Author's Note: In this chapter, you'll see a bit more of Summer's playful side. As an autistic person myself, I try to make the character of Summer true to my personal autistic experience. I aim to showcase not only Summer's struggles, anxieties, and emotions, but also her ability to have fun and embrace life in all of its little details; which, I must say, is something us autistics tend to be very good at! Hope you all enjoy the chapter, and feel free to leave a comment or send a message! Feedback really encourages me in knowing what to write next!
Again, I do not own Ghost Hunters, TAPS, or GHI. This story is purely a work of fiction and should be taken as such.
As uneventful as the rest of the night is, I'm amazed to find out how much evidence we end up capturing on film and audio.
Late the next morning, the TAPS team meets in the hotel conference room that's been reserved for evidence review. Steve and Tango are at the top of their game, as usual, and they point out several anomalies that they've found while reviewing the evidence.
Their discoveries include footsteps caught on an audio recorder when no one was near it, the faint sound of whispering, two clear knocks that appear to be in answer to specific questions, as well as some very oddly-shaped heat signatures recorded by the thermal camera.
"Saving the best for last," Steve comments, twisting around in his chair to look up at me, "I know you'll appreciate this one, Summer."
"Oh?" I lean closer to the screen to see what he's pointing at. I recognize the pattern of green dots immediately. "The laser grid!"
"That's right. As you can see by the timestamp, this was right when Dave, Jason, Dustin, and you and I were upstairs in the nave. Remember, you thought you saw something? Watch closely."
I don't think I can watch any more closely; if I lean any further over Steve's shoulder, I'll fall into his lap. Steve hits the "play" button, and I hold my breath.
For a second or two, I don't see anything. Then, I notice that the green pinpricks of light on the wall actually start to change; slowly at first, and then re-orienting themselves dramatically.
"Back up a bit," Steve laughs. "How can you see anything if you're that close?"
"Sorry," I mumble, straightening up and hoping nobody notices the heat that must be staining my cheeks.
Steve's right, though... as he rewinds the tape and plays that section again, I notice what looks like the clear figure of a person, or rather, half of one, stepping into the path of the laser beam and hesitating before stepping away.
I inhale so fast from excitement that I choke on my own saliva, and have to cough several times to clear my throat.
"Feel good to have that confirmed?" Jason asks me with a twinkle in his eye.
"You bet," I tell him. "I mean, I knew I wasn't seeing things, but having it actually confirmed on camera is amazing."
Jason makes a sound of satisfaction. "One more piece of evidence that we can bring to the client. What do you say, G.? Will we head over there now?"
Grant, looking a lot better this morning, nods in agreement. "Sure thing, Jay. That's all you had to show us, right, guys?" He directs this question at Tango and Steve.
"That's it," Steve confirms.
While Jason and Grant head across the city to present the evidence we've collected to Father Johnson, the rest of us return to our rooms. I feel as if I'm going to wear a hole in the hotel carpet as I pace back and forth. The uncertainty of what we'll be doing for the rest of the day is keeping me on edge.
I take a few snapshots of the city skyline from my hotel window, and then return to roaming around the room. I idly flip through a magazine before tossing it back onto the table. Flick the TV on, and then switch it off again. Flop down on the bed, and get up again.
This waiting is driving me crazy.
Finally I hear a knock on the door, and I dive across the room; not, of course, without banging my shin on the wooden chair that I didn't push all the way back under the table.
"Come in," I groan, opening the door to find Kris and Amy.
"What did you do now?" Amy asks with a knowing grin.
"Hit my leg on the stupid chair," I mutter.
I can tell Kris is trying not to laugh. She puts her hand over her mouth, but she can't hide her dimples.
Regaining control of herself, she tells me, "Jason and Grant just called; they're downstairs in the lobby waiting for us. Steve, Dustin, and Tango said they'll meet us down there."
I quickly snatch my purse, and follow Kris and Amy to the elevator.
Once downstairs, we meet up with the rest of the crew in the lobby. Jason is tucking his cell phone back into his pocket as we approach.
"I was just talking to the garage," he informs us. "They'll get to the tech van first thing tomorrow morning, but it looks like we're definitely stranded here another day. So, since we have nothing else to do... who's up for some sight-seeing?"
