It all started with Minseok. Okay, maybe that’s a little unfair. It all started with Baekhyun.

 

It’s barely the second day of summer break when Baekhyun barges into Chanyeol’s room with his arms full of papers.

 

“Clear your schedule because I have got the best idea!” he chirps, slamming the papers down in Chanyeol’s lap. Chanyeol jolts out of his half-asleep state and sits up, grumbling and pushing Baekhyun away.

 

“What is all this?” Chanyeol asks, leafing through the pages. They’re nothing but pictures of houses and illegible scribbles, “You looking to move out?”

 

Baekhyun scoffs, “God no, no, this,” he jabs at the grainy looking house and, by association, Chanyeol’s thigh, “is so much better.”

 

Chanyeol his head to the side, hoping the gesture will clue Baekhyun in to the fact that he’s not making any sense, again. In response, Baekhyun just puts up a hand and fishes his phone from his back pocket.

 

“Put some pants on, this is bigger than just the two of us.”

 

Baekhyun leaves the room just as bombastically as he’d entered it, and Chanyeol is torn between dread and total excitement for what Baekhyun could possibly have planned. As he pulls a pair of shorts on, he figures whatever this is it can’t be worse than the time they tried to race shopping carts and ended up hitting the barrier and throwing Kyungsoo through the air at least 10 metres across the asphalt.

 

He hadn’t suffered anything more than a minor concussion... Baekhyun on the other hand....

 

Which brings Chanyeol back to the matter at hand. Baekhyun had said this was bigger than the two of them, undoubtedly meaning he planned to rope Kyungsoo and Jongdae into whatever scheme this was as well.

 

Chanyeol gets into the hallway, and sees their other roommate’s door open. The only reason Baekhyun and Chanyeol can afford this place is because of Minseok. The house itself belongs to Minseok’s parents, and since they’re friends, the rent is super cheap. Because both Kyungsoo and Jongdae live in dorms, the house has become a sort of go-to for spending time together. Minseok claims almost every day that he’ll start charging them rent too.

 

“What’s goin’ on?” Minseok slurs, squinting at the light and scratching his head.

 

“Baek has some kind of plan.” Chanyeol pauses. “Don’t worry it’s an outside plan, I think...” he amends. Something about this statement makes Minseok perk up and he ducks back into his room, seemingly placated. Chanyeol hasn’t made it three steps down the stairs when he hears the door open again and Minseok follows him down.

 

In the living room, Baekhyun sits with his feet up on the coffee table and his phone to his ear. He puts a finger up to shush Chanyeol before he can say anything and keep talking into the phone, “No, no, I swear, this is nothing like the Taco Time incident... Yes, I promise... Cool, bye~”

 

Minseok coughs and Baekhyun reluctantly takes his feet off the table, smiling his greasiest smile to appease their grumpy roommate. Chanyeol flops heavily on the couch next to Baekhyun, and his smile turns devious. Minseok crouches down in front of the table and looks at the pictures Baekhyun had spread, face pensive.

 

“That was Kyungsoo by the way,” Baekhyun shakes his phone, and Chanyeol nods, not really surprised by the information, “He and Jongdae should be here any minute and then we can kick this thing off.”

 

Chanyeol tries to fall back to sleep on the couch, but the door opens before he manages to nod off. Jongdae struts in, tossing his sandals off and making a beeline for the table. Behind him follows Kyungsoo, who insists on wearing runners even in the heat of summer. Kyungsoo forces his way in between Baekhyun and Chanyeol on the couch, not so accidentally kicking Baekhyun a bit as he goes by, and residual heat on his black shirt burns Chanyeol’s arm.

 

“You’re probably wondering why I’ve gathered you all here,” Baekhyun says, rubbing his hands together, as Jongdae rolls his eyes, “I’ve got a plan that’s gonna knock your socks off—”

 

“Can we just get to it then?” Kyungsoo deadpans. He shifts a little further into Chanyeol’s side, right hand absently tapping on Chanyeol’s knee. Chanyeol tries to focus on the conversation.

 

“This isn’t gonna be like when we tried to steal that llama is it?” Jongdae says, goading, and Chanyeol laughs. He’d kind of forgotten about that one... that whole week was a blur.

 

“I thought we swore never to talk about that,” Baekhyun says, swatting at Jongdae before grabbing one of the pictures off the table, “No sir, this is gonna be way more fun.”

