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just
saying that ghosts normally haunt old castles or things that have
been around for years an’ years ‘n stuff. Not your average
factory.’
    ‘ Don’t see why
they wouldn’t haunt a factory too. Those castles must get quite
boring.’ Ben countered.
    ‘ I think it
depends on where they were killed.’ Newton added; bastion of
scientific truth, or at least fourteen-year-old
conjecture.
    ‘ Nah, I’m not
buying it. There’s nothing scary about rattling chains around a
conveyor belt of choc-ices. It has to have corridors and attics.’
Norton replied.
    ‘ I was
scared.’ Carlo said from outside the conversation. The gang turned
to face him and he could see that Norton was on the verge of
starting up again, so he took a breath and told them about what had
happened. He ended by recounting throwing up and the beginning of
his “stomach virus”.
    ‘ But I think
it was something to do with what happened down there.’ he finished,
nodding towards the stairs. There was a silence as the four others
chewed over the new evidence. ‘You don’t believe me?’ he asked
almost pleading.
    Ben looked at Norton and found
his own smile matched. ‘Dr. Venkman?’ he said, motioning towards
the study.
    ‘ With pleasure
Dr. Stanz.’ Norton replied, before both of them pelted towards the
stairs.
    ‘ I think they
believe you.’ Abi said, walking after them with Newton in
tow.
    ‘ Guys… look,
we don’t need to go down there. I’m sure it was nothing. Guys?’
Carlo shouted, reluctantly trotting after
them. But as he reached the door he was relieved to see the others
still outside the study and Ben rattling the handle in
frustration.
    ‘ Locked.’ He
said, giving it one last shake.
    ‘ Well I
certainly didn’t stop to lock up.’ Carlo said with a shrug.
‘Must’ve been Uncle Randy’
    ‘ I think we
should start calling him Managing Director Fox.’ Norton said, ‘To
get past the “uncle” thing.’ Everyone ignored him.
    ‘ Well have you
got the keys?’ Abi asked.
    ’ Nup. Uncle
Randy has them.’
    ‘ MD
Fox!’
    ‘ Norton? Shut
up! Carlo, why don’t you go and ask Randy for them?’ Ben said, his
hand still absently holding the door handle.’
    ‘ Get lost! I’m
not going up there with Lightfoot with him.’
    ‘ Me neither.’
Abi added.
    ‘ Nor me.’
Newton agreed.
    Ben looked at Norton who shook
his head. ‘OK then, I guess we wait.’ he said, giving the door a
small thump with his hand.
    There was a click from the
handle and the door opened a fraction.
    ‘ D’uh! It was
open you muppet!’ Norton laughed, pushing Ben in the
back.
    ‘ I was sure…’
Ben mumbled, taking the handle and slowly opening the door.
Carefully peeking into the dark room, he took a step inside and
peered behind it the door.
    ‘ Careful.’
Carlo whispered.
    ‘ I’ll be fi…’
A hand darted from behind the door and pulled Ben to the side by
his neck, slamming it shut.
    ‘ Ben!’ they
all screamed jumping forward to hammer on the door, which eased
open to reveal Ben stood in the dark with his own left arm grabbing
onto his neck and wearing a huge grin.
    ‘ You should
have seen your faces.’ he said reaching out to turn the lights
on.
    ‘ You idiot!’
Abi retorted, punching him in the arm. ‘You scared the life out of
me.’
    Carlo stepped past the
bickering siblings into the study and looked around. The diary was
where he had dropped it and everything else looked normal. He
wasn’t sure what he had been expecting, but in some way nothing out
of the ordinary seemed more unnerving.
    Newton was walking around the
room too, but the others seemed less impressed. ‘There are no
ghosts here now.’ Norton said with obvious boredom.
    ‘ How do you
know?’ Newton asked whilst peering under the desk.
    ‘ Get lost,
Newt!’ Norton said, but with less certainty, looking around a
little himself.
    ‘ But there’s
certainly nothing obvious here now, so in that respect, Norton’s
correct.’ Newton claimed, finishing