Ghost Hunter's Daughter

by Dan Poblocki

  The clip cut out, and a new face appeared—a man dressed in a blue plaid cotton button-down. He was standing in a room that was similar to the one in which the three were sitting. Claire looked closer and noticed the two faceless mannequins standing just off to the side of the man, who was staring into the camera. It wasn’t just similar; it was the same room.

  Reed Winterson—How do I look?

  Miles Holiday—Like a million dollars. Could you please introduce yourself?

  RW—You already know who I am, Mr. Holiday. Everyone around here does.

  MH—It’s just so we can have a log of it for my production team.

  RW—Well sure, then I’ll say it again for the production team. [with a big smile] I’m Reed Winterson. And I’m the mayor of Hush Falls Hollow.

  MH—Is it Hollow or Holler?

  RW—It is whatever you want it to be. We don’t discriminate here.

  MH—How long have you been the mayor?

  RW—Going on fifteen years.

  MH—That’s a long time! You must have seen the town through quite a few changes.

  RW—Oh, certainly. Certainly. Every community has its share of ups and downs.

  MH—You must admit though that Hush Falls Holler stands out from other local communities in a very big way.

  RW—[laughs] Of course, I’ll admit that. It’s why you’ve decided to visit us, is it not?

  MH—You believe the stories people tell?

  RW—It doesn’t really matter what I believe. What matters is what I’m willing to do about it.

  MH—And what would that be?

  RW—To make Hush Falls Hollow as appealing as possible. To bring us the attention we deserve as a historic site, as a scenic destination, and yes, as a place that people are hungry to visit.

  MH—Do you believe that it is still a safe place at this point?

  RW—Safer than the cities and towns along the coast. The ones that are still standing, that is. We have so much to offer. I’ve been working with the chamber of commerce to build up business, and inch by inch, we are beginning to grow. We aren’t only the spooky stories that people tell about us. Our citizens are warm, friendly, hardworking. We have a whole lot to offer.

  MH—Like this building? Your museum.

  RW—[nodding] It is our goal to fix up the Hush Falls Museum by the end of the year. It was quite a feat moving an entire town into the hills. Something we can be proud of as uniquely our own.

  MH—Are you looking to reopen some of your own business efforts that have fallen by the wayside?

  RW—None of them have “fallen by the wayside.” I like to think of them more as “seasonal closures.” And I’d like to believe they’ll be back in business in no time. I am very jobs-oriented. I care deeply about the welfare of my constituents. Work is important to them.

  MH—Some might say that the spirit of Lemuel Hush could be a big lure for tourists looking for a glimpse of the supernatural.

  RW—[shaking his head] I’d never actively take advantage of anyone’s tragedy. And yes, I will admit that over the years, this area has had its fair share of misfortune. But I’d say no. Hush Falls Hollow would never rely on old Lem—may he rest in peace—to help increase our property values. [chuckling] That’s just not the way we think around here, Mr. Holiday. However, I promise you this, just as I promised voters during the last town election: Our time is coming. We will rise again. And we plan on doing it the right way.

  Again, the video cut to a new scene. Now, instead of the camera perched steadily in front of a talking head, the image on the view screen was moving through a heavily wooded area.

  Miles Holiday—Since Clementine is still finishing up her own interviews with some of the other townsfolk, I figured I’d explore the area near where Candace Watkins claimed to have seen Lemuel Hush right before she crashed her car. You can see here by the side of the road where some of the smaller trees were taken out, their trunks sheared off several inches above the roots. And these lower branches on the nearby trees are broken as well.

  [Image—The forest floor. Several broken saplings lie rotting on the ground. The camera moves toward the trees on either side, revealing places where their branches were snapped off. The image lingers for several seconds before moving farther down the hill, away from the road.]

  MH—Clem and I will come back together out here later, to gather a few establishing shots, and I’ll do some further narration. But for now … I’ll explore on my own.

  [Image—The camera points directly down the hill. The lake appears vaguely through the pine branches and scrub brush.]

