Elementary school halls have a certain smell. Pencils and floor cleaner are the obvious suspects, but there's more mixed into the scent. Abigail knew the smell, but not because she went to a public elementary school system and not because she had kids of her own.
Come to think of it, last time she was in a school like this was in 1992, and that didn't turn out all that great.
She shook off that particular memory. That was 11 years ago, and it still seemed like yesterday. This kind of job could do a number on you if you take too many trips down memory lane, so she did her best to focus on the present moment.
The sound of her shoes hitting the floor resonated through the hallway. Even though it was already hotter than average, summer had just began and the school was empty. That was, of course, perfect. She didn't need any kids underfoot when she was chasing ghosts.
Well, alleged ghosts.
"Ah! Miss Haaiiraannt!"
Abigail turned to see a thin, mustached man with thinning hair leaning out of an open door. He waved, trying to seem friendly, but his pursed lips that almost hid under his mustache betrayed his underlining sense of impatience.
Abigail gave him a quick smile back. "Principal Dexter. It's good to meet you. And it Herant, with a silent h. You can just call me Abigail."
Principal Dexter nodded. "Good to meet you, Abigail. I have to say, I am not normally a believer in," he vaguely waved his hand, "the paranormal. But things have been getting out of hand. If you follow me, I can take you to the cafeteria."
The principal turned away and began to walk quickly in the other direction, his back straight and his arms nervously tucked into his pockets.
Abigail sighed and tried to catch up, hefting her backpack more securely over her shoulders. "Right. You had mentioned that the cafeteria is where a lot of things have been happening. Is that where the security footage is as well?"
The principal nodded without looking back. "Yes. The kids have been terrified. We already have a heck of a time getting summer students in to do their work. Now that they're convinced that there are ghosts, it's that much more difficult. It's a bit of a nightmare. I would just dismiss this if I hadn't seen some of the stuff myself. And then there are the videos..."
Abigail sighed even harder. She was hoping that this would be an easy consultation fee, that she could prove that it was the pipes or something, and she could get an easy paycheck before hitting up the lady with the possessed dog. While finding that she had been called up to investigate something that wasn't actually real was annoying, at least it was easy money that didn't involve her risking her life.
It's never as easy as she hopes.
They passed through the double doors into the cafeteria. It looked like every other school cafeteria. It was easy to imagine it filled with kids, a disgruntled cafeteria lady behind the counter ready to hook the kiddies up with a square slice of greasy pizza. There was something... off, though. Abigail couldn't quite put her finger on it, but there was something not right.
In the corner was a TV on wheels with a VCR below it. The principal produced a tape and pushed it in. "You have to see this to believe it."
He pressed the power button on the TV as the VCR whirred to life. The screen's fuzzy image gave way to a slightly grainy view of the cafeteria. Abigail turned to her right to see the camera in the upper corner that clearly filmed this video.
"Watch this!" The principal pointed to a table surrounded by chairs on the screen. The chair closest to the camera started to twitch. Then, suddenly, it flipped into the air, flying off screen. The chair to its right followed suit. Then the next. Then the next. Soon, only one chair remained.
"Wait," Abigail said as she squinted at the screen, "could you pause the video and rewind it a bit... Right there! Stop!"
The principal moved his hand away from the VCR and moved his face closer to the screen. "Is that..."
Abigail nodded, her eyes locked on the shadowy figure on the screen that had been moving so quickly it was originally easy to miss. "Yup. That looks like horse to me, too."
The principal blinked. "What... is a ghost horse doing in my cafeteria?"
Abigail started to rummage through her bag. "That, my friend, is a traditional river spirit that has a fondness for eating kids. It's a good thing you called when you did. No missing kids yet, right?"
The principal's face paled. "You can't be serious. This... this cafeteria is an expansion. We just filled the swamp that was here and built over."
Abigail nodded. "That tracks. Now the question is... Do you want me to break out a spirit trap and bring it out of here, or do you want to bribe it to be security for the school?"
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