Days of Horror

Day 12: Something Strange

October 28, 1986. New York City

Billy didn't know any curse words. He was too young to know any. And yet, deep down, as his closet door shook, he knew he was totally screwed.

"Of course this would only happen when mom and dad were gone." The scared little boy thought to himself, pulling the sheets tighter, as if that would do anything to beat back the monster coming through.

For the past few days, Billy had been living with his grandfather, Peter. His parents had gone off on some kind of business trip and his grandfather was kind but a little odd. He set Billy up in a

"You'll be fine," Mom and Dad had said, patting their son on the head as they pushed bags out the door. "Peter will take good care of you."

Peter hadn't taken good care of him. He'd complained about the good old days and watched only reruns of some old show. He was a kind old man but odd too, making jokes Billy never really got.

If only that had been the only strange thing to happen.

The strangeness escalated earlier that night, when a strange green light started to leak out from beneath the poor boy's closet door. At first, Billy'd been able to tough it out.

Then there'd been a noise from within.

A noise that sounded like chewing.

He'd yelled and screamed until Peter had burst through the door with an annoyed look on his face.

He'd quietly told him that something was in the closet. Of course, he didn't believe him. Why would he?

And yet, Peter listened to the door, heard the chewing. And his annoyance fell away. He slowly backed out of the room, but not before telling Billy to stay put and hide himself.

Billy did as his grandfather said and hid beneath his covers, watching the door.

The door had started to shake a few minutes later, practically breaking off it's hinges. The light was getting stronger, and the growling and chewing louder. Billy was about to run for his life when the closet door fell down, revealing a creature that made Billy scream.

It was a bright green, with a large mouth, eyes closer together, and no legs. It was simply floating in the air, screaming and yelling and shoving corn dogs down it's gullet.

Green ooze fell of it's body, splatting to the ground as it turned about, giggling with glee at it's freedom.

Then it's eyes locked on the scared little boy. And it's giggles came to a halt.

The ghoul sprang across the room, screeching and reaching out for the little boy, trying to grab hold of him, trying to pull him back into–

A beam of light shot out from nowhere, hitting the monster right in the side. The ghost slammed against the wall, screeching in pain. It tried to move, but the beam of light kept it pinned, not allowing it to move.

Billy, mouth opened in shock turned towards the door, just in time to see grandpa Peter, the stream of light shooting out of a stick in his hand and a large pack strapped to his back, toss a small metal box towards the ghost.

Pressing a button, the box opened wide, tendrils of light grabbing ahold of the ghost. It screamed, shooting goo and slime across the bedroom, trying to get away from the box.

Only to be sucked into the box with a final scream.

The box shut and the entire apartment went silent.

For a moment, Billy didn't move. He simply sat on his bed, mouth wide open, eyes staring at the box on the ground.

In the doorway, Peter slide the proton pack off with a groan, swiping at the goo splattered on his shirt.

"Aw, come on." He muttered, trying to get the goo off. "He slimed me."

Those words brought Billy out of his shock, slowly turning his head towards his grandfather.

"What–what was that?" He asked with a stammer.

Peter, still trying to get the goo off, didn't even look at Billy.

"That was Slimer. Or as a good friend of mine would call it: a class one apparition. Why, I really don't know. Maybe it sounded cool."

"Y-you knew what that was?" Billy pulled himself out from under the covers, staring Peter not with shock anymore, but instead awe.

For the first time, Peter looked at his grandson, a small smile tickling the edges of his mouth.

"Well... yeah. Didn't your parents tell me who I was?"

Billy slowly shook his head. Peter snorted, shaking his head.

"Honestly, shouldn't surprise me. Your mom always did think I was crazy."

"Were you... a superhero?" Billy asked, leaning in close.

Peter knelt to one knee, chuckling as he looked at his nephew.

"In a way...You want to hear about it?"

Billy nodded, grinning as his grandfather started his tale.

A tale about four men who were interested in the paranormal.

About four men who saved New York time after time.

Four men who fought against ghost and ghouls.

Four men who became friends.

Friends who were known as the Ghostbusters.