Valley Beyond the Veil

As expected, what the students found was hardly a town at all. For modern day, it was unexpectedly simple and plain. Then again, Adrian supposed, that was Georgia. The homes, however, were mostly large homes. Family homes, all reeking of old money and heirlooms. All were in excellent condition, despite their age. They passed some convenience stores along the way as well as other amenities of modern society, but something about the town itself felt displaced as if lost in a previous era.



Adrian could not help but stare out the window, admiring the splendor of the surroundings. They reminded him of home. He had not come from a rich lifestyle, no, but many of the houses were in the same way timeless. The architecture of the older parts of South Carolina often held that similar charm. It was easy to imagine what life was like in those older days when surrounded by the shadows it left behind. He sighed as they began to roll down a dirt road, severing the rest of the view from sight as the hedges loomed over head. The unkempt fence crawled with vines and the old trees made deep shadows even in the bright daylight. It already felt eerie and Adrian rarely succumbed to that sensation. He watched as the view opened up to another house, much larger than the previous structures and just as magnificent. It was, however, in a state of disrepair as one would come to expect from what they had been told was a haunted estate.



He perked his eyebrows, eying the weathered walls as they drew closer, "Homely."



"Yeah, as homey as a kindling can be," Sam said darkly, her eyes narrowing at the building. She didn\'t like the looks of the place.



"Are you kidding? This place is great! It looks just like you\'d expect a haunt to be. Almost stereotypically so." James tried to repress the little gleeful giggle bubbling in his throat. All the other places they\'d been, while rich in history and slightly creepy in their own right, had been well kept. "Isn\'t this great?"



"Well," Sam said slowly, eying the large puddles of mud surrounding the house, "at least it\'s rained a lot here, lately. We don\'t have to worry about the house going up in smoke at the slightest provocation."



"That is always a promising note," said Adrian with equal uncertainty. They were a long way from any hospital or fire department. It would be a terrible thing for the house to catch fire in that case. He got out of the van and stretched out his lanky legs, wincing from the pain of travel. He groaned quietly, "So, I suppose James and I will start scoping the place out while you set up?"



She shook her head. "I\'ll let you two look around and get a good idea where to set up the cameras in each room. Some of that stuff\'s too heavy for me," those words were said with playful bitterness, a sigh slipping from her lips, "so I\'ll need James to help me with that. In the meantime, I\'ll go speak with the neighbors. I\'m pretty sure the city let them know we\'d be here, so I might as well see if they have some interesting stories to give us."



Adrian nodded, "I\'ll leave you do that, then. James and I could just get the cameras ready while you\'re gone if we\'re finished before you get back."



He felt excited, far more so than he had thought he would. This house was beautiful, even in its dilapidation. Somehow that feeling of ruin complimented its structure in a poetic sense and he could not explain his attraction to the anxious feeling that befell him as he looked upon it. It was downright creepy and he always had an attachment to that.



"Alright," she agreed. "Find base first, so I know where to set up. I\'ll need plenty of room, as usual. This house should have power at the moment since we called ahead, but we should keep our generator nearby and handy for the laptops in case there\'s a surge. The house is old, after all. Try to remember where you put each camera since they\'re numbered, and I can synchronize the incoming data with the computers to keep better record."



Her eyes softened. "And try to be careful, you two. Take flashlights. Even though it\'s still light out, it could be dim in there and it\'ll be easier to tell if the wood\'s rotted away if you can see where you\'re going."



"Right, of course," He was already pulling his bag out from the back of the van, digging through it for the aforementioned flashlight. He looked to James, finally pulling the device from the recesses of his bag, "I assume the living room would be the best bet. Hopefully, the inside of this place is in better shape. It would be a miracle if the lights actually still work in this place.”



"No kidding," Sam muttered, waving them both off as she turned toward the road and headed down the driveway.



Adrian shifted the bag over his shoulder in a noncommittal shrug as he looked over to James, "I\'m going to go set up my laptop then and get situated. After that, then I suppose you and I could start checking things out."



