The Ghost Hunting Meme

[hauntedasachild]

Maybe you're part of one of those big paranormal research societies that have their own TV show, top of the line equipment, and everything. Maybe you're an aspiring director who's noticed the boom of paranormal TV shows lately and decided to cash in the time is right for your art. Or maybe you and your friends just decided that messing around in someplace that's supposed to be haunted sounded like a fun way to spend an evening, especially when there may or may not be beer involved. Whatever the reason may be, you've decided to go

GHOST HUNTING



Choose your haunting, or let he RNG pick for you:

1. Setting Up: You're on location, and the locals have told you about the place's super creepy history and why it's definitely haunted. It's time to start unpacking your gear and encountering some ghosts. You just noticed that the clouds in the sky are forming an X over the location - just like the electrical tape X's you used to mark locations for your infrared cameras! - so you know you're going to get a lot of activity tonight.

2. YOU GUYS WHAT WAS THAT NOISE: There's no way that was just the building settling, and wind definitely doesn't make a sound like that! Clearly, something paranormal is afoot (a spooky, disembodied foot) here.

3. Era Cues: One of the best ways to draw out ghosts is through the use of stimuli from the era in which they died - so put on some oldschool jazz, light up a cigar, and start cooking some down-home southern cuisine. It's for science!

4. EVP Time: Your completely uncalibrated EMF detector just started spiking, and you may or may not have felt a cold breeze just now, so the spirits must be with you! Switch on that tape recorder and start asking them some questions, and maybe you'll be able to pick their responses out of the background noise (what is a "pareidolia," anyway?)

5. Motion Detector Mayhem: The device you bought to make a horrific racket if anything moves is making a horrific racket, and what could possibly move in an empty, dark room where your teammates totally haven't been except for a ghost? You haven't even seen any huge moths since you began this investigation, so it has to be something paranormal!

6. COME AT ME BRO: Provoking the ghosts is a really good idea. Shouting and posturing at the air like a tough guy makes you look cool, and it's always the best way to-- oh god, did something just scratch you?!

7. The Infrared Camera Just Caught Something: Or maybe it was the ultraviolet camera, or hell, maybe even the regular old visible light camera. Either way, it definitely wasn't one of your teammates sneaking off to take a leak or a smoke without telling anyone else, unlike the last four times, because everyone is finally present and accounted for. Which leaves only one thing it could be...

8. That Object Just Moved!: Despite the fact that you finally wised up and placed the trigger object far away from your camera cords or anything that you could trip over, it just fell over. And that piece of concrete that just landed next to your foot? It totally didn't come from the ceiling - it had to have been thrown by something!

9. Possession: Suddenly, one of your teammates can't quite seem to remember his last name, and is talking about how he'll "scuttle your legs" - or maybe he's talking about how this place fills him with demonic rage, or just acting dumber than usual. Either way, he's obviously been possessed by an entity!

10. Other/Pick One: Choose your own haunting.

Comments

[aviophobia]

[...okay, so they're doing this.]

Hope so. Jim's older brother got drafted, over in the ... Pacific theater now. He's not having the greatest time.

[hypospraying]

[They are so doing this.]

I hear it's awful. But Europe is too, of course.

[There's a creaking noise on the second floor. Maybe just the house settling, or maybe footsteps?]

[aviophobia]

Lucky we're here. Hopefully things stay over there, and our boys can take care of Hitler.

[He glances up at the ceiling at the creak, nervously.]

[hypospraying]

Yeah. Yes.

[She shifts so she's pressing her arm against him.]

But I'm willing to do my part. [She pauses, listens, and continues.] I'll get a job at the airplane assembly plant after school.

[aviophobia]

You gotta be extra careful there. Tie your hair back really well. Don't girls get their hair caught in the machinery?

[Another creak. Leonard glances at Christine nervously.]

[hypospraying]

[And she glances back. It's okay, she tells herself. It won't be like last time.]

I heard they do. One even... I heard she died, not long ago.

[And now it's super cold there.]

