Dan's Hauntastic Haunts Investigates

by Alex Silver

  Lara took the recorder. I showed her how to make sure it was on. Then Chad and I watched as Lara and Steph tried to entice the ghost into revealing its identity.

  Nothing happened. The earlier display must have zapped all the juice the ghost had gathered from Chad and I. Or, a more disturbing thought, it was biding its time. Either way, we were wasting time here. Nothing more was likely to happen today.

  I let them mess around a while longer with nothing but static to show for their efforts. Then I called it a day.

  So much for convincing Chad the ghost was real. By the time a disappointed Lara drove away, he’d bounced back to his usual self. His earlier nerves about the barn and our experiences there banished.

  EIGHTEEN

  Chad

  Falling asleep after what happened in the barn was a challenge. I still had that jittery keyed up feeling that came with being chased from the haunted barn. Allegedly haunted. Creepy without a doubt.

  Absent the intense emotions of the moment, I felt unspeakably foolish for believing a ghost was in the barn with us. Mere suggestibility had me thinking I’d experienced things that couldn’t be real. That was all it was, getting caught up in Dan’s excitement and his ghostly expertise.

  It was Daniel and his magnetism, not ghosts. Ghosts weren’t real. But Daniel, Daniel was all too real.

  With only the thin divider between us, sleep was getting more difficult by the night. My internet crush was easy to ignore. Far harder to dismiss my growing feelings for Daniel when I spent all day with him. And all night with him inches away.

  The way he looked at me last night, so full of concern after our mad dash from the barn, well, it went to my head—and my heart. Foolishness. Nothing could happen between us. He was my boss.

  A guy could fantasize. But perhaps not when there was only a thin wooden barrier between me and the object of my desires. This whole living and working within eighty square feet of my crush might take more willpower than I’d expected.

  I spent far too long tossing and turning before slipping into a restless slumber. It was just as well I didn’t remember my dreams, I’m sure they were a jumble of my boss in compromising positions and ghoulish apparitions.

  I crawled out of my narrow bunk first the next morning, unable to sleep any longer. My imagination had me almost believing the soughing of the wind outside was a moaning vengeful spirit. It wasn’t. Only the wind.

  The van was chilly this morning. I pulled on a hoodie before breaking out the coffee grounds. Daniel had showed me how the stovetop coffee maker worked on my first day.

  I filled the bottom with water, added a few spoonfuls of grounds to the metal filter. After I screwed the contraption together, it was ready to go. I flipped open the stove’s covering to turn on the propane burner and waited for the coffee to flow.

  Either the sound of the water boiling off, or the aroma of fresh-brewed coffee woke Daniel. He squirmed out of his bunk with a wide yawn.

  I busied myself getting down mugs from the cabinet above the stove to avoid ogling him. Still, the sounds of him wrestling with his bulky cast and thumping closer to me to grab the sugar captivated my full attention.

  “Morning,” Daniel said as he heaped sugar into the mug I’d gotten out for him.

  “Morning,” I said, pouring myself a cup of strong black coffee. Daniel took the pot from me and filled his own mug.

  He added shelf-stable whitener from the cabinet and sipped his coffee. He set his mug on the desk under the wall-mounted video editing display and pulled out a chair to sit.

  “So, who are we interviewing today?” Daniel asked.

  I leaned against the counter, sipped my coffee to buy time and recalled the schedule I’d worked out for the interviews.

  “Today we’ve got Mr. Dawes, a retired farmhand and Mr. Smith, who still works part-time. Dawes worked here when Lara was a child. Lara says Leon will join us for dinner tonight, so we can get his take on the childhood incidents over the meal.”

  “Sounds good,” Daniel took another appreciative swig of his coffee. “It occurs to me you aren’t familiar with the gear. I figure we can film a short refresher segment to help you learn. We can set up in here. Where we filmed the end of the IR camera review. You saw how I rig the backdrop across the bunks. After breakfast, we’ll set everything up in here and I can give you the quick and dirty rundown on the most common gear we use. How it works, the meaning of various readings we might find.”

