"I'll bet you five bucks this ends up a dud. Which is fine with me because I get paid something either way."
The van pulled up to the quiet factory as the sky was fading from purple to deep blue. There was another car parked by the employee entrance and a man was waiting there. A man climbed out and greeted the both of them and he talked in a hushed tone.
Strange Things (tm) had been happening in the factory. People reported seeing figures in areas where no one was on duty, strange noises and things going missing like clockwork. So far no one had been harmed, but when you were a simple cannery in the middle of a field things could get a little spooky. The two of them shook hands and the man led them inside where he turned on a few of the lights and told him that he'd be outside if they needed anything.
JW hefted his backpack and gave him a nod before motioning for Ginko to follow him in. Ginko did get a little stare, though he was just odd enough to look like he belonged on such a strange late night outing.
The factory was gloomy even with the few lights that hung in the dusty rafters above. Silent machines dozed and cast long, jagged shadows across the concrete floor.
"What makes you think I've got five bucks on me to bet with?"
He followed close behind JW, ignoring any odd looks he got as they headed inside. Once they were inside, though, he slowed down a little, casting glances at the machines around them. "...That's new..."
JW was distracted tonight. Power-saving overhead lights or no, he shone his flashlight into small spaces. It helped his eye. He was content to let Ginko wander because so far he hadn't bothered any electrical outlets.
Ginko didn't even try to wander off, actually. Really, he didn't much like the looming shapes of the machinery. Instead, he stuck close by JW - enough so that his shoulder brushed against the taller man's occasionally.
"Not really... mostly just had fairly standard jobs lately."
"No, I mean--" He caught sight of the looming shadows too. An assembly line snaked its way through the better half of the place and tall hoppers towered overhead. that was right...Ginko probably didn't spend a lot of time around machines if there were even any back home. "Oh, that. This place cans peaches and pears I think..."
He strode ahead several paces and then he stopped, tilted his head back, and shut his eyes. He was listening and feeling. So far he didn't feel the pressure that ghosts put on him. No nausea, no nosebleed, but this was a pretty big place...
"Huh. I've seen some pretty big farms back home, but I'm guessing the ones here would be even bigger..."
He watched as JW walked around. This was the first time he'd actually seen him working, and he had to admit he was pretty curious. "Yeah? Are you thinking it might be a faerie or something?"
"Good God I hope not." JW's concentration broke so that he could turn and give Ginko a worried look--not an expression he threw around a whole lot. "If it's faeries, psh, they can either pay me double or deal with it themselves."
Ginko fell silent for a moment when he caught sight of that look. He stepped closer to take hold of JW's hand and give it what he hoped was a reassuring squeeze. "...Right. What do you think it might be, then?"
It was reassuring. JW primarily worked alone when Deuteronomy wasn't at his heels. This was different. He squeezed his partner's hand back before pulling away and really putting his nose down.
"Well, if it's not a ghost and not a faerie, there's a good chance it might be some kind of supernatural varmint that doesn't set off my radar. Could be a gittergrabber or a hidebehind...though what one of those would be doing in a cannery is beyond me."
JW paused here and there, lifting up flaps of cardboard boxes, peering behind dusty machines, and crouching down to shine a flashlight into vent grates.
"Or..." His beam fell over a few muddy marks deep within the vent. A knowing grin crawled over his face. "Or a very wily and dangerous creature-- homo sapiens."
Ginko made a mental note to ask about those creatures later. For now, though, he kept an eye out for anything notable - even if he may not have the knowledge about this that JW did, maybe he could at least point out if anything seemed off.
He turned to face JW again, raising an eyebrow before going to check what he was looking at. "...Ah."
"Looks like we got ourselves a bonafied human...I'll do a good sweep of the place just to be sure though." He glanced back toward the doors they came through. "A nice long one. Gotta get my hourly in. Lotta things like to look like humans too and I don't wanna leave these guys up shit creek."
"Makes sense." He stood back and tucked his hands into his pockets, looking around. "Any other evidence to look for? Other than the culprit themself, anyway."
"Weird smells...weird sounds...weird..." He wobbled a hand in the air. "Vibes."
Suddenly JW's cell phone went off and it made him jump a good foot in the air. He snatched it from his pocket and barked a greeting into it. "Oh--! No, sir, we haven't found anything yet."
Ginko jolted a little at the phone, as well, but relaxed again as JW answered. He watched in silence as his partner talked, then reached over to take hold of his hand again. He had kind of liked that earlier, okay.
JW wrapped his fingers around Ginko's again, only now he was considerably more distracted. He kept the phone to his ear and continued scanning the area with his eyes.
"No sir. No sir. Yessir. Up by the offices? No, I don't use the Facebook."
Ginko stood in silence as JW talked - then, rather suddenly, turned his head to stare off somewhere in the factory, brow furrowing. He could swear he heard something.
He shifted a little closer to JW, nudging him with one shoulder. "JW."
The taller man glanced over at Ginko, and lifted both their hands giving them a little shake, gesturing toward the phone. This guy was talking his ear off.
He glanced toward the source of the sound again, frowning more intently. He unlaced his fingers from JW's and placed his hand on the taller man's shoulder instead, curling his fingers in the fabric of his shirt. If they died he was definitely blaming JW.
