๐ฐ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ 2021_Day 06 [Treat]
~Original~
Category: Humor,Friendship.
๐ฏ๐๐ ๐๐๐: ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ณ๐๐๐
Macy was on her last year of grad school, but since the students debt didn't pay itself, she worked in the nightshift of a 24h convenience store in Amity Park.
Right where the Witching Hour took its meaning on a new level.
The place wasn't even an hour away from the apartment she was renting and the burial site of the Illiniwek* that she was trying to preserve (and study) with her fellow archeology students. They had an indigenous as a consultant in order to avoid disrespecting the remains they were observing.
So, Macy was no stranger to the supernatural.
Yes, she had thought at first that "America's Most Haunted Place" was a scam, but after meeting (and hitting with a baseball bat) the Box Ghost while she had been unpacking the goods for the shop, now she was pretty used to the whole city dynamic.
Heck, now Macy even had regulars shopping during her shift.
โ Hey Mac. โ Phantom greeted, phasing through the door, followed closely by a tiny pure white bat that carefully hanged on the empty bar umbrella display beside the register.
Ugh, that reminded her that she had to fill those up after the storm of the morning. Of course that asshole of the diurnal shift had left her to do all the "menial tasks", because she had been "too busy" making the most money out of the two of them, to wash the mud from the pavement or refill the finished goods. When Phantom had (thankfully) floated inside, Macy had been trying to scrape the dried dirt from the tiles with little success. She was a hair-trigger away from bringing out the mop to melt the dirt back into mud to attempt to remove it fully, but it was a lost cause, probably.
โ Hey Spooks. New little buddy? โ She nodded to the bat that looked seemingly curiously at her.
โ Yeah, but I doubt it'll stick around. It was brought here by the winds of the thunderstorm of this morning; it just needs to recuperate before going home. โ The ghost boy lazily floated to the fruit section and hummed, staring undecided between peaches and apples. โ Say, what do you think are better for a bat? โ He raised one of each expectantly.
โ You do remember that I study archeology, don't you? โ The young woman deadpanned.
โ Yeah, but you're also a grown-up, so maybe you knew anyway. โ He shrugged, unrepentant.
She sighed, exasperated, and went back to scrape a stubborn patch. She felt his eyes on her for a bit, but then he went back contemplating his choices.
โ Go with the figs, if your friend is a fruit bat the more sugar, the better. โ Macy finally relented. She could practically feel Phantom's grin with how much his aura radiated happiness.
Yep, the Fentons were quacks on ghost studies, if they kept denying that specters were still people. "Monsters", or whatever they were saying nowadays, couldn't fake something this genuine.
โ Thanks Mac! โ The protector of Amity floated to the cash register and deposited on the counter the pack of dried figs, then eyed worriedly the dirty floor. โ How this place become a dried up swamp?
โ This morning, because people rushed in to buy umbrellas without wiping their shoes. โ The archeologist-to-be sighed, planting the flat shovel beside her. โ Don't mind me, I'm still bitter at my co-worker; do you need anything else? โ She left the tool against the counter and circumnavigated it to ring the purchase.
โ I could drink my bodyweight in energy drinks, but my allowance is a bit on the short side right now. โ He pulled out 5 dollars from his impossible-pocket and blushed green sheepishly.
โ Well, you're lucky, I won't take much. โ She gave him 4 dollars change, then she looked curiously at him. โ You don't have to answer, but where do you get your "allowance"? Finally someone recognized your efforts in protecting the town and is giving you a stipend?
โ Oh, I'd love to! โ Phantom snickered, opening the package (after putting away the coins). โ But no, I'm just doing chores like everybody normally does. You know, like sweeping, mopping and scraping like you were doing before. โ He gestured to the floor.
โ It's soโฆ domestic. โ Macy snorted, as she observed the teen concentrate on his hands where a couple of dried figs rested. They softly glowed green, before Phantom reached out with a thumb and index to pick one upโฆ only to leave it on his palm. Instead, he was holding a translucent (almost transparent) version of the fruit, which was offered to the white bat that started to dig in with gusto. โ What was that? โ She asked in wonder.
