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anticipatecrime · 1 year ago

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𝙣𝙤𝙣 𝙗𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 | jake webber x ghost fem reader

summary: jake, and the rest of the boys go to the biltmore hotel for a video on sam and colbys channel, what happens when they encounter a ghost, you, and he doesn't believe in it? you get irritated and start to mess with the boy a/n: warning for description of a murder, angsty+ i love the concept of the whole platonic ghost stuff i think its really cute words: 4.2k

the boys walked down the miserable hallway of the biltmore hotel, no color or sense of life near. sam squinted, pointing to a small plaque that reads, 'presidential suite'. colby followed behind with the camera, filming as they joked and made references.

as they arrived at the white door, the blonde opening it, everyone was in awe. the modernness mixed with the older architecture caught them off guard. peering in, they became speechless at the size of the room. "oh my god." he said, turning on the slight switch.

"what the hell this looks like our house." jake comments, taking in the white marble floor, and grand doorway.

"oh my god, there's- oh my god." corey mumbled, never having seen something so special.

"there's a library!" sam gestured to it, before they discovered it was a second story hotel room. they stepped down the spiral staircase, into the darkness of the lower floor.

jakes hands slid down the railing, it ominously chilling. he quickly realized how heavy the air was. he slowly shuffled into the shadow, noticing the muted colors of the wallpaper.

in a matter of seconds, a shiver ran down his spine, and his heart began to race. he felt a strange wetness on his forehead. touching it, he realized it was a trickle of sweat.

how was he sweating in this moment? jake was freezing, goosebumps beginning to form on his arms, it didn't piece together. he didn't like whatever he was feeling, and stepped back next to corey.

colby called out from on the bottom step of the stairs, confused why everyone was just standing rather than finding a light.

he shook his head. "colby, come down here, go into that room with the light off." him and corey encouraged.

"i literally got scared when i went into it." jake admitted, usually never being effected by the paranormal this intensely.

colby sighed, before walking towards the next room. he closed his eyes for a second, immediately feeling what the other had, and he retreated back to the group, frightened. "i just got chills, man." he mumbled.

"no seriously, this downstairs is weird" sam stated, touching the walls as he tried to locate the switch, before giving up and using lanterns.

they began to explore the large area, feeling a change in the atmosphere. colby observed a door he hadn't spotted before. he called over his friends, before creaking open the door softly.

sam realized that the room was on both of the most haunted floors, making it a point to the camera.

as the boys investigated the room, either messing with the antique elevator, or opening closets and cracking jokes, you stirred.

hearing a boisterous laugh, your mind became conscious, tuning into the howls from below. feeling slightly disoriented from being forcibly awoken, you were irritated to say the least.

not only did these people intrude into your hotel room, they had the nerve to be deafening.

you closed your metaphorical eyes, you imagined yourself elsewhere, wishing out of all places your spirit was attached to it wasn't this one.

the laughs stopped, and you propped an eye open, confused. then you heard the same voices, but in a much more professional tone. they sounded like poor actors. if they were actors in your day, they would not succeed.

their serious voices sounded immature, they weren't even using the correct grammar, infact things they said didn't sound like words.

typically, when people stayed in the presidential suite, you tried to keep distance, not wanting to intimidate them, however these people had you drawn in.

soon enough, it was completely silent and you heard the door shut to the hotel. they had left, most likely to explore. as they were talking to something, it almost sounding like an audience, you overheard them and assumed they were ghost hunters of some sort.

perhaps you should follow, you thought to yourself.

over the years of being attached to the biltmore hotel, many paranormal investigators have come and gone, and most times they call out for you. feeling the need to impress and give these peoples lives meaning, you'll normally mess with their devices or move things around the room.

you've met some determined and cool individuals, and only wished you could leave like them, the thing you despised most was being stuck here.

the closest thing to leaving, was trailing behind guests and pretending you could be apart of their life. so you did was you generally do and follow along.

finally coming close to them, you saw their faces. you predicted they were all the same age, maybe a year or so apart at the most, probably in their very early twenties, and that they had been friends for some time.

you could see the faded yellow aura that hung around them, indicating they had a close friend relationship. looking even closer you saw purple floating with them too, a sign that they were fearful of what's to come.

one thing about them you couldn't understand. a blonde boy was holding onto a piece of equipment, you assumed a camera, but the odd thing about it was how they all looked into it and made conversation, as if there was a bunch of small people inside.

you weren't born dead yesterday, you understood that there was now something labeled as the internet, and that there was social media, however you couldn't acknowledge all of it, your mind not capable. so you moved on, and just tried to learn about the camera on the way.

the group had eventually gotten around, looking into tunnels and secret spaces around the area, and figured they should take a break to eat and relax.

once they all sat on the couches that were organized infront of the television, the camera was put away and they began chatting about their experiences around the hotel so far.

three of the guys were discussing how they felt a negative vibe, and that they were slightly frightened and creeped out already and the night had just begun.

you took note of how one of them was less enthusiastic, and scrolling on his smartphone. just by observing him, and watching his movements, it was clear he was a non believer, or atleast a stubborn skeptic. "i think you guys are overthinking it." he stated, putting down the phone.

"jake, are you going to tell me this place doesn't scare you?" sam questioned, pulling out the camera to record his thoughts.

"it doesn't. i mean think about it, tons of presidents and celebrities have stayed here, they think it's luxury. why would they stay here if it was haunted?" you thought about his logic and agreed with it, you would probably think the same as him.

"so you don't believe the hotel is haunted at all?" colby leaned in, eager to hear.

jake glanced around the room before answering a very simple, "i don't."

you furrowed your eyebrows, glaring at the boy infront of you. you stood, feet hovering above the carpeted ground. to say you were offended was an understatement.

it had been a long while since someone denied not just your existence, but all of the spirits that reside here, and honestly it had your old blood boiling. it felt like a competition to you, something that had to be proven.

you floated around the room, merging down to the lower floor to mess with something. eyes glancing, they finally landed onto the rustic old elevator that had previously given them chills.

focusing on the door, you used your energy to open it, and to rattle the guard on it. a misconception that has been passed around that you hated, was how ghosts physically touch and throw things.

it was a lot more difficult than that. you had to focus, and think about it occurring, which cost you a lot of your energy, energy that you only got back from resting.

"guys, guys, holy fuck." sam turns on the camera out of fear after hearing an eerie noise that broke the calm ambiance. they exchanged frightened but curious glances, wondering what the sound could have been.

"did you fucking hear that?" colby asked frantically, looking around the room. you enjoy the panic on their faces as they start going downstairs, so you move the fencing again.

the noise persisted, and crude waves of unease gradually wash over them, sam running down the stairs, his face fraught with urgency. as he got to the bottom, he froze in his tracks, eyes widening with trepidation. "oh god."

corey gasped. "the doors open!" he pointed across the hallway, directly where you stood.

you held your breath and scooted away as jake took your spot next to the elevator. it had been awhile since you were that close to someone, you never liking the feeling of them passing by or through you.

"wasn't it closed?" corey exclaimed, keeping his distance.

