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How Roman had managed to convince them all to do this, Virgil wasn’t sure. “This”, referring to an overnight stay at some mysterious castle on the outskirts of town. Heck, how on earth this whole “paranormal investigators” thing had started was a bit of a mystery to Virgil too. He didn’t entirely believe in the paranormal and supernatural, but he was still plenty wary on the off chance that they did exist. So as a general rule, Virgil preferred to avoid haunted places and areas known for cryptids or other unsavory creatures. Yet here he was, loading up their camera equipment and the questionable investigation tools into their car.
Just then, the reason Virgil agreed to any of these shenanigans at all walked out of their house. Logan. One of the hosts of their internet paranormal investigator show, and Virgil’s longtime kinda boyfriend. They never
really
made it official, but they danced around each other enough, and had plenty of interactions that weren’t exactly platonic, to suggest otherwise. Virgil was just too nervous to talk to Logan about the matter, and besides, what if he was misreading Logan’s feelings?
“Is everything ready to go?” Logan asked, grimacing at the investigation equipment Virgil had yet to load into the car. Logan was a firm disbeliever in the supernatural, and made his disapproval of the “scientific” (Roman’s words, not his) tools they used for their investigations very clear. However, despite his skepticism, the man had a somewhat unhealthy curiosity for the unknown. So Virgil took it upon himself to make sure that his idiot friends didn’t get hurt while trying to prove whether the paranormal was real or fake.
“Just about. Patton’s taking care of the sleeping bags and stuff, right?” Virgil asked.
“Yes. He also mentioned something about packing snacks for the ‘ghosts’ as well,” Logan muttered. Virgil let out a low chuckle, smirking at Logan’s disgruntled expression. Patton was the fourth and final member of their little group, and arguably had the most innocent stance on the supernatural. He believed that ghosts, cryptids, and the like were real, and was determined to become friends with one, much to the chagrin of his boyfriend, Roman. Roman believed that the paranormal was dangerous, and that the various creatures needed to be hunted down.
“Greetings, my fellow investigators! Are we ready to hunt some ghosts?” a loud voice proclaimed from behind Logan and Virgil. The two of them turned to see Roman walking up to them, Patton following with several bags on him, looking more like a pack mule than a person.
“If by ‘hunt ghosts’, you mean sleep in a frigid and desolate castle to prove they aren’t real, then yes,” Logan replied. Roman decided to ignore Logan’s comment, and instead turned to Virgil.
“So, you gonna show your face on camera tonight? The fans are dying to see you…” Roman sang. Virgil rolled his eyes, putting the last of the equipment in the car trunk.
“No. I don’t need my face all over the internet,” Virgil huffed.
“Aw, you’re no fun!” Roman whined, crossing his arms and looking more like an indignant five-year-old than a grown man. Virgil resisted the urge to roll his eyes again.
“Says the guy making us stay at a spooky castle,” he muttered.
“Hey, you all agreed to it!” Roman protested, arms flailing to the side and nearly smacking Patton in the face.
“Woah there, kiddo!” Patton flinched backwards away from the arm that just barely missed his nose. “I have enough trouble keeping these glasses on as is without a broken nose making it worse.” He chuckled, clearly amused with his own comment.
“My deepest apologies, Patton! Are you alright?” Roman asked, turning to Patton and taking his hand, squeezing it comfortingly. Patton flushed slightly at the action, and he gazed up at Roman with a soft smile.
“Okay we get it, you guys are cute. Can we leave now?” Virgil huffed in mock annoyance, smirking slightly.
“Eager, Edgar Allan Woe?” Roman teased, grabbing his keys out of his jacket pocket and walking to the driver’s side of the car.
“More like eager to get this over with,” Virgil retorted, climbing into the backseat with Patton, while Logan went to the front seat.
After arriving at the castle, the four investigators picked an open space to settle in for the night. Roman and Patton had taken to setting up their sleeping bags and readying their investigation equipment, while Logan and Virgil got their camera equipment ready. Virgil was getting a camera set up on a rolling tripod, while Logan made sure their handheld cameras had sufficient battery charge.
