Chapter 1 Strange forest

" Hey Daniel you want to be part of our team? the others whom I invited insist to come for the project they say it was going to be scary", Sherlock the camera man of the team said teasing the other vloggers around.

"I can't go Sherlock, find someone else I have a lot of projects to do since I postponed my last video this week." Daniel responded while grabbing his things from his locker and walk in the hallway.

"Hey dude wait! Please... Mr. Lau needs at least one to come with us besides the price is right and it's higher than you expected!", Sherlock said trying to make Daniel agree.

"okay just give me time to decide until tomorrow I need to do something first." Daniel said and they both exit the hallway. College life is not easy for both Daniel and Sherlock as they struggled from their schedules, Daniel doing a vlog for part time and the same time a criminology student while Sherlock being a part time camera man and a major in photography. They are both freshmen from the University, and they need to graduate for they want to be successful but they also need to earn money by doing part times.

-Daniel's house-

"Daniel... how's today's training?", asked his dad who always seated on the wheel chair for almost a year he always keeps on watching murder cases late at night.

"It's good... but it's a little bit difficult especially the physical trainings."

"Don't worry son it's the major part to be strong besides you are going to be the next in line to me." Daniel's father is an ex police man who retired because of an accident while trying to chase a murderer.

"Dad why do you always watch that, is it another episode?"

"Yes, this is good to watch especially when I'm waiting for a murderer to be caught soon", Daniel knew what his father is talking about.

"You mean the most wanted murderer who went missing in the woods?"

Daniel asked while drinking his father's soda in the fridge.

"Yeah that shit almost kill me when I'm about to caught him with my bare hands, it's been a year but I still remember it."

Daniel's dad was talking about the incident happened with a psycho murderer who killed 60 people in town including toddlers.

"Well, maybe I'll be the one to caught him", Daniel jokingly said.

"Stop drinking my soda son, well if you want to caught him make sure to beat him first."

Daniel chuckled towards his father as they both finished the murder case episode.

-Sunday morning-

"Don't forget to share my videos guys! See you on the next video!" Daniel finished setting up his last video for the week as Sherlock approach him from behind.

"Nice video… So you are teaching your fans about physical trainings now a days"

Sherlock said fixing the lens of his camera.

"Yeah besides it's one of my major topic from my first video, so why did you came here?"

"Well… about the invitation I told you yesterday remember?"

Sherlock said while giving Daniel a wide smile.

"Why are you so desperate to go there? It's a haunted house and I know there are no real ghosts there, it's just their set up." Daniel said sitting beside him in the bench.

"Are you sure it's just a set up? Mr. Lau said that the house was not known by the public for many years and that it is located in a far province, isn't interesting?" Sherlock said testing his camera towards Daniel.

"Sherlock cut that camera off its annoying"

"I'm just practicing on how to make shots properly so that viewers will see the ghosts clearly."

"Sherlock I told you there are no such ghost there, if there is I'm sure it's scripted."

Daniel said as he walk away from the bench.

"I found my sister", Sherlock suddenly said as Daniel stops for a while and look back.

"You did? Since when? How did you find out?".

"She's one of the team, but I still didn't approach and tell her about it.... I can't." Daniel approach him.

"I've been stalking her this past weeks and she seems happy with her family, and I think she doesn't know that she is adopted, I don't want to ruined that." Sherlock said.

"Sherlock, you've been searching for her since we are in middle school, you don't have to tell her right now most importantly, you've found her." Daniel said as he give a little punch on Sherlock's chest and they both smile, Daniel walk away again.

"Hey wait you always leave me from behind! Well… So, you're coming with the team? What if let's check it ourselves if the ghost are real or not?"

Sherlock asked teasing Daniel from behind.

"Okay fine, geez Sherlock you are so annoying… well then let's make a bet, if you are right I'll pay you some of my wage but if I'm right… pay me back".

"Deal".

It was Monday morning and they packed their things getting ready for the trip. Daniel wave goodbye to his parents but then his dad gave him something.

"Daniel, take this… it'll keep you safe."

"Wait dad… a gun? But I already have my knives."

