It stood in the shadows and watched from the upper window. The interlopers were back, especially the little guy with the moustache. It was obvious that he hadn't got the message the first time around. It chuckled quietly to itself. It would wait until the time was right and then it would give the little guy the fright of his life.
******
"How long is this guy gonna waffle on for?" Chet muttered under his breath. He shifted from foot to foot with impatience.
"Hush Chet!" Captain Stanley hissed. "Show a little restraint for once in your life."
The sun was getting hotter by the minute and Chet was dying to get a cold drink. He glanced about at the crowd and then up at the fire house. He had to admit that they had done a good job. The place looked brand spanking new. It had taken the crew from 51 and at least another five crews from different stations to get the place running again.
"Before I finish, I would like to extend our heartfelt appreciation to the Los Angeles County Fire Department for all their wonderful work. They gave up their valuable spare time to help restore this old girl to her former glory." The MC grabbed the end of the silk sash and paused dramatically.
"I now declare the Alan Carter Memorial Visitors Centre open." He gave the cord a sharp pull and the swatch of red cloth fell away, revealing a brass plaque with a small photograph of Alan Carter incased in glass. The crowd applauded and cheered loudly, Chet the loudest, mostly with relief. If there was one thing he couldn't stand, it was ceremonies. The other thing he couldn't stand was hanging around this place. Even surrounded by his crew mates and the other people, in broad daylight, he still felt creepy.
Chet let his eyes wander over the building. As he glanced at the upper dorm windows, something caught his eye. He squinted to get a better look. There was someone standing there, watching him. Who the hell is that? he thought to himself. As he watched, the figure raised its arm and pointed at him, then drew its finger across its throat. Every hair on his head stood up and he gasped with shock. He shook his head and stared up at the window again. There was no one standing there.
"Hey Chet, you coming?," Johnny said as he poked Chet in the shoulder. Chet spun around. Johnny looked at him closely.
"You okay?"
"Uh, yeah, I'm fine," Chet replied distractedly. He hazarded another glance up at the window. My imagination, he said to himself, maybe a little heat stroke. He followed Johnny over to the refreshments table, where the rest of the crew had congregated.
"I think you guys did a fantastic job," Joanne said, giving them all a smile. "Maybe I should hire you guys out to do some work around the house. Roy seems to be taking forever to get the gazebo built in our backyard." She reserved her best smile for her husband, who pulled a face and smiled back.
"I promise to get around to it the next day I have off, honey," Roy replied.
"Hmm. Now there's an original line," Joanne said sweetly.
"Don't bring up that subject around Em, Joanne. You know, you wives are real slave drivers when it comes to fixing things. If it wasn't for us men, you would be in trouble," Hank Stanley joked.
"I heard that, Henry!" Emily Stanley said as she walked up behind her husband. "You mean, if it weren't for us wives, you men would be like helpless little babies."
"Emily, I don't see the difference, half the time. They act like children when they don't get their way, anyhow," Joanne laughed.
They all joked back and forth, with the exception of Chet, who got himself a cool drink and went to sit under a tree nearby.
"Chet's pretty handy with a hammer, Joanne. Just make sure you got plenty of Band-Aids on hand," Marco said, grinning. He looked around, waiting for a snappy reply from his buddy. "Where is he?" They looked around and saw him sitting on his own, looking miserable.
"What's wrong with him?" Mike asked. Johnny put his cup down and walked over to Chet.
"Hey, don't be so unsociable," Johnny said lightly, nudging Chet with the toe of his shoe. Chet sighed and looked up.
"What's the matter?" Johnny crouched down to study him closely. He looked pale, sick even.
"I dunno. I just feel a little off. Probably in the sun too long," Chet mumbled. "I just wanna sit here for a while. Join you later." Johnny shrugged noncommittally and patted Chet on the head before walking back to the group.
"This place does that to some, you know," a voice said above his head. Chet looked up with surprise. A man stood there, smiling down at him.
"Does what?" Chet asked, frowning. He didn't like people eavesdropping on his conversations, especially when he didn't know the person.
"It drains people. Takes their positive energy and leaves them feeling empty." The guy sat on the grass next to Chet and stuck out his hand. Chet hesitated for a second then took his hand and shook it.
"My name is Colin Spencer. I used to work here. I wanted to commend you for doing such a wonderful job."
"Chet Kelly," Chet replied. He looked the guy over curiously. He looked like he was in his early forties and the station had been closed for at least thirty years or so.
"You used to work here? As a fire-fighter?" he asked doubtfully. Colin chuckled and shook his head.