"we would've closed it right?" sam said, everyone mutually agreeing but still indistinct. he walked over to the spot, and started rocking the guard back and forth, making the exact unwavering sound you did.

you hovered near jake, and tried to touch into his emotions. he paused for a moment, chills running down his limbs. suddenly, a very unsettling feeling hits him, and all the hair on his body stands up.

it was a similar feeling to what he felt earlier, but more personal. the fear he felt was heavy, and the air quickly became thick like before. he coughed slightly, almost like someones hand floated around his throat.

he coughed again, this time everyone taking notice. they were very panicked by this situation, and distracted. "you okay, brother?" colby asked, putting a hand on the other's shoulder. he responded while nodding.

in reality he wasn't. he felt like someone was watching him, goosebumps began spreading around his skin and he kept shivering regardless of his sweater.

you watched as chaos ensued, the boys going through all of the rooms on the lower floor, looking for something that could tell them where the noises had come from.

they had stopped to converse, realizing how extreme they were being, and before they could even say a word, you were meddling around upstairs, touching a few keys on the grand piano.

you heard them panic once more, even jake confessing his fear. you sighed of relief, it was just what you wanted. you took a seat on the couch the boy had been laying on before this all happened, and leaned back, kicking your legs up.

watching them discuss what they thought the second noise was, the skeptical boy knew it was a piano, he felt it, and you were proud of him, clapping to yourself.

continuing to mess with them slightly, you found it entertaining for awhile, until it got sad to you. you never want people to fear you, you always identified as friendly to people who stayed in the room, and you knew you were just messing with them to prove jake wrong but they didn't know that.

so when you heard they were doing a seance, you beamed, because then you could hopefully let them know it was just for fun, and that you were harmless.

you were buzzing with excitement as you drifted down the hall, into the direction of the dining room. it had been a long time since you last had contact with people. the suite left unbooked for a few months, you wondered how expensive it was to rent now.

as the four boys set up their camera equipment and seance supplies, your translucent figure flickered with jolts of energy, and you waited in anticipation for it to begin.

you watched as they turned off the lights, and lit candles in between them. they flickered, providing mere glimpses of desolate space. shadows danced ominously along the walls, distorting objects into strange shapes that seemed to taunt their senses.

"we promised in our last video we were going to do a seance." sam spoke dully. "and.. we're going to do a seance."

"do we want to do this seance? not really." colby shrugged at the situation, looking at the lit candles.

they huddled against the table, and whispered words of encouragement to each other as sam attempted to google ways to begin such a powerful ritual.

jake glanced at them before wondering. "how do we as humans, decide how to correctly summon something?" he asked, not understanding.

"we don't." the other responded, still scrolling on his phone.

"i don't think anyone truly knows, so as long as we ya'know have the feeling of believing in something, trying to communicate with something no matter what. if something wants to talk to us they will.: he explains, making you smile.

as much as a skeptical he seems to be, everything he's telling the others is correct. as they discussed more, you listened, so curious in what people think about ghosts.

you could only briefly remember what you thought about them before passing, but as time goes on, your memories of being alive fade away, leaving you with gaps of confusion.

wanting to get a better view, you perched yourself on top of the chandelier, accidentally swaying it slightly. you cursed when corey noticed, this time not trying to mess with them.

they extended their hands. "if there's someone here, please use our energy to communicate with us." they spoke together, corey still noticing the light shaking. he pointed up at it, and called your actions out.

you started feeling anxious, and floated away from it, going to stand near jake and colby. within seconds, the latter raised his arm to show his goosebumps to the others.

both feeling the cold breeze, and the candles flickering slighty, the boys looked to eachother before brushing it off, and continuing with the seance. they all closed their eyes, squeezing them shut as they focused intently. "if you are here, use our energy to make a second or sign." they spoke together.

as the group sat at the table in a circle, hands intertwined, the air grew still. you hovered around the table, across from jake. you were watching him carefully. his eyes began to open, and they widened.

a chill rushed down his spine, struck with horror. he saw a translucent form, face contorted with a large grin. you looked at him questioningly, wondering why he was looking in your direction, before taking a peek behind you out of curiosity.

after seeing nothing, you realized he was looking directly into your eyes. "holy fuck." he muttered, gaining his friends attention. "holy-holy fuck." he stood up, his legs pushing his chair back. he pointed to you, and you felt an aching feeling.

"what, what is it jake?" sam asked, looking around. the pain overtook your body, making you scatter away out of sight. jake blinked frantically, and you were no longer there.

"did you guys not see that?" his heart was beating fast, and his body trembling, knees threatening to give out. a soft tear even left his eye.

"see what? oh my god are you okay?" colby inquired, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"i-i." the boy couldn't even speak, in terror. what was worst is that he couldn't tell if his mind had played tricks with him, or if what he saw was true. "i saw.. i saw someone, something."

"what?" corey exclaimed, backing away from where he was sitting.

"it was a weird shadow figure, she had long dark hair, i- i don't know what just happened. i swear i was looking at her, and then it was like she saw that i saw her, and she disappeared."

when he had looked into your eyes, he felt such an odd connection to you, even with his frightened appearance, inside he felt drawn.

"are you a medium or something?" sam asked, trying to joke a bit. he knew his friend was a skeptic, so him coming out and saying something like this was out of the ordinary.

whatever had happened, had corey scared, so scared that he quit the seance, and decided to sit a chair away, no longer holding hands and chanting. "should we keep going?" colby asked, jake nodding desperately.

taking a few minutes to calm down, they restarted. and since corey had finished being apart of the activity, they figured they might as well use the oujia board for content purposes.

you began to cry in the other room, curling your body into a ball. you couldn't believe what had just happened. for the first time ever, in 20 years, something impossible occurred. someone had seen you.

never wanting to be the source of fear and panic, this had broken you. they thought you were a malevolent spirit, that you were scary. suddenly, you felt yourself being pulled back to the dining room, almost like someone was dragging you.

you tried to fight it until it was physically taking you away. once you entered, it was obvious the boy could no longer see you. he looked across the room, seeing nothing.

feeling another jolt, you take notice at the oujia board and planchette, and realized why you were being attracted to it. they were calling out for you again, trying to speak with you.

"if there is a spirit here, can you please use this oujia board to communicate with us." colby spoke, looking at everyone fingers on the planchette.

you begin to push it to yes, and observe as their eyes widen. "is this who i saw a second ago?" jake wondered aloud. you sighed, pushing it to yes before spelling out 'sorry'.

they faced eachother. "what does that mean?" sam asked to them, before gazing around the area. "what are you sorry for?"

using energy to move it, you spelt out the word scared, hoping they would understand. the boys discussed this, finally agreeing that you were apologizing for scaring them. "are you sorry for scaring me? for showing yourself?"

"yes." you mumbled aloud, and he heard it. he jumped up, trying to spot where you were, giving up when he couldn't see you.

"i heard you!" jake commented. "can you show yourself to me again?" you talked to him through the board. spelling 'don't know.'

"you don't know how? is that why you were shocked when you realized he saw you?" colby questioned, earning a yes from the board.

"what's your name?" jake asked.

"y/n." you tried to say strongly, only coming out as a soft whisper.

"y/n." he repeated, nodding to his friends. "your name is y/n." he paused, taking a deep breath, before feeling you stand by him. "a-are you near me right now?"

you whispered into his ear, brushing it gently. "yes." he gasped, moving back.

"she's right beside me." he told them, before revealing his goosebumps.

"are you friendly?" corey asked, from outside the seance. the planchette moved to yes, you running out of energy.

