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The call had been brief and a little hard to understand. It was as if the person calling was speaking on a phone that had been dunked in the toilet one too many times. They spoke of a dangerous entity and gave Ginko directions to a bar settled neatly on the edge of a dry nowhere town.
This couldn't possibly be the intro to a slasher flic, could it?
This couldn't possibly be the intro to a slasher flic, could it?
It was a little suspicious, he had to admit. But business was always slow, and lately it had been even slower, and Ginko quite literally could not afford to turn down a job based on the call being kind of shifty.
So he packed up his supplies and got on one bus after another, and within a day or so after the call was placed, he was walking up to the door.
He looked the place over, then went to push the door open after putting out his cigarette and making a quick check to be sure his eyepatch was in place.
So he packed up his supplies and got on one bus after another, and within a day or so after the call was placed, he was walking up to the door.
He looked the place over, then went to push the door open after putting out his cigarette and making a quick check to be sure his eyepatch was in place.
The bar wasn't packed, but it was noisy. Customers shouted at the television, laughed with one another in their booths, and the tender, Ernie, was having a lively conversation with one of his patrons.
The walls were absolutely covered with mix-and-match taxidermy and road signs and a thick cloud of cigarette smoke filled the topmost half of the room. Nobody turned to look at him.
The walls were absolutely covered with mix-and-match taxidermy and road signs and a thick cloud of cigarette smoke filled the topmost half of the room. Nobody turned to look at him.
Well, looked like he didn't have to worry about the cigarette after all. It was force of habit, more than anything - some clients didn't seem to like their first encounter with a medium to involve him smoking. Not that the scent didn't cling to his clothes anyway.
He walked up to the bartender, paying as little attention to the customers as they did to him. Ginko waited for just the slightest lull in the conversation before speaking up. "Excuse me; my name is Ginko, I recently received a call about a possible source of disturbance here?"
Another thing he had learned: If there were a lot of people around, avoid words like "ghost", "infestation", and "dangerous". Especially if said people were customers.
He walked up to the bartender, paying as little attention to the customers as they did to him. Ginko waited for just the slightest lull in the conversation before speaking up. "Excuse me; my name is Ginko, I recently received a call about a possible source of disturbance here?"
Another thing he had learned: If there were a lot of people around, avoid words like "ghost", "infestation", and "dangerous". Especially if said people were customers.
Ernie was a squat, balding man and what hair was left on his head was bright red. He lanced up from his conversation and had to do a double-take. It wasn't every day you saw someone like Ginko. He worked his mouth from one side to the other as he tried to decide what to make of him.
"Well, it wasn't me--" His face changed. Something occured to him and suddenly he grew a little excited. "Are you with one of them television shows?"
"Well, it wasn't me--" His face changed. Something occured to him and suddenly he grew a little excited. "Are you with one of them television shows?"
Ginko raised an eyebrow. "...No, I'm not." Did this guy see a camera crew here? "I'm a spirit medium."
So much for subtlety.
He sighed and glanced around thoughtfuly. "Is there anyone else who might have placed a call like that?"
So much for subtlety.
He sighed and glanced around thoughtfuly. "Is there anyone else who might have placed a call like that?"
Ernie's good mood instantly deflated. "Oh." He glanced out over the crowd. As much as he loved his bar he knew ever bar had its weirdos. "Beats me. But if you're going to go asking around, buy a drink first at least."
He was just about to decline; he was technically working right now, after all, but the last thing he needed was to risk getting kicked out right away.
"...Fine. And I hate to be 'that guy', but what do you have that's not too expensive?" He dug around in his pocket and pulled his wallet out, frowning down at the few bills inside.
This better not have been a prank call.
"...Fine. And I hate to be 'that guy', but what do you have that's not too expensive?" He dug around in his pocket and pulled his wallet out, frowning down at the few bills inside.
This better not have been a prank call.
Ernie gave the white-haired man an unamused blink and poured him a glass of Black Angus before turning back to his conversation.
By now, Ginko had gained a little attention. People had started nudging each other away from their card games and free peanuts to point out the man with the eye patch. The Pitt Bull wasn't really a place for someone like Ginko. He was Different.
But besides the chilly gaze of the backwoods bar patrons, another chill came over the man. His glass began to fog up.
By now, Ginko had gained a little attention. People had started nudging each other away from their card games and free peanuts to point out the man with the eye patch. The Pitt Bull wasn't really a place for someone like Ginko. He was Different.
But besides the chilly gaze of the backwoods bar patrons, another chill came over the man. His glass began to fog up.
