'When you have eliminated all which is impossible,
then whatever remains, however improbable,
must be the truth.' - Sherlock Holmes
Improvise, adapt, overcome. A saying Orion learned and lived by in the marine core. He planned to apply every skill and strategy to keep his daughter safe. Now that he had conceded the existence of the supernatural, Orion's mind buzzed with speculations. Were they being chased? Could they outrun it? At least they seemed safe, for now, so Orion eased back to the speed limit. Across the cabin, he saw Hotaru wide-eyed and trembling.
‘It’s gonna be alright,’ said Orion. ‘We’ll keep moving and go somewhere warm with plenty of other people.’ He tried his best to sound confident and reassuring, but he wasn’t even sure where he was going. He just drove. What else was he supposed to do against an invisible, intangible foe?
Our house is fucking haunted, like something straight out of Paranormal Activity, Hotaru thought. ‘Can I have your phone?’ she asked.
‘It broke at therapy. I thought it was on accident, but now I’m not sure.’
‘What are we calling it, a ghost?’
‘Sure.’
‘So you think the ghost isn’t confined to our house and could be following you around?’
‘I guess so. Why did you want my phone?’
‘Mine's out of battery. I drained it while waiting for you to pick me up when you were late.’
Orion sighed. He wasn’t up for round 2. ‘Again, I’m sorry. Whatever that thing is, it didn’t kill us, so it either couldn’t or didn’t want to. We’ll stop at the next service station and get you a phone charger, and me a phone if they have them, and any other supplies we need, okay?’
‘And if it catches up to us?’
‘Then we stick together and run. If it has limitations, then maybe we can measure them and fight back, but for now, we just survive.’
‘Oh, like it could have a weakness. Like it can’t go out in the day? Maybe it can only fly so fast?’
Orion gave a little smile. ‘Think of it as a game,’ he said. ‘Maybe it can only travel within a certain area. It might only be able to interact with the physical world in certain ways and for different lengths of time.’
‘If it’s really a ghost, aren’t you supposed to find out why it’s still here and help it?’
‘Yeah, I think so.’
‘So if ghosts are real, do you think heaven is real and, mum, is up there?’
‘I’m not sure. I hadn’t thought about it yet.’
After a brief shared moment of contemplation, Orion broke the silence. ‘There’s a pen and a notepad in the glove compartment. Make a list of what we need. Add anything you can think of that helps protect against the supernatural. We might as well try everything.’
‘Like salt and silver?’ Hotaru replied.
‘Yeah, put garlic on there.’
‘That’s for vampires, Dad. What about a crucifix?’
‘Sure, religious symbols, good thinking.’
‘We’re gonna be like the Ghostbusters!’
‘Or Mythbusters. Alright, you stay here while I fill up, and then we’ll get everything we need together. In and out, okay?’
Orion and Hotaru watched themselves enter the service station on a monitor labelled: smile, you’re on camera. Behind the counter, a clerk watched TV. They split the list and searched for supplies. Orion noticed two truckers set off the entry sensor’s buzzer, followed by the security camera monitor cutting out. A coincidence, side effect or cover-up, he wondered while assessing a collection of religious necklaces.
‘There’s a family discount for three or more,’ said the clerk with sudden interest. Orion reconsidered his options, then grabbed two of each religion.
‘I don’t think it works quite like that,’ said the clerk.
‘It can’t hurt trying,’ said Orion.
‘You might offend the gods, then none of them will protect you.’
‘Hey, I’ve got snacks, salt, silver earrings, these four-leaf clover key chains and a phone charger.’ Said Hotaru, breaking the tension. ‘I’m just gonna use the bathroom quickly.’
‘Good job. I’ll be right here.’ Orion said.
As Orion waited for the clerk to process their supplies, he overheard a conversation between the truckers regarding audiobooks.
‘Lately, I’ve been getting into these short horror stories,’ said one. ‘In the last one, this guy goes overboard at sea and washes up on this island. Then this Russian guy hunts him down for sport.’
Richard Connell’s The Most Dangerous Game. Orion recalled reading it in school and how that Russian guy got bored with hunting big game. A barbaric situation, but one Orion would rather be in right now.
Returned from the bathroom, Hotaru said, ‘You alright? You had that 1000-yard stare.’
‘Let’s just get out of here.’ Orion replied. Driven by dread, he hastily paid and ushered Hotaru out of the service station and into the Alaskan night air. As he was about to get into his pickup, he couldn’t help but look back. The clerk had returned to watching TV. The security camera monitor was functioning. The truckers had vanished. Orion couldn’t see their vehicles either. ‘Fuck,’ he whispered, as his stomach sank.
‘Hey, Dad, do you think the ghost could be Mum?’ asked Hotaru.
No, it couldn’t be Kasumi, Orion thought, because if his theory was true, they were being haunted … for sport.
