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<div class="a">ALPINE, NJ</div>
<div class="b">
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</div>
<div class="c">[[begin]]</div>
They said you could find him at [[The Bendix Diner]].
<<set $crush to 0>>
<<set $bigcat to false>>
<<set $bruce to false>>The trip up isn't so bad, despite the New Jersey drivers. Route 17 is slick with rain, and the headlights and tail lights of other cars catch the jewel black surface and throw light back at your face.
Your phone occasionally chimes in with directions, but you still have to slam on the brakes to avoid missing the turn. The brakes squeal in the rain.
The Benix Diner is little more than a trailer on a concrete island in a fork in the highway.
[[It doesn't look promising.|diner]]You park outside. There aren't any spots drawn on the ground. Someone has parked a Chevy truck haphazardly in the middle of the lot. It's red, and the back has some plastic tarps trewn on the bed. Besides that nightmare parking job, the only other vehicle is an eighteen wheeler.
You get out and shut the door of your car, ducking your face away from the drizzling rain, and run to the steps of the diner.
[[The massive neon 'X' sizzles above you.|inside]]
//Ding!//
A bell knocks against the door, signalling your entrance.
In front of you is a counter, with a window to the [[kitchen]] behind. Rows of booths stretch to your left and right. One man sits to your right, two booths beyond the door. He's [[older]]. Another man sits to your left, at the farthest booth. You look back and forth between the two men, wishing you had thought to google image search the man you were looking for, but then the man on the left sits up and you see his [[shirt]]. Through the little window you can see an older woman working. Probably the waitress. It's late enough that she might be the only one. Or maybe she's just the only one who can fit, the kitchen looks cramped.
She checks the coffee pot, [[it's almost full|inside2]]The older man is facing you, face propped up on one arm, eyes shut and mouth open. He's breathing softly, and his white moustache rustles in the breeze.
[[He snorts|inside2]]His shirt is black, with a white image of the Jersey Devil printed on it.
This //must// be your man.
You start walking towards his booth, and as you get closer you notice the surface of the table is covered in open books and papers. He's got a cup of coffee that looks to be mostly milk, but judging by the small mountain of empty sugar packets he's probably already had a few pots.
He doesn't look up as you approach. You slow down, and then stand awkwardly by the empty side of the booth, waiting.
[[Wait.]]
[[You knock lightly on the table.|knock]]In front of you is a counter, with a window to the [[kitchen]] behind. Rows of booths stretch to your left and right. One man sits to your right, two booths beyond the door. He's [[older]]. Another man sits to your left, at the farthest booth. You look back and forth between the two men, wishing you had thought to google image search the man you were looking for, but then the man on the left sits up and you see his [[shirt]].You shuffle from foot to foot.
[[Wait.|wait2]]
[[You knock lightly on the table.|knock]]He looks up, startled, and stares at you for a second.
"Hello?" he asks, [[eyebrows knit|descrip]].
"Hi," you respond.
[[''I'm looking for someone who knows about ghosts.''|ghosts]]
[[''I'm looking for someone named Kevin.''|gabe]]He turns the page of a book.
[[Wait.|wait3]]
[[You gently knock on the table.|knock]]You sniff, hoping it might draw his attention. He doesn't even blink.
[[Wait.|wait4]]
[[You knock lightly on the table.|knock]]He cracks his knuckles, then closes his eyes, puts the heel of his palm under his jaw, and cracks his neck. You can feel the popping in the base of your spine. When his neck won't crack any more he opens his eyes and notices you for the first time.
"Uh," He looks at you, then darts his eyes left and right. "How long have you been [[standing there?]]"
<<set $crush to $crush - 1>>"Not long," you answer, trying to downplay the embarassed look on his face.
[[''I'm looking for someone who knows about ghosts.''|ghosts]]
[[''I'm looking for someone named Kevin.''|gabe]]A wide grin spreads across his face and he leans forward, conspiratorially.
"What //kinds// of ghosts?" he asks in a low tone.
