Prologue

I've always had an interest in the paranormal from a young age I have been slightly obsessed with the idea of ghosts and spirits running around my own home. Staying up until 3 am during the summer watching Ghost Adventures got my mind whirling with excitement – I would do almost anything to be part of the GAC. Little did I know that my friend was going to give me the ultimate 'sweet 16' present...

Chapter One

You did what?

Waking up on my birthday I thought nothing much would change – yeah I'd be 16 but nothing much in my life would change. Boy was I wrong. I tugged on my bedroom door which was once again being stubborn and not opening.

"God damn it, even on my birthday!" I cursed under my breath; nothing ever changes in my house.

Finally the door opened and – much to my annoyance – hit me in the head. I walked downstairs to the living room.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY LUNA!" came the familiar voice of my best friend Kate.

"Thank-you Keito." I grin whilst rubbing my head

"You will love the present I got you! Open it open it!" she repeated excitedly. I started opening a small box.

"Is it some 30 Seconds to Mars tickets?" I ask almost in hysterics

"Better than that!"

"What could be better than tha-" I start as I tear the last of the packaging away. A loan DVD sat in the box.

"Okay...what the hell...Keito?"

"Play it! I guarantee you'll love it!" She urged me

Kate was known for her weirdness, she'd got me some weird but great gifts in the past so in my mind I was trying to work out what she'd done this time as I shoved the DVD into the player.

"My name is Zak Bagans. I've never believed in ghosts until I came face to face with one. So I set out on a quest to capture what I once saw onto video. With no big camera crews following us around, I am joined only by my fellow investigator Nick Groff and our equipment tech Aaron Goodwin. The three of us will travel to some of the most highly paranormal locations, where we will spend an entire night getting locked down from dusk until dawn... Raw...Extreme... These are our Ghost Adventures."

"Okay so you got me a DVD of which season?" I say to Keito

"Keep watching Luna, honestly you'll miss the cool part!" she snapped in return

I look back to the TV, the GAC were standing in a street outside some houses.

"Keito...why does that look like my street..."

"SHH"

"Today we're in southern England to deliver a special birthday surprise to one of our fans. All we know is that she's 16 today, her best friend is going to be her favourite person ever soon, and that she is a huge fan of our show." Zak said from the TV. "So let's meet her.!" He walked up to a door that looked very much like mine.

My doorbell rang just as he approached the door. "Keito pause this 'til I get back..." I say as I go to the door.

"Can't pause it – it's live." She said running after me.

"What do you mean it's live? It's a DVD!" I reply as she opens the door to reveal Zak, Nick and Aaron who was holding the camera.

"Surprise Luna!" Kate yelled

"Happy birthday Luna!" the GAC exclaimed

"Keito...what...oh my god thank-you!" I cried hugging her.

"Luna. Stop hugging me...I don't like physical contact..." she mumbled

"Luna, your friend Kate here personally contacted us and asked if we could take you on a few lockdowns. However, the lockdowns are going to be in the US. So you're going to be skipping school for the week." Zak said whilst looking into the camera every few seconds. "Sound good?"

"Oh my God... Keito...what the hell am I going to get you for your birthday now?" I ask in disbelief.

"Don't worry about it – I couldn't score you 30 Seconds to Mars tickets so I tried these guys, which would you had preferred?" she replied smugly

"Now I remember why you're my best friend." I say whilst hugging her again.

"Luna! Seriously get off me!" Kate protested once again.

"This is going to be awesome." Nick said to the camera.

"Totally bro," Aaron added.

I invited them inside and told Kate to serve tea – preferably without burning my house down – whilst I went upstairs and packed for my trip.

I knew all about the stuff they experience on lockdowns so whilst packing I saw my pocket sized bible on the shelf. Being a Christian I kept it around and I suppose if I end up with some demonic spirits it might save me. I packed it into my suitcase along with a variety of clothing for any weather, my own camera, my netbook and my mobile charger as well as all the essentials. I carried my suitcase downstairs before joining the crew in my living room.

"So where exactly are we getting locked into?" I ask

"We're going to the DuVade mansion in Florida; it's going to be awesome." Aaron said. They had since put their cameras on tripods recording our conversation.

"Okay….and this is supposedly haunted because….?" I ask

"Well they've seen shadow people, orbs, heard footsteps, conversations….the works." Nick replied

"But the important thing is…" Zak cut in "that it's now a hotel but before that it was the scene of a massacre."