"i mean atleast that's good." sam muttered.

jake felt an odd feeling, attracted to your spirit. he felt connected to you, to your energy. he breathed shakily, before opening his eyes again, seeing you next to him. he tried to stay calm, and smiled towards you.

you giggled, smiling back, and giving a gentle wave, making him do the same. you held your hand up, and he understood. both of you tried to touch hands, like a high five.

you both gasped, you moving back at what had just happened. his hand didn't go through yours, it touched it. you felt how human and alive his skin was, you could feel his pulse from it, and he had felt a cold, hard feeling. "oh my god." he spoke. "guys, i'm touching her.. her hand is cold."

corey took a step back holding his hands up. "what the fuck is going on?!" he shouted, making you flinch. "jake, i swear to god if you're fucking with us for a prank, i'm leaving." he threatened, seriously scared.

"i-i i'm not, i don't know how this is happening." he replied. "can you do this with them?"

you shook your head, not understanding how you made this happen. "then can you show them a sign? a sign that you're real?" you nodded hesitantly. "okay.. hmm." he looked around the hotel. "can you knock on the door right there?"

hovering, you traveled to the door, and tapped on it aggressively, earning shocked faces from the group. "i can't believe this is happening." sam stated to the camera, before seeing that it was off. "what the hell?" he took a closer look, and groaned, throwing his hand out. "the fucking camera turned off."

"how long ago?" colby wondered, earning a shrug. "fuck." he muttered, knowing that a lot of good content could've been gone.

as sam tried to fix it, everyone else was focused on the oujia board, as it took less energy. "how old are you?" corey asked. it spelled out 19.

"i didn't realize you were that young." jake spoke. "what happened to you?"

having to think about your death was the most painful thing for you. it was the only memory from when you were alive that you could remember every detail to, so prominent in your mind.

almost there decades ago, 1986, you were set to be married to an american man, and you were waiting for him to return in the presidential suite.

it was a stormy evening, the wind howling outside of the biltmore, one of the most prestigious hotels. as rain beat against the windows, the sound of the raindrops hitting the panes was almost deafening and you had been feeling anxious, almost as if there was a foreboding presence looming over you.

you shivered, feeling cold and uneasy, wrapping a blanket over your body as you sipped from your mug.

an unexpected sense of dread washed over you and before you could comprehend what was happening, a shadow like figure lunged at you from the darkness, catching you off guard.

the mug slipped out of your trembling hands, crashing onto the marble floor into pieces. fear consumed you, as you desperately fought back, adrenaline surging through your veins.

you screamed, calling out for help. your hopeless pleas for mercy echoed against the dull walls before falling on deaf ears. in the chaos of the struggle, you fell into a table, trying to escape from them.

quickly, the masked assailant unleashed a relentless barrage of fueled strikes, their anger mingling with the terror that gripped your soul.

time lost all meaning as each thrust of the blade hit your chest, crimson streaks tainted the white floor, becoming a silent witness. and in your final moments alive, choking and spitting up blood, your twitching arm reached up and swatted at the person.

you heard a deformed laugh, before your world subsided into darkness, your spirit fading into the ethereal realm, and that's all you remember before you woke up disoriented, and realized you had died.

tears welled in your eyes, as you sobbed, face red and swollen. jake saw your pained expression, and in seconds your memories entered his mind, leaving him the same irregular breathing and gasps.

he tried explaining to his friends what you had gone through, them still hesitant to believe in this crazy experience. "i'm so sorry." he cried out to you.

he couldn't believe how you died, and how he just got your memories, or how he could see and hear you. he felt insane.

"guys this is serious, i don't know what to do anymore." sam said, looking at the boy. "we should end this."

"brother do you understand how crazy this is? you need to.. you need to get help, or see a medium or something." corey shrugged, shaking his head.

"i agree with sam we should end whatever this is, it's taking a toll on you jake."

"guys i can't just leave her now, i have to keep talking to her. if you want you can go watch tv or something but this is important to me now. i promise you guys i'm fine, i just.. i have.. i have to do this." he begged.

"jake.." sam trailed off. "okay. as long as you promise you're okay, like don't get obsessed with this. don't be too much longer, it's already almost 5 in the morning."

"i promise." jake nodded, watching as they left the room, corey not understanding why he would do something like this.

you two looked at eachother, before trying to catch your breath. "what is it like being a ghost?" he asked, attempting to improve the mood.

"sad." you whispered, lips chapped. "stuck."

"you're stuck here?" he repeated, earning a nod. "how do you get out?" you shrugged at him. he sighed, apologizing.

you sat together in deep silence. many would think it was awkward or uncomfortable but it was calm and peaceful. the fact someone could see and know you for the first time since you died, made you feel happy, like you had a friend.

he continued to talk to you and keep you company for awhile, feeling guilty that he had to leave in a few hours. you understood he did, knowing it wouldn't last forever but that didn't mean it didn't hurt.

"i'm sorry you're stuck here. i hope you find your way out or to the real afterlife so you can leave this boring place." he comforted you.

"it's okay." you smiled. finally being able to share your story was enough. you felt your body becoming numb from being so giddy. "visit."

"i'll visit you again, don't worry." he hums. "i feel like we're connected, like you'll always be attached to me." making you nod.

the two of you shared an oddly comforting hug, before he had to leave. you followed their group to the hotel lobby, and unlike most times when you went down there, there wasn't a pull.

so when you continued to follow them and you weren't stuck in place, the happiness came back, and you started to cry once more. you watched them drive away, feeling in debt to jake for how much relief he gave you.

you've gained your freedom after 30 years of being stuck in the hotel you were brutally murdered in. "thank you jake." you murmured, before floating away, the happiest you've ever been.

#jake webber #sam and colby #jake webber x reader #jake webber x ghost reader #jake webber x ghost #colby brock #colbybrock #sam golbach #corey scherer #trap house #biltmore hotel #anticipatecrime #jakewebber #colby brock x reader

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fionajames · 1 year ago

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Ghost Hunters Club: Chapter I

The first chapter of a Colby Brock x Male! OC book.

A/N: Holy shit I need a coffee. This is over 7.3k words please send help im dying (/j)

This is based off of Sam and Colby's video about the Millenium Biltmore Hotel; The Terrifying Night We'll Never Forget | Haunted Biltmore Hotel.

Welcome, to Ghost Hunters Club.

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The doors of the Millennium Biltmore Hotel were gently pushed open as two boys strolled in, one clutching a camera, the other with a grin. The door closed behind them and they moved to the front desk, leaning against it to talk patiently when they realised it was unattended.

The younger boy wielding the camera had fluffy warm-toned black hair that had been tousled wildly in various directions and honey coloured eyes with flecks of gold swimming in them. He had pinkish vanilla coloured skin with a constellation of star-shaped freckles dusted over his cheeks and an obvious pink scar over the bridge of his nose.

He was wearing a loose cream, button-up t-shirt and baggy chocolate brown cargo pants with huge pockets. Many silver rings adorned his fingers and black fingerless-gloves that covered his wrists matched them. A singular bracelet of obsidian and labradorite gemstones adorned his left wrist. A silver chain hung from his neck as his silver moon and star chain helix and lobe earrings gleamed in the light.

Beside him the older beaming boy had thick curly ginger hair that looked like flames in the light, matched with shining blue eyes like the ocean. He had pink skin, covered in freckles like a scatter of paint, coating all of his face and dotted on the rest of his skin.

He was dressed in a brown sweater with the collar of a cream shirt peeking out underneath with beige cargo pants, a singular gold bracelet attached to his wrist.