You smile a little, back.
He seems to realize something and sits up a bit.
"Oh, sorry, please sit down." He pulls his books and papers further towards him so you can sit on the other side without papers falling in your lap.
You take a seat, and he tries to make the [[papers]] into a regular pile by the sugar packets.
He turns to [[you|talking]].
<<set $crush to $crush + 1>>He frowns, looking you up and down.
"...That's me."
There's a second of pause.
"What can I help you with?"
"I'm looking for ghosts."
His eyebrows raise and he [[smiles|descrip2]].
"What //kind// of ghost?
you raise your hand to indicate the empty seat across from him. He waves his hand in an open, sweeping gesture.
[[''By all means,'' he says.|talking]]
<<set $crush to $crush - 1>>He looks young. Pale skin, curly hair. His dark green flannel shirt is unbuttoned over the Jersey Devil t-shirt and the sleeves are rolled up to his elbows. On the seat next to him there's a canvas backpack and a blue trucker's cap with no logo. He has a beat up sport watch on, and his fingertips are stained with ink.
[[He blinks at you|knock]]You can still see some of the article titles sticking out. It looks like he was doing some research on Alien Big Cats. It doesn't seem he was taking it too seriously, though, because he'd been drawing cats in the margins of the page.
He tries to organize them one last time, and then [[gives up|ghosts]].
<<set $bigcat to true>>"Okay before I start talking - how the hell did you know I'd be here?" he asks, leveling his eyes on your face.
"You talk about this place a lot in your blog." You shrug. "I was in the neighborhood."
"I- yes. I guess I did. Do. I guess I just thought no one would actually bother to look for me." He [[frowns]] to himself, curling his hand around his coffee cup.
"Hmm. Okay. Well anyway, you said you were looking for a ghost?"
"Yes," you nod.
"Which one?"
[[''Which ones do you know?''|got]]
[[You wave your hand. ''Any one.''|any]]He looks young. Pale skin, curly hair. His dark green flannel shirt is unbuttoned over the Jersey Devil t-shirt and the sleeves are rolled up to his elbows. On the seat next to him there's a canvas backpack and a blue trucker's cap with no logo. He has a beat up sport watch on, and his fingertips are stained with ink.
[[he blinks at you|gabe]]You have to admit, he was more eloquent online. Just goes to show that you can't judge a man by his blog, you think to [[yourself|talking]]. He smiles, and leans back against the red leather booth.
"I [[know|lore]] a few," He says.
<<set $crush to $crush + 1>>He [[frowns|lore]].
<<set $crush to $crush - 1>>"You came to a pretty good place. New Jersey's got a ton of freaky stuff going on, and I dont just mean all the fuckin traffic. Or the politics. There's a bunch of different places, depending on if you're willing to get out of the car. And then of course there's cryptid activity but that's far from ghosts and the past few weeks haven't really been condusive to hiking outside and-"
He looks like he wants to say more, but [[pauses]]. "Oh jeez um, sorry I'm rambling."
[["Do you always get so excited to talk about this stuff?"|excited]]
[["You're good, I never liked hiking any way."|hiking]]He looks pretty embarassed. You get the sense he doesn't get to talk about this kind of stuff with many people.
[[He scratches the back of his neck.|lore]]"Yeah, sorry," he laughs. "I've only got one friend who also likes this stuff but he's all the way in Connecticut. And talking is so much better than typing, you know?"
[[You nod.|talk]]
[[''Actually, I prefer typing.''|type]]
<<set $crush to $crush + 1>>He gives you a one-sided smile.
"I know it's not for everyone. I enjoy it, but not everyone thinks wandering in the woods for hours is fun."
<<if $bigcat is true>>"Not everyone is willing to run in to an Alien Big Cat, though," you [[retort]].
<<elseif $bigcat is false>>You [[shrug]].
<</if>>
<<set $crush to $crush - 1>>He laughs.
"No, I guess not." He pushes his hair away from his forehead.
