Freefall (Jaspar)

Chapter Four

"Phil, I can't do it, I can't fucking do it!" Dan shouted from his room, sounding notably distressed. Phil's responding sigh was loud enough that even Caspar could hear it in the bathroom, all the way from the kitchen.

"Just breathe, Dan," Phil finally answered, more than a little tired.

"I am!"

Caspar twisted the handle, letting the bathroom door swing open, hair still dripping wet. Cautiously, he made his way down to Dan's ajar door, knocking lightly. "Dan?"

He received a grunt in reply, and took it as an invite. Pushing the door open, he hoisted the towel around his waist higher, and took a seat on the bed beside Dan. "What's going on?"

Dan lifted his head from his hands, pushing his fringe back into place. "I have to film a video before the end of the month, or I'll lose my job. But I can't, I keep thinking about what you told me, and I just get distracted."

Caspar nodded, holding back a shiver as the movement sent cold droplets racing down his back. "You know, we could film a collab."

Dan perked up, curious, and Caspar smiled. "I mean, it would be good for our channels anyway, the viewers will love it, and you don't have to worry about keeping a video entertaining. We can include Phil too, if he wants," he elaborated.

Dan nodded. "I guess that'd be good."

"Of course it's good, I thought of it!"

#•#•#

Caspar sighed, throwing his arms in the air and stretching. They'd just filmed the last video of the day, another 'Sexy Youtuber Quiz" for Caspar's channel with Phil. Dan had left a little while ago, claiming to be exhausted, and understandably so. They'd filmed three videos over the course of the day, mixed in with breaks and meals. It was currently 11 pm, and Caspar was content with what he had to work with.

"Well, I think I better head to bed, thanks for today, Cas," Phil muttered, interjected with a yawn. Before Caspar could respond, he'd gotten up and trudged out of the room, closing the door gently behind him.

Getting up, Caspar switched off the lights and camera, trying to hold in his own yawn. He couldn't find the energy to actually pack away the equipment, instead choosing to just collapse face first on the bed with a groan. The room faded into darkness as the filming lights cooled, and Caspar let himself drift into a light sleep.

A light tapping awoke him, gently at first, and then all at once as it grew more persistent. Caspar groaned rubbing a hand over his face and rolling onto his back, vowing to spiflicate the perpetrator, through any means possible.

Blearily sitting up, he ran a hand through his hair, gazing around the room, expecting to find an alarm clock, or perhaps even a large mouse. It came as a shock to realise that the tapping was originating from the other side of his door, in a repetitive clicking sound similar to that of long nails on wood.

Caspar shivered, his room cooling perceptibly, and his chest tightened. He didn't move, listening as the tapping turned into a long, slow scratching sound. It was eerily similar to a horror movie, the last noise the victim heard before a gruesome death at the hands of a psychotic killer.

Shut up.

Maybe it was the same thing that had taken Joe, come back for a second turn. A dark, looming, homicidal demon, seeking its next victim.

It's probably just a cat.

The girl from The Ring, reaching out to pull Caspar in.

They don't own a cat. Cats don't menacingly claw doors in a set rhythm.