"Summer is," Grant teases, and I blush when I realize I've been bouncing up and down on my toes at the mention of sightseeing.
Even Jason smiles at that.
On reaching the parking lot, Jason studies the two Yukons and scratches his head. "Okay, who wants to ride where?"
"Can we all fit in one vehicle?" Grant suggests. "There should be enough room, now that we have all the equipment taken out."
Jason does a quick headcount. "I guess we could try it."
After some finagling, we manage to squeeze everyone into a single Yukon. Jason claims driver's privilege, with Steve riding shotgun. Tango and Dustin occupy the middle seat with Kris between them, while Grant, Amy, and I crawl into the very back.
I hug myself with delight as we pull onto the street. Not only do I get to do paranormal investigations with the best team in the world, but I get to spend a day relaxing and sightseeing with them as well.
"What are you thinking about?" Amy pokes me, interrupting my musing. "You've been staring out the window for the past ten minutes with this huge grin on your face."
"Isn't it exciting, Ame?" I almost squeal. "Isn't this the best day ever?"
Amy smiles at my excitement. "It is pretty cool," she agrees.
As we near the downtown core of Columbus, I'm practically hyperventilating. There's so much to see, and I want to see everything. I can't stop moving... one minute I'm leaning forward to peer at something through the windshield, the next I'm almost dislocating my neck trying to see something out the back window. Amy keeps giggling at me, even though she's trying not to.
"You don't get out much, do you, Summer?" Grant says with amusement, watching my frenetic actions.
"I do, I just... oh, look at that! I don't visit many cities, and I think... oh, Amy, do you see the fountain?! I think it's exciting, that's all."
By the time Jason eases the Yukon into a parking space, I'm clenching my hands together in my lap to keep from flapping. The back seat of the SUV is pretty tight quarters, and I'm afraid I might smack someone by accident.
Once my feet hit the pavement, though, my hands start fluttering like moth wings. I'm bouncing on my toes, so excited by the prospects of the day that I can't hold it in... and I don't want to.
Yesterday's oppressive heat has lifted slightly, and cotton-ball clouds drift by and provide us with long moments of respite from the sun's rays. It's the perfect day to be outdoors, and when Jason and Grant suggest the Columbus Riverwalk, we all agree.
After spending two full days traveling and a long night investigating the inside of Our Blessed Lady Catholic Church, it feels good to stretch our legs.
"There it is, ladies and gents," Grant comments, shading his eyes to look out at the water roaring and foaming by. "The Chattahoochee River. That's Alabama on the other side."
I drape my arms over the sun-warmed railing and stare out at the river. I could sit here for hours and admire the shapes that the water makes as it swirls over the rocks, but instead I turn and follow the rest of the team as they stroll along the brick walkway.
As we walk, I notice that the team stays in a loose group; sometimes together, sometimes with a few members walking a little behind or a little ahead. I don't want to miss out on anything, so I end up darting back and forth between groups. That is, until Kris grabs my arm.
"Summer," she laughs, "You are going to wear yourself out running around in this heat!"
I give her a sunshiny grin. "I feel amazing, trust me."
We're passing by a fire hydrant as we speak, and it must have been left open for some reason, because it's gushing a stream of water out onto the grass. Some of the water has spilled over onto the walkway, trickling along and turning the bricks a darker red.
Most people veer around the wet spots, or carefully step over them. Not me... I make a dash for a puddle and kick at it as hard as I can, sending a spray of rainbow droplets arcing into the air.
"Summer's lost it," teases Steve, catching sight of what I'm doing.
"Nope, I've found it," I contradict, spinning around to walk backwards so I can watch the wet footprints I'm leaving on the dry walkway.
"What have you found?" calls Jason, from a few yards ahead.
I shrug. I don't really have an answer for that.
"Happiness." Dustin answers the question for me. "Summer's found the secret to happiness."
"Which is... what, exactly?" That's Tango, who's overheard part of the conversation.
Dustin thinks about that for a few seconds before giving his answer. I like that about Dustin... he takes time to really think about what he's going to say. "Living in the moment," he says finally. "Enjoying everything the world has to offer. Realizing that you're never too old to play."