 

“Great...” Kyungsoo whispers under his breath, and Chanyeol fights to hold back another laugh.

 

“You love it,” he whispers back. Kyungsoo’s only reaction to that is to his lips and stare pointedly at Baekhyun.

 

“This,” Baekhyun brandishes the photo, “is the Hwang Mansion. The story goes that almost 200 years ago this wealthy man built the place then moved in with his wife and maid.” Kyungsoo sighs and Baekhyun pauses to glare at him. “Anyway, a few months later the wife finds out he’s been sleeping with the maid so what does she do? She kills them. She ends up cutting the head off the maid too, and the next day when someone came to check on the house they found her sitting in a rocking chair covered in blood, cooing to the decapitated head of the maid!”

 

“Dude, that’s... gnarly and all but doesn’t that sound kinda contrived?” Jongdae says, having leaned back on his hands, smirk ever present on his face.

 

Baekhyun’s face falls, “It’s totally legit. I fact checked, man. I fact checked.”

 

“So you wanna spend the night?” Chanyeol asks.

 

Baekhyun spins to face him, smile coming back with a vengeance, “Hell yeah, I do. There is so much reported ghost . Like, 50 years or something after the original murders a bunch of workers were living there and some of them ended up dead in unexplainable ways.”

 

Jongdae raises his hand, “By ‘unexplainable ways’ I assume you mean ‘ghost ’ right?”

 

“Yeah!” Baekhyun’s enthusiasm rubs off on Chanyeol a bit and he finds himself thinking of all the things they could do in a supposedly haunted mansion.

 

He goes on to ramble about mysterious impalement and creepy scientific, serial killer experiments, but Chanyeol finds himself distracted by the warmth of Kyungsoo’s hand as it slides further up his leg. Minseok seems oddly content to sit there and smirk as Baekhyun gets increasingly pumped, but Chanyeol doesn’t give it much thought. He’s probably just happy to have us out of the house for a night.

 

“Okay,” Kyungsoo says, leaning forward. Chanyeol mourns the loss of his casual touch. “Let’s say, hypothetically, this seemed like a good idea. When would we be doing this?”

 

“Friday night, duh. It’s Friday the 13^th.” Baekhyun makes a face that’s an odd mix between disappointed frown and sickeningly sweet pout. It’s the kind of face that Chanyeol knows makes Kyungsoo contemplate murder.

 

“Right, of course, how convenient.” Kyungsoo leans back again and Chanyeol takes the opportunity to ruffle his hair, earning his own death glare. He puts his hands up and backs off with a smile.

 

“All in favour say ‘aye’?” Baekhyun calls.

 

“Aye,” choruses everyone at varying levels of enthusiasm, Minseok and Kyungsoo included.

 

“Whoo!!!” Baekhyun stands up and does a victory dance, as if anyone of them would’ve shot him down.

 

“I’m hard-pressed to believe the place is really haunted,” Jongdae says, “but it’ll be fun anyway. I mean, what’s the worst that could happen?”

 

“Don’t say things like that,” Kyungsoo insists, while everyone laughs.

 

 

*

 

Come Friday, they have everything prepared. They’d made a list of necessities, things not to leave behind while ghost hunting. Jongdae had insisted on water bottles (“hydration is important you guys!”), so Baekhyun had grumpily shoved a few into his backpack along with flashlights for each of them and a few bags of trail mix (“in case we get nippy”).

 

Minseok drops them off in front of the house’s grounds just after dark, having been wheedled into the chore by lots of aegyo and promises of food. He reminds them to be back outside the next morning, and drives off, dust stirring up under the wheels of his car.

 

Chanyeol takes in the house, flashlights flickering to life. It’s back from the road, once winding cobblestone path now shattered and unkempt. It looks like a section of the mansion may be inaccessible and caved in; Kyungsoo looks at Baekhyun who gives a thumbs up and starts off toward the house, backpack slung over one shoulder.

 

There’s nothing around them for kilometres, the house having been built on an estate far from the city. As they reach the front, the door swings open, hinges squeaking, in the cool breeze. Jongdae turns the flashlight on his face and waggles his eyebrows, “Spooky~”

 

Chanyeol shoves him through the doorway as he laughs, eager to get inside for the wind biting at him even through his sweater. The house doesn’t offer much protection from the elements, unfortunately, so Chanyeol has to do with shivering.

