The Ghoul-Getters!

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A quiet September chill ran through the trees. A familiar one, even to those recently planted in the town nearby. They were of a different age to their urban surroundings. Once they were saplings in a town built off of big dreams and a love of power. But it’s boom had long past, and now fifty years later, that same town sat as another small stop next to a highway. Rustic, but also still bustling. The sunset ahead shined on the brick buildings and colourful trees. While at the time of 6:00 there was still strangers doing after-work shopping, it would come to an end.

Because nobody stayed out late in Metus. Not after all the horrors that have been rumoured in the community.

Meanwhile, there was activity a little outside of town, in the woods where eerie tales grew. It’s a busted-up van making its way through abandoned woods. Inside, was a container filled to the brim with gizmos and gadgets. It wasn’t the best of circumstances, but for those inside the van, it would do. Barely a week had passed since this “video project” of theirs started up. What started as a flyer across Metus had grown from casual meetings to their first investigation.

The van parked with a hum before being turned off. This was it. They would wait until nightfall to fully get into gear, but their destination was in on their left. Past the overgrown foliage left behind was the mansion. The only thing blocking it was a large metal fence covered in vines. Behind it was the stuff of legend: The Maid’s Madhouse.

Sheila Bytes sat in the back of the van, the hoodie of her jacket pulled up to obscure most of her head and a pair of sunglasses over her eyes as the light from the sunset filtered into the van through the windows. She had her laptop open and was checking the latest comments to the website she had set up for the group. "And... thirteen. That makes thirteen comments now saying we need a chick in a french maid outfit with us for this." She gave a sarcastic laugh, rolling her eyes. "Someone remind me why we needed to set up a website for this project and announce it early, instead of just dumping the finished video on View-Tube?"

Edited by Nodrog on Feb 7th 2024 at 10:11:42 AM

Cole, crouching opposite of Sheila, writing down a few hastily-done notes on their whole investigation with his ballpoint pen. "Jusht take my word foa it," he began in the weird way he always spoke in, "Back in one 'a my old paranoamal groupsh in '09, we did thish, an' it went fantashtic!"

He smirks a bit, slightly revealing his buckteeth, while doodling an emblem in the margins of his notebook. Though... thish ain't really much like my old beish of operationsh. I ain't in New York anymoa," he added with a slight chuckle while he adjusted his fedora.

Hearing that, Cam turned to look at them. "What? Don't you get it Sheila?" He says, sitting on the opposite side of where Cole and Sheila are. "This is the website that will prove that the paranormal is real!" As he says that, he stands up in an energetic way. This part of him is usually reserved for his View-Tube persona, although sometimes it seeps out offline.

"This will be written in the history books one day!" As Cam says that, he looks up with hope in his eyes.

The View-Tube channel and website had only been set up last Sunday. But this Saturday had weight to it. The info from interviews and websites covering ghost stories made it clear. The so-called “madhouse” had a history. It did feel like they were the only ones interested. The old folks they talked to thought they were making just a cute documentary.

Within the hour, the sunset faded and a crescent moon rose in its place. Night was drenching over Metus. There were even glimpses of stars beneath the van and the murder house. Its two-stories marked it among the trees, and even its own garden. Even in the dark, from a distance, the rotting dark wood and broken windows could be seen clearly.

Sheila was going through her checklist, wearing a backpack with the electronic sensors and her laptop on her back. "Everyone got AT LEAST two flashlights?" she demanded. "Who's carrying the first aid kit?".

Edited by Nodrog on Feb 9th 2024 at 2:44:31 PM

Cam pulled out his handheld camera. "You guys can have my flashlight. I don't think I would need it anyway. All of my cameras have a night vision function in them." He then gestured to his backpack, some of his charms jiggling as he does so. "Though I forgot to bring a first aid kit. It wouldn't really even fit in here anyway. It's packed to the brim with cameras and smoke bombs and other stuff."

The camera had a battery supply of a couple hours. Enough life to film through the entire mansion. From there, along with the other gadgets, it would be easy putting the footage on the website. Maybe an interesting thumbnail too.

The coarse wind continued to blow outside.

Edited by CanuckMcDuck1 on Feb 9th 2024 at 9:44:03 AM

Sheila glared at Cam but grabbed for his flashlight, turning it on and holding it to light the ground. She'd taken off her colored contacts, so the glare was particularly menacing with her reddish pupils. "Are we going to go inside to set up a base station, or are we going to work out of the van?" she asked, rather then going into a lecture about the missing first-aid kit.

Edited by Nodrog on Feb 9th 2024 at 2:22:05 PM

Cole, with a flashlight in one hand, a notepad in the other, and his small box of gadgets in the pocket of his coat. "I... I think we should do the forma. Settin' up some sorta base camp might give us some moa time that we'd spend runnin' ova to the van," he says. He glances at the building, then to the rest of the group. "Any objections?"

