a/n: hello, it's me *ducks* i haven't updated my multi chaps in forever but they are not abandoned! i'm just trying to get back into writing again and writing what i want to write, but look out for an update in the next month, but school can be busy too! so, you never know.

this story is based on ahs, if you don't know that acronym that's fine, it's heavily based on it, so things may come across occ, but i had to cut out some elements of it to cut down on that. it's probably gonna be four parts, we'll see. i hope to get the next part up soon.

let me know what you think!

i'm on tumblr at stilescavanaugh, come chat with me, or request a drabble!

this story will be M, and some possible scary/ sexual situations will occur, but nothing too extreme, and there will be warnings!

we were made for the darkness

part one

by: colorshow

The realtor excitedly shuffled her feet as the family looked around the house, or well most of them anyway.

Spencer Hastings sat, completely uninterested in the idea of it all, why the hell did her family have to move to Los Angeles anyway?

Probably more or less because her father had completely ruined their perfect family life in Pennsylvania, as well as the fact that her sister, Melissa, had transferred to UCLA for her last year of prelaw school.

She despised both of them.

Maybe they were the reason she had gone bat shit insane, she sure as hell had no idea why she had. At least she pretended not to anyway. As soon as she had found out about her father's infidelity (although all she had to have done was look to notice it) she became depressed for lack of a better word.

And then her parents had decided to uproot her just for their own personal needs and uplift her life completely ignoring the fact she wasn't okay with it. Couldn't they have waited two years?

That's when she realized no one really gave a shit about her.

Had she ever really had any friends? Or were they all just preppy rich kids living in an air of indifference? She'd always had weird fascinations, but tried to push them down. When she was in elementary school everyone found her strange, with her shark tooth necklace and thick glasses and magnifying glass she carried everywhere.

But that was who she was, she was a girl who liked to be fascinated and solve mysteries.

So a year ago she became that strange girl, with thick tights and goodwill dresses, who didn't give a shit, and spent her days reading classic literature and writing in a leather bound notebook.

But it wasn't until three months ago she started smoking, and it wasn't until she found out they were moving she started cutting.

Her life fucking sucks.

Her family buys the house. It's old, and expensive. Not that her family can't afford it with her dad's lofty medical degree.

It's old, the relator tells them it hasn't been inhabited for five years, but it still is in good condition the plastic blonde relator who Spencer can't stand assures them.

She reminds Spencer of Mrs. Dilaurentis.

The woman her father had an affair with.

Her daughter used to be Spencer's friend, but she never told Spencer that her mom was having an affair when she very clearly knew.

She also didn't hesitate to turn her back when Spencer got sick of her power obsessed friend's antics. Is she the same as she was then? She doesn't know, more likely now she wouldn't give a shit about Alison right now, she'd always been a bitch; it just took a while for Spencer to notice.

Lost her thoughts she doesn't even register what the relator is blabbing about until she hears her.

"The house, just to let you know" the relator begins once she sees the papers are signed, and the deal is sealed "has been known as a local legend, some have even said its haunted"

Her parents' wide eyes make Spencer smirk, but the relator quickly waves her hands "but I'm sure that's all just an urban legend!"

It seemed like she'd finally have the mystery she'd been waiting for.

She has a chalkboard in her room where she marks the days down until she has to go back to school.

Her new school, which made things even worse than the regular first day of school jitters.

Surprisingly, she hasn't been a fucking mess as the days get smaller and smaller in number. She's got The Great Gatsby on her lap and a cigarette hanging from her mouth. Maybe she started smoking not because she wanted to but because she liked the idea of it. It was mysterious, and also oddly poetic.

Spencer had a friend, Aria, who loved to take pictures and always listen to Fleetwood Mac. She would've liked the scene; Aria was the one who introduced her to smoking, the two bonded over their cheating fathers.

She was strange too, just like Spencer, but she had always been strange. Nothing like Spencer, who was five feet away from jumping off the cliff of insanity.

