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Imperial Palace Spaceport, Imperial City, Coruscant
Introductions were quickly made, and Lainey found herself on the edge of the booth, seated next to Armand. The docking bay supervisor had taken a great interest in the New Naboo’s Baron’s daughter, Karina. Lainey wondered if Karina thought it was odd that Armand, who based on his thick accent was obviously from New Naboo, had so many questions about how it was governed, and the colony in general. Karina was talking about how much the colony had grown in the past years, when Lainey began to turn her out. Attributing to her shy nature, Lainey studied the intricate patterns on the table, woven from years of metallic plates scraping the once smooth surface.
Infatuated with the handsome Armand, Pam was having difficulty paying attention to Stephen, while Miranda had Derk engaged in idle chitchat. Soon, however, all of the chatter resolved into what had apparently been the topic of conversation before Lainey’s small group interrupted it: the large pyramid shaped building not even two blocks away. Pam was telling an obviously tall tale in a very low voice about her cousin’s, friend’s, brother’s, best friend’s, roommate who took a dare to spend the night in the deserted building.
His name was Collin Breeves, and apparently he got through half the night sleeping in the grand foyer, when a faint dripping noise woke him up. Wondering if there was a leak in the dozens of floors above him, Collin slowly slid out of bed, groping for his glowrod. In that short time it took him to get up, the dripping had grown into an almost steady stream, and soft sounds like footsteps roamed the upstairs.
Collin froze, clutching his glowrod in his hand. The soft footsteps were now accompanied by a heavier set, plodding after the first. A faint breeze rustled his hair, sending shivers up his spine. The sound of hushed voices reached his ears. The volume increased steadily, seemingly coming from all directions.
His hands shaking, Collin flipped on his glowrod and shone it around the empty room. A pool of thick, dark red liquid was coagulating in the middle of the marble floor, mixing with the heavy layer of dust. The voices upstairs were now shouting. Collin couldn’t make out the words, but the louder voice was distinctly male, and angry; the other sounded like a scared female.
Collin was just debating whether he should run, or try to help, when the shouting ceased, and the steady stream of liquid slowed to dripping once more. Collin relaxed, thinking the horrifying experience was a figment of his imagination.
The light breeze picked up again, swirling the dust up into the silhouette of a woman. Collin tensed up, backing away as goose bumps rose on his arm. The woman looked at him; her empty eyes chilled him more than the icy winds on Hoth could ever do. Her mouth opened wide, emitting a silent scream. Collin’s own scream nearly filled the silent void, when the dust swirled apart and returned to its harmless state. A dragging noise could be heard upstairs, followed by a loud thumping as if something heavy was falling down the stairs. Thump, thump, thump thump. Not wanting to find out what that "something" was, Collin snatched up his sleeping gear and ran like the Sith out of the building, not stopping until he was home.
Lainey rolled her eyes at the close of the story, trying not to sigh too loudly. How could anyone believe such rubbish?
One glance around the table, revealing wide eyes and nodding heads, answered her question. At least Armand looked skeptical, giving Lainey a small smile when their eyes met. Instantly Lainey looked away, just as Derk jumped into the story telling. He dropped his elbows on the table, and leaned forward. "I’ve heard that if you walk by it at midnight, the top window, the only one that isn’t boarded up, glows an eerie green."
"Yeah, well," Stephen interjected. "I hear that if you see a hooded face in the green light, you will die within the next two weeks."
"Are you serious?" Miranda gasped loudly, her eyes wide.
Stephen nodded solemnly. "That’s just one of the many rumors circulating about that place. I’m not sure I believe them but," he took a deep breath, "something had to have happened there to cause them."
"Like what?" Lainey asked incredulously.
Stephen blinked, surprised to hear her speak up. "No one knows. Some people say it used to house the criminally insane, and the way the Doctors would cure them was to give them weapons and let them duel each other... to the death. Those who survived were considered cured and let back out onto the streets. Those who died still roam the halls, searching for someone to kill and win their freedom." he finished darkly.
"I don’t believe it." Lainey shook her head. "Isn’t it a little too big for a mental house?"
"Maybe they had a lot of crazy people back then." Stephen shrugged. "Anyway, that’s just one of that buildings many legends. All I know is, it’s been off limits since the Empire, probably even before that."
"I wouldn’t go in there." Pam shuddered. "Just look at it." She cocked her head towards the window. "It looks evil."
"No, it doesn’t!" Lainey exclaimed. "It’s just a building, Pam. The only danger it could possibly have is a faulty structure, or maybe glass on the floor."
"And ghosts!"
"Ghosts can’t harm you," Lainey said smoothly.
"No," Miranda joined in. "But they can scare you."
"If you let them," Karina added. "I’m with Lainey. You guys are being ridiculous. It is just an old building."
"Maybe," Miranda said slowly. "But would you dare spend the night in it, Karina?"
Karina glanced at it through the window, pursing her lips. "I wouldn’t be that stupid, Miranda."
"That’s what I thought," Miranda said triumphantly. "How about you, Lainey?"
Lainey looked out the window, studying the building for a moment. It seemed familiar somehow, and certainly not the evil place everyone seemed to think it was. She turned away from the window, "I wouldn’t spend a night."
"I didn’t think so..."
"I’d spend a week," Lainey said, turning back and looking Miranda in the eyes.
Miranda laughed out loud. "Somehow, I knew you’d say something like that. You’ve been picking up some of Master Horn’s traits."
"I have not," Lainey protested, coloring slightly. "I’m just not afraid of harmless old buildings."
Armand followed the conversation, content to be silently amused. He’d never believed in ghosts in the sense that they came back to haunt certain people, or the places where they died. He thought that if a person came back from the dead at all, it was to deliver an important message, or maybe comfort their mourners. He didn’t think they’d mean to scare the person. He had to admit, if only to himself, that he could live his whole life very happily if no one ever came back to see him after they died.
The "haunted" building everyone was so obsessed about, did seem to fit the part. It stood tall and formidable. Armand might feel a little uncomfortable going inside it, as would anyone else at the table, except maybe Lainey. Taking nearly everyone by surprise, she’d made a point of showing them how absurd they were all being, Armand was beginning to see this lovely shy girl in a new light. She was fearless, or at the very least; logical. Cocking his head to get a better look at her, he thought she was pretty, too. Not devastatingly beautiful, but she was also still young, still developing. Lainey glanced at him, her already rosy cheeks flushed when she caught him looking at her. Holding his smile and her gaze, Armand searched for something to say. Her deep blue eyes erased whatever he had been trying to say, holding him captive, all he wanted was to stare into their depths, get lost in the swirling pools, maybe take her hand too..., "I’m not scared of any old building either," he fumbled out, fighting his racing emotions.
Lainey smiled at him. "That’s good."
"Um," Karina said, glancing at her chronometer. "We’d better head back, girls. It’s getting late."
Armand nodded, noticing the time as well. "And we’d better get back to work. You can consider this as your break, Derk."
Derk nodded, rising to his feet with Miranda. Lainey moved out of the way, letting Armand and Karina out. Once Armand was standing, he looked straight at Lainey. While the others said their own goodbyes, Armand built up his courage to talk with Lainey. "You’ll come again, won’t you?" he asked, then added quickly, "your busy Jedi training schedule providing, of course."
Lainey blinked, then slowly nodded. "Of course."
Copyright 2002 by Luney.
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