Work Text:
“So...ghosts, huh?”
Victor sighs as Eli parks the car on the side of a rocky road, the gloom outside leaving only the faint outlines of trees to be discerned as Victor squints out the windows. Eli opens the side door and slides out, humming quietly as he moves to the trunk at the back.
“Yep. This time we are going to see some, I’m sure of it! The location is much better suited, and I’ve brought a good old fashioned camcorder so we don’t have to rely on an internet connection like before.”
Victor clicks open his door whilst Eli rummages loudly through all the equipment stored in the back- no cameras and cables this time, instead there's a lot of technology that he doesn’t recognise. He stands next to Eli, frowning at the array of shiny metal in front of him.
“What is this thing meant to be? A fancy radio?”
He holds up a small rectangular box with what looks like a speaker in the front- its sides are adorned with all manner of buttons and dials. Eli’s eyes light up at Victor’s discovery, and he eagerly snatches up the device.
“Don’t be silly Vic, can’t you see it's a spirit box? We can use this to talk with the ghosts. It’s super cool when it works correctly!”
Usually being called Vic makes him feel patronized, but the way Eli says it with admiration makes him feel like it’s a secret that only they share. He knows nobody else would have the luxury of entertaining such an idea. Eli is the reason he is here after all, but despite the constant excited ramblings he gets to hear from him on a daily basis, Victor still doesn’t believe in the supernatural- they’ve yet to actually find proof. Still he finds himself tagging onto every expedition Eli makes: first it was to Angie’s - just one time, he’d told himself … Then it was a couple of hurried exceptions across a month or two, when Eli stared at him in that way he couldn’t refuse. Now it’s nearly every weekend. Victor had seen (or not seen) it all, investigating past crime scenes, hunting the woods for cryptids, stargazing for UFOs, he didn’t really care whether they found anything or not, he just enjoyed the excuse to keep Eli company, to bask in his enthusiasm and excitement for the unknown. Eli never seemed to comment on his continued presence, they’d found a comfort in each other that neither could quite express.
He asks Eli about what sort of things they should be bringing and gets a muffled reply from where he’s buried himself in a large pile of equipment. Victor turns around to map the surroundings, breathing in the cool fresh air of the outdoors. They’d driven several miles out of town, Eli remaining cryptic about their final destination except for the twinkle of anticipation lingering in his eyes as they approached. The dark shadows of trees loom menacingly against the night sky, the dense forest appearing like a silent, watchful audience. A chill breeze blows through the area, biting into the wool of Victor's dark overcoat. He wonders if Eli feels it too, he didn’t even bother with a jacket. The rustle of the leaves is soothing and he focuses on the building murmur, letting it sink into him. As much as he wanted to convince himself otherwise, he liked Eli, at least enough to actively want to spend time with him. The sense of unbreachable rivalry between them had softened into something different over the past months, ever since that first night they set out on a ghost hunt. He’d allowed himself to attach onto someone else, drop his own barriers down just that little bit. Victor continued staring wistfully at the trees, unwilling to confront his deepest thoughts in their entirety.
-
Spirit box, night vision goggles, portable camera, torches, holy water. Eli went through his mental checklist as he rifled furiously through the boot of the car. He’d found most of what he was looking for, but a couple items had eluded his searching gaze. Eli had spent several weeks working up the nerve to ask Victor to accompany him, despite the fact he had been willingly joining him on his escapades for weeks prior. Something curious had overcome his roommate after their last ghost hunting adventure, a willingness, as Eli would put it- at least whenever he was involved. He wouldn’t forget the moment he woke up that night, panicking at the unfamiliar surroundings, to find his head resting in Victor’s lap, the blond's hand tangled in Eli’s own hair. He warmed at the distant thought. They hadn’t spoken about it, of course. Victor had been sleeping at that point so it may have been accidental- he secretly hoped that it wasn’t. He glanced over to Victor's still form, black clothes blending into the natural surroundings as he stared intensely at the tree line. He remarks upon how his light hair seems to glow under the moonlight- the harshness of the outdoors suited Victor. Eli turns back to the task at hand and lets out a small triumphant cry as he finally finds what he was looking for. He calls Victor over, gathering up his things.
