Backing away from the car, Casper turns himself into a bird, soars over to the iron gate and vine-shrouded bricked walls, and approaches the manor's massive maple doors with a strange Irish rune etched on them.

Morphing himself back to his original form, Casper opens one of the doors, steps inside the house, and disappears until he runs outside with a massive smile.

"HEY, TEDDY!" he shouts breathlessly. "MOM GAVE ME THE KEYS AND EVERYTHING!"

I watch in amusement as Casper slides the key into the lock and opens the gate wide enough for me to enter.

Sighing in relief, I start the car again, wait for Casper to move aside, and drive along the cracked bricks when I notice two vehicles standing in the bricked parking space.

Ichabod, on the contrary, looks at me as if my hair is on fire.

"If you think I'm going to spend the night in that fucking house, you're insane." he snaps.

"Relax, if a monster tries to kill us, we beat the living shit out of it," I tell him. "If not, then I'll offer you as an animal sacrifice."

"Wow, Teddy," Ichabod remarks sarcastically. "You just can't wait for me to die, huh?"

"I'm just joking," I reassure him. "You know I'll defend you no matter what."

"You better," growled Ichabod. "I can't spend a minute at this place."

Sighing, I approach the old mansion. The rusted bars of the ancient gate shriek as it shuts behind us.

Lights glow behind the tall, glass windows cloaked in yellowish-green pollen. I light the way with my fiery green hands when balls of light swarm around me.

Their ghostly beam forces me to squint. I slightly back away, whereas Ichabod bears his teeth at these strange orbs.

"Jesus, just what the hell are they?" I ask.

"Le Feu Follet," Casper explains. "Legend has it they're swamp fairies who lead travelers deep into the swam until they're hopelessly lost."

Ichabod twists his pink nose. "And they're here because. . ."

"Because my abuela saved them from a bunch of ghost hunters while back," Casper beams. "So, these guys are cool if you leave'em alone."

I stare at the white orbs guiding us to the manor.

Crickets and frogs chirp in the distance. The wooden windchimes jingle above the front porch. Oakwood rocking chairs emit piercing shrieks, which make my blood rise.

I stare at the house, whereas Casper clutches the golden door handle. He tries to give it a firm pull, but the handle refuses to budge.

"Do we seriously have to go in there?" Ichabod whimpers. "It looks scary!"

Casper rings the doorbell twice and lets out a sigh.

"Come on," he starts to say. "The manor isn't bad. The guests are cool, and my mom's the nicest person on the planet. She'll give you a room, a hot meal, and everything. I want you guys to meet her, but my mom's running errands now."

"Yeah, Crane," I tell him. "Let's just calm down."

"Great idea," Ichabod responss. "Why should I freak out when I feel like I am in an 80s horror movie about four horny teenagers entering a haunted mansion to do some fucked-up dare?"

"Not every place we go to is a horror movie," I snort, squeezing my left backpack strap. "Besides, if we were trapped in one, Casper and I would probably die first."

Casper gives me a stern look. "Gee, thanks for the fucking optimism."

"Relax, Cass," I insist. "You have powers, you wear colorful clothes, and you have common sense, you know, most of the time."

"Wow, you're so funny. You should be in Def Comedy Jam."

"Shut up."

Suddenly, the golden knob jerks around for a bit, prompting the kids to take a step back. They eye the door intensely until Lea Tanaka appears right before the doorway.

Her messy, brown hair is...