A/N: This ended up much, much longer than I intended and kinda deviated from a halloween theme just a bit... Also, it's got a bit of slash (because I can't help myself) but nothing too sexual.685Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQo2VWllivT
Everybody said the old Bosworth mansion was haunted. And by everyone I mean everyone. In a town of population seventy-four, although it might soon turn to seventy-three as Mrs. Greene wasn't likely to make it past the month.685Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSijesQKOfc
It was no surprise really. That mansion located on the cliffside, about a mile into the forest next to the cemetery, was made to be haunted. It was isolated, it was gothic, it was falling apart, and it hadn't been lived in for nearly a whole century because it was rumored to have housed an occultist who died in the middle of a summoning.
So it was also really no surprise that when some new guy turned up, he just had to move into the old Bosworth mansion.
Now, the rumors about him were plenty and varied. It probably helped that he was mildly attractive with rugged features and a muscular frame although I barely caught a quick glance of him when he had been leaving the grocery store two days ago. The girls though, they were going crazy about him. Even my little sister.
"Eli, he's so gorgeous though! You don't understand," she said for the hundredth time.
I rolled my eyes, also for the hundredth time, and continued to tap out the Cup Song with an empty styrofoam coffee cup. I don't even know why I did it but ever since that movie came out and everyone went bananas over the Cup Song I somehow took up the habit of tapping it out with my hands or a nearby cup when I was bored. It was second nature now even though Pitch Perfect came out like three years ago and I had only seen it once.
It was a slow day even though my coffee shop was the only one in town. Most people preferred to go to Judy's pub if only to eye up either her or her twin Jude. Or they enjoyed watching the two bicker. There was only so much forms of entertainment to be found in a tiny town in the middle of nowhere.
Annalise started whining about me not listening or taking her seriously - which is something I've never done so why should I start now sixteen years later? - so I dug out my iPod and put in my earbuds to drown her out.
Annalise saw and rolled her eyes at me. She made a retort but my music was too loud to hear her. It was probably a comment on my maturity, or lack thereof, even though I was ten years older than her.
She finally left me alone, walking over to one of the empty tables and going on her phone, probably to stalk celebrities on Tumblr or Instagram or something or rant about the new guy some more to her internet/school friends.
I let her do her thing and put the cup I had been messing around with down, crossing my arms on the counter and resting my head on them. The people who entered my cafe were incredibly predictable and came during certain times and I had a good four hours until the Johnson family came by for their daily dose of coffee and cakes. I had time to spare and it wasn't often that anyone came by randomly, so it wasn't long before I drifted off.
I felt someone shaking my shoulder, bringing me to a semi-wakeful state.
"Nnnn, 'lise, go 'way," I grumbled and used a hand to weakly slap the offending person's hand.
Deep chuckles met my ears and I looked up, blinking blearily. That was not Annalise.
"Hey, stranger," the man before me smiled. I blinked the sleep away and sat up, rubbing at my eyes.
"Sorry," I mumbled and then yawned. "I don't have you pegged down yet. Welcome to Creake and my bustling cafe."
The man raised a brow and then laughed, shaking his head, "That's probably the best welcome I've had since arriving."
I hopped off the stool, pushing it to the side and noticing that Annalise was gone, and cocked my head to the side with a frown, "People not welcoming you nicely? I figured they'd be clawing after you. You are fresh meat, after all, not to mention you decided to move into the old Bosworth mansion."
He cocked a shoulder, "No, they've been rather...excited. I just like my space and not a number of questions. Plus, some of the more forward ones make it very hard to be comfortable."
"Get used to it, bud, you're the first person to come down here in the past three decades plus you moved into the freaking Bosworth mansion. Ain't much gossip here that could top that and we forgotten folks of Creake don't have much in terms of entertainment. But anyway," I spread my hands out with a flourish. "What can I get ya?"
"Coffee'll do. And your name, if you wouldn't mind."
"Oh right. Elias, but I go by Eli, you?" I asked as I rung him up. "£3 and I'll throw in a free welcome cookie."
"Ryker, and I do not go by Ry," he replied as he handed me a couple bills. "Do you have wifi here? I won't be getting mine set up for a couple weeks."
I nodded as I put a large chocolate chip cookie on a small plate and prepped his coffee. "The password is HU4L. Take a seat, I'll be like five minutes."
