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You were unsure if this was a good idea. You walked in silence through the dark forest, a wind that sang low whispered in your ears with every step you took. Mikey clenched your arm in a death grip, his six fingers no doubt going to leave dark marks on your skin. Y'all weren't even inside the mansion, yet Mikey's trembling was comparable to an earthquake– enough to shake the both of you with violent tremors.
Personally, you were excited to see what yokai considered scary, so you weren't feeling too anxious about what horrors lay ahead. However, you felt nervous about how your orange-masked friend would react to the crude terrors of the night. Despite being the one who invited you, he didn't usually go out to spooky places. You knew his reaction to scary things could cut deep into his mind, keeping him up and terrified for weeks. It was likely he didn't really know what he was getting himself into, you thought.
You honestly didn't know what you were getting into either, as typical human internet was not about to show you this mystic mansion's yelp reviews.
It was the gracious month of October, meaning spooky food, spooky outfits, and spooky experiences! During this month you loved to indulge in the holiday spirit and embrace your secret evil side. During a casual conversation with Michaelangelo, he mentioned an upcoming trip to the hidden city and how he planned to go to a haunted house. Immediately your interest was piqued, and you fell to your knees, begging to go with him to this mysterious Halloween mansion. Of course, he couldn't say no to your damn puppy dog eyes.
When the day of adventure came, you were pleasantly surprised to see that Raph had tagged along. It seemed like Michael had dragged him along as emotional support, not really giving his older brother much say in the matter. Of course, due to your incredibly complicated feelings towards Raph, you weren't unhappy with the added member. You smiled, listening to Mikey as he explained what the plan of the night was.
Raph trailed behind the two of you, his arms stiffly crossed and an unamused pout plastered on his face. He did NOT want to be carrying the two of you out of this haunted mansion like babies, but he suspected that was what he was there for.
Or perhaps I'm just supposed to third wheel the entire night, he considered dejectedly.
He thought he would be needed for something more serious, not to chaperone him in some weird holiday house! Mikey had barged into his room as he was getting ready to fall asleep, screaming about "AN URGENT MATTER WITH Y/N THAT MUST BE ADDRESSED IMMEDIATELY". He tackled Raph's relaxed form and shook his shoulders violently, not only acting as an unpleasant way to wake up but also scaring the absolute shit out of him. He nearly destroyed his room with how fast he got geared up.
He couldn't understand the hype of going to this place, especially with how scared you both looked already despite not even stepping foot onto the property. Hell, he couldn't figure out why the two of you brought him of all people– he was known to be especially squeamish around even the mention of horror.
Raph thought through what could possibly be in a scary house– each idea being reminiscent of his childhood fears or a combination of tacky things you'd see in low-budget horror flicks. The whole concept just seemed so silly to him and he hated that he'd likely be getting scared the whole night by such juvenile things. He's an adult! He shouldn't be phased by this stuff!
He took a moment to think about it.
Sure, he had his fair share of fears and phobias, but c'mon who would be scared of a house? A house is supposed to be nice and cozy, a loving place to relax– a piece of non-sentient architecture! He could list a million reasons why a house couldn't be scary, but each thought got him more and more frustrated at having to be here. It's not like he didn't want to spend time with you guys, he was just put off by the idea that you only brought him to be a bodyguard. Plus the way Mikey was slung on your arm like that and rubbing against you put a sour taste in his mouth.
"So, where even is this joint?" Raph tossed his head to the side, his arms folded to grip his neck in an apathetic way. He took a few deep breaths to avoid showing too much attitude to you guys.
You stopped, taking out the map and taking your fingers over the directions Mikey hastily scribbled to the side. "It says we should be…" You squinted your eyes in concentration. "Right there." Your eyes widened as you pointed at an upward angle, sending his gaze to the tip of your finger. His eyes locked on the dark mansion.
Okay, Raph admitted, the house looked pretty darn scary.
The house sat crooked on the top of a smooth hill, the trees of the forest slowly dying and diminishing in number as their presence grew closer to the front porch. The sky was marbled in iris and fire, their colors mixing together to form masses of fear in the sky. Despite how light outside it was, the mansion emitted nothing but darkness, swallowing every bit of light that threatened to reveal its entirety. The form of the house seemed uncertain, stretching at different angles every time you glanced away.
