spooky.

Hiro stepped out onto the roof of the cafe, breathing in the unsanitary air of the night. The city bustled this time of day, and he never missed stepping out to enjoy a few moments to himself. After all, a bustling city meant a bustling cafe, so he was always overwhelmed by the number of people in his home.

He sighed loudly, sitting on the edge of the roof and swinging his legs. Passersby from below didn't even acknowledge his presence, and he liked that. In fact, he very much appreciated the privacy and he often hated when strangers tried to talk to him.

He was an introvert, and he suffered from anxiety, whether he liked to admit that or not.

Tadashi picked up on this quickly, and he was always first to be there for Hiro no matter what. He appreciated it his brother's constant nagging for sure, but sometimes, perfection was exhausting.

"Hiro! I told you to stop coming out here, bonehead, I don't want something bad to happen or for you to fall."

Exhibit A, Hiro thought, turning his head to see Tadashi slowly walking toward Hiro and taking a seat beside him.

"You should probably be packing anyway," Tadashi pointed out. "We're leaving in two hours."

"Why are we leaving so late at night?" Hiro groaned, running a hand through his long, ruffled hair. Tadashi chuckled, nudging Hiro lightly in the shoulder.

"Because that's when our flight leaves," Tadashi replied. "What, you don't want to go anymore?"

"No, of course, I do!" Hiro said, waving his hand to dismiss the thought. "I just haven't slept much lately, that's all."

"I know, but you can sleep during the flight. It's a ten-hour plane ride, you know."

"Yeah," Hiro laughed lightly. It was true, they were about to travel across the country and stay at a rental home in New York City with Wasabi, Honey Lemon, Gogo, and Fred. Aunt Cass was having a baking convention for three weeks, so she was sending them off for nearly a month so that she could be with her friends and enter the cafe in the convention. The prize was one million dollars and expensive baking supplies, so Cass was eager to get her hands on the cash and finally be able to provide for herself and her family. Tadashi and Hiro rushed to explain that she had provided for them since day one and that she should put the money aside for emergencies, but she insisted that it was the least she could do for her small family of five (Tadashi, Hiro, Mochi, and Baymax, of course.)

Hiro smiled slightly at the thought, and he stood from his spot on the roof, making Tadashi jump up after him.

"Careful," Tadashi scolded. "If you fall off of this roof and get run over on the street, I swear Cass will never forgive me."

"Thanks for that," Hiro rolled his eyes and giggled, going back inside to the apartment. Tadashi followed, ushering Hiro to finish packing. He eventually gave in, shoving as many clothing items as he could into a small suitcase and stuffing his toiletries into a pocket in the bag. He left the most room for a few robotics parts, knowing that he would most likely get bored sitting around in the middle of New York City all day. He also packed several jackets; they lived in California, and traveling to the blistering cold of New York was going to be a challenge for him, especially seeing that it was October.

Hiro realized that they wouldn't be in town for Halloween, and he let out a sigh of relief. Cass always forced Tadashi and Hiro to go to parties and go trick-or-treating even though she knew very well that all the brothers wanted to do was sit in the living with a good horror movie and a few close friends.

Hopefully, they would do just that while they were away.

Hiro proudly zipped his bag shut and grabbed his pillow, looking around the room to make sure he had grabbed everything.

Okay, pillow, clothes, tools, charger, headphones, toothbrush...

Hiro quickly grabbed his laptop also and put it in his bag before turning the lights of his shared bedroom and descending the stairs into the kitchen. Cass was talking with Tadashi and drinking hot tea. Hiro set his stuff aside and went to join them.

"Oh, boys, I'm SO excited for you!" Cass grinned, yanking Hiro's head close to her and ruffling his hair.

"Y-yeah, s-so exict-ting!" Hiro managed through each ruffle, standing up straight and shaking his head,

"Easy, Cass," Tadashi laughed, eyeing Hiro playfully. "He's already got a headache about this whole plane flight."

"Aw, is someone afraid of flying in an airplane for the first time?" Cass teased, taking a sip of her tea.

"Hell yeah, I am!" Hiro said, rolling up the sleeves of his jacket. "Being in the air for ten hours and with all the wind turbulence, that sounds scary."

"We'll be fine," Tadashi chuckled, checking his watch. "Anyway, Cass, our flight leaves soon. We need to go pick up the others and go to the airport."

