The Paranormal Powerwashers and the Missing Ghosts

3

Jeannie

The drive over was nice, if Jeannie ignored the person who was driving. If she just stared out the window or closed her eyes, she could forget about it for a moment, but as soon as she opened them again, she would see Venus on top of the steering wheel, clutching onto it for dear life. Just looking at her made her nervous. I don't even drive this cautiously, and I only just got my permit! Glancing in the rear-view mirror, Lillybelle seemed to be smiling in the backseat. No wonder she didn't even try to call shotgun.

The windows were rolled down to let the breeze in, but it wasn't very consistent because as soon as they'd get at a steady speed, Venus would lift her foot off the gas and lose her mind. Jeannie was starting to think it would be easier to walk when the building came into view.

It peaked out from behind the trees, its once towering might now crumpled and decayed. The seventh floor looked like it had completely collapsed into the sixth, leaving the charred husk of a building teetering in on itself. The windows were gone or broken and the entire outside of the first floor was covered in colorful graffiti. More swear words than Jeannie had ever seen were scrawled on the side of the building in big, bold letters. It's beautiful, she thought, eyes roaming the piece of history and horror. Terrifying. But beautiful. Pulling out her camera, Jeannie took the shot.

Venus pulled into the almost grassy parking lot, tires of the Saturn struggling over the gravel and broken concrete. The parking brake turned on and the ignition turned off, Jeannie was safe to escape the car. The gravel and concrete were loud under her tennis shoes, crackling and groaning under her feet, as if they were the souls of the damned. Even before they approached the building, an eerie feeling began to set in. It almost felt as if the windows were eyes, watching to see what these intruders would do next.

Jeannie took a few steps towards the building, camera strap weighing on her neck as she held her signature Canon. The afternoon sun would usually be stronger, but the start of autumn had cut the hours of sunlight, dimming her shots. Hopefully her flash would be enough once they were inside. If we can even get inside.

She could hear Lilly's boots crunching as she came up behind her. A soft beep told her that Venus was on her way after locking the car. Together, they just stood and stared at the building. It towered above them, a melted metal and concrete framework holding up seven floors full of secrets. Jeannie took a deep breath.

"I guess, we should go inside?"

Venus half nodded, pulling on a sweatshirt emblazoned with a coffee shop logo over her t-shirt. "Did you get any pictures of the outside?"

Jeannie raised her camera, adjusted the exposure settings a little, and snapped a picture. Lilly glanced over at the camera.

"Are you using your wide angle?"

Jeannie shook her head, looking at the picture on the camera's small screen, before lowering it. "No, I wanted it to look more natural. Wide angles can distort the image, and I don't want to distort evidence."

"We should look for an entrance." Venus sighed, bouncing from foot to foot, gravel crunching under her shoes. She started forward, but Jeannie grabbed her arm. Always the impulsive one.

"Well, wait," she laughed, glancing at the mangled warehouse. "Are we sure this building is even structurally sound? I mean, it caught fire how many years ago?"

"It burnt down about fifty years ago, but after the fire marshall did a thorough investigation, he decided it was stable enough to be used again if the company chose to." Lilly held up a folder that Jeannie hadn't noticed her holding and opened it, retrieving a sheet of paper.