This house was gonna be killer.
You bit your lip in excitement, marveling at your friends' perturbed silence. Quickly you ushered them up the hill as quickly as you could, practically dragging Mikey's fear-stricken body up the stone-tiled staircase. Turning towards the two of them once you reached the entrance, you grinned widely, bouncing up and down on your toes. "Alright guys, are you ready to get your pants scared off of ya?"
Mikey was quick to respond with a shaky thumbs up and a hum of affirmation. It looked like he was too afraid to speak too loud. You smiled assuredly at him and held his hand closer to you. "Aw Mikey, if you want, I can ask Raph to carry your shell through the house so you don't have to see the scary bits! Or we could leave!" As much as you wanted to make your way through this creepy eepy horror house, you wouldn't let your friend feel left out because of something he couldn't control.
A light whistling leaked from the cracks of the closed front door, slipping past you and Mikey just to grab Raph's attention. You continued to rub his brother's head and shoulders the way you would to comfort a child, apparently not even perceiving the frightening noise.
"So, uh," Raph started with a higher pitch than usual. "-- are we just going to ignore the fact that nobody is here?"
"It's not a public attraction, it's more of a hidden treasure that only super awesome people can find– you know, like Magic Mike over here." You snickered lightly, purposely ignoring the way Raph glowered at you.
"So this ain't even a real haunted attraction? Y'just brought us to some isolated shack in the middle of nowhere?" He scoffed, his patience– or perhaps his nerve– was wearing thin. What a reason to be woken up in the middle of the night!
"Yeah, is that okay with you, Dad?" You tugged Mikey closer to your side, tilting your head at him in a challenging manner. Raph's eyes flicked to your hands on Mikey.
SNAP
A sudden crunch– a powerful sound– echoed through the air, striking the three of you in a momentary bout of fear. Instinct took over you and Mikey as you scrambled to hide behind Raph's strong arms and brick wall figure. Your head sat atop Mikey's, one hand gripping his body close to you while you clung to the giant terrapin to your side with the other. Even Raphael looked unnerved at the noise, arm tensed underneath your grasp.
"So, you guys look a bit scared." Raph suggested, his eyes darting to either side of him before his gaze landed on you. You didn't like the authoritative look in his eye. "How about we leave now?"
You disconnected yourself from his side, smirking with borrowed confidence as you turned to face him. Sensing his growing discontent at your behavior, you began to shamble backward, throwing your arms out in a challenging manner.
"Well, feel free to sit out here and wait for me to schmooze with some ghosts and ghouls– get me a ghost boyfriend. I'm sure Mikey would love your company!" You spun around and threw open the door dramatically. Mikey's eyes widened, his shaking suddenly gone and a new passion lit his aura. "I'll try to be qui–"
A quick wave of air rushed by you, accompanied by a strained stream of curse words and a recognizable phrase. "COWABUNGA!" You stared into the void that the door led to, slow to process what just happened. You and Raph looked at each other, confusion, disbelief, surprise– all of it being exchanged in a silent glance.
Mikey had freaking launched himself off of his brother just to missile straight into the black abyss. You know, the one he was so desperately afraid of 30 seconds back.
Great, you thought, glad he felt so confident leaving you and Raph out here all alone! Heat rushed to your face.
You and Raph.
Alone.
"You're stealing my thunder, Michael!" You screeched into the void. Fueled by competitive frustration and the embarrassment of your feelings, you sprinted inside, not even waiting for Raphael. There was no way you could be alone with him, one on one time would be absolutely disastrous to your crush recovery.
"W-wait, wait, wait–" Raph called out to you frantically, reaching his arm out to grab your hand, missing by just a few inches.
You were only a few feet inside when the door suddenly slammed shut, cutting you off from the rest of the outside world. The sweet whistling of the natural breeze was absent, and the sounds of life– the birds, the bugs, the trees– all of it disappeared within an instant. Uncertainty crept its way inside your mind, its voice whispering at you to leave.
"Y/N!?!" You could hear Raph's muffled voice scream from the other side of the door, his first pounding against the door in rapid patterns. "Y/N ARE YOU OKAY!?!?"
"Yeah, I'm fine, big guy!" You croaked out, shocking yourself with how startled you sounded. That was a pretty good introductory scare to this place, you decided. You wondered how they controlled the mechanics of the door without smashing people.
