I ain't afraid of no ghost ( Lepa)

[Yuki]

Sarah and Taylor had a very long chat earlier in the day and exchanged their stories of their ghost encounters. Though Sarah's encounter was by far the most worrying. Though Taylor did protest a bit before agreeing to come. Mainly because Sarah was not taking no for a answer. She was gonna come with or without him and he did not like the idea of her staying at a haunted school all by herself.

The last bell of the day had rung and everyone was leaving. Well mostly everyone some kids stayed for ether class clubs or sports. Sarah and Taylor found place to stay while they would wait for it to become dark.


" Sarah.. Can we even do anything? We don't even know the first thing about ghosts." Taylor said in a attempt to get Sarah to let this go.

However Sarah just folded her arms, " There is gotta be something we can do.. We can't just leave.. Mr. Cyrus like this.. He would never scare the students like this.. We need to see if we can help him before someone gets hurt. When he came charging at me and Mr. Rose he stopped when Mr. Rose pleaded him not to hurt me.. So that just proves the real Mr. Cyrus is in there somewhere." she explained.


Taylor just sighed and nodded, he could see there was really no way to talk her out of this after all.. Some hours pass and the sun is now starting to set, and everyone seemed to be gone. Sarah and Taylor then walked up to the school doors and Sarah took out some keys she had swiped from a janitor. Taylor gave a look of disproval, "I still can't believe you stole those...

Sarah gave a smile, "I'll give em back don't worry." she said as she used the key to unlock the door and they both stepped inside. The school was creepy with no one around.. " Right.. Lets head to the gym." Sarah said, Taylor sighed and nodded as he followed Sarah.

[Lepa]

"I can't believe this..." Riki grumbled in a harsh whisper, rubbing at his temple. "I can't believe you're actually doing this...!"

"Welcome to what I gotta put up with when I'm dealin' with you two numbskulls," Casey retorted in a low tone, rolling his eyes as he lead the group onward.

"If you know its a bad idea, then why're we here?!" Riki threw his arms down, palms up as his fingers curled in frustration.

"Hey, I did say you didn't have to come," Ricky teased. "But I get it. You were worried about us, weren't you? Awwh," He cooed in endearment, putting an arm around Riki's shoulder and pulling him to his side. Riki would have none of it, pushing him away.

It was night, and the three had snuck into the high school grounds. To do what exactly, well... they weren't sure. For Casey, it was a matter of pride. For Ricky, it was reckless curiosity. And for Riki... well, frankly, he didn't want to be here, but he wasn't about to let his friends wander around the damn place without him. The last thing Riki wanted to wake up to was the news reporting his friends were found dead at his workplace because they were too stubborn to listen to him. Ugh...

"Yo, Rik," Casey glanced back. "You know this place. Which side door's the most lowkey entrance?"

"Oh my god..." Riki sighed again, facepalming. He felt like a criminal accomplice. "You're asking me which door is best for breaking into the school?"

"I mean..." Casey paused. "Yeah?"

"I can't believe this..." Riki grumbled. "I can't freakin' believe this... You really think I know? Just because I work here? Shit dude, do you know how much trouble I could get in for this?" Casey only stared back at him expectantly. "I swear to god, if you really value me as friend, then we wouldn't even be-" he stopped abruptly, then hung his head with a deep sigh. He gave up protesting. "...There's a door in the northeast side in the back of the school that leads into the auditorium."

"Thank ya," Casey nearly sang as he began to circle around back. Riki followed until he realized Ricky wasn't with them.

"...Ricky!" He hissed. The idiot was heading towards the front door! "What're you doing? We're going around back!"

"I'm gonna try it!" He insisted.

"It's gonna be locked, dumbass!"

Ricky shrugged. "I mean... hey! Ya never know!"

Riki sighed again. "Ugh... Look, just..." He reached into the messenger bag at his side, pulling out a flashlight. "Here, take one." He tossed it over. "Once you're done dicking around, me and the Boss will be 'round back. "

"But what if it's open...?"

Riki didn't have time for this. "Then we'll meet you inside!" He rolled his eyes. "We're going the back way. I'll see you in a bit," He grunted, turning back to follow Casey. He expected that Ricky would soon follow.

He did not.

Maybe it was just because Casey was quick at picking locks. Riki had expected him to take a bit longer, but lo and behold, they'd managed to get in with still no Ricky in tow. How long did it take to check a locked door, anyway?!

