#dylan stevens

“Well, I was thinking we place the REM where we did last time we were here with the guys and use that for answers for a bit before trying a few EVP sessions.” He glances behind Rayne, trying to make sure she doesn’t walk into a wall, but her backwards steps are straight and true down the hallway. “And it’s not just the equipment. With your sensing, I was thinking we could just use that for clarification in between. Especially since you’re more accurate in smaller spaces.”

“Oh, so I’m just your personal walkie-talkie to the dead, huh?” She quirks an eyebrow at him, trying-and failing-to hide her grin. “Glad to be a glorified spirit box.”

He laughs, reaching out to grab her shoulder and spin her back to facing forward. “Come on, you know what I mean. You’d do it anyway.”

“How do you know?” She tips her head back over her shoulder, though the camera still faces down the hallway. His smile is crooked to the side, just like always, as he looks down at her.

“Because you do it every time we’re on an investigation together and you did it again last night.” Dylan reaches out to flick her forehead. “It’s just how you are.”

“Hey!”

“Quiet, you’ll wake the dead,” he teases. With a roll of her eyes, she keeps walking until they’re in the solitary block. Dylan takes the lead, finding the same cell he and the others had been in on the last collab, setting the REM pod on the lifted bed portion of the floor, keeping the DR-60 in his pocket for the time being.

“Okay, professional, how do we want to do this?” At Rayne’s question, Dylan rolls his eyes.

“We both know I’m no professional.” At Rayne’s knowing look, he lets it drop. “Let’s just start with the questions. Do you want me to take the camera so you can be more open? I know it’s easier when you have nothing blocking you from the air.”

 “Yes, please.” She passes him the camera, adjusting her hoodie afterwards. “I’m surprised you even remember that, I think I said it like once.”

He shrugs, lifting the camera to film where she stands in the back corner of the room while he leans on the wall by the door, in the exact spot he’d been with Sam and Colby. “Just seemed important before and you almost never hold the camera. Either me and Steve do or you set it up somewhere.”

“Watching me, are we, Stevens?” He grins at Rayne’s little smirk. 

“Maybe.” The two share one final smile before he kicks off the investigation. “Alright, hello, is there anyone here who wants to talk with us? My name’s Dylan, this is Rayne. We were here last night, just up in the Attic, and I was here a few years ago, too.”

The REM stays quiet, Dylan keeping the camera focused on the device and the girl now crouching against the wall behind it. 

“If you remember us or want to talk, just grab the device on the floor and it’ll make a noise. It shouldn’t hurt you, it just needs to be touched.” Dylan’s voice carries through the space, no other noise answering. His eyes dart between the camera, the REM pod, and the hallway, waiting for movement. For some sort of answer.

“Something’s here,” Rayne murmurs. Dylan’s eyes go back to her to see that she has her eyes focused on the REM, but they’re distant. “I can feel something, I can’t pinpoint it, though. It’s…nervous almost.”

“You don’t have to be nervous,” Dylan calls out. “We’re not here to hurt you, we just want to talk. To understand the story of the prison a bit better.”

The REM beeps once before falling into silence once more. Dylan shifts a bit where he stands before glancing over to Rayne, who furrows her brow. He immediately picks up on what she’s doing, given that it’s her decoding face.

“What do you feel?” He zooms the camera in on her a bit, focusing on her face as she balances her chin on one hand, elbow on her knee. 

“I’m not fully sure, honestly. Just like last night, it’s not exact.” She huffs out a sigh, flicking her eyes up to meet his. “The most I can piece together is just that nervousness. Maybe some questioning, but I’m not getting super specific energy that I can put into words.”

“Do you think it’s still trying to evade specific answers?”

“I don’t see why it wouldn’t. I mean, if you were sticking to a story, would you change up all of a sudden with a different group of people you know will tell the others?”

“Fair enough.” He zooms the camera back out to capture the whole room. “Well, if our friend in here doesn’t want to talk, what do you say about moving into the hall to try and talk to a guard?”

