Chronicle 41

“Stand over there.” Ray directed. Tommy moved and checked his face in the camera. “Lighting’s good. Mic check.”

“Check check!” Ray recoiled from the noise in his headphones.

“I think there’s a loose thread from your shirt hitting it. Super static-y.”

“I haven’t clipped it on yet.”

“That’s weird.” Ray finished setting up the tripod and walked over to check the microphone. With one headphone still on, holding the microphone in his own hand, he heard static again. But neither of them made a noise. His eyebrows arched and he looked around the room thoughtfully.

“What’s wrong?” Tommy asked, clinging to the limits of the bright lights they brought in the corner of the room as if the darkness beyond was toxic.

“We gotta start rolling.”

“What did you hear?”

“Intro.”

Tommy clipped the microphone to his shirt, composed himself and looked directly into the camera, giving a confident, serious expression. “Haunt or Not? Abandoned decades ago after a brutal massacre, this sprawling compound is said to be one of Big City’s most infamous hotspots for paranormal activity. Today we’re going to…” He looked behind the camera, where Ray usually was bent over, looking at the display. Instead, Ray was swaying, smiling cheek-to-cheek.

“You good, buddy?” Tommy’s skin was crawling from the energy of the place. His director behaving strangely sent him over the edge. He came out from the light and took Ray by the shoulders and shook. “Snap out of it!”

Ray’s extreme smile faded and the lights flickered. “Why aren’t you on camera?” he asked, sounding completely out of it.

“Dude, did you black out on me?”

“No… what?”

“You were like.. dancing kind of…”

“The camera’s still going, Tommy. Finish up your intro.”

Tommy reluctantly went back to his position and began the introduction over again. Just as the words were leaving his mouth, he watched Ray’s head raise from behind the camera. Tommy continued speaking, eyes on his director. The sway he did before became more of a thrust. And his smile was even wider, which seemed impossible to Tommy.

“RAY!” Tommy shouted, hoping to snap Ray out of it.

The smile instantly was wiped from Ray’s face. The lights went out completely, as did the cameras. Then there was a low hum of an infectious melody.

In the darkness of the room, a pink glow rose from the floor. Tommy ran out, knocking down all the equipment and leaving Ray trembling in the room. With moonlight above, Tommy began to relax before realizing his friend was not with him.

Tommy called upon Luther, one of the experts they relied on during their ghost hunts, an exorcist of the highest order of priests. As morning rolled in, so did the white chariot of the lord’s will.

“Let’s blast this ghoul.” Luther said before even getting out of the car.

“Do whatever you can. It has Ray.” Tommy pleaded.

“I’m about to mop.”
Eyebrow raised, not fully understanding the insanely confident statement from the expert, Tommy led him into the home. Luther’s energy changed immediately. As a man more sensitive to the energy of the beyond, he was clearly affected.

“This fool has rhythm.” Luther announced, surprise in his voice, swaying side to side. Tommy was confused, looking the exorcist up and down as he boogied into the room. “Release your fear, young Tommy.”

Tommy didn’t release his fear. The two made their way deeper into the large home to approach the equipment that now lay on the ground. As Luther danced with his eyes closed, Tommy checked if anything was broken. Then he heard it. The music seeped into his body and he began to groove as well. Both men facing the corner turned around together.

“RAY!” Tommy shouted. He ran forward, stopping short at the notice of a pink glow coming from his friend. “Do it, Luther.”

“Ah man. I like this guy.”

Luther raised a bible, splashed holy water and recited some verses, dancing all the while.

Ray was pushed backward from the force of the extraction. Tommy went to help him and the three of them looked to the ghost that floated between them, a chubby face of delight dancing in tandem with Luther, who was mid-banishment.

“And begone, vile spirit.” Luther said, deflated and sad.

Big Spooky danced his way down through the ground quickly, entering the realm below. He was greeted by the keeper of the realm. Beemon looked Big Spooky in the eyes, saw him dancing carelessly and did her own banishing. She sent him straight back up, a solid ‘nope’ from the Realm Lord.

Tommy, Ray and Luther gathered their equipment and turned the lights back on, only to have them flicker once again. Within moments, Big Spooky emerged from the ground again and Luther burst into dance, celebrating his return. Tommy and Ray fled, leaving their exorcist to fend for himself against the ghost of boogie past.