| Chapter 67 The house was quiet again with everyone gone. It wasn�t until their friends left that everyone realized how much they missed being home. Three weeks to go was going to feel like a lifetime for all of them. Lucky, BJ, and Josh were laying in the tennis court with the kids. The net was down and they were playing kickball. It was something to kill time. None of them noticed little Tasha walking away until they heard the child scream. They ran towards the scream and found that Tasha had fallen down a well. Lucky looked at Lucas and ordered, �Go back to the house and get help!� Lucas did what Lucky ordered and took off in a flash. Lucky pulled on the rope and tied it around his waste. �Josh, you and BJ help lower me down.� �You sure is safe?� Josh asked. �I have no choice,� Lucky said and he climbed over the wall of the well. As he did so, he was wondering how the little girl had gotten up this high. �Be careful,� Lu said as Lucky vanished from sight. Lu saw a ghost standing near by and wondered if they had something to do with little Tasha being in the well. She didn�t know this ghost and didn�t know if it was one of the nice ones or mean ones. BJ, Josh and the other kids helped lower Lucky into the well. The well was nine feet deep. When Lucky got to the bottom he found little Tasha seated in the corner of the well crying. She didn�t look hurt but Lucky gave her quick once over just in case. �I bet you won�t go climbing again!� Lucky said to the little girl. �Meanie!� Tasha said as she reached out for Lucky. Up on the surface, the family came running with Alexis and Sonny in the lead. �Tasha!� Alexis yelled in pure panic down the well. �She is ok,� Lucky yelled back looking up at the hole. �You sure,� Sonny asked. �Yeah, how I don�t know but I think she is ok,� Lucky yelled up. Alexis looked relived and hugged her husband. Luke yelled down, �Can you hold her and get up yourself?� Luke asked. �I think so,� Lucky said making a loop in the rope and using it as a foot hold. He pulled Tasha to him and said, �Hold on to Ducky!� He then looked up and yelled. �Ok, we are ready.� �Ok, kids get back,� Luke said as Sonny, Luke, Jason and Victor all went to pull on the rope. As they did so, the wood holding the rope into place broke. �Lucky, head up!� Luke yelled. Lucky quickly backed away as the wood came crashing down on them bring some of the old wall with them. �Hey, watch it!� Lucky yelled back. �Sorry, how did you get down there without killing yourself?� Luke yelled. �I didn�t have you helping me!� Lucky yelled. �Watch it mouth!� Luke snapped. Lucky looked around and saw a tunnel. It looked like it headed in the direction of the house. �Hey, dad, you been in the passageways. Did any of them lead to the outside?� Lucky asked. �Yeah a few. Why?� Luke yelled back. �Because I think this is one of them. Send me down a light. I�ll try and get back this way,� Lucky yelled. �No,� Alexis said scared that Lucky could get lost with little Tasha. Luke looked over at Sonny and then down at the well. �That rope was our only way of getting them out without calling in help. The tunnels do lead to the house. I have been in them and Lucky does have a good sence of direction.� �Try it but lets get a long rope and tie it around him. I don�t want to loose him,� Sonny said. Victor looked over to the gardener and said, �Get me all the rope you can find!� �Yes, sir,� the gardener said and he quickly ran off to get the rope. �Lucky, hold on. We are going to send down some rope. Tie it around you and go as far as it goes. If it looks like you aren�t getting closer to the house then you can use it to come back,� Luke yelled. �Got it and don�t forget the light!� Lucky yelled. Luke nodded his head and someone quickly ran off to get Lucky a flashlight. A little while later, Lucky had the rope from the well and the rope that had been thrown to him wrapped around him. �I�ll pull on it once if I�m close to the house. I�ll pull twice if I get into trouble,� Lucky said. �Be careful!� Alexis yelled down to him. �Don�t worry. I�ll be careful and I�ll keep Tasha close to me,� Lucky promised as he turned on the flashlight. �Ready munchkin?� Lucky asked the little girl as he gripped her tighter and then vanished into the darkness of the tunnel. Luke took off back to the house then. He figured if he could find the pathway Lucky was in and help him back towards the house. Besides, he hated standing there helpless without doing anything. You add the fact, he saw the ghost standing near the well laughing while they were trying to pull Lucky up. He had this gut feeling that those ghosts were up to something and all be dammed if they were going to get his kid. Not with him around to stop them! *********************************** Lucky walked through the tunnel hoping against hope he hadn�t made a wrong turn anywhere. What Lucky didn�t know was that Nikka was with him. The young boy could go as far as the house and that was it. So he figured he would know when the tunnels got to that point. Besides, one of the bad ones had dropped the child into the well. Nikka didn�t think it was wise to leave his ancestors alone with others playing games. So, the young ghost walked behind the pair keeping a close eye out for any tricks that might pop up. �Ducky!