“Whatever you want, man, I’m just here for the vibes.” Rayne stands from her crouch and immediately pauses, leaning fully against the wall. “Okay, I can’t tell if I stood up too fast or our friend isn’t happy that we’re thinking of leaving.”

Dylan raises his brows at that, taking a step closer. “You okay?”

“Yeah. Yeah, I’m good, just got dizzy.”

“Do you need to head back? I don’t want a repeat of last night.”

She cuts him a glare, to which he raises his free hand in surrender. “I’m fine. I’d tell you otherwise. Let’s just go and see what happens.”

“Point taken.” He grins as he says it, Rayne scooping up the REM pod, turning it off before it can scream at her proximity. The two shift to be just outside the cell door, agreeing to put the REM pod in the doorway before standing across the hall from it, a few feet from each other.

“No, I think it was the fact that we left the room. I still feel a little off.” Dylan turns the camera to face the girl who once again crouches with her back balanced against the wall. Her arms cross between her chest and her knees as she focuses on the cell in front of them. “I still can’t tell exactly what’s around, though. It’s strange.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen your sensing be this ambiguous before,” Dylan says. She shrugs, looking up at him.

“Most of the time it’s like this, actually. The places we’ve been with you guys are just very open to communicating. This one is closed off. Secretive. That’s why it’s always evading questions and just asking the same thing.”

He hums in answer, running the information through his head before speaking again. “Do you think it’s just this one or anything that still hangs out in here?”

“I’m not sure.” She pauses, turning down the long end of the hallway to her other side. “I mean, I can definitely feel other pulses of energy in here, but none of them are calling out. Whether that’s because they don’t want to be known or simply don’t want to answer questions, I can’t tell. The whole building is busy but it’s quiet.”

In an answer of its own, the REM pod lets out a few short beeps before falling silent again. The pair turn to watch it for a moment. With their silence, it lets out another, longer sound.

“Hello,” Dylan says. “Would you like to talk with us?”

“That’s a solid positive on that one,” Rayne tells him. “The energy just, like, perked up. Got excited.”

In tandem, the REM goes off again, another longer one before stopping. “Alright, cool, thank you. Again, my name’s Dylan, this is Rayne next to me. We just want to learn more about you, if that’s okay.”

A short beep answers, Rayne speaking up next. “Were you a guard here?”

Another quick burst of the REM seems to affirm. Dylan grins.

“You’re the first guard we’ve spoken to in here. It’s nice to finally talk with one of you.” He shifts the camera to his other hand, reaching into his pocket to grab the DR-60. “I’m going to use this little box, okay? It should let us hear your voice. Just come up close and try to speak into the light as loud as you can.”

He does a quick count down before hitting record, asking the first question. “How long were you a guard here?”

After the allotted silence, Rayne asks the next one. “Did you die here? Or were you called back once you died?”

“Did you always walk solitary?”

“Was the prison as bad for you as it was for the prisoners?”

Dylan does another count down before finally stopping the recording. He crouches down at Rayne’s side before lifting the box between them for them both to hear and hitting play. Both of their first questions go by with no whispers between. After his second question, there’s a muttering of a few words neither of the two can make out, even after replaying it three times.

It’s the final question that holds an actual answer. As soon as the word “prisoners” leaves Rayne’s mouth, a shout follows. 

“Oh damn,” Dylan says, rewinding it immediately. Rayne simply leans closer to him, listening more intently. As it plays again, she jolts back, almost cracking her head against the concrete wall.

“Did you hear what I did?”

Dylan shakes his head. “I only hear a yell.”

“It sounds like it’s saying ‘Shut up.’” Her eyes are wide, an excited gleam underneath. “Almost like the guard doesn’t want to talk about the conditions or the prisoners subject to them.”

“Hang on, let me listen again.” Dylan plays it two more times before nodding. “I kinda hear it.” Then he says to the camera facing the two of them, “if you guys at home hear something different, put it down in the comments and let us know.”

Rayne snorts. “You’re such a dork with that.”

“What,” he grins, “with asking for more opinions?”