"I'll take your scepticism as a compliment, Chet. A lot of people would say, I mean, do say I look much younger than I am." He gave Chet a benevolent smile. "You don't look too thrilled to be here, my friend." He gazed at Chet, as if he were assessing him. "It happened to you too, didn't it?"
Chet stared at Colin. Great, he's a nut, Chet thought to himself. This guy was talking in riddles and it was annoying.
"I'm not too sure I know what you are getting at, pal," Chet said evenly.
"I'm sorry. I don't mean to be vague. You see, when I was stationed here, I found this place to be very, well, strange. Since this was a small firehouse, only one fireman was required to be on duty at all times. My buddies and I would rotate our shifts. If there was an emergency, I would crank up the siren and the other men would respond. Being a small town and all, it didn't take them long to get here. When I would be rostered on, things would happen. I would go to bed and hear footsteps on the stairs, someone walking along the hallway. I could never figure it out. I would get up and check the place out, to make sure I was here on my own, and found nothing. Things would disappear and reappear in the most unlikely places. Strange, don't you think?"
Chet was intrigued. Maybe the guy wasn't a nut after all. He licked his lips.
"I guess something did happen here," Chet conceded after a moment. "Did you have any nightmares?" Colin nodded and sighed. He picked at the blades of grass in front of him.
"Real shockers. At one stage there, I would try not to sleep. I guess that was my downfall in the end." He fell silent. Chet was getting used to this guy's vagueness, but his last comment sounded way out there for some reason. But he didn't want to pry into Colin's personal life.
"I heard stories about this place," Chet began slowly. "You know, something about the place being haunted and all. I guess you know all about it." Colin gave Chet a blank look, his eyes distant. "Not that I really believe in that stuff, of course," Chet finished hurriedly.
"Yes, I've heard the story, Chet. And there is some truth to it. Although, I think people have gotten it wrong. I remember about the guy who worked here, the one who died. He was a good guy. It's a shame he went so horribly. If he came back, it would only be because he loved this place." Colin shook his head sadly. He turned away and gazed at the building. "So many memories," he murmured softly to himself.
Chet thought a change of subject was due. Obviously Colin found it a little painful to talk about the departed fire-fighter. He mustered a cheerful smile.
"So what do you do with yourself now, Colin? I take it you're retired, right?"
"You could say that, Chet," Colin answered mysteriously. "A forced retirement, I'm sorry to say." Colin got to his feet, brushing the grass from his jeans. He grinned down at Chet. "What would you say to a personalised tour of the firehouse?"
Chet returned his grin. He was feeling a little more like his old self suddenly. He got to his feet and nodded.
"I got some stories to tell you about this old girl. I think you'll find it very enlightening."
******
Chet followed Colin into the refurbished fire house with a little reluctance. He found the closer they got to the door, the more uneasy he became. He could not shake off the feeling that something was going to happen. They skirted around the small groups of people who were milling around and chatting and made their way upstairs.
"When it was first built, there was enough room for a crew of six. During the war, the numbers were reduced due to the fact that a lot of the young men around here signed up for service. Some of the firemen stationed here were deputised to be police officers, so they left one fireman here on his own over a 24 hour shift." Colin led the way to the dormitory at the far end. "This place could be real cosy and quite cool during the hot weather, with it's high ceilings and all."
He opened the door to the dorm and stepped in, Chet right behind him. It had been converted to an office area and there were boxes stacked against the walls, waiting to be unpacked. Chet shivered involuntarily, as his nightmare intruded on his thoughts. He glanced about, expecting something to jump out at him at any moment.
"I don't know how you could stay up here alone, night after night," Chet commented. Colin was standing in the middle of the room, staring up at the roof. He suddenly swung around and walked from the room, turning to go into the bathroom. Chet trotted behind him, feeling more uncomfortable by the minute. The whole atmosphere of the place had changed and he was chilled to the bone. He could hear the people downstairs, but for some reason, it didn't comfort him.
Colin threw open the door and marched in with a determined look on his face. The bathroom was dimly lit, the bright sunshine outside barely making an impact in the room.
"Uh, Colin, what's up?," Chet asked nervously. This guy was beginning to freak him out. "Is it my imagination, or is the room getting darker?"
"It's here," Colin whispered. "I can feel it! Can you feel it, Chet?" Chet was at the end of his rope. He turned towards the bathroom door.
"I'm outta here. Thanks for the guided tour," he muttered. As he reached the door, it slammed shut. Chet let out a small moan. There was no human agency close enough to shut the door. The air turned frigid, Chet could feel the iciness slice through to his bones.