[aviophobia]

Um. Jeepers.

[Did they say 'jeepers' in the 1940s? If he could look it up on his phone then he could be sure, but they're pretending it's the 1940s so he can't.]

Got kinda cold in here.

[hypospraying]

Yes, it did.

[She swallows hard and shines the light around, heart pounding against her rib cage. Nothing else happens beyond the cold, and she slowly exhales.]

Let's walk around a little.

[aviophobia]

Yeah.

Uh, here, take my jacket. It's too cold for just your dress.

[He takes off his jacket and drapes it over Christine's shoulders so her arms are covered.]

Let's look at this floor.

[hypospraying]

[She's surprised, and can't help but wonder if he would have done that anyway, or if this is him being all 1940s sensibility.]

Thanks.

[Drawing the jacket tightly around her shoulders, she points the way with her flashlight, wondering what to say next.]

I hope we'll win the war soon, though it looks like that'll be hard to do in the Pacific.

[aviophobia]

Yeah, uh -

[oh god his name his name you just looked this up on Wikipedia last night it was - ]

Hirohito's boys are putting up a fight over there, aren't they?

[hypospraying]

Mmm hmm. It's terrible. I wonder what's worse: the heat in the Pacific or the cold in Europe.

[The cold dissipates the further away they get from the spot it originated, and she isn't quite so nervous now.]

My mom complains about rationing, but I tell her that's a silly thing to worry about while Dad's away fighting.

[After the last word, there's a long creak from overhead.]

[aviophobia]

I hate it, too. Never have enough sugar in the place.

[He looks up.]

Wonder if someone's here after all.

[hypospraying]

Yeah, I wonder. Let's go upstairs.

[She starts for the stairs, looking alert.]

Hello? Anyone up there?

[aviophobia]

We knocked, but no one answered. Sorry!

[He puts his foot on the first step, testing his weight, then begins to pick his way cautiously up.]

Stay to the sides.

[hypospraying]

[She glances at him and gives a nod of agreement, shining her light against the steps so they can see their way up. At the landing, she points the beam of light down the hall at the several rooms.]

Hello? Any soldiers living here back from the war?

[aviophobia]

We'd like to talk to you, if you are.

[A creak, loud and dangerous-sounding. Leonard looks down at the floor in concern, but it didn't come from there. He glances at Christine, points ahead, eyebrows raised.]

[hypospraying]

[Well, that could very well be a "yes," couldn't it? She jerks her head in that direction and starts that way.]

Could you tell us what it was like, please? My friend here needs to be prepared if he's drafted.

[aviophobia]

I'm concerned about ...

[...whatever it was guys in the 40s were concerned about ...]

...most of it?

[hypospraying]

[Christine waits a long moment, listening for any creaks or moans. But there are none. Finally, she slowly moves ahead down the hall, shining her light against the faded wallpaper, noting tiny holes where picture frames once hung. She wonders what the couple looked like. At least at the last place, there had been a portrait.]

Let's go in here.

[aviophobia]

Okay. We're coming in.

[This last part is called into the room, and he pushes the door open, looking around.]

Hello?

[hypospraying]

[Unlike the last house, this one is cleared of furniture, so they're greeted with a chilly, empty room.]

If you're here, can you let us know?

[It's silent for a moment, but then there's a creak in the floorboards and Christine jumps slightly.]

That works. Umm, hello. I'm Christine, and this is Leonard.

[aviophobia]

Thanks for letting us in.

[Way to sound sure about that, Leonard.]

It was really generous of you. Agreeing to talk to us.

[hypospraying]

[Her lips twitch with a smile. Wasn't he against them doing this again, and now he's getting into it?]

Yes, thank you.

[The wind whistles through a crack in the window, making an eerie sound, and then she swears she sees a shadow move against the wall. She gasps, taking a step back.]

Did you see that?

[aviophobia]

[He puts out a hand in front of her as though to protect Christine, eyes darting from side to side.]

Yeah, I did.

Can you step into the light?