Ghostfacers, part 1
Ed Zeddmore and Harry Spangler sit at a weathered picnic table
at a nondescript rest stop in middle America.
Ed: Well, here we are again...
Harry: Taking another stab at showing the world the spooky side... of the world...
Ed: We've regrouped, got some new equipment, a couple new facers. All in all, we're better, stronger, faster.
Harry: And we are ready to take you on a new journey. One filled with ghosts and ghouls...
Ed: One that may just change your life.
Harry: Will you ever be able to sleep again? Perhaps not. Not after you see proof of the supernatural.
Ed: Not after you've taken a trip with...
both: The Ghostfacers!
~ cue the Ghostfacers theme song ~
Metallic Ghostfacers briefcases in tow, Ed and Harry take an elevator from an underground parking garage up to the fifth and top floor of a modest apartment building. After the elevator reaches the fifth floor, a sick-sounding 'ding' announces their arrival and the doors open. They walk to the end of the hall and perform an elaborate 'secret knock' to gain entrance.
~ Confession Session: Harry ~
Originally, we were meeting in the conference area of the coffee shop where Carrie works. Then her manager, Chip, started complaining that she gave us her employee discount on coffee and treats. Basically, she could only keep her job if we... um... never came in again.
But, you know, she stuck it to him anyway - she uses her discount for the coffee and treats she brings to our meetings and only tells him that it's all for her. So, yeah. Screw you, Chip.
Ed: This is the apartment of one Toby “Steve” Stevens (uses air quotes for the nickname). He is the newest facer, but is already an important part of the team. And not only because he lets us use his spare bedroom for meetings. He's also pretty well-versed in parapsychology.
~ Confession Session: Steve ~
To be honest, I'm not really what you would call a believer. I joined up with the team because I have taken a lot of psych and sociology classes and I'm very interested in the group dynamics and social influence. Plus, I'm a film major and this will be great for my final project. But, mainly, I joined to impress Carrie.
Harry: All right, if we could all just take our seats. Thank you. Yes. Let's get started.
Ed: OK folks, here's the skinny. The Spooner Street Boarding House. Ten people disappeared there. Eight college students and the old couple who owned the place. And they didn't all go at once.
Harry: That's right. There were reports and stories floating around. Never from the old couple...
Ed: But the students. Some of their friends have corroborated that some of the lodgers heard strange noises, smelled strange smells, felt strange... feelings...
Maggie: You knew one of the guys, didn't you Steve?
Steve: Well, he was more like a friend of a friend. But, I had a class with Colby during my first year. He let me borrow a pen once.
Spruce: You still got the pen, dude?
Steve: No. Gave it back to him at the end of class.
Ed: OK people, let's cut the chatter. Steve, your task was to collect the blueprints of the boarding house. You got them?
Steve: Yeah, yeah. Here you go.
Ed: Yeah, um, two things. When we talk about blueprints, we mean the actual technical floor plan of the building. Not a hand-drawn picture with a blue ink pen. On the other hand, this will be easier to make copies for everyone...
Maggie: As you can all see, I've written in the names of the students that were staying in each of the rooms.
Carrie: I think that's a great idea because a person's name is a lot easier to remember than a number. It also makes everything seem a little more personal. Numbers are just so... impersonal. Oh, and I also wrote in bits of the stories about how people were found or what was found at each scene.
~ Confession Session: Maggie ~
I get this totally “All About Eve” vibe from Carrie. I mean, one minute, she's asking for my advice and looking up to me and everything. Then, the next, she's, like, undermining me and flirting with Harry and stuff.
And, I mean, I guess I can see where she's coming from. She's like, the newest member of the team. Well, newest female. She doesn't really know anybody. Of course she's going to try and make some kind of alliance with me. I'm the Alpha Female, I have a lot of responsibilities and obligations around here. And, you know, my brother's the Team Captain and my pretty-serious boyfriend is the Co-Captain.
But, sometimes I just want to tell her, 'Hey, don't feel so threatened by me. It's not good for the team.'
Harry: So, we're almost to the boarding house. The van we're sitting in is brought to us courtesy of Steve. It's great to have a vehicle that we can store our equipment in. It just feels more stable than having to pack everything up last minute.
Spruce: (behind camera) Long live the Ghostchaser!
Ed: I never signed off on 'Ghostchaser.' I still don't know that I like that-
Steve: (driver's seat) I'm telling you... Ecto-1!
Harry: No, no. We're not Ghostbusters. We're Ghostfacers.
Maggie: Guys, guys. I think this is it.
Carrie: She's right, guys. We're here.
