Duncan Victor's Story

The manor was lit up with lights of all colors and music played loudly in the ballroom. The whole family was on the first floor, dressed up in their gowns and tuxedos. Many of the guests had already arrived, and some still staggered in. The party was lively and festive, just like any other of their parties. Tall men flanked the front door, watching to make sure that only invited guests entered. Servants ran through through the crowds, serving drinks and food. Little Conner plug his ears and walked around the ballroom, knowing he was not allowed anywhere else in the house. He was upset with the fact that he had to be in the room, but he promised his mother that this year, for the the 300th anniversary. Conner watched as a servant with a tray of drink towards him and as the man passed him, the little boy reached up and grabbed a drink without the man noticing.

He looked at the cup and then up at the other guests. They all seemed to be enjoying themselves. He saw his mother fluttering around, meeting the guests and welcoming back past guests. His father was busy drinking with his old pals. Conner looked around to notice that there were ghosts here too. He could tell the difference between the ghosts and the living because the dead tended to be slightly transparent. Conner stood on the edge of the room, hoping one would come talk to him, since he was a bit lonely, but he knew the ghosts did whatever they wanted. He looked back down at the drink, thinking about drinking it. Last time he had some, he had turned into a whole other person... but he was bored right now and he needed something to get rid of that feeling.

When Duncan saw the little Hunter boy hiding against the wall with a drink, he was intrigued. There was something different about the boy. Duncan's suspicions were confirmed when the boy's eyes landed right on him before moving on. He had a drink in his hand and was staring at it. Duncan decided to intervene and strode over to him.

"Hello," he greeted cheerfully. He focused long enough to pluck the drink out of the boy's hands and place it into the bin of a passing bus boy. "You can see me, can't you?" Duncan asked, leaning against the wall beside the young Hunter. "Maybe you can help me. I'm Duncan Victor."

Conner had come to the decision that drinking the alcohol would do him no harm, and went on to drink the cup. He was very upset when a hand swiped the cup from him. He watched intently as the cup was placed into the bin of a bus boy. "Hey!" Conner shouted, turning to look at the ghost. Some guests looked at the kid briefly, but turned back to their conversations quickly. "You can see me, can't you?" He said to him as he leaned against the wall. "Of course dumb ass." He replied harshly. Conner was very upset that the guy had taken his drink. Conner had seen this ghost around the house, but never really said anything to him. He looked around for a moment, hoping to maybe see Charles. He was a bit more fun to be around, instead of this idiot who took his drink. "Maybe you can help me. I'm Duncan Victor." Conner crossed his arms and looked up at the dead man. "Why in the world would I help you? You took my drink, ass hole."

"Why in the world would I help you?" the boy asked, crossing his arms. "You took my drink, asshole."

The boy's reaction surprised Duncan, and he raised an eyebrow. "Are you not a little young to be drinking?" he asked. "And using that kind of language?" His lips pressed together in a hard line. "Anyway, you look bored and uncomfortable. I figured I would give you something to do and get something done in the process."

Duncan tried to use his foot to kick off the wall, but it ended up going through instead. He braced himself with both hands and pushed away, facing the cranky, foul-mouthed boy.

"Do you really want to be here?" he asked.

Leo walked slowly towards the front of the manor, digging his finger into his rather tight collar, and tugging. He had never minded dressing up for any sort of occasion, but collars always seemed to get so itchy in particular. His hand moved quickly down to his side, quickly grasping a small lump in his pocket. Now this, this is what would make the party great. Leo smiled, dipping his hand down into his pocket and wrapping his fingers tightly around the Ziplock bag that lay there, slowly kneading the powder within. Yes, with this amount, this would be quite the party indeed.

Now reaching the front of the manor, Leo approached the tall bouncer that stood next to the entrance.
"Name?" The tall man asked him,
"Leo, Leo Dahl." He replied back, giving the man a confidant and friendly smile.
The man looked down, studying a rather long looking sheet of paper he had attached to a clipboard. After a bit, he nodded back to Leo, making a small step to the side. Leo nodded back, smiling again and walked into the manor.
It was very old it seemed, showing off the families long held opulence. Already, the manor had grown crowded with numerous people, all talking amongst themselves, creating that almost comfortable white noise of words and conversations mashing together with no direction.

