•Y/N: Your Name
•E/C: Eye Color
•H/C: Hair Color
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Author's POV:
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Three pairs of feet travel down a gravel path, Jack taking the lead of the two humans and cat. Whiskers rests comfortably in Y/N's arms, happy to take a break from walking upon the small rocks. Having grown tired of his company's slow pace, the Halloween Spirit halts his skipping to spin around and face his queen and mortal enemy while continuing to walk backwards towards their destination.
"Come on, come on! It's not much farther," he encourages to the tired duo, receiving groans in response.
"Jack, my legs are getting the shakes. How much longer until we get there?" Y/N whines as her legs tremble beneath her weight. It felt like they have been walking forever, and it didn't help that the hike took place uphill. Suddenly, her and Nathan stop upon noticing that their guide had disappeared into thin air before looking around for him in confusion.
"Where did he-" the teenage boy is abruptly cut short by a scream that sounds from the female standing beside him when she's scooped up by a pair of arms without warning.
"Boo!" Psychotic laughter follows, belonging to a certain blonde male, before he continues his way down the road with the girl in his hold. Jack purposely walks faster than the other boy joining their party. "It's just past these trees!"
"Hey, hang on! Don't leave me back here!" Nathan shouts in a panic as they get farther away before chasing after them. The black haired male feels almost scared as they get deeper and deeper into the woods. There won't be a person for miles, so, naturally, the thought of the spirit possibly murdering them popped into his head.
After all, he was trying to feed them tainted food. Who knows what this lunatic has planned? Eventually, a tall structure becomes apparent in the distance that's surrounded by a large, iron fence. The gate is locked by a chain, while decorating the twisted bars are signs that read "keep out". Twisted trees surround an ominous, dark mansion that looks so old and condemned that one could imagine a gust of wind blowing it over. E/C and brown eyes widen as they look over the hazardous home, speechless.
"Tada!" Jack proudly grins as he sets Y/N down on her feet, while Nathan stops behind them to catch his breath. His hands plant on his knees, while his back hunches over, the redness in his face fading little by little.
'How is he so fast?' Nathan gulps down his spit, his anxiety skyrocketing as he stares at the manor. He wished so badly for this to be a joke, but, clearly, Jack intends to go inside. Being the voice of reason, he says, "I don't think we should be here. This place looks very unsafe."
"Yeah, Jack, I don't know about this. The signs say no trespassing," Y/N adds, agreeing with her friend as she sets Whiskers on the ground. The feline purrs while rubbing against her legs before going over to Jack and doing the same.
"Oh, don't be such a scaredy cat. Who's gonna tell us not to? No one's even out here besides us! It'll be fuuuuunnn, I swear." The blonde nudges her side with his signature smile, causing her to laugh and shove the male back playfully. A knot forms in Nathan's stomach as Jack giggles, having a feeling that they will be going inside regardless of the obvious danger.
"All right, all right, but I blame you if I end up with tetanus." His brown eyes widen in disbelief, while their guide can't help but cheer out victoriously.
"Then, what're we waiting for, the funeral procession? Let's go in!" With the snap of his fingers, the lock and chain fall from the gate before the doors creek wide open to allow the group inside the property. An arm links with Y/N's before she's dragged towards the mansion doors with Whiskers following behind. Nathan lingers at the gate, watching them approach the house, but puts on a brave face before going after them with determination set in his brown eyes. He swore to protect his friend from this mischievous creature for the entire night. He wasn't about to back out now. Hopefully, this bad feeling will quell from his gut once the night is over.
'What kind of maniac has she been hanging out with? What's with her? I know she's not stupid, and, yet, she's acting like everything's fine. He's probably been manipulating her or something. Maybe tomorrow I can convince her to stop talking to him? That'd make me feel a lot better. For now, I'll just worry about us surviving in one piece.'
"Wait for me," he calls out while sprinting towards the others only to be ignored by the Halloween King as he opens the from door. Jack gives a deep bow to his queen with that same eerie grin while taking her right hand in a light grip.