 

The inside remains furnished, ratty settees and broken tables in one room, overturned wardrobes with their glass smashed to bits in another. The foyer is rather large and looking up, Chanyeol can see a dusty chandelier. Another breeze filters through and the chandelier swings, clanging softly. At the far end is a flight of surprisingly sturdy looking stairs leading up to the second floor. Past that is a corridor, entrenched in darkness.

 

“Let’s split up,” Baekhyun says.

 

Jongdae laughs, and Kyungsoo opens his mouth to retort, but Baekhyun keeps going, “Buddy system, of course, I’m not dumb. Kyungsoo, you and Chanyeol can take upstairs and me and Jongdae’ll check out the first floor.”

 

Chanyeol has to admit sometimes Baekhyun’s plans are pretty ingenious, “Sounds good to me,” he says, and Kyungsoo glares at him half-heartedly.

 

“Let’s meet up back here for midnight,” Jongdae suggests, face illuminated by his phone.

 

They pair off quickly and go their separate ways, Kyungsoo grumbling and clomping up the stairs, putting his full weight on every step. Each foot forward sends shockwaves down to Chanyeol a few steps behind and his stomach lurches. “Relax Soo, you’ll fall right through,” he laughs, but it’s slightly strained.

 

“They seem pretty sturdy to me,” Kyungsoo pouts, slowing his pace to let Chanyeol come up beside him.

 

“You know, you didn’t have to agree to this,” Chanyeol says, smiling down at Kyungsoo, who sighs.

 

“Everyone knows the first rule of horror movies is ‘don’t split up’” he rubs his arms and rolls his eyes.

 

“Are you scared?” Chanyeol says, holding back laughter. Kyungsoo spins at the top of the stairs and smacks him on the arm.

 

“No,” he scoffs, but his back’s tense so Chanyeol lets him off easy. They hear a dull crash from downstairs and Kyungsoo jumps before sounds of laughter filter up after it.

 

“The only thing you have to worry about in this house is Baekhyun,” Chanyeol says, “so be glad you’re with me instead.”

 

 

*

 

Kyungsoo leads Chanyeol down the hallway on the right of the stairs. They pass a few doorways before the floor starts being strewn with debris until it becomes impassible and Chanyeol realizes he was right about part of the house being caved in. Kyungsoo climbs over splintered wood to get a better look; he stumbles, and almost slips, sending Chanyeol’s stomach up his throat, but rights himself with a cough.

 

“It doesn’t look like it’s a cave in,” Kyungsoo says, turning around and squinting in the light of Chanyeol’s flashlight, “it’s more like this crap was piled here or something.”

 

There’s a long creak as one of the doors behind them swings open, and Kyungsoo jumps, nearly falling off the pile of debris again. Chanyeol spins to face it, heart pounding, but it must’ve been the ever present breeze; the only sound is his and Kyungsoo’s heavy breathing.

 

“Maybe it’s a sign,” Kyungsoo jokes, stuttering out a laugh. Despite the comment he makes no effort to move any closer, simply grabbing onto Chanyeol’s sleeve with an iron grip.

 

Chanyeol steps forward and is half surprised by how easily Kyungsoo moves after him, not even dragging his heels.

 

The room appears to have been a bedroom. There’s no intact furniture, but the debris patterns hints to what furniture there was inside now being a part of the strange blockade in the hallway, “Yeah, that’s not creepy at all,” Kyungsoo whispers, fingers tightening at Chanyeol’s wrist, probably stretching out his sweater.

 

“Let’s check out the room on the other side of the hall; there’s nothing in here,” Chanyeol finds himself whispering back, sliding his cuff out of Kyungsoo’s grip so he can take his hand. Kyungsoo nods, and huffs when Chanyeol grabs for his hand, pulling away entirely and resolutely walking ahead. Chanyeol bites back a smile and follows.

 

The room across the hall is much the same, save for a large wardrobe situated on the far wall straight across from the doorway. “Why wouldn’t that be moved too?” Chanyeol asks, and Kyungsoo shrugs. “Maybe it’s too heavy.” Chanyeol creeps forward slightly. The wardrobe does seem heavy, with thick wooden legs that seem to sink into the floor beneath them. “Chanyeol, what are you doing?” Kyungsoo asks, worry creeping into his voice as Chanyeol reaches out towards the doors. “We have to explore everyth...”

