Luigi's Mansion

Chapter 3 - The Poltergust 3000

"So your name's Luigi?" the old professor asked as he shut the door after his guest.

    "Right," the young man confirmed absent-mindedly, taking in his new surroundings with a breathless nod. "That's... me."

   Still recovering from the escapade in the mansion, Luigi was a bit slow to perceive exactly where he now was. As the situation with the ghosts had soon developed, the two new acquaintances had quickly decided to flee the mansion entirely. Only moments ago they had come dashing down the long front staircase and into the safety of the night, Luigi having a surprisingly hard time keeping up with the professor. For one who self-proclaimed to be old, he sure had some agility to speak of.

   Once they were outside, Luigi had worried that the ghosts might pursue, but they hadn't. It was a good thing too: the professor didn't plan to run very far away at all. Before Luigi could call ahead to ask where they were going, he soon stopped short when they reached a small, rather inconspicuous shack just outside the gates.

   Luigi was surprised to find that he hadn't even noticed the structure before. The wooden building stood right beside the stone wall to the left of the mansion's front gate. It looked only large enough to be a small shed or storage building, but homey light poured from the small window; and upon entering, he was even more surprised.

The shed was much roomier on the inside, and gave way to a shockingly cozy setting. It was a rather large room, with walls that were fortified with stone and a single pillar in the very center for added support. What was more, the floor even seemed to be nothing but hard-packed dirt. A couple of ancient doors in faded green stood on the farther end of the room, somehow promising even more to explore.

   Aside from seeming quite old-fashioned, it appeared sturdy and lived in: a soft yellow light gave the place a calming atmosphere. A bookshelf stood by one wall, and an old but well-used couch also sat invitingly nearby. More than that, it appeared like a center for knowledge: huge piles of complicated-looking books sat in all the corners, and a whole slew of electronic gadgets and equipment were lying around. A big, glowing monitor with paneling was mounted into the wall on the right, as if they'd stumbled into a research facility. Against the wall by the front door was also what looked like a chemist's workbench.

Luigi fell silent as he gaped at all the junk. Does this come with the mansion? he wondered. The place certainly didn't look expensive, but still comfortable. It almost sort of looked livable, although he couldn't imagine what all the machines were for.

   Meanwhile the professor had been talking cheerfully as if nothing was unusual at all. "I have a feeling our paths were destined to cross. Well met, Luigi," Professor E. Gadd said as he settled into a seat by the wall panel.

   Destined...? What does he mean by that? Luigi thought, but instead he said, "Well, you did appear just in time. Thank you for that, again." He paused, trying to get his thoughts together. "And I'm pleased to meet you, of course. I've never met a real live ghostbuster before," he added. "That's what you do... right?"

   The professor chuckled. "You could say so," he replied. "Although I've been thinking that it's about time I calm it down a bit. Getting old, like I said. I don't move quite as fast as the ghosts do anymore." There was a moment of slightly odd silence. "But I have done more than a few things throughout my long career," he went on assuringly. "And although I tend to believe that accidents can certainly happen, I think that everything that occurs inside that mansion is no mistake." Here he seemed to turn a tad bit serious. "Make no joke about it."

   Luigi wasn't quite sure how to respond to that. "Well... then I guess we're well met indeed," he said. "So... Do you spend time around here? What is this place, a secret hideout?" He had to make sure to form the right questions. There was so much confusion surrounding all of this right now, and he was just hoping that this guy could tell him what on earth was going on.