Dirty Little Secret

Into the Shadows

          The musty, worn halls of Saint Claire Mansion seemed alive, groaning under the weight of each step they took. Billie hugged her hoodie tighter around herself, casting a skeptical look down the dark hallway ahead. She'd seen her fair share of eerie places, but this mansion had an energy to it—a kind of oppressive stillness that made the hair on the back of her neck stand up.

"Man, this place has zero good vibes," she muttered under her breath. She glanced over at Sam and Colby, who looked totally in their element. "And don't even get me started on the decor."

Sam grinned, filming her with his camera. "That's the spirit. Literally," he joked, nudging her shoulder. "Hey, first room we're checking out is right here. Wanna lead the way?"

She gave him a sideways glance, hands firmly on her hips. "You're kidding, right?"

Colby opened the door to a small, dimly lit nursery. A decrepit crib stood in one corner, its paint peeling, while dusty stuffed animals were scattered across the floor. The tiny rocking chair beside the window looked frozen in mid-motion, eerie in the beam of their flashlights.

Billie rolled her eyes, feigning confidence as she stepped inside. "Oh yeah, baby ghosts, my favorite kind," she said, crossing her arms. "So, what exactly are we hoping to find in here? Drool marks?"

Colby laughed, handing her an EMF reader. "Hold onto this. If it lights up, it means something's close. Maybe we'll get a ghostly baby's first word?"

She raised an eyebrow, her skepticism clearly etched across her face, but she took the EMF reader, holding it out in front of her like she was casting a spell. The device stayed silent for a second, and just as she was about to make some smart remark, it spiked to yellow, then red.

"Uh, is it supposed to do that?" she asked, her voice more serious now, eyes glued to the flashing lights.

"Means there's definitely some energy here," Sam replied, still filming, his grin widening. "Maybe you've got a fan."

"Yeah, right," she muttered, taking a cautious step back. "Ghost baby can fangirl somewhere else, thanks."

The EMF reader flashed red again, and Billie's eyes widened as she took another step toward the door. "Alright, fun as this is, let's move on. I'm good without my soul getting hijacked tonight."

The guys laughed, amused at her reaction as they headed down the hallway, each of them now holding a piece of ghost-hunting equipment. Sam had a voice recorder, while Colby carried a thermal camera, scanning the walls and corners with an intense focus that reminded Billie why he loved this stuff so much.

The next room they entered was a grand parlor, complete with antique furniture draped in sheets and dusty, ornate mirrors. Billie's eyes flicked to one of the mirrors as she passed it, giving herself a quick look, half-expecting some ghostly face to be standing right behind her.

"If a ghost jumps out of one of these mirrors, I swear I'm punching it," she said, crossing her arms and glaring at the room as though daring it to test her.

Colby grinned, clearly amused, and handed her the thermal camera. "Alright, take a look through this. It'll pick up any cold spots. Basically, ghosts show up as blue shapes. So if you see something colder than the rest of the room, you'll know we're not alone."

She gave him a flat look. "Can't wait." But despite herself, she held the camera up, peering through the screen as she scanned the room.

Most of the shapes on the screen were warm reds and yellows, but as she panned across one of the armchairs, she noticed a faint blue patch on the seat, like an invisible figure had just been sitting there.

"Uh... there's a cold spot on that chair," she muttered, her brows knitting together.

Sam looked over her shoulder, nodding in excitement. "Someone's taking a seat, maybe?"

She handed the camera back with a dry chuckle. "Or maybe they just left their creepy ghost butt-print. Either way, I'm good."

She turned away, making a quick exit, but her nerves were starting to show. Her usual dry humor was laced with a hint of genuine anxiety, which only seemed to amuse Sam and Colby even more. Just as they were about to leave, the voice recorder in Sam's hand picked up a faint whisper. He played it back, and the three of them froze as a soft, eerie voice murmured, "Stay..."

"Hell no," Billie whispered, glancing over her shoulder as if expecting to see something standing there. "This is way too much. Why is it always 'stay'? Why not 'get out'?"

Colby just laughed, his eyes shining with excitement as they continued through the mansion. "Honestly, this is way more action than we usually get. You're a magnet for creepy stuff."

They spent the next hour exploring room after room, Billie throwing out sarcastic remarks to keep her nerves in check. In the kitchen, they heard what sounded like a faint scratching behind an old cabinet, and in the library, Colby's flashlight flickered right as they passed by an ancient, leather-bound book lying open on the floor.

"You guys seriously do this for fun?" she asked, picking up the book and shivering as she noticed the strange markings in its margins. "No offense, but you're both insane."

The guys just grinned, clearly enjoying her reaction. Finally, they reached the cellar door. Sam turned to her with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"Alright, Billie. You wanna take point on this one?" he teased, opening the door to reveal a dark, narrow staircase descending into pitch-blackness.

She threw her hands up. "Oh, hell no. If either of you thinks I'm going down there first, you're outta your mind."

But after a little more teasing, Billie finally relented, leading the way down into the cellar with her flashlight, grumbling the whole time about how she must be out of her mind for letting them talk her into this. The steps creaked beneath them as they descended, the air growing colder and damper with each step.

At the bottom, they found themselves in a low-ceilinged room filled with old barrels and broken shelves. Colby set down a REM pod on one of the barrels, and its lights flickered ominously in the dim light.

"Alright, if anything's here, come say hi," he called out, nudging Billie to keep an eye on it.

She watched the REM pod with a mix of fascination and dread, feeling an involuntary shiver run down her spine. They stood in silence, the room so quiet that every tiny sound seemed amplified. Then, suddenly, the REM pod blinked twice, its lights flashing red.

"Oh, no. No, no, no," Billie muttered, backing up fast. "This place is rigged or something. It has to be."

Sam chuckled, still filming her reaction. "Perfect. You're a natural."

"Or just the dumbest person alive for going along with this," she muttered, practically bolting back up the stairs.

After checking out nearly every room in the mansion, they finally regrouped in the foyer, Billie's nerves frayed but adrenaline still running high. Sam looked at her with a grin.

"Alright, ready for the grand finale?"

She raised an eyebrow. "Oh, so it gets worse?"

Colby chuckled, holding up the headphones and blindfold for the Estes Method. "Yep. We saved the best part for last. This time, you're really gonna be in it."

Billie rolled her eyes but couldn't hide the slight smirk tugging at her lips. "Fine. Let's do it. But if I get possessed, I'm taking you both with me."