Chapter 5 – Road Trip
School was OUT! Excitement ran high as Danny ran out to the parking lot to meet Sam and Tucker. Sam was getting her Phys. Ed. Teacher to sign her yearbook, and Tucker was with Mr. Freeman, his science teacher. They saw Danny, and then a commotion in the parking lot caught everyone's attention.
A loud and mechanical sounding whine as an engine slowed down in the parking lot, multiple pairs of headlamps glaring brightly as the transport slowed, even in the afternoon daylight. Danny's mother Maddie and dad Jack had pulled up in the yellow and black Fenton RV, a vehicle the size of a tank; it bristled with antennas, rotating microwave dishes and other sensors scanning the heavens.
The RV had no problem parking in the front pick up area with ease as normal car drivers, intimidated by the monstrous machine scurried out of the way like mice.
"Bye Mr. Freeman, see you next year!" Tucker ran parallel with Sam as she waved goodbye to her teacher too; they both headed to the RV. Danny caught up from behind.
The side door to the RV opened with a loud metallic clank, and then the hydraulics could be heard as the door ramp lowered with a buzzing vibration. The kids climbed aboard.
"Another year completed with success, eh son?" shouted Jack, gripping the steering controls as he sat in the captain's chair. "Now you are ready for a real education!" He pushed the button to close the door.
"Let's just say some additional education, ok dear? Danny still needs his formal classes!" Danny's mother Maddie smiled at her husband from the co-pilot seat. She had always stressed the importance of college.
"Right you are my dear!" Jack gave Maddie his movie star smile that she adored. He engaged the transmission, and the Fenton RV once again terrorized the parking lot.
"Everyone buckled?" Maddie asked. The kids all answered in agreement, with smiles. Tucker loved the technological sophistication of the RV, and Sam loved the unique, non-conformity of it. A great way to start summer!
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The cemetery wasn't far, but they rode in the RV not to save them a walk, but because of the special equipment on board. Danny knew his parents had been working on very complicated experiments in the basement laboratory in their home, but only knew that they wanted to keep it a secret from everyone, until they were sure their testing was done.
When they moved a special device from the lab to the RV and installed it, he knew they were done with testing and ready to use it for something. His parents made a living inventing things, and selling the ideas, but the best ideas they kept for themselves and kept secret.
The RV stopped in front of the gateway to the cemetery.
"OK Jack, I am loading the program." Maddie was reading lines of code as the text scrolled by on her monitor screen.
"Detector ON" Jack confirmed. The kids unbuckled and got up to look at the large round monitor Jack was watching that looked like a radar screen.
After a few minutes, even Tucker was getting bored.
"Uh, what are we looking for? What does this do?" he asked Jack.
"Apparently, nothing!" Jack was frowning. He looked at Maddie's lavender eyes with disappointment.
"Jack honey, it may just be due to the daytime hours, let's try again tonight." Maddie looked at the kids. "You kids up for another field trip here tonight?"
"Oh yeah!" Sam answered. This would her first gothic experience in a graveyard at night, and she wasn't going to be afraid. The fact that it would be with four other people, and inside a heavily armored RV had nothing to do with her bravery, she told herself.
"Sure." said Tucker. Danny just nodded in agreement. A good excuse to be with Sam!
Tucker continued: "But uh…what will be better because of the night?"
Jack smiled as he proudly began his explanation:
"I have perfected a detector that can display shift patterns in spectral energy. The kind of spectral energy that emanates from supernatural phenomena!"
Tucker stopped smiling. Was Jack serious? And if he was, where was the exit?
Sam liked the idea though, with wide eyes she asked:
"You mean supernatural as in…ghosts?"
"Yes!" Jack confirmed. "If the detector works, it will then lead to the next phase of experiments and development: a way to catch and confine ghosts!" He was proud and excited, he went back to scan the monitor and instruments as if he overlooked something.
Maddie buckled back up. "OK dear, let's go home. We can kill time with dinner and then come back at sunset."
Sam was silent. As she gazed out at the cemetery, she remembered her dream. The trees looked just like it...and there in the back, a mausoleum too! But it couldn't be...this return visit tonight would help her discard the fear, the Fenton detector would not find anything again, and she could sleep soundly nights, knowing that it was just a dream. And sleep knowing that real cemeteries were empty of anything but bones.