Both of them were clutching the straps of their backpacks which were slung over the shoulders, and the older had his ear pressed to his phone, listening intently to the person on the other side of the call.

The honey-eyed boy waited patiently at the desk, murmuring to the camera softly - which was pointed at the floor as to not grasp too many peoples’ attention.

“So we’re just at reception now,” the younger mumbled into the microphone, glancing around through his lashes. He tapped his feet and shifted his weight between his feet. “No one’s here so we’re just gonna wait a bit.”

The fiery-haired boy continued nodding and talking to his phone, thrusting a hand into his pants pocket and pressing his back up against the desk.

“Oh and I couldn’t bring Knox on this one,” the honey-eyed boy muttered, pouting childishly even though the camera couldn’t see him. “I know, I know. I’m really upset I couldn’t bring him but they don’t allow dogs here.”

At that moment a lady strolled up to the desk with a huge grin and acknowledged the patiently waiting boys. “I’m sorry for the wait,” she told them and the ginger boy murmured a ‘goodbye’ into the phone before hanging up. “Check in or out?”

“In,” the fiery-haired boy told her firmly, shooting her a short smile. He shuffled to the other’s side and ruffled the already tousled black hair even more. “We’re here to ghost hunt.” The older explained with a grin, doing jazz-hands as he spoke. The honey-eyed boy averted his gaze from the woman and pinched the bridge of his nose.

“You wouldn’t be the first,” the woman told them kindly. “Name?”

“Caspian Killian,” the honey-eyed boy spoke up, his voice soft in texture but clear in tone. The woman nodded.

“Alright, here is your key,” she handed the older - which mildly annoyed the younger - a door key and the fiery-haired boy nodded, pocketing it with a smile. “You’re on the eleventh floor,” she continued and quickly gave them directions.

“Thank you,” both boys chorused before leaving to find their room.

Caspian sighed, holding the camera up higher to get a view of the hotel, running his unoccupied hand through his hair and messing around with it until he was content. “Smile, Lin,” he told the fiery-haired boy who shot the camera a huge grin before he pointed it away.

“I can’t believe we’re here,” the fiery-haired boy whispered as they admired the lobby, standing back to back.

“Well, you better,” Caspian whispered back.

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Caspian sniffed as he rubbed his pink-tinted nose with a grimace. The fiery-haired boy shot him a sympathetic smile. “Y’know, I really don’t think we should be down here,” he whispered as they roamed around the empty and eerie ballroom.

“The door was open, and therefore I can go where I like,” Caspian shot back with a cocky smile and the older laughed, throwing his head back.

“Aren’t you cops s’pposed to be all goody?” The fiery-haired boy asked, his grin glowing as he ran a hand down the fabric of a curtain, admiring the pattern.

Caspian’s nose crinkled playfully.

“I’m not a cop anymore,” he reasoned with a smile, lightly punching the older’s shoulder playfully. The older laughed and ruffled his hair.

Then, the pair abruptly froze, fear coursing through them as they heard footsteps and voices, alongside a door closing. The fiery-haired boy darted behind one of the walls and tugged Caspian along with him, both of them pressing their backs up against the walls as they held their breaths.

The pair listened carefully before Caspian slowly dropped to the floor, sliding the camera along the carpet to record the people who had entered. “I think their filming,” he told the older softly, which earned him a glare to keep quiet.

They waited patiently but petrified as the long seconds ticked by, slowly growing into minutes. The footsteps - although light - grew closer as they held their breaths.

“So I wonder what ballroom we’re actually in,” a voice whispered quietly and Caspian’s eyes widened at how close the boy sounded. His brain had kicked into action and the subconscious police-routine of studying his surroundings and the people clicked into place.

He could guess the boy sounded around his age and judging by the sound of the footsteps, he was one of two walking closer, but they’d left another two people near the door.

“Cause there’s multiple, right?” The boy continued, and the fiery-haired boy sucked in a breath as he began shuffling to the right - away from the strangers. He urged Caspian to follow, but the honey-eyed boy didn’t move. “Oh my God, this is neveren-” the boy cut himself off with a screech.

He’d walked past the wall where Caspian and the fiery-haired boy were hiding and turned to see them. The boy had short dark brown hair and bright, glowing blue eyes which were widened in bewilderment. He had light ivory skin and two stud earrings in, clutching the end of his black leather jacket as he’d been adjusting it when he’d frozen. Underneath the jacket was a black t-shirt and hidden was a black belt. Attached to the belt was a silver chain which was dangling by his right hip, contrasting well with his dark grey ombre jeans.

A few steps behind him was a boy with short blonde hair and glistening blue eyes, filled with intrigue. He had pinkish skin and was raising an eyebrow. He was wearing a black t-shirt with white symbols that Caspian instantly identified as someone’s merch - who’s, he didn’t know - and black fingerless gloves with the same white merch symbols, alongside clean black jeans and a black backpack.

“Hello,” the fiery-haired boy managed to squeak out with a grin as the blonde swivelled the camera to the pair. Caspian had to physically remind himself to move his eyes off of the brunette stranger, who seemed to be pulling him in.

“Sorry,” the blonde addressed them with a smile, shuffling to stand beside his friend, who’s eyes hadn’t moved from Caspian. Not that the honey-eyed boy had noticed, as he was playing with his rings nervously, tapping the side of the camera. “You're filming too, yeah?”

“Yeah,” Caspian managed to say, practically choking on his own words. “We’re ghost-hunter-Youtubers.” The fiery haired boy let out a good-natured scoff.

“You are, I’m not.”

“Oh, so are we,” the brunette explained with a grin, his eyes still unmoving as he fell into a more natural stance, waving his hand as he spoke. “I’m Colby, this is Sam, and our friends somewhere over there are Corey and Jake.” He peered around the corner to try and catch a glimpse of the other two boys but to no avail.

“I’m Caspian and this is my cousin Roslin,” the honey-eyed boy explained, shifting his camera to his left-hand and stretching out his right. Sam shook it with a nod and Colby shook it with a smile. Roslin did the same.

“We should probably get out of here, and then we can talk,” Roslin whispered with a playful half-smile, gesturing to the door with a walking motion.

Caspian nodded.

So did Sam.

They made their way to the door and the other pair almost silently, all of them agreeing along the way to being filmed. Caspian glanced around nervously and Roslin gently rested his hand on his shoulder briefly, a reminder that the younger was okay. He shot him a grateful smile.

“This is Jake and this is Corey,” Sam introduced, gesturing to each person in turn. “Jake, Corey, this is Caspian and this is Roslin.”

Roslin gave a short cheerful wave that Jake returned as Caspian nodded his head upwards with a smile, before turning to glance backwards again.

“Do you guys know which ballroom this is?” Colby asked and the fiery-haired boy nodded as the six began walking down the corridor - away from the door.

“The Biltmore Bowl,” Roslin replied, gesturing with his thumb across the room where he and his cousin had been minutes before. “Said on a sign.”

“Oh,” Sam nodded as he passed the camera to Colby.

Jake bit his lip nervously.

“Oh dude look,” Sam called as the group joined him, staring down at a set of red stairs leading downwards.

As Caspian moved to get a good view, something dinged.

Jake froze in place and gestured with his thumb backwards, jaw slack in shock. “It dinged again.”

“Was that not your phone?” Colby asked and Roslin hummed in agreement.

“Wasn’t my phone,” Corey said, gesturing to his phone screen with no notifications. Caspian pulled out his phone quickly and shook his head at the empty screen. After Sam, Caspian and Colby quickly went to the door at the end of the stairs, the six began to head back to the door with Corey leading the way.

