The Invisible Phantom |Julie and the Phantoms| (COMPLETED)

Chapter 19

After what felt like forever, I finally got back to my room. Before I enter, I notice Willie pacing back and forth.

"Is everything okay?" I ask. Willie shoots his head up.

"Yeah! Yeah, everything's fine. I-I just need to talk to some people. And I'm a little nervous." He says.

"Well, I can go with you." I offer.

"No! I'm sorry, but it's fine. I appreciate that, but I'll be fine." He says fast.

"Okay? Well, I'm gonna rest for a bit. Talk to you later?" I ask.

"Yep! See ya!" He then teleports away. Okay, no more lies. It's time I find out the truth.

I teleport out of the club and try to find where he's at. I start around Julie's neighborhood because he's familiar with this place the most. Although, I don't get why he would talk to the boys, if that's what's going on. I hear people talking until a shock noise comes out of nowhere. Wait... is Willie talking to ghosts? Okay it can't be the boys. They don't have the stamp!

"All these jolts that we're feeling is because Caleb put his stamp on us?" I hear someone ask.

"He's threatened by you. He wants you under his control. You're the only ghosts that can be visible to lifers without his help." My eyes widen as soon as Willie says that. I step out from behind the garage and see Willie and the boys.

"Y-You got stamped?" I ask as my voice cracks. They all stand there with shocked faces. So much for a band reunion.

"E-Emma, I can explain-" Willie says.

"You three got stamped? You're telling me that Caleb gave all three of them the stamp? The one that can hurt them?" I ask as he sighs.

"Yeah. But-"

"He lied." I said with my fist clenched.

"Emma-"

"He lied to me, Willie. He promised he wouldn't go near my brother and his band!" I shout.

"I know he lied! But we can't change what happened! I'm sorry, but that's how Caleb is! He will do whatever it takes to keep a musician. And the best way is through the stamp. I wish that this whole convincing thing wasn't like this!" I could hear the pain in Willie's voice.

"You knew about this, didn't you?" I ask.

"I-Yes. I did." He says.

"Wow, some kind of friend you are." I say softly.

"I didn't mean to! I just didn't want to see you hurt!"

"Well that didn't work out, now did it?" I ask.

"Wait, wait, wait. Emma?" Reggie says before Willie is able to speak.

"Hey Reggie. It's been awhile." I sigh.

"So you knew who Caleb was this whole time?" He asks.

"How do you think I was performing at his club?"

"And you two let him do this to us?" Alex asks.

"We can't stop him. He owns our soul. All right? He owns everybody's soul at that club. If he even knew we were here talking to you, he...he would destroy us. Especially Emma." Willie explains.

"Why Emma?" Alex asks. "She's a lifer, how can her soul be owned by him?"

"You guys didn't figure it out, did you?" I ask.

"Figure out what?" Reggie asks.

"I'm dead! I've been dead for over 25 years!" I yell.

"H-How?" Luke asks.

"As soon as you all died, I got into a car crash." I explain.

"And you decided to join this club when you became a ghost?" Luke asks.

"No! I didn't have a choice, Luke! When I came back into this world, it was in the hands of that monster! He brought me back by pulling me out of the dark room. Where apparently Alex claims he cried in." I yell.

"For 25 years!" Alex says.

"So how would you know about the stamp when you told Caleb to stay away?" Reggie asks.

"Because I've been stamped!" I say, revealing my stamp.

"B-But you accepted his offer. W-Why would-" Luke says.

"I don't know. We could never figure it out."

"So if we don't join his club, the weird power outage thing continues until there's no power left at all?" Reggie asks.

"Yes." Willie says.

"What exactly happens when the power goes out?"

"That's... That's it. You're done."  I say.

"Uh-huh. Yeah. And what exactly do you mean by "we're done"?" Reggie asks.

"You just...You don't exist... anymore. Not anywhere." Willie says.

"What?"

"So we have no choice?" Luke asks. "We have to say goodbye to Julie, give up everything we've built together, and work for Caleb That's some club you guys got going on."

"We know it's not the best thing in the world to do." I say.

"But there is another option. That's why we're here." Willie says. The unfinished business! Why didn't I think of that?

"Another option?" Alex asks.

"Just please hear us out." I say.

"All right. If you guys could figure out what your unfinished business is, you do it in time, you could cross over and be free from all of this." Willie explains.

"Okay. So what's our unfinished business?" Luke asks.

"I don't know, but since you all died at the same time, it might be something you need to do together."

"What about Emma?" Reggie asks. "Would hers be related to ours?"

"No. There wasn't any goal that I can think of that we all had together." I say.

"So, if you don't find yours, you're gone?" Alex asks.

"In a situation like yours, yes. But since I joined, I wouldn't disappear because of that." I explain.

"Okay, but why should we listen to a word you say? What if you're just hiding something from us?" Alex asks.

"Because I care about you, Alex. And I hate that I brought you...and your friends into this mess." Willie admits.

"And you don't think I wouldn't still care about you three? Why do you think we're trying to warn you? We don't want you to disappear. Especially not in front of Julie." I say.

"I, uh...I can't be away much longer. I'm so sorry. For everything. Come on Emma, let's go." Willie says.

"You go ahead. I'm gonna talk to my band for a while." I say.

"But you might get caught." He warns.

"I'll take my chances." He sighs then teleports away. Time for the reunion everyone has been waiting for.