Haunting Visions

Gage grasped a few slices of cucumber with the tongs in his hand. He laid them to the side of his plate and turned to Keely. "Did you happen to see Briana today?"

Keely shook her head and picked up the tongs Gage set down. "She won't be here today. She has Paraskavedekatriaphobia."

He raised his head until their gazes locked again. "What the fuck is that?"

"A fear of friday the thirteenth is called Paraskavedekatriaphobia." She replied with such nonchelance, like he should have known off the top of his head what it was called.

Gage rolled his eyes and continued down the food line in the crowded cafeteria, pushing his tray along the metal ledge. "Well that's unfortunate. I think she's something like us."

"What, like a sensitive?"

"Yeah. So I was thinking she should join us."

This time it was Keely's turn to roll her eyes. She wasn't sure if Gage was truly seeing something in Briana, or if he was trying to see something because he had a thing for the girl. "Well you have to run it by everyone. Or you could just steal something of hers and give it to Diesel. Hopefully he could come up with something for our future with her."

Gage nodded, he would only need something simple. A hair elastic or something. That way Diesel could tell them more about her than she could ever manage to explain in a shorter amount of time.

They grabbed their trays and headed to their table, straight into another debate.

"Oh don't give me that," Honey laughed. "There's no written evidence for the friday the thirteenth superstition before the nineteenth century. It's an oral tradition mostly, told from one generation to another. I mean, even then all it is is a modern twist on two older superstitions; that thirteen is an unlucky number and friday is an unlucky day. And don't argue those. Friday has been considered unlucky since the fourteenth century's The Canterbury Tales. And in numerology the number twelve is considered the number of completeness. Twelve months of the year, twelve signs of the zodiac, twelve hours on the clock, twelve tribes of Israel, twelve Apostles of Jesus, twelve Gods of Olymups and so on. Thirteen is just considered irregular."

Lyric took a sip of her cranberry drink before setting the bottle back down onto the table. "Well, I still perfer to believe Charles Panati's theory about how the origin of the superstition appears to be a tale in Norse Mythology. Friday, named for Frigga the goddes of love and fertility, was banished in shame to a mountain top and labeled a witch when Norse and Germanic tribes converted to Christianity. It was believed that after that, every Friday the spiteful goddess met with eleven other witches, plus the devil; a group of thirteen. There they plotted the ill turns of fate for the upcoming week." She picked up her fork and poked it into a raddish and brought it close to her lips. "Friday was known as the 'Witches Sabbath' for centuries in Scandanavia."

Keely cut right in, "but there's also that Knights Templar theory that became popular because of the novel, The Da Vinci Code."

"I never did read that book." Gage admitted. In fact, he was completely lost in the whole conversation so he dug right into his slice of pepperoni pizza.

Diesel leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table but careful to touch no one else. "In eleven eighteen C. E., the Knights Templar were a monastic military order founded in Jerusalem. Their mission was to protect Christian pilgrims during the crusades. Over like, the next two centuries, the Kinghts Templar grew to be extraordinarily wealthy and powerful. King Philip definitly wanted that wealth and power so he secretly ordered the mass arrest of all the Knights Templar in France on October thirteen oh seven; Friday the thirteenth."

Honey nodded. "We'll never know. And with novels like Thomas. W. Lawson's, Friday The Thirteenth, and the movies and other nonsense, the popularity of the superstition is only going to continue to grow."

Gage swallowed the piece of pizza in his mouth and looked around at his best friends. "So basically, me waiting to tell you tonight about what my Grandma recently told me is useless? We're not going to experience any more paranormal activity than normal on a night like this?"

"It's not likely. But I suppose it would all depend on who we were dealing with. If someone was maybe a sensitive and a Paraskavedekatriaphobic, I would imagine they could bring something in on this day on their feelings alone because a day like today would stress them out. But your Grandma is neither of these, so please tell us what she told you."

Gage laughed and sat up straight. "Well first things first. It's funny that you should mention a sensitive, and a Para-whatever in the same sentence. You guys all know Briana McKray?"

Everyone nodded in agreement, something Gage was definitely looking for.

"Good. Because I think she's both of these. It's just this vibe I get, and I was wondering about what everyone thought about bringing her out into the field with us one time?"

Everyone sighed but Lyric, who laughed. "Gage," she shook her head and smiled. "Babe, we know you want in her pants. But do it musically. Don't bring her into this, I honestly don't think she could handle it."

"I really think she can." Gage retorted. "We've talked about ghosts. She was all sheepish at first, but she finally broke down and told me about a childhood home."

Diesel locked eyes with his friend. "You know I'm not a fan of doing it to people whom are still alive and can speak for themselves, but you could always get me something of hers you know."

Gage nodded. "I thought about it. But then last night, you know, dinner with the grandparents night. Grams started talking about this old house at the end of mainstreet. She says the outside and inside are all fixed up but the floor plans are relatively the same inside."

"What does the house have to do with Briana?" Honey asked the question he was waiting for.

"Well, Grams says this old building use to be the hospital a century ago, she says some pretty nasty stuff went down there. So this hospital turned house -- use to be the house Briana grew up in."

"So you think this house has some activity?" Keely asked, "and Briana wants us to come check it out?"

"No," Gage shook his head. "I think we should go check it out. But if she was causing some of the activity, I want her there with us."

"We can't film for the show with her there unless she gives consent, Gage. And you know she won't. Not to mention, she has a major fear of Friday the thirteenth, which is today. What makes you think she would come out with us anyway.?"

"I can talk her into it," Gage assured them. "But I need to know if you're all on for tonight, just us."

He got the unified sigh again.

"Alright." Keely glaced around the table looking for disapproval from anyone. "Tonight."