Lights flickered past, reflecting off the tinted window. The city was bright and alive, a sight that Lui never got sick of. It was a lot different from his usual suburban neighbourhood, a part of him sad that he couldn't stay longer in the city but he couldn't let his friends down, especially Evan who had been talking about this event since they got the invitation.
"Guys! You'll never believe this!" Evan had said excitedly in the skype call, his voice crackling through Lui's headphones. "Because of Dead Realm, we've been invited to spend a night at this place up north called the 'Winchester Mystery House'!" At the time, Lui and the others had only heard of the place or not at all, so when they mentioned this to Evan, he went into detail explaining what it was. "It has no real floor plan. It's got stairs and doors that lead to nowhere. They want us to go because it's similar to Dead Realm maps. We can promote our game and their Mystery house. Also apparently it's super haunted!"
"That's a bunch of bullshit." Tyler had scoffed at the mention of ghosts.
"So what do you guys think? Should we do it?" Evan had asked. After some debate, they all agreed to it, some more reluctant than others. Lui didn't consider himself superstitious but the mention of ghosts made him uncomfortable.
Now they were crammed into a van on their way to San Jose, California. Lui's head leaned against the window, the city now gone and replaced with the hot country side of California. Music played loudly, their laughter and voices louder. Craig, sitting in the middle, had his camera out and was vlogging with the group of them.
"Lui! Say hi from back there!" Daithi laughed, the camera pointed in his direction. Lui smiled and waved before turning his attention back to the window. He could faintly hear Evan and Tyler talking up front, Tyler's hands curled tightly around the steering wheel.
"You don't believe this, do you Evan?" Tyler asked with annoyance, his eyes glancing at Evan who sat in the front passenger seat, his feet propped up on the dash with the window open, the morning air pulling at his black hair.
"Believe what, Tyler?" He turned his head to face Tyler, unaware of Lui watching him.
"This whole ghost thing. Do you really believe in it? Or are you just pretending for the camera and your subscribers?" Tyler wondered, his words sounding harsh. Evan seemed offended by the question, his dark eyes narrowing at Tyler as he leaned away from him.
"Why would you say that?" Evan snapped. Lui wanted to pipe up and tell them to shut up, not wanting this trip to be full of fighting. He knew it would happen eventually but he didn't want it to be now when the trip had barely started. Yet he knew that if he got involved it would only be worse and Craig's footage would be ruined and no one would be happy.
"You know ghosts aren't real." Tyler insisted. "Just stories made up to make kids scared of the dark."
"I think everyone is a little bit scared of the dark." Evan eyes turned to watch the scenery, the sky a pastel blue as the sun rose higher into the sky. He let his hand hang out the window, the wind catching his hand as he spread his fingers. "I'm just open to the idea...That's all. Besides, how could you pass up an opportunity like this? It'll be like the sleepover we never had." Lui wanted to be excited about the idea but a part of him was nervous. He knew Tyler was right, that ghosts and monsters were just stories but he couldn't explain why he felt so nervous.
The four hour drive passed uneventfully, stopping for an early lunch along the way at a roadside diner where they had burgers and milkshakes. Of course, not all of them could be there. The invitation had been sent to all of them, especially Jonathan who was known for his serial killer laugh and cackling voice but he had declined. Luke went for both of them, sitting beside Lui in the back of the van with his dark sunglasses and earbuds in his ears most of the drive. Brian managed to squish between Daithi, Craig and Brock, the four of them the loudest in the group with their cameras held tightly in nervously shaking hands. Despite the noise, Lui found himself dozing off, his head nodding against his chest as his eyes closed, the sounds of laughter and music becoming muffled.
"Lui! Hey wake up! We're here!" Luke's voice startled him, a hand shaking him awake. He sat up, looking out the window as the van turned onto the driveway, the mansion looming over them. It was intimidating, a sprawling building that never seemed to end. A place that was normally so full of tourists was quiet and empty, it felt wrong.
"Holy shit...You weren't joking. This place is weird." Craig leaned over Brock to look out the window as they passed the garden, it's animal statues reflecting the warm sunlight.