“No, just the way you say it.” The two laugh a bit before the REM goes off again, this time holding the sound for a long time. “Can you step back from that, please, so we can use the recorder again?”

It takes a second before following her direction, ceasing the sound. She turns to the man next to her as she talks. “I think this time, we just let it go. No questions, just see what it picks up.”

“Works for me.” This time, Dylan sets it on the ground. He does another count down before hitting record and just letting it go. They wait what feels like almost a full minute before stopping it, the REM emitting a few short bursts of beeping here and there. This time, the recording is dead silent the entire time. He lets out a sigh. “Well, such is the way of investigating. I think it might be a bust down here tonight.”

Next to him, Rayne shakes her head. “I can still feel something. Two somethings, really, but only one wants to talk. The other is just heavy. Like a warning.”

“Similar to that one at Madison?” Before she can answer, he glances to the camera, shamelessly plugging. “Guys, if you want to see what we keep referring to, go watch our video on the Haunted Nights channel with Ray and Lia at the Madison Seminary.”

The girl snorts again. “Shameless. But no, not like Madison. It’s still more ambiguous. That warning before it attacked Lia was an angry heaviness. This one could be angry or it could be fearful. I still can’t pinpoint it.”

“That’s so strange to me,” Dylan says. “Do we want to just wait and see what happens, then, rather than keep asking questions that lead to nowhere?”

“I mean, it’s worth a shot,” Rayne nods. She shifts to fully settle onto the floor, legs crossed. Dylan joins her a moment later, their knees touching. “I wonder if the one that wants to talk just doesn’t have the energy to. If it’s our friend, they used up a ton of energy last night between our two groups. Plus we’re more spread out tonight. If it’s still trying to talk to multiple of us at once, that has to be taxing.”

“True. Or if it’s someone new, it could just be they haven’t really been active in a while.”

“That, too.” 

The two fall into silence for a while, just letting what happens happen. The REM continues to let out a few short beeps every once in a while, but nothing else really happens. They try another EVP session with no results before fading back into silence. About fifteen minutes later, Rayne shifts, taking her hoodie off.

“You okay?” Dylan asks.

“Yeah,” she says, “just got hot all of a sudden.”

With her Built Different hoodie now in her lap, it’s easy to see her black Ouija board shirt. One Dylan has to poke fun at. “That’s an interesting shirt choice for an investigation.”

Rayne smiles. “When in Rome.”

The silence that follows is more tense, the air heavier somehow. Both feel it, though Rayne scowls at the floor in front of her. This time, it’s only a couple minutes before she says something.

“It’s getting heavier.” Dylan’s eyes shoot to her, worried.

“How so?”

“There’s definitely anger now, but there’s also fear. The two energies are way different now.”

“Can you tell which is which? Or where they’re coming from?”

She shakes her head. “No. But I have a guess.”

“Do I really want to know?” Despite his joking, Dylan’s still tense.

“Think. If you’re a guard in a prison and there’s two people just sitting on the floor in the hall, wouldn’t you assume they’re prisoners not in their cells? And if you were in solitary, wouldn’t you be more afraid of an angry guard?”

Dylan takes a breath. “Do you think we should move back to the cell? Just to see what happens?”

“I’m honestly not sure if I can stand without getting dizzy right now.” She blows out a long breath. “Dyl, it’s settled on my chest.”

“I don’t like the sound of that. At all.” He pushes to his feet, sliding the DR-60 back into his pocket. “Here, let me help you. Let’s see if going back into the cell helps a bit.”

Rayne nods, reaching up to take his hand, leaning on him as they move back into the cell before plopping down onto the bed portion of the floor. She crosses her legs and leans her elbows on her knees, chin in her hands.

“It’s already better, but it’ll probably be a few minutes until we can really tell,” she says.

“Take all the time you need. Other than what you’re getting, it’s quiet in here tonight. I don’t think we’ll get much else, anyway.”

“Paranormal walkie talkie to the rescue.” The joke falls flat as three clear footsteps sound from the hallway. Startled, she looks up at Dylan, who peeks into the hall with the camera.

