Vint shakes his head. "No. She was down by the lake the last time I talked to her. Saying she wasn't feeling good. But she was still investigating. Why?"
"We're heading back to the campground. You're not going to believe this shit. The bones aren't there. It's a new sleeping bag. Now the cops are trying to say either we got the living hell scared out of us by nothing because we're crazy, or we made this whole thing up because of the show."
"Which is over," Officer Davis says. "Turn off the camera."
Ken looks directly at the camera.
"Everybody out there, if the feed has come back to us from Elsie, you know the drill. We have to switch off for a bit to get through the woods, but we'll be back with you. We're going to figure out what's going on here."
The screen briefly goes black the way it did each of the other times it switched between the perspectives of Ken and Elsie or moved over to archival footage to fill in gaps. It comes back up on an image of the lake. The angle is strange, as though the camera is tilted to the side. I'm sure it's supposed to mean something, but I'm missing it.
It stays just like that for several long, silent seconds. I hear a voice somewhere in the background, but I can't make out any words. The camera angle makes a sudden shift as the camera is picked up and raced down the edge of the water toward a row of small cabins on the other side of the water. Something dark appears to the side of one of the buildings, then darts into the darkness behind it. There's a gasp and the camera starts to whip around just as the screen goes black.
"Well, that was abrupt," I observe.
"Just wait," Sam says.
We continue to stare at the screen, but nothing happens.
"Nothing's happening," I say.
"Just wait," he insists.
"Emma," Xavier says.
"Sam says wait," I tell him. I hold the bowl in front of the computer again. "More popcorn?"
A few more minutes pass, then the image flashes to a commercial. At the end of the commercial, another show starts.
"What happened?" Sam asks.
"Are we still waiting?" Xavier asks.
"Nope," I say. "That concludes the paranormal portion of this evening. And with that, I'm going to bed."
"Wait," Xavier says.
"What is it?" I ask, turning the computer so I can look at him. "What's wrong?"
"It's just the special was supposed to last for another hour. My evening is all structured around being virtually at your place until then. I even told Herman I wouldn't be back until then."
Herman is Xavier's snail. He was a Christmas gift from Dean and lives in an aquarium about fifty times bigger than the space he actually needs. Half the time Xavier can't even find him.
"Well, if Herman isn't expecting you back for a while, what do you want to do, Xavier?"
A little more than an hour later, the pretend roller coaster hits the brake run and pulls into the station with the distinct grind of metal on metal. Sam and I dutifully lean forward, then plop backwards against the couch cushions.
"That was a good one," Xavier says. "A little rough on the ending, but I like the banks in the middle." He sighs. "Well, Herman's nighttime snack is overdue, so I'll be going. Thanks for the trip."
"No problem."
"You're still coming to Harlan in a couple of days, right?"
"Yeah, I have a meeting with Noah White, and there are a couple of things Dad told me to look for at the Order temple," I tell him.
"Vegetable egg foo young with extra gravy, brown rice, and a spring roll? Beef and broccoli and wonton soup?"
"Chocolate chip?"
"Yep. Walnuts for Dean,” he nods.
“He back yet?”
“Not yet.”
“Are you still tracking him with his phone?”
“He made me stop when I noticed he was at the frozen yogurt shop, and I caught a rideshare down there and interrupted him on a date.”
“Dean was on a date?” I gasp, stunned by the revelation.
“Well, I thought he was. Turns out it was a sting operation, and I almost got shot.”
“You what? Neither of you told me that.”
“Because Dean thought it might distress you.”
“I am distressed.”
“I will let him know he was correct.”
"Tell him to let me know when he gets home safe. And tell Herman goodnight."
Sam is staring at me when I get off the phone.
"You know, if anyone else heard your conversations with him, they would think you were speaking in code about an underground crime ring," he says.
"I know enough about them," I shrug, gathering up some of the snack bowls. "I could probably run a really good one."
"You know, I never would have envisioned myself being the type of person who would pretend to ride a roller coaster," he says, following me into the kitchen.
"What kind of person is that? Compassionate and willing to have fun?" I ask.
"You really know how to just…" he makes a gesture like he's scooping his heart out with a spoon.
I tip the remaining pretzels back into their bag, secure it with a clip, and stuff it out of sight in the pantry, then go over to Sam. Putting my hand over the heart he just scooped out, I lift up on my toes to kiss him.
"Good thing you are exactly that type of person." He gives me a look and I smile at him. "It comforts him. He's able to put himself in that experience just by watching it, and theme parks are his favorite thing. He hasn't been to one in a decade."
"Well, he has, technically," Sam points out.
"Okay, he hasn't been to an operational one or one that hasn't been the site of his attempted murder in a decade. You like watching sports and apparently super ridiculous ghost hunting expeditions. Xavier likes to watch POV ride videos at theme parks. Everybody's got a thing. Besides, how else could you ride roller coasters in three states in one hour?"
I head