(Maggie rolls her eyes)
~ Confession Session: Carrie ~
I think Maggie sees me as some sort of threat to her position as 'only girl in the boys' club.' Which, I guess is technically... well, she's not the only girl anymore. But, that doesn't mean we can't be friends. In fact, we could be more than friends... but I know she and Harry are an item and I'm not the kind of girl that would try and come between them.
I can't decide if I am excited or nervous or just plain terrified by this trip. I have always been interested in ghosts and stuff... my grandma used to have all the best stories. Of course, all the stories she told weren't really stories. All the weird things she told me happened to friends of hers. Now, I may get to see a ghost myself.
Ed: Now, we come to the exciting part. Carrie is working on picking the lock at the front door. We are going to get in there and set up our base camp. And, no one's going to be shutting us down. No one's going to be giving us bogus stories to make us look foolish on our website -
Spruce: Website?
Ed: No one's going to come in here uninvited, telling us we have to leave. No one's going to be taking over our case and edging us out and then sabotaging our footage and all our hard work and-
Carrie: Got it.
~ Confession Session: Ed ~
Yeah, OK, I know it's been over a year. It was a long time ago... even longer ago for the website...
I just can't help it. It still chaps my ass that those dicks could just waltz in and take over the show, leaving us with nothing to show for all our hard work. They were jealous of us in Texas, just like they were jealous of us in Wisconsin. Well, we are not going to let them get one up on us here in Gnaw Bone, Indiana!
Harry: Ed, man, are you OK?
Ed: Yeah, yeah. I took a deep, calming breath. I'm not going to let those two jerks get the better of me. They had better not show their faces around here... or they are the ones... that are going to... get faced.
Spruce: I don't think we have to worry about those guys, dude.
Ed: You don't know them the way we do, Spruce. You only met them once - saw them one night. Couple years ago, Harry and I, we had to deal with those wannabes for almost a week.
~ Confession Session: Spruce ~
OK, I'm not saying I liked those guys or anything. But, Sam and Dean, they saved our lives. Well, they weren't the ones that actually got rid of Daggett. That honor went to Corbett.
May he rest in peace.
But, what the other guys don't know - what they didn't hear at the Morton House... Dean only had two months to live. Two months, dude. He didn't want to say what kind of disease it was. Actually, he seemed pretty healthy to me. But, that dude is gone - gone for almost a year. We aren't going to be seeing Sam and Dean this time around.
Ed: Here we go, facers. Let's get the command center up and running.
Harry: This will be known as Starfleet.
Ed: That's right. And we need cameras in each dorm room-
Steve: Hey, hey, I think someone's out back.
Harry: (whispering) Out back? What's back there?
Steve: (whispering) There's a shack for the washer and dryer, and there's a garden... hey, those flowers and vegetables look pretty well cared for-
Ed: (whispering) Who cares about the garden, Steve! Did you see anything specific? Were they ghosts?
Maggie: (whispering) Or cops?
Steve: (whispering) I just saw a couple shadows.
Ed: (whispering) OK, OK, let's take a breath. Harry, Maggie, Carrie, Spruce - you guys get the cameras set up upstairs. I'll make sure we're all functional on the Bridge-
Carrie: (whispering) The bridge?
Ed: (whispering) The bank of computers. We've all got our headsets... we'll keep in constant communication-
Steve: (whispering) What should I do?
Ed: (whispering) You keep a watch on that laundry shed. OK facers, hands in. Spin the tires, light the fires. Let's move out.
* * *
Maggie: Camera's set in 1-A, Ed.
Ed: (softly) Looking good. Thanks Mags.
Carrie: How's 1-B looking, Ed?
Ed: (softly) I see it all, Carietta White.
Spruce: 1-C up and rolling, Captain.
Ed: (softly) Roger that, Spock.
Harry: And 1-D completes the Fantastic Four.
Maggie: You know that's right.
Ed: (softly) Very nice F4, very nice. All right heroes, can you repeat that on the top floor.
Harry: That's a go. What's happening in the laundry shack, Steve?
Steve: (whispering) I can't see anything.
* * *
Ed: (softly) OK team, all cameras are operating. All dorm rooms are under my control. Big brother is now watching. Let's regroup.
Steve: (panicked whisper) Um, guys? The shadows from the laundry shack-
Spruce: Shadows?
Steve: (panicked whisper) Well, the sun is now down, Spruce. It's hard to see anything!
Ed: (softly) OK, OK, calm down. What's happening, Steve?
Steve: (panicked whisper) The shadows are coming this way!
Ed: Describe them for me.
Steve: (panicked whimper) One is pretty tall. And the other is even taller.
Harry: Here we go facers. This just might be it. Cameras on.
Spruce: Rolling.
Steve: (panicked whimper) They're here!
