Part 1: Chapter 5

"You can open your eyes now," he said. I hadn't even realized I'd closed them. Daniel looked amused watching me.

"It's not funny, I'm just..." I couldn't find the right word. Nervous? No way.

"Nervous? I didn't laugh," Daniel said, still smiling.

"Not nervous—cautious," I corrected him. I started down the aisle toward the stage. Rows of seats lined both sides, dimly lit by eerie floor lights marking the path. As I approached the stage, a sudden chill wrapped around me. My breathing became difficult, my body feeling like I'd plunged into ice water. A warm hand grabbed mine, pulling me back into a warm embrace. I couldn't stop shivering.

"Hey, you okay? Maybe we should stop. You should go home," Daniel suggested, holding me, trying to warm me up, but some cold goes deeper. I pushed away, staggering slightly.

"No... I'm... good," I insisted through chattering teeth. Daniel tried pulling me back, but I resisted.

"No, you're not. Come here—you're shaking uncontrollably. Either let me warm you up or I'm making you go home," he threatened.

"Fine," I relented, moving toward him. "But... watch... what... you touch."

Daniel smiled. "I will." He began rubbing my arms to restore circulation, then moved to my legs, careful about where his hands went. After about ten minutes, he said, "The rest of you should warm up in a minute or so."

"Thanks," I replied, grateful.

"Look at that—warmth already there," Daniel said with a grin. I let the comment slide. Maybe I was warming up to him after all.

"Let's keep going," I said, managing a smile.

"You sure?" Daniel asked, concern etched in his voice.

"Yes, I'm sure," I insisted, taking a step forward before Daniel caught my arm.

"Hand, please," he said, palm outstretched.

I eyed his hand suspiciously. "Why?"

"I promise not to bite. Just want to check for more cold spots before you hit them. Plus, shared body heat works wonders," he explained.

"Fine," I sighed, reluctantly placing my hand in his. We inched toward the stage when suddenly something ice-cold touched my shoulder. I screamed and launched myself at Daniel. We crashed to the floor as laughter erupted above us. Looking up, we found Bobby hovering over us, ice bag in hand.

"Well, don't you two look cozy," Bobby said, smirking.

I scrambled off Daniel immediately. Before I could tear into Bobby, Daniel beat me to it.

"What the hell, man?" Daniel snapped, clearly pissed.

"Relax," Bobby said, hands up in mock surrender. "I'll leave you lovebirds alone if you ask nicely."

"Sorry," Daniel said, anger fading to firmness. "But that was a dick move."

"She was rude to Nancy," Bobby said, glancing at me with more amusement than malice. "And she wasn't exactly friendly to us either."

"Do you even realize your girlfriend is into—" I started, but Daniel cut me off.

"Catherine, you just got scared half to death. Maybe don't poke the bear," he whispered, his breath warm against my neck. I fell silent, unsettled by how good it felt.

"No, Daniel, let her finish," Bobby demanded. "Nancy thinks you're being too protective of her anyway."

"Why are you even here, Bobby?" I asked, changing tactics.

"Why are you two in a dark auditorium *alone*?" he countered, eyebrows raised.

"I asked first," I shot back.

"If you're embarrassed about making out on your first day, don't be. It's just me," Bobby said with a smug grin.

"We weren't making out, Bobby," Daniel jumped in before I could respond. "She wants to see the school ghosts."

"Then what's with the hand-holding?" Bobby asked, nodding toward our now-separated hands.

"Protection from the supernatural," Daniel replied.

"What do you mean?" Bobby asked, his head tilting slightly, tone shifting to something more serious.

"Before you scared us half to death," Daniel explained—and yes, it wasn’t just me, he was too,—"Catherine got caught in a death chill."

"Ah, the chilly balls," Bobby said thoughtfully. "That's rough. Thought those only happened in the basement."

"Yeah, me too. Guess nobody really knows," Daniel said with a shrug.

"True that. Hey, mind if I tag along?" Bobby asked with what I could only describe as an evil smile.

"As long as you ditch that ice bag," Daniel warned.

Great. Now I'm stuck with both of them, I thought glumly. What could possibly be worse than ghost hunting with two guys I barely know and already want to strangle?

"Absolutely," Bobby agreed with suspicious ease. He sidled up next to Daniel and, in one swift motion, shoved the ice bag down the back of Daniel's shirt. Daniel yelped as the ice hit his bare skin. Bobby laughing while Daniel took off after him, promising revenge.

While the two morons played their game of freeze tag, I decided to investigate the stage myself. The blue and red lights cast an eerie glow across the empty space. Nothing seemed off, so I climbed up and walked to the spot where I'd seen the dead girl that morning. A small red mark on the floor caught my eye. I crouched down for a closer look.

The spot grew before my eyes, expanding into a puddle. A metallic, coppery smell hit my nostrils. Blood.

I scrambled backward, landing hard on my butt. A soft dripping sound made me look back at the puddle. Something was falling into it. I slowly raised my eyes upward and froze.

A boy hung from the rafters, his mutilated body swaying slightly, blood dripping from his wounds. I screamed and scrambled back, toppling off the stage and hitting the floor with a painful thud. Daniel and Bobby sprinted over, their childish game forgotten. Daniel knelt beside me while Bobby stared at the stage, his face drained of color.

"Look," Bobby whispered, pointing a shaking finger.

Daniel helped me to my feet as we turned to look. The hanging boy was no longer in the rafters—he was floating toward us, his image flickering. His arms stretched out, reaching for us, while behind him dragged the tree branch still attached to his noose. We stood frozen until I found my voice.

"Can we leave now?" I managed to squeak.

"Yeah," they answered in unison. We bolted for the exit. Once safely outside the auditorium, I slid down the wall, my legs too wobbly to hold me. Bobby collapsed next to me while Daniel remained standing, his face ashen.

"That never happened before, huh?" I asked, looking between them.

"No," they both replied, color slowly returning to their faces.

"Oh," I said, trying to process everything. "So neither of you can explain what's going on?"

"Bobby might be able to," Daniel suggested.

"Hell no, Daniel," Bobby shot back, shaking his head. "I am not doing that again. Last time I tried, it nearly killed me. If it hadn't been for you and Annabella..."

"Do what?" I asked, suddenly curious about what had almost gotten Bobby killed.

"No, Daniel," Bobby cut in before Daniel could answer. "If we're going to talk about this, let's at least go outside where there's sun."

"Yeah," Daniel agreed quickly.

"Sun sounds perfect right now," I said, pushing myself up. Bobby stood too, and we headed for the exit. The moment we spotted daylight through the doors, we made a collective dash for freedom.