"...Did we lose him already?" Casey raised a brow, noting Ricky's absence.

"No," Riki rolled his eyes again, rummaging around his bag. "He said he was gonna try the front door. He'll catch up." He pulled out another flashlight, clicking on and off experimentally, then held it out to Casey. "Here."

"Oh. Uh... nah, I'm good," He handwaved the offering. "Figure I can just... y'know." Casey raised his other hand, igniting it in blue fire. It didn't illuminate much of the area in front of them, but the glow was soft enough that it didn't draw too much attention to them, either. "...Hmm." He frowned.

"No, I think this can work," Riki had assured him, noticing the poor illumination. He clicked on his flashlight, lighting the way ahead for them. "If you keep your fire up, we can still kinda see if I have to turn this thing off. Y'know, so we don't draw attention." He paused. Attention from... what? Oh. Oh god. The realization hit him again. They were alone in the school, at night, with a probably incredibly vengeful ghost. He'd only come along because Ricky wanted to go and had egged Casey on, but now it seemed like Ricky had bailed on them. Damnit! Was this a prank on him, too? No, Ricky would never do that! Well, okay, maybe he would, but... not in a situation like this. Unless he... unless he already...

"Hey," Casey nudged Riki, saving him from his thoughts. "...Light plan sounds good. Now, c'mon." He turned away and began walking. "You know this place better than I do. "

"Look, man. I'm not leading the way," Riki insisted as he scurried after him. Casey shrugged.

"That's fine. I'll lead," He continued, steadily looking ahead. If the man was scared, he'd done a good job of keeping his composure. "Just... do me a favor 'n tell me where we're goin', all right?"

"Uhh..." Riki grimaced as he looked around nervously. "...Yeah. R-right."

[Yuki]

As Casey and Riki broke into the school they did not go unnoticed. Keith Cyrus was near them and was already growing agitated. He moved in closer to them till he was next to Riki, a sudden chill would come over Riki, as well as a sudden whisper in his ear that sounded like someone saying his name.



Mean while Sarah had taken out a flashlight and handed a extra one she had on her. She was nervous after the encounter she had with the ghost already.. But she was bound determined try and figure help their former school principal. That day still felt like it was yesterday.. Watching him die like that.. Not being able to save him.. They failed him once but Sarah was not going to fail him again. He deserved peace not wallowing here in misery and hate. " This place is so diffrent at night.. Ghost or no ghost would still give off a creepy vibe.." Sarah said as she eyed everything around her. Looking for any sign the principal making a move of any sort.

Taylor trembled, he was used to being scared yea.. But dealing with a ghost was something completely different then dealing with flesh and blood bullies... A ghost? He highly doubted even with their powers they could do anything. How could they even harm a ghost anyway? And also what if they got caught in here? Taylor shuddered at the thought of the amount they would get into.

[Lepa]

Riki followed close to Casey, watching him as he slowly moved his glowing hand about to get a better look at their surroundings. All Riki could think about was what a bad idea this was. He shuttered.

"Gh..." He folded his arms, hugging them to his chest. He regretted not bringing a jacket. "Is it cold in here, or...?" He began to ask quietly, though he was only halfway through his question when he heard the ominous whisper. "EeeEEEUGHhh!"

He'd cried out in a strange pitch - it wasn't a comically girlish scream, but the tone was irregular enough that it almost didn't sound like Riki. In the same moment, he couldn't help but fling himself forward. He latched onto Casey, nearly tackling him to the floor. Casey hissed out a loud swear as he stumbled a few steps before quickly regaining his balance. A sneak attack wasn't anything he hadn't dealt with before, but the haunting atmosphere didn't do any favors for his focus. Once Casey had steadied his footing, he whipped his head in Riki's direction.

"Riki! What the f*ck!" He angrily demanded. The leaner man continued clinging to him. "Get offa me!"

"Boss, we should go!" Riki pleaded. "I think I heard him!" He clung tighter to Casey. "J-Just now!"

"S... Stop screwing around," Casey frowned, prying himself free from Riki's grip. There was a small crack in his composure, but only for a moment. "Yer just bein' jumpy," he reasoned, brushing himself off.

"No! No, I really heard something!"

"Look, even if ya did, maybe don't go jumpin' on me like that!" Casey scowled. "If we do get attacked, and that's a big if, then I won't be able to fight back properly if ya pull somethin' like that again."

