Trespass Against Us by Leon Kemp

Author:Leon Kemp
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2024-07-16T00:00:00+00:00

Before

By the time the sun had well and truly set, they’d filmed every inch of Dominic House and walked twice as much.

“God, this is so much harder when there’s a whole mansion,” Vee said, knuckling sleep from her eyes. “I think I’m going to pass out at this rate.”

The group had retired back to the chapel, despite Riley’s reluctance after Ethan’s initial reaction to it when they’d arrived. They’d unloaded their sleeping bags from the car, but it was too hot to even consider crawling inside. Instead, the bags had been unzipped and piled in the middle of the floor like a nest, an effective barrier between them and the splintered floorboards. Riley’s camera sat atop the stand in the pulpit, ready to keep watch through the night. They had a single flashlight on, illuminating the chapel in a wash of pale light.

“I thought you wanted to do another walk-through at three a.m.,” Colton said, sprawled on his stomach as he fiddled with the spirit box, determined to fix it. “The devil’s hour and all that.”

“I do!” Vee protested. “I just think . . . I might need a nap first.”

Riley was on his back, head pillowed in Ethan’s lap, drowsy and fighting it. “I’ll go with you, so long as you wake up.”

“Me too,” Ethan said, carding a hand through Riley’s hair. “It’s a big house. I’m sure we’ve missed things.”

“Maybe we could break down some of those locked doors,” Colton suggested.

“I’m sure we’ve missed things that don’t require destruction to find,” Ethan amended, and Colton grinned up at him, unapologetic.

Despite himself, Riley was feeling the pull of sleep. His eyes were bleary, and the rhythmic stroking of Ethan’s fingers through his hair made him feel safe. “Maybe just for an hour or so,” Riley relented. “We’ll set an alarm.”

Vee swiped through her phone. “Done,” she announced, flopping down on her back. “God, I didn’t realize walking through the same house a dozen times telling ghost stories could be so exhausting.”

“Yeah, I’d have thought you’d be used to it. You already talk so much,” Colton said and barely managed to dodge the sharp jut of Vee’s elbow.

“Maybe Colton should sleep in the car,” she said. “Or alone in the house.”

“At least I wouldn’t have to deal with your snoring.”

“Kids, I will turn this car around and no one will go to Disneyland,” Ethan said.

Riley laughed. “Even me?”

Ethan pulled at his hair gently. “Even you,” he said, but he was smiling.

“All right,” Vee said. “Flashlight is going out. Everyone go the fuck to sleep.”

The flashlight clicked off. The chapel plunged into darkness, broken only by the moonlight seeping through the open doors and stained-glass windows. It painted patterns across the floor that made Riley’s head spin.

Even with that, the darkness was deep. Suffocating. A black hole. Riley’s heart sped up without his say-so.

Colton cleared his throat. “Maybe—?”

“Yeah,” Vee said and turned the flashlight back on in a hurry.

“Okay,” Colton said. “Good night for real, assholes.”

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