The ghost system

15 Haunting

[Penalty: Haunting]

[Penalty applied]

While Rhys slept he drew his fingers to his mouth. His fingers were suddenly numb from the cold so he used his hot breath to warm them up. Soon the cold crept down his whole body and he woke up shivering.

"Why's it so cold?" He whispered into the room and watched as his white breath dispersed around him like a smoke cloud.

Rhys was frankly disturbed that the room was this cold. Perhaps this was the consequence of getting such a nice dorm in the first place. He brought his knees to his chest and sat on the bed shivering. As he glanced forward he got the feeling that something was wrong. It was a strange eerie prickle on the back of his neck that got his heart beating loudly in his chest.

"Sorry about the temperature Rhys, that might be our doing." A gruff cruel voice spoke from right next to his ear.

Rhys jolted upright. His eyes widened as he broke out into a cold sweat. He slowly turned his head and came face to face with the same large build, rabid eyes and cruel smile that had terrorised him for half of his life. The man he had watched die, eaten to death by carnivorous leeches in a black lake on an alien planet.

"Barrow?" Rhys whispered the name hoping that it could not be true.

"In the flesh." Barrow grinned and Rhys saw that there was a creepy pale sheen to Barrow's skin. "Or should I say, in spirit?"

Rhys dashed off the bed and darted to the other side of the room to create space between him and Barrow.

"What the hell is going on? You're dead. I watched you die." Rhys's heart was hammering in his chest as if about to break free.

"Yeah, you're right kid. I'm dead as can be." Barrow broke eye contact with Rhys as he fished something out of his pocket. Barrow pulled out the same little gem knife that he had used to scorch Rhys's face.

Barrow pointed the blade menacingly at Rhys. "Do you know what happens after death kid?"

Rhys shook his head.

"Nothing," Barrow growled out angrily. "Not a damn thing. No kingdom of heaven, no nothing. All that's left is for you to wander around aimlessly until a gap opens up."

"A gap?" Rhys scowled not understanding Barrow's words.

"You bet I jumped through as soon as I could, and look where I ended up. At your bedside. I've got to give it to you Rhys, out of everyone, I never thought you'd be the one to make it out alive." Barrow chuckled darkly as he stood up from his crouch near the bed.

"Why did you come here, Barrow?" Rhys glowered at the man.

"That system of yours gave me pretty clear instructions kid."

Rhys suddenly remembered that just before he fell asleep the system had given him a quest. He had been so drowsy that he had completely forgotten about it when he had woken up. Barrow being here and the coldness of the room, it was all the system's doing. Rhys tried to feel better knowing that Barrow was just the system making him hallucinate, but the realistic way Barrow spoke and moved was too lifelike for Rhys to accept as purely the work of the system.

"I'm here to make you stronger." Barrow glared down at Rhys bloodthirstily. "It's a pity for you that I'm quite an enthusiastic educator. You remember the gang don't you?"

Like a horrible nightmare turning into an even worse one, all the dead members of Barrow's gang emerged from the walls like apparitions with vengeful hateful glares, all directed at Rhys. These were the guys whom Rhys had pulled the lever on and watched on as the alien leaches devoured them. Apparently, they were back for their pound of flesh.