"Are you sure about this?" Lui asked as the van came to a stop. "Do we really have to spend the night here?"
"What? Are you scared, Lui?" Tyler teased, a smirk on his face.
"I'm gonna need a nightlight!" Lui squeaked, not wanting to let Tyler tease him. He didn't want to get branded as the easily scared one, knowing he would be subjected to horrible pranks that wouldn't let him sleep peacefully if he did.
As he got out of the car, he was thankful to stretch his limbs, inhaling the fresh air. He looked up at the house, movement catching his eye. In one of the windows the curtain swung, as if someone had just been there, watching them. He told himself it was nothing, focusing on pulling his backpack out from under the pile of bags in the back of the van.
"Do we really gotta stay the night here? This place gives me the creeps." Daithi said quietly, standing beside Lui as they stared at the massive house. It was painted brightly but it seemed so dark at the same time, an ominous energy coming off the house.
"Welcome to the Mystery House!" Their guide called from the front porch, motioning them to follow him. Lui stayed close to the group as they climbed the steps and headed inside, the front hallway long and splitting off into different sections of the house. "We've closed for tourists so you will have the whole place to yourself which...is a lot. We encourage you to film or do whatever you want...Just be careful is all. We don't want you getting hurt on one of those staircases or damaging something." He seemed too happy, smiling brightly at them as they stared around the hall with wide eyes. It smelled musty, the way all museums do, but this was different. There was a sharp smell in the air, similar to gunpowder.
"So it's just us in this place?" Brock asked. Lui remembered what he had caught of glimpse of in the window, having to tell himself it was nothing but his imagination. He knew that this place was full of ghost stories, his mind already seeing things.
"Yes! While you are here, we have a few staff members on the property staying the night in one of the other buildings. If you need anything, give us a call with one of the house's telephones! Right now, you can leave your bags here while I give you the grand tour! Your bags will be brought to your room. With over one hundred and thirty five rooms, you won't have to worry about sharing a room!"
Lui had no words to explain the house. It really did seem like a map from their game, none of it making any sense. With long hallways that would suddenly end with the turn of a corner, windows that looked out onto other rooms and even one in the middle of the floor that looked down to the room below, ballrooms, staircases and doors that went nowhere, it was all overwhelming. A maze of rooms and corridors that twisted and turned with no warning of where they would end up.
"We have to show Jonathan!" Luke said excitedly once their tour ended and they found themselves back in the front room again. He got his phone out, Delirious' skype picture on the screen as he called him. Jonathan had promised that if they didn't call him, he'd call them every few hours.
"Just to make sure that you guys haven't been killed by a demon or something." Jonathan had joked when he promised to call. Lui knew he was disappointed that he couldn't go but he would be upset with Lui if he told him he'd prefer to switch places with him. Jonathan would tell him to try to be more involved with his friends. Lui felt that too but he would rather be at a party or one of their apartments, not a haunted house.
"Hello?" Jonathan's voice crackled through the phone's speakers as Luke turned on the front camera, the group of boys waving to their friend. "Hey!"
"You gotta see this place, Jon!" Luke said, he and Evan heading off to show the house to him.
"We wish you were here." Evan said as they turned the corner, out of sight. Lui decided to go find his room, wandering through the winding halls and stairs till he found the bedrooms on the third floor. He found his bag in one of the bedrooms towards the end of the hall, thankful he didn't have the share the room. It was a large room with a large bed in the middle, a dresser and vanity table on the other side of the room. It seemed like nothing had changed since the time it was built. With his back to the door, he pulled his bag onto the bed, rifling through it to find his phone charger. The floor creaked out in the hallway, footsteps quietly echoing against the wooden walls.
"Guys?" Lui called out, glancing over his shoulder to see if someone was standing in the doorway but there was no one in sight. He turned back to his bag, telling himself it was just one of the others heading to their room. The creaking happened again, this time movement catching his eye. He turned slowly, only this time to see that his door had closed. "This isn't funny!" Lui squeaked. No one answered him. He set the wire down on the bed, stepping towards the door. The room felt colder than it had before, chills running down his spine as he reached for the handle. He turned it only to find the door locked. It would not open no matter how hard he pulled at the handle. "Guys! Let me out!" Lui yelled, louder this time. He was frantic, feeling that he was not the only one in the room. He couldn't bring himself to turn around, closing his eyes tightly as he struggled to get the door open.
