Chapter 8: The Dramatic Conclusion!

"So what's our plan of attack?" George asked Crystal. They were heading towards Madame Leota's room.

"First we need to convince Madame Leota to say the spell. Then we can worry about that whole 'one ghost must stay' thing."

They soon reached the séance room, and when they opened the door, Madame Leota was practicing her psychic powers.

"Horn toads and lizards, piddle and strum, please answer the role by beating a drum!

Goblins and ghoulies, old friends and new! Blow on a horn so we'll know that it's you!

Goblins and ghoulies from last Halloween, awaken the spirits with your tambourine!

Creepies and crawlies, toads in a pond, let there be music from regions beyond!
Wizards and witches wherever you dwell! Give us a hint by ringing a bell!"

"Trying to form a band?" George asked jokingly as they approached Madame Leota. She stopped chanting and scowled at him.

"Hey, uh…guess what!" Crystal said suddenly, trying to avoid another fight between Leota and George, "I found your old spell book! And we can free everyone if you help me say the spell!" Leota turned to Crystal with a surprised look on her face.

"You actually found it in this sty? Well done," She said admirably, "But I refuse to help you. Not until George faces up to what he's done."

"Huh?" Crystal asked, confused. She glanced at George, and he had a nervous look on his face.

"Leota, I'm telling you, she's not my-"

"Oh George, stop denying it! You know that she's our daughter. I can even show Crystal the proof," She said with an evil grin, "What do you say we watch a little movie?"

"No!" George cried, running in front of Madame Leota, "I don't think she needs to see that."

Crystal raised an eyebrow.

"Okay, what's going on here?" She asked, crossing her arms.

"Go on George, tell her," Leota purred. George, however, was blushing furiously and couldn't seem to get a single word out of his mouth.

"It went like this," Leota said, turning to Crystal, "After George's first wife had died, and before he met Emily, he and I had…shall we say…bonded…during a séance. However, shortly after that he met that…that wench for a bride," (she said this part rather harshly), "and when I told him that I was expecting, he denied that it was his child. It went on for ten years before I finally had enough, and killed him."

"You mean…you have a daughter?" Crystal asked George, her eyes wide.

"Yep," Leota answered, "Would you like to meet her?"

All of a sudden, across the room, a small girl appeared. She looked just like her mother except younger, and was wearing a white nightgown with lace on it. She smiled a little smile at Crystal.

"Hi," She said, "I'm Little Leota. Wanna play with me?" She suddenly vanished, and reappeared right in front of Crystal. Little Leota giggled. "I'm great at hide and seek,"

"Crystal can't play right now," Leota said kindly to her daughter, "She's talking with the grown-ups right now."

"Oh, okay," Little Leota said, her smile disappearing. She seemed to think about something for a moment, and then her smile reappeared.

"I know! I'll go play with my friends in the crypt! They've always got lots of games to play!" She said happily, and disappeared.

"Well George?" Leota asked in her usual tone. George, defeated, hung his head.

"Okay. I admit that I had…a…child……with Leota."

"It's about time," Leota said, "Okay, I'll read the spell."

"Great!" Crystal said, "Now…all we have to figure out is who's going to stay behind."

"I vote George," Leota said immediately. Crystal rolled her eyes at the fortune teller, but was surprised to hear George say "I agree."

"What?" Crystal asked. She didn't believe her ears.

"I am the Master of this house – it is my responsibility to oversee and head it. And I can't very well do that if I'm not here, can I?" He said with a chuckle.

"But…it's not fair! Why does a ghost have to remain behind?" Crystal asked Leota.

"That's how the spell works," She said simply, "Once the house becomes haunted, it just can't become un-haunted again. There's gotta be at least one spirit."

"That's stupid."

"There's nothing I can do about it," Leota said dismissively, "But if it makes you feel better, I'll be stuck here too. Because of my current…predicament, I'm technically not a ghost. I'm stuck in between life and death. So George and I will still be here."

"Are you sure you want to do this George?" Crystal asked him. She didn't want him to regret what she had to do.

"Yes. It's my duty," he said firmly, but Crystal could tell that there was a hint of fear in his voice.

"Okay. Let's say this spell." Crystal opened the book to the spell and set it on the table so she and Leota could both see it. They slowly read the spell in unison.

"May the curse now be lifted

On this evil home.

Send souls to beyond

So they'll no longer roam.

We offer this ghost

To be here always;

To release the others,

This spirit stays."

