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The full moon’s light shone down on the shadowy cloaked figures as they gathered in the Old Hill Burial Ground. It had only taken a moment for the leader to pick the lock placed upon the cemetery’s gate, allowing the group to congregate towards an unusually new-looking monument placed among the older stones. It was simple, a tall obelisk hewn of white marble surrounded by beds of chrysanthemums and greenery. A deeply carved inscription was visible on the obelisk’s pedestal.
PHANTOM
HERO OF AMITY PARK
MONUMENT IN HIS HONOR ERECTED HERE 2007
“Are you sure it will work?” One of the figures whispered as the group surrounded the obelisk. “His body isn’t actually here after all.”
“The monument is a connection to Him, it will serve our purpose well enough,” the leader of the group said, throwing back the hood on his long robe to reveal his face. “Now, the hour is right, and the moon is full. Who brought the chalk?”
“I did!” A shorter cloaked woman waved a box of sidewalk chalk. “What colors should we use? I think my kids used up all the purples and blues.”
“Obviously His preferred colors are green, black, and white,” another member scoffed. “To use any others tonight would be sacrilege.”
The woman shrank back at the criticism, mumbling out quick agreements while digging in the box for the necessary colored chalk.
The leader sighed at the chatter and motioned for the other members to begin preparations for their ritual. The woman with the box of chalk handed out the appropriate colors to some. Other members revealed satchels and messenger bags from beneath their robes, and from them started placing candles and crystals in geometric patterns around the entire monument, chrysanthemums and all.
It took only a few minutes for the preparation to be finished. Odd shapes, letters, and symbols littered the obelisk now, all circled around the inscribed word ‘Phantom’, and a few dozen candles now littered the grass, interspersed with chunks of quartz.
“Finally,” the leader intoned, his voice pitched low to make it sound deeper, “The preparations are set. Let us summon our Lord to be made whole once more!” A rousing cheer was given by the followers as they huddled close to the circle and began to chant in (butchered) Latin.
. . .
Danny was just settling into bed after a long night of fighting ghosts and cramming for his math test when he felt something shift in the air around him. He sat up in bed, feeling uneasy, and felt something tug at his core. It wasn’t much, just a small pull, but it caught his attention and he absently rubbed a hand over the spot. Then, there was a larger one. It felt like someone had cast a fishing line into his chest and pulled. With a flash of light, he realized that without intending to, he had transformed, and the feeling continued.
He sighed with annoyance. ‘If this is another slumber party summoning I swear…’ he thought as he flew through his window and followed the pull to its origins.
Danny followed the pull to the cemetery where the monument the city had built for him sat. Vlad had thought it would be funny when the town raised funds for a statue, to have the tribute to his enemy built in a cemetery, but Danny didn’t care. Usually, he liked to visit, maybe take a few of the flowers left as an offering for him and relax. He supposed it was a ghost thing, wanting to visit your ‘headstone’ as it were, but it brought him peace. This though? He wasn’t sure what this culty looking group was doing to his monument, but it sure as hell felt like desecration.
“What are you guys doing?” He asked, floating well enough outside the circle of candles, just in case.
The members of the group looked up at the hero, and began to chatter in excitement.
“Lord Phantom!”
“He’s really here!”
“I told you these were his favorite colors!”
The cacophony of voices were soon drowned out by the booming voice of their leader.
“Lord Phantom, Guardian of the Gates of Death, Protector of the Realm of Mortals, I bid you welcome from your devoted followers.”
Danny reeled back slightly. ‘Devoted followers?’ He was starting to wish he really had been summoned by a slumber party instead.
“What the heck are you doing out here?” Annoyance was starting to enter his tone now, though the group didn’t seem to notice.
“Why, we are here to reunite you with mortal form! To give you flesh once more so that you may assert yourself as the rightful ruler of the mortal realm, Lord Phantom!” The other cult members began to cheer with the man in excitement, but Danny cut them off quickly.
“Wait, wait, wait.” He waved one hand while pinching the bridge of his nose. “You’re telling me that you’re trying to reanimate my corpse?” Annoyance was now absent from his voice, disgust replacing it quickly. Some of the cultists noticed and shifted awkwardly where they stood.
“Yes…my Lord?” The leader’s falsely deep voice was gone, his confidence replaced with slight apprehension.
“You guys do know that necromancy is illegal in Amity Park, right? Also you’re definitely defacing public property right now. That's like, a double crime or something.”
The group was silent for a moment, unsure what to do.
“I can’t go back to jail!” One yelled, before breaking free from the huddle and sprinting towards the exit, robe flapping in the wind. The others quickly took the hint, and all began running off towards nearby parking lots, leaving Danny by himself.
“Is this…sidewalk chalk?” He wondered aloud as he rubbed one of the markings off his monument. He had the feeling he wasn’t going to get any sleep tonight, he didn’t want to leave this mess for the poor groundskeeper after all.