Old Possum's[]
A bookstore in the Fremont District of Seattle, near the Aurora Bridge. It is run by Phoebe Mason, and is one of Harper's favorite retreats. It features prominently in Poltergeist, as the work place of Mark Lupoldi, the first victim of the titular monster in the book.
Old Possum's is described by Harper as "cluttered, overstuffed, and as full of odd objects and comfortable, shabby chairs as it was full of interesting old books and the smell of fresh coffee." The store is home to numerous cats who wander the tops of the bookshelves and will "vet" clients. A positive reception by the cats is the first step to inclusion in the Old Possum family, known by regulars and staff alike as "Pheobe and the minions".
At the front of the shop, just inside the door, is the cash register island and a series of coat pegs with a sign over them that reads "He who steals my coat gets trashed". Towards the back of the shop is a small espresso stand next to a cardboard hearth with a paper-mache mantel. On the mantle are two cat-faced gargoyles, one with a chipped base caused when the gargoyle was thrown at Mark. There is also a traffic mirror set so that someone at the cash desk up front can keep an eye on people in the coffee alcove, and a three-quarter-scale model of a tyrannosaur skull over the espresso machine..
Staff[]
Owner: Pheobe Mason
Minions: Mark Lupoldi (deceased)
- Amanda
Named Cats: Mobius