#Danny is bound to a summoning circle until someone releases him

[iamaghost-fearme]

Ectober Day 30: The Summoned

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It was rare that Dani got to spend all day with her cousin Danny anymore. He was always so busy with school and ghosts, especially with the new responsibilities Clockwork kept insisting he take on. She had the whole day planned out, hanging around in Amity Park, lunch at the Nasty Burger, and spending the afternoon in the Ghost Zone hanging out with some of their friends and allies.

They’d made it all the way to the afternoon before things went wrong. It started with a strange tingling in her fingers and toes, almost like getting feeling back after being cold, and progressed quickly to a twisting sensation in her chest almost like someone was pulling her by her very core. She called out to Danny in fear before her vision was whited out with a blinding light.

She opened her eyes to find herself no longer in the Ghost Zone, but instead surrounded by hooded and cloaked figures arranged in a circle. They were all staring at her with looks of excitement and anticipation that were quickly fading into confusion. Whatever was going on, it seemed they hadn’t been expecting her. One of the figures stepped forward.

“Who are you?” They questioned with clearly feigned authority. Their hand was wrapped in a bloodstained cloth and Dani looked closer at the feet of the assembled figures to find a circle inscribed with ruins and complete with blood. A blood magic summoning ritual. One that actually seemed to work, at least somewhat. She was likely bound to this circle until she fulfilled their wishes or they released her. What she couldn’t figure out was who they were and why they had gotten her.

“I’m Phantom. I think the more important question is who are you?” She restrained herself from getting in their faces like she usually would, although she couldn’t keep the bite out of her voice.

“We are the Devotees of the High Ghost King,” the head figure intoned in what was clearly an attempt to be intimidating. “We are bound to carry out his will on Earth so he may rule us as he does the Infinite Realms.” Ah, nut jobs then. There were cults like this all over the place. Danny had made sure to prevent summonings from working on him after the first couple had taken him by surprise. It’s likely why they’d gotten her as a close enough approximation of the king they were looking for. She’d have to go see Clockwork about getting those same protections set up for her.

“Well you must have messed something up. I’m not the High Ghost King.” She drifted toward the cloaked figure who’d been speaking to make sure the threat came across. “But if you don’t let me go, I can guarantee you’ll get to feel the power of the ghost king. He’s pretty protective of me.”

One of the other cult members spoke up from somewhere in the circle. “So you know the ghost king?”

They sounded so excited, a smirk spread over Dani’s face. “Of course I do, we’re cousins,” she bragged. “And I’m sure he’ll be here any minute. You should let me go.” This seemed to stump them and the entire circle fell silent. Finally, the leader yanked their hood off and spun away from the circle.

“Release her,” they growled. A foot immediately darted out from under a cloak to kick an opening in the runes for her to escape through. Dani didn’t waste any time and sped out of the ring, sticking her tongue out childishly at the “devotees” on her way out through the nearest wall. Now to find her way back to the ghost zone. Danny would be worried sick.