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

[hypospraying]

[She moves into his embrace, feeling him shake and wrapping her arms tightly around his back.]

Yeah, I know.

[Her hand moves in comforting circles around his shoulder blade, the other hand still gripping the flashlight.]

What about you? Are you going to be all right?

[aviophobia]

[He presses his head to her shoulder, trying to calm himself, but his nerves are jangling so badly he doesn't know if he'll ever stop shaking.]

'm not gonna get any sleep tonight, but. I'll be okay.

[hypospraying]

I'll stay with you.

[She shivers, pressing her chin against his shoulder and looking up at the house. All houses have secrets, but this place had one they never would have expected.]

[aviophobia]

You can stay in the guest room, if you want.

[Though he suspects both of them know she won't stay there, not after what they've seen tonight.]

[hypospraying]

It's what your parents would prefer, if I'm staying.

[Though, yeah, she won't stay in there.]

C'mon, where's your phone? [She gently slides her hand down his back before releasing him.] I think you dropped it.

[aviophobia]

Yeah, I dropped it.

[He scrubs a hand over his eyes before he kneels, fumbling in the grass for it, finally finding it and straightening up, unlocking it to dial 911. When he speaks with the emergency operator, his voice is steady, calm, confident, but when he finishes, his hand is still shaking so badly it takes him three tries to hang up.]

[hypospraying]

[Meanwhile, she stands beside him, trying to look anywhere but those cellar doors.

Once he's done, she looks to him with concern, then takes his hand in hers.]

Did they ask what we were doing nosing around here?

[aviophobia]

Nah. I said I was with a demolition company and she bought it. I guess this place isn't gonna be around much longer.

[hypospraying]

They probably would have found her once demolition started.

[That makes her frown, because they really didn't have to go through all that, did they?]

Hey, let's go inside and see if we can make contact. The husband should know.

[aviophobia]

Yeah.

[He closes his eyes and swallows hard, giving Christine's hand a squeeze.]

Let's go.

[hypospraying]

[She offers him a faint smile, then leads him back inside, bumping her shoulder against his as they walk. In the kitchen, she stops and listens.]

Hello? Are you here, sir? We found her, and some people are going to come and take care of things for you. So you don't have to worry.

[aviophobia]

So. Don't worry. We got it.

[He tries to smile, tries to sound more confident than he is. There's a moment, silence, then:

Thank you.]

[hypospraying]

[She lets out a breath, feeling a bit better about this whole situation.]

You're welcome. I'm glad we could help. We're going to go now, but just remember that you can go to her now. You don't have to stay here anymore.

[The room feels a bit colder, then:

I'll go be with her.

Christine bites her lip. Normally she doesn't go for the sappy, but the devotion of this guy is making her emotional.]

Bye.

[aviophobia]

Take care.

[He looks at Christine, giving her hand a squeeze.]

Let's go, Christine.

[He turns to lead her out, but as he does, there's another whistling, a whispering:

Take care of her.]

What? What did you say?

[Nothing.]

[hypospraying]

[Christine listens, then shakes her head.]

I didn't hear anything but the wind. Let's get out of here, before the police discover two weirdly dressed teens breaking and entering.

[She tries to focus on the here and now, instead of the body buried below their feet and how she came to be there.]

[aviophobia]

Yeah, good call.

[He doesn't let go of Christine's hand as he leads her out, fumbling in his pocket for his car keys.]

They'll be here soon.

[hypospraying]

Will you be all right to drive?

[She watches him carefully as he tries to get out his keys.]

[aviophobia]

Yeah, I'll be fine, I just need a sec. Don't worry, we'll get back safe.

[hypospraying]

I won't. Worry, that is. You're a responsible driver.

[They head back for the car, but she looks back at the house one last time, shivering a little.]

[aviophobia]

[He gets her door for her, but as he does, he puts his arm around her and gives her a squeeze.

Keep her safe.]

[hypospraying]

[She look back at him, a little surprised, and wonders what's gotten into him. But she's enjoying the moment, so she doesn't want to ruin it by asking. Instead she leans into him briefly, giving him a smile.]

Thanks.

[Then she gets in the car, realizes she's still wearing his jacket, and starts to take it off.]

[aviophobia]

No, you keep it for now. Still cold out. I'll grab it when we get back.

[hypospraying]

Okay. Thanks again.

[She starts unpinning her curls, looking in the mirror on the back of the sun visor. Beyond that, she's unusually quiet.]

[aviophobia]

[He starts the car, after a few false starts, and pulls out, making their way back to the main road.]

Penny for your thoughts.

[hypospraying]

[She tries to laugh, but it sounds rather fake.]

Aren't my thoughts worth at least a dollar?

[She stares at the bobby pins in her hand for a moment, thinking.]

I think someone murdered that woman and put her down there, and her husband came home from the war to hear she was missing.