Zach
Totally. You don’t know what you’re missing!
Emily
I’ll take your word for it…
Emily
I’m staying on the front porch.
Zach
Exploring a haunted house on our first date?
Emily
It’s definitely…memorable.
Emily
For the record, I don’t believe in ghosts.
Emily
This is just an old, abandoned house that’s probably infested with rats.
Emily
Where are you anyway?
Zach
It’s a big room with these splintering floor-to-ceiling bookshelves…
Zach
And a piano covered in a yellowing, old sheet.
Zach
It looks like a scene out of a scary movie.
Emily
If any books start flying off the shelves, run!
Zach
No books. All the shelves are empty.
Zach
Besides, didn’t you just tell me you don’t believe in ghosts?
Emily
I don’t. I’m just trying to freak you out 😛
Zach
I imagined us exploring the house together, though.
Zach
It would be so much more fun!
Emily
I was planning to, until we got here.
Emily
It’s just too dark and too creepy!
Emily
Sorry for chickening out on you.
Zach
Don’t be. Just let me poke around upstairs for a few minutes.
Zach
Then I’ll take you anywhere you want to go for the rest of our date.
Zach
Well, anywhere within reason.
Emily
K, I’ll be thinking on that while you dodge rats and bats…
Zach
Haven’t seen either.
Zach
Whoa. Did you hear that?
Zach
There was a thump upstairs. And a squeak?!
Emily
You’re just messing with me.
Zach
I’m going up to investigate.
Emily
Watch out for rotten floorboards!
Emily smiles in spite of herself as she peeks inside the open front door of the house.
It’s actually kind of sweet – in theory, at least – that Zach brought her here.
After all, Emily organizes a trip to the local haunted corn maze every year.
She loves being scared…as long as she’s sure it’s all fake.
She also loves that Zach took the time to come up with a unique first date for them.
Maybe she should get over herself and go inside…
Zach
Oh wow, you should really see this!
Zach
This closet is full of old clothes.
Zach
Like stuff people wore in the 1900s.
Emily
That’s because no one has lived in this house in decades.
Zach
I heard the last owners vanished mysteriously.
Emily
I’ve heard that too. Not sure if I believe it, though.
Zach
People swear they’ve seen them here as ghosts 👻
Emily
Well, let me know if you feel any cool breezes…
Zach
Um, Em…I may actually need your help.
Zach
Remember how I was in that closet?
Zach
The door just slammed shut, all by itself.
Zach
And the doorknob came off in my hand.
Emily
If you’re messing with me right now, this will be our first and LAST date!
Zach
Some of these clothes have stains on them.
Zach
I think it might be blood.
Zach
Em, I am seriously freaking out.
Zach
Please come get me out of this closet!
Emily
Which closet are you in?
Zach
It’s upstairs, in one of the bedrooms.
Emily
You’re going to owe me for this, big time.
Zach
Anywhere you want to go, I swear.
Zach
As soon as you get me out of this closet.
She takes a step into the house’s yawning entranceway, turning on the flashlight on her cell phone.
Emily walks slowly up the stairs, cringing at all the dust and cobwebs.
If a spider gets anywhere near her…
Her body shivers uncontrollably.
She calls out into the abandoned hallway, but her voice comes out thin.
His voice sounds distant and muffled, so she rushes up the stairs.
Emily reaches the top, she looks around.
There are a lot of doorways to choose from.
Emily
I’m coming. Keep talking to me.
Zach
I don’t want to freak you out…
Zach
But there’s some seriously creepy stuff in this closet.
Zach
I’ll never suggest exploring a haunted house again.
She follows the sound of his voice toward one of the bedrooms to her left.
She’s almost sure she hears a creak in the floorboards behind her.
Emily
This isn’t funny, Zach…
Zach
I’m not laughing either, believe me.
Emily crosses the empty room, headed for the wooden door on the other side.
She pulls it open, and her flashlight illuminates Zach’s terrified face.
Emily
Were you really trapped in here?
As she steps in and glances at the old-fashioned clothing…
The door slams shut behind her.
A loud wail echoes from somewhere inside the house.
Emily screams. She leaps into Zach’s arms and wraps her legs around his waist.
Zach whispers in her ear.
Zach
Now we’re both trapped. What are we going to do?
Emily
What was that sound? What’s going on?
Zach
I don’t believe in ghosts either, but this is crazy.
Zach sets her gently on the floor, his hands lingering on her arms.
Zach
I’m going to break down the door and get us out of here.
Emily
Busting open a door might not be as easy as it looks on TV.
There’s a muffled laugh from somewhere nearby, and it doesn’t sound ghostly.
But it does sound somewhat familiar…
Emily
Uh, Zach? Just out of curiosity…
Emily
Did you tell anyone you were bringing me here on our date tonight?
Zach
Well, yeah, I told Trevor.
The closet door bursts open.
Trevor
You should see your faces.
He doubles over in laughter.
Zach
Oh my God, I’m going to kill you.
Emily
Not if I do it first!
Trevor
Oh, come on. It was funny!
Trevor
Well, I’ve watched you guys flirt for ages.
Trevor
I didn’t think Zach would ever get the nerve to ask you out, Em.
Trevor
So, when he finally did, I decided to try to help things along.
Trevor
And I’d say it worked.
Zach’s arms tighten protectively around Emily.
He looks down as she looks up.
And if Trevor hadn’t been standing there…
She’s almost sure he would have kissed her.
Emily and Zach walk out of a movie theater, hand in hand.
Zach
Okay, that movie was terrifying, but so much more fun than the haunted house.
Emily
Oh, I don’t know, even that turned out okay.
She slips her hand in his.
Emily
Just think what a memorable first date story we’ll have to tell.
Zach
That’s true, I guess.
Zach looks at Emily, a smile tugging at his lips.
Zach
Trevor got one thing right. I’ve been wanting to ask you out for ages.
Emily
And I’ve been wanting you to ask me out for ages.
Emily
All’s well that ends well?
Zach
On how our date ends.
He lowers his head, meeting Emily’s lips for a kiss.
When they come up for air, they’re both smiling.
Emily
Oh, I’d definitely say it ended well.
And she leans in for another one.