Her parents would never find her out here, they didn't care about her. Mr. Hastings was with a patient, his first one of the ten new clients he had snatched from a rival psychiatrist in the area. Her mom was probably off joining some uppity country club, something her mom would never let Spencer see the inside of. As well as tell her friends Melissa was her only daughter, it was easier for everyone that way.

Humming softly as she read of Gatsby and the jazz era she was surprised to see a boy standing in front of her.

She looked at him coolly; his blue eyes bright, "You scared me, it's kind of creepy to just stand there, ya know?" Spencer drawled taking another drag from her cigarette.

He shrugged, unabashed by her hostility he took a seat across from her, while she tried to ignore his presence. "I'm one of your dad's patients, does that scare you?" he asked timidly, causing Spencer to look up from her book, allowing the pause in their conversation to allow her time to observe him. He certainly looked quite normal, with his grey t-shirt and jeans, his hair spiked up from his face, and with his dimples and high cheekbones. Spencer had never been too distracted by boys but she couldn't help but take an interest in him. She couldn't help that he was handsome.

After a minute or so of silence Spencer shook her head, "No, nothing scares me anymore." She responded firmly. Letting herself make eye contact with him, a thing that usually scared her but she decided there was only one polite thing to do.

"Do you want a cigarette?"

He shrugged "Sure, why not?"

Holding out the pack of Marlboros next to her she watched his long fingers slide one out of the pack as he held the cigarette up to be lit. Smiling at him she grabbed her lighter from the pocket of her cardigan, quickly lighting it as he held it up to his lips.

Taking a drag from the cigarette he let the smoke flow from his mouth, "So, what's your name? I'm Toby, Toby Cavanaugh."

Toby, she liked it. "I'm Spencer, and I'm sure you can guess my last name." she answered, closing her book as she took another drag from her cigarette.

He smiled "That's a pretty name, I live next door you know. Your dad is the probably the closest I've ever lived to a psychiatrist."

"Yeah I guess, but even that can't hide the fact he's a shitty doctor, he can't even keep his family together, how does he expect to help other people get their life on track?" Spencer countered, causing Toby to laugh, "I guess, so did have something to do with why you moved here?" he asked.

Despite the fact she had never mentioned that they moved recently she didn't find it too strange, besides why else would he suddenly have new neighbors?

Nodding her head, she decided that talking to someone might be nice, even god forbid, therapeutic. "He's a douchebag, my mom's sister recently died from breast cancer and she'd been really depressed around that time. Apparently he couldn't keep it in his pants and decided to have an affair with my friend's mother. Then decided that a move out to LA would be the best thing to 'bring together' our family that he screwed up, my sister also recently transferred to UCLA so they want to be close to their golden child."

Toby shook his head "That sucks ass. My mom left with some asshole who was loaded and left me with my father, and then remarried to a younger girl who's obviously a gold digger." He scoffed, letting his cigarette hang from his fingers.

Spencer pursed her lips "I guess we're both screwed up then."

He nodded "Yeah, it's kind of nice to know I'm not alone though."

Before she could respond she heard her mother calling "Spencer, Melissa's coming over in less than an hour, come help me prepare dinner!" Rolling her eyes she slowly got up from the ground, stubbing out her cigarette, the first time she actually had been enjoying herself in months and she was being ripped from it by the root of all her problems, Melissa.

Giving him a small smile she slipped the pack of Marlboro's into her cardigan's pocket "I should go, my mom's not fun when she's mad."

Toby nodded "I should too, it was really nice to meet you Spencer, I'll see you around, okay?" he said, his words made her heart flutter, he wanted to see her again.

"Yeah, I'd really like that."

She couldn't get his blue eyes out of her head for the rest of the night.

Melissa delicately finishes chewing a piece of the herb roasted chicken that had just recently been on her fork.

Spencer continues to cut her chicken into small pieces, occasionally taking a bite. While the rest of the family only pays attention to Melissa.