Fortunately, Ginko was more or less used to odd looks like that. He mostly ignored them as he sipped at his drink and glanced around the bar. Chances were, someone here had placed the call... maybe the first step was to see if anyone here wasn't looking at him like he was encroaching on some unspoken boundary.
Then something else happened. He shivered slightly, his attention drawn away from the other patrons for a moment as he glanced down at the glass in his hand and then around him, searching for the source. Maybe this wasn't a prank after all.
Then something else happened. He shivered slightly, his attention drawn away from the other patrons for a moment as he glanced down at the glass in his hand and then around him, searching for the source. Maybe this wasn't a prank after all.
One thing about the entity in the Pitt Bull? It had been here a while. It had a good handle on its domain and it knew how to get attention when it actually wanted it. A thin film of frost formed on the surface of Ginko's drink and over on the far wall, above a booth, one of the taxidermy animals fell just a little crooked.
Ginko caught that slight movement, his one eye narrowing slightly. Under normal circumstances, that could easily be written off as nothing worth worrying about, but...
Without a word, Ginko stood up, leaving his glass on the counter to head over to that booth.
Without a word, Ginko stood up, leaving his glass on the counter to head over to that booth.
The booth was ordinary enough. The table was scarred from years of people playing Cheat the Devil and carving so and so loves so and so among other various stains. Ginko was not alone in the booth for long.
A blue-ish figure blurred into existence right beside him. He was a large man in a stained mechanic's uniform and the dark stain that trailed down along side his nose from his hairline was a pretty clear indication of how he'd died.
When he spoke, his voice was feint and echoed, as if he were addressing Ginko from the end of a long hallway.
"Oh, thank God you're here! This place is haunted as shit!"
A blue-ish figure blurred into existence right beside him. He was a large man in a stained mechanic's uniform and the dark stain that trailed down along side his nose from his hairline was a pretty clear indication of how he'd died.
When he spoke, his voice was feint and echoed, as if he were addressing Ginko from the end of a long hallway.
"Oh, thank God you're here! This place is haunted as shit!"
He barely kept himself from flinching when he noticed the ghost beside him, but even so, his eye widened a little. That was... sudden.
And then he spoke.
After a few seconds of staring, Ginko raised an eyebrow. "...Yeah, I'd say so," he replied drily, keeping his voice down. "I take it you placed the call?"
That was a new one.
And then he spoke.
After a few seconds of staring, Ginko raised an eyebrow. "...Yeah, I'd say so," he replied drily, keeping his voice down. "I take it you placed the call?"
That was a new one.
"Sure did, thanks for commin' on such short notice! Uh..." He looked around to the customers, his customers. They were still watching him. "You might wanna pretend to talk on the phone. It's kind of a long story."
He rubbed the bridge of his nose anxiously and the blood there didn't smear at all.
"But t' start off, I'm not the one causing the trouble. I love this place and these people. I've been takin' care of them for years...but some weird things have started happening. People are getting hurt."
He rubbed the bridge of his nose anxiously and the blood there didn't smear at all.
"But t' start off, I'm not the one causing the trouble. I love this place and these people. I've been takin' care of them for years...but some weird things have started happening. People are getting hurt."
Ginko gave a barely-perceptible nod and reached into his pocket for his phone. He put it to his ear and listened quietly as Maurice explained.
"What kinds of weird things? And how long has it been happening?"
"What kinds of weird things? And how long has it been happening?"
Maurice's brows peaked in dismay.
"About a month now. At first I...I thought it mighta been me." He dragged his fingers through his hair and looked at the condensation that was forming on his end of the table from his presence. "I do things without realizing it. Get a little over-excited sometimes but th' first thing that happened was that beaver over there?"
He pointed to a particularly ugly mounted beaver with a corncob pipe in its mouth.
"It flew a good two feet to the left and hit this one girl. She had to go to the hospital."
"About a month now. At first I...I thought it mighta been me." He dragged his fingers through his hair and looked at the condensation that was forming on his end of the table from his presence. "I do things without realizing it. Get a little over-excited sometimes but th' first thing that happened was that beaver over there?"
He pointed to a particularly ugly mounted beaver with a corncob pipe in its mouth.
"It flew a good two feet to the left and hit this one girl. She had to go to the hospital."
The medium looked where Maurice pointed, then back at him, humming thoughtfully.
"Yeah, that sounds like a problem alright... you know if there have been any deaths around here recently? Or if this is just a matter of a spirit not becoming active until now..."
