i think your house is haunted

“Yeah? And what’d my Charizard say?” He remembers when conversations like this  were once his way of trying to get into her pants. And maybe he still hasn’t stopped trying to do that, but it’s a lot less complicated now. Or he wants it to not be complicated anymore. And she’s into this kind of stuff, because she’s weird and off-beat and he likes that about her, so much that he doesn’t mind if this isn’t necessarily flirting anymore. He genuinely does enjoy her company and with it, all the strange little pet names she calls him.

“I’m a good two inches taller than you,” he reminds her. “and they don’t have me spooked. I didn’t even get one. I’m still mad about that.” He reaches for the cup, complimentary of course - or it better be at least. “Whose authority? The little goblins in your backyard that bring you intel?”

x

   “It said that you’re in need of a haircut and should try wearing more leather jackets - also your aura has a horrible color, on account of your being shut off from the great beyond. Have you watched Inferno yet? You’ll end up like Mark if you aren’t careful.” If it feels like a threat, it isn’t - Hannah delivers the line with her trademark cheeriness, earnest in her advice; though she isn’t quite sure if she’d like Jordan as much if he agreed with everything she said. It’d take the delight out of bribing him into half hearted confessions she was the supreme. 

Jax blinked. “You… you wanted more than ten?” she asked, completely perplexed, she had been so happy when she had thrown the phone away. Even one had been too many. She paused and waited for a moment, then shook her head. “Do you want to figure out who it is?” she asked then, figuring if that was the angle, it made sense. “I guess so… though I don’t know what’s so special about circles. I like the infinity symbol.”

“To eat, pray, and love. Who do you pray too?” she asked, following Hannah’s gaze towards the water when she had a moment too. She bit her lip when Hannah said it. That the lake wanted to save her… it felt right. “I think you might be right,” she offered. Someone had wanted her dead, and the lake had saved her. Taken everything, but saved her nonetheless. Who knew… maybe the lake had saved her from herself as well. “I didn’t know there was a lake monster. KJ once told me about lakemen, but I don’t believe him.”

  “If the calls are messages from the great beyond, I don’t want to be on the lower end of the stick, right? I usually pride myself on being a supernatural preference.” Hannah was not so far removed from reality, to think that her logic was perfectly sound - but was simply at peace, with the fact most wouldn’t believe it was. “That’s the best part of Pleasance, to me; finding things that aren’t right, and figuring out why.” She’d offer for Jax to join her mystery squad (a solo venture, presently) but Jax was bound to a mystery more pressing; her own. “Circles give us power, I think; or at least, they’re my foundation. What’d you say your favorite color is?” 

“I…have received one of those calls.” He answers slowly, a bit confused about why someone would want to experience what he did. It was just so disturbing to him, he can’t imagine wanting to relive it. Knowing what he does now, he’s not sure he even would have picked up the phone. “I think my phone is still ringin’, I just had to get out of the place to get away from it. It hasn’t stopped for hours. I don’t know what it wants from me.”

Then, the second question registers and he briefly makes eye contact with Hannah. “Hmm? Oh yeah, I’ll be fine once this whole thing gets sorted out. I just didn’ sleep because of the noise.” It’s not entirely the truth, but it’s what he can manage for the time being.

x 

Bishan smiled, mysteriously and in amusement. “Ah, and why is it they don’t let you near the police department?” He asked, eyes glinting with the knowledge she shared. He leaned forward a little more, watching her with interest. “Hmm, you think it’s connected to Halloween?” He asked. He shrugged, but the smile remained, the fact that someone had managed to do that, was interesting, the fact that anyone would ask if he knew something about it, even more. He wished he had, he could’ve ensured it had more meaning than it did. “Hmm, I do not, but I don’t know whether I would be doing any better at it,” he said. “And you? Have you been doing some research on the matter? Came to any conclusions?”

“I’ve been deemed a menace to the process, a menace to the officers - a menace to the town as well, but that’s according to our ass-wipe of a Mayor. Did you see his new car? Almost as slick as he tries to be.” Anyone who indulged her theories or mayor-feud, was a friend to be; indulge both, and she’d give you a free week’s stay at the inn. “Of course! It’s the great beyonds favorite holiday; they’re just saying hi, you know? I’m sure you’ve had your own All Hallow’s Eve, ghostly dalliances.” Hannah grinned widely, appeased and delighted, by his answers - Bishan’s belief or lack of, didn’t really matter; he sold cheer, either way. “I could see you wearing a detective’s hat - better yet, Poirot’s little moustache and suits.” Her campaign for him to grow a neatly trimmed moustache, started now. “Me? Investigating? If you’ve got enough gumption and can stomach my driving skills, I’ll let you join my detective squad - it’s me and the cats, so far. But I’ve consulted the tea leaves, read the cards, and went out the lake; all signs point to a woman in her late 40′s, who died without resolution. Maybe she’s an Alby? From centuries ago.” 

