Grinning, Sam turned off the camera and they began setting up the method. Ashley was handed the blindfold and the headphones while Kris got the rocking chair out to the middle of the room. Colby set up the camera to face all of them while the boys and Kris would be sitting on the couch and Ashley in the rocking chair right next to them.

Ashley felt the nervosity in her stomach, and she couldn't help but start playing with the bracelets she had on her right wrist. Colby noticed it immediately.

"You sure you want to do it?" he asked.

"Yes, of course," she answered without hesitation. "I'm fine, really." As if to prove it, she let go of her wrist and took the blindfold. Sam gave her a reassuring nod before starting the camera again.

"So, as most of you know, the Estes method is basically a spirit box session, but with sensory deprivation so that the answers are completely authentic. Today, Ashley is going to wear the headphones – after what happened in the ballroom, we believe we'll get the best answers this way," he explained and then turned to Ashley. "When you're ready."

She quickly put on the blindfold and was amazed that she couldn't see a thing. Immediately, the movements of the rocking chair seemed to calm her down.

"And she's going under," Sam said silently as she put on the headphones. The rustling of the radio stations filled her ears right away and she wasn't able to hear anything anymore. She shuddered slightly as she leaned backward, and the rocking chair began moving.

"Ashley, can we start?" Sam asked. No response. "Great, let's do it."

"Is Ilse here with us?" Kris asked and looked at Ashley expectantly.

"Room."

"Oh, she's in this room with us?" Sam suggested.

"Well, hello, Ilse Hoffman. I hope you're not disturbed by our invasion of your home," Colby greeted her. "We are just here to talk to you. Do you want to tell us your story?"

"Choose it."

"What do you choose? To tell us how you died?"

"Cold."

"Was it winter when she fled out of the hotel?" Kris asked, looking at Sam. He shrugged.

"Maybe it was. Ilse, why did you leave the hotel? And what happened?"

"Stream..."

"Was there a river nearby? Where she may have drowned?" Colby asked. "Didn't we drive over a river when we came here?"

"Oh, yeah, you're right," Sam said, frowning. "Ilse, did you drown in the river?"

"Out."

"Do you want us to-," Colby began but he was interrupted.

"Alone."

"You want to talk to one of us alone?" Sam asked with wide eyes. How did the answers make so much sense?

"Red."

They all stared at Ashley's red hair. "Does she mean..." Sam whispered, and Colby nodded.

"I think so," he whispered back.

"Why do you want to talk to her alone? Are you going to tell her about your life and death?" Kris inquired in a normal tone.

"Ring."

Sam stood up from the couch and walked behind it, to lean on the backrest with his forearms. "She said that before, in the ballroom," he explained. "The ovilus was silent for the whole time, and then it said ring. What does that mean? Ilse, why do you keep saying ring?"

"Leave... her."

"We're not going to leave Ashley alone with you," Colby stated immediately.

"Must."

"No. You don't have any power over us. We're in control. You can't touch us. You can't follow us after this evening." He rubbed his forearms, trying to get rid of the goosebumps slowly creeping up his arms.

"Let's get her out of it," Sam whispered. Colby quickly leaned over to touch her knee.

"Colby," Ashley said, and he flinched back.

"What the fuck?" Kris whispered and quickly got up to wake Ashley up. But just as she touched the back of her hand, she flinched and pulled her hand back. "Ouch!" she yelled.

"What happened?" Sam asked, with obvious worry in his tone.

"It was like... you know when you walk on carpet, and then touch something made of metal? The little shock?"

"Miss."

Sam quickly leaned over to tap Ashley's shoulder. She immediately took off the headphones and blindfold.

"I didn't feel anything," Sam said to Kris. "Did you?" He looked at Ashley, who shook her head.

"What should I have felt?" she asked, cautiously eyeing the other three.

Kris quickly explained the feeling, but Ashley just shook her head. "I didn't feel anything until Sam touched my shoulder. But what did Ilse say? Did it make any sense?"

"She wanted you alone," Colby said. He was still sitting on the couch. "And when I wanted to wake you up, you said my name?"

"Did I?" Ashley asked, furrowing her brows. "I didn't even realize."

A moment of silence erupted, leaving them all with chills. Colby rubbed his arms.

"How do you feel, Ashley?" Kris eventually asked.

"I don't know, not much different, I guess," the redhead answered. "I mean, you guys freak me the fuck out but I'm almost... relaxed?"

"I think we should stop for today," Sam stated. "Let's go out and take a break before we go to bed. If we ever do. This is getting too extreme. And besides, it's 2:30 in the morning."

Ashley nodded hesitantly. She wasn't ready to let it go just yet. "But what did Ilse say? Did you find out anything?"

"We think she fell into the river close by... she said cold and stream," he added, in case Ashley didn't remember.

"Yeah, I remember those... How long were we doing the method?" she asked, trying to recall what exactly she had said. But after the 'stream', her mind went blank.

"Not longer than ten minutes," Sam answered.

"Damn, seriously? It felt like less than five minutes or so for me." Ashley slowly got up from the couch, turning to look out of the window, while Sam put the stuff into his backpack. "Oh, it's snowing," she remarked, pointing out into the night.

"Then let's hurry up. I've got a bad feeling about all of this," Colby said, taking the camera and turning it off.

The hallways were completely silent when they exited the room, Colby being the last one because he was holding the camera. When he stepped over the threshold, he stumbled and almost dropped the camera. He swiftly turned around and started recording again.

"What is it?" asked Kris, who was already a few steps ahead.

"It felt like something pushed me," Colby said, "but not in an aggressive way. More like... a little nudge to make me go quicker."

"Come on, man, let's go. Ilse doesn't want us in her room," Sam said and turned around to the two girls. "Are you two sure you want to sleep in there tonight?"

Ashley shrugged. "Yeah, I'd honestly prefer to. I kind of want to see more of all this, y'know?"

Kris raised an eyebrow but nodded eventually, as the others turned to look at her. "Sure, man. As long as Ashley is in there with me, I'm fine with it. Besides, Ilse isn't like a bad spirit. She's just a little too fond of our dear redhead."

Ashley scoffed and rolled her eyes, nudging the blonde in her side. Kris laughed. "What? It's true, is it not?"

"Ashley is getting a ghost best friend," Colby cheered. "Next we know, she has an attachment or some shit."

She audibly gasped. "Why would you say that?" Ashley asked, pushing him with a dramatic gesture.

"I feel like you would intentionally take her on trips and stuff like that though. Ghost bestie," he quickly defended himself.

"Better than a ghost prostitute," she scoffed, making Sam and Kris laugh. Colby turned the camera to face him, showing the lens an overdone unamused expression. His lips were pressed to a thin line, but everyone could see the laugh in his eyes. Then he turned the camera off again.