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Gryffin set up her easel, her forehead creased with thought. She painted the white man in the headress, with sharp lines and spears of color to indicate his angry attitude. She wondered if they should have talked with him. Could he be a time traveler? Or an ancester? Or even both? Why was he so angry?

She tilted her head to look at his face, and then picked up the small canvas and carried it to the staircase to compare it to the one in the mansion. He looked calmer in the staircase painting. But there were stern lines in his face, as if he wasn't much given to smiling.

Gryffin noticed a movement in the corner of her eye and turned to see the little ghost girl behind her. Gryffin nodded at the painting and said "we saw him today..."

Before she could say any more the little girl started shaking her head violently. Her mouth opened and closed, and Gryffin realized she was trying to say "no." "No, we should stay away from him?" And the little girl nodded, looking frightened. "Who is he?" But the girl had no answer she could give.

Gryffin loved the idea of a dress up ball, and quickly went to work on a poster design to get people excited about it. She sketched a few medieval dancers, added tons of exciting color, and edited it into a splashy poster on her laptop. She asked if anyone wanted anything in town, and all the girls decided to join her. They first stopped at a print shop and dropped off the image for printing. They went out to lunch at a little old fashioned diner, and then hit the shops. Gryffin found a couple of batik, loose pants that she loved, and everyone bought chocolates, goofy t-shirts, and a few souvenirs.

They went back to pick up the posters and hung them in all the shops. Everyone was delighted with the idea, and Spar's idea to add a costume party element to it was a big hit. Although costumes were optional, it was clear from the smiles they left behind that many of their guests would make the effort.

The drive home was a happy but sleepy one. It had been a good day.

Gryffin chose a gown in shades of peach and cream. It flattered her still-short, curly hair which was still mostly white, though starting to grow in a little of her old color. She had a wheat-colored pair of ballet slippers that would go with it, and keep her comfortable for the evening.

The day was a quiet one of reflection and thought about everything that had been going on. She saw the little girl several times, but they were content to smile at each other in passing. She walked on the beach, she ate a light lunch, and pondered what would be good for the party menu.

That night over dinner, they decided it should be a meal that was easy to eat. After all, with costumes some might be uncomfortable to sit down in, or to maneuver in. They went with a largely Greek flair, with dips and pita and shish kabobs. Things that folks could pick up and wander around with.

The next day the responses started coming in, and it was clear that the ballroom would be filled with laughter and fun in a few days. Those days passed quickly. Decorations, cleaning, cooking and preparing. And finally that day came. The women put on their gowns and swept into the ballroom to welcome their guests. The ballroom was stunning. Candles everywhere, food fit for royalty, and a large area for dancing. They'd hired a string quartet to play, and had some medieval dances planned for later. Guests started coming and the room quickly filled.

Gryffin was dancing with a handsome young man when she realized there were a familiar faces at the edges of the room. She danced over in Patoo's direction and whispered, "I think the ghosts are all here."

Gryffin smiled widely and took the man's hand. They swept out of the house, her little dogs following. They walked in the moonlight and enjoyed the sound of the waves and quiet conversation. They talked for quite some time until she got weary, and bid goodnight. They kissed lightly, and Gryffin went inside smiling. The girls were awake and waiting for a full report. Gryffin insisted on ice cream if she was to stay up any longer, and they all gathered in the kitchen for giggles, memories of the dance, and of course, ice cream.

Gryffin dreamed of a fancy dress ball in the old castle. Many of the ghosts were there, but at different ages and apparently in the flesh. She was having a wonderful time when all of a sudden there was a crash at the gates, a poof, as of an explosion, and all the candles went out at once. What in the world was happening?

Some people screamed. Some reached for weapons. And as everyone was wondering what to do an eerie cry arose from outside the door.

Gryffin sat up in bed abruptly, the howl still ringing in her ears. She looked around her beautiful room in confusion, and then the howling started again. Reassured that she was back in her own time, she ran to the window and looked out on the moonlit shore. There was a pack of huge creatures pacing in front of the waves. They might have been wolves, or large dogs, but something seemed particularly frightening about them. She stared at them until eventually they ran off. She spent the rest of the night sketching and painting them, occasionally shivering from cold and from fear. Neither of her dogs would come out from underneath the covers, and spent the night shaking and whimpering.

She slept late the next day. When the others finally came to see what had become of her, they found her room filled with sketches of horrible monsters, and Gryffin was laying pale and sleeping. She would not wake.

Gryffin dreamed of skeletal monsters pacing in the sunshine. Their eyes were pale and frightening. She tossed and turned, but did not wake. She stirred at one point, thinking she smelled coffee, but then she dropped back into a nightmare from which she could not wake. While Spar looked on worriedly, several of the ghosts gathered round Gryffin's bed, shaking their heads. They looked frightened, and occasionally glanced at the window.

Gryffin was pretty quiet during breakfast, and was all for taking a break today. She snuggled in a quilt in front of the fire reading a book and talking with the others, trying to forget about the howling in her dreams. Every now and then a chill would overcome her, until they finally brought another quilt for her to wrap in. Her dogs snuggled close, and by evening she was feeling more herself. After dinner, she finally voiced her thoughts. She wondered aloud if whatever she had seen, whether wolves or dogs or monsters, might be what killed the ghosts. Several of them popped into view at that point, and looked intently at her. The little girl climbed up on the couch next to her and put a hand on her quilt-wrapped knee.

"Is that what happened? Those things attacked and killed you?" The little girl patted her knee and sat back, looking satisfied.