"Hollywood Undead fan? You are quickly making your way to the position of my favorite person here."
I chuckled but didn't reply even though I was slightly excited that he shared the same taste of music as me. Not many people around appreciated the kind of music I listened to.
Ryker went to a table in the corner and pulled out his laptop from his backpack, immediately settling down. When I came by to give him his drink and cookie, I saw that he was researching the Bosworth mansion.685Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtLrJzJVyQ4
"Not to pry or anything, but wouldn't it be easier to get the locals to give you info on the place you've moved into? Creake's pretty low key so you might not find much on the internet."
Ryker looked up at me and gestured to the free chair opposite him, "I figured, but I wanted to try my hand at the internet first. And since you suggested, I'm going to take that as you offering your own brain for interrogation."
"I dunno," I hummed, pretending to think. I looked around the shop and held my hands up with shrugged shoulders, "I mean, I've got a cafe to run. Lot's of business, ya know?"
Ryker deadpanned and I gave him a lopsided grin as I took the offered seat.685Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU6s9mr7sse
"So, what can you tell me about this haunted mansion?" He had his fingers hovering over his keyboard so I figured he was going to be transcribing notes or something.
I shrugged, "It was built around the eighteenth century but about a century ago it was rumored to have been lived in by an occultist who died in the middle of a summoning and no one's lived there until you. That's what you'll get from anyone you ask. The variations lie in what the guy was summoning. The popular theories are that it was a demon of some sort for a personal slave, several demons for a demon orgy, or that he was trying to make a contract to seek revenge against his brother who stole the girl he loved."
"Demon orgy?" Ryker raised a brow as he looked up from his screen.
I shrugged, "Hey, you're into what you're into. I'm not gonna judge unless it's illegal and/or non-consensual."
"And what're you into?" Ryker asked, eyes boring into me.
"This and that," I replied vaguely. Was he flirting with me?
We went back to the original conversation and I recounted all the Creake lore that I knew of. Ryker was very attentive with a seriousness that was a bit confusing. It was just silly small town rumors but he was behaving as if it was of monumental importance in a life or death situation. We, or rather I, talked for ages with Ryker adding in little questions for clarification here and there. I didn't even notice it when the Johnson family entered right on time.
"Sorry, I actually have work to do now. Have fun researching," I said to him as I got to my feet.
"Thank you, Eli, you've been really helpful."
I tipped my imaginary hat at him with a grin, "T'was my pleasure, Rake."
"Rake?" he echoed but I didn't reply, instead going back to the counter to get the Johnsons' drinks and food ready. They always had the same thing. Everyone in Creake always did the same thing. I glanced at Ryker and smiled. But maybe a little change had arrived.
The following two weeks saw Ryker becoming a regular at my cafe. He showed up in the mornings before lunch and left by five in the evening. Each day he had his computer and a cup of coffee. He took it black, no sugar.
Annalise had been furious when she learned that I had become somewhat friends with him in her absence and was at the cafe much more often now, always staring and drooling after Ryker. Ryker didn't seem too bothered with my sister's obvious fascination so I let it be.
Whenever I had some downtime and Ryker was there, I ended up sitting with him and helping him with his research or just conversing casually. He was very secretive and I tried not to pry. A man's business was no one's but his own, something small town folk generally ignored but I understood the need to keep things private. I was curious, don't get me wrong, but I liked his companionship.
"How's the moving in going?" I asked Ryker as I refilled his coffee.
Ryker shrugged and stretched his arms over his head, "Fine. Got a bit of fixing up to do and walls that need repainting. My furniture's coming in tomorrow but they refuse to enter my house so I've got a day or three of lugging stuff around in store for me."
"Need any help?" I offered without thinking twice.
Ryker raised a brow at me, "You're willing to spend the day at the old Bosworth mansion?"
I shrugged, "Why not? Besides, you'll protect me from all those ghosties, right?" I grinned teasingly, watching for his reaction.
Ryker's eyes flashed and turned to stone, making my smile falter. I quickly tried to save myself by adding, "Kidding! Like ghosts even exist and even if they do, I could handle some transparent dude."
That cold look on Ryker's face turned harder, if that was even possible, and I made an excuse about checking on the oven in the back to get away from the tension.
