1 Chapter One: A Ghost in the Attic

  Stephen and Stephenie are step-siblings with a tentative relationship.  Stephen was almost ten years old when his birth parents got divorced and his father gave up custody to his mother Jeanine. Stephenie's father had just broken up with his most recent girlfriend before meeting Jeanine while they all still lived in Monterey, California.

  They spent several months seeing each other before they moved in together.  That was when Harold, Stephenie's father, had to move for his job up to Portland, Oregon.  They bought an old Victorian style house that was built back in the 1920's. It looked rustic and had a lot of wear and tear, but they spruced it up and had professionals repair its quirks.

  Stephen and Stephenie had yet to find any commonalities being four years apart in age, but working on the new house during the end of summer had allowed them to form somewhat of a bond, at least understanding that they're in it together whether or not they're actually compatible. It was enough for the transition to a new environment to go fairly smoothly, which was a boon for both of them as Stephen was entering his first year of high school, and Stephenie would be starting her senior year at eighteen since her birthday was in July.

  As close as they had become, which wasn't really that close, there was still the element of their age difference.  Stephen was just beginning puberty, whereas Stephenie was beginning her adulthood. Other than the weekly movie night, their interests would hardly ever coincide.  Since everyone was still learning to become a cohesive unit, there was a fair share of fingers pointing in the wrong direction.  Young ones always seem to know how to push boundaries.

  Soon after fixing up the house, Harold and Jeanine got married, and with the holiday season rolling in, they decided to go on their honeymoon during the Halloween weekend.  To Stephen and Stephenie, it was an abrupt decision, but in reality, they had been planning it since Harold dropped the question.  The kids are too old for trick-or-treating and are more than capable of taking care of themselves.

  It's now All Hallow's Eve, and it's a Monday, but their school is out for a long Halloween weekend. Stephenie had spent all day Sunday calling her friends to set up a party.  Stephen had been reluctant at first, but was convinced that it would be a good chance to meet some schoolmates.  Not only is it a costume party, but the theme is: supers.

  Stephenie was adjusting her tiara for her Wonder Woman costume.  She sighed as it was a hair too large and kept sliding down her forehead.  She held it up with one hand while she opened her jewelry case and pulled out a few hairpins.  She had spent nearly an entire paycheck from working part time at Claire's on an authentic version from the latest movies, and so she wanted it to look perfect.  Her athletic and near fully developed body made her look like a sandy blonde Wonder Woman.

  Stephenie gave herself a wry smile in the mirror while doing some flexing poses, really feeling the vibe of the authenticity of the costume, right down to the Lasso of Truth.  She then quickly turned and shot out of her room anxious to see Stephen's reaction to it.  They had decided earlier that they would surprise each other with their costumes, and so she was also anxious to see his.

  As she practically skipped down the hall to her step-brother's room, she thought she heard something, like a clicking noise, coming from the square frame on the ceiling that leads to the attic. Her excitement caused her to ignore it.  It was not very loud, but to her, it did sound mechanical in nature.

  Stephen's door was slightly ajar and so she barreled right in as a superhero would.  To her shock—which in that moment occurred on many levels—she saw Stephen in a Harry Potter costume, practicing casting a spell.  Not only was she shocked at his choice, which is technically not a super, but the fact that his pants were missing.

  Stephen quickly turned and covered his groin with both hands, but was also in shock of his step-sister's costume with how skimpy it is.  His mouth was agape as he stared.

  Stephenie ignored his gawk as she asked, "Where are your pants?"

  "I, uh—" he began, but his mouth was dry and he had to swallow, which to him felt like he had to swallow a horse pill.  "I spilled some jelly on them and had to wash them.  They're in the dryer now.  Should be done soon."

  Just then, the dryer could be heard buzzing.  "See?  I'll be right back," he stated quickly as he ran by her.

  Stephenie giggled, but then turned to admire herself in the mirror he was using.  She's not normally so full of herself, but she was really loving how she was looking in that costume.  She then turned to follow him downstairs, but he had already come back up and they met in the hallway.

  "What do you think, Steph?" Stephen nervously asked.

  "Ummm, I think you may have misinterpreted the theme of this party.  I don't think Harry Potter counts as a super, I'm afraid."

  Stephen furled his brow and went on the defensive.  "But, he has superpowers."

  "Eh, they're more like spells that anyone can learn technically, but," she said quickly noticing how his face was saddening, "I'm going to allow it, and that's only because you do look a lot like him, especially now that you have your pants on."  She giggled.

  Stephen's face went a bit red, but he managed a smirk, knowing that he could stay in this costume.  "You know as well as I do that he's the only one who could've taken on you-know-who."

  "Seriously?  You can say his name.  They're not real, silly."

  He was about to retort, but then they both heard more clicking noises coming from the attic.  These noises were louder than before.  After looking up at the square frame on the ceiling, they both looked back at each other with consternation.

  "Did your mom put a clock up there or something?" Stephenie asked as they both looked back at the attic entrance.

  "She told me that they were planning to clear it out before putting stuff up there.  I guess there must be some old stuff from the people that used to live here."

  "You should, uh, go up there and see what that was."

  "Me?  Why me?"

  "Because you're smaller and can fit up there more easily.  Plus, Harry Potter is supposed to be brave, right?"

  "Yeah, well, so is Wonder Woman."

  "Ugh, just shut up and go get a flashlight and we'll both go up there, okay?"

  "Okay." Stephen answered, but he was very reluctant.  His imagination was running wild, and none of the possibilities that he was imagining were good ones.