“I think I’m gonna go down the hallways and get some shots of the castle and stuff. That way we’ll have footage for the exposition voiceover,” Virgil said once the camera and all of its accessories were ready to go. Logan looked up from the cameras he was checking, raising an eyebrow at Virgil.
“Do you want me to come with you?” Logan asked.
“Nah, I’ll be fine. Besides, someone’s gotta keep an eye on the chickens,” Virgil said, gesturing over at Roman and Patton.
“Fair enough. Don’t go too far, this castle is old and there could be areas that are structurally unsound,” Logan warned.
“I’ll be careful. See ya in a bit,” Virgil replied, and headed off towards where they came in, rolling the camera along with him. Once he made it out of the main room they were staying in, Virgil hit record on the camera, and slowly made his way down the hallway. The castle was quite old and decrepit, sections of the stone wall crumbling and a thick layer of dust coating nearly every surface. Cobwebs were scattered everywhere, strung around like bizarre garlands. Water leaked through cracks in the ceiling, causing a loud resounding echo of droplets bouncing off stone foundations. Virgil made a mental note to not let Patton down this hallway.
A sudden feeling like ice trailing down his spine made Virgil halt in his tracks. His head whipped around, but no one was there. He gulped nervously, shaking his head.
“It’s a drafty old castle, you’re gonna feel cold,” he muttered to himself, continuing down the hall. His footsteps echoed as he walked, and for a split second, Virgil thought he heard two sets of footsteps, instead of just one. He stopped, glancing around once more.
“Logan?” he called out. Silence. Virgil sighed, turning back to the camera and guiding it down the hall.
Suddenly, something dashed past Virgil, brushing against his arm and causing a strangled shout to escape his lips. He stumbled to one side, his shoulder slamming into the wall as he lost his balance. He groaned in pain, and tried to bring his arm up to massage the sore spot. Virgil’s stomach twisted into knots when he realized a strange stiffness had come over his right arm, making him unable to move it.
“What the fuck?” Virgil murmured, fingers of his working hand brushing over his stiff arm. Childlike laughter echoed down the hall in response to Virgil’s soft utterance. His head whipped up, glancing around frantically, but no one was there.
“So either ghosts cause paralysis, or one of those nerds is messing with me,” Virgil scoffed, but there was a slight tremor in his voice.
“Oh, you’re going to wish I was a ghost, darling,” a voice crooned. Virgil took a sharp intake of breath and he bolted back towards Logan and the others. He didn’t know where this voice was coming from, or even who it belonged to, but frankly he didn’t cared. All he knew was that he had to get out fast.
Something latched around his ankle, causing Virgil to fall flat on his face, head smacking harshly against the floor. He groaned, pushing himself up with his good arm. He could feel blood trickling down the side of his head, and a stiff numbness crawling up his leg. Then, with dawning horror, Virgil realized that whatever had grabbed him was still holding on. He twisted around the best he could, and locked eyes with the “man” behind him.
The man was incredibly pale, and wore all white, his appearance contrasting greatly with the dreary castle. He was dressed rather simply, in a white button up and white slacks. Everything about this man seemed to be pure and pristine, despite the fact that they were in a dusty, dank hallway. Even the man’s hair was pure white, and tousled in what could have been considered a fashionable style, but the man’s face ruined the picture of perfection he seemed so desperate to portray. His eyes were swirling black pits, with only a white pinprick of light in the center. Sharp and jagged black teeth were crowded into his mouth, and Virgil vaguely wondered how he could talk with them.
“Who- what-” Virgil gasped out, voice trembling. The man threw his head back and laughed. It was that same childlike laugh from before, and it sent fear crawling up Virgil’s spine.
“The name’s Apathy, and it’s so wonderful to have someone to play with again,” he said, letting go of Virgil’s leg and bowing with a flourish. Virgil took this chance to scramble away from Apathy, but didn’t get far with only two working limbs.