x

Sonny cocked his head to one side, a mound of brown hair unravelling and falling loosely to his shoulders. He managed a small, somewhat tired smile in Hannah’s direction. “Nah, but I just gave Carmilla back to the library. And only sorta late this time,” he replied. “We don’t got the Netflix in my house anyway. We’re strictly VHS folks. I found this weird-ass old board game with a tape and everythin’ too. You ought to come by and play.” Stretching his arms over his head, he rolled his muscles down, chasing away the phantom aches that had begun to set in this month. And with that, he began to thumb through a shelf again. He pulled out some New Age occult tome or another, the sort of thing he would not have dared touch in years past. But he had, by now, become more open to the intricacies of the paranormal. “I was thinkin’ of just stayin’ home maybe,” he admitted. “Certainly ain’t goin’ to any parties on that damn lake this year.” Still, Hannah did manage to tug an actual smile from him. “But if I was goin’ anywhere, I’d be The Red Queen Kills Seven Times meets Debbie from Addams Family meets the puppet from Profondo Rosso.” He evidently came up with all this on the spot, giving a darker nod. “But that’s what I’m worryin’ about. Those damn calls. Think maybe folks should stay in their graves. Did you get any at the B&B?” 

x

  “Oh I love Carmilla - a top tier coming of age story, in my opinion. It’s a great anagram, too; I’d name my daughter Carmilla, if I wasn’t sworn to palindromes.” She’d bet the seven or so pennies rolling around the bottom of her bag, that Sonny had ever episode of the Shelley Duvall show on VHS. “You’ve still got a VHS? Now I have to come over...my only copy of Ghost is on tape and I’ve been missing 90′s Whoopi Goldberg. VHS tape game? Are we talking Jumanji levels of mischief, or something that’ll bring us to another age.” Hannah aspired for the latter, but would settle for the former. She reaches for a book labeled Witches Love Spells; flipping through the pages, with mild disappointment on her face - anyone who was anyone, knew love spells were a farce. Curses however, required no instruction. “C’mon, you can’t stay home on Halloween! That’s like celebrating Christmas in a basement, with no tree. I’ve never celebrated mind you, but I hear trees make it worthwhile.” Pleasance was nothing, if not a town built on foundations surely crafted, on All Hallow’s Eve. “Are you telling me you already have that puppet mask on hand? If so I’ll need it - I promised I’d leave the Mayor alone, but Halloween is fair game.” Sonny did already look Red Queen Kills’ leather clad, mustachio’d Italian knife wielder; but with kinder eyes, and an aura that read green. “I got six, before the mail guy told me to turn off my phones - it’s a sign though, isn’t it? Everyone’s going to blame pranksters, institutions, the cops - but I know better. You know better. I think someone wanted to send a message, right before Halloween - to warn us.”

Title: Our Mutual Friend For: Hannah Yelley | @hannahyelley​ Location: Rise’N’Shine Diner —- ”Hannah,” Q said tiredly, as he walked into the family diner and dropped his hat on the stool next to him and sat down heavily. “As much as the little shit demands that you take him to task - an’ your mighty good at it, I’ve gotten complaints sayin’ you’re harassin’ him.” He ran a hand through his hair and gave her a planitative look that would always work on his teachers when he couldn’t figure out the words in the reading primer or just didn’t have the attention span for learning. It was a look that would put sad-eyed hound dogs to shame. “I don’t wanna give you more citations. They’re a waste of your time, a waste of my time, and it puts me in his office more often than I want…” “He’s startin’ to throw around the You’re an elected official, Quincey Attaway, be a right shame if someone were thinkin’ to run against you next election.” He tch’ed and shook his head. He had been an officer since high school, learned from Tariq’s father on how to be a damn good sheriff, and he prided himself on his position and what good he could do with it. Hell, he was still working with the young Bez to get the funds to build a mosque to make a more inclusive town since Bez had to travel out of town for religious expression. “Can I ask that you tone it back just a little with him? He knows I like you better than him, and he’s been shriekin’ like a damn ruffled rooster for a week.” He set down the newest pile of citations the law said he had to give her. He tapped the pile. “Got some trouble here… all courtesy of our mutual friend. An’ I’m tryin’ hard to get rid of ‘em but – he’s bein’ a shit.”

x

 “Complaints? I’d like to see some paperwork for that, Sheriff - I was voted most delightful corn queen back five years ago, you know. Though I’m pretty sure our mayor tried to overturn the vote.” Hannah has perhaps, been leaving spoiled eggs near his car, placing one or two suggestive letters outside his office - but what’s illegal, when a man like that is involved? “Or maybe, they’re just an excuse for us to hang out? Since normally you’re so busy keeping all of Pleasance’s ghosts and humans, in line - more face to face time with our Mayor is a horror, though. Have you noticed those little horns sprouting out of his greasy, greasy hair?” 

