Chapter 14: Boogity Boogity Boo!
With the sun setting over the land, the forest seemed to have been growing more ominous as it grew darker. Junior mentally sighed in exasperation on how he was somehow tricked into coming on this ridiculous 'haunted house' trip. Though it wasn't a house they were searching for, but a lost castle. Junior glanced at his side and found Fluttershy walking very close to him as she held onto the sleeve of his sweater. He glanced at his other side and found Erika holding onto his arm with a frightened expression. Mosura and Twilight were ahead of them looking around the tall trees that surrounded them. Rainbow and Rodan were joking around as they walked with Flash and Sunset, who remained close.
"Man, it sure is creepy," said Sunset with a nervous laugh. Flash shrugged as he held a brave face.
"Meh. It's not that bad," said Flash.
"Liar. You reek of fear," deadpanned Junior. Flash sent Junior a glare.
"Do not!" said Flash.
"You do too," said Junior. He then looked to Angirasu and Rodan.
"Guys, doesn't he have the smell of fear on him?" asked Junior.
"Yep," answered Angirasu and Rodan in unison. Flash scowled in response.
"Oh what? You're not creeped out just a bit?" asked Flash.
"Not really," said Junior in a nonchalant tone. Angirasu raised his hand.
"I can vouch for that. But to be honest, I kinda am," said Angirasu. Rodan laughed in response.
"Wimp!" said Rodan. Angirasu sent him a glare in response. Rainbow looked at the Transmutants with an inquisitive look.
"Wait, you can literally smell fear?" asked Rainbow.
"It's an ability that Transmutants have. Enhanced senses," answered Angirasu. Pinkie looked at Angirasu curiously.
"What does fear smell like?" asked Pinkie.
"Kinda gross," said Junior as he crinkled his nose. Rarity gagged.
"I'm sorry, but can we change the subject? I rather we not discuss body odor," said Rarity in disgust.
"What did you have in mind?" asked Rainbow.
"Ghost stories?" asked Flash.
"Shouldn't we save that for later?" asked Applejack. Erika nodded in agreement.
"Yeah I rather we not tell any out here in the forest," said Erika. She gulped as she found an owl staring at her from a branch with its large eyes, hooting. The group continued on down the path in silence as they looked around. Junior sniffed the air as a stench reached his nose.
"Ugh. What smells like-" Junior was interrupted as the sound of growling filled their ears. Everyone stopped dead in their tracks as they turned and found a creature crouching in the shadows, growling. Everyone stood by nervously as from the shadows stood a large grizzly bear that groaned as it held its paws in the air. The girls cried out in fear at the large beast as it towered over them.
"What do we do?! Fluttershy, what do we do?!" cried Pinkie as she shook Fluttershy by her shoulders.
"You're asking me?!" exclaimed Fluttershy.
"You're the animal expert! What do we do?!" cried Rainbow with a look of panic. Before Fluttershy could answer Junior lunged at the bear and forced the animal onto its back. The girls gave a cry of fright as Junior threw himself into the animal's path. The Transmutant grunted as he forced the bear's head back as it attempted to bite down on his shoulder.
"Don't look him in the eye!" cried Rodan. Junior yelped as he was pinned on the ground with the bear about to close its jaws on his head. He caught the jaws with his hands and held the grunting bear back as it slobbered on him.
"It's too late for that, idiot!" said Junior in annoyance as he socked the bear in the jaw.
"Don't kill him!' cried Fluttershy with dread. After witnessing the Transmutant take on a Revolutionary that transformed, she knew that her friend could kill the bear without so much trouble. Junior grunted as the bear applied its body weight onto him. He then rolled over with the bear and locked his arms around the animal's neck.
"Are you kidding?! Don't go PETA on me now!" said Junior in exasperation as the bear attempted to swing him off of his shoulders. The girls stared fearfully as they watched the glaring Transmutant. Pinkie bit her nails and Twilight pulled her hair. Mosura clenched her fist as she pondered how she can help. She broke off into a sprint towards the bear as it stood on its rear legs. She grunted as she pushed the bear's belly, applying a bit of her enhanced strength on the beast. The bear groaned as it fell over with Junior on the ground.
"Ow!" yelped Junior as the animal landed on him and began to crush him. Mosura winced.
"S-Sorry!" said Mosura. Junior growled as he held the bear back as the humans backed away. He then sent Angirasu and Rodan a glare.
"Hey assholes! How about you fucking help me get this bear to piss off!" shouted Junior in annoyance. Angirasu and Rodan flinched at his tone.
"Oh, right!" said Rodan. The two rushed over to the bear and knocked the bear back onto the ground. Junior growled as he lifted the bear over his shoulders, feeling himself beginning to strain from the heavy animal. He yelled as the humans stared in amazement as the Transmutant threw the bear a few feet away. The animal groaned as it stood up and began to run away from the area. Junior sighed in relief. He suddenly heard the girls erupt into cheers, startling the Transmutant at the abrupt sound. He turned and found the girls clapping. Junior sighed as he brushed off his sweater.
"Nice work! You guys scared the bear off!" said Rainbow. She laughed as she pumped her fist. "It was awesome!"
"I gotta say, you scared me when you tackled that grizzly, sugarcube," said Applejack with a sigh of relief. Fluttershy relaxed as she found the bear running away unharmed and alive.
"Thanks for not killing him," said Fluttershy with a smile. Junior nodded in response. He then smirked as he looked at Mosura.
"I appreciate the help," said Junior. Mosura gave an embarrassed laugh in response as she rubbed the back of her head.
"Eh... it was a dumb move though," said Mosura as she gave Junior a wink. The Transmutant was likely able to handle herself just fine against the large mammal, but she of course didn't want to expose herself. Junior couldn't fault her for that since he had it somewhat under control.
"You really ought to be more careful, darling. Let the boys handle these wild animals," said Rarity as she looked at Mosura in worry.
"Oh. Y-Yeah, I'll be careful next time," said Mosura. Sunset sighed in relief as she held her hand against her chest.
"So... Should we keep going?" asked Sunset as she looked at everyone in the group. A few glances were shared with each other.
"We might as well. I mean, with these guys, I say we'll be fine. I mean, there're probably just bears here," said Rainbow with a shrug.
"I'm game," said Rodan. A few verbal agreements were given, although a few were hesitant. Junior sighed as he made his way over to Erika as she shook in place.
"Stay close," said Junior. Erika nodded as she quickly stepped next to Junior. So, the group continued on their journey.
