[Bank Balance: $5.20]
Ryan stared at the glowing screen of his old, cracked smartphone in the dim light of his small, rented room. The number was like a cold slap across his face.
"Please," he whispered, his voice cracking. He refreshed the page again.
It didn't change. Five dollars and twenty cents. That was all he was worth.
Just then, a notification popped up at the top of his screen. It was a message from the City Central Hospital.
[Urgent Notice: Patient Sarah's life-support treatment will be terminated in 24 hours due to non-payment of dues. Outstanding Amount: $8,000.]
Ryan's hand trembled violently. He gripped the phone so hard his knuckles turned white.
Sarah was only ten years old. She was the only family he had left in this accursed world since the 'Spirit Era' began three years ago. If she died... he would truly be alone.
"I need money," Ryan muttered, pacing around his room like a trapped animal. "I need money fast. Legal or illegal, it doesn't matter anymore."
He opened a hidden browser on his phone and navigated to the city's 'Underground Job Forum'. It was a place where desperate people went to find dangerous work that regular agencies wouldn't touch.
Dishwashing at a vampire restaurant? Too slow.
Testing experimental drugs? Pay was good, but money would come in a month. He didn't have a month. He had 24 hours.
Suddenly, a bold red advertisement flashed on the banner, catching his eye.
[URGENT! Haunted House Tester Needed!]
[Location: The Abandoned Villa at 44 Elm Street.]
[Requirement: Stay for one night (Midnight to 6 AM). Livestream the experience to prove you are inside.]
[Payment: $10,000 (Instant Transfer upon completion).]
Ten thousand dollars.
It was enough to clear Sarah's bills. It was enough to buy them food for a month. It was also enough to buy a very nice coffin.
Ryan froze. Everyone in the city knew 44 Elm Street. Three years ago, a family of four was brutally murdered there. Since then, five self-proclaimed 'exorcists' had gone in to cleanse the spirits.
None of them came out. Their bodies were never found.
Ryan swallowed hard. He looked at the framed photo of his smiling little sister on his dusty desk. Her innocent eyes seemed to be pleading with him.
"Sorry, Sarah," he muttered, grabbing his backpack and a cheap, taped-up selfie stick. "Your brother is going to do something stupid tonight."
11:55 PM. 44 Elm Street.
The house stood like a rotting corpse in the pale moonlight. It was a two-story Victorian mansion, but time and decay had turned it into a monster. The windows were broken like jagged teeth, and the ivy crawling on the walls looked like black veins pumping poison into the structure.
Ryan stood at the rusty iron gate. The air here was unnaturally cold. It didn't smell like the city; it smelled of wet earth, molding wood, and... formaldehyde.
He pulled out his phone. The battery was at 85%. He opened the 'SpookTube' app—the most popular livestreaming platform for horror enthusiasts.
He created a new room title: [Sleeping in the Murder House (No Clickbait)].
[Stream Started.]
[System Notice: Your stream has been pushed to the 'Newcomers' page.]
"Hey guys," Ryan said, pointing the camera at his face. His voice shook slightly, betraying his fear. "I'm Ryan. Tonight, I'm going to sleep in the infamous House No. 44. If I die... well, don't forget to like and subscribe."
Within seconds, a few random users clicked in. The viewer count jumped from 0 to 12.
User_LonelyDriver: "Lmao, House 44? Kid, are you tired of living?"
User_RichKid: "Look at his phone quality. It's 144p resolution. I can count the pixels. Go home and buy a better phone first, beggar!"
User_GhostSimp: "Wait, isn't this really 44 Elm Street? I recognize that gate! OP (Original Poster), are you crazy? The police sealed that place!"
User_Slayer69: "Fake. He's probably standing in front of a green screen. I bet $10 he runs away in five minutes."
Ryan glanced at the chat. His heart sank at the insults, but he forced a smile.
"Quality doesn't matter when the content is real," he muttered to himself, pushing the rusty gate open.
Creaaaak.
The sound was loud enough to wake the dead. A flock of crows flew off the roof, cawing ominously. Ryan stepped onto the porch. His hand hovered over the door handle.
"For Sarah," he whispered.
He pushed the door. It was unlocked.
