The Derry House

©2023 by DonnerBBQ. All rights reserved. All characters are 18 years of age or older. This story is entirely fictional and intended for the entertainment of adults only. It could be classified as erotic horror rather than E & V, but I decided that E & V was a better fit. Feedback welcome and appreciated.

** Ryan **

Ryan Stone met his fiancee, Kacey, in college. They were both nerds, and admitted it freely. Ryan looked like a nerd, thin, no-build, glasses. No pocket-protector, but who uses those these days anyway? In contrast to him, Kacey did not look anything like a nerd. Not even the hot librarian type. No, she was more the athletic beauty who just happened to have a brain geared for numbers and logic. She was stunning, with medium length brunette hair and a tight body that had been honed through years of running and rock climbing.

Kacey had told Ryan about the many times that guys had approached her and started talking with her. When they found out that she was studying math they often...laughed. Maybe they thought she was joking, but she found it pretty insulting and an obvious turn-off. Maybe that's why Ryan and Kacey hit it off. Maybe Ryan should be thanking those assholes.

They met as juniors in college, moved in together for their senior year and got engaged near the end of that. There was no wedding planned yet. There was no rush. It would happen when it felt right, or when the tax benefits compelled them. They were just enjoying life together while pursuing their graduate degrees, with Ryan's in electrical engineering and Kacey's in math.

Socially, graduate school was a change from undergrad. As an undergrad, you interacted with people from all sorts of disciplines as engineers still had to take some humanities courses, and humanities majors still had to take math. In the later years there was less cross-disciplinary interaction as courses became more specialized, but at that point, people already had their circles of friends.

Grad school, that was different, as you were suddenly thrown into a cohort of people with similar educational backgrounds and interests, and you all took the same classes. Of course, Kacey and Ryan were in different programs, but that was okay. Often times, she would go out and have a few drinks with her friends at the end of the day while Ryan would do the same. Sometimes Ryan would join her with her friends or she'd join Ryan with his. But more often, they kept to their own groups to not interfere with that bonding and camaraderie. Besides, Ryan sometimes found it to be uncomfortable hanging out with her friends as they playfully flirted with her, even with Ryan right there. He trusted her completely and they kept their flirting respectful and good-natured, but it was clear that if she wasn't in a relationship that there would have been a lot of interest in starting one.

The first time Ryan heard about the Derry House was after Kacey had been out at one of these happy hours with her friends. She came home and told him that she knew a way that she could make some extra money. As graduate students, they weren't rich. They both received stipends to serve as teaching assistants, but those seemed designed to provide just enough money to live on, and no more. So they were always on the lookout for opportunities to make some extra dough. Shoveling snow, tutoring, meal delivery, you name it.

"So, a couple of years ago, Ben inherited this house up in Derry. It was his grandmother's house, and according to local lore, haunted. Apparently the previous owners died in a murder-suicide, so everyone decided that it was haunted," Kacey explained.

Ryan couldn't not laugh. "Haunted? So his grandmother just lived happily with tormented ghosts from a murder-suicide. Okay."

"I know, it sounds dumb, but apparently it is even on some lists of the Top 10 haunted places in the US. Anyway, Ben thought about selling, but decided to hold on to it for a while, at least until the market improved. And then he got some idea that he could make some money off it. He didn't want to deal with renting it out, so he decided that he would have people stay there overnight and live-stream them. Turns out, people were into watching that sort of thing, hoping to see a ghost, or if nothing else, see someone be scared, creeping around a house."

"Okay, so you said something about money?"

"Yeah, so now he pays people to stay there for a weekend. I would just have to go there, stay overnight a couple of nights, and allow him to live-stream the experience. And for that, I'll get $500, plus a bonus depending on viewership."

Ryan was dubious. "And so while you're there, they'll make scary noises to try to spook you and make you look like an ass?"

"No, Ben promised that it was all legit. He never fakes anything."

"Or maybe he just wants to live-stream you showering?"

Kacey smiled, knowing that Ryan was looking for ulterior motives. "No, I talked to him about that. I told him I wasn't looking to be any kind of cam girl. But he told me that there was a half-bath downstairs with no cameras, so I could use that one for changing. He did say that almost everywhere else in the house there were cameras, but it was only two nights so I could just forego bathing. That's what everyone else has done."