Leo nodded at a few people, walking tall, head held high. Always professional, always willing to conduct business with whomever may ask. Despite his rather calm and proud appearance on the outside, Leo was a sweaty turmoil of want on the inside. He constantly brushed his hand up against the small bag in his pocket, the anticipation growing with every though of getting the sweet drug out and partaking in the first hit. Perhaps he could find a bathroom of sorts, somewhere to get doped up. After all, things probably wouldn't start getting more heated until later. Then he would be able to dive into the powder in his pocket at full power. But for now, slipping into a state of being pleasantly stoned sounded like enough.
Leo looked for someone to ask for direction to the nearest bathroom or empty room. A member of the family most likely.

After a bit of searching, Leo saw exactly what he wanted. A small, rather apprehensive looking child, holding a cup sullenly by himself. He seemed to be talking to himself. Perfect. Leo put on his friendliest smile, and walked over to the boy.
"Excuse me bud, but could you tell me where the nearest bathroom is?" He asked, his tone becoming warm and uplifting.

"Are you not a little young to be drinking? And using that kind of language?" The ghost said to him as he looked down on the kid. "Anyway, you look bored and uncomfortable. I figured I would give you something to do and get something done in the process."

The ghost stumbled slightly as he attempted to get off the wall before speaking again.

"Do you really want to be here?"Conner gave the ghost a harsh glare, not totally liking the dude. He opened his mouth to speak, but noticed that a man had come up to him. He shut his trap and turned to look at the man as he asked, "Excuse me bud, but could you tell me where the nearest bathroom is?"

"Go ask someone else, old man-" Conner was touch on the shoulder by a soft hand. Conner looked up to see the pleasant and kind face of his mother. She was beautiful and was always the face of the household. Conner wrapped his arms around her waist tightly and turned to look back at Duncan. Should he help the guy out?

"I am so sorry sir. Conner is tired and exhausted you must understand he is only but a child. He is very uncomfortable with the high number of people in his home. What was is you asked of him?" His mother said to the man. Conner spoke to Duncan in a hushed whisper and said, "What is it you want from me?"

"Go ask someone else, old man-"
Leo's smile did not drop, however, he felt a rather large wave up irritation flare up inside of him.
"What a little shit," he thought to himself, a rather menacing shine crossing his eyes, as his head slightly titled to the side, giving his widening smile a bit more of a "If-you-don't-answer-my-question-I-swear-to-god-I'll-strangle-you," kind of feeling.

"I am so sorry sir. Conner is tired and exhausted you must understand he is only but a child. He is very uncomfortable with the high number of people in his home. What was is you asked of him?" a strong feminine voice said as a woman approached him. The kid quickly embraced her. She was his mother most likely. Yes, the current face of the Hunter household. Leo waved his hand, a small gesture dismissing the kids rudeness, who seemed to be starting to talk to himself again.
"Oh no, it's completely fine," Leo replied, his shoulders and head straightening again, his tone still professional and warm, "I was just wondering where I could find a bathroom."
He finished of his question with a flash of a toothy smile, hoping to hide his quite aggravated need for one. He was really starting to get hit with the early waves of anxiousness, a sign that if he didn't get his fix soon, he'd start feeling the other much less pleasant symptoms of dope sickness. That was one of the last things he wanted to experience at this party.

Duncan shuddered and stumbled to the side as someone walked through him. "Excuse me, bud, but could you tell me where the nearest bathroom is?" the man asked the boy condescendingly.

"Go ask someone else, old man-" the boy replied quickly, but a hand came to rest on his shoulder, cutting him off. The boy wrapped his arms around the woman who owned the hand and stared at Duncan. As his mother explained away the boy's rudeness, Duncan caught his name. Conner. "What is it you want from me?" Conner whispered.