“I think I’ve got everything. Give me a hand, would you? We are heading up that path just over there.”
Eli waves his free hand momentarily in the direction of somewhere west of the car and Victor nods in comprehension.
“Let me carry something for you.”
He grabs the camera equipment, following Eli silently through the woods as he sets off in the direction of their destination. Where Eli sounds like a wild animal fleeing danger- twigs snapping underfoot and branches hitting his arms- Victor is like a predator, stalking noiselessly across the ground. Eli wouldn’t have realized he was there at all if he hadn’t known he was already following. They walk uphill for several minutes, trees replaced by rocks, until eventually they stop entirely. He can hear Victor's sharp intake of breath as he catches sight of the enormous house in front of them.
It stands alone in the clearing of trees, a dark mass sitting in the middle of the forest. The windows are old and shuttered, ivy consuming the brickwork from the outside as it trails across the walls. The door is big with an ornate door knocker, a mailbox lying rusted and abandoned like a wounded soldier by the front steps. The wind begins to howl, leaves floating up in clouds as they stand together and face the house.
Eli shivers slightly at the lingering thought of what could lurk inside, stepping instinctually closer to Victor, who finally decides to speak.
“Are we even allowed to be here? Where did you find this place? It's… certainly a step up from an empty student apartment.”
He continues to regard the building with a concerned sort of awe, the corners of his mouth tilting ever so slightly into a frown as he inspects it further. Eli hastily interjects his own train of thought before he can start to change his mind.
“An online forum recommended it, apparently there have been multiple sightings here. It certainly looks the part.”
His hand moves to clutch the cross around his neck out of habit, as he silently prays- keep us safe. Eli suddenly remembers something he has buried deep in his jean pockets, and he turns to Victor with a sheepish smile.
“I uh.. got something for you, just in case.”
He motions for Victor to hold out one hand and presses a small metal object into it. Victor looks down at it with a small measure of surprise, but accepts it anyway.
-
Eli places a small cross into Victor's hand, the metal black and worn with age. He takes it gently, as if the slightest movement would somehow tarnish it. He feels strange accepting such a bland religious token, but he senses the genuine concern in Eli’s voice so decides to comply. He must have been staring confusedly at it for some time because Eli feels the need to speak up.
“I know you aren’t religious but I thought you could use one, for… ghost reasons. I also find it helps me focus myself. Here, you’re supposed to wear it on your neck.”
Before he can react, Eli reaches over for the cross and leans in to fasten it neatly around his neck. Victor can feel his breath, warm against the chill of his skin, and it sends a pleasant shiver up his neck. He likes the feel of the cold metal, the comforting weight of the necklace reminding him of Eli’s presence. He sees Eli draw back quickly, cheeks flushing as he realizes the overstepped boundary. Victor smiles briefly, and pretends not to notice, causing his roommate to spiral into an even more flustered panic. He enjoyed knocking Eli off his pedestal of composure every once in a while.
“Thanks. Although I doubt any ghosts are going to attack me, I appreciate the gesture. Now, are we going to head inside? It’s freezing out here.”
Eli seems to remember what they are doing, the excitement returning in a flood as he adjusts himself, grabbing the portable camera with a little too much enthusiasm. The device flickers on with a beep as he aims the camera straight at Victor. Yet again, his entire demeanor shifts into that of his online persona as he adjusts the settings and begins executing his usual script.
“Hi guys, it’s Eli! Welcome back to Theories and Theses, ghost hunting expedition part 2! Apologies this isn’t live, but because of last time's technical difficulties, I thought it would be more reliable to film this in advance. I promise no editing will go on behind the scenes, I intend to show you the real deal . As you can see I’m joined again by Victor, who’s standing in front of our current spooky location for the night. Give us a wave, would you?”