  MH—I believe I’m standing on the north side of the water. Somewhere nearby is the mouth of the Black Ribbon River, which feeds the reservoir. If you listen closely, you can just barely make it out. Whispering. Babbling. Do you hear that? It almost sounds like voices calling for help.

  “I don’t like this,” said Claire. “He’s out there by himself. Right where that waitress was attacked.”

  “But this might be the most important part,” Dolly answered.

  “Do you want me to hold the camera?” Lucas asked.

  Claire fought the urge to hand it over. “No. I got it.”

  MH—[walking, slightly out of breath] Yes, I think this would be a perfect place for some narration. We could join pieces of Candace’s story with these images. Maybe even find a way to reconstruct her descent down this slope into the water.

  “He sounds so confident,” stated Dolly. “No fear at all.”

  “Maybe he didn’t believe Candace’s story?” Lucas considered.

  “My father’s a brave man,” said Claire. “He must have known what he was doing … Or at least he thought he did.”

  [Image—The trees break apart as the camera nears the shoreline. The sky is revealed, reflecting a bright blue on the calm surface of the water below.]

  MH—Almost looks like a mirror. How lovely. [pausing] It was probably right about here where Candace landed.

  [Image—The camera focuses on the water several yards away from the shore. Lake grasses poke through the surface like needles.]

  MH—What the …

  [Image—The camera moves upward swiftly, then concentrates farther out on the water. Impossibly, there appears to be a figure standing on the surface. He stares directly at the camera.]

  MH—[stammering, flustered] Is that … What am I seeing here? I—I can’t … Could it be … Is that Lemuel Hush?

  [Image—Stabilizes on the figure. A man. Dressed in gray pants, black boots, and a thick overcoat with a burst of black fur at the collar. Dark hair slicked into a severe part at the side of his head. His eyes dark, hidden in pockets of shadow, his mouth a deep straight gash carved just below his long nose.]

  MH—[calmer, but still excitable] If what I’m seeing here is actually captured on this recording, I may finally have rare visual proof of a supernatural occurrence. Layne, are you seeing this? [laughs] How much would you be willing to cough up for this exclusive? [pause. In awe] This is incredible. I can’t—

  [Image—The figure drops quickly down into the surface of the water. Ripples spread outward from the spot, like a bull’s-eye.]

  Claire gasped. Lucas reached out to steady the camera so they could all keep watching.

  MH—Where’d he go? [pause, then fearfully] What the …

  [Image—The ripples are coming toward the camera. The water bulges and a wake forms. Whatever is moving under the surface is moving lightning fast and heading directly for Miles. The camera drops down as Miles stumbles backward. We are looking at a pair of boots. He grunts, then takes off running up the hill. The camera sways back and forth. A blur of mud and dirt and brush for several seconds as Miles struggles for breath.]

  MH—[shouting] Help! Help me! Somebody!

  [Sound—A great walloping thump.]

  [Image—The camera falls into the brush. It lies there for several seconds, focusing and refocusing on the grasses in its immediate range.]

  [Sound�
��Footsteps.]

  [Image—Large black boots stop in front of the lens. A shadow blocks the sunlight. The screen goes dark.]

  The tape stopped, and the view screen turned blue.

  Claire’s entire body felt numb. Lucas took the camera from her as she felt herself go limp. Dolly came around the couch and crouched in front of her. “Claire?” she said. “Claire. Look at me.”

  But Claire didn’t want to look at anything. She wanted to stop breathing. She wanted to close her eyes and float away. To dream. To be among the stars. To fight a battle against alien hordes. Anything. Anything to keep herself from thinking of what she had just seen. What the camera had shown her.

  “He’s out there,” she heard herself say. “He’s out at that lake. Near where Candace crashed her car.” She sat up, felt herself rush back into her body. Here was an answer. A clue! “That’s where he fell. That’s where he must be!” She tried to stand, but Dolly grasped her hands.

  “Claire, you look kind of green. Maybe don’t get up just yet.”

  Rrrrrck! The floor creaked. The sound echoed into the sitting room from out in the wide hall. All three of them turned to look.