โ I extracted the "spirit" of the fruit. โ The grad student lightly glared at his pun, making him chuckle. โ I'm serious! I took out the essence of the fruit, think of it as an "impression" of the original. There are certain types of ghosts like our guest that can consume only those, usually the weaker ones. โ The ghost boy explained, tossing the fig he had removed the phantom off into his mouth. He made a face as he chew.
โ What's with that face? I checked them yesterday, they weren't expired. โ She stated a bit defensively.
โ Nah, don't worry. It's just tasteless after the extraction. The nutrients are still there, so two ghosts with one fig. โ He shrugged.
โ Can I try some? โ Macy blurted before she could stop herself. โ I'll trade it for one of my licorice candies. โ She amended.
โ Deal. โ The teen extracted the essence from the other fig and exchanged the goods.
Macy took a bite out of it and was surprised at how she was chewing something that she couldn't feel inside her mouth. It was so bizarre that she laughed at the experience.
โ This is so weird! But good weird! If you could do the opposite, you could make so many bucks with people on diet! โ The young woman joked, but the spirit hummed in contemplation.
โ I could ask the Lunch Lady if it's possible. After all she's the one who taught me this trick. โ He clarified. โ It could be useful if someone I know ever becomes diabetic. I could secretly un-spike his fudge stashโฆ โ Phantom mumbled the last part, but she heard it anyway.
โ Spooks, you're a genius! Please, remember me when you become famous! โ Macy playfully winked, glad to be of help to the guy who had saved the shop from utter chaos several times.
โ But technically I'm alreadyโฆ! โ He caught on her trap a little late, making him grin sardonically. โ Well played. โ He threw a glance at the clock behind her and deflated. โ I have to go. Com'on Bruce, I have to go to sleep or I won't be able to get up tomorrow. โ Phantom raised an arm like a falconer, making the bat take off and then perch on it as a sugar glider would have done.
โ "Bruce!? As in "Bruce Wayne", Batman? โ Macy clarified, a bit in deadpan.
โ Why not, I have to call it something. It doesn't mind, do you? โ He looked at the bat, who seemed to shrug. โ Say, does this shop have a basement?
The grad student blinked at the non-sequitur, but rolled with it. โ Nah, just foundations, why?
Phantom just smiled impishly and stomped down, making the floor translucent, enough to see-through the tiles and the cement foundations.
That was enough for all the dried mud to simplyโฆ fall down and leave a pristine pavement. โ See ya! โ He saluted, flying off through the door, bat and package of dried figs in tow.
Startled, Macy rushed around the counter and crouched down to touch the now-back-to-normal floor.
It was smooth and clean as if it was new.
She whistled, impressed. โ No wonder they pay him for doing choresโฆ
* It's one of the indigenous tribes that inhabited the territory that would afterward called Illinois.
A/N. If I got anything wrong with either archeology or indigenous culture, please let me know. I'm on a whole other continent, but I'm trying to be as truthful on these things as I can.
(ใท_ _)ใท
By the way, if you felt that Macy's grievance felt natural/genuine, it's because it was. I don't exactly have a night shift, but it's close enough. So, yeah, I projected. (๏ฟฃใญ๏ฟฃlll)
Anyway, Trivia Time: this story was the first I wrote among the one destined to Ectoberhauntโฆ but at the start, it wasn't supposed to be. This story was something my muse inspired me to write as soon as I woke up on August 23rd. Then came the vague idea for what is fated to be the story of Day 22 and then on August 27th I actively started writing the idea for Day 25.
Howeverโฆ Suddenly the list for Ectoberhaunt spawned and I told myself: "this is a sign! If I tweak those ideas just a bit, they'll fit! My muse was gearing up for this!"
So, thank you again Inspiration for giving me ideas! (๏พโใฎโ)๏พ*.โง
Hope you liked this, type ya tomorrow!
Will Day 07 be Abyss or Swamp? Check in "Domestic Phantoms" and you'll find out!
[Xyz.
Xyz1. Def.]