"Come on, Simmons, it can't be that bad, right? And it's Halloween." A gentle tug on her sleeve led Jemma to the creaking porch, and the swallowed, looking up at the old, wooden structure. A ghoul in green-grey makeup extended a hand, using the other to point to a sloppily painted sign that read "25 cent fee" in thick red lettering. The biochemist pulled back against her partner's lead and he turned back, the question in his eyes.
"Leo- I- well, I just see no logic- no logic at all- to why we would want to be jump-scared in an old, probably structurally unsound-"
"You're scared." He interrupted her with a half-smirk and a raised eyebrow, lightness playing across his features. "Jemma Simmons, double-PhD doctor and the most rational being I have had the pleasure to meet, is scared of an old house and kids in costumes."
"No! It's- Oh, fine!" she relented, throwing her arms up in exasperation. "We'll go to your stupid haunted house!" Grinning, Fitz gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before fishing in his pockets for the coins. After dropping them in a pumpkin-shaped bowl. Grinning, the creature moved his arm towards the door.
Leo stepped through, and after a deep intake of breath, Jemma followed.
Together, they wandered through the horror show of bloodied costumes and grotesque scenes, a room where a doctor ripped teeth from a bloodied, screaming mouth, a circus with clowns waving weapons and grinning like madmen. As much as the biochemist tried not to show it, Fitz saw her hands trembling, the pallor of her face. He quickened his step so they could get out faster.
Then they reached the long hallway, blood dripping from the ceilings and cobwebs draped so thick, they had to push through them like curtains. Slowly, the large sheets of white began to separate them, her view of her partner slowly being obscured. The distance between them grew as Simmons took small, careful steps that just couldn't keep up with his long strides.
And out of nowhere, a clown jumped at her, tongue hanging out and eyes bulging.
Startled, Jemma took a quick step back and let out a small gasp as the wood crumbled slightly beneath her. Stumbling backwards, she fell into a seated position and felt her back press against a wall. A glance up revealed a lower ceiling above her, walls on either side. A closet. Immediately, her breathing rate increased, fists clenched and eyes began to dart around. Ever since the almost-drowning 90 feet under, walls had started to close in on her. She and Leo even slept in the living room now- the bunks were too cramped and they had both woken up more than once, convinced they were drowning. A deep breath was sucked into her lungs and she grabbed the edge of the cabinet, trying to pull herself out.
That was when the door slammed shut.
A small, unwilling cry escaped her lips, but was covered by the screams of the "patient" in the room over. Quickly, feeling panic beginning to swell up inside her, she pushed on the door. It didn't budge. Palms sweating, she pushed again. Then, with a sudden crash, it slammed to the floor, tilted so that the corner and light streaming through the cracked boards were the only sources of illumination. Tears now streaming down her face, she leaned back and kicked at the piece of wood blocking her way.
Suddenly, through the open corner, a sickly grinning clown face, splattered in blood and gore, stared down at her. It's hands grabbed at the wood, revealing grimy, claw-like nails that scratched at the boards.
Terror got the best of her and a scream flew through parted lips.
"C'mon, Jems, even you have to admit this is a cakewalk," he commented, strolling along the room with "torture victims", splattered with corn-syrup blood and moaning in a clearly fake manner, almost as if they had gotten bored of the task. Grinning, Leo glanced behind him and immediately began to panic. Where could she have gone? There were only a couple of rooms, and one clear pathway.
And then he heard the scream.
In an instant, he was rushing back through the rooms, panic flooding through his veins. "Jemma!" he roared, making the doctor over the screaming patient jump. Almost immediately, he found the source of the screaming- a closet door in the hall of webs, the hinges recently collapsed from the looks of it, and the door stuck in place. A character, fake blood dripping down his face, was trying to get it undone, but glimpses of the heavily costumed face were only driving her into further hysterics, sobbing and screaming out his name. "Jemma!" he cried again, pushing the worker out of the way and pressing his face to the break in the door. "Jemma, Jems, it's me. I'm here, Jems." The screams stopped, only to be replaced by sobbing and begging, pleading for him to get her out of there. Yanking at the crumbling wood, it finally shifted enough so that he could reach in and gently coax her out. As soon as she was out, she threw her arms around him, crying into his shoulder.
"Leo-" she choked, and he tucked himself around her, letting her hide in his sweater. "Leo, I'm scared," Jemma whispered. Carefully, he bent down and reached a hand under her knees, lifting her bridal style. Quickly whispering a question to the clown, he was pointed to the quickest way out and carried the sobbing, crying girl in his arms away from the images of horror. Finally out of the house, he set her down under a red-orange tree, then joined her and wrapped his arms around her again.
"It- Leo- We-" she choked, burying her face into his shoulder. Her breaths shuddered her small frame in his arms and a small wet spot was growing on the shirt where she hid in his shirt.
"Shhh," he murmured into her hair, gently running a hand up and down her back. "It's okay. We won't go back in. I promise." She nodded, but stayed hidden, tears still trickling into his shirt. Slowly, the shuddering ground to a halt and her breathing steadied, tears no longer soaking into the fabric. "You want to go home now?" Tentatively, she looked up and nodded, gently scooting off his lap to let him stand. Smiling, he extended a hand and helped her up. Together, they walked under the canopy of golden leaves, his arm around her shoulders, shielding her from the world.