"Fight?" Riki emphasized the word in disbelief. "You plan on fighting?" He held his arms to his chest again, still overcome with the momentary chill. He looked around nervously, then lowered his voice. "You think you can punch a ghost?!" He whispered.

Casey let out a frustrated breath of air. He really wished Riki would calm down. Casey felt he'd done a good job at keeping his emotions in check, but the more Riki freaked out and panicked about every little thing, the more Casey could feel his confidence whittle away.

"I ain't sayin' I want it to come to that," Casey frowned. "I ain't lookin' for a fight. But... if there really is somethin' here, and it comes at me?" He turned around and continued forward. "...I ain't gonna just stand around 'n take whatever it throws at me."

"So you're saying you think you can punch a ghost," Riki reiterated his earlier thought, following close again.

"I'm sayin' if it comes down to it, I'm gonna try." Casey corrected. As he looked forward, he glanced at the flames on his hand. He'd gotten his powers through some magic ritual. Did that make his fire magic, too? Would that have any effect on this ghost - if it was real?

He really didn't want to find out.

[Yuki]

Riki's scream would echo through the halls of the school and reach the ears of Sarah and Taylor. The two of then stopped and started pointing their flashlights everywhere in a bit of a panic. Just who or what was that? "Who's there!? Show yourself!" Sarah demanded. The two of them where know standing back to back as they looked in opposite directions in the hallway they where standing in.

"That... That sounded like a person... I don't think we are the only ones here.." Taylor said.

Sarah gave a annoyed sigh. "Wouldn't be surprised... With all the rumors going around someone is more then likely to come and do something stupid... " It was a bit ironic Sarah said that seeing she was also here because of the ghost.

"If anyone tries to jump scare us... I swear I am freezing them to the wall..." Sarah muttered to herself. " Come on... Lets get moving." Sarah said as she started to walk again and Taylor followed right behind her.


The ghost meanwhile was staying near Riki and Casey, and if they where to listen closely they would be able to hear a extra pair of footsteps following them, as he fed off Riki's fear.

[Lepa]

Casey stopped, glancing aside.

"Uhhh... Boss?"

Casey frowned. "...Ya hear somethin'?"

"Well, uh," Riki was quick to answer. "If you're asking, then earlier I swear I heard-"

"Shh!" Casey abruptly raised a hand to silence him. He held his stance, turning his head as he strained to listen again. He thought he'd heard someone calling out... Unbeknownst to him, it was Sarah, but by the time he'd taken notice, she'd gone silent. After a moment of listening, he shook his head and  continued forward. "...Sorry, Rik." He gruffly apologized. "Thought I heard a kid's voice or somethin'..."

A kid? Were there ghosts of children involved, too?! The only casualty that day was the principal, but... it was possible that there were students unaccounted for. And if that was the case... Riki shuttered. He shook his head, refusing to follow that grim train of thought.

"What were ya sayin?"

"H-huh? Oh..." Riki bit his lip. "Uh... yeah... Haha, what... what was I saying?" He laughed nervously. Maybe it was just his imagination, but something was... off. As they continued down the hallway, he paused for a moment, listening to the silence. He just couldn't put his finger on it. Maybe it was the eeriness of an empty school, or maybe it was just his nerves?

And then it hit him. Riki clasped a hand over his mouth, suppressing a strange mix between a yelp and a gasp. Trying his damnedest to heed Casey's earlier words, Riki grabbed at Casey's shoulder to get his attention. The urgency of the motion still startled Casey on a lesser level, but at least he didn't have the guy shrieking into his ear.

"What?" Casey hissed quietly. His annoyed tone was more of a means of keeping the fear at bay. Riki leaned forward, shuffling around to Casey's side as if to half shield himself. He leaned forward and murmured.

"I think... w-we're being followed..."

Casey sighed. Honestly, if he was out here alone, he'd probably be just as spooked as Riki... but it was his angry stubbornness that prevented it. After all, Ricky had challenged his pride, but without him here for Casey to prove him wrong, the next best defense he had was his anger. If he could just stay annoyed and brush off all of Riki's fears, then he could continue to hold onto his composure.