"So you just have to stay there for two nights, get some studying in, and make $500 bucks. No catch?"

"I don't think so. Oh, I do have to do a pre-stay interview, to help entice people to watch, and a post-stay interview. But yeah, it sounds like easy money."

Kacey agreed to do it. Over the coming days Ryan learned a bit more about Ben's event. It turned out that Kacey would be the seventh participant. Of the six prior participants, four were women and two were men. Not surprisingly, the women were always watched more than the men. It also became clear that Ben was trying to tilt things in that direction, as the last three participants were all attractive women. The most streamed, and the most watched recap episodes were ones with Tina, an adorable blond who walked around at night in a loose nightshirt, sans bra, and panties. She never flashed her tits or anything, but she was sexy as she crept around the house and peeped out little screams when noises surprised her.

As for the ghost, or ghosts, Ryan never saw anything that looked suspicious. The house tended to creak as old houses do, so participants did often look scared but Ryan considered that to be a normal reaction to being in an unfamiliar place with unfamiliar sounds, especially when the place is allegedly haunted.

The rules were simple enough. Kacey had to stay at the house alone from Friday evening until Sunday morning. She couldn't bring any electronic devices, including a cell phone. She could bring all of the reading material and homework that she desired, but nothing electronic. Ben hired security to monitor the perimeter in case any of the viewers got a bright idea to go to the house to visit the participant. And of course, Kacey would have to sign a bunch of legal documents to indicate that she acknowledged risks, would hold harmless, and release all rights to the LLC that Ben set up.

There were four primary cameras in the main living areas of the house. Even guests could watch these cameras for free. Then there were twenty other cameras placed around the house for a more submersive experience, and accessible only to a paying audience. As Ben indicated, the cameras covered the entirety of the house, save for the half-bath on the first floor.

Kacey did her homework as well. She watched the interviews and the prior recap videos that Ben put together for each participant. She also researched the house. There were a lot of rumors, people saying they saw shadows in windows or heard the sound of a body being dragged across a wooden floor. But nobody had been hurt in the house since the murder-suicide back in 1985, and Ben's grandparents lived there a long time, apparently without incident. Besides, ghosts? Really?

Ben conducted Kacey's interview and posted it on his site. Ryan found it to be okay. Ben asked her if she was afraid of ghosts, or had any supernatural experiences in her past. She answered honestly that she hadn't and said that she just didn't believe in that stuff. He also asked her general questions about hobbies, interests, those sorts of things. To Ryan, as someone who knew her, it was boring, but the interview demonstrated her personality well. And she was photogenic, which was largely the point.

Kacey's excitement grew as the weekend neared. For her, it was an adventure, something fun to do. She acknowledged to Ryan that it might be a little creepy being in the strange house alone, but she wasn't afraid. But she did think about the promised bonus, and thought about how she could beat Tina's viewership. That seemed to be her goal. Beat Tina.

"So, what are you going to do, walk around in your panties like Tina?" Ryan asked one night as they were readying for bed.

"I don't know yet, maybe," Kacey replied with a smile. She peeled off her pants and modeled her pantie-butt for Ryan. "It looks okay, doesn't it?" she asked.

"Oh, yeah, it looks great. But you wouldn't mind the whole internet seeing you in panties, including all of your classmates?"

"Oh, I didn't really think about them. But, whatever. It's not any different than being seen in a swimsuit. Would it bother you?"

"Hey, it's your body. If you wanted to strip naked for a few hundred bucks I'm not going to tell you that you can't do it. It's your body."

"I know it's my decision. But would it bother you?" she probed.

Ryan paused and thought about it as he stripped off his own clothes for bed. The truth was that he didn't know. He recalled Tina's video, and tried to imagine how he would feel if that were Kacey instead of Tina, with all of these guys watching Kacey's delectable panty-covered butt walking down a hall. Or watching her wearing some thin nightshirt, begging to get a glimpse down her shirt. Or hoping that she might just take it off and let everyone see her boobs. Ryan involuntarily got hard, and Kacey noticed.

