When the Cowardly Lion Roars

Rest and Reflection, Part 2

By the time I arrived at the lab, I felt like I needed to take another shower. Elh—or whoever that creature was—was safely pressed into a canvas, but I still felt their presence and the dread they left behind. My responses were short and curt whenever Gadd talked to me, and that must've let him know that something was wrong.

"You—wanna talk about it?" he asked.

"No, thanks," I replied.

I slid off the Poltergust and jumped into a cool shower, washing away the encounter with Elh, along with my entire experience in the graveyard. Hot tears slid silently down my face, both tears and soap purging the awful dread. However, I only allowed myself a short cry, because my tears weren't gonna get Mario out of this. I rinsed off the soap, composing myself, and then tilted back my head so that the shower spray could cascade down my face.

Feeling better, I stepped out of the shower, dried myself off and dressed in fresh clothes. My mood had also improved significantly when I joined Gadd in the lounge area and allowed him to tend to my wounds.

"Are you sure you don't want to tell me what happened?" asked Gadd. "All of these frightful bruises, lacerations and burns are already telling me a lot."

"Maybe I should," I conceded. "The Boos pulled a terrible trick on me in the graveyard. They made me think that Mario was—well, you know."

Gadd's face was pale. "I know for a fact that the Boos are a sadistic lot, but this takes the cake," he said.

"If they hadn't slipped up and told me that Mario begged in his final moments, then I wouldn't be here right now," I said. "I almost fell for it."

"But now you're better equipped on how to deal with Boos' illusions," said Gadd.

"Professor—they tried to make me do something rash."

Gadd's mouth dropped open. "Like...?"

"Yes," I told him. "Thank God I eventually saw through their deception. Otherwise..." I shuddered. "And after that—after that—I had to fight a creature named Elh."

Gadd frowned. "Who?"

"That was the name I saw on the large headstone where they attacked me," I explained. "Fighting Elh was worse than the Boos' illusion. So many doubts started assailing me, and they increased whenever they or their clones grabbed me. Even after I defeated them, this thick dread was everywhere." I shuddered again. "I can't believe I didn't lose my sanity."

Gadd took my hand. "But you survived, and you beat them," he said comfortingly.

"What was that creature?" I asked. "Have you heard of them?"

"Luigi—you just fought the product of this mansion's fear and despair," Gadd told me. "That explains the plethora of negative emotions you experienced during the battle."

"Is their name Elh, though?"

"So far, they've only been referred to as Bogmire."

"Bogmire?" I repeated.

"Bogmire is the creature's common name," said Gadd, "but they could have different aliases. I have to do more research on them."

"So," I breathed, "Bogmire, or Elh, or whatever their name is—that's the living personification of fear and horror?"

"Yes," said Gadd.

"And—I beat them?"

"Yes."

I was at a loss for words—what could I say in this situation? I'd been pitted against fear incarnate and came out the victor—and some people called me a scaredy-cat! If—when—I got out of this—I couldn't wait to tell everyone. They wouldn't be so quick to laugh at me then.

Gadd finished dressing my wounds and set out some more snacks for me.

"Those Boos underestimated you," he mused.

"Yeah," I said. "Guess so."

"What do you mean 'guess'?" asked Gadd.

"I'm not someone who brags or boasts," I explained.

"Or you just have a low opinion of yourself," Gadd retorted.

I huffed. "Being relegated to the shadows tends to have that effect," I said.

"You had every opportunity to bail after I saved you," said Gadd, "and you didn't. Doesn't that mean anything?"

"Of course it does," I replied.

"You're better than you think you are, youngster," Gadd told me, "and I assure you, by the time this is over, everything's gonna click into place."

He gave me a big smile. "After fighting Bogmire, you deserve some rest," he said. "Scratch that—you need some rest."

"I guess you're right," I murmured, rising to my feet and heading upstairs.

Once again, I threw off my clothes and slid into bed, falling asleep even before my head hit the pillow.