This is from my most recent Halloween mini-collection called Scary Stories. The family decide to tell mission stories that gave them each a fright, and a story from childhood.

The sunken lounge glowed with candles and orange lanterns, and huddled under throws and duvets upon the sofas, a family sat around telling ghost stories and haunted tales from missions. Laughter erupted at the end of a tale and a small voice protested that he was telling the truth and someone cleared their throat.

"If that were true Alan, you wouldn't have been smiling the whole way through telling it," Virgil smiled.

"And I'm sure I read that tale on a MyTube scary compilation," Kayo slipped an arm out from the throw she was under with Scott, and helped herself to a mini doughnut.

Scott sighed. "Alright, I've got one. Listen intently, and my words will be as clear as a movie," he grinned showing off his fangs.

"Knock it off, Scott. Just tell us."

"Okay okay," he shook his head with a chuckle. "I was on a solo mission in Blaenau, Wales, and what I thought was a really simple rescue. Or so I assumed..."

"Thunderbird 1 how far away are you?"

"About ten minutes, Thunderbird 5. Sure is green down there. What state are they in?"

"Stable, but wishing you would hurry up."

Scott smiled. "Tell them to hold on, I'll be there as soon as I can. Trust someone to go trekking and get stuck, why couldn't the emergency services get them?"

"The man says he couldn't get through to them. I thought it would be easier to tell him we'd come instead of calling the mountain rescue crew."

"FAB. You did the right thing, John. Over and out, I'm at the location."

Thunderbird 1 touched down on the rocky ground and Scott frowned at the entrance to the mine John had recorded the call from. There was no sign of a cave-in so that meant the man was either further in or messing them around. Scott jumped down to the ground from his chair and strapped his jetpack on before checking he had enough grapple packs in case he needed them, then locked his ship before turning to face the mine entrance.

"Okay John, I'm going in."

"Watch your footing, Scott, it's very dark in there."

"FAB, I'll take a light with me," he smiled and headed into the mine holding the grapple torch above his head. "I don't think I'll need the jetpack, there's hardly any space to stand up straight. I'll check in with you later John."

"FAB. Good luck."

"Hello!" A voice called out from the darkness.

Scott smiled. "I guess that's our man," and he followed the shaft ahead of him.

The tunnel took a sharp left and he found his trapped victim sitting against the mine wall in front of another tunnel.

"Hi there, I'm Scott Tracy from International Rescue."

"Thank you for picking up my call, I couldn't get through to anyone else."

"We have a very powerful satellite connection. Are you hurt?"

The young man nodded, "it's just my ankle. I wasn't watching where I was going and tripped on those."

Scott looked down at the old mine tracks under his feet then knelt on one knee, "I'll check your ankle quickly." He was no medic unlike Virgil, but many years of being a big brother had taught him how to deal with the basics of bruises and cuts, he rolled the man's waterproof trousers up and spotted a patch of blood seeping through his sock. "Okay, I'm just going to bandage this up, you'll be fine," as he got to work he heard a clattering of stones behind him. "Huh?"

"That wasn't me."

Scott looked back over his shoulder into the adjacent tunnel and spotted something dart from one side to the other. Not wanting to frighten the man, he shook his head. "Probably nothing." He pressed the tape down over the bandage and offered his hand to help the man up, "it's only twisted. Now, let's get out of here," the sound of falling rocks caught his attention again. "Did anyone follow you in here?"

"No, I came alone. It's an old mine, it's bound to creak," he winced as he got to his feet. "Sorry if I slow us down."

Scott frowned, looking back over his shoulder, "that's okay, I won't rush you. But that didn't sound like land subsidence."

They moved slowly back the way they had both come, crouched over due to the low ceiling. The stones crunched under their feet and Scott shivered suddenly feeling something touch him, he held the light up and looked around.

"Did you feel that?"

"No sir, there's nothing there. Don't let the mine worry you. I've been here many times and never seen a thing," he smiled and Scott looked back with a nod hearing more sounds of pebbles being disturbed on the ground but ignored it as the sound of a siren echoed from outside the mine. "An ambulance?" The man gasped.

