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Chapter One
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The most common form of donating to a thrift store it seems is to simply toss whatever items the giver wishes to rid of in anything that is able to carry all of it and leave it on the doorstep of said shop, as though whomever is "donating" is doing it more for their benefit than the thought of others who have no other option to buy whatever articles they need at these secondhand stores.

At least that's how Matthew views it; his twin brother Alfred on the other hand, sees it completely different.

"It's kinda like that chute for the library books," he explains with a bright smile and shining blue eyes while leaning up against the front counter. "Everyone's still doing their part, but no one needs to talk to each other."

Matthew only gives him a deadpan stare from behind the register before he goes on to question Alfred's people skills.

"At least people notice me," he shoots back.

"People notice me too," Matthew argues.

"Yeah, when they need a doormat."

"You're such a dick."

"You're a jerk."

"Lazy."

"Neat freak."

"Selfish."

"Um…"

"Self-centered."

"Wait, I can't-"

"You're also vain, idiotic, irrational, arrogant, impatient, nosy-"

"Dammit, Matthew, lemme think of something to call you!"

"Well there, now I can add 'slow' to the list."

The bell hanging above the entrance goes off at that moment, signaling a new arrival to the store and ultimately ends their verbal scuffle with the interruption. Striding down the main aisle is a slightly older brunette with waist length hair, someone the twins are more than just familiar with and even call out a small greeting of "Hey, Eliza." that goes by disregarded as she marches past the chrome racks filled with vintage clothing. She comes to a stop in front of the register, arms crossed and an overall no-nonsense aura surrounding her.

"There's a box outside," she tells them. "Filled with stuff I'm pretty sure are meant for the store. Now did you two notice that yet or where you just ignoring it?"

The twins both look away sheepishly in their own manner to hesitate answering the questions presented to them. Eliza simply waits patiently for one of them to break and give her the reply she wants, which being the more well-mannered of the two just so happens to be Matthew.

"Well," he begins, "we did see it there, but we weren't ignoring it."

"Yeah," Alfred agrees all for the sake of coming to his brother's aid. "We were just talking about it right now."

While Eliza does give them a nod to show that while she appreciates receiving a response to her question, she still has every right to ask, "So, why is it still outside?"

"Because we weren't actually talking about bringing it in," Alfred answers straight-forwardly and rather honestly. "It was more about whether or not it deserved to be brought it."

It's Eliza's turn to direct a deadpan stare at Alfred before she orders, "Bring in the box."

Alfred readily makes to do so and quickly at that, leaving his lounging position unattended and ready for her to swoop in and take over as he exits through the front door.

"Want to enlighten me on that box discussion?" she asks the remaining twin.

"It wasn't really anything," Matthew confesses. "I was just pointing out that a lot of people just throw what they don't want in front or in back of a thrift store and just be done with it."

"Hey, one man's garbage is another's treasure, right?" she poses with a slight shrug. "Besides, don't you think it's more like that chute for the library books?"

"Alfred said the same thing."

"Really?"

"Word for word," he nods.

"Oh… Well, don't tell him that I agree with him."

As they continue on with their conversation, Alfred takes the opportunity to rifle through the items inside personally before handing it over to the other two for their chance to sift through. At first he finds nothing particularly interesting, the top layer being nothing but women's clothing. Something does catch his attention though as he digs further, a somewhat soft article that he feels before even glimpsing at and pulls it out carefully, revealing a rather well-worn scarf faded to a light pink.

Alfred gives it a good look over, instantly smitten with the item and stretches out the material, seeing how long it extends before shrugging and loosely wraps it around his neck. The best part of his job, as he's come to tell thus far, is having first dibs on any donations and only needing to pay a fraction of what it would have been sold under.

With a new accessory in his possession, Alfred heaves up the cardboard box and goes about completing his chore, bringing it back into the store while rattling the contents inside and clattering together what is most likely objects made of glass and therefore fragile. Alfred apparently doesn't take any of this into consideration as he lugs the box onto the counter none too delicately.

"Careful," Eliza scolds. "Obviously there's something breakable in there."

"Yeah, it kinda felt like it when I was carrying it."

"And you still weren't careful?" Matthew asks.

"I'm not paid to be careful," Alfred quickly rebuts to which Eliza mutters something along the lines of how he shouldn't be paid at all. Alfred ignores the comment and proceeds to show off the scarf to his brother. "So, what do you think? Is it a keeper?"

