Unhappy Reunion

Philadelphia...

A lone female climbs into bed, hoping for a good night of undisturbed sleep. But tonight, that was not to be. Fifteen minutes later as she felt herself drifting off to sleep, the room began to light up with an eerie glow, rousing her from her near state of sleep. Not again, she thought. She turned around, and saw a ghostly figure before her. The same ghost that she had been seeing for the past several months since she had started redecorating the house. It was also a female, in clothes from around the late sixties, early seventies, and it had long flowing hair. The ghost raised its arm, beckoning the woman in bed to follow her. "Who are you?" She asked the ghost. "What is it that you want?" Seeing that she was not going to follow her, the ghost turned to leave, slowly fading away as it left the room. The woman settled back down in her bed to go back to sleep.

This was the same routine that had been going on for several months. This ghost would appear, mostly at night usually in her room when she was either asleep or going to sleep. It would never say anything, only try to get her to follow it somewhere. Of course, she never did. I've been putting it off long enough, she thought as she drifted back to sleep, I gotta call the Ghostbusters. Even though it meant having to face the one she hadn't seen since high school. She, was Sonia Stone, and the one Ghostbuster she didn't want to face again, was Egon Spengler.

New York City...

"Road trip!" Janine yelled the next morning as she hung up the phone and hit the alarm. One by one, each of the five Ghostbusters slowly woke up. Peter Venkman of course, was grumbling as per usual about not getting to sleep in that day. They all met with Janine by her desk.

"Where to this time Janine?" Winston asked.

"The City of Brotherly Love." She replied, handing him the work order.

"Wow, Philadelphia!" Ray got excited. "If there's time, maybe we could see the Liberty Bell. And we definitely got to have a cheesesteak while we're there." He licked his lips at the thought.

"Whoa, easy there Tex." Peter said. "What's the name on the work order Janine?"

"She didn't give a name, only the address. And," Janine added, "she seemed to know you, Egon."

"Me?" Egon asked, puzzled.

"She mentioned you by name. But before I could find out anything more, that's when she hung up."

"Egon, you got a secret girlfriend in Philly that I don't know about?" Peter teased, jabbing Egon lightly with an elbow.

"Certainly not." Egon replied. "It's more likely that she knows my name, all our names, due to the regular broadcasts of our advertisements."

"Sure it is." Peter smirked.

On the way to Philadelphia, as Peter was at the wheel of the ECTO-1, he of course, had the radio blaring on one of his favourite stations. Nobody said much. They were all silently pondering this latest case in their own way. Then the next song that started playing on the radio was one that was very familiar to Egon, "Let's Stay Together" by Al Green. He quickly reached over and clicked the radio off. "Hey! What gives Egon?" Peter asked, annoyed, turning the radio back on. Egon didn't reply as he fiddled with the dial, trying to find another station.

"Egon, cut it out!" Ray shoved Egon's hand off the dial and put it back to the station playing Al Green. Egon turned the radio off again.

"I don't particularly care for that song." He said, much to everyone's dismay.

"What?" Ray asked.

"You don't like Al Green?" Winston added.

"Not everything by him, just the one song." Egon replied.

"But, that song's a classic Egon." Clara told him.

"Yeah," Peter said. "What's wrong with that one?"

"Nothing!" Egon snapped. "I just don't like it. Do I have to give you a reason?"

"Well, it would be nice if you did." Peter replied meekly.

"Yeah, there's got to be a reason." Ray added.

"Come on man, there's gotta be more to it. I can tell, because you wouldn't be trying so hard to keep from hearing it." Winston said. Egon sighed rolling his eyes slightly.

"Hi, my name's Egon 'Read-Me-Like-A-Book' Spengler. Alright, it reminds me of an incident that occurred back when I was in my senior year of high school. I really don't like talking about it, because I just want to forget that it ever happened."

"That bad?" Clara asked.

"Precisely. Now, if nobody minds, that's all I'm going to say on that matter." Egon crossed his arms and turned to look out the window.

