1973
The group of boys leaned against their bikes, staring at the old building before them.
"I heard he killed his wife and her boyfriend, then himself"
"Yeah. He took all their money and hid it, too."
"My great-grandpa said he saw it happen"
"No way!"
They spent some time exchanging half-overheard stories, gruesome legends and illicit rumors about the place, an old tavern that had shut down before their parents were children, before one of them stated the inevitable:
"I dare you to go in"
A hush fell over the boys as they looked over at the new kid, waiting for his answer.
"Okay"
The nervous silence was replaced with one of shock.
"You have to actually go IN, not just open the door and run back"
"Yeah, I said 'Okay'" he said, sliding off his backpack and hanging it off the handles of his bike.
"You have to stay inside for 5 minutes" one boy said
"No problem"
"And...and you have to bring something back from inside" another added, getting into the game.
"Sure" the boy replied, strolling up the the weathered gate and opening it with some effort, the metal squeaking loudly as he squeezed past it
The group stared on in silence as he opened the front door, the wood protesting from decades of disuse. They held their breath almost as one as he went inside, blackness the only thing visible beyond the threshold.
One boy kept an eye on his watch, counting the seconds, then minutes while the others shifted anxiously
The five minute mark passed and there was no sign of their classmate.
"Sh-should we make sure he's okay?"
A moment of silence passed between them until one stepped forward, placing trembling hands on the old rusted gate and pushing it open the rest of the way. The groan of the aged metal didnt fade, however, and the color drained from the young men's faces as it became louder, emanating from the building itself, a cry that shook them to the core and send them pedaling and running away as fast as they could as an eerie green light filled the windows of the building.
They entered their classroom the next day to see the new student sitting at his desk, smirk on his face as he waved to them. They immediatly ran over.
"What happened in there?"
"How did you get out?"
"Why didn't you come out?"
"Were you scared?"
"I told you it was haunted!"
His grin grew wider as he pulled his backpack up and reached inside. There was a slight gasp from the group when he placed a glass mug, decorated with the name of the pub, on the desk and proudly declared
"I ain't fraid of no ghost"
20 Years Later
"The basement was originally used as a banquet area for larger groups, and there's a small living space on the second floor; bathroom and one room" the realtor explained as she showed the two men around the old pub. "The prep room's appliances and the public restrooms are a little on the older side but still up to code"
"Sounds good" Connor Williams said while the older man stepped behind the bar along the back wall. "What do you think, Jack?"
Jack Tomsom ran his hand over the smooth wood and sighed. "Could use some work, but I like it. At least it's not falling apart like the last place" With few gray hairs showing amongst the short brown, and his tall, somewhat husky build, Jake could've passed for Connor's older brother, except for the pale green eyes behind his wireframe glasses.
"Sounds like you've got a deal"
Several hours later, the two men were toastong their new buisness, Jake with a coffee cup, Connor using an old glass mug he got on a dare when he was kid, smiling at a sign in the old tavern's window:
"Ghostbusters International: New Franchise Coming Soon!"