“Thank you,” said William. “A cup of joe sounds like a plan.” He didn’t know if the entire night had been a dream, but something in his heart knew for certain: Willa was at peace. He checked his jacket. The pocket was empty, and he frantically began searching the grounds.
“You lose something?”
“Yes. A piece of jewelry. I had it in my—” Suddenly, William wasn’t talking; he was staring off in amazement.
“You all right, friend?”
“It’s Billy, call me Billy. And I’m great. I’ve never been better!” He was euphoric, laughing for the first time in years. It had to do with Willa’s grave. The bracelet, featuring the charms of a rabbit, a parrot, a goldfish, and a guinea pig, had been sculpted into the granite, around the wrist of the stone angel. Which no longer came as a surprise. For William Gaines, the world was once again filled with the unexplainable, the unimaginable.
The magical.
Still here, foolish reader?
Congratulations to you and a thousand curses to us!
Like Master William, you made it through in one piece.
As much as I’d relish adding you to our carnivorous collection, you have much to accomplish before you “retire.” But I admire your spirit. Your willingness to embrace magic in all its forms is what living—and unliving—is all about.
So keep on believing in the unbelievable. It just might save your life.
For now.
Until we meet again, foolish mortal, unpleasant dreams.
Oh, and…hurry back!
Amicus Arcane Little is known about the dearly departed Amicus Arcane, save for his love of books. As the mansion librarian, both in this life and in the afterlife, Amicus has delighted in all forms of the written word. However, this librarian’s favorite tales are those of terror and suspense. After all, there is nothing better to ease a restless spirit than a frightfully good ghost story.
John Esposito When John Esposito met Amicus Arcane on a midnight stroll through New Orleans Square, he was so haunted by the librarian’s tales that he decided to transcribe them for posterity. John has worked in both film and television, on projects such as Stephen King’s Graveyard Shift, R. L. Stine’s The Haunting Hour, Teen Titans, and the Walking Dead web series, for which he won consecutive Writer’s Guild Awards. John lives in New York with his wife and children and still visits with Amicus from time to time.
Kelley Jones For the illustrations accompanying his terrifying tales, Amicus Arcane approached Kelley Jones, an artist with a scary amount of talent. Kelley has worked for every major comic book publisher but is best known for his definitive work on Batman for DC Comics. Kelley lives in Northern California with his wife and children and hears from Amicus every October 31, whether he wants to or not.
Tales from the Haunted Mansion, Volume II Page 11