#gvf paranormal

[stardustndreamsofsilver]

Inferum

Prologue

Jake x OC (f)

Warnings: possibly spooky subject to some, talk of human remains

Quocumque ingrederis sequitur mors corporis umbra.

My story begins like any other I suppose. When I was small and staying with my Grandma Julie, as I did most weekends, I saw my first fantôme, ghost. As I lay sleeping, I woke to a woman sitting at the end of my bed. She was old, her red hair reminded me of a poodle and the way she dressed seemed out of place, even to a five year old. She lounged at the end of the bed, legs crossed, one arm draped across her lap and a cigarette in the hand of the other. Up until then my little mind had not thought to be frightened, just confused. 

Then, she took a drag of her cigarette and slowly faced me. She stared at me, unblinking. My heart began to pound and I could feel my throat begin to close from the sheer terror that coursed through my body. I wanted to scream, jump up and run to my grandmother, anything! But I was frozen in place. All I could do was screw my eyes shut and pray for her to go away.

The next morning, I told Grandma Julie about the woman in my room. She, like most adults, thought nothing of it and figured the woman was an imaginary friend I’d conjured up. That is until I began to describe her. As I recounted the details of the woman, from the color of her pants to the pattern on her sweater, my grandmother’s face slowly began to fall.

“Oh! And she had funny looking hair. It was red like yours, but looked like cotton candy!” I’d said.

All color drained from Grandma’s face. Her hand slowly raised and covered her mouth. Tears welled in her eyes and she whispered, “Oh, God!” I later learned that the person I’d described had been my grandmother’s mother, Ava. Not only that, but the way I described her was how she’d looked the day she told Grandma Julie that she had lung cancer. 

Since that day, I’ve never stopped pursuing the paranormal. It started with me asking my parents– or rather any adult– about ghosts. Were they real? Had the woman I’d seen just been in my head like my mother tried to convince me? As I got older, I would read any ghost story I could get my hands on, be it fiction, reddit forums; whatever form they took. Some would say that I was/am obsessed, but I’d like to think that I’m on a lifelong pursuit of knowledge. Albeit niche. 

Which brings us here, to Paris.

Paris, the city of love, the city of light, the city of the dead. It should be clear as to which name brings me here. The city of love… Ah, who am I kidding? I’m here for the Ossuaire Municipal de Paris, otherwise known as the Catacombs.

The Catacombs are steeped in mystery, the macabre, and stories of the paranormal. Which, how could they not be? They hold the remains of an estimated six million people. Not only that, but most of the remains were exhumed from their original resting place and dumped into the then abandoned limestone mines. 

But then there was good reason for this, as the cemeteries of Paris were overflowing by the mid to late 1780s. It was so overflowing and “unpleasant” to live near that it became a matter of public health and safety. So, the bones of millions began to be moved and continued to be until 1814 and then began again in 1840. 20 years later, the interment of remains officially and finally stopped.

Now, the remains weren’t left undisturbed during this time. Just before the Ossuaire Municipal de Paris was opened to the public, a man named Héricart de Thury was charged with heading the “decorative rearrangement” of the bones, that up until this point, were just pushed in the massive piles along the walls to utilize as much space as possible. So, Thury was the man who planned and executed the macabre and morbid designs and art that you see today within its walls.

These two things, the mass exhumation and further disturbance of the remains, are said to be the catalyst for the haunting of the Catacombs. Which in turn has brought thousands of urban explorers, paranormal investigators, and lovers of all things supernatural to the city. There are so many stories and urban legends told by those who have braved the uncharted parts of the catacombs. I’m sure they could fill a library's worth of books. 

This particular excursion of the city of the dead will fill mine.

taglist: @peaceloveunitygvf, @edgingthedarkness, @jakekiszkashangnail08

If you would like to be added to the taglist for future installments, let me you 🖤

[vanfleeter]

Conjure: (Sneak Peek)

Twins.

Noun. A person or thing that is exactly like the other.

They were born into this world from the same womb–only five minutes apart. Two brothers who share just about everything. Everything they did was done together, except for their school classes. Too chaotic to be in the same class together. The only time they were ever purposely separated, and not by their choice. They made pact when they were young, that since they came into this world together, they leave this world together.

Twenty-eight years came and went in a blur. They survived significant others that came and went, some staying longer than others. They were each others ride or die, no one could replace either one of them. They had their own best friends, but they were each other’s built in best friend from the start.

As the years went on, and the older they grew, they slowly became their own person with their own identity. Though they share all the same facial qualities, Jake wanted to be his own person. He was getting tired of people confusing him with Josh. He especially hated it when Josh tried to pretend to be him. So he grew out his hair while Josh typically kept his short and curly. They mutually decided to dress differently, growing tired of wearing matching outfits that their mother would put them in. His style grew different from Josh’s. While Josh was more hippie and international, Jake kept his casual and laid back. He became the emo twin, the long bangs and the hipster clothing. Even their music style had its slight differences, despite growing up around the same genres.

They even had different passions. Jake loved music. He learned how to play guitar a very young age, and it was the one thing that he stayed true to. He had dreams of playing music like his grandfather, but he wanted to be BIG. Have a band, compose his own songs, travel around the world while playing his music. Josh on the other hand, he dreamt of producing films. Come junior high and high school, he produced a few short films with the help of Jake, of course. He was also into theater, unlike Jake. He loved to act, loved to the center of attention, whereas Jake did not. Jake tended to hang out behind the scenes, keep to himself and just not be bothered unless he choose to be.

And while Jake practiced and practiced to get better at guitar, he helped Josh make his movies. He even acted in them, despite being the one who didn’t want to act. But Josh was the director and the producer, someone had to be the actor. So when Jake wasn’t behind the camera and capturing all the good shots for Josh, he was in front of the camera and doing his best as an actor.

Eventually Jake began to form his own band and since he helped Josh with his movies, Josh returned the favor and decided that he would help Jake with his music. Jake promised him that once they made it big and Josh was ready to step down, he would help Josh again with his film. And so they did just that. They roped in their younger brother Sam who learned to play the bass and taught himself how to play the keys. Eventually they brought on a good family friend, Danny–who also grew into being one of their brothers. Family. That’s what they were, and that’s what they always would be.

And for the next ten years, the twins were still together. They even moved in together for a while, even with their significant others, because they just couldn’t separate from each other.

Until Josh made the decision to move out with his partner. “It’s time,” He said. “We need our own spaces if we want our relationships to work..” He patted Jake on the shoulder and gave him a reassuring smile. “I’m not that far, and besides, I’ll give you a key so you can come over whenever you want to.”

Though they lived apart now, they still were inseparable, even when they went on tour. They were always together.

“Can’t get rid of me that easily.” Josh joked one night as he handed Jake a glass of whiskey. “And apparently the same goes for you.”

Jake rolled his eyes. “Nah, we made a pact. If you go down, I’m going down with you.”

Josh chuckles. “That silly ole pact, Jacob,” He sips on his wine. “I can’t believe you’re still holding onto that.”

Jake shrugs his shoulders and sips his whiskey. “I don’t think I could ever live a day without you…”

Little did he know that living without his twin forever was approaching faster than he was ever expecting…

Coming soon on 10/1 as part of Jaketober 👻

I fear that I have missed some people either here or in the comments. If I did, please let me know!! Tumblr won't let me tag or comment people all of a sudden!! I do apologize!! ♡

@watchingover-hypegirl @losfacedevil @ignite-my-fire @ohgodthefeeling-gvf @writingcold @jaketlove @mackalah @lexii-nv-c @em-gvf01 @katiegvf @joshkiszkaenthusiast @takenbythemadness @jakekiszkasmommy @objectsinspvce @gvfmarge @heckingfrick @bluemeadows77 @laneygvf @gvfpal @killerqueengvf @jordinlkiszka @alwaysonthemend @hellowgoodbye @anythingforjtk @hi-hi-hello11 @anthemofgvf @gretasfallingsky @songbirds-sweet @wildbluesorbit @klarxtr @stardustsecret @sunandthemoontwinflames @everyglowinthetwilightknows @devilat-thedoor @sparrowofthedawnsworld @josh-iamyour-mama @dannys-dream @peaceloveunitygvf @hollyco @tinydancer40 @edgingthedarkness @i-love-gvf @thewritingbeforesunrise @katuschka @sammysstolenbirks @asendingtothestarsasone @fleetingjake @emojakekiszka @literal-dead-leaf @klarxtr

[ofthecaravel]

Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)

Danny Wagner x Sam Kiszka (kinda?)

