[closed]

[the_horror]

WHO: Ben Hargreeves & Rikki Chadwick
WHAT: Ghosts!
WHERE: Second Floor, Library
WHEN: July 19th
WARNING: Ghost warnings? Updated as needed.

They'd gone together to grab some food in the kitchen, Ben having filled his found satchel to the brim to bring back to their base of operations, or, you know, bedrooms they had all claimed. With everything seeming to settle down a bit it made it easier to find locations A through Z when one needed to. Still, it was best to go somewhere in pairs, and so he and Rikki had gone out to grab food.

"Does it feel colder in here?" Ben asked as they came into a hall way. His breath was clear on the air and he frowned, looking around. Just as turned he saw a ghostly figure of a boy, young, no more than ten, pointing down the hall. He'd seen this boy before. Several times before actually.

When he tapped Rikki on the shoulder for her to follow him, the ghost boy was gone, but Ben was moving. Following. He hit a corner first, and saw the figure point at a door and go through it. "Sorry Rikki, I just... have to check something out." He said, darting to the door and pausing there, glancing to make sure she was with him and not lost. Then... pushed the door open to see a gust of wind ruffle papers and books before going away.

He held a hand up to block the wind as it gust past them, then lowered it, frowning. What was that all about? A library?!

Comments

[justaddh2o]

Being in this house was steadily chipping away at Rikki's sense of reality. She couldn't tell whether she was really hearing things or really seeing things sometimes or whether that was all in her head and this place was just making her crazy. The more she moved around the house with Cleo or Ben in search of supplies, be it food or clothes or whatever they can find, the more she wondered whether she had rather lost her marbles or this was just a really vivid nightmare she couldn't quite wake up from. Maybe in the real world, she was in a coma or something.

"Ben, I dunno what I believe anymore," she replied gently when he asked whether it felt colder in the room they were in. "I suppose," she added to actually answer the question. Whether it was actually colder, though, she couldn't tell.

She went back to shoving whatever looked like it hadn't gone bad into a makeshift bag she'd made out of a t-shirt. When she felt him tap on her shoulder, Rikki looked around and noticed that he was on the move. "Hey, don't just leave me here!" she complained, jogging to catch up. "What are we looking for?" she asked once she'd found herself beside him again.

Flinching a little at the gust of wind coming from the room when Ben opened the door, Rikki frowned as Ben lowered his hand and she could see better what was on the other side. "Was that books...? What is this stupid house on about, now...?"

[the_horror]

He frowned as the ghost pointed the way. "I don't know. Not sure what we're looking for but..." he followed along and assumed she'd come with him. Not leaving her behind but hoping she would follow.

When the door was opened and it was a library of books and things, he stood there, brows raised. "Not sure. It got pointed out to me though. Maybe there's something important in here?" He said, unsure himself. It could be anything and it could be nothing. The children ghost around here were strange enough that they could be a problem or helpful. He didn't question it when one pointed him somewhere. He understood Ghosts well enough, at least.

"It looks like a library." He said, pushing the door open more and walking in. Lights flickering on spooky like as he did.

[justaddh2o]

Her eyebrows lifted at that. If he didn't know what he was looking for, then why was he looking for it? In a place like this, that seemed especially dangerous and while she imagined that, with those tentacle things, Ben could easily take care of himself, she supposed the reason she was following him straight into probable danger was that she felt inclined to protect him, anyway. He was her friend. That was what Rikki did for friends.

"What do you mean it got pointed out to you?" she asked, sounding confused, as though perhaps she'd just heard him wrong and was simply trying to confirm that with him and, in doing so, seeking out an explanation or a clarification to set her right.

The idea that he might be following something that'll lead them right to their doom is not far from Rikki's mind, but she decided to roll with the idea that they might find something important. Maybe he'd been experiencing some sort of intuitive pull and maybe they were about to find the way out of this horrible place, finally. Rikki didn't want to miss that if they were.

Trailing slightly behind him, Rikki looked around cautiously. It looked like a library, he was right, but it also looked like something out of a horror movie, because it was covered in dust and cobwebs and the lights were flickering. Rikki held her head high as if to convince herself and anyone that might catch sight of her that she was unafraid. That wasn't the truth at all, but she at least wanted to look the part. Maybe if she forced it, she could make herself believe it.

"Hello?" she called out reflexively. She realized in that moment why all the characters so stupidly did exactly that in horror movies, even though she urged them not to, willing them to hear it in spite of the impossibility of that. Rikki's eyes closed in a shamed grimace for a moment before she opened them again, hovering a little closer to him as they moved. "What do you reckon we'll find in here, mate?" she whispered uneasily. "It's just loads of dusty books..."

