Chapter 3

One More Little Ally: The year is 1945. Alex is 24 years old. Of course Mary and Casper are forever stuck at 51 and 50, respectively. The place is New York City, New York. Alex is embracing his new destiny and Mary and Casper don't let the fact that they are glowing ghosts stop them from caring deeply for one another. Mary and Casper will be forever sad that they lost their four children, and themselves, to the plague, but having the brave and exuberant Alexander in their lives has stopped their wandering and has again given them purpose.

It was about a week later of Mary and Casper feeling this weird pull on their spectral selves that they finally found the place of power that was beckoning to them like love to a woman's heart. It is a Victorian home four stories tall and set back in a field long since cared for. It is run down and overrun with weeds and plants as a more romantic time has fallen by the wayside. The place is so run down that the dark brown paint almost looks black.

After some investigation Alex has learned that they have séances every Saturday night and for a thousand dollars you can talk to one of your loved ones that have passed. "Where am I going to get a thousand dollars?" Wonders Alex.

"We don't know yet." Answers Mary. "But, we're going to have to do something because something very weird is going on in that house."

"I agree." Says Casper.

"I agree, too." Says Alex. "But, that won't get us through the front door."

All of a sudden Mary laughs, which is a sweet musical laughter. "What?" Asks Casper smiling.

"We will steal it from the very people who are taking advantage of hurting humans and who I believe are enslaving lost spirits."

Both Alex and Casper smile. Mary is definitely the brains of the outfit. "I like it! It is poetic justice. I guess it is a good thing I was a thieving fool in my teens."

"Okay," says Casper. "This Saturday after their gathering we will follow them home, find where they keep their stash, and then you can go in and steal it."

"This is only Thursday, what am I going to do until then?"

"Talk to some more neighbors and get a better picture of what might be going on in there." Says Mary matter-of-factly.

"Yes ma'am." Says Alex saluting Mary. Mary may be a ghost and a fifty-one year old woman when she died, but she is still way adorable and her red hair and green eyes still shine bright to those who can see her at all.

The haunted mansion is down at the end of a deserted street. It is a place where the kids dare each other to see how close they can get. One of the older boys named Tommy actually set foot on the creaking covered porch, but a little giggle sent all the kids running home.

One thing about a house being haunted almost nobody cares if you take up residence in it. That is where Alex lives with Mary and Casper, in a house in Hell's Kitchen that they helped the haunting spirit realize he had a second chance to set things straight and still get into Heaven.

All the grouchy old spirit had to do was have Alex get a message to his widowed wife that he hadn't lost all their money gambling. The man directed Alex to a floorboard in their bedroom and when Alex tore it up, much to the chagrin of the woman, Alex pulled out the box with some eighty thousand dollars in it that he was saving for their retirement. The woman came to believe and lived a better life and the man got his golden pass in through Heaven's gate.

So as Friday has come Alex has borrowed a neighbor's dog and is acting like he is just taking his dog for a walk down the long deserted street. "I wouldn't go down there if I were you."

"Oh yeah, how come?" Says Alex to the elderly lady watering her lawn.

"That place is cursed. Haunted, you know!"

"Hmm. Well, that's okay, I'm not afraid of ghosts."

The old lady's eyes go big and then she looks around to make sure nobody else is listening then she says, "Between you and me I think there are some less than reputable people that go in and out of there every Saturday night."

"What do you think they are doing?" Asks Alex trying not to seem too interested.

"I once got the nerve up to walk down there and I heard chanting coming from within the house. I don't have to tell you once I saw some lights glowing inside I ran home and have not been down that street again."

"Wow! Well, thank you for the warning, but I'm just walking my dog."

Now Alex because of his brain damage from the war can see ghosts and as he is walking up and down the street he doesn't see anything specific, but he is getting the feeling of sadness or oppression. Either one is unacceptable and is why Mary, Casper and he have embraced their new calling.

Come Saturday night Mary, Casper and Alex are setting outside in their 1937 dark green Ford coupe. First a long black car pulls up and two people get out. The man is carrying a big book. About an hour later three more cars pull up and regular looking people get out and slowly and skittishly make their way up and into the house.

It is about twenty minutes after that when Alex sees Mary and Casper's glowing auras being pulled towards the house. They have to fight the power that is calling them in that direction, but hand in hand Mary and Casper's love wins through again.

"That is a lot of power. Whatever is going on in there it is real." Says Casper. Mary just nods her head because she knows this is the strongest thing next to the one demon they have run across.

"Not to worry. All power has its source. We find it, make it our own and use it for good."

"Okay." Mary smiles at Alex because he is brave and true.

Another twenty minutes later all the people are leaving and they actually seem happy and satisfied.

As soon as the original big black car leaves they follow it. They follow it up to a brownstone house not too far from where they already were. When the people go into the house Mary and Casper go with them. Mary and Casper watch the couple put all the night's earnings in a tin box that they have stashed away in the basement.