 Hannah pulls a pack of cigarettes from her sweater pocket, if only to hold them for posterities sake. “Wait, you’re elected? I always forget that you didn’t just pop out of the womb holding a lil badge and a cowboy hat - which you should be wearing, by the way, at all times. But c’mon, he threatened you? We could make him regret that...” which Hannah would also stress is not a threat, but a mere promise - though she couldn’t imagine anyone beating out Q, for the vote. A father to most and beloved by all, few could seek to match him. “Are you saying he’s really scared of little Ol’ me? I’m almost flattered - if only he wasn’t a roach. But rest assured, my sights are firmly set on the upcoming holiday; the Yelley’s take Halloween very seriously, you know. Always have - you can stop by for a free reading, if you’d like.” Hannah’s plans for the mayor were never to be put on pause; but she was willing to keep up appearances, to grant him some peace of mind. “Shouldn’t he have you out there investigating the phone calls? Which to be fair, you can’t trace with any sort of technology - they’re coming from the great beyond, after all. But aren’t they a priority? Hancock needs to work on not having the aura of a sewage dump.” 

Jax blinked, but tried to chill a little, not expecting much from herself. She was after all, in the place that made her feel most at odds with herself. “Two,” she admitted. Then paused. “Why is three thirty your favourite time in the day?” 

“I”ve never seen Eat Pray Love,” she said, but she knew it was a movie. “And no… I don’t mind the company, or coffee,” she tried a smile. “The lake to me… it’s… I don’t know what it is. It’s always two things: a comfort and a fear. The place where I lost everything I was and woke up empty, but still I come back here to rest.”

    “I’ve only gotten ten, which makes me feel rather unappreciated - I heard other people, got forty.”  The ringing had been constant, until it wasn’t. Hannah longed for a definitive call to come through, and offer her an answer. “It’s a trinity, of threes; three being, the most Yelley of numbers. Because y’know, circles are special, right?” 

location: next page bookstore

WHERE: Northwood Lake @phqstarters 

Jax pressed her hand against her fist as she walked towards the lake, just a few steps closer today than she had the day before, just a little more, slowly coming over her fear. Or so she hoped, her heart beating in her chest like crazy when she stared at the large body of water. 

She had ditched her phone when the calls started, wishing nothing to do with whatever voice had been at the other side of the line, familiar yet unfamiliar, but painful. She had felt powerless when she heard it, like it was something she could solve. Tell the other they had the wrong number, but she could help, she could help find the right one. Once she heard she wasn’t alone, she had been glad to rid herself of her phone. Now she faced fears that were easily named, that had a body and a presence. 

She yelped when she heard noise behind her, and turned in a jerk movement, sighing when she saw what seemed to be a human, or so she hoped. “Hi, can you tell me the time?” She asked. “I threw my phone out after…”

x

CLOSED STARTER FOR @hannahyelley​ ride n dine, late afternoon.

“Serious question… do you think you could do a reading on me but with Yu-Gi-Oh cards?”

x

“Serious answer? I’m semi-offended that you haven’t asked me before; I read your pokemon cards once, secretly.” She pushes over the cup of coffee she’s poured for him, settling in to sip her own. “Do the phone calls have you spooked? Because you shouldn’t fret, little one - I have it on good authority, the culprit meant no harm.”

“For someone who doesn’t believe, you know a whole lot about it,” he noted, placing both hands on the counter, as he watched her with a smile. The one great thing about owning the place was not having to do the dishes, he liked handing out the drinks. “Very good questions, hmm, how do loops have meaning?” he asked. “Weirdly specific joke, definitely. Sometimes the idea is more tempting than the eventual pay-off,” he noted. “They probably shut down some networks by accident.” 

x 

   “I’m all knowing, Hannah - omnipotent; I’d have this thing solved if they’d let me within ten feet of the police department.” She reaches for her drink, taking another sip while grinning broadly; anyone who will entertain her rambles, has made her day. “Circles, they create meaning; they can ward off evil, or summon it; what if someone’s looping calls to summon enough force for something.....just in time for Halloween?” Hannah’s earnest in her line of questioning, and more earnest, in her belief that someone would desire a big bad figure, to invade Pleasance. “Idea’s more tempting than the eventual pay off - I like that. Makes me wonder if you had a hand in any of this glorious planning.” She’s teasing - even if, she wouldn’t put anything past anyone, in this town. “A real detective would call around, see if anything was affected - are you the sleuthing type, or do you have faith in our beloved detectives?”

