AN: So this is my attempt at writing a sort-of-horror story. Though, considering I've never really dabbled in writing this genre before, it's all wishful thinking and hope that I'm doing it right. If I can creep/scare any of my readers at least once through the entirety of this story, I'll consider it a success.

Warning for torture, gore and violence in later chapters.

ACT I

. . .

#01 Dare

. . .

It was a stupid idea to begin with.

Had the young man had it his way, he would be at home in this moment in his tiny flat whilst his older roommate-slash-landlord made dry remarks about his lazy behaviour and threatened to boot him out.

But considering Lily had been repeating such things for nearly seven years, Gajeel wasn't really all that bothered.

"You chickening out, Redfox?"

Pulling himself out of his thoughts, scarlet eyes turned onto the younger man stood beside him as they made their way up a hill. Piercing him with a narrow glare, Gajeel bared his teeth, resisting the temptation to punch that smug smile off his face. "I'm still here, aren't I?"

His snappy response earned an ear-to-ear grin, and a second later a flashlight was being thrown towards him from one of the other men who had tagged along as well. Catching it mid-air before it could thunk him in the head, Gajeel allowed his gaze to wander over to the other members of their small assemble.

In total, there were four of them, with himself included. They had names, but he personally preferred to refer to them as Salamander, Stripper and whats-his-name with the face tattoo. They all attended the same college, and although Gajeel had resisted at first, in the end he'd somehow found himself befriending these idiots.

"I just have to go in and snap a picture, right?" As the four of them left their town behind on the other side of the grassy knoll, the small manor that was supposedly 'haunted' and lay secluded on the outskirts came into view. A wrought-iron fence riddled with rust ran along the perimeter of the property, separating the lush green grass outside from the dead ground and overgrown weeds within. The towering gates were wide open, most likely due to others before them having come to check out the place too despite the fact it was probably a death trap ready to fall apart. It was a wonder to anyone how it hadn't been demolished yet by the town council.

"Yeah. But it has to be in the library!" Salamander pointed out, seeming almost giddy as they neared the place. "After all, that's where the family who lived here before were apparently muuuuurdered!" On the last word, his eyes widened dramatically as he pretended to choke the Stripper much to the man's annoyance.

"Natsu, get off!"

"Oi Jellal, pin him down for me."

Rolling his eyes, Gajeel tuned them out as their playful jeering soon turned into yet another full-blown fight, whilst Jellal watched the whole thing with silent amusement.

"Yeah, yeah, let's get this over with." He muttered beneath his breath, keen to get this whole charade behind him. The only reason he was doing this ridiculous thing in the first place was because he'd lost an arm wrestling contest with the pink haired dolt – it was Juvia's fault for distracting him by moaning about how in love with the Stripper she was and dictating inappropriate things whilst she sat right next to him.

How the hell was he supposed to not react to her claiming she wanted to be ravished by the guy in the back of her car once again - the 'again' part making him wretch, because fuck he'd sat in that car just a few hours ago!

That woman would be the death of him.

"Good luck, don't piss your pants if you see a ghost!"

Eyes narrowing at Natsu's words, he returned it with a one-finger gesture as he left them behind at the gates and entered the manor property. The building seemed to loom over him as he neared it, climbing up the stone steps that lead to the inviting doors. Gaze hardening with determination, he didn't hesitate at all in his stride, instead switching on the flashlight in his grip. Gajeel Redfox did not back down from a dare.

Meanwhile back at the gates, Natsu and Gray continued to argue between them, debating on how long they figured it would take Gajeel to return from the manor. Jellal opted to stay out of their bickering, instead watching after Gajeel's retreating figure and wondering how long it would be until he could get inside somewhere warm again. Chestnut brown eyes taking in the sight of the decaying building, he promptly did a second take when he noted a pale figure staring out from the second floor window.

...But there was nothing there.

He placed the abrupt chill that shot down his spine to the cool early-evening temperature, choosing to ignore the unsettling feeling weighing down on him all of a sudden.

It had just been a trick of the light, that was all.

That had to be it.

#02 Alone

. . .

Feet pacing over bare wooden flooring, Gajeel scratched his nose idly as he looked about. It was nearing sunset, and the only reliable light source came from his flashlight as he shone it around the manor, all the windows on the first floor having been boarded up.

The double doors at the front had been easy to pass through, since they had already been broken into long ago by some other trespassers. Infact, if he shone his light on the floor, he could make out foot prints of various sizes in the otherwise dust-covered flooring leading into the place.

Stood in the entrance way, his eyes roamed over the walls and high ceiling, taking in the old painted portraits hanging at askew angles and the glass chandelier broken to pieces on the floor in the middle of the room. He wouldn't have wanted to be under that when it fell.

