|
|||||||
|
|
|
|||||
|
|
|||||||
Re-gathering
Kevin Kemarly
Thursday June 15
I-57
~Beware of pretty
faces you might fiiiind. A
pretty face can hide an evil miiiind. Oooh be careful what
you say, or you’ll give yourself away. Odds are you
won’t live to see tomorrow. ~
Tom Jones filled the radio as the Ecto O1 barreled home, bringing back Kevin and Josh from a job well done.
“What a week,” Kevin said putting his feet up on the dash.
“No shit,” Josh said behind the wheel.
“I wish I could have gone,” Ryan said in the backseat.
“Is that because you wanted to fight Valek, or is that because you wanted to meet a wizard?” Kevin looked in the rearview mirror.
“Neither.” Ryan looked out the window, “I wanted to meet Mrs. Wizard.”
“Jesus,” Josh said demeaning.
“I am still pissed you know,” Ryan directed at Kevin.
“Why’s that?” Kevin asked, knowing the answer.
“I asked you specifically ‘Do wizards exist?’ and you said no.”
“Ryan,” Kevin turned down the radio, “had I said yes, you know, Josh knows, and I know that you would have put on a bed sheet as a cloak, taken a wooden spoon as a wand, and you would have run around HQ spouting off every Harry Potter spell you know. I did it for your own maturity.”
“Maturity? Hah!” Ryan grinned mischievously, “I wasn’t the one who got into a bar fight.”
“Now waitaminute,” Kevin sat up and turned around. “I was the sole voice of reason during that fiasco.”
“Voice of reason my ass,” Josh looked over. “You stood around for 30 seconds like a pansy trying to calm everyone down, and then you went nuts.”
“Voice of reason, for even 30 seconds, is still the voice of reason,” Kevin proclaimed trying to salvage his reputation. “Now on a different topic, we have to remember to go pick up our tuxes on Friday.”
“What what for the what what?” Ryan asked.
“We have another museum gala Monday, remember? Since we donated money for an exhibit?”
“Great another one of those,” Josh rolled his eyes remembering the knight ordeal.
“I still say we should have bought a Segway instead,” Ryan stated, “Less boring more fun.”
“Yeah,” Josh joked, “especially when you would fall on your ass every time.”
“I got great balance,” Ryan said.
“Like the time you fell off a 2 feet wide plank,” Josh responded.
“Hey I was a bit under the weather,” Ryan defended himself.
“You mean drunk?” Josh accused.
Kevin just shook his head as the argument continued.
Monday June 19
The Gathering
Kevin drained the preliminary glass of water set in front of him on the round white table. It would be another 15 minutes before the food was served (Prime rib with twice baked potatoes) and at least 30 before the speaker started. Then they would be released to browse the exhibit on their own.
The place was already starting to fill up with the local upper class: a few local mayors, the rich homeowners, and a few Chicagoans who had come for the history. Kevin was ready for it to be over. Repay a debt and gain publicity was the goal of the night. Josh was resting his head on his palm, while Ryan was up smoozing. Having nothing else to do Kevin flipped through the program.
“Son of a bitch,” Kevin muttered under his breath.
Josh rose up slightly, “Wha?”
“I can’t believe it. They don’t mention us in the program.”
Josh picked through his, he pointed at the bottom and slid it over, “We’re right here dumbass.”
Kevin pushed it back, “Yeah it says Josh Kanosky, Kevin Kemarly, and Ryan Price, but it doesn’t say The Onarga Ghostbusters.”
“So.”
“So this was supposed to be publicity,” Kevin sighed as Josh stared at him. Ah well I guess I will just have to deal. At least the food will be good.
“The mayors daughter is nice,” Ryan took his seat. He brushed his ridiculously long bangs out of his glasses.
Kevin raised an eyebrow, “You didn’t do anything stupid? Did you?”
“Come on Kevie. I am trying
to be mature, remember,” Ryan leaned across the table.
“We’ll we’re probably going to get run outta town,” Kevin said rolling his eyes.