The sky had grown darker along with the forest. The teens continued on their journey, searching for any signs of civilization in this old and ominous forest. By now, the sounds of animals calling out in the evening caused the teens to flinch at the sudden cries. They were skittish like a bunch of cats, vulnerable to the unknown in this deep, dark forest.
"Hmm. Still no ghosts," said Rainbow as she looked at Erika teasingly.
"Hmph!" huffed Erika in she looked away with a scowl.
"Lay off of her, Rainbow. Seriously," said Junior in annoyance.
"Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't know you were crushing on Erika," said Rainbow with a chuckle. Erika bit her lip as she lightly flushed to herself. Meanwhile, Mosura's brow twitched in annoyance. Fluttershy twiddled her thumbs as she continued to walk.
"Very funny," said Junior with a roll of his eyes. Twilight hummed in thought as she looked through the book.
"So, where exactly does the book say that this castle is supposed to be?" asked Applejack.
"It doesn't say where exactly. Just that it's in the heart of the forest," answered Twilight as she turned the page in her book. Flash yawned as he looked around. He then stopped in his tracks as his eyes caught sight of a tall structure in the distance.
"Well, look no further. We're here," said Flash with a smile. The rest of the group followed Flash as he began to run towards the direction of the structure, hidden behind the trees. They soon made it to a clearing and stopped as they found a grand castle standing tall. It bore cracks and vines all around it. A bridge led to the castle grounds, where a drop was just below. The teens approached the edge and looked down, finding a fifty-foot drop to a rocky ground. Junior kicked a pebble and watched as it fell to the ground, hearing the small pebble click against the ground. He gave a whistle.
"Is the bridge safe to cross?" asked Rarity with an unsure expression. The bridge appeared to be chipped on its boards, slightly covered in vines. Rodan hummed to himself as he walked over to the bridge and stepped on a board. As it lightly creaked, he began to apply more weight onto it. It was holding just fine. Rodan smiled as he slightly bounced himself on the bridge.
"Seems pretty sturdy to me," said Rodan. Twilight's face turned to concern.
"Rodan, I don't think that you shou-" Twilight was interrupted as Rodan yelped, followed by the sound of wood snapping. Rodan's left leg fell through the gap of the bridge and was stuck with his right leg keeping him from falling. The group looked on in panic.
"Oh boy! Bad bridge! Bad bridge!" said Rodan as he frantically waved his arm. Junior rushed over to the bridge and yanked Rodan out of his predicament. Rodan sighed in relief as he fell on the ground.
"Thanks, Goji," said Rodan with a relieved chuckle.
"Next time, don't test your luck," deadpanned Junior as he stood up. He then looked at the bridge, finding something odd about it. If the castle was from the dark ages, then the bridge shouldn't be standing here. The wood almost looked as if it was relatively younger than the time it came from. He shook off the thought as being sturdy wood.
"Alright, let's go one at a time," said Twilight as she began to step forward. She sighed nervously as she looked down at the long drop and cautiously began to walk as she held the rope on the sides. Her steps slightly creaked with each step, but the bridge was holding just fine. One by one, the teens began to cross the bridge. Junior remained behind as Erika and Fluttershy went on ahead. Erika looked back nervously.
"It's alright. I'm right behind you," said Junior with a reassuring nod. Erika nodded as she began to walk across the bridge. Junior was about to take the first step but something caught his peripheral vision. Junior turned and found what looked to be a dark cave down below the chasm. A small glimmer of light shined from the cave.
"What the heck?" muttered Junior in confusion.
"Gojira! Come on!" called Twilight from the other side. Junior snapped out of his thoughts and crossed the bridge, though he was curious as to what was shining from the cave.
Soon, the teens came across the castle, where they entered into the hall. The doors echoed as they opened, revealing a dark hall. The air was cold, and rubble lied scattered on the ground from years of lack of maintenance. The carpet was torn and dirty, carrying a stench that Junior was able to pick up.
"I can't believe it! We actually found the castle!" cried Twilight. Sunset looked around with a bright smile.
"Oh wow. Just look at the architecture!" said Sunset as she looked around. Mosura came across a wall and found torn tapestries that depicted a village. She stared in wonder as she walked along the area and analyzed the tapestries. She then found one that depicted two women that sat side by side on thrones. Rarity gasped as she analyzed the tapestries with Mosura.
"These tapestries are marvelous! I mean, they may be worn and torn after centuries, but you can still see the passion that was put into them!" said Rarity with amazement as she felt the material. Rainbow turned to everyone with a look of excitement.
"Alright! Let's split into our groups and meet back here at nine. Text or call if you find anything interesting," said Rainbow.
"W-Wait, we're splitting up?" asked Fluttershy with an unsure expression.
"Duh. It's the only way that we can cover more ground! Relax, this place is abandoned," said Rainbow as her voice echoed out in the castle. Junior looked to the ceiling as he searched the area. An unsure expression was plastered on his face. Soon, the teens split off into their groups, taking different paths in the castle. Junior continued on with Erika, Fluttershy, Twilight, and Mosura. The five wandered down the hall in silence, where hardly any source of light lied. The group held out their flash lights as they scanned the area. They came across broken vases and more rubble from the decaying castle.
"Hey, you don't think there are actually ghosts here, right?" asked Erika as she tugged Junior's sleeve.
"I doubt it. Besides, why be afraid of ghost? I'd be more worried about a serial killer or something," said Junior with a shrug. Erika's face went pale. Mosura and Twilight looked at Junior in disapproval.
"OK, I'm just gonna shut my mouth," said Junior with a wince.
"Ghosts a merely fantasy, Erika. Don't worry," said Twilight. As they continued walking, Twilight caught sight of an object that shine in the darkness. Curious, she stopped and knelt down on the ground. It was a ring, covered in dark but with a bit of gold being exposed. As Twilight reached for it, a green snake emerged from a hole that was just near the ring. Twilight shot up as she pulled her hand back.
"Ah! Snake!" cried Twilight with a look of fear, startling the others. The snake hissed as it slithered further out of the hole, approaching Twilight.
"Eeek!!" screamed Twilight as she quickly backed away and bumped into Junior. She quickly hid behind him as the snake slithered towards him. Fluttershy smiled as she knelt down and held her hand out. The snake slithered onto her hand and coiled itself around her arm as it hissed.