"Okay..." Cass rubbed her hands together, looking up at the boys sadly. "What will I do here without you boys for three weeks?"

"Well, you're the one sending us away," Hiro mumbled, reaching over and putting a reassuring hand on hers. "We'll be okay, and so will you. You're going to have a blast at this convention, and you're going to win that prize!"

"Yeah, Cass," Tadashi said, smiling warmly at her. "We'll come back soon, and then we can have a family week together. How's that sound?"

"Of course," Cass grinned, rounding the counter and pulling Tadashi into a tight hug, then Hiro. "Thank you, boys, for understanding. I know you'll have a blast. And you both have money?"

"Well, we both have jobs, so I sure do hope so," Hiro laughed, hugging Cass close. "Yes, we have our plane tickets, your money, and ours. We promise."

"Good. Well, this is it. It's getting dark and it looks like there's a storm coming, so please be safe."

"Bye, Cass!" Tadashi and Hiro said, grabbing their things and going out to Hiro's car. Cass had bought Hiro the car on his fifteenth birthday, along with drivers' education lessons. This year on his sixteenth birthday, he got his license and was able to finally drive himself to work. He had been nervous about driving at first, but with Tadashi's help, he quickly became used to it.

"Be safe!" she called from the front porch, returning to the cafe and waving as Hiro started the car and the boys drove away from the apartment.

"Okay, Hiro, we're picking Wasabi up first."

"Got it," Hiro nodded, turning down Wasabi's street. Cass had ben right; heavy storm clouds were slowly making their way above the city, and Hiro strained to see Wasabi's apartment. Tadashi told him when to stop, and Wasabi was rushing out of the house and putting his stuff into Hiro's backseat.

"Aren't we going to be late?!" Wasabi cried, crawling into the backseat.

"Hello, Wasabi," Hiro laughed, and they were soon off to Fred's mansion.

After about thirty minutes, everyone was in Hiro's car, and they were going through airline parking. Tadashi was constantly telling Hiro where to turn, and Hiro was growing more and more frustrated. There were signs telling him where to go, and the last thing he needed was for Tadashi to be front-seat-driving.

Finally, the group of six were getting out of the car, gathering their suitcases, and walking to the airline lobby. They went through security, sent their bags away, and were left simply with their phone and their pillows as they waited to board their plane.

They had been sitting next to their boarding area for nearly forty-five minutes. Tadashi was asleep on Hiro's shoulder, Gogo was draped across Honey Lemon's lap, Wasabi tapped his foot restlessly, arms crossed, and Fred was sleeping on Hiro's other shoulder. Hiro's head was killing him, and he could feel the bags under his eyes. It had to be at least ten o'clock at night, and he could hear little drops of rain hitting the windows outside. Maybe that was why they were waiting for so long; there was probably a storm due, and the flights were probably all delayed.

"Attention, flyers," A man spoke over a microphone, and Hiro and Wasabi both stiffened at his voice. "To all attendants that have not yet boarded the flight to New York City, due to leave at eight o'clock, your flight is boarding in thirty minutes. Due to weather complications, the following ticket holders will be boarding a separate flight to New York leaving in fifteen minutes. If your ticket is called, gather your things and board plane 2A. Here are the tickets."

The man then listed the tickets, and Hiro quickly reached over and grabbed Tadashi, Fred, Honey Lemon, and Gogo's tickets. Wasabi glanced down at his own, listening to the voice above.

"..number 45, and number 48. Thank you for choosing to fly with us and have a goodnight."

"They didn't call mine," Wasabi said, sighing in relief.

"Yeah, well they called me," Hiro rolled his eyes, grabbing his pillow and causing Tadashi and Fred to sit up straight, rubbing their eyes and looking around.

"Hiro, what are you doing? Did they call our flight yet?"

"Your flight leaves in thirty minutes," Hiro explained. "There's a storm and a delay, so they're sending two planes to New York for some reason. They switched me over so I have to go."

"A-are you serious?" Tadashi scoffed, standing up straight and grabbing his brother's arm. "I'm not letting you fly to New York alone! Can't you just sneak on with us?"

"My name is on my ticket, and they'll send me over no matter what. I'll be fine, okay?" Hiro put a hand on Tadashi's shoulder. "I have to go. Plane 2A is leaving in fifteen and I have to board."

