Disclaimer: I do not own the Mystery Case Files: Ravenhearst series. This is an AU of that universe. This was inspired by The Basement Chronicles by SilveRanger on AO3. I highly recommend you read that as well, even though it is not related to this story.

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Kim was a surprisingly practical woman. At least, she liked to think so. She never stopped stressing the importance of emotions but always believed there was a rational explanation for things. She was averse to societal norms and raised her daughter far away from its confines. Her daughter grew up happy and healthy because of it. The "happy" part of that changed after the divorce and the move, however. She honestly wished things could be different, but she had no choice. Regardless, Maddie would thrive in a new school with new friends, gaining a once-in-a-lifetime experience at such a young age. Kim was happy for her, and they would both be happy here in England.

That was until she came home one day to the front door of their apartment wide open.

At first, she didn't jump to any insane conclusions. Maddie must've forgotten to close the door this time (despite having told her over and over again not to do such a thing). She would find Maddie upstairs in her room coloring or doing her homework, give her a good scolding, and that would be that. But as she frantically went from room to room finding no trace of her daughter, the dread began to sink in. Her mind wandered to all the recent missing persons reports. But it didn't look like anyone had broken in. Regardless, one thing was certain: her daughter was nowhere to be found.

When she called the police, they told her that someone would only be able to come out the next day. She was less than pleased, but she knew that the department was stretched thin as it is. Blackpool was a small town, no different than the one they had left behind in America. She didn't blame them, not one bit.

She didn't get any sleep that night. She wracked her brain to try and figure out what could have gone wrong. It wasn't as simple as Maddie getting lost or getting hurt somewhere, because the front door was open, which meant that she had made it home. Of course, that also meant that whoever took her, if that was indeed the case, entered and exited through the same place. And with the lack of evidence of a break-in, this would also suggest that Maddie had let some random stranger into their home. Why would she do that? Kim had thought she had taught her better than that. Oh God, what was she going to tell Miles?

After having kept herself awake on several cups of coffee throughout the night, a black 1960s Benson pulled up outside her apartment. She pulled open the door before the gentleman who climbed out of the car had a chance to knock. He blinked a few times at her before clearing his throat. "Good morning, Ma'am," he said politely. "You're Mrs. Isaacson, correct?"

"Yes," she replied, "and it's Ms. My husband and I are... no longer together." The man grunted in affirmation. "Sorry to hear that," he responded. "You called yesterday to report your daughter missing. My name is [REDACTED] and I'm a special detective from the Mystery Case Files unit created for cases such as these." He pulled out a badge that looked like a sheriff's badge, stamped with the letters M.C.F. on its gold surface. Kim had never heard of this before. They must be a private investigation firm. "Do you mind if I come in and ask you a few questions?"

"Not at all," she replied, stepping back to allow the detective inside the apartment. She offered him coffee, but he respectfully declined, explaining that he already had one on the way over. Soon enough, she was sat across from him on the couch, the detective having moved the armchair to situate face-to-face with her. "Now," he said, spreading his hands out to get things started, "I have an idea I already know what the answer is, but I need to ask according to procedure: is your daughter the type to run away from home?"

Kim shook her head vehemently. "No, she would never do that," she explained. "She's too afraid of being on her own to do something like that. She gets upset quite easily."

"Of course, Ms. Isaacson. I apologize, it's standard protocol. Now to get onto business." The detective rubbed his hands together, as if gearing up for something. "You mentioned before in your report that there was no sign of a break-in, correct?"

"Yes, that's correct," Kim answered, clasping her hands tightly together. The detective nodded. "Right. That suggests that the suspect was able to just walk in through the front door. Which means that your daughter let them in." The silence hung heavy in the air for a moment. "Which means, this suspect was someone young Madeleine knew and trusted."

Kim's brows furrowed immensely. "But that doesn't make any sense," she stated. "I know all of her friends and all of our neighbors. The idea of it being one of them just isn't possible."

