Who: Ethan and Haisley Where: Evening, Saturday, June 16th When: The Marina Status: Not Started
Haisley knew she was supposed to reach out to Mal and/or Jane when she finally got in touch with Ethan to hang out. But as she texted in the message to Ethan that Saturday night, she felt like maybe she ought to just spend time with him on her own first. They could talk and get to know each other a little better. Maybe he would like her enough to want to hang out again, and then she could ask him questions that wouldn’t seem so weird. Haisley knew that Mal and Jane could probably get all the information they needed if they were nearby, but Ethan had been nice to her at that girl’s party so maybe Haisley just… wanted a friend, as messed up as that was. Ethan’s uncle worked for AIR but did that mean he did too? Maybe. Maybe not. She could find out though. Tonight she wanted to do this on her own and see where it took her.
So she sent a message to Ethan hey, it’s haisley from the party. i f you remember :) are you doing anything tonight?
Ethan had originally planned to take Scarlett out Saturday night, but had woken up that morning with such a hangover that he’d been lazy all day and eventually pushed it out a day. Or two. It was summer, so it wasn’t like they had a busy schedule. Even Ethan’s part time job with AIR didn’t take up that much of his time. It meant he had nothing going on by the time evening rolled around and he’d thought he would just order a pizza and spend the evening camped out on the couch, but then he got a text from Haisley. He smiled as he texted her back. of course I remember you! no plans so far. what’s up? wanna hang out?
Haisley was undeniably nervous and her heart gave a leap when Ethan responded. He remembered her. That was good. Maybe she didn't need to be nervous. She hung out with friends all the time. If she just pictured Ethan as a non-AIR friend, everything would be fine. definitely want to hang :) some friends of mine said there's a bunch going on at the marina if you want to check it out? but i'm open for anything. That much was true, at least. It was probably easier to be around other people than to do something with privacy when they were just getting to know each other. Haisley didn't want things to get awkward because then she would get awkward.
Now Ethan was glad that he’d at least taken a shower. It meant he could clean up relatively quickly and still be presentable for a night out. He didn’t feel like he needed to dress up for Haisley, but he still wanted to look decent. He pulled on a hoodie over his t-shirt and started hunting around for his shoes while he typed back a reply. I’d be down with checking out the marina. Want to meet there? Do you need a ride? He vaguely recalled that she lived with her dads, but not if she had a car. They hadn’t talked that long, so it would be fun to hang out without the background of a house party going on around them.
She did need a ride but she wasn't sure it was a good idea to have Ethan pull up in front of the trailer when Diego was home. He might worry or want to come outside and meet Ethan and what if Ethan somehow figured out Diego was special, like Haisley? Her heart was beating hard now and Haisley gnawed on a fingernail before figuring out a response. could you pick me up? I can meet you right outside of Seaview? She could walk to the edge of the neighborhood, that way Ethan wouldn't have to come directly to her house. Hopefully Ethan wouldn't mind. She was used to walking places, but the marina was a bit farther than she wanted to walk right now, and he would have been waiting a while for her to get there.
It was a little weird that she didn’t want to be picked up at her house, but Ethan didn’t mind. Maybe she wasn’t supposed to be going out tonight. He could appreciate her not wanting him to have to deal with her dads. In fact, this made it easier. Sure. Meet you there in fifteen? Was that long enough for her to get ready and walk to the front of Seaview? If not, he could always just wait there. Grabbing his keys, Ethan checked himself in the mirror one last time, then walked out the door and headed for his car. It didn’t take long to get anywhere in this town, so he’d probably be early anyways, but he’d rather be early than late.
15 is perfect. Haisley was already dressed and it wouldn't take long to braid her hair up and out of her face. She was nervous all over again, because she had no idea how to talk to someone like Ethan, but she was going to try. She wanted desperately to be someone who could be useful, rather than just being seen as a kid. So Haisley hurried through getting her hair braided and pinned up out of her face. She didn't have any cutesy clothes, since that wasn't really her style, but she thought she looked okay in her jeans and t-shirt. Grabbing her phone, she quickly wrote a note on the post-it pad on the kitchen counter for Oliver and Diego, promising she would be home soon. Then she began the walk to the edge of Seaview, breathing in the evening air and finding herself more excited than nervous with every step.