JW turned to face Ginko more fully and mouth the word, "What?" while the guy with all the money goes on and on about some blurry thing he saw on youtube.
"Something's over there." He made sure to keep his voice low, more of a whisper than anything, and nodded in the direction he heard the sound come from.
He craned his neck to see, but of course he couldn't make out much in the dim factory with his bad sight.
"Alright, listen, my buddy's picked up on something and I've gotta go." Before his client could get another word in, JW snapped the phone shut and completely doubled over, hands on his knees. "Hoooooo, I think you saved my ear, Clover. Good thinkin'."
"What now is we keep lookin'. Nice and slow." He gave a knowing nod and started moving again. He ducked around the machines, occasionally stopping to explain what one did, showing off the boxes of rolls and rolls and rolls of labels and other mass-produced wonders.
The phone rang again.
JW let out a loud groan and rolled his head on his shoulders to give Ginko a pathetic look. "Kill me now."
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theattic2015-08-13 03:59 pm
The Turns have Tabled
The van pulled up to the quiet factory as the sky was fading from purple to deep blue. There was another car parked by the employee entrance and a man was waiting there. A man climbed out and greeted the both of them and he talked in a hushed tone.
Strange Things (tm) had been happening in the factory. People reported seeing figures in areas where no one was on duty, strange noises and things going missing like clockwork. So far no one had been harmed, but when you were a simple cannery in the middle of a field things could get a little spooky. The two of them shook hands and the man led them inside where he turned on a few of the lights and told him that he'd be outside if they needed anything.
JW hefted his backpack and gave him a nod before motioning for Ginko to follow him in. Ginko did get a little stare, though he was just odd enough to look like he belonged on such a strange late night outing.
The factory was gloomy even with the few lights that hung in the dusty rafters above. Silent machines dozed and cast long, jagged shadows across the concrete floor.
"Alright, let's see..."
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He followed close behind JW, ignoring any odd looks he got as they headed inside. Once they were inside, though, he slowed down a little, casting glances at the machines around them. "...That's new..."
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JW was distracted tonight. Power-saving overhead lights or no, he shone his flashlight into small spaces. It helped his eye. He was content to let Ginko wander because so far he hadn't bothered any electrical outlets.
"What's new?"
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"Not really... mostly just had fairly standard jobs lately."
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He strode ahead several paces and then he stopped, tilted his head back, and shut his eyes. He was listening and feeling. So far he didn't feel the pressure that ghosts put on him. No nausea, no nosebleed, but this was a pretty big place...
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He slowed to a stop when JW did, blinking and glancing toward him. He was tempted to ask what was going on, but it seemed like he was busy.
He just edged a little closer instead, glancing again at the machines.
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JW took a few steps in one direction, grew still, and tipped his head back. Then he walked in another direction. Still no tug. Still no pain.
"I'm starting to think we've either got us a dud...or something that's not a ghost."
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He watched as JW walked around. This was the first time he'd actually seen him working, and he had to admit he was pretty curious. "Yeah? Are you thinking it might be a faerie or something?"
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"Well, if it's not a ghost and not a faerie, there's a good chance it might be some kind of supernatural varmint that doesn't set off my radar. Could be a gittergrabber or a hidebehind...though what one of those would be doing in a cannery is beyond me."
JW paused here and there, lifting up flaps of cardboard boxes, peering behind dusty machines, and crouching down to shine a flashlight into vent grates.
"Or..." His beam fell over a few muddy marks deep within the vent. A knowing grin crawled over his face. "Or a very wily and dangerous creature-- homo sapiens."
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He turned to face JW again, raising an eyebrow before going to check what he was looking at. "...Ah."
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"Looks like we got ourselves a bonafied human...I'll do a good sweep of the place just to be sure though." He glanced back toward the doors they came through. "A nice long one. Gotta get my hourly in. Lotta things like to look like humans too and I don't wanna leave these guys up shit creek."
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Suddenly JW's cell phone went off and it made him jump a good foot in the air. He snatched it from his pocket and barked a greeting into it. "Oh--! No, sir, we haven't found anything yet."
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Ginko jolted a little at the phone, as well, but relaxed again as JW answered. He watched in silence as his partner talked, then reached over to take hold of his hand again. He had kind of liked that earlier, okay.
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"No sir. No sir. Yessir. Up by the offices? No, I don't use the Facebook."
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He shifted a little closer to JW, nudging him with one shoulder. "JW."
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"No sir. No sir, don't you worry."
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He glanced toward the source of the sound again, frowning more intently. He unlaced his fingers from JW's and placed his hand on the taller man's shoulder instead, curling his fingers in the fabric of his shirt. If they died he was definitely blaming JW.
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"Alright, listen, my buddy's picked up on something and I've gotta go." Before his client could get another word in, JW snapped the phone shut and completely doubled over, hands on his knees. "Hoooooo, I think you saved my ear, Clover. Good thinkin'."
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The phone rang again.
JW let out a loud groan and rolled his head on his shoulders to give Ginko a pathetic look. "Kill me now."
(no subject)