𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 04
3𝐫𝐝 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐩𝐨𝐯
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AFTER RETURNING TO THE MAIN AREA of the hospital in what used to be the lobby, Sam and Colby went off to film the official introduction to the video, having already filmed the backstory that would be playing throughout their video at their home in Los Angeles. While they did that, Jasper sat with Noah and Beau on the floor in a semi-circle. He'd found out Noah was a musician who started out doing YouTube videos, while Beau was a gamer on Twitch.
"So you guys did a video with them before?" Jasper asked curiously after small chatter made the three guests more comfortable.
"Yes." Noah said and then continued, "Well, I did in the UK. Beau and I did a stream with them recently and mentioned doing another video together while I'm in America so." He shrugged and then curiously, "What about you?"
"You and Colby seem awfully familiar with each other." Beau said with a knowing smirk that made Jasper frown in confusion.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, he was the one who found you when you got lost..." Noah pointed out and then laughed, "I can see the comments already."
Jasper blushed and shook his head with a small laugh, "We're not that close. We just met but he— they both seem cool."
"They are." Noah nodded more seriously, "But you and Colby are just... I don't know you've got chemistry." He grinned like an inside joke passed between them as Beau began to laugh loudly.
"You are awfully cute together." Beau acknowledged.
"And what about you two?" Jasper said, ever the master of moving attention from himself onto others, "You're cute together!"
Beau and Noah stopped and like a movie scene started smiling fondly at each other. Beau reached for Noah's hand, intertwining them with practiced ease. "Yeah, pretty cute." Noah hummed staring into Beau's eyes.
Jasper let out an exaggerated joking groan and grinned when Colby approached with Sam, "Help, Colby, save me from the love birds!" He called pleadingly.
"I shall save you!" Colby exclaimed, running up. He picked up Jasper with surprising ease, the blond's eyes widening as he squealed. Colby held him bridal style with a laugh.
Their laughter drowned out as Jasper stared into his eyes, "My hero." He joked. Colby said nothing, seemingly becoming breathless. After a moment, he cleared his throat awkwardly, "You can let me down now."
"Oh right, sorry." Colby blushed awkwardly and set him down as Sam turned the camera onto himself.
"I'm the fifth wheel." He said in a deadpan tone.
"You've got your camera!" Noah called jokingly before erupting into laughter.
After their laughter ceased, Sam spoke, "So, if you guys are okay with it the next thing we'll do is split up. We have two cameras-"As if to prove this, Colby grabbed the second camera from the bag, "And you guys can film using your phones or whatever you prefer but since there's a lot of area to cover, we figured splitting up may get some more activity."
With all their agreements, Sam started talking about where they'd all go. "Colby and I will be on the second floor, Jasper, Noah, and Beau you guys can take different parts down here."
"Actually, how about Noah and Beau go upstairs with you and I you know hang out down here?" Colby spoke, glancing at Jasper.
Sam blinked in surprise but nodded nonetheless, "Uh yeah, sure."
"Noah and I are sticking together." Beau said sternly.
"Didn't expect anything less." Jasper teased.
Wil raised a teasing brow, "You and Colby are sticking together too." He pointed out.
Jasper shook his head in disagreement, "I'm going on the opposite side." He declared, "I'm gonna explore down..." he pointed to a random area, ignoring the way his stomach sank at the shadows that lurked in it, "there."
"Alright, let's get going then." Sam smiled, turning on his camera, he started talking to the camera for a moment with Colby's occasional input and comments from their guests, explaining how they were separating ("like a horror movie!" Beau exclaimed in disbelief) before they all headed on their own ways. The group of three headed upstairs, their footsteps echoing on the tile floor while Colby stood still, watching Jasper.
"Are you sure you want to split up?" He asked carefully, "We don't have to."
Jasper shook his head without a second thought, "I want to." He, in fact, did not want to, however, something was pulling him to go off on his own.
Colby nodded, "Shout if you need me." He said sternly. Jasper nodded in acknowledgment before walking off in the opposite direction of the room he had been in earlier. Colby stood there, watching him retreat carefully, a strange pit forming in his stomach before he went off on his own.
Jasper breathed shakily as he turned on the video on his phone, "Alright so, we all separated I'm down on the first floor in what used to be the psych ward. There's a lot of stories about what happened here. The nuns supposedly wander more down these halls, and," he glanced away into the dark halls, "I just heard footsteps."
"It's pitch black." He told the camera, "I can't see two feet in front of me let alone if there's someone there. This is literally a horror movie." He said with a small humorless laugh, "The lights can't decide if they want to work or not, they keep flickering in other places but for some reason, they just went out down this corridor."