  I nodded. After the excitement of yesterday, we’d finished filming his new IR camera unboxing and review inside the van. He called the seat in front of the editing monitors his studio. I deemed that a generous description for a chair next to a green sheet draped to cover the bunks, but I didn’t call him on it. The truth was, he made it look professional in his finished videos.

  We’d gotten into a groove working together inside the van. Wrapping up the GhostCam version 3 segment lasted us until dinner at the farmhouse. After which Daniel spent a few hours editing our footage from the day. We worked well together.

  “So, we’re making a paranormal investigations training video for the gear?”

  “Yeah,” Daniel grimaced. “I guess with the number of assistants I go through, you’d imagine I would have filmed something like that already. I have some Paranormal Investigations 101 videos out already, but they’re scattered, this will be more focused. It can double as an intro for new subscribers. I hope it will make it easier for you to do your job if you have a basic grasp of our tools, right?”

  “Right.”

  “So, let me preface by saying you were fantastic yesterday. The camera loves your energy. And so you know, your job is secure, okay? I’ve already mentioned you don’t have to believe in the paranormal to work for me, just have an open mind. And you know, don’t outright contradict or obscure our findings on camera. Not that I’m suggesting you’d sabotage us or anything.”

  “Sabotage, huh?”

  Daniel face-palmed. “You know, I will not keep digging there. My point is, after what we saw yesterday, I wanted to say, you can talk to me about any of this stuff. If you have questions or doubts. You might be a skeptic, but what you saw yesterday got intense. So I just wanted to check in with you, see how you’re handling everything.

  “Heck, I started out skeptical myself. I got my start in paranormal investigations taking cheap dares to stay in haunted locations overnight.”

  “I’m fine. Emotions were running high. It’s all good. And I know about the dares. I saw the vids. You really changed your mind, though, huh?”

  “Impossible not to, after everything I’ve seen over the years.”

  “I guess. Like you said, yesterday got intense. Is it like that all the time?”

  “When we investigate a haunted site, yeah. Not all of them are—sometimes an old abandoned building is just an old building,” Daniel gestured with his coffee cup.

  “You think this one is real though?”

  Daniel nodded, “Seems that way.”

  “So, what does that mean? Not to say I’ve changed my mind, but what’s the end goal here? Are we trying to put it to rest?”

  “Yep, if we can. For now though, finish your coffee, it’s almost time for you to start Ghost Hunter 101.”

  NINETEEN

  Dan

  Once we’d eaten a quick breakfast, I set up for filming while Chad fetched the bulky duffel bag full of my most used gear. I pulled the backdrop curtain across the bunks and smoothed out the wrinkles. Then I attached the camera to the wall mount I used for filming inside Vanessa.

  That just left adjusting the lighting and clearing the table of our coffee cups. I unlocked the arm to let the desk swivel up and away from the wall. I angled the table between me and the camera mount to best display our gear, then locked it into position.

  “Where do you want this?” Chad hefted the duffel.

  “There,” I gestured to the table.

  He set it down, and I rifled through the contents, pulling out the par
ts I needed for this segment. Once I’d selected what I wanted, I lined everything up in a neat row.

  “Set that aside,” I said. Chad stowed the duffel in the cab, between the chairs.

  “What now, boss?”

  “Ready to play the attentive student?” I arched a brow at Chad.

  “Sure, what should I do?”

  “Stand beside me and look interested in learning about each tool. Ask whatever questions you have. You can touch, but be mindful of camera angles, so our viewers get a clear view of the details.”

  “I can do that,” Chad nodded, sidling around the table to join me behind it. It was a bit of a tight fit, but I didn’t mind his proximity. I jostled his shoulder, and he shot me a grin.

