Chapter Text
Friday, December 12th, 2025, 6:09 PM
Lucas Ong had been seeing things since last March.
It was always there with him. There in the corner, silent and loud, screaming in voices that melted into the shadows. It was always there. Or they. Whatever it was, it followed him like a lost dog, trailing at his feet. There until the end of time.
Nobody else heard it. Nobody else saw it. They looked at him like he was going insane, told him to drink some water, told him that it was just stress. But words are deceiving and eyes are the window to the soul, Lucas always knew.
But for one night, just one fucking night, he wanted to exist in peace. So, phone in hand, headphones boarded over his head, Lucas mounted his ocean blue bicycle and rolled down the cold street, frosted wind framing his face.
Straight down, he was told by the automated voice. The address Freya had given him a couple days prior wasn’t too far down from his small house perched on top of a hill. He lived there with his grandmother and his grandfather, though they both seemed to live anywhere but there. He didn’t know where they were half the time and vice versa, and tonight was no exception. His twin sister, Ashley, was the only person who knew where he was going. All she had to say was to not get kidnapped.
Freya Tsui had just moved from the UK at the start of that year, but had already climbed to the top rung of the social hierarchy. They’d spoken a handful of times, but in those times Lucas had contradicting things to say about her. But she appeared to have a certain vibe that attracted small groups of students to her house for parties. So, Lucas couldn’t say he was surprised when he rounded the corner onto the street of his destination and heard loud music reverberating in the cold air.
He ruffled the collar of his black button-up shirt, clawing at his sweaty neck before retreating to his bike handles. “It’s okay,” he grunted under his breath, fingers tightening around the handles. “You’ve been here before. Nothing bad is going to happen. You’ll. Be. Okay.”
Lucas didn’t know how much he believed it, but he spiraled his feet anyway and traveled further down the street until he rolled up to the middle.
It wasn’t a very noteworthy house outside of the bright lights spilling out of the front open window and soft music sailing out of the blue door. Intoxicated students pressed their back against the brick walls, enshrouded in shadows cast by the flat brown roof. The damp green lawn crunched gently beneath Lucas’s white sneakers as guided his bike to the front of the lawn and dumped it there. He walked to the front door, spewing out a couple awkward greetings to the semi-conscious students sprawled across the lawn.
But he couldn’t even pass his foot over the threshold before he was yanked inside by a gloved hand decorated by dark jewelry. Freya, he recognized from the sleeve of chains clad on her right wrist. A red plastic cup sloshing with dark liquid was in her left hand, nearing her mouth.
Freya had a round face splashed with light blush accentuating her downturned black eyes, and black hair swirling down her back in a loose ponytail. She always dressed like she walked out of a 50s film—tonight, she was dressed in a white dress that flared down into a black skirt at the waist, brushing against her knees.
“Come, come,” she ushered with a hasty edge to her voice, dragging Lucas further into the house. “Some of us were gonna watch a film upstairs in my parent’s bedroom if you’re interested. If not, do whatever the fuck you want. Just don’t break anything.”
Lucas was never the most decisive, but in situations like this, he was relieved to be presented with a decision and latched onto one immediately. “Oh, uh…I’ll watch. What movie is it?”
Freya detached her hand from his forearm, smoothing down her dress. “They’re debating on Heretic or The Lost Boys. Got an opinion?”
“Heretic,” Lucas decided with an uncertain shrug. He’d never seen either, but then again he was never really good with horror movies. The most he could do was the Scream franchise, and even then his hands flew to his eyes every time a splash of blood spread on screen.
“Right,” Freya said, stealing a sip from her cup. “I’ll go tell the others you’re joining in. Uh, one thing first.”
“What is it?”
Freya tipped a nod towards the kitchen, where a group of seniors were loudly talking and echoing thunderous laughs that seemed to grow over the music. Behind them was a closed door, which Lucas never would’ve noticed if Freya didn’t grunt towards him and point more specifically at it.
“We’re almost out of alcohol,” Freya said. “Everyone I’ve asked is too much of a pussy to go down to the basement to get it though.”
“Why don’t you get it?” Lucas asked. “It’s your house.”
“I’m a part of that demographic.”
Lucas arched an eyebrow at her. “Haven’t you been down there before?”
“Fuck no,” Freya spat. “This house is like fifty years old. It’s definitely haunted down there or some shit.”
“Calm down, it’s not like the missing Blake child is down there,” Lucas laughed, but Freya rolled his eyes at him and he readjusted. “Alright, fine. You want me to get it?”
Freya clapped him on the shoulder. “It’s in the fridge downstairs,” she said. “Get no more than four bottles. My dad will know if you take more.”
With one nod, Freya walked away from him and climbed up the stairs. Lucas ducked his head down to his chest, shuffling his sleeves up to his forearm.
He wasn’t a fan of basements, as he imagined most people were, but since March, his head had been swinging over his shoulder at every sound. But he still slid past the group of kids, sheepishly turning up his hands to move past them and advancing towards the door, holding his breath the entire way.
Lucas wrapped his hand on the door knob, feeling his insides churn. Shit.
“It’s okay,” he hissed to himself under his breath. “Nothing bad is going to happen.”
He tilted the door knob, and he broke it open.