Confessions of a Wannabe Ghost Hunter

Chapter 1

I hate it when people have such obvious problems. The price of eggs is outrageous. I can't get my studying done for my final. I don't have enough money for gas. But my problem? I need to make sure I have enough batteries so when any ghosts I'm hunting drain them, I can put in more. Okay. Maybe that's along the same line, because I just need money to buy those. But try carrying around a whole load of batteries at the bottom of your purse the whole time. Try putting it on the counter. It will come down with a crash. But I digress.

Let me start at the beginning. My freshman year at college was going to be totally cool. I'd hang out with my new cool friends, leave all the crap behind in my old town I grew up in, and maybe. Just maybe, being a loner wouldn't be such a problem. But it's my problem. I like being alone. Alone is my style. Wearing black, being a recluse. Maybe that's why I tried to become a ghost hunter in the first place. I knew I might fit in there. I never really liked high school. I just mostly thought of it as a place to escape from. Move on. Get through it. Go to college. That will be my jam.

But as it turns out, after you go to a few classes, it's not that much different than high school. There's clicks. There's clubs. But the one thing that is different, I'm free from my parents. I can do my own thing without them overshadowing everything. No text check-ins. I'm on my own time now. All I have to do is check-in with them from time to time. I can send a text when I have an exam, or maybe even a picture of what I had in the cafeteria. They see I'm eating. They see I'm doing the school thing. I can finally do my own thing.

Which is why I'm at this meeting. The student union had a place for flyers. Looking it all over, I thought I'd find maybe something for me to do here besides general ed classes and a class in my major of marketing. Which of course, I picked because I thought I could learn something that would make my parents happy. Maybe it would make me be more outgoing. But really, all I wanted to do was sit back in class, absorb, and go back to my dorm room and write more of my mystery fiction that involved sleuthing in far away places I could never afford to go. I'd just research them on Youtube and pretend I was there in my stories.

Then, I saw the flyer. "Interested in learning how to talk to spirits? Want to gather real evidence of the paranormal and learn about real investigation equipment? Come to the Paranormal Investigation Club's first meeting, Saturday, Sept. 12. Become a real paranormal investigator".

I couldn't resist. I'd read about Hans Holzer when I checked out his books from the library back when I was a junior. He was one of the first to really take ghost hunting seriously. Of course, there were the Warrens too. I'd always like to pick up the ghost story books of local places I visited. I loved the stories and the history. But the ghost stories? There had to be something to it. What was really out there beyond? It was the biggest mystery of all.

I even thought I might have a bit of special ability or two. I got feelings about things or sometimes my dreams came true. But did that make me a ghost hunter? What about all that equipment? It was the first time I'd gotten excited about college besides getting away from my parents.

So, here I was sitting, waiting for the presentation to start at this club to start. People were milling around, chatting quietly, with a few grabbing a coffee from the refreshments at a back table. The school library room that they were having the meeting was only partly full. Maybe 10-15 people tops. Oh well. Maybe it was going to be worth a laugh after all. I can say I checked it out to my couple friends back home, and I'll carry on looking for a niche somewhere at this university.

Then, the lights flickered, and a voice said, "Okay, if everyone can get settled, we'll start in a few minutes." I turned to the guy that had bellowed the message. He was a heavier set guy, long brown hair pulled back in a pony tail, goatee, and wearing all black. I smiled. At least, that was my kind of style.

People started moving to chairs and sitting down. Pony tail guy started to busy himself with a projector at the front, and got a power point screen going to project onto the wall. The room didn't seem to have a screen. Typical school supplies really. The slide read "Santa Helena Paranormal Investigations Group" in bold white letters and a black background. It was pretty simple. I liked simple.

Then, someone else came up to talk to goatee guy. He had dark black hair, lovely build, grey t-shirt and jeans. He looked like he took care of himself.  When he turned, oh god. I couldn't look away. He had a beautiful young Ian Somerhalder look to him. Chiseled jaw. Smooth, tan skin. Beautiful blue eyes. I don't normally stare at men, but this guy was something to look at. 

He spoke quickly to goatee guy, and then turned to look around at the crowd. His eyes swept over me, and I slumped down in my chair. I really wasn't good at being noticed by gorgeous guys. I preferred the corner and staring at the world with distance. I almost bolted at this point if the lights hadn't dimmed, and the Ian look-alike stood at the front of the group saying, "If you'll be as bold as to let me welcome you all to the first meeting of the Santa Helena Paranormal Investigators Club," he clapped his hands together, bobbing up and down as he spoke. People sat up in their chairs, and others turned towards him. "We'll get started now."

I sat back thinking, how much of this was for real? Did they just look like ghost hunters? Or even, was ghost hunting for real. I was open-minded. It was why I was here. I held back my snort of irony. Either this was going to be a good show or it was going to blow my mind. I was hoping for the later. At least, the eye candy was worth staying for.