AN: Hello Everyone!
I have a new story to share with you. I have had this idea in my head for a few days now so I decided to share with you. I know I have a terrible track record at updating other stories once I start them and I apologize for that (They will get done, I'm a slow writer) Nevertheless I hope this doesn't deter you from reading this. I hope you give this a chance. :)
Anyway on to the story... This is something I wanted to play around with for a while; it gets DARK and DISTURBING and involves abuse and neglect. But not to fear. It won't be like that for long. :)
If this isn't your cup of tea... I suggest you click out now. You have been warned.
I've wanted to write horror for the longest time and step out of my comfort zone, so I finally have the balls to do so. Lol
This story has horror (some not a lot.) Angst, Drama, Friendship, Romance. Rated T.
I don't own anything except a few OC's. All other Glee Characters mentioned belong to Fox and Ryan Murphy.
Sebastian is 23 here, as you will read. He's never met Blaine or any of the Warblers, which means he never went to Dalton.
I'm using real locations in the real Lima, Ohio. Also there is a REAL legend of a creepy old house on Hadsell Road in Bath Township. But I'm using it fictiously here. :)
This is a Sebofsky pairing.
Anyway with all that out the way... Lol! I hope you enjoy! :)
Chapter 1
He found he liked these nighttime bike rides. There were hardly any cars on those country roads and the feel of wind on his face and the burning in his thighs were both oddly refreshing. He could even arrogantly remove his hands and cradle his belly as long as the road was straight.
And straight it was. Country roads were always flat in the northwest Ohio countryside near Lima. Stars shone above in cloudless skies and he was free. Free of confinements, free of responsibility, and most importantly, free from his boring life.
Of course, he couldn't escape his ego. When you're an attractive, young gay man, you have social opportunities that get you everywhere. And he absolutely knew this.
Rounding a very brief curve on Hadsell Road, Sebastian was nearing his modest home. It was a simple, one-story house firmly nestled in Bath Township. He had mixed feelings about his home. Sure it was his but his father bought it. Never mind the added pressure of a mortgage and a roof that needed repair. That pretty much forced Sebastian to give up his failing dream of being an actor and come back home to live the boring, white collar existence he tried so hard to avoid. With a quick shake of his head, Sebastian ignored the semantics of the situation, along with an old, heavily dilapidated house off the road. And right when he passed it, only twenty yards or so from his house, he heard that sound again; the reverberations that annoyed him ever since he moved there a few weeks prior.
Howls. Or growls. Or...something. Seemed like every night he heard dogs or coyotes or maybe even wolves sounding off in the night. Usually, the howls were just annoying. Every once in a while, they sounded sad. But they ALL got on Sebastian's last nerve. And it was difficult to pinpoint where exactly they were coming from.
Riding up his driveway, he rode his bike to the garage door and when he opened the door, that's when he heard that DAMN LOUD noise again!
Awooooooo! Woooooo!
Sebastian couldn't take it! As he opened the garage door he threw his bike inside, not even bothering to lock it up properly and slammed the door shut.
"Shuuuuuuuut uuuuuup!" The twenty three year old screamed as loudly as he could and since no one really lived anywhere within two miles, Sebastian could yell as loud as he wanted without "disturbing" the neighbors. That was one of the perks of having no neighbors – he could do whatever he wanted, no judgments or whispering from others.
He took a moment, slightly out of breath and listened closely... The noise stopped. Complete and utter silence. Sebastian grinned when he thought he won.
THANK GOD, Sebastian thought as he wiped his sweaty left brow.
Not even taking two steps toward his modest home Sebastian heard what sounded like chains and more howling!
Awoooooo! Wooooo!
Sebastian's face fell in defeat. He was too frustrated to care about the whimpering and it didn't even peak his interest to go explore the mysterious noise. With his head hung low and shoulders hunched, Sebastian left his garage and headed straight into his home leaving the ruckus behind. He slammed his front door as the cries continued. He was just too damn tired to care.
"I give up, you win..." Sebastian whispered as he went to pass out from exhaustion on his bed.
.
Woooooo! Awwwwwwooooo!
"I have to work in the morning…" He angrily muttered to himself as he put a pillow over his ears. It seemed like anything he tried, he just couldn't drown out the noise outside.
The howls and growls kept him up half the night. Sebastian didn't know what to do. It was driving him nuts. But still he stayed in bed wishing it would go away. It didn't.
Is there NO end to this?! Sebastian angrily thought as the noise seem to get louder and louder.