"Damn it," Tadashi rubbed a hand over his face, pulling Hiro into a hug. "Call me the second you land-"

"You won't be able to answer, knucklehead, you'll be in the air. You can call me when you land."

"Jesus, this is so messed up," Tadashi groaned, pulling out of the hug. "Don't talk to strangers, and try to get a seat by yourself, promise?"

"Promise," Hiro nodded, giving Tadashi a handful of the other's tickets and walking toward his flight gate. He turned back at Tadashi and waved, and Tadashi waved back longingly. He tried to ignore Tadashi's sad look, knowing how he got when Hiro had to do things on his own. Even when Hiro got his license and got a job at the skating rink with Gogo, Tadashi was nervous and upset. He was Hiro's father figure, and he was uncomfortable with the fact that Hiro was growing up.

He sighed nonetheless, giving an employee his ticket. She smiled at him and told him to enjoy his flight. Hiro thanked her, hugging his pillow tightly and walking through the terminal to his flight.

He probably should have just snuck on with Tadashi after all.

After a long flight full of rain and headaches, Hiro's plane landed and he was quickly walking through the terminal and collapsing in the waiting room. Quite honestly, that flight made him extremely nauseous, and he was ready for the others to arrive so that they could leave and go to the rental apartment. He had no idea how long that would be, however, so he put his pillow behind his head and closed his eyes, hoping to get in a few minutes of sleep.

He sat there for forty-five minutes, checking his phone constantly for updates from Tadashi only to get a few occasional texts from his friends. He sighed, tapping his fingers impatiently on his leg. They hadn't left that far apart from each other, so what was taking them so long? He was beginning to grow worried, noticing that the sun was just now rising in the city and it was lightly raining just as it had been in California.

Suddenly, his phone began buzzing, and he was quick to accept the call without even glancing at the caller ID.

"This is Hiro," he said, voice shaky.

"Hiro! We're off of our flight, where are you?" Honey Lemon was yelling excitedly into the phone, causing Hiro to flinch.

"Hey Honey Lemon, I'm in waiting room 2A."

"Okay! Well, we're waiting for our bags and we have yours. We'll be over there in-"

"Is that Hiro on the phone?" Hiro heard Tadashi call faintly, and he laughed lightly in relief.

"I guess I'll see you at baggage claim?" Hiro asked, preparing to hang up the phone.

"Yes, we'll see you there-"

"Hiro, are you here?" Tadashi must have taken the phone, breathing heavily and asking Hiro several questions. "Are you in the right city? Are we at the same airport? Did you get mugged? Are-"

"Hi Tadashi, I'm heading to baggage claim," Hiro said, hanging up the call much to Tadashi's protest. He grabbed his pillow and began walking to said area. He didn't have to walk the whole way, however, spotting Tadashi through the crowd of people. He called his brother's name, and Tadashi perked at the call, jogging over to Hiro and giving him a hug.

"You knucklehead," Tadashi laughed, looking Hiro up and down. "How was your flight?"

"Nauseating," Hiro said, taking his suitcase from Tadashi. "But I lived. Unfortunately, I got a seat next to who I'm pretty sure was a registered sex offender. Sorry."

"What?!"

"Hiro, my man!" Fred interrupted the conversation, clapping a hand on Hiro's shoulder. "Our flight was boring as hell, what about you?"

"I'm just ready to get to the apartment," Hiro admitted, earning groans of agreement from the group.

"Right," Tadashi said, pulling a ring of keys from his pocket. "Just got our rental keys."

"Well, let's hit it, ladies," Gogo grinned, snatching the keys from Tadashi and leading the way to the parking lot.

The group soon arrived where they would be staying; a townhouse in the center of the Big Apple. It was dark red, and the third floor of the house had faded, black paint on it. Tadashi got out of the car, staring up at the building, clearly deep in thought. Hiro laughed at that, getting out of the driver's seat and helping everyone out.

"Yo, Tadashi, are you okay?" Hiro laughed, handing Tadashi his bag and nudging his shoulder. Tadashi didn't move, eyes still fixed on the building. Hiro raised an eyebrow, standing in front of his brother and waving a hand. "Tadashi? Dude."

Tadashi shook his head, looking at Hiro in confusion.

"S-sorry," he said quickly, accepting his bag and making his way to the house. Hiro tilted his head, watching Tadashi go up the stairs in shock.

The hell just happened?

