"Are we there yet?" Dani asked from the backseat.
"No," Peter answered. "We lost about two hours stopping in that town." He glanced over at Egon who was sleeping. "At least he's enjoying this."
"It's easy to have a good time when you sleep," Dani replied. "How much longer do you think it'll be until we get there?"
"A few hours," Dr. Venkman responded.
"Can you even see the road?"
"Yes." The car was quiet for a short time.
"Were you the one that got into the wreck you were telling Egon about?"
"Yeah. How did you know?"
"Just a good guess. How did it happen?"
"I was about twenty and I was heading to Chicago to visit my dad for Christmas because he said he'd be there over the holiday. I was driving a bit to fast and suddenly this deer comes out of nowhere. I slam on the brakes and hit another car. They didn't get hurt, but there car was kinda messed up. I ended up in the hospital with a broken arm and my car was totaled. I had one of the worst Christmas's of my life."
"How come you aren't spending Christmas with your dad this year? I thought the two of you made plans. You didn't have to come with me and Egon."
"My dad's busy," Peter told her. "And Egon asked me to come along."
"What's up with you and your dad?" Dani inquired. "Whenever someone brings him up you turn into like a hermit crab and don't talk again until you think we've forgotten."
"You don't forget though, do you?"
"Nope."
"Well, I'm going to be honest with you, Dani. I don't really like to talk about him. He's a great guy and all, but he's done some pretty stupid things. Charlie Venkman isn't the world's greatest father despite the mug I bought him for Father's Day says. He never showed up that day and I ended up breaking that mug. My dad's a con artist and I almost took the same route, but I managed to get into college than I ran into Egon and Ray. They showed me there can actually be reliable people in this world. Spengs and Ray try to be nice whenever my dad comes, but they understand what he's about. Ray almost died because my dad took him to Mexico to find some treasure. I haven't heard from him a lot since than. He comes by sometimes, but this was the first time in a long time we were gonna spend a holiday together. He just skipped out on me because of some new scam he thinks he can make a few dollars on."
"I'm sorry, Peter."
"It's not your fault, Dani. You didn't make him that way. He just felt that was the easiest way to make a few dollars and left my mom to go do that."
"What about your mom?"
"She's dead. Died a few years ago. My dad didn't even come back for the funeral."
"Wow," Dani said. "I'm really sorry."
"Thanks, but you have to promise that you won't tell Egon or Ray anything I said. They'll try to sit me down and talk to me about my dad. I'd rather not."
"Yeah, but they're your friends. They care about you, Pete."
"If you haven't noticed Ray gets really bad about Christmas. He tries to make it really special because the majority of mine sucked. I'd just like it if he did everything normal. That's why I'm coming along on this trip. I won't have anyone fussing over me, but I get to watch Mrs. Spengler worry all over you and Spengs. She's a great lady."
"I hear that." The car was quiet for a moment and the two awake passengers listened to Egon snore lightly on his side of the car.
"It's my turn to ask a question," Peter said. "Did you ever have a Christmas?"
"When I was little," Dani answered. "I kinda remember Christmas when I was four years old. My dad went out a got a tree that was kinda small, but really pretty. My parents and I decorated the tree with all sorts of cute ornaments and colorful lights. Than my mother helped me make an angel out of construction paper to put on top. My dad lifted me up and I placed the angel on top. It was kinda goofy looking, but nobody really cared. Christmas morning came and we went to church, opened presents and ate a big dinner, but the one thing I remember the most is that angel. My mom told me she was going to keep it forever and put it on the tree every year. After that I never saw it again. Newton got rid of the majority of the stuff from my parents' house. I was going to keep the angel, but I never found it. I looked everywhere I possibly could than I gave up. Newton probably did throw it out like he did a good chunk of my life."
"This year you'll have a better Christmas," Peter told her. "I promise."
"Yeah," Dani whispered. The silence in the car became uncomfortable as Dr. Venkman focused back on driving the snowy road in front of him and the young woman put her headphones on to listen to her music again.
"Janine," Egon murmured. "Yes, Janine." Peter glanced at his friend who was moving around in his seat as he slept. "I do, Janine."