With that, he sauntered off towards the house. The front door appeared to have been tampered with, likely by the teenagers mentioned before, so he pushed it open and went inside. He always felt peculiar walking into a home that was not his own, even one that was obviously so abandoned. Even if they had permission, it still felt like trespassing. He shook it off and made his way through the foyer. The walls loomed up above him with peeled and patchy paint, elegant moldings lining where the walls and ceiling met. He had to admire such attention to detail, noting the level of craftsmanship in the woodwork. The next room was a hallway of sorts where a curved flight of stairs met the floor. Again, more lovely architecture to be seen. Particularly in the guardrails. It was a shame the carpet was so moth-eaten, or it would have still been quite impressive. He peered through the doorway on the left, finding the dining room. The chandelier was breathtaking despite the tarnish in the silver splendor, and he stood captivated by it with his eyes widened and dreamy.



Unlike his partner, James strode into the building like a man used to being welcomed into the home of another. He looked around, only mildly appreciative of his surroundings, as he looked for a wall socket. He found one after a moment and from his duffel bag\'s side pocket came a small wall charger for his phone. He plugged it in then connected it to his phone, and a cheerful beep filled the stiflingly dry air as its screen lit with life.



"Sweet," he murmured, setting his bag down and unplugging his phone to put it away for the time being. Only then did he look up and take in the true beauty of where he was and he exhaled sharply. "Wow."



Adrian nodded in response, "Yeah..."



He was awestruck as he backed out into the large hallway again. Really, now that he took a look at the size of it, it was more of an entrance than a hall. This house must have been wondrous in its day. He could not help but ponder on what might have happened and why it was no longer owned. Apparently the city held the deed to it. Hopefully, they would restore the place rather than demolish it for the sake of a freeway. Perhaps the reason they had not bothered with it already were due to these ludicrous rumors of ghosts and what not. He sighed. People would believe anything even in modern days. He had to admit some of the things he and his friend had encountered before were frightening, but they had discovered some explanation to most of them. This time, he knew it would be no different. Whatever was happening, they would work it out. Then, maybe he could meet with the city council about doing something about the building itself. He couldn\'t stand the thought of it all going to waste.



"Man, I bet this place was really something in its heyday," James murmured, almost echoing the young man\'s sentiments. "It certainly looks large enough to have held a few fancy parties, at least."



Something crinkled behind Adrian and suddenly the brunette\'s arm was draped over his shoulder. In his hand was a piece of taffy, which he offered with a smile, "And you know the rich types. Lots of drama. Hopefully some of that will have left a decent enough psychic imprint for us."



Adrian flinched at the sudden contact, his cheeks dusting the barest hint of pink. He eyed the candy and took it, a bit shocked at the sudden offer. He should have been used to these sorts of things by now. James was a jovial guy, after all. But, Adrian simply was not used to people treating him as...normal. He realized then, that his silence was rude, and smiled, "Thank you. And yes, I\'m sure this place has some magnificent history. I\'m hoping that we can find it, though I doubt any books of use are laying around."



He unwrapped the candy slowly, tedious fingers setting to the task, "To think, what if we found a journal or something? That would be wonderful."



"Yeah, that\'d be pretty awesome. I mean, we\'d get to learn a bit of history and restore it to a town that\'s clearly forgotten." He grinned. "And it certainly wouldn\'t hurt to pull some good questions from one of those, to use in the EVP-gathering sessions."



The brunette pulled back, shifting his own piece of taffy around in his mouth. "Slim chance, though. I\'m sure someone else has already combed this place."



"Probably, especially if some drunks have been here. I\'m surprised they didn\'t trash the place," he said with obvious disdain. He had a mild vendetta against alcohol and what it often turned people into. He had even less tolerance for the defacement of property that was so clearly elegant. It was bad enough that it was in such a state and to think that a bunch of frat boys might have made it worse was just irritating. But, it appeared by the looks of things that the front door had been the only victim of their antics. Other places of the home, however, did reveal some signs of trouble. Various scratching in the wooden rails and along the walls wrote the names of the vandals responsible.