"You mean kitchen knives? Tss… that won't save you immediately, just take it as my present, it's for survival"

"Fine, I'll make sure to return this after."He said and off he go.

Sherlock meet him in the hallway as they enter Mr. Lau's office.

"Mr. Lau this is Daniel Lauren the one I recommend to join us in the project."

Sherlock said pushing Daniel to introduce himself to the team.

"Hi I'm Daniel I do part time vlogging and I'm a criminology student at U.D university."

"Mr. Lauren welcome to the team, today we are going to the province to visit a haunted house which is abandoned many years ago I hope you are aware of that and I hope you are prepared."

Mr. Lau said in a joyful manner, he seems to be a friendly type 30 years old man.

"Yes sir I'm aware of that cause Sherlock told me."

"Okay then let me introduce the group, so this are the casts Maddie and Shen will be the main characters" he said pointing Maddie a blonde, tall and skinny girl who seems to be a model and Shen who is smaller than Maddie but also skinny and who seems to be the smiley type.

"Tommy here will be the mic holder,he is assigned behind the cameras" Tommy who had same height as Daniel who seems to be a strict and handsome man with such a pointed nose.

"And this is Sharon my assistant" Mr. Lau said while pointing a girl wearing glasses who seems to be the youngest of the team.

"The tall man over there is Ron our video editor and who will manage the whole setting" he said referring to a man which seems to be in his 30's and the tallest of them all.

"And this is Cherry the make-up artist" he said while pointing the cute girl beside Sherlock who seems to be the smallest in the group.

"And your friend Sherlock will be the camera man" Sherlock is actually Daniel's childhood friend who always wear a brown jacket carrying his camera with him wherever they go.

"Lastly I'm Mr. Lau the producer of the team and you will be joining the main cast to do vlogging." Mr. Lau is a skinny man who wears glasses he is half-Asian half-American.

"Which one is your sister?", Daniel whispered to Sherlock as they watch the others packing up their things.

"Cherry, over there", He said pointing on the girl collecting the papers in the table.

All is set-up and clear as they exit the office and prepare for a ride, there are two SUVs waiting outside for the whole team. Daniel and Sherlock joined Ron, Cherry and Tommy in the second car while the others went first. It was 10 am when they leave the town.

"What time are we going to arrive there?" asked Sherlock.

"Mr. Lau said that we will going to stop over in a nearby café for a snack, there are no nearby restaurant in the place upon entering the province. I bet we will arrive there tomorrow morning"

Ron said driving the car.

"What?! Tomorrow morning?"

Sherlock said obviously desperate to see the haunted house.

"It was really far huh… are there any residence in that area?"

Daniel asked.

"I don't actually know, it's our first time to be there too but Mr. Lau knows the place it's his grandparents' place though", Tommy answered. They are all friendly in the team and most of them are in their mid-20's same as Daniel and Sherlock, only Ron and Mr. Lau are the older ones. It was already 3pm when they arrived at a café, they ordered chips, bread and drinks and eat as they talk for a while.

"So let me ask you Daniel, why did you choose criminology as your course?" Tommy asked.

"I don't know, maybe because it's my father's" he answered grabbing some chips in front of the table.

"Daniel's father used to be a police man." Sherlock said while testing his camera shots around.

"Used to be? You mean he's retired or something?" asked Cherry.

"No, he got into a serious injury while catching a murderer and he retired after 8 years of service" Daniel answered finishing his drink.

"Well I bet you want revenge for your father." Maddie said.

"Not just for my father, also for everyone who are killed by the murderer."

"So Daniel are you saying that the murderer was still not caught?" asked Tommy.

"Yeah, it was already a year and they said that the murderer escape in the woods I wonder if he is still out there killing innocent people." Daniel said while looking outside the window.

"I bet a hound ate him, no one survives in a forest unless you know what you're doing." Sharon jokingly said.

"Yeah maybe a wild dog ate him, he deserves it." Ron said as he chuckled.

"By the way about the haunted house, is it really haunted?" Shen suddenly asked as they all look at Mr. Lau reading the script.

