“What if someone still actually lives here?” one of the girls murmured as Brock helped them down from the top of the crumbling masonry wall. Kyle eyed his friend with barely concealed envy. He was probably getting flashed some Grade-A panty shots since Taylor had opted for a short skirt, and Jamie was wearing a dress that stopped mid-thigh.

“In this shithole?” Kyle scoffed. “The only things living here are the rats and cockroaches. And maybe a snake or two.”

“Eww!” squealed the girls in shrill stereo.

“Ow!” yelped Kyle as he rubbed the back of his head. “What’d you flick me for?”

“You’re not really selling the place, bro,” said Brock. He looked up the gentle but overgrown slope to where the old house stood, crowded a little too close by trees that looked like they needed an arborist. “Don’t worry, ladies. You only get rats if there’s food to eat, and then only snakes if there are rats to eat. Looks like nobody has lived here in forever, so probably not much chance of either.” He stood between Taylor and Jamie and stroked their backs comfortingly.

“You’ll keep us safe, won’t you, Brock?” simpered Taylor in her best little-girl voice as she leaned into him, putting her hand on his chest.

“Of course I will. I mean, we both will. Right Kyle?” said Brock, remembering at the last minute that he was supposed to be playing the wingman for his buddy.

“Yeah, totally,” said Kyle, trying to keep the envy out of his voice as he watched Brock and the two girls in the semi-darkness. He and Brock had been friends almost their entire lives, since Kyle’s family had moved into the house next door to Brock’s house. Their stay-at-home mothers had become fast friends, bonding over their shared experiences of raising young boys. Brock was two months older than Kyle, although to look at them now, you would think the difference was more like two years.

Brock had grown into the quintessential Big Man On Campus, although not dedicated enough to land a football scholarship. He was studying an associate degree in physical movement at the Valley Heights Community College with plans to become a personal trainer or maybe go into rehabilitation. Kyle had gone straight from high school into the IT support department of the VHCC on the basis of the online credentials he had picked up during his senior year. While he avoided the worst and most obvious ‘red flags’ for geekdom like pocket protectors, thick glasses, or anime and fantasy t-shirts, Kyle could get a little intense socially if you engaged him in a topic that he was interested in. He could talk underwater about anime, conspiracy theories, multiverse theories, or Star Wars. In short, while Kyle didn’t look like a hopeless nerd, as soon as he opened his mouth, it was difficult not to peg him as one.

Even though the two boys hadn’t run in the same circles in high school, they still ended up socializing a little because of their families, and now that they were out of high school and commuting to the same place every day, the pair had become closer again. Because Kyle got a staff parking pass, they alternated driving duties. Even though Brock technically didn’t have to go to campus every day, it turned out that keeping regular office hours while studying was actually helping him. He was doing much better academically than he had in high school.

However, Brock had endured so much of Kyle’s daily whining about his lack of success with girls that he had finally offered to play wingman and set Kyle up for an evening with a sure thing, if Kyle could secure a place where they could be undisturbed. Since they both still lived with their parents, there was no chance of either of them getting any privacy at home. Brock had thought Kyle might take the hint and rent a hotel suite or an Airbnb or something, since he was the only one of the pair earning any real money. Instead, Kyle had told him about the old Sutton place. He’d read about it on an urban legend Reddit page. It was described as being shut up and left as if the owners had just gone on vacation, planning to come back a few months later. Those few months had turned into a few decades, and apparently the place still stood empty. Brock wasn’t entirely convinced they weren’t going to find a rotted-out squatters’ den, littered with shattered crack pipes or used syringes, but Kyle had pointed out that it was coming up to Halloween.

“Come on, B,” he had said. “A little bit of ‘urban exploration’ on Halloween of an abandoned house? Great icebreaker.”

“Fancy way of saying ‘breaking and entering’ you’ve come up with,” said Brock, still skeptical.

“It’s only breaking in if you actually smash a window or something.” Kyle rolled his eyes. “I’ll just finesse the locks. I’ve gotten really good at it,” he explained. Brock knew Kyle had been going down the rabbit hole of learning lock picking from videos on YouTube, making the excuse that understanding physical security helped him develop his skills in digital security. It was a pretty weak excuse. Brock knew Kyle well enough to know that Kyle just thought it was badass to be able to pick a lock. “Maybe it’ll impress the girls. Do they like that sort of thing? You know, a little ‘bad boy’ mystique?” Brock had restrained himself from snorting at Kyle’s geeky eagerness.

“Uh, perhaps you should just casually let them see how you can do it, rather than giving them a big sell about your burglary skills,” Brock had suggested.

“Oh yeah,” Kyle had said brightly. “Because a magic trick always seems cooler when you don’t know how it’s done.”

