hungry.”
Steven parked the car and the
three walked into the pizzeria and took a booth. A friendly waitress with an
exaggerated lilt to her voice took their order and they discussed their plan.
“Let’s scan the whole place,
wander around,” Roy said. “Look for anything that might seem unusual. I’m going
to guess the boy, if he’s still here, likes to live under things, so look for
piles of stuff.”
One by one they rose from the
table and walked around, checking out the rest of the restaurant, the
restrooms, the back exit, and a janitorial closet. Roy stuck his head into the
kitchen. The others could hear him talking with the kitchen staff.
Reconvening at the table, Daniel
and Steven waited for Roy to return.
“Is he on a bathroom break?”
Daniel asked.
“I expect he’s trancing in there,”
Steven said. “I’m not exactly sure how we’re supposed to figure out where this
ghost might be from just visual clues. For all we know from just looking around,
he might be haunting this booth. A trance might help narrow things down.”
The food arrived as Roy returned.
The men chowed down on the pizza.
“Well?” Steven said between bites.
“Not here,” Roy said. “But the
church is a good possibility. Something’s in the basement there.”
Steven paused eating for a moment
so he could enter the flow. He rose from the table and hovered over the
restaurant. He could see nothing. Then he moved over to the church. He couldn’t
see anything there either. He left the River.
“You must have tranced to figure
that out,” Steven told Roy. “I can’t see anything in the flow.”
“I did,” Roy said. “And it’s well
camouflaged, let me tell you. That boy does not want to be found.”
“We’ll need to be in physical
proximity of him to interact with him,” Steven said, remembering his experience
with Roy in Oregon. It was easier to detect ghosts while in a trance, and
sometimes one could see them from within the River, but they would only respond
if you were physically there with them.
“Let’s finish this pizza and go
over there, see how the land lies,” Roy said.
Roy took one more bite and was up
and out of the booth, leaving Daniel and Steven to take care of the rest of the
food and the bill.
“He moves quickly, doesn’t he?”
Daniel said, smiling. “Barrels right in.”
“He’s the old man and half the
time I have trouble keeping up with him,” Steven said. “Be prepared to just go
along with whatever story he might concoct.”
They rose and left the restaurant,
leaving some cash at the table. As they turned to walk toward the church they
saw Roy already halfway there, headed for the back of the building. By the time
they reached the front of the church, Roy had already scoped out the building’s
exterior and met them at the entrance.
“Two exits in the back if we need
to break in,” Roy said.
“Why don’t we try just walking in
the front door first?” Steven asked.
“Just planning ahead,” Roy said,
smiling. They walked up a short flight of stairs and opened the door to the
church.
It was dark inside. The entryway
opened up into a chapel with rows of pews. In the distance on a dais there was
an altar and an organ. Light shone into the chapel at the far right, where an
open door let fluorescent light stream in. “An office,” Roy said. “Let’s try
there. Follow my lead.”
They walked through the dark
chapel and towards the open office door. As they approached it Steven could see
metal desks and filing cabinets. Inside was a small woman, rotund, with black
hair and very vivid makeup.
“Hello?” Roy said as he entered.
“Oh, hello,” came the reply from
the woman, rising from her desk and walking towards Roy. “How can I help you?”
“My name is Hill and these are my
associates, Mr. Youngman and Mr. Smith,” Roy told her, pointing out Steven and
Daniel respectively. At least he left the ‘Henny’ out this time, Steven
thought.
“Pleased to meet all
Steven parked the car and the
three walked into the pizzeria and took a booth. A friendly waitress with an
exaggerated lilt to her voice took their order and they discussed their plan.
“Let’s scan the whole place,
wander around,” Roy said. “Look for anything that might seem unusual. I’m going
to guess the boy, if he’s still here, likes to live under things, so look for
piles of stuff.”
One by one they rose from the
table and walked around, checking out the rest of the restaurant, the
restrooms, the back exit, and a janitorial closet. Roy stuck his head into the
kitchen. The others could hear him talking with the kitchen staff.
Reconvening at the table, Daniel
and Steven waited for Roy to return.
“Is he on a bathroom break?”
Daniel asked.
“I expect he’s trancing in there,”
Steven said. “I’m not exactly sure how we’re supposed to figure out where this
ghost might be from just visual clues. For all we know from just looking around,
he might be haunting this booth. A trance might help narrow things down.”
The food arrived as Roy returned.
The men chowed down on the pizza.
“Well?” Steven said between bites.
“Not here,” Roy said. “But the
church is a good possibility. Something’s in the basement there.”
Steven paused eating for a moment
so he could enter the flow. He rose from the table and hovered over the
restaurant. He could see nothing. Then he moved over to the church. He couldn’t
see anything there either. He left the River.
“You must have tranced to figure
that out,” Steven told Roy. “I can’t see anything in the flow.”
“I did,” Roy said. “And it’s well
camouflaged, let me tell you. That boy does not want to be found.”
“We’ll need to be in physical
proximity of him to interact with him,” Steven said, remembering his experience
with Roy in Oregon. It was easier to detect ghosts while in a trance, and
sometimes one could see them from within the River, but they would only respond
if you were physically there with them.
“Let’s finish this pizza and go
over there, see how the land lies,” Roy said.
Roy took one more bite and was up
and out of the booth, leaving Daniel and Steven to take care of the rest of the
food and the bill.
“He moves quickly, doesn’t he?”
Daniel said, smiling. “Barrels right in.”
“He’s the old man and half the
time I have trouble keeping up with him,” Steven said. “Be prepared to just go
along with whatever story he might concoct.”
They rose and left the restaurant,
leaving some cash at the table. As they turned to walk toward the church they
saw Roy already halfway there, headed for the back of the building. By the time
they reached the front of the church, Roy had already scoped out the building’s
exterior and met them at the entrance.
“Two exits in the back if we need
to break in,” Roy said.
“Why don’t we try just walking in
the front door first?” Steven asked.
“Just planning ahead,” Roy said,
smiling. They walked up a short flight of stairs and opened the door to the
church.
It was dark inside. The entryway
opened up into a chapel with rows of pews. In the distance on a dais there was
an altar and an organ. Light shone into the chapel at the far right, where an
open door let fluorescent light stream in. “An office,” Roy said. “Let’s try
there. Follow my lead.”
They walked through the dark
chapel and towards the open office door. As they approached it Steven could see
metal desks and filing cabinets. Inside was a small woman, rotund, with black
hair and very vivid makeup.
“Hello?” Roy said as he entered.
“Oh, hello,” came the reply from
the woman, rising from her desk and walking towards Roy. “How can I help you?”
“My name is Hill and these are my
associates, Mr. Youngman and Mr. Smith,” Roy told her, pointing out Steven and
Daniel respectively. At least he left the ‘Henny’ out this time, Steven
thought.
“Pleased to meet all
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