He sighed and sat down on the bottom step, nursing his bit of taffy slowly to savor the taste, "I suppose this is as good a place as any to set up. It\'s the middle of the house. And should anything go awry, not that it will, we have an exit within easy reach."



The brunette nodded. "Fire\'s the main concern. Sam wasn\'t joking. This place is matchbox dry."



"Yeah, and with all of our equipment and the old wiring in this place it is a very realistic concern," he said as he pulled his bag close and began fishing out his belongings. He retrieved his laptop, notebooks, and other necessities for their research and started organizing a placement for them around him. The stairs were as good as any place to make camp. He kept his computer turned off for the time being, as it would not be needed until they were ready to diagnose their findings.



He stood and dusted himself off, more out of habit than necessity, "Alright, are you ready?"



"Does a frog hit its ass every time it hops?" James cackled and darted out the door.



It didn\'t take him long to return with two heavy cases housing a couple of their cameras, and he nodded toward the stairs. "Might as well start upstairs first, then check for a basement next. Save the ground level, the easiest part, for last."



"While we still have the daylight. Good thinking," he said taking a case for himself. He gave a sheepish smile, feeling ill at ease as he often did in the presence of another. Though it was far less so around these friends.



He made his way up the steps, taking caution at every creak the floorboards made. He noted more signs of vandalism as they ascended and even some graffiti scrawled along the wall of the balcony, overlooking the entrance below. He sighed, shaking his head, and pushed his way into the first room he found. It was a small study of sorts. The bookshelves were barren save for thick coats of dust, but there was a lovely wooden desk left relatively intact. A small lamp set on the corner and Adrian decided he\'d set his first camera in the vicinity.



Trusting Adrian\'s ability to make a good choice for the camera\'s location, James gave the room no more than a cursory glance and moved past it to the next. It was a rather large, opulent bathroom with worn tile and a claw-foot tub with an old-fashioned shower ring. From it hung a tattered, molding curtain and he pushed it back to look briefly inside. Only dark stains greeted him and he let it fall back into place before looking at the sink. It was large, superfluous and more like a basin, with the same dark rings and ugly splotches covering its surfaces. The oval mirror on the wall was shattered, only a few large chunks of it remaining.



He licked his lips and decided to set his camera in the corner near the window, where the tub and sink could be seen as well as the door. He couldn\'t get everything in frame, but there was certainly enough in the shot that they wouldn\'t miss much, if anything.



Once he was finished, Adrian gave the old desk one last longing look before continuing down the opposite direction of James. They would cover more distance that way, anyway. Next, it was a small guest bedroom. The bed frame was made up of thin metal tubes and it seemed to have collapsed upon itself, due to the weakening rust had wrought upon its joints. The old feather mattress smelled of age and weathered time and Adrian had to pull his shirt over his nose. He felt his allergies begin to play havoc with his sinuses, very aware of the dust and mildew in the room. He set up a camera facing the window, bed, and small white dresser settle beneath the edge of the tattered sheer curtains.



They continued in that way for several minutes, taking care to note important furniture locations in each room so they wouldn\'t trip among other things. James was the first to reach the middle stretch of the hall and he tried to open the door on the left, only to find it locked. Frowning, he wriggled the knob a few times and gave it a few forceful pushes to see if it was simply jammed. When it didn\'t show signs of budging he moved on. He could talk to Adrian about it afterward. He stepped into the last room on the right, finding the taller man there.



Adrian pushed the large, thick oaken door forward and the sight they beheld was what once would have been breathtaking. The master bedroom spilled out before their vision a wreck and shameful shell of its old glory, now riddled with graffiti and disrepair. The young man scowled despite being overwhelmed by what was left of the former grace. The bed at least, though not appearing to be a welcoming sight due to mold and other curious staining, was a marvel. A large four poster made of thick lumber. Cedar, if the dull ancient scent it left was any clue. The old silken sheets were eaten by time and the curtains had been ripped down, likely by the same hoodlums responsible for much of the disrespect elsewhere in the home.