The door swung open suddenly with force, knocking Lui back into the room. Brian stared at him with confusion, a camera in his hand.
"Are you okay? I thought I heard yelling." Brian asked as Lui nodded shakily.
"I'm fine. You must just be hearing the...the ghosts." Lui laughed, still not wanting to look behind him.
"We're gonna start doing some filming so if you wanna join…"
"Yeah...Yeah I'm coming." Lui followed Brian into the hall, finally able to glance over his shoulder into his room. No one was there. "Brian...Do you believe in ghosts?"
"I don't know if I believe in ghosts...The whole stuck here cause a life goal wasn't fulfilled sounds cheesy and made up. I do believe that we have an afterlife...I just don't think it's ghosts and demons." Brian explained as they passed a window in the floor that looked down into one of the rooms below. "Why? Did you see a ghost?" Brian laughed.
"No. I was just wondering." Lui snapped, crossing his arms. "Evan did say though that this place is 'haunted', didn't he?"
"Evan will believe anything." Brian laughed, turning into the ballroom where the others had gathered. Lui had to stop himself from snapping at Brian. Lui was pulled towards different cameras, laughing, answering questions and playing silly games.
"We should play Dead Realm!" Brock suddenly suggested when their vlogging sessions ended.
"How?" Craig asked.
"Like hide and seek but Dead Realm style! Last one to say 'not it' is it!"
"Not it!"
"Not it!"
"Not it!"
"Not it!"
"Not it!"
"Not it!" They all said in unison, Lui finding himself saying it last. "Damn it." Lui swore as the others smiled excitedly. "I'll give you guys twenty seconds to run and hide." Lui said, watching them back up towards the door to get a headstart. "Then I'm coming to get you." He squeaked, making them laugh nervously.
"Listen for each other guys...Don't wanna get lost in here." Daithi said quietly, staying close to Evan and Tyler.
"Twenty...Nineteen...Eighteen…" Lui started counting down, creating panic amongst the boys as they scattered, their footsteps echoing throughout the house. Lui continued to count, feeling eyes on him again. "Ten...Nine...Eight...Seven…" He turned to look over his shoulder, not noticing someone run past the door. "Six...Five...Four...Three...Two...One...Here I come!" Lui yelled, running out of the room into the hallway. "Where are you?!" He taunted as he walked down the long hallway, glancing into the rooms. A whispered voice caught his attention, turning suddenly as if expecting to see someone right behind him. He was alone. "Are you taunting me?" Lui called out playfully, trying to hide the fear in his voice. Above him, the floor creaked as someone ran down the hallway. Lui ran towards the stairs, reaching the top in time to see Luke duck into one of the rooms. "I see you!" Lui giggled, running to the room. He found Luke hiding under the desk, grabbing onto his shoulder in an attempt to drag him out from under it.
"Damn it! I'm never good at this fucking game." Luke laughed, crawling out from under the desk. "Let's go find the others." Luke smiled. Lui followed him out into the hallway, watching him go one way before going the other way.
"Luke you bitch!" Brian yelled from down the hall, screaming and laughter echoing towards Lui down the hall. Lui stepped as silently as he could on the wood floor to the next staircase where he headed up to the third floor. He heard Craig's panicked scream from somewhere below him and laughter as frantic footsteps ran down the hall.
It felt strange in the third floor, unwelcoming though that was where all the bedrooms where. It felt wrong to be there, chills running down Lui's back as goosebumps covered his arms. His friend's sounded distant now, the silence heavier than it had ever felt in this house. Lui glanced into the rooms, having to stop and back up when he passed his room. Evan stood in the middle of the room, his back to the door. He was oddly still, as if frozen in time. It didn't even seem like he was breathing.
