…

Gr MP5 Commander…
On second thought, I don't think I wanna go…

Commander But you're already here, all dressed up, so what are you having second thoughts about?

Gr MP5 The ghosts in the haunted house are really scary…!

Commander Even if ghosts are real, Dolls don't turn into ghosts, so human-turned-ghosts wouldn't haunt you.

Gr MP5 But can ghosts tell the difference between a human and a Doll…?

Commander They…probably can't.

Gr MP5 Then…what should I do…

Commander Don't worry so much. The other Dolls built this haunted house. Even if you run into a ghost, I'm sure it would be a fake one.

Gr MP5 But a fake ghost with the intention of trying to frighten you is even scarier!

Commander Well…in any case, just don't be afraid. Gr Mk23 and I will be with you.
Wait in the lobby for us. We'll be right over as soon as Gr Mk23 finishes changing.

Gr MP5 But there's nobody else here…

Commander She's almost done. We'll be there real soon!
If you feel scared, try to think of something else to distract yourself!

…Call ended.

Gr MP5 ……
(Whimpers)…
It won't end up with only the Commander and I going in, right…? Everyone said they all wanted to see the haunted house…

…Gr MP5 sits alone in a corner of the empty lobby in the haunted house.

Gr MP5 "If you feel scared, try to think of something else."
…Try to think of something else… Try to think of...
…
Oh, they did a great job decorating the entrance! You can't even tell this was an old warehouse...
I wonder what this material is. Is it a hologram projection...?
Ah! Cold... It's not a hologram projection...

Gr MP5 ...
If everything inside a haunted house is supposed to scare you, then I should be fine if I'm in the lobby, right?
So if I stay here, I shouldn't run into anything scary...
…

…Click.

Gr MP5 …Right?

…

Gr MP5 Eh?
Wh-Why did it suddenly go dark? Is this a part of the show?
Did it start already? Hello, is anyone else here…?
…Ah!

(Thud)
Gr MP5 trips over in the dark.

Gr MP5 (Whimpers)…Commander, where are you…
I don't want to be alone in here… How do I get out…

Gr MP5 Why does it feel like the path has gotten narrower… Was the exit like this…?
Eh? What is this I feel on the wall…?
...Is this…a face?
Huh?
…

Gr MP5 HIYAAAAAAAAAAA!

…

The power went out at the warehouse designated as the location for the event for some unknown reason. This is as far as I know.
Not a soul was in sight when I rushed to the haunted house entrance with a flashlight.

Commander How come there's nobody here?
Gr MP5, are you in here?

Gr MP5 NO NO NO NOOOOOOO!

Commander (Her voice is coming from within the haunted house!)
(Did she mistakenly wander inside in the dark?)

Gr MP5 UUUUUWAAAAAAAA STAY AWAY!

Commander Gr MP5! Where are you?
Stay still and don't wander around!

Gr MP5 I-I can't!
There's a ghost!
There's a ghost chasing meeeeeee AAAAAAAAHHHH!

Commander (Did the others mistaken Gr MP5 for a patron of the haunted attraction?)
(Well, She technically is, but not right now! …There's no choice…)

Commander Hey! Whoever's the ghost chasing Gr MP5, stop!
Gr MP5, where are you?

Gr MP5 (Sobs) Commander…

Commander So here you are. Phew, if anyone else saw you, they surely would think you're playing a part in the haunted house with how disheveled you look.

Gr MP5 Commander…it's so dark in here…
I obeyed your instructions and stayed in the lobby, but…but…

Commander It's okay, don't fret.
The event started earlier than I expected, and they turned off the lights in the lobby.

Gr MP5 So…it was all planned…?

Commander Ah…yes, this was my mistake.
I forgot they were going to turn off the lights. I should've told you to wait outside.
Give me your hand. We'll get out of here.

Gr MP5 …
Ok…

…Gr MP5 hides behind me as I'm holding her hand, leading her out with my map.

Commander (We must look like juicy targets to the T-Dolls staffed in the haunted house right now…)
(Even I'm starting to sweat a little…but I have no choice but to put on a facade of confidence…)
…
…Jeez, it wasn't smart of you at all to enter alone.
At least bring a flashlight like me, otherwise it's easy to get lost in here.

Gr MP5 This is my first time in a haunted house… I didn't think that far…

Commander Then I guess your only choice is to follow me.

Gr Mk23 Darlingggg! Are you insiiiiiiide? Why did you suddenly disappear leaving only a vague messaaaaaaaage?

Commander (Crap… Why did she come? I told her to stay in her room!)

