Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada,

January 6th 1972,

The air was frigate and nipped at any exposed fur. Inside a lone two-story house, four dogs stood with photon pistols aimed at a green apparition. These four dogs-the Ghostbusters-thought this was going to be a routine ghost extermination. If only they knew.

The leader of the group, a brown half-wolf, half-husky named Balto Aniu yelled at his partners, ‘’okay guys, let him have it. Steele, Rail Wolf, Brent, fire!’’

The four launched their photon blasts at the ghost, who dodged them and ran toward the top floor. Steele growled.

‘’You bumbling idiot,’’ he yelled at Balto, ‘’you let him get away! I should be the leader, not you!’’

Balto gave Steele and answer in the form of a blow to the back of his head.

‘’Shut up,’’ he snarled, ‘’we’re a team! You’ve always wanted to become the team leader, but until I say so, you’re not going to be the head of the Ghostbusters! So stop complaining!’’

Brent and Rail Wolf stepped in between Balto and Steele to prevent a horrible situation.

‘’Balto, calm down,’’ Brent pleaded, ‘’we have to defeat this ghost before he calls his friends!’’

Balto shoved Brent out of the way and ran up the stairs. Steele ran after him, throwing Rail Wolf into Brent, knocking both to the floor. Balto kicked the door to the attic open and aimed his photon pistol at the ghost who floated in the corner of the room. He aimed and replied, ‘’say good-bye you ectoplasmic freak!’’

Steele came barrelling into the room and ran into Balto, who fired off the last of his photon gun’s battery life in one destructive shot. The beam created a hole in the floor. The floor then gave out under both Steele and Balto, and their combined weight sent it crashing into the basement below. The ghost laughed and floated away. Balto cleared wooden floorboards and other debris off him and punched Steele in the muzzle.

‘’You dunce! You let him get away!’’

Steele grabbed Balto around the neck and yelled, ‘’blow it out your ass. I quit! Go fight your own goddamned battles!’’

Steele then walked out of the house, throwing his photon pistol onto the ground. Brent and Rail Wolf watched him leave. They knew this wasn’t good.

Brent’s Paranormal Adventure

The eighth story in the Balto series by: silver_balto

Alcatraz Island,

San Francisco, California,

May 25th 1987, 11:28 PM,

A door squeaked as two teenage wolves walked into the main cellblock of Alcatraz prison. The two walked into the main block and turned on their flashlights, illuminating the cell bars and the stained walls. Suddenly, one of the wolves whirled around.

‘’Wazat?’’ he asked. His friend gave him a confused look.

‘’What’re you babbling about?’’ he remarked.

‘’Oi thought oi sore somethin,’’ the first wolf replied, ‘’oi knows oi did.’’

As if to prove that it existed, the sound was heard again.

‘’See,’’ the first wolf exclaimed, ‘’did yew ear that?’’

‘’Sure did,’’ the second wolf answered, ‘’whatever it is, it’s stalking us.’’

The noise was heard again, only it was closer to the wolves. The two clutched each other in fear.

‘’What d’yew this it tis?’’

‘’I dunno, but it’s coming this way!’’

A dark shadow leaped from the roof down onto the wolves below.

Their screams could be heard from the centre of San Francisco.

Nome, Alaska,

May, 26th 1987, 10:03 AM,

Brent sat in his living room listening to the news broadcast on his radio.

‘’…Mr. Muhammad was arrested by the US army today because of his connection with Saddam Hussein’s military movements and actions during Operation Desert Storm. He will be tried next week,’’ the anchor then replied, ‘’in other news, two wolves went missing while exploring Alcatraz prison yesterday. Investigators and the SFPD are baffled at their whereabouts, and the only piece of evidence left behind was a strange white slime. Anyone with information please call the SFPD.’’

Brent turned the radio off and sat back into his chair.

