" throw the flashlight at it
and run! "
in which a group of friends
blessed with supernatural
gifts have a YouTube
channel where they bust
ghosts, and this is the start
to a great adventure.
-BOOK 1 IN THE PARANORMAL SERIES-
-cover by theycallmedoc...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
SOME OF Y'ALL BOUT TO BE REAL MAD AT ME. 👁👄👁
i don't wanna edit anymore but we committed, boys.
PARANORMAL, CHAPTER FOUR
NO ONE MOVED. The basement door still hung open. It seemed to invite them in. Cold air creeped up the rickety steps. It brought the putrid scents of mold and rot. Death. Not a sound came from it again. Water still steadily dripped from the tap upstairs. Drip. Drip. Drop.
Beverly broke the silence. "Oh hell nah, I am out!" Could you blame him? He was freaked out, reasonably so.
Estelle grabbed him by the shirt collar as he tried to run. "No, you aren't. I'll buy you some food or something later. Just stay put." It was the only thing she knew of that could settle him. He still looked ready to flee, but he remained still.
"One of us needs to go check it out", Marcus said, though his voice trembled. Hey, he said one of them. One meaning: not him. Anybody but him.
"I'll go", Zoey volunteered. She stared down into the cellar, swallowing thickly. "I always go first." This was true. Zoey was the bravest, so she went first. She was the only one who wouldn't panic and run... Hopefully.
"Be careful", Penny whispered to her, though her chocolate brown eyes remained on the dark space. It was like it was calling out to her. Calling out and asking her to join it. Penny shuddered. She took a tentative step back. On second thought, perhaps ghost hunting wasn't for her. No, no. She was stronger than that.
"I'll go with her", Athos volunteered. He gave Zoey's shoulder a gentle squeeze. "No one goes alone." Athos appeared to be strong on the outside. On the inside? He was shaken to his core. They hadn't ever dealt with anything like this before. Not something that actually wanted to hurt them. Not something that wanted to lure them in. He wasn't sure if he was ready, but... Athos swallowed thickly. He had to be. They were family. Second family. Blood may not have bound them, but hearts and spirits did. And you don't let family suffer alone. Only cowards do that. Not that anyone would be suffering. He hoped.
"I'll go too", Mason volunteered. "Just in case, you know?" He took a flashlight, but Hal grabbed his hand before he could actually leave.
For a second, Hal looked sheepish. What was he doing? He didn't know, truthfully. He knew someone he cared about was about to go face something frightening. That made his heart rate pick up, and not in a good way. But he couldn't stop him, could he? What needed to be done must be done. Hal bit his cheek. Act natural, dummy. "Be safe", he finally said.
Mason gave him a slight smile, rested his forehead against Hal's. Cute. It would have been sweet, if it didn't feel like goodbye. "I'll come back", he promised. He stepped away, went to join the other two.
Scott followed the trio to the stairs, like he was prepared to jump down there at any moment after them. Maybe he was. He would do anything for his family, after all.
They descended slowly, the stairs creaking with the weight. Mason pulled the string when he got down there, but nothing happened. "Lights blew down here too", he announced. When nothing happened for a while, the group relaxed. You could see flashlights sweeping back and forth below. Zoey caught something on the wall. "There's some weird writing down there. You guys should—"
Mason was cut off by a scream. The air in the house grew significantly colder. Penny was the one screaming. That's what happened when her ability was triggered. She screamed. Minhyuk stepped forward to catch the girl under her arms as she fell. He may not have been the strongest of them all, but she was light. "Penny? Pen, you okay?"
Unbeknownst to them, something had come to join the group down the stairs. A large, horned creature, burnt red in color, with hooves for legs. Demon. It had raked a claw straight through Athos, though his body remained unharmed. It was his soul that it had taken. A pale, shimmery version of Athos stuffed into a little orb. It growled at them, snorted, and then left.
And then came the heavy footsteps. "It took Athos!", Zoey cried out.
"What the fuck do you mean it took Athos?", Jem asked immediately. The words had sent ice through his veins.
Zoey and Mason had been struggling to bring Athos's body back up the stairs. He was tall and lanky, and they were panicked. It was difficult. It's a wonder they didn't drop him or hit his head on anything, not that it would have hurt him. He wouldn't have felt it that is. The two of them placed him down gently. Inky black curls fell over Athos's eyes. Small brown eyes that were usually wide open and alive with mischief were closed. Athos was a very thin boy, but he had never looked unhealthy until now. His chest rose and fell. One might mistake him for sleeping off a cold. Even the freckles that dotted his nose and cheeks seemed to lack color. Full lips parted, as if he needed any help he could get to breathe. Thick brows bunched together, a slightly crooked nose scrunched like he was looking at something displeasing. Was he in pain?
"I mean it just took him!", Zoey said, panicked. "His soul, just — right out of his body! We were looking at this writing on the walls and then— it just—" The redhead couldn't finish her sentence for crying. Lillian wrapped her arms around the girl. She wanted to comfort her friend, but she didn't know how.
"What did the writing say, Zo?", Danika asked quietly.
Zoey looked shaken. "It said get out." The words hang in the air for a moment. Cryptic and final. Scott left the group. "Where are you going, Scott?"
"In", Scott said simply, dragging one of the kitchen chairs into the center of the living room. "I have to go get him." He and Athos had made that promise long ago. Nobody got left behind.
"You promised you wouldn't go in there", Thalia whispered. "You promised." Thalia couldn't take it. Her brother constantly leaving, possibly never returning? It was stressful. It was depressing. It was beginning to take its toll.
Scott paused to look at his sister. "I can't let him die, Thal. I'll be back, I promise." He walked over to her, brushed the thick, brown locks away from her face to cup her cheeks. Thalia's large, blue eyes held an unspoken sadness. "You are the most important person in my life — the most important person who will ever be in my life. No matter where I go, I promise you that I will find you. Always."
Thalia nodded. When Scott sat down, she gripped his hand. He glanced over at Athos's sleeping body. "See you on the other side, buddy."
JANUARY 17, 2020 ADDED NEARLY 500 MORE WORDS TO EXTEND THE CHAPTER AND PROVIDE UNNECESSARY DETAILS, LMAO.
JANUARY 10, 2020 this was the short chapter that i was talking about. don't worry, everything is gonna work out. ALSO i noticed that some people didn't have mutual love interests or love interests at all, so i urge you guys to look again when you get the time, because i know there are some who really want them and i want everyone to be happy!
not to be that whiny bitch, but my eye is closed and bandaged,,, yet it's still extremely sensitive to light. even my phone light hurts a little if it's not completely down. anyone got any suggestions? would putting my shades on make me a douche?
