Episode 6

Chapter 1
"Hey, Clara." Optimus greeted me tiredly as I came into the Control Room, pulling me into his arms. Digger was running in circles around us, barking happily.
"Something's wrong." I commented, snuggling up to his chest. "I can tell."
Optimus tilted his head.
"Not really wrong." He replied, "It's just something I'm not sure about."
"What is it?" I asked him.
He sighed and kissed the top of my head lightly.
"Your dad called while you were out." He told me, "Shouri's gone missing. He wants you to go and check it out."
I frowned.
"Well, where was she when she went missing?" I asked him.
"Your dad said she was around the outskirts of the village, scouting. He's given you some coordinates." Optimus hesitated, "He said he didn't want the rest of us getting involved in affairs on Rogue territory, so..." He picked up two items on the table next to him and gave them to me, along with the scrap of paper showing the coordinates. "The camera's not waterproof." He warned me, "So be careful there. If anything happens, radio me and I'll come and get you, okay?"
I smiled and nodded and hugged him tightly.

The coordinates my dad had given me took Digger and I to an old abandoned house on the outskirts of the village. I knew that house. I'd heard stories about it, being local. I didn't actually believe any of them. It was supposed to be haunted. I found myself repeating those stories to Optimus as I led Digger towards it, just for the sake of talking. I found myself wishing he was with me.
As we got closer to the house Digger started acting weird. Fidgety and whiney.
"What's wrong with him?" I asked Optimus nervously.
"I don't know." He replied, "Don't worry. It's probably just a smell he doesn't like."
"Okay."
I opened the door to the house. It was black inside. I couldn't see anything. The bright light outside couldn't even penetrate the darkness. I stepped inside and felt along the wall for a light switch. There was none.
I continued on into the corridor, leaving the door open. At least if something happened I would be able to see the exit.
After a minute I heard the sound of running water. There was only one door that it could be coming from – the only door I had noticed so far – so I crept over to it. There was a large puddle coming out from under the door. I put my ear to the door, listening for anyone inside, but all I could hear was the sound of running water, and Optimus talking to one of the others.
I pushed the door open.
It was the bathroom. The bath and sink were running, and overflowing, flooding the whole room. The water was hot, and had steamed up the first window I'd seen in the house, and the mirror on the wall beneath it. It was a lot lighter in here.
"How long do you reckon your camera will last in here?" I asked Optimus playfully.
"Huh? Oh, sorry Clara. We've got some trouble back here with one of the sparklings. Just yell if you need anything, okay?"
"Okay."
I went into the bathroom, holding onto the sink to steady myself as the hot water swarmed around my ankles. There was nobody in there that I could see, but I could sense somebody in the room with me. I unsheathed my sword nervously. I went over to the mirror and wiped away the steam, only to see the ugliest, most scary-looking thing I've ever seen in all my life. I screamed and stumbled back. The back of my knee hit the edge of the bath and I fell in. I sat up with a gasp, only to see the thing at the foot of the bath.
You know Gollum from Lord of the Rings? It looked like that, only a lot uglier. It had no pupils and its skin was brown and shiny, like it had been burnt.
It lunged for my head, and I swatted it away. I don't know how, since it would've been about as high as my waist if it hadn't been hunched over. It was like a corpse.
I got to my feet quickly and ran for the bathroom door, slamming it shut behind me. I jumped as the thing whacked into the door, giving a giant bang. Then I was running for the front door, which I slammed shut behind me.
Digger, who had been waiting outside, was happy to follow me this time.
We got a safe distance away and I opened up the teleport, darting through it.
I slammed into Optimus, who didn't have as much warning this time, and we were falling. A minute later I was on top of him at the bottom of the stairs, shaking and whimpering as I snuggled up to him for comfort. I heard the teleport shut off.
"Never make me go there again." I begged him, "Never make me go there again."
Optimus sat up and held me tightly, comforting me, as Roxy came down from the teleport room.
"What happened?" She asked as she came over to us. The other Autobots were gathering around now as well, wondering what was going on.
"I don't know." Optimus replied, "Something scared her."
"This isn't scared." I snapped, "This is way past scared."
"What happened?" He asked me, gesturing to the other Autobots to leave, "I can't help you if you don't tell me what's wrong."
I swallowed nervously, and I told him everything. Now that I was going back over it, it suddenly sounded really silly, but Optimus didn't laugh. He was silent as I told my story. By the time I'd finished the worst of my fright had passed, and I felt a lot calmer.
He didn't say anything for a while after I'd finished.
"Is there anything I can do?" I asked him eventually.
He frowned at me slightly.
"What?"
"A job will help me take my mind off of it. The air might do me good too."
Optimus nodded and helped me to my feet.
"I was going to ask Jazz, but since you're offering. Gracee and her father are in the forest car park. Could you bring them here please?"