"This might not have anything to do with that dream you had several nights ago, would it?" Peter asked.

"No."

"Egon, we always let you in on what's troubling us. We're all friends here, no one is going to make fun or anything." Ray said. "Besides, what else are friends for?"

"Egon, remember how I trusted you when I had to deal with a difficult memory?" Clara asked. Egon sighed, hesitant.

"Okay. When I was in high school, I would tutor those students who needed extra assistance with their Math or Science classes. One of those students I helped was this sophomore, Sonia Stone. She needed extra help with her Science class. Over time, to put it in your vernacular, I developed a crush on her."

"Hmm, I think I see where this is going." Peter commented.

"Peter, stop interrupting." Winston chided.

"Sorry Egon."

"Anyway," Egon continued, "Sonia extended an invitation for me to go to the Christmas dance. So, I took her up on that offer. The one time she asked me to dance with her was to that song by Al Green that had been on the radio earlier. I guess it meant something to her, or was a favourite song of hers, I'll never know. Then two of her friends came up to us and one of them handed her some money, saying something about her winning. Sonia tells me it was her friends that put her up to inviting me, on the pretext of monetary compensation."

"Wait, her friends paid her to ask you out?" Winston asked.

"No, it's more like her friends bet that she couldn't get Egon to go the dance, and when Egon did, she won the bet." Ray said.

"That's precisely what happened Ray." Egon replied sadly. "Now you all know why I don't want to hear that song by Al Green ever again. Or, why I don't let myself become too involved if a woman shows more than an interest in friendship towards me."

"Well, this Sonia sounds like a total bitch." Clara fumed. "I mean, one would have to be completely blind to the opportunity to be with someone like you."

"What?" Egon gasped.

"Egon, don't sell yourself short. So you've had a rotten experience. That doesn't mean it'll happen again." Winston said.

"So what happened after that?" Peter asked. "Did you ever see her again?"

"No. I asked to have her paired with another tutor, and when Christmas was over, I graduated early. So I never saw her again, and didn't care to see her again." Egon replied.

"After hurting you like that, I certainly understand why." Ray said.

It took a few hours of travel, but finally the Ghostbusters arrived in Philadelphia, and then at the address of the house that was written on the job order. As the ECTO-1 pulled into the driveway, the front door opened and a woman stepped out to greet them. "Oh no." Egon groaned. He recognized the woman immediately.

"What's wrong Egon?" Ray asked.

"It, it can't be."

"Can't be what, Egon?" Now Peter was curious.

"It's her."

"Who? Her?" Winston pointed at the woman walking up to the car. "You know her?"

"It's Sonia." They all looked at her.

"She's Sonia Stone? The girl you told us about?" Ray was surprised.

"Wow, so awkward." Peter whispered. "Well, we best not keep her waiting. Time is money." Everyone exited the car. Everyone that is, except Egon.

"Uh, you guys go on ahead. I, just realized, I haven't re-calibrated my PKE meter." Egon stammered, stalling for time. Winston grabbed his arm, pulling him out of the ECTO-1.

"You re-calibrated your meter before we left." Egon tried to wriggle free of his grip, heading back towards the car.

"I'm very positive that I haven't." Ray stepped in front of Egon.

"You can't keep running away Egon. Sometimes you got to face things from your past, no matter how bad."

"Like all those times with the Boogieman." Peter added.

"But, it's not the same as that." Egon said.

"Well I know a few things I want to say to her." Clara sneered. "But, not right now."

"Come on, let's get this over with." Peter, Ray and Winston practically had to drag Egon away from the car.

"You must be the Ghostbusters. Thanks for coming." Sonia greeted. "I'm Sonia Stone."

"Miss Stone, I'm Dr. Peter Venkman, and these are my colleagues, Dr. Ray Stantz, Winston Zeddemore and Clara Hamilton. And, I believe you already know him," Peter gestured towards Egon, "Dr. Egon Spengler." Sonia walked up to Egon.

"Yes, we already know each other." She could barely look Egon in the eye. "Hi, Egon."