"So, daddy, how was your new patient?" Melissa asks, a smile plastered on her face.

Her dad shrugs, "He's an interesting case, that's for sure, I'm not supposed to disclose information-"

Spencer knew it was coming.

"But, I know you guys can keep it secret."

Another reason he was a shitty psychiatrist.

"If I'm being truthful I think he might be a psychopath." Spencer's ears perk up at the words, a psychopath? Toby didn't seem psychopathic to her. "I don't know him well enough to make a diagnosis yet, obviously, but he shows all the signs, he seems to be a deeply disturbed child."

Melissa scrunched her eyebrows, while Spencer couldn't help but feel unfazed by any of this, "How old is he?" Melissa asked.

"Seventeen, a year older than Spencer, don't worry sweetie he doesn't go to your school." Her dad said, his voice sickly sweet.

"Too bad, then maybe this place wouldn't be so hellish." She muttered quiet enough so nobody would hear her.

Spencer's first day of school is hell.

Some short skirted head bitch harassed her when she saw Spencer smoking in the hallway. Going on about how it gave her grandma lung cancer and blah blah, can't she make her own choices?

A short sorry and putting out her cigarette had not been enough for the girl, who slapped her, her bitch claws leaving a scratch on her cheek.

Spencer spit in her face and Mona Vanderwaal was automatically on her 'list'.

The encounter had made her desperate to go home, and she couldn't help but feel liberated when the school bell rang. Home, she never thought she'd actually want to go home.

But apparently things can be deceiving.

Curled up in her usually spot outside wrapped in her favorite oversized crewneck sweatshirt she quickly lit a cigarette and began to read her worn copy of To Kill A Mockingbird.

Spencer could spend all her days like this and she would be happy, all she needed now was some strong coffee and things would be as perfect as they could possibly get.

"Hey"

The voice shocks her and she nearly drops her cigarette. "Shit, you scared me!" she exclaims, elbowing Toby as he sits next to her.

He shrugs "I like to leave an impression, what can I say?"

Spencer shook her head "No you don't, you seem like the quiet type, like me."

Giving her a smirk he nodded "You've gotten me all figured out, huh? Maybe you could take over for your dad."

Laughing she nodded "Or you could tell me on your own time."

"Yeah, that's true." He agreed, studying her closely his eyebrows rose as he examined the cut on her cheek, tracing it gently with his finger "Did somebody hurt you?" Toby asked his voice tender and angry all at once, he cared. It shocked her, why did he care?

Clearing her throat she shook her head, "It's nothing to worry about, just a bitch and her cronies got all psycho on me because I was smoking in school, and she slapped me and it left a mark. But I spit in her face so hopefully she'll leave me alone from now on."

"It's not okay; if she doesn't leave you alone, let me know okay?" He asked his voice stern but softening a minute later "I don't want you to get hurt."

Her insides seemed to twist and turn, maybe he was dangerous, but she was toxic too. And maybe finding someone who could understand her would make things better.

"Yeah, wanna come up to my room and hang out?" she asked nervously, knowing that her dad wasn't home. Smiling at her he agreed "I'd like that a lot."

That was the day she sealed her fate.

It had been a month since they moved to Los Angeles when she realized something was off about the house. Maybe it was the fact that her mother had complained multiple times of suspiciously finding food missing from their cupboards or that Spencer had seen several 'Haunted LA' tour buses drive past their house. She'd mentioned this to Toby one day when they were sitting at what she affectionately referred to as 'their spot'.

Like everything about their friendship (relationship?) it was blunt and honest. Well, it was also sweet in the way two semi-crazy teenagers found solace in each other.

"I think my house is haunted." She stated her eyes wide and her fingers curled around a cigarette.

Toby looked at her thoughtfully "What makes you think that?"

Shrugging she took a drag from her cigarette as she watched his face become panicked, nothing ever made sense about Toby. Scuffing her converse against the ground she looked up at him "It's just I can feel it, it makes sense. Food is always missing from the cabinets and they're left wide open! And when I go to sleep, hell when I watch television I feel like I'm always being watched."