Summary: Ghost hunter extraordinaire Danny Wagner takes on Kiszka Manor with a Ouija board and a dream. Luckily, the ghosts like him. One of them likes him a lot.

Tags: Ghosts, mentions of murder/death/disease/suicide, arguments, majority silly goofy I promise!!!!

Word Count: 3.6k

A/N: My submission for the GVF Writers Halloween Event organized by the wonderful @hearts-hunger! Such a fun idea and I'm excited to participate.

Prompt #2: Real Haunted House

--

“Hey guys! Welcome back to my channel! Today, I’m at the famous haunted Kiszka Manor to investigate its history and see if we can get in touch with the spirits that haunt these grounds!”

Danny took a confident step back as he grinned wildly at the camera, his hand moving from a wave to a theatrical gesture to accompany his continuing speech. 

“This building has been abandoned ever since the mysterious string of deaths that plagued its halls finally came to an end in 1899 with the death of its last living inhabitant, Samuel Kiszka, the youngest member of the family that had lived in the house since it was built. The house was sold to new owners a few years later, but they lasted no more than two months before fleeing, claiming that the rampant paranormal activity was making it impossible to live there. Since then, countless paranormal investigators have braved a night within these walls, but nobody has ever made it to sunrise without experiencing something that they couldn’t explain.”

Danny reached off camera to grab the sleeping bag that he’d leaned up against the kitchen wall prior to shooting, giving it a little shake as he smirked.

“Tonight, I will be joining that brave league,” Danny explained. “And I’m going to catch it all on camera for your viewing entertainment. Stay tuned to see if I survive a night at Kiszka Manor.”

He ended the recording and let out a relieved breath, flipping the viewfinder in and setting the camera down on the table he’d laid his other equipment on. He startled when his movement jostled the sleeping bag and sent it unfurling down his torso. It swung down onto the dusty wooden floors, quickly gathering a cobwebbed dust bunny as he tried to shake it off. Danny grimaced and lifted it up, giving it another genuine shake.

“Aw, gross,” he said to himself, now much more quiet and meek that the camera was off. “Ew.”

-

In the parlor facing the kitchen doorway, the three spirits that did in fact haunt the house were watching Danny with an amused calculation. When they spoke, they spoke in synchrony.

“Dibs.”

-

After rolling his sleeping bag up with an annoyed huff, Danny ignored the chill running down his spine and the uncomfortable jerk of a nerve in his ear. A surely false sense of being watched started to overtake him the longer he stood in the empty mansion. And a mansion it certainly was, with three expansive stories just waiting for Danny and his camera to go exploring in…alone…at night…

Sometimes Danny wondered what his nights would be like if those silly ghost hunting videos he’d made in his college dorm hadn’t gone so viral and asserted him as a cornerstone of the Youtube ghost community. Maybe he’d be unwinding from a 9-5, lazy on the couch and warm from a home cooked dinner. Maybe there’d be someone there with him, laying their head on his chest and making light conversation.

But here he was. Standing with his hands on his hips in a pathetic attempt to gather any semblance of authority and trying not to shake in his shabby Nike sneakers as he noticed the retreating creep of daylight out of the corner of his eye. In a very old, probably asbestos filled house that was also probably full of ghosts that already hated his nosy guts. 

Great.

-

Luckily for Danny, there was something untrue about his assumption. The ghosts did not already hate him. Actually, they were quite taken with him.

“Is it just me, or do these guys keep getting cuter and cuter?” Josh cooed, coasting through the kitchen to assess Danny from every angle. “They must be putting something in the water these days.”

“Cradle robber,” Jake laughed, following his twin through the doorway.

“Back off, I called dibs first,” Sam complained, trailing behind them in his unsteady float. “He’s already talked about me. I have claim!”

“Oh yeah? Then what’s this?” Josh teased, shimmying up next to the light switch and pressing his translucent fingers into the wall. He gave them a wiggle with a challenging smile as the overhead light started to flicker, causing Danny’s head to jerk in surprise and his eyes to widen as Josh made the bulb flit a few more times before slowly burning it out. Danny strode to the light switch and gave it a few desperate flicks, never taking his eyes off of the light.

“That’s a cheap trick,” Sam accused, his lip curling as Josh removed himself from the wall and straightened his lapels. “He deserves some distinguished communication.”

“He’s not going to be any fun at all,” Jake sighed, already seemingly bored by Danny’s anxious stature. “It’s only fun when they’re skeptics. Let’s just toss some crystals from the chandelier and slam a door and get him out as soon as we can.”

“Oh, come on, it’s been ages since our last little ghost hunter,” Josh lamented, flopping over sideways into the air and landing as if he’d fallen onto a bed. “It’s nice to have some company.”

“We might actually be able to talk to him, too,” Sam noted excitedly, directing his older brother’s attention to the all too familiar board sticking out of one of Danny’s tote bags. “Now that I call dibs on.”

“What, so you can ask him if he like-likes anyone?” Jake teased, wiggling his eyebrows at Sam and letting out a laugh when Sam made an incredulous sound and floated into the next room. If Sam had still been in his body, they all knew his cheeks would have been flushed.

-

“Okay, guys, it’s been about an hour since I arrived, and I’m getting ready here to hopefully talk to some spirits.”

Danny had set himself up in one of the bedrooms on the second level, the one at the very end of the hall with a grand window that let in enough light for Danny to be able to see the Ouija board he’d placed on the carpet in front of him. 

“I still don’t understand how there’s people in the cameras,” Josh observed, pointing a finger at the viewfinder that Danny was reflected in. “I only see him. Is it like a telephone?”

“I couldn’t tell you,” Jake shrugged. He and Josh had settled on the four poster bed on the opposite wall, chatting amongst themselves while Danny lit a few candles and their younger brother giddily took post on the opposite side of the Ouija board. Sam was generally a pretty mopey ghost considering his circumstances, but there was something about this particular person that really piqued his interest. It was odd, especially to his brothers, but it was also too exciting to ignore.

For his brothers, it was odd for a different reason. It was concerning. 

“Alright,” Danny started, clearing his throat and trying to avoid stalling any more. “Let’s do this.”

He set the camera down on the end of the bed right in front of where the ghostly twins sat cross legged, and they mimed holding it steady and pressing the buttons with a collective giggle. Sam scowled at them and gestured for them to get away from it, knowing that their interaction with the technology could provide Danny with some interesting warped footage that would take away from his prospective Ouija interview. 

“I’ve set up camp here in the south wing of the house in the room that used to belong to Samuel, who I very briefly touched on earlier,” Danny explained to the camera, settling into the animated lecturing tone he adopted for his videos. “On the opposite end of the hallway are the rooms that belonged to his older brothers, Joshua and Jacob, who died a year before him.”

On the bed, Josh and Jake raised their hands like roll call, and Sam rolled his eyes at them.

“From what I’ve been able to find, it seems that Joshua contracted cholera in the spring of 1897 and suffered with it for a year before finally passing away in 1898, with his twin brother Jacob passing away just a few days later from an unrelated cardiac event that left their youngest brother alone in the estate.”

“Thank you again for that one, you guys,” Sam commented dryly. “That wasn’t super lonely or anything.”

“I still think it was very dramatic of you to die from heartbreak,” Josh snorted, nudging Jake.

“Who says it was heartbreak?” Jake teased right back. “I was simply so overcome with the joy of finally being free of you that I croaked.”

“I would like to try and run the spirit box in their rooms later on in the night, but I wanted to start in here,” Danny went on, setting the planchette on the board. “I couldn’t really find much about how Samuel died, except for that his autopsy reported some broken bones and internal injury. If I’m lucky, maybe he’ll tell me.”

“He jumped out a window!” Jake yelled, cupping his hands around his mouth. 

“Shut up!” Sam snapped. They both exchanged faces before Sam turned to give his full attention back to Danny, who was very hesitantly placing his first and middle fingers on the planchette. He waited for Danny to trace three circles before adding his own fingers to the wood, wishing for a moment that he was still able to feel anything at all so he could feel the warmth of Danny’s skin. Now that was something Sam missed: warmth.

“Is there anyone here who would like to talk to me?” Danny asked gingerly. Whenever he asked, he always hoped deep down that nobody would answer.

Unfortunately for him, Sam was eager to talk, and he concentrated all of his energy on very laboriously sliding the planchette over to his answer.