 

There’s a soft whine and a thump from inside the wardrobe, and Chanyeol screams, stumbling backwards and spinning to run back into the hallway. Kyungsoo’s staring at the wardrobe, eyes large, as his flashlight rolls on the ground, having been dropped in the excitement.

 

Chanyeol bends to pick it up, “Sorry,” he hands Kyungsoo back his flashlight. Kyungsoo smiles, but the wardrobe shudders again and it drops just as quickly.

 

“It’s probably just an animal stuck inside,” Kyungsoo rationalizes.

 

A low groan follows his words and the door whines open on rusted hinges. Chanyeol finds himself frozen as Kyungsoo drops his flashlight again and both their breathing starts to quicken. A pale hand reaches out, followed by ratty long hair. It seems so corporeal Chanyeol almost wants to poke it to see if it’s solid, every other instinct is screaming for him to run.

 

The door opens fully with a bang, revealing a tall woman with her face hidden behind her hair. Kyungsoo grabs Chanyeol’s hand and squeezes into a death grip, the pounding of their pulses hitting off of each other. The woman hisses, low voice chuckling darkly. “Get... out...” she wheezes, voice seeming to slither through the dusty room.

 

That’s all Chanyeol needs to hear. Kyungsoo shrieks, finally, and Chanyeol tightens his own grip on Kyungsoo’s hand before bolting into the hallway with Kyungsoo yelling about killing Baekhyun. They get to the top of the stairs before a yelp and a thud sound from the room with the wardrobe. Chanyeol stops in his tracks, foot poised over the first step, as Kyungsoo’s momentum smashes him into Chanyeol’s back. He looks back to Kyungsoo, whose eyes are practically bugging out of his head. “Move!” he commands, but Chanyeol shakes his head.

 

“I don’t think ghosts trip,” Chanyeol says, taking in deep breathes to calm himself down.

 

Kyungsoo’s expression morphs slowly from fear into something resembling anger. “No, no they don’t.”

 

Kyungsoo stomps back towards the room with the wardrobe, fury rolling off of him in waves. Inside the ghost has resigned herself to lying face down in the middle of the floor, seemingly having tripped over Kyungsoo’s discarded flashlight. When Kyungsoo and Chanyeol reach the threshold, she tries to scurry back into the shadows, but Kyungsoo’s too quick and practically throws himself on her back to pull her into a headlock.

 

“Did Baekhyun put you up to this?” Kyungsoo demands from his place on the “ghost’s” back. She seems oddly resigned to her fate, though she doesn’t reply.

 

Kyungsoo looks up at Chanyeol and flicks his head to get him to move closer. Chanyeol obeys, crouching down when he gets close enough and pulling off what now appears to be an obvious wig.

 

A familiar face stares up at him, innocent smile painfully pasted on. Chanyeol looks up at Kyungsoo and ruffles the hair of their “ghost” roughly. “Nah, Baekhyun had nothing to do with this.”

 

Kyungsoo raises an eyebrow and gets up, rolling his captive over. “Sehun,” he sighs.

 

“Gotcha?” Sehun says, looking to Chanyeol for backup he knows he won’t get.

 

“Nice one, Sehunnie!” Chanyeol laughs, pulling Sehun off the floor and into a hug while Kyungsoo crosses his arms behind them. Chanyeol meets Kyungsoo’s eyes and drops his arm, “I mean, not nice at all, jackass.”

 

Sehun grins, shrugging out of his torn dress to reveal a t-shirt and sweatpants. “I was worried for a bit that you guys were just gonna walk by me and I’d be stuck having to grab your ankles or something,” he shakes his head as if the very thought is degrading, resolutely avoiding Kyungsoo’s gaze.

 

Kyungsoo huffs and makes for the stairs again, stepping on Sehun’s ankle as the walks by. Sehun rushes after him, grabbing his shirt as he steps onto the first step, “Don’t ruin it,” he puffs out breathlessly, “I don’t think Baekhyun-hyung and Jongdae-hyung have found Jongin yet.”

 

Just then there comes a crash from downstairs, followed by a screech and the sound of Jongdae’s laughter. Baekhyun goes careening through the foyer, nearly running into a doorjamb in his haste to get away. Jongdae follows, stumbling over his own feet from mirth. He pauses at the foot of the stairs to catch his breath, looking up at the trio on the landing and redoubling his laughter.

