Page 41 of See Through

“Until now,” Dean says.

“Guys,” Maven’s voice comes through the walkie. “Can you see the stairs from where you’re at?”

“Not really, why what’s⁠—”

“I’m coming in,” she says.

“This camera just turned off,” Cooper says as he looks down at the one he’s carrying. “It says the battery is dead. I just changed it, like, fifteen minutes ago.”

“Huh—” My voice is cut off by the door to Adrian’s room slamming shut, opening back up, and shutting again. It is so overwhelming in here. “What the hell?”

The spirit box in my hand starts lighting up with a bunch of different voices, and it all sounds like garbling until a clear one finally comes through.

“Out.”

“Aubs,” Maven sprints up the stairs. “Remember that ball you put on the stairs?”

I nod.

“Something kicked it right into the camera. I have it all on video, but it looked like it cracked it. Are you sure you didn’t see or hear it when it happened?”

“I had no idea.” Her nails click against the small screen she brought with her, and when she shows me the footage, I’m shocked.

“We’ve been a little busy,” Dean says. “God, it’s freezing in here.”

He takes his usually rolled up sleeves and rolls them down, and all the banging and slamming quiets.

“I don’t like how this house feels,” Cooper says. “There’s something off about this entire place.”

“Agreed, but this is for Aubs,” Dean says. “Since things have quieted, maybe we should split up.”

“Split up?” Cooper shrieks. “Have you watched any horror movie? You never split up. We’re basically inviting something to attack us!”

“We’ve never had a team like this before. It was always just me and Aubs. We can cover more ground this way, maybe get some good split-camera footage.”

“I’m okay with that if you guys are.” I look at my best friend, and she smiles.

“I was waiting for you to ask me. I’ve been getting the creeps sitting out there by myself.” Maven grabs the camera from Cooper and shines the night vision toward him. “You ready, hotshot?”

“Why am I the one in front of the camera?” he asks as they head for the stairs.

“Because the ghosts like you,” she giggles as they walk out of sight.

Dean’s eyes meet mine in the darkness. “You ready?”

“As I’ll ever be.”

“I’ve got you, baby.”

If the activity we just experienced follows me and Aubrey around this house, we’re getting the fuck out of here. There’s something hanging in the air, and I don’t know what it is, but I don’t like it. It feels like it’s just around Aubrey. When I went over to her a few minutes ago, the air around her was cold, and, for a split second, she didn’t look like her normal self.

I could have been seeing things, but I still don’t like the feeling sitting in my gut as we walk through this house. Since Maven and Cooper decided to go downstairs and follow whatever she saw on the camera, Aubs and I have been checking out the other rooms upstairs, including the one she grew up in.

Just as she opens the door, I hear noises.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

“Did you hear that?” I whisper to her.