“Oh, it’s so much fun to watch you struggle, but-” Apathy began, and faster than Virgil could process, he pounced on Virgil and grabbed the back of his neck firmly. “My friend can be very… particular, and I’d rather not keep them waiting.” He finished, squeezing Virgil’s neck for emphasis, causing him to choke.
“What do you- why-” Virgil croaked, and Apathy’s childlike laughter rang out.
“It gets so boring in this castle, dearheart. And I can’t wait to begin playing with you,” he crooned into Virgil’s ear. Virgil tried to jerk away from the feeling of Apathy’s hot breath on his ear, but the longer Apathy kept him pinned down, the more he couldn’t move. Soon, Virgil couldn’t move at all, and was helpless as Apathy dragged him down the hall, away from his friends.
Roman made a triumphant sound of success as his investigation equipment finally whirred to life. He turned the device over in his hands, inspecting it to make sure all the parts were in working order. It was supposed to detect if any ghosts or other paranormal creatures were in the vicinity. To date, the device hadn’t entirely proven its worth. There was one occasion when it started to beep frantically while the four of them were investigating a different location, but then it ended up being a raccoon, much to Roman’s disappointment and Logan’s smug satisfaction. To this day, Roman insisted that the raccoon must have been possessed.
“Any ghosts?” a voice piped up. Roman glanced over to see Patton, peering out at him from a mound of blankets.
“Have enough blankets, my heart?” Roman teased, chuckling slightly.
“I’m cold!” Patton pouted, stubbornly burrowing himself further into his blanket nest. Roman smirked, leaning closer to Patton, the action causing the other man to blush slightly.
“I bet I could keep you warm,” Roman murmured.
“Roman!” Patton squealed, breaking off into giggles. Roman opened his mouth to say something else, but hesitated. Something wasn’t right. He glanced around frantically, eyes widening when his suspicions were confirmed.
“Where’s Virgil? Usually he’s made some snarky comment about Patton and I by now…” Roman said, his teasing remark falling flat and the real concern for his friend slipping through.
“He went to record footage for the voiceover. However… he has been gone for quite some time,” Logan said, glancing warily at the doorway.
“I knew it! The paranormal is real, and Virgil’s disappearance proves it!” Roman cried valiantly, springing to his feet. Logan and Patton stared at him with slight horror and concern, causing Roman’s confident stance to melt.
“Roman, a number of very real things could have happened to Virgil. He could have gotten lost, ended up in an unstable area of the castle, or perhaps he is being diligent and making sure we have plenty of footage. Ghosts are most certainly not the cause of this,” Logan snapped. Roman raised an eyebrow at Logan’s sudden ferocity, but didn’t comment on it.
“Then it could have been a demon! Or some other dastardly creature that has tried to snatch our beloved compatriot from us, but fear not! I shall rescue our ever gloomy stormcloud!” Roman declared, and boldly strode over to Logan, then bent down and picked up one of the handheld cameras. “And, I will bring back proof!”
“Roman-” Logan started, but he had already marched out of the room, the camera and his investigation device in hand.
The castle was rather gloomy and quite dark, and Roman found himself wishing that he had thought to grab a flashlight before leaving. Not that he would have any way to hold it, as one hand was holding the camera, while the other held his investigation device. The grid on its screen was clear of any blips, and the device had yet to make any sounds. He glanced over to his camera, and after a bit of awkward maneuvering, managed to press record.
“Hello, dear viewers. Roman here, and I’m afraid this may not be the most cheerful of episodes. We have barely begun our investigation, and our ever mysterious cameraman, Virgil, has gone missing,” Roman paused, looking down at his device once more, which still remained silent. “I know many of you are desperate for his face reveal, but I never quite pictured it this way, with me gallantly-”
A shrill beep from the device in Roman’s hand cut him off. His gaze shot to the device’s screen, and Roman’s brow furrowed in confusion. The grid seemed to be glitching in and out, and a blip would appear, then disappear almost instantly before popping up somewhere else. He looked up, his gaze slowly travelling up and down the hallway. It seemed completely empty, except…
“Oh no,” Roman gasped. He jogged down to the end of the hall, reaching the overturned rolling tripod with its camera. Something had definitely happened to Virgil.
