The photo of Andrew quickly comes through on my laptop. “I do not believe it!” exclaimed Crystal, “that is Toledo!” “So it is,” I said, “our old friend has come to haunt us once again. Well, if haunting is what he wants, then we shall oblige him.” “What do you have in mind?” asked Sigurbjorn. “Well, we need to try and find that treasure,” I said, “so we will have to be up all night looking for it, and hopefully getting some help from a couple of people.

I think Anne and that other maid need some time to, um, relax.” The girls giggled. I called everyone to our room for a little conference. “We do not have much time before the others get here,” I said, “so we need to get things done quickly. They have gone back to their bedrooms now, so give them a dose of their own fun, but with our sleeping gas this time. Then take Anne and whatshername to one of the rooms down in the basement for some fun and games with ghosts and bugs and rats.”

“The maid’s name is Fiona,” said Angel giggling. I can never remember that for some reason. “Okay, once Sky gets here, then you 3 get together and make yourselves triplets in a ghostly sort of way,” I said, “and since we have no rats, we will have to use cats for rats instead.” They jumped for joy at being part of our fun and games tonight.

Aasta will be bringing her collection of fake bugs, which are amazingly realistic. Why she likes those things I do not understand, but right now I am glad she does. We left Jim to enjoy a good night of sleep, after giving him a needle of some kind of relaxant and took Anne and Fiona down to the basement for our fun and games. They would be waking up soon.

We had found a room down there that must have been used as some kind of dungeon to chain up people for whatever reason. But it was perfect for our needs tonight. “What is going on here?” said Anne grumbling and struggling. “Oh, you scared me!” said Fiona, “but I am glad that you are here too, I am a bit frightened. It is so dark in here I cannot see a thing and AAAAAAAA!! Something touched my bare foot!”

“Probably just a rat,” said Anne. Then she screamed too when something brushed against her leg. “We do not have rats in here, someone must have brought some in!” she exclaimed. “I hate rats!” cried Fiona, “let me out of here! What do you want with me? I have not done anything, it is all Anne, she has been doing this, she is working with some guy named Toledo to steal this castle!”

“Shut up you little coward!” said Anne, “say anything more and I will deal with you and you will not like it!” Then they heard some weird laughter, first by one man, then two men laughing. “I do not recognize those men,” said Anne, “who are you? Show yourselves you cowards!” The laughing got louder and louder and louder. “Stop it, stop it!!” cried Fiona, “I am scared, please stop, what do you want from me? I do not know anything!”

“We want your treasure ladies, all of your hidden treasure,” the men said, “Jim has told us about that hidden treasure, if you want to live, then tell us where it is.” “I do not know where it is!” cried Fiona, “please believe me, only Anne knows where it is, she hid it somewhere.” “I told you to shut up!” yelled Anne. Then a large spider slid slowly down her face causing her to scream very loudly.

Then another spider dropped onto her shoulder and she screamed even louder. I guess she does not like spiders. Then a glowing man appeared and he had his hands around a woman’s neck. That woman was Sky and he was choking her until she fell to the floor dead. The man laughed. “Which of you wants to be next?” he asked laughing.

Then Sky stood up. Then a second Sky, then a third Sky, all standing and yelling and laughing. Poor Fiona fainted at that point and Anne kept yelling “NO”! Then everything went dark again, but the laughing from the men kept on and on. “Stop it!” yelled Anne, “we can split the treasure, there is enough for both of us!” There was silence.

“Okay,” said John, “take me to the treasure, we will split 50/50.” “Okay, that is fine with me,” said Anne, her voice shaking. She really did take John to the hidden treasure. “I suppose you would like your husband here when we split this treasure,” said John. “Jim? Forget him,” she said, “he gets nothing from this treasure, it is all mine.

Unless you and I go off together with this treasure. We could live like royalty with all of this.” John laughed. “A woman after my own heart,” he said, “I thought perhaps you might have a boyfriend if not your husband, like that Andrew.” “Andrew! I do not want to hear his name anymore,” said Anne, “I was working with him for a while because I needed some help, but with you I do not need him anymore.” She smiled so nicely at John…

To Be Continued.

©2023 Steve McLeod.