As a Paranormal Investigator

For quite a few years, Mackenzie Fairbairn had been a fervent believer in ghosts, spirits, and all things paranormal. She'd had a particularly spooky run-in with a ghost (though she refused to ever tell anyone the full story beyond just a vague synopsis) when she was a late teen. Ever since then she'd immersed herself in the world of the supernatural, hoping to learn and discover as much as she could. It had even led her to forming her own paranormal investigation group, which she still headed today.

Their team currently consisted of four members (though more than a few had come and gone since its initial inception). Aaron, a large round man whose head was as round and smooth as a cue ball, was their expert in all things related to cameras. He was truly a whiz when it came to capturing and editing video, audio, and anything in between. Zack, a bespectacled lean man with jet black hair, was their self-appointed Brand Representative. While he did spend copious amounts of time on social media, he truly did at least pull his weight in keeping fans feel engaged and involved in the behind the scenes action. Jason, a skinny young blonde boy, was the newcomer of the group. But, he was quickly proving to be quite adept with most of the specialized detection equipment that the group regularly used. And finally, there was Mackenzie herself. The gorgeous redhead acted as the defacto frontman of the group, often finding herself in front of the camera the most, in addition to choosing most of their investigation locations.

Together, the OON/ENF hosted their own webseries, investigating various old and abandoned buildings, each purported to be haunted, cursed, or worse... And while it was a bit difficult to gain a large following amidst the sea of amateur ghost hunters online, having a pretty leading lady certainly went a long way to help. That and Zack's idea to set up a "Benefactr" account, letting some of their most dedicated fans support them directly. It wasn't nearly enough for any of them to quit their day jobs or anything, but it had allowed for the crew to buy more equipment and travel to more distant haunted locations over the past couple years. Not to mention rent out a small office space.

Mackenzie entered that very same office space, swelling slightly with pride as she read the sign on the door, as she did every time she came in.

"Ethereal 'Nvestigation Foundation

Paranormal Investigators

Official Member of the Occult Observation Network"

She had initially been irked that her initial name idea of "Ethereal Investigation Foundation" had already been trademarked by another group (and one gauchely labelling themselves as "Ghost Hunters" no less!) and they'd been stuck with going by the ENF instead. But Mackenzie had quickly changed her tune when her group had been accepted to the OON, a nationwide organization of the most esteemed paranormal researches and investigators, over the inferior EIF.

Mackenzie entered the cramped office area, where four desks all stood, practically on top of each other. Zack sat at his, eyes somehow glued to both his phone and computer at the same time. Aaron and Jason's chairs sat empty. The redhead stripped the green apron off with such that it practically ripped the garment in two. She unceremoniously chucked it on her desk, where it was soon followed by her matching visor.

"Another glorious day in the life of a barista?" Zack asked from his own desk chair, not glancing up from his dual screens.

"If you mean another day chock full of rude, impatient, and idiotic customers then yeah, you bet!" she griped. Mackenzie collapsed into her own desk chair. The old seat let out a ferocious creak as it handled her weight. Mackenzie took a deep breath and allowed herself to look over at the shelf beside her desk. Her mood was instantly lifted when she did so.

There sat dozens of knickknacks. Most were old, dirty, and broken looking. But they all held a special significance in Mackenzie's heart. The piece of glass from the Rolling Vista Asylum, a chunk of metal from the Public Knolls Prison, even a piece of foundation from the infamous Beverly Institution. Each and every one signified a successful investigation carried out by the team, with another exciting and informative online episode produced for their audience. And tonight, Mackenzie hoped to add one more piece to her collection.

The head investigator had been attempting for months to get permission to get permission to investigate this particular location, and she'd finally succeeded. Mackenzie was the most excited she'd been in a long time for this upcoming investigation. Little did she know, she was about to get far more of a paranormal experience than she bargained for...