Chapter 4: The McKirks and the Hackfords

"Are we there yet?" Danielle asked from the back seat.

"Not yet, Sweetie." Maddie went with an excited grin.

"Not too late for a ghost with a grudge to have followed us here…" Jack muttered hopefully.

"There's the sign!" Maddie pointed forward.

"Great…" Danny and Jazz went in a shared groan, not looking forward to how this will go.

The RV soon arrived at its destination, a town that looked very out of the loop on the modern age.

"Strickville?" Danielle asked, seeing the sign.

"Yup…" Those who really didn't like the look of this place.

It was clear from the dirty looking small buildings and the less than modern way of dressing that this town was not of high income.

There were trucks passing by, most with windows clearly broken. Some men walked without shirts, some of the old women had scowls on their faces as they passed each other. The RV passed by a tackle shop, a liquor store and some kind of barbecue place before seeing the one familiar place they knew of.

"Is that a Walshop?" Danielle asks.

"I guess even low income towns like this can afford them." Jazz answered.

Maddie, meanwhile, couldn't help but sigh happily.

"Breathe in that wonderful, fresh Kentucky air…" She said as she lowered the window and took in some air.

Danielle sniffed the air.

"Smells like barbecue…" She answered.

"So… where's your cousin anyway, Mom?" Danny asks.

"Just a few blocks away." Maddie said cheerfully.

"Huzzah. All the way here in Trout County." Her husband grumbled.

Danny, meanwhile, wasn't thinking of the town right now. He was thinking about the emails and recalled that this is the same county where the man contacted him.

I'm not far from the professor. That means I'm not that far from where the goblins attacked him… He thought as recalled the email.

I am located in Trout County, West from Pike and East from Hopkinsville.

As the Fentons kept driving, Danny and Jazz looked around and saw just how backwater and gross looking this town really is, filled with trash and grime all over the concrete.

"This is making the Ghost Zone look inviting." Jazz commented in disgust.

"Yeah, this might have been a bad idea..." Danny muttered.

"Looks fine to me..." Danielle said, earning looks from her older siblings that, once she realized they were staring at her, made her shrug. "I used to sleep in dumpsters, remember?"


20 minutes later

"There it is!" Maddie went excitedly, jumping in her seat.

The rest of her family, sans Danielle, frowned.

The Fentons soon arrived at the McKirk's farm. Once there and out, Danny and Jazz observed the exterior.

It was shoddy, with a few animals out, including some chickens. The fence was worn down, clearly not enough to keep animals like coyotes out. While there were some crops, what caught their attention more was the rundown shack where tools were kept.

"And suddenly I wish I was on a date with Dash of all people..."Jazz complained.

"Looks okay to me..." Danielle said, thinking it's nice.

"Give it time…" Jazz warned.

The Fentons soon walked to the front door and when Maddie knocked on the door, a redhead, bearded man in his forties while wearing a white shirt with overalls opened up.

"Maddie, that you, cousin?" The man said in a hick accent, smiling.

"Cousin Zeke! Long time no see..." Maddie said as she greeted her cousin with a hug.

"Well I'll be..." He said with a smile as he pulled back. "Ya made it…" He looked in. "Betty-Jo! We got guests!"

"Did you hit a billboard with your Wednesday night buddies again?!" A voice said, groaning as a brunette, green eyed woman went walking in, wearing a yellow dress and an apron. "I swear you-" She saw who it was and gasped with a smile. "Maddie?"

"Betty-Jo!" Maddie said happily as they hugged.

Soon, the rest of family were noticed.

"Jack? Well… how about that?" Zeke said.

"Ezekiel." Jack said, trying to be civil.

Zeke only chuckled.

"I see my cousin's still a good cook… how are ya?!" He went with a grin.

Jack only shrugged.

"Can't complain…" Jack said.

That is when Betty-Jo noticed the kids.

"Well, are these two Jasmine and Daniel?" Betty-Jo asks.

"It's Jazz…" Jazz answered flatly.