"E-Evan?" Lui called out. He didn't know what to do, the overwhelming feeling of fear stopping him from stepping into the room. "Evan?" He didn't respond, his dark eyes on something in front of him that Lui couldn't see it. Lui forced himself to step into the room, cold air moving around him as if coming in one a breeze but the windows were closed. Lui felt claustrophobic in the large empty room, as if crowds of people were all around him. "Evan." Lui reached for him, grabbing onto his arm tightly. Evan jumped, his eyes focusing on the room around him. He seemed disoriented, not sure of where he was or why. "Evan...Are you okay?"
"I thought you were still counting…" Evan stammered. "How did I end up here? I was just in the ballroom. You were on sixteen. I heard you."
"That was almost five minutes ago." Lui said softly, trying to understand what Evan was feeling.
"Oh…"
"Let's get out of here...We should go find the others." Lui suggested with a smile. Evan stared at him for a few moments before nodding, letting him lead him out of the room into the hall. "I don't like this place." Lui whispered, loud enough that only he should have heard it.
"I don't think this place likes us…" Evan murmured. Lui pretended that he hadn't heard Evan's comment, trying to be happy and searching for their hiding friends. Evan seemed to stumble around, still dazed and confused. When they found someone, Evan seemed just as surprised as they were. He couldn't understand how five minutes had just slipped away from him, a blank spot where there should be a memory. Lui kept telling him not to worry about it, that he had just gotten all caught up in the excitement and adrenaline.
Brock was the last one to be found, hiding under a staircase in the shadows, so he was the 'ghost' next. Lui stayed close to Evan, the two finding a wardrobe in one of the rooms to hide in. They could hear footsteps out in the hall, Tyler and Craig laughing and yelling at each other to run as Brock found them in the other room.
"Are you okay?" Lui whispered, unable to see Evan's worried expression in the dark.
"Y-yeah." Evan reassured him. "This game is just a lot scarier in real life." As in response to his comment, a loud bang on the wardrobes doors made them jump, Lui's hand grabbing Evan's wrist. They were still, staring at the dark doors with wide eyes. The silence was broken by another bang, as if someone was hitting the doors.
"B-Brock?" Lui stammered. "This isn't funny." The doors were opened suddenly, the light hurting their eyes.
"What isn't funny?" Brock asked with a smile.
"You weren't hitting the doors?" Evan asked. Brock looked at them with confusion, not sure if they were trying to joke with him or not.
"No. Why would I?" Brock glanced between the two of them. "Maybe it was one of the others trying to prank you."
"Yeah...Just a prank." Lui forced a laugh.
After a few more rounds of the game, they decided to have their dinner. They sat around the large dining room table, eating their pizza and talking about anything that came to mind. Anything that didn't have something to do with ghosts. Evan was back to being himself, joking with the others as if nothing had happened to scare him into shock and silence.
"We should do some more vlogging tonight. Oh! What if we tried to do a ghost investigation?" Craig suggested.
"Boring." Tyler took a sip from his pop. "It'd be more fun if one us pretended to be a murderer and we make a spoof of a scary movie."
"Pretend to kill each other?" Brock laughed. "Could be fun. A lot more than sitting in the dark and asking if someone is here with us." The ceiling above them creaked, the floorboards shifting under footsteps. All of them looked up at the ceiling before glancing around to make sure they were all there.
"Old fucking house." Tyler spat as he bit into his pizza. "Makes all types of noises. It's gonna scare us all to death."
They made their video after dinner, screaming and laughter filling the halls as they ran from Tyler who held a fake rifle and a mask over his face. It took them till ten, the streets outside dark and empty except for the occasional car or person walking past. A staff member came by to make sure they had everything they needed, making sure all the doors were locked before saying goodnight. By eleven, they decided to head to bed, saying goodnight to each other as they closed their heavy wooden doors.
"Have a good sleep. Don't let the ghosts get you." Tyler joked as his door closed.