His gaze moved to the large chest of drawers and, though they were broken and splintered, their make was uncanny just as everything else in the house had been. This family that once lived here must have been wealthy indeed, with so many fine amenities in their possession. He could be, also, by the blank expanses of discolored wall that there had once been painting or portraits hung along them. Those were likely some of the first things to go.



Migrating to the master bath, he stood in awe of the brass fixtures made into subtle floral flourishes. The sink, made of marble, was stained as well as the large bathtub. Tall frames that had once held mirrors stretched to the ceiling and the panes of glass lay shattered along the floor. He chuckled, finally succumbing to his mirth, "This...has all been so amazing."



James sighed, looking around. "Eh. It\'s gorgeous and all. I\'ll agree to that. But unless whoever lived here had a large family to go with his cash, it had to have been lonely."



He looked down at the carpet, covered in mold and spattered with small flecks of recent blood spatter and other bodily fluids, littered with empty beer bottles and rotting pizza. "And since no one remembers anything about this place, and doesn\'t seem to care..."



Adrian shrugged, "I\'m not sure. I really wish I knew what happened. It seems so odd that everything is so...absent. Just like it all vanished from history." He looked around at the marred surroundings with sorrow, knowing deep down that this place had a story. He only wish he could hear it.



Sometimes the truth oughta be enough... I reckon that\'s a lie, too.



He froze as he began to turn around, blinking in mild confusion. He thought he heard a whisper, but then he wasn\'t sure. It was more like a memory of a whisper, something on the furthest reaches of hearing. Ages ago, it felt.



James furrowed his brow and followed his friend\'s line of vision, expecting to see something. Perhaps Sam had come back early and was standing in the doorway. No such luck and he gave Adrian a confused look before glancing out the window. The sun was setting, as it had been close to doing so when they arrived, and the moon was peeking its eager head out while the glowing orange orb still lingered in the sky. He sighed. They still had a lot of ground to cover before nightfall.



"Come on," he murmured, motioning to the door. "I\'ve got something you need to look at."



Adrian nodded and followed after James as he began to depart. He cast one last look around the room and wiggled a finger in his ear. He must have been imagining things. This place must have been getting to him, he thought. With a shrug he brushed off the rest of his concerns.



The brunette led him to the locked door in the middle of the hall and jiggled it, demonstrating that it was locked. "What do you think\'s back there? An attic, maybe?"



Adrian held his chin thoughtfully and studied the layout of the place through his memory. He peered at the door, gauging the structure and the possibilities of another staircase laying behind it. There was not enough space with the surrounding rooms for it to be anything more than a narrow hall, but it had enough support to be just what James suspected.



At last, he nodded, "More than likely. I do recall seeing circular vented panels from outside, which I would assume denote an attic. This must be the entrance to the stairs. Funny...I would have thought all the ran sackers and vandals would have had every door broken open by now."



"Especially if there\'s been a kegger or two here. And lem\'me tall ya, just looking at the carpets I can tell you that much. Forget the vandalism." He hooked his thumbs into his pockets and rocked back and forth, thinking. "We could probably open it with some patience. Sam knows a thing or two about locks. Think we should give it a go?"



Adrian nodded, "May as well. Leave no stone unturned, as they say." He turned to James and placed his last camera in the young man\'s hands, "For now we\'ll have to settle for watching the door, unless you have a better place for this one. I still have a couple more for the first floor."



James returned his nod in agreement and popped open the tripod to set the camera up at the end of the hall. If Sam could get the door open, they\'d either move the device into the room or put another one up there. Probably the latter, to be more thorough. "I\'ve got a few for the basement too, assuming it\'s not locked as well."



"Right," he headed for the stairs, "I\'ll set one up in the dining room, encase any would-be ghosts decide it\'s a good night for a dinner party." His sarcasm was evident, but so was his excitement. He was obviously enjoying himself in their current setting, and every step he took seemed to be just a bit lighter than his usual stroll.



"Holy crap on a cracker, man. Was that a joke?" James snickered and poked the young scientist in the chest, his grin broad and exceptionally gleeful. "There may be hope for you yet."



