"Oh, so you finally realised you were actually being a jerk?"
"Urgh... yeah... fine, whatever. Sure. I'm sorry for being a jerk all this time. I've just... been having a hard time with certain things..."
"You really don't hate us? You still consider us as friends, right?"
"Of course I do and have a hell of a lotta apologising to do if I want to make amends. I shouldn't have mistreated you all because of something I have going on. I didn't have to shut you guys out, but it just felt like I'd be a bother if I was around too much."
"Having you around is no bother, Hiro. We really do miss your dark humour and sarky comments! Everyone's just really confused as to why you were being so odd. What had happened? Is something wrong?"
When Connie asked, Hiro contemplated his reasoning a while before saying anything back.
"I don't know how to tell you this without sounding insane..."
"It doesn't matter how insane it sounds! Just tell me. I want to help if I can!" Connie was getting impatient.
"Alright, alright..." Hiro took a deep breath. "I've..."
"Yes? ...Spit it out already!"
"I've sorta... kinda... been seeing things. Freaky things beyond belief and it's been happening more and more recently."
Connie definitely was not expecting something so peculiar to be bothering Hiro. She didn't respond right away because she was still so confused.
"...Hallucinations?" She questioned.
"No, no, I swear I'm not crazy. Or maybe I am...? Have I gone mad? Anyways! What I'm saying is these things I'm seeing come in crazy forms and it's like I'm witnessing the demons outta horror films."
"Hiro... have you been taking any sort of, uhmm, I dunno... like drugs during your phase of loneliness?"
"WHAT!?"
"Or maybe you've started a satanic ritual of some sort in your spare time...?"
"You think I'm crazy, don't you?"
"No! I mean- well... kinda."
Hiro face saddened and Connie thought it's about time to take a more serious approach on the situation, since he's so upset about it.
"I was kidding! No need to be so down in the dumps, old chum!" She put on a British accent and tried to make him laugh a little; however, it was no use.
"Do you know what!? I'll prove to you that it's not just in my head."
"Oh? You don't have to..."
"You're completely right! I don't HAVE to, I NEED to. Where were you guys headed tonight? That spooky abandoned part of the town? Something really ominous must be lurking around there... there's no doubt about it..."
"Uhmm... Hiro?" Connie tried to say something on the mater but Hiro was already walking off in the other direction.
"I'll see you later, Connie. I swear to you this will all make sense! I promise I'm not insane!" He called.
"...What's up with him?" She waved as he ran off. "He's totally lost his mind, if he thinks that's a justifiable reason for being such a stupid brain! Yeah... nice one, Hiro, blame it all on insanity and dumb visions."
***
[22:42 P.M.] Connie was with her friends at the meetup point they had organised prior to the day, just outside of the gates to the stairs leading to a higher part of the town. There were the typical warning and caution signs around and the lighting from the dying posts was extremely dim. It didn't help that the sky was cloudy tonight, so the moon's light was shrouded.
When Connie got home earlier, she told her sister about all the bad luck she had been experiencing today and how she's had a weird feeling about something being unexplainably off throughout the day. Mariana kept making jokes about how the idea visiting this haunted area of town was scaring Connie before she had even checked it out properly - "Sis, you are way too superstitious!" - is what she told her.
"Superstitious my butt." Connie huffed.
"What was that, Cons?" Sienna was concerned with her sudden remark.
"Ah... never mind. Just a little lost in thought there."
"Are you sure Hiro's coming, Connie, dear?" Amisha raised her eyebrow. "Are you sure you weren't doing that thing where you only hear what you want to hear?"
"Oh, he'll definitely come. He's got something to 'prove' to me. It's got to do with the reason why he's been so distant."
"Weird guy that one." Raphael crossed his arms. "Could have the common decency to arrive on time. We don't have all night."
"There's no rush, Raph, the night is still young." Amisha checked her phone. "I still can't believe he changed his mind so easily. Connie must be a miracle worker. Or is that just the perks of being lifetime buddies, perhaps?" Her eyes flicked in Connie's direction.
"I-I'm no miracle worker. I didn't do that much other than yell at him a bit when he ticked me off." Connie laughed.
"Interesting..."
"Guys, I think that's him now." Zak pointed into the distance.
Hiro was taking his sweet time, bobbing along the street with his earphones in.
"At least he's enjoying himself. Doesn't look like he's much bothered about making us wait all this time." Raphael shook his head. "Absolutely hopeless."
"Glad you could make it, Hiro." Zak greeted him as he pulled out his earphones.
"I'm just glad you guys haven't killed me as soon as I came near you again." Hiro laughed too, but wryly. "I'm so very sorry and I want to make it up to you. All of you."
"There's no need for the formalities, friend! We're just happy you're here! We all know how your emo tendencies take over sometimes!" Sienna chuckled. "We knew it was just a phase."
"Ahaha..." Hiro became quite bashful after Sienna pointed it out like that.
"Welcome back, Hiro." Amisha smiled, as she walked up to him and grabbed his jumper in a menacing manner. "Next time you want to act like a D-head for months please warn is in advance so I can slap you back to reality before you do a whole load of stupid things."
"Uhhhhh..." He was speechless.
"Don't worry. I'm just playing with you! As gullible as ever, I see." She let him go and patted his head. "Such a cutie. Do I come across as that scary to you?"
"Yes." Hiro muttered.
