Author's Notes: Hi, readers. Here's chapter twenty-eight of "Turnaround." This chapter features a ghostbust. I am so glad to have finally done another one. I had fun doing it. Stay tuned for chapter twenty-nine.
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Chapter 28: Going Ghostbusting Again
Twenty-five-year-old William stood in his front yard forty-five minutes later. He was Caucasian and happened to be tall. His skin was so pale that he appeared to be a ghost. His short brown hair had a spikey style to it. He was rather muscular, and the back of his right hand contained a line going across it. His blue eyes had scars underneath them.
He looked over his shoulder at his large house. It had three bedrooms and two bathrooms. The basement contained one of the bathrooms. A swing was on the front porch. The backyard was surrounded by a chain link fence. Two soccer goals sat apart from each other in the middle. A football lay in front of the first goal, as did a basketball.
He glanced at his watch and let out an impatient sigh. He was wondering when the Ghostbusters would get here. He understood they might hit traffic somewhere in downtown or on the interstate, but he was ready to be rid of the trash-throwing ghost that had been causing trouble for him and his neighbors over the past couple of days. He had gotten pelted with trash every time he checked on his trashcans on the left side of his house and found them knocked over, as had his neighbors with theirs.
His thoughts shifted to the ghost. He recalled it looked like a green young woman containing long hair tied up in a bun and wearing a t-shirt, shorts, socks, and tennis shoes. He wondered what could have caused her to start haunting his neighborhood. He had a hunch that she got bored in the previous one rather quickly and decided to target another in which she chose his. He remembered hearing his next-door neighbor yelling out and finding her getting pelted with trash two hours ago. The ghost took off into the backyard behind her house while laughing manically. He hated hearing that laugh as it was grating to his ears.
William snapped out of his thoughts when a familiar siren sounded. He looked toward the street to see Ecto-1 approaching his house. Gary brought it to a stop in front of the driveway and turned off the engine. He, Callie, Oscar, and Ronnie undid their seatbelts. He came to his wife's side as the siblings headed to the back. Oscar opened it and proceeded to inspect the proton packs. William walked up to the couple.
"Thank God you are finally here," William said in relief. "I was beginning to grow roots from the waiting."
"You can thank a couple of slow drivers on the interstate for us being late," Gary answered while rolling his eyes.
"And an idiot who decided to block traffic as we got closer to this neighborhood," Callie added with an irritated scoff.
"Believe me. I encounter that all the time," William said sympathetically.
Gary held up his hand. "When did you see the ghost last?"
"She was in that house's backyard throwing trash at my neighbor," William said, jerking his thumb in the direction of the house on his left. "She took off when I came to the rescue. She laughed like a maniac."
"That may mean she was a maniac when she was alive," Callie suggested, her eyebrows raising.
"Most likely," Gary agreed.
Callie gestured with her head toward Ecto-1. "Let's go."
Gary and Callie approached Oscar and Ronnie, whom both had just gotten their proton packs on their backs. They grabbed theirs and put them over their shoulders. They adjusted them until they were straight. Gary grabbed a trap and hooked it to his pack. Oscar mimicked his actions with another one on his. They and the women got walkie-talkies and gloves. They placed the former in their pockets. They slipped on the latter.
"Let's split up. Oscar and Ronnie will go that way," Gary instructed while gesturing right. He jerked his thumb left. "Callie and I will go this way. Search in the backyard behind that house first." He pointed his finger at the right house, causing Oscar and Ronnie to look at it. "William said he saw the ghost take off from the other house's backyard after he caught it pelting his neighbor with trash."
"Let's keep in contact," Callie added.
Ronnie nodded. "Will do, Callie."
Oscar tensed somewhat. "Who knows where that ghost could be heading?"
Gary and Callie observed Oscar and Ronnie heading into the right house's backyard through an open gate in the wooden fence's front. They headed for the left house's chain-link fence. He opened a gate along the right side. He slipped into the backyard along with her. They found it littered with trash close to the fence. They approached the trash. They shook their heads in disbelief.