"It's just a garden snake," said Fluttershy as she held the serpent out. Twilight whimpered as she hid behind Junior.
"I don't care! Get rid of it!" said Twilight. Junior snorted in amusement.
"You're afraid of snakes?" asked Junior.
"Don't judge me! They're creepy!" said Twilight as she slapped Junior's back. Mosura and Erika approached Fluttershy's side and looked at the snake with interest.
"Oh wow. Um... Can I touch it?" asked Erika. Fluttershy nodded as she gently held the snake out, allowing Erika to gently run her fingers over the scaly back of the snake.
"It's kinda cute!" said Mosura as she looked the snake over.
"Isn't it?" asked Fluttershy with a coo as she gently pet the snake. Twilight moaned in response.
"I can't believe anyone would find those things cute!" said Twilight.
"Come on Twilight, it's not scary. Besides, we're a lot bigger than it. They're more afraid of us than we are of th..." Mosura stopped as she felt something land on her head. She reached for her head and grabbed what she felt. Her eyes widened as she found herself holding a large spider in her very hand.
"Eeeek!!" screamed Mosura as she frantically shook her hand and threw the spider, which ended up latching itself onto Junior's chest.
"Ugh!" said Junior in disgust as he brushed the arachnid off of his chest and onto the ground. Mosura yelped as she quickly latched onto Junior for protection against this eight legged freak.
"Oh my God! Oh my God!" muttered Mosura as she watched the spider scurry away.
"Relax, spider's gone," said Junior as he pointed to the ground. Mosura muttered as she frantically brushed her hair off along with her clothes.
"Do I have any more on me?" asked Mosura with a worried expression.
"No, you're good," answered Junior. Twilight came from hiding behind Junior as she looked at Mosura in disbelief.
"You freak out over a spider, and you're judging me for freaking out over a snake?!" asked Twilight. Mosura crossed her arms as she placed on a pout lip.
"OK, you made your point," muttered Mosura. Junior sighed.
"Let's just move on already," said Junior.
Through the halls of the castle, Rainbow Dash, Sunset Shimmer, Flash Sentry and Rodan continued on their stroll. The atmosphere of the place brought a feeling of excitement in Rodan and Rainbow. Though Flash was interested on what they would find himself, he would be lying if he said he wasn't a little uneasy. Sunset looked at all of the paintings that we were on the halls in this room. They depicted the princesses riding horses and they looked as lovely as she could ever imagine.
"Man, I bet these ladies brought all the boys to the yard," said Rodan. He then stumbled over a brick, causing him to drop a concealed cup out of his hand. As it fell on the ground, the lid popped open as the contents poured out and stained the carpet.
"Ah! My milkshake!" said Rodan in disappointment. Flash looked at Rodan in confusion.
"When did you have a milkshake?" asked Flash. Rodan knelt down picked the cup up and concealed it.
"I stopped at Burger Shing before I met you guys at the entrance of the forest. I was saving it," said Rodan.
"Ugh. Rodan, now you stained this historical item," said Sunset as she pointed at the stain. Rainbow shrugged.
"The carpet was already messed up. No one's gonna know the difference," said Rainbow. Sunset sighed in response. The group continued on down towards another hall, which was a bit darker than the last one.
"Whoa," said Flash as he spotted rows of dark armor suits standing tall on pallets on both sides of the hall. They bore spears, axes and swords at their sides. Flash began to approach one of the suits of armor.
"This is rad," said Flash as he tapped the steel helmet. Rodan eyed a sword with a whistle.
"Ditto," said Rodan as he reached for the weapon. Rainbow stood close to a suit of armor, which stood tall. She chuckled as she leaned against it.
"Now this beats any old painting and furniture," said Rainbow. The suit of armor suddenly collapsed, causing Rainbow to yelp and back away from the pile. She bumped into Sunset, who smirked at her reaction. Rainbow gave an embarrassed titter in response. Flash picked up the helmet from the pile of armor and placed it on his head.
"Huzzah! Stay close fair maiden! For I shall slay any beast that may be lurking in these halls!" said Flash as he placed on an accent and struck a pose. Sunset smiled in amusement.
"That's the worst impression of a Trottish accent that I've ever heard, sir knight," said Sunset as Rainbow snapped pictures on her phone of the armor. Rodan swung the sword through the air with fluent motion.
"Man, this is so cool! I'm keeping this sword as a souvenir!" said Rodan as he sheathed the weapon. Rainbow leaned against the wall as she began to send the pictures that she had taken to her friends. Rodan hummed as he traveled further down the hall and found a court yard in the castle. Here, there was no ceiling, revealing the evening sky. A few vines and leaves hung around the walls and mushrooms grew on the center of the floor where grass and bushes were present. On the sides of this courtyard were more halls that were exposed on one side to allow a view of this center, but bearing ceilings. He then gasped as he found a turret on a walkway just a floor above. He rushed over to the wall and climbed up the vine covered wall, reaching the top and making his way over to the old turret, which had a large spear with a steel tip. As he began to look it over, the rest of his group came out.
"This area is pretty. A couple of flowers in the center would..." Sunset stopped as she found Rodan fiddling with the weapon.
"Whoa! Rodan, what the heck are you doing?!" exclaimed Sunset.
"Check this out! This is some kind of turret with a spear!" said Rodan as he took a picture of the weapon.
"Nice!" said Rainbow. Flash took an unsure expression.
"Uh... I don't think that you should be playing with that," said Flash.
"Hey, I can be careful!" said Rodan as he leaned against the weapon, unknowingly pressing his weight on the lever. The turret suddenly launched the large spear, sending it across the court yard and through a window. Sunset and Flash sent him a glare in response. Rodan smiled nervously as he shrugged.
Angirasu walked along side Applejack, Pinkie and Rarity in a room filled with furniture. The furniture was covered in dirt and spider webs. The entire room was large, bearing a large painting with the two princesses standing side by side with neutral expressions. A large fire place was in the room, along with a couple of desks and book shelves. Rarity was snapping pictures nonstop.
"I imagine that this room was absolutely fabulous in its time! Oh, what I would give to restore this place," said Rarity with a sigh. Applejack looked at a desk curiously as she lifted up the lid, finding it to be covered in dust and webs. She immediately closed it as she found a black widow spider inside.
"So... What do ya'll think that this room was for?" asked Applejack.
"Well... It could be like a study hall or something for the princesses. Royalty was more able to get an education than peasants in the old days," said Angirasu as he opened a drawer and found a dozen ink containers that looked to be untouched.
