October 31st, 1999:

Jack O' Lanterns glowed on the front stoops and through the front windows of almost every house and apartment on almost every street in the night in New York City was charged with a mixture excitement and mischief. While the children were walking the streets Trick Or Treating, the teenagers were pulling pranks and having underground parties and the adults were letting loose as less underground and slightly more mature parties.

In the firehouse the three Ghostbusters, with their honorary fourth teammate, gathered in the rec room as they deliberated their next move for the night. Fortunately Halloween shenanigans would provide the perfect cover for the Ghostbusters to stalk through Queens to set up their generator, no one would look twice at the bejumpsuited scientists.

"Here's where we need to go." Ray pointed to a section of the map that connected to the subway entrance. "It's underground and no one is likely to find it."

"Except for subway workers." Peter was quick to point out. His ankle was propped up on a chair with a bag of ice on the swollen appendage. "I'm pretty sure if someone found the generator down there they'd report it as a bomb and when the bomb technicians detect radiation they'll evacuate the city and when they inevitably trace the radiation back to us we'll spend our 'golden years' behind bars."

"He's right Ray." Winston sided with Peter as he looked down at the map. "It's a good place to go, but it's too populated."

"Not necessarily." Ray defended his choice calmly. "Paige and I buried the first generator in the basement of the abandoned warehouse in Harlem, and it's functioning properly. If we bury the second generator in one of the abandoned access tunnels it'll be isolated enough to not cause any problems."

Winston thought about the risks compared to the benefits for a moment. "Maybe you're right. I mean, I think if we hid a sack of gold in the New York subways it wouldn't be found for at least two centuries. It could be the best place after all."

"Okay," Peter still wasn't completely on board with the idea. "but when you get arrested don't expect me to post bail."

"Let's just get the generator working." Winston looked down at his watch, it was seven in the evening. "After all the busts we had in Queens last week I'm actually looking forward to checking out Manhattan alleyways."

"I know, I know." Ray was just as tired as Winston. The duo had been called on nine separated busts in Queens over the past seven days as the ghosts from Harlem had been forced to move to a new borough. They also received calls from the Bronx, Manhattan and Staten Island, but it seemed as though Queens was the hottest spot in the city. "We'll get this generator powered up and call it a night. Hopefully we can get back here and get some rest before we get another call."

"Count me out." Peter leaned back in his chair and folded his arms over his chest stubbornly. "I'm not trekking through the subway on my busted leg."

"I thought it was a sprain." Ray teased playfully.

"Ha, ha, ha. You want to carry me on your back? Don't think I'm above a good ol' fashioned piggyback ride!"

"No, you stay here with Janine." Ray looked over to Paige who had been standing quietly against the wall. "Paige and I will get the generator up and running while Winston stays with Ecto-1. If we do get a car you can tell him over the radio and he'll contact us. Besides, we can carry the proton packs in the car, just in case something happens in the subway."

Peter looked over at Paige with a Devilish grin. "Bet you didn't expect to be spending Halloween in a creepy, dark, deserted subway line, did you?"

Paige gave Peter an emboldened glance. "I hadn't anticipated breaking into an abandoned warehouse, roaming a pitch black basement, digging a massive hole and encountering four ghosts last week either. Still here."

"Interesting reaction." Peter gave her an approving smirk of respect. "Good to know. I better up my game if I'm going to see what you look like scared..."

"Hey guys?" Winston interjected lightly. "Shouldn't we get going?"

"He's right." Ray was glad Winston spoke up. "We need to get moving, we don't want to be out too late if something does get riled up. Halloween is a very special night..."

Ecto-1 sped down the darkening streets of New York with Ray, Winston and Paige riding in quiet contentment. The second generator had been secured in the rear compartment of the car and two proton packs had been equipped. On Halloween night it was entirely possible for a sudden upsurge of paranormal activity to run rampant in a moment's notice. It would be unwise to venture into secluded area unprotected.

Children wearing costumes of all kinds roamed the sidewalks and filled their candy bags with unparalleled joy.

"Man, sometimes I really miss being a kid." Winston watched as the happy Trick O' Treaters raced down from one house to the next. "On Halloween you got to stay out late, get free candy and you could dress up and be any person you wanted to be! I rocked Dracula and my brother made one nasty looking zombie! I bet right now he's taking his own daughter through town right now! I should join them next year."

"Yeah. Halloween and Christmas were the only days where my entire family got along with each other." Ray agreed with Winston's sentiment and watched the passing kids with a nostalgic joy. "My brother didn't even mind it when me and my sister tagged along with him on Halloween. It always meant we got even more candy to split when we got back home!"

