Zak was actually serious about me going to Waverly Hills with him and the crew. Never did I imagine I would do a full night's investigation with the Ghost Adventures team.

"Are you shitting me?"

"Actually, no. So you wanna do this or what?"

"Um, yes!" I accidentally slam my hands on the island counter harder than I meant to in excitement.

"Well, alright then! It's settled."

"No way! No way is this happening. Thank you!" I jump up off the barstool and embrace Zak in a tight hug wrapping my arms around his neck. I feel his arms reach around the small of my back, giving me chills. I quickly release Zak and back away. "Sorry. Got a little excited." I lower my eyes shyly.

"It's okay, really. We'll leave in a week."

I couldn't wait for the day to come. I just hope that I don't get scared shitless and make a damn fool of myself. That would be seriously embarrassing.

I hang out at Zak's for the rest of the afternoon, getting to know the real Zak. We've been able to strike up a conversation easier every day. It is definitely easier now than the first day Kelsey and I went to lunch with the whole crew. It was getting to be late afternoon when Zak offers to drive me back to my apartment.

Zak drops me back off at home and I bust through the front door of our apartment. "Kelsey! You'll never guess what just happened!"

"What? What?" Kelsey runs frantically around the corner from her bedroom.

"Zak offered me an opportunity to go on an investigation with them to Waverly Hills next week!"

"What?! That's awesome!"

"I know. I still can't believe it. I just need to tell work on Monday that I'll need a few days off."

"Hopefully they'll give it to you."

"Yeah, I hope so. Man, I'm getting hungry."

I realize that my Saturday was full of running around with Zak and chatting it up. When I was with him, I didn't feel all that hungry, but now that I'm home my stomach is starting to let me know that all I've had today was a banana and a bowl of cereal for breakfast. I make my way to the refrigerator and browse to see what I can eat. Not much.

"Want to order a pizza?"

"Sounds good."

"Thin crust cheese?" We ask each other in unison and laugh.

Kelsey picks up her cell phone, "I'll call it in."

After eating I decide to hit the hay early. It's been a day! I lay in bed dreaming of my perfect day with Zak. Was it going to be like this from now on? Were we friends? Have Kelsey and Jay continued to talk? All these questions run my brain ragged not allowing me to sleep, as usual.

Buzz buzz.

I roll over and see my phone lit up on my nightstand with a message from Zak.

"Hey, beautiful."

He thinks I'm beautiful? I ask to myself and smile like the nerd I can be.

"Hey yourself :)"

"I'm really glad I was able to spend the day with you. It was refreshing."

"I'm glad too. I enjoyed it very much."

"I'm happy you did. I hope I'll see you again before we do our Waverly lockdown."

"Don't you worry. I won't forget about you ;)"

"Good. And I won't forget about you."

"I'll see you soon. Goodnight, Zak."

"Turning in a bit early, aren't you?"

"Hey, no making fun. If I don't, I won't sleep."

"No judgements here. I'll talk to you soon. Goodnight, sweetheart."

And with that, I lock my phone and find the backs of my eyelids again with a smile glued on my face.

Fast forward three days...

I pull into Zak's driveway and rush to get to his front door, frantically knocking until he answers. "What?"

"People are raving about your new exhibit!" I was so excited I was shaking my phone showing the comments and reviews of his haunted museum.

"Well...your new exhibit. I read the comments. You did an amazing job helping me put that together so thank you," he smiles.

I suddenly realize he's wearing nothing but pajama pants. Damn, it's nearly 10am. I thought he'd be dressed for the day by now.

"You okay?"

"Uh, yes! You're welcome," I smile. Shit, was I just staring at him with my jaw dropped?

He laughs to himself. "Would you like to come in?"

"Sure." Stop smiling like a crazy person! I tried acting as normal as possible. I remember Zak telling me when we first met that he was grateful I wasn't like most girls and fangirled over him. I was just a normal girl striking up normal conversation. So why was it so difficult now?

"People really do like the exhibit though. I was afraid that piece we got wasn't going to work but you made it work somehow. I can't thank you enough for making it look so amazing." I followed Zak into the kitchen. I sit down on the same barstool I picked the first time I came here.

"It's no problem, really. I told you I would be able to make that picture work. No faith in me," I shake my head joking.

"Hey now, it's not that I didn't have faith in you. I just wasn't sure is all. How were you so good with that anyways?" He rummages through his cabinets for a couple glasses. I feel this is deja vu.

"My sister and I both have a knack for interior design. I guess that still works for exhibits in haunted museums," I smile shyly.

