Home and All its Guests

“This is the kitchen,” I began going to the closes room; it was empty except for our round table where we ate.

“Have you had any experiences in here?” Zak asked.

“Once I was eating breakfast and I saw a man standing right here,” I walked over by the entrance. “He was watching me and my sister eat.”

“It just looked like a man?” He asked.

“Just looked like a man, he was wearing a suit and had his arms crossed, he looked angry and I think that’s the main presence in this house.”

“So you’re saying there’s more than one?” Aaron asked; I looked over at him.

“I’m saying I think so,” I answered.

“OK Aaron let’s get an ‘X’ in here,” Zak instructed.

Once they were done I started walk up the stairs and stopped in my old room. Taking another deep breath I walked in.

“Here’s my old room,”

Zak’s POV

We walked in and I took in the scene, it was different. The room I remembered as being filled with pictures of me and her at happier times was now empty; of us anyway. Instead I saw pictures of different people, they were he friends form our old high school, the ones she started to hang out with after she came back. My heart broke just looking at it.

“This is where the rest experiences happened; almost every night since I was about 13 I was bothered by something.” It saddened me to hear, she dealt with it for 3 years before she told me.

“What kind of stuff?”

“That guy who I said watched my sister and I eat, he used to watch me sleep, my bed used to shake sometimes, and one thing that I used to hate is someone would sit at the end of my bed, I could feel them there and see the depression in the bed.”

“Wow, really?” She just nodded. “OK this seems like a good place to put an ‘X’,” I told Aaron, he nodded and handed me the camera to hold.

“So I’m going to take you to the next room now,” she said going towards the door, I followed.

Before we made it out however Nick stopped us.

“If it bothered you for that long why didn’t you ever tell anyone?” I told the guys that Carrie and I were best friends and I loved her but never why we stopped talking. My heart dropped as she looked back at him with, pain in her eyes.

“I did tell someone and then they told my parents because they thought I was crazy.”

“What did your parents do?” I’m going to kill Nick.

“They locked me up and threw away the key,” she chuckled looking down. “I spent over a year in a mental institution because no one believed me.”

“I’m sorry,” she looked up at him and shrugged.

“Why, you didn’t get me locked up,” she looked at me before walking out. Nick followed her and I stayed behind trying to compose myself. I was stupid to think she’d forgive me, stupid to think investigating this place would make her happy, and stupid to think she’d love me.

“You alright man?” Aaron asked staying back with me.

“Yeah just tired,” how many times was I going to lie today? We walked into Cathy’s old room; it was painted a light shade of pink and had pictures of her friends and her, Carrie and her, or her family and her. Nothing about it has changed much.

“This room is my favorite actually,”

“Really why?” I asked.

“Um there’s a little girl spirit whose actually pretty nice, didn’t have much trouble with her.”

“OK looks like another ‘X’ will go in here,” I told Aaron who nodded getting the tape.

“So Carrie you said no one else had experiences in this house besides you?” Nick peeked out from behind his camera.

“That’s correct,” she nodded.

“Well since the spirits seemed to be drawn to you maybe it’d be a good idea,” I could see Nick’s thought bubble from a mile away and I needed to pop it quick.

“No Nick I don’t think it’s such a great idea,” I tried to protest.

Carrie’s POV

“What’s not a great idea?” I mussed as the guys in front of me argued.

“Well we use trigger objects to draw out spirits and sometimes we use people as those trigger objects,” Aaron explained.

“Yeah and since you got such strong reactions I was thinking you’d be our trigger object for tonight,” Nick continued.

“Yeah but it’s stupid because making you come here and give us this tour is enough you don’t have to-“

“No I’ll do it,” I have no idea what made me to say that. More time on the show means more time with Zak. I didn’t just think that…

“Are you sure you don’t have to,” Zak protested.

“No I want to,” I insisted. He stared at me a moment before nodding and we continued with the tour.

After The Tour

Aaron and Nick were at the base they set up in my parent’s old bedroom and Zak and I were in my old room.

I took off the microphone, handing it to him.

“Ok so at 3 am your sister is going to let you back in and you’ll wait in here,” Zak informed I nodded understandingly.

“By myself right?” I asked as he started to shake his head.

“No you can’t be left by yourself,” he protested.

“Zak he won’t come if someone’s with me. Why do you think you never used to experience anything in here?” I asked with a sigh Zak nodded giving in.

“Sorry I just don’t want you to get hurt,” Zak admitted. I looked into his eyes and slowly started to melt then I snapped out of it.

