JJ was annoyed. She was just going to find Alex and then they would get the hell out of this freaky place. Hotch could send someone else from the team to go back later; maybe one look at Morgan flexing his muscles would make these local deputies show at least some respect. When she had asked them why they hadn't sealed the property off with police tape despite knowing it belonged to a serial killer who had been gone for the past two weeks, they had shrugged.

"Nobody ever goes near that place anyway," the sheriff had said. "It's haunted."

"Haunted?" she said.

"Yes ma'am. You never should have gone in there; it's a miracle you made it back out at all." He sounded earnest enough, but come on…!

"A house that, what, eats people?" she mocked. "Really? Even if it belongs to a serial killer, that doesn't make the house evil. It's just a house!"

"What did your colleague see? We heard her scream and run out."

"Welll, I can tell you what she didn't see; ghosts."

"Who said anything about ghosts?" he wanted to know. "I never did. That house is a mindtrap, you know what I mean?"

"Insects in the walls are hardly paranormal activity, just put up that tape," JJ sighed and briskly walked away, half expecting him to laugh at the fact that a seasoned FBI agent had screamed over a bunch of insects, but he didn't laugh at all.

Mindtrap, huh? Sure it was possible to get your mind tangled when you tried to wrap your head around what possessed people to commit such hideous crimes, and even enjoy them, but…

JJ had barely noticed that she had started walking in the direction of the house again, and she was surprised to find herself standing on the front porch. But at the same time, what harm could there be in a second look? Just a peek through the door. Make sure none of them had actually knocked something over in their hurry to get out, perhaps.

Those were silly ideas and part of her recognised them as such, but the greater part of her brushed it off as unimportant. When JJ was in high school she had tried smoking weed. She had enjoyed it to an extent that terrified her; it seemed she couldn't think of anything else but when she would be able to have another smoke. It had become a fixation, an addiction, and she had cut it off as soon as she had realised it. She was not willing to go there, and nothing that felt so good and yet came with such needs could possibly be good for you. She hadn't thought about it in many years, but that was precisely what this felt like. A craving so desperate it was bordering on physical need.

One peek, and then I'll go find Alex and we'll leave, she promised herself just the way someone with a severe addiction would promise themselves "just one more hit", "just one more drink", "just one more cigarette", "just one more candy bar"…

It was unexplainable how you could know so well that something would come with nothing good, and still yearn to do it. But oh, the very moment when your resolve breaks and you give in to whatever need it is you have… it feels just divine.

JJ went inside.

Blake saw out of the corner of her eye how the door closed behind JJ, and immediately felt a bad feeling starting to grow somewhere around her solar plexus. It was so intense she decided to catch up with the younger woman; cuff her and physically drag her out of that bug-infested place if necessary.

"Hey lady, don't go in there!"

Blake turned around and saw a boy, about eleven years old or so, juggling a baseball from one hand to the other. She changed the direction of her steps and walked up to him.

"What do you mean, why shouldn't I go in there?"

"Nobody who's ever gone in for very long comes back out again."

Oh, she could smell an urban legend all the way from where she was standing, and she was anxious to get JJ back out… but if the house wasn't dangerous, then why would she feel like it was such a hurry to get JJ out of there? It didn't make any sense, JJ could take care of herself.

"Oh, really? No one?"

"But you two, and your friend is already back inside. She won't come out. That house is haunted."

"How do you know that if nobody ever comes out?"

She kept glancing over her shoulder and the boy noticed. "It's pulling you in, isn't it?

"Don't answer a question with a question," she said, but she was barely aware that she spoke at all. She felt like she was in that unsettling state between a dream and waking up.

"You can't let it get to you. Hey. I'm Brandon. What's your name?"

It was funny, but for a moment she couldn't remember her own name. She looked at him, bewildered and a little bit frightened, and then it came back to her as if she had never lost it.

"It's Alex. I'm Alex."

"Have you seen The Shining?"

"I'm surprised you have, aren't you a little bit too young for…" she began, but he waved it off. He was even smiling a little.

"Don't answer a question with a question, Alex." He grew serious. "That house is like that Overlook hotel. It's evil. Stay away from it."

"I have to go and get my friend out," she said and turned around. The relief in eventually turning back and give in to that pulling force was immense. A quote tried to push through to her mind;

Dead fish float with the tide, live ones swim against it

But it was gone before she could acknowledge it properly.

She had been sweating a little, the outside air was hot and humid, but the closer she got to the house, the cooler the air seemed to get. It wasn't even a metaphor for fear; she was freezing enough to shiver by the time she touched the doorknob.

Every instinct in her screamed at her to turn around and run; it was as if a thousand internal alarms went off at once. But that was ridiculous, and even if it wasn't, she couldn't leave JJ behind.

As she yanked the door open - it screeched with its rusty voice as if in pain - the kid whose name had already escaped her, the way things escape you in a dream, called out. His voice penetrated the eerie and somehow thick atmosphere that surrounded the house, but what he said was flat out weird.

"You! Are! Alex!"

Of course I am, who else would I be?, she thought, annoyed, and went inside.

A/N

Yaaaay, there was more! I'm telling you guys, this place is creepy for reasons far worse than a few bugs, which our ladies will unfortunately soon find out.

Thank you very much for your reviews and your interest! :D