"I just need to find someone," Duncan explained. "I know she's here, but I haven't seen her in almost two hundred years." Once again, Duncan shuddered as a young woman passed through him. She was beautiful, and not much older than she had been. She was all smiles as she introduced herself, but Duncan pressed his lips together in unamusement. "Did this wall suddenly get suffocating?" he asked Conner.

"The restroom is down the hall om the left." The mother replied, pointing into the direction behind her. "I am so sorry for his rudeness once again."

Conner looked at the guy as he described his predicament. Looking for someone? Who could that be, he wondered. Another person walked towards my mother, walking right through Duncan as she grabbed his mother's attention. As those two spoke, Duncan and Conner spoke of their own matters. "The wall? I guess. What's this person's name. I know almost all of the osts in here... I could see if i know her." Conner replied. Duncan seemed harmless enough. He was clearly still trying to graba hold of the ghostly being thing, but he'd get used to it. Conner was a little surprised he didnt know the guy. Sure there were plenty of ghosts the kid hadn't met, but Duncan seemed a nice ghost to know. Maybe he was tired of looking for his friedn or whatever and turned to Conner for help...

"Mrs. Hunter? Please, call me Gabrielle. Mrs. Makes me feel old. And you said you were part of the Summers family? Wow. I must find your parents and tell them what a beautiful daughter they have." She said with a bright smile. Gabrielle pulled Conner into her arms and pick him up to rest him on her hips. "This is my youngest, Conner. He's not too fond of strangers."

Conner looked at the girl, looking her up and down and finding out who she was and what she wanted. He was brief with his analysis and turned back to Duncan, resting his head on his mother's shoulder. "And what did she look like?" Conner whispered even softer than before.

"The restroom is down the hall on the left." The mother replied, pointing into the direction behind her. "I am so sorry for his rudeness once again."
Leo gave the woman a polite nod of appreciation and hurriedly left, his eyes frantically searching for the restroom door. HIs pace hurried, as he finally found it, knocking it open and hurrying inside. He locked himself inside the first stall he could find, sitting down on the toilet. Reaching inside his pocket, Leo pulled out the sandwich sized bag containing everything he would need. Needles, syringe, lighter, rubber arm-tie, and a small spoon. He set it on his lap, reaching into his other pocket, pulling out a slightly larger bag which was full about to the halfway point of fine white powder. Eyeing the bag, a thoughtful expression formed on his face.
"A full hit from injection? I know I need it... but really, that much so soon?" He thought to himself, biting his lip. "I really should save the needles I have for later. Plus, with how I'm feeling, it's likely I'll go with too much and hurt myself."

After a few seconds more of thought, he put the bag containing the needles and other assorted paraphernalia bag into his pocket. He then eagerly turned towards the bag full of his Herion. Opening the top carefully, he dipped two fingers in, taking a good healthy pinch of the drug between them. Bending over, he brought his face to his fingers and snorted. Quickly, he took another pinch and snorted up the other nostril. Putting the bag back, Leo then sat back, waiting for the effect of the healthy hit to come.

Ecstasy, just pure golden heaven. Even words like those weren't enough to describe the effect of the drug. Leos body shuddered, his eyes closing. He welcomed the numbing of the drug, sweeping over his body like a glacial wind. Tingling, in the tips of his toes and fingers slowly vibrated up into his thighs and forearms.
"My sweet white snow, how I missed you." Leo mumbled to himself, eyes still closed.
After a minute or two more, he stood, eyes opening with pinpoint pupils. Leo smiled, flushed the toilet behind him and walked out of the stall and bathroom, and back into the main part of the manor.

"The wall?" Conner asked. "I guess. What's this person's name? I know almost all of the ghosts in here... I could see if i know her." Duncan smiled at the boy's sudden interest.

"Her name is Annabelle," he answered. "Annabelle Hunter." Conner took a brief pause to survey the woman chatting with his mother, who lifted him up and set him on her hip. He laid his head on her shoulder.