When it was nearing five, Ryker packed up and I thought he was going to leave without a word but he strolled up to me, asking, "So what time do you think you could come over to help?"
I blinked, surprised he was pretending that nothing had happened, but shrugged and went along with it, "How about eleven? I'll get my sister to watch the cafe or I could just close it for tomorrow."
Ryker frowned, "Can you do that? What about the cafe?"
I grinned, "I"m the boss, I can do whatever the hell I want. And besides, I'm pretty sure you've noticed that I don't get much business."
Ryker smiled but it looked like he was distracted, "If you're sure. I'll see you at eleven tomorrow then."
I nodded and he left the shop just in time for Annalise to enter and come over to me. She had been tutoring some middle schoolers and had complained incessantly before she had left because she was going to miss gawking at Ryker.
"You need to introduce me to him!" she demanded.
I rolled my eyes, "I'll introduce you when I'm certain you won't scare him away with your stalkerish obsession. Also, he's way older than you and I don't think he's into pedophilia."
Annalise huffed and crossed her arms over her chest but did not deny my claims because she knew it was true.
"By the way," I added. "You busy tomorrow after eleven?"
Annalise shook her head, "No, why?"
"Think you could watch over the cafe from then till I get back? If not, I'll just close early tomorrow."
"Do I get paid?" she questioned. "And where're you going?"
"You get paid the same you usually do when you take shifts here. And I'm helping Ryker with his furniture."
I smirked as her mouth dropped in disbelief. I was rubbing salt in wounds but it was fun and I was a horrible brother.
"You jerk!" she cried. "You're trying to get into his pants! Sisters before misters, Elias!"
I scoffed, "I am not and when have you ever cared about the family before boys rule? Besides, he's my friend and no one's helping him move his furniture in."
In the end, I did convince Annalise to handle the shop but she was glaring and pouting for the rest of the day, right up to when I left the shop the next day at thirty to eleven. The Bosworth mansion was a fair distance away to walk - I saw no use in a car when everything was walking distance - and I didn't want to keep Ryker waiting.
By the time I walked through the creepy forest I had only been in a few times, mostly for dares, and reached the porch of the old mansion, I was around fifteen minutes early. Boxes littered the area in front and the door was held open by a smaller box.685Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDIobqwJE2x
The last time I had seen the mansion was almost four years ago when I was drunk off my arse. I had swore up and down that I saw neon blue lights flickering from the direction of the house but everyone convinced me it was just my brain making things up under the influence. I hadn't thought of the incident in so long and was suddenly a bit wary of stepping onto the refurbished porch.
I was hesitant to enter without being invited so I knocked on the door while standing at the threshold. It took a couple minutes, during which I worried that I hadn't knocked loud enough but Ryker soon appeared from the corner of the hallway.
I stared in shock at him before pulling myself together and waving, "Hey, Rake."
Ryker grinned at me, "Hey, you're early. Come on in, I was just in the kitchen."685Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpQFrEaeGT2
"So what's there to do?" I asked. I couldn't stop staring at him.
Now, I was well aware of how attractive he was but whenever I saw him he was wearing a slightly loose full sleeved shirt. He was wearing a shirt, period. And his jeans didn't sag or have teasing slashes. My eyes trailed over the various tattoos on his chest and arms that had been hidden before. They were mostly symbols , some that I recognized were meant to protect like the anti-demon possession mark over his heart, and there were also phrases that looked to be in some Romance language, probably Latin.
"We can start off by bringing all the boxes inside and then start unpacking room by room," he said, bringing my eyes back up to his face as I felt heat rise in my cheeks. "I just finished bringing all the kitchen stuff in. Next is my bedroom."
"Yeah, okay," I nodded, trying to get myself under control. So I may have been omitting some truths from my sister. I was actually interested in Ryker. He was different and interesting, with a couple quirks but I liked those about him too, it added to his charm. I liked talking to him and I always looked forward to his daily visits. I was just as caught up in the newness of his arrival as everyone else in Creake, as much as I hated to admit it.685Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl9lUjIFbVv
We each grabbed a box labeled BEDROOM, him taking a larger one and me gawking at how his muscles moved with the exertion.