"I say that this room hadn't been used in years back when this castle was still populated," said Angirasu as he closed the drawer.
"You guessed that by looking at this place? Have you ever thought of being a detective?" asked Pinkie.
"Not really," said Angirasu. He didn't think that his guess was that impressive. There seemed to have been only two royals in the castle based on hardly seeing any art depicting other people who may have been of royalty. He assumed this place stopped being used when the princesses grew up. Angirasu picked up an old book that was lying on the desk, finding it to be written in old Equish. As he scanned through the book, the sound of glass shattering reached his ears. Before he could react, the book was knocked out of his hand by a long object that whizzed by his line of sight. Angirasu gasped as he felt the book fly out of his hand and forced to the side, finding the object to impale itself against the wall. The girls yelped, startled by the sudden entrance of the object. They all stared with wide eyes as they found a large spear sticking out of the wall with the book impale along with it. Angirasu turned his head and found that a window was shattered.
"Where the hay did that come from?!" exclaimed Applejack with wide eyes. Pinkie gasped as her eyes were wide with fear.
"Maybe it's the ghosts of the princesses?! Maybe they don't like us being in their castle!" cried Pinkie. Applejack gulped nervously at the possibility. She wasn't incredibly open about it, but she was one to believe in the supernatural such as ghosts and curses. She was opposed to coming to the forest in the first place given the stories that her family was familiar with surrounding it. However, her friends were so set on coming here that she just ignored the stories and came for the sake of her friends, thinking that perhaps it was just silly worries from superstitious stories that caused people to not venture into the forest.
"Angirasu, are you alright?" asked Rarity in worry. The Transmutant snapped out of his dazed state.
"Huh? Yeah... I think so," said Angirasu as he looked at his hands, which were close to being impaled along with the book. He shivered at the thought.
"Just trying to get over my shock," said Angirasu with a sigh of relief. He then made his way over to the broken window and found an old wooden turret sitting in the night, pointing right his way. No one seemed to be around and the turret seemed to have been used.
"Yikes," said Angirasu with a worried expression. The girls came to his side and looked out the window, gasping in shock. There surely had to be a reasonable explanation for this, but without signs of someone using the weapon, it almost seemed hard to come up with one.
"The ghosts used that thing!" whispered Pinkie.
"Well... Surely there's a logical explanation for this. That thing could be really old and it just... fired on its own," said Rarity with an unsure tone. Angirasu nodded in agreement.
"Yeah, that might be it," said Angirasu, though he wasn't so sure about the guess himself. Applejack and Pinkie looked at each other with nervous expressions. Applejack cleared her throat.
"Say... Why don't we move on? It'll be getting late before we can check everything out soon," said Applejack as she moved away from the window. The rest of began to follow her lead and left the room. Unbeknownst to them, a shadowy figure was lurking in the hall.
Twilight gasped as her eyes were as wide as dinner plates. They glimmered with glee as she giggled with endless excitement. Before her was a large room filled with tall shelves bearing tons of old books. Junior stood by as he glanced at her. Twilight turned to face him with pleading eyes.
"Why the hell are you looking at me for permission? Knock yourself out," said Junior. Twilight squealed in delight as she ran towards the first shelf that she saw and began to grab books. Fluttershy looked around curiously as she found a couple of old statues of horses standing in this abandoned library. Erika cautiously walked around the library until she stumbled on a couple loose stones. She yelped as she fell on the ground, finding a gargoyle sculpted head in front of her face. Erika yelped as she scurried away as she panted.
"Um... When can we go home?" asked Erika.
"Huh? Oh, later. Before midnight," answered Twilight as she read through the first book that she had on a long table. Erika moaned in disappointment. If she were to remain any longer in these old ruins, she was going to have a heart attack. Mosura gasped as she spotted a couple of large spiders crawling on an old statue, prompting her to rush to Junior's side and cling to his arm. Junior blushed in embarrassment as the female Transmutant held him tightly.
"Um... Mind if I stay close to you for a while?" asked Mosura in a nervous tone.
"Whatever," muttered Junior. Fluttershy began to look at a couple books in curiosity, prompting her to pull one out. As she pulled on it, a low moan filled her ears.
"Eep!" yelped Fluttershy as she dropped the book as the moan filled the room. Everyone stopped what they were doing, hearing the low moan. It sounded almost like a whale's bellow, but much deeper. Erika backed away fearfully as she stood close to Junior.
"What the hell was that?" asked Junior with a slight nervous expression.
"Oh man, this place is definitely haunted! There's some kind of ghost or maybe even a demon in this place!" said Erika as she pulled her hair as she began to breathe in and out quickly.
"Erika, calm down," said Junior as he looked to Erika with a worried expression. He couldn't have this girl hyperventilating on them in a place like this. Suddenly, the moans grew louder, sending chills down the teens' spines. The girls all huddled next to Junior as they nervously looked around.
"Still think ghosts are fantasy?" asked Erika. Twilight gulped.
"I-It could be anything. Like... Maybe some kind of wild animal. Or maybe a horn," said Twilight as she scanned the area. As Fluttershy scanned the room, she spotted a shadowy figure moving across the broken ceiling, disappearing outside.
"Ah! S-Something just went across the hole in the ceiling!" cried Fluttershy as she pointed above. The rest followed her finger, but then heard the sound of tapping in the room. They all jumped as the tapping grew louder, and the sound of wood being scratched. The same bellowing moan filled the air, startling everyone in the room.
"M-Maybe we should move on," suggested Twilight as she tugged at Junior's sleeve. The Transmutant nodded.
"Yeah, that's a good idea," said Junior as he warily looked around. This was beginning to freak him out as he was unable to smell what was in the room with them, and he was having a hard time to pinpoint the source of the bellows in this castle that echoed with every sound. If it was a threat he could not see, he was unwilling to face it.
The group briskly walked out of the library. Twilight was disappointed to leave the books behind, but she was too frightened to care. Erika and Fluttershy ran ahead with the rest rushing close after them. As the two more frightened girls ran, their heels stepped on a large panel in the ground, feeling themselves slightly descend. Junior, Twilight and Mosura suddenly felt the floor below them disappear from beneath their feet. The three cried out as they fell down the trap door, falling several feet down. Erika and Fluttershy screamed in fright as they rushed to the where their friends had fallen. However, the pressure plate that they had stood on came back up, causing the trap door to seal itself shut.
