Through the Looking Glass ⇒ Alice the Amazing Short Stories

[II] Ghostbusting for Dummies // part one

Or, The One With the Spooky Old House and the Shitty Plan

July 1984 \\ pre-season 2

Alice had seen some weird and wacky things after the events of last fall.

She now believed in alternate realities and universes, ideas that were fantastical topics from science fiction comics before.

She also now believed in the existence of potential superheroes, considering that she was one (kind of).

However, one thing she couldn't bring herself to believe in was ghosts.

When Dustin came home after going to see the new movie Ghostbusters at The Hawk, the first thing he did was explain to Alice that ghosts must be 100% real.

"The movie is onto something!" he said. "I'm telling you, it's science fiction, but it very quickly could become science reality with just a bit more studying."

"I don't know, Dustin," Alice said. "That's a little fantastical, don't you think?"

"And dark, parallel universes aren't?"

"Okay, you've got a point. But still. I'd need to see a ghost myself to believe in them."

Dustin crossed his arms.

"Don't you believe in aliens?"

Alice could sense where this was going.

"And what about it?" she said defensively.

"You've never seen an alien!" Dustin protested.

"You don't know that."

As summer vacation continued, the siblings bickered back and forth about the existence of ghosts. Every time Dustin brought the party over, they jumped on the ghosts bandwagon.

One hot July afternoon, Alice was sick of her little brother and his friends. Instead of sitting around the house and getting teased for not believing in spirits, she met up with Nancy and Steve at the Hawkins Community Pool. No joy could compare to the wonders of third wheeling.

"Mike's been saying the same things to me," Nancy said with a sigh when Alice complained about the Great Ghost Debate of 1984. "He's convinced our house is haunted now."

"Well, is it?" Steve asked.

Alice and Nancy gave him a look.

"You believe in ghosts?" Alice asked, furrowing her brows.

"Well, yeah!" Steve said. "And I've seen one."

Alice shook her head.

"No way, Mr. Good Hair."

"It's true!" Steve protested. "I've told Nance the story. Remember?"

Nancy gulped.

"Um..."

"You forgot?!" Steve said. "Come on! It's a great story!"