End of last post:

"Out of the old clothing closet floated a ghostly apparition. The figure appeared to be a woman in her late 50's or early 60's. She was elegantly dressed in a long flowing dress with a high collar and low cut bodice. She moved with well bred grace, and except for haunting eyes, and an obvious lack of a physical body, she might have been said to be pretty.

"'Who are you?' I asked the wraith-like woman.

"'My name is Maggie Smyth,' she replied in a voice that echoed across the ages.

"'Are you a ghost?' I asked in a stammering voice.

"'I am, but don't be afraid. I'm on your side.'"


The story continues:


"'I can't imagine how you could be,' Tabby said, cocking a disdainful eye at the ghost.

"'You've met Mildred, the witch,' Maggie began gently.

"'Is that her name?' Tabby asked.

"'Yes, Mildred. Mildred my friend--Mildred my tormenter--Mildred the head of a whole army of evil creatures. Her treachery helped end my life, and now holds me prisoner here in this home.'

"'How can she hold you prisoner?' I asked. 'I mean, you're a ghost. Can't you just float away?'

"'I wish it was that easy. She holds great power over me, my young friends.'

"'But how can the living control the dead?' Tabby asked.

"'You would be surprised how easily it can happen,' Maggie explained sadly. 'I haven't always been dead, and her control began when I was still very much alive.'

"'How did it start?' Tabby encouraged.

"'Tabby,' I interrupted. 'We need to hurry. The others are getting pretty far ahead of us.'

"'I need to rest,' she said quickly. 'Please, go ahead, Maggie. How did it start for you?'

"'Quite innocently,' she explained, 'as is often the case where evil creatures are involved. We simply met in town one day while I was shopping. I was new to the community and she made me feel welcome. We would see each other about once a week and began to develop a friendly relationship.'

"'Did it go bad after that?' Tabby asked.

"'Not at first,' Maggie continued. 'She was good company, but it all changed one day when I invited her over for supper. I can't tell you how many times I regretted that offer.'

"'Did she put you under a spell or something?' I asked, curious in spite of my anxiety.

"'Oh, it wasn't anything that obvious,' Maggie said. 'What she did to me and my family happened little by little.

"'First, while we were eating supper, she told me she was staying alone in town, and that she had no living family. Naturally, I felt sorry for her, and invited her to stay with us. As you can see, we have a huge house and there were plenty of empty rooms. We agreed she could help me with housework and chores, and I could pay her wages and give her a place to live with friends. So, she moved in and provided me company day and night.

"'At first, the arrangement worked well, superb even, but then she began sowing discord---one lie at a time. Next thing you knew, there was no peace in the home at all.'

"'Why didn't you just kick her out?' I asked. 'I can't imagine letting someone come between me and the ones I love.'

"'I had become dependent on her like some people are addicted to drugs or alcohol. I had no other friends, subtly she saw to that. The night my youngest son, Stewart, was killed in a saloon in town, Mildred was right by our sides. She gave us tearful sympathy, but then encouraged my husband to go confront the owner and to take my other sons with him. She said she wouldn't let him get away with killing her son--all delivered with crocodile tears and sobs.

"'The guys left in a rage, just as she suggested, but once they did, she sent one of our servants to the saloon owner to warn him they were on their way. She instructed him to take a fast horse, and use a secret short-cut to town I didn't even know existed. I was shocked. She explained it was for everyone's good because she was afraid there would be violence. I asked her why she had talked them into going in the first place if she thought things would go badly. She claimed she never did, but I knew differently--I wasn't that distraught."

"That's horrible," Tabby said, her face a mask of compassion.

""'t was,' Maggie agreed; 'more than you could ever imagine. It was then I first understood she wasn't what she seemed.'

"'What did you do then?' Tabby asked.

"'In anger, I ordered Mildred to leave. She went to pack her things, but came back crying, telling me she had only thought she was helping, and the last thing she ever wanted was for anyone to get hurt. She said she loved my family, that it was like her own she had lost long ago.'

"'Tell me you didn't give in and let her stay,' Tabby said.

"'I did,' Maggie admitted with shame. 'She seemed so sorry. That decision was another of my many mistakes, and then I just kept on making them, even after I found my husband, and all but one son, was killed at the saloon. I continued to make them even after my one surviving son died in battle a few years later.'

"'That must have been devastating,' I said.

"'Yes, yes. I think I just gave up at that point. Mildred comforted me in my sorrow and guided me through my pain. She cried when I cried, laughed when I laughed, and then, when I sank into a deep depression, she helped me mix the poison that took my life. As I was passing out, I could hear her laughing hysterically in the background. I knew, then, the extent of her betrayal, but, of course, it was too late. She now holds the ransom on my soul.'

"'Where are your husband and sons now?' I asked apprehensively. 'Rumor has it they haunt this place with you.'

"'They have all passed to the other side,' she answered with the first hint of a smile. 'They are safely beyond her grasp, and the only way I can join them, is to break the bond she has on me. The only beings haunting this mansion, young lady, is Mildred and her friends. I'm just another prisoner.'

"'How can you break this bond?' I asked, getting into the story.

"'In theory it's easy,' Maggie explained. 'All I have to do is save one person's life. Unfortunately, Mildred has kept me prisoner here, so I can't get out to do it. I have only this room as my own. It's my sanctuary in a sea of hate and despair. It's the only room that doesn't glow green.'

"'Yeah, where does that come from?' Tabby asked.

"'It's part of her magic.'

"'Why green?' Tabby asked.

"'I don't know; she can change the color when she wants. My room glows yellow, like the light of a candle. As long as I keep her happy, she leaves it that way.'

"'Yeah, that's pretty controlling,' Tabby said. 'So, how did you get locked in the closet?'

"'She put me there when I tried to interfere with her plans a while ago.'

"'We got you out pretty easily.'

"'She was in a hurry. Just like you are, and I understand you need to go find your friends, but, please listen a minute more.'

"'Don't worry,' Tabby said kindly. 'We need to know your story to understand our common enemy. Please go on.'

"'Thanks, I appreciate your compassion, but I have a confession to make. It was I who summoned the little girl while she was on the path, and I who opened the door for her to come inside, but I didn't want her to get captured. I thought Mildred was asleep. I was just going to invite the child in and tell her my story. I had heard about the Daredevil Girls, and hoped she would share my story with the rest of you. Unfortunately, Mildred beat me to her.'

"'So you know where Sally is, then?'

"'Yes I do.'

"'Is she safe?'

"'No more than the rest of you, although she is unharmed for the moment. She's downstairs in a bed asleep. Mildred has put a spell on her, and we'll have to get to her soon, or she will slip into the witch's power completely where no one will be able to reach her.'

"'How can you help us get to her?' Tabby asked.

"'Unfortunately, we will have to defeat Mildred first. I cannot awaken the child on my own. The power over her must be broken.'

"'Do you know where the others are right now?' I asked.

"'All I know is what you do; they are probably downstairs somewhere. I heard them running after Mildred. If you will give me a few seconds, I can find them.'

"'But I thought Mildred put a spell on you where you can't go through walls.' I said.

"'No, just through that closet, and that was temporarily. I'll be right back.'

"With an eerie shimmering of light, Maggie disappeared through the floor.

"'Okay, now that was weird,' I said, 'and Maggie's story took a lot of our time.'

"'I told you, it couldn't be helped,' Tabby said. 'I needed to get my head cleared, and having Maggie on our side is invaluable. Sometimes slow delays make fast friends."