Promises To Keep

Ch 1, pt1: Old Aggie's

A/N: hey all! This chapter has been edited as of 7/13/20! No huge changes plot wise I just re-read it and felt I could have written it better! So! New and improved version here and ready to be read! :D

Holly closed her eyes and hummed quietly to herself, enjoying the way the wind carded its fingers through her hair. The tune was haunting and melodic and frequently stuck in her head, it was a song her Aunt had sung to her to soothe nightmares when she was a child. She tipped her head back and opened her eyes to the sight of the stars above, twinkling and bright.

"Alright, we have flashlights, salt, and a homemade EMF," Maura listed off pushing her mane of dark hair back from her face and shooting Holly the same smile that had always preceded trouble in their childhood "we got this ghost hunting shit in the bag!"

Holly laughed at the exclamation and turned to look at her as Maura whapped her with the map she was holding. A laugh escaped her even as she asked, "Why are you laughing at me?"

Holly succumbing to a fit of giggles shook her head "I don't know."

Maura shook her head in response and threw her arms around Holly and shook her gently in mock consternation. Their laughter sang through the empty street, and the pitches of the melody in Holly's mind danced to match it.

Once they gathered themselves Maura pulled out her phone "Okay, are you ready?" After a nod of confirmation, she slung an arm around Holly's shoulders and turned on her phone camera. "Hello to anyone watching this! I sincerely hope you're watching from Youtube because it looked cool, and not because my phone has been entered into evidence!"

Holly let out an involuntary laugh that exploded with a scattering of consonant sounds "Wha—"

Maura beamed cheekily into the camera "Fingers crossed! Anyway! On to the exposition! I'm Maura Ellis." She said briefly posing like the screengrab might be used for a magazine cover "And this here cutie is my best friend in the entire world, and partner in metaphorical, and occasionally literal crime, Holly Mae!" she said while the other girl struggled to breathe from laughing at her antics. "We are here at our local, abandoned, most likely haunted, shipyard. Its proper name is something like Aglaophono's Shipyard, but that's a mouthful, so real Addisons Port Locals call it Old Aggie's." She turned to Holly beaming "Holl's you wanna tell 'em why we're visiting Old Aggie's at the witching hour?"

"Why yes I do," Holly chimed in, a twinkle of laughter still present in her dark green eyes. "We are visiting dear ole Aggie's here at the wicked witching hour, because my lovely partner in crime here, and myself decided to spend the summer after college graduation hunting ghosts and conspiracy theories! Because we are huge nerds and carpe diem!" she paused and bounced in place, a considering look on her face "or Carpe Noctem! More accurately." She finished giggling again.

Maura nodded sagely "Hell yeah! Carpe Noctem! Let's go meet some ghosts!"

Maura stopped the video as they made their way across the street "Okay, so, seriously though do you think we're gonna meet any ghosts tonight?"

Holly tilted her head from side to side as they reached the sidewalk "I dunno, I mean there have been a seriously worrying number of missing persons around this place, I'm a bit more worried we're gonna meet a serial killer."

Maura bumped hips with her "Don't worry Holl's if we meet a serial killer I'm gonna put fourteen years of martial arts classes to good use and kick his ass." She leaned in dramatically "I'll be your knight in shining armor."

Holly giggled and bumped shoulders with her as they approached the big sign that marked the entrance to the shipyard. "How chivalrous." She aimed her flashlight at the sign and shivered "oh this place is so much creepier at night" she hugged her sweater closer around herself as she sucked in a fortifying breath "Okay? You ready for this?"