Just ahead of the door, he froze, eyes wide. “The lights are off,” he whispered, pointing at the ballroom they’d been exploring earlier. Caspian stepped in front and led them through the dark silently, unafraid of the limited light. He waited for the lights to flicker on - expecting them to be motion-sensed - but reminded himself that they’d already been on when he and Roslin had entered.

The six of them quickly made it to the stairwell where Caspian closed the door. As soon as he let go of the door knob, it shook violently.

“Holy shit,” Sam muttered, staring at it.

The honey-eyed boy reached for the nearest person to tap when he heard footsteps growing closer - which happened to be Colby. He pushed the brunette’s shoulder hurriedly and he understood, as he too had heard the oncoming footsteps.

“Somebody’s coming, somebody’s coming,” Colby stated hurriedly and they all rushed up their stairwell, Caspian right behind the brunette. They ran up several floors with Colby muttering repeatedly ‘Someone’s coming’ before swinging left and calmly walking out the doorway.

“I heard them coming through, go right,” Sam whispered, gesturing backwards as Caspian pushed him forwards gently. They quickly walked through several corridors before letting their pace slowen.

“My heart is beating so fast right now,” Colby stated with a grin, a hand on his chest as Roslin nodded, shaking his limbs out.

“Wait,” Sam paused and Colby urged him to keep walking, so he did.

“C’mon, let's go in the bathroom,” Jake suggested and they quickly walked in, Caspian sniffling again as he rubbed his nose and cringing at the runniness.

“Boys meeting,” Colby teased in an attempt to loosen the tension. “No girls allowed.” Roslin let out a chuckle and Caspian smiled.

“Isn't it illegal to film in a bathroom?” Sam pointed out and Roslin glanced at Caspian, who nodded confirmation. Both camera-men stopped recording.

“Well that was intense,” Roslin murmured and the group all let out a chuckle, collapsing against the walls.

“So you’re ghost hunters too?” Jake asked the pair. Roslin shook his head with a smile, whereas Caspian nodded eagerly.

“Cass here is but I’m not,” the older explained, leaning against a wall and shoving his hands in his pockets. “He usually takes his dog with him but this place doesn’t allow pets so he had to resort to human companionship,” Roslin teased and Caspian let out a mockingly-offended gasp.

“It’s not my fault your shit company!” He exclaimed, shoving his shoulder playfully - yet a little too hard for it to be called lightly. “Knox is so much better than you at this.” Roslin gasped and gaped at him, holding a hand over his heart in mock-offence.

“You have a ghost-hunter dog?” Sam asked eagerly and Caspian nodded, sniffling again before resuming playing with his rings. Colby watched intently as the light reflecting off of the rings gleamed.

“He’s my best mate, so yeah,” Caspian explained and Sam and Colby exchanged delighted looks. “He’s around three years old now.”

“What breed?” Colby asked, resting his chin on his hands.

Caspian grinned. “Black and tan German Shepherd,” he replied. Roslin laughed as he reached over and ruffled his warm-black curls again.

“They go everywhere together, well, except for places that don’t allow it,” the fiery-haired boy explained and Caspian shot him a playful glare.

“Hey, since we’re all together now, do you guys wanna do a bit of ghost hunting together?” Sam asked, gesturing to the other five boys. Colby nodded eagerly and Corey and Jake followed suit. Caspian’s face settled in a thoughtful expression while Roslin turned to him with an arched brow.

“Yeah, if you want to,” the honey-eyed boy agreed and Colby cheered, leaving them all to laugh. “Do you guys wanna go to the second floor?”

“Hell yeah,” Sam replied, glancing to his three friends who nodded.

Roslin bit his lip. “I think I’ll stay in our room, if you don’t mind, Cass,” he explained. “I’m not really good with ghost hunting.”

“Sure, Lin,” Caspian responded, slapping his cousin’s shoulder lightly. “You go back, call if you need anything.” He made a calling gesture with his hand as he spoke and Roslin laughed.

“Same goes for you.”

⋆˖⁺‧₊☽⋆⋅☆⋅⋆☾₊‧⁺˖⋆

“Guys we’re tryna go to the second floor which is the haunted one and it won’t click,” Sam explained to the camera as he continued to press the button in the elevator. Caspian had also begun filming a few moments before as he nodded. They were a bit cramped in the elevator, but it didn’t bother them. “So like, no one can go to the second floor.”

“What if we go to the third floor and then go down the stairs?” Caspian suggested from beside Colby, who nodded.

Sam pressed the button and they waited patiently for the elevator to arrive on their desired floor. When they did, Sam left first, and then Corey, but he stopped midway.

“Devyn just texted me,” Corey began, staring at his phone screen as he stood beside Sam. Colby quietly explained to Caspian that Devyn was Corey’s girlfriend. “And said Navi won’t stop barking at the wall.”

“Navi’s Devyn’s dog,” Colby whispered to Caspian who nodded gratefully.

“While you're gone, to the most haunted hotel in Los Angeles,” Sam stated, zooming in his camera. “That’s not weird.”

The group laughed stiffly before making their way to the stairwell. They scrambled down the staircase and stairs until they reached the door to level 2.

Jake reached the door first, just as Caspian and Sam began filming again. “Looks closed off,” Sam observed as Jake stepped away from the door, a frustrated look on his face.

“Locked,” he replied.

“Yeah, they did lock it,” Colby whispered as Sam reached the door, pushing down on the stiff handle pointlessly. “‘Photograph and release form’, they won’t even let you film here.” Caspian sighed as he ran a hand through his hair in frustration, explaining the situation to the camera. “We said tenth and eleventh were the most haunted, now it's the second?” Colby asked in confusion.

“No, no, no,” Sam began. “Tenth and eleventh are where, like, the most sightings are and most haunted this” he pointed to the sign saying level two, “used to be just covered with the nurse that was most haunted and they just needed to stop people staying here.”

“Listen, brother,” Jake intervened, stepping closer to Colby. He grabbed Colby’s shoulders and shook him once gently, putting on a strange country accent. “The whole fucking hotel’s haunted.”

Caspian snorted softly at the humour.

“This was haunted by a nurse a long time ago,” Sam explained, glancing at Caspian who was fiddling with his camera’s straps. “And they stopped letting people in.”

“Who wants to go down to the dungeon?” Jake asked, pointing down the stairwell and Caspian gasped happily, rushing to his side to peer down.

They briefly talked about the camera blurring over Jake’s face as Caspian hurried down the stairs with his camera, grinning giddily all the way. Colby watched with a raised brow and piqued curiosity. Caspian seemed to be one strange person.

“This doesn’t look like a lobby to me,” Sam squeaked as he pointed the camera to a white corridor, Caspian hurrying towards it. “I dunno but the door’s open so that means it’s open to us.”

They walked down the corridor quickly, following the childish Caspian who was practically squealing with joy. Sam wasn’t entirely sure what to make of the boy, who seemed so quiet yet so interesting. They finally reached the end of the corridor, which led to some sort of boiler-type room.

“The music is like, right there,” Colby stated, pointing down a thin corridor where quiet classical music was seeping from.

“We should probably go,” Corey suggested, patting Caspian’s shoulder gently when the honey-eyed boy let out a sad whine.

Caspian froze after a second and began silently ushering Sam down the corridor they’d come through. “There's someone walking this way.”

