Chapter Text
(A silhouette of a house is shown, shadows pass over a forest. Baekhyun is shown jumping over and pointing the flashlight up on the ceiling. Baekhyun yells as the camera swerves to the left. Chen is laughing his ass off in green light, generally undisturbed. The scene cuts as the shows logo flashes on the screen. Baekhyun's voice over plays.)
"A Friday the 13th special right here on Buzzfeed Unsolved: EXO Version, we visit a Mansion known to house a number of malignant spirits: the Chrysler Estate up north."
(A footage of Baekhyun and Chen walking outside of a poorly fenced haunted mansion as the sun sets behind them is shown, the video eventually doubling in speed as the intro to Wolf plays. The sun sets and disappears beneath the visible horizon and darkness settles in.)
(The camera cuts to Baekhyun and Chen already sitting in a dark room on some old couches, surrounded by seemingly normal and homey household furniture. The camera briefly zooms in on a family portrait before focusing on Baekhyun’s face.)
"Join us in our ever continuing quest to prove if ghosts and ghouls are real."
(Camera pans to Chen with an expressionless face as he shakes his head no.)
Baekhyun sighs, traces of a smile still curling the ends of his lips upwards despite his obvious exasperation. He turns to face Chen. "What is it this time?"
Chen shrugs, smiling wordlessly at the camera. "What spooky stuff are we dealing with today?" He throws in finger quotes on the word spooky stuff for added effect.
Baekhyun balks, adamantly gesturing around them with both hands. "We didn't go this far and do all this research for you to call it "spooky stuff", Chen. You’re literally sitting in the middle of a haunted basement! In the middle of a haunted house! On Friday The 13th!”
Chen purses his lips, unimpressed. “All you fanatics with your superstitious beliefs and such. Thirteen is literally just a number. What’s so scary about that?” He then glances at the camera and shrugs with his whole body.
Baekhyun sighs again, glancing at the camera with such a forlorn expression, before fixing his stare on the floor.
“My soul just literally left my body just now. If-if I could die, just so I could haunt you and prove all of this is real, I would. I really would.”
Chen suddenly reclines back on the dusty couch, crossing his arms over his chest. “Well, I mean, no one’s stopping you.”
Baekhyun groans, running both palms over his face in exasperation. He grumbles under his breath. “I hate you, I hate you so much.”
Chen goes full on cheshire with his grin as he glances at Baekhyun’s body slumped over the chair opposite his. "That’s fair.”
(Baekhyun lifts his head and then rolls his eyes as the camera zooms in, amusement and exasperation having never left his expression.)
"Before we drive all the ghosts out with all our bickering, here’s a little history on the Chrysler Estate."
(The video cuts to a sepia-toned photograph of the Chrysler Estate, in all its previous Mansion-like glory, spanning two floors and built on top of an acre of land. There are trees littered and perfectly manicured grass surrounding the estate. Baekhyun’s voice over plays.)
“The Chrysler Estate is home to German Immigrants Felix and Sofia Chrysler, who bought the land in the 1920s. Felix, who was a wealthy businessman in Bavaria, brought all his riches with him and planned to start a family in this new land--America.”
(The video cuts to show a black screen with dialogue as Chen and Baekhyun exchange comments.)
chen: so, he left his perfectly wealthy, probably stable life in Bavaria to start living in then shitty America?
baekhyun: (snorts)
i guess he was blindsided by the american dream?
chen: (sighs) the american dream isn’t real people it is a LIE
baekhyun: a LIE
(The video resumes, this time showing a montage of the Chrysler Estate and its inhabitants. All black and white photographs of relatives, descendants and acquaintances. Baekhyun resumes narrating.)
“As soon as the house finishes construction, he and Sofia move in with both of their extended families--aunts and uncles as well as paternal and maternal grandparents. It was an eternally busy home, immediately becoming the favorite place for the entire Chrysler clan to meet and dine.”
(Photos of the Chrysler family eating in the grand dining room are shown, and then the camera focuses on two people beside Felix and Sofia. They were old and hunched, and seemed to be frowning.)
“Felix’s grandparents were already over 80, and rarely engaged in the festivities regularly happening in their home. Their preferred place to stay in was the house’s basement, which was always dry, warm and significantly quiet. Away from the constant hustle and bustle of children, drunk adults and barking animals. Basically every elderly person’s dream. Until one day, it became their worst nightmare."
