Chapter Text
"Colby!" I called for him impatiently again. "Yo Colby! Where are you?!" I ran eagerly through the haunted school's halls looking for him.
"We just hit 20 million, dude! Where are you?!"
I looked around, jumping as Amanda, our guest for the night came around the corner.
"Sorry, Sam!" Our psychic we hired on apologized with a smirk. "Just me!"
"Hey! Jeez, it's okay Amanda!" I smiled. "Is Colby with you?" I asked eagerly.
"No, last I saw him he was going to make sure the last tour group cleared out!" Amanda told me. "Everything okay?"
"Yeah! Fantastic!" I beamed proudly, showing her my phone screen. "We just hit 20 million subs overnight!" I couldn't stop smiling.
I wanted to share the monumental moment for us, but he was nowhere to be found.
"He's been doing this a lot lately, hasn't he?" Amanda went with me, but I didn't mind.
It was better than celebrating the moment alone.
"What do you mean?" I shrugged. "It’s been busy...we don't spend ALL our time together!" I rolled my eyes at the assumption people often made about us.
"No, but he doesn't typically miss these kinds of things does he?" Amanda asked.
"Not a lot," I frowned. "Lately it's been hard to keep up with each other between leading tours here now more full time and haunted trips...but it's ok, I mean it happens!" I shrugged off the suspicion.
Suddenly, a scream ripped up through the stairs we stopped on, one all too familiar.
"THAT doesn't usually happen!" Amanda gasped, recognizing Colby's scream, too.
I ran with her, passing her by stride for stride.
"Colby! Colby?!" I looked around the basement, feeling a shiver as the cold dampness hit me.
He always hated the boiler room! I remembered since the first time here was hard on him.
"SAM!" Colby turned, standing about the same spot he had been during the time I was just recalling.
We stared at each other a moment, before he shook his head.
"I...I'm sorry! I'm okay...I think I'm okay!" Colby swallowed hard. "Fuck, I can't believe I just saw that..."
"You're shaking, dude!" I stared at him worriedly while Amanda went around me to check on him.
"Y-Yeah..." Colby let her feel his wrist for his pulse. "Can...can we go outside for a sec? Please?"
"Your heart is racing!" Amanda reported with a nervous look towards me. "I think it's best we all get the fuck out of here for awhile, Sam!" She suddenly looked towards the corner of the back of the room.
"What were you even doing down here, man?" I wondered, our recent accomplishment suddenly not so important in my head anymore.
"Tours were long since gone!" I pointed out so he couldn't use the excuse again.
Colby shook his head, suddenly looking more like himself the farther we got out of the building.
"Oh, I just thought I heard a tourist down there Sam!" Colby came up with cleverly, his blue eyes darting away from me in a dead giveaway that he was lying.
"Must be just the damn ghosts!" He scoffed like it was funny.
It didn't feel funny to me after hearing how he screamed.
"Which spirit, Colby? Did it say?" Amanda asked, sounding like she wasn't buying the lie either.
The three of us walked outside the front entrance, down the steps into the small pavilion we set up for tourists if they needed a break outside.
The pergola was a nice touch in the front for guests to rest under a roof, but off the property for a break.
We installed it after having such a responsive year with the spirits, always giving guests something to go home to remember.
Some even saying they never wanted to come back.
It was a thought that once brought me a rush of excitement, maybe even joy, but not now. Now that it was clearly effecting my best friend so much.
Colby let out a long sigh of relief once we sat on the round patio table and chairs set around it.
"He didn't say," Colby replied after a minute. "If it's alright with you guys, I kinda just want to go back to the house and just go to bed!"
I frowned, this behavior seeming odd for him. The sun was rising, when we normally went to bed anymore these days while leading tour after tour.
I knew we had one starting later this afternoon so I nodded, but I had half hoped to celebrate with him.
I wasn't sure that tradition was happening this year.
"We hit 20 million last night, bro...did you know?"
