July 1985
Jennifer walked into the living room, shaking her head. "What's wrong, Jenny?" asked Ray.
"I just got a call from my cousin Clark in Texas. He says we need to get up there pronto," said Jennifer. "Something about a 'chupacabra'."
Egon looked up from his lab work. "Wait, did you say chupacabra?"
"Yeah." Jennifer nodded.
"What's a chupacabra, Egon?" asked Winston.
Egon walked over to his small library of occult reference books. He grabbed one of the shelf and started to thumb through it. "Aha! Here it is."
Ray, Jennifer, Peter, and Winston came over to him and looked over his shoulder to see the book. "A chupacabra," Egon read aloud, "is a legendary cryptid rumored to inhabit parts of the Americas with a reported habit of attacking and drinking the blood of livestock, especially goats. Most biologists and wildlife management officials view the chupacabra as an urban legend."
"Of course, we know better," added Ray.
"I used to hear legends about chupacabras all the time as a kid," said Jennifer. "I guess I always thought they were just a story."
"So I suppose we're all headed down south to catch some blood sucking dog?" guessed Peter.
"Not all of us have to go," reasoned Ray.
"And besides," Janine spoke up from the doorway. "If you think I'm going pick up your slack while you all go gallivanting off to Texas, you're crazy!"
"Cause we were so sane before," joked Winston.
"Okay, so Jennifer and I will go to Texas while you three stay here," decided Ray.
"I'd like to come too," said Egon. "This will be a wonderful opportunity to study some new paranormal life forms and I may never have a chance like this again."
"You just want at that barbeque, don't you Egon?" Peter teased.
"Um…I don't think I should go," said Jennifer unsurely.
"Why not, Jenny?" asked Ray.
"Yeah, you afraid of stepping in a cow patty or something?" joked Peter.
Jennifer gave him a look. "Venkman, I've stepped in about a million cow patties and not one of them was as bad as looking at your ugly mug."
"She burned you, Peter," Winston grinned.
Jennifer sighed. "Alright. I guess I'll go."
On the plane, Egon was reading a book, Ray was dozing, and Jennifer was staring out the window. Egon tapped her shoulder. "Why didn't you want to come?" he asked.
Jennifer flushed. "I didn't not want to come. It's just…my family didn't approve of me taking classes in New York, remember? Besides, being from Texas is sort of embarrassing. You heard all that stuff Peter was saying about cow patties. People tend to think that we're all a bunch of hicks down in Texas, and truthfully, none of them even try to dispel that stereotype. They enjoy it."
"I think I understand," said Egon.
"The thing is," Jennifer continued, "I'm sort of an outcast in my family. Nobody understands why I don't like sweet tea or country music or why I live in New York with you guys. So you can see why I'm hesitant."
Egon nodded slowly. "Listen," he said. "You never have to be ashamed for being who you are. If your family doesn't appreciate who you are, it's their fault, not yours."
A small smile crept across Jennifer's face. She leaned over and hugged him. "You know everything, don't you?" she teased. "Thanks."
A few hours later, the plane had landed and Jennifer, Ray, and Egon had walked outside of the terminal. "Man, it's hot here," said Ray, wiping some sweat off of his forehead.
"That's an understatement," retorted Egon.
Jennifer shrugged. "Hey, it's home. Welcome to Texas, boys."
A man in a plaid shirt with a farmer's tan was waiting for them outside. "Hey, Jenny Ruth!" he shouted at the sight of the three.
Jennifer winced. "Not the middle name," she moaned under her breath. Then she put on a smile and called to the man, "Hey, Clark."
Clark bounded over to them. "Hi there, cuz! Good to see ya!" Then he observed Ray and Egon standing behind her. "Whoa! We were expecting you to bring home one big strapping man, not two!"
"This is Ray and Egon, my best friends," Jennifer said. "They're here to help."
"Nice to meet ya," said Clark, shaking their hands.
"So what's this about a chupacabra?" Ray asked.
"It was the biggest ess oh bee I've ever seen in my life!" Clark exclaimed, gesturing with his arms to show the rough size of the beast. "Bigger than Dallas!"
"Believe me, that's saying something," Jennifer translated.
"Did anyone else see this chupacabra?" Egon inquired.
"Whole damn town's seen it, just about!" Clark replied. He eyed Egon. "What's the matter? Don't believe me?"
"It's not that, Clark," Jennifer quickly cut in, seeing that Egon had inadvertently riled her cousin's temper. "It's just that in science we always look for the simplest explanation."
Clark grunted. "Well we better get going. The whole family's waiting to see ya, plus Mom's making barbeque tonight."
Jennifer groaned with delight. "Aunt Jessie's making ribs? Let's go!"
The three grabbed their bags and headed out to Clark's truck. Jennifer grabbed Egon's elbow. "Spengs, you gotta be careful about what you say around here," she whispered.
"What do you mean?" Egon asked.
"This isn't New York, where everybody insults everybody else and doesn't care," explained Jennifer. "Texas people kind of have tempers. You're lucky I was there to placate Clark. Just try to be polite and don't ask any unnecessary questions, okay?"
Egon raised an eyebrow. "How come Ray isn't getting this talk?"
"Ray gets along with everybody," Jennifer said simply. "You're harder to understand."
"Is that an insult?" Egon asked a little sarcastically.
Jennifer grinned. "That means you've got a complex coolness that oafs like my family don't get. Now let's go get some barbeque!"
End of Part 1. And yes, some of us Texans actually do say "bigger than Dallas." Ha ha ha. |:(