"Most likely, it's someone who got into her good graces without your knowledge." At Kim's disbelieving scowl, knowing full well that Maddie would tell her about any new friends she made, he proceeded. "Or someone she's met only once but took a liking to them at that first meeting."

That pinged something in Kim's memory. That stranger that Maddie was with a few weeks ago, in the local park... Oh God. Was that when he had set his sights on her? Had he been watching her this whole time, waiting for the perfect time to strike? A growing pool of dread settled in her stomach, her eyes wide as she recounted what she could remember. "My daughter had been talking to an older gentleman when I went to go pick her up from the park three weeks ago." The possibilities of what this man wanted from her daughter made bile begin to rise up the back of her throat, but she pushed it back down.

The detective leaned closer in his seat, fixating intently on her. "What does this man look like? Do you remember?"

Kim took in a shaky inhale before letting it out. "He was tall, just over six feet, I'd say." She combed through her memory, relaying every detail she could about the man. "He was wearing a very... old-fashioned suit, something that my great-grandfather would have. He had a top hat and was carrying around a cane."

"And how old would you say he was?" Kim thought long and hard but came up empty. "I'm not sure, I didn't catch a glimpse of his face. But he must have been relatively old because I know that he was bald." She turned her melancholy gaze back towards the detective. "I'm sorry that I can't tell you anything more helpful."

"No, no. This is perfect, actually." He stood up then. "Thank you very much for your time, Ms. Isaacson."

"Wait!" Kim shot up with him, her eyes wild. "Do you know who that man is? And you know he's the one who took my daughter?"

"I have to ask your neighbors about what they saw or heard before I know for sure, but yes, I have an idea of who abducted Miss Madeleine." She stood there staring at him with bated breath. He realized that she was expecting him to explain. He sighed. "He's someone that I've been following for... a long time. He's suspected to be involved in all these missing persons cases, not just in the present day but in decades past as well."

The distraught mother didn't understand what the detective meant by that, but it didn't matter. If they knew who this mystery man was, it was a step closer to getting her daughter back. The detective moved towards the front door again, not wanting to waste time. "And if it does turn out to be who I think it is," he said, adjusting the hat on his head, "then we don't have much time to find her."

"Who is he?" she inquired. "What's his name?"

The detective looked back at her, saying only one thing before sweeping out the door. "His name is Charles Dalimar." And with that, he left, continuing his investigation. He went to the neighbors next. Unfortunately, they couldn't provide him with much, as all of them were just getting out of school or work when the abduction occurred. However, one of them did mention that a black, old T-model mobile had been exiting their neighborhood as they pulled onto the street. They couldn't get a good look at the driver, but there were a few details that matched the description that Kim had given him. If this wasn't enough confirmation of the suspect's identity, he didn't know what was.

"Just hold on, Madeleine," he said to himself. "I'll find you."

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The days followed this same monotonous routine. She made great friends with the twins. She sometimes wished they were alive so she could hug them. She had always been a very physically affectionate person. They made her situation much more bearable.

Emma was quick to make herself acquainted with the girl, dismissing the prickly and vengeful side of her she had seen on her first day. She was only like that towards her father, of course. She was quick to explain how, when the twins were born, her and her mother were essentially the ones who raised them. Charles had been too busy with his work to have any time for them. So she was familiar with young children. It made sense she would carry that familiarity over after she died.

Because she was underground, it was very hard to tell exactly how many days had passed. Any clocks she could find were all analog (which she had barely just learned how to read) and had print that was too small, and she couldn't find any calendars anywhere. Rose told her that Charles kept one in his office, but she wasn't allowed to explore that room. It was to her utter astonishment one morning that she had woken up to everyone cheering "Happy Birthday!" to her at breakfast, the setting complete with a cake. It made her think: Charles had taken her back in April. Had it really been four months already? How had no one found her yet?

