ghost stories • 5sos

ashton // eleven.

You know that feeling you get when you've been underwater for far too long, and you start to panic in fear that you won't be able to make it back to the surface?

Your lungs burn, desperate for any sip of air to relieve the fire within your chest.

Your vision starts to blur from the lack of oxygen. 

That's how I felt now.

The pressure on my chest was unbearable. I was weak, tired. 

But it didn't make any sense. There was absolutely nothing around me. 

The only thing I could see was Cameron's face. 

I could hear her soft whimpers and cries from the pain running through her body. 

God, I was probably hurting more than her. I couldn't stand to see her like that. 

"C-Cameron, look at me," I said as I held my head up a little higher, trying to get a clearer view of her. 

She dind't listen. She didn't even flinch. 

"Cameron. Right now, look at me right now."

As the last word left my mouth, Cameron screamed, her back arching in pain. She was forcefully shaking, trying to wave her arms around. I started to scream as I watched her. 

My eyes were wide with terror and I couldn't withdraw my gaze from her body. I tried sitting up once again, only to be knocked back to the ground. I kicked at the dirt, trying anything I could think of to free myself from whatever was holding me down. 

I looked at Cameron again and noticed that there was a spot on her arm. 5 indentions. It looked as if someone was grabbing her. 

But, there wasn't a hand there. Just the red, pulled up skin and her screams filling the air. 

Tears filled my eyes as she continued to yell in agony. I had to look away, I couldn't stand to watch her anymore. 

I  started yelling her name again, along with how much I loved her. I started to sob as her torture continued. I prayed to God for it to end; I wanted nothing more but for it to end.

But then, I heard her scream my name. 

I snapped my head up, taking in her form again. She was staring straight above her, her eyes twice the normal size in fear. 

"Ashton, stop! Please!" she yelled as she thrashed around.

Stop?

Stop what?

I wasn't doing anything, I couldn't even move.

I shook my head, throwing my arms around again as whatever force that had taken over my body for what felt like an eternity finally lifted. I lunged myself at Cameron, taking her into my arms. 

The screaming stopped. 

But, so did her heart. 

Her breathing. 

Everything just stopped. 

I felt numb, completely disconnected from the rest of the world. 

I moved to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, but stopped midway.

Something had grabbed my wrist, and as I looked up, I saw that the arm was connected to a second Cameron.

But at the same time, it wasn't her at all. 

This Cameron had black eyes, and a menacing smile. 

She looked deadly. 

All the breath left my body as she pushed me, my back colliding with the hard earth below me. 

She was on top of me, and it felt as if her hand was digging into my chest. 

My back arched, and I screamed for what was probably hundredth time that night. My voice was raw, and hoarse. I didn't sound like myself at all. 

Everything hurt. I felt like I was being burned alive. I swear I could feel someone's fist closing around my heart, making it impossible for me to think straight from the excruciating pain radiating all throughout my body. 

I turned my head to the side, noticing her body was still on the ground, unmoving. 

What was happening? 

Did Cameron yell for me to stop because she was seeing a cold, heartless, black-eyed version of me straddling her chest, slowly sucking the life out of her?

Is this how Cameron died?

The thought made me sick.

I didn't have time to figure it out though, because everything went black. 

The screaming stopped. 

Along with my heart. 

My breathing.