"And Danny…" Danny answered in the same tone.

"Hi!" Danielle went, waving her hand to Zeke and Betty-Jo, getting their attention. ''I'm Danielle, or Dani with an I."

"Wha? Maddie, is this girl-"

Maddie approached Danielle and put a hand on her head.

"Indeed, say hello to Danielle, our second daughter." She said.

Her cousin just stared a moment before smiling.

"Well, I see you and Jack are behavin' like rabbits in Summer…" Zeke joked.

Jack and Maddie turned red with nervous grins. Jazz had a grossed out look on her face, while the two remaining just had blank expressions before looking at Jazz.

"Don't ask…" She muttered.

"We adopted her from Jack's side of the family." Maddie clarified.

"Ah… I see. I apologize." Zeke states.

Wanting to change the subject, Maddie made a fake cough.

"So… is Alicia here?" She asks.

"She's been in the living room all day waitin' for ya…" Zeke said.

"And… now I can complain…" Jack said quickly, his wife elbowing him in the ribs.

The cousins ignored that and turned to their guests.

"Come on in." Betty-Jo offered.

''Okay..." Danielle said happily.

"Prepare to see why Dad warned you." Jazz said to the clueless Danielle.

"I still don't get it. What do you mean?" Danielle asks.

The Fentons entered and saw it was just as rustic and dirty inside as it is out.

Only Maddie had a look of excitement on her as the rest were neutral.

"Wonderful, it hasn't changed a bit…" She goes.

"Neither have you, from the sounds of it." A voice familiar to Maddie was heard saying.

Out of the hallway came her big sister.

"Alicia..." Maddie said, happy to see her.

"Madeline..." Alicia said, hugging her. She then saw Jack and frowned. "I see you're still married to my sister." Alicia tells him in a hostile way.

"I see you're still a bitter old bat." Jack said with a glare.

"Jack…" Maddie said in a warning as she parted from her sister.

"Fine, fine… you're not that old." Jack said with his arms crossed.

As the two in-laws glared at each other.

An awkward cough from Jazz directed Alicia's attention from Jack as she stared at the kids.

"Hi, Aunt Alicia..." Danny said, waving at her.

"You look well, as always." Jazz said.

"Uh huh..." Alicia went before her eyes went downward to a new face she never saw before.

Danielle smiled innocently and waved.

"Hi, I'm Danielle."

"This is our second daughter." Maddie explained.

Alicia only raised a brow at that before shrugging.

"Uh huh… sure…" Alicia went in a dismissive tone. "So… I'm goin' back to my nap…" She quickly adds before walking back to the hallway.

Danielle was surprised by how nonchalant she was being.

"Uh… did she not hear that she has another niece?" Danielle asks.

"She did… and she dared to ignore you…" Jack went before shouting. "HEY! OLD BAT! GET OVER HERE AND PROPERLY MEET YOUR NIECE!"

Alicia quickly got mad at how she was being addressed.

"What did you say, you fat idiot?!" Alicia went.

Danny rolled his eyes and realized this was not going to be well.

Maybe I can get out and wait for them to cool down… He thought.

"Hey, Mom? Is it cool if I… avoid seeing this?" Danny said.

"Us too…" Jazz says, taking Danielle by the hand.

"Alright, go..."Maddie said as she tried to calm her husband and sister down.

The kids wasted no time in leaving the area.

"Come on, let's see if there's something to snack on while we wait." Jazz says.

"Cool with me." Danielle says with a smile.

Danny then went to the front, hoping to get out.

After he was about to go, there was a knock on the door.

"I got it!" Uncle Zeke said, walking up to the door. "Scuse me, nephew." He said.

He answered it.

Danny saw that it was a young girl around his age though somewhat taller, who was carrying a milk bucket.

She was a blonde, with a long ponytail, and freckles in very short shorts. Her undershirt was exposed as she didn't bother closing her shirt, with a patch on both shirts, indicating they were old and have been torn before. He also saw some mud on her shirt and boots. He also thought she was kinda pretty despite her very rustic look.

