Chapter 1

Penny scowled at the Hello Kitty wallpaper on her laptop. She had closed the document for a third time. She never felt so useless and inadequate in her life. Perhaps she really did belong waiting tables, she obviously had no business being on a Journalism course. She couldn't imagine other writers having such problems starting a story, she had stared at that blank page for a full twenty minutes.

Leonard came into her apartment at that moment. She looked up and was suddenly glad of the break.

"Hello stranger," she said in a rather sad voice.

"You okay?" he asked.

Penny took full advantage of his sympathetic tone and launched into a tirade.

"I can't do this stupid story. Leonard, I'm just not cut out for this Journalism crap."

"Aww come on, you've only just started. It's bound to take a while. What have you got so far?"

Penny clicked away on her keyboard and brought up the few lines she had begun with. Leonard read quickly through them. He so wanted to be encouraging but what she had written didn't make much sense.

"The life story of a Saudi Princess,"

He read the title out loud and cast a doubtful look at his girlfriend.

"You see, even you think it's crap."

"No I don't think it's crap it's just Penny...you are not a Saudi Princess nor do you know any Saudi Princesses."

"My friend at work read a book about a Saudi Princess she could give me some tips."

"Or you could write about something you actually know about!"

"Leonard, I live a boring life working at the cheesecake factory and hanging out with you guys."

"Thanks,"

Penny moved towards him and played with the strings attached to his hooded jacket.

"You know what I mean. It's just not riveting stuff people will want to read. I don't lead a very full life."

Leonard gave her a hug.

"Don't worry. It'll come to you. Just stick with it. Nobody comes up with award winning prose their first time out. It takes time."

"Leonard I've done enough for one day, can't we go over to your place and fool around. Sheldon will be gone all evening,"

"Why my place, why not here."

"Look around Leonard, this place is a dump. Unless you want to stay over here and help me clean up."

Leonard took hold of her hand and headed for the door.

"No that's fine. My place is just fine."

They burst though the door already laughing and kissing and trying to remove clothes from each other. They both froze as Sheldon looked back at them.

"You could at least wait until you enter Leonard's room." He said.

Penny pulled her sweater back into place.

Leonard scowled at his friend. "Sheldon I thought you were with Amy."

"I was, now I'm here. Amy was serving chicken and vegetables for dinner."

"So," Leonard shrugged.

"I don't like chicken and vegetables, I wanted spaghetti."

"Sheldon, you didn't walk out on her did you." Penny asked.

"No I told her I don't like chicken and I got my jacket. She turned off the stove and went to her bedroom."

Both Penny and Leonard exchanged glances. Penny was about to advise him on future relations with Amy when Raj and Howard burst through the door and plonked themselves down on the couch.

"I thought you two were going to a party with your friends."

"Ex friends," Howard nodded.

"What happened, though in truth I don't really care." Leonard said, making Penny smile.

"Turns out our friends enjoy the ancient tradition known as the dark arts. They took us to a mansion belonging to a friend of theirs and before you know it they were all sitting around a ouija board."

"Aw did you get scared," Leonard smiled.

"Contact with the dead is highly against my religion." Howard said, though in truth he did looked scared.

"It's all a lot of hokum," Sheldon weighed in. "They had a Ouija board at a party when I was growing up. My mother stormed out saying it weren't Christian. For a few weeks plates were flying around and electricity was going on and off and neighbors were saying it was the spirit world. "

"So what was it?" Howard asked.

Sheldon shrugged, "I don't know. "

Howard and Raj looked over at each other. Sheldon's story wasn't helping them much.

"Kripke says his friends who own the mansion are holding a House on Haunted Hill like party there next Saturday. You pay 100 bucks each to attend the party and stay the night."

Leonard sneered at the idea. "who'd want to pay a 100 bucks to attend a dumb old party."

But Penny smiled over at him. "A party at a mansion, they might have four poster beds Leonard,"

"I doubt it."

Leonard dismissed the idea but as he locked eyes with Penny he suddenly knew what was on her mind.

"No, I think we should go." he suddenly nodded. "It might be fun."

Howard looked at him incredulously. "Are you serious, I only told you that because I was making conversation. You seriously want to spend 100 bucks to visit an old house. There'll be no one there but weirdoes and You Tubers trying to post videos."

"Weirdo's, You Tubers and four poster beds." Leonard grinned.

"Well I won't be going," Sheldon announced. "I've never met with such tomfoolery in my life. "

"We'd love to go," said Amy

Everyone looked down at Sheldon's laptop.

"Ohh, I forgot about her."

Sheldon tried to slowly close the lid down but it was too late Amy had heard of the exciting excursion.

"Sheldon, this will more than make up for your rash departure from my apartment earlier today. I trust you do want to make amends for your rude behavior don't you."

Sheldon had no clue how to successfully navigate a disagreement with one of the opposite sex.

"Yes it looks like we will be coming to," He said at last.

Leonard looked to Raj and Howard.

"Well if you are all going to burn in the fires of hell I may as well join in your madness." Raj said with a frown of resignation.

"Glad to have you aboard," Leonard smiled.

Howard stood to leave.

"Well I won't be going."

"Aw come on Howard," Penny grinned "Safety in numbers."

But Howard was adamant. There was something unsettling in the whole business. He couldn't put his finger on it but he hadn't felt right since they left the mansion.

That night he tried to shake off the feeling by playing a video game in his room but even that did little to quell the uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach. As he sat on his bed playing mine craft he couldn't shake the feeling that someone or something was watching him.