Golden Calf, Part Seven

1 May 2005

"So you guys just do this, on a regular basis?" Bob asked, giving the hallway a sweep with his flashlight. He was with Rick, Charles, and me exploring an abandoned house in Brookfield that Tony said he'd heard ghost stories about. Bob was, admittedly, not part of the plan, but he and Charles had been hanging out a lot lately and when we called Charles to come along they showed up together. We were walking around the first floor, having only just started.

​"Well, we do it when we feel like it," I said, before lighting my cigarette. Once I'd taken a drag and put my lighter away, I checked my own flashlight and walked forward. "It's usually pretty unplanned, like this."

"So what're we looking for, anyway?"

"Trouble," Charles muttered. Bob rested his hand on Charles' shoulder and rubbed it a bit.

"Yes, okay, but what kind of trouble?" Bob asked with a big smile. Charles sighed.

"Ghosts!" Rick called out, pumping a fist in the air. "Or demons, or whatever's here."

"So far neither," I said, "and hopefully not demons."

"Aw come on, man. You talk real big about ghosts and spirits and gods and everything, but demons? That's where you draw the line?"

"Demons are the kind of trouble that follows you home."

"Are...are you guys being serious right now?" Bob asked, looking between us.

"Yes," Charles said. "See, Matteson believes he can see the spiritual realm, and has this masochistic interest in exploring it, and somehow we always get roped into coming along."

"Roped in? That's one of my favorite things about him!" Rick said, elbowing me in the side. "Though it's still weird hearing everyone call you that."

"Well, okay, but...can he see the spiritual realm?" Bob asked. We all stopped at the bottom of the stairs, and I turned and looked at him.

"Yes, I can. Whether I want to or not," I answered. "And being that it's an unavoidable part of my life, it seemed sensible I should know how to handle it."

"Has this been, you know, tested in some way?"

"Well, okay, so, we obviously can't really confirm what he says is going on with spirits we can't see," Charles said, wringing his hands together. "But, there are a lot of strange things that happen around him we don't really know how to explain, and he does tend to know things he shouldn't have any way of knowing."

"And the behemoth," Rick offered, pointing. "You and I both saw things get knocked over by something very large and very invisible when he said that thing was following him around."

"Well, the size is a guess, but..." Charles paused.

"But it was invisible?" Bob asked. Charles hesitantly nodded. Rick enthusiastically nodded.

"Not to me," I said.

"Well okay then. That certainly sounds like a start."

"I'm sorry to drag you into this," Charles said.

"Oh, no! No, no, this sounds fascinating! I'd kinda like to know more!" Charles looked at him with pleading eyes.

"Alright, then," I said pointing my flashlight up the stairs, "shall we?" Bob and Rick nodded and we started up the stairs. Charles groaned and followed, hanging close to Bob.

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