� Tasha kept on saying as she looked at the young ghost. �Yeah, Ducky,� Lucky said wondering when the kid was going to loose that nickname for him. He hopped so soon or he could hear the teasing now if he got back to school and one of them found this out. He would never live it down! Lucky walked until he hit a wall. This must be the house,� Lucky said and he looked around for a way to open it. The wall moved and he worked his way inside. It was the house because Nikka couldn�t go any further. He stood their hoping that the pair was going to be ok but something told him trouble was coming. He just didn�t know what yet. Lucky found that the rope ended just inside the house. He gave the rope one hard yank and then untied it. He knew he was in the house. So, he figured it was ok to unhook. Lucky looked around the darkness then trying to figure out the direction to head. �Damn, I should have spent time wondering these places with Dad!� Lucky muttered to himself. �Meanie!� Tasha said starting to cry. �What?� Lucky asked looking at the little girl not understanding why she was upset now. What Lucky didn�t see and what the child saw was that he had managed to walk into the most dangerous part of the house. He was in the burial chamber where the torched people were stored. The room was full of the souls that his family had put to death so many years ago. They were everywhere around them. Suddenly Darius and Tony showed up. �Move,� Tony yelled but Lucky didn�t hear him. Lucky couldn�t he didn�t believe. Tony looked at Darius and said, �Go get Luke.� Darius nodded and quickly vanished. Lucky moved through the room trying to find his way out. The trouble was the mean ghosts were leading him to his death. Just up head was a trap. A trap set to end his life and end the only hope the family had of ending the curse. Tony was frustrated. He knew what was going to happen but couldn�t get Lucky to stop. Finally out of desperation. He looked at the child and said, �Tell him to Stop.� �Top!� Tasha said dropping the S. Lucky looked at her puzzled. �What?� �Top!� Tasha said again. �I�ll get you a top when we get out of here,� Lucky said hugging the girl and he was about to go on when the wall moved on the other side and Luke popped his head in. �Cowboy this way!� �Finally,� Lucky said turning away from his near doom and heading towards his father. Luke eyed the ghosts closely as Lucky moved towards him. Luke knew by this time that a ghost couldn�t hurt someone without aid from something. The room Lucky was in had only one thing in it and that was an open pit where the bodies were thrown in. This was where the ghosts were hoping Lucky would walk into. They couldn�t actually shove him in. So, they just stood there watching as Lucky walked out of the room. �Let�s go,� Luke said closing the door on the dead room. Darius and Tony sighed as the three of them walked away. �Now what?� Tony asked. �Let�s go up top. I have this feeling hell is about to brake loose,� Darius said. The two ghosts vanished suddenly. Luke felt this as well. Their wasn�t anyone in the passageways and normally they were full of the walking dead. Something was wrong and he knew it. �Kid, let�s go. Alexis must be franking by now about Tasha,� Luke said shoving his son forward just a bit. �Sure,� Lucky said and he picked up his pace. It didn�t take them long to make it to the main floor with Luke�s help. They walked into the library right into Alexis, Sonny and the others. Alexis grabbed for her daughter and cried. �Oh, baby.� �See, she is fine,� Sonny said relieved himself that his daughter was ok. Luke was looking around and he didn�t like what he felt. Lucy felt it as well. She stood near Kevin getting this feeling of sudden doom. �Doc!� she said but before Kevin could utter a word hell broke loose. Windows and shutters slapped open and close. Lights went off and on while books went flying through the air heading towards the family almost hitting several of them. Angelic rushed into the room and said, �Move, head towards the chapel.� Luke and Lucy didn�t delay. They started shoving people into the direction. �What is going on?� Laura demanded. �Bad ones,� Lu cried running. �Meanie�s,� Tasha screamed clinging to her mother. Mrs. Carlson and Mrs. Lansbury had been on the first floor with the staff when things started to happen. The staff panicked and started to run. That was when a voice came over the house intercom system. �All Staff and family head towards the chapel.