Chapter One - Mistake

"Why not?" the teen wondered in a carefree tone as he read from the illuminated computer screen. Alone in his room, the only light sources were his sleek laptop, which was running low on battery, and the early morning light that managed to peek through the drawn curtains. The wheat blond adjusted the silver, rectangular frames of his glasses before grinning. "I mean, a hero like me could totally handle that kind of stuff. Definitely," he concluded with confidence as he nonchalantly leaned back in his chair.

"Al, what are you doing?" came a soft-spoken voice from behind, sounding startlingly loud in the silence of morning.

Alfred jumped and nearly fell out of his chair, letting out an undignified yelp along with a string of curses. He hadn't even heard the sound of his bedroom door opening! "Geez, Mattie!" he shouted indignantly to his smirking twin brother. "You gave me a freaking heart attack!"

Matthew snickered at Alfred's antics before replying in a teasing tone filled with mirth, "Al, what are you even doing awake in the morning? Everyone knows you sleep like a bear until past noon."

In response to the question, Alfred's sky blue gaze dropped to the floor as he rubbed at the back of his neck. He tried to think of an excuse, knowing his disheveled hair and the dark rings under his eyes would give him away. He had spent the entire night scrolling through various ghost stories in a foolish attempt to get some thrills and chills. "I uh..."

Of course he did. Matthew rolled his eyes before sighing with exasperation, knowing it was just like Alfred to pull stunts like this for no good reason. "Stayed up all night, eh?" he asked, a knowing smile on his lips.

The American sighed in defeat, looking up once again to meet the lavender hues peering at him behind round, semi-frames; the wavy-haired Canadian could read him like a book. "... Yeah."

Matthew gave an amused smile, playfully smacking the back of his brother's head as a joking form of punishment for staying up all night. "If you're up so early, you might as well help me with breakfast, eh?" he suggested before turning and leaving the room as quickly as he came, closing the door behind him. Alfred did not even have a chance to protest, staring in bewilderment at the spot he had been standing in just a few seconds ago. He was quite amazed at Matthew's ability to just drift in and out of rooms like that. It was almost as if he was the ghost!

"Aw, darn! Looks like I've been roped into making breakfast!" he sarcastically complained, making it a point to be extra loud in order to get his point across. He knew Matthew would not be guilted by his actions, of course, but points for trying, right? It wasn't even really that he needed the help anyway—Matthew's signature pancake dish was always the best!

Still, if his brother asked for his help, then he needed to get his lazy butt to the kitchen. Hardening his resolve and struggling not to give in to the temptations of the ghost articles, Alfred pulled himself out of the chair and away from the computer. He ran a hand along the oak banister as he sprinted down the stairs, nearly tripping and tumbling down the last few steps.

"Moooooornin', ladies!" he hollered, cupping his hands around his mouth to further amplify the jarring volume of his voice. The sudden shout startled a brunet out of his sleeping state on the couch, causing him to fall on the floor, disoriented. The Lithuanian gave a groan as he tried to reacquaint himself with the waking world.

"Don't be mean, Alfred," the older twin admonished, shaking a wooden spoon in his sibling's direction, "Toris is staying for a while, so don't chase him off!"

He simply gave a nonchalant shrug. "Hey, it's not my fault that he's not used to this by now," was the American's flippant response. "Deal with it."

All he got was an eye roll along with a disappointed sigh in return. "Not everyone can stand your noise, Al."

"It is fine," the shamrock eyed male interjected, ever the pacifist when it came down to his friends. "I have been here for about two months already. I should be alright. It is already October."

"Alright," muttered Matthew, not sounding all too sure, "but you really shouldn't let Al bully you all the time."

"Hey! I'm not bullying!" Alfred immediately protested, crossing his arms indignantly. "We're friends, dude! I do this kind of stuff to everyone!" He turned to the male in question, giving him an expectant look. "C'mon Toris, we're friends, right?"

Feeling a little pressured under the bespectacled blond's gaze, Toris gave a somewhat nervous looking smile as he nodded in response. It was true that he was practically part of the family already.

The subject was dropped and things went back to their normal routine once Alfred received a warning tap to the head from Matthew's spoon. As Alfred helped fetch things for his brother in the kitchen, thoughts of the article he had just read haunted him. The ritual sounded simple enough, and he was sure it was fake. After all, many of the supposed "found footage" or "proof" of the supernatural were all just elaborate hoaxes.

Still, he was sure that he could get a thrill from the ritual. How cool would it be to pretend he was summoning some sort of spirit? Just the thought of doing such a thing left shivers trailing down his spine and an excited grin upon his face. Alfred decided right then and there that he would play the game the first chance he got. It would be like a silly prank; no harm done.