He blushed a moment before shaking his head.

I have a girlfriend… He mentally scolded himself.

"Sally May, what brings ya here?" Zeke asked.

"Just returnin' yer gallon bucket. Thanks again, it made a real good dumbbell..." Sally May said as she flexed her arm, showing her muscle.

Danny blinked a bit before realizing he was staring and looked away.

"Sam will kill me for that..." He muttered.

It was then Sally May took notice of him.

It took a moment but she smiled slowly.

"Mr. McKirk… I thought you didn't have a son…" She said.

"This here's my nephew… Daniel." Zeke answered.

"It's Danny…"

"I'm Sally May Hackford… nice meetin' ya." She said with a wave.

Danny, curious as to the odd smile on her face, waved back.

"Sally May, you'd best get back home. Don't want your Ma and Pa knowin' yer here again." Zeke said.

Sally May straightened up, acting like she forgot something important.

"Oh… right…" She turned away, before looking back and winking at Danny. "Bye."

The ghost boy flinched.

"That was weird..." He muttered as he heard more yells.

The sounds of Jack and Alicia still arguing in the house caught his attention as Danny shook his head.

"They're still at it?" Zeke asks. "They've been at it against each other since before your older sister was even born…"

"How did it even start?" Danny asks.

"I don't even remember..." Zeke says.

The yelling continued.

"Is there a place I can stick around while I wait for them to stop?" Danny asks.

"Try the chicken coop." Zeke suggests.

''Thanks..." Danny said as he went through the door and made a right.

Chicken coop... where's the-

Due to the broken floorboard, Danny ended up tripping and bumping into someone and who was just around the corner

"Whoa-" Danny went.

"Hey!" She said.

The end result was that the two were now on the ground.

"Ouch..." Danny said as he saw who he bumped into.

"Ow..." She went.

It's the girl who looked to be around his age, and now they were looking eye to eye.

Said girl was blushing pretty hard.

Remembering his manners, Danny pulled back.

"Oh, uh...sorry, I didn't see you there..." Danny said as he got up and offered his hand.

The girl was silent until she got a good look at him.

She smiled.

"My fault… I was… stickin' around." She said as she took his hand.

It was then Danny felt her grip as it made him wince a bit.

"I didn't see you, so it's my fault."

"No no… My fault." She said as she knelt forward to meet him at eye level. "Danny, was it?"

"Y-Yeah…" He said as he smiled nervously. As Sally May kept staring, his smile dropped. "Uh… why are you staring at me?"

"I just like what I see… It's why I was waitin' to see if you were steppin' out, to give us a chance to talk." Sally May said flirtatiously, making it clear that she is smitten.

Danny gulped.

"Oh… I see..." He said, feeling uncomfortable.

She just kept smiling at him, showing some admittedly nice white teeth.

"So… Danny? You kinfolk to the McKirks?" She asks.

"Uh… yeah. My mom is Uncle Zeke's cousin." He explained while Sally May slowly raised her hand and leaned it onto the wall behind Danny, near his head. "Uh… what are you doing?" He asks, not comfortable.

"Just wanna hear more…" She said, smiling more as her face started to get closer to Danny's face. "Tell more about yourself? Like where ya call home?"

"Uh… Amity Park… West Coast." He responded.

"That the town about spooks? Yer a city boy? No wonder I ain't never ya before…" She said before her smile widened. "Nice… figures a city boy would be so cute."

He quickly realized what was going through her head.

Uh oh… I better tell her.

Before Danny could say he has a girlfriend, someone approached them, stomping the ground in the process.

"Sally May? What are ya doin' here?" An older male's voice went.

Sally May leaned back, away from Danny, much to his relief. She looked to the person who said it.

"Hi, big brother…" She said.

Danny got a good look at this young man.

He appeared about early 20's, wearing overalls with one strap done, the other dangling. He had some hairs on his chin. He had Sally May's eye color, but darker hair. He also had a scowl at Danny.