When she got to the corner, she spotted a car waiting along the curb just outside of the neighborhood and she recognized Ethan in the driver's seat. Smiling, Haisley waved and headed around to the passenger seat door to let herself in. "Hi," she greeted, willing herself to settle down. "Thanks for picking me up."
“Hey,” Ethan smiled as Haisley climbed in. “Not a problem. This is way easier than both of us having to find parking places and then find each other in a crowd.” He didn’t have any idea how many people would be at this thing, but with both of them being relatively new to town, this seemed like the better option. Ethan couldn’t tell her to meet him at a specific landmark if she didn’t know where it was to begin with. “So, how’s it going? Do anything fun this week?” He imagined it was weird moving to a new town right after graduation, not knowing anyone. They were in similar boats in that way, though he had Jules and work to distract him. And college, but when the classes were online, they didn’t really feel worth mentioning.
Haisley figured it was because she had been pretty drunk at Jules's party, or whatever that feeling had been, but she had forgotten how cute he was. There were a lot of cute boys in this town and she vaguely remembered Diego's talk with her about sex. Not that Haisley planned on having sex with Ethan, or anyone right now, but it would be silly to deny that she thought about it a lot. His question was a loaded one, because she couldn't really tell him about meeting other AIR subjects and making a plan to destroy the whole operation. Or at least a part of the operation. "Define fun," Haisley said with a laugh. "But no, I mean... hung out with some friends, mostly. That party was really the most fun I've had in a long time, which is probably super sad, or whatever. It was kind of crazy."
“That party was wild,” Ethan grinned. “That kind of fun on a regular basis would be exhausting. I think I spent the whole next day just trying to recoup.” That was pretty normal for a big party, but Ethan didn’t enjoy being hungover enough to drink like that on a regular basis. “Hanging out with friends is good. A friend and I checked out the Main Street Market earlier this week and that was cool. If you’re looking for stuff to do. I think they have it every week.” He realized as soon as he said it that was downplaying his relationship with Scarlett and he wasn’t sure why. She was more than just a friend. But, at the same time, he wasn’t sure she was a girlfriend. A fuck buddy? Not a term he was comfortable using in polite conversation, though probably the most accurate.
Haisley had gotten sick on the way home from the party so she couldn't imagine wanting to do that every weekend. Although it looked like people had been having fun. She hadn't realized how crazy parties really were. "I'll check it out," Haisley said, because even if she didn't have a lot of cash, it was still fun to browse. "I've explored the town a bit. I really like going up to the lighthouse, especially when the sun is going down." She could see so much when she was at the top, even if it was a bit of a hike up the steps. "I've been to the theater a couple of times too, and the arcade." There were so many movies Haisley had never seen before and she had never stepped foot inside a movie theater before ending up in Point Pleasant. "I heard they do a lot of stuff at the marina during the summer though, especially on the weekends." And ugh, it felt like she was just rambling with no purpose, which made her shift a bit uncomfortably in the seat. Talking his ear off was bound to annoy him.
“I’ve never been up to the lighthouse,” Ethan said. “There’s still a lot of official scenic places that I still haven’t seen. But I have been to the theater and the arcade. What movies did you see?” He honestly didn’t mind the chatter. It made it easier to converse with her when she gave him so much to talk about. He wasn’t really into gaming, at least not the old style at the arcade, but movies were usually something he could talk about at length. When he was stuck at home, attempting to do homework and failing, he almost always put something on Netflix. “I kinda like that they have stuff all summer, even if it’s a little touristy. It’s something to do. I’m still kind of learning where everything is. Have you been down to the marina yet?”
"Um, I saw a movie called Ready Player One? But there was a lot of, uh, pop culture references that I didn't really get, I guess. And I went with some friends to see an Avengers movie, but I haven't seen any of the others so I was lost with what was happening." Haisley laughed sheepishly. "It was still fun to go, though. I've been to the marina a few times. There're some cute stores down that way and I like being near the water. I keep meaning to go up to the museum and stuff like that, but I just haven't gone yet. It's hard to get around without a car so I may try to find a bike at a garage sale or whatever." Which was a little embarrassing but she would rather have a way to get around then having to walk all the time. "There are a lot of places I haven't been to yet but I like living here."