 

“Having fun?” Chanyeol asks, skipping down the stairs to meet Jongdae.

 

“Oh man,” Jongdae wheezes, hand to his chest, “You should’ve seen his face. I can’t believe he honestly thought...” he trails off into chuckles before looking around, “Where’d Jongin go anyway? I thought he was right behind us.”

 

“Don’t look at me,” Sehun says, hands up.

 

Chanyeol hears another shriek that’s characteristically Baekhyun, this time muffled by distance. It settles heavily in his stomach, and must for the others too, because the group shares a look before they all run off to follow the sound.

 

 

*

 

Baekhyun’s scream leads them towards a cellar, soft sobbing setting their course. The deeper into the house they go the darker it gets, not even a speck of moonlight filtering through. Chanyeol’s heart pounds, spurred on by an ever increasing heaviness in the air and the sound of his friend in distress. He hears Kyungsoo swear from behind him, and turns back to see him smacking his flashlight, now dead. He eventually gives up and throws the flashlight to the ground.

 

Another step forward finds Chanyeol stumbling over Sehun’s feet, jostling as Jongdae has stopped. Sehun swats at Chanyeol’s arm, scoffing at his lack of perception as Jongdae speaks up, “I think he’s down here.”

 

Jongdae sweeps the light from his flashlight across a threshold leading to some rickety stairs. The stairs lead down into what looks like a fathomless abyss, but Chanyeol can hear Baekhyun’s soft sniffles, so he knows there’s no getting out of making the descent.

 

Jongdae goes first, the stairs so narrow they have to go single file. Behind him is Sehun, one arm on Jongdae’s shoulder, the other grabbing onto Chanyeol’s hand. Chanyeol puts his other hand in Kyungsoo’s, who’s reluctantly taking up the rear. He shoves in as close as possible and the four of them slowly shuffle down to the cellar.

 

It’s dark, and Chanyeol struggles to breathe through the encroaching darkness and the muggy air.

 

The stairwell leads out into a long, dark hall with several doors dotting the sides. The four creep forward, remaining in their close formation, following the sound of crying to the third door on the left. Jongdae looks over his shoulder at the group, holding up his hand and mouthing a countdown. On three, he surges forward, brandishing his flashlight.

 

Baekhyun sits in the middle of the floor, visibly shaking. Chanyeol finds his hands empty as Kyungsoo and Sehun run over to him, Jongdae swinging his flashlight around to look at the rest of the room.

 

Baekhyun cries out, scrabbling away from Kyungsoo and Sehun. They leave the scope of light, and all Chanyeol can hear is soft murmurs of what sounds like Kyungsoo’s calm-down voice. He turns his attention to Jongdae.

 

Jongdae's staring at the wall, mouth agape and eyes squinted. Chanyeol follows the light of his flashlight and freezes as his blood turns to ice.

 

The whole visible wall is covered in messy, overlapping writing. Some of it is etched into the stone itself while some appears to have been painted on, though the rusty colour of the fading writing suggests it might not have been paint. “What the— what is this?” Chanyeol murmurs, but Jongdae stays fixated.

 

He squints, trying to get a better look at individual phrases. I never loved you, I hate you, You killed me. Beyond that he can pick out a few words, die, heartless, flee.

 

“Uh, yeah, guys? I’m gonna say we call it a night,” Chanyeol turns to try and see the other three.

 

They’re closer now, having managed to calm Baekhyun enough to get him up. Baekhyun is uncharacteristically quiet and staring at his feet while Sehun, arm over his shoulder, rubs his neck.

 

“What about Jongin?” Kyungsoo’s voice echoes in the damp and Baekhyun pulls away.

 

“Every man for himself,” Baekhyun huffs, bolting for the stairs. Chanyeol rushes off hot on his heels, and grabs him around the waist before he can reach the staircase.

 

“I’m not leaving Jongin alone in this place,” Sehun grits out, Kyungsoo’s hand on his arm.

 

“That was never the plan,” Chanyeol says over Baekhyun’s protests. It seems off to him, it had been Baekhyun’s idea to come here in the first place, though how Sehun and Jongin knew they were going to be here he’s got no clue. Not to mention, Baekhyun likesJongin, he’s got no reason to want to abandon him in the house that is only getting creepier and creepier.