***
“Thank you Professor Flores,” Cheryl, owner of the Gathering, said as the chubby Latin American religion and myths professor walked off stage, “we will never look at early goddess religions and the evils of Christianity again.” A polite applause followed the professor’s exit.
“That was the worst hour I have ever spent,” Josh whispered to Ryan.
“That’s what she said,” Ryan replied nonchalantly over his Pepsi.
“Only on Thursdays,” Josh replied.
“I hate to break up this battle of wit, but she’s about to close things out,” Kevin interjected.
“…Again I want to thank you all for coming. As I know you know, I am very proud of this little town of ours, and am so happy that I get to share Onarga’s history as well as world culture with all of you. History is an invaluable tool that should be available to everyone. With these efforts I hope I get to make that possible. Finally, I would like to thank Kevin, Josh, and Ryan for helping to make this night possible. It is so good to see young people involved in there community. Now I invite you to take a tour of the place, besides the goddess exhibit we have a range of new pieces including some new abstract art as well as a few fossils from a local dig. Thank you and good night.”
People started shuffling before the applause began to die down.
“Lets get the Fuck out of here,” Josh said unbuttoning his tux jacket.
“Come on Josh,” Kevin started, “This is a good event for us, we have to mingle.”
Ryan looked around, “I can do that.”
“I said mingle, not harass,” Kevin said walking away.
“Where you going?” Josh questioned.
“I am mingling, just away from you,” Kevin said.
“Sometimes I want to hit him,” Josh said.
***
“Hey”
“Good to see ya”
“Who ya gonna call?”
“Heeeeeeeeeeeeeelllllllllllllllllllloooooo” Ryan mingled with the fairer sex as he walked through the museum. Josh grunted out hellos as he had to.
“You know this goddess exhibit isn’t so bad afterall,” Ryan said looking at some of the more provocative parts of the exhibit.
“I thought you had a girlfriend,” Josh said from the other side of the display shelf pushing buttons for the light up displays.
“Don’t get me wrong, she’s nice,” Ryan said admiring a nude sculpture, “ but no,” he sounded out the name on the plaque, “Ves-pri-al. I mean check this out.” He picked up the finely formed sculpture off its granite base. “This is a woman!”
The large hand on his shoulder caught his attention. Ryan’s scared shitless grin filled his face as he turned to look at the security guard.
“Sorry,” He slipped out between his teeth putting the sculpture back.
The guard’s glare was enough to tell them to get moving.
“Kevin’s not going to like it if we get ourselves kicked out,” Josh said.
“So,” Ryan replied, “Kevin said publicity, he didn’t specify good or bad.”
***
Blackness. Total Blackness. Actually, there was a small speck of white on the canvas, but Kevin didn’t exactly care. There was only really one reason he had maneuvered into the abstract art section, and she was coming his way wearing a beautiful velvet strapless dress with an equally stunning diamond necklace just above the dress’s low cut.
“Lovely work of art isn’t it?” she stared upon the black painting.
“I don’t know,” Kevin motioned towards it, “my general rule is if a four year old could do it, then it ain’t art.” He grinned slightly. A disgusted look began its appearance on her face, “but then again,” he recovered, “I don’t usually get art.”
“Sometimes it’s hard to discover the beauty in a piece,” she offered, still admiring the art.
“Well now beauty,” Kevin’s guts did a 360, “Beauty I know,” he looked toward her.
“Well perhaps then I can help you bridge the concepts sometime,” She said glancing briefly back at him.
“I’d like that.” He turned back around guts still reeling, “So are you from upstate?”
“Yes, I came down to see the wonderful work that has been showcased here since the reconstruction.”
“It is pretty magnificent” he replied. He chuckled a bit and turned back to her, “I guess I should have done this sooner, but I am Kevin Kemarly,” Kevin said extending a hand.
She laughed a bit, “I guess your right, I’m Caterina Fiene” She shook his hand . She suddenly noticed a slight discoloration on the wall. “What’s this?” she wondered feeling it with her fingertips.