This would also be the first birthday she would celebrate without her mother or any of her friends. The thought upset her greatly. She did her best to hold back her tears all day, even through enjoying cake and receiving gifts (that Charles and Eric had actually gone out and bought!), but it was all in vain, in the end. Thankfully, she didn't cry in front of any of the other living members of the family. She didn't know what Charles would do if she was forced to tell him that she missed her mom, her real mom. Instead, Rose, Emma, Gwen, and Charlotte all huddled around her as she sobbed, doing everything that they could as spirits. They would never know how grateful she was for that.

One of the gifts she received that she was actually interested in (the rest had been clothes, dolls, and other similar toys, all things for a "growing young woman," as Charles put it. She didn't even get any books!) was a small toy piano. She always wondered what it would be like to play some kind of musical instrument, and the piano would be a great start in exploring that. Charles seemed to be delighted at her interest and left any future piano lessons to Emma. Maddie actually found herself looking forward to it.

Maddie did ask Charles if she was going to be having any kind of schooling. He told her that she would, but it would mainly be studying literature. She would at least know basic arithmetic but wouldn't be taught any higher forms of mathematics. Same with science as well. He explained that it was because it was "unnecessary for women to know such things." Maddie didn't understand why he thought she wasn't as capable of understanding science and math as any man. It felt demeaning. And it made her doubt herself and she didn't like it. But she knew better than to protest. Still, there was a bright side; she'd still be allowed to read. Charles had an extensive library down here. She could read them if she only read the ones he allowed her to read, and she didn't damage any of them. It was better than nothing.

"If you're ghosts," Maddie asked Rose one day, "why haven't you moved on? Are you stuck or something?"

This had been in the middle of them washing the laundry and other linens. The woman spirit had stuck true to her word, teaching the girl the basics of cooking and taking care of the wash. Maddie had never used a "washboard" before, as Rose called it. She barely knew how to use the washer and dryer at home. She had just finished that day's load and was about to hang it up on the clothesline with Rose's assistance (assistance as in, supervising) when the question sprang to her mind. The woman immediately looked perturbed and uncomfortable, clearly wrestling with the decision to tell the girl or not. Eventually, she sighed, heaving out a tremendous sigh.

"Yes, we are stuck here," she confirmed, her eyes downcast. "Charles makes sure of that." She didn't say "your father," like how Charles would've preferred it. Maddie didn't want to call that man her father. She tried to avoid directly addressing him at all in his presence whenever she could. She was grateful that the other spirits weren't making her do that in theirs.

Rose continued. "It's... quite complicated to explain. He's found a way to tether our souls to this place. It would be best... if I just show you. If you want to, that is. Frankly, I don't believe it's something a child should see."

Maddie deliberated on this until she decided it would be worse not knowing. There was still the possibility that Charles would do the same to her. The anticipation was killing her. So, Rose took her by the hand and led her to an old hatch in the corner of one of the corridors of this vast maze, rusted and warped with age. The small girl was somehow able to twist it open, revealing an equally rusted ladder leading down into darkness. She gulped, beginning to sweat. "Do not worry," Rose assured her, sensing her nervousness. "There is more torchlight at the bottom." Spurred onwards by these words, Maddie descended, wondering what sort of nightmare was waiting for her below.

Indeed, there were more torches lighting the passageways down here. It looked like an old aqueduct system, reminiscent of the sewer tunnels back in London. Not that she would know. People just told her that's how it was. But this place was made of stone, with clean water gushing through the channels. Up ahead of her, Rose waited at a corner of the branching path, ushering her forward. She followed. Eventually, the tunnel gave way to a larger reservoir, opening to the horror she had braced herself for.

No amount of preparation would have been enough for what she saw.