 

“Yeah,” Sehun chuckles sardonically, “the plan was to scare you guys and then get picked up with you in the morning, Minseok-hyung’d be pissed off if he knew we’d left Jongin.”

 

Minseok’s gleeful interest in their planning suddenly makes a lot more sense. It’s a thought for later though, and Chanyeol releases Baekhyun as he stops struggling, “Look, let’s just find Jongin and get out of here. We can call Minseok-hyung from the road.”

 

 

*

 

They head back up the stairs, at a much faster pace than the trip down, everyone taking a deep breath when they get out of the dank of the cellar. Jongdae suggests they retrace their steps; Jongin had been in the kitchen when last they saw him.

 

They venture into a part of the house Chanyeol hasn’t seen; it seems like some kind of parlour. He catches sight of a shadowed figure through the doorway to an adjacent room and calls out to Jongin as Jongdae's flashlight flickers into darkness.

 

He swears and smacks at it, as Jongin slowly turns to face them. Chanyeol sees movement behind him but can’t turn to see what it is, unable to look away from Jongin. There’s a mockery of a smile on his face, and something drips from the corners of his eyes. It’s too dark for Chanyeol to see what it is, but the sight of it makes his calves tense painfully.

 

Jongdae's flashlight comes back to life and catches on Jongin’s face. The stuff coming out of his eyes is black and viscous; there’s more movement behind Chanyeol, and this time he pulls himself away to see Baekhyun tear his arm out of Kyungsoo’s grip and bolt for the entryway.

 

“You wouldn’t listen,” Jongin croaks, startling everyone, “No one ever listens!” he swipes his hand across his chest and Chanyeol hears a slam followed by a shout from Baekhyun.

 

“What the hell’s going on?” Baekhyun screams, “It’s ing locked!” More bangs sound, telltale of Baekhyun probably trying to wrench the door open.

 

Jongin – or whatever is controlling Jongin’s body – shudders and lurches forward.

 

In the end it’s Jongdae who takes control. He turns on his heels and grabs Chanyeol by the arm, who reaches out to grab Kyungsoo, who’s still hanging onto Sehun, and runs the same way Baekhyun had gone.

 

Baekhyun’s crouched by the closed door, head in his hands. Jongdae grabs the back of his shirt as they go by and Baekhyun’s quick to join the pack, stumbling over his own feet for a few steps, “I’m so pissed off; I’ve never been this pissed off. I can’t believe we’re all gonna die and I have no one to blame but myself... and Minseok. I blame Minseok!”

 

“Would you shut up? Calm down!” Jongdae says, as he pulls them into a room and slams the door.

 

“Jongin closed the door with his mind, okay? I refuse to be calm about that,” Sehun blurts out, eyes wide as he frantically surveys the room.

 

“That wasn’t Jongin,” Jongdae insists, and Chanyeol agrees. “Jongin wouldn’t even rig that kind of thing up as a joke! That’s more your style, Sehun,” he adds, and despite the fear, Sehun has enough presence of mind to look mildly affronted.

 

“I thought you didn’t believe in ghosts, Dae” Kyungsoo says.

 

Jongdae glares at him half-heartedly. “It doesn’t matter, we need out.”

 

For some reason all eyes turn to Chanyeol. “Don’t look at me! I’ve been quiet for a reason.”

 

“Anyone know any good exorcisms?” Baekhyun suggests, chuckling darkly.

 

“No, but I have watched 5 seasons of Supernatural. We have to burn the corpse,” Sehun adds helpfully, like it’s a great idea to take ghost hunting advice from a TV show.

 

“Wait... what do you mean 5 seasons? Didn’t you just watch the newest one?” Chanyeol blurts, unable to stop himself.

 

Sehun huffs, “Every one knows only the first 5 count, hyung—”

 

“Look, this is not the time!” Jongdae cuts in. Footsteps shuffle down the hallway, Jongin’s disembodied voice still yelling madly, searching for them.

 

“We have to split up,” Chanyeol starts, and Kyungsoo glares at him with more force than he had when Baekhyun first suggested the idea what must be hours ago, “No, no, hear me out. Some of us can distract... not-Jongin, and the rest can focus on finding a way out.”

 

Jongin’s footsteps come even closer to the room, “Rock, paper, scissors!” Sehun suggests, “First two losers have to deal with Jongin.”