“Where have you been that you haven’t seen any of the other Avengers movies?” Ethan laughed, lightly teasing her. “We’ll have to make you a list and you can start at the beginning. Some are better than others, but they’re a lot of fun. But I can definitely see how you’d be lost if you don’t know the backstory. I saw Ready Player One and I think it would’ve been better if I was a little older. Like, most of the pop-culture references are from things that happened before I was born, so some of them went over my head too.” He could see what they were getting at, but it just didn’t click with him the way it maybe could have. So it wasn’t just her. “Yeah, you need a way to get around. Point Pleasant is small, but walking everywhere will get annoying. If you ever need a ride, let me know. I’m just hanging out most of the time.”
Haisley wasn't entirely sure how to answer his question, so she was glad when he kept talking, since she figured she didn't really have to say anything. Maybe Diego would want to watch those movies with her. "Yeah, uh, the references were definitely before I was born too," she said with a laugh. "I like the Orion though. Someone told me they play Halloween movies in October and stuff like that, so that's pretty cool. But thanks for offering a ride. Di... my dad will take me sometimes but we only have one car and my other dad works a lot. I need to try and get my license, or at least buy a bike." Haisley looked over at him. "I find it hard to believe you don't have like... a ton of friends taking up all of your time. You seemed to be surrounded by a lot of people at that party."
Ethan thought sharing one car between three people would be a pain the ass. He hadn’t even liked it when he’d had to share one with his mom and had been relieved when she’d gotten him one when he turned seventeen. It had definitely made dating easier, and he could have never moved to Point Pleasant without a car of his own. He needed it to get to the AIR facility at the very least. “I didn’t grow up here,” Ethan said with a shrug. “Everyone I know in Point Pleasant, I know through Jules. Except you,” he smiled over at her. “I had a lot of friends back in Westbridge, but a lot of them have gone off to college. Not all, but I’ve found things are kind of different after you graduate, even for the ones that stick around.”
"Well, you kind of know me through Jules since we met at her party," Haisley pointed out with a smile. "But I get it. After graduation, it's like... throwing you into the real world, right? Friends go away, and you've got to go to college or get a job? That seems to be the basic choices I've heard of." She shifted a little in her seat, looking out the window as they neared the marina. "Jules seemed nice though. She has like, a lot of friends. So it must not be too bad for you, living here. Do you keep in touch with anyone from Westbridge."
“Not everyone at the party was necessarily her friend,” Ethan said. “But I’ve met a few that I could hang out with.” He knew that was the norm for the popular kids, to be surrounded by people, yet only let a handful actually get close. Jules had her girlfriends, but he sometimes thought he hung out with her more than any of them. She’d definitely become his closest friend, especially now that his own high school friends had moved on. “There’s a few guys I keep up with, mostly through text. We try to get together once or twice a month, but it’s harder now that everyone’s working. Think you’ll get a job?”
Haisley was a little surprised to hear that not everyone in Jules's house has been her friend because why would people go to her party if they weren't friends? Haisley couldn't imagine throwing a party where non-friends or strangers showed up. It was kind of creepy to think about. Then again, she would never be in the position to throw a party herself. Their house was way too small for that. The mention of a job drew Haisley's attention back to Ethan and she smiled, sensing a small opening to get him talking about AIR. "Yeah, I think I want to get one really soon. It'd be nice to have some money that I wasn't borrowing from my dad, you know? I don't know where yet, but I'm looking around. Where do you work?" She thought maybe she'd asked him at the party but she honestly couldn't remember if she had or how he had answered and now they were both sober, so this was much better. Haisley began to feed off of him a little with the question, focusing in on his pride and hoping that might make him feel like boasting about AIR a bit.
The party was a bit of a blur to Ethan and he honestly couldn’t remember if he’d told her where he worked or not. Even if he had, she’d been a little tipsy and probably didn’t remember. It wasn’t something he got to talk about often, and in the past that was because there wasn’t much to tell, but the past few months had been eye opening, allowing him to do actual research instead of just pushing papers. He grinned as he thought about it, the desire to hold back vanishing with the swell of pride. “I work at the American Institute of Research. We call it AIR, for short. My uncle works there, and it’s where my dad worked, before I was born. We study the social sciences—psychology, human behavior, and parapsychology.” That last one he almost always left off, since it had been rejected by mainstream scientists, but he was feeling rather cocky at the moment and wanted to impress her.
