An enormous reaper creeper floated before them. His black, robe like body bulged like an overstuffed mattress. A tiny head sat atop his bulky body, but his beady yellow eyes gleamed with pride. His scythe curled and glinted in the dim lamp light.
"Wow..." Elise said, her eyes widening behind her circular glasses. "That ghost sure looks...."
"Hu Hu hu," the great big ghost chuckled in his dim voice. "I'm terrifying right? Horrifying? I'm sure I have several of you already involuntarily wetting your pants!"
Elise skipped over to the massive reaper creeper. Without warning, she hugged the enormous monster. "Plushy cozy!"
"Uh pally!" Tony said nervously. "I dunno if you should do that!"
"But why?" Elise said turning around. "He's a real live pillowgeist!"
"Uh Speckles!" Tito stammered. "He may be soft but he sure has a pointy scythe!"
Suddenly, the reaper creeper took a swing at Elise. She tumbled backwards and cried in horror as the pillowgeist turned bright red.
"Plushy cozy? Are you implying I'm fat?!" the hungry ghost howled.
He stopped seething for a second to catch a glimpse of himself in the reflection of his scythe.
"Ok…" he mumbled. "maybe I get into the spirits too much! But the soul cargo is so delectable I can't help it!"
"Yeah pally," Tony scolded him. "Ya might want to lay off the soul food too!"
The large ghost shook his tiny head. "I know, talking fish, I know. I hope to curb that problem at S.A. Soulaholics Anonymous!"
"Great idea!" Archibell said as he went to retrieve a petrified Elise. "Admitting ya have a problem is the first step to recovery!"
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"Oh do you think so?!" The reaper creeper exclaimed. "I'm so thankful I have a bunch of kind souls who care about my well being!"
"Yeah," Tito said with a chuckle. "Besides if you don't lay off the souls, you greedy ghoul, you'll never be able to catch us!"
The ghost shook his head in disbelief. "Wait a minute, that's what I'm supposed to be doing right now. My name is Bull Ghoster! And Reaper of the Sea wants me to harvest you as prime souls for her!
"Well," Archibell squawked. "Jokes on you because Sugar Southerncross has no soul!"
"Tha's right," the proud but not so bright sea cowgirl said. "I have no soul."
Her eyes bulged wider than a bullfrog. "Waitaminute!" she growled and pointed the gun at her former boyfriend's head. "In jus a few seconds, Archie dear, you will have no soul too!"
"Uh hello, scary southern sea lady," Bull Ghoster responded. "That's my job!"
"Well now, dahling," Sugar said, her voice turning sweet again. "You'll have my soul…over my dead body!"
With a devious grin, Sugar fired several cracks from her gun. "No wait!" Elise shouted. "Miss Lady, ghosts are…!"
But much to their surprise, Bull Ghoster covered his tiny head with his flabby hands. "Don't shoot me! Don't shoot me!"
"Well…I'll be," Archibell smirked. "a ghost who doesn't know that he's see through. Let's get outta here before he figures that out!"
The group all ran as fast as they could (except for Tony who rode in Elise's hands. They found themselves lost in a maze that they had no way of getting out of.
Unfortunately, Bull Ghoster seemed to realize this fact as quickly as he flinched. With a great gleaming grin he lumbered through the air brandishing his scythe like a harvesting blade.
Abby Rition, who had been silent for the whole time, had a strange gleam in her eyes. "Why I know how we can outsmart this mean old ghostie whostie! Follow me!"
The mysterious girl took the lead and guided the crew down corridors of soul cargo. Elise panted hard. The great big grinning ghost was gaining on them. At last, they turned the corner to find an empty crate of soul cargo.
"Here!" The girl urged them. "We can hide in here until that mean ghosty loses interest!"
She ran inside with a smile on her face. "Hurry!"
Everyone looked at each other. No one had a better plan it seemed. Elise narrowed her eyes at Abby, but followed her in. "Quick!" she shouted. "Close up the crate."
Tito and Archibell closed up the crate with them inside. Everything had darkened around them. Elise shivered as an odd chill encircled them. Abby Rition stood at the front of the crate. She had her back towards them. "Great job!" she said and began to snicker. "He'll never find us now!"
Suddenly, her pig tails ignited in ghostly green flames and she turned around. Her face was no longer that of a soft young girl, but rather she had beady yellow eyes and a skull like smile.
"Suckers!" she laughed.