𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 20
3𝐫𝐝 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐩𝐨𝐯

— DID YOU SEE THAT?" Colby exclaimed loudly, his eyes wide as he stared at the house before him.

Sam twisted around, eyes wide in alarm, "See what?"

Suddenly, Jasper jumped out in front of the camera, grabbing Colby's shoulders as he screamed playfully, stopping he looked in the camera, one arm over Colby's shoulder, "I'm back bitches!"

"And this video is getting taken down." Sam let out a wheezy laugh.

Jasper gave a sheepish smile with eyes that betrayed his unapologetic ways, "Oops."

"Oops," Colby laughed, "Alright we should go meet the guide?" He asked looking to Sam.

Sam arched a brow at his friend, ignoring Jasper's arm still wrapped around him, "Forgetting something?"

"Oh right." Colby nodded turning to the camera, "WHATS UP GUYS IT'S SAM AND COLBY!"

"Back with another video and a familiar guest!" Sam continued enthusiastically.

Jasper threw up a peace sign with his free hand as he grinned, "What's up losers?"

"Today the three of us will be exploring the Briar House." Colby began, pausing as Jasper tensed, assuming it was just nerves, he continued, "It's got a lot of twisted history and a lot of uncertainties."

Sam nodded in agreement, continuing, "Today we want to find out the truth, so stay tuned! This should be interesting."

With the intro done, Sam put down the camera as they went to meet their guide. A slender young man with a dark skin tone and mess of curls on his head, he grinned kindly as they approached, "Hey you guys must be our special guests, I'm Wally. I'll be your guide today."

They chat for a little bit longer outside before finally, Wally rubs his hands together and grinned, "I bet you guys want to get started, so shall we go inside?"

The three made noises of agreement and followed Wally inside, with Sam taking the lead as he held the camera low, and Jasper being the last. He took a deep breath as he stepped onto the first step of the porch, the house seemed dark even in the middle of the day, and it loomed over him, taunting him. He forced himself to look at his feet as he climbed the porch steps, the stairs were old and creaked under his feet but seemed strong enough to hold his weight and theirs as they all made it onto the porch.

Wally went ahead and reached for the door knob, however when he turned it, it wouldn't open. He frowned, "That's weird, I left this unlocked."

"Is someone else inside?" Sam asked curiously, "Maybe they locked it."

Wally shook his head, "Only person inside is Davina and she doesn't even like being alone in there, she refuses to lock herself in there." He sighed, grabbing the key from his pocket, "It happens sometimes. Doors locking on their own. Davina says the ghosts don't want us in."

"Do you not believe that?" Colby asked, picking up on the wording.

"Look, this house makes everyone a believer but it is an old house, sometimes it's just the house acting up, not some ghosts lurking in the shadows." Wally told them not unkindly as he jammed the key into the door and twisted without succession as the door remained lock. He cursed under his breath.

"Can I try?" Jasper called out, not knowing what made him do so. He cleared his throat and stepped forward, "I grew up in an old house, learned a few tricks with the doors." He offered with a kind smile.

Wally shrugged, handing him the key, "Go for it." He said, stepping out of his way.

Jasper stepped forward and grabbed the doorknob, suddenly hit with a headache at the mere touch. He ignored the urge to pull away and run as far as he could and only frowned and shoved the key into the door. Twisting it once before pulling it out the door swung open with the slightest push.

He handed the key back to their guide, Wally, ignoring the way his hand shook, "Told ya." He said with forced humor as he shoved his hands into his pockets and let Wally step into the house first. Again, he took up the back of the group, desperate to run the other way but forcing himself to brave the looming shadows of the house.

Wally walked in, then Sam, then Colby who glanced back at him for a moment hesitantly. Finally, Jasper stepped up and walked through the doorway, holding his breath without  even realizing. He winced as the ache in his head abruptly became a full blown painful sensation that made his head feel heavy just as his feet hit the floor of the house.

"Davina!" Wally called into the house to the other guide, "The door did it again."

Again. Was it normal for the house to lock people out? And why was it so easy for Jasper to open the door?

He tuned out the group as he focused on keeping his head down and his defense up, his breathing steady even as his hands shook. He followed them idly as Wally showed them around alongside Davina, a kind young woman with dark hair and light green eyes. With each room they entered, Jasper lifted his head only long enough to find the escape to each room before his gaze fell back onto the floor before it could meet the eyes watching him.

