Chapter 1 - Boo!

''What're you looking for now?''
Shelly looked up from the cupboard under the sink and blinked.
''Uhm... I don't actually know...'' The grey Panther said.
She stood up and straightened her long, black silken dress and brushed a curl of red hair away from her eyes.
Her husband sighed and shook his head slowly. ''You've got to stop doing this. You've been searching the house for... Whateevr it is you're looking for, for weeks now!''
''I know it's here somewhere!'' Shelly huffed. ''And I'll recognise it when I see it.''
''So you've said.'' Lee replied, starting to feel impatient.

Shelly walked past him and headed down the steps into the house's cellar.
''Where're you going now?'' He grunted.
''I ain't checked down here yet.'' She called back.
''You checked last night!''
''I know. But it could've turned up overnight!''
''What?! I do hope it's not Rats and 'roaches you've been looking for!'' He shouted.

Before Shelly could reply, the door bell rang.
''Oh no.'' Lee said. ''They're here... Get your backside up here!''
He straightened his tie and headed for the kitchen door.
''And please. No more searching tonight. I really need this promotion.''


The two Panthers sat on the couch opposite the Hyena couple. Dinner had gone well and Lee was happily chatting to his boss, explaining his plans for the future. The Hyena listened with genuine interest whilst his wife sat next to him, sipping her cup of tea.

Shelly leaned back and sank into the plush sofa cushions, starting to feel light headed and queasy. She rubbed the bridge of her nose and closed her eyes as she slowly lost consciouseness.
''Is your wife alright?'' Was the last thing she heard before total darkness swallowed her.


Dust tickled her nose and she rubbed at it as she slowly opened her eyes. She looked around the living room, panic slowly settling in her gut as she took in the dark and dusty surroundings of a room identical to her own living room. But it seemed older, more aged and neglected. The furniture wasn't like her own modern decor and the fire place was open and looked used. Dust and cobwebs hung over everything, dominating whatever they touched.

Shelly looked down at herself and instead of finding her long, slender body wrapped in black silk, she saw a small, child like figure clad in an old, fading red tee, worn blue jeans and a pair of grubby trainers that looked to have seen better days. She remembered wearing such clothes when she was younger. Her long, red, wavy hair was looosely tied back with an old red scrunchie.

Shelly pushed herself off the dusty old sofa and landed heavily. The floor boards creaked as she walked across the room towards the door.
She twisted the knob and pulled open the door with a creak and slowly made her way down the old hallway. As she did so, she peeked into the rooms she passed. The old house had the same layout as her own. The rooms, the furniture, even the pictures and ornaments were in the same position as her own. But it wasn't hers. None of it was. It was someone elses. Or had been a long time ago. And the whole place had a cold, unwelcoming feel to it, like the building didn't want her there.

As she rounded the corner at the end of the hall, into the main hall, something behind her laughed. Shelly slowly turned around, her fear rising and saw nothing but the old house behind her. She turned back around and heard the same laugh. But when she turned around again, nothing was there. She continued towards the front door and broke into a run when she heard the same, evil laugh again.

Shelly whimpered when the door wouldn't open. She tried again, but still it wouldn't budge, no matter how much force she put it under.
Something knocked her to the floor from behind, knocking the air from her lungs. The air around her grew cooler and she hazarded a look up.
She squeeked lightly and curled up into a ball on the dusty floor, her face buried in her paws, desperately trying to shut out the image of the ghost above her.
She sobbed quietly into her paws for a few moments, quietly willing for it to go away. A few more minutes passed and she peeked out at it's evil face.

As soon as it realised she was looking at it, it covered it's eyes and disappeared. Shelly shuddered and forced herself to keep looking at where it had been. After a couple of minutes the air shimmered and it partially re-appeared then quickly vanished again. She waited another few minutes, her confidence slowly building and watched with amused interest as it peeked at her again.

An airy sigh filled the silence and the ghost fully materialised again, with an unimpressed look spread on it's features.
''What happened to the whole running away thing?'' It said, flailing it's small, stubby arms in frustration.
Shelly just looked at it, her brain refusing to let her do anything but stare in mild amusement.

''What?'' It said. ''Never seen a Boo before?''
Shelly shook her head numbly.
''Great. A mute.'' The Boo grunted.
''I'm not a mute!'' Shelly suddenly protested. ''Where am I...?'' She added after a moment's pause.
''In my house. And I wanna know how you got in. I keep everything locked.'' The Boo said suspiciously.
''I don't know. One minute I'm sat on the sofa next to my husband, and the next I'm here in a twisted version of my house.''
''Husband? You look a little too young for that kinda thing.''
''I'm twenty seven!''
''You look about ten. If you don't believe me, there's a mirror over there.''

Shelly hesitated before pulling herself upright and slowly walked towards the mirror the ghost was pointing at.
She wiped some dust off it's surface with her paw.
''What's going on?'' She faltered and shrank back from the mirror. ''And why am I here?'' She whimpered.
''Beats me.'' The Boo said. ''But good luck finding out. The spare key's under that vase.''
''Wait! You can't leave me alone! I have no idea where I am or how to get home!'' She said to the retreating ghost.

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