Chapter Mission: Final Mission-All Members

Sandy, Mr. Burns, and Shnitzel looked at the door as a weary Smithers and a disappointed Ed reentered home base.

"Well…" said Sandy. "You two seem exhilarated."

Smithers said nothing; he just walked by the desk and plopped down in a chair next to Eustace.

"It was so cool!" said Ed. "The lake became alive, and a fireball almost ate Four-Eyes!"

Shnitzel stared at Ed. "Radda…" he muttered.

"Wow," said Sandy. "Sounds like it could have gotten really ugly."

"You mean uglier," said Smithers, finally speaking again.

"Oh come now, Smithers!" said Mr. Burns. "Don't tell me you're upset just because your clothes almost got singed!"

"You don't know the half of it, sir…" Smithers muttered.

Sandy decided to change the subject. "Well…now that everyone's gone on a mission, I guess we're ready for the final mission." She clicked on the folder that read "Final Mission."

One last window popped up on the screen.

"Congratulations on nearly making it through your night at the Hawthorne Mill," Sandy read. "Before continuing, discuss with your group and decide which three members experienced the most paranormal activity. Then, out of the three, decide which member experienced the most paranormal activity overall. Also, decide which of the three locations you visited had the most activity, or "The Heart of the Haunting." When you have made your decisions, click on the three members that had the most activity and the area that you consider "The Heart of the Haunting." Your further instructions will be printed out based on your choices."

Sandy turned back to the group. "Well, I know on my mission, nothing happened until Eustace touched the weaving looms. Then strange things kept happening in the weaving loom room, where Eustace was…" She paused. "I vote Eustace as one of the top three."

Then Ed decided to speak up. "The fireball almost ate Four-Eyes before the lake became alive," he said.

Everyone looked at Smithers. Their response was a sour glare.

"Yeah…" said Sandy. "But it was your chanting that made the spirit appear, Ed," said Sandy. "I think you should go."

Ed's face immediately lit up. "Yay!" he said.

Sandy then looked at Shnitzel and Mr. Burns. "What about you two?" she asked.

"Well, although I admit it was this beast's disturbing of the press that caused the madness on our mission," Mr. Burns said while pointing at Shnitzel, "when the dressmaker's dummies fell over, I distinctly felt entities flying past me."

"So you're saying you experience the most paranormal activity?" asked Sandy. "Even out of everyone else?"

"Well, I would certainly hope so!" said Mr. Burns. "Considering I always have the most of everything anyway…"

Shnitzel rolled his eyes. "Oh, radda radda…" he muttered.

"O…kay," said Sandy. "So it's agreed: Ed, Eustace, and Mr. Burns experience the most paranormal activity, Mr. Burns experienced the most out of everyone, and the press room is the Heart of the Haunting?"

"Yep!" said Ed.

Mr. Burns nodded.

Smithers and Shnitzel shrugged.

Eustace snored.

"Oh, yeah," said Sandy. "Somebody wake him up. He's gonna want to hear this."

Smithers reached over and shook Eustace on the shoulder (his experience with Mr. Burns helped).

Eustace slowly sat up. "What's-huh?" he asked. "Do we get the money now?"

"We probably will after we finish this last mission," said Smithers. "Oh, and we voted you as one of the three members who encountered the most paranormal activity."

"Wha?!" asked Eustace. "What do I get out of it?"

"If you cooperate, your share of money," said Sandy. She then turned to the computer. "Okay, top three is Eustace, Ed, and Mr. Burns…Heart of the Haunting is the pressing room…and enter."

Just then, the printer next to the computer printed out a page filled with further instructions. Sandy picked it up.

"Now that you have chosen your top three and the Heart of the Haunting, all five of you are to head to the pressing room, each with your backpacks. Also, located in the corner of the room are a card table and a bag that is vital to your vital mission; bring those items along as well. Do not read further until you have all entered the Heart of the Haunting."

Everyone looked over to the corner of the room. Indeed, there was a card table and a small bag sitting there.