Victor looks up at him, smiling coyly at the camera whilst offering a mechanical wave.
“He’s here to help me find some ghosts, aren’t you, Vic?
That gets him alert. Eli can see his eyes widen ever so slightly, the nervous shuffle of his feet and the brief embarrassed blush as he replies.
“Yeah. Although I don’t believe in them. Ghosts aren’t real.”
“Ha! Just ignore him, he’s a denier. Today we are at Hawthorn Mansion, in the forest a few miles out of town. Some of you guys in the chat recommended this place to me in the forums, so I sure hope you are onto something! I’m just gonna grab all our stuff and then we’ll head inside.”
Eli wraps the camera grip around one hand, motioning to Victor with the other. They approach the front of the house cautiously, avoiding tripping on the fallen mailbox and plant roots growing across the ground. He goes to forcefully push open the door but is stopped by Victor's hand wrapped around his, a cool embrace. Eli stands stock still.
“You should knock. Let them know we are here.”
The sincerity of his request shakes Eli out of his focus on Victor's hand. He shakes his head briefly before snapping back to reality.
“Hah. You're so serious all the time I almost didn’t think you had the capacity to make jokes. Why not bang on this ghosts’ door… I can’t see any issues with that. That sounds like a terrible-“
Before he can finish Victor grabs the brass knocker and slams it several times against the door in rapid succession. Eli begins to feel his stomach pile up with nerves as the knock rings out across the air. He turns the camera onto Victor with a sense of frantic desperation only to find him grinning, eyes brimming with mischief.
“There’s nothing here to worry about Eli. I’m just messing with you. Let’s go inside.”
At some point between Victor opening the door and Eli stepping into the hall behind him, a sharp bang reverberates through the house. They both freeze upon entry, for Eli though, it’s the last straw- he drops the camera and it crashes to the floor.
-
“ Shit.”
Eli curses as the camera drops to the ground and the room is plunged into darkness yet again. Victor rummages in his pocket for the flashlight he grabbed from the car and switches it on, bathing the hall in a weak yellow light. It illuminates the hunched form of Eli as he leans over his camera, making panicked noises as he tries in vain to switch it back on.
“This is the second one this month . I won’t be able to afford another at this rate!”
He walks over to Eli and crouches down beside him, putting a hand on his shoulder.
“I can get you a new one. Don’t worry about it, let’s just focus on catching some ghosts.”
His eyes light up with a relieved appreciation as they both stand up to survey their surroundings. The torchlight casts shadows across the room, creating small pockets of darkness that linger behind furniture that has been covered with dust sheets. Malformed shapes remain as symbols of domestic life, long abandoned to the wilds. Victor feels Eli’s arm brush his as another bang sounds from upstairs and he moves closer to his side. Naturally, Victor's curiosity drives him in everything he does, so he moves to follow the sounds.
“W-Wait Victor we can’t film anymore… maybe… maybe we should just come back another time.”
He brandishes his phone at Eli.
“We can film with this if we find anything interesting. Besides, don’t be a scaredy cat, let’s check out the sounds. If it makes you feel better you can follow behind me, I doubt there’s anything here to be scared of, it’s likely a wild animal.”
The wind takes the moment to howl again in dramatic effect, rustling the covers on the furniture, giving the impression of inanimate white ghosts. He creeps up the stairs, Eli following behind in apprehension. They reach the first floor, a weathered red wallpaper adorning the walls, the hallway blissfully empty. Everything falls silent for a minute as they stand side by side, admiring the emptiness of the house, the rows of doors leading to unexplored rooms, the torch acting as a beacon of navigation through the gloom. It’s at this moment that the torchlight begins to flicker on and off, intermittently at first and then with growing frequency.
“Are you getting footage of this Vic?? Your torch is on the fritz ! This looks like evidence that we have a ghost in our midst. Spirit, if you can hear us, give a sign! Then turn the light out or something, we- we mean you no harm.”
