"So, what do you think?" Gina asked anxiously.
"I don't know..." Dana rubbed her forehead hard, stupefied. "I mean..."
"You think it was faked, somehow; don't you?"
"No, I...well, yes," she admitted with a sigh. "To be honest, I think you're trying to make a fool out of Tony. For dragging you over there."
"You do remember the condition you found me in, right?"
"Yes, I..." Dana surrendered.
"Good. You think I faked it back then, too?"
"No," she said steadfastly. "I saw you, you were..."
"A mess," Gina added. "So..."
"I don't know, okay?" Dana erupted. "It's just...too damn insane!"
"Yet, you saw it!"
"The video doesn't show much, Gina," Dana said. "It's...well, basically you, struggling with...yourself."
"You think I could pull all this off on my own?!"
"No, yes...I don't know!" Dana got up, pulling her hair. "I don't know what to think! Yes, the video does seem...impossible to be just you pulling a fast one on me, and I remember the last time, but, it's still..." She stopped, drew a deep breath. "Look," she spoke with calm, "even if it's true, what next?"
"Didn't Tony want proof that ghosts exist?" Gina protested. "Here you have it!"
"You're going to show this to him? Or, to the world, for that matter?"
"I don't know...all I know is..."
"We should tell the cops; let them raze down the mansion!"
"What?" Gina leaped up. "You've got to be kidding!"
"You mean, you don't want the mansion burned down? Despite...everything?"
"I..." Gina remained silent, lost in thoughts.
"You liked it," Dana remarked in bewilderment.
"Yes..." Gina whispered. "I...don't know. It was, different, I guess."
"I hope you're not trying to convince me to go with you! Especially not after..."
"No, I wasn't really trying to..." Gina paused. "Okay, yes, the thought did cross my mind."
"You're insane!" Dana cried.
"Maybe," Gina nodded with a faint smile. "Look, you said it yourself, the video is not very clear...it will be quickly dismissed as fake."
"So, what? You want me as witness?"
"No...yes, in a way. I want someone there; to see it, too! To tell me I'm not crazy!"
"I was there the first time; you were, indeed, a mess. I can attest to that. And I doubt you did it just to mess with Tony and me."
"No, I didn't...I was really...well, attacked by that ghost."
"And you went back."
"I went back, yes. Couldn't help it."
"And you want to go back, again."
"Yes," Gina lowered her glance to the floor.
"Look, we're probably both going crazy here; I can't otherwise explain all this, but...fuck it, let's do it."
"You mean it?" Gina's eyes beamed.
"No," Dana chuckled forcefully. "But, if it's going to put your mind at ease, let's go over there, be done with it."
"Thank you," Gina embraced her friend tightly, and with a broad smile.
* * * *
"I swear to God, man," Fred whispered, "if this is another wild goose chase of yours, I'm going to beat your ghost-obsessed ass till you turn into a ghost!"
"Shut up, man," Tony said sternly. "It's not like that. Not this time."
"Then, why in the name of fuck are we here?"
"Dana's coming, with a friend."
"Alright, now we're cooking! What, a risqué rendezvous in the so-called haunted mansion? I'm digging it. Who's the friend?"
"Gina, you know her. And it's not what you think."
"She's hot," Fred nodded in approval. "What do you mean?"
"We're here to...watch out for them."
"Come again?" Fred raised his voice.
"It's a long story..." Tony said reluctantly.
"It's about the fucking ghost," Fred sighed in resignation. "We're wasting a perfectly good night on ghost-hunting. Motherf..."
Tony hushed his friend hurriedly, as Gina and Dana came walking down the street.
"Lower your fucking head," Tony pushed his friend down behind the dense bushes.
"Why's Gina dressed like a 10-dollar street-whore?"
"As I was trying to say..." Tony sighed and quickly briefed Fred on the situation.
* * * *
"Something's different," Gina said, glancing about anxiously.
"What do you mean?" Dana's voice trembled slightly. "And why the hell did you dress like that?"
"I told you, it's part of the...I don't know. It just feels right."
"Right...so, what are we looking for?"
"We should be heading down to the basement; it's where it happened last time, but..."
"Yes?"
"I can't hear any music."
"Music?" Dana raised her eyebrow.
"Yeah, last time there was this...music, that guided me down to the basement."
"What kind of music?"
"It was...classical music, I think. Nothing I could recognize, but...it had that vibe."
"Ah-hum," Dana frowned. "Where was it coming from?"
"I've no idea," Gina dismissed her. "It was just...audible. It was seemingly coming from...nowhere."
"Great," Dana sighed heavily. "You do realize you sound even more insane that Tony, right? Whom, apropos, you were mocking the first time."
"I know, I know...you'll see, though. You'll see..." She said and pushed the door leading to the basement open.
"Yeah," Dana peeked inside and laughed dryly, "I'm not going down there; it's pitch dark, and there's no music."
"There ought to have been a light..." Gina scratched her head. "Come, we'll use our phones."
"You've gone crazy! What the hell are we going down there for? There's nothing!"
"Come on, don't be such a baby!" Gina turned her phone's flashlight on and descended the staircase confidently, anticipation swarming her heart and body.
* * * *
"What are we doing down here?" Fred asked solemnly.
"I don't know," Tony said. "I just promised Dana we'd follow them; just play along. Nothing will happen and we'll all together go to a bar afterwards, to laugh at all this."
"Wow," Fred looked at his friend in surprise. "The great ghost-hunter is certain nothing will happen! Are you finally coming to your senses, brother?"
"Believing in ghosts and believing something extraordinary will happen tonight are two different things, man; Gina's spooked, for some reason, and apparently obsessed with this mansion.
"We're here to ensure she doesn't do anything crazy."
"And that's the girl you want me to go for drinks with afterwards," Fred sighed.