𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐋𝐀𝐒𝐓 𝐎𝐍𝐄 | "So after the crowd's gone, I'll be the last one."
In which Tanner Wiseman's younger cousin embarks on a journey full of haunts.
𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐅𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐒𝟏-𝐒𝟒
𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐅𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐨𝐧 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐓𝐮𝐛𝐞
𝐃𝐚𝐤𝐨�...
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Before we even get to Sweet Springs, we lose cell service.
I throw an annoyed glare at Dakota when he mentions that it's the perfect start to every horror movie.
"I'm literally just digging my own grave right now," I say as we drive through the mountains of West Virginia.
"I mean, it's probably just the physical effects," Dakota suggests. "We're going to places that are sad. Very sad American history."
"That's true," I agree.
"And you could be picking up on that a little bit, just the feelings." I nod, but also can't help but feel like I am actually actively digging my own grave by agreeing to this trip. "What is making you guys wanna go through this?"
"Um, delusion?" I joke, and we all start laughing. When we calm down, I actually answer, "I would never have done this if you guys weren't involved." I turn to Tanner. "You especially. And if I do this, this will be one of the most challenging things I've ever done and just . . . to really, like, take my fear and bring it to a whole other level."
Dakota nods, smiling slightly at my words. Tanner claps my shoulder, shaking it as I sit beside him around the kitchen table in the RV.
"Why are you doing it, Tanner?" Dakota asks. "What's your driving force behind doing this?"
"I mean, for me personally, I really wanna test myself," Tanner responds. "Am I a person who is going to be the first one to run out the door, or am I going to stand right there in the face of fear and try to protect the people that I care about and love?"
I force a cheesy smile and lean back against him, pointing to myself. Alex laughs from behind his camera, as does Dakota. We all know that I'm the person Tanner would literally kill for, and he wouldn't back down from smacking a ghost if it meant keeping me safe.
Sweet Springs is huge and it's immediately terrifying when we pull up to it. It's raining—and I mean, storming as we figure out our plan for the night. Dakota decides that we're going to split up immediately. He puts Tanner and Alex together to go to the slave corridors while I'm going to go with him to the West Wing.
As we head to our location, Dakota surprises me by saying, "I'm excited that I get to walk with you."
I don't really know how to respond, so I just shrug and joke, "Yeah, get in line."
Dakota chuckles. "I feel like, the worst thing, though, honestly, is like . . . when me and you get scared, we're the biggest chickens."
He isn't wrong, so I agree, "Biggest chickens, hands down."
We encounter thumping above us, which we go to investigate. Something moves down the hallway from us, but we're both too nervous to go and look further. Two unexplained bangs follow, feeling like we're going to be backed into corner. We push through, make it to the third floor and head to room 3007, where nothing really happens. Then, we swap locations with Alex and Tanner, with Dakota and I heading into the basement. We come across some very insensitive things like dolls in cages, which makes my stomach sour. As we walk, Dakota says he doesn't feel good and then we hear what sounds like a woman keening or moaning.
Tanner walkies us and let's us know that he and Alex were doing a digital recorder session next to room 3007 and ended up hearing the same thing that we did.
I absolutely do not want anything to do with the basement. I hate the energy down there. It's suffocating, terrible, horrific.
We eventually reconvene to choose sleeping locations. This only comes after we get a scare after venturing into one of the buildings and come face-to-face with birds and bats and snake skin.
I draw the basement hospital wing. I'm not happy about it, especially since I didn't want anything to do with the basement. It's not ideal, but I'll be near Tanner, who drew the slave corridors. Dakota gets second floor west wing and Alex gets the big mirror.
"I don't know if I'm going to make it this time," I say as I nestle into my sleeping bag on top of my cot as Dakota and Alex help me set up my camera. "I'm being totally honest."
Dakota turns back to me, zipping the sleeping bag up so that it's tight and snug around me. "You got this?" he asks me, genuine concern in his voice as he rests a comforting hand on my leg.
I shrug, stiffening slightly as I do. I'm still waiting for Dakota's apology about what he made me do last location, so the concern he's showing me—I don't know how to react. "We'll see," I mutter, shaking my head. "Fucking crap."
The two leave me and I sigh, looking at my camera. "Okay, well, I'm currently in the basement hospital wing," I say. "I question my own sanity in times like this, honestly. This is crazy." I shake my head, shining my flashlight down the hallway. "This is probably one of the hardest things I've ever done in my life. And probably the hardest sleeping arrangement so far. Easily."
I'm not sure how much time passes between the last time I speak to the camera and when I hear what sounds like someone talking behind my sleeping arrangement. I pull out my flashlight and shine the light down it, my brows creasing. It almost sounds as though it could be Tanner speaking, and before I can reach for my walkie to ask him, it buzzes to life next to me, Tanner's voice coming through it.
"Alex?" he asks.
I pick it up, pressing the button. "This is Olivia's line," I tell him.
"Did you hear that voice?"
"Yeah, I heard it right behind me," I reply.
A few minutes later, I hear footsteps running toward me, followed by Alex's voice calling out to me, "Liv, we're coming over to you!"
I assume that Tanner called Alex down to the basement to help him do a sweep of it just to be sure that there isn't a squatter or any real person loitering inside the building.
"Dude, we both heard a freaking voice, like, between us," I tell Alex, still sitting on my cot.
Tanner shakes his head. "I know," he breathes.
"It sounded like there was another person—like a human here with us," I say, eyes wide with disbelief.
"Right?"
Alex pulls out his walkie, pressing down the button as he says, "Hey, Dakota, do you copy me?"
"It sounded like there was an actual person," I repeat, still unable to believe it.
"That's what I'm saying," Tanner agrees.
"Yes Al, what's up?" Dakota's voice comes through Alex's walkie.
"Tanner and Olivia both heard a voice in between them, so I ran downstairs," Alex explains. "Like, they think it's a legit person."