Toby's eyes went wide, "I wouldn't worry Spencer, nothing bad will happen to you, I promise." He assures her, taking her hand in his, while his eyes blaze.

Everything about him is fire, and she's the smoke.

She loves it.

The house becomes more and more mysterious every day, her mom mentions reading an article about a famous doctor who once lived in the house, apparently he was one of the freaky doctors who dismember their patients. A part of her thinks it's cool that this piece of history is her house, she asks Toby about the previous owners of the house, but he always seems hesitant to tell her anything.

"You don't want to know." That's what he tells one night when he sneaks into her house while her parents are meeting with some of their new ritzy LA friends.

Spencer rolls her eyes "Do you not know me at all? Of course I want to know!" she elbows him and he leans a little closer to her as some indie rock band blares from her speakers.

Shaking his head he protests "You don't want to know okay? It'll trap you here."

That's when she hears it, it sounds like a groan, coming from the basement, and then she hears a childish laugh. Is she scared? She feels scared.

"What was that?" Spencer murmurs frantically, gripping to the sleeve of Toby's sweater. He gently strokes her hair, "Don't worry about it, it's nothing, nothing will hurt you, I'm here." He affirms, why won't he give her answers?

"You aren't always here Toby and you can't protect me from everything." She counters, tearing herself away from him. His hands grip her shoulders "I'm here, Spencer." And in an instant he kisses her, its soft and so, so desperate.

Fuck.

He leans back, taking in her expression, she smiles at him, he feels it too. "I care about you Spence, ok? And I'm always gonna be here for you, promise."

She kisses him back, this time hard and hurried, fuck she wants this, she wants him. She wants proof he isn't something built from her imagination to help her carry on. He pushes her back against the sheets of her bed while her foot trails down his leg, eliciting a groan from him. He's holding back, and so is she. When her tongue seeks entrance he eagerly opens his mouth, their tongues fighting for dominance. Spencer never thought it'd be better, but with him it is, it's not happy but its better and that's what she needs. Someone who knows she is not okay, and he needs someone who knows that he can't be cured.

They're perfect, and so far from it all at the same time.

She doesn't let him leave until she hears her parents come home, lets him caress her and kiss her until she can't let him anymore, afraid they'll go too far. She needs him, tomorrow, in a week, and right here right now, because this house scares her, whether she wants to let it or not, and Toby will give her answers, even if she has to fuck them out of him.

The idea of it makes her feel something in her core, oh they're twisted all right, and that's her favorite part about them.

Melissa decides to have a sisterly chat with her when her parents are out. Toby had been unable to come over tonight, and even having to spend time with Melissa sounded better than being alone in this house.

"So, Spencer, ever going to take a leap off the crazy train?"

The sentence is so like Melissa it makes her blood boil, but she calms the rage inside her. "If I could don't you think I would've tried sister dear?" she mocks in response. Melissa rolls her eyes at her, "I know you're mad about moving to LA but it really was for the best-"

"It's not"

"Yes it is-"

"For you, Melissa, for you, and for dad who messed up our originally shitty excuse for a family it is, I don't want this, this house isn't a good place Melissa." Spencer retorts, watching Melissa's face become confused.

"What do you mean a bad place?"

Spencer scoffs "Mom hasn't told you, it's haunted, that's the reason I made you come over tonight, I didn't want to be alone."

"It's not haunted."

"Yes it is, I can-"

The two girls sit up in shock when they hear the slam of a door, and the shaking of a lock. "Fuck, Melissa what's going on?" Spencer asks frantically, getting up from her perch on the arm of the living room couch.

Before her sister can even answer there are three figures in the room, decked in black, only their eyes shining through. There's murder in them, it's not remorseful in any way.

But it's not their eyes that scariest, it's the guns in their hands.

"Ready for a reenactment?"

ohh a cliffhanger! review and let me know what you think!