Happy Klaroween! Read on if you dare...
Spooked
"No way in hell am I going up there. Not with everything that I've heard from the girls."
Caroline shook her head firmly, eyeing the rickety old stairs to the fourth floor of St. Ann's Academy skeptically. She was not about to tempt fate, especially not on the evening of the Halloween dance they were supposed to be chaperoning downstairs in the gymnasium.
Caroline and her boyfriend Klaus, a fellow teacher at the all-girl's private school, had started teaching at the school at the same time—she as the theatre teacher and Klaus as one of the art teachers. After months of dancing around their mutual attraction, Klaus had finally asked her on a date, and the rest, as they say, was history.
"Oh come on, love. It'll be fun. Besides, we both go up there all the time during the day, considering it's the only place we can really store your costumes and most of my art supplies."
St. Ann's, as it was built in the mid-19th century as a convent, was considered an historical building, and as such it had a few rather alarming characteristics. Along with no air-conditioning and having a wooden spiral staircase for a fire escape, the school was built almost entirely of wood, brick, and plaster, so that if there was indeed a fire, "we're all burning together," as most of the students put it.
But if half of the rumors were true, a potential fire was the least cause for alarm.
"Um, yeah. During the day. When there is actual light and you can see everything and you don't have to worry about freaking ghosts. Did you know this place is on the list of the top haunted places in the state?"
Klaus chuckled, leaning against the bannister. "I hardly think Urban Dictionary can be considered a reliable source, sweetheart."
Caroline rolled her eyes. "Well, even so…it's such a creepy place." She shivered, glancing back up at the entrance to the fourth floor, jumping slightly as the staircase beneath them creaked.
"Caroline, you're putting too much stock in what your students tell you. I for one don't believe for a second that the Blue Nun exists. Nor that she pushed a rebellious student off the building all those years ago."
"Fine, but how do you explain the marble bench outside that's right below the fourth floor balcony? It's unmarked, except for a name. Don't you think it could be some sort of marker, or memorial, or something, to the girl?"
Klaus shrugged. "Probably just a donation to the school. I think you've watched too many episodes of Sleepy Hollow, love." He pulled her into his embrace, planting a soft, sweet kiss to her forehead. "Come on, let's just pop up there for a minute or two, just to prove we're brave and to brag to our classes on Monday." He smirked at her, lifting a challenging brow. "I dare you."
Caroline narrowed her eyes. Damn him. He knew damn well that she could never back down from a challenge, even if it killed her.
Which could totally happen in this case.
"Ugh, fine. But you owe me for this, you jerk." She shoved his chest teasingly, her eyes taking on a seductive glint. "And I have a few ideas in mind of how you can repay that debt."
Klaus's grin grew, his dimples coming out in full force. "Oh, sweetheart, you have no idea what you're in for."
He bent down and kissed her properly this time, sucking down on her lower lip just enough to make her moan before he pulled away, taking her hand in his. "Now, let's do this, shall we?"
Nodding, Caroline eyed the stairs, an uneasy feeling pooling in her stomach as they ascending the stairs, Klaus slightly ahead of Caroline, brandishing a flashlight. Fortunately, it wasn't too dark outside, and the noises echoing up from the dance many floors below were more comforting that Caroline would have thought.
Finally, they stood before the old-fashioned door, looming up in the semi-darkness. Klaus grasped the knob, turned it carefully, and eased it ajar. Caroline winced as it screeched on its hinges.
Throwing her an easy smile, Klaus pulled her forward.
The fourth floor was huge, with a long, rather narrow corridor that sectioned off into various-sized rooms. To their right, an enormous room lay, apparently the location of the infirmary many decades ago, which was where Klaus and Caroline and some of the other teachers stored supplies.
But to the left, the hallway led off to the other wing of the school, which Caroline had only had a glimpse of.
"Are you ready to explore a bit?"
"I swear, if we get attacked by an angry ghost or worse, I will come back from the dead to haunt you, or I'll make your after life miserable."
"Noted. Come on, I want to see the piano room."
"The what?"
"It's the huge circular room above the chapel downstairs. I've peeked in once. The floor is a little bit rotted in spots, but in general it's safe to go across if you keep to the middle."
Swallowing her fear that already held her in a chokehold, Caroline followed Klaus, nothing but the whisper of the wind and the steady echo of their footsteps as they made their way slowly down the hall, Klaus's flashlight illuminated the way.
Abruptly, the hallway opened up into a large circular hall, coated with dust and rife with stray pieces of antique furniture, the moonlight shining through the oval-shaped stained glass window that adorned one side. To the left, Caroline could just make out the shape of an ornate grand piano resting against the wall.
"It is said that the Blue Nun haunts this room, wandering around aimlessly, surrounded by blue light, as a warning to what happens to wicked students who will not repent of their misdeeds," Klaus breathed into her ear, making her jump.