YES

Danny stared at the board for a second, trying to zero in on the twitch of muscles in his fingers and finally deducing that his subconscious must have moved the planchette. Danny had had plenty of paranormal experiences with shadow figures and moving doors, but he’d never been lucky with the Ouija board before.

“O-kay, that’s great,” Danny squeaked out. “Wow. Okay. Yeah. Can you tell me your name?”

S A M

It took a lot of effort to move the planchette and Sam figured his nickname would be enough. He wanted to preserve his energy so they could talk for as long as he wanted to.

“Ooh, keeping it casual, I see,” Josh sang. “You’re best friends already.”

“Sam,” Danny repeated, his heart racing so fast he worried it would freeze up. “Are you the same Sam who lived here? Samuel?”

YES

“Wow,” Danny blurted, flustered from this revelation. “It’s nice to meet you, Sam. I’m Danny. You, uh, your house is very nice.”

“Danny?” Jake echoed in a thin, nasally mockery. “Good grief, what’s with names these days? What’s so bad about Daniel?”

Sam glowered at him before steeling himself to reply again.

T H A N K Y O U

“You’re welcome,” Danny answered, still dumbfounded. 

He was talking to a real ghost. This was proof, if not for the camera but for himself. He knew his comments section would be filled with accusations, but Danny knew somewhere deep in his gut that it was not him rigging the game.

This was real.

“How old are you?” Danny asked, realizing with a panic that he wasn’t nearly as prepared as he’d hoped. He was really grasping for straws with his questions.

2 4

“Hey, so am I!” Danny laughed. Sam grinned and shivered at the sound. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d heard a laugh that wasn’t his own or his brothers, or one that wasn’t at the expense of their house from so-called ghost hunters far less courteous than Danny. Usually when Sam was around, people were screaming. But here was a laugh. It was a nice change of pace.

“Is it just you in the house?” Danny asked.

NO 

“Can I ask who else is here with you?” 

J J

“JJ?” Danny repeated with a confused frown. “Who’s JJ? OH, do you mean your brothers? Joshua and Jacob?”

“Come on, Sam, give him a little more to work with,” Jake scolded.

“My arms hurt,” Sam whined. “It’s not my fault your names have so many letters. He figured it out, anyways!”

YES

“Oh, well, hello to them, too,” Danny greeted nervously, looking around the room for where they may be lurking. “They don’t want to talk?”

NO 

“Any reason why?” 

E F F O R T

“It’s a lot of effort? To move it?”

YES

“Oh, so you can spell that but not Jacob? That’s too much work?”

“I’m sorry,” Danny apologized. “We can stop.”

When the planchette moved again, it was fast and aggressive.

NO NO NO

“Don’t scare him too bad,” Josh murmured, taking note of Danny’s tense body language and Sam’s frantic eyes. “Easy.”

“Okay, we’ll keep going,” Danny said, cringing at the slight shake in his voice. “Uh…sorry, I really wasn’t expecting a reply. I’m kind of blanking. You must get the Ouija board treatment all the time.”

NO 

“No? Really? I feel like that’s what everybody brings to haunted houses.”

Danny cringed again, breaking out in a cold sweat when he thought about what he’d said. Did Sam know he was dead? Was it a touchy subject? 2 years of ghost investigation and Danny was only now considering the ghost’s perspective. 

Sam watched Danny stick his tongue in his cheek and visibly ponder potential questions. He felt very grateful that Danny couldn’t see how intensely he was staring. Sam made detailed notes of the spray of freckles across his nose and the Botticelli furrow of his brows, the way his hair grew long and gathered at his shoulders in a way that Sam envied and never would’ve been allowed to do in his time. If he listened closely, he could hear his heart beating, panicked and bloody and alive. 

“What is death like?” Danny found himself asking, the words rushing out in a whisper. He couldn’t help himself. It was all he could think about in this place, with its silent halls and chatty spirits.

Sam smiled.

L I G H T 

“Light?”

C A L M

“Sam,” Josh warned. “Watch yourself.”

H A P P Y 

Danny felt a wave of relief pass over him at the affirmation. He’d long since forgotten that the camera was on and felt no sense of self consciousness at his little shiver of excitement.

“That sounds nice,” Danny smiled. “I think people worry that it’s all hellfire and empty spaces and whatnot, so that’s good to hear. I’m sorry you died so young. At least you avoided The Great Depression and stuff.”

“The who?” Sam said out loud to himself, earning a laugh from his brothers.

“Well,” Danny sighed. “I’m probably going to end this now. Is there anything else you want to tell me before I put the board away?”

Sam’s heart sank. He wasn’t ready to say goodbye. According to Danny, he’d be moving to the twins’ rooms next, and knowing them, they’d keep his spirit box chattering all night with their incessant scares. It wasn’t fair. Everybody always came to the house for Josh and Jake and their heart wrenching, freaky-deaky twin deaths and their boyish paranormal antics. 

When was the last time somebody had come here looking for him?

“Tell him he needs a haircut,” Jake suggested. “Tell him you’re Satan.”

“They always go running with that one,” Josh agreed. “What’s the other one? ZOZO? No clue where that comes from but it sure freaked out those guys from Seattle.” 

Sam ignored them. The only thing he could hear was Danny.

S T A Y

Danny chuckled nervously.

“Stay? Am I really such a great interviewer?”

S T A Y

Jake and Josh exchanged glances. 

“Okay, Sam, time to hang up,” Jake demanded, leaning forward off the side of the bed and pulling on Sam’s shoulder. “We are not doing this again.”

“He’s different,” Sam insisted, shrugging Jake off and moving his fingers on the planchette so that they spliced with Danny’s. The temperature change was subtle, but it was enough that Danny felt his fingers go cold. He eased up on the pressure he’d been applying out of fear that he’d begun to cut off his circulation.

“You said that about the last two,” Josh reminded harshly, joining Jake’s effort to try and pull Sam away from the board. “Back off. We’ll spook him on the spirit box and he’ll be out by the sunrise.”

W A N T 

Every alarm bell inside Danny’s gut was blaring full volume and he knew he needed to end the session and get going. He couldn’t help but keep glancing up at the empty space in front of him, trying to remember anything about Sam’s appearance from the online archives he’d used for research the night prior. It was only when he looked back down at the board did he catch a glimpse of something in his peripheral; a smudge of brown hair, pale skin…or was it the candlelight playing tricks on him?

“It’s been nice talking to you, Sam,” Danny blurted hurriedly, struggling to speak with such strong paranoia twisting in his stomach. “Goodbye, now!”

With an unheard frustrated shriek on Sam’s behalf, Danny circled the planchette three times again and pulled his hand back like it’d been resting on a hot stovetop. He let out a rattling breath of relief and turned back towards the camera, acknowledging it with a jolt and flashing the screen a relieved smile before scooping it off the bed. 

“You heard it here first, folks,” Danny announced with a breathless chuckle, pushing his curly bangs off his forehead. “Your man Dan is in hot demand on the grounds of Kiszka Manor.”

-

“You’ve got to control yourself, Sam, for heaven’s sake,” Josh reprimanded. 

Danny had left the room a few minutes ago, abandoning them with haste in favor of setting up motion detectors and a spirit box in Jake’s room at the other end of the hall. But the twins were in no hurry to go play with any of Danny’s toys yet. 

“Now you know why we don’t like you to interact,” Jake added, his words landing like a slap on Sam’s stormy face. “You get too involved.”

“Why are you two the only ones who ever get to have fun?” Sam yelled, getting to his feet and facing the wall away from them with his arms crossed haughtily. “Why am I in trouble? I’m an adult! I’m 149 years old! Leave me the hell alone!”

“If we could get away from you, we would,” Josh spat. “Trust me. But we can’t. And you’re not allowed to ‘have fun’ because your idea of fun is KILLI-”

“I’VE NEVER KILLED ANYBODY!” Sam howled, his hands coming up like claws next to his face. He still refused to look at either of his brothers.

“Then would you care to find another explanation for our forlorn ghostly companions in our attic? I’m sure they’d love to hear it from you!”

“JUST GET OUT OF MY ROOM!”

“That boy should count himself pretty lucky he remembered to close the portal,” Jake sneered at Sam’s back. “We’re going to go give him a scare or two and then we’re going to leave him alone. And I recommend you do too. Do you hear me?”

Sam fell deathly silent, the weight of his fury draining any last remnants of warmth that the candle had left behind and plunging the thermostat as low as he felt.

“Christ,” was the last thing Sam heard muttered before he felt them leave the room, making sure to let the door slam behind them and conjure up a muffled scream of fright from Danny down the hall. 

