Lucas repelled, Mia rescued, we celebrate. My arm and leg got chopped off a few times, but I'll keep that quiet.
"God, I'm so glad… Ethan, what now?"
"Right… Evelyn, anything?"
"Saving Mia this early? Didn't see that coming."
"Evelyn?"
I blurt to Evelyn, and Mia tilts her head. Right, only I see this ghost girl.
"She's a ghost helping me. Only I can see her, don't worry."
"Uh… Ethan, you okay in the head?"
"Lol."
Mia checks my forehead for fever. Embarrassing. Evelyn's cackling, clutching her sides. Oi, stop laughing.
"Haha! Okay, grab that stone… uh, statue-thing? Take it to the gallery. It's the 'spider.'"
"This? Heavy…"
"It's stone, duh. You fight, so let Mia carry it?"
"Good idea. I'll protect her."
"…Okay, I get there's someone I can't see."
Mia nods, accepting it. I pick up the stone statuette from the desk and hand it to her. She takes it.
"Mia, stay behind me and keep watch. We need something here to save you."
"Got it. I don't want you in danger, but you won't listen, will you?"
"Might be tough with two now, but I'll watch too."
"Do your best, I'm counting on you."
"Stop acting cool in front of Mia."
Evelyn pouts. Right, she mentioned Mia might've raised her.
"You know her?"
"I do. She forgot, though."
"Any way to let her see or hear you?"
"…Maybe, but I won't say."
"Why? It'd make things easier."
"I don't want to!"
Evelyn huffs. I ponder. It'd help if Mia could communicate with her.
"Fine, no pushing. Scout ahead."
"Got it!"
"Mia, let's go. She'll find a safe route."
"Okay."
We leave the basement, through the fireplace, back to the first floor. The air shifts.
"It connects here…?"
"You've been here, Mia. I saw your video."
"Where'd you get that video gear?"
"She's asking, but… yeah, how?"
Mia grimaces, reluctant.
"That bald guy… Lucas gave it to me to escape. No idea why…"
"'Pfft!?'"
"Ethan?"
Evelyn and I crack up. Bald? Bald? Sure, Lucas hid it under a hood, but still. Mia, great taste.
"Haha! Calling Lucas bald! Not so scary now! Hahahaha!"
"Tone it down, Evelyn. I get it, though."
Evelyn, still laughing, phases into the dining room. Really hit her funny bone. Do ghosts have those? As I reach for the dining room door—
"Hahaha! Wait, Ethan! Not that way…"
"You burned my precious bugs and Lucas!? My idiot son, but still my son! Get out!"
"Margaret…!?"
"Enough messing around! Don't piss me off… GYAAAH!?"
Margaret peeks through the slightly open door. I instinctively torch her with the burner. She flails, swinging a lantern, sending spiders from the floor and winged bugs from above. I counter with the burner.
"Evelyn! Scout and report! That scared me!"
"Scared, and you just torch her? Also, behind you."
"Danger, Ethan!"
"Whoa! Thanks, Mia!"
"This husband, this wife."
While I burn floor bugs, Mia smacks a winged one sneaking behind me with the statuette. What aim—my amazing wife!
"No time for swooning, escape! Margaret's pissed."
"Got it. To the gallery. Locked the door, huh? Take this!"
"Knew it."
Mia and I back up. I dropkick the door, locked only from inside, smashing it into a table, shattering both.
"Yes!"
"Nice, Ethan!"
"These two are hopeless… I gotta step up…"
In the dining room, Margaret, who put out the flames, looks stunned. I grab my homemade blackjack (kid's backpack stuffed with three junk books), spin it with a wrist flick, and swing.
"For scaring Mia!"
"How dare you… GYAAAH!?"
"That close-up was terrifying!"
"You pissed yourself staring at my face… GYAAAH!?"
"This couple's scary, ugh."
My blackjack slams Margaret to the floor. Mia's furious statuette swing cracks her skull. Margaret drops the lantern, eyes rolled back, twitching like a bug. Probably alive—Jack and her kind don't die easy. This isn't enough.
"Now's our chance! No time to finish her!"
"Got it!"
"Uh, I'll ignore Mia's slightly wet pants."
We sprint to the gallery, to the spider-web butterfly painting lit by a lamp. We set the statuette on the desk's clear stand, tinkering for a minute.
"It was open last time… Like this?"
"No, in the video, it was like this…"
"Rotate it here?"
We align the spider shadow, opening a hidden door, but…
"No way, seriously!?"
"Ethan… we going through?"
"…Burn it."
"Merciless, let's go."
The gap beyond is crawling with centipedes, chilling us. Seeing Mia's anxious face, I decide—no hesitation. I shove the burner in and torch them.
"Let's go. It's hot."
"Lead on, Ethan."
"Not just hot."
Using gear as a shield, we sidle through. We emerge at the collapsed scaffolding room's far side, seen from the entrance's left.
"Made it across."
"So the thing we need's here?"
Evelyn and Mia nod. Only forward now.