Chet's heart was pounding as he turned around slowly. He desperately wanted to close his eyes, but his brain was too busy yelling at him to run to listen. Colin was standing in the middle of the room and staring at a spot in the farthest corner. Tiny points of light were pulsating, moving closer together. Suddenly there was a bright flash of white and a form appeared.
******
As Chet and Colin watched closely, they could make out shadowy features of a man's face. The light in the room was almost gone. It was as if this apparition was drawing on all the natural light to materialise.
"What are you doing back here?" the man rasped. Chet swallowed and pointed a shaky finger at himself.
"W-who m-me?," he squeaked. The man turned his head and stared at Chet. Chet almost fainted. Where his eyes should have been were two red, glowing pits.
"Not you, little man. I was speaking to him," the man said disdainfully as he lifted his arm and pointed a gnarled, nasty looking finger at Colin. "I will deal with you later, little man."
Colin glanced over at Chet and then returned his steady gaze to the ghost. Chet couldn't believe that Colin was acting so calm. His own feet were glued to the floor, his whole body so tense, it was almost painful.
"I won't allow you to harm another living soul. Enough is enough. You have to be stopped," Colin began. "I will not stand by and watch you take another life."
The shadowy man chuckled quietly. The sound sent a bolt of fear through Chet. What hair he had that wasn't on end before, shot up. He felt as if he were electrified.
"You are willing to take this pathetic little man's place, Colin? Why? No one came to your aid when I came for you. Do you remember, Colin?" Colin glared at the figure.
"Oh, I remember alright. I remember how you tormented me with nightmares and made me question my sanity. You wore me down to the point that it killed me in the end. But it's not going to happen again, ever."
"K-killed you? What? Are you a ghost too?," Chet whispered, his eyes as big as saucers as he gazed fearfully at Colin.
"It takes one to know one, Chet. Don't be frightened of me. This thing killed me. It drove me to my death. It pushed me down that fire pole. Took away what I cherished the most. And now it wants you, Chet."
"Oh my God!," Chet moaned. He shook his head. This is NOT happening, this is NOT HAPPENING! The phrase ran around in his head. "Are you telling me that you are the-the....." Colin gave a curt nod. "I thought he was the guy! Then who the hell is he?"
"He," Colin jerked his thumb in the general direction of the ghost, "is a poor excuse for an entity. He draws on people's fears for his strength."
"But why me? I don't understand!"
"Why you indeed, little man. You were the weakest of them all. A weakling for me to play with." The figure began advancing towards Chet, gliding silently. Colin stepped back and put himself between Chet and the entity. The figure halted a few feet away from Colin, swaying to and fro.
"Get out of my way," the entity ordered.
Colin shook his head resolutely.
Chet found power in his legs and inched back until he was up against the door.
"You will have to get by me to get to him."
The entity threw back its head and cackled wildly. It turned its head and grinned malevolently at the two men.
"It's your call, Colin. You have a chance to move on once the little man here is taken. To interfere is foolish! You will remain forever trapped in this firehouse, if you choose to confront me."
Colin sighed and looked over to Chet. Chet gazed at Colin miserably.
"I don't want to end up like you, Colin. But at the same time, I don't want to see you stuck here for who knows how long. Oh man, this is too much to take!" Chet said shakily.
"Well? I'm waiting. I haven't got all day, you know. People to scare, places to haunt and all that," the entity snapped, tapping its long index finger against its leg impatiently. Colin gave Chet an encouraging smile and turned to face it.
"Do your worst. I'm ready to take you on."
The entity drew closer to Colin and spread its long arms wide.
"You are a fool, Colin Spencer! And you are in no position to choose. I intend to take the little man," it hissed as it went to brush past Colin. Chet watched in terror, as Colin seemed to grow a few feet taller before his very eyes. A white thin line appeared from the back of Colin's head and snaked its way towards Chet.
As it got within a couple of inches of Chet, a blinding white light flashed before him. He squinted as he felt a warm sensation wash over him. His fear suddenly vanished and he felt safe. He stood up straight and watched as Colin grappled with the entity. They were locked in a tight embrace. Colin managed to swing around and got it in a headlock.
Chet felt like he had the strength of a hundred men. He advanced on the duelling duo. He made a fist and rubbed it along the entity's head hard and fast, producing sparks as he sconed him.
"Neener! Neener! Neener!," Chet chanted as he rubbed. The entity growled and shook Colin off.
