I Was a Teenage Ghost Hunter

I Was a Teenage Ghost Hunter Chapter 4

The edge of the Arcata Marsh was not an obvious place for a cookout but Emily's family had never been defined by the obvious. They went way back in Arcata, or at least as far back as the early 60s, and her parents had been in a motley sequence of psychedelic bands, communes, protest groups and various combinations of the three.  

Their house, a ramshackle affair with several unpermitted add-on rooms and extensions, backed right onto some grassy, mucky grounds that blended gradually into the protected marshland. On their occasional cookout nights, Emily's older brothers would clean out the unsanctioned, technically illegal, homemade fire pit that was arguably past the rear border of the Lander's property, fill it with organically grown wood and grill sustainably harvested shrimp and fish and the tofu burgers that Clive so disdained. 

Devin showed up after the party had a chance to get going, with Clive and Rex in tow. Clive took the opportunity of being out in the cold night air to wear a heavy, elaborate gray scarf and floppy hat, while Rex was shivering in a T-shirt and light jacket. They stood at the edge of the marsh, unsure of the safe places to venture into on the dark, soggy ground. The available light was almost entirely from the vigorous cookout fire, since the back edge of the property mingled with the marshy, undeveloped sanctuary. 

"Hey, Devin, you made it." Emily had spotted them and appeared from out of nowhere in the night. She smiled a welcome and glanced over to Clive and Rex. 

Devin tried a return smile but it came out more as a stunted effort. He felt out of his element in the dim swamp with the crowd of older and more popular students buzzing around. "Yeah, thanks for having us. Uh, this is Clive and Rex." 

"Hey, guys." Emily waved a vague welcome. "So this is how it works. Just grab a plate when the mood strikes you, check out the grill and see what's ready. Ned and Neil are tonight's chefs. We've got warm cider, Hansen's soda, Oregon craft brew, and cranberry cocktail." 

"I'm ready for the warm cider," Rex chattered. 

Emily pointed him to a table a little closer to the house where a beverage station was set up. Rex spotted Derek Chu somewhat guiltily sipping at a beer and walked over. 

"This is a cool set up," said Clive, nodding in approval. He closed his eyes with an appreciative smile. "You got the birdsong, cicadas chirping, lapping water, crackling fire." 

"Clive's a composer," explained Devin. "He's very attuned to sound." 

"Cool. Maybe you could play one of your songs for us." Emily nodded toward a barely visible guitar leaning against a vacant lawn chair, where a troubadour was apparently taking a break.  

"They're not really songs," explained Clive. "They're more like pieces, connected cycles. No lyrics. You know, contemporary classical. I have some mini-sonatas you might like. But I need a piano." 

"Pianos and marshes are not a good combo," laughed Emily. 

"Yeah, guess not. Mind if I check out the shrimp?" No one objected and Clive wandered over to the grill, where there was a lull in the crowd of partygoers waiting to be fed. 

"Hope you don't mind that I brought my friends?" Devin asked. 

"No, they seem really interesting. I don't think I ever met a teenage classical composer before." 

"He won the Humboldt County Young Composers medal last year," Devin said, nodding. "Anyway, thought I might need the support team." 

"Support team? What are you talking about?" 

Emily led the way as they strolled toward a large knot of people gathered closer to the water's edge.  

"Come on, you saw those guys hassling me. Ever since that 'sighting' stuff I just feel like I have a gigantic freak monster sign on my back."