An Investigation

Keith James had been going around the country investigating ghost sightings for almost two decades. He was the author of several books on the subject and hosted a weekly podcast. Today he would be investigating a haunted bookshop. 

Visitors and staff at the shop had reported seeing all kinds of things, books flying off shelves, radios switching on by themselves, voices coming from empty rooms. 

Keith entered the dusty bookshop and approached the counter. The book store was rather old-fashioned, shelves crammed with yellow-paged paperback books. 

The man and woman behind the counter smiled and bid him good afternoon.

‘I’m Keith. I’ve come to investigate a possible haunting.’ He said. 

‘Welcome, mate. I’m Charlie.’ The guy said.

‘And I’m Alice.’ She added. 

‘So what’s the plan?’ Charlie asked.

Keith explained that he would be staying overnight and testing for all kinds of paranormal phenomena. He would be able to give a full report in the morning.

‘How exciting.’ said Alice. 

Keith grabbed his equipment from the van and went about setting everything up.

Alice was busy stocking the shelves and carrying stacks of books this way and that, while Charlie was behind the counter. He flicked through the newspaper and scrolled on his mobile phone, in position to serve or help any customer that came through the door.

Keith was setting up his devices on the coffee table when Alice came over. She cast an interested eye over his equipment.

‘If there’s anything I can do to help just let me know.’ She said.

‘Thanks, will do.’ Keith said.

‘I wouldn’t waste my time asking much of Charlie. He’s hopeless. He spends more time reading the books, than selling them. Don’t tell him I said that.’  

Keith laughed.

While he and Alice were chatting, Charlie came over.

‘Can I make you a brew, Keith? Tea? Coffee?’

‘Tea one sugar pls.’

Charlie returned a few minutes later, with a mug of tea.

‘There you go. I’m sure ghost-hunting is thirty work.’

Charlie handed him the mug and left him to it, heading back to the counter. 

Keith took a sip of tea, then grimaced, no sugar.

‘Told you, flipping useless.’ Alice said, rolling her eyes. 

Alice watched in fascination, as Keith wired up and installed the equipment, ready for his experiment. He ran cables across the room, flicked on monitors and sensors, tested the microphones and recording devices. 

Just after five o’clock, Charlie came out from behind the counter, putting his coat on.

‘I’ll see you in the morning. Good luck, Keith.’

While Charlie had left for the evening, Alice loitered, hanging around, seemingly in no hurry to leave. She still eyed the investigation tools with interest. 

‘You don’t mind if I hang around for a bit, do you? Just for an hour or so.’ She asked. 

‘Not at all, it would be nice to have a bit of company.’ Keith said.

‘This is so exciting. It’s like something you’d see on television. As I’m sure you can tell, we don’t get much excitement around here. It’s just me and Charlie really.’

She took the seat beside him on the leather sofa. From their vantage point on the couch, with the laptop and devices on the coffee table in front of them, they started their watch, Alice looked and listened, eager and excited. 

Keith explained what each piece of equipment was, how it worked and what they were looking out for. They sat side by side in the darkness, studying the readings on the equipment.

True to her word, just over an hour later, Alice put her coat on, and slung her hand-bag over her shoulder. 

‘Good luck Keith hope you get what you are after.’ She said.

She gave him a grin, crossing her fingers. Keith gave a salute in reply.

When he was alone, Keith turned his attention to the equipment. He made himself comfortable on the sofa, and settled in for the night. 

The next morning when Charlie arrived, Keith stretched and got to his feet. He had been awake most of the night, on-watch, but hadn’t actually seen anything supernatural, nor had the devices picked up anything. Keith didn’t mind too much, for him it was about the chase, the ghost-hunt. Just because he hadn’t seen anything, didn’t mean these places were not haunted. It often meant the spirits had chosen not to show themselves. 

‘Morning mate, did you find anything?’ Charlie asked. ‘Any ghosts or ghouls? Anything go bump in the middle of the night?’

‘Not a thing. It happens like that sometimes.’ Keith replied. ‘Alice will be so disappointed when I tell her. What time does she start?’ 

Charlie gave him a puzzled look. 

‘Sorry, who’s Alice?’

By Chris Platt

From: United Kingdom