"Oh, really. You like the thought of me prancing around like Tina?"

"Well, I was just thinking about Tina's video..."

Ryan was interrupted by a forceful scowl emanating from Kacey's face. He chuckled.

"No, I wasn't thinking about Tina, herself, I was thinking about her video, and imagining you doing the same things. How would I feel? And okay, it would be sexy to see you walking around like that. I don't think that I really care that some guys that we don't know on the other side of the country, or other side of the planet for that matter, might be seeing your hot body. But people we know will be watching too, most notably, your classmates. You can't tell me that Mike, and Carson, and Alejandro, and Brett, and Ben wouldn't all watch hoping to see you wearing that kind of skimpy clothing. They can't stop flirting with you even when I'm there."

Kacey smiled, and started rubbing his still-firm cock through his underwear. "Yeah, they flirt. I don't mind. Sometimes I even flirt back. It's just for fun. They know we're engaged and that I'm madly in love with you."

Ryan didn't respond right away as he was enjoying her hands as they slid underneath his shorts and pulled him out. After a few more strokes Ryan finally asked, "So does that mean that you wouldn't mind letting them see you nearly-naked?"

"I don't think it would be a big deal. It might even be kinda funny afterwards. I can tease them about it. There was one night when I wasn't wearing a bra and Carson kept staring at my boobs so I stood up and shook them at him just to embarrass him. It worked, he turned bright red." she replied with a smile, before continuing. "Another time, I was working on a homework set with Brett, Ben, and Mike, and I was standing sideways at a whiteboard working out a proof and I stretched upwards, causing my shirt to lift up a couple of inches to about my navel. I heard Brett gasp, which I thought was kind of a ridiculous reaction to just seeing part of my tummy. So I started easing my shirt up, acting like I was going to flash my boobies, and they just stared. If they can't keep their mind off my body, I might as well have fun with it."

Ryan was a bit stunned. He knew they flirted but didn't realize that she teased them back, at least not so overtly. He couldn't help imagine her pretending that she was going to flash the guys, or how amazing her boobs would have looked as she shook them braless in a shirt. When she pretended to flash, how high did she lift her shirt? What else had she done to 'have fun with it.' He snapped himself back to the conversation and replied, "Well, look, if teasing them a little keeps the mood fun and it doesn't bother you then it doesn't bother me. It's your body, and your friends."

He was being supportive. He wasn't sure how he really felt about her teasing them. He didn't feel jealous or threatened in any way. He trusted her. But he did feel something when he imagined these guys seeing her flat stomach as she raised her shirt, praying that she would keep going and let them all see her boobs. What if she raised it just high enough to let them see the bottom of her breasts? What if she didn't account for the angle of vision, with them sitting while she stood, and she actually raised it higher than she thought and let them get a peek at her nipples? What if she would have kept going and completed the flash, letting these classmates of hers all get a good look at her tits?

Friday came, and after they ate dinner, she took off for Derry. Ryan paid the $9.99 to have full access to all of the cameras, and then he waited for her to arrive. She would need to leave her phone in the car and hand over the keys to Ben before entering the house, but she called Ryan one last time as she was about to pull into the driveway.

"Alright, I'm here."

"Okay, well, stay safe, don't get too scared, and get some studying done."

"I will. I'm not afraid of some creaking pipes and floors. I'll call you in, what, 36 hours?"

"Sounds great, love you."

"Love you, too."

Ryan hung up and started watching from his computer.

** Carson and Brett **

Carson and Brett were roommates, having met when they were both visiting the math department during their senior year. They were both a bit awkward and neither had a girlfriend. But they had eyes for Kacey. They knew that she was taken, but it was difficult to not fall in love with her anyway. She was gorgeous, she had a killer body, she was fit, she had a playful personality, and she was smart. To Carson and Brett, she was the ideal woman. A ten on Mike Matthews' finger scale. They would have done anything to trade places with Ryan and have Kacey as their girlfriend.

They were looking forward to this weekend. Kacey was staying at the Derry House, and they would be watching. And recording whenever anything remotely interesting happened. They didn't expect her to strip for the world to see, but they were not going to miss any opportunity to watch and record her, regardless of how much skin she showed.