(Chen cuts in, the screen flashes black and their dialogue appear)
chen: i dont really like where this is going
baekhyun: no, i dont either
“On the eve of December 13, 1932, a fire broke in the Chrysler Estate’s kitchen, costing them up to a hundred thousand dollars worth of damage--and two lives. When the fire first broke out, every family member was out in the common room, everyone except the two grandparents still in the basement. Chaos then quickly ensued as the smoke began rising up and alerting everyone of the fire. Both Felix and Sofia ushered everyone out as fast as they could--the fire was already too big to put out and safety was top priority. They checked every room above ground and ran out as fast as they can. They even did a head count--and was able to get 28--they were complete. Everyone was supposed to be accounted for. Until much later when Felix went on to look for his grandparents so they could ride in the rescue truck along with the rest of the family."
"He realized, to his horror, that they forgot they were still in the basement when the fire happened.”
chen: No! how do you just, FORGET SOMEONE?!
baekhyun: i mean, its terrible but it was a fire man.
their brains were probably mush.
everyone was probably running around,
yelling “get out! fire! everyone out”
chen: but what were Felix’s parents doing??
Did they expect 80 something adults to just run out to safety?
they could probably barely even stand oh my god
baekhyun: (wheezes)
i dunno man, but that’s what happened and its beyond tragic
(The video cuts to the two of them reclining on the chair, the room still dark besides the two overhead lights propped behind them.)
“Imagine just--sitting here, chilling.” Chen says, fingers interlocked on his stomach. “And then suddenly there’s smoke and a huge fire blocks your exit, with no one coming for you.
Baekhyun frowns. “Yeah, that’s a really sad way to go.”
“It is.”
Baekhyun glances at the camera before addressing Chen. “It get’s sadder.”
Chen groans, sitting up straight. “Urgh, what?”
He looks at the camera, lifts a hand up to gesture between the two of them. “Folks, this isn’t the Friday the 13th special. We lied. This is Sadness Central. Welcome to Sadness Central everybody.”
Baekhyun laughs. “He’s not wrong, but hear me out.”
(Narration continues, and a saddened animation of Felix and Sofia are shown.)
“Devastated by their apparent carelessness, Felix and Sofia dedicate a shrine to their passed loved ones, giving them flowers and offering prayers every day. However, no matter how much they pray or how many flowers they offer, it never took away the pain of losing their grandparents. They were finally drove to desperation one day when they went downstairs to check on the newly reconstructed basement. It looked so eerily similar to their previous one that they, Felix and Sofia, could easily picture them still alive, rocking back and forth on the twin rocking chairs. Suddenly, they were struck with an idea.”
chen: oh no
baekhyun: (wheezes) what?
chen: nothing good ever comes out of ‘suddenly, they were struck with an idea’
baekhyun: oh you’ll love this
“Felix and Sofia collectively decided to bring them back. The elderly couple didn’t deserve to die the way they did, and so the husband and wife did everything in their power to bring them back from the dead. They consulted them all--quack doctors, occultists, scientists, shamans. They searched high and low. The vision they both saw that day at the basement was like their calling; and so they set forth to bring justice the only way they knew how to: raising the dead.”
(The narration and animation cuts as Chen is shown looking at the camera incredulously with an eyebrow raised.)
“They wanted to raise the dead.” Chen deadpans, and Baekhyun shrugs with a laugh.
“Yeah, that’s what they said. All the research backs this statement up. That’s what started it all.”
Baekhyun points downwards, gesturing vaguely on the cemented floor. “On this very floor, under all these cement, are supposed dark markings and symbols drawn, reminiscent of rituals that could no longer be erased. It is said that the occultists they found, all the way back from Germany actually conducted regular sacrificial rituals, and knew all about necromancy. But for a price. They let them do all he wanted in exchange for these rituals to bring back the dead.”
Chen laughs, crossing his arms over his chest. “And the result was?”
Baekhyun winces, wrinkling his nose. “Mm, eh. Spirits and demons let loose. But no resurrected grandparents.”
Chen snorts, shaking his head. “They were definitely bamboozled.”
Baekhyun rolls his eyes. “They were desperate, and probably had no other choice then. Anyway, the rituals performed here by the occultist is the main reason this place is so haunted--instead of bringing back Felix’s grandparents, the occultist supposedly managed to open a portal that leads straight to Hell. Now, malignant spirits and the restless souls of Felix’s grandparents haunt these walls.”
(Earlier footage of Chen and Baekhyun standing outside of the old wooden doors play.)
Baekhyun smiles, clasping his hands in front of him.
“Well, this is it. The most haunted estate within driving distance. And I’m visiting it on Friday the 13th.” He laughs, before shaking his head in disbelief.
“Fuck, I’m going to die.”
