Ghost town, p.1
Ghost Town, page 1
Ghost Town
Synopsis
Paranormal investigator Blair Wyndon is hell-bent on proving that ghosts are real. She posts the evidence she collects on the website, SpiritScientific, a well-known haven for like-minded paranormal believers. Well, like-minded except for Leif Henderson.
Leif is a ghost hunter, not some stuffy paranormal investigator. She makes the kind of videos that thrill her audience, not bore them nearly to death. It’s all about clicks, views, and keeping the public watching to grow her fan base. She’s going to prove that ghosts exist with a dash of flair. Not like Blair.
When they each receive an exclusive invitation to investigate the famed ghost town of Masonville, they jump at the chance. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity neither is willing to give up, even if it turns out that they must share the glory.
But they aren’t the only ones who have been invited. The mystery suddenly turns deadly. Someone or something else is in Masonville, and if Blair and Leif don’t find a way to escape, they might never leave.
Ghost Town
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By the Author
Hot Keys
Ghost Town
Ghost Town
© 2024 By R.E. Ward. All Rights Reserved.
ISBN 13: 978-1-63679-524-9
This Electronic Original Is Published By
Bold Strokes Books, Inc.
P.O. Box 249
Valley Falls, NY 12185
First Edition: February 2024
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form without permission.
Credits
Editor: Jenny Harmon
Production Design: Stacia Seaman
Cover Design by Inkspiral Design
eBook Design by Toni Whitaker
Acknowledgments
Thank you to all the folks at BSB for everything. Special thanks to Jennifer for all the help and for being so accommodating during this crazy year.
To my Wife. Stay spooky, sweetheart.
Chapter One
Voice Memo 36
I don’t know what is going on here but I’m scared. Abe has been gone for hours now…And Abe would never have gone without me. He’s in danger. God, we’re all in danger. I think there’s something more going on here than—(muffled shout) (static) (recording ends)
July 3, Mapleton
Blair Wyndon was, to put it simply, bored as hell.
Normally she loved her molecular biology lecture, but today the drone of her professor’s voice was driving her absolutely up the wall. These were the days she really missed her old professor. He’d never given a boring lecture in his life.
There was this feeling buzzing in her veins, like she’d drunk too much coffee. A feeling that made her feel jittery and anxious for class to be over, so that she could be free. Sometimes she regretted taking a course during the summer break.
“And that’s where we’ll wrap things up today. Remember that your midterm is due in three weeks. Get cracking if you haven’t already,” Professor Bluth said, closing his laptop with a that’s that sort of thump.
Blair was on her feet nearly before he’d finished speaking. Where usually she’d take her time packing up, placing each item in its designated place in her bag, today she jammed her laptop and her books in carelessly.
“What’s gotten into you?” her friend Hafsah asked. Hafsah’s kind, dark eyes showed confused amusement. “Ms. Perfect in a rush to leave class? What could possibly be so exciting that you’d want to leave Bio so quickly?”
Blair rolled her eyes. The nickname grated but she’d never said anything about it, so she really couldn’t be too angry. And Hafsah didn’t mean it to hurt her. She’d been Blair’s friend since grade five, before the incident that had cost her all of her other friends. Hafsah had stuck by her through every life change, and Blair had stuck by her through a lot of bullshit too. Hafsah would never hurt her on purpose, even if she didn’t understand this particular interest of Blair’s.
“It’s a full moon tonight!” Blair hefted her bag onto her shoulders and headed for the door, three steps ahead of Hafsah, who didn’t seem inclined to speed up and match her pace.
Hafsah laughed. “What, you’re into werewolves now too?”
Blair rolled her eyes. “Werewolves aren’t real. Ghosts, on the other hand, have some really compelling evidence of existing.”
She paused, looking out into the hallway. Okay, a little crowded but not too bad. She could handle it.
Blair didn’t like crowds. She tried not to think about the reason why.
“You’re still on about that ghost thing? I thought you’d have abandoned that for something sensible by now,” Hafsah said.
Blair gave her a look, and started walking again. “And I thought you’d have been convinced by the evidence I’ve found that it is sensible. You can’t deny the data I’ve gathered, Hafs.”
Hafsah laughed, though not unkindly. “I can, and I will,” she said. She adjusted her backpack slightly and frowned as several long strands of hair caught in the straps while she trotted beside Blair. She squinted as they exited the building and returned to the oppressive humidity of the summer day.
Blair loved her best friend, but this subject was one they disagreed on. Ghosts were Blair’s passion. The ephemeral, the just beyond human understanding. That was where science was headed. Or at least, where it should be headed. After all, if it was able to be studied, if there was evidence both documented and anecdotal, then the existence of an afterlife or of beings that existed beyond current human comprehension was a huge breakthrough just waiting to happen.
Blair was tenacious enough to believe that she could contribute to that breakthrough someday. She just knew she would. But in order to do that, she had to do the one thing that Hafsah teased her for the most.