“Nothing’s there,” he says. “That timing, though. That was insane.”

“Yeah, no, for sure. I don’t know how I feel about that.” Down the hall, another couple steps echo. “I hate to jinx it but that sounds like it’s walking away.”

“I’m not sure that’s much better, honestly.” Dylan moves back over to her, crouching down. “How are you feeling?”

“Honestly? Kinda unsettled. This whole place is freakier than anywhere else we’ve been. And we’ve been to some freaky places with you and Steve.” He reaches out a hand, rubbing her shoulder in comfort. “The feeling isn’t leaving, though. The fear’s just changing. The anger is still there, but the fear…”

She trails off, unsure of where to go. Dylan sits down in front of her, setting the camera to the side. “Do you want to head back to the staff room before it gets worse?” He checks his watch. “It’s only 12:50, though.”

“No, I just…” She sighs. “I only wanted to come back tonight to see what was up last night. To try and figure it out. Even if a lot of the time I don’t get exact feelings or words or anything, I can always figure it out at some point. I couldn’t figure it out last night and I wanted to see if I could tonight, but so far, nothing.”

“You don’t have to prove yourself, you know.” His hands find hers, holding them lightly. “Not to me, not to any of the guys, especially not to Lia and Vi. Not even to the viewers. They can go look at our videos and see you’re telling the truth.”

“No, it’s not that.” She grips his fingers, needing him to follow where she’s going. “It didn’t feel super malevolent last night. It didn’t want to attach, it didn’t want to attack, even if it said it did. I could feel it. And the constant begging for help? I just-”

“You had to see if you could help.” He finishes the thought for her as her mouth pulls into a frown. “You forget that I know you, Ray. Same as you know me.”

“Even if it’s all just some twisted trick, I had to see. I still want to.”

He nods. “Okay, then. We’ll stay till the time’s up. Just to see. I just don’t want you to end up how you did last night, okay?”

“I won’t, I promise. If I’m really feeling it, I’ll let you know and we’ll leave.”

“Deal.” They share a grin before Dylan leans back against the wall, still keeping Rayne’s hands in his. “Do you want to leave the REM pod on?”

“Yeah, it’s the only thing other than me really getting anything. I do think the EVPs are a bust, though.”

“I think so, too. Do you want to stay there or move against the wall?”

“Here’s fine, I think. I honestly don’t really want to move until I have to right now.” He nods again and reaches over to angle the camera to see the both of them, keeping one hand in hers. 

Silence wraps around them, only broken by occasional noises from the REM. No more footsteps, no slamming of cell doors, no disembodied voices. Just their breathing and the light ticking of both of their watches.

The whole time, even though it’s on camera, their hands stay linked, free hands in their laps. At one point, Rayne asks Dylan to turn off the light on the camera, enveloping the two in darkness. 

In the dark, the silence becomes heavier again, if only because of the unease of losing one of the vital senses. Both lose track of time, just sitting in the quiet, sharing check-in whispers here and there. Eventually, Rayne whispers something that sets Dylan on edge.

“I don’t like this.”

“What are you getting?”

There’s a pause before she answers, needing to ready herself. Her voice drops even further, barely audible. “There’s something watching us. The angry one. It’s been getting heavier this whole time but it’s like right next to us.”

“We should go.” His voice is just as soft, but his hand grips hers tighter. “I don’t think you’re going to find what you wanted.”

“It got worse when you mentioned leaving.” A hint of fear tinges her voice now. “It wants us to stay.”

“I’m not letting you stay when you’re the only one who can feel it. It has to be close to the meetup time, anyway. The others will come looking.” He shifts to the side to turn on the camera light.

Just in time for invisible nails to rake across Rayne’s throat, burning in a way that makes her scream before she begins choking.

You're not the biggest fan of the paranormal but, on the other hand, you are the biggest fan of your boyfriend who's made one of your biggest fears his job. Therefore, you've been finding yourself in these creepy places all too often as of recent. It doesn't help that Steve, who's decidedly become an older brother to you since you and Dylan started dating, loves messing with you and scaring you.