Adrian fumbled over what to say, wondering whether or not it was a good joke or not. Did James mean that Adrian did not have a sense of humor? Or he was too serious? Or, perhaps he was only jesting himself.



The scholar blinked, shaking his head out of the tandem of his thoughts, "Oh uh..." He chuckled lightly, "Yeah, maybe."



He was aware of the mild heat in his cheeks with some embarrassment, and hurried down the stairs to keep James from seeing it. He hated how easily he let himself become flustered.



Samantha hadn\'t yet returned from her trip to the neighboring houses. That wasn\'t all too surprising, considering they\'d probably only been setting up for twenty minutes at best. While James finished setting up the camera and double-checking the numbers on the ones already connected, Adrian gathered some more gear from the "Spookmobile", as it had been affectionately dubbed. He left one large case of equipment for James to use in the basement and began moving through the bottom floor on his own.



The kitchen opened up, just past the dining room, and here Adrian saw signs of wear far older than the rest of the house. It would seem that the kitchen was well used. The stove, in particular, was in a bit of a state. But it was old and iron and far sturdier than anything in the building. Likely, if the entirely thing went up in flames or was the victim of a terrible storm, that stove would still be sitting there like a stubborn old woman would sit on the front porch and eye troublesome neighbors. It certainly seemed to be staring at Adrian now as he stood in the doorway. Any moment he felt that some maid or the like would hurry him out of the way as he stood and looked over the aged decor. He set up his cameras, still feeling leery, and headed back towards the entrance to see if James had found the door to the basement.



He must have done so, because when Adrian ventured back into the reception area the case full of cameras was gone and his partner was nowhere in sight. The brunette\'s bag lay next to the wall where he left it, a small bag of salt-water taffy resting in plain view atop it. He was left with only the house as company, its settling creaks and moans a conversation all on their own.



Adrian set himself down, rubbing the itch in his nose. The dust was starting to get to him. He was certain that James could handle the basement by himself, so he flipped open his laptop. Setting it aside, he began the tedious task of setting up the cameras on the computers so that they could monitor the house from their makeshift home base. It would take some time to get the programs calibrated and all the cameras ready for viewing, so it was best he got started right away.



Taking each creaky old step with caution, James descended into the basement with his load. Upon seeing what was down there he decided it wasn\'t so much of a basement as it was a cellar. A wine cellar, to be precise. Several large racks of the stuff lined the walls, with two in the center of the room to bisect it. Each of the racks was in disrepair, though the degree varied from duct-covered and splintered to completely broken down with the shattered bottles littering the floor. In one corner James could see a stack of crates and when he inspected them further he found them to be filled with scotch. Some of the bottles were missing and there was evidence of the dust being disturbed recently. He sighed and set down his case, then went about kicking all the broken glass to the corners of the room so no one would trip or cut themselves on the debris.



He thought he heard a shift to his right, something like a shoe scuffing on the floor, and turned to look. A sudden wave of dizziness washed over him and he wobbled for a moment, his vision skewing. A shadow near one of the racks caught his eye but when he could see straight again, it was gone. James frowned, his brows furrowing in confusion and displeasure. Had he seen something? There was no way to tell without the cameras, which hadn\'t been set up. He blamed the almost tipsy feeling on moving too quickly and pushed it away to set up the final two cameras in the large room. Satisfied with the work, he returned upstairs.



Footsteps told Adrian that his partner had returned from his task. He glanced as James rounded the corner, "I think that\'s all of the significant rooms, unless you expect something in a closet somewhere. I think we\'re covered. What about audio? We don\'t have as many of those devices. Maybe we should wait for Samantha."



He rubbed his chin, the irritating prickle of a sparse five-o\'clock shadow beginning to trouble him, "She usually has the best ideas on that part."



"Sounds like a good idea," James murmured, a distracted quality to his voice. "Hey, Ade... Were you in the basement a moment ago?"



Adrian blinked, pausing, and then continued his work with the video quality, "Of course not. I\'ve been sitting here, setting things up. Why?"