 

They shuffle through the room to the next corridor, keeping in a circle to play the game. Baekhyun loses on the first round, and makes a sad whimper. They tie the second, Kyungsoo smashing his shoulder into the door frame as they reach another room, this one further from Jongin’s maddened shouts. The third round sees Sehun joining Baekhyun, foiled by his own idea. Chanyeol almost feels sorry for him.

 

 

*

 

Sehun and Baekhyun bicker for a few moments about what their game plan should be, before running out into the corridor, and off towards Jongin, shouting mean names at him. As Chanyeol sneaks out into the corridor followed by Kyungsoo and Jongdae, he thinks he hears Baekhyun yell “You’re a mediocre dancer!” and tries to hold in a snort of laughter.

 

The plan is to find a large window and break it as quietly as possible so as not to alert Jongin, since it’s impossible to know what he’s capable of. They decide to search for a window on the ground floor or above a roof. Jongdae mentions there being lots of windows in the kitchen and the group decides to head there first.

 

 

*

 

The kitchen is large; to Chanyeol’s left an icebox sits on its side, empty save for dust, and above it are swaths of cupboards in various states of disrepair. On his right is an island, spattered with what he hopes isn’t ages old blood, rusted miscellanea scattered on its surface, everything from toys to cutlery.

 

Jongdae was right, there’s a whole wall of windows, filtering moonlight into the house. “Okay, so, I guess we smash it... then what?” Kyungsoo steps into the moonlight, and Chanyeol feels like he should yank him away from it.

 

“I don’t know, I just— I’ve got nothing,” Jongdae sighs, crouching down until his chin presses into his knees.

 

There’s something bubbling up in Chanyeol, his eyes burning every time he blinks, but seeing Jongdae so willing to give up, seeing Kyungsoo look so sad even though he’s ethereal in the moonlight. There’s a lighter in his pocket that suddenly feels heavier than ever before. “Did Baek ever mention what happened after they found the first murders?” he asks, taking the lighter out and looking up at his friends.

 

Kyungsoo and Jongdae give him twin looks of confusion, “Don’t tell me you’re thinking of what Sehun said,” Kyungsoo scoffs as Jongdae says, “Yeah, cremated.”

 

The feeling rising in Chanyeol’s chest sinks down again. If there are no bones...

 

Kyungsoo clears his throat, “There might be something left of them, you know, something keeping them here.”

 

Chanyeol meets Kyungsoo’s eyes; Kyungsoo gives the smallest of smiles, tension still tight in the corner of his eyes. Chanyeol wants to convey something, hope, maybe confidence, but before he can even think to open his mouth a shout rings out. Jongdae straightens up in a jolt, as Chanyeol whips around to face the door. There’re a few seconds of silence before Chanyeol hears Baekhyun swearing and Sehun laughing nervously.

 

“Right, crunch for time,” Kyungsoo starts pacing, hands in his hair.

 

If there are no bones...

 

“Jongdae, did Jongin touch anything?” Chanyeol says, secretly thanking Sehun for his obsession with supernatural dramas.

 

“Uhh, I don’t know, we were in here, and he scared us, and Baek ran out, and I— I laughed. I patted Jongin on the back, and I went after Baek.” Jongdae growls, squatting down again before springing back up, “He was looking behind him when I left though, I thought he was right behind me, but...”

 

Jongdae turns and walks back over to the island. “One of these toy soldiers is missing,” he says, turning his head to look at Chanyeol.

 

“How can you tell?” Kyungsoo paces over to Chanyeol, not even looking at Jongdae.

 

“Dust,” is all Jongdae says in reply, but Chanyeol’s preoccupied with trying to send good vibes to Kyungsoo to see if he moves.

 

Chanyeol smiles, whipping out his lighter again and waving it jovially, “I’ve got a plan.”

 

 

*

 

They follow the sounds of feet and yelling to the other side of the house. Sehun’s on the floor, blood staining his left pant leg, Baekhyun is wielding a chair, screaming obscenities and brandishing it in Jongin’s general direction, and Jongin stands with his back to the doorway, slowly walking towards Baekhyun.

 

Chanyeol smiles when Baekhyun makes eye contact with him, but the furrowing of Baekhyun’s brow tells him Baekhyun doesn’t feel very relieved. Jongdae pushes past him and heads to Sehun, alerting Jongin to their presence.