Hearing the words coming out of his mouth was both thrilling and startling. Haisley almost hadn't expected him to say much, but a chill went down her spine as soon as he said AIR. Suddenly she remembered their conversation at Jules's party, even if it still seemed a bit hazy to her. His dad had worked there. Died there too, with Jules's dad. Wasn't that what he'd told her? Haisley thought it was better to pretend that she couldn't remember and instead focused on what he was telling her now. "Parapsychology?" Haisley asked, watching him with interest. "What's that?"
“It’s, um, the study of anything that can’t be explained by the laws of science,” Ethan said with a little laugh. “Like psychic abilities: telepathy, clairvoyance, but it’s not limited to just those. And, I know, it sounds crazy, but… I think we’re capable of so much more than people realize.” He was quiet for a moment as he drove them, suddenly wishing they were having this conversation where he could see her reaction, rather than watch the road. This wasn’t something he normally delved into, aware of exactly how outlandish it sounded. His friends back home would have laughed at him, told him he was wasting his time.
Haisley’s heart was all but tripping in her chest and she couldn't suppress the smile on her lips. "I don't think that sounds crazy at all," she said. "I mean... have you ever met anyone who could do those things? Do you guys think people are like, born with it?" She knew that was what the facility thought. That was why they had all but tortured her to get her psychic ability to manifest. Did Ethan torture people too? Maybe it was just his uncle. Or maybe this facility was different now. She didn't know but she wanted to find out.
“Umm… No, nothing like that,” Ethan smiled, not wanting to lie to her entirely. He’d never met a psychic or anyone else with a cool ability like his except Jules. He wasn’t even sure what category they fell into. “I guess I think people are born with it. Maybe they just don’t know it’s there. Like, why would you even try to set something on fire with your mind? Though I guess you’d know if it happened by accident, so maybe that’s a bad example. I think it’s kinda rare though, so it’s hard to find people who can do it. And those that can want to hide it, which is fair.” He was glad that it was his uncle who was researching what he could do and not some unknown entity that might want to use him beyond what he was willing to do. If the government had any idea what they were capable of, they’d probably be locked up.
Haisley wasn't sure if he was lying to her or not. She knew what AIR did but that didn't mean Ethan knew it too. Though how could he not, if his own uncle ran the whole thing? She clasped her hands in her lap, making a mental note not to feed off of Ethan too much. "I think it would be cool to meet someone who could do something... out of the ordinary. It's awesome that your uncle researches this kind of stuff. And you too, since you work there. You guys are probably doing some really cool things. I wonder if there's a way to like... find out if you're psychic. If you're born with it, anyway, and don't know it. It would suck if something like that was just... unknown to you for your entire life."
Ethan had never wanted to tell someone about his abilities so much in his life. Maybe it was because Haisley was the first person he’d talked to about it since he found out his abilities were real, other than Jules. Or because she sincerely sounded like she might believe him. Either way, he wanted to brag. Her setup was just so perfect that Ethan found himself gripping the steering wheel tightly, twisting it in his hands as he bit he struggled to find the right words. “I don’t—I don’t know if there’s a way to know. I mean… I don’t wanna sound crazy. You probably think I’m nuts,” he laughed lightly. “I always thought it would be really cool to be able to do something. If there’d been a way to trigger it, I’d have been all in. Like, test me, please! But… I don’t think it works that way.”
"I don't think you're nuts," Haisley said quickly and with a smile. "Not at all. I definitely think that kind of stuff exists and it would be really cool to find out you were special. Obviously, people would have to be careful, because there are probably people out there who would hurt people like that and call it research. Not that your job is like that at all," she rushed to add. "Maybe I've seen too many movies." She hadn't seen hardly any movies but she knew enough now to know what fantasy was. "I don't even know how anyone would test for something like that. What would you want to do, if you had some kind of special ability?"
“That’s exactly it,” Ethan said as he pulled into the parking lot. “If the wrong people found out you could do something like that, you’d just end up a tool, or a weapon. We’re looking for ways to cure cancer, or alzheimers, or things like that. Of course, there’s probably not a link between someone who can create fire and a brain disease, but you never know.” There was so much they didn’t know about the human brain that it was hard to say exactly what might be a life altering skill. Ethan hadn’t thought his own was all that useful until he experienced it for himself. “If I could pick anything? I think teleportation would be really cool. It’s not going to cure cancer, but if you could study it and learn how it works, maybe it’s something we could figure out how to master with technology. Or maybe I just want to pop around the world and have breakfast in Japan.”
