Dirty Little Secret

Through the Veil

The air was thick with silence as Billie stared at the blindfold and headphones Colby held out, skepticism written all over her face.

"Alright," she muttered, half to herself, "explain this shit to me one more time." She shot the camera a look. "For everyone watching, this is apparently how you talk to ghosts. I don't make the rules."

Sam chuckled, visibly thrilled. "So, here's the deal: this is called the Estes Method. We blindfold you and give you these noise-canceling headphones connected to a spirit box—it scans radio frequencies at lightning speed. You'll listen to whatever comes through, and just say any words you hear. Meanwhile, we'll be asking questions—but you won't hear us."

She smirked, rolling her eyes at the camera. "Right. They're basically throwing me into the dark, hoping a ghost decides to say hi. Real smart, guys."

The boys laughed as she finally settled into a massive, antique chair under a chandelier. Colby gently lowered the blindfold over her eyes, while Sam adjusted the headphones, clicking on the spirit box until all she could hear was the faint, static-filled hum.

"Alright, Billie," Colby said, stepping back and glancing at Sam, "you ready?"

She gave a quick thumbs-up. "Hell, why not?"

They exchanged one last look before Colby leaned forward to ask the first question.

"Is anyone here with us?"

For a moment, there was just silence, Billie sitting isolated, her face still behind the blindfold. Then, suddenly, her voice broke the quiet.

"Stay..."

Sam's eyes widened, and he glanced over at Colby with a look that said oh shit, it's starting. Billie shifted slightly, her hands gripping the chair, but she stayed silent. "Yeah, 'stay.' As if I have a choice," she mumbled, unaware they could hear her.

Colby tried to keep his voice steady. "What do you want with us?"

Billie tilted her head like she was straining to hear something through the static. "Secrets..."

The room felt colder, and a shiver ran down Sam's spine. Billie's face twitched slightly, her fingers tapping on the armrest. "God, this is creepy as fuck," she muttered, her voice a little quieter now.

Colby cleared his throat, still leaning forward. "What secrets are you talking about?"

She sat in silence, but then her voice cut through again, more intense this time. "Trapped..."

Sam's face went pale as he looked at Colby, both of them feeling the tension ratchet up. Colby took a deep breath, trying to keep his voice steady. "Are you trapped here? Is there something keeping you here?"

Billie sat there for a long moment, unmoving. Finally, her voice came out, softer but somehow sharper: "Leave..."

The boys exchanged a nervous glance, both feeling the chill in the room. Sam's voice was barely more than a whisper. "We will. Just... tell us if there's anything you want to say."

There was a pause, and then Billie's breath hitched slightly. She muttered, "Alone..." as if something was whispering in her ear.

The boys didn't move, the room feeling still and tense. Then she sighed and mumbled, "dark hallway... come back..."

She suddenly flinched, like something brushed against her. "Damn," she muttered, louder this time, "it's like they're right here."

Sam reached over, tapping her on the arm to signal the end of the session. She pulled off the blindfold and headphones, blinking to adjust to the dim lighting.

"Okay, that was fucked up," she said, shaking her head with a nervous smile. "I swear it was like someone was actually whispering in my ear. 'Stay' and 'trapped'? Yeah, no thanks." She grinned at the camera, shaking her head. "So, apparently, ghosts want me to 'stay.' That's gonna be a big fat no from me."

After a quick regroup, they led Billie down a long hallway, where Sam handed her a flashlight with a smirk.

"Alright, Billie. Time for your solo challenge."

Her jaw dropped. "Wait—you actually want me to go in alone?" She looked straight at the camera, a sarcastic smile spreading across her face. "This is what I get for hanging out with YouTubers."

Sam nudged her lightly. "C'mon! You'll be in the master bedroom. Supposedly, it's where all the activity is centered."

She sighed, giving a resigned laugh. "Fine, but if anything happens, my fans better riot."

They brought her to the master bedroom—a huge, shadow-filled space with a four-poster bed and an old armchair tucked into a dusty corner. Sam handed her a REM pod and flashlight, setting up a hallway camera to catch her reactions.

"Seven minutes in here alone, just you and the REM pod. Good luck," Colby grinned, giving her a thumbs-up.

"Great," she muttered, lifting the REM pod to the camera with a smirk. "If this little guy lights up, it means something's supposedly 'nearby'... or maybe it's just freaking me out for fun."

With the door clicking shut behind her, Billie was left alone in the room. She set up the REM pod and flashlight on the floor in front of her, raising her handheld camera.

"Alright, ghosts," she muttered, "I'm here alone, and I'm talking to myself. Go ahead and show off."

The REM pod beeped suddenly, lights flashing red and green. Billie's eyes went wide, her hand instinctively clutching the flashlight.

"Oh, hell no," she whispered, half-laughing as she glanced around the empty room. "That's some straight-up bullshit."

Before she could finish her thought, the flashlight flickered, the beam shaking before it died out completely. She shook it, muttering, "Screw you, flashlight," and clicked it back on.

As she shone the beam across the room, she leaned into her camera, eyebrows raised. "If this is a prank, I'm kicking their asses when I get out of here. I'm serious."

Another beep from the REM pod, louder this time, and her flashlight blinked out again. "Oh, for f—this thing's dying on me!" She shook it again, ignoring the goosebumps crawling up her arms.

Taking a shaky breath, she held the camera up. "So, uh, if there's actually anyone here... do me a favor, give me a sign, alright?"

The REM pod went silent, and she let out a sigh of relief, feeling her heartbeat slow a little.

Just as she was about to relax, a faint sound echoed from the corner of the room—a whisper that she couldn't quite make out. She spun around, staring, but nothing was there.

"Oh, you've gotta be shitting me," she whispered into the camera, her pulse racing again. "I swear, if those guys are laughing in the hallway, it's over."

The REM pod beeped again, the lights blinking three times in a row. "Real cute," she muttered, eyeing it with a mix of annoyance and apprehension.

She felt her pulse pounding in her ears, but then the door creaked open, and Colby peeked his head inside with a grin. "Still alive?"

"Barely!" She exhaled, half-relieved, half-exasperated. "That REM pod went insane, and my flashlight kept dying. I swear, if this was a prank, you're both gonna pay."

They laughed as she stepped into the hall, glancing back into the room one last time with a small shiver.

Sam gave her a nudge. "Congrats! You're officially a ghost hunter now."

She rolled her eyes but cracked a grin, letting out a soft laugh. "Sure. Next time, you can go in alone."

As they finally left the mansion, Billie glanced back at the dark windows, a thrill of excitement replacing any lingering fear. Whatever was in there was staying in there.