RAW RECRUITS: Pt.2
The party arrived at the Desmond house at around three in the afternoon. A bright blue California sky shone over a Brady Bunch neighborhood. Which was appropriate, as Andy and Ross spent the entire drive arguing which Brady girl was prettier, Jan or Marsha. Stephen voted for Sam the Butcher.
It was an odd ride.
Peter Desmond welcomed them into his home eagerly. He was the very picture of suburban cop, and his wife Susan a perfect suburban Mom. Jo noticed a few twitches, though, and tight lines indicating that Susan wasn't getting too much sleep, and maybe helping herself to the "special pills" a little too often. Eliza glommed right onto the "pretty lady" Jo, which for some reason made Jo nervous, but she put up with the attention.
"Want to come to my room and see my pretty dollies?" Eliza asked innocently.
"Why, sure ..." smiled Jo, thumbing off the safety of her gun beneath her leather jacket...
(DM's Note: Already suspicious of a toddler, Jo nearly shot the little girl on sight. Would have been a bit awkward running the adventure after that...)
Desmond told them about the moving objects as the camera equipment was set up. Ross played director, while Andy kept his shoulder cam running the entire time. The incidents had been going on a year, and Susan had witnessed the first ones. After a while, they didn't seem keyed to any particular family member. At one point a heavy dinner table levitated straight up and dropped, smashing its legs.
Jerry, and his friend Nick arrived home. Jerry was the football team quarterback, Nick his thick-headed but loyal blocker. "Are you the Hoffman guys? This is so cool!" Jerry was ecstatic. "I never thought you'd come out here!"
Jerry and Peter gushed, describing the poltergeist incidents and Jerry's all-star quarterback career while Susan made hot chocolate. Stephen, Ross, Andy and Jo huddled up for a moment. "Is it me, or are they ... disturbingly normal?" whispered Jo.
"Aliens," whispered Andy back. "They don't know human families are supposed to be dysfunctional."
"They want our vital fluids," muttered Ross.
"I'm flattered," said Stephen. They all stared at him. "What? I am."
They were discussing whether to continue with this charade or attempt to, Scooby-do-like, tear the faces off the Desmond family when a red-headed woman came in.
"Oh, dudes, this is Ms. Jernigan, the coolest teacher we have at McKinley High."
"Amanda Jernigan." Amanda shook all their hands, pleasant and forthright. But when Ross said "Hoffman Institute", her face tightened.
"Problem?" asked Jo.
"No, no, just a bit of a skeptic, that's all. Well, Jerry, I swung by to drop off your history book, you left it behind." Amanda handed over the text, then with another odd look at the party exited through the front door.
"I hope something happens while you're heere," said Peter Desmond. Stephen caught Susan blinking rapidly, tensing at her pot of boiling water.
Jerry's face suddenly fell. "Uh oh, here comes Coach." Everyone turned to see a heavyset, white-haired man in a football jacket outside the picture window. He was just about to knock at the door.
"Man, he looks pissed," said Nick. "I hope --"
Nick didn't get to finish the sentence.
Because that's when the furniture lifted off the floor.
All of it.
Andy turned as the now levitating pot of boiling water flew at his face --
-- and Johanna flew by in the other direction.
The party arrived at the Desmond house at around three in the afternoon. A bright blue California sky shone over a Brady Bunch neighborhood. Which was appropriate, as Andy and Ross spent the entire drive arguing which Brady girl was prettier, Jan or Marsha. Stephen voted for Sam the Butcher.
It was an odd ride.
Peter Desmond welcomed them into his home eagerly. He was the very picture of suburban cop, and his wife Susan a perfect suburban Mom. Jo noticed a few twitches, though, and tight lines indicating that Susan wasn't getting too much sleep, and maybe helping herself to the "special pills" a little too often. Eliza glommed right onto the "pretty lady" Jo, which for some reason made Jo nervous, but she put up with the attention.
"Want to come to my room and see my pretty dollies?" Eliza asked innocently.
"Why, sure ..." smiled Jo, thumbing off the safety of her gun beneath her leather jacket...
(DM's Note: Already suspicious of a toddler, Jo nearly shot the little girl on sight. Would have been a bit awkward running the adventure after that...)
Desmond told them about the moving objects as the camera equipment was set up. Ross played director, while Andy kept his shoulder cam running the entire time. The incidents had been going on a year, and Susan had witnessed the first ones. After a while, they didn't seem keyed to any particular family member. At one point a heavy dinner table levitated straight up and dropped, smashing its legs.
Jerry, and his friend Nick arrived home. Jerry was the football team quarterback, Nick his thick-headed but loyal blocker. "Are you the Hoffman guys? This is so cool!" Jerry was ecstatic. "I never thought you'd come out here!"
Jerry and Peter gushed, describing the poltergeist incidents and Jerry's all-star quarterback career while Susan made hot chocolate. Stephen, Ross, Andy and Jo huddled up for a moment. "Is it me, or are they ... disturbingly normal?" whispered Jo.
"Aliens," whispered Andy back. "They don't know human families are supposed to be dysfunctional."
"They want our vital fluids," muttered Ross.
"I'm flattered," said Stephen. They all stared at him. "What? I am."
They were discussing whether to continue with this charade or attempt to, Scooby-do-like, tear the faces off the Desmond family when a red-headed woman came in.
"Oh, dudes, this is Ms. Jernigan, the coolest teacher we have at McKinley High."
"Amanda Jernigan." Amanda shook all their hands, pleasant and forthright. But when Ross said "Hoffman Institute", her face tightened.
"Problem?" asked Jo.
"No, no, just a bit of a skeptic, that's all. Well, Jerry, I swung by to drop off your history book, you left it behind." Amanda handed over the text, then with another odd look at the party exited through the front door.
"I hope something happens while you're heere," said Peter Desmond. Stephen caught Susan blinking rapidly, tensing at her pot of boiling water.
Jerry's face suddenly fell. "Uh oh, here comes Coach." Everyone turned to see a heavyset, white-haired man in a football jacket outside the picture window. He was just about to knock at the door.
"Man, he looks pissed," said Nick. "I hope --"
Nick didn't get to finish the sentence.
Because that's when the furniture lifted off the floor.
All of it.
Andy turned as the now levitating pot of boiling water flew at his face --
-- and Johanna flew by in the other direction.