Chen on the other hand, is having the time of his life taking pictures of the house from the outside.
“Chen what are you doing??”
Chen doesn’t even spare him a glance. “For Instagram.”
Baekhyun facepalms. “I can’t--I don’t believe you.”
Chen grins, completely unashamed. “I’m taking ghost selfies to commemorate this event.”
Chen poses, v sign high around an ‘invisible entity’. “Say cheese, ghouls!”
Baekhyun then shakes his head and leaves, passing by the camera and whispering conspiratorially. “I’m traveling with a child.”
(The footage stops and the scene where Baekhyun and Chen are still seated resume.)
“Well,” Chen begins, standing up. “Let’s test how haunted these walls really are.”
Baekhyun remains seated, gulping a lungful of air. “Uh, it’s still too early in the night to get killed right?”
Chen just passes by him, already examining the walls. “Get up, you big baby.”
Baekhyun relents after a few seconds of intensely staring at the camera. He walks behind Chen, intentionally keeping close.
“You know, according to the previous occupants of this house, in this very basement they would hear those chairs rocking by themselves, muted laughter, and furnitures going bump in the night.”
Chen hums, tracing the lines of soot and moss on the cold walls. “Interesting. Do you want to turn the lights off? See if anything happens?”
Baekhyun’s smile is strained as he agrees. “That’s what we’re here for.”
In a minute all the lights are out and the night vision for all the cameras are turned on. Chen and Baekhyun are bathed in eerie green light.
“Well. It’s dark.”
Chen laughs. “Yes, Captain Obvious. Now time to call out to the spirits!”
Baekhyun groans, bracing himself. “Oh god.”
“Spirits! Demons! If you’re here, rock those chairs!” Chen snorts. “Okay that wasn’t threatening enough. Uh...okay! Uh, ghouls, if you’re here, and want to see Baekhyun pee his pants, break a window or something!”
Baekhyun winces, panicking as he glances briefly at the camera. “Chen what are you doing ??”
Chen ignores him, strides towards the rocking chairs and plops his ass down in one. “I’m sitting on one of your special chairs, are you upset? If you are then you better show me! Kick me out!”
Suddenly, a knock sounds on one of the windows and Baekhyun jumps.
“Fuck!”
He whirls around, flashlight on and directed towards the tiny window.
“What the fuck...ahhh!!” Baekhyun panics and drops the flashlight.
“Holy shit Chen, I lost my light. Holy shit, holy shit. ”
Chen chuckles and stands up, walking over to Baekhyun. “Relax man, jeez. Here take mine.”
He hands his flashlight over and Baekhyun takes it gratefully. The flashlight switches on and Baekhyun visibly calms down.
“See? Nothing unusual. There isn’t anyone here.”
The light suddenly flickers off and Baekhyun screams.
“AHHH CHEN SHUT THE FUCK UP!”
Chen laughs as he watches Baekhyun suffer from a mental breakdown, pacing back and forth and muttering under his breath.
“Holy shit we’re gonna die--we’re legitimately going to die. On camera, just for a fucking internet show. Oh my god.”
(The video pauses, and Baekhyun’s voice over is heard.)
“At around this time, our audio equipment picks up a strange sound...that oddly resembles the words: leave now. ”
(The scene where Baekhyun paces back and forth replays, the strange audio also repeated.)
In current time, Baekhyun and Chen are in an audio room listening to the strange sound over and over again, analyzing it.
Chen looks disappointed after a few more plays. “Honestly, the first time I heard this, it really did sound like ‘leave now’. But hearing this now when I’m sane and less sleep deprived, it all just sounds like a blurb of eeergh.”
Baekhyun is undeterred by Chen’s dismissal of the sound; in fact, if anything, he perks up.
“But this means you recognize the sound! That there was a sound made, hah! ” Baekhyun fist pumps.
“I win!”
Chen cackles, throwing an arm over his shoulder. “It was a sound for sure, but it could be made by anything. People, animals, wind, perhaps?”
Baekhyun’s jaw drops, and the camera zooms in on his dumbfounded expression.
“You have got to be shitting me. Wind??”
(The video resumes and a closeup of Baekhyun’s terrified face occupies the screen.)
“I don’t have a good feeling, dude. Let’s get outta here.”
Chen waves him off. “Nonsense. We still haven’t done the two minutes of alone time in every room with the most activity.”
Even under the green lights, it is evident that Baekhyun pales. Meekly, he gasps.
“What?”
“You heard me. If it makes you feel any better, I’ll go first.”