"Did ya check to see if it was Ricky messin' with ya?" Casey raised a brow. Riki shook his head timidly. "Then shine yer flashlight back that way." He grunted, motioning down the way he came. He increased the strength of his flame coated hand for good measure. It wasn't much, but it was a reminder to Riki that they at least had an extra means of self defense.

"O-okay..." Riki stuttered as he lifted his flashlight with a trembling hand. As he began to aim it backwards... The PA system sparked to life with a low hum that escalated into a shrill, high pitched note.

*ooooooooooooooooeeeeeeeeeeEEEEEEEEEEEEE*

"GAH!"

"Shit!"

The flashlight fell from Riki's hand, clattering against the floor. The light flickered as the batteries inside it jostled about. It rolled away from them, eventually stopping up against a wall. Riki didn't care, though - he'd already bolted.

"...Riki!" Casey called out, removing his hands from his ears once the screaming pitch faded.  Riki had already disappeared around the corner. "Riki!" He called out again. "Get yer ass back here!" He'd shouted, a growl more prominent in his tone. It was no good - Casey could only hear Riki's shoes squeaking against the flooring before fading away. Riki was smart, he thought, but if this were a slasher film, he'd definitely be the first one to die.

Casey glanced back and forth a few moments, debating whether to nab the flashlight or catch up with Riki. His choice was made when he saw that the idiot had dropped his entire messenger bag. "...Ugh." Casey let out a frustrated grunt, trudging over to the bag. He knew there was a spare flashlight in there... and if Riki dropped his own flashlight, then the numbskull would be running around the school in the dark. Oy.

With a sigh, he slung the bag over his shoulder, then approached the flashlight still on the ground. As he bent down to pick it up, he couldn't help but feel a chill overcome him.

"Sheesh..." He muttered. A small sense of dread began to settle in his stomach. "Was it always this cold...?"

[Yuki]

*ooooooooooooooooeeeeeeeeeeEEEEEEEEEEEEE*



As soon as the PA system went off like that Taylor let out startled scream, Sarah jumped and wiped her flash light around again. " What the heck??" Sarah said as she now tried to steady her breathing. Poor Taylor was now trembling as he also waved his flash light around. "Who's there! Stop messing around!" Sarah called out. " It sounds like someone found the PA room.. The speakers have never gone off like that before.. Looks like there really are other people here.. Dammit.."


" S-Sarah... If there are other people here I think we should leave." said Taylor.


Sarah shook her head, " You can leave if you want to.. But I'm staying.."

Taylor sighed he was not about to leave Sarah alone here in a haunted school with possible people running around.
" O..Ok... I'll stay.. But what happens if we do run into someone?" he asked.

Sarah paused, "Umm... We will cross the bridge when we come to it.. Right now our main focus is to try and see if we can help you know who." was her reply.


Taylor said again and nodded, though now he was keeping more of eye out just in case,



When Riki took off in a mad dash the ghost then started to focus on Casey, he was a stranger... He did not want him here. The ghost then stepped closer to Casey, "Get... Out...." He would whisper into Casey's ear.

[Lepa]

Oh, that absolutely wasn't normal.

Casey jolted backwards from suddenly hearing the voice in his ear. He wasn't a religious person, but the man must've hissed out the names of several prominent figures as he lost control of his facade. A train of swears soon followed as he involuntarily thrashed about. The flame on his one hand remained, though it'd fluctuated wildly with his fear. Of course, he wasn't trying to attack; it was more like trying to slap away an angry bee rather than a malicious ghost. It was a moment of panic. Thankfully, the adrenaline finally shot through the rest of Casey's body as he spun on his heel, picked up his legs and sprinted away from whatever the hell he'd just heard, all while continuing to spit out a stream of rather... colorful language.

He didn't know where Riki went, but right now he didn't care. He didn't care that Riki might be right: Casey didn't see anything for himself, but... he wasn't gonna stick around and stay an easy target. He also wasn't lying when he said he'd fight a ghost, but that was if it came down to it; if he could run, he'd run. If he was cornered, he'd fight. And until he was cornered, he'd run like hell. ...So much that he'd probably created a large enough racket as he fled. Whether it was accidentally knocking things over or kicking off walls and lockers to gain speed, the sounds further confirmed the two students' belief that someone was here.

After making enough distance, Casey began to slow down. Damnit. Things were dark again. The strength of the fire on his hand had wildly shifted during his flight, but he hadn't noticed it'd gone out completely. He considered maybe staying in the dark to conceal himself, but... would that do any good against a ghost, or whatever it was he heard? He'd somehow managed to hold onto Riki's bag (despite it annoyingly slamming against his leg the entire time) so he still had that spare flashlight...

