The Spirit Box

Our first objective was to gather as much information as possible, starting with other spirits in the house. We began with a spirit box session in an attempt to communicate with them. Using a pair of headphones, one blindfolded person would repeat what they heard from the device, the other asking questions and recording the responses. In a way, the blindfolded person would become a vessel for spirits to communicate through.

“Which one of us should listen?” I asked Maple.

“Oh, I will, I will!” She was bouncing up and down like a kid on a trampoline.

“Hey, it’s no laughing matter! Not only is it loud, but it can also be emotionally draining. Some people have even reported sharing the emotions of spirits, so it wouldn’t surprise me if you started feeling upset or angry.”

“Pfft, it’ll be nothing. These ghosts have nothing on me!”

“Suit yourself. But don’t go blaming me if anything goes wrong.”

We headed upstairs to one of the bedrooms to stimulate new activity. Littering the ground were the remnants of toys and scraps of paper, possibly from books or homework. Further completing the room was a collection of photos adorning the walls. Most were unrecognizable, save for a few where you could still see the faces of people. Could one of the figures in the photos be Miss Emily?

“Remember, if at any time you feel uncomfortable, say our safeword.”

“Can we change it to something else, please?”

“If that makes you more at ease, then I don’t see why not.”

“Awesome! Then how about we change it to… applesauce!”

Applesauce!? For what possible reason? The urge to chastise her was rising, but I was stopped dead in my tracks by her smile. That blasted smile of hers always stirred up a whirlpool of emotions within me. How was it so persuasive?

“I suppose we can go with that. By the way, when you put the headphones on, make sure to match the left and right ears. And no peeking underneath the blindfold.” I said while handing Maple the gear, before then pulling out my notepad and pencil.

“Mhm, I understand loud and clear! Just tell me when you’re ready!”

Her blindfold was on upside down. It was strangely endearing, so I let it remain as such.

“I’m ready now, Maple. You may begin.”

With the flick of a switch, Maple turned the spirit box on. Instantaneously, it began scanning the nearby area for radio waves, particularly for responses on the same frequency.

“Greetings, my name is Paige, and over there is Maple, my…” Come to think of it, what was Maple to me? Friend, investigative partner, classmate, or acquaintance? Neither of those options seemed fitting. By instinct, my subconscious answered for me.

“Dear friend.”

Wait, what did I just say!? My brain felt fried, as if it were submerged in oil. Had Maple not been wearing the headphones, she would have teased me for the rest of eternity, no doubt.

“Sorry for the pause. As I was saying, I’m Paige, and that’s Maple. Now, I’m going to ask some questions. Miss Emily, if you’re listening, can you please sit this one out? Otherwise, all other spirits are welcome to join me.” I waited a minute before continuing. “To begin, may the spirits present say their names?”

Maple’s lips began to twitch. “Tater tots.”

“Uh, tater tots? Like the food? Is that really your name?”

“Fruit salad… yummy, yummy.”

“No, this can’t be right… There’s no way either of those is a name. Please, let’s have a serious conversation.”

“Cheeseburger.”

“Oh, come on! Ahhh!” I was now pulling my hair out. But wait—was Maple smiling just now? Has she been secretly listening the entire time? If so, it could have been a joke all along.

“Maple, if you can hear me, would you like to go out someday?” There, that was sure to get her attention. If she heard it, then surely she would respond in a heartbeat.

I waited in anticipation, ready to catch her red-handed… but there was nothing. Not even so much as an ounce of movement. To be on the safe side, I walked over and waved my hand in front of her face, confident that she would at least flinch. It was no dice. Her body refused to react, almost as if she were a mannequin. Perhaps she merely reacted to the “names”? It looked as if I had no other option but to accept them.

“Tater tots, Fruit salad, Cheeseburger, are any of you in the photos on the wall? If so, who? Please describe as many details as possible about what you look like.”

“Left wall, boy… black hair…”

Finally, a concrete answer! I immediately went over to check the wall, and sure enough, there was a photo matching the description. It depicted a boy no older than 7 holding a peculiar book in some sort of classroom. I couldn’t make out the title because of the photo’s condition. At the very least, I now had a lead to follow.

“Which spirit is the boy in the photo?”

“Tater tots.”

“Very well. Tater tots, where can I find the book you’re holding?”

“Below.”

“Where do you mean by below? Do you mean below as in a basement or cellar?” I waited five minutes for a response before deciding to end the session. But right as I was about to alert Maple, she yelled our safeword, “Applesauce”.

“Maple, what’s wrong!?”

Fearing the worst, I pulled off her blindfold and headphones, only to be met with a hug like the one at lunch.

“Maple?”

She nestled her head on my chest, her soft hair pleasant to feel.

“Mmm, I wanted to see how you would react…”

“That word was for emergencies only! Why are you hugging me?”

“Because why not. You enjoy it, don’t you, Paige?”

“I—uh…”

“Your cheeks are red again. That’s all I need to know,” Maple giggled. “Come, let’s go find this book. I think I have an idea or two on where it could be!”

“Wait! Did you hear me the entire time?”

“Maybe, maybe not. I’ll let you decide. Have fun!”

As she ran off to who knows where, I stood alone in the room, rubbing my cheeks. The thought then hit me: How could she have known about the book? Assuming she couldn’t hear the questions or read my lips, there would have been no feasible way. She also didn’t get a good chance to look at any of the photos before putting on the blindfold. Which left me with one conclusion…

“Maple, I take back what I said! Wait up!”