The group made their way back quickly. “Are you sure?” Colby asked, glancing back but still walking. They reached the stairwell again and Caspian rubbed his eyes, only half-paying attention to what the others were saying. They kept walking down - to Sam’s surprise, stating that the place seemed endless - before they reached a mysterious black door.

Caspian gasped eagerly again and hurried down to it alongside Colby, pushing the door open. It creaked as he did and he peered around outside, brows furrowed in confusion. He scrambled out, followed quickly by Colby, and spun in a circle when he recognised the lobby area.

The group quickly continued walking after Sam ushered them to move.

“We came out next to the security guard,” Colby muttered through gritted teeth and Sam laughed nervously. Caspian giggled.

⋆˖⁺‧₊☽⋆⋅☆⋅⋆☾₊‧⁺˖⋆

After conversing about what to do next, the group insisted Caspian stay with them for their next investigations, leading him to be collapsed on the couch in their room as the time ticked closer and closer to 1 o’clock in the morning.

Sam and Colby were talking to the camera about what they were doing and planning to do next as Caspian mindlessly opened his phone.

“Is that your dog?” Jake asked from his place next to the boy, pointing at Caspian’s locked screen. The honey-eyed boy nodded tiredly. His lock screen was a picture he’d taken of Knox just after getting him, the puppy so visibly young in many ways including his singular floppy ear. Caspian smiled fondly.

“Yeah,” he replied, opening up his phone and the messages app, clicking the most recent conversation. He typed in a message to his best friend Debbie before closing his phone and burying his face into the sleeves of his hoodie, closing his eyes.

⋆˖⁺‧₊☽⋆⋅☆⋅⋆☾₊‧⁺˖⋆

It was nearing 2:30am when the group all settled on the couch with food and put on a show to watch, all of them paying attention except for Caspian - who was inspecting each person individually, trying to understand them.

At some point between 2:30am and 3am, a loud thud sound filled the apartment, coming from the level below. The group hurried to their feet and Sam grabbed his camera, Caspian doing the same.

“Guys, literally, we were not recording, there's something downstairs,” Sam hurried out as Corey turned the TV off. Caspian rolled his shoulders back and let the adrenaline wash over him, pushing away the sleepiness he’d felt before. “That was the elevator!” Sam exclaimed, repeating over and over about hearing sounds downstairs.

Caspian began making his way downstairs - seemingly calm compared to the others. Colby followed after him quickly, not wanting to leave the boy alone.

“What did you hear?” Jake asked and the group stopped to listen to Sam’s answer.

“The elevator, the metal thing, downstairs,” Sam explained.

“What, you didn’t hear that giant thud?” Corey asked Jake and Caspian bit his lip. Usually, in these situations, it was just him and Knox, and he’d calmly and quietly go check what it was. Caspian was like that, self-less. “When you were asleep we heard the elevator door, like.” Corey cut himself off, unable to explain the sound.

“Let’s go,” Colby suggested and moved in front of Caspian to walk. Instantly, Caspian moved back ahead of him, telling himself that if there was an intruder in the apartment, he’d step between them and his new friends.

“What if someones here?” Sam desperately wondered, and Caspian shot him a gentle, soothing look. Sam couldn’t explain why, but he trusted Caspian entirely, even though they’d only met hours before. They hurried down the stairwell.

“The door’s open!” Corey gasped in shock as Caspian moved to it.

“Was that us?” Colby asked. Caspian shrugged.

“Wasn’t that closed?” Corey stammered.

“I thought we closed it!” Sam exclaimed. “We would’ve closed it, right?”

“I dunno, I mean, we didn’t check the footage, I’m not sure,” Colby replied as Caspian moved to inspect the door, gently moving it back and forth.

“No, no, no, we had to slam it closed!” Corey reminded them, as Caspian moved to the doorway of the elevator. He grasped the metal fencing and pulled it closed, and then opened it again.

“It sounded like that,” he observed, doing the motion again so Sam could hear it.

“It did!” Sam exclaimed, and Caspian could hear the panic in his voice. “It sounded like a deep thud, bro. Holy fuck.”

“Wait someone could be in here,” Colby pointed out and began moving to another room. Caspian was alert instantly, balling one hand into a fist and moving silently to check nearby rooms for intruders. His training was kicking in. “What else could it be?” Colby wondered as they searched.

Sam began quickly recapping to the camera what was going on as the others inspected the elevator. Caspian, however, moved from room to room with a quick walk, teeth gritted in concentration.

As the others tried to find an explanation for the sound, Caspian noticed how Colby was shaking from the adrenaline and fear. He quickly made his way to the other and switched how he was holding the camera to embrace him in a one armed hug.

Colby sank into him instantly, trembling as he did and breathing in and out shakily. Just as the group was beginning to calm down again, another thud rang through the apartment, and something that sounded like the piano.

Caspian instantly darted to the stairs, gripping his camera so tight it turned his knuckles white. Colby raced behind him, but Sam overtook him.

“Yo, is somebody pranking us right now,” Colby wondered, desperate for an explanation as they reached the piano. Caspian gave Sam a half-hug like he had done to Colby upon seeing the blonde trembling too.

“Someone’s in here,” Jake spluttered, and Caspian wrapped a comforting arm around him too. They all felt oddly comforted by Caspian’s comfort, as he was the calmest of them all.

“That’d be illegal, if someone is screwing with us that's one hundred percent illegal,” Sam reasoned and Caspian stiffened at the mention of illegalism. Oh how he wished he had Knox with him. His dog made this stuff so much easier. “Check every room, check every room. No matter what, cause there is someone screwing with us right now.”

Caspian began swiftly checking the rooms again, but internally he knew that there was no way it was another person. He moved around to check over and over, only rejoining the group when he heard Sam cry out in panic.

“Dude, did you hear that?!” He sounded genuinely panicked, and Caspian moved to stand beside him.

“What?” Jake asked.

“There were like, three cracks,” Sam explained. Colby muttered something. “Yeah, I’m freakin’ out, dude!”

“But are you sure that was the piano, cause like,” Colby began, resting his hands on top of the piano. Caspian turned to Sam, before quickly striding to Jake upon seeing him in distress. He began rubbing a hand up and down Jake’s back soothingly.

“Yeah, it was, I’m pretty sure the camera even caught it,” Sam responded. “It was like a high-pitched sound.”

“I don’t feel good,” Jake whispered and Caspian nodded. The other boy turned to face him more and Caspian understood, wrapping him up in a much-needed hug.

“Okay,” Colby began, glancing to Jake over and over. “Maybe we take this time to be quiet and like, to see if anything else happens.”

“Dude, we heard something downstairs and up here, I swear to God,” Sam spluttered.

“If we heard things on both floors,” Caspian began and the others all turned to him. “How did we hear both? We were standing by the stairwell on both occasions so no one could have snuck past.”

“I’m just saying,” Sam muttered. “What would that be? What is happening right now?!” Caspian let Jake out of the hug as he went to sit down. “Dude, how long has this been going on? My camera right now says 5 minutes and 16 seconds. It is 3:05 right now.”

“So we heard the noise right at 3,” Corey exclaimed, beginning to pace the room as Caspian watched calmly. Or at least, he appeared calm. Internally, he was panicked, wishing he had Knox beside him. Knox was his dog, his buddy, his ghost-hunting companion, and investigating without him felt unnatural.