** Kacey **

Kacey grabbed her suitcase and backpack from the trunk and locked the doors. She spied Ben as she walked up towards the house.

"There she is. Ready for your adventure?"

"Yeah, I'm ready. You promise you're not going to do anything to try to scare me while I'm here, right?"

"Absolutely. No gimmicks. Your keys?"

With a playful pout, Kacey dropped her keys into his outstretched hand.

"And you didn't bring anything electronic, right?"

"Nope."

"Okay, just remember that I, or one of my partners, will always be monitoring the cameras. And there will be security outside in case you happen to get hurt or need any assistance. But as you know, if you leave the house for any reason besides a medical emergency, you will forfeit all money, so you'll want to avoid doing so."

Kacey nodded. She knew the rules, but didn't mind hearing his reminder. She knew the intent was to make people feel alone and isolated in the dark and spooky house. It made sense to provide a strong incentive to remain in the house when there were other human beings just outside.

"Okay, Kacey, head on up the stairs. The door is unlocked. I'll be here when you exit on Sunday at 9 AM."

"Thanks, Ben," she replied.

Kacey acted like this was all nothing to her. Like she wasn't scared at all. She was just being paid to stay in a house for a couple of nights. No big deal. The truth was, it did scare her. Not the story about ghosts. When people die, they die. Maybe their souls move on to some afterlife, good or bad, or maybe their souls just fade away like smoke into the sky. But why would they hang around on Earth once their bodies were mere piles of decaying organic matter? It just didn't make sense.

But she was scared. Kacey never liked staying in an otherwise empty house or apartment. It was always too quiet. Even if the other person or persons were sleeping or not making any sounds, their presence could still be felt. Maybe they were just the smallest noises that you didn't even consciously hear them make, or maybe it was some other electric energy emitted by their beings, but somehow you could feel them. Whenever she was alone, truly alone, that presence disappeared. Even putting on the TV or radio wouldn't expunge the emptiness.

Kacey wasn't sure what she was thinking when she agreed, enthusiastically even, to spend two nights in the Derry House. It would be deathly quiet. And she would be alone, unable to even call Ryan or a friend to ease the loneliness.

She climbed the stairs to the front door, turned the handle, and let herself in. She exhaled a long breath as she closed the door behind her, knowing that she would be essentially trapped inside, alone, for the next 36 hours.

Kacey explored the house. It was different seeing the layout in person. It was interesting to see exactly where the cameras were located, although their positions hadn't changed over the last few episodes. They were everywhere. Some of them were positioned on tripods, some were mounted on walls. The cameras could be controlled remotely to swivel and zoom in and out, so there would just be no privacy in the house. Except, of course, for that half-bath. Kacey confirmed that there were no cameras in there, not even hidden ones as best as she could tell.

It was not a large house. Two floors, but maybe 1500 square feet. If that. The living room, dining room and kitchen were downstairs. Upstairs just had two bedrooms. There was a basement and an attic, but Kacey had no intent of going into either of those spaces.

The other noticeable thing was that there were no TVs or radios in the house. That was a change. At least in one of the episodes Kacey remembered seeing a participant watching a TV in the living room. It had since been removed. She was thankful that she brought along plenty of reading and homework to keep herself occupied.

Kacey spent about an hour studying, or at least trying to, before closing her books. The quiet was too distracting. It was an odd feeling, of being so alone and yet knowing that there were hundreds or even thousands of eyes watching your every move. Solitude, but no privacy.

She couldn't help but think about the guys from school watching. They had to be wondering if Kacey was going to be more like Tina, prancing around in her panties, or more like Kelly, who wore sweat pants and a thick long sleeve t-shirt the entire time. She knew they'd prefer a repeat of Tina to a repeat of Kelly. The truth is, Kacey had thought a lot about it. She wanted to beat Tina in viewership. She had always been competitive, and although this wasn't a competition, she turned it into one. Somehow, it made it more fun and challenging when she had someone to beat. Besides, she wanted people to see her as daring and fearless. And she wanted to be able to tease the guys from school about it on Monday. She would be able to embarrass them by asking them about seeing her in some revealing outfit. Hopefully it would make going through this experience well worth it. The money helped too.