He reached into his pocket again with his free hand and produced a small notebook and pencil. He flipped the book to a blank page and started scribbling down notes.
"Yeah, that sounds like a problem alright... you know if there have been any deaths around here recently? Or if this is just a matter of a spirit not becoming active until now..."
He reached into his pocket again with his free hand and produced a small notebook and pencil. He flipped the book to a blank page and started scribbling down notes.
"I'm the only one I can think of within th' past three years. I died right out back but...y'know it could be somethin' in here gettin' tired of me."
He sank a little lower, passing through the booth seat as he thought about that.
"I don't cause trouble."
He sank a little lower, passing through the booth seat as he thought about that.
"I don't cause trouble."
Ginko looked at him for a moment, pausing in his writing.
"...I'm sure you don't. Whatever this is, it's most likely not your fault." He shrugs slightly. "Malevolent spirits can become active for all sorts of reasons... disturbed graves, maybe someone coming around who they blame for their deaths. Sometimes it just turns out that some kids were screwing around with things they shouldn't. But it's not usually brought on by other ghosts - especially if you've been here for three years without incident."
"...I'm sure you don't. Whatever this is, it's most likely not your fault." He shrugs slightly. "Malevolent spirits can become active for all sorts of reasons... disturbed graves, maybe someone coming around who they blame for their deaths. Sometimes it just turns out that some kids were screwing around with things they shouldn't. But it's not usually brought on by other ghosts - especially if you've been here for three years without incident."
The ghost grew thoughtful. He liked to think he guarded the place pretty well at night, but he was prone to dozing and losing weeks at a time.
"Maybe it was some kids is...is there any way to tell?"
He lifted back up out of the seat and did a pretty good imitation of sitting on it. Maurice wrang his hands together. Now that he had someone who could help HERE the rush was starting to wear off and it was starting to sink in that he was talking to someone.
Directly.
For the first time since he died.
"OH! Uh-- uh!" He held out a hand suddenly. "Shit, I didn't even ask your name, Mr. Ghostbuster, I'm sorry! I'm Maurice, 1984 to 2008."
"Maybe it was some kids is...is there any way to tell?"
He lifted back up out of the seat and did a pretty good imitation of sitting on it. Maurice wrang his hands together. Now that he had someone who could help HERE the rush was starting to wear off and it was starting to sink in that he was talking to someone.
Directly.
For the first time since he died.
"OH! Uh-- uh!" He held out a hand suddenly. "Shit, I didn't even ask your name, Mr. Ghostbuster, I'm sorry! I'm Maurice, 1984 to 2008."
"Sort of. I can look around the area for evidence of disturbances in the ground... or candles and salt circles, depending. Beyond that, I can only ask around."
And hope that he doesn't get driven out of town for being a Strange Outsider who's Stirring Up Trouble.
He glanced pointedly from Maurice's hand to the people around them, but gave a small, polite nod. "It's alright. Name's Ginko... 1983 to... well, now, at least."
And hope that he doesn't get driven out of town for being a Strange Outsider who's Stirring Up Trouble.
He glanced pointedly from Maurice's hand to the people around them, but gave a small, polite nod. "It's alright. Name's Ginko... 1983 to... well, now, at least."
Maurice followed his gaze and sank a little again, his form melting as he did so like a painting splashed with water. Right! Right! He couldn't make Ginko look bad. Oh God he was screwing this up at this rate he might LEAVE. Despite his sudden grim appearance, he was smiling.
"Aaaaaaaah ahah. Ha. Nice t'meetcha. I hope you make it at least a few more decades. Sorry, I haven't exactly had a lot of people to talk...to. You must see spirits all the time! I've never met a real Ghostbuster before!"
"Aaaaaaaah ahah. Ha. Nice t'meetcha. I hope you make it at least a few more decades. Sorry, I haven't exactly had a lot of people to talk...to. You must see spirits all the time! I've never met a real Ghostbuster before!"
Ginko gave a quiet snort. "It's alright; most ghosts do tend to be a little out of practice conversationally. And technically I'm a medium, not a 'Ghostbuster'. Speaking of which," he added, "How did you get that phone number?"
"Oh!" Maurice's image fixed itself again. "Haha, funny story. So. Someone left their fancy phone here over night and it had just enough battery for me to use google. I've only been dead a few years and technology has gotten nuts."
He looked pretty proud of himself.
"It took a while to find a number that could actually hear me."
He looked pretty proud of himself.
"It took a while to find a number that could actually hear me."
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