"I finally have everything I need to get this to work!" Melinda Grovers said excitedly as she sat on her bed in front of a small altar.
Yes, you guessed right! She was a witch! She has been one since she was a sophomore in high school. However, she was neither into black or white magic but grey magic. The practice of both, neither good nor bad.
Her altar had a medium-size tray beside a somewhat small cauldron. They contained a pink fabric cut into a heart dotted with an essential passion oil, two red rose petals, four dark pink ribbons, a picture she secretly took of her major crush, Ray Stantz - his name written on the back. Four crystals were on each corner of the tray.
Melinda wore a silver pentacle with a purple full moon in the center of the star and five crescent moons looping through the points. Five triquetras sat among the circle at each point of the star around her neck.
She picked up an ancient-looking book called Spells of Your Desire. It has an English title, but the spells inside were in Latin.
This would be the second incantation she has used from this book. The first one was a few years back that helped her land a job as a nurse.
The book didn't come with consequences, so she knew she could trust it to give her Ray: Forever.
She opened the book to the spot she marked with a red cheery blossom bookmarker. Page 238: Love Enchantment. This category had different love enchantments. The spell she was to use was the second spell on the page.
Ray had a proclaimed girlfriend, so the cheating-on-their-mate love spell was a perfect choice.
Melinda laid the tome on her lap and picked up the first crystal and a piece of the dark pink ribbon. She looked the chant over to memorize it, closed her eyes to concentrate, then began saying the first part of the incantation.
"Ut det mihi quod ego appello antiquam virtutem volo.
I evocant dea amoris."
She tied a dark pink ribbon around the crystal then put it in the cauldron.
She picked up Ray's picture and read the second part of the spell.
"Dea amoris vos Ray Stantz mihi, ut sit tibi nunc et semper amantis."
She did the same thing with the same color ribbon, tying Ray's picture to another crystal and setting it next to the first one.
Melinda picked up the two rose petals.
"Invoco te, dea amoris ligare nos duo in aeternum."
She repeats the process with the third crystal, laying it next to the others.
Grovers picked up the two final pieces and said the remaining words.
"Dea amoris faciunt Ray Stantz amor tantum mihi resplendent.
Quisque semper cor meum. Sic fiat semper."
The pink fabric heart was now with its crystal and in the cauldron. Because the fabric was coated with flammable oil, Melinda was able to start the fire in the pot with ease to allow the spell to take full effect.
As the fire melted the materials, the crystals glowed a bright yellow.
-Day Before the Spell-
Four days after Victoria Trisity got out of the hospital, she accepted the Ghostbusters offer to hire her as their second assistant alongside Janine Melnitz.
She was still staying at the Night Inn, but Ray was helping her find an apartment, offering to help pay for it until she got back onto her feet.
Victoria was grateful that he wanted to help, but at the same time, it felt weird having him do that. She never got help from anyone. She always had to work for it herself. But Ray insisted, his caring nature prompting her to allow him to do so.
Her desk sat side by side with Janine's. In addition, there were now two phones and two computers.
Victoria was on her twentieth caller when the Ghostbusters returned from a few jobs that started around seven in the morning-she got in at nine.
The Ghostbusters walked toward their secretaries as Janine yelled out to them that she gave them a two-hour break from catching ghosts so they could catch up on sleep or do whatever else they needed to do. The four smiled and thanked her.
Winston helped Egon put their catches into the containment unit before heading upstairs to rest. Peter quickly went to change clothes so he could go see Dana. And Ray stayed beside Victoria, waiting for her to end the call with a customer.
Once she was done, Ray lowered himself to her ear and whispered, "I was planning on taking a shower and was wondering if you'd like to join me?"
Victoria gave him a blushed smile then asked, "What about the calls?"
"Don't worry, Janine will handle them." He put out his hand for her to take.
She sucked in a breath but still smiled, "Okay." She took his hand, and they walked to the upstairs bathroom.