“Right, right,” said Brock with a roll of his eyes. “Anyways, what’s your back-up plan if this place turns out to be a no-go?”

“It won’t,” said Kyle.

“Humor me.”

“Well, I have the master keys for work. Tommy is on security over the weekend, so I’m sure he’d look the other way if we snuck onto campus.”

“Do you think girls really want to hook up in a classroom?”

“Classroom? You know we have the hotel administration diploma and all those other vocational courses? There’re three fake hotel rooms for them to practice housekeeping and shit on. Or there’s also the health services degree. They have hospital beds in the health sciences building. Maybe the girls would like to play doctor?”

Brock wasn’t totally convinced, but he knew Kyle had been all over the campus upgrading wireless hotspots, so the reasoning made sense.

“Alright then, buddy. I guess I got to find us two girls. Any preference?”

“I get a choice?” asked Kyle, surprised.

“Well, I mean, I know your desperate ass would bone any girl who let you, but you know - blonde? Brunette? Don’t go asking me for red hair and green eyes because that’s rarer than unicorn shit, but I’ll see what I can do.”

“Blonde, I guess? Or an Asian chick?”

“Okay, leave it with me. Give me a few days.”

Two days later, Kyle had been walking across the campus lawn when Brock had called out to him.

“Kyle, buddy. I want you to meet Jamie,” he indicated the petite Asian girl standing to his left, “and Taylor,” gesturing towards the stacked blonde on his right. “I’ve been telling them about your haunted house expedition.” The girls smiled politely at Kyle, although Kyle could have sworn Jamie was checking him out.

“It’s not really haunted though, right?” asked Taylor.

“Oh no,” said Brock. “That’s just an urban legend, right, Kyle?”

Kyle was staring at Jamie, who looked away shyly.

“Kyle!”

“Oh, uh, yeah, no. It’s not really haunted. I mean, it might be a little spooky, but it’s not like any of that stuff is real.”

“Oh, so you don’t believe in ghosts, Kyle?” asked Jamie, tilting her head to the side.

“No,” he said. “There’s always an explanation for those kinds of things. Like the house settling or standing sound waves or something like that.”

“That sounds so interesting,” said Taylor. “I guess you’re a real expert on those things?”

“I, uh, read a lot,” said Kyle, not used to having such attractive women paying him such attention, let alone showing interest in his geeky obsessions.

“So, we have an expert ‘urban explorer’ to show us around,” said Brock smoothly. “Do you girls have any plans for Friday?”

“Friday?” Jamie looked at Taylor. Something passed between them, but Kyle couldn’t read it. “That’s ... that’s Halloween, isn’t it?”

“It is,” said Brock. “What better night to explore a supposedly haunted house.”

“That isn’t really haunted, though,” added Kyle quickly.

“How do we know that you aren’t just luring us there to take advantage of us?” said Taylor, skeptically.

“Well ... how about after we get there, I give you my car keys to hang on to?” suggested Brock. “Then you’ll feel a little safer. And you know Kyle here mustn’t be a criminal, because he had to pass a police check to work here.”

“I don’t know...” said Taylor, slowly. “Jamie?”

“It does sound interesting. Could be kind of fun, a creepy old house on Halloween,” she said with a giggle. “I’m sure these guys will take care of us.”

“If you’re sure,” said Taylor. She turned to Brock. “You can pick us up at seven. I’ll text you the address.”

And that had led to the four of them standing at the foot of a decrepit brick wall, under a cloud-filled sky lit by a Waxing Gibbous moon, looking uphill towards Sutton House.

Kyle watched as Brock raised his hands behind the girl’s heads in a gesture of apology. Kyle shook his head. Brock just couldn’t help himself when it came to women. “Right,” he said, assuming leadership of this expedition. “It’s about thirty feet along the wall to the driveway. It’s going to be easier walking up that way than straggling through the undergrowth.” He looked at Jamie. “Uh,” he began hesitantly. “Jamie, do you want a hand? It looks kind of uneven from all the bricks that have fallen. I wouldn’t want you to turn an ankle or something.” To his surprise, she beamed at him.

“Sure, Kyle. Thank you.” She moved over and grabbed onto his arm. She came just to his shoulder, even in the knee-high boots she was wearing. Kyle didn’t think they were the most practical footwear to go urban exploring in, but even his limited experience with women told him that making anything other than positive comments about a women’s clothing would never turn out well. He felt the slight swell of her chest against his arm, and the warmth of her body as she pressed into him. He looked down at her in surprise. She looked up at him and then looked away shyly. Kyle felt a surge in his chest and his crotch.

“Hey, are we moving or what?” called Brock. Kyle looked back to see his friend in a similar position with Taylor.

