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 Posted: Fri Sep 30, 2016 1:04 pm
"I told you! She's annoying!" Reese complained from the background. He sat, though. And pulled the toddler into his arms as she looked over the covers.
"That one!" She pointed. "Poppy, love!"
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Posted: Fri Sep 30, 2016 1:40 pm
Toby nodded. "This one? Okay."
He read the cover, and then looked up to Reese. "Welcome to toddlerhood."
Then he began to read. Dari would arrive halfway through with a list of nymph-foods and would sit politely silent until they were finished.
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Posted: Fri Sep 30, 2016 1:51 pm
Reese sighed. So all toddlers were like this? He didn't think he wanted another one, ever. He was silent and listened to the story.
The little nymph listened happily. "Two stories?" she asked.
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Posted: Fri Sep 30, 2016 1:55 pm
Toby looked to Reese for an answer. He wasn't sure if the Guardian would want to sit through another children's story. His glance was subtle, though.
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Posted: Fri Sep 30, 2016 2:21 pm
"Two stories," Reese agreed. He'd never heard these. Were there longer ones? "Can you send me books, Toby? I can read to her too."
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Posted: Fri Sep 30, 2016 2:41 pm
"Sure!" Toby said, "Do you want just stuff for her or do you want something too?"
He began through the books again. He wasn't a fan of the same book multiple times in a row.
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Posted: Fri Sep 30, 2016 2:55 pm
"Can you send me some?" Reese would enjoy them, he was sure! "And I can read to Holly all the time!"
"That one!" Holly pointed. "Poppy come now?" She asked.
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Posted: Fri Sep 30, 2016 3:15 pm
"No, honey, I still can't come yet," Toby said, and then to change the subject began to read the second book.
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Posted: Fri Sep 30, 2016 3:57 pm
Two weeks into September, a family had called HQ frantically. Something was attacking their children. Violently. Carving words into their skin, at one point pushing the youngest down the stairs.
The mother in particular had asked for help. When the van arrived, she opened the door hurriedly. "Come on," she beckoned them.
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Posted: Fri Sep 30, 2016 4:01 pm
Well then. This mother seemed desperate. Of course who wouldn't be, with a violent spirit in the house? Toby had to presume it was a spirit, anyway. When someone was in danger they often forewent some of the validation process to try and help. The worst-case scenario was their agents got paid for a couple of days staking out a random person's house. They could always call Child Services too, but that was a latch-ditch effort.
Toby picked up the pace and electronically locked the van while they headed for the house. He assumed that Michael was nearby and also observing.
"Is everything alright?" Toby asked. It was all relative, of course.
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Posted: Fri Sep 30, 2016 4:36 pm
"It just did it again!" The woman cried. She looked near tears. She pointed shakily to the wall; a message had been written in blood. "Get out!" It read.
"Hurry and get rid of it, won't you?" Her husband put a hand on her shoulder, but he looked just as concerned. "It keeps attacking the children," he said.
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Posted: Fri Sep 30, 2016 4:47 pm
"We're going to do the best we can," Toby agreed with a nod. "We'll just have to do a quick scan of your family to make sure you aren't taking it with you." In other words, Michael had to make the electronic doohickey light up if any one of them had been chosen for possession or as a haunted object. Dari took a photo of the blood on the wall. Very Michael-esque.
"Can you get everyone together?" Toby asked, "I'll be right back."
Dari remained inside. He offered the family a small smile. "It's going to be alright. We're professionals." They had no idea.
Toby returned with an EMF reader than had been gutted (it was the green one, the black ones worked). He hoped that Michael was nearby and willing to help, although he had never backed down at a time like this. It was like he felt purpose.
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Posted: Fri Sep 30, 2016 5:09 pm
One of the younger kids looked to Dari, wide eyed. "Real ghostbusters?" He asked. "It's really scary. It broke my arm."
"It wasn't me that pushed him!" The middle boy announced. No possessions here. Just a frightened family.
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Posted: Fri Sep 30, 2016 5:19 pm
The broken meter didn't light up any further than Michael usual safe median. Good. So the family would get to sleep well tonight.
"Something like that," Dari said to the younger boy.
"Alright, it looks like you're all good to go," Toby said with a smile. "Here's the address to the hotel, and you should be good for the night. We'll call you if we need to schedule more time. Is there anything we should know about the house before we start?"
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Posted: Fri Sep 30, 2016 5:27 pm
"Thank you," the woman said, taking her youngest' hand. "Thank you guys so much." She led her children outside.
Her husband lingered. "No one's ever seen the ghost," he said. "Ghist, whatever it is. These things just happen." He was definitely distressed. "Be careful."
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