Memories and a Mask

Jeremiah and Nova work on Doll County Paranormal's report for their Witch's Cove project. 

Nova: I think we can edit out the bit where Frodo and Peeta are talking about Peeta being a fairy.  We all know that's playful banter, but if this is going into a video for Pocahontas to sell in the park, that could cause problems.

Jeremiah: Not sure how you can do that without editing out the problem with the sensors falling over.  

Nova (listens to the audio): Wait, Peeta calls himself a fairy.  I think we can safely leave it.  

Lottie:  Daddy, I want to be in the video.  Maybe I can get famous.  

Jeremiah: I don't know about that.  Our medium being a little kid, that might open a whole can of worms.  Not to mention the way you'd get teased at school. 

Lottie: I already get teased at school.  And you can put one of them misclaimers Nova was just talking about. Tell watchers that I got all them eighty million tests and stuff. 

Nova: She has a point.  You really can't use a medium without showing her, not with any credibility. 

Jeremiah: Nova, you're not helping! 

Lottie:  Oh, how about a special features called meet the medium! That'd be a big misclaimer! 

*****

Later, they record some footage for the video with Diana and Pocahontas.

Jeremiah: You don't need to introduce yourself, we'll put your name and credentials across the bottom of the screen. 

Diana:  Okay, then, I'll dive right in.  Barbieville was founded as part of the early 1800s Utopian Movement.  The land that eventually became Witch's Cove Amusement Park was divided into farm plots by the founders. 

Diana:  Only the hills directly bordering the stream were known then as Witch's Cove. The roads leading into the property from the north still bear the names of Hadley, Carson, and Handler.  The Carson and Handler families intermarried and it was their joined land that became the original park.  I'll let park owner Pocahontas Smith take it from here. 

Pocahontas: The land had been farmed poorly and the crops were failing.  My grandparents, in danger of losing the property, agreed to host a traveling carnival.  Their daughter Kida, my mother, fell in love with the owner of the carnival and with the idea of owning a permanent park.  Despite being left to raise two daughters on her own, Kida succeeded. 

Pocahontas: The area in the northwest corner was recently added to the property and we're currently rebranding.  We changed the name to Witch's Cove, a traditional name for the area, and the spinning barrels are now cauldrons.  We bought more land and installed the Windigo, with plans for more rides to come.

Pocahontas: The stars on the 1812 map indicate areas of note to the medium, Lottie Russo, who has consented to help me point them out on a modern map.  Lottie? 

Lottie climbs onto a chair to reach.  

Lottie: The grove in front the Overlook.  People see children in old-fashioned clothes playing here, but when they look closer, the kids vanish.  I felt like this was a happy place. 

Pocahontas: The only other location in the park Lottie sensed spirits was here, near this curve on the Raging Rapids ride.  Lottie, is this also a happy place?

Lottie: No, it felt sad.  But no place in the park felt mean, and that's very good.  We're going to find out who your spirits were when they were people and maybe help them go wherever they're supposed to go.

****

Albus gives an account of his own experiences in the park.

Albus: I've been here since the start.  Came with the carnival and never left.  My official title is Head of Ride Maintenance, but I do a little bit of everything.  The girls couldn't run the place without me.  It'd all just fall apart.  (laughs) Anyway, about the ghosts.  I have seen children in the off-limits areas, but when I go to run them out, no kids are there.   I never noticed how they were dressed, though.

Albus:  I was out by the log ride earlier and found this mask.  Just in case it comes up in any of the pictures.