He led me into the house and I tried to distract myself by looking around as it was the first time I had ever been inside. There were peeling walls, some completely bare, and it didn't look like he had done much. As we walked through the main living room, I began to notice several symbols painted onto walls, ceiling, doors, windows, and flooring. I raised a brow in curiosity but said nothing. I had already pegged Ryker to be pretty superstitious given his dedicated researching at the cafe, but that only begged the question of why he had even moved into the Bosworth mansion if he believed in the supernatural.
We walked down the hallway in silence until we passed the staircase and I asked, "Isn't the bedroom upstairs?"
"The master one, yeah, but I like the guest room on this floor better," he replied and I went with it.
The bedroom was almost completely bare. There were just innumerable symbols and words spray painted on every surface. The entire room was also lined with a white powder that I was certain was salt. Still, I didn't question him. It was his house and I was only helping him move stuff in.
"Where do you want these?" I asked.
"Just put it over here," he said as he set his own box down in a corner. I set mine on top of it and we headed back out to get the others.
About two hours later, I was starved and sweating and my arms were killing me. And we were still doing his bedroom.
"How much stuff do you even keep in your room?" I asked, collapsing on top of the mattress we had just brought in. Even the mattress had symbols on it. Stitched right into the fabric. He was a bit past obsessive about the whole demon/ghost thing.
"That was the last thing, promise," he said, chuckling at me. He had begun to sweat too, his skin glistening and making it very hard to keep calm.
I lay on the mattress and closed my eyes to rest a little.685Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxotpYNtfI3
"You know, most people would have said something about the symbols," I heard Ryker say.
I shrugged but otherwise didn't move, "You've got your reasons. I mean, so long as you're not some crazy axe murderer, I'm not too worried. I like you and don't want to push you away by prying. And I trust you'll tell me if you want to."
Ryker didn't say anything and I began to worry I may have said too much, especially since I admitted to liking him even though that could have been taken as just friends. He didn't know I was gay, or at least I don't think he did. I never told him but someone else might have. When I came out I was the town's gossip for months.
I swallowed nervously, "Ryker?"
When I opened my eyes to see if he was still in the room, I yelped in fright at seeing him standing over me with an unreadable expression on his face.
Sitting up on the edge of the mattress, I chuckled hesitantly, "Bloody hell, you scared me. How'd you move so quietly?"
"Practice," he replied and leaned down so his hands were on either side of me on the mattress. I leaned back slightly, his face was much too close.
"Ryker?" I questioned, my heart rate spiking.
"This wasn't supposed to happen," he muttered, making me frown in confusion.
"Ryker, are you okay?" I barely got the question out before he leaned down and closed those last few inches between our lips.
I didn't even comprehend what had happened before Ryker was inches away from me again, staring at my face with a blank expression. I was pretty sure my own face was quite the sight. It took a moment for me to pick my jaw back up as I stuttered, "Uh, I, you, did that, um...Ryker?"
"Are you mad?" he asked.
I blinked and slowly shook my head, "More... surprised than anything else. I'm still trying to process it."
Ryker's jaw tightened before he sighed and stood up, "I'm sorry. I think you should leave. I didn't mean to do that." He immediately walked out of the room without looking at me.
I got to my feet suddenly angry and followed after him, "So you finally kiss me like I've been wishing and you just kick me out and tell me you weren't in control of your actions?"
Ryker stopped and turned around, surprise showing on his face and then I realized exactly what I had said. I didn't take it back though, only bit my lip and looked away, feeling my face heat up again.
He opened his mouth to say something but cackling and a burst of light interrupted him.
I yelped and jumped, looking around. "What the hell was that?!"
"Shit," Ryker cursed. "Eli, go to my room and shut the door." When I didn't move, he rushed to me and pulled me by my arm, "Now, Elias."
I tried to keep up with him but was still more or less dragged along as he pulled me into his room and slammed the door shut.
The cackling continued and it sounded as if a hurricane was going on outside of the room. Thumping, crashing, and shrieking was all I heard over my own erratic heart.
"Ryker, what the hell is going on?" I demanded, scared out of my wits.
Ryker had gone to one of the boxes and was ripping it apart. I gaped at the the contents. It was all weaponry. Shiny and metallic and, if my suspicions were correct, silver. There were knives, guns, shivs, staffs, and various other weaponry I had no name for.