“That’s fucking givin’ me chills,” Sam panted out as he ran a hand through his hair.

“Right before we were about to do our sèance, cause three am is the witch's hour,” Colby began, his eyes wide as he hugged himself. Caspian nodded confirmation, thinking about his Aunts as he did.

“We were gonna do the sèance right now, why did that happen right now?” Sam explained.

“So the first noise we heard was at three?” Colby confirmed and Sam agreed. “Dude I’m fucking shaking.” He moved to stand next to Caspian’s chair, who reached up to pat his back gently. “But I don’t know if I heard it again, that’s what's freaking me out.” He shot a forced, thankful smile to Caspian, who stood back up and gave him a hug quickly.

“I didn’t hear a piano, I heard was what I thought was like a fence,” Corey explained and Colby agreed. Sam began moving stuff around to try and identify the sound as Colby moved closer to Caspian and the boy’s safe aura.

“I didn’t hear the first sound but the second sound was the fucking piano,” Jake stated. As they were talking, the light on the wall suddenly intensified and Caspian flinched abruptly, spinning to see the previously turned-off TV on.

“No cuts, that's the remote,” Sam began, pointing at the remote on the desk, far away from all five boys. “We turned it off when we went downstairs, how did that just happen?”

“Are the workers fucking with us?” Corey exclaimed and Caspian moved to give him a hug. At first the boy flinched away, and then he relaxed into it, embracing the comfort. Apparently hugs were really soothing during strange paranormal times.

“It has to be, it has to be,” Sam agreed, trying desperately to find an explanation, any explanation. Caspian stood straight up when he heard something creak, and lunged away from Corey and towards the sound.

“Did you just hear that?” Corey asked and the others turned to him. “That sounds like a door opening, like a creeeeaaak. Caspian immediately headed down the hallway the sound had come from, and the others quickly followed.

“Guys we can’t just follow every sound we hear,” Jake protested, and Caspian nodded. “Wherever we hear a noise, we’re not gonna find anything out from investigating, so we should just fucking chill.”

“I think we should do the sèance,” Caspian spoke up and they turned to him. “This place is clearly trying to tell us something, with the creaks and the weird energy.”

“What weird energy?” Colby asked and the honey-eyed boy tilted his head.

“Do you not feel it?” Caspian asked, his voice like silk. “The air feels thick.”

The others shook their heads.

“I agree we should do the sèance now,” Sam insisted, changing the subject.

Corey shook his head. “Fuck that.”

“I’m just saying, honest to God, we came here to find out if something was haunted and something is happening right now, like, wouldn’t this be the best time?” Sam explained and Caspian nodded, switching the camera to the other hand as he did. He began playing with his bracelet absent-mindedly, reminding himself of the protection it provided.

“If something’s fucking with us, we may as well try to fucking communicate with it,” Jake added and both Sam and Caspian nodded. “I don’t think we're gonna get physically hurt at all.” Caspian’s hand instantly moved to brush his arm instinctively.

“I dunno if I wanna do that, man,” Colby explained, rubbing his face with his hands.

“At three am?” Corey repeated. “Dude, great idea.”

They moved back to stand next to the piano and both Sam and Caspian placed their cameras on top of the instrument. “Two seconds, before we make a decision, though,” Sam began. “What could that actually have been? Like, tryna debunk that right now. Are we just tired?”

“The TV,” Corey reminded them.

“Yeah, the TV, that just turned on, that I have no idea,” Sam agreed.

“Yeah, but the elevator, because we turned that on before, what if it just was one of those weird-” Colby explained, but Sam intervened.

“Like it was still on or something.”

“Yeah, like it shook or something,” Colby finished, nodding all the while.

“Yeah that could’ve been it,” Sam agreed.

“And the high-pitched noise, I don’t even know if that was the piano, I mean, that could’ve been anything,” Colby explained.

“That was the piano,” Jake insisted. “It was literally key by fucking key.” Corey re-explained what he’d heard before Jake continued. “It’s either a piano, or we’re going fucking crazy. It’s one of those two.”

“And it’s three o’clock in the morning, there's not someone just roaming around in the halls,” Sam reasoned. Caspian shivered as a chill went past his arm.

“Its either the piano went off, or we drank too many fucking chocolate frappés and we’re going crazy,” Jake stated and Caspian snorted lightly, before shivering again.

“I’m just saying, what's our plan of action now, we are not leaving - we made a pact,” Sam decided and Colby intervened.

“So let’s just, be quiet, like seriously, us talking isn’t gonna do anything,” Colby reasoned and Caspian pouted slightly. He wanted to do a sèance.

“It’s gonna be fine,” Jake began. “As long as we have each other’s back and we just chill, I think we’ll be fine.”

“Oh, what the fuck, dude,” Corey sighed.

“That was too much, man,” Sam agreed.

Caspian shifted his weight from foot to foot before shooting his camera - still placed on top of the table - a grin and a thumbs up. Colby couldn’t help but smile at the childish action.

About a dozen minutes later, the boys had finished conversing on their next step and had set up for the sèance. Caspian was eagerly grinning, as he’d never done a sèance with so many people. Colby sat next to him and found himself seeking comfort from his new friend.

Caspian’s aura was so protective, safe, friendly and childish that all four boys felt pulled to him. He was like a flashlight in a dark room and they all sought that light. He was the calm in the middle of the storm, and he’d already shown his self-lessness time and time again.

Sam glanced to the honey-eyed boy, watching him pull a lighter from his bag, alongside four candles. He was grateful for Caspian and his calmness in their frightened state, and he could see they shared the same trait of wanting to learn more about the paranormal and push themselves.

Colby basically hadn’t left Caspian’s side all night, courtesy of the strange connection pulling him towards the boy. It was a strange feeling that he didn’t really know how to explain, but everything about Caspian intrigued him. He wanted to learn more about him, understand his emotions, and be by his side.

Jake had been far too jumpy to embrace his usual funny self, but he had a feeling that if he and Caspian could talk outside of haunted buildings, they would connect quickly and easily. Caspian clearly shared some of the childish silliness he did, and he’d been desperate to find someone like that to befriend.

Corey had barely talked with Caspian, but not in an awkward way. He felt as though Caspian slipped so easily into their group that it just made sense. Corey hadn’t ever thought about a fifth member to their strange quartet, but now, it was beginning to feel inevitable.

They began filming quickly, Caspian agreeing that they’d just use Sam’s camera and they’d send him the footage afterwards.

“We promised in our last video that we would do a sèance,” Sam began with a pained smile as Corey lit the third candle. “And we’re gonna do a sèance.”

They all watched Corey attempt to light the candle in silence for a minute, before Colby sucked in a breath and turned to their camera with a sarcastic smile. “Do we wanna do a sèance?” Colby asked. “Not really.”

“Yes!” Caspian said at the same time and Colby chuckled.

“But if anythings gonna happen, it's gonna happen right now,” Sam explained, his voice strained with tiredness.

“So, how do we even start a sèance, like, what is the definition of a sèance?” Colby asked and Caspian impatiently wriggled in his seat.

“So,” Sam began, then reached into his pocket to grab his phone. “Let me read it off, just to make sure I’ve got this right.”

“I know,” Caspian intervened, and Sam froze, pulling his empty hand from his pocket. The others turned to the honey-eyed boy. “A sèance is a meeting of people who try to make contact with the dead, usually assisted by a medium!”

