“As you all know, the Harvest Festival occurs but once a year. It is a time in which we honor the divine beings who allow us to live beyond our mortal limits and grant us bountiful crop within our gardens,” Scarlett (and by extent the priest), continued on, “And thus, we must come to the business of what to offer to these beings, I open the floor for the vote of the congregation.”
    Several of the ghosts of the ghosts then got up and headed to the front of the room to the altar. Among them was a gardener ghost carrying a basket, a small child ghost dressed in his Sunday best, and a ghost in a pith helmet and explorer’s uniform. The first to speak was the petite gardener, whose moans were translated by Scarlett, “Well, every year, I recommend that we offer up some of the best our crops, like this year we had some brilliant luminous roses,” the ghost paused to open up her basket, revealing within an arrangement of roses glowing a bright green, “So please, vote for my offering,” The ghost gave a quick curtesy, shutting her basket and stepping back in line.
     Next to moan was the small child, which Scarlett explained, “Well, I don’t have much. But I would be willing to offer my choo-choo train.” Several moans of adoration escaped from the crowd.
     After several more ghosts moaned about offering mundane things or wealth, the last to moan was the explorer-looking one, who walked to the altar and began delivering an impassioned speech translated by Scarlett to mean, “My fellow Mercurin’s, as you all know I am well-traveled gentleman. I have traveled great distances across the globe and have visited with many savage tribes. Now, many of these savages practiced dark magics that would put even those in place in this house to shame. Of the prosperous tribes, the commonality seemed to be that they would offer the same desire to their gods every year. This sacrifice was, of course, the life of a adult, female virgin!” Several gasps emerged from the crowd, and, Heather noticed, Susan began to awkwardly twitch in her seat. “Yes! It is to my understanding, that if we were to offer the soul of a virgin, that our small clan of spirits shall be just as prosperous as those barbarians. Thank you.”

    With all the speeches done, the ghosts returned to their seats, as the priest began to read off the various offered gifts and writing down the number of ghosts who raised their hands. In the end, the winning vote was to sacrifice a virgin. “Well, that’s good, since none of us are virgins,” Lindsey whispered confidently into Heather’s ear.
    The priest began moaning once more, “Well, I guess we shall be offering the sacrifice of a virgin this year. This must truly be chosen by fate, as I sense their is such a virgin among our congregation, would you please step forward?” As if on cue, Susan’s body convulsed forward, causing her to scream as some unseen force made her awkwardly walk to the altar, just like Echo earlier in the night.
    “Wait! Susan? What about Jeffrey in 9th grade?” Lindsey shouted to her.
    As Susan’s body laid down on the altar, she shouted back, “I lied! I didn’t want you to think I was lame!”

    The priest turned around, in his hands was a weapon that gave off a menacing aura. Unlike all of the various ghost based things they had come across thus far, the dagger glowed a dark red. The priest, after moaning a bit, which Scarlett translated into the Latin, raised the dagger over his head, prepared to strike Susan squarely in the chest.
    “WAIT!” Lindsey shouted, standing up (and therefore forcing Heather to stand up), causing the priest to stop midway into his strike. With all eyes on her, Lindsey said, “I didn’t get the chance to offer something.”
    Lindsey and Heather walked up to the altar, with Heather whispering, “What are you doing?”
    Lindsey addressed the crowd, “Now, from what I’ve read in the library, the god you’re all trying to appease grants bountiful crops and life here, which leads to the why the Mercurin’s are so interested in plant life. I understand where the explorer is coming from, but clearly he wasn’t paying enough attention, as those tribes who sacrificed people were primarily hunters, and not farmers.” Several gasps were heard around the room, as the explorer gentlemen’s faced brightened slightly with embarrassment. “Now, if you wanted to give a good sacrifice, it would be better to grant something that would be able to do a lot of work in the afterlife, for instance, a pair of men’s arms,” Lindsey said, pointing to Spencer.
    “He-“ Spencer interjected before Veronica covered his mouth.
    “So? Who’s with me?” Lindsey asked the crowd. The ghosts, realizing the foolishness of their earlier gift almost unanimously raised their hands.
    After Lindsey walked back to her seat, the priest turned and moaned, causing Susan to awkwardly walk back to her seat, and Spencer to get up and lay down on the altar. The priest returned with a blue dagger, slicing through Spencer’s arms and depositing them with some larger ghosts in hoods.
    The congregation got up to leave, but the gardener ghost walked up to Lindsey, handing her a glowing rose with a knowing smile. “T-Thanks?” Lindsey said.

    “Okay group! That was fun! but it’s time to move on to -“ Suddenly, Scarlett felt a buzzing sensation coming from her hip from a pager, indicating a message from the boss. Quickly reading it, Scarlett exhaled an inaudible “Crap…”
    Turning back to the group, “Well group, it looks like you’ll get that break you wanted.” She raised her flag once more and began walking down the aisle.

    What restful area does Scarlett take the gang?
    1.) Bedrooms
    2.) The Living Room
    3.) The Lounge