"Nobody calls me a neener," it snarled. It darted towards Chet and Colin, its face a mask of fury. Just as it reached for Chet, Colin stuck out his foot and sent it sprawling, flat on its face.
Colin sat down on its back, eliciting a sharp out take of breath from his opponent. He began to bounce up and down quite hard.
"Are you gonna quit being a spooky pain in the ass? Huh? Do you give up?" Colin asked sweetly, as he rode the entity like a bucking bronco.
"Never!" it replied forcefully. Chet got to his knees and leaned forward. He hooked his fingertips around its nose and pulled its head up sharply.
"Ow! Ow! Not the nose!" it shrieked. Chet pinched its nostrils together hard and shook its head from side to side.
"Who's a big, bad boogerman now, huh? Say Uncle and I'll stop."
"Led do! Led do op by dose! Ucle! Ucle!" it whined. Colin grinned as Chet gave its nose one last yank. Chet cupped his hand under its chin and grabbed its cheeks, squeezing them together.
"Not such a big bad boogerman after all, are you? Can't handle it when there is two against one, ya big baby." The entity glared up at Chet, who stuck his tongue out at it.
"That's the spirit! I can feel him losing ground, Chet! Keep it up!" Colin urged. They could both see the entity was beat. With every passing second, it was becoming slightly more diaphanous and a little less solid.
"Now listen up, you Casper wanna-be. My good friend Colin here is gonna let you up. Then you get your sorry butt into gear and make tracks. Understood?" He gave an extra squeeze for emphasis.
"Awwight! Awwight!" Chet nodded to Colin, who got up. Chet got to his feet and watched as the roughed up entity staggered up. It gave them both an evil look as it brushed itself down.
"You don't make it easy for me now, do you?" it complained bitterly. "Just doing my job, you know. It's not easy being mean, nasty and evil." It stood there sulking, with its arms crossed.
"Well, what are you waiting for?" Colin asked. It gave Colin a two fingered salute.
"Have fun hanging around this dump until Judgement Day, Spencer." It turned to Chet, its fiery red eyes, dimming as the entity's shape began to shimmer and vibrate. "I'll be back for you, little man," it snarled. Chet stepped forward threateningly. The entity jerked back fearfully and suddenly disappeared with a loud popping noise.
******
The room began to brighten again and Chet was aware of the sounds of the people outside. The temperature rose and they both breathed a sigh of relief. The white thin line that bound Chet to Colin dissolved as the meager sunlight hit it.
"I don't believe what just happened!" Chet exclaimed. He looked up at Colin, who there, smiling at him. "I don't understand! I thought ghosts were supposed to come out at night and that you couldn't touch them!"
"It takes a special kind of person to see us at this level, Chet. You just happened to be one of them. We make a good team, huh?" Colin said, chuckling. Chet nodded and grinned.
"I thought I was toast, man. Thank you so much. I don't know how to repay you or if I could. Now, because of me, you're stuck here." Chet's smile faded as he pondered the consequences for Colin.
"Don't worry about it, Chet." Colin spread his arms, as if embracing the room. "I love this place! It's the next best thing to heaven for me. See, I am what you would call a Revenant." Chet smiled again.
"Kind of like Casper, the friendly ghost?"
"You could put it that way." Colin grinned warmly at Chet. "One day, I will move on, but for now, my work lies here. It wasn't joking when it said it would be back. Someone has to be here to protect the living. And that person is me."
Chet walked over to Colin and stuck out his hand. As he went to shake, Colin's hand passed through Chet's. Chet stared at Colin, just making out the sinks through his form.
"Time for me to go, Chester B. It was a pleasure knowing you. Be safe and happy."
"Wait!" Chet exclaimed as Colin blinked out in front of his eyes. Chet sighed and hung his head for a minute. He could hear footsteps on the stairs, they were making their way down the hall, stopping at each door.
Chet turned and took a hold of the doorknob and turned it. He came face to face with Johnny, who jumped back in surprise.
"Heck, Kelly! You sure know how to spook a guy! We've been looking all over for ya. What are you doing up here?" Chet took one last look over his shoulder, hoping to see Colin. He turned away and stepped out into the hallway.
"I was just looking around, Gage. After all, I did have something to do with getting this place going again," Chet replied dismissively, waving at Johnny to shut up.
"Whatever. You ready to go home?" He followed Johnny back down the
hallway
and down the stairs. As Chet reached the doors, he felt a presence
behind
him and a hand on his shoulder, squeezing gently. Chet smiled. He
didn't
have to turn around to see who it was.