Chapter 5

We were having such a good time that the afternoon passed too quickly. We didn't realize how late it was until it began to grow dark outside. At this time of year, during a snowstorm, it is almost dark by 4:30 PM. We all returned to our rooms to get a little rest before starting to get ready for dinner. In my little group's case, we all went to my bedroom to talk.

I began, "Well, we haven't found a way back home, but we learned a lot so far. We know what our names are, and where we are from. We know a little about our past lives, at least that part of it that we spent at school with Anne. We've met all of the guests that have arrived so far, plus Anne, and her brother Jeremy. We've learned that her mother is deceased, as are her grandparents. And we've met her cousins. Their parents will be coming for the party next weekend but haven't arrived yet. That pretty much sums up what we have learned, except for the most important fact.

"Which is what?", Roberta asked.

"You all remember the ghost that we were running from last night, just before we found ourselves here?"

They all nodded.

"Did any of you get a good look at him?"

They all shook their heads to indicate that they had not.

"Well, I did. That ghost is our host, Mr. Westervelt, Anne's father."

The silence was expected. They all looked at me with their mouths hung open in shock.

Finally, Roberta said, "You're absolutely sure?"

"As positive as I could be. He was right in front of me when he changed from a ghost into human form. Or at least what appeared to be human form. We still don't know if this is a reality, a dream, or if we've been drugged, or hypnotized."

Roberta said, "I've been thinking about it. If we were drugged, I don't think that our minds would be functioning as well as they appear to be. I'm ready to concede that 'drugged' has been moved to the 'most unlikely category. I'd also put hypnotized there as well. Everything is too real, down to the smallest detail. I think that we should concentrate on 'reality', or 'altered reality' as you mentioned last night."

"OK, lets take a look at 'altered reality'. Everything here appears real. Our senses appear to be fully active. But we know that in the real world, time travel is not practicable. Or at least not for humans. Most people do not really believe in ghosts, yet the apparition that we saw certainly seems to fit the definition that we accept about ghosts. It was when the apparition cornered us in the front hallway and metamorphosed into a human that everything 'altered'. It was at that point that we appeared to move into these bodies, that the house became 'lived in' again, and that time appeared to shift to 1883. I would say that that qualifies as 'altered reality'. Now to the most important question, other than 'how'. WHY? I have a possible theory, but I'd like to get your ideas before I give mine, because mine is so far-out. Martha?"

"Because it's what ghosts do. It wants to scare us. And it has scared me, I can tell you."

"Elizabeth?"

"It wants us out of its house, and wants to frighten us so badly that we never return."

"Roberta?"

"It might be using us to feed off of. It might be sucking some kind of life force from our bodies through our fears. You know, draining energy from us."

"My opinion is that it's a little more complicated than any of your explanations", I said. "And let me emphasize that this is only an opinion. I don't have any facts to support it. Let's review what we do know. A girl is having a gala event to announce her engagement of marriage. She has invited four of her best friends to attend. On the way to her house, they are caught in a severe snowstorm, which prevents their arrival. We've been told that when we were found... rather, when these bodies were found, the girls were believed to have passed away from exposure to the elements. If that had been true, what would it do to the event? Your four best friends were killed because of your invitation? Not directly of course, but people in grief blame themselves. Anne may have had a breakdown, or even committed suicide. You've all seen what a 'people' person she is. She may not have been able to handle the grief in a rational way."

Robert said, "So what are you saying, that we are here because she was grieving for her friends?"

"No. I'm trying to say that the ghost may have pulled us here and put our life force into these bodies in an effort to save his daughter's life. Look at it this way, we are put into these bodies just as their life force extinguishes. They come back to life, so to speak, without any apparent sign of injury or harm. The party continues on, Anne announces her engagement, and the happy couple lives happily after. The four friends return to their lives elsewhere. Once their bodies are no longer needed for Anne's happiness, the ghost can allow our life force to return to our bodies. Probably at the next moment after we were pulled out, by altering time. We may not even remember the transition, or if we do, it will all seem like a fantastic dream. After all, would you believe someone if they told you a story like this? I know that my theory sounds wild. But truth is often stranger than fiction."

"So how do we get back?" Roberta asked.

"If my speculation is correct, then we can't leave until after the engagement party is over. Or, the ghost may want us to stay for our entire scheduled visit and return home, before releasing us. He would not want Anne to feel responsible for our deaths in any way after going to so much trouble to bring us here."

Martha said, "He's going to kill us?"

"No. At least not our life force. If he's a benevolent spirit, then I think that he will put us back into our bodies. But, he will have to let these bodies die at some point, unless he finds other life forces to put in them. After all, their owners have already departed them."

Elizabeth said, "You're talking as if they are vacant houses."

"In a way, that's exactly as I think of them. We're locked inside and the ghost has the only key that we know of."

Roberta said, "So how long do we have to stay here?"

"I would say that at least a week, but more likely a month. The ghost will not want these bodies to expire while here, and we are snowed in, like it or not. Also, remember that we are four of the bridesmaids for Anne's wedding. The ghost may want us to stay in this time period until the wedding ceremony is over. And upon further reflection, I think that that's highly likely. Like any good father, he'll want his little girl to be happy, as much as possible."