 

“Sorry Jonginnie,” Chanyeol says before breaking into a run and tackling Jongin before he can even turn the whole way around.

 

Jongin’s elbow end up beneath Chanyeol’s ribs, and he wheezes out a “Check his pockets,” while grappling on the floor.

 

Chanyeol manages to restrain Jongin for the most part, clumsy shoulder lock in place. Kyungsoo and Baekhyun stand there frozen until Chanyeol gestures madly with his head for them to get the hell over. They jolt into movement at once, nearly getting in each other’s way.

 

As they get closer, Jongin’s struggling gets stronger, his bit out grunts of frustration turn to wails and furniture starts to throw itself across the room.

 

“I’m getting Sehun out of here!” Jongdae yells over the noise, slipping Sehun’s arm over his shoulder and limping into the hallway as quickly as they can.

 

In the meantime, Baekhyun grabs onto Jongin’s left leg, trying to manœuvre himself into sitting on it to slow Jongin’s kicking, “Pockets, pockets!”

 

“I’m on it, just—” Kyungsoo dodges the leg of a chair as it flies at him, “gimme a minute.”

 

Something smacks into the side of Chanyeol’s head and dazes him, Baekhyun and Jongin’s wailing blending together. There’s a brief moment where he wonders if they’re gonna make it out of this at all, let alone with Jongin in one piece, before Kyungsoo shouts for a lighter.

 

“, pocket!” Chanyeol struggles to get his hip out so Baekhyun can grab the item out of his pocket.

 

Chanyeol manages to get himself on top of Jongin, restraining him much more effectively now that they don’t need access to his pants. He can hear the flick of a lighter and Kyungsoo swearing. After a few moments there’s a scuffle, and a fire whooshes to life.

 

Jongin’s struggling redoubles, hands trying to claw at Chanyeol’s face and eyes dripping with that same black gunk again. He lets out a blood curdling scream before falling limp, furniture crashing to the ground around them.

 

“Did that actually ing work?” Baekhyun wheezes from where he’s flopped back on his .

 

“You’d better hope so,” Kyungsoo replies, walking over to get a better look at the now still Jongin.

 

He sends Chanyeol a surprisingly reassuring smile, passing a hand through Chanyeol’s hair once before leaning down to feel Jongin’s forehead.

 

Chanyeol can hear Jongdae talking to Baekhyun in hushed tones, but Jongin groans, and Chanyeol loses the will to eavesdrop. “Hey Jonginnie, how you feeling?”

 

“Mmm, why am I on the floor?” Jongin croaks, bringing his hands up to rub his eyes and staring, bewildered, when the heels of his hands come off black.

 

“Long story,” Kyungsoo replies, helping him sit up, “but no one’s gravely injured.”

 

Jongin’s eyebrows fly up, before he seems to remember he was here with the express purpose of making fools out of his friends. “Is there a ‘yet’ on the end of that hyung?”

 

Kyungsoo breathes out a laugh, “No, not this time. I think you’ve been through enough for one night.”

 

 

*

 

It takes twenty minutes of sitting on the dilapidated steps watching Baekhyun, before he finds cell reception. He calls Minseok, half-crouched in a bush, and even though it’s the dead of night somehow convinces him to pick them up early. So they wait.

 

Sehun sits with his back against Jongdae's arm and his injured leg elevated on Chanyeol’s shoulder with the other leg tucked thrown across Chanyeol’s lap, munching on trail mix and occasionally throwing bits of pretzel at Chanyeol’s face. Jongin’s asleep, head in Jongdae's lap with Jongdae’s fingers in his hair. Chanyeol sighs, suddenly feeling tired himself. Sehun won’t budge though, crying crocodile tears when Chanyeol so much as shifts his weight. There’s probably blood on his jumper.

 

He looks toward the gravel driveway, where Kyungsoo stands with Baekhyun. As if sensing his gaze Kyungsoo turns around, features fuzzy in the dim, and waves before turning back around.

 

“Pff, you guys,” Jongdae snorts quietly, and Sehun laughs like he’s trying not to: all the sound on the inhale.

 

“Shut up, you’ll wake Jongin,” is all Chanyeol says in response, too lulled by how warm the night seems in comparison to how it was when they’d arrived to bother putting up a fight.