Once Sam was certain they were gone, he relaxed his incorporeal body out of his act of tense rage and turned to look over his shoulder at the door. He was wearing the lazy smile that he’d been unable to wipe off his face and had to hide from his family. That was a curse of his that he carried into his afterlife; he just couldn’t help but wear his heart on his sleeve. 

Except that Sam didn’t have a heart anymore. It had died with him, of course, but he was pretty sure it had given its last beat on the day that he was left the only surviving member of his family. With a house too big, a backyard overpopulated with graves, and a town that offered only thoughts and prayers in his time of need, Sam lost his ability to feel. It had been so blank inside his chest that Sam figured the only explanation was that his heart had simply shriveled up and withered away. He’d gone looking for it in death but found himself somehow twice as lonely even with a reunion as sweet as the one he’d had with his siblings. 

But now he’d found it again, that rhythmic pulse that he heard from the ribcage of a polite ghost hunter that had been delivered to his door by what seemed like the hand of God. He was sure of it, actually. Danny was here because he was meant to be Sam’s, meant to drive away all that endless, bleak loneliness and bring back his capacity to love.

Why else would have Danny done the closing circles on the Ouija board in the same direction as he had the first time? Every paranormal professional knew you ended things by moving the planchette in a counterclockwise direction. And Danny really seemed like he knew his stuff. 

Sam smiled wider. Danny must’ve left the portal open on purpose. Just for him. 

Down the hall, Sam could hear another dampened scream from Danny, no doubt from the twins tossing a ghostly buzzword in between radio waves. On the bed, Sam noticed for the first time that Danny had thrown his sleeping bag across its expanse, already unzipped and ready to receive him. 

Them. 

It may have been unbeknownst to everyone except for Sam, but the night had just begun.

--

[oliverreedmasterass]

I'm SO excited to share this collab I did with the unbelievably hilarious @jmkho!!

Words: 4.7k

Synopsis: GVF make their way to a haunted house for shits and giggles. If you've read Alex (@jmkho) and I's stories before, I think you know where this is headed...

Warnings: language, mentions of paranormal and supernatural events, blood

👻🎃👻🎃👻🎃👻🎃👻🎃👻🎃👻🎃👻🎃

“Jesus,” Sam let out as they stood observing the house. It looked like any regular old mansion. Nothing screamed out ‘haunted house’ to him and he hated that. 

“What?” Josh questioned his younger brother as he stood tapping an annoyed foot on the ground with his hands on his hips. 

“Just…not very Halloweeny is it? I mean if you’re gonna make a haunted house and have people walk through it….put some effort in and throw some webs around. Lazy.” 

“Well, I found this on Groupon and thought, hey, we haven’t done something like this for a long time. Might as well get haunted a little!” Josh wiggled his eyebrows at the rest of them. “It would have been cool to try to find a listing for a real haunted house or like a haunted cabin, or even ship. Hell, I’d even take a haunted shed at this point. But it sounds like a ball of laughs to explore around.” Josh paused and sighed. He studied the house and couldn’t help but agree with Sam over the lackluster outside. Not even a pumpkin or a fake skeleton in place. Careless.

“I’m too brave for haunted houses,” Sam confidently stated. “I’ve never been in one that’s scared me before, I just don’t think it’s possible. You obviously wasted your money on this, Josh. It’s not gonna be worth it.”

“Sam,” Danny tried to quiet him, since it was evident he was upsetting Josh. 

“I mean, with haunted houses, you’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all, right?” Sam looked around at everyone with his eyebrows raised. “Like you have rats, cobwebs, and moaning noises. How is that scary? That’s just what Jake’s room looks like.” 

“Hey!” Jake protested. 

“Haunted houses are a cash grab. If I really want to get spooked, I’ll just look up photos of Mick Fleetwood. That guy looks like he has a lot of secrets that he needs to keep to himself.” 

Everyone stared blankly at Sam, unsure what to say in response to his monologue, and then shuffled to the front entrance to explore. The door creaked as they opened it, and that in itself was enough to get 5 stars from Josh and reconsider his initial disappointment. Nice that they committed to the experience and made the doors creaky. He was excited to add that detail to his review.

The place was huge. A gorgeous, mahogany staircase was the first thing that greeted them as they got through the door. Danny let out a whistle. “Wow.”

“Still no cobwebs,” was all Sam added, not hiding the fact that he wasn’t impressed or happy.

“Shall we look around? Get a feel of the place?” Josh asked, beaming a huge smile. He didn’t wait for anyone to agree; he just turned and skipped to the stairs.

Jake followed after him along with Sam, who let out a sigh, and then Danny, who was eyeing around the house.

“I call the master bedroom!” Sam suddenly called out, pushing his brothers and Danny out of the way so he could book it to the largest room. 

“Sam!” Danny yelled after him. “We aren’t staying here. We’re only supposed to walk around.” 

“Hey,” Sam paused in his tracks to face Danny. “If I paid to get inside this place, you best believe I’m gonna be crashing here. Especially if they have Sleep Number mattresses.” 

“I was the one who paid for our tickets though,” Josh mumbled to himself. 

“Enjoy sleeping in your twin beds with creaky bed frames, peasants,” Sam called over his shoulder as he fled down the hallway, out of sight. 

“How does Sam not know what a haunted house is?” Danny asked Josh and Jake. Josh shrugged, and Jake wiped his hand down his face. 

“He does know. The guy just won’t pass up on a good Sleep Number mattress.” 

While they waited for Sam to return, Danny and Josh scoured around the area and Jake tried to play Candy Crush on his phone. He was nowhere close to beating his high score though because he kept getting distracted by cold chills that were rippling through the room. 

“They’ve got a weird AC in this place,” Jake commented, not bothering to look up from his phone at the ghost that was chilling right in front of him, watching his Candy Crush game with wide eyes. 

Sam returned from “his” bedroom and let his intrusive thoughts win, body checking Josh so he nearly toppled to the floor with a loud “MAMA!” 

“Bump into me one more time, I dare-“ Josh let out but stopped when a door down the hall slammed shut.

Josh and Jake let out a scream that would put Ned Flanders to shame, but Sam rolled his eyes and cupped a hand to his mouth. “Gotta do better than that!!”

Jake started counting everyone.

No one was missing, so who shut the door?

Danny leaned towards the twins as they stared at the door. “Someone must have used magnets to do that. Easy to do, I bet. Nice little gag to make the door slam at random moments.”

Josh smiled softly to his friend and then grinned. “Nice little magnet magic!” Jake laughed and agreed but still eyed the door with concern.

“I’ll be back in a second,” Josh excused himself, jutting his thumb back towards the bathrooms they had passed near the main entrance. “Gotta do the ‘biz.’” 

“Just say you’re gonna take a shit, Josh, we won’t judge you,” Jake told him. 

“I will,” Sam countered, raising his hand. Josh looked between his brothers, shook his head, and hurried away. Jake watched his twin leave and then, without a word to Sam and Danny, turned on his heel and wandered away. 

“Okay, bye, I guess?” Danny called after him. Jake didn’t acknowledge him and disappeared into a room. “You’re not gonna leave me too, are you?” Danny turned to Sam. 

“You afraid?” Sam smirked at him. Danny folded his arms across his chest. 

“Absolutely not,” Danny protested. 

“Yeah, alright, buddy,” Sam chuckled. 

Danny and Sam strolled down the hallway. “- but then it was the perfect way -” Danny stopped talking as they both came to a halt. The ghostly figure of a man glided across the hallway in front of them.

“Oh my fucking god!” Danny let out in a hushed tone, frozen in place. What magnets could do that? Gotta be an actor. Magnets can’t do that. 

“I know right…” Sam replied in an equally hushed tone before letting out very loudly, “Look at them shoes! The size of those buckles? What is the point of them? Honestly? And that jacket colour with those pants? Did you get dressed in the dark?”

The ghostly man turned to look at them, seeming offended beyond anything. How dare they!

“Or did you just put on whatever fell out of your wardrobe?”

As Sam finished that, the man let out a loud snarl and began to rush at them. Danny was concerned that the actor would end up falling over at the speed he was moving. Sam let out a loud yawn.

Back in the bathroom, Josh finished his thirty minute hair routine to get his curls back into perfect, fluffy shape. 

“There we go,” Josh murmured to himself as he raked his fingers through his poof. “Fucking gorgeous.” He paused and gaped at the mirror. Letters began to slowly scrawl across the mirror in what looked to be blood. Josh watched the letters spell “GET OUT” and then glared. 

