Standing before the glass door, Skyler let out a sigh, gripping the oak wand in his hand. He gently parted the curtains just enough
to sneak a peek outside.
The candlelight was faint, casting a dim glow that barely illuminated the face of the person outside. He could just make out the
features.
His heart skipped a beat. Was that Raines?
Could it be sspectral entity taking the form of Raines?
He looked down at the other's feet. Beverley had said there were two ways to tell if it was a ghost or a person, check for a shadow
and check for feet. Ghosts had neither.
Closing the curtains, he tiptoed back.
"What did you see? Is it a ghost?" Beverley asked.
"Definitely a ghost. | mean, who shows up on a balcony all of a sudden?" Nina chimed in.
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Skyler whispered, "He has feet. Not sure if it's a ghost, but he's the spitting image of Raines."
"What?" Beverley jolted, "A ghost looking like Raines?"
"Raines lives next door. Let's check if he's there, and we'll know for sure," Nina suggested.
"I'll go." William rose and stealthily made his way out, careful not to alarm the balcony's eerie visitor.
The next room wasn't locked. He turned the knob and glanced inside.
The room was cold, the bed empty, the covers strewn on the floor in disarray. The balcony door was wide open, the curtain
fluttering in the night breeze.
He hurried back, "Raines" not there."
"Really?" Skyler scratched his head, "The one on the balcony isn't Raines, is it? Not a ghost?"
"But why would Raines go to the study balcony this late?" Nina asked, curious.
"It's possession." Beverley declared, "Our séance must've summoned a spirit that's latched onto Raines, making him climb from his
room to ours."
"Could Raines be in danger? Let's bring him inside," Kane suggested.
"Okay," the others nodded.
Skyler rushed to open the balcony door. Raines stood motionless, his eyes wide but vacant, as if still lost in slumber.
Skyler waved his hand in front of Raines' eyes, eliciting no response.
Beverley covered her mouth in horror, exclaiming, "Raines is really possessed."
"Let's use the oak wand to drive the spirit away," William said, brandishing the wand before Raines, then poking gently, "Will this
banish the ghost?"
"Raines' not reacting. Could the possession make him immune to the wand?" Nina ventured cautiously.
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"lI don't know," Mira shook her head, hiding behind Beverley, fearing Raines would suddenly charge.
"Raines?" Kane called out, but Raines remained unresponsive, seemingly deaf to the calls.
"I'll get Dad." Kane turned and dashed out. In times like these, it was best to call in Leopold.
Soon enough, Leopold arrived with Kane, "What's happened? What's wrong with Raines?"
Beverley stuttered out the story of the séance gone wrong, "We were trying to contact Liam's spirit, but we summoned some
unknown specter that's attached to Raines. Leopold, what do we do now?"
Leopold was speechless, his mind racing. As a staunch materialist, he didn't believe in ghost stories, especially since Liam was
very much alive.
"He's probably sleepwalking."
"Sleepwalking?" Skyler echoed, startled, "Does he have a history of sleepwalking?"
"I'm not certain, but it could be a case of post-traumatic stress disorder," Leopold suggested.
Skyler stroked his chin, "Actually, it does look a lot like sleepwalking."