“Sure. Let’s go.” Carefully, he led Jamie along the wall, making sure she had sure footing before they moved. It felt like she weighed nothing at all as she clung to him, her small breasts rubbing against his arm and side with each step. Too soon for Kyle’s liking, they were standing on the driveway just inside the rusty main gates. The gates were clad in warped plywood, blocking any view from the road. The clouds parted, and the moonlight grew a little brighter, revealing a disaster zone of cracked blacktop leading up towards the house. Jamie’s grip tightened on his arm.

“I guess you’re going to have to help me a little longer,” she said. “Sorry. I guess these boots weren’t the best idea for something like this. But they’re so cute. Don’t you think?” Kyle wanted to reply that Jamie could be wearing a burlap sack, and she would still be cute, but he just nodded.

“Yeah, they are. I like them.” Right answer. She beamed up at him and grabbed his hand, entwining her fingers in his and leaning against his arm. He looked over at Brock, who gave him a surreptitious wink. “Let’s head up the drive. Just keep an eye on your footing. Looks like there are some pretty big potholes, and some of this blacktop might not be stable.” It took them almost ten minutes to make their way to the house. They stood on a grand circle covered in weeds that had grown up through the gravel.

“It looks a lot bigger than I thought it was,” said Brock. “I mean, I didn’t realize how long the driveway was, so I thought it was closer. This could be a hotel, it’s so big.”

“Well, apparently the Sutton family owned the railroad in these parts,” Kyle explained. “At least, they built a stretch of track that linked the Overland Route with the State route. Saved almost a full day of travel for freight cars coming from the textile and paper mills they owned. You know all those fancy loft apartments down by the river?”

“Oh!” Taylor suddenly exclaimed. “Those Suttons? As in Sutton Hall, and W K Sutton and Co, and all those redbrick warehouse conversions? This is their place?”

“Well,” said Jamie, looking thoughtfully at the rundown facade. “Was, I guess. Doesn’t look like anyone’s been here in forever. There’s not even a broken window. That’s pretty unusual.”

“How are we going to get in then?” asked Taylor.

“Ah, my man Kyle has that covered,” grinned Brock.

“Do you have a key?” asked Jamie.

“Not everybody needs a key to open a lock,” Kyle grinned. “Come on.”

He led the trio across the drive and up to the front door, gingerly testing the wooden verandah and finding it surprisingly sturdy given the apparent condition of the rest of the building. Kyle reached into the pockets of his coat and pulled out a penlight and a small leather case. He turned the light on and crouched in front of the door. He was in luck. The modern tumbler lock with a flat toothed key was invented in the 1860s and popularized after that. Given the age of the building and the stories he had read about the vintage of Sutton House, he had been worried about the slim chance the lock was an older style or more obscure custom job that he didn’t have experience with — thankfully, this looked to be a simple four-pin lock. The keyway was tarnished black but clear. He put the slim torch into his mouth and slipped a few thin shims and picks out of the leather case. As the two girls and Brock looked on, Kyle deftly bounced the cylinder pins and with a soft click, the door opened. Brock gave a low whistle.

“Impressive, buddy. I thought it’d be longer, for sure.” Jamie stepped up to Kyle as he stowed his kit and stood up.

“That’s kind of cool,” she said softly. “I guess you’re pretty good with your hands, then?” Kyle swallowed and nodded.

“So, what now?” asked Taylor, hanging onto Brock’s arm. “We just go in?”

“Uh, I guess,” said Kyle. “Oh, this would probably be helpful.” He produced the penlight again and pushed the door. It looked very heavy and solid, but surprisingly it swung in almost noiselessly with very little effort. “That was easy,” he said, surprised.

“Maybe it just hasn’t been opened for a while, so the hinges are still lubed up good,” suggested Brock.

“Maybe,” Kyle said. He knew about locks, not so much about doors. He shone his light around through the door. The narrow beam of light picked out a staircase, and some furniture but faded into the dark depths of the room. He was surprised to see no real dust anywhere. Based on the state of the grounds and the house’s exterior, he would have expected at least some spiderwebs or a light layer of grime across everything. Instead, it looked like it had been shut up for no more than a few months.

“Cool!” exclaimed Brock, coming in behind Kyle. “Are there any lights?”

“Seriously?” scoffed Kyle. “What makes you think there are any lights still working here, or even any—” he stopped short as Brock flicked a switch and a dim amber glow lit the entryway. “Electricity,” he finished lamely. Looking up, he could see there was a chandelier with several arms holding lightbulbs, although only two were working.

“Girls!” Brock called out. “Come in. The water’s fine. We even have power!” He flicked a few more switches, and the murky darkness at the top of the stairs and the doorways around the entrance hall disappeared as other lights came on.

Taylor and Jamie walked slowly through the door and looked around.

“Hey, this isn’t so bad,” Taylor said. “I was thinking it’d be smelly or full of rats or something, but this is alright.”