"Do what, Egon?" Dr. Venkman whispered.
"I do like to sing to Madonna," Dr. Spengler said. "Like a virgin. Touched for the very first time." Peter chuckled and let the car swerve a little, but grabbed the steering wheel tightly. And focused back on the road. As amusing Egon's singing was he had to pay attention to what little road he could see. "Like a virgin."
"Peter?" Dani said from the back seat.
"Yeah?" Peter replied.
"Should a trap be making a noise like a car battery not starting?"
"No. Why?"
"Because that's what happening to the trap and I understand my vision."
"What?"
"We're going to have an accident, Peter," Dani panicked.
"No, we aren't. Just toss the trap out the window. If the ghost gets out than it'll be stuck out here in the middle of nowhere. It might go back to the town, but we'll go back and catch it again."
"Okay." Peter heard the wind from outside come into the car and could feel the blasting cold. Egon shot up in his seat.
"What the --?" Dr. Spengler started. He turned around and watched as his cousin tossed the trap out the window. "Dani, why did you do that?" She looked at him as she rolled the window back up.
"We were going to have accident because the ghost got out since the trap was malfunctioning. Peter told me to throw out the window."
"Peter, by throwing it out the window the ghost will most definitely get out," Egon said. "We need to go back and use another trap."
"Spengs, we're going to be late to your mom's. She's going to start freaking out and call the gang wondering where we are. They're going to assume we're all dead just because we can't call to say we were trapping a ghost."
"You mean neither of you brought your cell phones?" Dani said from the backseat.
"I did, but it isn't charged," Dr. Venkman responded.
"Well, just use the car charger," the young woman told him.
"I took that out," Egon admitted. "Ray said he needed it." The blonde woman made an exasperated noise. "Sorry."
"What about your phone, Egon?" Peter asked.
"I left it at home," Dr. Spengler confessed. "I did not see the need for it."
"And mine is broken from our first little accident," Dani said. "Okay, well, we can't stop to trap the ghost, Egon. We just have to carry on, Jeeves."
"Yes, ma'am," Peter responded with a bit of a British accent. He glanced at Egon who didn't look happy. "Look, Egon, we'll just stop back by the town on our way back and catch it again. It'll probably go into hiding after what we did."
"Very well," Egon said. "We'll worry about it later."
"Maybe next time we can charge them," Peter replied.
"Peter!" The two Spenglers shouted.
"I was just kidding. Trying to lighten the mood."
"Speaking of lights, look up ahead," Dani pointed out. "What's the deal with that?"
"Possibly a road block," Egon suggested. "Slow down the car, Peter."
"I'm already going twenty miles per hour. Any slower and we might as well walk."
"No, this is bad," the young woman pointed out. "The vision is becoming clearer. Guys, we need to go back. This isn't the right way."
"Go back where?" Peter asked. "We couldn't make it back to that town if we wanted to. We're here. Wherever here is."
"Than go somewhere else. Find another road. Up ahead is bad." Dr. Spengler pulled out a PKE meter from the glove box and turned it on. The antennae started to move and flash.
"I concur," Egon stated. "It could possibly be the ghost we caught earlier or another entity entirely. I never did take readings."
"Yeah, it was more like plan, wait than capture," Dr. Venkman responded. "Cleanest and shortest bust ever. We should have more of those." Peter glanced over Egon. "What do we do, Spengs?" His friend didn't answer. "Come on, Egon. Answer me."
"I don't know," Egon answered. "We may be prepared to take on ghosts, but this weather will prevent us from doing anything."
"That doesn't help me," Peter said. He looked at the road as the windshield wipers tried in vain to remove the snow off the windshield. The psychologist saw something fly by the car and recognized what it was. The ghost from the town. "Uh-oh."
"Peter, stop the car," Dani told him. "Please stop."
"Egon --" Peter never had the chance to finish his sentence. There was a sound like tire blowing out than Peter started to fight for control of Ecto as it started swerving down the icy road. The car started to spin and the passengers started to shout in panic. The last thing the psychologist remembered was hearing the PKE meter give a shrill noise before everything went black.