"How about you Paige?" Winston looked at the reflection of the young woman sitting in the backseat in the rear view mirror. "You do anything fun on Halloween?"

Paige didn't answer right away. Rolling up her sleeves into tight cuffs around her elbows she sat and pondered the question with heavy thought. Losing her mother at a young age and never having her father or even a father figure in her life meant her childhood memories weren't quite as cheery as average. "I spent alot of time with my best friend." She finally spoke up and stopped fussing with the baggy sleeves. "We would stay up all night and watch scary movies. Her parents didn't like that, seeing as she'd always suffer from nightmares for several days afterward."

"Hey... That's a good idea." Ray looked up at Paige's reflection as well. "We should look for a classic horror movie tonight! I bet we can find 'The House on Haunted Hill' if we're lucky enough!"

"Doubt it." Winston wasn't as convinced as Ray. Pulling the car to the side of the street Ecto-1 came to rest a few yards down from the subway entrance. "If we do manage to stay home all night there's no way we'd find any good horror movies to watch on TV."

"We can always hope!" Ray remarked as he climbed out of the car. "Okay, we'll keep in contact with our radios. If something happens let us know and we'll hurry back up to meet with you."

"Right."

Paige climbed out of the back of the car and opened the rear compartment door. Ray reached into the storage compartment and pulled free one of the two proton packs. "Turn around."

"Me?" Paige didn't understand Ray's order. "What for?"

"I want you to be armed in case we run into some less than friendly ghosts."

"Okay." Paige turned so her back was facing Ray.

"It's just like slipping on a backpack." Ray slipped the first strap over her arm and pulled it up to her shoulder. "A very uncomfortable, metal, hundred pound backpack."

Paige leaned forward and shifted her own weight as the full weight of proton pack pulled on her shoulders.

"And this strap goes around your waist for additional support." Ray clipped the third strap in place. "I won't power the pack up until we're underground."

Paige stumbled about on the sidewalk as she adjusted her balance to accommodate the heavy pack. Ray reached back into the rear compartment and unstrapped the generator, clipped a PKE meter to his belt and grabbed the all too important shovel resting beside the generator. Hoisting the metal device into his arms and resting the shovel against his shoulder Ray used his foot to close the compartment door and led the way toward the subway entrance.

Keeping pace with the taller Ghostbuster wasn't a problem for Paige until she had the pack on her back which weighed her down. Trailing behind Ray by a few feet Paige watched as the seasoned paranormal investigator casually strolled down the narrow stairwell into the subway below.

The nightly commuters were thinned out as many people were up on the streets celebrating Halloween. Walking across the platform Ray made his way toward the end and hopped down into the tracks.

"Okay, the next train won't be passing through for twenty minutes. We have plenty of time to get down to the abandoned track junction and into the deserted maintenance tunnel."

"You're certain of the train schedule?" Paige asked as she gracelessly sat down on the edge of the platform so she could slide down into the track.

"Yeah, I triple checked." Ray turned to look back a Paige and saw she was struggling to move around with the heavy pack on her back. Returning to the platform he helped Page to climb down and resume following the tracks. "And the best part is with our jumpsuits we'll look like maintenance workers so no one should bother us."

"Unless they notice the 'no ghost' insignia on our arms or the fact that both of our name badges say 'Stantz'." Paige pointed out as she followed Ray down the tracks.

"No one will look that closely. This is New York, everyone just sort of minds their own business."

"I always thought that was a bad thing." Paige remarked as she and Ray turned from the main track and down the connected maintenance tunnel.

"Depends if you look at the glass as half empty, or half full." Ray paused for a moment when he heard his PKE meter let off a shrill beep. "Uh-oh, somethings nearby."

"Does the meter react to every energy signature or only to those of a strong reading?"

"Dr. Spengler designed the meter to respond to any PKE reading when switched off. It's sort of a warning alarm to get our attention."

"Clever." Paige looked at the meter on Ray's belt and made a reach for it. "May I?"

"Go for it."

Unclipping the meter from the belt Paige switched the device on and watched as the needle on the display began to wavering from left to right, resting near the center of the gauge. The small lights began to flicker and the antennae at the top of the meter began to rise in response to the flowing energy signature that seemed to originate from the end of the abandoned tunnel.

"What have you got?" Ray asked as he casually glanced at the meter in Paige's hand.

"There appears to be a concentration of psychokinetic energy stemming from the depths of the tunnel. True source has yet to be identified."

"During the initial construction of the subway tunnels there were many accidents and collapses that took the lives of many construction workers. I can't imagine the tunnels NOT being haunted." Ray caught sight of the end of the tunnel. Uneven and horribly aged bricks sealed off the wall where warped metal track had been laid. "It's also possible that the close proximity to the old pneumatic transit line and the river of slime that had flooded could have possibly contaminated this junction with dense psychomagnetheric properties. Said properties could be positive, negative or neutral. Only one way to find out..."