[the_horror]

"I ah, so..." He tried to explain with out sounding completely daft. "there's this ghost boy I've been following around a bit. He points things out once in a while. It's been helpful. I don't know what he's pointing out this time, but it might be helpful?

Or it might just be hey, there are books here, and Ben loved books. It would kill the boredom, right? Maybe.

When he heard her call Hello out into the room, Ben reached back and carefully took her hand, holding it in his as he stepped inside the Library, looking around as best he could. "What I want to find is a flash light or a lantern. That would be great. You hear that kid? Flash light?" He snorted, tightening his hand in hers if she didn't pull away.

"But, I don't know. Looks like a bunch of old books, yeah. Maybe there's something on this place in here?"

[justaddh2o]

Her eyebrows lifted a little higher when he mentioned a ghost boy. That...well. That was something. "What sorts of things has he been pointing out to you before this?" she wondered aloud. It could be a red herring, she thought, but didn't say. She certainly hoped that wasn't the case. She hoped that this ghost child wasn't going to be leading them directly into some sort of a trap. That sounded like the sort of thing that the house would do. Why Ben was trusting it, she wasn't sure, but she was trusting him.

Rikki felt Ben's hand close around hers and she looked down at their clasped hands for a second before looking back up at him, willfully ignoring the unexpected flutter in her stomach in response to something so simple. She looked out into the darkness again, as if trying to find the child he was talking to, but coming up short. When she felt him squeeze her hand, she returned it in kind. "Bit hard to read without light, yeah?" she called out gently to the little boy she couldn't see.

To the kid's credit, there were a few bare lightbulbs that were flickering like they wanted to turn on but couldn't quite manage it. "Come on, mate..."

[the_horror]

he trusted it because he was a ghost once before. Because so far it hadn't taken him to the wrong things. Because he needed to trust something other than Rikki, Cleo, Klaus and Diego. And Derek. Okay so there was a good amount of people to trust, but he wanted to trust something IN this damn house.

"I got separated from Klaus for a moment, and he pointed out the door he went through. Found him a moment later. He's pointed out where you and Cleo were before as well. That kind of thing. I thought... maybe someone might have been here."

No one was here though. Just dusty books and papers. He stood there a moment, holding the others hand still in his, not letting go just yet. No reason to be scared, right? "It'd be really nice if he pointed out some flash lights. We could actually use those in this place."

When she said come on, he frowned, searching the room still in the dark, in the dim lights trying to flicker. There had to be something here. "There just has to be something we can use in here."

[justaddh2o]

When Ben explained why he trusted the ghost enough to follow it, Rikki looked appropriately surprised. She hadn't seen any ghosts, yet, but if this little ghost boy was helping Ben, then who was she to question Ben's faith in it? Rikki herself was still a little bit uncomfortable and she wasn't going to press that point, but she was going to remain wary.

"Yeah, that'd be well useful," she agreed, frowning when no flashlights seemed to materialize and Ben didn't appear to be making a move in the direction of anything, following anything. She could only assume that that meant the little boy wasn't pointing out any better light fixtures of any type.

Rikki looked over at Ben and gave him a neutral look as she shrugged. It was her way of saying that she was willing to stick with him if he felt that strongly about it. "S'pose we'd better go look, then," she said before gesturing for Ben to lead the way. He was the one with the guide, after all, not her.

[the_horror]

He isn't sure what he expected. Just that so far the kid hand't sent him wrong. But then again he was always alone when he saw the kid. Or just happened to be alone for a moment.

And he could feel the other was uncomfortable. He didn't mean to haul her into a place she didn't want to be, but he was curious. Why had he sent him in here. Maybe he just new Ben liked books. It could literally be as simple as that.

"I was complaining about not having a book to read. Maybe he's showing me that I have choices." he said with a snort, then looked back to Rikki. He could tell she didn't want to be here.

Giving her a soft smile he shook his head. "No, it's okay. I can come back and check it out another time on my own. No sense dragging you into this."

ftb end?

[justaddh2o]

"It's okay, mate," Rikki reassured him. She didn't particularly want to explore this creepy house in the dark, but she could tell that Ben wanted to and Rikki was nothing if not a good friend. At least, she did always try. So, she gave him a small smile and gestured again.

To prove her point that it was all right, Rikki started forward without him, but slowly so that he could take the lead again. "Let's find us each something to read. I'm sure the others would like it, too. I know Cleo would. Go on, then, I'm right here with you, mate."

She could do this. This would be fine. Don't lead us into a trap, ghost boy. That's all I ask, she thought and then they moved further into the library to explore.