"But I got distracted. [[Ghosts|back2it]]."
<<set $crush to $crush + 2>>"Eh it's whatever. Anyway, [[back to ghosts|back2it]].""If you //really// want to see something cool, I could take you up to Alpine, to the Devil's Tower. No hiking involved. You don't even have to leave the car."
[[''What... Now?''|now]]
[[''Hell yeah,'' you smile.|grab]]He leans his cheek on his hand.
"It's just, I can never get the right //inflection// when I'm just typing. I always sound wrong. But I also struggle with operating anything more complex than a microwave, so..." He waves his hand in mock dismissal.
You raise an eyebrow.
"Hey, hey, hey - I have justification for some of my luddite tendencies. For example, EVPs - electronic voice phenomenon - show up best on old analog recorders becuase of the magnetic tape? digital just can't compare."
[[''Oh really?''|really]]
<<set $crush to $crush + 1>>
"Oh, sorry." He scratches the back of his neck. "I'm more of a talking guy. If that wasn't obvious already." He laughs a little, almost to himself.
"I don't even stop talking when the shosts show up."
You make a face, and when he notices he explains.
"One of the things you can do on an investigation is an EVP - electronic voice phenomena - where you record yourself asking questions and on the playback you can hear other voices."
You must look intrigued, becuase he leans forward [[as if he's going to share a secret|really]].
<<set $crush to $crush - 1>>"If you want, I can show you where I got my best EVP to date." He's trying to look serious, but he can't keep the excited grin off his face.
It's just what you've been waiting for.
[[''Let's go.''|leave]]He pays in cash, leaving the money on the table with one corner tucked under his mug. The stack of papers and books is haphazardly tossed into his backpack and thrown over his shoulder as he leads you towards the door. Outside, the rain has faded to a light mist. He props the door open for you and motions to the poorly parked Chevy in the lot.
"I'm the truck. Well, not the really big one. The regular one."
You must make a face, because he laughs. "Normally I'd just give you the address but being in the same vehicle is part of this one. I can drop you off back here afterwards, your car's never been anywhere safer than the Bendix."
[[''It's not that, it's your parking job.''|parking]]
[[''It's not that, it's the rain.''|rain]]
[[You say nothing, just walk to the truck.|strtide]]He looks a little taken aback.
"Uh, yeah. You have to go at night. It's night. I mean, unless you dont want to. You don't really know me, I guess. I could be a murderer or something."
He laughs, but it sounds weak.
You think for a second.
[[''If it wasn't so late...''|bye]]
[[''I trust you.''|trust]]
<<set $crush to $crush - 1>>
He grins, and hits the button on his keys to unlock the truck [[outside|leave]].
<<set $crush to $crush + 1>>
"Yeah, of course, I understand. I should probably get going, too. I've been here..." He looks down at his watch. "//Way// too long."
He stands and pushes the pile of books and papers haphazardly into his backpack. He flips the trucker cap onto his head and leaves a five dollar bill steadied under the edge of his coffee mug.
You follow him out into the parking lot, where he starts walking towards the poorly parked truck.
[[You ask for his number.]]
[[You can just find him on his blog later.]]His face [[lights up]]. He pulls out his keys.
"Then let's [[blow this popsicle stand|leave]]."
<<set $crush to $crush + 1>>
His ears get a little red, [[too|trust]]."Hey," your voice stops him halfway to his truck and he turns around. "Can I get your number? For when it's not so late."
He smiles.
"Of course."
<<set $crush to $crush + 1>>
<div class="a">[[END]]</div>You turn to your car and he turns to his. You know you can find him on his blog later. You turn the key in the ignition and drive away.
<div class="a">[[END]]</div>His smile falls a bit.
"Hey hey hey, I got my driver's liscense just like everyone else."
[["After how many tries?"|tries]]
[["That's fair."|fair]]
<<set $crush to $crush - 1>>
"I just don't want to skid out," you defend.
