She stared at the dust that was the Other Earl. It was swept up by the wind and she saw that something shiny appeared in her hand, where she had cradled his head before he died.
It was a necklace ... with a large silver cross attached. She looked at it carefully and she saw that someone had engraved "From your pal, Faizan Khan" on the back ... and "To Angelo Algenio" on the front.
Someone who is hurting will be pleased to see this ... it was intended to be a gift to that someone ... but the person giving the gift was claimed by the Beldame before that someone could receive it. Please ... get it to the right owner ... A whisper on the wind said.
It sounded like Earl's voice. She clung onto the cross tightly.
"I will ..." She whispered.
She wore it around her neck, just so she wouldn't lose it. She sighed and turned around. She looked at the open door of the Other Carl's domain and took a deep breath.
Seeing as the last Ghost Eye was in there, this wasn't going to be easy. She looked at where she had found the Other Earl one last time ... and ventured into the apartment, clinging onto her frying pan.
She was determined to slaughter Carl ... she had to take her anger out on something ...
"Pfft, little girl ..." a voice hissed.
She spun around, frightened. Someone had closed the door behind her. She swallowed hard, slowly becoming terrified.
"You think winning a game is good thing? You'd just go home ... and be bored and neglected ... same as always!"
"That's not true. I didn't appreciate what I had until it was gone!" Kathleen exclaimed.
Her heart hurt when she remembered the Real Earl smiling at her for the first ... and what could be the last time..
"And someone likes me." She said.
"Likes you? Oh come now, that's demented. Why would he like you, really?"
"Because ... he smiled at me." She said, blushing
She heard laughing.
"This whole romance thing you've dreamed up is sweet, but it just proves you're too naive to win this game!"
"You're lying!" She cried. "I know he cares about me because that Other of his is a copy ... and he loved me. Therefore, the Real one must feel the same!" She said, becoming angry.
"Don't be a dummy ... stay with mommy ..."
"Never!" She shouted.
"No? ... Oh, I see how it is."
She prepared herself. She had no idea where he was hiding ... and she had no intention of being taken by surprise.
She closed her eyes ... and began to hum the song she heard Earl hum when he made the fog thin ... and when you met his eccentric friend, Josh.
"Wh-what are you doing?"
She noticed the distress in his voice so she began to hum louder. And he let out a horrified screech.
"STOP IT!"
For some reason, she finally remembered it ... it was Itsumo Nando Demo from Spirited Away.
There was one last horrified screech and she heard something hit the floor.
Out of the darkness, came hundreds of rats, which made her scream. One of the rats had a small brown ball.
Once she saw this, she chased after it ... but the moment she stepped outside and ventured onto the grass, she lost it. She looked up at the moon in horror. It was almost completely covered up.
She fell to her knees and began to cry. She had lost the game ...
-
She heard a meow and she looked up. The cat had a dead rat in its mouth. Luckily, it was the one holding the brown ball. The cat dropped it.
"I think I mentioned that I don't like rats at the best of times ... but it seemed you needed this one." He said, batting the ball over to her with his paw.
She smiled and the ball shone brightly.
"Be careful! Even if you win, she'll never let you go!" Faizan's voice said.
She nodded and she put the ball in the satchel.
Suddenly, the whole world turned black and white ... and lifeless. To her surprise, it started falling apart. She had to get inside, and fast.
"Come on, hurry!" She said.
The cat jumped into the satchel and she rushed inside the house, closing the door behind her. She breathed a sigh of relief ... but there was just one obstacle left ...
The Beldame!