"Oh. Well, I thought... Nevermind." James shook his head, not really taking into consideration that the other man couldn\'t see it. "I\'ll go grab the generator, just in case. When Sam gets back, we\'ll ask her if we should set up any audio since she\'ll hopefully know more about this place after talking to the neighbors."



"Yeah," said Adrian, still making minor adjustments, "It\'s getting dark, so hopefully she\'ll be back soon."



At last things looked to be in order, or as best as he could manage. Adrian was a perfectionist by nature and nothing ever quite seemed as good as it could be. But, he knew this of himself and always remembered to put things down after a certain point to avoid wasted time. He leaned back and rested against the stairs with a sigh, alone again. A soft creak reached his ear and his head turned with a mild start. After a moment\'s staring at the adjacent wall, he shook his head. This old house was getting to him. He would need to stay focused.







Adrian heard the voices of his two friends before he saw them, and he turned his head to the door. When they entered, James was carrying the heavy emergency equipment with practiced ease and Samantha was going over something she\'d written down in her journal. It was safe to assume she had taken notes on her outing.



"So," she said as James set the generator down, "I\'ve got a little bit of history on the place. Not much, sadly, but..."



The blond looked up, unable to hide the spark of interest and zeal in his blue eyes, "Oh?"



A smile tinged with fond amusement crossed her features and she nodded before glancing back down at her paper. "No one could remember the original owner\'s name, but the general belief is that he and his family lived here for generations. The family was wealthy and successful, but all the man of the house wanted was a family. He and his wife tried for decades to conceive, but when she finally became pregnant she died. Whether it was early on or during childbirth, no one could say, but it doesn\'t really matter. Afterward, with a broken and heavy heart, our man hung himself from the rafters."



She shrugged. "Pretty standard legend, if you ask me. Kinda cheesy."



“Sam!" James admonished, laughing, "You\'re so flint-hearted. That\'s supposed to be romantic."



Adrian shrugged, "I suppose they had a flair for the dramatic in those days. As overdone as it is in movies today, it was probably a pretty big statement back then. Almost poetic."



"Cowardly, if you ask me. He couldn\'t live without her? Please." Sam sighed. "Still... I suppose you\'re right, Adrian. It probably had more of an impact back then than it does now."



"Anyway," he said, placing his hands on his knees, "We need to finish setting up. We\'re losing light fast and if you want audio in this place, we\'re going to need your advice as to where to put it."



"Oh, right. Well, then." Sam pored over her notes again. "Our best bets would be the master bedroom and the cellar. Most of the activity seems to happen in those locations, anyway. Spooky sounds, things moving around... that kind of thing. There were reports of people being able to see a woman in the window at around sunset, too, though I think we\'ve missed that opportunity."



She paused, flipping the page. "Then there\'s the attic."



James hummed, his eyes widening in recognition. "That reminds me. The place is locked, Sam. Think you can bust in?"



"I could give it a try."



Adrian nodded to himself, taking notes in a small notebook he often kept in his pockets. As Samantha finished her recount of the things she had heard, he flipped it shut and stowed it away, "Alright then, I\'ll take one of the mics to the cellar if you two can handle upstairs. We\'ll cover more ground that way."



He stood up and grabbed his flashlight. It would likely be dark by the time he finished and he didn\'t think it too wise to be ascending a basement staircase in the dark.



"You got it, Gatorade," James said cheerfully, pushing himself from the wall. "Heigh-ho, heigh-ho, Sammikins."



Adrian took the device and set off where James had appeared from earlier, in search of the cellar. Eventually, he found it tucked away past some sort of utility room or closet. The level of defacement of its walls and shelves made it difficult to discern its previous usage. He turned on the flashlight as he slowly lowered himself into the darkness of the place. The sight was as he expected to find it, a wreck. But, it looked as if James had taken the liberty to clear away some of the broken glass. That was good. It would have been tragic to miss a step and fall on all of it, and the thought of doing so made the blond shudder. He looked around the room with a sigh, shaking his head.



Such a mess...



