"G—G—Ghost!" both brothers yelled in unison.
They stumbled backward, eyes locked on the glowing girl floating before them. She smiled warmly, tilting slightly as if sitting on invisible air.
"Yes, I am a ghost. Boo!" she said playfully, waving her hands.
The boys didn't find it funny. They kept stepping back, careful not to turn around or lose sight of her.
"Wait," she called quickly. "I'm not going to hurt you!"
They didn't believe her. Their steps stayed slow and cautious—until Rufus suddenly ran out of the kitchen, tail wagging furiously. He darted past the brothers and straight toward the ghost girl. Sitting happily in front of her, he barked and wagged his tail even faster, eyes gleaming with excitement.
"Hi, Rufus," the girl said softly, turning her attention to the dog. "Did you miss me?"
She floated down and began to rub his fur. Rufus panted happily, drooling as her transparent hand passed through his coat yet somehow still seemed to touch him.
"Who's a good boy? Who's a good boy?" she cooed in a playful, babyish voice.
The brothers froze, watching in disbelief. Slowly, their fear began to fade, replaced by confusion and curiosity. They exchanged glances, then looked back at the girl and Rufus.
"What do you think, bro?" Terrence whispered. "She seems friendly."
"You're right," Axel whispered back. "But she's still a ghost. Can we really be a hundred percent sure?"
"Hmm… maybe not," Terrence admitted, half serious. "But Rufus doesn't think she's bad. And if there's one thing I've learned, dogs can tell when someone's dangerous—especially ghosts."
Axel shot him a look. "How do you even know that?"
"I read," Terrence replied, narrowing his eyes.
Axel smirked. "You read? Since when did you graduate from picture books?"
Terrence glared. "You're hilarious."
"Glad to see you've both relaxed," the ghost said suddenly, her voice gentle and amused.
The brothers turned toward her again, their tension easing slightly.
"Who are you?" Axel asked, still keeping a cautious distance.
The girl's expression brightened. She floated upright, hands clasped in front of her as her faint blue glow shimmered softly.
"My name's Julia," she said cheerfully.
Both brothers instantly dropped their guard. She didn't feel threatening anymore.
"And you're a ghost?" Terrence asked, just to be sure.
She nodded.
"How can we see you, then?" Axel chimed in, stepping forward curiously.
He waved his hand through her, and mist wrapped faintly around his arm.
"Hey! That's rude," Julia scolded with a pout.
Axel stepped back quickly, embarrassed. "I'm sorry. I just wanted to make sure."
The room fell quiet. Only Rufus's panting broke the silence. Then Terrence took a small step closer.
"How can we see you?" he asked again, voice steady but curious. "We shouldn't be able to, right?"
Julia nodded. "Yes, you shouldn't. I'm surprised you actually can. I thought it'd never happen. It seems to me the reason you can is because you two are—"
She was cut off by a piercing screech.
The sound was so loud it sent both brothers to their knees. Rufus yelped in pain and bolted through the doggy door, vanishing outside. Axel looked up, heart hammering in his chest. The TV flickered violently with static.
Then, something appeared on the screen.
A face.
Pale white, soaked in some dark liquid. Its eyes were nothing but endless pits of black. Axel's body froze as the image pushed forward—phasing out of the TV and into the air, its presence dark and suffocating.
It let out another shriek. The brothers clamped their hands over their ears, teeth gritted from the pain. Terrence looked up, trembling. "What the hell is that?" he muttered.
Julia turned, her expression twisting in fear.
"No. No—please," she cried, then turned and vanished through the kitchen wall.
The creature ignored the brothers and followed her swiftly.
For a long, dreadful moment, the boys stayed frozen. Their limbs shook violently. Their skin turned cold. Neither dared to move or breathe.
"Help me!" Julia's distant scream echoed through the quiet mansion. "Please help me! Axel! Terrence!"
Her voice snapped them out of it. Both jumped to their feet and dashed for the door. But then, Terrence stopped. He turned, listening into the distance.
"What the hell are you doing, Terrence? Let's get out of here now!" Axel shouted.
But Terrence said nothing. Instead, he turned and sprinted toward the kitchen. Axel watched from the doorway as his twin disappeared around the corner.
"Terrence!" he cursed under his breath, then darted after him.
He turned the corner just in time to see his brother swinging a knife at the creature.
"Let her go!" Terrence yelled desperately, slashing wildly.
But the blade passed straight through the monster. The creature raised its hand, sharp claws forming from black mist. It struck downward, aiming to kill.
Terrence froze, unable to move. He covered his face, bracing for pain—but it never came.
"Terrence!" Axel's voice echoed.
He heard a loud thud. The blow had landed on something that wasn't him. Terrence opened his eyes—and saw Axel holding the creature back. His body glowed a bright blue, eyes sharp and determined.
"Get off!" Axel roared, pushing the creature's claws away.
The force sent it flying, crashing into the far wall before fading into smoke. Julia darted behind the brothers, her ghostly form flickering as she whimpered.
Meanwhile, Axel looked down at his hands, stunned by the glow radiating from him and the strange strength coursing through his veins.
"Axel? Are you okay?" Terrence asked, standing shakily.
"I'm fine, brother. No… I'm better than fine. I feel strong," Axel said, his voice filled with awe.
Then his tone hardened. He turned to glare at his brother. "Have you lost your mind? Why did you run back without me?"
Before Terrence could answer, the creature let out another screech. Axel turned toward it, his expression firm.
"We'll talk about this when I'm done," he muttered.
But before he could move, the creature shot upward, phasing through the wall and disappearing through the roof.
Axel blinked, lowering his fists. "What the…?"