Gr MP5 Commander… I think I heard something…

Commander Turn off your sound locator module. That's the cry of a banshee. Misfortune will befall you if you listen to it.

Gr Mk23 DARLINGGGG!

Commander (Gr Mk23 will get the wrong idea if she sees us like this…)
(It's impolite to not answer when someone is calling for you, but there's no other way…)

…I hastily turn off the flashlight.

Commander Ack! …The flashlight… How could it go out at a time like this…?

Gr MP5 Ehh? It went out???
What should we do?!

Commander (Whispers) Don't worry, I remember the way out.
But we need to be quiet, otherwise we'll alert the people that are trying to scare us.

Gr MP5 (Whimpers)…Ok…

Gr Mk23 DARLINGGGGGG! Where in the world are youuuuuuu?

...I sighed in relief as Gr Mk23's voice drifted farther away.

Commander (I should at least…take Gr MP5 to the exit before I come back for Gr Mk23…)

Gr MP5 Commander…how far are we from the exit…?

Commander We're almost there. The exit is just right up ahead.

I start to feel uneasy even though we are almost at the exit, as if I have forgotten something important.

Commander (Is something supposed to be here in the plan that Springfield proposed...?)
(Damn it, of course there's going to be something at the end…but I can't remember what that thing is…)

…Gr MP5 suddenly squeezes my hand tightly.

Gr MP5 Commander…

Commander W-What is it…?
Did you see something?

Gr MP5 Box…
There's a box there…

Commander (This box… What's it doing here…)

Gr MP5 Is this the only way out…?

Commander The exit is right past it!
Don't look at it and just keep walking.

Gr MP5 (Whimpers)…

Commander (I can only pray that whatever's inside the box requires electrical power to function…)

Hand in hand with Gr MP5, we make a beeline for the exit.
…But unfortunately, or perhaps because our footsteps are too loud, whatever's inside the box is alerted to our presence.

??? UGHHURGHHH…

Gr MP5 Eh? What…?

Commander Gr MP5, don't look! Just move!

…But no matter how hard I pull Gr MP5, she is firmly frozen in place.
…BOOM.
Whoever's inside the box, or rather, the coffin, sends the lid flying with a single kick.

??? RAAAAGHHHHHHH....AARRRGGGGHHHH...

Gr MP5 WAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!

Commander (The worst has happened! I need to get this thing away from Gr MP5 quickly!)

??? HERRRRREGGGHHHHHH…ARRRRRRGHHHHH...

Gr MP5 WAAAAAAAAAA!!

Commander Everybody keep calm! Stop it, all of you!

Gr MP5 UWAAAAAAAHHHH GO AWAY GO AWAY GO AWAY!!

Commander Gr MP5, calm down!

Gr MP5 WAHHHHHHHHH!

…Not only did Gr MP5 not run away, she hysterically pounces at the shadowy figure instead.
The two petite figures in the dark are entangled into a ball, rendering any bystanders unable to intervene.

Gr MP5 GO AWAY! GET AWAY FROM ME!!

Gr G11 Whoa! Aw! Ouch! S-Stop it... I don't like pain... Ack! Aw!

Commander Stop fighting, both of you!
H-How on earth has it come to this...

Gr MP5 UWAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!!

Gr G11 S-Stop hitting me! I'm sorry! I-I was wrong... Ahhhhhh...

…Click.
…The power is finally restored, and the darkness is lifted.

…

Gr MP5 (Panting) Huuu… Fuuu…

Commander …

…With the lights finally back on, I can see a look of relief on Gr MP5's face.
Under her foot is Gr G11 that has been beaten to unconsciousness.

Gr G11 Uuuuggg…

Gr MP5 He…heehe…
So this ghost wasn't so scary after all!

Commander Umm…
Yes, just as what I said before.

Gr MP5 It would've been great if you had told me earlier that I can knock out a ghost, Commander…because then I wouldn't have had to worry so much.

Commander …
There wouldn't be a point to the haunted house experience if I told you that earlier.
But congratulations, you seem to be no longer afraid of haunted houses.

Gr MP5 Hm, even so, I don't know if there are any even scarier monsters in this place…
I still want to leave as soon as possible…

…
After putting the unconscious Gr G11 back into her coffin, the two of us exit from the haunted house.
Having to search for the exit in a completely dark haunted house is honestly quite frightening.
But being able to make it out with her fists…probably makes Gr MP5 far more scarier than ghosts.

But why would a T-Doll be afraid of ghosts?
Is it the fear of the unknown…or is it the fear of death…?