"OK so, to recap what has happened so far; Sebastian Pott gets this mysterious invitation to come to the Houston Zoo in Houston, Texas to check out a possible haunting. Pott finds out the place is known to haunting by its first Zoo Director, a former Circus Animal Trainer named Hans Nagel. The staff of the zoo know about this guy and that his spirit seems to be present in the Commissary Building, Recently, [relative to the events of Pott's notes and journal entries regarding the event we're discussing] another possibly supernatural entity seemed to be active around the newly upgraded Primate House.
Investigated by Pott with the help of Zookeeper and amateur Photographer Jane Ballard, the duo were surprised by a ghost with a very physical form. How physical? Enough to hurl our man Pott a good forty feet! Thinking fast, Miss Ballard snapped a quick photo, flashing that bulb right in the spooky bastard's face. Excuse my language. Now here's what happened next..."
David Nelson, Ghostbusters Home Office, New York City, NY, October 2026
"I have at this point seen many strange things in my investigations of the paranormal; unexplained lights, shadows without people to cast them, phantoms appearing and disappearing at will, and yet I found myself completely flumoxed by the sight before me as I had never been before.
This was no vaporous apparition, no glowing orb, or insubstantial shade.This was as solid as myself or Jane, well seven feet tall, massive and muscular, and clearly displayed the complexion and coloration of the deceased. He also bore a truly enviable handlebar mustache. It was both dashing and distinctive.
He wore what appeared to be a full body leotard, one with a spotted leopard pattern, and a similar looking fur vest. The ensemble immediately reminded me of a Circus Performer, perhaps a Sideshow Strongman, albeit one from the 1930s or early 40s. Circa Hans Nagel's time in the world of sawdust and grease paint perhaps?
I hadn't noticed it first, hurt and petrified with fear as I was, that Jane had moved to cover behind a nearby bush. As the entity started to regain it's sense of sight (note that it appears to see through it's eyes like the living instead of through some psychic sense), it swiveled its head about as if searching for something. It seemed to find it, as it suddenly when stopping off towards who-knows-where. I'll tell you 'who', Jane Ballard.
"I'll bet he's heading for the Commissary! That's where Nagel's ghost appears!", she shouted.
I forced myself onto my feet, wincing in pain but keeping my wits about me as best as I could. As briskly as I was able, I walked over to Jane and then both of us took off after our Strongman Ghost. Whispering as if our quarry could hear us I asked my companion, "Why do you think it'll be going to the Commissary? Is there some connection between our Strongman and the former Zoo Director I'm unaware of?"
"I just might be whistling dixie but ol' Hans Nagel worked in the circus as a Lion Tamer and animal trainer before becoming the first Zookeeper here. Is it so hard to imagine he might've known a Strongman?," Jane said, clearly excited, scared, and trying to speak quietly at the same time. Her hypothesis made sense, though it brought me no closer to knowing what to do once we reached the entity.
We reached our goal just in time, as I was very close to passing out from a pain in my chest that was making me run short of breath. What I thought was a bruised rib would turn out to be slightly more serious, though clearly not fatal. Thanks to Jane and her zookeeper keys, the two of us were able to enter the facility and look around, almost immediately noticing that something seemed amiss. It was dark, there was no one else there, and yet we could hear footsteps and objects, perhaps feed bags, sliding across the floor. Jane gave my hand a squeeze, which quite honestly caught me by surprise. She then moved to turn on the lights.
Once the front entry of the Commissary was illuminated, the two of us were shocked to see the Strongman 'Ghost' with his large hands wrapped around another ghost's neck. As the two struggled with each other, Jane stared in disbelief as I scruntized the two 'men's expressions.
The Strongman wasn't just gritting his teeth and grunting, though he was definitely doing that throughout the conflict. No, there was definitely more going on. He was 'speaking', moving his lips and mouth though no sound could be heard. For his part, the ghost of Hans Nagel was stone-faced and tight lipped. And that, I surmised, was the problem.