“Right?” said Brock, going over to her. “And now that we know there’s power, it might make it easier to explore. We should split up.”

“What?!” she shrieked. “Go around by ourselves? No way, uh-uh,” she said, shaking her head.

“I meant split up into pairs.” He shot Kyle an unmistakable look. “You and I can check out the downstairs, and Kyle and Jamie can start on the second floor. Then, we can meet up later and compare notes.”

“Oh. I guess that makes sense. Do you mind, Jamie?” Taylor said, turning to her friend.

“No, that’s fine,” said Jamie, coming up next to Kyle. He felt her hand find his again. “Kyle and I will be fine, right?” She looked up at him and squeezed his hand.

“Uh, yeah. Of course. We’ll go upstairs, and uh ... check things out.”

“Okay, buddy,” said Brock. “Holler if you need anything. Come on Jamie. Let’s see what’s through here?” He put his arm around the blonde and steered her off into one of the side rooms. “Maybe there’s some liquor left around here too...” his voice faded.

Kyle watched them leave.

“So ... Kyle,” Jamie said. “I guess we’re going upstairs.”

“Uh, sure.” He swallowed. “Maybe I should go first.” She giggled.

“In case there’s something up there, ready to pounce?”

“I was thinking more in case the stairs aren’t as good a condition as they look. I weigh more than you, so if we go slowly, and I test my weight on each one, we should be pretty safe. Right? And if something happens, you can raise the alarm.”

“I didn’t even think about that. You’re so smart. And considerate. Thanks, Kyle.” She stood up on her toes and pecked his cheek softly. He felt himself flush.

“It’s fine,” he choked out. “Shall we go?” She nodded. He led her over to the bottom of the staircase. It looked to be solid hardwood with an oriental carpet running down the center, and brass rug stays holding it taut against each tread. He put his hand on the rail and gave it an experimental shake. It was as solid as it looked. Emboldened, he stepped up onto the base tread and bounced his weight gingerly. Not even a creak. He glanced at Jamie and grinned. Cautiously he took the next three steps and found them all in the same good condition. “I think you can come up here,” he said to her. “Just hang a step or two behind as we go up, in case there’s a problem.” Just over a minute later, they were both standing at the top of the staircase. Jamie had grabbed onto his hand again. “Piece of cake,” he said, looking down at her, pleased with himself. She grinned up at him.

She really was very pretty, he thought to himself, not for the first time. The corridor at the top of the stairs was lit with wall sconces, but as with the chandelier downstairs, not all the lamps were working. He noticed how the soft light made the deep brown of her eyes darker, and how her pupils looked unusually large, probably against the dimness of the space. Her straight shoulder-length hair shone black, and the maroon headband she wore framed the long straight bangs that fell in a curve above her manicured eyebrows and almond-shaped eyes. Her skin was smooth and blemish-free, and the gray bolero knit cardigan she wore over the velvet maroon dress gave a slight Sunday-school vibe that matched her youngish features. The knee-high boots she wore were somewhat at odds with the rest of the outfit, but the smooth expanse of slim thigh visible between the pleated hem of her dress and the top of the dark leather boots was strangely enticing.

“Shall we explore?” she asked.

“Sure,” he said, squeezing her hand. “Why don’t we see what’s behind ... door number 1?” He led her over to the nearest door and tried the handle. The door opened. It was some kind of service closet. He noted with mild surprise again that the air seemed only slightly stale, as one would expect a closet to be. The shelves were bare, but in the dim light from the hallway that spilled in they could see some brooms and dusters, and a carpet brush. “Okay. That was an anticlimax.”

“Better than no climax,” said Jamie with a naughty grin. “My turn ... what about door number two?” She dragged him down the corridor to the next door on the opposite side. She twisted the handle and the door opened onto what seemed to be a large room. They could make out large furniture-shaped lumps in the pale moonlight that filtered in through high windows. Kyle fumbled around the door frame for a moment and felt the cool brass of a round toggle switch. He flicked it and for a moment they had a view of a large high-ceilinged room surrounded by tall shelves of books, before the bulbs blew.

“Huh. A library.”

“Or an office,” said Jamie.

“Shame the lights blew. I bet there are some interesting books in there.”

“Sure, but did you come here to read? Or to...” Jamie licked her lips. “Explore?”

“Uhh, I’ll do whatever you want me to do,” said Kyle.

“Good boy,” she said huskily, leaning up and kissing him softly in the lips. Kyle’s eyes went wide. “Oh, was that a surprise?” she giggled. Kyle just swallowed and nodded, dumbly. “Well, you’re not going to believe what’s coming up,” she purred. “Come on, your turn!” She dragged him further down the corridor. Kyle grabbed the handle of the nearest door and turned it.