Jake, Sam, and Danny were hanging out in the kitchen, playing with the old fashioned toaster, when they heard muttered curses approaching along with small stomps of feet.

“YOU FUCKWITS,” Josh hollered.

The rest of the guys watched as he appeared in the room. “WHOEVER WROTE THAT ON THE MIRROR, GO FUCK YOURSELF. I’M SORRY BUT MAKING MY HAIR LOOK THIS GOOD TAKES TIME! DON’T TELL ME TO GET OUT…..YOU GET OUT!” His hands were balled up at his sides as his face turned red from the sheers rudeness of them not understanding how much work it took for him to make his hair look so fucking fabulous. They didn’t have the balls to understand.

Jake stared at his twin, completely confused. He knew for a fact not to fuck around with Josh as his hair time. Hell, he learned his lesson about that eons ago….

“What the hell are you going on about?” Sam asked out.

“One of you wrote ‘get out’ on the mirror as I was fixing my hair,” Josh tousled the front of his hair for emphasis as the rest of the guys stared at him.

Jake’s face paled, but Danny smiled at Josh and shook his head. 

“They’ve really put a lot of thought into this haunted house. They must have been using magnets on the other side of the mirror for you to see the words written out.” 

“It would have been a lot scarier if they wrote out Josh’s social security number,” Sam said as he crossed his arms and shook his head with disappointment. Josh thought over Danny’s explanation and let his tense shoulders relax. 

“Whoever was using those magnets had really good penmanship,” he commented, smiling off into space. Then he snapped back to reality. “So, what have you all been up to?”

“For the thirty minutes you were gone?” Jake ridiculed Josh. “Well, I bumped into Clive and he was telling me about the house.” Jake smiled.

Danny looked at Josh whose eyebrows were furrowed.

“Clive? Who’s Clive?”

Jake lifted a hand and gestured to the house. “You know…Clive! Really nice guy, kinda looks sick and pale, but good bloke. He was talking to me about the house. He was in the living room just sort of…standing in the corner staring at me.”

Danny nodded and let out a loud, “ahhh” before adding. “Okay so there’s more than one paid actor. Nice.” He smiled broadly. He was beginning to really appreciate how committed the haunted house people were to trying to scare them.

Suddenly, Josh let out a grunt and flung through the air, tumbling down the flight of stairs. 

“Oh my god!” Danny cried out in horror as he watched his small friend do a flip midair. Beside him, Jake and Sam laughed at their brother’s fall. Josh leapt back to his feet at the bottom of the stairs and brushed some dirt off his jumpsuit. 

“Did you see that?!” He called up to them. “Something threw me down the stairs!”

Danny looked around and realized that everyone was staring at him, waiting for an explanation. Sam raised an eyebrow at him, as if saying, well?

“Magnets,” Danny finally answered, even though internally he was screaming with fear. “It’s gotta be magnets.” 

“Of course,” Josh chuckled. He climbed back up the stairs with ease and rejoined his friends. “The people running this haunted house sure do have a sense of humor.”  

Despite everything that was kicking off, Sam decided he had enough. He was tired. And a tired Sam wasn’t a happy Sam.

“Right, I’m gonna retire and hit the hay, count sheep, head for slumber, pass out, head to Bedfordshire, go to-“

“We get it, but it’s only 2 p.m,” Danny cut him off. He watched in confusion as his friend waved a hand in the air before trudging off to his ‘suite.’

Danny, Jake, and Josh all stood there for a moment lost at what to do. Do they try to sleep? It was still day time! And after the stuff that had just happened, Josh was antsy to fix his hair again.

“GUYS!”

Sam’s voice broke their silence. They quickly ran over to where they heard him. He was standing stiff outside a bedroom, staring inside.

“Do you see it?” Sam asked them.

“What? Is the feng shui not to your liking?” Jake’s taunting voice went quiet as he joined his younger brother and looked into the room. The bed was spinning around on the spot while numerous items floated in the air.

Sam stomped into the room. Laughter was heard coming from somewhere as everything flew around. He walked to the bed, yanked up a clown doll and returned back to the guys in the doorway. “This! You see this? Tacky! He’s been laughing the entire time and he won’t shut the fuck up! He doesn’t even run on batteries or a pully thing.” He moved the doll to Danny and shook it. “Magnet boy, explain this and get him to shut up.”

Danny’s mouth opened and closed a few times at the sight in front of him. But all he could let out was, “those are some powerful magnets.”

Jake spun around in a full circle looking for his twin, and then stopped when he spotted Josh. 

“Oh,” Jake breathed out as he watched Josh ride around the room on a floating lamp like a bull, waving his fist in the air and hooting with glee. 

“YEEHAWWWW!” Josh called out before breaking into a ridiculously out of tune rendition of “Home on the Range.” Jake gazed at him in awe as Josh did barrel rolls in the air on his lamp. 

Sam, entirely ignoring his brother’s spectacle, impatiently nudged Danny in the side. Danny grunted in return. 

“You need to get rid of the clown doll,” Sam told him, nodding his head in its direction. “I don’t like the way it’s looking at me.” 

“That’s literally not my problem, Sam,” Danny replied, eyeing the doll. He didn’t want to go anywhere near the thing. 

Sam huffed in frustration. “Fine then,” he grumbled. He made a big show of removing his tennis shoes and, one by one, chucked them at the doll, striking it square in the face both times. 

“That’s what I’m talkin’ about!” Sam screeched at the doll. 

Unbeknownst to Samuel F. Kiszka, in that moment, the clown doll stared deep into the depths of his soul and vowed that, no matter what it took, it was going to make the hairy mean guy regret ever being born. 

It took a while to get Josh down from the lamp, but when they did, Danny managed to get all of them to agree that they weren’t going to go into the master bedroom anymore. Sam was the most disappointed, but he eventually agreed that he wouldn’t really be able to appreciate the Sleep Mattress if it was doing 360s midair. 

After that excitement, Jake decided to get away from the spooky room and head downstairs. He was exhausted, confused, and a little tired. He spotted a TV and perked up a little.

He let out a joyful cry as Pirates of the Caribbean lit up the room. Glorious. It’s like the house knew he loved that movie. Thank you, house!

Suddenly the screen switched to static. Jake pulled a face and grabbed the remote, turning it back to the movie. He snuggled into the sofa more as it played before the screen went static again.

“Ughhhhh” he groaned, changing it back, only for the TV to switch to a static channel again. This went on for more than Jake would ever admit, and then the TV flicked to an image that no longer looked like Pirates of the Caribbean. Instead, it was a very blue toned shot of a well. What was this, Twilight??

As he grabbed the remote and pressed a number of buttons to try and change the channel, a hand emerged from the well. A girl with long black hair began to climb out and walk towards the screen on the TV.

“I’m gonna miss Captain Jack,” Jake grumbled to himself as he looked at the remote in his hand and continued to smash random buttons.

Water began to pour out of the TV as the girl got closer, and she lifted a foot through the TV screen, out into the living room in front of Jake.

“What kind of 4D TV is this?!” He asked out loud as he watched. Water was starting to pool around the carpet, flooding the room.

“Hey!” He yelled out. “You’re getting the carpet all wet! Stop that!”

Jake’s screams at the girl who had emerged fully out of the TV, just stood there dripping wet, grabbed everyone else’s attention and they ran into the room.

“She made me miss Pirates of the Caribbean and now she’s got the carpet all soggy!”

Danny was staring at the girl in terror, but rolled his eyes when he heard the guitarist whine. “Please Jake, you know that movie by heart, get over yourself. Also…” He lifted a hand to the girl and then to the TV and simply let out,

“Magnets.”

“Girl!” Sam entered the room and called to the child, aggressively motioning at her. “What do you put in your hair? Bacon grease? You look NASTY!” 

Although the girl’s face was hidden beneath her thick curtain of long, dark hair, it could only be assumed that she was frowning at Sam. Sam shook his head at her and tsked. 

“You need to use a hair mask. And comb your hair in the shower the second you turn the water off. With the length you’re going for right now, I can only imagine how many split ends you have. Also, how did you get so wet? Did you just run or something? That’s disgusting.” 

The girl made a sad whimpering sound, put her head down further than it already was, and slinked away. 

“That was kinda mean,” Danny scolded Sam. 

“She deserved to know the truth,” Sam disagreed. Danny didn’t like how proud of himself Sam looked. 