...No. He'd use his flames. He wasn't sure if it did any good, but it was probably better to have his power ready than not. With a deep sigh to steady himself, he raised his hand and held it out once more. Soft blue flames flickered to life, and the immediate area was illuminated in its eerie glow. Now all he had to do was find Riki-

A door slammed shut - much louder than it had any right to be - and its booming noise echoed down the hall.

It was enough to make Casey jump. "DamnIT!" He barked and immediately took off running again.

[Yuki]

The fear that was coming off the amateur ghost hunters was fueling the ghost, he then started use his ghostly powers to start opening and slamming doors that where not locked.


Sarah and Taylor both screamed this time, Taylor grabbed Sarah by the arm and started to run. He was not even going ask he just knew they needed to get put of here for now! Even with flash lights it was not easy to tell where they where as they ran in pure panic. Soon they started to hear a voice and running foot steps, and suddenly a eerie blue glow. Sarah's eyes grew wide as she then set off a blast of ice at the blue glow, aiming to trap whatever it was to the wall or at least try and freeze it in place. The two came to a stop and Sarah shined her flashlight at the owner of the blue glow.


EH??? A GUY??? "Who the heck are you!?" Sarah demanded.

When Taylor saw who it was his eyes grew wide in disbelief... No way... Why.. Why was...

"C....C...Calhoun?? Why....." Taylor trailed off in disbelief.


Sarah looked at Taylor and blinked, " You know this guy Taylor?" She asked.

Unable to find his voice due to the pure shock and disbelief all Taylor could do was nod as he stared at Casey.

[Lepa]

"AGH!"

The beam caught Casey against the wall as he choked out a shout. He was dazed at how quickly it happened; it took him a few moments to process what was going on. He grunted as he gathered his bearings. It was cold again... He started to dread the feeling since it led to his previous scare, but... then he realized why he was cold. His torso had been pinned to the wall, encased in ice.

"...What the f*ck...?" He blinked as he glanced downwards, still a bit off.

"Who the heck are you!?"

Casey lifted his head at the voice, squinting at the light shining in his face. It sounded like a girl...?

"C....C...Calhoun?? Why....."

Huh? And there was someone else...? Why did it sound so famili-

...Oh.

Casey lifted an arm to shield his eyes from the light, getting a better look at the people in front of him.

"You know this guy, Taylor?"

Hoo boy. Casey stared back at him, just as surprised. He was honestly the last person he expected to see here.

"...Uh. Yeah," Casey answered for him. "We've, uh... met." He blinked. The absurdity of the situation was enough to dispel his fears - for now, at least. Uncertain of how to actually follow up with the strange introduction, Casey turned his attention back to the ice at his chest. He frowned, then tried tugging himself off the wall. Once, twice, three times; keeping it up was doable, but.. tedious, and he just didn't have the time for that. Impatient, he lifted a free hand up, ignited his flames (exposing the source of the blue glow) and hammered his fist against his chest. With heat and force combined, he'd managed to find just the right spot to crack most of the ice off, letting the rest of it fall to the floor as he freed himself. Casey loosened his limbs and brushed himself off.

"...Uh." He glanced back to the young ghost hunters before him. He hesitated. "Wh... What're y'all doing here?" He crossed his arms and raised a brow, as if the same couldn't be asked of him. He frowned. "It... ain't safe here."

[Yuki]

For Taylor this was incredibly awkward... Never would he thought he would run into Casey of all people at the school tonight! Why was he even here? He had no reason to be here, but then his eyes widened at the thought. Did... Did he break in to steal stuff or something? Oh god please let there be another reason... Well.. He did know Riki... Perhaps he was here with Riki? But again what for? Taylor then watched as Casey broke himself free from the ice with his blue flames, ah.... So that was the blue glow they saw... Taylor then lowered his flashlight so not to blind Casey.


Sarah frowned at Casey as she also lowered her flashlight. " I can ask you the very same thing, why are you here? I have never seen you around before." Sarah asked in a accusing tone.

That is then Taylor stepped between them, he really did not want a fight to break out between Casey and Sarah.