As soon as he stepped inside, a gust of wind slammed the heavy wooden door shut behind him.
BANG!
Ryan jumped, spinning around. He grabbed the handle and pulled.
Locked.
It wouldn't budge, as if it had been welded shut from the outside.
"Calm down, Ryan," he breathed heavily, wiping the cold sweat from his forehead. "It's just the wind. Old latches get stuck."
He turned around to face the living room. The darkness seemed to press against him. The furniture was covered in white sheets that looked like shrouds for the dead. In the dim moonlight coming through the broken windows, the shadows of the furniture looked like crouching beasts waiting to pounce.
Creak... Tap... Tap...
A sound came from the second floor. It sounded like someone walking barefoot on wooden planks. Wet feet. Squish. Squish.
Ryan's grip tightened on his selfie stick. His knuckles turned white.
"Audience," he said to the camera, his voice barely audible. "Did you guys hear those footsteps? Or am I hallucinating?"
User_CatLover: "I heard it! RUN!! Get out of there!"
User_Slayer69: "Probably a rat. Stop acting, you clown."
User_DarkSoul: "Behind you..."
Ryan froze. He slowly turned his head.
In the corner of the living room, an old, broken television set suddenly flickered to life.
Bzzzzzzzt... Ssssshhhhhh...
White static noise filled the silent room. The light from the TV screen was blinding in the darkness.
Ryan felt the hair on his arms stand up. His instinct screamed at him to run, to break a window, to do something. But his legs felt like lead.
From the ceiling above the TV, a thick black liquid started to drip.
Drip.
Drip.
Drip.
It landed on the floor with a sickening splash. It was red. Fresh blood.
Slowly, Ryan looked up.
A woman in a tattered red dress was crawling on the ceiling like a spider. Her limbs were twisted at unnatural angles. Her neck was snapped sideways, resting on her shoulder. Her eyes were missing, replaced by hollow, bleeding black pits.
She opened her mouth, revealing rows of shark-like, jagged teeth.
"Geeeet..... Ouuuuuut....."
The scream was not human. It pierced Ryan's eardrums like a needle.
Terror. Pure, primal terror washed over him. His heart hammered against his ribs so hard it hurt. He couldn't move. He couldn't breathe.
The ghost detached from the ceiling and fell towards him, her claws extending to rip his throat out.
I'm going to die, Ryan thought. I failed Sarah.
He closed his eyes, waiting for the pain.
[Ding!]
A mechanical voice, cold and emotionless, suddenly rang in his head, clearer than the ghost's scream.
[Extreme Fear Detected.]
[Criteria Met.]
[Binding the 'Cosmic Fear System'...]
[Binding Successful.]
[Host is currently in a state of 'Panic'. Converting Panic into 'Currency'.]
[System Action: Suppressing Host's Amygdala response.]
[Passive Skill Activated: 'Nerves of Steel' (Level 1). All emotions of fear have been permanently suppressed.]
In a split second, the trembling stopped.
Ryan's racing heart slowed down to a calm, steady beat. The cold sweat on his back dried up. The tightness in his chest vanished.
He opened his eyes.
The terrifying ghost was hovering just inches from his face, screaming, trying to scare him to death.
"RAAAAAH! DIE! DIE!"
A second ago, Ryan wanted to wet his pants.
Now? He looked at her with the same expression one would use when looking at a noisy blender. She just looked... annoying.
The ghost paused. She floated back slightly, confused. Her jaw hung open.
Why wasn't the human screaming? Why wasn't he begging?
Ryan blinked. He looked at the ghost, then at his phone camera, then back at the ghost.
He raised his hand and cleared his throat.
"Ma'am," Ryan said, his voice flat, bored, and slightly irritated. "You have something in your teeth. Also, you're violating social distancing protocols."
The Ghost: "???"
[System Notification: The Ghost is Confused. +10 Fear Points gained.]
Ryan looked at the transparent blue screen floating in front of his eyes. A corner of his mouth curled up into a smirk.
The hunter... had just become the prey.
[ --- SYSTEM STATUS --- ]
Host: Ryan
Class: Horror Streamer (Novice)
Fear Points: 10
Current Mission: Survive the night (Progress: 1%)
Hidden Objective: Make the ghost cry (Progress: 0%)