Suddenly, loud chimes rang through the mansion, making them all jump. 

“That must be the front door,” Josh realized. “I’ll get it!” 

Before Danny could counter that he shouldn’t go alone, Josh had already bounced out of the room. 

“Did the magnets cause the doorbell to ring?” Jake asked. 

Josh came back into the room, his arms piled high with pizza boxes. He dropped them onto the coffee table with a grunt and then put his hands on his hips, taking in the mountain of food with delight. 

“The pizza guy didn’t even charge me,” Josh announced. “That’s gotta be at least $100 worth of pizza.” 

“Free pizza is the best kind of pizza,” Danny had to admit. Within seconds, they were all devouring the food, cramming their faces like ravenous wolves. Sam had taken the veggie supreme pizza and was huddled in the corner of the room, his eyes dilated, looking around as if daring anyone to come close to him while he fed. 

Jake wiped his mouth with one of the throw pillows on the couch and then frowned. 

“Wait,” he said, “who ordered this?” 

They looked around at each other, shrugging.

With his mouth full and still chewing, Danny let out in weak defeat, “Magnets.” The Kiszkas all grunted in acknowledgment. While they continued to eat, entirely unbothered, Danny strainied to remember all the Latin phrases he knew on the off chance that he needed to perform an exorcism. Things were starting to feel a little bit too paranormal for him. 

Jake let out an exhausted sigh. “I’m not hungry anymore.”

His twin eyed him confused. “Dude, it’s dinnertime, you need to eat.”

Jake shook his head. “Nah, I’m good. I tucked into that weird greenish blob thing on the kitchen floor.”

Danny’s head snapped to Jake. “What?” Before Jake could repeat what he said, the drummer took off for the kitchen. His eyebrows nearly reached his hairline when he spotted small remnants of a green blob on the floor with a straw strewn next to it. What the loving fuck did Jake eat? Slimer from Ghostbusters? Danny wasn’t sure and didn’t want to wait long to find out.

Jake nearly jumped out of his skin when the drummer came back. “What did you put in your mouth?” Was all he asked.

Jake moved back away from his friend with a yelp. As Danny went to pry his mouth open to check, Jake bolted with his friend chasing after him.

Sam grinned at Jake and Danny’s show and then turned to say something to Josh, but stopped in his tracks. Standing in the doorway of the living room was the clown doll, armed with a knife, Chucky, Annabelle, and a collection of other definitely haunted toys staring him down. Instead of greeting them with fear, Sam let out a deep and booming laugh. 

“Bring it on, shitheads,” he encouraged them, waving his hand. Chucky was the first to take the bait and sprinted towards Sam with a menacing cackle. Chucky jumped to try and grab a hold of Sam’s leg, but Sam met him with his bare foot and promptly punted him out the window and into the sun. The other toys watched their comrade meet his end and roared with rage. 

“Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité!” the clown shouted, rushing at Sam with the knife. Josh watched in a mixture of awe and horror as his younger brother went to town, kicking his feet around like a Radio City Rockette, sending all of the bloodthirsty toys soaring out of the atmosphere. 

“These feet were made for kickin’!” Sam sang and clapped his hands after sending Annabelle so far off into the distance, it seemed likely she would make it to the edge of the universe. 

Danny was back from chasing Jake and stood utterly bewildered as he watched the chaos around him unfold. “Um…guys….I…I think this place might actually be haunted.”

Josh and Jake look at him, at each other, then back at him before bursting out in laughter.

“Oh Danny boy, don’t worry, it’s just magnets like you said!” Josh beamed to him before disappearing out of the room.

Danny watched him leave and then looked at Sam laughing maniacally.

Josh made his way into the sitting room and retrieved a plastic green visor from his back pocket, securing it over his head. 

“Hey guys,” he greeted the room full of ghosts who were crowded around a card table. “Can I join this round?” 

One of the ghosts nodded towards the single chair that was by the table. Josh plopped himself back into it, not noticing that all the other people were hovering above the ground and definitely translucent. A ghost that looked like she was from the Industrial Revolution slapped a hand of cards in front of Josh. 

“Good luck,” she said in a Cockney accent. 

“I don’t need luck,” Josh shook his head at her. He studied his cards, which were entirely out in the open for everyone to see, and then let out a delighted laugh. “Oh, you’re all going down.” 

The ghosts frowned at his hand, which was a 2 and a 7. The game picked back up and, after watching the ghosts throw chips into the middle of the table, Josh studied the cards on the table and started to whoop. 

“Go fish!” he shouted and did a little dance. He was met with blank stares. “Sorry if I’m a bit too excited,” Josh added. “I just like to live in the now, you know, really take in the present because, I mean, you never know, you could keel over dead any second! I just love to live life. It’s so wonderful to be alive.” 

Danny had joined Josh in the sitting room and gaped at him.

“Josh,” he hissed, trying to get his attention. Eventually, Josh looked back at Danny. 

“Hm?” 

“Quit being a dickhead.” 

“Huh?” 

“You’re saying, like, the worst things you could possibly say right now.”

“What?” 

Danny looked around, his heart thundering in his chest. “I think they’re all actually dead,” Danny whispered. Josh looked like he didn’t follow a single word that had come out of Danny’s mouth. “You know what?” Danny sighed. “Just forget it.” 

Josh shrugged, unbothered, and returned back to his card game. He noticed that all of the ghosts were still staring at him and puffed out his chest with pride. 

“Take your time to process my words of wisdom. I know it’s some deep shit.” 

One of the ghosts gave Josh a big thumbs down. 

Jake made his way back to the living room to see if the TV had fixed itself and the girl had bothered to clean up the damn mess she had made. To his dismay, the TV was in fact NOT fixed as it was still stuck on the image of the well, but the girl had climbed back inside the screen and was sitting on the edge crying.

Jake jumped when he saw Bruce Willis still standing in the corner. He was confused why the star was there but nonetheless excited.

Jake let out a breath of courage and moved towards him as he cleared his throat to get the man’s attention. It was weird seeing a Hollywood star in a random living room, but especially weird to see Bruce Willis with brown hair.

“Hey, hello. Hi. Mr. Willis? I…I’m sorry to bother you but I just wanted to say that I loved your work in Die Hard, it’s my favourite Christmas movie. I quote it all the time at the wrong moments.” He beamed at the actor.

Bruce Willis stared blankly at him. “I’m sorry you must have confused me with someone else. I’m Dr. Malcom Crow….I’m…not sure why I’m here. I’m a therapist ... I remember a shot…” 

Jake realized he was actually speaking to Bruce Willis’ character from the Sixth Sense and paled. “Ah….um….okay gotta go…bye.” There was no way he was breaking the bad news to the guy.

After getting a Gatorade from the fridge to power up following his battle against the “haunted” toys, Sam found Jake, Josh, and Danny and took in a deep inhale. Danny’s face fell when he saw that Sam’s mouth was open and ready to talk. 

“This haunted house is beyond weak,” Sam complained. “There aren’t any fake cobwebs, rubber snakes, or strobe lights. It’s literally just a normal house with a bunch of magnets! I’ve never been so disappointed in my life.” 

“You would moan about how cheap this haunted house is if it did have those things,” Danny countered. Sam frowned at his comment. 

“What matters is this house had the potential to be truly spooky, but everything just felt weird. I mean, nothing has scared me one bit.”

“No!” someone yelled off in the distance. 

Suddenly there was a knock at the door. Josh rushed over and nearly yanked the door off its hinges.

There, stood 2 men in coats with glasses and clipboards.

“Fellas, you completed the study.” the first man boomed.

The rest of the guys joined Josh at the door. “Study? What study?” Danny asked the men. One was jotting down notes as he looked at each person and the other man spoke to them.

“You applied to take part in our haunting simulation study….you….you weren't aware?” The man was perplexed and then pointed to the other man’s clipboard and said, “Jot that down.”

They stared at Josh. “I thought it was a fancy groupon,” he let out.

“Interesting….thank you for your participation, but….what the fuck is wrong with you guys?”

All the members of Greta Van Fleet stared blankly at each other. Then, their faces cracked into goofy grins. 

“Awwww shucks!” they all called out to each other, slapping their knees. Audience laughter played overhead. 

Those Greta boys did it again!

[losfacedevil]

Thank you @mountain-in-springtime @puzzle-gvf @sunfl0wer-power @watchingovergvff @jmkho @sacredjake @allieisacrybaby & @sunandthemoontwinflames for tagging me! 💖

were you named after anyone?