"C..Calhoun Are you where with Riki? Did he forget something??" Taylor asked in a desperate bid to keep a fight from breaking out. Though Riki was no where in sight so that did not help matters much.


Sarah blinked, "Wait... He's a friend of Riki's?? Then where is he?" Sarah asked looking at Casey suspiciously.


When the ghost saw Sarah and Taylor he started to grow agitated, it was them... They where the reason he was dead.. Or so he thought in his corrupted state.

Foot steps could be heard as the ghost moved in closer, Your fault...." came voice and this time a shadow figure could be seen.

Taylor froze


and Sarah turned to cast a beam of light at shadow figure.

"Its him.. He's here." She said, but she made no attempt to run.

"Mr. principal, its us, Sarah and Taylor. We want to help you." Sarah said.

The shadow figure did not reply as he walked closer, and the flashlights started to flicker.

[Lepa]

"I can ask you the very same thing, why are you here? I have never seen you around before..."

"Uh. Night school," Casey answered with a shrug. It wasn't an answer he expected them to believe, but it was better than hesitating.

"C..Calhoun Are you where with Riki? Did he forget something??"

"Aaahh..." Casey folded his arms, glancing towards the ceiling. "...Somethin' like that."

"Wait... He's a friend of Riki's?? Then where is he?"

"That's what I'd like to know," Casey answered honestly, frowning. "My guy bolted over that mic feedback earlier..." He thought aloud, though his explanation was cut short.

"Your fault...."

Casey snapped his head to attention, tensing up at the figure before them. Oh. Oh god, it was real. Riki was right. It was real, damnit! The man clenched his fists, knees bending in a ready stance. He'd been prepping to run again, but when he saw the girl made no effort to flee, he remained still and held his ground.

"We want to help you," the girl had said. What was she, nuts? The damn thing clearly wanted them outta here! Still, he couldn't just bail on them. It was one thing to look like a coward, but it was another thing to leave a pair of kids to the mercy of some ghost - even if they had powers. With a grunt, he raised a fist, shifting into a fight ready stance, defensively holding the other hand out to shield Taylor.

[Yuki]

It was the same as before... When she was in the classroom with Mr. Rose. The ghost of their former principal, tears started to from in Sarah's eyes. She could only imagine the suffering he has been through since he died. If he has really been stuck here this whole time.. It was clear he had changed, he was no longer the man he was.. But Sarah was not going to let that stop her. She just had to reach him somehow. But as she looked at him Sarah felt nothing but dread.


Taylor stared at the shadow figure as he stood there frozen in place, How... How where they even going to be able to help?? Nether he or Sarah knew the first thing about ghosts! The only reason they where even here was because of the guilt from that day.


" Please! Just talk to me! We just want to help you move on." Sarah said in a teary tone.


But the ghost was not listening and kept walked toward them.


No.. This was not going to work.. They had to run! Taylor then pushed passed Casey and grabbed Sarah by the arm.

" Sarah! He's not listening! We have to run, come on!" Taylor said tears now starting to form in his eyes.

Sarah knew Taylor was right... This was not working. She then turned and started to run down the hallway and Taylor followed after her.

[Lepa]

"Please! Just talk to me! We just want to help you move on."

So that's what this was about, huh...? Casey thought as things started to mentally click in place. If it truly was their principal... then it made a little bit more sense as to why Taylor was here. He'd already mentioned to Casey his insecurities and fears that stemmed from the Templar attack, which clearly was the start of this whole mess. The only problem was... what did those two hope they could do?

For now, it was running away. It looked like they made the smart decision. Casey shuffled back as the pair ran past him, leaving him closest to the ghost. He stood his ground again, trying to stare down the damn thing, igniting his fists in an attempt to... what, exactly? Scare it off? It was a ghost!

Casey grit his teeth. No point in fighting if he could still run. "...D-Damnit!" He snarled in frustration, turning on his heel and dashing after Taylor.

=============

Riki hated this. He'd only come along to keep watch on his friends, damnit! Now he was alone, wandering the school at night, scared out of his wits.

"Ooooh I hate this I hate this I hate this I hate this I hate this-" He'd muttered his frantic mantra as he crept forward, hunching himself up in hopes of making himself smaller. Honestly, he should've just left the school - the others were bound to follow, right? Right? Oooh, but he couldn't just ditch them, either...! What if something happened to them? He'd left Casey in the dust earlier - oh god, did the ghost get to him? Hell, did it get Ricky already, too?! Did that make him the only one left?!