  “Great, so live in three, two…” I hit record on the remote control in my pocket instead of finishing the countdown. With a big grin, I waved into the camera as the red light blinked to life to let me know we were recording.

  “Greetings from my crew to yours,” I said. “Today I am breaking in my new assistant, Chad. Say hello, Chad.”

  “Hello,” Chad waved at the camera, taking his cue from me.

  “Chad here isn’t familiar with the tools of the trade,” I slung a companionable arm around his shoulders and pulled him into my side. “And that just won’t do. So we are filming a short bonus series I’m calling Ghost Hunter 101 to familiarize him with the gear. It should be a good refresher for everyone watching.

  “If you already have a good understanding of the gear we use, rest assured, this is a bonus supplemental video. We’re still sticking to the usual release schedule as well. If you’re watching this as soon as it drops, the August unboxing came out a few days ago and the haunted history vid will post to the channel as usual on the second Saturday of August. I guarantee it’ll be a hauntastic time.

  “Speaking of the unboxing video, Chad, you are already familiar with two these tools now, right?”

  Chad nodded and brushed his fingers over the EM meter I’d set up in front of him. “I am.”

  “So verbose,” I teased.

  “We used it yesterday, it makes noise and lights up when there are electromagnetic fluctuations. Like if someone is using a microwave,” Chad joked.

  “Or if a ghost is present,” I countered.

  “Or that,” Chad said, dry as dust.

  “We can also use it to monitor cold spots,” I rattled off the make and model of the meter and a summary of its tech specs.

  Then I moved on to the IR camera. The new one from POI.

  “Anyone who has watched the channel long will know, I love getting gear from companies to review and this camera did not disappoint.”

  “We use infrared cameras to capture clearer images of ghosts than your typical camera will pick up. You may have seen IR images of people, appearing at the warmer end of the spectrum. Ghosts show up in the cool end. You can capture some stunning spooky images with a good IR camera and a cooperative ghost.

  “I’ve had an older model for a while, but POI’s latest model, the GhostCam version 3, has some exciting new features. For one, it comes equipped with a motion activated surveillance mode.

  “For another I can stream the video feed to a mobile app via bluetooth. Now, that might not give the clearest reception with a ghost around since the EM will interfere with connectivity, but it's still a fun feature to have.”

  “You know the best part, though?” Chad asked, a mischievous glint in his eye that alerted me I was in for a ribbing.

  “What’s the best part?”

  “Well, considering your accident prone nature, the best feature you mentioned to me yesterday is that it sends automatic backups of whatever it records to cloud storage at regular intervals. So even if the camera gets damaged, we should be able to access the footage.”

  I laughed. “Way to call me out. Okay, you’re right, that is a handy feature.”

  We filmed for the better part of an hour to go over each of my top five most used tools. I figured that would give us plenty of material to edit down into a twenty minute segment.

  Chad was a natural in front of the camera. The more I placed him there, the more comfortable he seemed. That suited me fine.

  If I had my way, he’d be standing in the spotlight with me well into the future.

  TWENTY

  Chad

  We filmed for over an hour to get the raw footage for the Ghost Hunter 101 video. Daniel seemed happy and energized when he called cut. I helped him tidy the gear away afterward, locking the table back into position under the dual monitor display bolted to the wall.

  By the time we’d packed all the gear, paranormal and otherwise, we only had enough time for a quick lunch before our first interview. Daniel threw together sandwiches to eat on the road. I drove the van to Mr. Dawes’ address in the neighboring town.

  It was a pleasant enough drive through scenic pastureland. The smell of cows and manure was strong, but I was getting accustomed to it after a few days out here.

  Dawes lived in a well-maintained ranch home with a single-car garage. An old pickup truck, its paint peeling, sat parked in the drive. Someone had propped open the hood.

  When we parked behind the truck, an older guy with a wiry build and a beer gut straightened up from where he was working on the truck’s engine. He set aside his tools to watch us get out of the van.

  “Mr. Dawes?” Dan stepped forward and set his crutches to offer a handshake.

