mirror :: malum

thgie

"calum?"

michaels voice rang through calum's ghost body and startled him, causing him to
look up at the confused man in front of the doorway. he didn't know what to do. calum was always in control, now this time he felt so powerless.

"calum, is that you? what- what happened?" michael didn't know how to speak to the murderer in a caring way. after all, the man had been terrorising him since he got the dang mirror, so why should he care. but he felt an overwhelming desire to help, as if he was a friend in need.

damn you empathetic brain.

calum shook his head and turned away, pulling his knees close to his body. michael slumped over, sitting beside him and feeling the cold radiate from him. the ghost exhaled and turned his head to look at the other man, knitting his eyebrows together.

"my life was ruined the day i was born," calum blubbered softly, his voice sounding genuine and hurt which almost, almost, made michael feel bad. "i loved him and- and he ruined it. he made me do it, i didn't want to." he spoke fast as he rubbed his hand down his face in frustration. michael didn't know how to respond. was he to comfort the ghost? he had never been in a situation quite like this before. "it's all his fault." he huffed angrily and jumped up from his seat which caused michael to jump and flinch away.

he gritted his teeth as he paced the room, looking at pictures of michael with his friends before coming to a halt and walking in front of michael.

"and it's all your fault, too."

"how is it my fault?"

"because you're caring and when you cry my heart fucking breaks, but it shouldn't because i don't have a heart." calum poked his finger against michaels chest, pushing hard as he glared at the boy. "why the fuck did you have to get this mirror, michael? why couldn't you have left it in storage where it was safe."

"i- i didn't buy it," michael whimpered and gulped, backing up. even though he had seen calum a few times, the man terrified him just as much. he could do anything he wanted at the click of a finger and michael was faced with his own mortality looking into the eyes of a ghost. "my parents d-did, for my birthday."

"well fuck them for buying it for you." he turned away and moved to the mirror, running his finger along the old wood. "my dad got me this too, for my 14th birthday, it was gorgeous. i loved it." his voice went soft as he looked through the mirror seeing himself. his eyes were filled with love and hatred all at once as his fingers glided along the gold edges and over the cracks.

michael felt almost sorry for the man. he didn't know why and he wished he didn't but his heart ponged as he watched the ghost sigh and admire the mirror, going from angry to tired to sad.

"don't- don't hate me more than you already do once you go to bed tonight."

and after that, he disappeared.

why would michael hate him, or most importantly more? why would calum care if he hated him. he didn't seem to care when he was scaring him only a few days prior.

the words bounced in his ears as he tried to understand what he meant by that. what would happen that night that would cause him to hate the man more than he already did.

he didn't even think he hated calum, which was odd because he had seen what he was capable of.

michael sighed, knowing he wouldn't find out the answer for a bit and went in the shower, cleaning himself. he scrubbed and scrubbed, looking down at his chest and seeing a bruise just where calum's finger was. it terrified him how strong the ghost was, how easy it was to hurt him.

his body was so fragile and calum's was a boulder just waiting to smash into him.

once michael climbed out, he plonked down and sat on his bed with his towel draped around his bottom half, checking his phone and chuckling to himself at luke still raving on about his date, and ashton seeming annoyed.

he loved his friends.

"i loved my friend, too." a voice spoke and echoed around the room leading michael to drop his phone in shock and snap his head towards the mirror. a man, similar to calum in the way he dressed and his age, stood there, shoulders slumped. his eyes were drooped and both corners of his lips sagged.

michael bit his bottom lip, tightening his fists. he couldn't believe he'd have to deal with another bad dream.

the mans hair was messy and covered in blood, his eyes were dull and his skin was bruised and cut. however his clothes looked rich and expensive, not like all of calum's other victims. he looked wealthy.

and before michael could question, the ghost had gone, leaving him all alone knowing what would happen that night.

-

michael laid in bed, looking at the mirror. nothing was in there, however he couldn't stop. where did the ghosts go when they weren't there. did they just wander the house or were the trapped in the mirrors view, only letting themselves be known when they wanted to.

he felt his eyes drop and he sighed. "michael, it's just a dream. this is the last one." he told himself as he felt his body relax as if he was floating in water or a huge cloud in the sky.

(trigger warning)

"calum, what the fuck did you do." a scared voice yelled and it startled michael. he looked over at what he was supposed to be seeing.

there stood, calum and noah in the basement however this was different. no one was tied down and calum was crying. the stains of blood were evident on the ground and the set up was still there, however no victim like normal.

"i-i don't know." calum cried in response, his body shaking. michael had never seen the man so upset, he was usually so ruthless, so controlled in his dreams. what was different about this one, he wondered.

"there are people missing, cal and what the fuck is this on the floor? please tell me it's wine." noah looked terrified. he knew what it was. he had noticed calum spiralling for a while but he turned a blind eye, thinking it was just him being off for a bit, him needing space. he didn't know it had gotten that bad. "tell me!"

"please don't tell anyone. please. i can stop, i promise." these words caused tears to stream down noah's face, gasping as he backed away from his friend, grabbing the nearest object to him which so happened to be a bat resting against the stone wall. he held it up in protection. "no, please! i'd never hurt you."

"you're a monster!" those words seem to stick with calum, his body tensing once those words left the other man's lips. "stay away! this isn't you. i'm getting the police involved! you're- you're going to jail!" the scared man yelled as he swung the bat. noah tried to turn quickly for the door and then-

bang.

his eyes widened before he fell to the ground with a thud, his face turned to look at calum as his cheek was pressed against the cold, blood soaked floor, his eyes still open and piercing into calum's.

he had seen death. hell, he caused it, but this was different. this wasn't fun or exciting to watch. his heart wrenched and twisted. his best friend, his only friend, was laid dead on his floor. what had he done.

the gun fell from calum's hand.

the man started to sob loudly, his knees falling to the ground as he looked at his friend. he clawed at the skin on his face, crying, screaming. "i'm sorry, noah. i didn't mean to hurt you. please forgive me, please. i love you. you were going to tell the police. i couldn't have the police involved. im sorry noah. please wake up, please get up."

holy fuck.

+=+=

i don't think many people, if anything, are even reading this and that's fine. i mean its fine to write and i guess there's no pressure of posting.

well in the future if more people read this i hope you're enjoying it!