Riding the Wire

Life should be interesting for Jackson Lake. He's just started a new job at one of the biggest businesses in the city, he went on a date that didn't end in utter embarrassment, and he has just earned his stage two exorcism qualification. Except...well, it's all so normal. He had always imagined himself as a hero, striding in to save the day, blasting enemies out of the way with arcane might, and earning respect, money, and fame (not necessarily in that order). Instead of his dream he spends eight to nine hours of the day chained, not literally, to a desk listening to phone calls for signs of paranormal infestation. He keeps telling himself that all he needs is one more step up the ladder, one more qualification, promotion, or spell that will take him into the big leagues. Part of him knows that that final step is never coming, and if it is, it won't be for someone like him to take. His parents tell him he should be patient, his girlfriend tells him he should be grateful, and his best friend tells him that the big leagues aren't all they're made out to be. He almost believes them, until a lightning strike on his flat block energises all the spirits riding the phone wires, setting them loose on a defenceless civilian populace. The 'real' exorcists might have saved the day, but not before Jackson had exorcised a few by himself to protect his neighbours. The question of how the strike happened never occurred to him, the only question now is: where can he find more action?