They had just arrived and already, Jasper was desperate for an escape.

✧˖*°࿐

LATER, Jasper sat behind the camera in a surprisingly comfortable chair as Sam and Colby told the camera some more history tot the house, sitting on an older couch that they had set up the camera in front of.

"The house was abandoned for as far back as we could find after the original owners were murdered in the house, after that nobody wanted to buy it or even go inside." Colby told them, "Those who did, died or disappeared. The town started to call it cursed, that's how it got the nickname of the Cursed Manor, since most don't know much about the original owners, the Briar family."

Sam continued, "It wasn't until the current owner bought it that it became open to the public, even still we are some of the first people to explore this house."

"Believe it or not, this place is only a few hours drive from our hometown, so obviously we got first dibs." Colby smirked, laughing.

"Ah yes. The Kansas Three!" Jasper chirped from behind the camera.

"Oh yeahhh," Sam drawled out with a smile and light kilt of realization, he told the audience, "Jasper's from Kansas too, the same town even. So we're really going back to our roots here." He grinned.

"Oh did we mention?" Colby called curiously, looking at Sam before looking back at the camera, "We're staying here for a whole week to explore and figure out the story behind this place."

And just like that, Jasper couldn't breathe.

He grasped his phone tightly, Sam and Colby didn't notice his sudden change in mood and he didn't want them to. So he stayed silent and ignored the eyes watching him from the shadows.

✧˖*°࿐

WITH the initial filming done and the guides gone, they decided to pick out their rooms before continuing any further. Heading upstairs, Colby walked behind Jasper, his eyes narrowed as he took in the blondes tense posture and shaking hands.

Sam picked out his room first, and as he set down his bag, Jasper wandered out of the room without so much as a thought. He found his body moving further and further until he was in front of the room at the end of the hall, the door open to a dusty room with the curtains drawn tight over the windows, the room was almost unnaturally dark.

He stepped forward with a frown, he was drawn to this room in a strange and twisted way and he wanted to find out why.

Another step forward.

Another and he gasped as a sharp pain overcomes him, letting out a low hiss of pain. He backed out of the room releasing another gasp when the pain almost immediately disappeared. Shaking his head, he turned and went for another room, one that didn't draw him in dangerously. This time when he entered it, no pain hit him. Looking around, it seemed normal. The curtains were open letting in natural light from the outside. He set down his bag in the floor and turned to let Sam and Colby know he'd decided on a room, his eyes caught the room at the end of the hall, where a figure stood in the doorway.

It took a step forward, and then another. It didn't glide above the floor like the ghosts in movies and instead moved like a live human being. The only thing to tell Jasper this thing — this spirit was not alive, were the chills that came over him and the unnatural way the darkness cloaked the figure. Its head tilted up and a familiar face stared back at him.

His eyes widened, coming face to face with someone — something — that looked just like him yet somehow... not.

Jasper took a step forward, and then another.

"Jasper!" A voice called out, his head whipped around to find Colby grinning as he approached. Jasper glanced back to the doorway of the dark room, the figure was gone. "Find a room?" Colby asked drawing his attention back.

Jasper gave a silent nod and pointed to the room he'd decided on, ignoring the way his hand shook. Colby only smiled even as his eyes narrowed. Grabbing his bag, he approached the room Nextdoor to Jasper's, "Think I'll take this room." He told him casually, turning back he added, "Or we could share."

Jasper let his lips quirk into a smile only half forced, he teased, "Scared of some ghosts, Colbs?"

Colby shrugged, turning back he stepped up, closer and closer until he was right in front of him, and despite the teasing tone to his voice, his eyes were narrowed seriously as he spoke, "I'm just saying, I could protect you from the darkness."

Jasper gulped and forced himself to nod, "I'll keep that in mind," he replied tensely, ignoring the urge to pull himself closer and drown in Colby's presence, "Thanks."

Colby nodded once, then twice as he moved back to his room. "You know where to find me," he said before pushing the door until it was only open a crack.

Jasper once again moved without thinking and followed Colby into the room.

✧˖*°࿐
𝟏,𝟕𝟖𝟎 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