"Goodnight." Lui pretended he hadn't heard the comment as he closed his door. He didn't want to be in this room, remembering how he found Evan standing in the middle of it as if he was in a trance. It felt heavy, different emotions clouding Lui's mind as he got ready for bed. "It's nothing...Just your imagination." He told himself as he pulled on his pajama pants and his hoodie. "Just your imagination." He told himself as he climbed into bed, pulling the scratchy blankets over himself. He scrolled through his twitter, keeping his mind off the shadows at the edge of the room. "Just your imagination." Lui told himself as he turned his phone and the lamp off when his eyes started to droop, pulling the blankets close. He started to fall asleep, exhausted by the day's events. All he wanted was to fall asleep and to wake up in the morning knowing that he could leave. He wanted to be back in his own bed, safe and sound.
The floor creaked, a tapping sound making Lui shift in his sleep before falling back into a deeper sleep. The tapping sound happened again, three taps on the wall. Fingers curled around Lui's ankle, claw-like nails digging into his skin as the hand pulled, dragging Lui from his bed. His scream reverberated around the room and echoed in the hallway, the thud made as he hit the floor just as loud. He scrambled to his feet, pulling open his door and ran to one across the hall, throwing it open.
"Someone grabbed me!" Lui screamed frantically, lights turning on and doors opening down the hallway. Daithi sat up in bed, reaching for Lui's shaking hand. "Someone dragged me from my bed! We can't stay here!" Lui fell onto the bed, wrapping his arms around Daithi who tried to comfort him.
"Shh...It's okay. It's okay. It was just a nightmare. That's all. A nightmare." Lui wasn't sure who he was trying to convince.
"What's going on?" Tyler yawned as he reached the door. Evan and Craig stood beside him, glancing back into Lui's room to see if something was there.
"Just a bad dream." Daithi said quietly, rubbing Lui's shoulder gently. A loud slam down the hall made them jump, a glare darkening Tyler's face.
"Who is in my room?" Tyler snapped, stomping down the hall to his room.
"Someone doesn't want us here...They want us to leave." Lui looked up at Evan with pleading eyes, begging him to listen.
"Who doesn't want us here, Lui?" Craig asked, sitting down beside him on the bed.
"Brian? Are you in my room?" Tyler yelled from down the hall. They could hear him struggling with the door, unable to get it open. The thought occurred to Lui that maybe it was the opposite.
"Or maybe...They just don't want us to leave at all…" Lui breathed, getting to his feet suddenly. He pushed past Evan who stumbled back, watching Lui run down the hall to Tyler's room as he threw open the door. No one was there, the door seemingly locked for no reason at all.
"Why are you yelling?" Brian asked as he opened his bedroom door with a yawn. Luke and Brock had opened their doors now, woken up by the noise. Tyler stared at him with wide eyes, not sure of what to say. He had been convinced that it was them playing a prank on them. The silence was broken by footsteps downstairs, as clear as any of theirs.
"Someone is in here!" Tyler ran down the stairs, followed by Lui and the others. They searched the floor, but found no one. "What the fuck is going on? Evan! Is this a part it? Is there some asshole running around here in a sheet trying to scare us all?" Tyler yelled at Evan who shook his head.
"I don't know, Tyler!" Evan yelled back.
"You said that this place is haunted! You got us all worked up and now we're all scared out of our fucking minds. You fucked with us, Evan!" Tyler shoved him back, Luke having to get in between them to stop it from getting violent.
"I did not! I thought this would just be a fun time! That we would vlog and promote our game and this house! How am I supposed to know how or why Lui got dragged out of his bed or why your door was slammed?" Evan yelled back, pushing Luke off him. "Don't fucking blame me!"
"Stop it!" Brock yelled from where he stood at the top of the stairs. "We can't be overreacting right now! We can't be fighting each other right now! We're all scared and we're not thinking! Please! Stop yelli-" A dark shadow moved behind Brock as if pushing him. Brock fell forward suddenly, the crack made by his head hitting the railing before crashing to the stairs made Lui sick. They watched him fall down the stairs with wide eyes, too shocked to move. He landed in a heap at the bottom of the stairs, blood dripping onto the wooden floor.
Somewhere in the house, a clock tolled midnight.