No, I’m not all that special lol.

when was the last time you cried?

Friday, it was not a good day

do you have kids?

Yes, an almost 7 year old boy.

do you use sarcasm a lot?

Omg yes, alll the time! It’s kinda all I speak in.

what's the first thing you notice about people?

People’s eyes! They’re the window to the soul and all that jazz

what's your eye color?

Blue.

scary movies or happy endings?

I’m not a fan of scary movies unless it’s paranormal situation, I prefer happy endings.

any special talents?

No, unfortunately totally not that special lol

where were you born?

Rhode Island

what are your hobbies?

Writing, reading and crocheting! (Maybe one day I’ll sell what I make?)

have any pets?

A tuxedo cat named Dante and a leopard gecko

what sports do you play/have you played?

I did gymnastics, does that count.

how tall are you?

5’2

favorite subject in school?

English/creative writing and science.

dream job?

An author! I’ve always wanted to put my writing out there for a living but have never had the courage to self publish anything.

No Pressure Tags: @vanfleeter @indigo-starcatcher @indigofallingsky @ohhkaty @maud-gone idk these usually end with me

[armandclocksitall]

hey! can i get a ship with GVF, zeppelin, and GNR please? i’m like 5’0 and i have green hair. i’m a bit of wild child who’s really into music and paranormal shit. i mostly wear band t-shirts and combat boots. i essentially live off jack daniels and american spirits. i’m a sucker for conversations sitting in cars and night and i’m a big outdoors person

Comin right up, sweets❤️ (I’m still very tired from my nap you can tell by the terms of endearment for literally everyone haha)

From GNR I ship you with

Izzy!!

From GVF I ship you with

Josh!!

From Led Zeppelin I ship you with

Jimmy!!

I hope you like your ships and if not just remember these are based solely on my opinions💞

~Kai

[stardustndreamsofsilver]

Inferum

Part One

Jake x OC(f)

Warnings: talk of human remains, spooky themes, alcohol use, club scene, cramped spaces. Most of what I've written about the Catacombs is based on fact, but overall this is a work of fiction so please don't take everything as such.

Previous Part Here

Memento iroe in die consummationis.

I’d planned to go straight to the Catacombs as soon as I arrived in Paris, since I had booked a ticket to visit for that afternoon a week in advance. But the combination of jetlag and a restless thirteen hour flight got the best of me. When I arrived at the hotel and dragged my bags into my room, I practically collapsed onto the bed and went into a comatose state. By the time I woke, I’d missed the entire rest of the day and most of the night. So, I decided to just go back to sleep. What was the harm in a few more hours of rest anyway?

The next day, I woke up at 11. Later than I’d have liked , but better than sleeping through another day. Rolling over, I swung my legs over the side of the bed and sat up rubbing my face. Taking a deep breath, I stretched my arms in front of me and yawned. Running my hands through my hair, I pushed it out of my face and stood to gather my clothes and get ready for the day. This didn’t take me long, and thankfully, I had the foresight to book a second ticket for a visit to the Catacombs for one o’clock that afternoon. 

Tugging on my Danner hiking boots and grabbing my bag, I left my hotel room and began my trek to the Catacombs. When I arrived, I was just on time for my time slot. Thanking the attendant, I began my descent into the ossuary. With each downward step, the air became cooler and more damp. About halfway down, I pulled a light jacket from my bag and put it on. 

Taking my time, I studied all of the plaques and murals along the guided path until I reached the Samaritan Fountain. This is where the query workers mixed the mortar they used for the masonry work. When I reached the fountain, I gazed down at the well opening it sat upon. I wasn’t sure why I felt compelled to do so, but as I peered into the darkness below, I felt someone walk up behind me. Straightening, I glanced around for the stranger. But there was no one. At least, noone near enough to me to have caused the feeling of someone entering my space. With a furrowed brow, I continued on.

As I made my way through, I began to look for the signs of the ever present yet ever invisible cataphile. A cataphile is someone who explorers the unmarked sections of the catacombs. Most cataphiles do not also act as unofficial tour guides, but there are a few who will for a price. I knew this coming here, so I was prepared to pay whatever price that may be. 

Continuing to follow a fellow group of tourists, I spotted one of the telltale signs of a cataphile. A small cluster of coins. An American quarter, a German €1 coin and a 50-øre coin. These coins were to show what languages the cataphile could speak and mark an entrance to an unmarked section of the catacombs that was safe to go through. Glancing around, I noticed a guided tour coming from behind me. Turning to face ahead, I continued on at a leisurely pace, letting the group steadily pass me. I slowed until I was nearly the only one left in the passageway. Waiting to make sure to watch the last person walk around the bend, I turned around and walked toward the small opening between the bones I’d seen the coins placed in front of.

The opening was at the bottom of the wall of bones and looked barely large enough for me to belly crawl through. Not wanting to miss the opening between visitors, I took a deep breath and took my bag off my shoulder and nudged it through to the other side. Lowering to my knees, I laid down and began to pull myself through. Midway through, I heard the sounds of voices coming from the otherside. My heart began to race and I rushed to pull myself the rest of the way through. 

I just barely made it before I heard the sound of footsteps coming closer and then continuing on past. Breathing a sigh of relief, I grabbed my bag and draped it across my shoulder. Standing up and lightly dusting myself off, I hear someone approach.

“J'imagine que vous aimeriez voir les vraies catacombes, Madame. C'est bien cela?” I hear them say.

Turning I face the cataphile and can just barely make out their outline from the light thrilling in through the cracks between the bones. Nodding, I reply, “Oui, pouvez-vous me montrer le chemin ? Être mon guide?”

“À un prix,” They say, rudding their fingers together as if rubbing a coin. “You are American, yes?”

“Yes, I am,” I say. “What is your price?”

“Ah, I could tell. You almost speak in perfect French, but your accent is just a bit off,” They say crossing their arms. “First, I must know what it is you seek in the catacombs mon cher. Then we set the price.”

A bead of sweat trickles down my neck. I hadn’t thought I’d be asked this. I’d read that most guides don’t ask questions. They just want proof that they’ll be paid and that’s all they require. I’d counted on that fact, actually. What I seek would surely send any guide running. Should I tell the truth or withhold it and hope by the time they realize it’ll be too late to turn around?

I decide on the latter and say, “I am seeking the druids.”

They remain silent for a long moment, “The druids you say? Hm, we will see. 5,000€ and I will take you to what you truly seek.”

My heart lurched in my chest at that amount, but I’d put back more than twice that for this. Slowly, I nod my head in agreement. “5,000 and you will take me where I need to go and guide me back? And should I want to visit again, will you take me for the same price?”

“Oui. Do we have a deal madame?” They say extending their hand.

“Oui.” I say taking their hand and giving it a firm shake.

“Come then, we shall begin our journey. You may call me Pip. What may I call you?” They ask while turning and walking further into the tunnel and putting on their headlamp.

“Addey, you can call me Addey,” I reply, hurrying after them and doing the same.

“Okay, Addey. Do you want to go just to see the druids or would you like to see the sights along the way?”

“Seeing the sights will be fine,” I say, glancing at my watch. There was plenty of time between now and midnight. The longer I could draw this out the better.

“Magnifique, to the theater we go.” 

About an hour later, we arrived at the theater and Pip drew back the velvet curtain. As I stepped through, I couldn’t help the small gasp I let out. The theater was nothing like I’d imagined. I’d thought it would be a shabby projection screen and some metal fold out chairs, but this… This was magnificent. There were rows of plush theater chairs leading down to an opulent stage. It felt as if I'd stepped back in time. The lanterns lining the aisle gave off an almost heavenly glow as I walked closer toward the stage. 

There were people filling the first few rows of seats watching the play unfold before them. I took a seat at the end of the third row and watched the actors tell their story. From what I’d gathered, I could see that this was a play about love, as the best ones are. And the leading man yearned for the love of the captain he’d served under during the war. It was beautiful and tragic. When the lights went up and the cast took their bow, everyone stood and cheered. Wiping a tear from my cheek, I stood and joined them.

“So you have loved and lost then?” Pip asked, leaning in so that I could hear them above the applause. All I could do was dip my head before they took my hand and said, “Come, it is time to move on. What do you say to finding some wine?”

With that, they took me to one of the underground clubs. The club, Gens Beaux, was crowded and the air was hot and heavy. Pip led me to the bar and signaled to the bartender before turning back to me. “So what do you think so far of our city beneath the city?”