Tonight is no different.

A tickle to your side causes you to squeal and jump, seeking comfort by nuzzling further into Dylan's side. Looking over your shoulder, you're both relieved and annoyed to see a grinning Steve.

"You jerk!" You lightly smack his shoulder, making him and the guys laugh, "You almost gave a heart attack!"

An arm wraps around your shoulders, halting your rather ineffective offense attempt. "Alright, alright that's enough, you two. Well, mostly you." Dylan gives Steve an annoyed scolding look, "Quit messing with my girlfriend."

Raising his hands in surrender, Steve lightheartedly apologizes but you meet his words with the most distrustful, narrow-eyed glare which, again, elicits a laugh from him.

Dylan can't help but smile widely at the ridiculous scene in front of him. He remembers how nervous you were to meet his best friend, a thousand thoughts and insecurities running through your head, causing you massive anxiety. All such uncertainties were snuffed out the second you actually met Steve. You had only seen pictures of him up until that point and in each he looked so gloomy and serious. Very no-nonsense, very unlike Dylan or yourself. That's where your hesitation had sprouted from.

The second he'd climbed out of his car, a wide smile contradicted the image of him you had conjured in your head. Him and Dylan were the goofiest duo you'd ever seen and you were so easily sucked into their dynamic that now you've become a trio. Though not so much when it comes to the ghost hunting stuff.

The two sometimes manage to convince you to tag along but most of their attempts are ineffective. This time was the case of the former. Though, to be frank, Sam and Colby played a huge role in getting you to agree.

The five of you have now sat down in what the tour guide had informed you was a sort of makeshift ritual room. Not much gave away that fact if one could casually ignore the huge burn mark in the middle of the floor.

You, however, can't.

"It's said that you can still feel heat emanating from that spot right there." Sam explains to the camera, turning it to film the dark stain in question. "We'll have to check on our own though."

The first to step up to the occasion is Colby, crouching down next to the mark, being extra cautious not to step on it. "Sam, doesn't this remind you of something." He asks, looking up at his best friend whose face contorts from confusion into utter horror within a second.

"Oh my God, you're right! The Sallie house!" The blonde exclaims, his jaw hitting the floor, "Not again, dude!"

The name takes a moment to register in your brain but when you connect it to its respective Sam and Colby video - yes, the only reason you agreed to coming is because you're a huge fan - you too go wide-eyed.

"You wanna sit down in the middle of it again?" Dylan's question only worsens your terror. The fact that Sam doesn't say 'no' right away isn't helping either.

"Don't give him ideas!" You whisper-yell at your boyfriend who just sheepishly smiles at you.

"Don't worry, Y/N, I'm not doing that shit again. Well, unless money is involved, that is." He adds the last part as a joke but that still doesn't stop Steve and Dylan from reaching for their wallets. You quickly smack their hands, their laughter provoking your own.

"Yo! Come check this out! It's fucking crazy!" Colby's voice interrupts, causing you all to look over to him hovering his hand over the blackened concrete, "It feels like holding your hand up to an oven door."

Your friends, unlike you, show no sign of hesitation as they approach Colby, each sticking their hand out in search of proof that they're not being messed with. Seeing their faces morph into a look of absolute disbelief and astonishment, you realize that your fear isn't stronger than your need to confirm it for yourself.

Your friends have stepped a few feet away from the spot by now, allowing you to crouch down and see for yourself. And see, you do.

You snatch your hand back as soon as you'd extended it, quickly getting up to your feet. Your face mimics the other four reactions this bizarre phenomenon provoked from the other people in the room.

Suddenly, a gust of warm air tickling the back of your neck reminds you that you are indeed quite terrified. For just a second though, since you're quick to remind yourself of Steve's antics. You turn around to reprimand him for messing with you again just to realize him, along with Dylan, are a good ten feet away from you, helping Sam and Colby unpack their equipment.

Your rationality goes back to fear in an instant. Your blood runs cold and your eyes fill with tears. The only words that escape your lips are choked yet still somehow high-pitched, "Oh my God!"

