Page 33 of Ghost in the Night

I’m not going to cry. I’m not.

Myah’s eyes toggle from me to Maverick and back before she huffs.

“Well, I don’t know about her, but I sure seen spirits and I ain’t confuse them for some wind. We paying you to teach us how to hunt ghosts, not get a talking-to about if ghosts are real. We know they are. Everybody in this city knows it too. I thought you were legit?”

Maverick straightens. “I am.”

Myah clearly hit a nerve, questioning his street cred.

“Okay, then. Tell us what we need to know!”

I glance at Robby’s watch. We don’t have much time left. “If someone wanted to hunt ghosts on their own, where should they start?” I ask.

Maverick sighs. “First, I would interview the individual who saw the ghost. What were they doing, wearing, can they remember all the details? Also, are they suffering through grief, loss, depression? It’s important to know a person’s mental state for reasons I explained.”

Both Robby and Myah stare at me, and I gulp hard.

“Okay … then what?” I ask.

“Next, I would do thorough research of the site where the ghost was seen. Look at a blueprint of the place. What could potentially be seen as a haunting could very well be just old pipes, wind through cracks, or uneven floorboards. It’s important to study the environment. What’s the weather like? What kind of people are around?”

Myah nods. “Blueprints and weather. Got it. Next?”

“Then I would obtain the right equipment for a proper survey.”

Bingo! “What kind of equipment?” I ask.

“Hmmm.” Maverick reaches into his messenger bag. He begins pulling out items and laying them on the bench. Robby creeps up closer, his eyes wide.

“These are dowsing rods,” Maverick says, picking up two copper metal sticks that make an L shape with little balls at the end of each of them. “The rods will form an X when you’ve come across a spot where the spirit’s energy is strongest. You walk around with them and ask the spirit questions.”

He offers the rods to Myah. She grips them tight, grinning, as Maverick continues.

“This is a K2 EMF reader,” he says, holding a small black box in the shape of a remote control, with a dial measuring from green to yellow to red that reminds me of  Dad’s audio equipment. “It responds to fluctuations and spikes in the atmosphere. The higher the read, the more likely a presence.”

Now Robby grins as he tests the reader. This type of stuff excites him.

“This is a thermal meter,” Maverick goes on, holding up another device. “It detects temperature changes, which may signify a paranormal presence. The colder the spot, the more likely a presence is near. Of course, you have your phones to take pictures, video, and record sound. Lastly, and I have scientific data to back this up, is an Xbox Kinect.”

Maverick holds up a black device that looks like the head of WALL-E.

“Hey, I have Xbox, but I’ve never seen that before!” Robby says.

“Originally the Kinect used infrared light to create a map of a room and track movement, often represented by stick figures. But some people have claimed to see stick figures appearing on-screen when no one was there, suggesting itcandetect an entity of the spiritual kind. It’s one of the reasons experts believe Xbox softly discontinued it.”

“Whoa,” Robby mutters.

Myah sets down the rods. “Hmm. What about a Ouija board?”

“Don’t ever use that,” Maverick snaps, snatching the rods. “Ouija boards open portals you’re not ready for. Spirits can attach themselves to the board. You’ll end up taking one of them or all of them home with you. You can even end up dead.”

I reel back, terrified. Robby grips my arm. I wasn’t expecting Maverick to be so … scary?

Myah smirks at Maverick. “Sounds like you believe in ghosts, sir.”

“I didn’t say that.”

Robby huffs. “Okay, let’s settle this another way. If ghosts are real, then why don’t they come out during the day?Why are all the ghost tours only at night?”