I wondered as I reported it more half heartedly after a long night.
"Oh really? That's sick!" Colby grinned, shaking his head. "I had no idea, Sam! Can we celebrate later though?" He yawned. "I'm just so damn beat after what happened down there!"
"What happened?" I asked more seriously with a nod. "You still haven't told us everything, have you?"
"I...I told you what I know, Sam?" Colby stammered in the lie again with a shrug. "I'm not sure what else you need from me!"
I could tell we weren't going to get anywhere else either when he broke into a yawn, suddenly looking drained again.
"It's fine," I shook my head as I thought Amanda and I could talk alone about him anyway. His odd behavior was concerning to me.
"Go ahead, you get first tours tomorrow night though!"
Colby looked briefly surprised when I changed my tone more sternly than I meant it to come out. I didn't apologize though, honestly feeling dejected he wasn't a bit surprised or enthusiastic about our recent success as usual.
"That's fine," Colby replied in acceptance with a shrug. "It's just Omar coming back, right?" He made sure at least before getting up to stretch as he headed out.
"Yeah," I nodded. "He wants a solo investigation, but one of us needs to be here to let him in!"
"Sure!" Colby shrugged. "Are....are we okay man? You sound mad?" He blinked in concern finally at me.
I didn't want to discuss it really in front of Amanda.
There wasn't really anything to discuss, so I shook my head.
"Maybe this place is just getting to both of us, dude!"
I smirked half heartedly at him.
"Okay..." Colby's eyes narrowed more in concern at me. "I know it's been busier than normal for us...what with the merch, the game and escape room and all now too..." He reminded me of our recent achievements .
"But it's worth it, isn't it Sam? Think where we were a couple years ago...we would've killed for the stuff we're doing now!"
I honestly hated how good he was at pep talks like this one.
It made me smile, nodding more as I thought how right he had been.
"If you're overworked, we can always take a break too, bro!" Colby reminded me.
I shook my head quietly.
"I'm fine," I lied, but he at least made me feel more at ease where his mentality seemed to be after his speech.
"Sorry, just worried about you I guess is all!" I covered quickly when he caught my lie this time.
Colby broke into a smile.
"When are you NOT?" He teased fondly. "I'm fine now bro...promise, just tired too!"
"Why don't you both get some rest soon?" Amanda chimed in then. "Especially if you have another full day tomorrow too!"
"I uh, would like you to do a cleansing in there first, Amanda?" I asked, casting a quick knowing glance at her.
"Regardless how tired we are, I don't think we should let it know how it's draining us!"
"Good idea!" Amanda agreed with a shudder. "Colby, do you need one?" She asked when he suddenly stared off, flinching when she spoke his name.
"Hm?" Colby blinked, shaking his head as he put together what she meant. "No! No...I'm okay...I think I just need some damn sleep for awhile, you know?" He teased half jokingly with a forced smile.
I was done trying to figure out what he was up to for the night.
I couldn't figure it out, but something was entirely off about him.
I worried about possession.
"Go get some rest!" I nodded to him more genuinely in concern, hoping the time off would help distance him from what I was seeing.
We watched him leave quietly, his car pulling away while Amanda and I sat in a stunned silence.
"It wasn't just me right?" Amanda looked at me in concern. "Did you see his eyes?"
I nodded, the symptom worrying me too.
When he zoned off...his eyes went black.
"I don't know what he's up to!" I warned her first worriedly. "But...but I get the feeling I can't face whatever this is alone..." I looked at her anxiously.
"Of COURSE I'll help you, Sam!" Amanda replied without a second thought. "Do you think it has something to do with the basement?"
"Let's go check it out!" I nodded warmly at her, appreciating the support.
Sometimes it felt like Colby was my only friend in the world.
I didn't want to see anything happen to him.
It felt like we had just gotten back to normal. Even doing more than we ever dreamed as kid.
"And I think we need to check BEFORE he gets back!"