"As I said, we have a very reliable satellite connection," he helped the man out into the falling rain as the emergency service crew approached. "A possible sprained ankle, but nothing serious. I've bandaged it up," he informed one of the paramedics.

"Thank you. We'll get him checked over thoroughly just in case."

Scott nodded and turned back towards the entrance of the mine again, raindrops fell from his hair and he held his light up into the shaft illuminating the tracks ahead. With a yelp, he jumped backward seeing a black shadowy figure looming within the darkness with dim glowing eyes staring back at him. They disappeared as he lowered the light in shock and he shook his head in disbelief.

"Come on Scott, don't be ridiculous," once he got his breath back, he held the light up again illuminating the same spot but the figure had gone.

"Mister Tracy?"

Scott looked around at his name, "yes?"

"We're going to take this man to the hospital, thank you for responding so quickly."

"It's what we do," Scott smiled, and as soon as the ambulance drove away, he turned around again just catching a glimpse of a transparent figure disappearing behind the hill...

"And that's what I saw," Scott shrugged.

Alan pursed his lips, "that's not scary."

"It was at the time. What if there had been someone else in the shaft or that is what hurt the man?" Scott sat back against the cushions. "Anyway, at least it was true."

"The story I told WAS true!"

Virgil sighed. "But it wasn't yours, Alan. Are you sure you saw someone, Scott? You're usually pretty superstitious about these things."

"I didn't believe anything was there until I saw that shadowy figure in the tunnel."

"Maybe that's what it was, just a shadow?" John shrugged pulling a duvet around himself.

"I know it wasn't a human I saw, it was something else. I had goosebumps the whole way home."

Kayo smiled at him bumping her knee against his under the throw they were sharing, "I believe you."

Gordon slapped his hands on his knees, "okay, you want scary? I have something scary."

Virgil rolled his eyes, "I can't face your stories without a stiff drink in hand. Does anyone want anything?" He looked around and Gordon waved his half-drunk bottle of beer up as did Scott. "Okay, that's three."

"Just be glad I put EOS on forwarding our calls to other crews," John hugged his knees to his chest from where he was sitting in one of the large brown chairs. "And you never did get back to me about that mission, Scott?"

"I said I had goosebumps, you didn't need to know."

"Could you mix me up a vodka and coke please, Virg?" Kayo asked, leaving Scott and John to glare at each other.

"Sure," he stood up. "Be right back. I may take more than one trip, I only have two hands."

Kayo smirked. "Fine, I'll help you out."

Gordon looked back at Scott as he pulled the throw over himself again, "why do you think it wasn't human?"

"I felt something cold touch my shoulder as if something made a connection."

"Are you sure it wasn't just water?" John asked.

"I know what water feels like on our uniforms, you can barely feel it for one thing. There was something else in that shaft, and I think the situation would have turned nasty if I had stayed longer."

"We would have come to get you if it had," John smiled. "Maybe it was an animal?"

"I saw something leave that mine, I don't know what it was, but it was pale and moved like mist."

"Then maybe it was mist," Alan curled up with the popcorn bucket.

"Yeah probably. And, that's, to share!" Gordon yelped jumping on him.

Popcorn flew all over the couch as Alan held the bucket up and Scott snatched it out of his hands before the treat was wasted.

"Play nicely, children, or there'll be no more candy for either of you," he placed the bucket back on the table and sat down on the sofa picking up his guitar to wait for Virgil and Kayo to return.

"My story is a good one, believe me," Gordon grinned.

"I hope this story is appropriate Gords?" Scott asked, strumming his fingers across the soundhole.

"Of course it's appropriate," he smiled as Virgil and Kayo returned with the drinks. "And I won't need an accompaniment."

Scott stopped playing with a frown, "a simple please would have sufficed." He leaned back after putting the instrument down and took a new beer from Virgil.

"Have any of you ever stared death in the face on a mission?" Gordon grinned making Scott grimace immediately.