Suddenly, the hall dropped in temperature, making Roman far colder than he already was. He shivered, and was shocked to discover that he could see his breath fogging out in the cold air. The device in Roman’s hand began to slowly beep, and the screen seemed to have permanently frozen on a glitch. He shook the device as it continued to beep, the sounds beginning to pick up in speed and pitch. The screen remained the same, and Roman looked up and glanced around. Nothing was there… but the shadows seemed to be creeping closer.
“Hello? Is someone there?” Roman called out nervously. There was nothing but the sound of the beeps coming from the device growing louder.
Suddenly, the shadows seemed to leap out at Roman, an inky tendril snaking around his middle and pinning his arms to his sides. Both the device and the camera were lost from his grip, and a startled yelp escaped his mouth. He struggled against his shadowy bonds, his mouth opening to cry out for his friends. But before he could do so, a cold hand clamped over his mouth and he was tugged backwards, now pressed against someone’s body. Roman desperately tried to squirm away, but only got haunting laughter and cold breath against his ear.
“I must say, you are one of the more interesting humans that my associate and I have come across,” a voice said, the sound giving Roman the sensation of ice crawling down his spine. Roman heard the figure snap their fingers, and the tendrils cinched tighter around him, causing him to let out a muffled yelp. The figure removed their hand for a brief moment, but before Roman even thought about shouting for help, another tendril shot out and closed over his mouth.
The figure stepped around Roman, finally giving him a view of his captor. They wore an oversized suit and had skin that was deathly pale. Their dark hair hung in their gray eyes, and a haunting and cruel grin was spread across their face. They crouched down and picked up the device that Roman had dropped, the beeps now shrill and distorted. The figure straightened up, turning over the device in their hands and regarding it with a raised eyebrow. The device suddenly sparked and the sound droned out.
“Shame. It really was an interesting little thing,” the figure said, tossing the broken device over their shoulder and focusing their attention back on Roman. He tried to demand answers from the figure in front of him, but only muffled cries escaped past the inky tendril. The figure laughed, and stepped closer to Roman.
“What was that? I couldn’t quite hear you,” they taunted, reaching out and trailing their fingers down Roman’s cheek in a mock tender gesture. Roman growled low in his throat, glaring at the figure.
“Such fire in you! We’ll change that soon enough,” the figure said, smirking. They made a clenching motion with their hand, and the tendrils squeezed tighter around Roman, causing him to desperately try and gasp in air. The tendrils showed no sign of loosening, in fact they seemed to be growing tighter still.
A sudden sickening snap was heard, and Roman let out a muffled scream of pain. He slumped in the tendrils’ grip, his vision growing fuzzy with pain. The figure leaned down, cruelly grasping Roman’s chin and forcing him to look them in the eyes.
“Have no fear, we are far from done playing together. I’m certain there are plenty of other ways I can break you,” they said with a lilt to their voice. A cruel grin spread across their face, and with that, Roman slipped into unconsciousness.
After some time had passed Patton was growing more worried about Roman and Virgil not being back yet. He tore his gaze away from the door and glanced over at Logan who was nose deep in a book.
“Logan?” Patton called out softly so as not to startle him from his book.
Logan peered over his glasses at Patton. “Hmm? What is it?”
“Roman and Virgil still aren't back yet and it's been almost an hour since they left. Maybe we should go try to find them. They could have gotten lost… or worse…” A tinge of fear came through in Patton’s voice. “I mean, aren't you the least bit concerned about Virgil?”
The question made Logan frown slightly. “Of course I care about Virgil but…” He cut himself off. It was clear that he wasn't showing the proper emotional response to this situation; so instead of arguing he simply let out a long sigh. “Come on, let us go find our lost adventurers.”
Patton’s eyes lit up and he leapt from his chair. He gathered up a warm jacket and flashlight before heading out the door.
Logan shook his head in exasperation. He then snapped the book closed and placed it gently on the ground. After grabbing his own coat and flashlight he went to catch up with Patton.