Ghost Hunter: CyberNerf (Alternative Draft)

Chapter 4

"Dad! Dad! I nailed it!" Ned bounced happily on the trampoline in the backyard, seeing how many backflips he could do in a row before he got dizzy.

Bouncing on the trampoline always made him feel better. Just because he played video games and didn't want to play football didn't mean that he wasn't athletic like Dan.

"Nailed what, son?" his father said as he yanked out a plank in the wood fence and studied the gaping crack in it.

"I killed the Shadow-breather. Finally, I got down to his lair, and blew up his chances of taking over the house." He shifted from one foot to another, the excitement bouncing in his eyes.

Ned's dad went on looking at the crack. He ran a finger along its edge. "Hmm. Just as I thought. Groundhogs."

Ned dipped as far down into the trampoline's canvas as he could and bounced out of sight just as his dad turned to say something. "Ned? Where'd you go?"

"Yes, dad?" Ned came down, denting deep into the trampoline, which in turn flung him even higher. "WEEEE! Zap! Zap! CLANG! BLAM! Bang, bang, bang!" Ned mimicked the action of shooting his Foam Blaster.

His dad craned his neck to follow his son's jump. He had just gone as high as the roof and was on his way down.

"Ned! You know your wrist-bone is still soft. You rooting for more damage now?"

Ned slowed down and resumed his low bouncing.

"Hand me the saw, will you?" A hint of temper in Dad's voice.

Ned looked at the saw as he passed it to his dad. "We've got a drill in the shed, haven't we, dad?"

Dad began to saw an edge off the cracked plank. "We do. Why?"

"Just wondering if it works."

"Why are you wondering?" His dad dropped the plank and put the sawed strip aside. "The hammer, please. And there's a small glass jar under that sheet there. Bring that too."

Ned got the things. "Well, a drill could make holes."

His dad paused and eyed him. "I won't mind making a hole with it. But I don't like the idea of you toying with it any." He picked up another plank to measure its width.

"I won't use it when the time comes. But you should. You're good with your tools, dad."

"What exactly are you talking about, Ned. Come here and hold this piece in place."

"I'm talking about preparing for when the ghosts come for us."

His dad quickly knocked a nail into place. "Why do you think there are ghosts in the house, Ned?"

"I've heard them in the middle of the night. And our last place didn't have so many power breakdowns like we do here."

His dad pursed his mouth and sucked on his teeth. "This whole part of town is having power outage problems. It's in the paper every day, Ned. And it's normal if you heard anything at night when it's quiet all around. Look at the house. It's old. Old housed make noises. Like you will when you get old."

Ned looked up at the hulking structure of the house. The windows looked like eyes. The gables looked like capotes. He could not help feeling those eyes on him even now as he stood in broad daylight among the rank weeds.

Dad's gaze was fixed on the next nail. "Ned, our space is this house, where you have your family. We're all ready for the day. Look out over the fence, tell me what you see." The hammer in his hand went to work.

Ned looked up and down the fence a few moments, then said, "I see the world out there, dad."

"That's exactly what you see. But here's the thing: you said you see the world out there. Could you tell me what goes on in that world, Ned? And watch your hand over here until I get this corner done." He nailed the corner of the sawed strip to the plank top.

Ned thought ruefully. "There's school out there. There's the streets, the trees and the birds..."

"...and the bees, that's right." His dad supplied, swaying his head in a comical gesture as he clenched a nail between his teeth. "And there's lots of people out there, in their own houses going about the daily business of their lives. Aren't there?" Ned nodded.

"How many of those people out there do you think worry about Shadow-breather?"

Ned forgot all the excitement of breaking the news of victory to his father. "But we must be ready for the ghost invasion! I mean to protect you and mom! Don't you see all the neighbors moving out?"

His dad flipped the plank and saw the nail-ends sticking out. "Oh yeah! Pliers, please. In the other bag, there." His dad motioned with his chin. Ned unzipped the bag, dug into it, and brought the pliers over.

"Ned, when you buy a house like this one," his dad pointed the hammer at the Victorian building behind them, "you ought to know how to fix it. This neighborhood is full of them. Folks move in first, find out the costs of getting the house in order later. They stick around awhile until they know they can't handle it."

Ned lowered his head and stared at the scuffed knees of his denims.

"Ned, this house does not need anyghost-cleansing. It's time you allowed that into your head for a change. No oneis taking over us or this place. Playing games is okay, but you can't let themfill your head with useless notions. Wake up to what the real world is like."His dad started snapping off the nail-ends with the pliers.