"Whatcha doin' messin' around with my little sister, little man?" He questioned.

Whatever relief Danny felt left.

"Uh… umm…"

"Oh, he ain't no trouble. He's visitin' Ezekiel McKirk from a city in the West… and he's cute too."

"Y-Yeah…" Danny pulled his hand out. "He's my uncle…"

"Yer uncle? You're kinfolk to the McKirks? The same family the Hackfords have been feudin' with for 20 years?"

"Sure. I mean, I haven't exactly been to this farm for a long time so-" Danny stopped talking when he heard that word. "Feuding?" Suddenly the color on his face dropped. "Uh… nice meeting you?"

Sally May's brother then stepped up, glaring at Danny in the eye.

"You keep away from my sister. There's two things I hate… city people, and the McKirks… and yer two of 'em…" He warned.

"Technically I'm one of those… I think he's my mom's second cousin on her mom's side." Danny points out, his back to the wall.

"Knock it off, Zeb!" Sally May snapped.

Zeb gave Danny another quick glare before turning around.

"Let's go…" He took his sister by the wrist. "You ain't even s'posed to be here…"

Sally May pulled her arm out of his grip and pushed him, somehow pushing him 5 feet forward.

"I can walk myself!" She shouts. As Zeb walked forward, Sally May winks to Danny once again. "Later, City Boy…" She said.

"Umm…" Danny was about to say something, but she walked away before she could hear him. He groaned. "Sam is totally gonna kill me…"


Two Hours Later

It was dinner time at the McKirks.

Everyone was gathered at the dinner table, though it was far from peaceful.

Jack and Alicia glared daggers at each other from their respective sides of the table.

Maddie groaned at this, facepalming.

''Every time..." She muttered while her kids just stared.

Danny recalled what happened earlier and had to ask.

"So, Aunt Betty-Jo?" Danny asked, getting her attention. "Who are Sally May and Zeb?"

Suddenly, Betty-Jo sighed bitterly before she answered.

"They're the kids of Zebediah Hackford Senior. Our families have been feudin' for two decades." Betty-Jo explained with a tired expression.

"And they ain't gonna win in the end!" Alicia said with a fist pump.

This surprised Jazz and Danielle, while Jack rolled his eyes and Maddie gave a small smile as though she isn't sure how to properly respond.

"Why is there a feud? I don't recall one last time I was here." Jazz asks.

"You were small, plus they was on vacation." Betty-Jo said.

"Why is there even a feud?" Danielle asks.

"That'd be your uncle's fault… you see, back when he was a lot younger, him and Zebediah were both itchin' to ask out the same girl. Turns out she was just usin' em to get what she wanted. They's been bitter ever since. I tried to get 'em to talk things over, but they ain't listenin'." She said.

Just then, her husband appeared with a tray in his hands.

"Dinner time!" Zeke called out.

He then placed it on the dinner table.

They were having ham hocks and roast possum for dinner.

While Maddie smelled happily at the food, most of her city family weren't so keen.

"I think I lost my appetite..." Jazz whispered in disgust to her brother.

"I think Sam would flip if she saw this..." Danny said as he barely touched his plate.

That's when they noticed one of their number placing the possum meat in her mouth.

"I've eaten things out of dumpsters, this is gourmet as far I'm concerned..." Danielle said, still eating it.

Her siblings were grossed out and looked away.

I gotta get out of here… They both thought.

"May I be excused?" Danny asked, wanting to get away..

"May I be excused too?" Jazz asked urgently.

"Sure thing." Jack said.

"Sweet, more for me!" Alicia said, taking Jazz's dish and eating the contents fast.

I take it back. She's not just a bat, she's a pig. Jack thought in disgust.

Jazz got up fast.

"I'm going to… ready a book I brought in the living room."

"And I'm… going outside." Danny said fast before they both left the dining room.

With both gone, the rest of the diners continued.

"I don't see what their problem is…" Danielle said, taking a piece of the ham hock in her mouth.