"No!" cried Erika as she frantically banged her fist on the ground.
Just beneath them, Junior groaned as Twilight lied on him. Mosura lied on the ground on her belly, moaning in pain.
"There's always a trap door in these haunted houses and castles," said Mosura as she shakily raised herself up. Junior helped Twilight onto her feet, who began to brush off her skirt of dust. She turned on her flash light and shined it all around, revealing that they were in an enclosed area, covered in stone. She then pointed the light upward and found a board covering the ceiling just about ten feet above.
"Oh shoot. Looks like the only way out is back up," said Twilight as Junior went to help Mosura onto her feet. As Mosura stood, she felt a sharp pain in her right foot.
"Agh!" yelped Mosura as she fell forward but was immediately caught by Junior before she could fall.
"I... I think I sprained my foot," hissed Mosura. Junior gently lowered her to the ground and sat her down. The three suddenly heard the sound of muffled banging above.
"Twilight! Gojira! Mosura!" called Erika in a muffled voice.
"Erika! Erika, can you hear me?!" called Twilight.
"Oh thank God! Are you guys alright?!" called Erika.
"We're fine but we're trapped down here! Is there some sort of panel or maybe a lever up there to open this trapdoor?!" asked Twilight. Back above, Erika and Fluttershy searched the hall for any signs of switches or panels. Then, Fluttershy caught sight of the ground bearing odd slits. She knelt down and pressed her hand against the ground, feeling it slightly descend. She pulled it back immediately as she heard the sound of wood sliding. Erika turned and found the ground opening but suddenly sliding closed.
"Hey, do that again! But stay on it!" said Erika. Fluttershy nodded in response and then stood on the pressure panel, allowing the trap door to open. Erika peaked inside and found her friends down below.
"Erika!" cried Twilight.
"Oh no. How are we going to get you all out?!" asked Erika with dread. Junior looked down at Mosura and then glanced at Twilight. He looked at the ledge that Erika hung over and attempted to measure the height of the hole with himself. He then hummed to himself as he held his hand over Twilight's head.
"What are you doing?" asked Twilight in confusion.
"Hmm. Yeah, that might work," said Junior. He then knelt down.
"Get on my shoulders. I can boost you and Mosura while Erika pulls you out," said Junior. Twilight smiled.
"Hey, good idea! Wait... What about you?" asked Twilight in worry.
"I... I haven't thought of that. Look, maybe you girls can find me some rope and toss it down here," said Junior. Mosura glared at him.
"No way! We're not leaving you down here with who knows what is lurking in this castle!" said Mosura.
"Don't argue with me about this! Both of you are getting your asses out first!" said Junior, causing Twilight and Mosura to flinch at his tone. Twilight reluctantly nodded. She got behind Junior and placed her legs over his shoulders until the back of Junior's head was between her legs. Junior lightly flushed as he felt Twilight's soft skin against his own. Twilight firmly held his head. Junior stood up suddenly, causing Twilight to gasp as she tightly wrapped her arms around his neck.
"Hey, not so fast!" said Twilight.
"Sorry. Alright, reach for Erika's hand," said Junior. Twilight shakily straightened herself and held her hand out above to Erika.
"Almost got you," strained Erika as she leaned over the edge with her arm stretched out. As the two girls continued to stretch their arms to each other, their hands were finally able to lock. Erika slightly raised herself up as she firmly pressed her knees on the ground and pulled Twilight up. Junior ducked his head as Twilight's legs unwrapped from around his chest, allowing her to be pulled up. Erika grunted as she pulled Twilight up, allowing her to safely to climb the edge and sigh in relief. Junior then turned to face Mosura and began to approach her.
"I don't like the idea leaving you," said Mosura with a firm expression. Junior sighed as he knelt down and turned around with his back facing her.
"Doesn't matter. Besides, you're hurt. I can take care of myself," replied Junior. Mosura sighed in response as she lowered her head. She slightly crawled over to Junior and climbed onto his shoulders. With her legs locked over his chest, Junior stood up. Mosura raised her arms up as she took the hands of Erika and Twilight, where she was pulled up out of the hole. Junior was then left alone in this trap as the girls looked down over him with worried expressions. Junior held his phone out.
"I'll call you. Or you can call me," said Junior. In reluctance, the girls began to leave. Fluttershy gritted her teeth as she stared down at the panel that she stood on and looked back at the hole.
"Um... We'll be back soon, Gojira!" called Fluttershy.
"I know," answered Junior. Fluttershy sighed heavily as she stepped off of the panel, allowing the trap door to seal shut. Junior was left in darkness, but his enhanced senses allowed him to see a bit better in the darkness. Junior sighed heavily as he leaned against the wall with a bored expression on his face. Then his mind wandered back to earlier. He was unable to fathom neither where the source of the moans could be nor where the sources of the taping and scrapping of wood. There was smell that he was able to detect to link it to anything. Though there was the odd smell of dirt and plants. As Junior pondered the possibilities, he noticed a small hole right next to him. Curious, he knelt down and peaked inside, finding a dark hallway.
"A way out?" asked Junior in thought. He pulled his sleeve back and reached his hand through the hole able to fit half of his arm, where he began to search for some sort of handle.
Sunset, Flash, Rainbow and Rodan continued on their journey through the castle. The early sounds of bellows sent chills to them, making them as skittish as cats. Sunset and Flash stood close while Rainbow took the lead, bearing a nervous expression as she found dozens of metal arms holding up unlit torches, mounted to plaques. Rodan was far behind, beginning to grow nervous himself.
"Anyone else find disembodied arms mounted to the walls creepy as heck?" asked Rainbow.
"Yep," answered the rest of the group in unison. As Rainbow wandered closer to the wall as she searched around, she felt an arm wrap around her. She slightly flinched but then bore a smirk.
"Rodan, if you're scared, you can admit it. No need to wrap your arm around me," said Rainbow in a teasing tone.
"Uh... Rainbow, I'm standing right here," said Rodan as he waved his hand. Rainbow turned her head and raised a brow as she found Rodan standing a couple of feet behind her.
"Then, who's-" Rainbow looked down at her shoulder, finding an arm around her, masculine in appearance. Rainbow turned her head and found the arm sticking out of the wall along with the rest of the mounted arms. Rainbow's eyes widened in horror as the hand felt around her cheek. Rainbow gave a high pitched scream of terror, drawing the attention of the rest. They cried out in fear as well. Rainbow slapped the arm away and began to run away along with her group. The arm pulled itself back inside of the hole, where Junior rubbed his hand.