He laughed and nodded in agreement. "Well it's definitely a good talent." He hands me the glass.

"Hey, Zak?" I swirl the water in my glass as he takes a sip of his own.

"What's up?"

"Thank you."

"For what?"

I set my glass on the counter, "for giving me this opportunity. This chance in my life to go back to Waverly. I don't know. All the things, I guess. I never would've thought this would be me."

He gives me a small smile. God, that smile..."You're welcome. You deserve every moment of it."

"I officially got the time off work to be able to go, by the way. We leave Friday, right?"

"Oh, shit. Your work. Sorry, I didn't even think about that. But yes, we'll leave in three days and the investigation will be Saturday. I already have your plane ticket and finalized some details with the owners."

"Oh, Zak, I could've bought my own ticket. And my work was cool about it. Is this going to be an episode?"

"No. Just for us and I wanted to buy your ticket. It's no problem, really."

I take a sigh of relief. I wasn't really crazy about being on tv. "That was sweet of you," I smile shyly.

Zak smiles back and I swear I could maybe even see a bit of redness flood his cheeks. "So, what are you doing today? Any plans?"

I take a big gulp of water almost choking at his questions. "I don't have anything happening today. I should be working to make up some time, but they didn't need me today. Kelsey is working so I'm just hanging out I guess," I shrugged.

"Okay, good."

Good? What was he up to?

Just then a loud bark echoes through the large living room and kitchen, making me jump. "Sorry. Gracie isn't used to you being around just yet," Zak apologizes and he bends down to pet his beautiful black and white pup.

Not used to me being around...yet? Was he planning on me being here a lot?

"Oh, that's okay. I love dogs."

"That's right. I remember our first time at lunch together you said you were a vet tech."

"Right," I smile. "Where was she last time I was here?" I hop off the barstool and bend down to pet Gracie with Zak. We lock eyes with each other and I lose my breath. It was like a staring contest in slow-motion. Zak's eyes are a beautiful dark blue. It was so hard to see what color they truly were just by watching him on TV. We start smiling at each other and I can feel my face start to flush.

"Umm," Zak stands clearing his throat. "She was with my mom. She takes her every once in a while when I'm busy."

Woof! Woof!

"You wanna go play?" I baby talk to Gracie. She runs to get her ball and drops it on the kitchen floor at my feet. "Okay, lets go!" Gracie and I head through the living room with Gracie leading the way since I didn't fully know my way around Zak's giant house yet. We run through the open French doors leading to the backyard and I throw her ball as far as I could. She gallops after it and brings it back, barking every time. I get ready to throw it again.

After playing fetch with Gracie for a few minutes I look back over to the door and see Zak standing there, now with a shirt on, with a smile from ear to ear. Thank God for the shirt. Why was he so happy that I liked playing with Gracie? I mean I know he's passionate about dogs, but so am I. He sure did seem to smile a lot when I was around. He doesn't normally seem to smile very often.

Woof!

Gracie makes herself known once again as I get sidetracked by Zak. "Sorry, girl," I throw her ball across the gorgeous yard and she chases after it once more. "You're distracting me playing with Gracie!" I yell so Zak can hear me from the doorway.

"Is that so? I can leave you alone if that's what you want." He throws his hands up in defeat as he walks towards me.

"Of course that's not what I want," I turn towards him. Gracie had given up on fetch and was on the other side of the big yard chewing on her ball. A strand of my hair sweeps across my face from the wind and Zak hesitantly reaches out and brushes the hair behind my ear. We share a smile, "so are you ready for the Waverly lockdown?"

"Me? I'm always ready. The question is, are you?"

I try to quietly let out a big breath that I didn't realize I was holding. There was something about Zak that made me feel more confident and sure of myself. "Yes. I sure as hell am."

Today is the day. The day of our investigation at Waverly Hills Sanatorium. Our flight to Louisville, Kentucky was a good flight. Of course, I sat with Zak, we talked and were both able to catch up on a little sleep. As we were descending, I woke up and noticed I had fallen asleep on Zak's shoulder. He was sleeping soundly so he didn't seem to mind. I softly shook him awake and announced we were about to land.

We all piled into the crew's black SUV and pulled into the long gravel driveway of the sanatorium at about 5pm. This would give us enough time to talk to the owner about our investigation and do a short walkthrough before we lockdown. During our walkthrough we set up X cameras at the hotspots and one in the big children's room where I had seen the blue orb 15 years or so ago.

It's about 7pm and we start the investigation in pairs with me and Zak and Aaron and Billy. Jay stays behind at nerve center and monitors the four X cameras. Zak gathers his gear and leads us to the door. "Everybody ready?"