"What a mess," Gary said, shuddering badly.
"I can see paper and foam cups. There are even a few paper plates," Callie responded.
"It makes me wonder how many trashcans this ghost has emptied. I bet they were same ones several times," Gary suggested while pointing his finger at the trash.
"I agree," Callie said. She turned her head at the sound of rustling. She narrowed her eyes at the backyard behind the house. "Come on."
Gary and Callie went to the gate on the back of the fence. He opened it and went toward the other backyard. She followed him close behind. They stepped through its wooden fence's open gate in the back. They took their blasters from their holsters. They spotted a line of bushes along the backyard's left side. They narrowed their eyes at it. They made their way toward the first bush slowly. They stopped right next to it. They placed their backs against it. They went around it very carefully. He jumped out and aimed his blaster, but he didn't see anything. She came up beside him.
"It must have been our imaginations," Gary said, chuckling nervously.
"Yeah," Callie agreed. "Maybe we—"
Suddenly, objects hit Gary and Callie in the backs of their heads. They peered over their shoulders in which they found paper cups laying on the ground. They spun around to see the ghostly woman levitating more of them above her head. She was floating in midair. She let out a maniacal laugh. They aimed their blasters at her.
"Aha!" Callie shouted.
"We finally caught you!" Gary added in excitement.
She gritted her teeth. "Get a taste of this!"
Gary and Callie switched on their blasters. The streams came out and went for the woman, who moved herself and the cups higher. They ended up hitting the fence and knocking two planks down. Gary and Callie winced in annoyance as they switched them off. The woman pushed her hands forward. The cups flew at them. The couple raised their arms to shield themselves as they hit them on every inch of their bodies.
Gary and Callie growled with much determination. They turned on their blasters after raising them higher. The streams went for the woman, but she floated off to the side. They moved their streams in that direction, only to miss when she flew backward in a circle. She headed higher when they directed the streams toward her. She headed for the backyard on the right.
Oscar and Ronnie spotted the woman. They raced for her, pushing the gate open with a bang. They went through the other backyard's chain-link fence's open gate in its back. They skidded to a halt, their pants coming hard and heavy. They took aim at the woman, who floated in midair. They narrowed their eyes at her as she let out a mischievous laugh.
"Hey, bitch!" Oscar blurted out.
"We have a little present for you!" Ronnie added with a delighted laugh.
The siblings turned on their blasters. The streams shot toward the woman, but she moved downward. She headed upward with a giggle. They ended up hitting two second-floor windows. This left large holes in them. Oscar and Ronnie turned off their blasters, yelling irritatingly.
"Damn it. I can't believe we damaged windows!" Ronnie shouted with a scoff.
"It sucks, but it's part of the business," Oscar responded and clicked his tongue.
She raised her eyebrows. "Fair point."
Oscar and Ronnie saw the woman head over to a half-empty trashcan located outside of the fence. They raced through for the gate on the left side. He kicked it open, and they stepped outside. They turned on their blasters, the streams coming out of them. The woman went upward. She held out her hand and focused her attention. The trashcan started shaking. It floated into the air.
The woman moved her hand in a circle. The trashcan turned toward the duo. She smirked while moving her other one in a rapid motion. The trash started flying at Oscar and Ronnie, whom both put up their arms to shield themselves. They were hit by many objects, including foam plates and paper cups. She pushed her hand forward. The trashcan flew at Oscar and Ronnie. They dove for the ground, causing it to miss. It hit another trashcan, knocking it over and spilling trash on the ground.
The woman saw Gary and Callie coming toward her. She moved her hand upward, the trashcan floating into the air. Some trash remained in it. She waved her hand, bringing it in front of her. She moved the other one rapidly. The trash flew at the couple. Gary and Callie skidded to a halt as they began getting hit. They held up their arms, shielding themselves. Many objects struck them. This included paper plates and plastic cups. The woman pushed her hand forward.