“So it’s very general,” Sam explained. “It’s really any way you want to contact the dead, however there are ways to make it better. One, being in a place where a lot of people have died aka this hotel. A lot of people that believe in the haunted.”

“If you make it seem welcoming, safe and comfortable spirits are more keen to communicate,” Caspian added and Sam nodded.

“And we’re literally in a home-looking hotel room with candles lit, very warm colours everywhere, we’re trying to make this very home-y,” Sam agreed.

“I’m scared bro,” Corey admitted. “I’m sorry bro, I don’t like this.”

“I honestly feel like this is a perfect setting though,” Colby agreed. “I mean, what else do we need?” Caspian bit back the urge to say ‘a medium’ as he played with his bracelet.

“No, I feel like this is some horror movie crap, bro,” Corey intervened, and they all turned to Jake, who was playing with the lighter.

Sam went to say something but before he could, Colby reached out and grabbed the lighter from the other’s hands, turned it off, and threw it across the room. “What if that had turned on when you threw it and you burned this entire place to ashes and dust?” Caspian whispered and they all turned to him with raised eyebrows. “What?”

“When we did Queen Mary, I think we all agreed that there was some weird, like, level of comfort to it, like we weren’t scared,” Jake remembered and Colby quietly whispered an explanation in Caspian’s ear, who thanked him.

“Yeah, the reason why Queen Mary worked was we all believed, we were all comfortable, and we were all together with an energy, if we can make that happen again,” Sam explained, but was interrupted by Jake.

“That’s freaking me out,” Jake stated, pointing up at the chandelier which had been gently swaying back and forth with the occasional creak.

“Yeah but Queen Mary we didn’t light a bunch of candles and say a bunch of spells to get someone to talk to us,” Corey protested and Caspian stiffened instinctively, prepared for him to talk bad about witches or something. “Queen Mary just happened.”

“But we asked it politely, so we’ve basically done a sèance before, just a very weird one,” Sam reasoned. Caspian raised his hand gently.

“I’ve done sèances before,” he interjected. “Ever since I was a kid.”

“What the fuck?” Jake asked in confusion and Caspian shrugged.

“My family just did that kind of stuff.”

“You don’t have to say anything,” Jake told Corey. “You just have to be here.”

“Yeah like, you have the best paranormal energy so we just really need you to be here,” Sam confirmed, although he glanced at Caspian as he spoke. For some reason, he had a feeling that the ‘best paranormal energy’ of the group had changed.

Jake began explaining he’d heard something and Corey agreed, but Caspian was barely listening. His mind had zoned out as he stared at the corner, unable to reconnect. After a minute, he felt Sam shift to begin the sèance and instantly fell back into his body - or at least that's what it felt like.

“We must say these words together,” Sam explained. “‘Our beloved blank’, so whoever’s spirit so Black Dahlia, anything we want to contact, ‘we bring you gifts from life, into death. Commune with us, and move along.’”

“What?” Corey gasped. “What do you mean ‘we give you gifts from life to death’?”

“We’re giving them a way to communicate by using our life energy from the dead,” Caspian explained.

“I’d like to say is there ‘someone’ here, like, let’s not call them spirits,” Jake offered. “Last time I think that's how we got to have Queen Mary, as we treated it just like another person.”

Caspian agreed hastily, as he’d been about to say the same thing.

“What if we say all together ‘if there’s anybody out here right now we invite you to use your energy and show yourself’ or something” Colby offered.

“To speak through us?” Sam asked and Colby nodded. “Okay, let’s do it. You guys ready?”

“I mean, I’ll sit here,” Corey agreed.

They all reached out and joined hands.

“So together, what are we gonna say?” Sam asked.

“‘If there's somebody or there's someone here-” Colby began, but Corey interrupted upon hearing something again. Caspian felt himself zone out, but zone back in moments later. He shuddered at the strange feeling.

“If there’s someone here,” Jake, Sam, Colby and Caspian said altogether, all of their eyes closed as Corey patiently waited. “Please use our energy, to communicate with us.”

“Guys, its shaking,” Corey said, pointing up at the chandelier. Caspian looked up and spotted what the other was seeing. “Look! It’s shaking.”

“Should I grab the camera so it can see it?” Sam questioned, eyes fixated on the lamp. Caspian shivered as his eyes remained fixated on the chandelier, his ears tuning out the others’ conversation. He saw Sam get up and move the camera out of the corner of his eye, but couldn’t move his attention from the light.

Colby tapped Caspian gently, pulling him from his daze with a concerned look. Caspian shook his head when Colby went to ask.

The boys rejoined their hands again after conversing quickly.

“Alright, close eyes,” Sam began and they all did. “Three, two, one.”

“If you are here,” all five boys began speaking in sync, and Caspian let his eyelids relax from their squeezed shut position. “Use our energy to make a sound or sign.”

Caspian breathed in and out deeply, eyes still closed before he felt something. Something in his mind, as though he could see something even though all he saw was black. He lifted his head and opened his eyes nonchalantly, his gaze connecting with Jake’s.

At the same time, both boys jerked back abruptly, and then all four candles flickered out.

“What the fuck?!” Colby exclaimed as they all pushed their chairs away from the table in a hurried panic, moving away so quickly that the camera fell. Or at least, that's what they thought the reason was.

Corey began quickly trying to leave whilst Sam protested, but all Caspian could do was stare at the candles. As the four began to argue, Caspian slowly shuffled closer to the candles, inspecting the wicks and the tiny, remaining flickering light on each. He licked his fingers and moved to snuff the candle, only for it to go out before he could even touch it. The honey-eyed boy flinched back in confusion, before moving to the next, and then the next, and then the next, but everytime he got close to snuffing the candles, they blew out.

Colby grabbed the camera as Corey continuously tried to get them to leave, all while Sam tried to debunk the situation. They hurriedly ended the sèance and the four boys moved to the living room, not even noticing Caspian who’d begun collecting the candles.

As the others moved around the hotel room and turned on all the lights, Caspian gathered his stuff. They chilled in the main living room altogether for an hour before Caspian stood up, all eyes turning to him.

“I have to go, Roslin and I need to be back by midday,” Caspian told them with a regretful smile. The boys gasped and Colby lunged to his feet, wrapping the honey-eyed boy up in a hug. The other three boys joined in almost immediately.

“Here’s my phone number,” Colby told him, handing a small, ripped piece of paper with a phone number scribbled on it. “Call me. I’ll give you the others later.”

Caspian nodded. “I’ll miss you guys.”

“Aww,” Corey cooed. “We’ll miss you too!”

“Yeah, we should collab again,” Sam insisted and all five boys nodded eagerly.

“Oh definitely,” Caspian agreed.

The group all bid their farewells and promised to collab again and talk later, before Caspian left with a sad smile. He made his way down the hallway to his room with Roslin, opening it with a sigh. Roslin looked up at him from his place on the edge of the bed.

“How’d it go?” The fiery-haired boy asked cheerfully, placing his phone down. Caspian groaned in response and slumped down against the wall. “That chaotic?” Caspian hummed in agreement. “Starbucks?”

“Fuck yeah, I need an iced coffee.”

⋆˖⁺‧₊☽⋆⋅☆⋅⋆☾₊‧⁺˖⋆

A/N: I seriously hoped you all enjoyed that because it took me days and I need just, pure espresso at this point.

I do requests, so please send those!

Love y'all!!!

Edit: its tmrw (the day after i posted this) and i got my iced coffee!!!! 🥳🥳🥳

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