Chapter 5: Who You Gonna Call?
Stephanie closed the door to Chris' room. She walked down the stairs and sat on the couch. God, she hated babysitting the little brat. The only reason she watched him was because his parents were paying $10 bucks an hour. Her biggest thing with him was the fact that he's twelve, so he knew… things. He probably thought of some pervy stuff involving her. She grabbed the remote and flipped through the channels. They got HBO, so she turned it on. They were playing some softcore adult film. Reaching down, she started rubbing herself. That's when she noticed the chill.
"Hello?" she called. There was no answer. She looked around and frowned.
"Chris, this isn't funny you little shit!"
There was a hot, wet sensation on her neck. Somebody was breathing down her neck. Looking behind her, she saw a figure right behind her. She screamed.
Then, her body slumped to the floor, blood running from a cut across her throat.
-O-
Jason and Jasmine were standing in front of a house in Joplin, Missouri. There had been a murder, and it looked particularly nasty. The disguises were perfect. Jason had made them cards saying they were junior forensic scientists for the FBI. After the officer let them in (he almost didn't), they went straight to the body.
The girl was laying on the floor. Her body was in the look that she fell pretty hard, with a bruise on her head. However, she died of a cut on her throat. Whoever killed her was a professional. The cut was near-surgical. As the two looked over the body, an officer walked up.
"Our vic's name is Stephanie Taylor, a junior at Joplin High. She had been babysitting the William's son, Chris. All the doors and windows were locked, no sign of forced entry."
Jason looked at the body, and saw something on her hand. It looked like a burn, but it was patterned, similar to a coat of arms. He pointed it out to Jasmine, who took a picture of it with her phone.
Thanking the officers for their help, the two exited the house.
"Think it was a ghost?" Jasmine asked him.
"Yeah, most likely. Let's go to the library to look at the place's history."
At the Library
Jasmine sat at a screen, her eyes about to explode. She'd been looking at old files of the house for three hours, and she really just needed a break. She rubbed the locket around her neck.
"Should I use some to wake up?" she thought, "No, too risky. If he's still alive, he'd sense when it's used."
Somebody tapped her shoulder. Flipping around, she saw it was Jason. He held out something wrapped in aluminum foil.
"Here. You're probably pretty hungry."
She gladly took it and started to wolf it down. Jason pulled up a chair and sat next to her.
"So, what have we got?" he asked, and she gave herself a second to swallow before answering.
"Well, the house was built in 1879 by a doctor named Bruce Abernathy. He was a surgeon who'd move here with his wife and daughter in hopes of a better life. It didn't happen."
"Let me guess, somebody died?"
She nodded. "After a month of living there, they had a blizzard. The daughter went out in it. Parents didn't even realize she was gone. She got hypothermia and died shortly after. The doctor really wasn't phased by it, too involved in his work. He actually did the post-death examination of his daughter. His wife, however, was distraught. Hung herself. After that, it's said the doctor went mad. He started using his abilities for murder. When he was finally caught, he'd killed over a dozen people. Know what they did to him after he was caught?"
"What?"
"They gave him a taste of his own medicine. Sliced up his face and let him bleed out.
Jason looked at his burger, and put it down. "I wasn't hungry anyway."
He started talking. "So, I sent the picture of that symbol to Bobby. He said it took him a while, but he found it. It's the symbol for a group called the 'Starcatchers'. Really mysterious group, I guess. Kinda like the Freemasons."
Jasmine's eyes were wide. Jason tapped her, and she flinched.
"What's wrong?" he asked. She decided it was best to lie to him.
"Nothing, just… that poor girl. She was our age, Jason. What if it happened to us?"
He smiled. "It's not though, remember? We're hunters. We hunt monsters, not the other way around.
"So, are we gonna gank this MF'er or not?"
That night
They entered the house easily. The police had forgotten to lock the door. When they got in, Jason started making a salt barrier. He said the best plan was to hunt the ghost first, so they knew which spirit it was.
The salt was in a little trail, so they could get out easily.
A sudden chill went through the house, and the two got ready. There was a shattering sound behind them. Jasmine gasped. She wanted to puke.
It was the doctor. He looked as if he was handsome, but the cause of his death made him gruesome. Several slashes were along his face, disfiguring his eyes and mouth. His nose was gone.
Jason nodded, and she picked up the iron poker she was carrying. Swinging it at him, he disappeared in a flash of smoke. The two ran out of the house and got on Jason's bike.
They drove to the oldest cemetery in Joplin. Earlier, they'd located Abernathy's grave in here. When they got to the grave, Jason dug up the coffin. Sprinkling the salt, Jason gave Jasmine his box of matches. She took one, lit it, and flung it on the body. It easily caught in flames. The two sat there, watching.
"Good job," Jason told her.
"You too," she replied.
"Yes, you both did well."
They flipped around. A man stood there with a trench coat and a suit on. Jason smiled.
"Hey, Cas."
"Hello, Jason," the angel replied. He looked around, as if making sure the coast was clear.
"I need your help."
So, five chapters in! What does Cas need help with? Find out next time! This was planned as a more... regular hunter case. Hope you enjoyed!