‘’Hmmm, white slime,’’ he thought out loud, ‘’sounds like ectoplasm. I’d better call my partners…’’

Brent then remembered what happened on January 6th 1972. The day the Ghostbusters became no more. The day Balto Aniu and Steele Doverson went their separate ways. Brent knew his friend Rail Wolf would help no problem. It was getting Balto and Steele to work together again. But he knew not even this job could get his friends back together. Balto had moved away to New York to start up a ghost extermination clinic of his own, and Jenna had gone with him. As for Steele, Brent lost track of him after the incident. He picked up the phone and dialled the number. The phone rang twice before a female voice answered, ‘’Poltergeist Police. Jenna Aniu speaking.’’

‘’Jenna Aniu, you moved back to Nome?’’ Brent asked. Jenna’s voice perked up.

‘’Brent? Is that you? My god, it’s been so long since I’ve seen you,’’ she exclaimed, ‘’how’ve been?’’

‘’Fine Jenna, how’re you doing these days? It’s been a fifteen long years since the incident.’’ Brent said. Jenna sighed.

‘’Yeah, Balto’s still sore about that. He still blames Steele for that,’’ she answered, ‘’I guess he won’t mind talking.’’

Jenna put the phone onto a hard surface and the soft sound of her footpaws fell into the distance. Within seconds, a heftier set of footpaws headed toward the phone.

‘’Hello, this is Balto Aniu.’’ Balto answered. Brent smiled and replied, ‘’Balto, I’m surprised you decided to move back to this bed of frozen dirt.’’

The line went silent and Balto exclaimed, ‘’oh my frigging God! Brent good buddy, it’s been way too long! How’re doing?’’

‘’Well, I’ve been married to Ginger for fifteen years now, and I’m still a ghost buster. How ‘bout you?’’ Brent asked. Balto sighed.

‘’I’m still in the ghost business too, only I miss being with the Ghostbusters a lot. Aleu and Kodi have gone off with their mates and Jenna and I are living happily. How’s Rail Wolf? I haven’t talked to him in a coon’s age (Note from the author: that’s my dad’s favourite saying).’’

Brent held his chin and shrugged.

‘’He’s gone off to run his KSKR railway. I haven’t seen him in years, but there is a rumour that the main line of his railway has been joined with the line that goes through Nome. I’m sure if we got the Ghostbusters back together, he’d join in a heartbeat. Rail Wolf’s a really loyal guy.’’ He admitted. Balto knew what Brent was getting at.

‘’If you’re suggesting that we get the Ghostbusters back together, it’ll take a real ghost problem to convince this dog that the world needs us again.’’ Balto remarked. Brent groaned.

‘’Haven’t you listened on the radio lately? There’s some major paranormal activity in Alcatraz prison. Is that enough for you?’’ Brent questioned. The line went silent again, and Balto answered, ‘’who am I to deny proof like that? I’m in.’’

Brent jumped into the air and exclaimed, ‘’oh yey baby! The Ghostbusters are back together!’’

Balto chuckled and replied, ‘’yes, but just as long as Steele isn’t back in as well. That jerk doesn’t deserve a second chance.’’

Brent reluctantly agreed and said good-bye to his friend. Hanging up the phone, Brent grabbed his trench coat. On the way out, he felt a small tug on the back of the coat. Turning, Brent saw a young German Shepherd-collie mix puppy-no more than two years old-tightly clutched to the brown fabric.

‘’Daddy, where you go?’’ he asked. Brent smiled and picked the puppy up, propping the little guy on his arm.

‘’I’m going to see an old friend,’’ Brent answered, ‘’you stay home Thomas and keep and eye on your mother and the babies for me, okay?’’

The little puppy jumped from Brent’s arm and gave his father a goofy salute.

‘’Okay,’’ he replied happily and ran off, ‘’I take good care of bwothers. I’ma gonna be a vewy ufful enguine.’’

Brent smiled and headed for the one place he’d be able to catch Rail Wolf. The train station.

Nome Station, a few minutes later,

Whoooooooow! Hartwell II steamed into the station, shooting off a loud shrill from its whistle. The behemoth slowed and stopped beside the platform. The engineer jumped from the cab and wiped the sweat from his brow. Suddenly, he noticed a figure in a brown trench coat walking up. The