"Wait just a second! I'll find a way in and get you out!" Raph's voice was high-pitched, obviously more scared of your predicament than you were.
Maybe you should wait, you thought to yourself. It would be nice having a big strong dude as your guardian.
That idea irked you.
'Shut up, brain.' you mentally scoffed. 'I ain't no baby back bitch, I don't need a damn man. I'll find Mikey myself and we'll –'
…
MICHAEL.
"Raph, I'm gonna try and find Mikey!" You blurted out before turning away to trek down the hall. You didn't hear his cries begging you not to leave.
The poor guy was alone in this creepily empty house, he must've been hiding all up in his shell! Quickly you descended further into the mansion, the halls lit only by the flashlight you knew you'd probably need. You smirked at your foresight– being a veteran spook enthusiast had its perks!
The floors, despite being made of a visibly frail and elderly selection of wood, were quiet with every step you took. They must have painted the wood to make it appear like it was ancient, or maybe they put mystic goop on it to silence footsteps so it was easier for scare actors to sneak up on people…
Yeah…
You would've never encouraged Mikey to come here if you knew how sketchy this place would be. This was really intense, especially for a first-timer. For all you knew Mikey could've been in the corner having a panic attack over this, you needed to find him quickly.
"Mikey! Michael, hello?" You called out, hoping to find some clue of your friend's whereabouts. The walls surrounded you, digesting every syllable you spoke and throwing them back at you mockingly. It was setting your nerves ablaze. You began to wish more and more that you had Raph's strong and handsome presence with you. You could only keep walking. "Mikey, are you okay? Can you hear me?"
Finally, a sound other than your voice rang out– a heavy whining creak of the wooden floorboards. It was down the hall. You turned around, staring down the vast corridor behind you. Silence held you in place, your wide eyes losing themselves in the sea of darkness that surrounded you. Something wasn't right.
CREAAAAK
The sudden sound, now much closer to you, yanked you from your terrified paralysis. It came from in front of you– or, uh, was it behind you? Quickly spinning yourself around, you glared at the darkness behind you, searching for anything that would have triggered the noises.
Nothing.
Letting out a sigh of partial relief, you turned yourself around to continue your journey, hoping you were heading in the right direction– wherever that may be. "Whoever is running this place is fucked in the head, this tension is absolutely crazy." You mumbled approvingly, trying to calm yourself down by remembering the creativity of this place– the fact that it's NOT REAL. Maybe when you found Mikey and got out of there, you could contact the owners and see when–
A piercing scream sliced through the hall, hitting you square in your chest.
You didn't hesitate– you sprinted down the hallway toward where the scream came from. "MIKEY!" You cried out, panic seeping through your voice as you called for him. Up ahead to your left, you saw a door that was cracked just slightly, so you barged in hopes to find him there. Your heart squeezed in terror, your worst fears already piling up in your mind.
It was a broom closet– and it smelled like shit.
Sneering, you closed the door to the old dusty cubby, its hinges squealing obnoxiously until it clicked shut. You breathed in, held it for three seconds, and then exhaled.
"Fuck, dude." You shook your head and tapped your head lightly. "You gotta keep it together, you're the master of spooks, these thrills will NOT break you."
Reassurance was what you needed because you slowly felt your heart rate ease. Normally you loved the feeling of being afraid, but something about this place just felt too real. You pouted to yourself, angry at all the effort you put into running in this direction just to open a stupid janitor's closet. It would've been a perfect opportunity for a jumpsc–
"Y/N!" A booming voice gasped, and the thumping of heavy footsteps came quickly toward you. The abruptness startled made your calming heart curl into itself like a folding table, sending you tripping backward in a quick panic, a silent scream on your tongue. Thankfully, Raph was right there to catch you before you fell, bashed your head against the wall, and probably died. Man if you croaked in this place you would've haunted the shit out of him. Screw being the bigger person.
What a way to get the place REALLY haunted.
"Shit, I'm sorry! Shoulda' known better than to sneak up on ya in this place." His hand grabbed your shoulder and hovered over your waist. His eyes moved with his head as they darted over each part of your body, checking you over to make sure everything was stable. "You okay?! Did ya find Mikey?"
Boy were you glad to see Raph and his beautiful face.
