Chapter 13: Phoebe's grandfather was a Ghostbuster

(Later at Gray's room…)

Gray played a YouTube video titled "New York City Ghostbusters 1984" on his laptop for Phoebe, Podcast, Max, and Connie in the room where he conducted his seismic research. The video had 85, 517 views, 236 likes, and 14 dislikes.

"The whole city was freaking out." Gray said.

In the video, a woman clutching her young daughter ran out of 550 Central Park West with her son by her side. It switched to bystanders pointing up into the sky.

"Then these physicists showed up with these portable proton accelerators" Gray pointed to the next clip showing Ecto-1 arriving at the scene. "and blew the roof off a Manhattan high-rise."

Peter Venkman stepped out of the front passenger side and greeted the crowd. Ray Stantz and Winston Zeddemore headed to the back of the car.

Gray was still surprised and turned to Phoebe, Podcast, Max, and Connie.

"None of this rings a bell?" Gray asked.

"It happened 20 years before they were born." Phoebe said.

"I believed it." Podcast said.

The crowd called Ghostbusters.

"Ghostbusters! Ghostbusters! Ghostbusters!"

Egon Spengler's Proton Pack was put on his back. Phoebe watched her grandfather in the video. The clip shifted to after Gozer was defeated. Egon emerged from the building and hugged Janine Melnitz. People chanted for the Ghostbusters.

"I mean, your, uh, dad never mentioned this?" Gary asked Phoebe.

"It's just my mom." Phoebe said.

"Just your mom. Oh. Um…" Gray said, as he turned to his laptop. "Cool."

"What?" Max asked.

"'Cool'?" Podcast asked as he turned to Gray.

Gray went back to the Trap.

"I wonder if this still works." Gray said.

"Should we open it?" Connie said.

Gray lit up at the thought of it…

(Meanwhile…)

Their school bell rang. Gray applied the black jumper clamp to the Trap handle and the red jumper clamp behind the Trap on the hood of her car. There was a slight discharge. He picked up a pair of safety glasses and handed one to Phoebe and Connie.

"Glasses." Gray said.

"Two millimeters of plastic eye protection? Are you sure this is safe?" Phoebe asked Gray.

"Safe? No." Gray said, chuckling. "No. History is safe. Geometry, that's safe."

Gray walked to the driver window of a school bus. Podcast was in the driver's seat and Max was standing. Phoebe and Connie uncurled the Trap's line.

"Science is all particle accelerators and hydrogen bombs." Gray said.

He handed Podcast and Max the other pair of safety glasses.

"Science is giving yourself the plague and gambling on the cure." Gray said.

Phoebe placed the trap pedal down between the two school buses then stood near the open door.

"Science is reckless." Phoebe said.

"Totally! Yes! It's punk rock. It's a safety pin through the nipple of academia." Gray said.

"Ouch." Both Podcast and Max said.

Podcast and Max flinched at the thought of the latter.

"Fire it up." Gray said.

Podcast started up the bus.

The Trap cackled.

Gray exhaled. "I've always wanted to do this."

Phoebe and Connie took cover behind the door. Gray stepped on the pedal… Nothing happened. Phoebe, Connie, Podcast, Max, and Gray watched the Trap is nothing. They stared. Gray tapped the pedal twice more. Nothing. Gray held out her hand to tell Phoebe and Connie to stay put. Gray approached the Trap in anticipation and tapped the Trap doors…

It suddenly opened in a flash and an entity emerged. Gray fell on his back…

Vinz was snarling. The spectral Sentinel form of Vinz Clortho snarled then flew towards the Shandor Mine.

Phoebe and Connie turned and screamed away as it passed by, shattering the windows on both buses. Vinz zipped over the field, through the bridge, past the fence, and past the tarp into the stone wall Phoebe, Podcast, Max, and Connie were looking at the day before.

There was an orange glow in the cracks on the wall. Podcast and Max was outside. Podcast raised his arms in triumph.

"YES!" Podcast called.

Phoebe, Connie, and Max turned to Podcast.

"Uh… We should probably get out of here." Gray said.

Gray suggested they leave and patted himself.

"You're an adult." Phoebe said, as she, Podcast, Max, and Connie all turned to Gray.

"Yeah." Gray said Phoebe, Podcast, Max, and Connie watched him. "And liable."

Gray started to unclamp the Trap.

"You know what this means?" Podcast asked.

Phoebe about the implications of what just happened. Connie placed her left hand on her right shoulder then.

"Your grandfather was a Ghostbuster." Connie said.

Phoebe nods yes.

"Yes, I'm aware." Phoebe said.