He paused in his footsteps as he looked up, his eyes widening, "Of course as soon as I say that a light down the hall randomly turned on." He shook his head to hide how creepy the entire situation was. "It's like.. this place wants me to see something." A laugh down the corridor, more footsteps, and then...
He inhaled deeply as someone came around the corner. They moved steadily, not floating like a spirit, but walking, they wore regular clothes not unlike his own, nothing like any spirits he heard of that resided here would wear. He realized this was a live person and thought maybe it was one of the others playing tricks on him. He stepped forward only to realize this person didn't look like any of the people he came with.
"Hey!" He called out, the figure moved forward, coming further into the one light down the hall which previously turned on full strength and was now flickering. "You can't be here, you need to leave!" He exclaimed.
Suddenly, the person tilted his head up, "You're the one who doesn't belong here." The voice came out strangled and hoarse. The sound of dripping drew Jasper's attention to the floor where blood dripped from the man's wrists. "No," the man had a strange laugh, one that Jasper immediately knew would haunt him, "This is not the place you should be. Leave!" The man that Jasper now realized was not really alive screamed and began to run toward him.
He let out a sound of surprise and fear, dropping his phone onto the floor as he exclaimed, "Holy shit!" He promptly turned tail and ran. Right into Colby who, after hearing him scream, had come to see what happened.
"Hey, you okay?" Colby asked, holding his shoulders to keep him steady after Jasper nearly rammed into him.
"I saw a person- an apparition, I think, I don't know," he shook his head shakily, "I think I caught it on camera."
"Okay, it's okay if you didn't." Colby reassured gently, his eyes narrowed in concern, "Are you okay?"
"Just- just a bit spooked I think." Jasper told him, brushing it off despite the fresh fear in his eyes, Colby's frown deepened and his hold on the man's shoulder tightened, "Shit, I dropped my phone." He said stepping back and going to walk down the hall for his phone when Colby grabbed him, holding his hand to pull him back.
"I'm going to call the others and then we can worry about the phone." He said sternly, giving a no-arguments look. Jasper sighed but nodded and followed him to the stairs. Colby began to call the others, oblivious to the fact his hold on Jasper's hand was still strong, a familiar presence and calm he didn't quite understand.
"What's wrong?" Sam asked as he approached, Noah and Beau both following after.
"Jasper," he nodded to the blond, "Saw an apparition."
Sam's eyes widened and followed him downstairs without question.
"You saw a full-body apparition?" Sam exclaimed in surprise when Jasper finished explaining what he saw.
Jasper nodded weakly, "I thought it was a real person. I was telling them to leave and then..." he trailed off, having already explained it and not wanting to live through it again. Colby squeezed his hand.
"Must've been really scary." Beau nodded seriously, "You're holding hands."
Jasper's eyes widened and he quickly released Colby's hand, oblivious to the blush that rose on Colby's face nor the disappointment at the now missing presence. He cleared his throat, "We should go get my phone."
Sam nodded in agreement and led the group down the hallway, directly behind him were Colby and Jasper, side by side, and then a few feet behind them were Beau and Noah.
Several feet down the hall, Sam bent down to pick up the dropped phone cautiously while Jasper walked a few feet ahead to where the spirit had been standing. He looked at the floor in search of the blood he had seen but found it to be clean except for the dust it had collected.
"The video's still going." Colby pointed out as he looked at the phone with Sam.
Sam nodded, holding the phone like a prized possession, "Let's head back to the main area and take a look at it."
Sam started walking to the main area where they had first set up while Colby glanced at Jasper, worried that the man might've seen something again as he turned to them, still seeming shaken but not nearly as much as before. He waited for Jasper before following the others back to the main area.
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"THIS is..." Sam trailed off in shock after reviewing the footage. The footage itself wasn't the greatest quality however you could clearly see the full-body apparition Jasper had seen like nothing they'd ever seen before.
"Nobody's gonna believe it." Colby shook his head, "This is insane, we've never caught anything like this or seen anything— are you sure you don't have any experience?" He asked Jasper who shook his head, thoughts of creeping shadows and quiet whispers clouding his mind.
"No, no experience in paranormal investigation." He told them and then added almost bitterly, "Just pure luck, I guess."
Luck, he supposed could summarize it. Thought he wouldn't quite describe it as that. More like a curse, one that haunted him and had since he was young. He'd always ignored it, he stayed away from haunted locations and never acknowledged it unless he was in the midst of a late-night conversation with his grandma.
He never wanted to confront his ability or sensitivity or whatever it was, and yet when they asked, he couldn't say no.
That was his first mistake.
His second was never telling them about the man he saw outside the window that night, or the words the spirit in the hall had uttered.
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