Haisley nodded, though she didn't really like to hear anything about brain disease. Just the word disease freaked her out. Did she have one, being able to do what she could do? Did Diego? If they were ill, would anyone at the facility have told them? Haisley never felt sick except when she didn't feed for a few days so hopefully there was nothing to worry about. "Teleportation would be cool," Haisley agreed. "Just being able to go anywhere you wanted and not having to like, spend money to do it, or hitchhike or anything. Maybe you can and it's just stuck in your brain," she teased.
If Ethan had known her concerns, he would have explained that the hope was that people with psychic abilities would help cure brain disease, not that they had it, but he had no idea that her thoughts had turned that direction. Ethan didn’t know anyone that AIR was currently working with other than himself and Jules, and those weren’t the kind of abilities they had. If there were other psychics, he didn’t have access to them. Despite all his talk, he was just an intern. “Naw, that’s outside my ability,” he smiled. “I’d know by now if I could do that. What about you? What would you want to be able to do?”
Haisley thought about the people she had met already and everything they were capable of. Boosting "sinful" behavior wasn't really that cool, if you asked her. So she thought about Ethan's question with a low hum in her throat before smiling. "Telepathy would be pretty cool, as long as I could turn it off when I wanted. I wouldn't want people's thoughts in my head all day long, you know? But it would still be cool to know what people were thinking. There's a lot of stuff that probably goes unsaid that should be said."
“That’s true. I just don’t know if I’d want to hear it,” Ethan laughed softly as he turned off the car. “Or, I guess on the inverse, it’s not a power I’d want someone else to have, so I don’t know if I’d actually like it.” He thought of Jules and how often he’d thought about kissing her and how awful it would be if she knew it. Or how anyone would that ability could know what he could do. Maybe it wouldn’t be a big deal, since most people couldn’t do anything with that kind of information, but he knew better than to tell everyone about it. “It would definitely be a pain if you could hear things all the time. I think that’d drive me crazy.”
"Yeah, which is why it'd be cool to have an on off switch," Haisley said with a laugh. "Because then you could definitely shut it down if you didn't want to hear what people were thinking. But I guess super powers have to have limits, right? Or like, downsides, whatever." Pushing open the car door, Haisley climbed out, feeling more at ease now than she had been before Ethan picked her up. It helped that he seemed like someone who wasn't super cocky or jerkish. He wouldn't be calling her "sugar tits" like that other guy had. "So does your uncle actually test people to see if they're psychics? Have you ever asked to be tested?" It was a casual enough question and Haisley felt like her curiosity was pretty normal and understandable.
“He did some testing on me when I was younger. A lot of it was mind game type stuff where he’d monitor my brain waves—nothing super exciting. Or maybe I feel that way because the results were disappointing.” Ethan knew the tests had been tailored to his ability, so they’d probably be different if they were testing for all abilities, but he didn’t know what that would look like. If his uncle had actual psychics visiting the AIR facility, then he’d never shared as much with Ethan. There were probably laws against sharing that kind of information, he thought. Like it might be on a need to know basis and he didn’t need to know.
Haisley wondered if Ethan's uncle went easy on Ethan as a kid because they were related, or if his uncle wasn't as evil as some of the other people who ran the facilities. Haisley recalled being locked in an empty room for days at a time until she felt like she was starving to death without any human interaction, without anyone to feed off of. Food and water had kept her alive but being deprived of what they all knew she really needed had felt like torture. It was also possible that Ethan was lying to her... or maybe he just didn't know what AIR had done to other kids. This was why she wished she was a telepath... and why she probably should have texted Mal to meet her down on the pier so he could get into Ethan's head himself. But that could always come later. "I mean, it can't be too bad, being totally normal, right?" Haisley offered him a smile. "Anyone with those abilities probably has it pretty rough sometimes, having to hide it."
“Depends on what it is,” Ethan said thoughtfully. “I think the hardest part would be wanting to tell someone, but not being sure if you could trust them to keep it a secret. ‘Cause once they know, you can’t take it back.” It hadn’t been all that hard before meeting Jules because there wasn’t all that much to tell—he’d been supposed to have powers, but he couldn’t do anything with them. He couldn’t even prove them back then. Now there was at least something to tell, even if he still couldn’t do anything on his own. That was okay though, because it sounded like forcing it had been a miserable experience for Jules and not something he wanted to experience for himself, even if it was possible. “There’s nothing wrong with being normal though,” he smiled. “It probably makes life easier in the long run anyways.”