"Huh," said Smithers. "I didn't notice that there."

"I thought it was left behind by some wandering delinquent," said Mr. Burns, as Shnitzel helped him put his backpack back on.

"Who cares?" asked Eustace. "Let's just get this stupid mission over with so I can get me money!"

"Hear, hear!" said Mr. Burns.

"Is that all you think about?" Sandy asked Eustace. "Money?"

"Nope," said Eustace. "I think about me favorite chair, too."

Smithers and Shnitzel rolled their eyes.

Shnitzel got the card table and the bag from the corner of the room. Then, after everyone got their bags on, they all began the trek to the pressing room.

---

"Ah, yes," said Mr. Burns, looking at the room with the intimidating pressing machine and still overturned dressmaker's dummies. "Just the way we left it, eh old boy?"

All this earned was a weird look from Shnitzel.

"All right, we're here," said Smithers. "Now what?"

Sandy, who still held the instructions, looked back at them again.

"Once you are in the Heart of the Haunting, set the card table up, and look in the bag. Take out the scroll that is in it and put it on the table."

Smithers set up the card table, while Shnitzel opened the bag and pulled out a large scroll. The rock creature unrolled the large piece of paper and placed it on the card table. Basically, the pictures on the scroll looked like something out of an exorcism session.

"Ooh!" said Ed. "I saw that in a movie once."

Smithers looked at the scroll. There were two outlines of hands on each side of the paper, and a large circle in the middle.

"Uh, I'm starting to have second thoughts about this," said the assistant.

"Oh, good heavens, Smithers," said Mr. Burns. "I've been on the brink of death for so long anyway; what's one more moment of living on the edge?"

Smithers sighed in defeat. "You're the boss…boss," he said.

"Exactly," said Mr. Burns. "Now, what exactly are we supposed to do with this parchment?"

"Well, let's see…" said Sandy, reading the instructions further.

"Also in the bag is an item that was connected to Wooden Lucy. This item is to be placed in the circle on the parchment."

Shnitzel reached into the bag again and pulled out a wooden bracelet. He placed it in the circle in the middle of the parchment.

"Eustace is to place his hand in the hand-print on the right, and Ed is to place his hand in the hand-print on the left. Mr. Burns is to place his hand on the item that is connected to Wooden Lucy. Nobody is allowed to remove their hand during the course of the mission.

"Once everyone is ready, the chosen three are to recite the incantation on the scroll, starting with Ed, then Eustace, and ending with Mr. Burns. The incantation is to be said three times.

"Mr. Burns will act as the vessel that the spirit contacted will speak through. Your last job is to attempt to liberate the spirit and allow it to cross over to the other side. When you feel you have gotten enough information, Mr. Burns will say the incantation at the top of the scroll to allow the spirit to cross over."

"WHAT?!" asked Smithers.

"COOL!" said Ed.

"Radda…" said Shnitzel.

"Well…I guess that's it," said Sandy. "I guess you guys can start at any time."

Ed looked at his part of the incantation. "We open the door to the world beyond," he said. Then he giggled excitedly.

Eustace then looked at his part, knowing that the faster he did it, the faster he'd get his money. "We call to the spirit trapped in this place," he said.

Finally, Mr. Burns looked at his part of the incantation. "Enter me now through this token of your past," he said. "Ooh, mysterious."

Meanwhile, Sandy and Shnitzel looked on, waiting for something to happen. Smithers seemed terribly uneasy, most likely because he was worried about his boss (either that, or he had to go to the bathroom).

"We open the door to the world beyond…"

"We call to the spirit trapped in this place…"

"Enter me now through this token of your past…"

"We open the door to the world beyond…"

"We call to the spirit trapped in this place…"

"Enter me now through this token of your past…"

Then…silence.

Sandy looked around. Nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary. "So, uh…" She turned her attention to Mr. Burns. "You feel anything?"

"Well, let's see…" said Mr. Burns. "I suddenly feel…angry, and…hurt…resentful…"

"You think it's Wooden Lucy?" asked Smithers.