"We're not going to do donuts in the high school parking lot," he tries very hard not to roll his eyes and fails. "Plus, you drove here in worse. Trust me, I'm a good driver."
[[''Explains the parking job.''|parking]]
[[You decide comments can wait, and walk out the door to the passenger side of the truck.|truck]]He follows after you, snapping the cap on his head and slinging the backpack [[over his shoulder.|truck]]
<<set $crush to $crush + 1>>
He frowns and doesn't respond.
[[You walk out the door, down to the truck.|truck]]
<<set $crush to $crush - 2>>He gestures out the open door with his hand and you walk down the steps [[to the truck|truck]]."It's open," he calls when you get to the door. You climb inside. The interior is cold, but with when he turns the key warm air begins blowing out of the vents. The radio flickers to life automatically on a low volume and you both strap in.
"The EVP I caught was a pretty high quality, and I've only been there once so it's probably a pretty decent chance that we'll get another good recording tonight." He explains in a soft voice as you pull out of the lot.
[[''Where are we going?''|where]]
[[You keep quiet.|radio]]He grins and merges left a lane. Even though there's only two other cars on the road he still faithfully uses his turn signal.
"Have you ever been to [[Alpine]]?The sound of the [[radio|listen]] fills the quiet between you.
<<if $bruce is true>>[[''Springsteen?''|springsteen]]
[[''Where are we going?''|where]]
<<else>>[[''Where are we going?''|where]]
<</if>>You answer in the negative.
"It's pretty ritzy. Eddie Murphy used to live there. But of course that's not the really interesting part.
"In the early 1900's the area was bought by this rich, southern plantation owner named Manuel Rionda. His wife loved the New york City skyline so much he built her a big-ass tower so she could see over the whole property.
"Unfortunately, Rionda was having an affair with a maid and because his wife could see over the whole property from the top of the tower, one day she saw the two of them sneaking off and threw herself off the top. He found her body at the base of the tower. But supernatural shit started up and Rionda closed the whole thing up, swearing that nobody would ever go to the top [[again]]."
He shrugs, playing that he doesn't care, but the tips of his ears go red.
"He's a classic. My dad really loves him."
You get the feeling he's used to having to explain.
[[''Not really my kind of music.''|nothx]]
[[''He's pretty good.''|ok]]
[[''I prefer Bon Jovi.''|bonjovi]]It takes a second for you to realize, but it's //Born to Run//. Of course. You couldn't forget you're in [[New Jersey|radio]].
<<set $bruce to true>>"That's alright," he flashes you a sympathetic smile. "I know not everyone's big on them. Just don't make //too// much fun of me."
[[''I'll try not to.''|joking]]
[[''I won't.''|playitcool]]
<<set $crush to $crush - 1>>
He smiles.
"Have you ever been to [[Alpine]]?"
<<set $crush to $crush + 1>>He laughs.
"Another classic! //Slippery When Wet// has some real hits."
His smile stays on his face for a bit.
"Uh, have you ever heard of [[Alpine]]?"
<<set $crush to $crush + 2>>
He rolls his eyes, but he's smiling.
"Jeez, don't do me any favors."
The song on the radio fades out and another classic rock riff filters through.
He clears his throat.
"Have you ever heard of [[Alpine]] before?"
<<set $crush to $crush + 1>>
"Thanks."
The song on the radio fades out and another classic rock song filters in. After a second more in silence, he drums his fingers on the steering wheel and asks,
"Have you ever heard of [[Alpine]] before now?"He pauses, and signals to merge left a lane.
"Paranormal activity around the tower never slowed down. The town tried to knock it down in the mid 1900's but a bunch of construction workers died before they could even touch it, so they canceled the project altogether.
"It's pretty common to see a figure in the window. And if you drive backwards around the tower three times you're supposed to be able to see either Rionda's wife or worse," He flashes a smile at you. "The Devil."
you ask him if he's ever [[seen anything]]. "No, last time I was here I just sat in front of the tower, asked some questions and got that EVP. I saw headlights so I booked it before I could get to actually drive around. If you're down for it, though, I'd like to try."
