Raven's Heir | ONC 2021 honourable mention

8 - Party poopers

"The ghosts attack." I was halfway to the entrance when Matt overtook me and loped up the stairs three steps at a time. A glance over my shoulder confirmed Theo was right behind me. Before we reached the first floor, a throng of people approached, engulfed us, and carried us back down to the next landing. Pressed into the corner of the stairwell, I was glad Theo stood like a wedge in front of me, diverting the tidal wave of screaming fugitives down the stairs. When the stream trickled away to a more organised queue of elderly people, we ventured from our nook and into the deserted knights' hall.

The room was a battlefield. Broken chairs and plates littered the floor, silverware, shards of wine bottles and glasses. Somewhere, a baby wailed, and from under a soiled tablecloth, two wide-eyed kids stared at us as if we were the devil incarnate. Matt approached them, kneeling down, and reached out a hand. "Hey guys, time to come out, the party is over. Let's find your parents before they get worried."

I left the job of coaxing the frightened children to my partner and picked up a napkin to snuff a candle, toppled over and igniting the crushed remains of a delicate origami rose used as a decoration. Another piercing wail followed by a soft sob made me check for the distressed toddler. But Theo had already found the poor thing. Bowed over a baby carrier on a chair beside the fireplace, he stared at the tiny occupant with clouded eyes. "Who leaves their child unattended in such a situation?" He reached out, and the baby squealed louder than before.

"Let me." I offered the girl a finger, and to my relief, she took it and stopped crying. "Not much damage done with her. What happened here?"

"The ravens happened." He pointed at the greenish, glowing blobs of goo splattered on the tables and the floor. The ectoplasmic bird turd covered every surface, and when I checked my feet, bitter bile rose in my throat. A splash of the yucky stuff soiled my flip-flops, and a drop glowed on my jeans. Of course, Theo seemed not affected at all.

I swallowed my disgust and turned back to the kid. While I lifted her from the carrier, she chuckled and grabbed for my curls. "Now, sweetie, be a good girl and don't hurt me while I search for your parents."

"Holy cow." Lou's outburst made me jump. He stood at the hall's entrance, a hand pressed over his mouth. "That's the worst we've seen yet, the ultimate disaster."

Matt stood up, followed by the two boys who might have been eight or nine. "Our young friends here say it rained green goo, and that the ugly stuff burns the skin."

"Yes, the poop is acidic. That's why we installed all those sunshades in the yard, they catch most of the excrements." Louis sent me a stern glance. "Didn't you predict they'd leave my guests alone here?"

"I'm not into predictions, I said that I believed indoors would be safer. Reckon I was wrong."

Before the boss could voice his anger, Theo came to my defence. "We all agreed the knights' hall would be the best choice. Is there anything we can do to calm the guests?"

"I doubt it. The dragon lady tries to find a coach that picks them up. Right now, they huddle in the yard, complain about ruined clothes, and cry for compensation." He rubbed his temples and addressed the boys. "Come, kids, I'll bring you to your parents."

I followed him down the stairs while the baby chewed on one of my curls and emitted happy, bubbling noises. "At least we learned Matt's sensors work and might go from there."

Lou snorted. "We don't need sensors to locate the ghosts, we need something to repel them."

He was right, of course, but I preferred not to remind him of Grandma Elise's rule number one in dealing with spectres. 'Never try to chase them, Sandrine,' she used to say, smiling at me with shining eyes in a dark, wrinkled face. 'Getting on their nasty side will lead to disaster, and that's not a goal any wise woman should pursue.' Somehow, I doubted Lou in his agitated state would appreciate my voodoo ancestor's paranormal wisdom.