Paranelope, a ghost hunter who's been cancelled for faking evidence, must discover the truth behind a local cryptid in order to clear her name.
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Penelope, better known as the ghost hunter PARANELOPE to her millions of followers, has only ever want...
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There was something so satisfying about peeling off the plastic of a brand new phone. Penelope had stopped in at Ridgestone's local electronic store—a mom-and-pop shop that looked like it had opened in the nineties—the first thing that morning, even before coffee. Despite the dated exterior, they had a good selection of tech, including a display on cameras, night-vision goggles, and other gear for 'Raven-hunting.' Penelope avoided that particular setup and just asked for the newest iPhone, which now sat in her lap.
She hadn't been able to wait to get back to the cabin to open it. It was a pleasant enough day—clear skies but not too hot—so she had ventured over to the park in the centre of town and sat down on the nicest bench she could find. The bench was right in front of where the Ridgestone Raven statue had once been, the empty concrete platform still waiting for its eventual return.
As she pulled off the box lid and admired the shiny device within, she thought of the old phone she had used to film her first videos for YouTube. It had been second-hand, her mother's old smartphone with a potato for a camera. This new phone, its metal frame cold in her hand, was a definite upgrade.
She turned it on and watched the screen spring to life. The phone asked for her account info, and then, after she'd entered it, asked if she'd want to set up her phone from a backup. Her finger hovered over the options. Her breath hitched for a moment before she pressed down on the 'No' option. She'd miss some of her messages and app data, but she didn't want to import all the ugly hate that would come with it.
She wanted a fresh start.
A small knot of nervous energy had settled in between her ribs, making her heart beat faster. Here she was, making the conscious decision to reengage with the world at large. She'd be lying to herself if she said it didn't scare her. Hiding from all her angry fans had kept her safe for a while, but she couldn't hide forever.
Especially not if she was going to start filming again.
The phone finished its setup and the home screen apps came into view. It was only the basics, but it was enough for now. She opened the camera app, swiped to video mode and hit record, to test out her new camera. She raised the phone and began to pan it around the park. The view through the app was nice and crisp and—