Four heads snap in your direction. They drop what they're doing, seeing your distressed state. Dylan jogs over to you, his hands resting on your arms, "What's wrong? What happened?"

Instinctively, you reach up to the back of your neck, touching the goosebumps that have formed on your skin, "It felt like someone was breathing down my neck." You explain, moving your hair out of the way to show your boyfriend, "I-I thought it was Steve..."

"Hey!" The accused argues, now having approached you as well, eyes flooded with worry. "I swear it wasn't me."

You quickly shake your head, "I know! I'm fucking shaking." You mutter, biting your lip as you try controlling your racing heartbeat.

"Did you scratch yourself?" Colby asks, shining the camera light on your skin to make sure he's seeing correctly.

"No, why?" Your eyes blow wide open at the question but you try your best to keep your composure.

Colby's just about to reply, telling you about the red spot that's appeared on the back of your neck when Dylan catches his eye. With a sharp shake of the head he delivers his message loud and clear. "It's nothing, my bad. I was casting a shadow and it looked like a bruise." He says instead, the sigh he receives in response from you confirming that telling you would've been a bad idea.

You stay wrapped in Dylan's embrace while the guys set up their equipment for a session. One of his hands is rested on your back while the other has cupped the back of your head, keeping you to his chest as he whispers reassurances in your hair, periodically interrupting himself to kiss the top of your head.

"It's ok, babe. Nothing's gonna hurt you. Not on my watch." He says, making you giggle.

"What, you're gonna fistfight a ghost?" You ask, pulling away to be able to look him in the eyes.

His kind, adorable eyes you love so much. Especially the creases that appear at their corners when he smiles the way he is now, looking down at you.

"For you? Anytime. I'm military personnel, after all." He proclaims, resting his forehead against yours.

You can't help the blush that creeps onto your cheeks which threaten to start hurting from how widely you're smiling - a side effect of having the cutest goofball as a boyfriend.

"Dork." You chuckle, shaking your head before connecting your lips in a quick kiss.

The moment doesn't last long, curtesy of none other than...

"Get a room you two!"

Sam and Colby set up their camera on the hood of their car as the rest mill around just outside the door to the reformatory, the triplets looking up the sides and commenting on it, Dylan and Steve standing with the girls, chatting. 

“Why did we agree to this in winter?” Rayne’s voice borderline whines, arms crossed like a child. She’s tucked in the middle of the other two girls, the triplets coming over to join the group. She tucks further into her blue Group Shotsss hoodie, matching Vi’s black and Lia’s light pink ones. The rest of the group sports their own merch hoodies, some with another jacket over or with some sort of gloves or hat. “It’s fucking cold.”

Steve and Lia nod, the latter speaking. “Yeah, it’s freezing right now.”

“It’s not too bad,” Vi argues, nudging her friend with her finger. 

“Yeah, if you think this is bad, try Boston sometime.” Nick’s the loudest of the bunch, making Chris and Matt giggle even though the latter wears three layers.

“I’m from Colorado, bite me.”

⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘

“Bad news, guys,” Steve says, “I think it’s haunted.”

As he says as much, a bang sounds from just inside the door, making most of the group jump. Sam is the first to realize, though, considering the tallest member of the group is missing. “Gahd dang it, Dylan!”

“What’s up guys, it’s Sam and Colby!” In his grandeur, Colby slips on a small patch of ice under the snow, flinging his arms out to catch himself on Sam, almost taking both of them down in a flurry of limbs and caught jackets. “We’re finally back at the Ohio State Reformatory with even more guests this time!”

A line of people takes up the entire camera frame, the sheer amount of them having to stand further back than normal, four different channels represented among the hoodies and hats peeking between other layers and on top of heads.

“We’ve got some returning and some new.” Sam backpacks off his best friend, gesturing to either side with his arms, black jacket flying open, showing more of the white hoodie underneath. Five men stand on one side, three girls on the other. “We’ve got Steve and Dylan from Haunted Nights.” The two wave to the camera, both in black hoodies, one with Haunted Nights printed across the chest, the other with Built Different in the same spot.