Victor is doubtful that anything will happen, but is glad that Eli forgot his momentary fears as soon as something more exciting happened to replace them. He’s leaning intently over to gaze at the torch, attention fully focused on it as the light continues to waver. All at once, the torch light abruptly cuts out followed by Victor's phone switching off without warning. A low cracking begins to build up as his stomach twists. He had to admit this was a little peculiar, even for coincidence. Eli turns to him, panic in his eyes just as a voice bursts through the static.
Leave. You are not welcome here.
All of the doors on the first floor open at once, then slam back. Eli nearly jumps out of his skin and Victor just stands still, composed yet confused. This didn’t fit with any sort of scientific phenomena. A stray gust of forceful wind? A radio frequency misconstrued as a message? There couldn’t possibly be actual ghosts.
“Stay calm. Nothing is real, it’s all circumstance. I will say this is a pretty creepy house, much worse than our last location. It’s probably not helping much with your nerves. Let’s just turn around, go back down the stairs and leave it there for the night.”
Eli looks suddenly pale, as if he’d seen a ghost. His eyes are fixed in place on a spot in the far corner, right at the end of the passage.
“Can’t you see it?”
Victor squints into the darkness, struggling to make anything out, when suddenly an eye flashes luminously from the shadows. A pale hand reaches out to point at them, skin wavering in the air like a phantom illusion. He blinks and it’s gone, a small trick of the light, a lingering fear. Eli is shaking silently next to him, still staring into empty space. He puts a hand on his shoulder, and Eli flinches, jittery under the touch.
“There… there was a hand and it was transparent. I saw.. a… a ghost!! Didn’t you see? It was right there in front of us.”
His mind flicks back to the last few seconds, that wavering image of a human form, just barely out of reach. Victor shakes his head, dispelling the image- surely it was just Eli’s fear seeping into him, making him nervous.
“I saw something. But it definitely wasn’t a ghost.”
Another burst of static causes them both to jolt upright, the sudden scare having made them more wary of their surroundings. The hall looms ominous and silent before them, a stray picture frame hanging off the faded walls.
Victor sighs, adjusting the collar of his jacket, “I think all this is getting you a bit too on edge, want to head back out?”
Eli turns to him, fear replaced by that nervous excitement he often gets when confronted by the unknown.
“ No way! I may be absolutely terrified right now, but I refuse to leave until I at least get footage of that apparition.”
A creak sounds across the hall, as if someone were heading straight for them. At the same time, a large gust of wind comes swirling in from the direction of the staircase, just as something snaps and a lampshade behind them plummets to the ground. Victor watches the events in slow motion: the pale outline of a hand as it drifts through the air just above Eli’s head, the sound of scissors, a ripping tear as the light is pulled from the wall. He moves without thinking, crashing into Eli, sending them both tumbling into the dark void of the nearest open doorway. He scrambles to kick the door shut behind them as he hears Eli groan behind him.
“W-what on earth was that? ”
-
A girl stands alone in her house, tucked safely away from civilization. She likes it here, the house is big, with lots of rooms and no one there to fill them. Sometimes visitors come- loud, impolite people who walk around the house like they own the place, bringing bright flashing things that make strange noises, and boxes that screech like owls. The woods whisper of their arrival, the girl waits patiently. She often scares them away, the other people, they don’t care about her, she’s a monster, a phantom of the dark, something to be investigated .
She does not remember her name, only how she just wanted to disappear.
-
Eli opens his eyes and looks around in a panic, he remembers hearing a loud crash as Victor launched himself at his side and they both fell into another room. They are surrounded by darkness and he can hear Victor’s heavy breathing as he lays beside him. He gropes around in the dark for the flashlight but ends up grabbing Victor's foot by accident. He realizes they are tangled across each other and he quickly scrambles to sit up in a moment of brief embarrassment. Yet again he had managed to drag his roommate into yet another mess.
“Thanks for that. I guess old houses are pretty unstable.”