His voice sounds hopeful. He puts on his blinker to merge left.
"We're almost [[there]]."You pull off the highway and drive around a more residential area until you hit a patch of trees. When they clear the road winds in a roundabout with the tower in the center.
The tower is tall, rectangular with four rows of skinny windows and an open arch underneath it. The face is lit up in the darkness with four floodlights on the ground. The lights in the distant houses are off, keeping everything dark.
He pulls up slowly, turning the nose of the truck to the right before stopping and putting it in park. He shuts the radio off. The clock on the dashboard reads [[3:12|pause1]].
"We can turn around, if you want." He looks at you, hands loose on the steering wheel but unable to stop his foot from tapping against the carpet.
[[''Come on, already.''|rude]]
[[''Let's do it.''|confident]]
[[''Actually, I want to go back.''|getout]]His mouth twitches downwards and he nods firmly before throwing the truck into reverse. He puts his right hand on the back of your seat, turning his head so he can see out the back window.
[[You keep your eyes forward.|driving]]
<<set $crush to $crush - 1>>
He smiles and nods firmly before throwing the truck into reverse. He puts his right hand on the back of your seat, turning his head so he can see out the back window.
[[You keep your eyes forward.|driving]]
<<set $crush to $crush + 1>>His face falls a little bit, but he nods and starts the truck again. He drives out of the neighborhood and back onto the highway. You ride in silence. Eventually You make it back to the [[diner parking lot|noghost]].
<<set $crush to $crush - 1>>
"Do you see anything in the windows?" he asks while peering up at the shapes in the darkness. You just see the tower, imposing against the black of the sky.
"There's a little machine in my glove compartment, can you pass it to me?"
You unclick the [[compartment]] and fish it out, handing it to him.
He turns it on and it squeaks once before going quiet. He frowns and turns it off again before throwing it in the cup holder.
He puts his hands back on the steering wheel and turns to [[you|pause]].It's easy to find the little machine, because the only other things in the glove box are his registration, insurance, a box of bandaids, and three banged-up pairs of sunglasses.
[[It's not much.|pause1]]He drives slowly.
You scan the road retreating in front of you, looking for any sign of the paranormal. He doesn't say anything, and the silence is deafening.
[[You make the first loop.|loop1]]The bright face of the tower passes out the window again.
It's still quiet.
[[You make the second loop.|loop2]]Every time you pass it you look at the one circular window in the tower, waiting for the ghostly figure of a woman to appear.
She doesn't.
[[You make the third loop.|loop3]]After the third loop he stops back in front of the tower and puts the truck back in park.
A moment of silence passes.
"Do you... see anything?" He asks, disappointment tinging the edges of his voice.
[[The front windshield]]
[[Your window]]
[[The back windshield]]You look out where the headlights shine on the road in front of you. There are no lights on the horizon, just the trees. Light pollution from the tower means you can't see the stars. It's an all around ghostly sight, this shell of a place.
[[But you don't see anything unusual.|lookagain]]You look out to your right. There's a corner of light from the headlights, but other than that everything is the pitch black of dark trees.
There are no strange sounds, at least none you can hear over the idling of the [[car|lookagain]]. You turn your body so you can look out the back windshield. The red lights illuminate the road behind the truck a little bit. You can't see the bed of the truck, but you can hear something faintly over the idling of the truck.
You whisper to him to turn the engine off and he hastily turns the keys, keeping the lights on so he can train his eyes on your face.
The sound is definitely coming from the [[back of the truck]].[[The front windshield]]
[[Your window]]
[[The back windshield]]It sounds like plastic tarps rustling in the wind, and you're about to tell him that some animal must have gotten into the [[back]],[[When a figure sits up.|ohhey]] It's no more than a black shape, silhouetted against the red from the brake lights.
