The Haunted National Park: A Tale from the Peter Wood Multiverse
Chapter Two: There's Adventure Ahead

“We were starting to think you had gotten yourself lost, Peter.” Said Oliver upon seeing him. He was waiting alongside the others at a crossroad that came up on the path they were taking through the woods.

“Wasn’t my fault.” Said Peter. “There were even more of the camp staff out when I got back there. Where’s Duke?”

“I’m right here. Did you replace my pack?” Duke was the shortest of the group for sure. He turned his spectacled face up to Peter expectantly, and as Peter handed him the pack he said, “Yes! Thanks, Peter, you’re a lifesaver!”

Duke opened up his safety pack to make sure everything was inside it. Sure enough, he found a pair of Nth metal chains, spray cans filled with all-purpose ghoul repellent, flashlights with a black-light function, and a bag of Polter’s Trail mix. There was a slogan on the bag of trail mix that read: “Nine out of ten experts say that eating a bag of trail mix is likely to prevent any ghostly possession.”

The staff of the campgrounds gave an Anti-Specter Safety Pack to each of the sleuth scouts upon their arrival at the Haunted National Park. The idea was that they could use them if they ever get separated from the group during a hike. Peter knew they definitely didn’t mean for them to just venture off into the woods now that they had the packs, but that was something they could worry about later. There was adventure calling to them now.

The twelve-year-olds were all a part of the Jones Troop. They had been brought to the park by their Scoutmaster, Peter’s Uncle Casper Jones, and his uncle’s Assistant Scoutmaster, Emma Bell as a field trip and an opportunity to earn some ghost-related badges. The troop mates that had joined Peter that night were: Lily Batson, Oliver Moore, Mindy Markle, and the Bansley triplets (Stella, Jimmy, and Duke), as the other sleuth scouts had decided to stay behind at the campgrounds. Although this was probably due in part to how cold it was outside and the fact that it was snowing too.

“Lily,” said Peter, as he bent down to look at the ghosts of friendly gnomes wandering off into the woods just a few yards away. “Come! Come look at this!”

Using his super-speed, Peter zoomed back toward Lily and Oliver. Frozen in time by comparison of speed, the two were still looking towards where he was once standing seconds ago. Peter readjusted himself to regular speed and sent both Lily and Oliver jumping backwards with his sudden appearance.

“Are you guys coming or what?” said Peter.

“Will you be patient?” Lily said, in-between breaths.

“Not…all…of us…have…super-speed.” Said Oliver.

The three of them had to all jump back then as a giant, lime-green cloud rose out of the earth beneath their feet and clouded their vision. It engulfed them until it had risen up in the air and above their heads. Peter could see what the cloud really was then; the cloud was really the ghost of a large man in a sweater-vest, with a fishing hat on his head. Peter marvelled at him as the starry-night sky twinkled green through the ghost’s see-through body.

“Well, well, well, a bunch of wee-little paranormal children. Hello, there little ones.” The ghost waved down at them. “Come to see the fun part of the park have you?”

The three gapped at him silently for a moment. It was Peter that finally answered, “Yes, we have, Sir! Do you, uh, have any tips on where we should go?”

The fisherman ghost cackled at them. “Well, if you take the road to the left, there’s an old abandoned house that’s home to a dead woman that is well-known to put on a good show if anyone tries to break into her home.” Then he pointed towards the road to the right. “There’s an old cabin that’s located in a clearing out in the woods out that way. Some of the Rangers for the park used to use that as their station a long, long time ago…if you want to have some real fun, you’ll want to go there first.” And with that, the ghost flew off over their heads, and into the woods. “Enjoy yourselves, little ones!”

Rangers were the police force of the paranormal world. They were the ones who worked alongside full-fledged sleuths on mystery cases and other crime-solving endeavours. There was no telling what old ranger gear, sleuth gadgets, and other cool things that might have been left behind from old cases of the past.

This was where the Bansleys parted ways with Peter and the other three.

“We’re going to see what exactly this ‘light show’ is all about.” said Stella. “You guys gonna check out the rangers’ station?”

“Yeah probably.” Said Peter.

“Alright, we’ll see you guys later then!” And with that, the triplets went off on their own.

“Well,” said Peter, turning to Mindy, Lily, and Oliver. “You heard the ghost. Let’s get going! We have a ranger’s station to replace!”