“Yeah well too late, I was tormented for years I can do it again for an hour,” I hissed leaving him in the room by himself.

I could feel myself slowly falling back in love with Zak Bagans and I’ll be damned if I was going to let it happen.

Zak’s POV

“Alright now this is Cathy. She’s here to lock us down. Cathy don’t forget you are going to let your sister in at 3 am and she’ll be here for an hour before you let her back out.”

“Ok,” Cathy said closing the door and putting the lock on the bolt they let us install just for this.

Carrie’s POV

Pulling up to my old house I got out walking towards my sister who stood by the door.

“Ready?” She asked, I simply nodded as she unlocked the door to let me in.

I couldn’t see anything but a little light from the camera’s screen.

“Guys?” I asked reaching my hand out to touch something that could guide me while my eyes adjusted to the darkness.

“I’m right here,” I heard Zak’s voice right in front of me. He grabbed my hand and pulled me along, my heart jumped as a shock of electricity went through me.

“OK lets head to Carrie’s old room now.” Zak said taking me to the stairs, I could see the outline of everything in the dark but held onto Zak’s hand because I wanted to for safety.

“Ow!” I turned in the direction of the yelp.

“Aaron what happened?” Zak asked.

“I stubbed my toe on the stairs,” I could see him jumping up and down holding his foot.

“Every investigation you get yourself hurt. I’ve said it before I’ll say it again, this guy needs a helmet.” Zak muttered continuing up the stairs.

“Are you OK?” I whispered back to Aaron and I see him nod.

Finally coming to the entrance of my old room we stop.

“OK, Carrie; there’s an ‘X’ camera at the corner and a recorder taped to your desk. If you hear anything or if anything starts happening don’t hesitate to call us, OK?” I nodded and they said their goodbyes.

Walking into the room I sat at the side of my old bed.

“Is someone with me right now?” I asked out loud.

“If someone’s here can you speak up please, into the red light?” I suddenly got chills. That means something’s here. Sighing I continued.

“Do you remember me?” I heard something, it sounded like a voice but I couldn’t be sure.

“Do you remember how you tortured me?” I felt braver almost angry confronting them. Another voice noise came.

The attacks used to get worse after Zak left, almost like the thing in here hated him most, remembering this I spoke the next sentence.

“Do you remember Zak?” I heard a crash and I screamed involuntarily.

The guys rushed in and I explained what happened after I calmed down. Looking on their cameras they scanned the room.

“Zak I found what fell,” Nick spoke up from behind me. I see him hold something up but in the dark I couldn’t tell.

“Oh my God,” I hear Zak mumble lightly as he grabs it and holds it in his hands.

“What is it?” I mussed from my spot on the bed.

“Stanly,” wide eyed I got up and picked the pieces of the old ceramic teddy bear that Zak made me for my 15th birthday. The biggest part was the head.

“What is it?” Aaron asked from besides us.

“A ceramic bear I got for my birthday,” I mumbled sadly?

An Hour Later

We waited by the door for Cat. I stood with my back towards the kitchen when I started to get chills. Next thing I knew I heard a low growl from behind me. The guys all spun around towards the kitchen like I did.

“What was that?” Aaron asked alarmed. Zak moved towards me protectively.

“Is something here?” He asked out loud not getting an answer.

“Nick, get me the EMF,” he ordered. [AN: EMF= Google it. XP]

“Here,” Nick hands him a bulky looking tool that Zak holds in front of him.

“Dude I got a spike, look,” He yells excitedly. The small needle started to rise; we were pulled from our excitement by the door unlocking.

I moved to it after saying goodbye, before stepping out however Zak stopped me by grabbing my arm.

“Thank you,” he whispered and I simply nodded in return.

Zak’s POV

Waiting by the door we were exhausted as we always were by the end of an investigation. We got a lot of good evidence and I was eager to look over it.

We rushed to the door as we heard it unlock; Aaron got the exterior camera, Nick started loading up the van, and I talked to Cathy.

“It was good seeing you and your sister again.”

“Yeah it was good seeing you too,” she smiled. “So you guys going back to Vegas?”

“In two days, tomorrow we are just going to sleep then an extra day to chill here,” I informed.

“Well you have to come over for dinner!” She insisted.

“No Cat I wouldn’t want to bother you,” I shook my head.

“I’m not taking no for an answer, the day after tomorrow you are coming over.” I smiled and finally nodded.

Maybe Carrie will be there.