  But there was just another one of those mannequins stationed in the room across the way.

  Its blackish eyes looked back at Claire, and a jangling sensation twanged her nerves. She glanced at the figures in the sitting room, observing, with a sharp breath, their blank white faces. The mannequins did not have blackish eyes. Claire stood, nearly dropping the camera from her lap as Lucas caught it. Her body felt light. Tingly. She turned back to the doorway, not quite wanting to see what was there.

  “Do you guys see him?” Lucas whispered.

  “Yes,” both girls answered.

  The figure across the hallway came into clearer focus. Claire recognized now that its clothes were not old-fashioned. A puffy beige coat. Blue jeans. Muddy running shoes.

  This was no mannequin.

  A THOUGHT FLASHED at Claire—a memory of a conversation with her father from a year or so back. He’d sat her down in his office and showed her a photograph of a man’s face. Round cheeks. A small, puckered mouth. Piercing eyes. Prominent ears. And a head full of thick blond hair. Her father had explained who he was: Tanner Worley. A fan of Invisible Intelligence who had taken his interest in the show a little too seriously. Tanner had been showing up at the production offices, asking to see Miles, asking about future episodes of the show, asking for a job. They had told him to stay away, but then he had appeared in Archer’s Mills, and Miles had called the police. Miles had made Claire memorize the picture so she’d know who to look out for in case the man ever showed up.

  And here he was. In Hush Falls Holler.

  “Tanner?” Claire whispered.

  The man’s eyes went wide. He turned and disappeared around the edge of the doorway. “Tanner!” she called out, dashing to the hall. The door at the back of the house squealed open then slammed shut. “Come on,” she said to the others before taking off.

  “Who was that guy?” Dolly asked.

  Claire bolted to the kitchen. Only when she opened the rear door did she wonder if chasing after her father’s stalker was a great idea. But now, Tanner was nowhere to be seen. She came to the edge of the screened porch and listened for a clue of which way he’d gone. There was only the hushed whisper of a breeze through the grass.

  “A man was just watching us,” said Lucas, out of breath, “and you know him?”

  Claire nodded.

  “I’m confused,” said Dolly. “Is he a friend? Of your family?”

  “No. Not a friend.” Claire told them about Tanner. About how the law had to get involved. About the restraining order.

  “Your dad has a stalker?” Dolly asked, aghast.

  “I didn’t recognize him at first. Mostly because I didn’t expect to see him. It’s been a while.”

  “Why would he be here?” Lucas asked.

  “He must have been following my dad.” Claire allowed her eyes to flit around the backyard.

  Lucas sniffed. “Following? Or maybe … Do you think he could be the reason your dad is missing?”

  “Maybe he saw us around town and tracked us to the museum. When I went after him, I was thinking we could talk to him, find out what he’s seen, what he knows.” Or what he’s done, she thought.

  “Should we go tell the police?” asked Dolly.

  Lucas shook his head. “Wouldn’t we have to tell them that we’re here too? They’d send us home right away.”

  “But if this Tanner person is responsible for”—Dolly sighed—“for whatever happened to Claire’s dad, maybe it’s dangerous for you two to be here at all.”

  “I’m not going home without my father,” Claire said simply. “Especially now that we know that Tanner Worley has been watching.”

  “Maybe Dolly could ask around,” said Lucas. “We could find out where Tanner’s staying.”

  Dolly crossed her arms. “The only place to stay is at my grandparents’ motel and I can already tell you he’s not there. The last people to check in were Miles and Clementine.”

  “Maybe we could call in an anonymous tip. Let the police track Tanner. Question him themselves. He can’t be far.”

  “That’s a good idea,” said Claire. “At least he’s gone for now.” She shuddered. “And we have to get to the lake. To that spot where my father’s footage cut out. Dolly, can you show us the way?”

  Dolly held her hand to her forehead. “It’s a really bad place, Claire. And the police said they already searched that area, didn’t they?”

  Claire shook herself out. “Okay then, I can go by myself.”

