Conga Line of the Dead

Chapter 8: In Through the Front Door or Let's get this over with

Toke and Troy had a good long laugh after everything they had done to scare the cops; it was times like that which made Toke believe he was made a ghost just to prank people. Talk about making the most of your situation.

They paused before the huge moss covered wall surrounding the Truman estate and surveyed the damage of their prank.

"I can't believe we did that, I really can't" Troy replied with a smile and a thought that he could get used to being a ghost after all. He actually seemed happy, for the first time since he had met him Toke noted. "That has to be the most fun I have ever had. Were we ever that easy to scare when we were alive?"

Toke shrugged, "I know I wasn't but I can't speak for you since I hardly know you. But if I saw a door opening and closing I wouldn't have started screaming like a little girl scout like half those cops did." he laughed, "I think those jelly doughnuts are going to their heads."

They both laughed at this because it was probably true and then floated through the ivy covered brick wall, leaving the police vehicles in disarray in their wake, only to be greeted by nothing better.

The yard, which no doubt had once been lush and green was now overgrown and wild, obviously untouched by human hands for god only knows how long.

In the distance could be seen the house, old and decrepit looking (Kind of like Larry King) Toke thought for some reason, years of neglect and ware showing on its exterior.

The closer they got to it the more Toke noticed that the house was huge, bigger than he had thought it would be and bigger than it looked from outside the gates.

Troy paused and looked up at it once they arrived at an overgrown cement pathway which led up to a broken down front deck.

"That's it? That's a house?" he asked.

Toke gave a short nod as he paused too, "Almost like a castle." he sighed for a second, admiring its size then reality sank back. "Ok, enough sightseeing, Pete's gonna need us in there. No telling what kind of crap he's gotten himself into already. How he survives without me I'll never know."

And with that Toke began to float up the overgrowth to the door of the house, determined to help his friend, stop whatever was going on here and be back at home in time for the tonight show.

Troy looked over the house for a second more, took a deep breath and followed after Toke, having to float faster to make up the distance between them.

They soon side by side as they made their way over the path to the door, he noticed a stone fountain off to the right, it was so overgrown with weeds Troy was surprised he had seen it at all. It was a stone statue of a child holding a pitcher over his head, and the water was supposed to flow from the picture into the fountain below, but there was no water there and the statue itself had fallen apart so much that it looked like a dolphin if you squinted hard enough.

It was then that they came to the steps that led to the front deck of the mammoth old house, and floated up them, if they had feet there was no doubt that the steps would have broken under each step.

"You're early."

It was this unexpected deep voice to their left that made both ghosts stop in their track a few steps from the front door.

Troy gulped but Toke stayed where he was looking around quickly, not knowing if he was going to have to go ninja on something's ass or not but ready if the situation called for it.

From a darkened corner of the porch a man stepped into the sunlight, he was old (Not as old as the guy from the hospital but probably as old) he was wearing an old tattered butlers uniform, or at least that's what it looked like.

He stood beside the closed double doors looking at them, not saying another word, only inspecting the two unexpected visitors.

After a moment or two of silence, he spoke again, "I said, you are early."

Toke gave a nervous smile, "Were you expecting us?"

The old ghost gave what looked like a bow. "But of Corse."

Toke glanced over at Troy, "did you make reservations?" Troy stood looking at the older man not answering Toke, "Because I sure didn't do it."

The old ghost smiled warmly, but he obviously didn't get the joke. "You are here for the party of course."

Toke smiled even more, "Yea, you know we are. First to arrive and the last to leave, that's us." he did something of a jig where he floated, "I'll be getting Jiggy with it and what not."

The butler did not look impressed and so Toke stood still once more, clearing his throat as if it would make the joke go away.

"I'm up for a party, how about you Troy?" Toke looked over at Troy who was still looking at the old ghost, Toke gave him a slap in the chest and this seemed to wake the other ghost up.

"Party...yea." Troy replied as he came back to reality, "Yea. Sure, sure."

This response made the butler smile.

"Very well then, right this way please." he took hold of the door knob on the right side of the two sided doors, opened that side up and motioned for Toke and Troy to enter.

Toke looked in and couldn't see anything but darkness and dust beyond the doorway; they could be walking into a trap and most likely were.

Toke gave a sigh, "Ok, let's get this over with. Come on." and with that he hovered into the open doorway and the darkness beyond.