"Well, I'm not sure about it that's why we are going to shoot there to test it if it's really haunted or not like the paranormal stories you always watch." He answered, and from the tone of his voice he seems chill about it.

"Come on guys, we need to get going we will arrive there before sunrise." Mr. Lau said as they returned in the car and start to drive off.

It was a long trip for the team and it's almost 10 pm when they entered the province's zone. No houses was seen and it was a long narrow road and only pine trees are around the area.

"Mr. Lau why are there no houses around the place?" Asked Maddie who are in the first car,

"We are just In the middle of the road once we arrived in our destination you can see a bunch of children playing in a grassy area." He answered while holding the wheel concentrating from the dark road, then a howling sound was heard from the forest as birds flew in the darkness.

"Why are the noises coming from the forest sounds creepy?" Asked Sherlock while closing the car's window.

"It's actually the natural sound of the forest, but the howl sounds seems like telling us that we are not invited." Ron jokingly said while driving the second car as Daniel, Sherlock and Tommy laugh.

"Stop messing around, I'm actually starting to feel goose bump from the place." Cherry said as they tease her more.

Daniel opened his eyes as he can see the sunrise from the car's window,

"Wait what time is it now?" He asked while checking his phone. It was already 6 am but they are still on their way to the haunted house.

"Dude I almost forgot where on a trip" Sherlock said rubbing his eyes and looked outside the window, he got excited upon seeing the sunrise he immediately grabbed his camera and took a photo of it.

"Well, I bet we are almost near the haunted house." Cherry said fixing her bag, while Tommy woke up rubbing his eyes.

"You didn't sleep Ron?" asked Sherlock

"Mr. Lau didn't stop driving so I didn't, besides I'm a night owl." Ron responded while smiling.

"Hey look! I see houses over there!" Cherry said pointing the other side of the mountain, but still a body of forest surrounds the road.

"Don't tell me we are going there on the other side of the mountain?" asked Sherlock.

"I don't know, I'm just following Mr. Lau's car he knows the way" Ron said.

It took an hour of driving before they stopped the car in a rocky ground on top of the mountain.

"So this is the place?" asked Sharon said while going out the car as they feel the breeze blowing from the west.

"Nope, I just think that you guys might want to have some fresh air first." Mr. Lau said closing the car.

"Wow this place is perfect for fresh air." Cherry said and started to run near the cliff.

"Hey Cherry look here!" Sherlock run towards her as he took some photos.

"So, why don't you vlog now?" Tommy asked Daniel standing near the car.

"You want to be in my vlog?" he asked Tommy as they both chuckled.

"No way man, I'm not the type to be in front of the camera".

"Why not? You're cute" Maddie said handling them a cans of soda.

"I used to work behind the camera, by the way thank you for the soda." Tommy said as he left them to take a fresh air.

"Aren't you going to vlog?" Maddie asked Daniel.

"He asked me the same thing." Daniel said pointing Tommy.

"Then make me a guest in your vlog." Maddie said getting Daniel's selfie stick in the car.

-Five minutes left-

"Hi guys! It's me again Daniel! And we have a special guest today, say hi Maddie".

"Hi guys! Maddie here!" she said waving in the camera.

"So now we are here on top of the mountain with our team, so that is Mr. Lau the producer and Ron our editor", Mr. Lau and Ron wave at the camera.

They walk towards the others taking pictures near the cliff.

"This are the other members of the team" Daniel said walking towards them facing the camera.

"Say hi guys!" Maddie said. They all wave at the camera, Daniel saw Tommy sitting alone on a rock near the cliff while drinking his soda enjoying the view, they should supposed to walk towards him but then they heard a scream. They quickly turned to see who it is.

"Shen! Shen! Are you there!" the panicked goes intense as they approach the others shouting Shen's name.

"What happened?" Daniel asked.

"Shen just fell down the cliff!" Cherry said as they all freaked out.

"No" Sherlock said while looking straight into his camera looking pale.

"What do you mean Sherlock?" Mr. Lau asked,

"Someone grabbed Shen's foot" he said while showing them the picture he took. Their faces was full of horror when they saw the camera, the hand was creepy covered in scales with four long claws and it was dark in color.