I tried taking a deep breath, though I found it more than a little difficult. With what air I could intake I shouted, "Tell'em he's right Nagel! Apologize! Say your sorry!". The Zookeeper's Ghost laughed, though it was just like the Strongman's words; obvious but unheard. I was quickly informed by Miss Ballard that my approach was not going to work. In life Nagel was a daredevil, a maverick, and a man who faced lions and alligators. He was not going to back down. In fact, that is essentially how or at least why he tied; he refused to lose an arguement.
Understandable. I went with 'Plan B'. "He's trying to kill you! Let him!".
Nagel's spirit stared at me like I'd bitten the head off of a chicken. Then he slowly seemed to catch on to my thinking. He smiled at me thinly and winked. A moment later, the spectral zookeeper went through the motions of flailing, choking, and eventually went limp. As Jane and I held our breath, frozen in place and unable to away, the Strongman looked down at Nagel's 'fallen' figure and began to calm. As his 'breathing' eased, he began to fade away, and moments later he disappeared completely. A few seconds after that, Nagel vanished as well.
Jane and I stood up and slowly approached the spot where the ghosts had manifested a few mere minutes ago. At that moment, I felt a hand touch my shoulder. I nearly leaped out of my skin, looked behind me and saw the Zookeeper's Ghost resting his hand on me and smiling. He nodded to Jane, then did the same to me, and then he once more faded from sight. Shortly thereafter, Miss Ballard contacted a local hospital and drove me there so the doctors there could see to my injuries. They were indeed more serious than I'd estimated but nothing so terrible as to be crippling. I stayed overnight at the medical facility and then Jane drove me to a hotel, periodically checking on me. It seemed to me that she must have had some Nurse training of her own.
I wrote a detailed report of what had happened to the Zoo Administrator, Garrett Moore. I gave him my contact information, including where I would likely be heading next, and let him know I would speak with him by telephone in two days to answer any questions he might have. I believe what we encountered was a rarely seen type of ghost referred to as Revenant. Unlike a traditional apparition, Revenants are solid. They are more like 'The Risen Dead' then some ethereal spirit. However, they aren't some kind of Vampire, Mummy, or Zombie but most assuredly ghosts. Something, some intense emotion and/or an element related to their death experience, makes them very corporeal indeed.
I was quite impressed with my 'assistant' on this investigation, Miss Jane Ballard, without whom I might not have made it through the events that transpired fully intact. We have decided to remain in touch."
-Sebastian Pott, June 1950.
"My very first encounter with the supernatural was when I was serving with the US Marines, operating in the Middle East in the late 1980s. After my unit defeated a terrorist cell and started heading back to our command post, a lone insurgent attempted to hand out a little payback. Two other Marines and myself trapped our attacker in an abandoned buildling. Spotting him or at least his shadow, I called in my position and started to pursue. I quickly came across the fellow, who I was absolutely certain had been killed over five hours earlier during our initial confrontation with the terrorists. I was sure of it. I remembered his face. He was young, younger than me at least, and had very distinct eyes. They looked different now, hollow, but were clearly the same eyes.
As he attempted to reload his weapon, it seemed it had jammed or something, I walked closer, my weapon pointed right at him until I got within 15-20 feet at most. I quietly but clearly said to him, "You're dead, man. It's over." He froze, looked at me - hell, through me if you know what I mean - and whispered a curse word in his native tongue. His face fell and his shoulders slumped and then he just disappeared. He just faded away until he was gone.
Even after all this time with the Ghostbusters, that first time really haunts my dreams. For lack of a better word.
All this to say, be extra careful if you establish that the entity you're facing is a Revenant. They are ghosts but that are 100% solid. If they punch you, it hurts. If they have a firearm, they can shoot you. A Revenant knife with cut you and yes, you're gonna bleed. This isn't getting slimed, my friends.
Often, they are trying to accomplish something that they failed to do in life. If you can figure out what it is and help the Revenant complete their goal, it is very likely they'll 'move on'. Many, though not all, are susceptible to some material or energy which hurts them and through which they can not pass without suffering 'injury'. They are usually Class IVs and are best identified as Spectral Masses or Corporeal Undead, even though they kind of bend those definitions."
David Nelson, Ghostbusters Headquarters, New York.
Ghostbusters Inc., International.
AD
Barking Alien