"G-god you scared the shit out of me!" You wheezed, grabbing your chest dramatically. "I, uh, I haven't found him, I've been walking down this hall for a while and still haven't heard from him." You shook your head, trying to bring the sense out of the last 30 seconds. "How did you even get in here so fast?"
You saw a bit of red form on his cheeks, his gaze looking anywhere but at you. "I, uh– it's not important. I get weird when I'm alone. I wanted to find you before that happened." He chuckled, his nervous snaggletooth smile sending waves of comfort to you. But that was short-lived.
You paused, looking down with a strong sense of uneasiness, thinking back to the blaring screeches you just heard. "I heard screaming coming from this direction, though. I was hoping to find him here, actually." You muttered in defeat.
Raph's face grew concerned, his overprotective brother tendencies leaking through his stern attitude. "That's not good. Mikey has never been chill with this stuff." He grabbed your hand, turning to continue the walk down the hallway, his place brisk and filled with purpose. "We need to find him before he has a panic attack."
Usually, you would swoon over the physical contact and his serious demeanor, but you just couldn't. Knowing that Mikey was missing and probably scared out of his shell was a significant distraction to that. You squeezed his hand, lightly jogging to keep up with his fierce pace. Minutes passed as your intensity slowed down, slowly being overcome by a slight annoyance as the halls stretched on in an endless labyrinth. Still holding your hand, Raph was practically dragging you now. You weren't the most streetwise out there and probably couldn't say shit about architectural rules, but his hallway was too damn long.
Something wasn't right.
"Hey, take a look at this!" Raph blurted out, pulling you lightly towards the door he was looking at. A sharp poke of panic gripped your chest at his sudden actions. Looking at the door, it stood out against the strange aesthetic of the hall, shining a bright distracting yellow that almost hurt to stare at. The halls were dark up until that point, the sudden pop of vibrance was unusual. Your eyes followed up Raph's extended finger, stopping at the words he thought important.
…
Booty Chamber
Raph found the booty room.
You held your tongue, trying to avoid laughing at such a silly name. It felt like a weight disappeared from your shoulders as you heard the sultry chuckle from Raph, his voice sweet enough to lull your tired mind to sleep. What was this, a pirate warehouse? Or maybe a strip joint!
Raph slung a strong arm around your shoulder, leaning down to whisper closely in your ear. "Haha, man, this place sure is scary!" His hushed voice was gritty and lower than usual– its handsome timbre sprouting pulses of heat that pooled into your stomach. His tone was riddled with amusement, a nice icebreaker to the previously tense environment.
"Not for me!" You pushed away from him, your cheeks warm with embarrassment and stubborn confidence. You marched forward with intensity, standing bravely in front of the door. Raph suddenly looked concerned, but before he could say anything to stop you, you moved
You reached out to the handle of the door, your fingers shaking lightly as they stretched out. Your hand was lit strangely, the shadows seeming unnaturally dark as they grew with every inch closer to the door you got. Time seemed to slow to an impossible pace, each second lasting an eternity while you struggled to move. You gripped the knob of the door.
Something wasn't right.
The air seemed to disappear all at once, leaving you in an unbreathable void of cold. All you could do was stand frozen in time, focusing on the few senses you had left. Eyes glued to the door, you could smell the stench of rusting metal– a smell quite unusual considering the old wooden framework that created the house. A tiny creak–you could feel a body slowly moving closer to you, you really hoped it was Raph.
Then you really heard it, a light ghostly cry that seemed to scream volumes in your ear. Your heart pounded, you wanted to open your mouth to speak, to lick your lips– hell just to taste the air, but you were stuck in a fear-stricken paralysis.
A hand gripped your shoulder.
An ear-piercing scream shook your ears, and only after you regained your consciousness did you realize the voice belonged to you. Raphael was positioned above you, his arm holding you protectively away from the danger. His eyes were glowing white, pupils gone and a fierce expression strained his face. His breath was silent, yet his shoulders hunched forward as if he was out of it. His arm wrapped your torso and held you tightly against his plastron, leaving one of his arms available to punch at any enemy that dared challenge him.
Ignoring the flurry of conflicting emotions that threatened to overtake your train of thought, you looked at the thing that stood before you and Raph.