Ghost hunting.
She preferred to think of it as supernatural or paranormal research. After all, she documented her findings very carefully and was testing a hypothesis. She preferred not to be compared to the ghost hunters who screamed and hollered at demons. Or the ones who taunted the loud bangs and crashes that weren’t actually spirits, but more likely their friends making noise out of sight from the camera.
Blair had nothing but contempt for overdramatized videos of so-called ghost hunters. The spooky music, and sudden leaps in logic based in nothing but rumors and vibes, never failed to coax an angry flush to her face. Like the videos Leif Henderson uploaded biweekly. That woman gave ghost hunting a bad name.
She wasn’t the only one, but she certainly was the worst. Her hunts amounted to nothing more than nonsense. At least the other shitty ghost hunters didn’t harass the ones who were doing the real work.
Yeah. She had beef with Ms. Henderson, and Leif had started it. She had tried to keep a polite and professional distance from Henderson, but the other woman seemed determined to undermine Blair and her research at any opportunity.
What made it worse was that Leif was popular on the site they all used to upload ghost hunting research. Sure, she was beautiful, but all she ever posted were videos of her taunting ghosts and screaming into dark empty places. SpiritScientific sure did let anyone use their site these days. It certainly wasn’t as scientific as it claimed to be. Hell, they even let Psychic Rose upload her videos. A bunch of nonsense where Rose supposedly spoke with the spirits who were haunting a location and occasionally had little fake fits of crying and screaming when she would get possessed.
But no one paid much attention to Rose. They all paid too much attention to Leif. Blair could admit to herself that she paid just as much attention to her, but she had to. They were rivals. She had to keep up with what Leif was up to.
Hafsah and Blair were met by their housemate Genevieve halfway across campus. She had her arms full of history books from the library and was grinning ear to ear.
“Hey, ladies, how was Bio?”
Blair smiled at her but was a little bit annoyed. Genevieve was supposed to be in their last class with them. This wasn’t the first time she’d skipped class in the last few months either. And considering she’d just gotten back from a semester off, she really should be focusing more on school. They had a good thing going, the three of them. Blair didn’t want the balance upset if Gen were placed on academic probation. “It was good,” Blair said.
“You’d know if you’d been in class,” Hafsah said.
Gen frowned and looked away, her eyes firmly on the ground as she nervously kicked her foot along the graveled path. “Yeah, I actually dropped it. It’s just not the same without Dr. Edmond there.”
“Your crush on him was so weird,” Hafsah said, elbowing her in the arm before reaching out to snag a few of the books from the stack Gen carried, hefting them easily. “He’s an old man.”
Gen blushed and mumbled, “A handsome old man. But she nodded appreciatively at Hafsah for shifting the burden.
Blair laughed. She wouldn’t exactly have called him handsome. Brilliant, sure, and kind. But to each their own.
“So, what were you two talking about before I got here?” Gen asked, clearly changing the subject.
“My paranormal investigation,” Blair said. “I’m going out tonight.”
“Right! What derelict old building are you and Abe heading to?” Hafsah asked as they walked toward the tiny little townhouse that they had all shared for the past two years, ever since they’d left their first-year dorm.
“Right now? Our place,” she said. Hafsah and Gen laughed.
“Pretty sure our house isn’t haunted,” Gen said. “Right?”
Blair shook her head. “You’re safe. Don’t worry.”
“Seriously, where are you going? You know I worry about you,” Hafsah insisted.
“The old Mapleton Paper Mill,” Blair said. “Supposedly there’s a spirit there that comes out on the full moon. Which makes sense, if you consider the energy that the full moon has. The gravity of the moon affects the tides, and gravity is a source of energy, so…”
“Uh-huh. Sorry, I zoned out, where’d you say you were going again?” Hafsah grinned at the pointed look Blair shot her way. “But seriously, be careful. That place is crumbling. Are you allowed to be there or are you trespassing again?”
Blair felt her face heat. “You know I get permits now. Most of the time.”
“Oh, and I dug up the history of the mill, so just let me know when you want me to record and I’ll give your viewers a rundown,” Gen said. Blair was thankful that she had a history major on her side when it came to ghost hunting. Gen always dug up the best details for her, and Blair’s idea to have her do a mini segment on her video was sure to attract positive attention from the community.
“Thanks! We’ll film your part tomorrow morning. I’ll drop by the coffee shack on the way back from the library. You want your usual?”
“Yeah, although I think eight a.m. is still way too early for a study period. But if it benefits me, I’m happy for you,” Gen said, mounting the steps to the townhouse.
Blair unlocked their door and let Hafsah and Gen step inside before her. Blair kicked off her sensible sandals and checked her reflection in the floor length hallway mirror. Her dark brown hair was tied back in a neat ponytail, and her large red glasses frames sat prominent on her face, almost hiding her brown eyes behind their lenses. Her clothes were still neat and tidy despite the long day, her black tank top and red skirt wrinkle free and fitting just right.
