Chapter Text
"Tyler," Kinsey said, entering the foyer from the drawing room. "We got a problem."
"Another one?" Tyler groaned.
"Yep, Curiosity went through the Ghost Door."
"Shit." Tyler thought for a moment. "Okay, you stay here and keep an eye on the other Bodes, I'll go and try to find Curiosity's ghost."
"Wait, but you've never even been a ghost before," Kinsey said.
"Neither have you."
"Okay, good point. I just really don't wanna be stuck with the band of twerps."
"Well, consider that a punishment for using the keys irresponsibly."
"Stop acting like you're my dad. It's so annoying."
"Look, now's not the time to argue; we can discuss this later."
Tyler walked into the winter study and stepped through the Ghost Door. His body dropped to the ground, landing on top of Curiosity's body, but his spirit remained floating in the air. Tyler took off in search of Curiosity's ghost.
"Bode!" Tyler called out. "Curiosity? What do I call you?" If I were the most curious nine-year-old, where would I go? Tyler first went to the well house. That was a place that always fascinated Bode. Curiosity wasn't there, though. Tyler checked the family graveyard next. He remembered hearing Bode mention going in there a couple times before. Curiosity wasn't there, but he did see another ghost in the graveyard.
"Hello," the other ghost said. He was a very old man, and very familiar.
"Hey," Tyler said. "Who are you?"
"Chamberlin Locke. And you are?"
"Tyler Locke. Now I remember you. You're the guy in the painting in the winter study. Bode said he met you as a ghost before. He said you were our great grandpa or something."
"Great-great grandpa. Yes, I love that little Bode. So much energy in him," Chamberlin chuckled.
"You got that right. So, speaking of, have you seen Bode's ghost around here just now?"
"No, can't say I have. I haven't seen Bode in quite some time. How's he been lately?"
"Well, being perfectly honest, he could be better. Almost all of his feelings have escaped his head, and he's pretty much all but braindead."
Chamberlin laughed. "I'm guessing he's been using the Head Key lately."
"Yes, but… this isn't a laughing matter."
"I know, I know. I do apologize."
"His Curiosity went through the Ghost Door. Now I'm trying to find him."
"Ah, I see. Well, if you'd like, I can help you find him."
"Yeah, sure, that'd be great."
Chamberlin floated out of the cemetery, and Tyler followed his lead. "You said it was his Curiosity that went through the Ghost Door, correct?"
"Yeah."
"Well then, he probably went to a place that Bode is very curious about."
"I already checked the well house and the cemetery. Those were the two places I thought of first. I don't know where else he's curious about. He literally could've gone anywhere."
"Actually, not exactly," Chamberlin said. "The thing about being a ghost is that you can't leave the property. So really, he couldn't have gone far. I believe the farthest a ghost can go are the sea caves."
"Wait a minute, that's it!" Tyler said. "Bode's always been curious about the sea caves! I bet you that's where he went!"
"Great idea, Tyler! I say we investigate there."
Tyler and Chamberlin soared through the forest, above the trees at a breakneck speed.
"I'm so sorry I've disturbed you, Chamberlin. All of this could've been avoided if my stupid siblings had just not used the keys."
"No, it's no bother at all, Tyler. This is the most excitement I've had in quite some time. And don't be too hard on your siblings. The way I see it, these keys were never supposed to be something to be feared. They're not supposed to be weapons. That's why only children can remember the magic; children want to use them to have fun. Adults would just abuse their power. Your siblings are using the keys exactly as intended by your ancestors."
"Yeah, well, if my ancestors knew what we went through earlier this year, I think they'd understand why I'm a tad hesitant to use them."
They arrived at the cliffs above the sea and dived down to the mouth of the caves.
"Bode! You in there?" Tyler called. There was no response.
"We should take a look further in," Chamberlin said. "There's no harm for us ghosts."
Tyler and Chamberlin floated into the caves. They ventured deeper, but Curiosity was still nowhere to be found.
"I do hope your brother is in here," Chamberlin said. "Otherwise, I don't have the faintest idea of where he could be."
"I have a feeling he's in here. And I think I know exactly where," Tyler said.
"And where's that?"
They reached the end of the caverns, where the Black Door lied. Just as Tyler suspected, the ghost of Curiosity was floating before it, peeking through the keyhole.
"Bode!" Tyler yelled. Curiosity jerked his head toward Tyler. "Get away from that door!"
"But I wanna see what's behind it! It's hard to make out through the keyhole. I tried flying through the door, but it didn't work."
"You're damn lucky it didn't." Tyler grabbed Curiosity's arm, and to his surprise, he was actually able to have contact with it. Huh. Everything else just passes through me, but I guess ghosts can touch other ghosts. He yanked Curiosity away from the door. "C'mon, let's get back to Keyhouse."
"Oh, hi, Great-Great Grandpa Chamberlin!" Curiosity waved. "What are you doing here?"
"Hello, Bode! Or rather, Bode's Curiosity. I came along to help your brother find you."
The three ghosts floated their way back through the cave passage.
"Both me and Kinsey are pissed at you. You know that, right?" Tyler said.
"Why? I was just having fun," Curiosity said.
"Because we're trying to find Mischief so we can get you all back inside Bode's head where you belong, and you just wasted all of our time!"
"I'm sorry. I promise I won't do it again. But I don't want to go back inside Bode's head. I like it out here so much more."
"Well, too bad. Bode can't function properly without all of his feelings back in his head."
"But Kinsey can—"
"I don't care what Kinsey thinks she can get away with," Tyler said. "She made a stupid decision that she still hasn't fixed, but that's her problem to deal with. I just don't want the same to happen to you. I mean… to Bode."
"I am Bode."
"Only a part of him. His whole is greater than the sum of his parts."
"I agree with Tyler," Chamberlin said. "You need to do the responsible thing and go back into Bode's head along with all the other feelings."
"But that's Responsibility's job to do the responsible thing," Curiosity said.
"I think you can manage being responsible just this one time." Chamberlin winked.
They emerged from the cave and flew back through the forest, returning to Keyhouse. Tyler and Curiosity floated down to the threshold of the Ghost Door.
"Thanks for coming along, Chamberlin," Tyler said.
"You're welcome. I'm glad you were able to find your brother's Curiosity. I wish you luck on returning all his feelings to his head."
"Thanks. See ya later… maybe."
"Bye, Great-Great Grandpa!" Curiosity said.
"Bye, Bode," Chamberlin chuckled.
Tyler stepped through the threshold first; his ghost returned to his body. The color immediately returned to his face, and he jolted up with a gasp.
"Um, Tyler? Can you please get off my body?" Curiosity's ghost said.
"Oh." Tyler rolled off Curiosity's tiny body. "Heh. Sorry 'bout that."
Curiosity's ghost rushed through the Ghost Door, and his body suddenly awoke. "That was fun!" he said, sitting up from the ground.
"That was not fun. Now, come on, Kinsey's waiting for us."