May frantically moved in their incorporeal form sticking by Harbor’s side to make sure they didn't get separated. Harbor’s breaths were heavy, his feet slammed against the floor beneath him and he pushed himself forwards away from the ghost chasing them. Together the duo ran past the first bedroom into the largest bedroom. Lucky Harbor had left the door open.

May looked around for an open window, or even one with a bit enough gap between boards Harbor could squeeze through. Harbor did the same, heart pounding in his chest as adrenaline ran through his veins. The windows he could have sworn were open were suddenly boarded up.

“These windows were all boarded up when we came up here right?!” Harbor questioned, breath coming out in harsh pants as he passed another window in the master bedroom.

“Yeah!” May replied as she moved beside him. “They were the same way on the bottom floor two!” 

Harbor cursed rounding the corner into the final bedroom. Manic laughter followed them as they entered the smallest bedroom. Harbor found his legs could move faster. May squealed, speeding up as well. A hand caught Harbor’s eye causing his heart to leap in fear as he leapt to the side dodging it.

“GET THE DOOR OPEN!!” Harbor screamed to Liam who was hopefully still weighing outside.  

Harbor’s feet passed the doorframe he angled his body to the edge of the balcony overlooking the first floor. 

“Boo!” Trouble popped up in front of Harbor as he prepared himself to jump down the broken staircase. 

Harbor screamed as he slid to a stop, nearly falling over as he turned on his heel sprinting up the staircase he had been so reluctant to climb minutes ago. May squealed realizing Harbor had turned around. May chose to dodge the ghost by going down. Upon realizing their friend could not in fact fly through the floorboard they turned back around, flying at a diagonal to Harbor’s side.

Harbors tripped up the stairs nearly falling as the top of his foot met the edge of a slightly broken stair. He climbed the staircase faster than a bat out of hell.

Liam listened to the screams of his friend echo through the walls of the damn house. Shouting out in rage he tore at the board covering the windows. He slammed his body into one hoping it would snap off. Finding that to be ineffective he wrapped an arm around on turn at it with all his strength. It did not bend. 

“Hang on, I think we might have something to get the board off in the car!” Katie called rushing off in that direction.

“Hurry!” Liam cried, desperation making its way into his voice.

Katie ran faster.

Ellie darted around the house inspecting the window from any possible weak points they could exploit. The screams of her friend(?) echoed through her head as she felt desperation well up in her chest urging her to move faster. Her breathing quickened as she banged on the lowest board on the window she was inspecting.

It did not budge.

Harbor’s feet landed on the third floor of the house and he took off. The right door stood close only for a moment as Harbor launched his body at it, twisting the door knob as he did so. The old wood dug into his side, cutting through the jacket he wore and perhaps into his skin as well. Harbor couldn’t tell, nor did he care to at the moment.

The door burst open. Harbor barely stumbled as he took off once more. He barely noticed a thing in the room, eyes swirling around for an open window. May followed close behind him taking a slightly longer look around. Taking quick note of the crib in the corner and the torn carpet covering the ground.

A nursery.

The next door didn’t even have a door, simply a wide open frame. Harbor didn’t miss a step as he crossed over into it making a quick look around to find no windows. He was forced to slow his steps as the cabinets lying broken on the ground proved hard to navigate. The room seemed smaller than the nursery as well.

May took the led into the next room, the door slightly ajar allowing Harbor to slam it the rest of the way open allowing him through as well. This room did have windows. Completely block up windows. Not much help truly.

Harbor felt the little hope he had of finding a way out die slightly. Turning his focus away from the window he skid to a stop seeing a wall stood before him. No doors, simply one solid wall. May floated before it turning with a frantic expression back to Harbor. He turned to ready to run out of the room with them.

“Dead end!” They both cried as they went to flee.

“Dead end!” Garve sneered as she faced the frightened duo.

May and Harbor quivered backing up.

“Game over so soon?” Trouble asked sweetly as she floated from the walls.

“Awe and I thought I was going to win this time!” Fatal cried as they two appeared, coming from below them.

Grave snorted, “You weren’t even on the right floor.”

Fatal stuck her tongue out.

“What do you want from us!” May demanded a surprising amount of force behind their voice.

The triplets seemed slightly shocked.

That was before Trouble chuckled, “We just wanted to talk, and maybe play a game! Why are you here?” She questioned in that sickly sweet voice of hers.

Harbor gulped, “We’re here because we heard you may have an idea of how to turn May back into a human.” 

“May? I assume that’s your friend here?” Fatal questioned, gesturing to May.

“Yes that’s me.” May confirmed.

“So… Do you?” Harbor asked, eying the trio in suspicion.

“We may, we may not.” Grave replied.

“What do you want in return for your information?” May spoke up.

“Clever one aren’t you.” Grave tsked. 

May glared back.

“Hmm, well Perhaps a game or two.” She gave her answer.

“A game?” May echoed back, suspicion rising.

“A game!” Grave confirmed. “You already gave us such a lovely game of tag just now so I suppose I can tell you a few things… But you have to promise to play another game with us if I do.” She declared grinning mischievously at the hesitant duo.

“What kind of game?” May asked.

“Hmmm, Well since I won the game how about a simple game of hide and seek.”

Harbor and May looked at each other, silently debating.

“Alright deal, but Harbor leaves now.” May demanded.

“What no!” Harbor rejected, “We started with together, we're ending this together!”

“He’s right, I won’t accept the trade unless you both play.”

May opened their mouth to reject, but Harbor cut her off, “We’ll play.” resolve firm in his voice.

“Excellent!” Grave cheered, clapping her hand together, “Now then if you want to become human again you’ll need to go to a small town called Vanichick in North Carolina.”

May and Harbor nodded along, showing that they were following.

“There's a small church there, well it may be still there, you’ll need to retrieve an item from there in order to call the ferryman.” Grave continued.

May noticing she trailed off urged her on, “And then?”

Grave chuckled, “Then you must plead your case, and make a equivalent exchange.”

“I see…” May trailed off thinking to themself.

“What would be considered in equivalent exchange?” Harbor asked, trying to pry information from the spooky ghost before him.

“Hmm, well it depends well doesn’t it?” Grave trailed off grinning sadistically at Harbor’s guarded expression.

May sighed, “Will we have to play another game for that information?”

“Of course.”

May and Harbor glanced at each other trying to determine what their next steps should be. May floated close, getting ready to whisper.

“So?” Harbor whispered.

“Bad idea.”

“Yeah, we can get more details from the locals there or something, I don’t want to be here any longer.”

“Yeah same, let's just play the next game and get the hell out.”

The duo broke apart ready to give their answer. The triplets looked at them expectantly, malicious grins on their faces. May and Harbor felt the uneasiness in their chest intensify.

May gulped, “We’ll take our chances thank you.”

Harbor nodded his assent.

“Ah what a shame.” Grave clapped, “Well nothing we can do then, onto the stakes of our next game.”

Harbor sucked in a breath through his teeth, “And that is…?”

The malice rolled off the triplets in waves, “Hide from us until day, and you win.”

“And you’ll let us leave?” May inquired.

“Yes.” Trouble replied.

“And what do you get if you win?” Harbor interjected, determined to find out the stakes of the game.

The grin on Fatal, Trouble’s, and Grave’s face grew impossibly wide.

“Your soul.”