"No," Peter answered. "We lost about two hours stopping in that town." He glanced over at Egon who was sleeping. "At least he's enjoying this."
"It's easy to have a good time when you sleep," Dani replied. "How much longer do you think it'll be until we get there?"
"A few hours," Dr. Venkman responded.
"Can you even see the road?"
"Yes." The car was quiet for a short time.
"Were you the one that got into the wreck you were telling Egon about?"
"Yeah. How did you know?"
"Just a good guess. How did it happen?"
"I was about twenty and I was heading to Chicago to visit my dad for Christmas because he said he'd be there over the holiday. I was driving a bit to fast and suddenly this deer comes out of nowhere. I slam on the brakes and hit another car. They didn't get hurt, but there car was kinda messed up. I ended up in the hospital with a broken arm and my car was totaled. I had one of the worst Christmas's of my life."
"How come you aren't spending Christmas with your dad this year? I thought the two of you made plans. You didn't have to come with me and Egon."
"My dad's busy," Peter told her. "And Egon asked me to come along."
"What's up with you and your dad?" Dani inquired. "Whenever someone brings him up you turn into like a hermit crab and don't talk again until you think we've forgotten."
"You don't forget though, do you?"
"Nope."
"Well, I'm going to be honest with you, Dani. I don't really like to talk about him. He's a great guy and all, but he's done some pretty stupid things. Charlie Venkman isn't the world's greatest father despite the mug I bought him for Father's Day says. He never showed up that day and I ended up breaking that mug. My dad's a con artist and I almost took the same route, but I managed to get into college than I ran into Egon and Ray. They showed me there can actually be reliable people in this world. Spengs and Ray try to be nice whenever my dad comes, but they understand what he's about. Ray almost died because my dad took him to Mexico to find some treasure. I haven't heard from him a lot since than. He comes by sometimes, but this was the first time in a long time we were gonna spend a holiday together. He just skipped out on me because of some new scam he thinks he can make a few dollars on."
"I'm sorry, Peter."
"It's not your fault, Dani. You didn't make him that way. He just felt that was the easiest way to make a few dollars and left my mom to go do that."
"What about your mom?"
"She's dead. Died a few years ago. My dad didn't even come back for the funeral."
"Wow," Dani said. "I'm really sorry."
"Thanks, but you have to promise that you won't tell Egon or Ray anything I said. They'll try to sit me down and talk to me about my dad. I'd rather not."
"Yeah, but they're your friends. They care about you, Pete."
"If you haven't noticed Ray gets really bad about Christmas. He tries to make it really special because the majority of mine sucked. I'd just like it if he did everything normal. That's why I'm coming along on this trip. I won't have anyone fussing over me, but I get to watch Mrs. Spengler worry all over you and Spengs. She's a great lady."
"I hear that." The car was quiet for a moment and the two awake passengers listened to Egon snore lightly on his side of the car.
"It's my turn to ask a question," Peter said. "Did you ever have a Christmas?"
"When I was little," Dani answered. "I kinda remember Christmas when I was four years old. My dad went out a got a tree that was kinda small, but really pretty. My parents and I decorated the tree with all sorts of cute ornaments and colorful lights. Than my mother helped me make an angel out of construction paper to put on top. My dad lifted me up and I placed the angel on top. It was kinda goofy looking, but nobody really cared. Christmas morning came and we went to church, opened presents and ate a big dinner, but the one thing I remember the most is that angel. My mom told me she was going to keep it forever and put it on the tree every year. After that I never saw it again. Newton got rid of the majority of the stuff from my parents' house. I was going to keep the angel, but I never found it. I looked everywhere I possibly could than I gave up. Newton probably did throw it out like he did a good chunk of my life."
"This year you'll have a better Christmas," Peter told her. "I promise."
"Yeah," Dani whispered. The silence in the car became uncomfortable as Dr. Venkman focused back on driving the snowy road in front of him and the young woman put her headphones on to listen to her music again.
"Janine," Egon murmured. "Yes, Janine." Peter glanced at his friend who was moving around in his seat as he slept. "I do, Janine."