"I'm really good at keeping secrets," Haisley said, sounding teasingly boastful about it. "It's like... what do they call it... a steel trap or something?" She tapped her finger against her temple. "But I'd definitely want to make sure I trusted someone before I told them anything like that. Tell the wrong person and you could have a bunch of doctors on your doorstep, kidnapping you and doing like, awful experiments and stuff." Haisley had no idea what it was like to be normal, but Ethan was right that it was probably much easier than her life now. She often felt a bit stupid around her new friends because there was so much she didn't know.
“Yeah, that’s what I worry about,” Ethan nodded. “There’s a fine line between wanting to know more about your powers and becoming someone else’s science experiment.” He was lucky that he had his uncle to help guild him and Jules, otherwise they’d be completely in the dark. Ethan couldn’t imagine how he’d have found Jules without his uncle’s help, and what they could do wasn’t something you brought up on your annual checkup to see your doctor. He’d probably have kept the ability to himself, sharing only with those he’d built up a good amount of trust. Even now it was hard, having only Jules to really talk about it with. He knew she had a few other friends that knew what she could do, a by product of everything that had happened with the fog. Considering all the trauma that had caused her, it was hard to see the benefit, even though that was how he’d found her.
He seemed so sincere that Haisley's instinctual response was that he couldn't possibly know what AIR had done to her and the others. But on some level she knew that he could just be a really good liar. Maybe Ethan's uncle wasn't like the others. Maybe he was trying to do the right thing instead of kidnapping people and experimenting on them. "I mean, I guess scientists are going to do whatever it is they think they have to do. This town is super strange, so I wouldn't be surprised at all if there were people here who could do stuff. Is that totally crazy?" she asked Ethan, grinning a little as they walked side by side.
“Nah, I don’t think so,” Ethan smiled. “I want to believe there’s more out there. I hear weird things about this place all the time. Jules has told me about all sorts of crazy shit, though I’ve yet to see it myself. It feels just like Westbridge most of the time, except with this history of having witch trials, like Salem.” He didn’t know if there had actually been witches in Salem, but rumor had it that the witches in Point Pleasant had been the real thing. He didn’t like to blindly believe things that sounded like fairy tales, but he was willing to believe there was some truth to the stories. He just didn’t know how much. If there were witches among them, they blended in as well as he did.
There was definitely weird stuff in this town, including herself. What would Ethan say if she told him she was the reason everyone at Jules's party went bonkers? "What's Salem?" Haisley asked before she could think better of it. She knew there were witches in Point Pleasant. They were as real to her as anyting else. But she had no idea what a witch trial was and Haisley belatedly wondered if that was something everyone knew. Witch trials sounded ominous though and it was probably something she should look up on her phone when she got home later.
“Salem, Massachusetts?” Ethan said, raising a brow, but then decided to explain, since she didn’t seem to know. “It’s famous for the witch trials that happened there in the sixteen hundreds. The people worked themselves into a frenzy, accusing each other of witchcraft, and something like twenty people were found guilty and executed. I think it’s considered the most deadly witch hunt in the country. There’s been books about it, movies, plays. We read The Crucible in school and I think what really stuck with me is the way people get dragged into situations of mass hysteria. They’re scared of what they don’t understand, even when it’s not necessarily a threat.” He stopped, sighing as he laughed softly, the realization that he’d been rambling on suddenly hitting him. “So… how is it you’ve never heard of the Salem Witch Trials?”
He was rambling but Haisley didn't mind. It was like she was getting a history lesson, even if it all sounded a bit terrifying. Could people just be accused of something and executed that easily? She had no idea what The Crucible was but maybe it was something she ought to find and try to read. Ethan was right though. People were scared of things they didn't understand, Haisley included. "Oh, uh... I was homeschooled," she lied, giving Ethan a slightly embarrassed smile. "There's a lot of things I probably don't know. So did the same thing happen here? I know some people were killed for beings witches like, a long time ago. Someone told me there's a tree here too, where one of them was hung for being a witch."
