and then shudder as her cold fingers tried to offer some comfort…  

She saw Joe…it seemed to always be about Joe.…She saw him trying to get to the car, and Frank stopping him before he too could be consumed by the fire….She saw him self-destructing as he tried to deal with his grief….She saw the shell he became.  

She saw herself carrying him….  

And then she knew….  

Iola wiped her mouth on the sleeve of her sweater. Right now Joe needed her, she could feel it.  Closing her eyes she began to pray and was not shocked when the words that came from her mouth were in a language she knew…but anyone else listening to her would not.   

The little girl watched and smiled – she heard the Guardian Angels’ prayer and to her it sounded like music… 

And to him it sounded like death.

* * *

Frank and Biff watched helplessly, as the younger boy, entranced, had stopped fighting and was now just staring ahead with vacant eyes.  

Hot tears burned Frank’s cheek.  Joe was dying right in front of him, and he was powerless to stop it.  And then they heard the music.  Or at least it sounded like music to them.  

“AAAAAHHHHH!” but this time the scream did not come from Joe, but from Phil, who threw Joe away from him as he covered his ears to try to block out the pain he felt scorching his very core.

“SHE KNOWS!”  He screeched, “SHE KNOWS!”

* * *

Iola felt an increasing light surrounding her, encompassing her whole being as she continued her prayer.  And then her eyes flew open and as she spoke, her words were caught in the light and for one brief instance she saw everything as her voice echoed throughout the depth of house and into his deepest darkness…you shall not have him.  He is mine.