"Klaus! This is so not funny! Can you just—"
Thump.
They both froze, looking at each other, eyes wide. The sound had come from back behind them.
"What was that?" Caroline whispered, her grip crushing Klaus's fingers.
"It must be the wind," He replied just as quietly, but his expression seemed uneasy.
"Can we please just go back?" She pleaded, eyes darting about as she looked back down the hallway.
Rolling his eyes, Klaus nodded, squeezing her hand. "Alright, as you wish, love."
Cautiously, they crept back down the hallway, feeling relief sink in more and more the closer they came to the exit.
"Klaus? What about the blue light?"
"Hmmm?"
"You know, how you can see blue light shining from the windows at night."
He shrugged. "Must be the moon shining through that stained-glass one."
Caroline paused, frowning. "But, Klaus…that window is stained red, not blue."
"Caroline, for the last time, there are no gho—"
BANG!
Caroline screamed as the door next to them burst open, crashing into Klaus in her shock, causing them to fall spectacularly to the floor.
"Klaus! Oh my God, it's the Blue Nun! HELP!" she screeched, trying to untangle herself from him, barely able to see through the cloud of dust that swirled around them at the disturbance.
A peal of laughter stopped her in her tracks.
"Hang on a second…" Klaus growled angrily, jumping to his feet. "What the bloody hell—SALVATORE!" he bellowed, launching himself towards the dark figure towering over them.
"Damon? That was you?" Caroline yelled, seething.
Their fellow colleague could barely breathe, both from laughing and from the headlock Klaus had him in. "Hello to you too, Blondie," he wheezed, blue eyes gleaming with mischief. "Your reaction was priceless. Did you get that, Kitty-Kat?" he called out.
Another giggle sounded from the room Damon had come from, the sound of heels clicking on the wooden floor. "Oh honey, I got it all," Katherine Pierce purred triumphantly, tucking her phone away, winking at Caroline.
"Katherine Pierce, I will freaking kill you!" Caroline raged at the brunette. She could not believe it. Her best friend going behind her back, and with Damon of all people.
"Oh come on, Barbie and Ken, you gotta admit it was at least a little funny."
"I have half a mind to strangle you if you don't stop talking, Salvatore," Klaus sneered, tightening his hold.
Just then, Caroline lost it.
She laughed so hard she almost cried.
Damon and Katherine joined it, leaving Klaus to survey them with reluctant amusement, his anger abated, but still not quite gone.
"I don't know whether I'm more upset or proud that you got us," Caroline giggled, holding her face in her hands in embarrassment.
"Definitely proud. It took ages for you to get here," Katherine replied, smirking.
"Yes, how exactly did you know we would be up here at this hour?" Klaus narrowed his eyes at her.
"Simple. Damon dared you to earlier, and we all know you never back down from a challenge. Isn't that right, Klaus?" Katherine cocked an eyebrow at him.
Klaus looked at Damon. "One day, you'll regret this," he growled, but his lips quirked up just the slightest bit.
Damon chuckled, brushing dust off of his shirt. "Somehow I don't think—"
"Um, guys?" Caroline's voice cut through his answer, her tone laced with fear as she pointed straight ahead.
Down the corridor came a faint bluish glow, flickering ever so slightly. A rustling sound echoed in the air, the old building creaking again as the wind outside whistled and howled.
Wordlessly, the foursome ran for their lives, nearly tripping over themselves in their hurry to escape downstairs.
Damon slammed the door shut behind them, locking it quickly with his key.
They didn't stop until they reached the outside of the gym, the familiar sounds of pop music and young voices chattering calming their racing hearts.
They stood there for a time, catching their breaths, wide-eyed.
Finally, Klaus spoke. "I won't tell if you won't."
"Agreed," the others nodded their heads.
After one last uneasy glance, they headed back into the gym, parting ways as they went to their duties.
But after the dance, when the faculty had cleaned up and left the gym, Caroline stole a glance back up to the fourth floor windows.
A blue light, barely visible, flickered from the nearest window.
She blinked, and it vanished.
"Did you see it too?"
Startled, Caroline looked over at Klaus, his eyes fixed on the spot her had just left.
She nodded.
He sighed, taking her hand and pulling her close, walking towards their car.
"So…do you believe now?"
He simply gave her a dark chuckle. "'When you have eliminated all which is impossible, then whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.'"
She rolled her eyes, jabbing him in the ribs. "So is that a yes, Sherlock?"
He kissed her on the forehead. "It's a challenge, sweetheart. I hope you're ready." He smirked. "We have some investigating to do."
FYI, the school they teach at is based on my old high school. I basically just took the stories of hauntings there and gave it a KC twist :) Please leave a review, and you can also follow me on Tumblr at klarolinessecondbreakfast. Happy Halloween!
p.s. Someone in the reviews asked if I did drabble requests. I haven't before, but I could be persuaded to give it a try :)