"Hello, Sonia." Egon didn't meet her gaze either. Instead, he fiddled with his PKE meter nervously.

"It's been a long time." Now Egon looked up at her.

"Not long enough." He muttered. Sonia let Egon , Winston and Clara into the house while Ray and Peter unpacked the proton packs and ghost traps from the car.

"Yep, very awkward." Ray commented.

In the house, Sonia was describing to the Ghostbusters what the ghost looked like, and where it would mostly appear. "It's always the same, this ghost will appear mostly while I'm sleeping, or trying to sleep. It's a woman, so it's definitely human. Or should I say, was human. I don't know her name because she never speaks. She only wants me to follow her somewhere. Of course, I never do. Who knows where it would lead to."

"Yeah. Could be to bottomless pit or something." Peter laughed. Everyone looked at him strangely. "What? Anything's possible."

"Are you sure you're a doctor? Because you remind me more like-"

"A game-show host?"

"No, I was going to say a used-car salesman." Sonia replied.

"Now there's a new one." Peter said.

"Ray, anything in Tobin's Spirit Guide?" Winston asked.

"Nothing. And the Occult Reference Net came up blank too." Ray put away the portable data search device.

"What does that mean?" Sonia asked.

"It means that this house, possibly this land area, has no history of psychic turbulence. Whatever is happening now is fairly recent activity." Ray explained.

"Do you know of any previous occupants of this house? Did the last owner of this house say anything to you about spectral activity, hauntings, when you purchased this residence?" Egon asked.

"None that I recall." Sonia replied. "The ghost's clothes look like they're from the late sixties, maybe the early seventies. If, that helps."

"It might help somewhat. Any theories Egon?" Peter asked.

"We could be dealing with the death of an individual from that time period, one who for some reason has not moved on. Something is keeping this ghost here, and until we find out what that reason is, the haunting will just continue on."

"Hey, we could go to the library, or the records hall. I bet we could find some information there about this place, who owned it, anything that happened here." Peter suggested.

"That's a good idea Pete. There might be a record of previous occupants, birth and death certificates. We could also check the newspaper reports and obituaries." Winston said.

"Alright, Egon, you and Clara can stay here and get a few PKE scans of the place." Ray told him as he Winston and Peter stood up.

"No. Ray, why don't you stay with Clara and I'll join Winston and Peter instead."

"What? Egon, it's just a few routine scans. We'll be back as soon as we have any relevant information." Peter said as he, Winston and Ray left the house.

"But-" His response was met with the door shutting behind them. Egon was now left to deal with Sonia. Clara pulled out her PKE meter.

"I'll get started on those scans." Clara made her way upstairs. Now Egon was left alone with Sonia. An uncomfortable silence filled the room. So without saying anything, Egon pulled out his PKE meter to run a few scans himself. And so that he didn't have to talk to Sonia.

"Egon." Sonia started to say. But he didn't look up from his PKE meter's screen. "Egon." Sonia stood in front of him. "Egon we have to talk."

"There's nothing to discuss Sonia." He snapped.

"Yes, there is." She stayed in front of him as he walked around the living room. "You know there is."

"Sonia, I'm just here to work. Nothing more." Egon replied harshly. "And if I find out you brought me here under false pre-tenses-"

"I didn't make this up!" Sonia yelled. "I put off calling you guys for several months! I didn't want to face you anymore than you didn't want to face me."

"Do you honestly expect me to believe that you feel guilty now about what you did?"

"I do feel guilty, Egon. And I've felt that way ever since."

"Well you certainly did not show any trace of guilt." Egon fumed, turning his back to her. He didn't want her to see how angry he was getting. Typical Spengler attribute.

"Maybe not. But believe me, I felt really bad. If Julie and Berta had ever known my true feelings, they would've turned against me." Sonia explained. The truth was slowly coming out. Egon turned around to face Sonia.

"What, 'true feelings'?"

"That, I liked you." Now Egon's growing anger was replaced by a feeling of total shock.