After about five minutes in the house, each person had picked out a room. Tadashi got the first floor, along with Wasabi. Fred got the living room couch. Honey Lemon and Gogo got the two bedrooms on the second floor.

Hiro, though, got the attic.

He dropped his suitcase on the ground and threw his pillow on the bed, sighing and looking around the slanted room. The roof was fairly tall, and the walls were painted black. The floor creaked, of course, and the bed was a twin bed right below a large window overlooking the city. He loved being able to look out of a window at night, so he was grateful for the glass. The rest of the room needed cleaning, however, and Hiro was willing to do just that.

"Hey, Hiro, are you sure you don't want to switch with me?" Tadashi said from the stairs of the attic, glancing into Hiro's room before ascending the rest of the stairs and standing beside his brother. "Because I would be more than willing-"

"No, by all means, you should stay on the bottom floor," Hiro said, patting Tadashi's shoulder and bending down to unpack his suitcase. "But are you alright? You kind of dozed off when you got out of the car a minute ago."

"What are you talking about?"

"You don't remember? It was wild, you weren't answering a thing I was saying, and you went all stiff."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Tadashi shrugged, turning and going down the stairs. Hiro bolted to a standing position, watching him go with a troubled look.

"So then what the hell happened?" Hiro whispered, shaking his head and continuing to unpack.

Suddenly, from a closet in the attic, a large thump came from the door, and Hiro fell on his side out of shock. He looked up, staring at the closet door in suspense. Slowly he stood, walking to the closet and yanking the door open, expecting something horrible to await him only to find it full of coats. He let out a breath he didn't know he was holding, backing away from the closet and going down the stairs to be in the company of his friends.

His anxiety must be acting up because he was definitely hearing things.

Wasabi had gone out to the city and ordered everyone pizza. That night, they all sat around the old, creaky dining room table, talking about their airplane adventures and what their plans were for the next three weeks. Hiro glanced across the table at Tadashi, concern taking over as he realized that his brother had his head in his hands. He must be suffering from a headache like Hiro always was.

"Tadashi, are you alright?" Fred spoke up, and Hiro mentally thanked the comic-lover. Tadashi sat up straight, looking at everyone's staring eyes and nodding his head.

"Oh, god-of course! Sorry, I just have a bit of a headache, and I keep hearing a weird thumping sound from upstairs. Do you guys hear that too?"

"No," everyone said in unison. All but Hiro, who stiffened at the statement.

"A little bit," he mumbled, taking a bite of his pizza and standing to dispose of it. He sat back down, laughing lightly as the group started another conversation.

So Tadashi could hear that thumping noise too...?

Hiro tiredly retreated to his room that night, remembering the fact that he only slept two hours on his ten-hour flight earlier that day and he desperately needed rest.

When he trudged up the final step to the attic, he stopped short and nearly screamed, grabbing onto the railing and gaping at his room in awe.

Floating around his room were dozens of fireflies, brighter than the window overlooking New York City. They flew slowly, making circular motions around the center of the attic. Hiro slowly walked inside of the circle, gently spinning around as they flew around him and made his skin glow. In fact, Hiro looked down at his hands, choking at what he saw.

His fingertips were glowing. Glowing golden, and slowly spreading to the rest of his hand and down his arm. He panicked, trying to rub it onto his pants, but to no avail. His breathing picked up, and as his glowing skin touched his clothes, his clothes became red hot and turned yellow. Hiro held down a yelp of pain from the heat, looking up at the bugs and swatting them away to make them stop. They continued flying, immune to Hiro's hits. He cursed under his breath, grabbing his phone to use as a mirror and covering his mouth to see that the gold had traveled to his neck, slowly making its way to his face. He tried rubbing it off, he tried pouring water on it from his nightstand, but nothing worked. He collapsed on his bed, shaking in defeat as the gold traveled through Hiro's hair and burned his scalp.

The second the last of the gold flowed through a streak in his hair, the fireflies suddenly disappeared, and Hiro was suddenly on the floor. He inhaled a large breath, choking and sputtering on the ground. He sat bolt upright, fearfully crawling into his bed and not even bothering to change into his pajamas. His heart was beating loudly, shaking the mattress with each thump. He slowly closed his eyes and tried to recollect himself only to fall asleep, haunted by dreams of thumping closets and fireflies.

don't know if any of that made sense but this is just an idea, i love horror movies and i've been trying to pitch this idea for years. just needed a template.