It was confusing at first. There was a casket situated just at the water's edge, clearly meant for someone's final resting place, like a burial. Except, the casket was open. Inside was a skeleton, still wearing the white mourning clothes it had been buried in. Attached to the body were thick tubes snaking around it, strange green liquid flowing in. These tubes were connected to various machines that she could hardly make sense of, but they were clearly monitoring whatever process this was. Beyond the machines, pipes filled with the same green liquid ran along the walls. She had seen these before. They lined the ceiling of the main atrium and hallway. She had asked Charles what it was, but he wouldn't tell her. Was this what it had been for?

"I..." she stammered, at a loss for words. "I don't understand." She moved closer to the open casket, noticing a plaque erected by the casket's head. It read: Rose Dalimar 1895-1930 Beloved wife and mother. A sinking pit in the girl's stomach grew wider. "Wh-What is this? Is this you?"

Rose, as a spirit, regarded her decayed body with bitterness and sorrow. "Yes," she answered. "This is where my body lies. However, my soul stays bound to the earth, due to the essence that Charles keeps injecting into it. Into us."

Maddie tore her gaze from the casket to look at the ghost. "E-Essence?" she stammered. "Other souls," Rose clarified. "Pieces of other people. He uses it as fuel to keep our souls burning and tied to our mortal shells." Her gaze cast itself downward, something she always did when she talked about her death and subsequent hellish afterlife. "He said that he didn't want death to separate us. That we all deserved to live forever together, as a family." Her mouth screwed up into a grimace. "I didn't know what he meant at the time. I wish I had sooner." She looked at her body again. "Now, my daughters and I are trapped in perpetual limbo. Not quite alive, but not quite dead either. All of us should've died a long time ago."

It then occurred to Maddie how absolutely tragic this all was. These people, these innocent and kind people were being forced to go through agony all for the selfish desires of one man. She moved to the machine, trying to make sense of its dials and meters. "This is what's keeping you here, right?" She stared poignantly at the humming contraption, the beginnings of resolute determination forming on her face. "I just gotta figure out how to turn it off. Then you'll be free."

"I would refrain from attempting to shut it down," Rose said. "Even I don't understand how it works, and I'm sure Charles would've set some kind of failsafe so that anyone inexperienced wouldn't be able to operate it." Maddie didn't want to falter now, so she moved closer. However, it turned out Rose was right. There were several buttons and switches on the console that were missing. Like they had been intentionally removed. She refrained from cursing under her breath. She lowered her head, hoping to hide the tears that wanted to escape. "I'm sorry," she whispered, utterly failing, the fat drops falling all the same.

"No, I should be the one to apologize," Rose said, appearing by the girl's side to encase her in a comforting hold. "Someone as young as you should not be so intimate with death." Maddie sniffled quietly, rubbing at her eyes. "Is..." She nearly choked on the words. "Is that g-going to happen t-to me?" Rose opened her mouth as if to assuage the girl's fears, but she faltered. It would be cruel to lie to her when the evidence was right there in front of her. "I... do not know," she answered truthfully. "I hope not, for your sake."

Maddie nodded, turning to bury her face into the woman's front as she sobbed. This entire endeavor had led her to a chilling realization: she didn't know if it was going to happen now or later, but if she wasn't out of this place in time, she would end up just like Rose and the others, forced to exist in a cold, dark state of not-death, trapped forever beneath the earth. That fear of being buried alive surfaced once more. She knew what she had to do.

She had to escape. She couldn't stay here any longer.

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Author's Note: I've redacted the Master Detective's name because, in the games, you the player assume the role of the Master Detective, and you can name them whatever you want. It also serves as the name of your game save file, as well as other things (*cough cough* Ravenhearst 3 *cough cough*). Also, sorry that this was so late. I've been caught up in Gen V and Good Omens, as well as cursing Gege Akutami's name to hell and back due to the current state of the Jujutsu Kaisen manga. I also had a test yesterday and I have a test tomorrow.

Praise is appreciated and constructive criticism is encouraged.

See you next time!

-The_Mayflower