“It’s fascinating!” I practically yell over the music. “I knew about the clubs, but I’d no idea there was a true theater here! I’d thought it was just a white sheet and a projector.”

Pip laughed and said, “Oh no, that would not do. Though that is what we used before the discovered the theater and during its renovation. It took nearly six years for us to restore it to what it is now.”

My jaw dropped, “Really? That’s amazing!”

Nodding their head and taking a sip of their wine they continue, “Oui, I imagine it’ll take just as long to restore the new section we found.”

“Oh? What did you find?” I askwith genuine interest.

Shaking their head, they lean in close and say, “It’s a secret. No one can know until it’s finished.”

I laughed and say, “Alright, keep your secret.”

Turning to face the crowd, I watch in wonder. People’s bodies moving to the rhythm of the music, the lights casting odd shadows. I’m sure the query workers that built this place never would have thought that this is what it would be used for. But then again maybe they did, I think as I recall the theater. They’d built a space for people to gather and enjoy the arts, so perhaps they thought there would be parties too.

Taking a sip of my drink, my eyes catch on a pair staring back at me. They belong to a man across the room, his hair long and his looks are rugged but handsome. He’s wearing a necklace of some kind that reflects the light when it hits it. I tilt my head to the side and continue to take him in. He does the same and drinks from his glass. He seems to be a part of a group consisting of three other men and a couple of women. They seem to be close.

“He is handsome, yes?” Pip asks.

Jumping slightly, I laugh and reply, “I can’t be sure, a little too dark in here to tell.”

With a laugh, Pip tilts back their head and finishes their drink. “Come, time to go.”

And with that, we continue our trek through the catacombs.

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[stardustndreamsofsilver]

Inferum

Part Four

Jake x OC (f)

Warnings: scary elements, paranormal occurrences, occult ritual, violence, death

Find All Parts Here

Ils furent ce que nous sommes

Poussière, jouet du vent;

Fragiles comme de hommes,

Faibles comme le néant!

Our footsteps light and quiet, we all crept down the hallway and turned off our headlamps. As we approach the opposite end, the glow of candle light flickers and the air seems to sour and grow cold. With each approaching step, I begin to hear a choir of voices chanting;

“La nuit est longue, l'obscurité est vaste, les esprits sont agités. Les esprits ! Venez ! Votre festin vous attend. Vos humbles serviteurs vous attendent. Venez!

The night is long, the darkness is vast, the spirits are restless. Spirits! Come, come, come! Your feast awaits. Your humble servants await. Come, come, come!”

Their voices repeat the chant over and over as we grow closer. They seemed to crescendo when we reached the doorway. As their voices rose, my heart began to pound with equal intensity. I could feel myself begin to shake as my mouth lost all moisture. When I finally peered at the scene before me, the edges of my vision began to blacken.

Before us was an ancient stone altar. It was covered in pomegranate, a roast pig, apples, nuts, bread, bottles of wine, and other various foods and drinks. The altar was lit by two large silver candelabras that illuminate the empty chairs with place settings in front of each one. On each plate, there is a seemingly random object. One has a Victorian broach, another has an antique pocket watch. Each object represents the soul who is invited to attend the feast.

I swallow thickly as I ease my hand into my bag. My hand searches until I feel something cold, circular and hard. I clutch it in the palm of my hand and slowly take it out of the bag. Kneeling down, I roll the ring toward the altar and begin to chant along with the voices of the Gauls. As I slowly stand, I see the others looking at me in shock and horror. I can see Pip look at me with a knowing in their eye before they too begin to chant. Colette looks at me with hatred, already having joined the chant. The others' faces are quickly changing from shock and confusion to some sort of realization and finally to pure terror. They all look like they want to run. To escape the thing they both know and don’t know is coming. But they’re rooted in place.

At the strike of midnight, the chanting immediately ceases and the air is electric. Then everything begins to happen. The darkness surrounding us begins to move and take the shape of those who were invited to the feast. Their dark forms slowly mold into something more and more like what their earthly bodies had once been as they all step closer to their feast. The spirits all take their seats. Except for one. 

He stands where his ring lays on the floor, his back to me. He looks all around him until the dark pits that are his eyes land on me. As they do, he whispers, “Addey, what have you done?” As the words leave his lips, all of the other spirits turn and look at us. When they do, chaos descends.

Colette screams, pure anger and hatred lacing her cry as she charges at me, arms stretched out in front of her and aiming for my neck. Just before she reaches me Pip steps in and shoves her away, knocking her to the ground. Her head thumps with a sickening crack and blood begins to pool and seep into the dirt. Pip stares in shock, not having meant to kill her. Then, they whip their head toward me and yell, “Run, Addey!” As they do, the other Gauls step out from the shadows daggers drawn and they rush toward us.

I hesitate long enough to see one of them stab the woman standing right beside Sam straight through the heart. As I watch her body crumble to the ground and hear the cries of her lover and her friends, I feel a hand grab my shoulder. I scream and turn to face my attacker. When I do, he’s standing there. My fiance. The one I summoned and invited to the feast. He looks scared and his form is fading. “Go, Addey! Take this and run!” He warns as he places his ring in my hand. 

I do as he says, and run. I can hear the sound of footsteps following me as I race across the room and into another corridor. Racing through the darkness, I stumble and fall. Scrambling, I try to stand but keep falling back down. Tears blur what little vision I have in the pitch black of the catacombs. I can hear the footfall of one of the Gauls growing louder as they come closer and closer. 

Finally, I get my footing and haul myself up and start to run again. Running blindly, I make a quick turn into a connecting tunnel. I hide in the corner of the opening and cover my mouth with my sweat and dirt covered hands trying to quiet my breathing. I squeeze my eyes closed, straining to hear the other set of footsteps. I hear them running toward where I’m hiding on just the other side of the wall when they suddenly slow. They take on a leisurely pace as the Gaul begins to speak;

“Nous entendons vos poumons respirer. Nous sentons la sueur couler le long de votre dos. Nous voyons votre peur rayonner de vous. Tu ne peux pas te cacher de nous.

We hear your lungs take breath. We feel the sweat running down your back. We see your fear radiating from you. You can't hide from us.”

I feel a tear slip down my cheek as I hold my breath, praying to whoever would hear me that I would not be found. I hear them stop walking just outside the entrance to the tunnel. “Je t'ai trouvée, petite souris,” they whisper. My heart leaps to my throat and I ready myself to run again when I hear more commotion coming toward us. 

“Julieann!” I hear Pip call. At the sound of her name, I can hear Julieann turn toward the approaching footsteps. Then I hear the sound of something sharp piercing skin and the wet cough of the victim. I stand completely still and try not to breathe, trying to figure out who was the assailant and who was the victim. 

“Addey?” Pip whispers into the darkness.

I turn and rush to them. “Pip! How did you get away? How did you find me?” As I turn into the hall, I see Pip is not alone. Sam and Josh are with him. “What happened to the others?”

I see Josh’s eyes begin to fill with tears and Sam drops his head as Pip begins to answer, “The others– You saw what happened to Colette and the girl. The others ran. We do not know what happened when we were split up. We tried to follow where we saw you and Julieann go–”

I cut them off. “So you know the Gauls, you’re one of them. And they,” I say gesturing toward the boys. “They were the sacrifices. Colette lured them and you thought you were luring me as well,” Pip looks away from me and I see Josh and Sam look at them in disbelief. 

“Wait, what do you mean sacrifices? Who are the Gauls? What happened back there?” Sam shouts the last part as he fists Pip’s shirt pulling them face to face with tears streaming down his face. 

Pip looks to me for help but I do nothing. 

“Tell me!” Sam screams.

“You were meant to take the place of those we lost. If we sacrifice another soul, the one we call to will be restored to us,” Pip all but whispers.

taglist: @peaceloveunitygvf , @edgingthedarkness , @jakekiszkashangnail08 , @writingcold , @vanfleeter , @gretavanfleetposts , @katuschka , @thewritingbeforesunrise , @wrldabomination , @lipstickitty , @takenbythemadness

[stardustndreamsofsilver]

Inferum

Masterlist

Jake x OC (f)

Warnings: Most of what I write about the Catacombs is based on real life, but overall this is a work of fiction. So please don't take everything fact. Individual warnings on each part.

Prologue

Part One

Part Two

Part Three

Part Four

[vanfleeter]

Conjure Masterlist

Summary: If you had the chance conjure the spirit of a loved one, would you take it?

One.

Two.

Three.

Four.

Five.