CONVEX

6: The Earthquake

After a couple weeks of gathering data, Hector and Jeremy decide to make their first move at three in the morning on a Wednesday. The residents of Redwood peak through the blinds of their windows, watching the two men prepare to take their investigation a step further.

Redwood still struggles to adjust to the two men. The more superstitious people in the town view their investigation as an affront to the sanctity of nature. On the other hand, most of them slowly start to tolerate Hector Cooper. His profound knowledge of specters, especially the protective measures used against them, makes him more appealing to the paranoid and religiously-inclined townsfolk. Out of the two, the paranormal investigator seems to be the only acceptable traveler in Redwood.

When Hector offers some of the more curious a cheerful wave from the woods, half of the nosy residents immediately close their blinds. The other half, however, offer a cheerful wave back before switching off their porch lights. Nobody spares a second glance to Jeremy except for Sammy, who pokes his head out the window.

"Good luck, Sunshine!" Sammy shouts from the window

As Jeremy scribbles something in the back of his notebook, his pen goes a little too far mid-sentence. A jarring, black line appears in the middle of the page. The doctor offers an empty stare at the page for a minute before his head snaps in Hector's direction.

"Why the hell is he calling me that?!" Jeremy hisses.

Hector shrinks a little from the intensity of Jeremy's glare and mutters, "Well, it's 'cause of your sunny demeanor, of course!"

A couple seconds later, Jeremy swats a tree with his notebook. The noise makes Hector jump, and Jeremy covers his mouth with his hands to hide his smile. After a couple of seconds, a quiet laugh slips out of the biochemist's mouth. Jeremy makes sure to keep his head turned away to hide the satisfied expression on his face from a startled Hector.

Hector stares at Jeremy's back.

"You ... got me?" Hector asks. He doesn't sound too sure, and a cold sweat drips down the side of his chin as he shrinks away from Jeremy. Hector thought the biochemist's "joke" was a little to ominous for his tastes.

"I did," Jeremy confirms, "and I'll get you again in another two years."

"That's going to make it hard to sleep at night, Sunshine," Hector remarks dully. The paranormal investigator loops an arm around a large hiking backpack and hoists it over his shoulders. After a couple of minutes, the man glances at Jeremy from the corner of his eye.

"I guess this is it, huh?" Hector remarks off-handedly, "There's a good chance I can die doing this, you know."

"You won't," Jeremy says confidently, "I've cross-referenced these numbers with an old colleague. Just got the email back last night, and the probability's good. As long as you follow the timers I set and labeled on your phone, you should be back before the next earthquake hits."

"Now, I have a very important question to ask," Jeremy continues, "This might sound ridiculous and practically self-evident, but I need you to answer me."

"Did you charge your phone?" the biochemist asks.

"Of cour-" Hector begins. He hesitates for a moment and glances at the lump in his back pocket before he starts fumbling with it. The paranormal investigator pulls out his smartphone and scrolls through it. When he opens the window, he sighs in relief when he sees the full charge.

Hector turns it to show Jeremy and announces, "See? One hundred percent! Nothing to worry about."

"Then," Jeremy blurts out. The biochemist hesitates before he completes the sentence and looks at the data in his hands. After a performing a couple of last minute checks in his head, he finishes, "you better stay safe."