The howls and growls continued through the night.
.
Although Sebastian had only been working there a week or so, he should've been used to office protocol. He wasn't. He heavily sighed as he used his badge three times to get to his cubicle. Then, he deposited his belongings on his desk and glared at the stack of purchasing paperwork waiting for him.
Day after day after day…. This was Sebastian's life now and he couldn't have been more miserable. That's the daily grind for you.
An hour passed. Maybe an hour and a half. His now cold coffee stared back at him as he seemed lost in the black liquid. That's when he noticed his eyes were drooping. And drooping. And drooping….
"Rough night?"
Sebastian nearly jumped out of his skin when he saw Joel standing at his cubicle. Leaning against the panel, Joel just cockily smiled at him, thinking he was the funniest man alive. His pristine, pressed white shirt nearly blinded Sebastian and Joel smiled even wider.
"Ha, ha funny man." Sebastian replied. He swiveled in his chair to greet the visitor. Despite Joel's lack of apparent taste, he was quite handsome in Sebastian's eyes.
"Well, don't fall asleep at your desk." Joel loudly said, plopping down in Sebastian's guest chair. "You'll get fired."
COMPANY MAN, Sebastian thought. Joel was no longer very attractive.
"That actually sounds very appealing." Sebastian said, reaching for a stack of grant proposals, purchase requisitions, budget appropriations for the next fiscal year, accounts payables, accounts receivables, refunds, and more filing than a human being should be asked to do.
"Wellllllll…." Joel swiveled in the chair, looking up at the ceiling and then back at him. "It's not EVERYONE who can get a job here thanks to his daddy-"
"Is there something I can help you with?"
Joel came to a stop, clasping his hands over his chest. "Well, I basically just wanted to say hi."
Sebastian turned to him. "Hi."
"Hi!"
Joel giggled. Sebastian didn't.
"So," Joel continued, like they were the best of friends, "why are you so tired today?"
"Couldn't sleep." And as if on cue, Sebastian yawned.
"Why not?"
Sebastian momentarily closed his eyes and then opened them to see Joel looking like he was genuinely concerned. COMPANY MAN, Sebastian thought.
"There's like…something howling at night."
"What?!"
"You heard me." Sebastian reached for a purchase requisition. "I went for a bike ride last night and it was so nice, so en the howling started up. It was annoying. I wish someone would call ODNR and have them take care of the coyotes or whatever they are."
"Woah." Joel said. "Coming across mighty bitchy there, Seb."
YOU AIN'T SEEN BITCHY YET, Sebastian thought. AND MY NAME IS SEBASTIAN.
"Night after night after night…" Sebastian sighed and reached for his coffee cup. "I'm getting some coffee." He stood up and expected Joel to as well. He didn't. So, Sebastian walked past the cubicle invader without another word. Of course, he only got two steps away before he heard Joel get up and follow him.
They walked down the long, funeral home-like hallway to the common area. The place reeked of processed breakfast and burnt coffee. Sebastian nearly vomited. "Wait a minute," Joel began, standing almost in front of the coffee maker. "You said…coyotes?"
"Or something." Sebastian poured a fresh cup of coffee and offered some to Joel, who silently declined the offer with a wave of his manicured hand. "I should probably just call the police or the ODNR."
"Why the ODNR?"
Sebastian was already tired of this conversation, but he put on his best, office political front for Joel.
"Because that's who takes care of wild animals. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources." Sebastian took a sip of his black coffee and reached for the sugar bowl. "Just shoot the fuckin' animals."
"Woah, woah, woah!" Joel protested. "Isn't that a bit extreme?"
"This isn't a time for a PETA lecture you know!"
Joel stood up straight and glared at him. Sebastian knew he went too far and immediately sighed.
"Sorry, Joel. I'm just really tired."
They turned to return to his cubicle.
"So, do your neighbors complain?"
"What neighbors?"
They arrived at the cubicle and returned to their designated chairs.
"What do you mean 'what neighbors'?"
"That means," Sebastian reached for the same purchase requisition again, in hopes of getting Joel out of his hair. "that I live alone and have no neighbors."
"Where in the hell do you live?"
Sebastian took another sip of his coffee and was grateful that he added sugar. "On Hadsell Road. In Bath Township."
Suddenly, Joel's eyes went wide and he leaped out of his seat towards Sebastian!
"You mean to tell me," Joel began with sudden serious, "that you live near that haunted house?"