[[You make a sound.|scream1]]
[[You reach out and grab his arm, keeping your eyes on the figure.|grabhim]]
[[''I think there's something in your truck,'' you say, still turned around.|theresghostinthere]]
[[You slowly turn around to face the front, without saying anything.|quiet]]Kevin's eyes widen to the size of dinner plates and he whips his head around. He only stops for a second when he sees the silhouette. He breathes in quickly, almost a gasp, then twists in his seat. He throws the truck into gear and floors it, making a sharp right turn to get back to the road leading out of the neighborhood.
He's leaning forward so far, trying to control the vehicle.
"Is it still there?!" he shouts.
[[You turn around to check]]"What." He still has his hands on the wheel, and his shoulders are tense.
[[''I want you to get us out of here,'' you say in a measured tone|bookit]]
[[''There's something in the back of your truck.''|altghost]]You can hear him take a deep breath in.
"It's not an animal." It's not a question.
Looking directly at the figure, you gently [[shake your head no|''Just try to stay calm.'']].
<<set $crush to $crush + 1>>
You latch your hand onto his arm, squeezing tighter than you mean to.
"What's the matter?" he asks, clearly sounding freaked out. He slowly starts to turn to follow your gaze.
[[''Just try to stay calm.'']]
[[''We need to get out of here.''|scream]]Its face is pressed up against the windshield.
It was probably once a woman, but now it is bloody and disfigured. You make a strained noise and turn your eyes away, pressing your body up against the glove compartment.
"//Shit//," he curses. "Fuckin [[hold on]]!"
One of your hands grabs at the dashboard cupholders while the other hooks onto the door arm rest, still trying to stay away from the creature.
He slams on the breaks and cuts the wheel, the wheels screetching as he makes the world's worst u-turn and immediately takes a right onto a one-way residential street.
"Now?!" He shouts again, nose practically pressed to the windshield.
[[You check again.|stillthere]]That sound is a [[scream]].
<<set $crush to $crush - 2>>
You glance back and immediately away again. What was left of its lips had curled into a sickening grin.
"Still there," your voice sounds as panicked as you feel.
"//Fuck//," he curses again. "Flip down your visor! Quickly!"
You flip down the sun visor and the truck hits a bump. Something falls directly into your [[lap]]. It's a rosary, with little wooden beads and a metal figure of christ. You hold the crucifix against the palm of your hand and slap it, Jesus-side out, against the rear windshield. You can hear the sound of Jesus's face scratching the glass. The creature fizzles, almost like tv static, and pulls back.
It leaves two foggy handprints that fade as Kevin slows the car down to a more reasonable speed.
"[[Holy Fuck]]," he says, out of breath.It doesn't look like he's going to stop until you hit a more populated area.
[[''What was that?''|what]]
[[''Why did't you tell me about the rosary sooner?''|rosary]]
[[''Holy fuck,'' you grin.|grin]]
He keeps turning until he sees the figure in the back. He inhales sharply.
You turn to look at each other for a fraction of a second. You turn back to the rear windshield.
The figure is gone.
Your breath hitches in your chest.
"Wait wait wait wait wait," Kevin turns back around, reaching under his seat and produces a [[tape recorder]]. He clicks the record button and holds it up.
"Hello? Is there anyone here with us?"
[[He waits a moment.|moment]]"What's your name?"
[[Another moment.]]"How old are you?"
[[Another moment.|am2]]"Are you alone?"
Another moment.
He clicks off the recorder and hits the rewind button. It takes a second to rewind to the top. He hits the [[play button]].His voice, smaller and with more static, plays back in the cab.
//"Hello? Is there anyone here with us?"//
[[It's quiet.|quiet1]]//"What's your name?"//
[[Quiet.|quiet2]]//"How old are you?"//
[[Quiet.|quiet3]]//"Are you alone?"//
A staticky screech that sounds like a hacking, rasping cough raises over the little speaker. At the same time, the rustling out in the truck bed starts up again and as you both raise your heads from the tape recorder a face thuds against the glass of the rear windshield.
