Chapter Text
Ashlyn trailed behind the group, a bead of sweat making its way down her cheek. The peeling walls stared her down as the floorboards creaked beneath her.
The further they went, the more she felt like her ears were about to pop. It was uncomfortable, severely so.
The feeling went away eventually though as they passed through another corridor with green doors. But then came the sounds.
Ash had to resist the urge to slam her hands against her ears when she heard it.
Phantom noises.
It was a steadily growing ringing, like nails on a chalkboard if she had to describe it. It sounded like someone was screeching in her ear, yet at the same time, it was like they were yards away in an echoey hallway.
She had gotten used to not hearing them anymore, so when the noises came out of nowhere, she could only remember the first time she began to hear them.
Back when she was a child, around eight years old.
Ashlyn wouldn’t go into much detail, but it was safe to say that she didn’t get much sleep during those weeks. But her parents had gotten noise-cancelling earbuds after a visit to the doctor.
Good news, the noises weren’t real! But there was also a chance she’d have hallucinations alongside the sounds.
Still, real or not, the sounds were still unpleasant and disturbing as always.
Well, whatever, Ashlyn brushed it off as she pulled at her collar. They’ll go away soon anyway.
—
“Welcome to the Sorrel Weed House!” The lady who had introduced herself, as Jasmine said, was gesturing at the peeling yellow walls around her. “So, this is the foyer. Most everything in this house is original, with the exception of the furniture and paint on the wall.” Everyone looked at the molding wall in the corner in thinly veiled suspicion.
Jasmine ignored their pointed stares.
She’d been touring them around the past ten minutes, spitting out interesting facts about the house that sounded suspiciously off the wiki the group had used to research. Jasmine led them into another room with green paint, decidedly not peeling this time. A giant painting of an old man stood on the fireplace. “This is the Francis Sorrel Library and the man you see in this portrait is Robert E. Lee!”
Ashlyn and her group looked at the man in disinterest, but Logan was eagerly writing stuff down as Jasmine spoke and Taylor was trying her best to seem just as interested. It obviously wasn’t working, though Ashlyn gave her an A for effort, she was the reason they’d all spent five dollars for this tour.
“Lee was a dear friend of Francis who visited the Sorrel House quite often,” Jasmine smiled, walking around the painting. “In the winter of 61-62, just before The Great War, General Lee used this room as his personal office.”
Ashlyn felt her lips quirk up when she heard a suppressed groan of boredom from the blond beside her. He was no doubt itching for something more exciting, and he piped up once Jasmine finally got to the paranormal part of the Sorrel House.
“As far as spooky activity goes, this room seems to be the most calm. Not to say there isn’t any ghostly activity in here, but out of the entire house–”
Everyone jumped as an eerie ring shot throughout the house.
Jasmine looked worried as she fished out the source of the noise from her pocket. Her phone buzzed violently, a paper crane charm swinging from the top.
“Ah, I’m so sorry! This is my emergency phone,” She apologized. “I have to take this, but I’ll be right back! Feel free to continue looking around, but please don’t touch anything.”
“Well,” Tyler remarked. “That’s super professional.”
“I-I don’t think that’s professional,” Logan said hesitantly, his eyes following their fleeting tour guide.
“I was being sarcastic.”
“...Oh.”
“Eh,” Taylor shrugged. “An emergency is an emergency. It’ll be way more fun to explore on our own anyway!”
Logan cheered alongside Taylor quietly as she pumped a fist in the air excitedly.
Everyone followed Taylor deeper and deeper into the house. Logan took his camera out and snapped a few photos while Tyler looked around scornfully.
Finally, as they reached the basement, Ashlyn had decided she’d had enough.
Why are the sounds getting louder? She hugged herself as she tried to will the noises away. They usually stop by now! Reaching to take her earplugs out, she winced when the noises only got louder.
“Why are you wearing earplugs?” Tyler asked bluntly from behind her.
“Ah!” Aiden said loudly. “I thought they were wireless earbuds?!”
“Shit!” Ashlyn’s body went rigid as her ears rang painfully louder. She furrowed her brows as she glared at Aiden. “They’re earplugs. I wear them because of my sensitivity to…sounds.”
Ashlyn could feel her heart skip a beat as a wave of ice-cold goosebumps raced across her body.
There, several feet away from Aiden in a dark corner… a man?
Her mind whirled to explain, blaming the shadow on the single chair and the dark shadows that were an obvious result of the flickering lights of the cellar–
The tall shadow turned slowly to face her, revealing blinding white eyes and yellow, flat teeth. Black slime dripped from its eerie too-big smile as it cocked its head at her. Its gaze bore into her soul as a shiver ran through her body.
She stood there, wanting nothing more than to look away but she couldn’t.
Calm down, she warned herself when her legs very nearly buckled beneath her. Calm down!
Everyone else paid the creature behind them no heed as they chattered away. She vividly noted that Tyler was scolding Aiden about something. For what? She couldn’t tell you for all the money in the world, but it reassured her that they couldn’t see it.
You’re only imagining it because of the phantom noises, the one sane voice whispered in her mind, almost drowned out by the racing of blood in her ears.
It’s not real.
The creature grinned in response, notably long claws limp at its sides.
It’s not actually there, it’s all in your head, remember? Just ignore it, it’ll go away. Ashlyn clenched her sweaty fists as she begged. Please, go away. Go away!
“Oh, that room looks cool!” Taylor gasped, pointing to a small door they hadn’t noticed before. She stopped when she realized that Ashlyn looked…off. “Hey, you alright Ashlyn? You look really pale,” She worried.
Ashlyn blinked at the shadow, clenching her teeth when it wouldn’t go away. Go away, go away.
She bit her cheek, her body begging her to breathe.
Screwing her eyes shut, she exhaled before tearing her gaze away and plugging her ear again.
“I’m fine.”
Ashlyn followed her classmates, decidedly ignoring the looming presence behind her stubbornly.
They said that auditory hallucinations are possible, but never really said anything about visual! She huffed, frustrated, It’ll just avoid it till we leave. Hopefully, it’ll be gone by then.
Ashlyn’s shoulders tensed up as she forced herself not to look behind her. But it’s hard not to be bothered by it when it looks so goddamn terrifying!
The bleak brick walls became a haze as they entered another room, an exit side tempting her just across from it.
Is my imagination really this morbid? Ashlyn didn’t know whether to be proud or resentful of all the horror movies she’d watch till now. Maybe if I confront it, it’ll disappear? Like facing your fears or something.
But what if it is real?
Nah. Ashlyn shook her head, dismissing the idea as soon as it had appeared. Don’t be stupid, Ashlyn.
She peeked up at the others when she realized how quiet they were being, she hadn’t noticed until now because of the phantom noises.
“A-Ashlyn…” Logan stuttered, shaking and sweating as he clutched his camera with white knuckles. Ashlyn was confused, what was wrong? They were all having fun just a few moments ago.
But as Ashlyn’s eyes glazed over her group, she realized.
Aiden’s normally crazed grin was tainted. Ben looked downright distraught. And Tyler had a protective arm out as if to protect his trembling sister behind him.
They were terrified.
And Ashlyn had a faint idea of why that may be when she felt cold, hard hands grip her forearm tightly. She was paralyzed as a shuddering breath whispered against the nape of her neck, not at all warm. Deep, hard, existential dread washed over her body as her eyes shot open.
“Behind you.”