"Ow! The heck was that? I must have grabbed somebody," said Junior as he peeked his eye back into the hole. He then reached his arm back inside again and grabbed what felt like a wooden object bolted to something. As he yanked on it, he suddenly felt himself being turned one-eighty degrees. Junior's head spun as he blinked. He looked around and found himself in a dark hall.
"Huh. What do you know," said Junior with a smile as he pulled out his cell phone and called Twilight.
"Hello?" answered Twilight in a worried tone over the other line.
"Hey, I got out. Where are you girls?" asked Junior.
"Wha- How did you get out?!" asked Twilight.
"I found a hole and began to reach around inside. I think I activated a switch to a hidden wall," said Junior as he looked the wall over.
"Thank goodness. Listen, I think it's about time we all went home. I'm gonna text everyone else to meet in the main hall. You remember where that is?" asked Twilight. Junior nodded.
"Yeah. Yeah, I think I can fi..." Junior's voice trailed off as he felt himself being watched. He turned, finding no one down the hall.
"Gojira?" called Twilight.
"I'll see you there," said Junior as he hung up. He narrowed his eyes as he waited for someone to show up. After a minute, he gave up. Junior cautiously began to walk the opposite way, jogging through the hall. A figure with a dragon-like mask stood from the shadows as he watched Junior leave.
After a few minutes of tracking the scent of the humans in these halls, Junior had finally made it. He had found himself back into the main hall of the castle, where the rest of the humans and Transmutants stood with nervous expressions.
"Hey I'm... Whoa, you guys alright?" asked Junior.
"Oh we're dandy! I mean, who doesn't like to walk through a haunted castle at night?" asked Erika sarcastically.
"It has been pretty creepy around here," said Sunset.
"A freaking disembodied arm touched me! It touched me!" said Rainbow as she shivered in place. Junior's eyes slightly widened in response.
"Oh? Huh," said Junior as he looked away. Angirasu nodded in agreement.
"Yeah. And there was a turret that fired a spear on its own. It nearly killed me," said Angirasu. Rodan cleared his throat in response.
"Heh. Wha-What kind of sick ghost would do something like that?" asked Rodan with a nervous laugh while Rainbow, Flash and Sunset gave him deadpanned stares.
"There was tapping, scratching. There were also those creepy moans," said Fluttershy with a gulp. The rest of the humans and Transmutants went silent.
"You... You heard it too?" asked Rarity with a nervous expression. They all looked at each other nervously. Junior made his way over to Mosura, who was leaning against Fluttershy's shoulder.
"Hey, do you need help walking?" asked Junior.
"Ah. No, I think I..." Mosura flushed to herself as she looked down at the ground. She slightly applied pressure to her foot, wincing.
"On second thought, I could use some help," said Mosura. Junior slightly knelt down and scooped Mosura into his arms, causing her to gasp in surprise.
"Smooth," whispered Rodan as he leaned next to Angirasu.
"Is this alright?" asked Junior. Mosura smiled as she nodded.
"Yep," answered Mosura, her heart beating fast in her chest. Fluttershy awkwardly stood by along with the others. Junior turned and found two thrones sitting at the far end of the room, his eyes widening.
"Hey... Were there skeletons sitting on those thrones?" asked Junior. Everyone else's eyes widened, prompting them to turn and face the throne. Sure enough, two skeletons sat on the thrones in torn gowns with crowns upon their heads. Their heads were looking sideways as they slouched in their thrones.
"I'm... pretty sure those were already there," said Twilight in a nervous tone. Fluttershy squealed as she cupped her eyes from the skeletons.
"Wow. So the princesses really did die here, huh?" asked Flash. Junior glanced at him.
"Yeah, but Twilight says that the people believed that it was a curse," said Junior.
"That's what they believed. But come on! There are no such things as curses!" said Twilight.
"Then what killed them? Why did this kingdom fall apart?" asked Applejack.
"Plague?" asked Rodan.
"Sounds reasonable," said Sunset with a nod.
"I was gonna say they killed each other because of a power struggle, but seeing them here like this proved me wrong," said Junior.
"Wow. You honestly see the worst through people, don't you?" asked Rarity with a deadpanned stare.
"What? It happens all the time! All of these royal bastards fought over power!" said Junior in annoyance. Rodan's eyes widened.
"Oh my God. Is she moving?" asked Rodan as he pointed to the skeleton on the right throne. The rest of the group turned and found the taller skeleton's head slightly turning. Everyone stared with wide eyes as the sound of bones scraping filled their ears.
"We're gonna die!" said Pinkie.
"Shut up! We're not gonna die!" said Junior as he nervously kept his eyes on the skeleton.
"Oh man. That is creepy. That is creepy. That is creepy," said Flash with his tone rising to sound more panicked. Erika's eyes were wide with terror and her heart pounded in her chest, threatening to burst.
"Oh shit," said Junior with wide eyes as he backed away while holding Mosura in his arms. As the skull turned to fully face them, it stared at them with its empty sockets. No one dared to move, and the skeleton was motionless as it stared at them.
"It's just sitting there," whispered Applejack with a fearful expression. The skull's jaw suddenly hung open, and out from the air came the same bellowing sound from earlier, striking fear into everyone's souls.
"I fucking knew it! This place is haunted!!" screamed Erika.
"Everybody run for your lives!" screamed Applejack. Everyone all gave screams as they turned to flee the throne room, leaving the skeletons alone. As they continued on through out of the castle, they slammed the doors shut and continued to run across the bridge and back into the Everfree forest. Meanwhile in the throne room, a figure emerged from the shadows and looked down at the skeleton. His dragon mask snarled at the skeleton. He looked up and gave a thumbs up. Above, there was a hole in the ceiling, where a thin wire shined in the moonlight. Above was a young woman, smiling as she gave the masked figure a thumbs up as well. She dropped a couple puppetry handles, allowing the skeleton to slump on its side of the throne. She then dropped down to the ground next to the hooded figure.
"Nice work, Manda. That should keep them away," said the figure.
"Thanks Alpha. Those bellows were great. Sent chills in my spine," laughed the young woman.
"Hmm," said the figure as he picked up the skeleton, which jingled. On the back of its head was the text, 'Made in Neighsia'.
"Ironic way to spend Halloween," said Alpha as he handed Manda the skeleton marionette and then picked up the other one.
