Back at the mansion, Mrs. Sanders, Karla, Scarlett, Sarah, and Mr. Hawk's friends were sitting at the dining room table. Most of them were eating, and some - Tippy, Skippy, and Tappy - were playing with their food. Tippy and Tappy threw food at each other.

"Enough," Mrs. Sanders snapped. "You two should know better. Especially you, Tappy. You are the father to Tippy and Skippy."

"But—" Tippy was cut off by his father.

"She is right, son," Tappy agreed with the human mom. "Even though that throwing pieces of food is more fun than eating, we have to learn our manners."

Tippy huffed and slouched in his chair.

Skippy was not paying attention to what had happened. He was looking down at his plate of food and picking it with his fork. He was in his own thoughts.

"Skippy?" Mrs. Sanders piped up, interrupting his thinking. "What is wrong? You look...upset."

"Huh?" Skippy lifted up his head to her. "Who? Me?"

"Yes. You."

"Oh." He dropped his fork onto his plate. "It is nothing."

"You sure? You are not eating."

"I...am not hungry."

"But you like chocolate chip pancakes."

"Yeah! You love them!" Tippy mentioned.

Skippy leaped out of his chair and landed on his wooden feet. He stormed off. "I told you. I am not hungry."

Something was definitely bothering Skippy. But we are not here to talk about him.

We are here to talk about Lean.

The ghost floated up to the mansion and squinted at the windows. She spotted her monster friends in the dining room. They could not see her though because of the curtain that covered the window.

And that was what she wanted.

She did not want them to see her. She did not want them to run to her and hug her. She did not want want them to not believe that she was dead.

Why? They are her friends after all.

Do not get her wrong. They are her friends, and she would never want anything bad to happen to them. That is why she was faking her death.

The thing was that she was a mission. A mission that she had been working on since she met Mr. Hawk and the others. The mission that would change the perspective of fictional characters forever.

She was going to bring the Lubriem back.

She killed her and was now going to revive her. How, you ask? It was simple. There were eleven stones. A big stone. Ten small stones. She had the big stone, which was silver.

The other stones were scattered in Forlot. Ten colors. Red, purple, yellow, orange, blue, green, pink, white, brown, and black. And no. The brown stone does not look like...you know.

Lean desired those stones. Badly. She did not know where they were or if anybody had them. That was why she needed to check.

She would stop at nothing to get all of the stones.

The ghost girl flew over the mansion and to a door. The door was black and one of two back doors that was connected to the mansion. But it did not lead to the inside.

Lean gripped the doorknob and twisted it. She opened the door with all her might, and the door made creaking noises.

Creak!

What was behind the door the entire time was a set of stairs - and darkness.

She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She floated down the stairs. When she reached the bottom, she put a ghostly hand on the wall and moved it, trying to find a switch. She soon felt a light switch and turned it on.

A light from a lamp that was hanging on the ceiling flickered on, chasing away the blackness. It was a tiny room. So tiny that you can get only two people in there.

Two cages were in the middle of the room. Lean floated to the cages.

"Well, well, well," she said. "Looks like that the tables have turned."

Dr. O'Connor and Mrs. M. stood in their cages and grasped the bars tightly.

"Lean," Dr. O'Connor muttered. "Lean Share."

"So you remember my name. How quaint."

"What do you want?" Mrs. M. demanded. She was in her human form.

"Multiple answers to a single question." The ghost got close to Dr. O'Connor's cage. "Where are they?"

Dr. O'Connor pushed up his glasses. "Who? Those friends of yours?"

"Not who. What. And I already know where my friends are."

"...what do you want to know?"

"The stones."

"The stones?"

"Yes. All ten of them."

"Why the heck do you need them?"

"That is none of your dang business. I need to find them before your adopted brother gets his grubby hands on them first. He will ruin my plan."

Mrs. M. crossed her arms. "Your plan? And what would that be?"

"I am doing this for the Lubriem."

Dr. O'Connor was shocked. "The Lubriem?"

Mrs. M. tapped her foot. "What the heck is a Lubriem?"

"The Lubriem...is the most powerful being in the fictional world," Dr. O'Connor explained. "She is a big deal...and...she died."

"How did she die?"

"She was killed."

"By who?"

"Who else?" He motioned to Lean. "This dummy."

Lean did not like what he called her. "I am still loyal to my Lubriem. She was the only person in the real world who loved me."

"Then why would you kill her?!" Dr. O'Connor exclaimed angrily.

"That is for me to know and for you and the readers to find out." She held up her hand and uncoiled her fingers. A key appeared in her palm. "I have a proposition for you."

"What kind of proposition?" Mrs. M. asked.

"I will let you out of your cages. You will be free. Just tell me where the stones are. And do not lie to me."