The face is mutilated and bloody, and you both press away from it.
He throws the truck into gear and floors it, making a sharp right turn to get back to the road leading out of the neighborhood.
He's leaning forward so far, trying to control the vehicle.
"Is it still there?!" he shouts.
[[You turn around to check]].His eyebrows are knit in confusion. He starts to turn to look back.
[[''Don't turn around.''|dontlike]]
[[''Don't freak out|''Just try to stay calm.'']]You can hear him take a deep breath in.
"It's not an animal." It's not a question.
You gently [[shake your head no|''Just try to stay calm.'']].He stops for a second, frowning, then continues turning around.
[[''Don't''|reallydontlike]]
[[stay quiet|''Just try to stay calm.'']]
<<set $crush to $crush - 2>>He's not just frowning any more, he looks flat out frustrated. He listens, though, and pulls out of the neighborhood at a reasonable pace.
The drive back to the diner is silent. The radio is still off.
[[You keep your eyes forward the whole ride|goin2badend]].
<<set $crush to $crush - 3>>
He pulls into the parking lot of the diner. The 'x' still flickers above you, it hasn't closed yet. Your car is still there. He turns to you and gives you a sad half-smile.
"Maybe next time," he says before you open the door and [[step out]].
You get back into your car. As you start it up you glance in the rear-view mirror.
For a split second, you could swear there was someone [[Sitting in your back seat]]<div class="a">[[END]]</div>"I think that was Mrs. Rionda," He's grinning. "She might not have been alone, though. That seemed to be the trigger question."
Your stomach turns at the thought.
You ask what happens next. He looks over to your face quickly, then back to the road.
"I think you need to get home. I can get you back to the Bendix if you think you're good to drive the rest of the way on your own.
Although you're a little shaken, you're growing steadier by the minute. [[You think you'll be fine]]. "Can't always count on Jesus to solve your problems for you. I had to guess that the rosary would be the thing. There's a Star of David necklace in your door compartment, for the less Christian spirits." He shrugs.
[[''...It's called the Devil's tower...''|dumbass]]
[[''How'd you guess the crucifix would work?''|whyjesus]]<<set $crush to $crush + 2>>A wide smile crosses his face before he bursts out laughing.
"//Hell// yeah! Holy fuck! We didn't die!" His laugh sounds kind of like a seal barking, but it's completely genuine.
"God," he says when he calms down. "I'd hate for us to die on your first Jersey-centric ghost hunting trip. That would really suck."
<<if $crush gte 7>>[[''First?'']]
[[''Yeah, it would.'']]
<<else>>[[''Yeah, it would.'']]
<</if>>
By the time you pull into the parking lot of the diner, your hands are completely [[steady|goodparking]]. His ears go a little red.
"Sorry," he makes an exaggerated shrugging motion.
[[''What was that thing, anyway?|what]]
[[''What now?''|now2]]
<<set $crush to $crush - 1>>
"Uh, it's kind of stupid," He adjusts his hands on the wheel so he can reach to scratch the back of his neck. "Rionda was from the south. I generalized."
[[''What was that thing, anyway?|what]]
[[''What now?''|now2]]He looks over to your face quickly, then back to the road.
"I think you need to get home. I can get you back to the Bendix if you think you're good to drive the rest of the way on your own.
Although you're a little shaken, you're growing steadier by the minute. [[You think you'll be fine]]. The top of his ears get a little red.
"Yeah, I mean, if you want to go see more I'm always down for some exploring."
[[''I'd love to.''|love]]
[[You just smile.|smileee]]
<<set $crush to $crush + 1>>
He smiles and reaches over to turn the radio on. The chorus of //Dancing in the Dark// comes to life and he laughs. You listen until you pull into the lot of the [[diner|goodparking]]. Despite trying to play it cool, he smiles wider.
You both sit there smiling until you pull into the parking lot of the [[diner|goodparking]].
<<set $crush to $crush + 2>>
You both sit there smiling until you pull into the parking lot of the [[diner|goodparking]].