"Yeah, you're absolutely terrifying." Raphael added.
"Seconded. Amisha is pretty scary when she's mad." Sienna stated, reluctantly.
"She sure is. I don't like to frustrate her too much." Connie twiddled her fingers through her hair to distract her and make it seem as if the truth wasn't that harsh.
"Hey! Someone's got to keep the order within this group!" Amisha retorted and threw herself at Zak. "You don't think I'm scary, do you now, Zak, dearest?"
"Nah."
"Awwwwww, you're too kind. See, if you were all as perfect as Zak I wouldn't need to be so scary." She frowned at the rest, who were stood in confusion as to what they did wrong.
"Zak is totally spoilt by that woman..." Raphael sighed.
"100%." Hiro said.
"Don't test her patience guys. We don't want her to hurt anybody before we've started our fun, little adventure tonight." Sienna whispered.
Despite their attempts to be secretive, Amisha clearly heard everything.
"I'm right here guys. I'm not deaf. Anywho... let's get going. Zak, if you could be an angel and give everyone a quick recap of the rumours this unsettling place. You know, like set the mood with your bone chilling voice."
"Sure thing, Mish." Zak cleared his voice in preparation for his speech.
"I love it when he calls me that." Amisha giggled to herself and began to blush wildly.
"It's like she's not even trying to hide the hints on how much she likes him anymore." Connie mentioned, as they began to enter a particularly dangerous part of the town.
"Watch your step everyone..." Zak began, his voice slightly lower in tone - which made him sound like one of the automated voices you hear on a creepy rollercoaster ride. "Higham Orchard was typically known for it's glorious fruit but also it's technical advances before a sudden landslide destroyed everything within the area.
"All that is left now is the ruins and debris of what used to be known as the richest part of the city. There have been rumours of those that visit suddenly falling into comatose for eternity. A sleep like death. A few rare cases state that those, who do come back from here are either extremely traumatized or almost completely lifeless."
"This sounds... safe." Sienna clung onto Amisha in fear.
"That must mean there's some kind of entity responsible for this, right? People can't have just been keeling over from the experience of coming here for no reason." Hiro asked, making sure to glare back at Connie - as if to say 'You wanted proof!? I got proof!'.
"You mean like... ghosts?" Connie rolled her eyes.
"Whatever is doing this can't just be your average ghost." Zak looked around, still leading with a slow step and upmost caution.
"We should've brought our vacuum cleaners or somethin'. Who's bright idea was it to come here without any kind of weapon?" Raphael began to brace himself for the unexpected.
"I-I have a t-t-torch! Maybe the ghosts are allergic to light!" Sienna's voice wobbled.
An abrupt sound of glass shattering became audible in a dishevelled building nearby along with Sienna's yelp from the surprise.
"Let's check it out." Amisha dashed on ahead, dragging Sienna with her.
"No, no, no, no! I'm not ready!" Sienna's scream echoed.
"She's jumpier than usual. Nice job, Zak." Raphael cackled.
"Being scared keeps people alert." He responded, as the two followed.
"You going in? Or are you too scared?" Connie nudged Hiro as she passed him and giggled.
"No way! I'm not scared one bit!"
"Well then! Come-" Just then Connie saw a dark and small figure dart by behind the broken structure of the building. "Did you see that?"
"Oh, is someone... hallucinating?" Hiro said, jokingly but Connie wasn't buying it. "Fine, fine! I did see. Hey- wait!"
She stormed on ahead, avoiding any shards of glass and hurdling over chunks of mossy stone.
"Hiro, Look!" Connie repeatedly hit Hiro as she pointed to a mysterious floating creature.
"What the hell is that?" Hiro screwed up his faced.
"It's... SO CUTE!" Connie ran up to it and sat by it to give it a closer look. Hiro crouched down nearby.
"Careful, Connie! That thing could be-!"
"What? Dangerous? Don't tell me you're afraid of some piglet..." She brought her face right up into its. "Look at how adorable... you are..."
The aqua void of its eyes had small cloudy wisps swirling around just like the ones floating around the place. It was almost as if Connie could hear faint voices, the deeper and longer she stared into the eyes of the creature, the louder the voices became and some sounded like screams.
"Connie!" Hiro yelled, he had been trying to talk to her for a few minutes now.
"...Huh? What happened?" Hiro pulled Connie to stand up. The pig jumped around in the air, playfully, and did twirls and spins as if it were showing off an acrobatic performance.
"You were just staring at it and more of these blue-green flame balls appeared. What did you-?"
"So weird..." Connie wasn't listening at all and she booped the unusual pig's snout. Straight after it backed away and scrunched up its nose with a very angry look in its eyes.
A thick fog began to blanket the area and only the glow of the teal hovering flames were visible.
"What did you do, Connie!?"
"I just touched its cute, little nose!"
"Why would you touch a messed up thing like that!?" Out of nowhere, more of the pig-like creatures surrounded Connie and Hiro. They had furious expressions and looked ready to charge. "Hang on a second..."
Hiro took a moment to register what was happening.
"I know what these are! Quick! Connie, cross your legs!"
"What!? Why!?" The pigs began to hop in unison towards them.
"JUST DO IT!" Hiro shouted with a sense of urgency but his command wasn't executed quickly enough and one of the pigs ran straight through Connie's legs. "CONNIE!"