As Janine watched Ray lead his girlfriend away, she mumbled under her breath, "Gee, thanks." She rolled her eyes.
****
Ray's and Victoria's relationship grew stronger within a week of dating. The first kiss they shared in the Ecto-1 proved an electromagnetic power connecting them.
Their third date was their third base in her hotel room. And today was only going to be their second time because Ray had been so busy with work.
The hot shower seemed to arouse them as Ray gently pushed Victoria against the wall as they kissed passionately. Ray lifted her right leg to gain better access as he put himself inside her. He did bring protection into the shower with them.
Ray felt himself a lucky man to have come across someone as amazingly beautiful and caring as Victoria. No other woman can compete with her. She is someone he never wants to let go of.
-Day of the Spell-
The Ghostbusters, as usual, were out catching ghosts. It was midday when they were packing up to head back to headquarters.
Ray was helping Pete put their equipment into the Ecto when Ray's eyes suddenly flashed yellow.
Though no one saw the short flash of color zap from his eyes, they did notice, however, the abrupt change of motion: Ray stopping what he was doing, nearly dropping a Proton Pack on the ground behind their vehicle.
Thankfully, Peter caught it, it clinking on the bumper. "Whoa! Whoa! What's the deal, Ray? You in a hurry to go see your girlfriend?" Venkman put the pack into its slot of the Ferno-Washington Model 22 Gurney.
"What's the silent treatment for?" Peter then asked him as he put away a couple more traps. He looked up, looking at the spot where his best friend once stood a moment ago. "Uh, Ray? Ray?" Peter looked around the Ecto where he stood, then behind him, there was no sign of Ray. "What the...? Where the hell did he go?"
"Venkman," Egon called to him on the right side of the car. "He's over there about to get into a taxi."
"What?" He looked to where Egon had pointed, and sure enough, Ray was getting into a taxi.
The three called out to him, but Ray acted as if he did not hear them.
"Where in the world is he going?" Winston asked with confusion present in his voice.
"I don't know," Spengler answered. "But wherever he's going, it's not to HQ or to Victoria's hotel."
They watched as Ray's taxi did a U-turn and got on to a busy road.
"We should follow Ray before we lose sight of him," Egon told the two.
Peter did not hesitate to agree with him, for he started patting his pockets for the keys, forgetting who had them last. "Uh, do either of you have the keys to the Ecto?"
"Ray was the driver today," Zeddemore told him.
"Shit!" Egon exclaimed, exasperated.
"Looks like we're going to have to follow Ray in a taxi," Venkman said.
"One of us is going to have to stay with the Ecto while the other two find out what's going on with Ray," Spengler told them.
"I'll stay with the car," Winston volunteered. "You two knew him longer. Maybe you'll be able to help more so on what's gotten into him."
The two nodded, and Pete whistled for a taxi.
The taxi pulled over in front of the Ecto-1. As Venkman opened the door, the taxi driver looked behind her with a huge smile plastered on her face.
"Wow! It's you guys! What happened? Did your car break down?"
"If only," Peter responded. "Actually, one of us decided to go someplace unknown and forgot to leave the keys."
"We need to get going before we lose him," Egon told Peter. Then speaking to the driver said, "We need you to follow the 2928 cab."
"You got it," the driver answered happily.
The taxi whipped in and out of traffic to catch up to Ray. They ended up in front of an 18th-century style looking, ten-story apartment.
Venkman paid the taxi driver as the two got out, then they ran into the building.
The only person they found inside was a janitor in his late sixties.
Egon asked if he had seen a man come through the hall not too long ago.
The man answered, "Yes," then added, "I even asked if he needed help finding someone, you know since I have never seen him here before. But he just ignored me and walked straight to the elevator."
"Do you know what floor he ended up on?" Egon asked.
The janitor looked over at the one elevator and told them, "It looks like he got off on the sixth floor."