"What haunted house?"
"You never heard of it?" Joel slowly sat back down. "Oh dude. You gotta move."
"What? Why?"
"Dude, some weird shit went down there about ten years ago. Weird, fuckin' shit man."
"Like what?" Sebastian realized he wasn't going to get out of this conversation. So, he dropped the purchase requisition back on its original stack.
"I don't know man, but you gotta move."
"I can't."
"Why not?"
"Joel. I'm not going to move just because of an…urban legend."
"It's not an urban legend, man! It's for real!" Joel took a breath to calm down. "How close are you to that haunted house?"
"I don't know. Maybe twenty yards." And then, a shit-eating grin adorned Sebastian's face. "I can see it and Russia from my house!"
"Dude! This is no laughing matter!"
Seeing that his attempt at his Sarah Palin joke went unappreciated, he sighed. Loudly. "Well, I can't move."
"Dude." Joel scooted closer to him, lowering his voice for some reason. "This howling or whatever you hear. Does it come from that house?"
Sebastian thought for a second. He only seemed to hear it at night and it did seem to come from that general direction. It seemed logical that the howling was coming from that house, but still…
"I don't know. It could be."
"Move." Joel abruptly stood up and turned to leave. "ASAP, dude." He left.
Sebastian chuckled to himself. "There is no way I'm gonna move…. Then again, I'm talking to myself. So I might just be going crazy."
After a quick shake of his head and another sip of coffee, Sebastian Smythe dove into his new world of numbers and money. He didn't have time for haunted house stories. After all, he had a job to do.
.
He tripped. As he opened his front door, Sebastian's exhaustion caught up to him as he nearly fell crossing the door's threshold. With accounting numbers and codes and funds and processes and policies clouding his brain, Sebastian barely comprehended shutting the front door. He waddled towards the kitchen, dropping off his belongings and even his dress clothes as he went. While his five-minute meal absorbed radiation in the microwave, he vowed to not sit down on the couch just yet.
He might not get up.
Sebastian switched the TV on. Some silly show about a bunch of kids in a high school glee club was on and he wasn't interested. Half-lidded eyes barely focused on anything and he briefly considered getting on the internet or changing the channel or clipping coupons or SOMETHING to keep him awake…
Ding! Dinner was ready.
Laboriously, he got up and retrieved his microwaved meal and ate it quickly. It was unevenly heated and a burst of hot food momentarily woke him up. But it didn't last. Sebastian didn't even remember what he ate.
Not a half hour after he consumed his dinner, he flopped on the bed. He still had a work shirt on but at least he was in boxers. A small smile formed on his face.
This. This is what he needed. Peaceful, wonderful sleep…
Owwwwwwwwwww! Ayyyyyeeeeeee!
"Oh dear God," Sebastian muttered, turning his head on the pillow. "Not again."
He swung his legs over the side of the bed and walked up to his window. A cloudless sky greeted him and the fresh, spring air felt good. Sebastian took a deep breath, inhaling the unsullied country air.
Ayyyyyeeeeeee!
Sebastian's head flipped towards the sound.
"I'll be damned." He said aloud. "Joel was right."
.
Just like his job, Sebastian's evenings and nights fell into a routine as well. When he got home from work, he struggled to function. Exhaustion coupled with the creeping blackness in the corners of his vision made it nearly impossible to do simple tasks, like laundry. And when it was time for bed, he developed routines to combat the loud ruckus at night.
One night, he put earbuds in his ears and played music and sounds designed to soothe and invite sleep.
That didn't work.
Another night, he nailed soundproof shielding on his window.
That didn't work either.
Sebastian Smythe was running out of options.
Night after night after night, he struggled to get good sleep. And then, one night, he heard something peculiar. At first, he couldn't figure out what the howling was. But it was the first indication that whatever or whoever was making that noise might not be an animal at all. It sounded almost…sad. Or amused. Or…
Human.
His sanity struggled against supernatural explanations and that allegedly haunted house was empty. Supposedly.
So after the sixth night in a row of restless sleep, Sebastian wildly opened the window.
"Shut the fuck up!"
For a few seconds, silence. Wonderful, soothing silence. And then he heard something that shook him to the core.
"Is that…" Sebastian said. "crying?"
And the howling started right back up again. He had had enough. After he slammed the window down, he raced to his computer. He opened up Google and searched for the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. Sebastian knew they could take care of wild animals, howling in the night.
