[Click]

John: Dakota Cryptid, Anomaly, and Paranormal Society audio log starting now.

[Inhale]

Mina, our colleague, has brought a possessed doll into our living space. I am hesitant to have something so volatile inhabiting somewhere I often sleep but this is also an opportunity to learn first hand about the supernatural. Plus Mina and the figure -who she has affectionately nicknamed “Jane Doll” as in Jane Doe- are very close. The spirit seems largely harmless though once upon accidently dropping the doll while I was inspecting it I subsequently had a mug hurled at me by an unseen force. Even if it missed and seemed more like a warning I believe this is noteworthy.

On a similar subject Lucy has reported that every new case of someone exploring the doll’s old site has not seen any paranormal activity. We can conclude that the doll was the source and has been removed. Due to this we have received the other half of our payment.

[Small laugh]

I admit it feels good to know we did our first job successfully.

Yet there are still so many unanswered questions. How did this Jane die? Why possess the doll? Can she leave the school? Maybe there’s only a certain distance her spirit can wander before it’s stopped and pulled back towards the doll. I’ll have Mina help me with that experiment. Later. For now I’ll-

[Sudden sounds of Lucy opening and crawling through the back window of the truck]

John!

John: Christ! Yes Lucy?

Lucy: Look outside! Those birch trees! Don’t they look like eyes?!

[John sighs and gets up to look out the window]

I suppose they do but many birch trees look like that. I assume they appear when they’re about to grow a new branch. Either way I will do some research on it I suppose.

Lucy: You mean five google searches?

John: Shut up. Lucy, have you had any interesting experiences with Mina’s doll and the spirit inhabiting it?

Lucy: I dunno, but Mina sure does like the thing. I’m trying to sleep and she’ll stay up for hours talking to it, while I only get to hear her side of the conversation. It’s creepy and annoying.

John: I understand but that doesn’t help me further my studies.

Lucy: Oh! Why not talk to it yourself?

John; What? How?

Lucy: A spirit box! You know. Those radio things!

John: I don’t know. I’ve always been skeptical of it.

Lucy: Couldn’t hurt to try. Plus we could have Mina there to make sure it’s right.

John: Fine. I’ll consider it.

[Laptop shuts, ending the recording.]

[Click]

John: Mina, are you ready?

Mina: Yeah.

[Spirit box is turned on, automatically cycling through frequencies]

John: Hello, Jane was it?

Mina, to Jane: Go on, mess with it a bit.

[Garbled static of random syllables through the spirit box]

Jane: Hel-lo, can- you- h-ear- me?

John: Loud and clear. Did it line up?

Mina: Yep.

John: Good. Would you mind leaving us for a moment?

[Silence]

Mina: Hey hey, it’s okay Jane. I’ll just be in the camper.

[Footsteps and a door opening]

Jane: Why- do you- want to- talk-

John: To learn more about you.

Jane: Me?

John: That’s right.

Jane: Why?

John: Because I’ve never spoken to a spirit before. You have info no one else does.

Jane: In-fo, about- what?

John: Anything. Like what do you think of Mina now?”

Jane: She-‘s… taller.

John: How do you feel? Physically and emotionally.

Jane: Cold. In- both- ways. But- I- al-ways- felt like this.

John: You don’t remember what it was like when you were alive?

Jane: Never was.

John: How do you know for sure?

Jane: I- don’t. But- I- feel it.

John: Then I have mis-classified you. You’re not a spirit. Or at least not the soul of a dead person. You are the doll, yes? That would fit Mina’s doll-like description of you and her cold impression of you.

Jane: She- thinks- I am- cold- to- her?

John: No. Just your tone.

Jane: May- I ask- something?

John: What is it?

Jane: Why- this? This- job?

John: The CAPS?

Jane: Yes. Why- stick- your- nose- in- pla-ces- it- doesn’t- belong?

John: Because I want to learn about the hidden world. There’s so much behind it and people just disregard it as myth.

Jane: But- you- can’t- even- see- me.

John: I don’t need to see you to learn about you.

Jane: In-deed.

[Spirit box suddenly turns off, stopping the noise]