A small note before you begin reading: the next few chapters will be a little weird since I promised my sister I would include the Midnight Game in this fic. I know that they probably won't be scary, but if anything, I hope they'll get some laughs or „awws" from you.
"Hey, you mind reading this to everyone?" Gilbert lazily asked and handed a sheet of paper to Arthur from the passenger seat. "Why me?" the Brit questioned while glimpsing at the wall of text on the sheet. "It's that nasal British voice of yours - Francis loves to hear it." The man in question was dumbfounded and soon irritated, but gave up - he knew there was no point in arguing due to the fact that Kiku and, most importantly, Arthur, understood it wasn't true and the fact that Gilbert closed his ears to every counterargument. He only shot a look full of mild hatred towards the Prussian and sighed tiredly. "Quel crétin!" he only muttered and continued to look at the scenery flying past the open window. Arthur cleared his throat and proceeded to read the text on the paper.
"The Midnight Game," he only managed to say when Antonio shrieked in terror and almost drove off the road. He earned a slap against the back of his head from Gilbert, who told Arthur to continue. Francis had already palmed his face - he didn't think his white-haired friend would actually go through with that game. "Judging by the reactions of you three, I'm guessing Arthur and I are the only ones here who have no idea what that game is," Kiku said and looked at Antonio suspiciously. "Just proceed, Artie," Gilbert said, annoyed, to which the Brit continued.
"Do not play the midnight game. It is very dangerous. There is a very real chance of death for those who play the Midnight Game and there is an even greater chance that it will drive you insane. It is highly recommended that you DO NOT PLAY THE MIDNIGHT GAME. If you do choose do play, you do so at your own risk. ... Is this a joke?" Gilbert turned around in his seat and looked at Arthur. "What do you mean?" he asked, narrowing his eyes. "Do you honestly believe a game could drive a man insane? I've heard of poker ruining you but something called "The Midnight Game"? What do we do there - try and kill each other?" Arthur cocked an eyebrow and folded his arms as a sign of disapproval. "What did I tell you earlier? Just keep reading!" Gilbert answered angrily and turned back. Arthur sighed and continued:
"Midnight Game Preparations: to play the midnight game, you will need a large candle, a piece of paper, a pen or pencil, a box of matches or a lighter, a container of salt, a needle or pin and a house with a wooden front door. Midnight Game Instructions: step 1 - write your name on a piece of paper. It must be your full name – first name, middle name and last name. Step 2 - prick your finger and place a drop of blood on the piece of paper. Allow the blood to soak in. What?! Is that some sort of a... a paranormal game? Expecting to see ghosts, summon demons, talk to spirits - that kind of bullshit?" "Very good, Arthur," came a sarcastic nasal tone from the front, "you guessed it - we're doing something supernatural. But Artie, my dear king, you of all people should not question the existence of these... creatures and energy beings, being a Brit and all." Arthur gritted his teeth to which Kiku chuckled. "Please continue, I'm starting to get interested. Ah, reverse psychology - how marvelously it works!" he said with a smile.