"Yeah. Sucks that I didn't get to put on my pirate custom. I had to wear these plants and cover myself in dirt to mask my scent from those Transmutants," said Manda with a tone of disappointment. She gagged.
"We need a shower."
"In due time. Come on, let's pack these away," said Alpha as he walked down the hall. The two made their way outside of the castle and climb down the rocky walls of the chasm, where they made their way over to a large dark cave. As they entered it, a soft glow reached their eyes and they placed the marionettes in trunks before walking away.
"Alpha, I've been meaning to ask. What is that thing in there?" asked Manda.
"Something that must be protected at all costs," said Alpha in a firm tone.
The teens panted as they stood outside of the forest. They were covered in sweat, shaking at the knees. Their palms sweat profusely as their hearts raced. What a terrifying experience this journey was.
"Man... That was intense," panted Flash.
"Yeah. Let's not do it again," said Rainbow. Rarity moaned in disappointment.
"Blast. And here I was hoping that we would see more of the castle. But it's haunted," said Rarity with a pout.
"I still say that it isn't," said Twilight with a blank stare.
"You're going to deny what was before your eyes?!" exclaimed Applejack.
"I have to! Otherwise I won't be able to sleep tonight!" cried Twilight. Sunset looked at Erika in surprise.
"For all of the years that I've known you, I have never heard you drop the F bomb," said Sunset. Erika looked down in shame as she rubbed her arm.
"I was beyond terrified," muttered Erika.
"Look. It's been a wild night. Why don't we all head home and pretend this never happened?" asked Angirasu. The rest of the group gave verbal agreements.
"Alright. See you all tomorrow," said Twilight. One by one, the group began to disperse. Erika got into Flash's car with Sunset, leaving the area. Junior stood by with Mosura in his arms, Rodan, Twilight, Angirasu and Fluttershy.
"So... That was fun?" Angirasu shrugged.
"Well, we did find some interesting stuff in there. Though, let's not go back there," said Twilight.
"Unless we have a priest, a Rabbi or even the Ghostbusters with us," said Rodan. Mosura cleared her throat as she looked at Junior.
"Hey, you mind helping me get home?" asked Mosura. Junior nodded to her in response. Twilight nudged Fluttershy's side with a smile on her face.
"Come on, I'll walk you home too," said Twilight. Fluttershy nodded in response.
"OK. Um... Goodnight, everybody," said Fluttershy. As everyone said their farewells, they departed from the forest's entrance. Fluttershy glanced back at Junior as he walked down to the town in a separate direction.
Junior and Mosura were currently walking through town at night. It was already nearing ten. Junior had to call his mother to let her know that he had to walk a friend home, which she approved. However, he was able to tell that she was a bit too eager with her approval. Mosura held her arms around Junior as she was carried bridal style. Mosura was smiling to herself as her heart pounded in her chest. She yearned to remain this way all night.
"So... I wasn't expecting you to get scared tonight," said Mosura. Junior looked away.
"Well, it's not like I've seen every scary thing out there that would desensitize me to what we saw," said Junior with an embarrassed chuckle. Mosura looked away as she smiled.
"You know, it was awfully brave of you to remain in that trapdoor all by yourself. I would've stayed with you," said Mosura.
"You'd probably freak out and go nuts within the next couple of minutes," said Junior. Mosura rolled her eyes.
"Would not. Well, maybe if I was alone I'd be freaked out, but I think I would've been fine with you," said Mosura.
"Oh?" asked Junior with a nervous smile. Mosura's eyes widened.
"Uh... I-I didn't mean anything weird by that! I meant that I wouldn't be so worried with company!" said Mosura frantically as she awkwardly laughed. Junior cleared his throat.
"Of course," replied Junior. Mosura mentally groaned as she face palmed in embarrassment. She felt so awkward in this position with the male Transmutant that she was saying words without thinking about their context.
"You probably wouldn't have wanted to stay with me. There could have been spiders down there with me," said Junior with a mischievous smile. Mosura's eyes widened at the thought. As Junior chuckled in amusement, she sent him a glare.
"Jerk! That's not funny!" said Mosura.
"I don't know, I found it kinda funny," said Junior. Mosura huffed as she puffed her cheek out as she looked away with a scowl. As the two came across another neighborhood, Junior entered into a building, where Mosura directed him towards the elevator, where they came to the floor that she lived on. They continued on down the hall on the left, headed for one of the doors. Mosura fished for her house key and unlocked the door, allowing Junior to open it. Inside of the apartment, no one was present. It was dark, with only a bit of moonlight shining through the window. Junior entered with Mosura and closed the door. He flipped on the light switch and carried Mosura over towards a sofa in the living room and sat her down. Mosura sighed in relief.
"Thanks, Goji," said Mosura with a warm smile. Junior nodded as he cracked a small smile in return, sending butterflies into Mosura's belly.
'Oh. He has such a nice genuine smile,' thought Mosura. Junior cleared his throat.
"Well, I guess I should get home. I'll see-"
"Goji, wait!" called Mosura. Junior stopped and looked at her in confusion. Mosura held her hand out to him, attempting to think up of a sentence.
"Um... Why not stay a little longer? I'm sure your mom wouldn't mind," said Mosura. Junior looked at her with an unsure glance.
"I don't want to impose," said Junior.
"No! No, it's fine. We can just hang out and maybe watch some TV. We can get our minds off of tonight," said Mosura. Junior looked away in thought. He shrugged.
"Why not?" said Junior as he sat down. Mosura smiled brightly in response as Junior took a seat next to her. Mosura grabbed a remote that was next to her and flipped the television on.
"So... Aren't your parents home?" asked Junior. Mosura lightly frowned in response.
"Well... The thing is... My parents actually passed away when I was twelve," said Mosura. Junior winced in response.
"Oh. I'm sorry," said Junior.
"It's alright. I miss them, but the pain is healed," said Mosura with a soft smile.
"That's good," said Junior. He then looked around the apartment.
"So, whose place is this? I can't imagine that a high school student would be able to afford to live in a condo," said Junior.
"My brother's. He's a freshman in college. We had some relatives pay for his apartment when he moved out of my grandparents. My brother now uses some of his grant money to pay rent along with what he's paid from his job. I do what I can with my part time as well," said Mosura. She smiled to herself.
"He didn't want to leave me alone, so he invited me to move in with him. Especially since the apartment is close to the school," said Mosura.
