Looking at the mugshots in my hand, I frown, wondering what causes such evil in the world. A pair of eyes stare back at me, with challenge and death, revealing just how dark their souls are to become serial killers. 

"You alright? You've been really quiet since we have started." Zak asks breaking me from my staring contest with the mug shot collage of Ted Bundy, each photo showing how he edited his appearance to evade police.

Glancing up at him stood on a ladder, I nod. "Y-yeah I'm fine.."

"You don't sound convincing." 

I always admired Zak on his approach to calling out the bullshit, but for the first time since knowing him, I'd wish he was blind to uneasiness within me. 

"Do you think people are born evil?" I ask as he steps down off the ladder and to my side, looking at the photo between my hands.

"That's a question all homicide detectives ask themselves, I have no doubt." He answers before looking up and sighing at all the mugshots that have been put up around the jail cell at The Haunted Museum. "What is different about Bundy, is that he was one of their own. He wasn't an officer but he helped the police."

"Takes the meaning of Hiding in Plain Sight to a whole new level huh?"

"He did." Zak nods in agreement before moving the ladder along. 

I followed to the next spot and felt a slight pang of relief to get Ted's haunting eyes off me. Only to be greeted with the eyes of Satan worshiper Richard Ramirez. My frown is back instantly as I remember the horrific crimes he committed. 

The next was Jeffrey Dahmer. Followed by John Wayne Gacy.

"You know what, I need a minute." I breathe setting the photos on the step of Zak's ladder and moving away to take a seat on the bench. 

"You need water?" Zak asks hopping down. 

"No, no. I'll be fine. I just.. Why do they do it? You know? What possesses someone to do the things they do? When I hear about these people, I'm not just horrified at what they do. But I also, I wonder what the victims went through, what they were thinking, the fear they felt, the thoughts that must have been going through the heads-"

"Hey, come on." Zak hushes pulling me under his arm. "You gotta control this."

"I'm trying Zak." I deadpan before putting my head into my hands. "It's just so hard with everything going on around us."

"I know what you mean. But it's for your own good. I worry about you and how you deal with all this. I know you say that you're getting a handle on this, but-"

"But it's not happening quick enough, right?"

He pulls an unsure face as he rubs my back "I'm just worried."

My heart aches for his understanding, which is why I take his hand into mine and hold it. "I know.. Who knew being this kind of sensitive would suck so much? Not only can I feel things happening but also overthink to the stage of not being able to distinguish reality."

"It gets scary. When you're lost in whatever it is, that cloud... Sometimes, I worry that you're not going to fully come back."

We give each others hand a squeeze. 

"As long as I have you to come back to, I'll find my way."

He smiles gently. "I know sweetie... Look if you wanna knock this on the head, I can find something else to do-"

"No. No... We got this right?"

"I can get Bacon-"

"Zak." I interrupt again, this time giving him a stern look. "Let's get this done. Then I can leave all these creepy photos behind."

"Okay." He agrees. 

We both go back to our jobs, Zak putting up the pictures, whilst I try my hardest to focus on something else, other than the evil eyes which seem to stare back at me. We are chatting about upcoming lockdowns when one of the photos we put up, falls from its place on the wall. 

"I got it." I say as Zak tries to grab it. 

I quick step across the cell and swipe the photo off the floor, coming to a hard stop at the photo of Ted Bundy. "Jesus Christ, he is a scary motherf--" I don't get to finish my sentence as something touches me. Letting out a scream, I throw myself in Zak's direction, who catches me before I take him and the ladder out. 

The solid thump has me grabbing his shirt in fear, until I hear his soft chuckle. "It's okay, it's only the mannequin. It's just fallen off the seat."

"Only?! We have been in here for ages and that scary ass thing hasn't moved an inch. A photo swan dives of this scary ass man and that mannequin decides to follow suit? Uh-Uh. No way." I reply putting the photos on the ladder again and making a beeline for the door out.

Zak's laugh has always made me a little fuzzy inside, and even now, in the midst of fear, his laugh makes me a little giddy. With a grab of my wrist, I'm pulled back to his body, with my back to his front, he produces a recorder. 

"Zak, no. I don't want to hear-"

"Is there anyone here with us?" He asks ignoring my protests. For that, I stamp on his foot making him tighten his arms.

"Are you trying to talk to us?" 

"Zak stop." I whisper but he ignores me and continues the EVP session whilst I pout.
Standing together, I watch as he begins reviewing the recording, and as soon as the first disembodied voice comes through, I declare that my day is done and I'm going home. Because the last thing I want to do is communicate with any of the people whose mugshot I have just helped pin to a wall. 

Ted Bundy? John Wayne Gacy? Jeffrey Dahmer? No, no and no!

"Stop." Zak laughs as I try to escape his arms.

"This isn't funny, I think I might pee myself in fright. I'm going to the gift shop with your mom."

"That means you have to walk all the way through the museum on your own..." He informs me.

The daunting realisation settles in and I turn myself in his arms to stare up at his amused face. "I hate you so much right now."

"Of course you do.." He murmurs kissing my forehead as I push at his chest. "You absolutely hate me."

"I do." I reply avoiding his lips some more.

"So much so that you can't spend another second in this room with me, huh?"

"You got that right." I confirm as he trails kisses up my neck. 

"Just itching to escape." He whispers into my ear.

"Always." 

His lips land on mine, sending little sparks of electricity through my nervous system. It's enough to rewire my line of thinking and I'm soon trading pecks back against his lips. 

"You gonna help me some more?" He asks quietly.

"Hmm. If this is my reward."

"You sure you don't wanna risk your chance of running to the gift shop?" He teases, wetting his lips as I chew mine. 

"It could be dangerous in those hallways. It's a haunted museum."

"Exactly. You could bump into anyone." 

"I better stay here with you then." I decide, accepting the photos back as he passes them to me.
This time, when Zak climbs the ladder to continue, I don't stare at the photos, the weird mannequin or any of the memorabilia that's set up. This time, I stare up at the man who has collected it all and at the fabulous body he has crafted. 

He thinks he has won. But I beg to differ...