Claire, Georgia, and Danny aren't your average ghost hunters. Their hit livestream channel "Creep It Real" rakes in thousands of viewers each time they go live. But what their fans don't know is that the trio fake the hauntings they come across at e...
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Daylight is gone. The clear white moon peeks between the clouds above us. Its brightness gives off an otherworldly lighting. It casts shadows behind Georgia and Danny in the driveway, making a version of them that is long and twisted. I imagine what it would look like if their shadows tore off and started walking off as if they had a mind of their own...
"Alright, folks," Seth's voice breaks through the silence in the pauses of the occasional electronic beeping. I snap my head up and see him poke his head out of the van. "We ready to go?"
I nod. Danny gives a thumbs up. I glance over at Georgia, who nods stiffly. "Yep," she says shortly.
I tilt my head at her. She avoids my gaze. Something seems off; her shoulders are rigid, and she's standing off to the side rather than front and center. Then again, she's seemed off ever since the ladder incident. When I look over at Danny, I realize he's looking at me through the display on his camera.
"Oh-kay!" Seth says dramatically. "Going live in five...four..."
"Georgia," I hurriedly whisper under my breath. "Are you going to lead or —"
"...two...one...and we're live!" Seth says into his mic, which feeds to the earpiece in my left ear. I peek quickly at Georgia, who is still standing off to the side. My gaze then snaps to Danny, who is pointing the camera at me. Crap.
I swallow hard before putting on my biggest, fakest grin. "Welcome, viewers, to Grimwood Manor!" I say with as much excitement as I can muster.
Gesturing to the lavish exterior behind me, I lock eyes with the lens of the camera Danny is holding. "This is our most ambitious haunt of yet — and dare I say the most dangerous." I pause as the viewers erupt with excitement, spamming various emotes. "You see, Grimwood is the home to the most vicious spirits in the Midwest. Only the brave dare enter... and only the strongest of viewers will watch."
They eat it up. The chat debates whether it will be as scary as we suggest, while some boast their braveness. A sense of pride zaps energy back into me.
I head toward the door of the manor. Georgia is just slightly behind me. Despite the excitement, in the pit of my stomach, I feel ill. I'm so used to Georgia leading the charge while I sweep behind her. But I smile back at the camera instead of pulling her aside and making her tell me what's wrong.
"Are you ready?" I ask the audience as I put my hand on the large door handle. An eruption of yeses surges in the chat with a flurry of nos. "Let's go," I reply and push on the handle. I step to the side and let Danny get a dramatic close-in without us in the way. The night vision catches the interior of the foyer perfectly. The chat loves it.
As we walk in, we admire and comment on the manor, leaving little remarks on the hanging artwork and design. Then, Georgia finally speaks for the first time on stream.
"It's hard to believe all of this will be gone," she says quietly. When I look at her, her eyes are on the large portrait of a woman I assume used to live here. "All of it just gone when they tear the place down."
