Authors Note: I apologize for the short update. :( I won't bore you details, but I've been having a rough few days depression wise, and haven't been up to writing.

I probably could of waited to write another chapter or two before updating, but I always feel bad going too long without an update.

And for those wondering, I did up a timeline for the story. The amount of time that's passed is a bit longer than I thought. It's been roughly four and a half months, for anyone who cares. :)

Hope you enjoy the update, and don't hate me too much for it's shortness, or for the cliffhanger...lol

Chapter 80: Done

Roughly ten minutes later…

After getting confirmation from Billy that I had been scratched, I took a bit of a "time out" to gather myself.

I mainly just sat on the floor in the middle of the candles, waiting to see if anything else would happen to me, but nothing did.

I also thought about Zak was going to react to the news that I had come to the chapel by myself, and I had ended up getting scratched.

Oh god…I forgot to put his cross on tonight… I thought.

Damn.

Once I felt comfortable enough to continue, I picked up my camera from the floor, and then proceeded to walk around and start blowing out the candles one at a time.

When I reached the last one, I turned my camera to record myself, with the lit candle glowing behind me.

"I'm going to blow out this last candle, and I'll be in complete darkness again…let's see if anything happens," I said, then turned and blew out the candle.

I walked a few careful steps forward, knowing roughly how far I had to go before I was in the middle of the candles again, and then stood completely still.

Silence.

"Is there-" I started to ask, but stopped when I heard footsteps.

Very loud footsteps, as if someone was in the room with me.

The sound was even echoing within the room!

"Who's there?" I asked, forcing myself to remain where I was.

The creepy, eerie feeling was starting to come back, but stronger this time around.

I was positive someone, or something, was in the room with me.

I held one hand out in front of me, mentally cursing myself for not having brought a Mel-Meter or a digital recorder.

I was going to have to rely on my own feelings and instincts on this one.

"If there's someone here with me, come closer," I said.

I didn't pick up on any changes in temperature or energy, but I did hear a sound that caused me to jump.

I spun around to look at the tomb that was behind me.

"Woah!" I exclaimed.

I had heard knocking sounds from inside the tomb.

Three knocking sounds.

Oh boy…what have I gotten myself into…?

Meanwhile...

Zak's Point of View

After some time had passed, I had decided to play a recording of several questions I had gotten Andrei to record in Romanian earlier, while holding a digital recorder in front of me, in hopes of getting some EVP's.

Ugh…Andrei…she had no problem kissing him… I thought, thinking of Alicia.

Before we had started our investigation of the Hoia Baicu Forest, we had interviewed several locals with Andrei's help. When we had finished and were bidding him farewell for the night, Alicia had given him a friendly kiss on the cheek.

It had made me jealous as hell.

She's kissed you on the cheek dude, relax, I thought again, trying to rationalize with myself.

Wrong time and wrong place for this.

After I had played through the recording, I had then decided to use a Spirit Box - an audio-only device that rapidly scans through multiple audio channels, which ghosts can manipulate to say a word or phrase in real time - and ask some questions myself.

"Vlad Tepes... Nu mi-ai aici? (Do you here me)" I asked, then flicked the switch for the Spirit Box to turn on, causing loud static to emit from it.

I waited a few moments for any responses, then silenced the Spirit Box and spoke again.

"Vorbește acum, (Speak now)" I said, before letting the static from the Spirit Box start again.

Another few minutes of silence.

Come on! I'm in Vlad's cell for fuck sake, I thought in annoyance.

"Vorbește acum!" I spoke again, in more of a demanding tone.

I had barely let the static come through the Spirit Box again when I finally heard a man's voice, in plain English.

"I was bitten…"

"Holy shit!" I exclaimed in shock, pointing at the Spirit Box.

Of all things to have come through during a "Dracula" investigation!

Then, suddenly, the energy in the cell changed and I turned the Spirit Box off.

Vlad's cell had felt empty before, almost comfortable, but now it just felt strange.

"It feels a lot weirder in here now…it's gotten colder…I feel almost like…like I don't wanna leave," I said out loud, expressing how I felt for the audience.

Little did I know, I wasn't the only one feeling the same way.

Meanwhile…

Alicia's Point of View

After the three knocking sounds, I had heard a few more sounds of movement from the tomb, and then everything had gone silent again.