"Ladies first." Soft lips plant on her flesh as ruby eyes drift to the approaching nuisance. A smirk grows on the blonde's face in satisfaction upon seeing the glare set in the boy's chocolate brown orbs. Oblivious of the exchange of looks, Y/N giggles at the spirit's antics before stepping inside the dark, dusty home.
'How can she stand him? For all we know, we're walking into a death trap.' Nathan just couldn't let it go. At first, Jack seemed okay whenever they had spoken to him over the ouija board, but, now, he realized just how dangerous this entity can be after seeing what lies behind the mask he puts up for Y/N. Creaks sound from beneath their shoes as they enter one by one with Jack coming in last while holding a sinister grin on his lips. At last, he can set his plan into motion. The three look around the large foyer that has a large staircase leading up to the second floor. Moonlight shines down into the space through the skylight whose glass had been broken and scattered on the dirty floor, revealing the intricate woodwork blanketed by cobwebs. Old pictures and covered furniture are covered in a thick layer of dust, while the wallpaper curls at the ends, giving the place a nerve-racking vibe.
Y/N squeals while going back a step after a fat mouse scurries past their feet, standing closer to the nearest male, who happens to be Nathan. Jack was not pleased by this and narrowed his eyes as the front door slams shut hard enough to rattle the house. The humans jump in fright before spinning their heads towards the sealed entryway. Curious, the girl tries to open it again only to find out that the door's stuck. They're locked in.
"Jesus Christ, what now?" Nathan asks, paranoid beyond belief. Y/N slaps his back lightheartedly with a wide smile, causing the teen to jump.
"Calm down. It's just a little spooky fun. It was probably you anyway," she accuses, shining a light on Jack's form using the flashlight he materialized for her earlier when they began their walk in the woods. Each of them has one, and they're colorful too. Her torch's handle is purple, Jack's is orange, while Nathan's is a bright green. The spirit puts on an innocent face while shrugging his shoulders.
"I guess we'll never know." A giggle parts from his lips as he drapes an arm over the girl's shoulders and pulls her to his side, separating her from the other male. "Split up. Maybe then you'll find my little surprise faster. Whoever finds it first gets a special prize~"
"What are we looking for exactly?" Nathan asks with suspicion clear in his voice, causing the king to grin evilly.
"Oh, you'll know when you find it." Laughing to himself, he starts up the stairs. "Have fun, kiddies." And, just like that, he disappears, leaving the unsuspecting humans alone.
"We aren't really going through with this, are we?"
"Of course we are. Don't be so jumpy." Giving a comforting smile, Y/N sets a hand on Nathan's shoulder. He smiles, but it falls soon after.
"Do we really have to split up?" Y/N can't help but laugh at him.
"We'll be fine, trust me. The sooner we find it, the sooner it'll be over."
"Okay, okay." The boy sighs in defeat, bringing a smile to Y/N's lips. Its presence makes his heart flutter and fills him with more confidence.
"Let's start on the top floor first. I have a feeling that's where this surprise is. Come on, Whiskers," she calls for the heavyset feline while walking towards the stairs. The cat meows and paws at her leg, asking to get picked up.
"Spoiled," she mutters while picking him up and setting the animal on her shoulders. Y/N looks behind her at Nathan, who continues to stand still. She shakes her head at him before grabbing his wrist and ushering him up the stairs. His eyes look back at the door before mentally assuring himself that everything will be fine with hopes that his shaking would cease. He didn't want to appear weak in front of Y/N, but there was something about the house that greatly unsettled him. Sensing his tension, the girl squeezes his wrist in reassurance as they reach the top of the steps. Both wonder how they should start while looking down the long hallways. Tattered curtains sway in the wind that blows through the broken windows as the floorboards groan beneath their weight.
"You go left, I'll go right," she suggests while releasing the teen and heading for the first door, but, before she could open it, he grabbed her hand. A small touch of pink dusts his cheeks as he meets her confusion-filled, E/C eyes.
"Stay safe, okay, Y/N? I mean it." His hold tightens a tad causing a soft smile to appear on her lips. She found it sweet that he worries about her, but she knows better than anyone that they're not in any real danger. Nathan is just cautious, and she understands why. Jack is an eccentric and can go a bit overboard sometimes.
