The Haunting (Or: Ghost Is Literally A Ghost)

Night Five (V)

Now, the ballpoint pen scratching along the surface of the paper was the only sound in the house, even the wind and the wood creaking seemed to have stopped, your eyes too fixated on the movement of his hand.

Help me, please

"Tell me how...", you whispered next to him, and he didn't know how to handle the softness in your gaze. Luckily you looked away from him when the pen hit the paper once more.

I think I need my mask to speak

"What kind of mask?", you asked, your voice so full of understanding that it almost sickened him.

You were so eager to help, despite not knowing an ounce of what kind of man he was, and he dreaded the minute when you would find out.

It's a skull mask, you will know when you see it

He was about to add another sentence, but he stopped himself. He wanted– no, needed to tell you face to face, just in case you would decide against helping him. That would ensure him falling into the purgatory that was prepared for him down there.

His voice would need to carry emotions he couldn't feel, faking the ones that were impossible to convey through a simple scribbling on a piece of paper.

"I did up the entire house... I didn't find anything."

Another quick movement of the pen.

It must be here

I died here

With it on

It's here

The sudden realisation that, of course, he had died here sent shivers down your spine and you cringed. But why and how on earth had a soldier been here in the first place, in full working gear at that?

"W– where did you die exactly?"

A question hard to form, fearing that it would upset him, but he just scribbled more on the paper.

I don't know, memory doesn't work properly

You nodded, a hint of defeat in your eyes. Being dead sounded a lot more exhausting than you had imagined, and another question nagged at your nerves, the words already rolling off your tongue.

"Why are you a ghost?"

You waited for the pen to move, but nothing came. He just looked down at you, and you got a better glimpse at the amber colour behind the milky veil coating his irises. You gulped upon seeing them up close.

Pain.

So much fucking pain in those eyes.

Intense pity tugged at your heart. What kind of thoughts was Simon Riley tormenting himself with?

His face turned towards the desk to write, but you didn't look away, starting to wonder what was behind the mask, if he looked human. Probably, yes, but again, you didn't know any other ghosts for comparison.

The scratching stopped, and you finally looked at the paper. It wasn't the answer you were hoping for.

Go to sleep

I won't hurt you

I promise

I need to go, losing strength

"Wait", you almost screamed, but he was already retreating.

You wanted to follow him, but he was nearing a pitch black shadow in the corner, one of the candles having burned down. Halfway there, your brain forced your body to halt.

The darkness was too close for comfort.

And just as quickly as he had appeared, he vanished into the shadows, no trace of his existence left behind in the room with you.

Surprisingly – or not, depending on how you wanted to put it – the temperature around you went back to normal, the usual, bearable coldness of an old house engulfing you. The outside noises were present in your ears again, the candles giving off a warm, comforting light.

You stood in the middle of the living room like a statue, not scared anymore, but absolutely dumbfounded. Countless thoughts plaguing your mind, unanswered questions and more riddles left to solve than ever before.

It was strange, because despite the turmoil in your head, you remembered Simon's request first and foremost.

Sleep.

Your body being on autopilot, your feet carried you through the downstairs area, blowing out the candles because you did not want to burn the house down by accident. That would have been the solution to get rid of the ghost of a serial killer or something.

Your head lay heavy on your shoulders, and as usual you had the feeling of being watched, but it only scared you a little bit.

As you walked up the moonlit staircase, you glanced at your watch and scoffed.

3:33 am

The all too familiar time, the triple threat, didn't evoke fear in you anymore either. Sure, it was the creepiest time of the night, but the ghost haunting your house was a victim as much as you.

Both of you bound to this house by outside influences, the only difference being that only one of you was free.

It was the first night the drowsy state of a promising, long sleep came easy. As you drifted away, no tension aching in your shoulders and chest, Simon stood in the corner of your bedroom, your blanket separating you from the coldness he emitted.

Lying to her about losing his strength had been easier than he wanted it to be. He knew that their connection should rest on a strong foundation of trust, but he couldn't bring himself to answer the questions that she had asked too early, scared of her reaction.

At least he meant what he had written on that paper. A hasty promise scribbled on the rough surface as evidence.

I won't hurt you, not anymore.

The opposite was the case, he wanted to protect her. He would do anything in his power to keep her safe, not just for selfish reasons.

My light. My salvation.

Seeing her up close and awake, it had stirred something in him. His eyes boring into her, him touching her, the message on the mirror and finally seeing him had scared her to no end.

But hearing her telling her friend that she didn't feel like she was in danger... It was like a revelation.

Her rationality had told her that he couldn't possibly exist, yet she challenged her beliefs and accepted his presence, overcoming the understandable fear of having unwanted company to the point of actively inviting him.

Was that a surge of relief that rushed through him? A positive feeling?

It came quickly and ebbed down even quicker. He wanted to believe that he was regaining the ability to feel, not anger, frustration or rage, but... calmness?

He shook his head slowly. It must have been his imagination.

Sighing, he watched her sleeping form, so much more peaceful than the nights before now that he kept his distance. She had come to terms with his existence, and that was the only thing that mattered so far.

From now on, he wouldn't give her nightmares anymore.