One of the police officers caught glimpse of a plastic evidence bag on the ragged lawn. He walked up to it, crouched down and took it. Turned it over to look at the content.

"What the hell…?"

There was a sheet of paper and an envelope in it. Both were clean and empty. He wondered what about those items were important enough to render them a place in the evidence bag, but he couldn't ask, as the two agents, Jareau and Blake, were nowhere to be found. He stood up and looked in the direction of the house.

Oh God, it lured them back in.

He did not look forward to explaining to their boss that the two FBI agents would not come back out. And he definitely didn't want to send anyone in after them if they were still alive. If they were, they would have gone insane. Unlike the boy who had spoken to Alex earlier, deputy Lindstrom knew there had been people coming back out. But those who had, had either committed suicide or been admitted to closed psychiatric wards. The fact that these two had made it out once without losing their mind - although he had wondered about the brunette - only seemed to frighten him further. If you win one round of Russian Roulette, why the hell would you even consider playing again?


It wasn't until the door had closed behind her - and with a loud bang that it didn't seem to be able to produce, even - that JJ realised that she had forgotten to bring her flashlight. Of course, forgotten wasn't the right word given that she hadn't actually planned on going back in to begin with, but…

Something rushed past her and she barely managed to bite back a scream. While she respected Alex's phobia, she didn't want to come screaming and running out the door like she had. If nothing else, it would certainly not look good in front of the local police. Whatever had just brushed against her foot was surely just a rat anyway. Unpleasant, but not much of a threat. She took a deep breath and coughed out the air, suddenly reminded of its old stench and swirling dust.

Why the hell did I go back in at all? she asked herself, feeling honestly confused. But as she made a move to turn around, it felt like invisible strings pulled at her, while equally invisible hands pushed her. She found that she couldn't move in the direction of the door; she could only move forward, further into the house. Terror gripped her heart, but it seemed she couldn't stop.

Something that felt like dusty fingers trailed over her neck and then withdrew. She gasped and looked around, but there was nothing there.

Spiderwebs, she told herself. It's just spiderwebs, stop making things up.

A low sound began to resonate in the air around her. It took several seconds before she could identify it. It was laughter. A laughter that did not sound human at all. JJ stepped forward, pushing her way through the piles of junk, although every last fibre of her being screamed at her to turn around and get out of there.


The wallpaper was hideous. Not only because it concealed bugs, but also because of its faded pattern of grinning green elves. Who in their right mind would… oh, of course. Most serial killers weren't in their right mind.

And why am I staring at the wallpaper? Alex wondered, mentally shaking herself awake. It was surprisingly difficult; much harder than returning to reality from a vivid daydream. I was just going in to get JJ and where is JJ?

She opened her mouth to call out for her, but as soon as she had, she realised something was wrong.

Was that an echo? That's insane. This place is too small and too crowded to support echoes.

She called out again, and this time she was certain she heard something… but it wasn't an echo of her own voice. It was someone else's voice. Alex frowned.

JJ, this is not funny. But you won't scare me.

She searched her pockets for her cell phone. If she called up JJ's phone she would hear precisely where the younger woman was, and end her little game. Though when she thought about it, it was very unusual, very uncharacteristic. JJ wasn't exactly known for playing pranks on people, nor would she do something sadistic like luring anyone back into a situation that scared them. It just wasn't like her.

Alex couldn't find her cell phone. It was ironic; she still carried a lighter even though she had quit smoking years ago, but she could obviously forget something much more important, such as the damn phone.

She glanced at the wallpaper again.

It's really ugly.

Just as she was about to move on, one of the elves parading across the wall winked at her. She looked away, her heart pounding wildly in her chest.

I did not see that.

A voice spoke inside her head.

You will see much more than that. You will see things to the point where you'd rather claw your own eyes out than see any more.

The wallpaper began to crack open. Terrified of what she would see if she kept looking at it, Alex dropped the flashlight and turned on her heels and fled towards the door.

But where there had been a door, there was now just another wall. She took a step backwards, breathing heavily as she tried to get herself under control. When she lowered her gaze she noticed that the floor seemed to be… moving. No, not moving. Crawling. It was crawling with insects. Everything from silverfish to centipedes to cockroaches. She shook her head as white flashes of panic threatened to overthrow what little self-control she still possessed. The presence, whose very existence became less and less ridiculous with each passing moment, seemed pleased. Alex didn't know how she could sense that, but she could. And suddenly she felt furious.

No! I came to get JJ out and I will!

The presence seemed taken aback, as if it wasn't used to anyone being determined, and when Alex blinked, the insects were gone. Just like that. She experienced a brief moment of relief, of her usual confidence returning… and then a hand touched the back of her neck, almost affectionately, before the eerie, non-human voice inside her mind spoke again.

You will be a delight to break.

"I don't break," Alex muttered under her breath.

Everybody has a breaking point.

She knew that it was true. But she wasn't about to leave JJ alone in here with this thing, this bodiless monster. She pursed her lips into a thin line, picked up her flashlight, and moved on, walking deeper into this place that stunk of pure evil.


A/N

Oh my GOD I'm awfully rusty at writing this genre! Please don't throw rotten tomatoes on me… (throw fresh ones instead ^^ ). Well, I started it so I must finish it, but wow, I think I should probably stick to femslash/romance from now on, haha!