It doesn’t. It doesn’t make Baekhyun feel any better when he knows the spirits are after him and not Chen. He fidgets helplessly outside the basement after everyone was ushered out.
Chen is left inside with a camera on a tripod and his balls of steel as his only companion.
There’s some shuffling inside and Baekhyun knocks on the door. “Chen? Chen! Are you alive?”
“Alive and kickin’ baby!”
Baekhyun exhales.
“Right, okay. I’ll calm down. Your two minutes start...now.”
(The video switches as Chen is shown instead, looking bored as he stands there with a lone flashlight.)
“Spirits, if you’re here, make your presence known by saying something. Or mess with my flashlight, go nuts.”
Chen lifts the flashlight and turns it on, whirls it around. Nothing happens.
“As expected...everything before was a perfectly timed coincidence. But let’s spook Baekhyun for a bit--this is the only reason I keep insisting on these two minute trials in the first place.” Chen whispers conspiratorially to the camera, before winking.
“Ah-ah, fuck.” Chen fake groans.
Baekhyun is shown quickly running over to the door. “Chen? Chen are you alright?” He glances at his watch, and then yells at the door. “You have thirty seconds left!”
“Baek, my light went out!”
Baekhyun swears under his breath and reaches toward the camera. “Hey Kyungsoo, my flashlight is still broken. Can you lend me yours?”
The cameraman wordlessly hands his flashlight over.
“Thanks, man.” Baekhyun says before turning towards Chen.
“Your time is up! My turn so we can get this over with and leave. I have a really bad feeling about this place.”
Chen casually exits the basement, yawning. “Nothing as usual. You know, I was really looking forward to this. After all the ruckus earlier you would have thought we would get something.” He shakes his head in disappointment. “Your turn Baekkie.”
“Shut up Chen. Don’t taunt them when it’s finally my turn.”
With trembling hands and wobbly knees Baekhyun enters the basement, sits on one of the rocking chairs against his better judgment, and waits.
Its eerily silent--one that crawls up his spine and cause him to break out in goosebumps.
“Ahh, nothing’s happened yet and I’m already freaked out.”
Baekhyun looks around just to assure himself that nothing is out of place. “Nice, okay. I need to do this. Baekhyun, stay calm. Do not piss your pants.”
Chen snorts from the outside, throwing a thumb over the door. “He’s a wuss.”
“I can hear you Chen, shut up!”
Baekhyun takes a deep breath and then focuses. “Okay, uh. Spirits. Ghosts. Demons, hey. It’s me, your friendly tourist. Care to show me around the house?”
Baekhyun has tried every approach besides passive aggressive. He hopes it annoys the spirits enough to bring them forward, but hopefully, not enough to actually kill him.
“I’m nice and I pick up after myself, I swear.”
“One minute Baek!”
Baekhyun closes his eyes before looking around. “You heard that? One minute is all you’ve got to prove to us you exist. And then we’re off. I’ll shut up now and give you time, okay? One, two, three.”
Silence. Nothing. Baekhyun’s own heavy breathing fills his ears. He continues glancing around nervously until Chen yells for his time to be over and promptly shoots out of his seat.
The rocking chair rocks violently, but Baekhyun’s too busy chattering his fear away to notice.
“The Chrysler Estate basement, conquered! Take that ghouls. I’m never coming back.”
Baekhyun leaves the room smiling ear to ear.
“Nothing to see here guys, let’s go.”
The crew packs up and they relocate upstairs, towards the next biggest room of activity. The common room.
Chen and Baekhyun walk side by side as they go up the wide flight of stairs leading to the main grounds of the house. Electricity was no longer working anywhere in the estate, but they could imagine how grand everything used to be.
“So, what suspicious activity was detected in the common room?” Chen asks as they set up in the common room, lights and audio as well as filming equipment set out in the room.
“It’s called a ghost sighting , Chen, not ‘suspicious activity’. You can say it. It’s not contagious. You won’t suddenly be a believer in the paranormal if you do.”
Chen wheezes, shaking his head.
“I’m carrying ghost busting paraphernalia, Baekhyun. I think it’s a little too late for me to be uninvolved in paranormal believing activities.”
Baekhyun eyes him, observing the radio on his arm. “Well, technology does suit you.”
Chen guffaws. “Was that a compliment?”
The cameraman groans from behind them as he fixes and rearranges the set up.
“Can you guys like, not flirt in front of the staff? This is scarier than any other ghost, for fucks sake.”
Baekhyun laughs, wheezes. “Flirting, hah.”
Chen raises an eyebrow, twirling the small flashlight he had around his wrist. He says, barely a whisper, “aren’t we?”