"Sounds like you two get along," said Junior. Mosura nodded.
"We do. He's always looking out for me, and I try to do the same," said Mosura. She sighed as she looked at the place with a light frown.
"One day, I may have to move on and start my own life. I'd hate to leave my big brother alone," said Mosura. Junior rubbed the back of his head.
"Well... that won't be until a while right? I mean, you plan on going to college right? Maybe you can stick around until then? Besides, you can always visit him," said Junior. Mosura smiled in response.
"I suppose. But still," said Mosura. The two watched television for a couple of minutes, where an action movie was playing. Mosura hummed in thought.
'Battra never told me the title of that action movie that he was watching,' thought Mosura. She suddenly winced as she flexed her foot, feeling her sprain. She hissed as she brought her foot up and took her shoe off and set it to the side. Junior glanced at her in response as he caught the musty scent of her foot.
"Agh. My foot is killing me," said Mosura with a wince. She then glanced at Junior, who had quickly averted his eyes from her. Mosura looked away as she bit her lip.
"Um... Hey, Goji?" called Mosura.
"Yeah?" answered Junior. Mosura took a breath.
"Um... Would you mind massaging my foot?" asked Mosura. Junior's eyes slightly widened as he turned to face her.
"Huh?" asked Junior.
"Er... I'm sorry! I guess that was a weird thing to ask," said Mosura as she looked away. Junior rubbed the back of his head as he gulped, not believing what he was going to say.
"It's alright. I mean, I can if you want," said Junior. Mosura looked down at her lap in response as she blinked. She slowly raised her right leg up as she shifted her position to sit on the sofa sideways. Junior nearly jumped as her foot came into sight. He slightly turned and took her foot and held it against his lap. The softness of her orange thigh high stocking against his bare hand caused his heart to race.
'Ugh. I can't believe that I'm stooping to something so low,' thought Junior in shame. He felt like he was taking advantage of his friend by secretly enjoying this. He mentally psyched himself to be as respectful to her as possible. It was just a massage. Nothing more. Junior began to flush as he made his way to Mosura's sole. As Mosura noticed this, she started to blush herself as she slightly looked away.
'Oh man. He's beginning to make me nervous too,' thought Mosura. Junior began to press against her sole with his palms.
"Right here?" asked Junior. Mosura flinched.
"Ow," said Mosura.
"Sorry," said Junior as he attempted to apply pressure a bit lower. Mosura flinched more aggressively this time.
"Ow!" yelped Mosura. Junior winced.
"Sorry! Sorry, I've never done this before," said Junior. He then applied lighter pressure against Mosura's sole, which she responded with minor hisses and flinches. After a minute of figuring out the most sensitive areas and how much pressure to use, Junior was able to give Mosura a much more comfortable massage. Mosura sighed in relief as she lied her head back on a pillow.
"Ah. That feels great," said Mosura as she wiggled her toes. Junior smiled in amusement.
"Hey, I’m sorry if my feet stink. Transmutant senses are a pain sometimes," said Mosura.
"Nah, it's alright," said Junior.
"I mean, I probably should have taken off my stocking first to save you the stink," said Mosura in embarrassment.
"Ah. No need, they're cute," said Junior. Mosura looked at him in surprise.
"Oh?" asked Mosura with a tilt of her head. Junior stiffened as his mind registered the words that left his mouth. He was so distracted that his mouth just began to run while he was thinking.
"Uh... I mean... They look nice. Cute," said Junior. He mentally groaned at how he emphasized how he thought they looked.
"I mean, I know you usually wear them. But I never really got a close look at them. Er! I'm sorry, that came out wrong!" said Junior.
"No, I got it. You mean you never really paid attention to them," said Mosura.
"Yeah, exactly," said Junior. Mosura smiled in flattery.
"Well, thanks," said Mosura. She leaned back as she felt Junior work the knots in her sole, causing her spine to chill with pleasure. She almost felt like falling asleep. Junior flushed furiously as his eyes trailed along Mosura's foot and up her leg to her thigh. She looked elegant, fit, and cute. Not to mention he did find her legs to be quite attractive, and here they were in his hands as he massaged her calf, causing Mosura to slightly moan.
'Oh, please don't do that,' thought Junior as he slumped his shoulders. He shook his head. Lately, he felt himself growing a bit more perverse lately, or perhaps it was more like a yearning for intimate contact with the opposite sex. Him massaging Mosura's foot and calf was not doing him any favors but making it worst. He slightly felt himself grow light headed as his blood began to rush through him. His heart rate spiked, beating steadily. The feminine scent of Mosura was driving him mad. He wondered why all of the sudden he was feeling perverted. Then, his eyes widened.
'Oh shit. What if my broken inhibitor chip is letting me think more on sexual activity than normally? Oh God, Transmutant puberty is making me look at her this way!' thought Junior in alarm. Just then, footsteps entered the living room.
"Sis? I didn't hear you come..." Battra walked into the living room from his bedroom in the hall, finding his sister lying on the couch with her foot in Junior's lap. Mosura shot up in surprise.
"Battra? When did you get home?" asked Mosura. Junior was as still as stone as he held Mosura's foot, forgetting about his aroused state.
"Um... About an hour ago. What are you doing?" asked Battra with a raised brow.
"Oh. Well we were watching TV, but I sprained my foot earlier and asked Goji to give me a massage," said Mosura as she gestured to the Transmutant.
"H-Hey," greeted Junior with a nervous smile. Battra bore a poker face.
"Hi," greeted Battra in a neutral tone. Junior cleared his throat as he moved Mosura's foot away from his lap and pulled his sweater further down over his pants and held his hands in his pockets to avoid looking suspicious.
"Hey, where are you going?" asked Mosura in disappointment.
"I uh... I gotta get home. My mom will be worried if I'm not back," said Junior as he began to walk down the hall.
"See you later!" said Junior.
"Um... Bye!" called Mosura. Junior walked out the door and closed it, leaving the siblings behind. Battra glanced at his sister and then back at the door.
'Oh. Don't think you can get into her pants, pal. I won't stand for it,' thought Battra as he narrowed his eyes.
Meanwhile outside, Junior held his sweater down over his waist as he stood in the elevator, trying to focus on ocean, stars, and his warm bed. Anything to get the dirty thoughts out of his mind. After a minute, he began to relax and he felt himself 'safe' to stop holding his sweater down. Junior briskly walked out of the elevator and out of the apartment building.
"This is not good," said Junior with dread.