A/N: This story was inspired by two things: An Escape the Room challenge (that I never got this done for) and the 1959 movie The House on Haunted Hill, starring the wonderful Vincent Price. If you've seen that movie, you'll see a lot of similarities although I've adapted it to fit with NCIS. It is a horror story and thus, not particularly long. I'm almost done with it and I think it'll be nine chapters total.

Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS or its characters. I'm just having some fun.

The House on Haunted Hill
by Enthusiastic Fish

Chapter 1: Prologue

The car pulled up outside a large, abandoned house at the top of the hill. It was surrounded by trees, but the house itself was in a rather large clearing. Four young men got out, one of them was more than a little uncertain.

"I don't know about this."

"Come on, Tim! It's a real haunted house! Haven't you ever wanted to see what that's like?"

"Not really, Jack. Besides...doesn't this place belong to someone?"

"If it does, no one lives here, now. We won't be disturbing anyone. Look at those windows."

"Yeah, all those bars."

"Probably to keep everyone out."

"Except for the ghosts."

"Yeah, except the ghosts."

"I'd think that they'd like having visitors. Gotta be boring, floating around in one place, never having anyone to terrify."

"I think I'll pass. Thanks, anyway, Landon. When you said I should come along for Spring Break to celebrate being an adult, I thought you were going to do something fun. This doesn't sound like fun to me."

"Come on, Tim. I'd think that a science nerd like you would want to do this."

"What in the world gave you that idea?"

"You're not supposed to believe in ghosts and stuff like that. It's not scientific, right? This is your chance to have science triumph over the supernatural."

"That's one of your dumber ideas, Dan, and you've come up with some doozies. I'll just be happy to go back, now."

"Nope. We're here. We're staying. If you want to walk back, you can sure do that. Otherwise, you'll have to resign yourself to staying the night in the haunted house. It's at least 20 miles."

"Really, guys?"

"Really."

"Fine."

The four of them walked to the front door. Jack tried the door. Tim was hoping that the door would be locked. There were bars on all the windows. Surely, the door would be locked.

Alas. It swung open, easily.

"Ha! Look at that. The ghosts are welcoming us inside."

"Yeah. Great."

"Come on! Too late to turn back, now."

"Actually, I think this is the perfect time to turn back. We should go, guys. Really. I don't like this. I've got a bad feeling."

They grabbed him by the arms and led him inside.

The door slammed shut behind them.

x.x.x.x.x.x.x

The next morning...

The police car pulled up to the house. The officers got out and sighed.

"Really, why do these people think it's funny to break into houses like this?"

"Who knows. Let's just find them and get them out of here. Maybe spending some time under arrest will help."

"Maybe. I just hope that there's someone to arrest. Remember what happened last time."

They walked up to the front door, wondering if it would be unlocked.

It was.

"They must have forced it open."

They stepped inside.

"Hey! You're trespassing! This is private property! Come on out and maybe it'll go better for you!"

The house was completely silent. Almost eerily so.

The officers pulled out their guns and started to walk through the first floor.

"Hello!"

"Maybe they left?"

"And left their car outside? I doubt it."

They opened the door to a parlor and heard a soft moan. They walked around and saw a man lying on the floor. Quickly, they hurried over to him. He was lying on his stomach.

"He's alive."

"Is he hurt?"

"Don't know. Sir, are you all right?"

Gently, they rolled him over. There was a large gash on his forehead, shallow but long and caked with dried blood. Otherwise, he didn't have a mark on him, but he was extremely pale.

Suddenly, his eyes opened and he looked at them in terror.

"Let me out of here! I want to go home! Let me out! Don't let them take me! No, no!"

"Whoa! Slow down, sir. Who are you talking about?"

"The ghosts! They're moving! Let me out!"

He seemed to be out of his mind, but they helped him up and supported him out of the house. As soon as he was out of the house, he sagged and started sobbing. They were almost carrying him.

"Is this your car?"

"No. It's Jack's. They took him. They took them all. All except me. They're all...gone."

"Who? How many?"

"Jack...Dan...Landon. They're gone! The ghosts got them all! They're moving! They're going to get me! Don't let them get me!"

The two officers figured that the man was on drugs or something, but it was clear that he was extremely freaked out. Maybe, he was genuinely crazy, but he was terrified of something and if there were other people affected like he was, they should know.

They got the man off to a hospital and called other units in to help out in the search. They found Landon in another room in the house, chained to the wall, covered in blood and absolutely insane. He never recovered. They found Dan's body stuffed in the chimney. He'd been stabbed nearly a hundred times.

They never found Jack.

x.x.x.x.x.x.x

Present...

"Got a call."

"Where?"

"The house."

There was only one place that could just be called the house. For the last thirty years, they knew, to some degree, what they'd find when called to the house. It was either a murder or a disappearance or vandalism.

They always hoped for vandalism, but that was the least likely. Unfortunately.

"Who's going?"

"You and me."

"Okay. Let's go."

They drove to the house and got out. There was a car in front.

"I hate this place. Every time we come here, I hate it more."

"Me, too. Let's just get it over with."

They reported that they'd arrived at the house and went inside.

"Police! Please, come out and make it easy on all of us!"

Silence.

Now, they knew that there were only two options. Nothing or a body.

After looking through two rooms, they found a body.

One of the officers knelt down beside the body.

"Well?"

"Dead. Stabbed, it looks like."

"That's a military cut."

"Looks like it."

"Then, we won't have to do this."

"If he's still active duty."

"Hopefully, he is."

"Fine by me. Let's get someone here to do the investigation. I'm more than happy to pass this off to someone else."

Gladly, they left the house and called it in.