Being homeschooled explained a lot from Ethan’s perspective. He knew there were parents that didn’t want their kids to learn certain things in the curriculum, sometimes for religious reasons, or maybe she just moved a lot and it was easier to maintain lesson plans if she was changing schools midyear. It felt like an oversight to him, in her education, but that wasn’t her fault. He made a mental note that she might be more sheltered than he’d previously thought, but kept on, happily answering any questions she might have. “Yeah, same kinda thing. They do tours in the fall, around Halloween, and I went on one with some friends a few years ago. Story is that there were six witches that got executed. Five of them were hung and one burned at the stake. Rumor has it that if you go up to Lyttle Hill at night, you can hear the bodies swinging from the trees.”
Haisley grimaced. "That sounds really morbid. I guess it's just another example of people being afraid of what they don't understand. But, I mean, if they were real witches, they should've been able to stop people from killing them, right?" Maybe she was missing something. But if someone could do magic, how could they be killed by some crazy crowd of wackadoos? There had to be more to it, in Haisley's mind, but it happened so long ago so she doubted anyone really knew the answers. Maybe one day people would be asking how people like Haisley and Diego could be held captive for so long when they had "special powers".
“I dunno. Maybe? Depends on if you believe they were witches or not,” Ethan shrugged. “It’s generally accepted today that the Salem witches weren’t witches. I’m sure most people think the same of the Point Pleasant ones. But if they were, would using their powers have saved them or just painted a bigger target on them? I don’t actually know any witches, but I’ve heard there’s some still living here. I’m sure they hide for the same reason someone with psychic powers would.” Or maybe they weren’t actually capable of hurting someone the way people thought they could. If all their powers required a coven, or something brewed in a cauldron, then maybe they were defenseless against an angry mob.
Haisley averted her gaze when he mentioned psychics, afraid he might see the truth of what she was in her eyes. Was she psychic? She didn't feel like she was. Not like Mal was, anyway. But the word psychic probably had a much broader meaning than what she was used to. "Yeah, that whole getting caught and experimented on by scientists is a scary prospect, even if the scientists think they're doing like... good work, you know? Or maybe there would people who think the way they did back then and try to execute them today too. We should go up to that tree sometime," Haisley said suddenly. "I'd like to see it. Is that creepy?"
“Yeah, but I’d do it,” Ethan grinned. “I’m sure all the locals would just roll their eyes, but it’s kind of fascinating. And if there are ghosts, I kind of want to see ‘em.” For all the creepy stuff he’d heard about since coming to Point Pleasant, he’d never experienced any of it himself. He was sure it was there, but had started to believe it wasn’t quite as extreme as people made it out to be. Except for the portal thing that Jules had experienced. He knew that was real because he’d seen her do it. He’d helped her do it. Occasionally he was curious about the one out on Witcham Road, but he knew better than to ask her to open that one with him. This was an opportunity to do something possibly creepy, but probably harmless, which just made it fun.
"People roll their eyes for a lot of things, so who cares? We should totally do it though. It would be fun." She had no idea if she wanted to see ghosts, but she was sure they existed with all the other creepy things in this town. "You can give me more history lessons on witches," she added with a grin. "Since obviously I've been missing out. Or any creepy history of this place. I've heard things here and there, but it always sounded really out there and kind of like people just making up stuff." Maybe she was gullible in that she believed a lot of it, but she didn't want Ethan to think she was crazy or anything, even though he seemed pretty open minded too.
“I am by no means an expert on this place. I’ve only been here a few months longer than you,” Ethan reminded her. “But people talk. A lot. It makes me feel like the minority with my lack of crazy stories. So we should totally hit up the tree together. And, like, the tunnel. I’ve heard crazy shit about that place, if you believe a place can be evil.” Ethan believed in a lot of things, but some of the things he’d heard sounded downright outlandish. The most bizarre was the way people acted about fog. The people of Point Pleasant acted like they were on some scary movie set, where fog was ominous and you should not go out in it, no matter what.
Haisley laughed. "So I guess we can try to find some crazy stories of our own?" She had a few crazy stories herself, but none she could really tell Ethan about. Not yet, anyway. If she didn't screw this up then they could hang out again and maybe she would tell him how awful AIR really was. Maybe he would even believe her. "I live near the tunnel! Obviously. It's bizarre because I can hear the train pass by at night sometimes, but I've never been out there myself, since it's kind of a walk. I definitely think places can be evil though. And I've heard stories about this place, but I don't know... I kind of like it here. Like, there's good stuff too, right? Otherwise I really have no idea why people still live here."