Kate burst out laughing, which is quite normal for her but the crew were taken back with surprise.

"Keito…it's not that funny." I say to her

"I'm sorry…but it's -" she said before bursting into laughter again.

"Ignore her, it'll pass. So a massacre eh?" I say to GAC

Zak still looked a little surprised at Kate's outburst but continued nonetheless. "We don't know the full details but from what we've heard an entire family was murdered one night. There might be more, might be less, we won't know until we get there."

"Which means we should get going if we're going to catch our flight to Florida, you got everything Luna?" Aaron asked.

"Sure do Aaron." I reply

"Let's go then, Zak you're driving." Nick laughs before heading to the door. I say my last goodbye to Kate and then get in the back seat of the car with Nick whilst Aaron puts my suitcase in the boot. We drove off towards the airport.

~Two hours later – on the plane ~

We ended up sat together in a four seat row, me sat in between Zak and Nick with Aaron sat on Nick's other side. During the flight the crew were asking me about my life, interests and most importantly why I wanted to go on a lockdown so badly.

"Well I started being interested in the paranormal when I was around ten or eleven years old, since then I've just been reading a lot on the internet and watching you guys on TV. I prefer your show because...well it's more entertaining...since then I've just wanted to go on a lockdown with you guys" I explain

"Cool, so have you had any experiences?" Zak asks me

"I haven't seen anything, but I've heard one or two weird things. You see, my cat died two years ago and his ashes are now sat in my room. When he was alive he would sleep on my bed and when he jumped off it would make a load thud on the floor. A few days after he died I kept hearing the thud I would hear when he landed on the floor. For a while I kept looking back expecting to see him – when nothing was there it reminded me he was gone. That's it really nothing big."

"That could've been your cat's ghost, it's possible considering you have his ashes in your room and I'm guessing you were quite close to him." Nick speculated

"Mmhmm." I reply "Also there's this on-going event that keeps happening. Sometimes at night on the top landing of my house outside my room there will be the smell of a car burning, or something electrical, and you can only smell it stood on the landing. Not in any of the rooms or outside in the garden but just on the landing. We've checked the entire house and we can't find anything that would make that kind of stench."

"That's weird…" Aaron commented

"I heard from Kate that you're a Christian, how does this fit in with your belief of ghosts?" Zak asked me

"Well I feel that ghosts are souls of people who either haven't been laid to rest properly or have a task they feel they must do before they can pass on to the afterlife. I also feel that if they've had a traumatizing experience close to death that they can't escape they might stick around looking for help. After all Christians believe in the Holy Spirit – which is a ghost."

They all nod as I explain my reasoning. "Do you get scared easily?" Aaron asked me after I finished

"I don't really know – sudden bangs can scare anyone, I don't know about being touched by things I can't see – I guess we'll find out."

"Well we'll be landing soon so get ready and when we land we'll find the hotel." Zak said

~ At the hotel – early evening ~

"So you're telling me there are only two rooms?" Zak asks the receptionist again

"Yes Mr Bagans, only two left." The receptionist said repeating herself for the third time

Zak turns to Nick, Aaron and I. "Well what do you guys think?"

"Well someone's got to stay with Luna then." Nick stated

"Yeah I know Nick but...wait one second." Zak said before turning back to the receptionist. "Are these rooms interconnected?"

"Yes they are Sir." She replied

"That isn't much of a problem then is it? I mean there'll be two separate beds so it's not a big deal Zak." Aaron reasoned

"Fine, but who'll have the bed in Luna's room?" Zak snapped back

"I'll have it – if that's all right with her." Nick replied.

They look to me expecting me to give them a lengthy response; "Yeah sure." I reply

Now that that was settled we checked in and headed to our rooms. The first thing Nick did when we got in was open the interconnecting door to Zak and Aaron's room. I was at a loss as of what to do – I knew we were staying here for two nights so unpacking everything would be a bit weird but I didn't want to just sit there and watch Nick unpack. Thankfully he noticed my puzzled look and decided to show me how to operate one of the cameras we'd be using.

Just as he finished explaining everything Aaron walked in carrying his shoulder camera that was recording for the program.

"So Luna how's bunking with Nick?" he laughed after asking me

"Dude seriously." Nick laughed back

"Aaron we've been here like ten minutes and you're already suggesting things." I chime in

"Of course! So what have you two been up to then?" he replied

"I just finished showing her how to operate the handheld camera she'll be using on our lockdowns." Nick said

"And?" Aaron asked

"And what? We literally finished when you walked in."