She looked good. Too bad she didn’t have a girlfriend. This look would have made a cute picture for a partner.
Ah well. She figured posting a picture of herself on the SpiritScientific forums would be just as good.
“So, you have a permit, then?” Hafsah prompted.
“Yes,” Blair said. “Abe’s boyfriend works for the historical society. He gets us into all the best places.”
“Handy. Well, I have a midterm to start working on. You going to be around for dinner? I’m cooking tonight,” Hafsah said, gently dropping the stack of books she had carried for Gen onto the ledge between the kitchen and the living room.
Blair’s stomach growled just thinking about Hafsah’s cooking. But she’d promised Abe that they could go to Edith’s Diner before they headed to the mill.
“Next time, Hafs. Got a date with a forty-five-year-old gay man before we go investigate the paranormal,” Blair said.
“Hot.”
They all laughed, only to be interrupted by Gen’s phone ringing.
“Oh, sorry guys, it’s Brad,” she said, her cheeks flushing, grabbing the pile of books from the ledge and turning away from them. “I’ll talk to you all later. See you for dinner, Hafs!”
Hafsah shook her head as they watched Gen take the stairs two at a time as she answered the phone.
“I swear she spends more time on the phone with her new boyfriend than she does studying,” Hafsah said.
“I think it’s cute,” Blair replied. “She’s happy.”
“I want to meet him. Make sure he’s not some catfish pervert.”
Blair laughed. “Not everything is a conspiracy, Hafs.”
“No. Just most things,” she agreed, hanging her backpack up on a wall hook and gathering her stack of study notes from it.
They both laughed as they headed to their respective rooms.
Tossing her backpack on the bed and sliding her feet into a fluffy pink pair of slippers Hafsah had brought back from her spring semester study abroad trip to Japan, Blair didn’t waste a second before popping her laptop open and checking the forums. Just a couple of new posts from the Psychic Rose and Rhonda, Tammy, and Shae, the three friends whose methods Blair mostly respected. Sure, they dramatized things quite a bit, but their approach to ghost hunting was pretty solid otherwise. She bookmarked the video to watch later, and made a note to have a look into the prison they were investigating before she watched. She liked to know some basic facts before letting any of the content sway her. Maybe she could do some quick digging before she started her midterm project during study period tomorrow morning after she prepped the recording area for Gen’s voiceover. Or maybe they’d film her this time? Blair would have to ask her if she felt comfortable with that.
Blair sighed and closed her laptop, glancing at her crisply made bed with a touch of longing. It was hard taking extra classes in the summer, especially when the sticky air seemed to beckon her to curl up in cool sheets and take a nap, but it was time to get ready. Hopefully tonight they’d get some really good evidence.
* * *
Video Recording 3
Heya. Leif here, with a fucked-up update. Look, I’m not Wyndon’s biggest fan, but what happened to her is really shitty. She’s not doing so well. I guess I’m going to have to…I don’t know. Take care of her or something.
July 3, Tantora
Leif looked around her mom’s kitchen, trying to distract herself from the latest lecture her mom was giving her. But even the collection of cuckoo clocks wasn’t enough to hold her attention. She sort of wished they’d all go off, just to block out her mom’s voice for a few seconds. Desperate for something besides her mom to focus on, she looked to her dog, Britney, who lay on the floor. But the traitorous dog was fast asleep.
“So of course by now you all know the difference between the groups of people known as the Karls and the Thralls. If not, please read chapter three of your textbook.” Her mom paused here, beaming. “This year’s textbook was cowritten by your father and me. I told you that, right?”
Her mother was a professor at U of T and had a terrible habit of practicing her lectures on Leif. It was especially annoying since Leif already knew more about Viking culture than probably any other twenty-five-year-old in the country ought to.
“Yeah, Mom. You have literally talked about the textbook every time I’ve come to visit,” Leif said. She noticed a new evil eye dangling in the window among the plethora of sun catchers. Reflexively she touched the evil eye on her bracelet. The one she’d had since she was seven.
“Yes, well. It’s the second-best work we’ve ever produced, after you of course. Can you blame me for being excited?” Her mom brought over a plate stacked with pancakes and placed it on the table in front of Leif.
Britney woke up at the sound of a plate hitting the table and promptly trotted over to beg.
“Gross, Mom,” Leif said, even as she dug into the pancakes with gusto. Her mom’s pancakes made it worth the barrage of Viking facts she had to weather every time she came over.
Leif wasn’t even sure why her mom and dad were working together again. Her mom had been Dr. Henderson’s TA when she’d gotten pregnant with Leif. They’d never really had a traditional relationship, beyond talking history and fucking. Her mom’s words, not hers. She’d rather not think about her parents getting down.