"They ain't used to country food I'm bettin'. That's what happens when your sister marries a city man." Alicia grumbled, earning a glare from Jack.

"Where's he goin'?" Zeke asks.

Since they haven't shared Danny's secret with the rest of the family, they had to cover for him.

"He's gonna wait in the RV, probably wants to get back to his friends at the hotel." Maddie explains.

In reality, Danny just wanted to go to the woods.

He wanted to search for the goblins and the man who sent that email.

I know that these things were seen in the backwoods of Kentucky, so I might have a shot here... He thought, unaware that someone was watching him.


Elsewhere

The Hackford home, another farm half a mile down from the McKirk home, had the garage door open.

It was run right now by Sally May's brother, Zeb.

He is still mad over what happened earlier, about his sister flirting with that boy visiting the McKirks.

"My sister never did have the best way to control her impulses around people she thought was cute…" He muttered to himself.

Sally May's been eager for a relationship lately, so he can't be too surprised.

He sighed and decided to get back to working on his truck he was fixing up.

"Now… where are my tools?" He asks, seeing several wrenches missing. "I can't just work on fixin' the engine without 'em." He says before walking to the truck, opening to see the engine missing. "WHAT?!" His engine was gone.

He stepped back, looking around, trying to find some proof someone was in his garage.

Without seeing any proof, he walked to the door leading to the house.

"Sally May?! Someone's took my tools and engine! I'm too angry to be addled so I need help findin' who took 'em!" There was no answer. "Sally May?!"


In the woods, after sunset

"Okay… maybe this was a bad idea…" He muttered to himself.

Danny was walking by himself in the woods and noticed that he was on the ground in human form, something that was unnecessary.

Why didn't I go ghost and fly? He thought as he looked around.

Unknown to him, someone was watching him intently.

''Maybe I should just go ghost and fly around?" He said to himself, about to do so. That's when he heard a twig snapping, alerting him. "Who's there?!" He asks.

He looked around, his guard up.

If it's one of them… what do I do? I don't think I even considered a plan… He thought.

"Don't worry… it's only me…" A familiar girl's voice was heard as she walked out.

"What?!" Danny exclaimed, only to see that it was Sally May. "Oh, it's you. What are you doing here?" Danny asked, glad that he didn't go ghost with her nearby.

"I saw you leavin' the McKirk home and, well, wanted to… come speak some more." She admits with a smile.

"You followed me out here… to talk?" Danny asks.

"Maybe I just wanna get to know the first city boy I evuh laid eyes on, and one heck of a sight..." Sally May said, hitting on him.

Danny cringed.

She's pretty but she's kind of strong and direct in a way that's too much even for me. Plus, Sam is my girlfriend… Danny thought.

"Look, Sally May. First off, I know about the feud..." Danny said, getting to the point.

"That silly thing don't matter to me… Pa wouldn't have met Ma if that woman hadn't broken his heart. Plus, I think the two of us can show him how wrong it'd be if we's got… closer…" She said with a wink.

Danny knew what she was suggesting and wanted no part in it.

"I don't think that's enough to change opinions." Danny goes.

"It'll be perfect, you can come by on my 15th birthday in 6 months." She says.

Before Danny could speak, her words registered to him.

"6 months?" She nodded. "My birthday is in 2. You're younger than me?" He asks.

"Yeah..." She said before fluttering her eyes. "So is that a yes?" She asks, taking a huge step forward.

Danny was getting nervous now.

"Okay… listen. Sally May?" Danny said, taking a step forward to be firm. "This is I-"

He didn't see the tree root sticking up that his foot collided with.

"Huh?" Sally May went as Danny came falling towards her.

"WHOA!" He exclaimed.

The result was him crashing into Sally-May.

Danny had his eyes closed, and when he opened them, he realized Sally May's eyes were close. Too close. And they were wide opened.

Danny soon realized that the accident led to their mouths touching in a lip lock.

Oh no… Danny thought in a panic as he pulled away, crawling back before standing up.