"Step 3 - turn off all the lights in your house and stand at your front door. The door must be wooden. Step 4 - place the piece of paper in front of the door. Light the candle and place it on top of the piece of paper. Step 5 - 38 seconds before 00:00 start knocking on the door; 22 times to each passing second. You must finish at the stroke of midnight. Step 6 - open the front door and blow out the candle. Step 7 - close the door again and immediately relight the candle. You have just invited the Midnight Man into your home. ... Now, the midnight game begins." Arthur sighed as he had to admit to himself that he was also starting to get interested. Having come across all sorts of folklore during his childhood days, he was always skeptical, yet open-minded and lived by the word: "If I see it, it exists." And after all, he was dying for an adrenaline rush and he thought that this might be the chance to get it. They may not see the actual Midnight Man, but scaring each other in a huge abandoned building in the middle of the night would still serve its purpose. He then continued without his objections this time:
"You must walk around the house in the dark with the lit candle in hand. Your goal is to avoid the Midnight Man at all costs until exactly 3:33 AM. If your candle goes out, it means the Midnight Man is near you. You have to relight the candle within the next ten seconds or the Midnight Man will get you. The candle is your only protection. If you are able to relight the candle within this time, you can continue moving around the house, avoiding the Midnight Man. If you are not able to relight the candle fast enough, you must immediately surround yourself with a circle of salt. You must remain within the circle of salt until 3:33 AM. The salt is your last line of defense. Do not step outside the circle of salt or the Midnight Man will get you. If you make it to 3:33 AM without being trapped within the circle of salt, it means you have won the Midnight Game. Whatever happens, the Midnight Man will leave at 3:33 AM and, if you are still alive, it is safe to go to sleep. Sleep... right. If you spend the entire game staying in one spot, this will only result in the Midnight Man finding you. It is HIGHLY advised that you keep moving throughout the game." Antonio shifted in the driver's seat. "I think the first thing I'll do when we close the door behind us is surround myself with salt," he said in a slightly breaking voice. Gilbert shook his head. "I won't allow you. I'll break the circle!" he yelled with a large grin and laughed when he saw the Spaniard droop and sigh in defeat.
"Signs that the Midnight Man is nearby: 1 - your candle will blow out. 2 - you will suddenly feel extremely cold. 3 - you will hear a low whisper. 4 - you will see the shadowy figure of a man in the darkness. Rules of The Midnight Game: DO NOT turn on any lights during the Midnight Game. DO NOT use a flashlight during the Midnight Game. DO NOT fall asleep during the Midnight Game. DO NOT use another person's blood on the paper that bears your name. DO NOT try to use a lighter instead of a candle. It will not work. DO NOT attempt to provoke or anger the Midnight Man in ANY WAY. I swear to God, Gilbert, if you do, I'll kill you myself later on when we both meet in Hell... It must be exactly 12:00 AM when you finish performing the ritual, otherwise it will not work," Arthur continued and looked at Kiku, who was deep in thought. "I bet this whole thing can be explained scientifically - like the brain releases neurotoxins because of the high level of adrenaline in our body or something like that, but I have to experience it firsthand to be able to claim anything," he told Arthur at a low tone. Arthur nodded and read out the last bit of the text:
"Some final words of advice: do not play this game. There are many dangers involved. Summoning a spirit or inviting a ghost or demon into your home is incredibly dangerous. You could be abducted or become possessed. Running around with matches and candles in the dark is extremely dangerous. Do not burn yourself or set your house on fire. Pricking your finger and messing around with blood is dangerous. Do not allow yourself to come into contact with someone else's blood. You could catch a fatal disease. Yes, BAD TOUCH TRIO, stay away from the two of us - we don't want syphilis or gonorrhea or some other STD. Finally, our advice to you is: DO NOT PLAY THIS GAME." After that there was a silence when everyone thought their own thoughts. "Seems legit," Francis broke the silence and after that they all began to discuss what they may see and what might happen. "It might not work at all, I've read plenty of times how nothing happened," Francis said in line of encouragement to Antonio and it worked. The Spaniard was feeling a little more brave than he was before, but a sudden feel of eeriness came to him when they pulled up in front of the mansion, completely covered in the darkness of December's nights. Arthur could feel his heartbeat get faster - he didn't expect the place to look so cunning and horrifying. "Well, what are we waiting for?" Gilbert asked and jumped out of the car into to the cool wind of the night.
The weather was mild: it was cloudy (at least, seemed to be) and it was warm, yet cold enough for them all to wear jeans and long-sleeved shirts. They took their equipment and stepped inside the mansion. Arthur and Kiku both shuddered to how ominous the place looked. The certain feel of being watched was felt by all of them, yet still they proceeded to go to the middle of the loft, just in front of the majestic stairs. They had decided to make this their camping area and that they would return to this place after 3:33. In reality they all had the same thought - to get as far as possible from the damned mansion. They unpacked their camping gear and took a few bites to eat before starting the ritual. When it was 23:45, Gilbert stood up and took out the things they'd need. "Well, shall we get started?" he asked with a weary grin.