But something bothered him about this decision. The last few times he heard the sounds, they didn't sound like any animal HE'D ever heard of.
And just when the crying/laughing sound ended, the howling started right back up with a vengeance!
Sebastian groaned and dropped his head in his hands. After a few breaths, he slowly lifted his head, letting his fingers slide on his face. He opened his eyes and saw the Ohio Department of Natural Resources webpage staring at him. He scrolled down to the 'Contact Us' section and found a toll-free number of 'wild animals'. He moved the mouse to that, watching the cursor change to an inviting finger on his screen. Sebastian stared at it, hoping to get an answer. He just didn't know what to do.
Owwwwwwwwww! Ayyeeeeeee!
"That's it."
Suddenly, Sebastian got up and with surprising energy, changed into an old pair of blue jeans, t-shirt, and hiking boots. After that, he bolted towards the kitchen and grabbed a flashlight. And as he slammed the front door closed, he stared in the direction of the haunted house.
"I gotta find out what you are." Sebastian said as he crossed Hadsell Road. "I gotta get some sleep!" He briefly considered bringing some kind of weapon and almost turned around to grab a knife. But something told him not to and just find out what the hell that noise was. Determinedly, he strode through the fields, the light from the flashlight stabbing the air. His boots practically stomped into the earth and he could see the house from a distance. It actually wasn't that far from his own house but it was a considerable distance from Hadsell Road. Sebastian was making good time as he finally arrived.
It must've been a beauty back in its day. A two-story farmhouse, with a wrap-around porch and at least five chimneys. For a moment, he stared at what was at one time magnificent, now dilapidated and should be condemned. And as his flashlight scoured the roof, cornice, and crooked shutters, he heard it again.
That sound. That now horribly LOUD sound. It was definitely coming from this rundown, blackened, and weather-beaten farmhouse.
He took a step on the porch stairs and heard the creaking of the wood. It pierced his ears and it was as if the world was collectively holding its breath, it was so quiet. But with step after step after step, the wood beneath him creaked and groaned louder and louder.
When Sebastian got to the porch, he used the banister to steady himself and it promptly broke. The heavy banister crashed onto the steps, cracking the wood in three different places.
"Shit." Sebastian muttered.
"Shhhhiiii…."
His eyes widened. He didn't breathe. But he did move his flashlight towards the sound and found it pointed right at the front door.
"Fuck me."
"Fuuuummeee…"
He froze, breathing and pulse practically exploding out of him. Sebastian Smythe had never been this scared before. But he needed answers. So, after a deep breath, he took five steps and knocked on the door.
Ayyyeeeeeeee!
The house seemed to shake with that sound. He covered his ears and closed his eyes, desperately fighting off the urge to run. Instead, he reached within himself for inner strength and again knocked. This time, no sound.
But the door moved.
Puzzled, Sebastian knocked again and the door slid open. Creaks and groans from old hinges sent shivers down his spine. And yet the door slowly opened, into total darkness and stillness. He crossed the dusty threshold and entered the house.
Immediately, Sebastian sneezed. And sneezed. And sneezed again. And then he finished with a very loud and shaking sneeze. And far off in the distance, he heard a very unexpected sound…
Laughter. Short and quirky sounding laughter. NOW he knew he wasn't alone. Fresh rivers of shivers coursed through his body and he raised the flashlight.
A magnificent staircase rose to the second floor in front of him. A once-elegant room that probably served as a seating room was to his right. And to his left was a bigger room, probably a living room. He stepped to his right, hearing floorboards creak below him. There was no more sound at all.
Each step brought him further into the house, into a life that wasn't his. A gorgeous bookcase was along the far wall and an enormous fireplace, black and dusty, aligned the far wall. As he crossed the room, a huge dining room table was in front of him and he sneezed again.
Laughter. Short, child-like laughter. He knew he heard it from behind him. Wildly, he turned around and grabbed a marble candlestick from the dining room table. Sebastian was officially creeped out and he didn't like the eerie laughter. Not one bit!
He ignored the kitchen. The amount of mold and dust there would've overwhelmed his immune system more than the whole house already did. He turned to his right and took two steps near the main staircase. And as he neared the basement stairs, Joel's terrifying story came to life.
Chains. Sebastian distinctly heard chains rattling or something. Wide-eyed and baffled, he raised the flashlight in to the direction of the sound and found himself going down the basement stairs. Step by step by momentous step, floorboards creaked and all chain sounds stopped.