"I'm so sorry!" He said as he wiped his mouth.

Sally May, on the other hand, was smiling madly.

"That was...my first kiss." She said, getting back up with a massive grin.

Danny cringed.

"It was?" He asks, dreading deeply as she reaches out to him, wrapping her arms around. "W-Wait!"

Sally May didn't notice as she was too ecstatic.

"First kiss! I found myself one dang good new boyfriend!" Sally May called out.

BOYFRIEND?! Danny thought in a panic.

"W-Wait! I-" Danny shouted but was ignored.

"Happiest day of my life!" Sally May called out, nuzzling his cheek.

Unfortunately, someone saw the accidental kiss and the rest, growing increasingly angry.

"Sally May!" He shouted.

Sally May huffed and let Danny go. Danny turned his head and saw her older brother, who looked mad.

"Oh crud…" Danny muttered.

Sally May just frowned.

"What do ya want, Zeb?" She questions, annoyed.

Her brother just glared at her and then at Danny.

"First I find my tools and my engine missin', now I find you lettin' this… city boy… take advantage of you!" He shouts.

Danny was about to speak up, tell them this is a huge misunderstanding, but Sally May stepped up.

"Well, too bad, he's my first kiss and now he's my boyfriend!" She declared.

"WHAT?!" Zeb yelled.

Danny wanted to clear up the misunderstanding but realized there was no point as neither would listen now.

"Well… I see you two have some sibling issues to sort out… bye!" Danny said before running off.

''Wait!" Sally-May called to him but he was too fast.

"Get back here!" Zeb yelled at him.

Sally May merely pushed him for it.

"Y'all stop that, Zebediah Jr!" She yelled at her brother.

"First off, never call me that! Second, but he's kinfolk to the McKirks!" He reminds her.

"I don't care. I think he's a very cute boy..." Sally May said, standing up to her brother.

"He's from the city! You know Pa hates city folk!"

"I intend to make sure our relationship last long enough to marry up to end this dumb feud!" Sally May said dramatically, much to her brother's shock.

"What?! My little sister?! Gettin' hitched to city kinfolk to the McKirks?! NEVER!" Her brother said, glaring down at her.

"Try and stop me and you ain't comin' to our weddin'!" Sally May said, determined to not let him stop her.

To prove her point, when Zeb reached out to grab her wrist and take her home, she grabbed him by his own wrist and flipped him over her shoulder and into the floor.

"Ugh…" Zeb went weakly.

"While you were busy with fast food, I eat almost all my meals at home. And I actually exercise…" Sally May reminds him.

"Ugh… why'd Pa have to let you agree to take that 12 week self defense trainin' last year? Or do all that muscle trainin'?" Zeb asks while still in pain.

While the two siblings were dealing with their differing opinions, another pair of eyes had been watching before deciding to leave and follow Danny now that it was dark.

A pair of saucer-like yellow eyes.


Special thanks to Flower princess11 for helping me on scenes here.

We introduce characters clearly based on the iconic McCoy and Hattfield feud. Notice the minor Star Trek reference in the name? You might be wondering, but it's true, the Hackford siblings are based on the Scroggins family, Sadie May and Billy Bob. I'm going to try and be less stereotypical towards hillbillies with them.

Sally May is going to be appearing a few times, clearly into Danny, who sadly wasn't able to get a word in edgewise involving a girlfriend.

Meantime, next chapter we get to the first major encounter with the titular creatures.

Chanderx93: Lo hará. ¿Quizás? Eso sería genial. Quédate y veremos cómo lo maneja.

Invader Johnny: We'll find out.

RonaldM40196867: Sure sounds tasty. I can try. That and Power Rangers vs Voltron are my favorites. The inspiration was just being a fan of Bedtime Stories. I'll try to update that and others soon. Probably not. I don't think he has x-ray, as it's more likely his skin turned invisible that one time in Memory Blank.

Leonardo: I think I did, but I'll need to restart as it's been a while.

Khy Dragon: We shall see...