"Mikey!?" You and Raph exclaimed in disbelief, his eyes growing soft with relief knowing that you all were safe. Raph looked down at you, making sure you weren't hurt by his grip on you. While you were looking directly at Mikey, your body curled firmly into his, your hands wrapped around his neck like a lifeline.
"Did I really scare you?!" A sheet was tossed over his head, completely covering his face and only leaving his feet poking out. The white folds on the fabric painted his lovely grin. Relief and joy washed over you as you finally felt safe. Yes, you were annoyed with Mikey for running off and pulling a scary stunt like that. And yeah, you were egregiously terrified. But oh god, the costume was so cute.
With all the pent-up emotion from the past ten minutes, you decided to use it in a healthy way. You jumped at Mikey, giving him a giant hug and attacking him with a flurry of head smooches. Playing up the dramatics, you decided to nearly faint on top of him, hopefully portraying how he creeped the daylights out of you.
"Oh, Michael! You can't pull these mean pranks on me! I am a being unfit for these demon hijinks!" You threw a distressed hand to your forehead, arching your back to squeeze more drama out of the situation. "My neck! My back! My brain! My HEART!" Taking in a deep breath, you pulled out your climactic move– a high-pitched wail that seemed to carry past Mikey and into the hallways. He threw his arms in front of him and frantically shook his hands.
"Aw crap, I didn't mean to make you hurt!" His covered expression quickly morphed into one of regret, sending a little bit of guilt in your direction. He probably worked hard on the setup, it probably took a crazy amount of effort to get the environmental effects right. Maybe you should just throw him a bone.
"I'm just yanking your tail, Mikey!" You lean over and rub his covered head affectionately. "You scared the shit out of me– those noises, the endless halls, and– EEEK– the changes in temperature. You almost sent me running for the hills!"
Mikey's grin returned, the fabric folding around his expression, a proud and mischievous look taking over his spirit. He raised his sheet-covered hand to say something, however, he took a minute to pause. Looking down in thought as he processed your words. His posture looked troubled.
"Mikey, what's up?" Raph pushed, finally calming down enough to speak cordially. Michaelangelo pulled the sheet off of him, his face crumbling in confusion. The white fabric slowly sank to the ground, its descent looked unusual– it wasn't moving how it was supposed to.
"What do you mean endless halls? And what kind of noises? I was here the whole time waiting for you guys to show up!" He frowned. "What noises did you hear?"
"We heard–"
A scream that rang like an alarm shattered the air around you, and suddenly you found yourself paralyzed again. You could only curse yourself in your thoughts, your body refusing to move no matter how much you brain-screeched at it. This wasn't right, this wasn't a haunted mansion for fun. This fear…
You were truly in danger.
"AGHHHHHHHHHH!" Raph let a loud shrilly scream, then scooped you up from where you were glued, holding you over his shoulder like a potato sack. He then grabbed Mikey and absolutely booked it toward the exit. Tears flooded your eyes as you will yourself to move, yet your limbs stayed locked in place even as Raph fled through the halls.
Your heart was beating too fast, you heard the scratching claws of whatever was trying to get you. Its voice rang with the intensity of a tornado siren, its high notes digging into the crevices of your brain. Finally, you moved, lifting your head up from Raph's shoulder to peer at the creature who was chasing you.
But everything turned black.
You were back outside the mansion. Raph was on his back, sweating pooling from his face and a dazed expression stuck to him. Mikey's shell was in his other arm. Your head lay against his chest, hearing the incredibly fast beating of his heart through his plastron. He was hyperventilating. You brought your hand up to his face, rubbing his cheek in comfort, and his breathing began to slow.
Mikey popped an eye out of his shell. He retreated as soon as he heard the first noise, so thankfully he didn't see the creature. He looked at you guys, eyes wide and glossy with fear.
"Man." You sighed, dropping your head into the nape of Raph's neck, craving a weird protection that only he could provide.
"Man." Mikey squeaked out.
"Man." Raph gasped, his voice and body seeming distant, only showing his consciousness by the slight tremors that wracked his body.
You let out another sigh, noticing the shakiness in your own actions.
"Let's get out of here." Hugging yourself closer to Raph, you accept that you wouldn't be moving from that spot any time soon. After a couple of minutes to restore his own composure, he felt ready to get up. He stood, holding you like a baby while Mikey curled himself around his head and shoulders. He began the trek back home.
"Man fuck haunted houses."