He blinked and a subtle tremor trailed up his spine. This time, however, he shook off the lingering sensation of having heard in nothing, and began setting up the audio device on one of the many shelves. It must have been his own thoughts and nothing more. It was a mess after all. He must have been tired. Never the less, he gave the room a cautious sweep of his eyes before heading back upstairs.







When they went up the stairs, James led his female companion down the hall to the middle door on the left. He gestured vaguely at the wooden barrier, the motion carrying an easily identifiable \'have at it\', then he beamed and moved toward the master bedroom. They were almost done with set-up, and he couldn\'t wait to get done with the boring part. Then again, he supposed most of it was frightfully dull and repetitive since they didn\'t really get much by way of activity on most of their investigations. Still, the brunette loved the six hours of combing through the house the most. Reviewing their evidence wasn\'t bad, but it was time-consuming and just made him sleepy. This... There was a thrill, somewhat akin to the hunt. It was hide-and-seek on a paranormal level.



He grinned as he set up the microphone, then he looked around the room before returning to the hall. He was greeted with Samantha\'s dark curse and he watched her jerk her hand away from the door. "No luck so far?"



"None," she bit, cradling one hand with the other. "I tried picking it, but it\'s being stubborn. My tools keep getting stuck and I\'ve jabbed myself a few times already."



The woman lifted her hand and eyed it for a moment, then glowered at the door. "Whatever numb-skull before us must have broken a bobby pin in there, or something. I can\'t get it open." With a small sound of frustration rumbling in her throat, she kicked the door. The house groaned in reply.



"Hey," James murmured, easing up to her, "Relax. It\'s okay, Sam. If you can\'t get it open, we can live without it. Alright?"



He took her hand, pulling it away from her chest to look at it. Several small scratches adorned her palm, some of them deep enough to bleed. "Seriously. No sense in pushing it if you\'re getting hurt."



Sam sighed and looked to the stairs, her expression one of dissatisfaction. "Adrian would be upset if I tried breaking it down, wouldn\'t he?"



"Bet your ass."



"Fine," she grumbled, taking her hand back from his. "Let\'s go."







The blond rounded the corner just as his two companions were descending the stairs. He offered a smile, awkward though sincere, "Are we all set? I believe it\'s time for James\' favorite part."



A smile tugged at Samantha\'s lips and she nodded, merely rolling her eyes as the man beside her let out an excited whoop. "Yeah, we\'re ready."



"We\'ve got six hours until we can get some shut-eye. So how do you wanna play this, Ade?" James asked. "Should we go through each room together, or separately?"



"Separately to cover more ground, but together will help us stay grounded. Or, I should say, it will help you stay grounded. But," he said with a slight smirk, "if you think you can handle staying rational, then I opt for splitting up."



"I\'m always rational," the brunette argued, his hazel eyes portraying mock hurt as he gave Adrian a pout.



"And I\'m Elizabeth Bathory," Sam scoffed.



"Right, I\'ll stay at least on the same floor then," he smiled with a wink of comradery to Sam, "How\'s that sound?"



She laughed softly. "Sound good to me." *



"You guys suck." Though the words were harsh, the playful roll of James\'s eyes said otherwise.



"Someone has to keep you out of trouble," said Adrian in the mockery of a scold as he leaned casually against the railings of the stairs, "So, which floor first do you think? I don\'t think it matters much. Likely the most activity is from upstairs, if the stories are to be believed."



"Might as well start in the cellar and work our way up, then. The spookier stuff tends to happen later at night."



Adrian stood up to his full height and nodded, "Let\'s go then. It is best to get that cellar out of the way. It\'s a real hazard."



He strolled past the other two and made his way to the stairway, past the run down utility closet. He hesitated at the top of the stairs, holding his flashlight tightly as he waited for James to catch up. When his friend came into view, he continued. It wouldn\'t do to fall and not have anyone nearby to help him, after all. It had nothing to do with fear.



Flashing a grin to Samantha, the brunette bounded down the stairs after his wiry friend. The young woman sighed, shaking her head. Those two were hopeless, both for completely different reasons. For example...