<<set $crush to $crush + 1>>He parks his truck close to your car, actually bothering to park decently. He turns the the car off and the lights of the cabin turn on.
"Well, that was fun," he laughs lightly.
<<if $crush gte 6>>[[''Yeah, it was.''|goodend]]
<<else>>[[''Yep.''|okend]]
<</if>>He's blushing a bit.
"I really would love to do this again some time. I don't know how down you are to get chased half to death by freaky ghosts but if you are," he scratches the back of his neck without making eye contact. "Can I give you my number?"
[[''Sure.'']]
[[''I can just find you on your blog.''|thablog]]"Well, you know where to find me if you ever need anything. Apparently it's all on my blog." He gives a big dramatic shrug with both palms up.
"Anyway, see you around sometime."
You get out of the truck and get into your car. He pulls out of the lot as you put your key in the ignition. You follow him soon after.
<div class="a">[[END]]</div><<set $crush to $crush + 1>>You pull out your phone and hand it over to him. He holds it in-between you, so you can see him putting his information in. You lean over a little bit so you can see what he's putting his name as.
<<if $crush gte 15>>When he looks up, you're face to face. You're pretty close.
[[You lean back.]]
[[You lean forward.]]
<<else>>When he finishes he saves his contact and hands you back [[your phone]].
<</if>>
His face goes pretty red.
"Ah, yeah. Sorry. See you around sometime, I hope."
You get out and walk to your own car. From your front seat you can see him, sitting with a hand covering his face. He hits his head against the steering wheel in a dramatic motion, and the little honk of the horn makes him jump out of his seat. His face is so red you can see it from here, as he starts his truck and drives out of the parking lot.
You start your car and follow a bit after.
<<set $crush to $crush - 3>>
<div class="a">[[END]]</div>His face is pretty red, but he hands you back your phone with his contact info in it.
"Uh, thanks. You can, you know, text me whevener. Whenever is good for you."
You put your phone back.
"See you soon, I hope," he gives a little wave as you leave the truck and head to your car. You see him wave at you one last time from the merge onto the highway before he pulls off and leaves.
You start your car and follow a few minutes afterwards.
<<set $crush to $crush + 3>>
<div class="a">[[END]]</div>You kiss him for a quick second before pulling back. He stays where you left him, eyes wide and mouth open a little bit.
It takes him a second, but eventually he speaks.
"We //have// to do this again some time."
You both grin.
<<set $crush to $crush + 5>>
<div class="a">[[END]]</div>"You can text me whenever. I'm always free," he grins. "It was relly nice to meet you."
You get out of the truck and get in your car. You see him wave at you one last time from the merge onto the highway before he pulls off and leaves.
You start your car and follow a few minutes afterwards.
<div class="a">[[END]]</div>He parks his truck close to your car, actually bothering to park decently. He turns the the car off and the lights of the cabin turn on.
"Don't worry about wanting to turn back, ghost hunting isn't for everyone. Actually I don't think it's for most people.
<<if $crush gte 5>>"If you ever need anything, or want to try ghost hunting again, here's my [[number]]."
<<else>>"Anyway, you know all my contact info. If you already know my blog you're there." [[He shrugs.]]
<</if>>He pulls a pen out of his pocket, and grabs a scrap of paper from his door pocket. He writes out his number in an inelegant hand agains the steering wheel and holds it out to you.
"It was really nice to meet you," he says as you open the truck door.
You get out of the truck and get into your car. He pulls out of the lot as you put your key in the ignition. You follow him soon after.
<div class="a">[[END]]</div>"It was really nice to meet you," he says as you open the truck door.
You get out of the truck and get into your car. He pulls out of the lot as you put your key in the ignition. You follow him soon after.
<div class="a">[[END]]</div><div class="c"> Thanks for playing!
You finished with <<print $crush>> points out of 21 possible points.
made by twitch user Apollo's Boy
2018
[[Again|title]]</div>