"Mmmmmm…"
Sebastian's entire body shook. Whoever or whatever was in that basement did NOT want him to go down there. He stared at his hand – the one that would have to open that door. He really, really, really didn't want to. But he'd come this far.
The light from the flashlight shook as he steadied himself. Finally, after what felt like years, Sebastian reached for the doorknob and turned it.
It was locked.
"fuuuuumeeee…"
Sebastian's knee-jerk reactions kicked in. "I amuse you, huh?"
Laugher! Sheer, child-like laughter for just a second came from behind the basement door.
Someone was in there!
"Hello?" Sebastian called out. "Is...is anyone down there?"
Silence.
A little frustrated, Sebastian tried the door handle. It wouldn't open but didn't exactly act like it was locked.
"Old fuckin' door." He muttered.
"Ollllldooorrrr."
Sebastian chuckled and couldn't believe it. So, with fixed determination, he hammered away at the door handle with the candlestick. And with nearly every blow, he heard weak crying from the other side.
Now, the whole situation changed. This urban legend of a haunted house turned out to be a rescue. Sebastian had to fix this!
Wham, wham, wham! Each time the candlestick connected with the handle, it bent more and more. Finally, the handle collapsed and the door swung open. Sebastian tossed the marble candle to the ground, he ignored the loud BANGING noise it made. He had more important things to think about at the moment.
He almost vomited. The noxious fumes slammed his nostrils, he sneezed, and had to hold down his gorge. Whatever it was that caused these odors seemed different from the rest of the house.
Sebastian did not like this at all.
Eventually, he did his best to control his stomach and nerves. He cautiously entered the room. Like many basements in old houses, the ceiling was low and littered with cobwebs. He had to duck many times and he endlessly swatted his arm to avoid eating anything in the dirty air. He coughed and realized something – there were no sounds at all.
He took a step to the right. It was incredibly dark, even with the flashlight invading the room.
"Hello?" Sebastian called out. No response. He took another step, moving the flashlight around shelves and boxes. "Hello?" Again no response. And when he peered around the corner and took a step forward, he tripped!
Sebastian screamed as he hit the floor, the flashlight scurrying away! He was now in complete darkness, save for the lonely beam of light on the floor. His elbow and hips hurt from the impact on the floor and he crawled towards the beam of light.
And as he made his way forward, he looked where the light was shining.
Sebastian had never screamed that loudly before! There was a heavy chain, bolted at least four times into the concrete wall. There appeared to be blood on the chain just as Sebastian reached the flashlight. Collecting himself, he stood up and followed the chain. Nervously, shakily, the light moved along the links of the chain until he finally could see what was attached.
It was a man! A YOUNG man! But Sebastian couldn't get a better look as the light waved in the air.
Sebastian screamed again, took two steps back, and tripped on whatever it was that he tripped on before.
"Oh no, no, no!" He yelled. He wildly looked around him. The room was so unbelievably dark that it took him a while to find the flashlight's light. His body ached from the second impact but he ignored the pain. Slowly, he got up and walked towards the light.
Suddenly, the light moved!
Sebastian watched it wiggle on the floor and with held breath, watched it dance in the air!
He could hardly breathe. He couldn't move. And just as the light rose even further in the air, the chains rattled even more. Sebastian wanted to cover his ears, bolt out of there, and go back to bed. But his body wouldn't let him! He just watched as the light rose further, stopped, and starting coming right towards him!
The chains rattled even more. He sensed someone getting closer to him and it frightened him beyond belief.
"H-hey." Sebastian said. "H-hey, you OK?"
The light came to a halt and then began to turn in the air. The person holding it didn't exactly know what they were doing with it as the light wavered in the air like a night club.
The young man giggled. Sebastian couldn't believe his ears when he distinctly heard that little laughter. And as the light made more wild revolutions in the air, the light turned and shone on the man. And for just an instant, Sebastian came face to face with this gaunt face of a hazel-eyed man.
He screamed, holding his hands over his eyes! Sebastian ran to the flashlight, scooped it up, and still terrified, shone it on the him. He screamed again, shielding his eyes.
Sebastian's eyes widened even further. He lowered the light towards the boy's impossibly thin chest, so they could see each other and not hurt either one.
"You…you're alive!" Sebastian exclaimed.
The man looked at him. "Yeeeeees."
.
AN: Well... That was scary! *Shivers* Should I continue? Let me know. Let me know what you think so far. Thank you for reading! Be kind. Have a nice day!-Ilovesmesomegleex3