"Okay, Buddha," Tango teases him.
Of course I immediately jump to Dustin's defense. "He is like Buddha, sort of. At least, he's wise like Buddha. If Buddha wore aviator sunglasses, that is." I can't resist teasing a little bit, myself.
Tango smirks at me. "If he's Buddha, who am I?"
"Fred Astaire," I fire back without hesitation.
Tango looks mystified. "Who's that?"
Trying to keep a straight face, I waggle my eyebrows in what I think is a pretty good "Dave Tango" impression, and reply, "He danced the tango."
The rest of the TAPS team breaks into laughter, and I duck away from Tango, who makes a grab for me. Running a few steps forward, I try to hide on the other side of Jason. "Too slow," I taunt.
Waiting for Tango to make a move, I'm caught off guard as Jason ruffles my hair. I guess the sunshine and fresh air has loosened him up a bit, since he usually appears pretty straight-laced and stern.
"Bit of a troublemaker, aren't you?" he rumbles now, sounding amused.
I shrug. "Sometimes."
I bounce happily along between Kris and Amy until the brick walkway widens, allowing room for a few benches to overlook the river. Some artistic person has been here before us, because the whole area is decorated with chalk drawings.
Normally I would admire them and move on, but then I spot a game of hopscotch, with colorful numbers inside neat boxes.
I just can't resist the inviting pastel squares.
"One, two, three," I count softly, first hopping on one foot, then landing with two together, and then hopping on the opposite foot. "Four, five, six..."
I'm so engrossed in my game that I haven't noticed that the rest of the team has stopped walking.
"Eight, nine, ten!" I exclaim triumphantly. Then my face turns red as I realize everyone is watching me.
"How old are you, anyways?" Steve asks teasingly. "Six?"
"She's old enough to know how to have fun." Dustin says firmly. He circles the chalk lines on the ground, stopping next to the number "1".
Pushing his sunglasses up on top of his head, he extends his arms for balance and starts to count. "One." He flashes me a grin and balances expertly on one foot. "Two, three." In a few seconds, he reaches the end of the game.
I'm bouncing in excitement, and Kris takes that as an invitation. "Come on, Ame!" She grabs a protesting Amy by the arm and drags her to the start of the game. "Summer and Dustin have the right idea."
I'm laughing out loud by now. Amy hops, the tip of her tongue poking out of the corner of her mouth as she concentrates. Kris's ponytail swings like a pendulum as she takes her turn.
Of course, Tango isn't about to be left out, and soon he's hopping too.
Jason, Steve, and Grant exchange a three-way glance. Then suddenly, Grant grins. "Well, why not?"
There's more laughter and teasing, as Grant lets go of his dignity for a few seconds and jumps, landing beside me slightly out of breath.
"Well, Steve?" Jason says seriously.
Steve tilts his chin up and doesn't answer.
I've never seen anyone look as stern while playing hopscotch as Jason does. His eyes are hidden behind his dark sunglasses, but there's definitely the glimmer of a smile under his bushy goatee.
Now that everyone has taken a turn except Steve, the friendly ribbing begins.
"Come on Steve! Man up!" Tango taunts.
"Don't be a spoilsport," Kris badgers.
Steve finally shrugs and gives a lopsided grin. "Sure, why not," he says, echoing Grant's words from earlier. His brow furrows in concentration as he jumps, and I struggle not to laugh. I know he's taking this hopscotch game very seriously.
"You happy now?" he grumbles, attempting to look sorely tried and failing to hide the fact that he's actually enjoying himself.
"Thank you," I tell him sincerely. "And that goes for all of you. Thank you."
"What for?" Amy wants to know.
"For... for joining me in my world for a few minutes." I reply, after a moment's pause.
"Your world is fun," Kris declares loyally, tucking her arm in mine as we resume walking. Amy takes my other arm, but is more curious about what I've just said.
"What do you mean, joining you in your world?"
That's a hard question to answer. Finally, I make an attempt. "It's like..." I pause again. "Well, you know I'm autistic, right?"
Amy bobs her head.