“The Sturniolo Triplets once more,” Colby adds. The three in question all strike a pose, making the girls fight back their laughter. The elder two wear Let’s Trip hoodies in cream and black while the youngest has a black Fresh Love one.

“And, new with us;” Sam throws his body to the side, arms thrown in a sideways V, to show the girls more spotlight; “Ophelia, Vidia, and Rayne from Group Shotsss!” The final trio wave, Rayne and Lia doing their best to remain bundled against the chill. “If you follow Haunted Nights, you’ve probably seen Ophelia and Rayne before.”

“And,” Colby breaks in, “Ophelia and Vidia were born and raised in Kansas, which automatically makes them our new best friends.”

Sam nods, making both girls go shock still. Meanwhile Rayne shoves the both of them forward a bit, trying not to laugh at them. Chaos ensues, between the triplets arguing for favoritism, Steve and Dylan laughing, and the girls fighting amongst themselves. 

⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘

With intros out of the way, Sam continues on. “This time, with so many people, on our biggest collab yet, we’re doing two full nights here full of different challenges. Hopefully we’ll get better results than last time, as Nate had to leave sick halfway through the night.”

“With having ten of us, Sam and I have come up with some returning and new things to have fun even though we might get a new attachment.” Colby claps his hands together, the sound muffled by his gloves. “We ready to go?” Everyone nods, some voicing it. “Then let’s get it.” 

Colby adjusts his own leathery cover jacket and moves to grab the camera, picking it up for a new shot. The rest of the group stays huddled in front of the door, some faring better in the night air than others. Colby focuses the camera on the girls for a moment, asking them if they believe in the paranormal.

“Oh, for sure,” Lia nods, tucked between her channel-mates. “I can’t lie, though, as excited as I am to get some answers, I know I’m gonna be scared.”

Vi speaks up next. “I do, too, I just vote that we don’t fuck with them too much while we’re here. This is my first ghost hunt but I know, never mess with ghosts.”

Everyone turns to the final girl, awaiting her answer as she nods. “I’m a less well known type of medium, so obviously I believe. I grew up in a haunted house, too, so I’m used to seeing shadows and feeling voices in my head.”

“You mean like hearing voices?” Colby asks while Sam steps away. The girl shakes her head. 

“No, I don’t hear them unless it’s out loud. I sort of just feel the energy and kinda translate it if that makes any sense? It’s weird.” Sam grabs something out of his backpack, hiding it behind his back as he moves back over. 

“I don’t think we’ve had a medium with that ability before,” Sam says, “but that’s cool.”

The rest of the group agrees, the triplets and Sam and Colby impressed. Steve speaks up, shifting on his feet. “Like you said, we’ve had Lia and Rayne on a few investigations with us before and it’s an interesting ability to see in practice. It’s neat, too, considering Lia can notice when she’s sensing something before either of us know anything’s off.”

“Yeah,” Dylan agrees, reaching up to adjust his beanie. “It’s really cool to see, even if it’s a bit confusing.”

Rayne and Lia nod, confirming. They’d gone to a few of the Haunted Nights events in the past, never being able to convince Vi to go before this. When Rayne’s odd abilities had been revealed one night, Dylan and Steve had talked her and Lia into doing a couple more investigations on and off their own channels.

Now, it was able to be used in a larger setting, reaching a wider audience. Rayne had been excited for it but nervous to reveal it, Lia and Vi having to talk her through it before filming had begun. Had it not been for them, either they or Steve or Dylan would have said it instead.

A few more questions about it are tossed around before Sam pulls the attention back to the issue at hand, a mirthful grin on his face.

“Okay, so our first challenge of the night,” he says, “is more of a game. Now that we have the giant scary haunted prison to ourselves, we thought we might play a game of sardines.” The girls start poking at each other, smiling. They’d been watching Sam and Colby for years, having been excited for the games to start. 