Paige held up the meter and watched as the needle peaked to the right of the display, the antennae directing her focus to the center of the bricks. "The source is just beyond the wall."

"Then let's bury the generator here." Ray suggested as he kneeled down and place the generator on the ground. Using the shovel he broke ground in the center of the jagged tracks. "The ground is soft enough, we should be able to bury this pretty deep without damaging any underlying cables."

"Ray?" Paige watched as the display meter began to quiver. "I have the feeling that we are not welcome here."

"You're probably right." Ray reached over and flipped the power switch on her proton pack.

Paige felt a chill go up her spine as the equipment roared to life.

"Keep an eye out for anything that moves." Ray cautioned as he resumed digging.

"Sounds easier said than done."

"Take the thrower from its holster," Ray instructed as he shoveled aside a large mound of dirt. "then press the switch on the thrower's side."

"Okay..." Paige reached back with her right hand and retrieved the thrower. She spotted the switch and pressed it, power charging through the thrower under her touch. "Now what?"

"If you see something aim and press the red button. Don't look directly at the stream, it'll be bright. Switch the small lever next to the button up for a proton stream and down for a containment stream."

"Perhaps we should trade places?" Paige suggested as she had no experience with using such unique devices. "You're far more qualified than I am."

"You'll be fine." Ray insisted as he continued to dig. "Just plant your feet and hold your breath. It's easy."

The PKE meter squealed loudly as a brick in the wall from its place and crumbled into red and brown clay powder on the ground. The dim illumination of the tunnel's overhead lights flickered briefly and an icy breeze wafted through the finite location.

"Ray... I don't like this."

"Almost there, I just need to be careful of the cables." Ray tested the conduction of the large cable with the tip of the shovel, his industrial gloves protecting his hands and body from any potential shock. "It'll be fine."

The lights flickered again and an angry growl echoed through the tunnels. More bricks began falling from the wall, each one crashing to the ground and crumbling away into powder.

Ray grabbed the generator and began lowering it into the freshly dug hole, mindful of the cables as he moved with absolute precision.

An ethereal form began to manifest as a cloud of an incorporeal mist seeped through the bricks in the wall. The form took on the outline of a humanoid being and floated in the air just a few yards from Paige. Where it should've had eyes were two black holes. It's mouth hung open in an eternal scream as if its jaw had been completely broken and twisted. A strange green corrosive liquid dripped down from the slack jaw, and scorched the ground with a fiery hiss.

"Ray?!" Paige was struggling to keep calm as this ominous presence encroached toward her with a menacing eyeless stare. "It's here and it's not happy!"

Ray looked up and froze. He dared not move a muscle with his arms so close to the cables, despite his urge to run and stand at her side as if he could provide some form of protection. "Fire! Take it down!" All Ray could do was offer words of encouragement.

Aiming the thrower Paige opened fire and ensnared the angry spirit in containment stream and did her best to hold it in place.

"You got it!" Ray shouted as he resumed burying the generator. "I'm going to switch on the generator, just a few more seconds!"

The enraged spirit lashed out toward Paige with long arms and bony fingers. Unable to reach its target the ghost opted for a different approach. Welling up the corrosive substance in its mouth the ghost spat a glob of the toxic material at Paige, the hazardous material making contact with her exposed right forearm and instantly burning her flesh!

Paige let out a yelp of pain but managed to keep the thrower steady in her hands. Ray immediately looked toward Paige as soon as he heard her cry out and was at her side in an instant. "Paige?!"

"I'm fine..." She lied through gritted teeth. "The generator..."

Ray scurried back to the hole and reached down inside to locate the power switch while Paige still wrestled with the ghost. The horrific pain in her arm caused her whole body to tremble and her legs to give way. As she fell to her knees she lost her focus and switched off the thrower.

Freed of the containment stream the ghost hovered closer to Paige with a malevolent intent in its motions.

"Got it!" Ray announced as he powered on the generator. The shield of ionized particles flooded the tunnels and pushed the treacherous spirit away from Paige and out of sight.

Ray pulled his arm out of the hole and stared at Paige who sat on the ground cradling her burned arm. Curling around herself she pressed her tender flesh against the material of her jumpsuit across her chest, unwilling to press her palm to the afflicted area in case of further injury. The proton thrower laid beside her without power, without purpose.

"Paige?" Ray kneeled down beside his injured colleague and tried to pry her arm away from her body. "Let me see."