� Victor�s couldn�t believe what he heard as he was shoved by Luke down the hall. That was his brother�s voice but that was impossible. Tony was dead! He was buried with the rest of the family in the family graveyard! As the last person ran into the chapel, the doors were slammed shut behind them without any aid of any kind. �What is going on here?� Victor demanded. �Later,� Angelic told her brother grabbing Lucky�s arm and pulling the kid towards the front. She shoved Lucky on his knees and asked, �Do you believe in God!� Lucky was puzzled and looked up at his father. Angelic pulled on his arm and yelled. �Answer me! Do you believe in God!� �Yes,� Lucky said finally not understanding what was going all. Candles were lighting on their own. Outside a dark cloud was coming into view and lighting was streaming across the sky as lights kept on flickering off and on. Everyone was scared but no one could find a way to scream or even move. They just huddled close together as Angelic talked. �Ok, repeat after me!� the nun ordered as she wrapped her rosary beads around Lucky�s hands! ********************************** Mikkos and Ruby were outside enjoying the sunset when Ruby spotted a strange dark twirling cloud in the direction of the house with lighting flashing across the sky. �That�s weird,� she said looking at the storm. Mikkos blood ran cold. He didn�t know why but he suddenly had this over whelming urge to head back home. �Ruby, lets go to the jeep. I need to check on things,� Mikkos said as he walked the jeep that was parked just a few feet away. �We might want to wait until the storm passes,� Ruby said to Mikkos. �It will be to late,� Mikkos said as he helped into the jeep then ran around the other side and started it up. ***************************** Angelic started to speak and Lucky repeated after her at least that his how it started then things started to change. The room grew cold as a strange wind blew through the chapel. You could see the storm brewing outside at everyone felt the electricity as lighting started strike near by. You could hear the thunder right in the room it was like it was their screams of pain crying out. Lucy watched as the ghosts that were protecting them slowly started to move in a circle around the room. Others slowly joined them in this strange dance of death. The others looked in poor horror at Lucky. Lucky was still talking but Angelic had stopped. Lucky�s eyes grew black as coal and skin was as pail and thin. He was talking in a voice that was disconnected and empty. But the worst thing of it all, Lucky was slowly raising from the ground and hung limply in the middle of the room. �Lucky!� Laura cried out trying to reach her son but he was out of her reach in fact Lucky didn�t hear her. Whatever had him was controlling every part him at this very moment. He was no longer in charge of his body. Lighting struck through the window of the chapel and hit the back wall shattering it. Everyone jumped and screamed but what was scarier was now they to could see the floating forms of the ghosts. The chapel doors blew open and more entered the room like a title wave of death. �What the hell is going on?� Victor asked. He could have sworn that Jerry and John Jacks just floated by him but that impossible. They were dead! Weren�t they? �Hell is right,� Stefan muttered as he looked at shock at the view in front of him. Lucky looked into the slowly growing form of ghosts and he spoke to them. He was talking in Russian. So, Stefan translated for the others. �Cassadine souls trapped on earth cry out for rest. While the tortured souls of their victims� cry out for vengeance. It is time for the curse to end. It is time for the heirs to confess to God and their creator their crimes!� A figure moved out of the growing form of ghosts and went towards Lucky. Laura and Luke watched helplessly as the ghost entered their son. Lucky spoke again in discounted voice as the first prince confessed his crimes. The crimes were before God and man both. The ghost talked of murders, rapes and all other crimes known to man. When he was done the ghost moved back into the swarming circle of death. One by one each prince before Mikkos went forward and told of their crimes. After the last of the dead princes told of their crimes, the creature in Lucky moved towards the group. Lucky�s hand raised and he pointed to his father. �You must confess.� Luke was shocked about this because he didn�t believe in God for one. The other was he never believed he would ever say he was wrong about anything. But before Luke could say yes to know to this. Mikkos and Ruby walked into the room. �What is going on?� Mikkos asked gripping Ruby�s hand tight. He was having trouble taking in what he was seeing. Lucky floated towards his grandfather and the boy�s hand reached out grabbing Mikkos wrist in a death grip. �You must confess!