Inhaling deeply, he moved forward, taking the center set of wide stairs that lead to the second floor. Natsu had mentioned something about the library being on the second floor, so that's where he'd go. No point wasting time sight-seeing in this hell hole.

The staircase creaked beneath his feet as he ascended it, and he had to wonder how long this place had been left abandoned. Considering the style of dresses the women in the portraits wore, he'd have taken a guess of seventy years at least.

Wandering through the winding hallways, he checked each door one by one, eventually finding the library through a set of double doors. They opened with a turn of the door knob, and Gajeel stepped into the room only to stare at the room with mild surprise.

This place was huge.

He wouldn't be surprised if it took up half the space of the second floor alone, and he had to wonder how anybody would want a library so large when there was no possible way to read so many books in one lifetime.

With shelves that towered almost as high as the ceiling, and piles of book haphazardly lying in random places, Gajeel found himself lacking any interest what so ever. He never had been, and never would be one for casual reading.

Turning his back on the room, he fished out his phone from his back pocket and held it at arm's length in front of him. Selecting the button, he gave the camera an indifferent look as the flash went off, momentarily blinding him.

A second later he was walking out of the library, bringing the photo up on the screen of his phone to examine.

What he saw made him freeze.

At first glance, the photo appeared normal, with his shoulders and head taking up the majority of the screen whilst the towering bookcases loomed in the background.

But he wasn't alone in the picture.

Stood a few feet behind in the shadows was a small figure. Pale and petite, and adorned in a tattered dress the colour of gold, the young girl stood not even an arms-width away from him. Blue locks cascaded down to her shoulders and veiled her face, but somehow he had the inkling her hidden gaze was focused on him.

He swallowed.

Head turning, he glanced behind, eyes staring into the darkness of the library he'd left behind and searching for any sight of another person. Nobody snuck up behind him. Nobody.

Not unless they were some sort of...

The grip on his flashlight tightened as he refused to finish that line of thinking.

Natsu's mocking tone concerning ghosts and murder echoed in his ears, and with a glower he pushed them aside. There was no such thing as ghosts or any other paranormal bullshit, and he wasn't stupid enough to start believing in any of it now.

"Oi! Who's in there!?" Voice belting out as he took a step towards the library, he swung the flashlight around blindly. He wouldn't be surprised if this was all an intricate prank devised by the guys outside, and that one of them was hidden in the darkness somewhere secretly filming it all. The thought only made him angrier.

"You guys are dead when I get my hands on you!" He yelled, hoping it might bring them out of hiding.

But only silence answered him.

With a grunt, he stuffed the phone away, muttering curses under his breath as he turned around-

-only to find a pale face scarcely inches from his own.

Stumbling backwards, he let out a yelp, feet tripping over one another. And as the floor rose up to meet him, he vaguely registered a sinister giggle before his head collided against the flooring.

Then everything went black.

#03 Message

. . .

His head was killing him.

Groaning softly, pain washed over him in slow waves from his skull as he slowly pried his eyes open and tried to reclaim his bearings.

He was lying on his back, vision coming back into focus and staring blankly at the cracked ceiling above him. Gajeel seriously hoped that the guys weren't in the building, because that would mean they'd seen him faint – and Gajeel Redfox did not faint! Especially not from just seeing a face, no matter how unexpected it had been. His lips twisted into a grimace at the vague remembrance of the face. He could recall pasty-white skin and wide eyes devoid of life or colour as they stared into his own.

He had to hand it to the guys, they'd certainly got him this time. Maybe the girl was that Wendy Marvell, though she seemed too shy to be the type for dressing up and sneaking around.

Pushing himself up into a sitting position, he rubbed tenderly at his head, noting a sore bump hidden beneath his mane of hair. His flashlight remained working, having rolled away from him, the light beaming out across the floor of the hallway.

It was as he moved to pick it up that his eyes noticed the wording in the light.

As he read the two words scrawled onto the floor by wiping away the dust, his lips tugged into an irritated scowl. Standing up, he turned around and began making his way for the stairs. Nobody pranked him and got away with it, and he intended on pummeling every single one of them. (Though, maybe not Jellal. Erza Scarlet was pretty fond of him, and she was one of the few people who could ensnare fear into him).

As he walked away, two figures remained behind unseen, exchanging exasperated looks as their message failed to be taken seriously. They could only hope the young man was swift in leaving this place before it was too late and the sun had set outside completely.

With a silent understanding being met between them through their eyes, the pair vanished, their message left ominously behind on the flooring. The words 'GET OUT!' would have to suffice as enough warning.

It was all they could do for him.

AN2: Originally I started writing this with a table of prompts on hand, hence why each part has a mini-title/prompt. Individually I find them a bit too petite to post as a chapter however, so you can expect them in clusters of two or three.

Hope you're enjoying so far, this is sort of a little project to bring this account out of hibernation and place it back in action. As always, please point out any typos or grammar mistakes! x