Kevin leaned closer. It was part of a stream of discoloration that ran along the wall. Feeling it himself, it felt like a burn mark than had been hastily painted over.
“I think it is a painted over burn mark, caused by a mass of hyper accelerated protons,” he leaned back matter-of-factly.
She raised an eyebrow, “and how do you know that?”
He grinned, “Well because I kinda…”
Déjà vu
Kevin had been in the business only two years but it was long enough to know when a scream meant ghosts. His eyes narrowed as he turned towards the sound and away from Caterina .
Fuck, just when I had a good conversation going. Kevin sighed.
“I’m sorry,” he said turning back, “Duty calls.”
“Are you a cop?” She asked as he rushed towards the noise. He stopped and turned around pulling his proton accelerator carbine from its shoulder holster.
“No. I am a Ghostbuster.”
“Oh” she said disgust returning.
Kevin turned back around. “Figures,” he said activating the weapon. Its hum was a bit comforting “At least I got damn close this time.”
He flipped open his phone and dialed.
“Yo,” Josh’s voice resounded from the speaker.
“Get the equipment, I am staying inside,” Kevin yelled nearing the origin of the screams.
“Way ahead of you.” Josh replied.
“Good I am nearing the north entry,” Kevin reported.
“We’ll be there in a sec,” Josh hung up.
Dress shoes
have very poor traction, causing Kevin to slide violently instead of stopping
dead in his tracks.
“We’re here, Kevie,” Ryan said coming up behind him. He saw it.
“Oh God”
“I can see the shed. We can make it if we run.”
“No we can’t.”
“Why not?”
“Because we’re being hunted.”
“Don’t go into the tall Graaaaaaaaaaaass!”
Ryan is a unique individual and as such has unique fears. One such fear was that of Velociraptors, like the ghost standing few yards away.
“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!” Ryan screamed dropping Kevin’s pack and running the other way.
The raptor snarled evilly then charged, its toe claws extended into deadly readiness. With no time to waste, Kevin let go a salvo of proton volleys. With apparent ease and agility the raptor maneuvered out of their way, letting them destroy parts of the exhibits behind it. Its speed increased as it lunged for the kill, but Josh pulled Kevin away at the last second and into the reception room.
“That was close,” Kevin said taking only a moment to breath before putting on his pack.
“You’re welcome,” Josh replied.
Regaining its target the raptor entered the dining room.
“You think Ryan will come back to save the day?” Kevin asked backing away from the raptor.
“Hell he’s probably in Gilman by now,” Josh said releasing a stream at the dinosaur. Its agility continued its freedom from the proton bonds. It leapt on the table in front of them.
“He might not have had such a bad idea,” Kevin said as he and Josh ran around the table and out of the room, shooting protons wildly behind them. A slight snarling rose above shattering wood and glass.
***
There was nothing wrong with hiding. Ryan sat holding his knees underneath a brochure table, hidden by a long tablecloth. He was doing his best not to shake. He felt guilty, he knew he should be out there helping, but he just couldn’t, not against that.
CLICK, CLICK, CLICK…
Something was coming.
CLICK, CLICK, CLICK…
The sounds of something pointed hitting the ground grew closer.
OH GOD! Ryan
screamed inside as every Raptor involving nightmare he had ever had since
watching
CLICK, CLICK, CLICK…
“no,” he muttered under his breath
CLICK…
“NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!” He flipped the table out from above him and jumped up and fired into the air above the poor woman in heels. She dropped to the ground dirtying her velvet dress and covered her head with her hands.
Ryan said nothing, he couldn’t say anything. He breathed heavily trying to overcome the adrenaline rush.
“You guys are all nuts,” Caterina said slowly getting the hell out of there, keeping her eyes on Ryan.
“Ryan!” Kevin yelled rounding the corner.
Ryan turned as Kevin and Josh scraped the corner, the raptor on their tail. He held his breath and fired, blasting the raptor and his fears, allowing Josh and Kevin to get away.
“It’s about time,” Josh said besides him as the raptor got up from the attack.