� Lucky said again as he moved backward pulling Mikkos with him. When they got to where Luke was standing. Lucky hand shot out and grabbed his father�s hand as well. Then went on pulling both them men towards the front of the chapel. �Let go!� Mikkos demand of his grandson. �Confess!� Lucky said again. �NO!� Mikkos said in a defiant tone of voice. The creature in Lucky screamed out in rage. Tears of blood flowed from under Lucky�s eyelids. Angelic rushed to her brother�s side and pleaded. �You can�t stop this. The only way to save Lucky know is to confess. If you won�t do it for those poor souls then do it for his!� �Do it!� Luke ordered. He might not believe in God but if telling a few of his crimes was going to save his son then he was very willing to do it. Mikkos sighed and he gave in. He started to talk but the trouble was the creature didn�t just want the crimes that Mikkos was willing to give up. It wanted all of them! Mikkos talked and kept on talking as the creature forced out all his darkest secrets. When it was done, Lucky�s hand let go of Mikkos wrist. Mikkos fell to the ground lying below unconscious. �Mikkos!� Ruby cried out running to her husband. �Why?� she cried looking at the creature. But the creature ignored her. It looked at Luke and forced him to tell his crimes just as it had Mikkos. Luke tried to fight it but the creature wanted everything. It even wanted that horrible night when Luke raped Laura. Then as like Mikkos it let Luke go and he to fell to the ground beside his father. As Laura rushed to her husband�s side, Lucky slowly went higher into the air. He spoke again in that same cold and empty voice as before. �It is time for judgement. Let the souls of the dead be judged by God!� A black pit opened up in the center of the room near where the family and staff stood. Everyone moved back to keep from falling in. They stood there watching then as thing black strands came shooting out from the pit and headed towards the circling forms of the ghosts. You could hear the cry of anger and rage as one by one a strand wrapped around a ghost and pulled them into the pit. Jerry and John Jacks were part of that and tried to fight as they fell into the pit. �Meanies,� Tasha said to her mother. �Yeah, I guess,� was all Alexis could say. She just couldn�t get her mind to work at this moment. She was having trouble understanding what was going on before her. It didn�t take long for the dark pit to claim the ones that it came for. It closed up suddenly as it appeared leaving this cold and empty feeling in the room. Then just as the other one closed another portal opened. This one near the cross that hung on the wall. This one filled the room with love and joy. The ghosts stopped their strange circling. Some moved willing towards the light. Nikka and Nakka stood together gripping the hand of a stranger man. Nakka moved towards Lu and said, �We have to go. Tell your brother thank you for helping us rest!� �Can�t you play any more?� Lu asked. �No, I have to go home. My mommy is waiting for me,� the child said smiling and she ran to her father and leaped into his arms. Then they to entered the light. Tony Cassadine moved towards Victor and smiled. �When Mikkos wakes up tell him that I forgive him and that I�m proud of the changes that he has made his life.� Tony said smiling then he added. �As for you, I�d remember that pit. Confess your sins big brother or you might end up there!� Tony them turned and walked towards his sister. Angelic smiled at him and said, �I would say that I be praying for you but I know you will be in better place then me. So, pray for us.� �I will and I�ll waiting for you. Good bye, little sister,� Tony said as he kissed his sister then moved towards the light. The last of the ghosts to leave was Darius. He stood there looking up at the floating form of Lucky. �Let him go, creature. You have what you wanted. Now, go back to the hell you came from!� �The boy�s soul is mine. He will come with me!� The creature said. �No!� Laura cried out jumping to her feet. Darius waved her off and he looked up at the creature. �You want a Cassadine to torment then pick me but leave the boy. He is our hope. He is our only chance to change our past!� The creature was about to say something but the black pit opened again and one more string struck out towards Lucky. But it didn�t grab Lucky; it pulled the creature from him. The creature was pulled towards the pit and then vanished as Lucky fell to the ground. Darius stood there smiling and said, �I guess it can�t take a soul that isn�t dead.� He then turned to Victor and said, �Your brother was right. I�d be careful if I were you. You won�t want to spend eternity with my brother.� Darius then moved towards the light and vanished. Chapter 68 Back to Trials of Love |