"And what did she look like?' Conner asked in a hushed voice.

Duncan's expression turned dreamy as his thoughts turned to Annabelle. "She has long blonde hair," he replied. "Blue eyes with a lightning strike of gold around the middle. With dimples in her cheeks. She's the type of beautiful that shows you how kind and caring she is in one glance." Duncan snapped himself awake. "So will you help me find her?" he questioned hopefully.

Angie glanced around the room, surveying the coming and goings of guest and ghosts alike. The corner in which she stood smelled profusely of smoke thanks to her unwelcome friend, Charlie. Even now the apparition had ghostly cigarette perched on his lips. She never had very much to say and she supposed that was why Charlie preferred her company to that of the child medium, Conner.

To Charlie, she was his calm in the storm. Sure he enjoyed partying and flirting, even if nobody could see him, but when he got tired of listening to the other ghost's chatters and moans, he always sought out Angie for some peace. He liked to think of himself as her guardian ghost. He protected her from the more malicious spirits, even if she never realized or acknowledged it. He even tried on more than one occasion to stop living men from approaching her. As a matter of fact, he thwarted at least five men from approaching her at this party alone. She was making it rather difficult with the dress that she was wearing. Even Charlie had a hard time keeping his eyes off of her.

If Angie had any say in what she would wear, it would definitely not be this. In fact, if she ever had any say at all about her life, she wouldn't even be here. She would be in her room, watching the new Game of Thrones episode that she was currently recording.

As Angie scanned the room, she looked to Conner, the boy with the same gift she possessed. A ghost she had seen around often was pestering him, probably for the same reason he had tried to pester her before Charlie told him to "Buzz off, square." Conner was impressionable sometimes, but he was a good kid, no matter how creepy he looked. The ghost, Duncan she thought, seemed to finally reel the boy into helping him. As the child and apparition were having their silent conversations, her aunt Gabrielle was talking to a tall man with blond hair. The man had obvious twitches, at least to her, and it didn't take her very long to deduce that he was a junkie. After the man left to find the nearest bathroom, a girl around her age approached her aunt, introducing herself and being altogether peppy and brown-nosing. Angie turned to Charlie and mimicked vomiting to which Charlie gave a chuckle in reply. She saw her cousin Lydia and waved at her, more out of politeness than an actual call for her attention.

Angie caught her mother's eyes from across the room. Margaret Hunter had always hoped Angie would bloom into a Hunter woman to be proud of. To her dismay, Angie was as different from her family as anyone could be. Margaret gave her a look that said "Socialize-Or-Else" Angie, fearing punishment, went to the nearest guest she could find. Imagine her displeasure to find it was the junkie from before, stoned, having gotten his fix.

"Hello sir, my name is Angelina Hunter. We Hunter's are so pleased that you could make it to our party." she said to the man, offering a supremely fake smile. At that moment a waiter stopped by, champagne on his platter. Angie grabbed one from the tray and handed it to the man. "Here you go." Under her breath she whispered to him, "You might want to wipe your nose, you have residue." She gave another fake smile and went on to the next guest, Charlie following close behind her.

"My apologies, Gabrielle. And thank you, I apologize for their absence this evening. The party is very lovely, I'm glad to be here. And hello to you too Conner, what a handsome boy he will grow up to be," Tiffany said and waved at the son. The kid seemed as if he was whispering to himself, how odd. Tiffany heard the Hunters we're a bit out of sync, but she didn't realize they were a bit nutzo. "I hope you two have a grand evening, I wouldn't want to leave you from your guests," said Tiffany. She bid her goodbye and walked back off into the party. The party seemed a bit bland, would there be something to pick up the pace? She spotted a man walking out of the bathroom obviously stoned and acting a bit off. Tiffany wondered what he was on, and if she wanted to be on it. Should she ask him for some? No, it was way too early to get high. She made her way to the dance floor. Perhaps some dancing will do her some fun. She grabbed a complete stranger and said, "Care to dance?". He agreed instantly and they lit up the dance floor as others watched and joined. It was standard Tiffany, always in the spotlight.