Reluctantly Paige extended her arm out toward Ray and revealed the deep red burn that marred her skin from the back of her hand up to her elbow. Bits of fabric from the jumpsuit that had made contact with the burning flesh fell away, the caustic substance eating through the dense material like acid.

"Hold still." Ray reached into the concealed chest pocket of his jumpsuit and retrieved a small black canister with a spray nozzle. "This should neutralize the burn and soothe the pain."

Spraying the unnamed concoction onto Paige's arm Ray watched as she winced, fighting the urge to protectively retract her arm from his touch. The burn was quelled and the pain eased.

"What... What was that?" Paige asked as he stared at her trembling arm in near shock.

"It's concentrated, positively charged psychomagnetheric slime. Dr. Spengler and I found that this substance, when properly charged, can counteract most acrid ectoplasmic residues."

"Thanks..." Paige wanted to curl around her arm again but Ray held his grip on her arm firm.

"Hold still." Reaching back into the same pocket he deposited the spray and retrieved a clean swatch of cloth. Wrapping the cloth protectively around the injury Ray patted Paige's shoulder. "Sit still for a moment, catch your breath. I'll bury the generator and we can get the hell out of here." Ray clicked on the radio hanging from his belt and made contact with Winston outside. "Winston, we're almost done in here, but Paige has been hurt."

'Is it serious?' Winston's voice crackled over the radio in response. 'Need me to go down there?'

"No, her arm has been burned by a pissed off ghost. But we do need to get her to a doctor for proper treatment as soon as possible."

'Right, I'll contact Janine and let her know. I'm waiting for you!'

Paige wanted to protest going to a hospital but knew that if she refused then she'd be just as stubborn and difficult as Dr. Venkman.

"It'll be just a moment." Ray encouraged as he returned to the hole and began filling it in with the loose dirt. "Is the pain bad?" He asked he continued to fill the hole at a rapid pace.

"No... It's not bad." Paige's voice was shaking with a mixture of fear and pain as she sat on the floor. "I just... I'd like to leave."

"Will do." Ray stomped down the dirt, satisfied that it wouldn't draw any interest from anyone curious or dumb enough to explore the tunnels. Walking over to where Paige sat Ray offered her his hand and helped her up to her feet. "Let me carry the pack."

"Yeah, sure." Paige turned around and allowed Ray to turn off the pack and slip it from her shoulders while she unclasped the support strap around her waist.

"You did good." Ray confirmed as he heft the pack over one shoulder and holstered the thrower. "You're a natural."

"That didn't feel natural." Paige lamented as she pressed her injured arm to her chest.

"Winston is waiting for us. We'll get your arm taken care of and call it a night, okay?"

"Okay..."

Paige felt cold. She had never experienced anything as intense as confronting a vicious ghost in a dark, abandoned tunnel. Her whole body quaked with fear and she could hear her own breaths shuddering as she desperately tried to calm her frayed nerves. A warm comforting arm wrapped around her shoulders as Ray could sense her lingering dread.

"You're not the first to suffer from unpleasant physical contact with a ghost." Ray softly spoke. "The very first call we ever went on, this was before Winston was even apart of the team, Venkman got 'slimed' from head to toe by a nasty green gooper at the Sedgewick Hotel. We caught it though, kept us from going bankrupt."

"Slimed?"

"That's what he called it. He was coated in a really thick layer of ectoplasm." Ray smiled at the memory. "I found him laying on the floor dripping with green slime. He wasn't thrilled about it."

"Can't imagine why." Paige responded sarcastically, trying to assuage her own discomfort by masking it with forced humor.

Walking along the tracks back toward the station platforms Ray and Paige made their not so grand exit back to the street above. Ray helped Paige lift herself up from the tracks and pull herself onto the platform. Following close behind Ray tossed the shovel up onto the platform before climbing after the young woman who had was standing idle and waiting for him.

Ray could see that there was something upsetting Paige. She had a thousand yard stare, her green eyes filled to the brim with terror. "You okay?" Ray asked as he returned his arm to her shoulders. "You know, aside from the obvious problem." He eyed the white cloth wrapped around her injured arm, feeling a twinge of empathetic pain himself.

"Nothing..." She lied feeling like a coward as she pressed her body closer to Ray's seeking solace.

"Paige, I know we've only met a few weeks ago and you're quite an introvert, but it's okay. You can talk to me, you can talk to Winston, you can talk to Janine..." He hesitated for a moment. "Peter is a psychologist but you may want to talk to him as only a last resort." He tightened his arm around her into a reassuring hug. "What's on your mind?"

"Ray... I..." Paige was almost whispering as he guided her to the street and over to Ecto-1 where Winston was awaiting their return. "I don't think I can do this!"

...to be continued...