Zak walked in after hearing the exchange, "come one guys, I'm hungry let's grab a bite to eat then sit and read the location info."

"Okay boss." Nick and Aaron replied and they leave to get the truck. Before Zak and I leave he says to me; "Aaron can be a bit...um..."

"Jumping to conclusions? It's alright; I've lived with hormonal teens every day of my life that always do it. I know he doesn't mean harm." I reply before he could finish

"Yeah, okay but when we get locked down he gets very jumpy and freaked out – as you've seen I suppose, but it's different being back in England and seeing it through a TV screen than being there in the dark with him. Just a warning."

"Okay, thanks I guess we should catch up with those two." I reply

~ After eating – in Zak's room ~

"So, the DuVade mansion in Palm Beach Florida; in 1879 the Wilson family were murdered; three daughters, two sons, and their parents Lily and Malcolm by an unknown person. There was some talk of one of the sons getting a girl pregnant and her father was enraged so was plotting something against the son. None of that was confirmed." Zak read from the file

"So what activity actually happens there?" Nick asked

"Shadow figures are seen in the hallways, voices heard, screams to be more precise, also a few feelings of the 'heebie jeebies' – as Aaron would put it..." Zak continued reading "So a lot of standard activity."

"Wow, so this is tomorrow night I'm guessing we're doing this..." I say

"Yeah, tomorrow morning Aaron and I will go and interview some people whilst Nick, you and Luna go to the library and dig up some more history. We'll meet up at lunch before heading to the mansion."

"Got it chief." We replied. I actually felt like part of the team.

"Right now it's half nine so don't stay up too late guys you'll need the energy you get tonight to power you through the lockdown." Zak concluded before snapping the file shut.

After a brief discussion about arrangements for tomorrow lunch time I went back into my room and got ready for bed – a strappy black top and a pair of grey jogging bottoms – Nick came in just as I was walking out of the bathroom.

"Oh Luna, listen will you be wanting to take a shower in the morning?" he asked a little startled

"Uh, no I won't I took one the day before yesterday – so I'll have one when we get back from the lockdown." I reply

"Okay – I'll be having one though so if you wake up and I'm not here it's because I'm in the shower, so don't freak out."

"I don't think that'll happen." I reply whilst climbing into bed. He went into Zak's room and discussed something I couldn't make out, then came back in and went to bed himself.

It hadn't been long when I heard him wake up and climb out of bed. I stared at the clock on the wall '11:30' what the hell was he doing? I was about to go back to sleep when I heard him pacing and whispering something, he then went into Zak's room I shortly heard yelling coming from Zak and Aaron followed by hushed tones. Seriously what the hell?

Zak came in and started pointing the camera around the room, Aaron following him with the shoulder camera. Nick came to my side and shook me awake further.

"Luna…wake up…" he whispered

"Nick? What's going on?" I asked him

"I'm hearing voices so Zak and Aaron are investigating. Are you okay?"

"Yeah…I heard you get up and I was wondering what you were doing. Why was Zak yelling?"

"Uh…it's what the voice said that made him yell…" Nick replied hesitantly

"Right you perverted coward! Show yourself!" Zak barked into the darkness

"Uh…what the hell is going on?" I snap

"Nick take her into my room and tell her what's going on, I'm not having her here with it." Zak replied

Nick led me into Zak and Aaron's room and sat me down on the sofa, I hadn't known them that long but I could tell that something to do with that voice worried them.

"Luna, when you were…err…changing…did you hear anything weird?" He stuttered as he sat next to me.

"No…why?" I reply quietly

"Well as I was led in bed drifting into sleep I heard this voice…it said that….that…you had a nice…err..." he gestured to my chest.

"Oh…that's quite…weird…um I'm sorry that made you feel uncomfortable Nick." I could feel my cheeks turning pink

"Hehe, it's okay...um…but Zak's now on edge about it…yeah…" he chuckled slightly.

"Typical Zak…" I comment I could feel my eyes drooping; a sudden tiredness came over me. Jet-lag. I fell against Nick's shoulder quickly feeling drowsy , instead of freaking out like I thought he would, he wrapped his arm around my shoulder and found one of Aaron's jackets to put around me. The last thing I remember was him telling me Zak was getting more and more frustrated and me laughing slightly at it. I then fell asleep.