WHERE: Dutch’s @phqstarter

“Probably a prank,” Bishan said, when the calls were brought up. “A brilliant prank at that, truly, for someone to have that many phones to completely take down the system.” He scoffed then, while he had respect for it, he was also slightly annoyed that the prank had cost him business too. Calls that should’ve gone out had to be cancelled and he had missed some important meetings. He filled the glass to the brim and handed it across the bar. “Or it could be ghosts, but what ghost carries a phone?”

x 

  “I think plenty of ghosts have phantom phones, but most don’t need phones to communicate through technology; it’s all frequencies, right? Some argue ghost are just energy - not that I’d believe that.” Hannah reaches for the glass placed before her, dragging it closer to stare into its amber contents, before taking a sip. “You really think it’s a prank? It’s someone trying to tell us something - the calls are loops, right? Loops always having meaning.” Yelley, Hannah - she would always indulge her instincts, and romanticise a circle. “Let’s say it is a prank... so what gives? Halloween shenanigans? Or a weirdly specific joke, gone very far.”

Status: open @phqstarters

When: October 5th, in the afternoon

Hunter had always believed in the supernatural, practically everyone in town knew this, but he had very few up close and personal experiences with them. Yesterday, he had received a strange phone call with an upset sounding man on the other hand. Hunter had tried to ask the man questions, but wasn’t able to get through, it was like the man hadn’t even heard him. Eventually, he just decided to hang up, but the event left him shaken.

Nik hadn’t been home when the phone began ringing, it had happened during school hours. So Hunter was left, by himself in the apartment with nothing but his thoughts. He tried to call Nik to tell him what was going on, but every time he tried to call he was only met with the distressed man again. This did nothing to help Hunter’s nerves and racing mind, so he just sat at home until his boyfriend got there.

Now, he was running errands in town, trying to go about his daily business. But, the phone call was still fresh in his mind and he couldn’t help but wonder what that was about. He was too caught up in his own thoughts to even notice that he was blocking someone else’s way. After several moments, he looked up, eyes tired from getting no sleep the previous night and appearance disheveled. 

“Did you hear about those phone call people have been getting?” He asks, completely skipping over any apology for being in the way. “It’s crazy, I don’t know what’s goin’ on. I think they’re still going on too, it’s been hours. I just don’t get it, it can’t be a real person because no one would be doing this for so long.”

x

WHERE: middle of the street WHEN: 8 pm on a Monday WITH OPEN

They ran after Cat with sweat rolling down their face, the tiny black thing racing as if it was being chased. Though that had begun far before Bez had started running after it. They weren’t sued to seeing Cat in such a state, anxiety rolling through them from the moment they had opened the door. 

“Cat!” they yelled, when they jumped forward and managed to catch the tiny thing by its back legs. It turned to scratch them in the face. “Ah! Stop!”  

x

“well, aren’t you full of insight today,” georgiana softly chuckled, looking over the menu, though she already knew what she would get. a cheeseburger with all the toppings with french fries and steamed veggies on the side and an iced coke to wash it all down. “what thing? oh,” she scoffed and waved her hand dismissively. “i decided the wine won’t kill anyone. after all, how else am i supposed to unwind after a long day? i have to allow myself one vice.”  georgiana knew hannah’s rambling was probably meant to make georgiana feel good, empowered, perhaps. maybe even give wisdom. however, her comment about the woods set her on edge. “you know, it’s kind of funny you bring up the woods. i was taking toby for a run the other morning and i saw something….weird out at the lake. like, really weird.” just then, a server approached and asked for the women’s orders. georgiana put hers in with ease before handing them her menu. she waited patiently and, once the third party had left, she turned back to her friend.

“I like to think I’m your favorite part time mystic - or at least semi-tolerated by most of the town.” A self-proclaimed proprietor of the beyond, was hardly a rarity in Pleasance; yet few were as interested as investing in the narrative of mystique as much as the practice, as Hannah. “If I worked at that high school, I’d probably be down to a couple bottles a week - how do you do it? Mind, I was hardly ever in class. I considered myself more of a part-time student, with a full time schedule.” Hannah had no blistering memories of high-school that pained her mind with traumatic horrors; but she hated order, routine, that demanded she exit within eight neat periods. “Something weird?” She sits up a little straighter, barely containing herself from leaning over the table with anticipation; what terrified others, made her glow, delight with the prospect of a shadowy figure. “Was it a woman? Or maybe .... a thing? I’ve been telling everyone for years, that we’ve got our very own Loch Ness monster. But you can tell me anything, whatever you saw - and I’ll believe you.”