"I will. Don't get scared." She ruffles his black locks before going into the first room, while Nathan's gaze lingers on her form. He then looks down the hall on his left and takes a deep breath before checking the first few rooms. Inside them appears to be servants quarters, for they don't have much furniture aside from a bed frame and a chest of drawers. There is a change of scenery in the fifth room, however, where lockers take up a majority of the space.
Wanting to be thorough, he checks each one that isn't locked and sighs when he comes up empty handed, but there's still one place he hasn't checked yet. Weary orbs gaze over at a large, two door cabinet. Something was odd about it, though, its appearance seems normal. Perhaps what he's looking for is inside? Heart pounding loudly like a drum, Nathan shines his light on the metal structure before coming closer to press his ear against one of the doors.
There's no sound, not even breathing, so it's probably safe to assume that no one's inside waiting to jump out at him. He noted that even Jack breathes. Stepping back, he decides to get it over with, but prepares himself for a jump scare as he pulls at the handles. He's left surprised when it doesn't open. The doors are stuck.
Determined, he grunts in frustration while pulling harder, even shaking the cabinet a bit to loosen the hinges. Soon enough, the cabinet doors burst open, sending the boy flying back some onto the hardwood floor. Nathan groans while holding his head before lifting his eyes to view the interior of the cabinet only for the brown orbs to bulge. Inside the locker stands a woman with translucent, white skin and eyes that had rolled back into her skull. Her jaw hangs open by strands of flesh, showing off her moldy teeth, while a torn, white, wedding gown dresses her boney figure, caked in dirt.
The woman screeches loudly before stepping forward, but her feet never actually touch the ground; instead she hovers above it. Adrenaline rushing through his veins, Nathan screams and scrambles to his feet before racing out of the room. He nearly runs into the wall, but continues down the hall. He dares to look over his shoulder only to panic when the dead woman flies closer to him, her mangled, white strands floating in the air as she screams and cackles like an old witch. The skin on her face begins to peel as tears film over his frightened eyes.
"Y/N!" He shouts before seeing the H/C-haired teen poke her head out into the hallway.
"Nathan?" Her eyes widen at the sight of the horrifying specter, but, before the boy could reach his friend, the ghost sunk down into the floor before rising again right in front of his face. Nathan screams as the dead woman looms over him before running down the steps while she follows. The ghastly figures grabs at his shirt and shoves him into the wall numerous times to trip him over. He falls down the last few steps and cries out in pain as the candy he received from trick-or-treating falls out of his pocket and onto the floor. With only the thought of escape running through his head, the teen jumps out the nearest window on the first floor, causing glass to shatter and stab into his skin as he disappears into the night with the ghost still chasing after him.
A chill rolls down Y/N's spine as she stands at the top of the steps with a hand on the wood railing upon hearing a haunting laugh echo throughout the home. She takes a step back only to collide into a chest and tenses. Grinning victoriously, Jack wraps his arms around his queen's waist and nuzzles his face against her neck affectionately as if to claim his prize. Nathan was gone now, so he had won. His fingers snap, and the ghost woman rises from the floor, ending her chase, before she vanishes into the air. A frown appears on Y/N's lips as she spins around to flick Jack's nose with her eyes narrowed in disappointment. "You meanie. You did that on purpose."
He laughs, unfazed by her expression. He was in too good a mood to be brought down. Sure, she had wanted a night with both her friends; Jack knew that, but he's like a selfish kid, wanting everything to himself.
"He was just so boring and I wanted a little alone time with my queen. Is that too much to ask?" He says in a babying voice whilst gripping her chin with his fingers. She rolls her eyes and pushes his hand away, still very upset. He knew just what'd take her mind away, though, which made his grin widen to an unnatural length.
"Hows about I give you a little hint as an apology, then? Perhaps you should check the ballroom next? It's downstairs and to the right." The blonde leans in, being sure to put the tips of their noses together to get her flustered. Red coats her cheeks as she pulls back with eyes narrowed in suspicion. He giggles at the look and smiles normally.
"I promise you'll love it."