The Guardian

The Guardian

By Jan Kozlowski

 

 “Friday’s newscast is history, Jesse.” Tamara Blessing announced as she walked into the study room and collapsed dramatically on the couch. Jesse Lopez didn’t even bother looking up from his homework. “You say that every week.”

“This time we mean it,” said her twin brother Ty, flopping down next to his sister. “We need a good story for the show and we need it now. And, since it’s almost Halloween, it wouldn’t hurt if it was a creepy one.”

Tamara and Ty were the sixth grade anchors for The What’s Up Paxton Elementary School Newscast. They also lived across the street from the Carrier Ambulance office, so every day they came over after school to keep Jesse company while he waited for his Mom to get off her paramedic shift.

“Any ideas Jesse?”

“Maybe. Did you know that this place used to be a funeral home?”

“No way.” both Ty and Tam chimed together.

“Yep, I heard my Mom and another medic talking about it. The daycare rooms up here used to be offices, downstairs was where they held the wakes and the basement was where they got the bodies ready.”

“Gross,” said Ty, making a face.

“Gross, but great!” Tam said. “Did they say anything else, Jesse? Did they mention ghosts or any other spooky stuff?”

“Tam, get real,” her brother interrupted. “Even if there were ghosts, they wouldn’t haunt a funeral home. They’d be long gone before the bodies got here.”

“Grow an imagination, Ty.”

“Tam could be right,” Jesse said. “Before they had heart monitors and breathing machines, they sometimes buried people alive.”

“Says who?”

“I read it in a medical history book that Mom has. Sometimes people would get so sick that you couldn’t tell if they were breathing or if their hearts were beating. There weren’t many doctors, so the families just thought they were dead and called the funeral home.”

“So maybe that happened here. And maybe the ghost never left.”

“Oh no, here she goes,” Ty groaned.

“The first thing we have to do is find out if anyone’s ever seen a ghost around here. Who do you think we could ask?”

“Joe knows everything. I don’t even think a ghost would be allowed to hang around unless he okayed it.”

All three of them laughed. Joe Santos was Carrier Ambulance’s Office Manager. He sounded tough but anyone who hung around him for more than five minutes realized it was just an act.

Ty, Tam and Jesse found Joe downstairs in the Dispatch Center. This was where the 911 calls came in and ambulances were sent out. The kids weren’t allowed inside, but Joe saw them at the door and rolled over. Joe had been one of the company’s best paramedics until an ambulance accident left him wheelchair bound. His partner had died.

“And what are my little stretcher strays up to today?”

“We wanted to ask you if you’ve ever seen a ghost around here?” Tam said.

“Since it’s an old funeral home and all,” Ty added.

Joe looked around at the three excited faces. “So you fell for that old story, hmmm?”

“What old story?”

“The one about the ghost in the basement. Don’t take it seriously someone was just having some Halloween fun with you.”

“Joe!” called a dispatcher.

“Got to rotate, kiddlings. Stay out of trouble.”

“See, there IS a ghost,” Tam said, as Joe spun away. “We just need to get downstairs and get him on tape.”

“Joe said it was just a story…” Jesse began, but it was too late, the twins were already heading for the basement door.

“Come on guys,” Jesse said, “We’re not supposed to go down there, you’re going to get us all in trouble.”

“Relax Jesse. They’ll forgive us when this story is featured on Supernatural Secrets. No one’s looking, let’s go.”

Jesse followed Tamara and Ty through the unlocked door.

“Tam, hit the light switch.” Click. Click.

“What’s the matter?”

“The bulb must be out.”

“That’s okay. We can use the light on the video camera. Ty, turn it on and point it down the stairs.”

The stairs led to a long hallway with doorways leading off of it and straight ahead, a big double door on top of a long ramp.

“This must be where they brought the bodies in,” whispered Tam.

“It’s just a bunch of storage rooms now. I was down here with my Mom and her partner once,” said Jesse. “There’s nothing here but bandages and splints and some old stretchers.”

Scritch. Scritch. Scritch.

“What was that?” Ty whispered.

“It sounds like scratching. Like a tree branch hitting the building,” Jesse said.

“Or maybe it’s the sound of someone trying to scratch their way out of a closed coffin.”

“Stop it, Tam. There is NO ghost. It’s just a story.”

“Well, whatever it is, it’s coming from there,” Tam said, heading into the first room on the left.

“Come on Ty, if there’s a ghost, we’re going to get him on tape.”

“Oh man,” Jesse said to himself as he trailed after the twins.  The room was small and packed with all kinds of ambulance equipment. Minutes passed. The scratching sounds stopped. Jesse was just about to say I told you so when he felt Tam jab him in the ribs and point towards the back of the room. Jesse followed her finger and found himself staring at what looked like a human body sitting on a stretcher, watching them.

“It can’t be…” Jesse breathed, stepping back into a stack of backboards.

CRASH.

Ty and Tamara spun around, catching Jesse in the camera light as he sprawled on the floor. By the time they helped him up and looked back to the corner, the body was gone.

“Where did it go?”

“I think you scared it off.”

“I’ll bet it was just one of those CPR dummies that someone snuck down here for a joke.”

“So where is it now, Jesse?”

“It probably fell over when the backboards hit the stretcher. I’ll find it Ty, follow me over here with the light.”

The boys picked their way to the back wall. Jesse didn’t find the dummy, but as Ty held the camera, three sets of eyes reflected the light back to him.

“Jesse, we’re not alone down here.” Ty said.

Pop. SIZZZZZZ.

“What was THAT?” Tam yelled.

“Sparks,” Jesse said, trying to stay calm. We’ve got to get upstairs and tell Joe to get the fire department over here, fast.”

“You’re lucky Joe,” said the Fire Chief. “Another hour or so and the whole basement would have been on fire. A family of squirrels got into the basement and decided the wiring would make a great nest. They chewed right through some of them. That’s why the light at the top of the stairs was out. Maybe these kids didn’t belong down there, but they saved the building, and maybe some lives, so go easy on them.”

“10-4 Chief. I’ll overlook it, THIS time,” Joe said, smiling slightly.

“Chief, did your men find anything down there like…like…a body?” Tam asked.

“Or maybe a CPR dummy,” Jesse added quickly.

“Nope, no bodies. Joe, you don’t keep your mannequins down there do you?”

“No way, they’re upstairs in a locked closet.

“You kids read too many horror stories,” the Chief laughed.

Joe thanked the Chief again at the door and turned back to the kids.

“You’ve got your story for the show, but if I were you, I wouldn’t mention the ghost. He won’t show up on your videotape anyway.” The kids stared at him.

“My partner always was camera shy.”