"Wait," she said, stopping James when they neared base. She moved over to grab a couple of walky-talkies and handed them to the him. "There. Play nice, boys."



With that, she shooed him away and settled down at her chair to watch the screen. James laughed and clipped one to his belt, then took the time to draw out a miniature voice recorder from his pocket before he joined Adrian.



Adrian descended the stairs cautiously, every step making an eerie creak along the old wood. It was a wonder the stairs could still hold weight in such a state, but such was the marvel of well made architecture. Again, he felt he had to admire it. When he reached the bottom, he turned to watch James starting his descent, "You know I never can stand this part. It seems so silly to me."



"It\'s alright. Not everybody really understands or likes EVPs or the process." James beamed as he took the last step and handed the taller man his own walkie-talkie. "EVP, as I\'ve told ya before, is short for Electronic Voice Phenomenon and that\'s kinda self-explanatory. It\'s a voice or a sound that can be heard on video or through audio, but not at the time it\'s recorded. If the responses we get are humanoid in nature, they can try answering questions. Sometimes, though, the sounds are just gibberish."



He held his digital audio recorder aloft, rocking slightly on his heels. "We\'re going to hit each room and ask questions. Hopefully, we\'ll get an answer."



Adrian perked his eyebrows as he took the walkie-talkie, "Yeah, hopefully. I\'d hate to have come all this way for nothing. Then again, it\'s not the furthest we\'ve traveled." He chuckled, to show he was not being entirely serious in his commentary, and took a look around the cellar with the help of his flashlight. He pursed his lips as he reassessed the damage time had brought the place, "I\'m sure if anyone is here besides us, they aren\'t too happy about how this place looks."



"That\'s a good thing to ask. Hang on; lemme start recordin\'." James grinned and cleared his throat before he pressed the appropriate button on the device.



When he spoke next, his voice was clear and strong so it could be heard easily. "Audio on, starting EVP investigation in the cellar. Hello, my name is James and I have my friend Adrian with me to help out. If there\'s anyone here, we would like to talk to ya but we\'re gonna need to ya to speak as loudly as you can so we can hear. Okay?"



He licked his lips and paused, counting twenty second in his head before looking around and asking, "Can you tell us your name?"



Master won\'t like this.



Adrian\'s lips tilted, toying at a frown, but as twenty more seconds passed he decided he may as well participate. He cleared his throat and said in a more commanding, full tone than was natural for him, "Can you tell us why you are here? Do you want to be here?"



An approving nod and a smile graced James\'s face and once the long pause passed he asked, "Are you alone?"



Not at all.



Adrian shrugged and spoke up again, "I\'m sure you aren\'t pleased with the state of things here. Are you unhappy at all? Or angry?"



Not good...



Not good...



"Is there anything you would like for us to know?" James asked, his strong voice sounding almost soothing in its natural tenor. He waited, his head nodding minutely with each count of the seconds. After waiting the appropriate time, he looked to Adrian. When he spoke, though, it was to the room. "Well, thanks for talkin\' to us, if ya have. We\'ll leave ya alone now. Good-bye."



He waited again, then murmured, "Session over," and turned off the device. He smiled at Adrian. "And that\'s all there is to it. We could try getting them more involved in other rooms, though. Like, ask them to show themselves, or do something to announce their presence."



Adrian shrugged, "Sure, why not?" With a chuckled he turned back to the stairs, "Sorry, I try not to be skeptical. I often fail at this." He ascended the steps quickly, very glad to leave the cellar behind him. The dust was particularly irritating to his allergies.



"Nah, man, I understand." The brunette chuckled and clapped his friend on the shoulder as they made their way out of the room. "Like you said, you keep me grounded. But hey... I promise, next time we\'ll go to a place that\'s not condemned so your allergies can be spared. A\'right?"



The footsteps faded away from the cellar, leaving the ruined wine racks and broken glass in silence. In the darkness, the dust of the third shelf began to stir as if swept from the surface by the fingers of a fretful hand. The cloud of particles swirled and drifted to the ground.



Master won\'t like this, she said, not at all.