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]

Yeah, the architecture's really, uh.

[How old is this house? Can he call it 'vintage?']

- nice. It's really well-done.

[hypospraying]

[Back downstairs, she searches for the kitchen, finally peeking her head into the right room. She cautiously enters, looking for any sign of the wife.]

Hello? Mrs... [Okay, she doesn't know her name.] Is the Missus at home?

[aviophobia]

[There's a creak.

Yes.]

Okay. Um, hello, ma'am. Your husband brought us down?

[hypospraying]

[She shifts awkwardly from foot to foot. It's colder down here, and there's no sign of the woman's shadow or image. Just the creaks and her voice.]

He says you're only here sometimes. Do you know why that is?

[There's no answer for a long time. Her brow furrows and she looks to Leonard. Has she gone? But finally there's an answering creak.

No.]

[aviophobia]

Maybe we can help you figure that out? We're happy to.

[hypospraying]

Yeah, we'd love to help you too. Um, sir? Are you here? [There's silence and she turns back to the doorway through which they entered.] He was going to follow us down the stairs. What happened?

[Yes.

Christine turns back into the room, confused.]

Yes, what? [Like before, there's a long silence, then an answer. No. She moves closer to Leonard, feeling creeped out.] Is it just me, or does she sound stuck on repeat?

[aviophobia]

[Leonard puts his arm around Christine, protective, watching the space where the voice is coming from.]

Can you say anything else?

[No.

Then:

Yes.

Then:

No.]

That cleared it up.

[hypospraying]

[She shoots Leonard a look that says "Don't be so, well, you right now," but then a thought hits her and her mouth forms a perfect O.]

Oh, oh! I've read about this. It's one of those-- [She snaps her fingers, hoping it will come to her.] -- residual hauntings. That's it! It's like... a video clip playing over and over again. You can't communicate with it, because it's not actually the person still here. Just a memory left behind.

[aviophobia]

[Leonard turns back to where the husband ought to be.]

Is that why your wife is only here sometimes? Because she's not ... all here?

[Incomplete.]

I think you've got it.

[hypospraying]

[She hadn't thought the husband was there, but it seems he'd just been staying silent. Christine can't blame him really. Turning back towards the husband, or at least where his voice is, she asks,]

Do you understand what's happened?

[She tries speaking gently, with care, like a nurse delivering bad news to a patient.]

She's already moved on to, to wherever you go when it's your time. A piece of her is here, but not a part you can talk to. I think she's probably waiting for you to join her.

[aviophobia]

D'you want us to try and help you move on, too? So you can be with her?

[hypospraying]

[There's a creak, followed by: Yes. Christine looks to Leonard.]

All right so... last time it was a diary. You think it's a object this time too? Or maybe something like an idea, or belief?

[aviophobia]

I have no idea. Can't hurt to ask, can it?

Um. Is there anything still here that was important to you or your wife when you, you know, left?

[hypospraying]

[Not sure. Christine blows out a breath.]

I'm not sure what would be left. Other people would have lived in this house since.

[For the first time, she doesn't have a plan, or a clear idea what to do, and that frustrates her.]

What are you holding onto, sir?

[aviophobia]

[Her. There's something else, another word; it might be 'heart' or 'hat' or 'cart' or something along those lines.]

Her what?

[hypospraying]

Her cat?

[Okay, no, that cat would be long dead.]

No, that can't be it. Is it just her? What you see of her here isn't really her. It's just an... like an echo.

[aviophobia]

[Here.

It's more insistent now, and it's getting colder. Leonard shivers a little.]

Are you sure?

[hypospraying]

[Christine wraps Leonard's jacket tightly around herself, grateful for the extra bit of insulation it provides against the cold now coming in. She isn't sure what the ghost means by here, though.]

Do you mean the house?

[aviophobia]

Wait.

[Suddenly, Leonard feels cold, and it's not from the dropping temperature.]

Is she still here? Like ... here?

[He points to the floor.]

[hypospraying]

[She looks at Leonard in alarm.]

You can't mean--

[Yes. Christine shakes her head and grabs for Leonard's hand.]

No, no, no. They said she died in a factory during the war. She wouldn't be here. She couldn't be.

[Here. She starts to feel sick to her stomach.]

[aviophobia]

But why would her echo be here if she died in a factory? No, I think she's - here.

[He squeezes Christine's hand, swallowing hard.]

Can you tell us where here she is?

[hypospraying]

[Christine doesn't want to know. She really doesn't want to know.

Under...cellar.

It takes everything within her not to whimper. A body buried under a creepy cellar. Oh, hell no.]

What, what do we do now?

[aviophobia]

I guess we go downstairs and have a look. Can we look, er, sir?

[Yes.]

C'mon.

[hypospraying]

[She stares at Leonard in shock, wondering how he can be so calm about this.]

There's a body in the cellar, Leonard. This is, it's, it's so screwed up.

[aviophobia]

There might be a body in the cellar. There might not be. Would you rather call the cops?