A blue circle suddenly appeared on the floor next to the séance table. George slowly stepped into it, and was encased in blue light. He was lifted into the air, and so was Madame Leota. Beams of light shot out from them, and began to ensnare the house.

And transform it.

The light shot through the foyer and into the secret portrait gallery – the paintings each transformed, un-stretching and remaining as what they first looked like. The paintings in the portrait gallery morphed back to what they once were, never to shift into cursed scenes again. The 'endless' hallway returned to how it once was, with only a few guest rooms and not freakishly long. Everywhere through the house, dust disappeared, spider webs vanished, and most importantly of all, ghosts moved on.

The streams of light made sure to not leave anyone out as they surrounded the surprised ghosts – they were transformed into ghostly spirit balls, and slowly dispersed away from the mansion to the great beyond.

The man nailed in the coffin yelped in shock as the lid was ripped off and he was finally removed from his 'final resting place.' Prudence the maid was whooping and hollering with delight, and her final words to the mansion were "GOOD RIDDANCE YOU PIECE OF-" before disappearing to the afterlife.

Spirits finally escaped from the doorways they were trapped behind in the corridor of doors. The wallpaper changed too – it was no longer a glaring demonic print, but a normal, elegant pattern.

The curse on Emily Cavanaugh was broken as her corpse, still locked in the trunk, vanished, and the ghost's wedding dress vanished, returning to what she would wear every day.

"Thank you, George!" She called as she was lifted into the sky, "No offense, but I think we're going to have to call this wedding off!" The junk in the attic, as well as the ghouls hiding in it, vanished, allowing it to become nice and organized.

The dancers in the ballroom were finally able to bow to their partners and depart, and the organist finished his song with a loud, beautiful chord instead of a horribly out of tune one. The party guests continued to celebrate as they were all freed from the mansion.

Meanwhile, in the graveyard, all of the ghosts were departing ways and saying goodbye to one another. Dustin bravely said farewell to Rolly as the invisible stallion headed for horsey heaven and Dustin to his own afterlife. The singing busts sang one last tune.

"So we'll sing you a little song

and it wont' be very long

About so long – so looooooooong!"

As they finished, they disappeared from their places, leaving only marble pillars as a sign that they were there.

And in the crypt, Ezra, Gus, Phineas and Little Leota were saying goodbye.

"So long, Gus!" Ezra said, "Maybe I'll see you again sometime! Do they allow gambling in heaven?"

"And cigars?" Phineas added hopefully. Little Leota chuckled as she and her friends were carried off to the great beyond.

A great change came over the whole house – the excessive foliage dispersed, and the gardens and cemetery looked like they'd been well trimmed and taken care of for years. The whole house seemed to brighten – like there was a great weight suddenly lifted off its shoulders. It was no longer a dilapidated old mansion; rather, the pristine vision of loveliness it had been when first built.

The curse was lifted.

Meanwhile, in the séance room, George and Leota slowly floated back to the ground.

"It is done. I can sense it," Leota said, closing her eyes, "The spirits are finally freed." George exhaled and smiled – it seemed to be the first genuine smile Crystal had seen on him since she got here.

"You did the right thing," She said, putting her hand on his shoulder.

"I know. And I can't thank you enough for freeing everyone," He said happily, "I want you to have this."

He snapped his fingers and a check appeared in his hand.

"Your payment for 'redesigning' the mansion." George handed her the check and she looked at the amount. Her jaw dropped.

"One million dollars?" She said exasperatedly, "I cant accept this!"

"Please, take it. It's not nearly enough to pay for what you've done for us, but I believe it is still a considerable amount of money in today's world. And don't worry – I still have enough to keep the house well maintained."

"T-thank you," She stammered gratefully, putting the check carefully in her pocket.

"Thank you again – and please, feel free to visit us any time." George said.

"Hurry back...hurry back...be sure to bring your death certificate...we're just DYING to have you. Plus, I don't know how I'll stand it if he's the only other one here," Leota added with a sly grin.

Crystal said farewell to the two as she left the mansion. She was shocked to see it now – the sun had come up, and it was a beautiful vision with a clean garden and nice décor.

"Wow…" She said breathlessly, and slightly jealously. Maybe someday she could convince George to let her move in.

As Crystal drove away from the house, with enough money to get her business started again and enough memories to last a lifetime, she knew that 'The Haunted Mansion' had taught her a valuable lesson. She had come here simply looking for money, but was leaving with so much more.

And that was reward enough.

The End