Phoebe took off her safety glasses. Gray paused at the front passenger side of his car holding the Trap and pedal. Podcast, Max, and Connie looked around. Phoebe looked around and was shocked because her grandfather is a Ghostbuster…

(Later at the Farmhouse…)

Gary turned up the Farmhouse's driveway. He grimaced as he plucked a small piece of windshield from the frame. Podcast rested his arms and chin on the glove box.

Phoebe opened the front door and walked to the study. Podcast, Max, and Connie, he narrated into his boom mike.

"It has a door and windows, like any ordinary house. But the distinct smell of evil…" Podcast said, as Gray intro, pause, and watched him. "is prominent." Podcast said.

Podcast, Max, and Connie turned around to Gray.

"What are you doing?" Gray asked.

"Oh, um, giving a little color. Setting the mood." Podcast said.

"It's creepy. I dug it." Gray said.

They looked around in the study and were amazed.

"Wow." Podcast said. As he picked it up. "Cool."

"Whoa. Aztec Death Whistle." Gray said, as he pointed to the Aztec Death Whistle.

"Aztec Death Whistle?" Connie asked.

Podcast looked down at Aztec Death Whistle.

"It's designed to ward off evil spirits." Gray said, as he, Phoebe, Max, and Connie looked at Podcast. "It's got a really horrifying sound-"

Podcast quickly blew into it. It indeed made a horrifying sound. Phoebe, Max, and Connie covered their ears with their hands. Podcast quickly blew into it still. Callie walked into the room.

"What-?" Callie asked, as she paused and covered her ears with her left hand, her head turned.

Podcast is finished.

"What the hell is that?" Callie asked.

"Aztec Death Whistle. Can I keep it?" Podcast asked.

"Yes. Just don't do that again." Callie said.

Podcast smiled and turned around to them. Callie watched Gray…

"Hi." Callie said.

Gray smile. "Hello again." He nodded.

Callie nods yes.

"You brought them home." Callie said, as she walked.

Gray stipulated.

"It's a service I provide." Gray said.

Callie walked and nodded.

"Well, I'm also an escort." Gray said.

"Hm?" Callie asked, as she smiled.

"That came out wrong." Gray said.

"Yep." Callie said, as she nodded.

"The truth is, I've always wondered what lurked inside this haunt box." Gray said.

Phoebe watched her mother talking to Gray.

"Right. Well, the only thing lurking inside here is my slowly dying soul." Callie said.

"Is that what that smell is?" Gray asked.

Callie looked down, smiled, and looked up at Gray.

"Well, it's not dinner, so…" Callie said with a smile.

"All right." Gray said.

Phoebe, Podcast, Max, and Connie stared at them in disbelief…

"Um. World you…" Callie said.

"Sure." Gray said.

Callie and Gray nod yes.

"...like…?" Callie asked.

"Yeah." Gray said.

Callie shook her head.

"I don't have any food." Callie said, as she nodded no.

"It's fine." Gray said.

"Tour." Callie said.

"Great." Gray said.

"Great." Callie said.

Callie and Gray walked to the dining room.

"Here's the dining room." Callie said.

Podcast and Max turned to Phoebe and Connie…

(Later at Phoebe's bedroom…)

Podcast opened up Tobin's Spirit Guide to a page on water spirits and a full page black and white illustration of a wizard casting a spell over a cauldron. In the illustration, smoke seeped out of the cauldron and a winged entity was on its knees in front of the cauldron. Podcast, Max, and Connie on Phoebe's bed.

"I think Grooberson's trying to bone your mom." Max said.

Phoebe was surprised and stared out into space.

"Oh." Phoebe said.

"That doesn't bother you?" Connie asked Phoebe.

"No, of course it bothers me." Phoebe said.

"I just don't exhibit emotions the same way everyone else does. Inside, I'm vomiting." Phoebe said.

Podcast the page, there was a full page illustration of an upright Zuul in Sentinel form and a small illustration on the right hand page of a Terror Dog on all fours. Podcast paused.

"Wait. Isn't this what I saw earlier?" Podcast asked.

Podcast, Max, and Connie turned to Phoebe and came over and sat next to them.

Podcast read the passage out loud.

"'The Sumerians believed in a land of the dead, a dark and shadowy realm within the bowels of the earth." Podcast said.

The tarps at the Shandor Mine flapped ominously in the wind.

"The souls of the dead are ruled by a mighty god, Gozer," Podcast said.

A glimpse of the stone wall came into view. Gozer and the Keymaster were visible.

"and protected by a powerful Gatekeeper and Keymaster, in order that Gozer might rise up and walk the human plane again. The Gatekeeper and Keymaster must assume the form of beasts.'" Podcast said.

"What did we let out?" Phoebe asked.

To Be Continued…