Welcome to the Paranormal Hunters Society
#1 of Paranormal Hunters Society Files
This was for a writing challenge in a Telegram group I joined (link here if you're interested: https://t.me/joinchat/TXMB1RU1ETeKOakg). At just over a thousand words, we would write a short story fitting a chosen theme. The new theme for this week is, "Knowledge conquers fear, but fear also conquers knowledge."
Some of you might remember Bram Heathcliff, the pansexual paranormal investigator who FA: fruitz made some gift art for me last year? Well, consider this an introduction of sorts to some stories I wanna write about him and his co-investigators. Have fun!
P.S. I left an easter egg in the dialogue somewhere. Whoever notices it deserves a cookie. ;P
Before this madness all started, I was your average canine living in the suburbs of Nueva Fe. I had a high school diploma, a decent retail job, a car, loving parents, and what I had thought to be a really cheap but well-maintained apartment. It only a couple blocks from my workplace and even included a separate electric bill. I didn't even think twice about signing the lease. All I cared about was saving several hundred dollars on my budget, not why the landlord set it so low.
At first, I flew on Cloud Nine. I felt like a king as the extra money I would've wasted on my previous rent either went into my savings or as extra spending cash. My performance at work improved, I enjoyed the massive size of my living room, and considered dating again. Two weeks passed though before I finally noticed something...off.
See, my bedroom had not one but two walk-in closets. One was used more for clothes and the other seemed unnecessary, so I simply left it closed. However, on the fifteenth day since moving in, I'd returned from a grueling shift to discover it wide open. I promptly close it and forgot about it until the very next night, when it somehow got open again. By the fourth or fifth time, I grew more nervous and decided to block the door with an unopened cardboard box.
The scratching noise came later at midnight. I'd just turned off my bedroom light and nestled under the blanket when it sounded like a claw had been raking against the wooden door. Inside the wooden door of my unused closet, all throughout the damn night, I sat in terrified silence as the scratching noises became louder and more intense.
I woke up later in the afternoon. Not even caring about going into work, I hesitantly pulled away the moving box and opened the closet door to discover precise claw indents carved into the wood, like they came from a nonexistent wild animal. What really freaked me out though was how much they reminded me of fingernails.
I was at my wit's end. So, after having a tense, tired breakfast, I called in sick for the next day and did research on the computer. When I typed out 'paranormal investigations New Mexico', my first result was a website to some society I'd never heard of. I clicked on their website, which then displayed an introductory video. I clicked and watched it load onscreen.
A series of black question marks made of different fonts slowly appeared through static noise. As the question marks disappeared and vanished in rapid succession, a black outline of a magnifying glass settled on one in the foreground--this interrogation point having a cartoon grey alien head to replace the traditional dot beneath the arch. The background turned to white as the letters 'Paranormal Hunters Society' appeared around the magnifying glass' rim, followed by text appearing beneath the logo: We hunt for the haunt!
A tall jackrabbit in his late twenties suddenly came up. He wore a black-and-white Route 66 t-shirt, dark-blue jeans, and a jean jacket decked with various pins about the paranormal. He grinned ear-to-ear towards the camera as he sat in a vintage chair surrounded on one side by a bookshelf and a chart board on the left side. A quick pause would reveal it covered in zigzagging thumbtacks and string connecting photos, drawings, and newspaper clippings together.
"Welcome, spooks and specters!" The jackrabbit waved a paw. "My grandpapa once told me that 'knowledge conquers fear, but fear can also conquer knowledge', and that's always been the truth when it comes to understanding the unknown."
I raised an eyebrow, but let the video continue without pausing.
"For ya'll who've never met me before, I'm Bram Heathcliff," the jackrabbit explained, "and I'm the co-founder/lead investigator for the Paranormal Hunters Society based in Nueva Fe, New Mexico. Have you witnessed the impossible with your own eyes and wanted answers? Ever see something that shouldn't exist in this realm of reality? Whether it be ghosts, poltergeists, vampires, were-creatures, angels, demons, Sasquatch, time travel, UFOs, astral projections, mental telepathy, ESP, clairvoyance, spirit photography, telekinetic movement, full trance mediums, the Loch Ness monster or even the theory of Atlantis, we're here to help find out the truth for you!"
As Bram talked, a website link appeared at the bottom of the screen.
"It won't be just me helping you out though," the jackrabbit continued as three more figures stepped into the frame to stand beside the old chair. Among them were a similarly aged mountain lioness, a squirrel attempting to smile at the camera, and a slightly older Mexican wolf, all of whom wore t-shirts adorned with the P.H.S. logo. Bram motioned to the female puma, squirrel, and older wolf respectively as he said, "Among the Paranormal Hunters Society's staff are my co-lead investigator, Laurie, our savvy tech manager, Samantha, and our mythology/folklore expert and part-time skeptic, Dean. He may not believe in no ghosts or the lot, but I'll be damned if he isn't one of our more dedicated hunters and the greatest encyclopedia of paranormal knowledge this side of the country."
"Thank you, Bram," Dean said while rolling his eyes and secretly muttering something in Spanish.
"We're here to believe you," Samantha chimed in.
"And we're here to help you find the answers," Laurie similarly grinned with Bram.
The scene changed to show the friendly jackrabbit standing in front of a large table laid out with various equipment. Some but not all of them included several video cameras, surveillance cameras, a few EMF detectors, flashlights, batteries, two-way radio sets, headphones, a digital recorder, thermal camera, a digital thermometer, and storage containers small enough to either fit in some backpacks or a pants pocket. Each one had a sticker of the P.H.S. logo placed on its side (likely to cover up any copyrighted images or indications of which brands they used).
A second later and Bram spoke, "Me and my team take our roles as paranormal investigators seriously. We aren't amateurs. We know that you're looking for the most dedicated professionals at a reasonable price. If you're in need of a paranormal investigation, contact us via our website," the jackrabbit's eyes shined brightly, "or if you're just interested in hearing about or exploits, follow us on Tweeter and MuzzleScroll. Also, don't forget to tune in to my bi-monthly episodes of The Paranormalist's Podcast!"
The P.H.S. logo and slogan reappeared onscreen.
"The Paranormal Hunters Society: We hunt for the haunt!"
Safe to say, I didn't hesitate to contact Bram. Whatever helped get rid of that...thing.