"You, liked me? If that was the case, then why the deception?" Egon asked. "Why did you have to humiliate me like that?"

"Because I was stupid. I was a fool, Egon. I chose being accepted by girls who thought popularity was everything over having the courage to choose the guy that I wanted to date."

"Are you saying, you, wanted to date me?" Egon was surprised by this revelation.

"Yes. And after what happened, I wanted so badly to apologize. But then I was assigned a different tutor, and after Christmas vacation, I found out you had graduated early."

"So, why didn't you try to contact me then?"

"I wanted to, but something kept holding me back. I guess, it was fear. I was afraid, maybe wouldn't forgive me." Sonia said

"I suppose back then, those fears were warranted."

"Well, lots of time has passed. Do you think you could forgive me now?" Before Egon could respond, the other three Ghostbusters returned to the house.

"Egon, you trying to get a little action with the client while we were away?" Peter teased, winking.

"No Peter." Egon scowled. "Have you found any worthwhile information?"

"It took a while, but we think so. Winston was going through the old newspaper articles and came across something interesting." Ray replied.

"It was about this young mother who was reported missing in 1968, named Evelyn Sinclaire. Like, she just vanished off the face of the earth. Her address-"

"Let me guess, it was my house. Right?" Sonia asked.

"Yeah." Winston said.

"She has never been found, or seen since." Ray added.

"We also got a photocopy of her picture." Peter handed it to Egon, who showed it to Sonia.

"Is this the ghost?" Sonia pointed at the picture without hesitation.

"That's her. That's the ghost." Suddenly, the walkie-talkies all four Ghostbusters were carrying crackled to life.

"Uh, Egon, I'm in the basement. I think I found something." Clara said. Sonia followed as Egon, Ray, Winston and Peter made their way down the stairs leading to the basement. They all found Clara standing by an area that was covered over with bricks. The PKE meter she was holding flashed wildly.

"I got only a weak signal at first throughout the house, mostly in the bedroom since that's where the appearances took place. But when I came down here, it got stronger. I tracked it to this area. Something under those bricks is giving off some kind of spectral energy." The other four Ghostbusters each pulled out their PKE meters, getting the same activity on them.

"Sonia, what's under those bricks?" Egon asked.

"I was told it was the old coal chute. I guess it got covered over when this house was switched over to natural gas for heating, and it wasn't needed anymore. I figured I'd eventually build a bookcase over it." Just then, the bricks began to give off an eerie glow. "Are bricks supposed to do that?"

"Certainly not." Ray replied. Suddenly, a mist slowly emerged from out of the bricks. All five Ghostbusters armed their particle throwers as it began to take shape. They waited as it slowly took on a human-like form.

"That's the ghost that's been bothering me." Sonia pointed at it when it's face took shape.

"Alright! Now let's do some serious busting!" Peter shouted, raising his thrower.

"Wait Peter!" Ray shoved Peter's thrower aside.

"What's the problem Ray?"

"Peter, she's not doing anything." Winston said.

"Winston's right Peter. Wouldn't it be attacking us as of this second? Right when it emerged from the bricks?" Egon added. They were right. The ghost only hovered above the bricks. It had chosen not to attack them.

"Okay. So we don't bust it. What now?" Clara asked.

"If my theory is correct, this spirit has been staying here for a reason, and it's been trying to tell its reasons for staying to anyone who would listen." Egon said.

"Alright Egon. You're the brain trust here. Why don't you talk to it?" Peter asked.

"That's exactly what I'm going to do. Ray, go find that picture you photocopied at the library earlier."

"Right." Ray dashed upstairs, and several seconds later, returned with the picture in his hand. He gave it to Egon. With the photo on hand, Egon disarmed his particle thrower, returned it to its holster and slowly approached the ghost. It backed away, unsure of Egon's actions.