As if to answer his fears, a shadow sprung up at him.

"GRAWR!"

"KieeeEEEEE!"

Riki reflexively threw a punch forward, decking the humanoid figure in the face.

"Ow!" Ricky stumbled back, clutching at his face as he caught himself against the wall. "Geez, dude..." He murmured, rubbing at his new bruise. "Between us, I thought I was the one good at punches..."

Riki stood still, his heart rate decreasing once he realized it was only Ricky. Said heart rate spiked again in anger once he realized, hey, wait, it was Ricky. "You f*ckin' dick!" Riki hit him again, pounding at his shoulders with the bottom of his fists. "W-why did you do that?! And where the hell were you?!" He sputtered in frustration.

"Ow! Hey, stop it...!" Ricky flinched, holding his arms up defensively. Riki stopped for just a second.

"How the hell did you get in?!"

Ricky paused.

"...Front door."

Riki stared at him for a moment, then hit him one last time for good measure.

"Ow! What was that for?!" Ricky grimaced. "You said we could meet up inside!"

"Why the hell did you jump out like that?!" Riki changed the subject, gritting his teeth.

"It was just a joke, okay?" He shrugged. "Sorry, it's just... Nothing seemed off or haunted about the place, so I thought I'd do something to make it a little more worthwhile..."

"Nothing... seemed off?" Riki repeated in disbelief. "I'm sorry, have you not had weird chills or strange voices whispering in your ear?" He leaned forward, raising both his arms. "Or did you not hear the weird screeching bullsh*t pitch over the PA?!"

"Oh, uh..." Ricky looked aside sheepishly. "...That was me."

"YOU SON OF A-"

"Wait, wait, wait!" Ricky pleaded, already physically holding Riki at bay to stop him from wailing on him again. "That one was an accident!" He explained. "I got into the main office, and, well... I might've accidentally hit on a button..." He smiled sheepishly. "It was just mic feedback! Shit hurts my ears too, y'know!" He quickly added in hopes of convincing Riki he was telling the truth.

"Oh my god..." Riki backed off, rolling his eyes with a facepalm. He had no reason to believe Ricky, but... Screw it, arguing wouldn't get them anywhere, though he had an entirely different concern now. "...Did you break into the main office." He asked flatly, rubbing at his temple.

"No! Or, well... That's not important," Ricky rubbed at his neck. Great. Another thing for Riki to get in trouble for once this night inevitably ended in disaster. "I just figured I'd do some investigating around there, yanno?" He shrugged. "You... said the ghost is... is supposed to be the principal, right? I'm, uh... sorry, man." He sighed, looking aside. "They had a couple of articles about him all framed up on the wall outside the office. I glanced over a couple of 'em while I was there." Ricky frowned. "Keith Cyrus seemed like a cool guy..."

"...Yeah." Riki gave a sigh of his own, tired from his own emotional rollercoaster. "I almost feel bad that I-" He'd began to say, but cut himself in grim realization as he remembered what Levi had told him earlier. "...Shit!!" Riki hissed, repeating the word several more times. He grabbed Ricky's wrist. "Run!" He ordered. "We're running! Now!"

"Wha- hey!" Ricky yelped out as he was suddenly yanked along.

[Yuki]

As soon as his name was spoken the ghost came to a dead stop and then vanished, he reappeared near the two Ohara's. A cold air would sweep over the fleeing men and the shadow figure appeared before them. The doors around them suddenly started to open and slam shut violently. Then suddenly the shadow figure charged at the both of them.

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Sarah and Taylor ran to the point they could run no more, they came to a stop breathing heavily. Taylor turned to look to see if Casey had followed and was relieved to he had. And it seemed the ghost was gone to. However to make sure Taylor pointed his light down the hallway they had just come from just to see it was all clear. "H-he's gone.. Taylor said softly.

Sarah then also turned to look but said nothing looking down at the floor.. She was mostly silently scolding herself, she had not only put herself in danger she had put Taylor in danger.. She just wanted to try and make things right.. But it was clear she was in over her head. Though she did not want to say that out loud with a guy she did not even know is here.

"Sarah... What are we going to do now?" Taylor asked.

"The only thing we can do.. Try and get out of here.. But... We should try and find Riki, we can't just leave him here." Sarah said as she then glanced over at Casey.