FicWad

“Right! Let’s see,” Bob smiled as he switched one of the monitors to a multi-room view. He watched as they split into pairs.
“Oh! How predictable!” he shook his head scornfully as Frank and Ray headed to the left towards the study and Gerard walked off in the opposite direction followed by Mikey.
“Okay, Frank, let’s see if you find this funny!”

Frank reached for the ornate handle of the study door and turned it, pushing gently. With a frown he pulled the handle fully down and pushed harder.

“It’s locked,” he stated with confusion.
“It can’t be,” Ray replied shaking his head as he stood alongside. “We were in there only a couple of hours ago.”
Frank nodded, accepting the logic but still puzzled as to why the door refused to move. Turning the handle once more, Frank pushed and pulled at the door with mounting frustration.
“I’m telling you, it’s locked!”

Only feet away, Gerard and Mikey turned, curious over the commotion Frank was creating.
“What’s wrong?” Gerard finally asked, walking back to the study as Frank struggled with the door once more.
“It’s locked,” Frank repeated with some annoyance in his tone.
“No it’s not!” Gerard insisted. “We were just in there!”
“Well you try it then!” Frank waved a path towards the door with his left arm as he stood back.

Shrugging, Gerard moved forward and as he reached for the handle, Bob flicked a switch on the bank of controls in front of him. Gerard barely had to move the handle before the door opened, easily and smoothly; gliding to a halt almost half open as Gerard released the handle.
Frank’s eyes widened in surprise, before he turned to see six accusatory eyes staring at him.
“Frank, we don’t have time for games,” Gerard scolded him. “Can we get back to looking for Bob now?”
“But…” Frank spluttered. “It was… I’m not playing games!”

Ray frowned as he stepped through the door into the grim, overbearing study with Frank following behind. As he did, the door slammed shut behind him.
“Grow up, Frank!” Gerard yelled through the closed door before walking away.
“I didn’t do that!” Frank turned to look at Ray how appeared unimpressed. “Ray, you’ve gotta believe me, I…” Frank tapered off; it seemed useless to protest his innocence.

Out of curiosity, he reached for the handle again only to find the door firmly locked once more.
“Ray,” he whispered.
“What?” came the tired reply.
“It’s done it again,” he said in a quiet voice, hoping that his sincerity would be obvious.
“Frank…” Ray paused at a loss to know what to say. “Why?”
“Why what?” he asked puzzled by the question.
“Why don’t you want to look for Bob? Is it because we might see something we weren’t supposed to? What game are you playing now?”
“I’m not!”
“Why should I believe you? Bob thought you were innocently showing us the cell until you locked him in!”
“I told you, one experiment,” Frank shook his head. “I… I’m serious, Ray!”
Deciding to give him the benefit of the doubt, Ray walked over to the door and turned the handle. The door moved easily and Ray glared at him.
“Fine! If you don’t want to find him, that’s up to you, but I’m looking. You can do what you like!”
“Ray! Wait!” Frank cried helplessly as Ray stormed from the room.

Following him, Frank stiffened as the door slammed once more as he reached it. Rattling the handle to no avail, Frank cried out for help. He didn’t care how stupid he looked; he simply did not want to be left in that room on his own.
“Ray! Please, I’m serious! Open the door!”
Ray turned; there was something about Frank’s tone, a certain edge that told him that he was really scared.

Bob stood in front of a camera and pressed the remote with his left hand before slipping it into his pocket. He had to force himself not to laugh. The camera was now projecting an image of him apparently standing inside the mirror hanging above the grand fireplace in the large study. He could see a live image of it displayed on the monitor at the end of the control desk; it looked very effective. At the moment it was a full-length image of him in the middle distance as if he were being reflected standing in the middle of the room. Stretching out his right arm as if reaching for something he spoke. His words were picked up on the microphone, hanging hidden from view above him, the echo and reverb effects on the control desk pushed up high gave the right amount of ghostly distortion to his voice.

“Frank!” he called.
Frank turned, his eyes scanning the room to find the source of the voice.
“Bob?” he queried. “Is that you?”
“Frank!” Bob called again. “Help me!”
Frank’s eyes lifted to look straight at the mirror and the ghostly image of Bob staring directly at him, his arm outstretched and now, perhaps even more terrifyingly, walking towards him.
“Fuck!” he screamed.
Pressing his back against the door, his knees weakened as he stared wide-eyed and open mouthed at the apparition.
“Fuck! Oh, fuck!”
Stepping to the side, barely able to look away, he turned the handle, pulling at the door with all his strength.
“Ray!” he screamed, clearly terrified. “Let me out! Please, for God’s sake, let me out!”

Moving quickly back to the study door, Ray placed his hand on the handle and, once again, at the flick of a switch and the press of a button, the door moved easily and the ghostly image disappeared. As Ray pushed the door, Frank practically fell into his arms. Sinking with fear to his knees, he gasped for breath, only remaining upright because Ray was holding him.
“Frank?” Ray was astonished by the sight of him, pale and trembling. “What happened in there?”
“B…Bob,” he stammered. “He…” Frank shook his head; there was no way Ray was going to believe this. None of them.

Bob too was gasping for air. He doubted he had laughed that hard in years. Was it enough? Frankie had certainly been terrified out of his wits. But hadn’t the others left him there too? Sure it was Frank’s idea, but they had all gone along with it. He looked around the control room. It couldn’t hurt to stay a little longer, could it?