The party hall was noticeably emptier; only several groups sat at tables and booths, waiting for the prize-giving at midnight. Three men in black suits sat at a long table in front of the stage, counting candies handed over by the teams. They all wore a large ‘M’ logo on their left chest, signifying they were Manchesters employees. “226,” one employee announced the total for the team that had lined up before them.
“I think most teams either gave up or couldn’t explore all sections before the end time. We only have ten minutes before midnight,” Trevor said, scanning the room.
“We have a real chance to win. I estimate we have close to four hundred,” Report Man said, checking their bag. “Lady Bella gave us more than a hundred.”
“Oh, Lady Bella… you should chase her; she’s truly helpful,” Spion joked to Trevor.
“She’s engaged,” Trevor said annoyedly.
Spion made a funny grimace.
“You two are full of energy. I’m literally dying now; I’ve never run so many steps in two hours before,” Lady News said, exhausted.
“Me too. One night of exercise can catch up for all year. Whoops, our turn.” Report Man handed their map and bag to one of the Manchesters employees.
The employee first checked their map, ensuring all rooms and sections were stamped, then began counting the candies. They all held their breath watching the process. One man pulled the candies out, checked them, handed them to the man beside him to count, and the third man recorded the final number. Every genuine candy had a customized wrapper with the Dressrious logo and the Manchesters logo—a Dressrious flower and a big ‘M’—making cheating impossible.
“403,” the third man finally announced, then gave a bag of candies back to Report Man.
Lady News couldn’t help but cheer.
“Don’t celebrate too early; there are still some teams waiting for counting,” Report Man cautioned, though he was smiling too. “We can eat these now; they’re energy candies, great for recovery after all that running.”
“Find a seat to wait,” Lady News said.
They sat at a table near the stage, tired but expectant, awaiting the final announcement, as well as unwrapping and eating candies. Five teams were counted after them. Just before the final midnight bells rang, another ten teams rushed into the hall. Ali and the CEO of Manchesters, Sam Manchester, arrived. The good news: none of the late teams had candy totals over four hundred.
“Guess we win!” Lady News clapped. They all perked up.
“We have a winner tonight! Lady News’s team has a total of 403 candies,” Ali announced. “Welcome to the stage!”
Applause and sighs of disappointment from other teams welcomed them onto the stage.
Sam shook hands with each of them. “Congratulations.” He then handed a white box with an ‘M’ logo from his assistant to Lady News. “We need a picture. Look right here.”
A photographer took several photos. Trevor, unused to being the center of attention, managed an awkward smile. Lady News and Report Man were pros; they had been to countless ceremonies, and Lady News even changed poses several times. Spion, as always, gave a charming smile.
“Thank you, hope you all don’t mind we use the photos for a press release,” Sam said, smiling.
“No, not at all,” Lady News replied, and they all agreed. “But only the pretty one is allowed,” she added with a smile.
“I’m sure you all look pretty, but you can’t compare to seeing you in person,” Sam said, looking intently at Lady News.
“Well, it’s late now. I hope you all have a wonderful night and sweet dreams,” Ali said to everyone in the room.
“Thank you, Sam. Good night,” Lady News said, handing the prize box to Trevor.
“Good night,” Sam replied, turning to address his employees.
When they stepped off the stage, Trevor asked: “The prize is worth over a thousand dollars; we can sell it and split the money.”
“I don’t mind; you can keep it. I just wanted to enjoy the victory,” Lady News said, radiating happiness.
“Me too,” Report Man said. “You can keep it. I’ve heard this premium edition is programmable; you might like it.”
Trevor looked at Spion. Spion shrugged, “Keep it. Who knows, we might need it someday.”
“Okay then, we can discuss it tomorrow,” Trevor said.
“Yeah, sleep first. I really feel tired now,” Lady News said, walking toward the door.
They took the elevator to the second floor and went to their rooms.
“Room 242,” Trevor checked his Dressrious app, which showed his order and the room number.
“Oh, sweet bed,” Spion declared the moment they entered the room, walking directly to a bed and lying down.
“Don’t you want to check the room first? Maybe there’s a ghost,” Trevor joked. He was actually raring to open the box and see the gear inside.
“You do it; I’ll sleep,” Spion said, kicking off his boots. “Besides, Mr. Dressrious already hired professional hunters to scan this place before he bought it.”
“Ugh, you smell,” Trevor said with disdain.
“Sorry,” Spion mumbled, pulling the quilt up and hiding inside.
Trevor looked at the Ghost Hunting Gear Kit box, unpacked it, and pulled out its contents: an EMF meter with a touchscreen, a pair of smart glasses, a spirit box, and a compact flashlight. All were crafted from black titanium. He turned on the EMF meter. The screen displayed an ‘M’ logo, then showed the home screen, listing six installed apps. He opened “Ghost Scanner,” scanned the room, and found nothing but Spion’s faint snoring.
Feeling exhausted, he placed the EMF meter on the nightstand along with his phone, took off his costume, and went to sleep.
He didn’t know how long he slept, but a buzzing sound slowly penetrated his muddled consciousness. It was the EMF meter. He sat up and checked it. The screen showed a single point swinging wildly, and a text box flashed: Ghost Detected.
“What the hell?” He took a deep, steadying breath, staring at the screen. The point stopped, aimed precisely at the door. He looked up just as a translucent object passed through the door. A boy—a ghost boy—appeared.
“Have you seen my daddy?” the ghost asked in a tender voice.