“Alright, now that we are all three here, we should be covered,” Kevin said aiming.
Its impending entrapment was not lost on the raptor. Its orange glow simmered, fading in and out, as two more raptors began to appear. The Ghostbusters hesitated.
“What the fuck?” Ryan exclaimed adjusting his glasses trying to rid himself of the triple vision.
“It’s multiplying,” Kevin said.
“How can it do that,” Josh asked.
“I dunno, but death found a way,” Kevin said.
Ryan
blanched again.
“Well so much for an advantage,” Josh sighed.
“Well let’s get the advantage back!” Kevin said firing with a façade of confidence.
***
“Thanks
Tom. I am
standing here in front of The Gathering, a history museum in
“No, two years ago at another event a suit of armor came to life. Its removal ended in several thousand dollars worth of damages.”
“Are you worried about a similar outcome here?”
Before Cheryl could answer one of the big windows out front exploded in a massive burst of orange and blue sending glass everywhere as a raptor flew through it. Screams swelled from the crowds as the cameraman focused in. Before landing on the ground the raptor was pulled back in, lassoed by a stream of protons. Then there was silence. Seeing no further activity, the cameraman focused back on Cheryl.
“Yes,” she answered.
***
“That’s one,” Kevin said pushing the smoking trap aside as the other two raptors regrouped.
“This will teach you to fuck with my mind for all these years,” Ryan said replacing fear with anger. One of the raptors tried to jump away from the beam, but the positive charge wrapped around its dangerously armed foot. “Hah,” Ryan exclaimed victoriously. Josh added his beam to the mix.
There was still another one. It ran towards the keepers of its comrade. Seeing an opportunity Kevin grabbed a second trap off Josh’s belt and slid it across the floor.
I hope this works Kevin thought stomping the activator panel as the trap slid under the oncoming raptor. The ghost was caught in the moving vortex as the trap continued to roll. The trap cord pulled taut stopping it under the second raptor, and with a second stomp both were captured. For a moment all three Ghostbusters, bruised and dirty (their tuxes unsalvageable) just stood there. Then Ryan let out a war cry blasting the ceiling, sending even more debris on the floor. Kevin picked up the traps.
“Alright Josh,” he took another deep breath, “now we can get the fuck outta here.”
“Oh my GOD! Not a again. WHAT THE HELL HAVE YOU DONE?!” Cheryl entered the room pulling on her short brown hair. “You destroyed it, AGAIN!”
“Woa there, its not that bad,” Kevin said handing Josh the traps.
“Not bad?” she was face to face to Kevin. “It’s going to take at least a month to repair the place if not longer.”
“Ma’am” the security guard Ryan had met earlier rushed in the room. “We did a quick sweep of the damage, we are missing a statue.”
“Great, it’s probably destroyed,” Cheryl threw her hands up.
“No the goddess exhibit didn’t take any damage. The statue is just gone.”
“Wonderful, something else to deal with,” Cheryl turned back towards Kevin.
“I take it it’s a bad time to discuss payment for services rendered,” Kevin faked a grin.
“Payment?! The only one going to make a payment is you.” Cheryl’s brow furled. “We got stuck with two bills last time, but not now not for this.”
“I am sorry, but we have a clear damage waiver,” Kevin stated.
“My lawyers will see about that!” Cheryl threatened, “Now leave before I have you escorted out.”
***
“Ghostbusters!” “Ghostbusters!” “Ghostbusters!” “Ghostbusters!” the crowd chanted as they made their way to the Ecto O1.
“Well somebody still appreciates us,” Kevin said.
“Yep. I am going to miss it,” Ryan said.
“You leavin?” Josh asked putting his pack on the sliding rack.
“I’m going to college in the fall,” Ryan put his down.
“Yeah,”
Kevin sighed again, “We still have to figure out what to do with our franchise.
That is if we have a franchise by the time this is over.”
“You think we’re going to get in trouble,” Ryan asked seriously.
“Ramey is not going to be happy. I know that much,” Kevin closed the back door.
To be
continued . . .