“See, that’s what’s weird, is I’ve heard the train too, but I got the impression the tracks weren’t in use, so what are we hearing?” Ethan asked. Maybe there were other tracks in Point Pleasant that were still in use and it was just the tunnel itself that had been abandoned. He wasn’t sure, but he thought it was worth checking out. “I think there’s lots of good stuff, like this,” he said, gesturing to the marina setup. “There’s always something going on. It gets a lot of seasonal tourism. And even though I hear all these crazy stories, I kind of like it too.” If he took away the weirdness, it wasn’t all that different from Westbridge, but it was nice to be someplace different, even if it was just thirty minutes down the road from where he grew up.
Haisley's brows furrowed together. "Wait, what? That can't be right. I mean... a train can't move without tracks. That's so bizarre." And it definitely made her want to go out into the woods and check it out. Not by herself, but if Ethan came with her, she'd probably be a bit braver about it. "Maybe it's a ghost train." She forced a quick, teasing smile, just to show she wasn't scared, even if she was a tiny, teeny bit. "I like this stuff though, and the marina. I never saw the ocean before I moved here. I didn't even care that the water was freezing. It kind of feels... I don't know, like... removed from the rest of the world? This town, I mean. But not in a totally bad way. I kind of feel safe here, which I know probably totally goes against everything we've just been talking about."
“Yeah, it does,” Ethan laughed lightly. “But, you know, you feel what you feel. If this place is dangerous, I don’t feel it. It’s like it’s own little bubble. Almost like the rest of the world doesn’t touch it.” Everything that went on outside of Point Pleasant seemed to fade into the background while he was there: world news, politics, even some of the bigger sporting events. Ethan used to be good at keeping up with the national leagues, but lately that required turning on the television and he often had better things to do. Social media technically kept him connected, but the majority of it fell by the wayside. “You ever live in a big city? I always thought that’d be cool, but I also think I’d get lost in the shuffle. I’m kind of liking how everyone knows each other around here.”
Ethan made a lot of sense to Haisley. She got the whole bubble thing, although there was still stuff to fear here. AIR, mostly. And AIR was everywhere. But if they could destroy it, then maybe Point Pleasant would feel removed from the world, in the best way. “I never lived in a big city,” she admitted. “I’m glad I haven’t though. I’d probably have a harder time meeting people. It’s been kind of hard here and like you said, everyone knows everyone, more or less. Maybe eventually I’ll visit bigger cities, but who knows. That’ll have to be when I’m older and have a lot more money.” She smiled at Ethan. “What’s your favorite part about this place?”
“Hmm. I dunno,” Ethan said. His first thought was to say Sweetbriar Bridge, but he felt like he’d have to explain his answer and he couldn’t do so, not without telling Haisley what he and Jules could do. It wasn’t the best answer anyways, since what he liked about it was the place it took them, a place that wasn’t Point Pleasant at all. “Maybe the people. I feel like it’s easier to be myself here. Maybe because it’s not home. I like being out on the water, even if we’re not getting in it. I didn’t have that back home either.” It was amazing how Westbridge could be so similar to Point Pleasant, but also so different. He wouldn’t have thought so without moving there. “What about you?”
"I like how small it is," Haisley said. "I can practically walk everywhere. I like the water too, though I already said that. I'm still getting to know people, but I like the ones I've met so far... mostly. Some people at the party were jerks, but it's fine." She looked up at Ethan with a small smile. "Thanks for hanging out with me tonight though. I'm sure there were more exciting things to do. Next time we'll go ghost hunting and see what happens."
“I’m glad you texted,” Ethan told her. “I was literally sitting at home doing nothing, so it’s always worth it to ask. We can plan something spooky for next time. Tonight it’s just fun to hang out, and maybe try some of that caramel corn I smell somewhere. Are you hungry? ‘Cause I’m ready to hunt it down.” Caramel corn wasn’t exactly dinner, but maybe they’d grab something more substantial later. It was fun to just browse and talk and get to know Haisley better, especially in an atmosphere where he could actually hear her.
Haisley was hungry, though feeding off of Ethan's pride earlier had sustained her for a bit. And now there were a lot more people around and she felt like she could pull what she needed from them. But caramel corn was something she had never tried before so Haisley was more than happy to give it a go. She already felt like she had made some progress with Ethan and that made her pretty proud. Hopefully Jane would be too. "I'm hungry," she told him with a grin. "Let's go find some caramel corn."