Only Shadows

Chapter 10

James checked to see if they could be spotted, but the shadows and foliage hid them completely. He stood up and peeked through the window, seeing a room scattered with old children's toys. "Yes! This is the haunted bedroom," he whispered.

"Really?" Austin peered into the window beside him. "Jackpot."

The slight brush of Austin's elbow against his bare arm sparked like an electric shock. Hyper-aware of his nearness, James closed his eyes and laid his forehead against the cool pane of glass, releasing a shaky breath.

"Bro, move," Austin said. James jerked back with a start. "Gotta get the window open."

"Right. Sorry." Getting into the house wasn't something he'd thought much about. Honestly, he didn't think they'd get this far. Tonight's trip was impulsive, an excuse to hang out with Austin. He couldn't stop thinking about him, couldn't suppress the swirling excitement and fear that he'd be found out.

A rattling sound shook him out of his thoughts as Austin tried to open the locked window.

"It's okay. I can film some stuff from out here. If we wait, maybe we'll catch something through the window."

"Nah, I got this." Austin reached down and pulled out a long metal tool hidden under his clothing. That explained why he hadn't worn shorts.

"You actually know how to use that thing?" James nibbled on the edge of his thumbnail as anxiety crept back in.

Austin gave him a sly grin. "Watch and learn." He slid the tool in between the window panes and jiggled. After a minute or two, James heard a soft click as Austin pushed the window open.

James dropped his hand. "Where'd you learn that trick?"

"Grew up in an old home. Things got jammed."

"Ok, um, you first."

Austin shrugged. "Yolo," he said as he slipped into the room. After a moment's hesitation, James followed him in. The house looked much creepier at night with the street lights casting long shadows across the room. Bed sheets hanging over an open wardrobe door took on a ghostly appearance, while the stillness of the air felt almost ominous. A porcelain doll in a frilly dress watched them from a toddler-sized rocking chair.

Austin nudged him and he flinched. Yeah, this was starting to feel like a bad idea.

"So you gonna record?" Austin asked.

"You think we should?"

"Bruh. That's the whole reason we came."

Not the whole reason. "I just realized, if we record this, won't people know we broke in? Won't the video be like admitting a crime?"

Austin stopped walking and stood perfectly still. After a moment he said, "So we don't name the place. Use tight shots, movement, dark lighting. Like, what went down in this room?"

"Some woman died giving birth."

"Perfect," Austin said with a grin. James raised an eyebrow. "I just mean it's super common. Lots of women died in childbirth. Don't give too many deets, and no one'll know where we're at."

James nodded slowly. "You're probably right. Here goes nothing." He pulled his phone out of his pocket and held it up to record. "Welcome back to the channel! Tonight we're investigating an old house haunted by at least four ghosts. In this very room, a young mother died in agony, taking her child with her in death. People say they still haunt the room, and we're going to find out tonight."

"Bro."

James stopped recording. "What?"

"You gotta, like, liven it up. Haven't you ever watched YouTube before?"