A Question Of Sanity
He knew it was far too good to be true. And, with each new detail, he felt more and more of his excitement fall away and worry take its place.
Were they serious?! The local government must have been desperate … maybe crazy. The real question was … was he as crazy as they were?
No Jobs
Morris groaned as he opened another overdue bill. Companies could keep asking all they wanted, but unless someone could give him a job, there was no way he could catch up.
And what made it worse? The pool of applications was drying up. No one wanted to hire a middle-aged bank manager.
Weird Message
Just as he was getting ready to go out for another round of interviews, his phone beeped with a strange message.
Was it spam? No, it had come from a friend. But as he read the details, he then wondered if it was some kind of strange joke or gag article.
Free Town
A local government in Montana was offering a town for “free.”
Morris squinted at the suspicious ad. No one offered anything like that for free, ever. Even after he asked his friend for more details, the new information was all the more astounding. There was no way this could be real.
Tempting Freedom
Not only was this tiny town offering free room and board, but in exchange for local work, they would also get a stipend.
For anyone like Morris, it was tempting to escape the city and the crippling financial sinkhole. Was he this desperate now? Yep. He filled out the form and waited for a response.
The First Round
He figured it would take weeks to hear back, but the next day he got an email.
As long as he was willing to learn about the local history and be the occasional tour guide, they wanted to call and talk to him! Part of him wanted to bellow with joy, but something still felt off. He needed answers.
So Many Questions
As Morris stared at the computer, waiting for the call to connect, he went over the list of questions that had been burning in the back of his mind.
The call dinged and a woman appeared. They went through the standard introductions and chitchat, but the moment a lull came in the conversation, he blurted out the big question.
Avoiding
What’s the catch? The interviewer gave a nervous laugh and admitted it was one of the top 3 questions she had been asked since the process started.
She went on to explain that he would be the first one in – and ignored his big query. Morris opened a new window, determined to find the answer himself.
Deep History
He scanned the first document as the woman went on about property taxes. It was just an old town that had prospered with the gold rush.
But it was the second document that made him do a double-take. The settlement was indeed rich with history … the wrong kind.
Who You Gonna Call
“Haunted?!” Morris exclaimed. “It says here that it’s haunted!”
The interviewer chuckled and nodded. He scanned the rest of the details, and the picture grew so much clearer. He understood why “free” wasn’t nearly enough, and why he was the first one through the door.
All Alone
Garnet, Montana, wasn’t just a creepy, abandoned mining town, it was the most haunted town in the country!
It only got worse when he learned that hundreds of people before him had said “no” or that they would “think about it.” If he said yes, he would be sleeping there by himself.
Roughing It
And he would be sleeping in total darkness too. The historical association wanted to keep things as realistic as possible.
This meant that there would be no modern comforts like Wi-Fi, running water, or electricity. Great, he could meet his spectral neighbors by the glow of a dim lantern. Every new detail felt more like a warning than a job offer.
Long Think
With a clear mind and a far better understanding of the crucial fine print, Morris sat down to give things a good, long ponder.
Were there really such things as ghosts? If not, would his mind still create them and the stress be inevitable? What if he suddenly changed his mind and wanted to quit?
Deciding
He pictured the rumors of voices in the saloon, sounds of doors where there were none, whispers in the forest, and hooded figures floating along the pathways.
He picked up the stack of bills. Both options felt impossibly heavy. Morris picked up the phone and messaged the woman back.
Nightlight
He decided that the rare chance ghost existed were better odds than the 100% chance collectors would eventually bang on his door.
He packed up his things and put his home up for sale. If nothing else, he would collect some interesting stories. All he had to do was keep the lantern burning on at night.