Black and White and Streaks of Color

Chapter Seventeen: Mabel's P.O.V. Was It All A Trick?

"Don't worry, it can't get any worse than this!" I shout. I can't guarantee that's true, but what else can I say?
Suddenly the fire in the fireplace turns blue, and a figure emerges out of it. It's the lumberjack from the picture!
"I smell a Northwest!" he declares. An axe forms in his hand and he smashes it into the floor. He drags it around the room while Pacifica and I crawl under the pool table.
I garb the journal out of my backpack and flip through. I find the page that should have advice to banish the ghost. Unfortunately, all it says it to pray for mercy."Seriously?" I say.
"Come out wherever you are!" the lumberjack chants tauntingly.
"What do we do?" Pacifica cries.
"Make a run for it! Now!"
We climb out from under the table and dash out of the room.
"Get back here!" the ghost yells and flies after us.
"Oh, wait! It says here ghosts can only be trapped by a silver mirror!" I discover. I look ahead as we race through the courtyard. We reach a room."A silver mirror!"
"Wait!" Pacifica steps in front of me."This room has my parents' favorite carpet pattern. They'll lose it if we track mud in there!"
"He's coming! Where can we go?!"
We frantically look around for a place to hide.
I notice a room blocked by curtains."In there!" I take her hand and drag us both in, crashing on to the floor.
Thud!
I take a few deep breaths, my forehead misted with sweat."I think we lost him." I get up and look around.
Pacifica does the same."That's weird. I don't even know where this room is."
"All that matters is we're safe."
She stands in front of a painting covered by a sheet."Yeah. We're safe."
A mysterious figure starts to come out of the curtain."Pacifica, watch out!"
She screams as the ghost lurches at her. I run in between them, knocking over nothing other then - a silver mirror! I hold it up and the lumberjack goes right into it, knocking me over, which knocks Pacifica over like a domino effect, out of the window and tumbling into the grass.
I land with a grunt beside Pacifica.
"Did you get him?" she questions.
We peer into the mirror, finding the ghost knocking on it from the other side and shouting,"Free me!"
"Yes! We did it!" she cheers. She steps closer to me, looking like she's going to hug me, so I lean in. Then she steps back, yet I have my arms out so we end up kind of high-fiving really close to each other. Pacifica's face is as red as a ripe tomato.
  "Well... um, I-I'm gonna go back inside," Pacifica says awkwardly."When you're done with the exorcism, come back in and join the party, okay?"
  "Okay. I will."
  The lumberjack ghost just evilly laughs.
  "Hey, what're you laughing at? I captured you!" I tell him.
  "You remind me of me one hundred and fifty years ago," he says."One hundred and fifty years ago this day, the Northwests asked us lumber folk to build them a mansion atop the hill. We were told it would be a service to the town, that once a year they'd throw a grand party, and all would share in the bounty. It took years of backbreaking labor and sacrifice, but when it was time for the grand party they promised the common folk of the town, they refused to let us in. With the trees gone, the mudslides began. While they partied and laughed, I was swept away by the storm. And so I said with final breath: '150 years I'll return from death. And if the gates still closed to the town, wealthy blood will stain the ground.' A curse passed down till this day."
  "Wait - so you're saying the Northwests knew you were coming? But they still made me capture you? B-but, P-Pacifica... d-did she lie to me?" My breathing gets heavy. How could she do this to me?! She was so nice! Now she's lying?! Why?
  Rain starts to drizzle from the cloudy sky as I stomp up to the doors of the Northwest Manor.