Eli feels foolish even as the words leave his mouth, he knows they both saw the pale hand that reached for the light, even as the panic of the moment diminishes he can’t help but buzz with anticipation. Someone else was here with them. His hand reaches back and lands on the cool handle of the flashlight, which he quickly turns on, bathing them in a weakly flickering light. Victor’s face looks pale and drawn, a mask of concentration as he frowns slightly down at him. Eli looks at the dirt stains that cover his jeans, the scratches on his arms, even Victor's coat has torn slightly at the bottom. They seem to be stuck in a small storeroom of some sort, shelves line the walls, all long empty. He sighs, Victor looks at him, and for the first time he can see actual fear in his eyes.
-
Victor couldn’t ignore it any longer. Whatever was outside that door was no longer human. He didn’t think it was possible, by all means it shouldn’t be , but the things they’d seen tonight had proven otherwise. Something existed beyond death, he stares at the floor intensely, thinking things over. Finally, he turns to Eli, and like in some sort of dream he speaks.
“I think there is an actual ghost out there. Or something inhuman. People don’t - they don’t just turn transparent. Before the light fell, I saw… a hand, reaching for the cables. And before, in the hall, the flash of an eye, glowing in the dark.”
Eli’s eyes widen at his words, and to Victor’s surprise, he actually breaks out into a nervous smile.
“You believed me! I told you I wasn’t being crazy. I can’t believe I may have broken through the Vale barrier of inscrutable logic.”
He laughs and Victor smiles back. The absurdity of the situation finally settles in. They are stuck in the closet of a haunted house, in the middle of nowhere. If they listen hard enough, the faint sounds of footsteps can be heard just outside the doorway, patrolling the floor. Eli hesitates, before continuing.
“How exactly do we get out of here? Our equipment is mostly bust, and your phone died a while back. I don’t... particularly want to face what is outside .”
Victor checks his watch under the light, it reads 3:25 am. A sudden idea falls into place, pieces forming in the back of his mind.
“What if we don’t leave? The ghost, or whatever it is, seems shy… it has been unwilling to show itself fully so far. If we hide out until daylight, it probably won’t bother us on the way out, for fear of revealing itself. It's dark outside right now, it likely feels safe under the guise of night time. I know its not ideal to be stuck in a dusty old house but-”
Eli seems quick to accept his suggestion, panic reigniting at the thought of having to go back out into the hall. He seems to settle himself into the space, rubbing his arms nervously, resigned to their fate.
“Yeah, I guess you are right. I don’t think the apparition can interact with objects very easily, so hopefully it won’t open the door.”
Victor shrugs off his jacket, tossing it onto Eli’s lap.
“Here, you looked cold. You should get some rest.”
Eli whines in a tone he tends to use when he’s frustrated. He never seems to know how to react to Victor’s casual kindness.
“What about you? We both need sleep!”
Victor hesitates, unsure of how to reply. He doesn’t want to make Eli feel guilty about his own problems, but something about his continual dismissal of the matter causes him to feel weird inside, it makes him want to speak up.
“I… don’t sleep. I mean- I have insomnia Eli, I can’t fall asleep easily... But, it's ok. You sleep, I can watch the door.”
He feels awkward as soon as he says it, but Eli’s eyes light up with some sort of understanding.
“Oh! That must be really tough… no wonder you always drink so much coffee.”
Victor can’t help but laugh at the fact that’s the conclusion Eli comes to from his statement.
“I’ve gotten used to it. Don’t worry about me.”
He waits patiently, concentrating on the dark square of the door as he hears Eli settle down behind him. He blends into the floor wearing Victor’s dark coat, although it's slightly too small for him, the sleeves ending above his wrists. Soon his breathing stills to a soft, even calm, and Victor finally turns around. Yet again he finds himself regarding the man before him with growing levels of understanding. He reaches up to the cross still around his neck, feeling slightly stupid even as he closes his eyes, holding the metal still in his palm.
If there even is a God in this world.. Thanks for watching over him.
He looks solemnly down at Eli, wondering, not for the first time, how one single person can manage to make him feel so conflicted.