“One person will go in first and have fifteen minutes to hide anywhere in the prison,” Colby continues. “Once those fifteen minutes are up, the other nine are going to race to find them. If you find the hider, you’ll join them in their spot. The final person to find the hiding spot will be getting a punishment for tomorrow night.”

“How do we decide who hides first?” Chris asks. “Volunteers?”

“Glad you asked,” Sam grins. He picks that moment to reveal the object behind his back, showing an empty coke bottle. “Spin the bottle. Whoever it lands on has to hide first.”

There’s some light laughter as Sam sets it down. Steve speaks up first. “So who’s spinning it?”

“I mean, you wanna do the honors, man?” Colby flashes a shit-eating grin. “That sounds like you want to.”

“Yes, I do.” Steve’s smile mirrors Colby’s, drawing another laugh out of the group. Dylan shifts away from his channel partner a bit, adjusting how his hands sit in his hoodie pocket. 

“This feels like a setup,” Matt says. 

“With Sam and Colby? Always.” Rayne nudges Vi as the latter says it, laughing. “Am I wrong?” 

“Not at all,” Lia adds. 

“C’mon guys,” Sam laughs, “we’re not that bad.”

“No, you are,” Dylan says. The deadpan delivery has Rayne and Lia snorting. 

Lia recovers first. “Tell that lie to Juicy.”

“Wow,” Colby draws out. “If we knew we were gonna get bullied we’d have just tossed you guys in there.”

Rayne slaps her hands over Vi and Lia’s mouths, grinning, causing Dylan and Steve to toss smiles at the trio. “We’ll play nice. Spin the bottle.”

After a moment of laughter and shuffling into a circle, Steve crouches down to spin the bottle. The first try it goes flying into Colby’s foot.

“Maybe we shouldn’t be using an empty plastic bottle.” The girls dissolve into laughter as Rayne says it, leaning on each other to stay upright. The triplets dissolve into giggles with them before the six collect themselves, Chris adjusting his beanie next to Lia. Dylan notices how close they stand, raising a silent brow at Lia. The girl purses her lips and turns away from him, causing him to smile. 

Easy smiles are thrown around before Steve tries again, getting an actual spin on the bottle. It flies in circles for a good five seconds before slowly coming to a stop aiming at Chris’ feet. Sam and Colby both go crazy as soon as it stops, yelling out a long “Ohh!”

“Why me!?” 

“Because you asked how we were gonna pick, man.” Colby’s laugh bleeds through his voice. “The bottle knew.”

“So Chris gets to be alone in a giant freaky prison all by himself for fifteen minutes?” Nick pointing it out has everyone smiling wider. 

“I’m just glad it’s not me,” Matt jokes. Chris turns to his brothers, pouting, while the rest of the group edges away, leaving him on his own in front of the door.

“Alright,” Sam tells him, “you have fifteen minutes to find a hiding spot before the rest of us try to find you.”

Sam hands Chris a smaller camera and flashlight, telling him to film the whole time. As soon as the camera’s on and a timer is set, Chris shuffles towards the door, begging for a re-spin the whole way. Once he finally disappears into the building, the rest of the group huddle back at the cars, grouped up together.

“Alright,” Colby announces. “Once the timer goes off, the rest of us are going to be in a race to find Chris. We want everyone to film their race so we can piece it all together later on. Once you find him, you have to stay there with him.”

Sam picks it up from there. “Whoever is the last to find him has to do the challenge I did last time we were here and walk laps around Cellblock E tomorrow night.”

“Oh, yeah, the creepy block where someone set themselves on fire, nice.” Dylan’s deadpan delivery once again has everyone laughing.

“Two people actually!”

“Colby,” Vi says, “you’re way too excited about that.”

“Well-” The laughter takes over again, the group taking advantage of the lightness before the spooky shit starts happening as the night continues on. 

As the timer gets close, the nine set up inside the door of the building, each holding their own camera or phone to record, each with their own little flashlight. Some bounce on their feet in anticipation, others stand unnervingly calm. But everyone has a wild grin on their face, ready to start the game.