Theodore stared at Vincent, his cousin.
"Go back upstairs," he ordered, his voice calm but resolute. "I'll call for help."
Vincent hesitated, gripping Theodore's shoulder.
"You're only ten years old . I'm fifteen. It's my job to protect you Theo."
Theodore's expression hardened, and for a moment, Vincent simply hesitated and smiled. "Fine," he relented, turning away. "Don't do anything stupid."
Once Vincent disappeared with faith, Theodore sprinted outside the manor, where chaos reigned.
The students huddled together, and the ghost's haunting presence lingered in the air. Racing through the village streets, Theodore spotted Mr. Smith, the chief of the village.
"Help!" Theodore cried, panting. "We need reinforcements. The ghost is attacking!"
Mr. Smith's face shifted from worry to grim determination. "Lead me to her," he said, grabbing his stick.
With relief washing over him, Theodore led Mr. Smith back to the manor.
But as they arrived, the ghost emerged from the shadows. Her arm, slashed earlier, had regenerated fully. She smiled wickedly, pointing a long, skeletal finger at Theodore.
Theodore froze. He turned to Mr. Smith.
"We need to capture her!"
But Mr. Smith's face twisted into amusement.
"You're quite the clever boy, Prince Theodore," he said, his tone mocking.
Without warning, he swung his stick, striking Theodore's head. Pain shot through him as the world spun. He collapsed to the ground, unconscious.
Mr. Smith chuckled darkly, pushing Theodore's limp body toward the ghost. "Here, take him. I've delivered what you wanted."
The ghost smiled eerily, picking up Theodore like a child. With a final glare at Mr. Smith, she vanished into the forest.
When the remaining students emerged from the manor, Mr. June heavily bandaged and leaning on Miss Lidia, they found the chief crying hysterically.
"The ghost… she took Prince Theodore!"
Vincent's heart sank. Rage replaced his fear as he grabbed the chief by the collar.
"Which way? Which way did she go?"
"I… I don't know!" the chief wailed, his tears soaking Vincent's hands.
Vincent dropped him, collapsing to his knees.
Faith knelt beside him, holding him tightly. "He sacrificed himself for us," Vincent muttered. "And I couldn't stop him…"
As the chief walked away, his sobbing stopped.
A sinister grin spread across his face. His crocodile tears were gone, replaced by a gleeful expression.
*****
Theodore groggily regained consciousness, his head throbbing. He realized he was being carried through the forest. The ghost hummed a haunting lullaby, her cracked voice resonating with a sorrowful melody.
Surprisingly, the song was soothing. Theodore felt warmth in the ghost's voice, almost as if she were mourning something deeply personal.
"Is this grief for her child?" he wondered, piecing together fragments of her sorrowful words.
Though he was still weak, Theodore smirked inwardly.
"The chief really thinks he outsmarted me," he thought. In truth, Theodore had let himself be captured. He needed to uncover the truth about the ghost, the missing children, and the sinister secrets of the village.
After what felt like hours, they arrived at a desolate landscape. Dead trees surrounded a small, weathered wooden house. The air smelled of decay, and the soil crumbled beneath them.
The ghost gently set Theodore on the ground. Her smile, unsettling and wide, never left her face. But Theodore had seen far scarier things in his life. He kept his composure, watching her carefully.
To his surprise, the ghost entered the house and returned with a decayed wooden toy. She handed it to Theodore.
"Play," she said, her voice cracking like brittle ice.
Theodore hesitated, unsure of her intentions. Still, he forced himself to play along, pretending to inspect the toy. He didn't want to provoke her.
She smiled, crouching to hug him tightly. It was as if she mistook him for someone else—a child she once loved. Theodore's face flushed with embarrassment. He hated being treated like a child, especially given his mature soul.
As they entered the house together, Theodore's sharp eyes scanned the interior.
He froze.
In the center of the room stood a massive, gnarled tree. Embedded within its trunk were the faces of children—twisted in agony, their mouths frozen mid-scream. Their bodies were fused to the bark, like grotesque decorations.
Theodore's blood ran cold. "You shouldn't try anything stupid," he warned the ghost, masking his fear.
The ghost shook her head, her voice trembling.
"You… no sacrifice. You my child. You… my Arthur."
Theodore's eyes narrowed. "Arthur? Your son?"
It clicked.
The first night he'd encountered her, she had muttered, "Me soon." She had been expecting him—mistaking him for her child.
"Where is Marvin?" Theodore asked, referring to his friend, another student who had gone missing.
The ghost tilted her head. "Friend?"
"Yes, he's short, curly hair—"
"I didn't take anyone," she said softly.
Theodore frowned. "Then what did you mean when you whispered, 'Thanks for the food?'"
Her smile softened. "It's… my way of saying… I was happy to see you again."
Theodore's heart sank slightly. Her grief was genuine. But it only deepened his curiosity.
What had driven her to become this monstrous figure?
"Why are you like this?" he pressed.
"What happened to you?"
She hesitated. "To know truth… you stay with me. Live here."
Theodore shook his head. "That's impossible. I have to go back. My family will be worried."
Her expression darkened, and an immense black aura burst from her body, her killing intent suffocating. Theodore sighed, rubbing his temples.
"Fine," he said. "I'll stay… for now. But you must tell me everything."
The ghost's aura faded instantly. She nodded, her eerie smile returning.
As the ghost led him deeper into the house, Theodore's mind raced. He needed to gather evidence, to uncover the truth about the ghost and the missing children. But more importantly, he had to expose the chief's involvement.
For now, he would play along. But when the time came, he would ensure justice was served.
Theodore glanced at the ghost, who was humming again. Her song was hauntingly beautiful, but the crackling edge in her voice reminded him of the horrors she had inflicted.
"This is only the beginning," Theodore thought, a smirk tugging at his lips. "I'll bring this village to its knees if I have to."