Haunted Houses and Ghoulish Ghosts [Closed]

The small pitter-pats of the little white dog's paws padded quietly on the pavement as both the dog, and it's master made their way home after a nice, long walk. It was getting late, and he wanted to get inside his nice, warm home before it got too late. As he drew nearer, he thought of what he'd do once he got inside. First, he'd grab himself a nice cup of coffee, and a book, then relax by the fire with his dog, Hanatamago. He hummed cheerfully to himself as he stepped onto the porch and rummaged through his pocket for the keys - a task that didn't take too long. Once he grabbed the right key, he used it to open the door before placing it back in his pocket and taking off Hanatamago's leash so she could run inside, excited to be home after her walk.

Making some coffee and grabbing a book didn't take too long, and within minutes he was relaxing by the fire, dog in his lap as he softly pet her with a free hand as he flipped pages with the other. The book he'd gotten was an old one, one he'd picked up from the library only the day before. It was a mystery novel, about some detective woman that went around, solving strange and mysterious crimes. He'd just gotten to the part where the heroine finds her first clue when his phone rang. Startled by the sudden noise, he dropped his book, losing his place as he managed to retrieve his phone out from his pocket and press the 'talk' button. He smiled when he recognized the voice of one of his good friends, Elizaveta.

Over the phone, she told him about an idea she'd had to go visit the Haunted House after hours. Although he wouldn't admit it, the idea of being in there with just the two of them made him feel uneasy. It didn't take much convincing to get him to agree, though. Uneasy or not, Tino absolutely loved scary things - even though they sometimes resulted in a nightmare.

He hung up the phone with a quick 'see you in a bit' and headed over to the front door to put his shoes back on, as a curious Hanatamago watched from her spot by the fireplace. "I'll be back later!" he assured his beloved pet. "Be good." he added as he grabbed his knapsack - just in case - and headed out the door.

The walk to the Haunted House didn't take too long, and soon Tino found himself waiting by the bushes near the front entrance with a flashlight. After a few minutes with no sign of his friend, he glanced at his watch, wondering what was taking so long. She lived a little closer to the place than he did, so she should have been there first. As he thought about this, he heard a noise from the bushes. He took a few steps away from it, shakily pointing the flashlight at the bush. "H-Hello?" he called out, unsure.

Tino felt his heart race wildy as the bush shook even more, and something began to crawl out. He took a few steps back, ready to flee at any moment. He gripped the flashlight tighter, his hands shaking as whatever it was revealed itself - or rather herself - and grinned up at him. He let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding, and sighed in relief, feeling silly for getting frightened so easily.

He playfully scowled at her, struggling to keep himself from smiling. It didn't last long, and soon the smile he'd held in made itself known as he greeted his friend. "Veta, you startled me!" he said with a chuckled, bending down a little to offer a hand to help her to her feet. "How long have you been waiting here?" he asked, giving her a quick hug once she was back on her feet. "Why were you sitting in that bush...?" he questioned, only just realizing how strange it was for someone to sit in a bush. Although who was he to call it strange? He was always doing, and trying, weird things either on his own, or with his friends.

Tino's smile disappeared, a look of worry quickly taking its place. "Someone was following you?" he asked, just to make sure he hadn't heard her wrong. "Are they still around? Or did they leave?" he looked around them, moving his flashlight over the shadowed areas to check and make sure there wasn't anyone there. A stranger following a woman - especially a young, attractive one like Elizaveta - at night was very suspicious, and very worrying.

After he was sure there was no one in the surrounding area, he turned back to his friend and nodded. "Alright, let's go!" he said, his worry being replaced by excitement. He was a little surprised when she pulled out what he assumed were some items for picking the locks, but with a chuckle, he realized that they wouldn't really be able to get in any other way. Leave it to Elizaveta to have such things he thought, amused by her preparedness.

They were ready to go, and Tino was excited and anxious to get started with their 'night of terror'. That is, until he noticed her rubbing her arms from the cold. "Veta, where's your jacket?" he asked, looking back at the bush to see if she'd dropped it there. Seeing none, he removed his own and offered it to her. "Here, take mine. I'm good with the cold, so it's really no trouble."

Ever since he was young, Tino had had a high tolerance for cold weather. Not only did he tolerate it; he liked it. It reminded him of when he was younger and would play in the snow, not caring about the chill nipping at his nose. It reminded him of his home, where the winters were long and freezing.

With the issue of the cold settled, he headed over to the entrance of the place, moving aside so that Elizaveta could work her magic on the lock. He was a little curious as to why she had a lock picking set, but he didn't question it. Something told him he was better off just not knowing.