"That occultist that died here a century ago? He was partially successful. Fuck, I thought I had three more days until the gate opened," was his reply as he grabbed a pistol and loaded it with what looked like silver bullets. He grabbed a bottle of water and hooked it to a belt loop and walked to the door. With his hand on the doorknob, he turned to face me once with the most serious expression I had ever seen on his face. "Whatever happens, do not under any circumstances leave this room until I come to get you. Understood?"685Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3Cg2D8cYk9
"Why the hell are you going out there then!" I shouted. I didn't even doubt him. There was no way the sounds outside the room were human.
"I'm doing my job," was all he said before he quickly opened the door and slid out, shutting it behind him and leaving me alone.685Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxXRC75FWk0
My first instinct was to open the door and go after him. I didn't want to be left alone and I didn't want him to face... whatever it was out there. But my feet were rooted to the ground.
I don't know how long I stood frozen in the room, staring at the door and waiting for my feet to start working or for Ryker to come back. I was beyond terrified. The sounds only grew louder, then there were gunshots, screaming and shrieking. And then I heard Ryker cry out in pain. I don't know how I knew it was him that moment but I was certain and before I knew it, I had one of his guns in my hand and was running out of the room towards his screams after shakily loading it with the silver bullets that I saw also had insignias carved into them.
What I saw when I entered the living room almost made me faint. There was this thing hovering over Ryker who was on his knees and blood was just everywhere. The thing was purple and black with grotesque wings and a spiked tail. It had long, jagged teeth, glistening sinisterly, and gnarled nails that were coated in red.
Neither had noticed me, Ryker in too much pain and the...demon, watching him with sadistic glee, preparing for the final strike.
I didn't think. I raised my shaky arms and pulled the trigger. I barely clipped the demon's wings and managed to get both of their attention.
"Elias!" Ryker screamed when the demon charged at me.
I shot on reflect, multiple times, glad that the gun was a semi and ducked down.
I managed to hit the demon and it fell to the ground screaming in pain as the scent of burned flesh met my nose. I gagged but kept shooting at it until the gun was firing blanks.
The gun dropped from my shaking hands as my knees buckled and I went crashing to the floor in shock. My heart was on overdrive, adrenaline coursing through me and I couldn't stop staring at the thing just a couple feet in front of me.
I barely noticed Ryker getting to his feet and trudging to the demon. He used his blood to draw a circle around the demon that was still writhing and screaming bloody murder before he said some incantation in a foreign language that was nothing I'd ever heard. In a flash of white, the demon was gone, only ashes and the blood lined circle in its place.
Ryker walked over and pulled me into a hug, murmuring nonsense and kissing me repeatedly, and that's when I finally passed out.
Three months. It had been three months since the incident at the Bosworth mansion. Since I helped kill a demon. Since I woke up alone in the hospital. Since the Bosworth mansion was burned to the ground. Since Ryker left without a word.
No one knew where he went nor did they know how or why the mansion was burned. No one really cared about the mansion though, many had wanted to get rid of it but no one was brave enough to disturb it.
I was questioned relentlessly when I woke up at the hospital but I couldn't-wouldn't answer any of them. Apparently Ryker had brought me in, saying we had been attacked in the forest by some feral animal and I had passed out from shock and fear after killing it and saving Ryker's life.
Life soon returned to a somewhat normal state. People stopped asking me about what happened after I continued to plead amnesia and Annalise stopped questioning me about my night terrors and demanding I go see a shrink.
But I missed Ryker.
His absence was obvious to me. I found myself constantly thinking about our fleeting kiss that wasn't even really a kiss. About his hug. About him bleeding profusely with the demon hovering above him. About how I swear he had told me he had fallen in love with me before I passed out in his arms.
He left a hole in my heart that I hadn't realized he had already taken.
I was sitting on a stool behind the counter of the cafe. I had forced Annalise to stop worrying over me and go hang out with her friends who had planned a trip to a nearby town that was bigger than ours and had a movie theater that the citizens of Creake frequented.
I was staring down at my hands that were tapping out the Cup Song with an empty styrofoam cup against the counter. I was so lost in thought, I didn't hear anyone entering the shop. The cup dropped from my hands and I looked up in shock when I heard, "Hey, stranger."685Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCqWc7xe8z7