The trashcan flew at the couple, but it missed when they ducked. It hit the ground and rolled before coming to a stop at the edge of the fence. The woman flew for the street. Gary and Callie chased after it, followed by Oscar and Ronnie. They found her levitating a nearly full trash bag in the middle of it. She pushed her hand forward. The trash bag headed for them. They ducked, which caused it to miss. It landed on the sidewalk in front of William's house.
"This bitch is tougher than we thought!" Ronnie said, swallowing hard.
"Who would've thought a trash-throwing ghost would be tough to catch?" Oscar asked with a nervous laugh.
Gary clenched his teeth. "It's Home on the Strange."
"We can't give up. No way, now how!" Callie yelled in determination.
"You said it, Callie!" Gary yelled in joy.
Callie chuckled. "Don't I always?"
The Ghostbusters saw the woman flying away. They chased her down the street. They turned on their blasters before coming to a halt. The streams went for her, missing when she went upward. She looked at an empty trashcan next to a mailbox. She held out her hand, her eyes narrowing at it. It floated off the pavement. She threw her hand forward. It shot toward them, but they ducked to avoid it. They turned off their blasters. It hit the street, rolling before coming to a stop next to a truck.
The woman took off while cackling loudly. The Ghostbusters resumed the chase. They switched on their blasters. The streams went for her. Gary's stream managed to catch her around her legs. He and the others halted themselves. It nearly wrapped around her completely before she got free. He yelled frustratingly as she went higher. She let out another cackle, this one being very mischievous.
Ronnie moved her stream in the target's direction. She flared her nostrils, her eyes narrowing at her. It wrapped around the woman's feet. She growled in much determination and pulled back hard. The woman tried to shake it off, but she couldn't. It went higher, wrapping around her entire body. She attempted to get away again, failing miserably. Gary, Callie, and Oscar cheered in great joy. They turned off their blasters.
"You got her, Ronnie! You got her!" Callie blurted out in excitement.
"Oscar, get your trap out!" Gary commanded.
Oscar nodded. "Okay, okay!"
Oscar unclipped the trap from his side. He placed it on the ground and pushed it forward. It stopped underneath the woman, who was still struggling to free herself.
"Come on, Oscar!" Ronnie shouted. "I could lose her."
"I'm on it!" Oscar said. "Here we go!"
Oscar stepped on the pedal. The trap opened up and caught the woman in its field. It pulled her inside, closing with a loud slam. It began smoking after beeping three times. The Ghostbusters gathered around the trap.
"One in the box—" Oscar started.
"Ready to go," Gary said.
"We be fast—" Callie added with a laugh.
"She be slow!" the Ghostbusters said while pointing their fingers at the trap.
Oscar sighed in relief and wiped sweat from his brow. Ronnie mimicked both of his moves. Gary gave each of his teammates a high-five after they put their blasters in their holsters.
"Great job, guys," Gary complimented.
"That was so much fun," Ronnie said, laughing in delight. "Who would've—"
Just then, a young woman walked quickly up to the group. She stopped before them, an angry look appearing on her face.
"You are big trouble, you buttheads!" the woman said. "You blew holes in my windows!"
"Ma'am, we didn't mean to," Ronnie insisted calmly. "The ghost—"
The woman smiled. "I am kidding! You're not in trouble."
"Whew!" Oscar whispered in a relieved way. "For a moment there, I thought you were going to start ranting."
"I do this with my neighbors all the time. They love my sense of humor," the woman explained.
Ronnie clicked her tongue. "That's cool."
The Ghostbusters saw William and a small crowd of his neighbors coming toward them. They were cheering loudly. He stopped before them, a big smile showing in his face.
"Thank you for taking care of that ghost," William said gratefully.
"You're welcome. We're sorry about the mess," Gary apologized guiltily.
William shook his head. "It's not your fault. It was that ghost. She caused the trouble."
"If you want us to, we can help clean up the trash that was thrown around," Callie suggested.
"That'd be great!" William said happily. He laughed at the crowd's cheers and clapped twice. "This crowd agrees too."
Gary held up his hand. "All right. Let's get to work."
Oscar headed over to the trap. He picked it up and went over to Ecto-1 along with Gary, Callie, and Ronnie.