Dan and the Key Ghast headed back up to the surface after the encounter with the Skin Ghast. Dan went to a restroom to immediately clean the flesh and blood off of his arms while the Key Ghast went back to using the T.V.
*shhhhhh
"God, this stuff is disgusting. Can't believe I held my cool while doing that. What is this thing though?" Dan
Dan holds up a ghostly green marble to the light. Mist swirls inside of it converging into faces and then dissipating again. A very eerie item indeed.
After cleaning up Dan walks into the room that the Key Ghast is currently in. It seems that she figured out how to switch channels as she is watching a gameshow. A bald man wearing a suit is deciding on if he should keep going or leave with a large cash prize. He takes the gamble and loses.... He is devasted but, he still tries to keep a smile on his face.
"Humans are just as bad as ghosts, huh. I haven't felt bad for someone in quite a while. How's he supposed to pay for his children's college tuition now?" Key Ghast
The Key Ghast is currently laying on a couch wrapped in even more layers of cloth than before. Dan walks over and sits in a recliner next to her and begins watching too. A few winners, a few losers.
"That guy was a real douche. The first guy deserved the money way more. A game of chance that decides your future. Humans come up with some interesting things." Dan
"Agreed. Oh, by the way what is this thing?" Dan
Dan holds up the marble.
"Just a Ghast Core. Nothing interesting. It can be consumed by another ghast to increase their strength. Humans use them to make tools like capture cubes. This one can be used to make a Ghastly Lantern. It'll follow you around, disappear and appear when you want. Also keeps miasma produced by strong ghasts and reapers at bay." Key Ghast
"Miasma? Reapers?" Dan
*Sigh
"Miasma is a mist-like substance that corrodes the will of living beings. Only really strong ghasts like me and reapers can produce the stuff. Well, not in my current state, I guess.... Reapers are ghosts that haunt graveyards and other places absolutely full of death like battlefields. There are a few in this place so, that core should come in handy for you." Key Ghast
"Um.... How do I make it into a tool?" Dan
"Give it here for a second." Key Ghast
The Key Ghast takes the core and floats through the floors. A few minutes later she returns with a metal lantern. It has a metal cage with glass in between the bars. Inside is a green flame that dances as it moves up and down behind the Key Ghast.
"Payment for helping with the T.V. Here~." Key Ghast
The Key Ghast waves her cloth covered arms and the lantern swirls around Dan before fading from vision. A link is built between Dan and the Ghastly Lantern so he can make it reappear anytime.
"Thanks.... Key Ghast? Is there something easier I can call you?" Dan
"Ohhhh~? When I was alive people called me the Witch Guide.... Witch should do." Witch
"Never heard of you." Dan
"Well, you didn't even know what a Capture Cube or a Ghast Core was so, that's not suprising." Witch
"So you were a guide when you were alive?" Dan
"Yep. One of the best." Witch
"Cool!" Dan
"Anyways.... What do you plan on doing now? Continue on downwards?" Witch
"Yeah, I want to keep going. I doubt I'll be able to get out in time to pay my rent though...." Dan
"Rent? You don't need to worry about that. As long as a living being is in here, time is a bit weird. You could spend your whole life in here and not a second would pass outside. So you should give up on any thoughts on help coming." Witch
"You're kidding right?" Dan
"Nope, the rest of your life is going to be spent here. However long that is. Unless you actually manage to cleanse all the ghosts in this place, minus me of course." Witch
"Crud!" Dan
"So what do you plan on doing then. You can spend your whole life in peace here. No worries like rent or money for food. No drama. Paradise in a twisted sense. A couple people before you just chose to live here. They were a bit lonely but, that's the worst of it." Witch
"Are you trying to fool me into staying here or something?" Dan
"Not fool.... I'm pretty bored most of the time. The T.V. should help a bit but, even then I'd rather have someone I can talk to. Although the T.V. works here for some inexplicable reason, anything that can be used to contact the outside won't. I mean if you think about it. If time is all messed up we shouldn't even get any sort of power or waves or whatever it is these things work on." Witch
"I still want to continue on down. If I reach past my breaking point I'll give up...." Dan
"Good luck, I hope you don't end up dead." Witch
Just before Dan heads down. The Witch quickly floats over and mentions something to him.
"Ohh, I forget to mention. This floor is now connected directly to the second subfloor. A mechanism to make sure that people that try to clear the place can still get food and use restrooms. Don't want people starving and shitting everywhere.... Well, I'll go along too. Can watch my shows whenever." Witch
"Thanks for the support." Dan
"I'd give support to any decent human. You are the most pleasant one I've come across so far so, this is natural." Witch
Dan heads down the next set of staircases cautiously. The Witch tries to make small talk but, is ignored as Dan needs to focus in case of an ambush. Eventually he steps onto the blue-green carpet of the second floor. The lights in this room are slightly dimmer than the previous floor. The room has red brick walls with cage bars preventing any contact with them. It is a small room almost the size of a bathroom. The end of the room has an opening in the cage leading towards a plank door.
"You should really get some sort of sensing tool. If you go at full-focus all the time you'll get worn out really easily." Witch
"Not really possible unless I somehow get a core that you can use....." Dan
"No worries. If I remember correctly, there should be one that has just that type of core on this floor." Witch
"Well that's convenient." Dan
...