"Let's do this!" Aaron exclaims.

Aaron and Billy make their way to the body chute first and Zak and I start on the third floor. Of course, the floor where people have claimed to see the creeper. I didn't get to see the creeper during my first visit here years ago and I was thankful for that.

The first couple hours of the lockdown we didn't catch a whole lot of evidence. Just some disembodied voices, a couple EVP's and one figure on the SLS for a brief moment. Zak decides to call the other guys over the walkie for us all to meet back at nerve center.

"Should we split up?" I immediately regret the suggestion as soon as it slips my lips.

"You sure?" Zak turns to me, surprised that I would suggest such a thing.

I stare hesitantly, "uhh yeah."

"Okay. You go back on the third floor. I'll go to the fourth. Aaron, you go to the second and, Billy, you go back to the body chute. We'll stay split up in these areas for a couple hours until about midnight and see what happens."

Great. He wants me on the third floor alone with the creeper. I don't say anything to Zak because I don't want to come off as a scared little baby. I want to be brave and do this, but in reality, I'm terrified. The crew splits ways and heads to their designated areas. I'm about to step out of the stairwell into the third floor when Zak gently grabs my arm making me jump.

"I'm only one floor above you if you need me."

"Thanks, Zak."

He lets me go and I face the third floor alone. I swear it's darker by myself than it was with Zak. I hesitantly walk down the hall staring intently at my camera screen so I can see where I'm going. Once I get down the hall a little ways, I take my digital recorder out of my pocket. "This is Shawn starting EVP session at Waverly Hills third floor." I stand as still as I can as to not contaminate the recording. "Is there anyone here with me? Can you say your name?" A couple minutes go by and I catch nothing on digital. I walk down the hall a little more. "Who's there?" I frantically look behind me after hearing shuffling noises on the ground. I swear if that's the damn creeper. I start up the digital recorder again. "This is Shawn again. Third floor at Waverly session two. I just heard shuffling behind me. Who was that? If that was you can you please speak into this device in my hand?"

"Die."

"What the fuck?" I stop the recorder. That was audible.

Right next to me.

"Who's dying?" I'm scared to talk back, but I wanted answers. "We're you a TB patient that died here?"

"You. Die. Now."

Oh, fuck no! "Zak, you there?" I try to keep my cool as I call into the walkie.

"Go ahead, Shawn."

"Zak I'm really scared. I'm getting audible voices telling me I'm going to die."

"I'll be right there."

"Please hurry." I clip my walkie back on my pants. What the fuck is that? I ask myself looking down the hallway. In the corner is a large black figure that looks to be on all fours walking across the floor. It suddenly turns to me and starts running along the floor, goes up the wall, and back to the floor. I let out a blood curdling scream and shut my eyes. It takes everything in my body not to run. If it's the creeper they say it will chase after the people who run. I stand my ground and open my eyes and it's still there. I can't be still anymore and I take off in the opposite direction around the corner. I hope that if it can't see me then it won't chase me. I end up in a room and peek around the corner with my camera. I look at the screen and see nothing there. I breathe heavily trying to calm myself. "It's gone. It's gone. It's gone," I repeat.

"Shawn? Where are you?" It's Zak! I'm afraid to yell to him, nervous the creeper would return. I look around the corner again with my camera and see Zak on the screen running down the hall in my direction. I start walking to him. "There you are!" My feet end up running the rest of the way to him and I embrace him in a hug.

"That was so scary."

"What happened?" He unwraps his arms from around my waist and puts his hands on my shoulders.

"I saw it."

"What? Saw what?"

"The creeper. It chased me. I tried so hard not to run but it was so scary."

Zak wraps me back in a warm hug. "It's okay. Everything's okay now."

"Can we go? I'm done. I think I got my proof."

Zak nods, "yeah. We can go."

The next morning, we pack up our stuff and fly back to Las Vegas. We meet at Ghost Adventures headquarters to sort through our evidence and what we gather is amazing. The rest of the crew caught some awesome stuff on the SLS, great EVP's, and even some poltergeist activity. I even caught a small glimpse of the creeper on my camera before I got too scared and ran away.

I drive back to my apartment to catch up on some much needed sleep before returning to work tomorrow. Oh how I dread Mondays. One thing's for sure now, I can truly say that I'm no longer a skeptic believer. I may not have made it through an entire night of investigating and I may have made a fool of myself like I hoped I wouldn't, but I can now say that I'm a firm believer in the paranormal.