While writing Modern Hauntings, I watched A LOT of ghost hunting TV shows. While I was making dinner, while I was answering emails, while I was working out. It helped me get a sense of the regular tropes, character types and conversations. And despite rotting my brain of reality TV, I think it really helped me to flesh out the world of Modern Hauntings. I came up with the idea for this silly little story after watching too much Ghost Adventures.
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“Is there a spirit here with us tonight?” said the TV show host like he knew what he was doing.
Alex, Cam, and Trevor pressed their hands over their mouths and struggled to stifle their laughter.
“Dude, shut up,” said Alex, swatting at his friends. “He’s gonna hear us.”
“No, he won’t,” wheezed Trevor between laughs.
“He can’t even see us,” said Cam. “This is – what? – night five and he still doesn’t have a clue. Watch.”
He reached over and poked a coffee mug that one of the camera operators had left on the counter. It toppled over, breaking and spilling its contents.
“Who’s there?” called the TV host, turning quickly. “I sense a spiritual presence,” he said directly into the camera.
The three ghosts howled with laughter. No one heard them.
“My turn, my turn,” said Alex, flinging open a cupboard and tossing a mug on the ground.
The TV host and his crew all jumped. They all backed away at first, but then leaned closer to get a good shot
“Are you getting this?” said the host to the camera operator. “Tell me you’re getting this. Pure poltergeist activity.”
The ghosts continued to laugh as Alex, and then Cam, took dish after dish out of the cupboard and smashed them on the floor
“Let me have a go!” said Trevor as he opened up another cupboard and reached inside. He picked up a cast iron pan and flung it at the host.
The pan hit the man’s head, and as he collapsed to the floor he hit his head on the corner of the counter, spraying blood all over his camera crew.
“Aw man,” said Cam shaking his head. “Trevor, come on.”
“Not cool, Trevor,” said Alex as the three of them watched the blood pooling too quickly under the TV host’s head. “Not cool at all, man.”
“Seriously man, what the fuck?” the ghost of the TV show host said to Trevor.
