Vicky, who had decided to surprise everyone by not dressing in Victorian garb, and dress as a hobo, was about to enter the haunted house with Baxter and Faith when Suzy, the punk rocker at the door, answered her walkie-talkie when it squawked. The person on the other end said, "Hold the door. We've got a situation of a lady being spooked back here. We just got her outside. I'll call back when we're ready to go again."
"Okay," said Suzy and grinned at Vicky. "It's really spooky this year."
"Hi Suzy. I just heard your mom had her gall bladder removed. How's she doing?" asked Vicky.
"She came home from the hospital yesterday and my dad is having fits trying to keep her down." She shrugged. "But that's Mom. She really hates that she's missing the haunted house because she was going to be one of the prisoners in the torture chamber."
Baxter interjected, "Well, give her our best wishes–"
The walkie-talkie squawked again. "Okay, Suzy, you can send them through again."
"Right-o, Ted." She returned her attention to Baxter. "I'll tell my mom what you said." She waved them forward. "Have a great time!"
Vicky turned around. "Baxter, why don't you go first?"
With a slight bow, he replied, "Anything for my ladies."
Faith, who had dressed as a lady of English nobility in one of Vicky's dresses, grabbed Vicky's hand, and together they followed Baxter, the pirate. Vicky inwardly smiled and wondered if Baxter knew that he was the inspiration for a pirate hero in a romance novel Faith had secretly written titled, Dax and the Duchess. Gabby and Vicky had been allowed to read the story, and loved it so much, that they were encouraging her to submit it to a publisher.
The first room they entered was scary, but each successive one was even more so. The Halloween Committee had gone overboard with this year's haunting. When they reached the third room, a group of teenagers jostled them and Vicky got separated from Faith and Baxter. She thought they were nearby, but when she called out their names, their response seemed far away. She shouted, "Keep going. I'll catch up with you outside." She left that room and followed a hallway toward the next one. The hallway seemed unusually long and inexplicably, all sound ceased. Vicky turned in a circle. She couldn't see the door she had just exited, nor could she see one to enter. Her breathing quickened. Something wasn't right. She started forward again in the dimly lit hallway, but after several steps, she knew something was definitely wrong.
Suddenly, a form appeared several yards in front of her and she sighed with relief. The odd happenings of the past few weeks were making her edgy. She picked up her pace and called out to the woman, "You sure had me scared! This is a great haunted house!"
There was no response and Vicky decided the ghostly figure was staying in character. "I hope I'm getting close to the next room." There was still no response.
She had almost reached the woman when she suddenly jerked to a halt. She recognized the dress as being one of the two in Belinda Hope's armoire at the museum. She lifted her eyes to the face. It was the same face she had seen in pictures for years. It was the face of Belinda Hope.
Vicky couldn't breathe, nor could she move. She watched Belinda smile and heard her say as if from far away, "Soon you will know everything." Then the apparition glanced beyond Vicky and smiled sweetly. "He will find her."
Vicky jerked around and saw a man dressed as Zorro walking toward her, and when she turned again to see the apparition, it was gone. The fact that Belinda Hope, a woman who had been dead for decades had appeared to her, was just too much, and she fainted.
Zorro recognized the woman in front of him as Vicky and slowed his pace. He was the last person she wanted to see. But when she suddenly fell to the ground, he yelled her name and rushed forward.
Going down on his knees he gently lifted her torso into his arms. "Vicky. Vicky. Wake up."
She stirred and opened unfocused eyes. He waited for her to focus on his face, unsure of whether she knew who he was because of his mask.
Finally, she whispered, "Did you see her?"
"See who, honey?"
"The ghost."
Zorro frowned. "This place is full of ghosts."
"No. Not them. The real ghost."
Unsure how to answer, Zorro replied, "They all look real to me."
Vicky seemed to become more alert and tried to sit up.
From behind Zorro a young voice said, "Hey, are you guys okay? Should I get someone?"
"No, we're fine," Zorro replied, as he helped Vicky stand. When she wobbled, he placed his arm around her waist and pulled her tightly against his body. Next to her ear, he said, "I'll help you outside."
He looked behind him at the teenage werewolf and asked, "Is there a shortcut out of here?"
The kid said, "Oh, yeah. Follow me."
Still keeping Vicky close, Zorro followed the werewolf. After a few steps the boy reached a door and held it open. When he asked again if he should call someone, it was Vicky who said, "No. I just had a fright. I'm fine, Ted."
The kid said, "Okay, Ms. Patterson, if you say so. If you follow the building this way," he pointed, "it'll take you through the playground to the back parking lot."
Zorro said, "Thanks. I'll take care of her." The kid reentered the house and closed the door as Zorro led Vicky toward the playground. She was walking better now and said, "Let me sit on a swing for a few minutes."
"Okay."
They reached the swing set and she grabbed the chains and sat on the canvas seat. He sat in the swing next to her. After a time he said, "Do you want to tell me what happened?"
"No. You wouldn't believe me."
"Do you know who I am?"
"Of course, Michael. Why are you at our haunted house?"
"Perhaps you've forgotten, but I'm part of the community since I own a home here."
"Hmm. That remains to be seen since you're trying to destroy the community you claim to be a part of."
Michael shook his head. "I'll not argue with you. Instead, I'll tell you what my investigator recently discovered."