"Do what, Egon?" Dr. Venkman whispered.
"I do like to sing to Madonna," Dr. Spengler said. "Like a virgin. Touched for the very first time." Peter chuckled and let the car swerve a little, but grabbed the steering wheel tightly. And focused back on the road. As amusing Egon's singing was he had to pay attention to what little road he could see. "Like a virgin."
"Peter?" Dani said from the back seat.
"Yeah?" Peter replied.
"Should a trap be making a noise like a car battery not starting?"
"No. Why?"
"Because that's what happening to the trap and I understand my vision."
"What?"
"We're going to have an accident, Peter," Dani panicked.
"No, we aren't. Just toss the trap out the window. If the ghost gets out than it'll be stuck out here in the middle of nowhere. It might go back to the town, but we'll go back and catch it again."
"Okay." Peter heard the wind from outside come into the car and could feel the blasting cold. Egon shot up in his seat.
"What the --?" Dr. Spengler started. He turned around and watched as his cousin tossed the trap out the window. "Dani, why did you do that?" She looked at him as she rolled the window back up.
"We were going to have accident because the ghost got out since the trap was malfunctioning. Peter told me to throw out the window."
"Peter, by throwing it out the window the ghost will most definitely get out," Egon said. "We need to go back and use another trap."
"Spengs, we're going to be late to your mom's. She's going to start freaking out and call the gang wondering where we are. They're going to assume we're all dead just because we can't call to say we were trapping a ghost."
"You mean neither of you brought your cell phones?" Dani said from the backseat.
"I did, but it isn't charged," Dr. Venkman responded.
"Well, just use the car charger," the young woman told him.
"I took that out," Egon admitted. "Ray said he needed it." The blonde woman made an exasperated noise. "Sorry."
"What about your phone, Egon?" Peter asked.
"I left it at home," Dr. Spengler confessed. "I did not see the need for it."
"And mine is broken from our first little accident," Dani said. "Okay, well, we can't stop to trap the ghost, Egon. We just have to carry on, Jeeves."
"Yes, ma'am," Peter responded with a bit of a British accent. He glanced at Egon who didn't look happy. "Look, Egon, we'll just stop back by the town on our way back and catch it again. It'll probably go into hiding after what we did."
"Very well," Egon said. "We'll worry about it later."
"Maybe next time we can charge them," Peter replied.
"Peter!" The two Spenglers shouted.
"I was just kidding. Trying to lighten the mood."
"Speaking of lights, look up ahead," Dani pointed out. "What's the deal with that?"
"Possibly a road block," Egon suggested. "Slow down the car, Peter."
"I'm already going twenty miles per hour. Any slower and we might as well walk."
"No, this is bad," the young woman pointed out. "The vision is becoming clearer. Guys, we need to go back. This isn't the right way."
"Go back where?" Peter asked. "We couldn't make it back to that town if we wanted to. We're here. Wherever here is."
"Than go somewhere else. Find another road. Up ahead is bad." Dr. Spengler pulled out a PKE meter from the glove box and turned it on. The antennae started to move and flash.
"I concur," Egon stated. "It could possibly be the ghost we caught earlier or another entity entirely. I never did take readings."
"Yeah, it was more like plan, wait than capture," Dr. Venkman responded. "Cleanest and shortest bust ever. We should have more of those." Peter glanced over Egon. "What do we do, Spengs?" His friend didn't answer. "Come on, Egon. Answer me."
"I don't know," Egon answered. "We may be prepared to take on ghosts, but this weather will prevent us from doing anything."
"That doesn't help me," Peter said. He looked at the road as the windshield wipers tried in vain to remove the snow off the windshield. The psychologist saw something fly by the car and recognized what it was. The ghost from the town. "Uh-oh."
"Peter, stop the car," Dani told him. "Please stop."
"Egon --" Peter never had the chance to finish his sentence. There was a sound like tire blowing out than Peter started to fight for control of Ecto as it started swerving down the icy road. The car started to spin and the passengers started to shout in panic. The last thing the psychologist remembered was hearing the PKE meter give a shrill noise before everything went black.