But the room still had the creepy feeling too it, and it was feeling more negative by the second.

"It feels really negative in here now…" I said, speaking into my camera. "I don't know if it's because I blew out the candles or not…I thought that would give a cleansing affect, but maybe not," I added, glancing around the room.

Even though I couldn't see or hear anything, I suddenly had the intense feeling that something was wrong, or that something was going to happen.

I have to check on the guys… I thought.

"Part of me doesn't want to leave…and I don't know why, but I have to force myself to leave. I feel like I need to check on Zak and Aaron," I explained, before flicking on my flashlight and headed toward the wooden doors of the room.

A few minutes later, I entered the Knight's Hall where Vlad's cell was, and walked over to the trapdoor in the floor.

Just as I was about to reach down to open it, I suddenly heard a familiar voice.

"Hello?" Aaron asked.

"Jesus Aaron," I exclaimed, momentarily spooked as I looked up and saw the light of his camera coming toward me. "What are you doing here?" I added.

"I had the sudden feeling like I needed to come get you guys," Aaron replied as he reached me.

Weird…

"Me too…let's get Zak," I said.

Aaron held his camera out to me, which I took, before he leaned down and grabbed onto the handle of the trapdoor, and pulled it open.

He then started down the ladder into the cell.

"Holy shit! Who's there?" I heard Zak nearly yell from the bottom of the cell.

I managed not to laugh at Aaron's response.

"The bogeyman bro!" Aaron replied, causing Zak to mumble something in annoyance.

"Shorty and I both felt like we had to check on each other, are you alright?" Aaron asked.

"I don't know bro…I feel like I don't want to leave…" Zak replied.

"That's how I felt just how…inside the chapel," I said, aiming my flashlight and camera down into the cell, as Aaron held the rope so Zak could climb up.

"The chapel?!" Zak's voice boomed from below.

Oops…

"Un, yeah, I went there and Aaron went to the artifact room," I replied, as Zak climbed the short distance up the rope until Aaron was able to help pull him up onto the ledge.

"What the hell bro?! She was supposed to go to the artifact room!" Zak exclaimed, looking at Aaron as he stood up.

Aaron opened his mouth to respond, but all that came out was a groan of pain.

I saw him grab his left arm.

"What- Aaron…is your arm bothering you again?" I asked.

"Ugh, yeah…it was pretty much better-" Aaron started, but I cut him off.

"'Pretty much?!' You mean it never stopped cramping up?!" I exclaimed.

"Not really- arg!" Aaron said, his hand moving from his arm to his chest.

"What's the matter man?" Zak asked, his anger at finding out I had gone to the chapel momentarily forgotten.

"Holy fuck…it feels worse than before," Aaron replied, bracing himself with one hand against the wall.

I watched him from the top of the ladder with concern on my face.

Before Zak or I could question him, he spoke again.

"I feel cramped up…or like…I never felt it, but how someone would explain a heart attack," Aaron said.

My eyes widened.

"Do you want to go to the hospital bro?" Zak asked, worry in his tone.

"No…I'm fine bro, let's keep going," Aaron said, but still had his hand on his chest.

What the hell?!

"Keep going?! You can't be serious!" I exclaimed, then looked at Zak.

Surely he would insist we go to the hospital.

I was wrong.

"It's his call…" Zak replied.

"I'm fine Shorty," Aaron said.

"It's not fine! Your arm has been cramping for over two hours now! And you just said you can only describe it as how someone would explain a heart attack!" I exclaimed.

"It comes and goes Ali, I don't think a heart attack comes and goes," Aaron said.

Oh my god, that's it!

I was so done.

I leaned down and put both Aaron's camera, and my camera, on the floor.

"Ali- what are-" Zak started, but I cut him off.

"I'm done! I'm fucking done! I'm not going to continue to standby while you guys risk your lives for this shit!" I exclaimed, turning and walking toward the main hall.

"Ali!" Zak called in shock.

"Shorty, wait!" Aaron called, equally in shock.

"I'M DONE!" I yelled, before I reached the main entrance and knocked loudly on the doors to get the security guards attention.

I saw him peak around the door as he opened it, most likely confused as to why someone was wanting the doors unlocked before dawn.

I stormed out past him, tears starting to stream down my face as I heard Zak's voice calling my name one more time, sounding completely shocked, and what I could only describe as heartbroken.