With the suggestion made, the team burst out of the van’s backdoors. They had flashlights in tow, and at least a backpack’s worth of tools. Some of them were pricey, others not. There wasn’t much of a bargain for their job anymore, not after the reality TV boom. That had killed most amateur and professional ghost hunters in their tracks.

But behind the rusted metal fence was the gig that could make them big. They just had to keep sane while doing it.

With the team ready to move, Cam started streaming and put on his internet persona. "What's up guys! Cam here! And today, we are going to investigate the mansion behind these metal fences." Cam said with much energy and enthusiasm he can gather. He then pointed his camera to his teammates. "I am here with Sheila Bytes, our very own Website Mistress and on-shoot maintain the group's electronics, and Cole Hines, the man behind the camera, other than me, of course, and planner of everything! Say hi to the viewers, guys!" Cam says, turning to them, gesturing to both Sheila and Cole to do as he says.

Cole nods, smiling slightly. "Yeah, that's me. Cole Hines," he says, trying to drop his accent in favor of a less eccentric-sounding one, "As Cam over here told y'all, we're gonna be checking out this place." He brushes his hair out of his face and turns on his flashlight, just to make sure it worked. "With luck, we'll all make it outta here in one piece."

Sheila yelps in surprise, covering her eyes and trying to duck behind Cole.

"CAM!" she yells. "What did I say about asking me before trying to point a camera at me? I don't have my contacts in, this part had BETTER be edited out!".

She fishes her sunglasses out of her bag of equipment and puts them firmly back on, despite it being dark out, then goes and picks up the flashlight she dropped.

Edited by Nodrog on Feb 10th 2024 at 1:16:33 PM

Cam then complied and hid the from behind his back. "Oh, sorry Sheila. Haha... It can't be edited out if I wanted to. It's a live stream!" He then brought the camera close to his mouth and whispered to his very tiny number of viewers currently watching his stream. "Sorry about that guys. Sheila is just really camera shy."

The group were stopped by their first obstacle, the metal fence that had been in-place since the mansion’s first construction. Bits had been rusted and the barrier was only held by a set of metal chains hastily put around the gate. There would be a simple fix for this.

Sheila glares at the chains and begins examining them, to see if there's any actual locks. If not, she starts trying to work the chain free.

Cam awkwardly looks at Sheila examining the metal fence and back at his backpack a few times before awkwardly saying, "I... guess I should've thought of packing a crowbar with me, too..."

On closer inspection, the chains seem hastily knotted together, no clear lock in sight. Not to mention, they’re covered in a mix of rust and black sludge like the rest of the gate. Whoever put it on must’ve just wanted to look chained in, rather than be secure. Enough strength might be able to pull it off.

Sheila pulled her fingers back from the chain, hastily wiping her fingertips clean with a paper towel. "Cam..." she said. "Turn your back, point that camera away from me, and DO NOT LOOK toward me until I tell you otherwise or you'll be doing the rest of your stream in a high falsetto. "

Once Cam has turned away, Sheila sat her duffle bag, digging in deep to her stash of tools and equipment. With a grimace of distaste, she pulled on an apron and a pair of yellow rubber gloves.

Once dressed in the protective garments, Sheila began working on unwinding the chain, yanking savagely.

Edited by Nodrog on Feb 12th 2024 at 3:50:15 AM

With a few strong pulls, the murky chains break off, now in Shelia’s hands. The gate slightly opens up with a rattling moan. It was the first time it had moved in decades. Now the group could see more of the mansion’s small garden. There was no turning back now.

Edited by CanuckMcDuck1 on Feb 12th 2024 at 4:28:47 AM

Sheila tries to hastily put the gloves and apron away before anyone online sees her and makes a maid comment.

While Sheila was busy, Cam sneakily puts his camera closer to his face and whispers to it. "Guys, I have no idea why Sheila hates me this much." He looks at Sheila for a bit before looking back at his camera. "I can't even stand a glare from her red, scary eyes. Let alone a kick in the balls. Do you guys have any idea why she's acting like this and what should I do?" Cam looks at the comments in his stream to see some answers.

While looking at the comments on his stream, he comes across a comment that says: "She must be a tsundere!" Cam, however does not look amused.

"Haha, very funny." He says sarcastically. " But we all know those do not exist in real life."

Entering through the muck-filled gate, the group witness the plant life that has grown over the years. Small flowerbeds that have become masses of vines that even stretch out to where they’re standing. The grass has been let to grow to the size of their ankles. Yet, it seems uninhabited by any life. It’s a small walkway before the door into the mansion.