"Radda radda," Shnitzel answered.

"Also, this image keeps flashing into my head," said Mr. Burns. "This room, with a desk, and a file cabinet…"

"Mr. Hawthorne's office!" Sandy exclaimed.

"Radda?" asked Shnitzel.

"Well, that makes sense…" said Smithers. "It's understandable that she would be upset at her husband…"

WHOOSH!

WHAM!

Suddenly, as if Smithers hadn't had enough scares that night, a dressmaker's dummy unexpectedly sailed through the air and slammed into the wall…right next to the door that led upstairs!

Everyone jumped (and the chosen three even did it without taking their hands away).

"Okay…" said Smithers. "That's not normal!"

"RADDA!" Shnitzel suddenly yelled.

And he had a good reason to yell. The skin presser had suddenly started rolling all by itself. At the same time, another dressmaker's dummy flew across the room, nearly missing Eustace.

"Eh!" said Eustace. "What are ya tryin' to do, knock me head clean off my shoulders?!"

"Faster pussycat, faster!" Ed exclaimed.

"Say the last incantation!" Sandy yelled to Mr. Burns.

Mr. Burns frantically looked at the last incantation at the top of the scroll. "You are no longer welcome here. We close off our circle to you. Go now and leave us in peace!"

Then, just as quickly as it began, everything stopped. Dummies stopped flying, and the presser stopped turning. Everything was quiet again.

Everybody was panting hard.

"Well, I'd say we have enough evidence…" said Smithers.

"Eh…stupid ghosts…" said Eustace.

"Yeah, I'd say were done here…" said Sandy. "Just grab everything and run!"

With that, Shnitzel quickly rolled the scroll back up, put it and the bracelet back in the bag, folded up the card table, and joined everyone else in running out of the Hawthorne Mill, and straight back to home base.

---

All six team members burst through the door of home base.

"Well…" Mr. Burns panted. "I dare say we've done enough damage for one night?"

"Radda radda radda," said Shnitzel, nodding.

"Okay…" said Smithers. "I still don't believe in ghosts, but…I'm not sure I can explain how that happened."

"And…I suppose there are some things that even science can't explain…" said Sandy.

"Eh, who cares?" asked Eustace. "When do we get the money?"

"Apparently, we can leave once the sun comes up," said Smithers. "We'll probably get our money when we get back to our cars."

"Well, our timing's perfect," said Sandy, looking out the window. "Look! The sun's coming up right now!"

"Radda!" said Shnitzel.

"Well, it's about time!" said Mr. Burns. "I don't think I could have handled another minute in this place. Come, Smithers." He began to head toward the door.

"Right away, sir," said Smithers. However, his mood seemed to drop when he remembered the large backpack he had to carry. And Mr. Burns hadn't even used it!

"Radda," said Shnitzel. Without even having to be asked, he picked up the large backpack and walked out of home base. Sandy and Ed followed.

When the group got to the dock at the lake, they saw a boat and a rower waiting for them.

"Now that's service!" said Eustace.

As the group was walking to the dock, Ed suddenly saw something out of the corner of his eye. He immediately turned, just in time to see this faint outline of what appeared to be a woman wearing old-time clothes…

"Ed, you coming?" Sandy called to him.

"Coming!" said Ed, heading toward the boat. "Went right over my head…

End Cartoon Paranormal Project 2

Author's Note: And at long last, the second Cartoon Paranormal Project comes to a close. And I'm glad it's done. But now it's time for me to be serious about something (uh oh…).

You see, I'm thinking about taking another hiatus for a while. I've had to deal with a lot of things lately, and I'm afraid if I keep writing like I am now, I'll experience a total burnout.

Unfortunately, this means that Kingdom of Earth may be delayed for a while. I feel bad for keeping the fans waiting, but I'd rather write when I'm at the top of my game. So although it may be delayed, it is coming. Until then, happy reading! ;)-AMX