dabble into darkness 5

​    For the first time in years I was actually excited to get set up for the new hunting session. I felt giddy and anytime I thought of St Catherine’s I got an ominous chill. It was almost a guttural reaction as if something horrible had happened to me in that very spot. My mind was a flutter of things I needed to do. Of course I started with my list of chores. I needed the meteorological equipment if I was going to get down to the root of the situation. But due diligence required me to jump feet first into history of the church. So after retrieving the barometer and thermometer I went to the town hall. 

    Although this church was considered in San Francisco, it was a recent addition based on city growth. And some of the planning records still resided in the old facilities. I got ahold of someone to meet me there to help me find the records I needed. Floor plans, previous ownership and what facilities were there before the church may give me a clue as to the origins of the disturbances. I tried to stay professional and hide my excitement as I didn’t want to seem like the hoax ghost hunters of television. But I felt as though some of that was not entirely convincing. 

    She arrived a little after I did. Her Ford Taurus made a sigh of relief when the engine was shut off and clattered disapprovingly shortly after. She opened her door slowly. When a movie would show a slow motion of a love interest getting out of a vehicle to heighten the various features of the voluptuous women. This felt like that slow motion but because she was in her late 70s. Her skirt had a static cling in the back that she immediately pulled off like an old man clearing a wedgie. And there I was impatiently waiting to look at schematics and historical records. Somehow she walked slower than her impressive exit from her tiny car. “Well,” she said sniffling and turning her sniffle to a cough. “Shall we?”

    The records showed that the land was owned by the state prior to the church production. And the church was built in a normal amount of time with a standard amount of resources. The layout of the church was that of any modern Catholic Church I have ever seen. And I verified that with architectural plans that I had brought for reference. Everything seemed normal. The church was only 45 years old. Which meant that there wasn’t any structural issues that could have emerged. Burial site? I thought. But nope. The records clearly showed and burial sites were untouched. Plus with this church being around for 45 years the parishioners would have noticed strange events. I thanked the lady and helped her back to her car. It was the least I could do and I rallied with my compatriots.