Season 1, Episode 5: Cold As Ice

 

Previous Episode

First Episode

It was Bobby's turn to make dinner, so the hunters assembled in the A-Frame were having delivery pizza.

Ellen surprised the group when she stood up and made an announcement.

"Found a hunt just a few hours from here.  Vengeful spirit, from the sounds of it."

"John and I'll take it,"  Bobby said.

"There are things to hunt here?   Monsters in 'Hunter's Heaven'?"  John asked.

"Different varieties of ghosts, mostly,"  Missouri supplied.  "Vengeful spirits, poltergeists... Oh, and then parts of the country are plain infested with vampires."

"Vampires?  The hell kind of heaven is infested with vampires?" 

"Well, they're wimpy, as vampires go.   We got a sort of workin' theory,"  Bobby said as Missouri nodded agreement.  "There don't seem to be any demons or leviathans or Jefferson Starships here.  Apocalyptic, extinction-of-humans sorta monsters,"  he elaborated, noting John's baffled expression.  "We figure, who or whatever's put us here maybe thought we'd get bored with nothin' to hunt."

"Which is why John and I are gonna take this one,"  Ellen broke in.  

"I thought you were handling the nightly check-ins,"  Bobby said.  "You know, keepin' the home fires burnin'?"  

"Yeah, and I'm bored out of my skull.   Time for someone else to take a turn."

.

.

.

Recently, at a construction site just outside Petersburg, Virginia:  

"Come on, who wants to see the Prom Queen Ghost?  Or are you all chicken?"

"I just don't think it's a good idea, Eric.  There's a reason builders wear hardhats and steel-toed boots, you know."

"When you said we were gonna hang out, I assumed you meant a movie or pizza.  You know, something normal."

"I'm not chicken!  Let's go!"

"No, Keisha, you can't go in there.   You could get hurt."  

"I won't get hurt!  I'll be fine." 

"No way.  If anything happens to you, your parents would kill me."

"Stay here and be bored, then.  I'm going to find the ghost."

"You want to go and get pizza?"  

"Let's give him a few minutes.   There's no such thing as ghosts.   He'll get bored and then we can all go."

"Does it feel cold to you all of a sudden?"

There's nothing to be scared of here.

"Hey, Lis!  Check it out!"  Wait, where is she?  

"Hey!  Lisa!  Gibby!  Up here!"

As the kids looked up at the balcony, their expressions changed from boredom to disbelief, and then to fear.  They started yelling and gesturing to Eric.  "Behind you!"  

"It's the ghost!"  

"Watch out!"

"Very funny, guys.  There's no such thing as ghosts."

The kids ran in terror.

Eric laughed at first, but his friends didn't stop.  Gibby tripped over something on the dark ground, but he scrambled up and kept running.  Eric felt a sudden chill.  Slowly, he turned.  "Guys?  Aaaah!" 

"You were supposed to take me to the prom."

"What?  No, I'm not--"

"You were supposed to take me to prom!"

"Lady, I'm only a sophomore!  Aaaah!"  Eric shook.  His teeth chattered.  With nowhere to run, he climbed up on the railing.  His hands felt numb with cold.  His fingers trembled.  He lost his grip and fell.

"You stood me up!  I'll never forgive you for that!"

One knee buckled as he hit the ground.  His leg twisted and he fell heavily against the door frame.   Eric started to scream, but choked back the sound as the ghost loomed over him.

"How could you ditch me on prom night?!"

The ghost's shrieks and wails receded until he couldn't hear them any more.  He couldn't see her.  Eric didn't feel fear any more.  He didn't feel pain.  

He didn't feel anything at all.

Next Episode

.

.

.

.

This original fan episode starred my brand new member of Team Stacie; vintage Kevin, "Cool Boyfriend of Skipper";  High School Musical Sharpay; and High School Musical Ryan.  No dolls were harmed in the making of this episode!  Ryan thawed out just fine.