"It's... I guess... I don't know. It's hard to explain. But when your brain is different from everyone else's, it means you do things differently, see things differently... most times I don't mind, but sometimes it's really obvious that I'm... well, different. But when other people do the same things I do, it helps me feel... not so different. You know?" I hope it makes sense.
Amy is nodding thoughtfully.
"We can learn a lot from differences," Dustin, who's been walking quietly behind us, puts in.
I twist around to look at him. "Thank you, Buddha," I tease, garnering chuckles from the group.
No more is said until we reach a stretch of walkway that passes by a rougher section of the river.
"Oh, look!" Kris lets go of my arm to point. "Those guys are going white-water rafting."
We fan out along the railing, watching as the group below us tackles the angry, foaming water. The first raft makes it through without incident, but the second isn't quite as lucky. A stray eddy grabs the inflated raft and whirls it around, sending the group racing down the river backwards. But finally, they too arrive at the bottom, soaked but still clearly having fun.
"Man, I would love to try that." Tango, draped over the handrail next to me, comments.
I look at him in surprise as I hop down from my perch on the railing. "Really? I would never... it looks way too scary. I'd probably fall out of the raft."
"Where's your sense of adventure?" Grant jokes, and I giggle.
"I'll stick to riding the merry-go-round," I joke in return.
"You want to go on a ride? I'll give you a ride," says Steve from behind me. Before I even have a chance to react, his powerful arms catch me around the waist and he lifts me clear off the ground.
"Gonsalves!" I yowl as he spins around, swinging me in a neat circle and then plonking me down in the exact spot I was in a second ago. "You... you..."
"Steve!" Jason barks, and he doesn't look pleased. "What do you think you're..."
"Do it again!" I interrupt.
Steve and Jason both look at me strangely. Then a slow smile creeps across Jason's face. "On second thought..." He lets the sentence dangle.
Steve looks down at me, his dark eyes twinkling. "You actually enjoyed that?"
"Yes! Please do it again, please?" I beg, hopping from one foot to the other in my eagerness. I have a silly grin on my face, but I can't help it.
Steve throws back his head and laughs. "Sure you trust me not to throw you into the river?"
I give him a mischievous look. "You can't get rid of me that easily." I turn my back to him and wait impatiently.
"Doesn't mean I won't try," he grumbles, before swooping me up off the ground. "All right, Lafrenière... get ready to fly."
I lift my feet up and whoop with delight as he twirls, spinning me once, twice, three times. Loving the exhilaration, I loosen my death hold on his hands and stretch my arms out like wings. The world flashes past in a crazy kaleidoscope of colors and blurred faces.
For a second or two, I close my eyes. Blind trust. It truly feels like flying, suspended between heaven and earth. Then we're slowing, and my feet scrabble for purchase on the walkway.
Steve is panting when he sets me down. "You're heavier than you look," he grunts good-naturedly.
"Excuse me?!" I sputter with indignation. He lets go of me, and I take a step forward and immediately stagger with dizziness. Tango catches me before I can tumble to the ground.
"Why is it that you always end up falling into my arms?" he teases, and I groan, remembering our investigation at the Passamaquoddy Inn.
"I wouldn't have fallen on you at all if somebody hadn't thrown me at you," I sulk, and Steve snickers.
As we meander down the walkway, Grant drops back to walk beside me. "Having fun?"
I nod, and let out a sigh of pure bliss. "This is the best day ever."
Grant chuckles. "You don't ask for much, do you?"
I look at him in surprise. "What could be better than this?"
"Oh, I don't know... maybe a vacation somewhere tropical, or a big concert?"
I shake my head. "I don't like traveling all that much... I mean, other than road trips with TAPS. And I like music, but most concerts get overwhelming pretty fast."
"What about dinner at a fancy restaurant?"
I tilt my head to one side as I consider that. "That would be nice... but you know me, Grant. I'm probably going to order a grilled cheese, and there's only so gourmet you can make a grilled cheese."
Grant gives me a playful sideways glance. "Now, that's where you're wrong. I won't tell you any more... but I think you'll really enjoy where we're going for supper tonight."
I perk up at that. "Oh? Where?"
But no matter how much I tease for hints, Grant won't tell me another thing.