Matthew shakes his head slowly while giving him a small smile. "You'll be the envy of every hipster to walk through that door."

"Or Feliks at least," Eliza says while removing the clothing and placing it carefully on the counter. "Huh, looks like some kind of witch decided to clean out her closet."

"Don't you mean cauldron?" Alfred jokes with a smile.

"Why would a witch keep clothes in a cauldron?"

"You're ruining the joke, Mattie."

"It's okay, it wasn't funny."

"Seriously though, you guys," Eliza cuts in. "Check this out."

The two lean over to view what had been packed away underneath the mass amount of clothing, both wearing identical expressions of interest. After removing the top layer, all to remain inside is a small pile of leather bound books and glass encased candles, and what appears a thin board made from wood, littered with elegantly scripted letters and numbers that are magnified by the glass placed above them.

"Is that a Ouija board?" Matthew asks.

"Looks like it," Alfred says. "Like one of those really old ones."

"Let's see, let's see," Eliza mutters and reaches in to unpack the books and candles.

As she takes her time in unloading the candles one by one to prevent any damage to them, Matthew takes up one of the small books and cracks it open somewhere in the middle. He turns a few more pages before stating, "There's nothing written in here."

"There's some stuff in here," Alfred tells him after searching through one of the others. "But it's like in some kind of alien code."

"Lemme see." Matthew tilts his head towards his brother's direction and frowns at the writing displayed for his viewing. "That's not alien code, that's like what Eliza's grandma writes to her in."

"Here, give me," she orders after the last candle has been set out. It only takes her one glance at the pages Alfred hands over before she shakes her head. "No, that's not Hungarian. It's more like, um.. Cyrillic. Yeah, that's what it looks like."

"So is that like Klingon?" Alfred asks.

"It's what they use in Russia and places over there," Matthew corrects. "Wow, you're stupid."

"Nothing new there," Eliza cuts in. "But moving onto something a little new to us, we just got our first Ouija board in the store."

From the bottom of the container, Eliza pulls out the thin wooden board with an inscription at the top that reads 'OUJIA'. She hands it over to Matthew for inspection, all while asking how he could identify it so quickly before when still buried under the small notebooks and candles.

"It kinda looked familiar. Our brother has one like it," he explains. "But he never let us touch it."

"He never let you touch it," Alfred corrects.

"Yeah, because of what you did."

"More childhood tales of yore?" asks Eliza.

"Something like that," Matthew answers. "But I never got the whole story."

Any delving into the subject further is cut off by Alfred with a swish of his hand as he says, "That doesn't matter. How much do you think this'll go for?"

Eliza only shrugs and glances back in the box, noticing the board's planchette still left inside. She reaches in and brings it out while saying, "It's old, really old, and it actually does look like something that would belong to a witch."

"No kidding," Matthew agrees. "But it can't be that old, it's actually in pretty perfect condition."

"Custom made?" Alfred suggests.

"Most likely."

"Seems like a waste to get rid of it if it was custom made," Eliza comments. "Especially if you're not gonna be paid for it."

"People throw away a lot of things we question," Matthew shrugs.

"True." She places the planchette on the counter and takes up the board from the spot Matthew had laid it down during their conversation. "It is pretty cool looking, I'll give whoever owned it before that. We should play with it. Call up some spirits and see what all the hubbub is about."

"I'm up for that," agrees Matthew.

The two look on at Alfred expectantly who only shakes his head firmly. "Not me. Count me out."

"But, why?" Eliza asks. "You're not scared of a few ghosts are you?"

"No, I'm not scared. It's just that we shouldn't be messing around with things we're supposed to be selling."

"It's not like we're going to set it on fire or throw it off the parking structure while shooting our BB guns at it," Matthew tells him.

"Though that was really fun, and we should do that again sometime," Eliza inputs.

"Noted, but anyway Alfred, come on. We can take it up to your apartment since it's just upstairs so it's not in any real danger."

"Oh yeah, we can just go up and play around with it right after work," says Eliza. "Finally, you living upstairs proves useful."

"Aren't you just a responsible supervisor," Alfred replies with a slight sarcastic edge. "I already said I don't want to play with it, and I definitely don't want it in my apartment."

This statement may be the very reason why exactly only a few hours later when closing time hits, both Eliza and Matthew follow him up the stairs around back that lead to the row of loft apartments above the stores lining the street, much to the displeasure of Alfred himself. Nothing he could say to the two (even with using bribery and threats) deters them in pushing themselves right into his apartment with a box now void of everything save the used books, Ouija board, and glass encased candles.

