The shadowy void of blood red crimson lines spiraled around the ghost ship, sending Elise into a horror induced trance. The ghost ship seemed to float inside a realm parallel to reality itself. Was this the sunken Everworld that sailors in her harbor bar told leery tales about? Or were her eyes being corrupted by an illusion? There was no way to tell, and even the world weary Archibell or a century old witch were unable to confirm or deny it.

The ship rocked back and forth, its wood tainted a deep blue of a thousand leagues. To make matters worse, there was an unnerving chattering sound beside her.

"Uhm...guys?!" Elise asked nervously. "Is there an invisible skullman chattering his teeth near me?!"

She looked down. The noise was coming from Tony the Troutface. "Sorry pally, I'm so nervois my teeth are chattering."

"But you don't have teeth!" Elise exclaimed.

"Dats how nervois I ams!" the gang member whimpered.

Sincirce rolled her large purple eyes. "Leave it to an ocean creature to be an invertebrate!"

"Actually that's scientifically inaccurate," Elise peeped up. "Fish are vertebrates! They do have skeletons."

"Did I ask for a science lesson, geek," Sincirce said. "My point is, I'm a bad witch with a serious attitude problem. Do you really think I'm scared of this ghost ship?!"

The confident witch strutted forward with a smirk on her face. She laughed to herself. "You're all as spineless as a bunch of jellyfish!"

"Uhm...Miss Big Hips Witch?!" Tito peeped up. "You're kinda walking straight into that... ectoplasm?!"

Sincirce rolled her eyes again. "Kids these days. All they think about are women's hips and..." She walked straight through a strange blue mist in the air and stopped cold in his tracks.

The blue ectoplasm formed around her face and when she turned around, Elise and the crew noticed she now had a mustache and a monocle. Suddenly, Tito began to chuckle and point at her. "Did you forget to shave, Miss Witch?!"

Archibell couldn't resist squawking like a crow either.

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Growling and muttering beneath her breath, Sincirce chanted, "Magic magic, will you place, a mirror in my hand so I can see my face!"

A large mirror appeared in her hand, and she held it up to her face. Suddenly, she shrieked loudly. "You're right!!!! I look so old I'm growing a wretched mustached! I need my crystaaaaaaals!"

Her eyes rolled back and she fainted on the deck, leaving nothing but a strange specter in her place. His face was ice blue, he had a powder white mustache and a toupee that floated above his head. He adjusted his monocle to look at Sincirce's knocked out body. She groaned with her eyes still turning dizzily around in her head.

I'm sorry, Miss," he said in a refined and snobby voice. "But I do believe you were inside my ecto-personal space. Do try to be more careful around us ghosts."

"Now he tells me," Sincirce muttered before closing her eyes and lying backwards.

"This is all wonderfully entertaining," Archibell said, "And I do love anything that keeps that witch quiet! But can you please tell me something slightly important...?"

"And that is...?" The butler ghost asked.

"What the SEA DEVIL are you?!"

The butler ghost adjusted his monocle. "I am Govis the Butlergeist the III! Proud servant to the current Sea Reaper! I guard the entrance to her steed so no one enters or leaves! The pleasure is not mine!"

"Neither is it mine," Archibell said. "But we do have a piece of the Golden Trident of Triumph to repossess so kindly let us through."

Suddenly, the even tempered Govis turned bright red. His head swelled up on his shoulders and he howled with a thousand fangs in his head. "I am the ghost, KIND SIRS so I will do the possessing thank you. And none shall pass!"

"Geez," Tito remarked. "This stuffy butler ghost really ain't gonna give up the ghost that easy."

Tony sobbed in Elise's arms. "And I don't think we have a ghost of a chance against him!"

"Enough with this invisible humor," Archibell snapped. "We're getting in or my name isn't Jonas Archibell, the greatest thief of the sea!"

"Ahem," the Butlergeist said as his head shrank back to normal. "Did you say your name was Jonas Archibell?!"

"And what is that to you?!" Archibell asked, his eyebrows cocked.

"Actually," Govis said. "The mistress said to allow someone named Jonas Archibell into the depths of our hellish domain."

Archibell pranced happily. "Did you hear that. He said we can..." His arms sank. "Go into the depths of hell."

"Nice going," Tito remarked. "We're basically digging our own grave."

Elise puffed up her cheeks. "We're doing it to save the Sea King and my father. And the rest of the ocean. I may want to go the bathroom in fear, but we have to go."

"Ew kiddo," Tony remarked. "Not while you're holding me."

"Oh," Govis said, gesturing to the unconcious witch."Do pick up your witchy friend before you go. Not even the ghouls want her!"

"You take that back," a half dazed Sincirce cried as Archibell and Tito propped her up.

Elise turned towards the cabin door of the Ghost Ship.

Govis floated aside and humbly bowed. "Welcome aboard the ghost ship. The mistress is dying to meet you all!"

"Man," Tito scoffed. "That dead humor never gets tiring."