  “That’s me,” he wiped his hands on a rag already stained black with grease. He gave Dan a firm handshake and an appraising look.

  “Hi, I’m Dan, this is my assistant Chad. Do you mind if we film this interview?” Dan asked.

  “Don’t see why not,” Dawes shrugged. “Let’s sit. My Aggie has lemonade sitting on the porch for us.”

  We both followed him up the front porch steps. He and Daniel took the pair of rocking chairs on either side of a low table set with a tray of refreshments. Cookies accompanied a pitcher of lemonade dripping condensation in the warm late summer sunshine. Three empty glasses sat beside the tray.

  I helped Daniel prop his crutches in easy reach while Dawes poured drinks and set a cookie on a napkin. I declined mine so my hands were free to film. Daniel took an appreciative sip and complimented Aggie’s culinary skills. Dawes beamed at the praise.

  “Thanks, but you aren’t here for the hospitality, right?”

  I took that as my cue to hit record on the camera and get the interview on film.

  “You boys are the ones investigating Lara’s ghost, right?”

  “Lara’s ghost?”

  “Sure, that girl’s convinced the old barn is haunted. Ever since she almost hung herself with that darn rope swing, playing in the loft.”

  “Do you think it’s haunted?”

  “Ain’t no such thing as ghosts. But I’ll warrant it’s a creepy old place. With the history, well, I can see why her imagination runs away with her.”

  “What history?”

  “You know,” he sided-eyed us. “Old man Higgs killed himself out there, back in the 30s, 1933 I think. Farm was failing all around him, I suppose he couldn’t face it. After his death, Goodman took over, he was Higgs’ brother-in-law, married Martha Higgs, the rest is history.”

  “I see.”

  “I worked for the family since I was a sprout myself, though not in Frank’s time. I was still a babe in arms. My father drove the milk truck back in those days.

  “He was the one who found the body when he arrived to pick up their morning milk. I didn’t start working for Goodman until years later, but everyone knew the story. Dad took it hard. They were friends.”

  “Understandable, how awful for him. I often find cases where someone dies by suicide stick around, looking for closure on whatever drove them to the act. Care to share any other details about Mr. Higgs?” Dan asked.

  The old man scratched his chin contemplatively, “Frank Higgs left behind his wife Catherine and their three daughters. Elmer and Martha G
oodman moved the widow and her girls into a guest house on the property. Treated them right, gave them work and a decent wage.”

  “Was that unusual?”

  “Time were hard, but they were family. They helped find good marriages for the girls when they came of age, even though they had two grown daughters of their own to arrange for. Not everyone would have done that.”

  “The family was close then?”

  “Sure. Elmer’s oldest son, Robert, is Lara and Leon’s grandfather. Good family. I worked for Elmer and Robert for years before my bad back forced me to retire. Lara’s a good sort too, loves the farm.”

  “And Frank’s girls, are any of them still local?”

  “No, they’ve all passed. Robert’s oldest son, Will, retired to Florida with his wife a few years back. I think one of Robert’s sisters is still alive, she moved out of state when she married though.”

  “You said the farm was failing, how did Elmer turn it around?” Dan steered the conversation back to the historical events around the haunting.

  “Every dairy farm struggled in those days, it was the Great Depression. Prices kept going lower. Elmer stuck it out, pushed through it with good old-fashioned hard work and determination. Helped that he had a whole passel of brats old enough to help with the milking, he put the Higgs girls to work in the milking shed too. Nothing like free labor.”

  “I can imagine,” Dan shot me a look I couldn’t quite decipher.

  “Elmer provided for his family and Frank’s girls. Frank would have been none too happy about that, Martha’s man showing him up like that. Then in 1938 they worked out price controls to stabilize the industry. The farm turned profitable enough they could afford to hire on hands. A few years after that, they hired me.”

  “What else can you tell us about the barn, did you experience anything strange there?”