"I still don't really wanna do this," Alfred comments as Eliza unpacks everything and Matthew clears out a space for them to sit in his brother's overly crowded loft. He silently curses peer pressure while playing with the ends of the scarf he's yet to pay for but took with him anyway.

"Come on, where's your sense of adventure?" Eliza asks him. A sudden devious smirk crosses her lips as she turns towards him. "Or were you lying before and you actually are scared?"

"No," he quickly denies. "But don't you guys ever watch those scary movies that deal with people messing around with Ouija boards and all of a sudden they become possessed by ghosts and stuff? If it's one thing I've learned from watching all those, it's how to survive and you start doing that by not messing with this."

"Those are just movies," says Matthew at the end of his speech. "None of it is real."

"The Exorcist was based on a true story," mutters Alfred.

"In my opinion, the book was better," Eliza replies "Lookit, even if they were real,those kinds of situations have to be one in a million, and besides all those people took it seriously which we are not going to because it's just a game. Now, do you have a lighter or a matchbox or something?"

"Matchbox in the drawer by the stove."

"See!" she grins. "You do wanna play!"

While Eliza makes her way to invade the small kitchen area, Matthew places the board on the hardwood flooring, right in the center of the cleared out area. He looks up at Alfred from his position, offering him a small smile and says, "We'll be fine, it's not like any of it is real. You should know, you've told Arthur plenty of times."

"Yeah, I guess," Alfred sighs as he sits down across from him and fixes the scarf looser around his neck. "Just in case though, don't expect me to come running to save you when some ghost throws you up against the wall and tries to suck out your soul."

"And here I am willing to do just that for you," Matthew jests and places the planchette on the board.

After the three divide the task of not only figuring out just how to open the candles for use, they lit them up one by one and once that's done, Eliza flips the lights switch off, leaving them in near darkness and surrounded by a soft yellow glow.

"Is there any official way to start this?" she asks.

"I don't think so," Matthew says.

"If it's for fun, then there shouldn't be," Alfred tells them. "Just put two fingers on the dial thing, but not too hard."

"You're the professional," Matthew laughs.

"Shut up."

Eliza and Matthew watch as Alfred places both of his pointer fingers on the planchette and follow suit, placing their own on any available space provided for them.

"Who wants to go first?" Matthew asks.

Alfred, who looks as though he's seriously second guessing his contribution to their game, stays silent, leaving Eliza to speak up and ask, "Is there anyone with us?"

Nothing happens, the planchette on the board remains in the same position as they patiently wait while listening to the seconds ticking by on Alfred's wall clock hanging somewhere in the background. A few more tick by, and it's at the moment where Alfred himself is ready to call out to them and ask if they're ready to give up on contacting any spirits, the small dial moves, slowly making it's way to the upper left corner where the word 'Yes' is written and settles above it.

As Alfred grimaces a bit at the response, the other two smile and laugh amongst themselves as they've finally made contact with 'the other side'.

Their session proceeds as though it normally would in any other circle, the two asking trivial yes or no questions that don't necessarily need the aid of any supernatural being to divulge the answer to them, though their contact actively answers these inquires quickly and impressively. It's only when more of a conversation is settled amongst them and answers or replies require the use of the letters on the board that the dial begins to move in a more languid motion until it suddenly stops moving all together.

"Why don't you ask something?" Matthew directs at his brother. "Ghost is probably sick of us and wants to hear from you."

"You can get pretty boring," he smiles at his own words as Matthew rolls his eyes. "I think I'll pass though."

"That's not fair to the spirit."

"Probably doesn't want to talk to me anyway. Probably wants to leave already or something."

"Spirit, do you want Alfred to talk to you?" Eliza asks and is immediately given a 'Yes' reply. "See? Now is not the time for you to be growing a shy trait."

"Fine, fine," Alfred mutters and again curses peer pressure though it's entirely his own fault how he's subjected to it. "Um… Hi."

"That's not a question," Matthew sweatdrops.

Question or not, their contact does not seem to mind in the slightest as it races the dial back and forth quicker than ever across the board to write back 'H-E-L-L-O'.

"Well what do you know?" Eliza laughs. "I think the spirit likes you."

"Don't say that," Alfred says. "It's not true."