Duncan was lost in his thoughts as she talked about the girl. Conner almost wanted to punch the guy, but held back considering he couldn't touch him unless he wanted to be touched. Ghosts were weird creatures. "So will you help me find her?" The guy asked him, and Conner nodded. "Sure. As long as you don't get lost in your thoughts again like that."

Conner heard his mother sigh as the girl left and moved to put him down. She crouched doe to look at her son at eye level and said to him, "I need you to be kind to the guests, baby. It's just for today. I only ask of this only today, okay sweetie?" Conner nodded, his face softening as his mother spoke. He loved his mothers, and when she confronted him about his behavior, he was upset to have disappointed her. "Sorry mother." She sighed gently, kissed his forehead and tussled his hair as she stood and walked off.

Conner turned around to face Duncan again. "I know her, actually." He turned around and walked off. "I don't really know where she is though-" He stopped to look at Lydia, who stood close to him, looking around. She seemed a little troubled. "Hold on." He said to Duncan. Conner stepped to her and tugged on her dress. "Lydia... are you okay?"

The boy nodded. "Sure," he said. "As long as you don't get lost in your thoughts again like that." Duncan couldn't help the huge grin that spread across his face.

"I've been dead for almost two hundred years," he replied, still smiling. "I'm lost in more than just my thoughts." The brown-nosing woman sashayed off to the dance floor, and Conner's mother set him down with a sigh. She gently chided him, and he apologized. When she walked away, Conner turned back to face Duncan.

"I know her, actually," the boy stated. He spun around and started walking, forcing Duncan to follow him.

"Really? It's been so long since I've seen her," Duncan said.

"I don't really know where she is though-" Conner cut off suddenly, staring at a blonde woman.

"Wait, but you know her," Duncan insisted. "I could see her again? Finally?"

"Hold on," the boy told him. He crossed his arms and sighed, tapping his foot impatiently. He'd been waiting for almost two hundred years, but all of a sudden it felt like if he waited any longer, he would burst. He didn't want to be still, so he fiddled with the buttons on his waistcoat while Conner talked to his cousin.

Lydia turned to look down on Conner and said, "Yeah, kiddo. Just...not...in a party mood," she admitted and ruffled his hair affectionately. "I hope you're having a little fun. I know that big parties like this aren't always the best setting for kids." A sudden frown appeared on her face as she noticed her father come down the stairs with two women. Conner looked at her father, his uncle and the only member of the family that he had beef with, with great dislike. Almost like heat vision burning through his uncle's chest, the man looked at Conner briefly, only to ignore the kid. Conner was pulled out of focus when his cousin spoke again."Look, tell Auntie I'm going outside. I'm taking a breather, alright?" Conner nodded as Lydia kissed his forehead gently and walked away.

Conner sighed as he turned to look at Duncan. "Well then. Where have you not looked around the house?" Conner asked him as he lead the way out of the crowd. His mother might be upset when she realized her son was not at the party, but Conner was itching to leave the place. He craved some where quiet and less crowded. And people were staring at him as he talked to Duncan. They couldn't see or hear the guy so it made Conner look like he was talking to an imaginary friends at age 12.

Duncan watched the exchange with very little interest and much impatience. After so long of not seeing Annabelle, he had finally been given a glimmer of hope to meet with her again. He scowled and tapped his foot. The woman, Lydia, Conner had called her, kissed the boy's forehead and left the two alone. Not that she knew there were two people there.

Conner sighed, turning toward Duncan. "Well then," he said, starting to weave through the crowd. "Where have you not looked around the house?"

Duncan was taken aback. That was a question. Despite being a guest at a few of the parties and the chosen suitor of a very popular Hunter girl, he was far from an expert on the mansion. "I don't know," he admitted. "Every time I look, I get lost." He gave a sheepish chuckle. "Being dead really doesn't help your focus." Once again, his aforementioned focus was pulled elsewhere. "You know, people are looking at you strangely."