"Thank you," Spengler said.
The two Ghostbusters went to the elevator and took it to the sixth floor.
"Too bad that janitor couldn't tell us which apartment number he was heading to," Venkman said as they traveled left on their selected floor.
"Let's hope there was someone on this floor who saw him," Egon said.
"What do you suppose we do?" Peter asked. "Knock on every door?
"If that's the only way at finding Ray, then, yes."
"Then, you start from the right, and I'll start from this side," Peter suggested.
Egon nodded once, then the two got to knocking on doors.
Peter made it to his tenth door, a man and woman answered, saying they had seen a man walk to the 656 apartment.
He thanked them, jogged over to Egon, then the two headed for that apartment.
When they got to the door, Venkman knocked, but no one answered.
"He's in there," Peter affirmed. "The couple down the hall said he was."
This time, Peter banged on the door harder, at the same time yelling, "Ray! We know you're in there...!"
"Ray! Come on out so we could talk!" Egon added.
There was no sound, no answer from anyone from behind that door.
"Ray!" Peter repeated. He knocked even louder. Looking at Egon, he asked, "Think we should kick the door down?"
"That does appear to be the only option."
As Venkman was about to use his shoulder to force the door open, someone from the other side opened it, and Peter stumbled in. He kept his balance from falling onto the ground.
"Is there a problem?" The two Ghostbusters looked at who spoke in disbelief. They weren't expecting the person at this apartment to be Nurse Grovers. She was also wearing nothing but a towel.
They looked behind her and saw Ray standing with his jumpsuit unzipped and the upper half of it at his waist.
"What the hell are you doing here, Ray?" Peter asked in confusion.
"He wanted to be with me instead," Melinda answered for him. "Isn't it obvious?"
"I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to take the B and the S on that one," Peter interjected. "Egon and I know our best friend, and we know Ray loves Victoria and not you. Hell, he even told me himself that he's not attracted to you!"
"What did you do to him?" Egon chimed in. He took out his PKE Meter and began to scan Grovers, then Ray.
The PKE Meter stayed quiet. There were no signs of ghost activity.
"Can't find anything?" Melinda mocked, a wicked smile hinting. "No ghost needed for Ray to fall for me." She walked over to Ray and wrapped her arms around his waist. Ray only stood there.
"Let's go, Ray," Spengler ordered. Ray's right arm moved, but only to wrap around Grovers. Egon's brows furrowed; he was at a loss for words. Something's definitely not right here, he thought to himself.
"I'm going to have to ask you to leave," Grovers told them, still holding onto Ray.
"We're not going anywhere without Ray," Peter stood his ground.
"I said leave!" Melinda let go of Ray and raised her right hand; the two Ghostbusters flew out of her apartment.
The two screamed as they flew out her door. Luckily, the hallway was a good size, for they landed in the middle of it without hitting a wall.
"What the hell!" Peter yelled, surprised, getting up onto his elbows. "She's a witch?!"
"It would appear so," Egon said, lying on his side. "We're going to have to find a way to get him out from under her spell."
"How do you suppose we do that?" Venkman looked to his brainiac friend in anticipation to get an answer right off the bat.
"A spell of our own, obviously." Not exactly what Peter was anticipating as the answer.
"Obviously," Peter echoed. "You have a spell in mind?"
"Not on the top of my head."
"Can't you come up with a spell with that quick-wit brain of yours?"
"We would need more than just a spell, Peter. Spells need objects to work. We're going to need to search for a spellbook to save Ray."
"Then let's get to it," Peter said, getting back to his feet. "But, before we go, we need to get the keys to the Ecto back." He straightened his shirt then knocked on the door while asking, "Can we at least get the car keys back?"
The door opened slightly, and the keys to the Ecto came flying at him, hitting him in the chest. He instinctively caught them.
"Well, at least that was easy," Peter said, turning his body toward the way of the elevator.