His reply has Eliza tilt her head slightly and ask, "Oh, really? Let's find out then, yeah? Spirit, do you like Alfred?"

The immediate 'Yes' response has Alfred shrink back some from the board, though his less the subtle movement went by seemingly unnoticed by the other two as they instantly crooned over their contact's confession.

"Looks like you got a ghost-admirer," Eliza says.

"Looks like," Matthew agrees. "Spirit, what exactly do you think of my brother?"

"You know, we should probably ask for the spirit's name," Eliza points out to him as the dial moves. "Seems a bit rude to keep calling it Spirit."

"And 'it'."

Alfred is lost to their side commentary as he watches the planchette move carefully around the board, spelling out the word 'L-O-V-E-L-Y' and he feels uncomfortable enough to stand up abruptly, alerting the other two and asking him if anything is wrong.

"I've had enough," he states and leaves the circle of candles. "I'm done."

"Where are you going?" Matthew calls out to him.

"Bathroom," comes the reply right before the lights are turned back on and they watch him head into the only other room of the small living quarter.

The second the bathroom door closes behind him, both Matthew and Eliza burst out into laughter, even going as far to acting dramatic and falling to their sides or doubling over.

"Did you see his face at the last question?" Eliza asks through a series of chuckles. "I didn't think he'd hold out for so long, I'm glad you got something out of him. Great work, Mattie."

"You deserve most of the credit," he tells her. "I couldn't even feel you moving this thing."

Eliza's laughter comes to a slow halt as she stares at the planchette Matthew holds up. Her smile falters and her brows furrow together as her mind registers the compliment bestowed on her.

"I thought you were moving it."

Inside the bathroom Alfred runs the cold water and splashes it against his face. He keeps his face down in the sink as he reaches to turn the tap off, watching as small droplets of water drip off from the point of his nose and cling to the blonde strands of his hair matted to the sides of his face. Once he's deemed himself composed enough to face his brother and friend, he wipes his face dry with one hand and reaches for his glasses with the other.

He shakes his head a bit, reminiscent to that of a wet dog drying itself off before putting on his glasses once more. A quick through his hair and he finds his eyes darting to the mirror above the bathroom sink for glance at his appearance and instantly spies another person standing directly above him, seeing nothing too clearly other than a childish grin twisted on a pair of pallid lips as he quickly spins around to see no one.

His eye dart in every which way in the white tiled room and finds no one else occupying the small space other than him, and he leans back against the sink as he tells himself that he's simply letting his fears get the best of him. Though when he closes his eyes while he takes in a deep breath, a sudden knock at the door causes him to jump and fall back further against the basin, knocking the back of his head up against the mirror.

"Alfred?" Eliza's voice calls through the wood. "Are you okay?"

Startled by the other, it takes Alfred a few seconds before he's able to shout back, "Y-yeah! Yeah, I'm just gonna be.. gonna be another second."

"Okay, um.. Mattie thought of watching some movies and ordering something in but we wanted to know if that was okay with you, if you wanted to do that."

Before realizing that she isn't able to see his action, Alfred begins to nod frantically at the suggestion, anything to keep them nearby for just a little while longer while he calms his nerves down. "That sounds awesome!"

"Okay then!"

He hears her footsteps pad away from the door and he's left with the sound of the buzzing light fixture hanging above him as he breathes deeply to slow his heart beat. With one last deep breath and another quick look over of the room, Alfred reaches out for the door know and wrenches it open before hitting the light switch and throws himself back into the living room with the full intent of drowning his fears in take out and horribly immature comedies.

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Disclaimer: Quietly he laughs and shaking his head, creeps closer now, closer to the foot of the bed.

-Do I really fail that bad at titles? Yes, yes I do. OTL

-Anyway, I had started writing this for the Dark Fantasy week of the Fantasia event that was happening in the R/A community back in June, but I was going in and out of the hospital a lot until they finally just decided to keep my ass locked up so they could poke and prod and run a whole bunch of tests to find out if I was finally dying or if they just needed to put me on a prescription I will never take, so I didn't really have the chance to finish and participate since I just got out last Tuesday.

-But yeah, I didn't get to post it there, so I'll put it here and continue here and it's rated M for stuff to come… Heeeeh, come. XD (Oh jeez, and we're a whole year older now too…)

-Alright then, it's near 4am where I am and I have to wake up… in about three hours. :D Til next time then, lovelies. -heart-