"I'm un-armed, I'm not going to harm you." Egon said. "Is your name Evelyn Sinclaire?" The ghost nodded its head slowly. "Evelyn, have you been trying to tell anyone who would listen, why you are still here?" Again, the ghost nodded. Then it pointed at the bricks. Egon looked back at the others. They just shrugged their shoulders. "Evelyn, what is under those bricks?" No reply. She just pointed at them again.

"Egon what's wrong with her? Why doesn't she talk?" Peter asked, impatient.

"One possibility is since she died young, and if her death was unexpected, it could've traumatized her to the point where she doesn't remember how to speak." Egon replied.

"We should break open those bricks, find out what's under there." Winston suggested.

"Sonia, do you have anything, like, a pick-axe?" Ray asked.

"No, nothing like that."

"Maybe we could use our particle throwers to blast them apart." Winston said.

"Yeah, great idea. We could put them on a low setting, so that there won't be much damage." Ray agreed. One by one, the Ghostbusters each armed their particle throwers, aiming them at the bricks.

"Just what do you expect to find under there Egon?" Peter asked.

"Could be nothing." Egon replied. "Could be anything." With their beams, they managed to blast apart the bricks.

"Yikes!"

"Duck!" They all took cover from shower of dust and broken pieces of bricks that rained down upon them.

"Low setting huh? Next time let's make sure the client actually has a prick-axe." Peter growled, dusting himself off, along with the others. They got up to take a look at what had been under the bricks, and gasped in horror when the dust finally cleared. It was a human body, mummified from being sealed up in a brick coffin away from exposure to moisture for many years.

"I'm no expert, but, I'd say that body has been there for a very long time." Clara remarked. The ghost, which had moved out of the way when the Ghostbusters blasted apart the bricks, floated back in front of them. Finally, it spoke for the very first time.

"You found me." And with that, basement slowly filled with a bright light. It soon got so bright, everyone had to shield their eyes. Once the light was gone, they all uncovered their eyes. The ghost was no longer there.

"Where'd she go?" Ray asked. Egon pulled out his PKE meter. Nothing. It didn't even twitch.

"It would appear that all Evelyn wanted was for her body to be found. Now that we've found it, she could finally cross over. Her spirit can now rest."

"Well, since we've found her body, what do we do now?" Clara asked.

"This has gone beyond the scope of what we originally came to do." Egon said. "The police will have to be notified. They'll know what to do."

"I'll give them a call." Sonia went upstairs, and the Ghostbusters followed her, leaving everything the way it was.

"So Egon, any theories as to how she died?" Ray asked

"It's quite possible she met foul play. If her death was by natural causes, why the need to conceal her body under some bricks?"

"You really think we're dealing with a murder here?" Winston asked.

"It certainly looks that way."

Outside, the Ghostbusters were packing away their gear into the ECTO-1 while waiting for the police and a forensic team to arrive. "Egon, I need to talk to you." Sonia said as she came outside after hanging up the phone.

"Of course, what would you like?"

"Before the rest of your team returned from the library, I had said I had tried to contact you, but my fears kept holding me back because I was afraid you wouldn't forgive me."

"Hmm, I suppose my younger self would not."

"Well, what about your present self?"

"Seeing as you have changed, then, I suppose I could."

"Thanks. I mean that. Maybe, we could keep in touch?" Sonia asked.

"I'll try." Egon replied.

Epilogue

While the Ghostbusters already knew the identity of the body that they had found in the coal chute, it was positively identified through dental records as Evelyn Sinclaire. And just like they thought, she had been murdered. Trapped in an abusive marriage, her husband, in one of his rages, strangled Evelyn to death. All this happened in front of their five year old son. Forcing his son to help him, the husband concealed Evelyn's body in the old coal chute and covered it over with the bricks. And that was where it remained for nearly twenty years.

Unfortunately, it took another 6 years for her husband to get convicted for her death.

If Evelyn's spirit hadn't remained behind, and if Sonia hadn't called the Ghostbusters out to her place, it's unlikely her body would've ever been discovered, and her former husband charged for killing her. Now, with him languishing away in a Pennsylvania jail, Evelyn could truly find peace.

The End