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Horror Hall. That’s what everyone in the Horde calls it, anyway; I’m not sure if that was its name before. The other cadets said it was haunted. They only came here on dares. I came here all the time, though, and I never saw a ghost. I looked for them sometimes. I’d come down here with Patchy and look in the corners and everything. Sometimes I’d try to talk to them, like, “Hello? Ghosts? Anyone here? It’s me, Scorpia…” But I never saw anything.
Oh yeah, Patchy is my scorpion stuffie. I brought her here with me a lot.
I kinda wanted to find ghosts here. I know most of the cadets were scared of them, but… the ghosts here couldn't be too mean, could they? They weren’t like those princess ghosts who drag soldiers from their beds or lure you to their lairs; they’d be the ghosts of… my family. They wouldn’t hurt me.
I did feel a presence sometimes, like someone was watching me. It didn’t feel evil. Kinda… comforting? It only happened once or twice. I told Entrapta about it once, and she said it was probably psycha… psycholo… that I might’ve imagined it. She doesn’t believe in ghosts, but I know people have seen things, and anyway, why wouldn’t some people stick around after they die?
But yeah, I never saw anything. And ghost-hunting wasn’t the only thing to do here. Mostly I’d make up stories about the people in the murals. Like the widow Madame Pointessa, who lost her true love the day after their wedding. I made up their whole love story, how they met and everything. I made myself cry when I got to the part about her love dying.
They weren’t all sad, like these two I pretended were siblings. They were best friends and had lots of fun together, and whenever one of them got hurt the other one took care of her. I always wanted a sibling. Someone who just got me, and would always play with me, and love me no matter what.
I always thought it’d be more fun exploring Horror Hall with a sibling. Not that Patchy wasn’t great, but, y’know, it’s not the same as another person. Emily was the first friend I showed it to. I know I said other cadets came here on dares, but that wasn’t very often; mostly, everyone just ignored it. And I guess… when I was little, I didn’t have any friends close enough to show it to. It was like my secret hideout, and I liked it being mine. I just… I guess I wished I had someone to share the secret with.
This is the first time I’ve been here since Horde Prime was defeated. Which makes it the first time I’ve been here that… it hasn’t belonged to the Horde? I mean, I guess I lived here when I was really little, but I don’t really remember that. I don’t think you can even get to the bedrooms anymore. A lot of it’s collapsed.
I wonder if there’s any way we can scrub off that Horde symbol. Probably not, that paint’s been there for so long… I wonder if Entrapta would have any ideas. Maybe she could invent some super-great paint remover? I guess that isn’t really her thing. But I could ask next time I see her.
Perfuma’s coming to visit soon. I haven’t had any visitors yet; it hasn’t been that long since the war ended. It’s just me and the Horde soldiers who haven’t moved away yet. Maybe I’ll show this place to Perfuma. Yeah, that would be nice.
I bet we could clear the rubble from those doorways. That Entrapta could do with her machines. They’re probably being used for more important things, though… There’s a lot to clean up all over Etheria. And it’s not like anyone needs this place fixed up. This isn’t anyone’s home anymore. I have my room in the Force Captain barracks, and my family— yeah, no one lives here anymore.