  “No, you can’t,” said Lucas. “What if we’re in over our heads? Maybe … maybe this isn’t a job for us anymore.”

  “My mother wouldn’t have asked me to come if she thought I couldn’t do it.”

  “I don’t think your mother was thinking about that part. When she came knocking, I heard only desperation. She was scared for your father. And if she were here right now, I bet she’d only want us to leave.”

  “How could you say that to me?” Claire asked. “After all that we’ve been through today?”

  “I’ll show you the way,” Dolly answered, looking resigned. “It’s a bit of a hike. I bet we could get there before sunset if we start now. We can leave your dad’s bags here. They’ll be too heavy to carry.”

  “Thank you, Dolly.” Claire said her name a little too hard. Lucas flinched.

  “This way,” said Dolly, leading them down the steps to the yard, heading around the side of the house, where a thin alley was marked by the house’s wall and a row of bushy evergreens. Following it would take them to the street. “What I want to know is: If your dad’s camera fell into the leaves out in the woods by the lake, how did it end up at the police station?”

  Claire felt herself pale. “Do you think someone at the station is involved?”

  “Could Tanner have brought it to them?” asked Lucas.

  Dolly shrugged. “Maybe? Unless the police found it during the search of the shoreline—” She stopped short. Ahead, a shadow was blocking their path. Someone was standing at the end of the alley.

  Claire grabbed at Lucas’s and Dolly’s hands, ready to pull them in the opposite direction, away from Tanner. But then a voice called out. “Lucas Kent! Don’t you move!”

  The words stopped Claire short. She looked back and realized who had discovered them, almost wishing that it had been Tanner Worley. Because now Lucas’s grandmother, Irene, was staring them down, and she looked the opposite of happy to see them.

  “GRAMMA?” LUCAS’S VOICE was as soft as a mouse scurrying along the gravel path. “What are you doing here?”

  “What am I doing here? You’re really going to ask me that question?” Irene fumed. “I came to get you and bring you back to Archer’s Mills. You and Claire.” She considered Dolly. “I don’t know you, but I’ll be sure you get home as well.”

  “We don�
�t want to go home, Mrs. Kent,” Claire answered.

  “I don’t care what you want, young lady. What you two have done today is beyond comprehension. I got a message from your school while I was at the salon that Lucas never came to homeroom this morning. And after our conversation last night, I immediately had my suspicions. I checked with Claire’s aunt, Lizzie. She got the same call that I did. I packed up my pickup and hit the road.”

  “But how did you know we were here exactly?” asked Dolly, looking more enthralled than frightened. She was in awe of Irene.

  “When I reached the town, I felt something pulling at me. A white-light visualization. I followed the sensation to this building. And here you are.”

  Lucas composed himself, trying to sound rational. “Gramma, we’re sorry for running off and not telling you. But last night, Claire’s mom visited me again. She wouldn’t leave me alone. It was like she was creeping through my brain. She said that she wouldn’t stop unless we did this.”

  Irene looked horrified. “You should have told me. I could have stopped her.”

  “But I don’t want to stop her,” Lucas said. “I want to help Claire. We’re close, I think. Since we’ve come to town, we’ve learned a whole lot. We even have an idea of where to explore next.”

  Irene looked ready to explode. But after a moment, her face changed. It was like she was seeing them for the first time. She sighed. “You three must be starving. I passed a diner about a block away. Come on. Let’s go eat.”

  She took Lucas’s hand and led him out of the alleyway. He was torn. Part of him wished that his gramma would just put her foot down and take them away from this place. The other part wanted to finish what he had started. But all of him was hungry.

  At the diner, they piled into a booth in the back corner. Lucas didn’t see Candace, the waitress who Miles had interviewed. A different woman brought them menus.

  Dolly introduced herself to Irene, explaining that she lived at the motel. She told Irene that when Claire and Lucas had arrived and explained their situation, she had felt compelled to help them. She explained about her mother’s drowning and about the legend of the graveyard watch. She told her about Lemuel Hush and about her mother’s idea that he was looking for a replacement, so that his soul would be freed from the graveyard and he could finally pass on.