Séance || The Black Phone

4

VANCE was the yin to Max's yang. that's how she perceived it, so it did slightly feel like their relationship was more than friends, but she couldn't quite put a label on what they were.

They were so alike, but so different in many ways.

"Vance" Max whispered, staring at the ghostly boy with an unreadable look on her face. He raised a brow in response, indicating that he was prepared to listen to whatever she had to say.

"am I holding you back from moving on?"

a simple yet quite complex question. there was many ways Vance could answer her question, but he wasn't necessarily sure how to answer.

truth be told, a small part of him was truly afraid of what was to come for him, not knowing what the future would hold.

Hell, Vance didn't even think he'd become the first victim of the grabber, and look where he ended up. dead.

He often wondered how his life would've been if he hadn't got abducted or died. Vance could see Max in his future, he could see himself taking her out to places, hanging out with her at the convenience store where he'd usually play the pinball machine, and maybe even building a life with her.

A guy could dream, he wished the horrifying event in his life could've never happened, since now he'd have to watch his girl grow up and possibly fall in love with someone else.

He didn't want that to happen, he didn't want Max to fall in love with anyone else, but him and him only. Vance just wished he could've punch the words out of his own throat and tell her how he felt early on or even now, but he didn't have the heart to do it.

Cause he knew.

He knew how much emotional damage she went through when he went missing, Vance knew that she knew he had died before Finney Blake was found, but she was in denial, not wanting to believe the uncomfortable feeling that he was no longer with her physically.

Confessing to Max now would only make things worse.

"No you're not" Vance finally answered, after a few moments of silence, side-eyeing her.

"then how come you haven't yet?" She was genuinely curious, not that she didn't like having Vance around her, but she couldn't help but think it might be her fault for summoning him.

"you need someone to watch over you, that someone is me"

________

Finney thought he was better, more confident in himself, and finally free of the grabber. yet, he couldn't help but feel more trapped than ever.

He was haunted by the memories he had of being locked in the basement, of the other victims, and of Robin.

Everytime Finney saw Max, he saw Robin in her. even if it was unintentional, he felt guilty because everytime they hung out, he imagined she was Robin.

it was Finney's way of coping with the fact that Robin was dead, he wasn't going to come back, and he never will.

which is why Finney found himself at the doorstep of the Havea household. He wasn't exactly sure of wether or not he should be doing this, but he couldn't exactly change his mind since the front door was thrown open.

by none other than, Max.

"I noticed you've been standing outside my door for almost 10 minutes, do you wanna come inside?" She asked, staring down at him with a small smile.

Finney couldn't find the words in his throat to verbally reply, so he nodded at her.

She stepped aside, allowing him room to walk inside.

Max's eyes scanned around, just incase there was anything suspicious. finding nothing to be that, she shut the door closed.

"would you like something to drink? water? soda? coffee? tea?" Max asked him, "water please" he replied, watching her retreat to the kitchen.

A few moments later, she came back into the living room holding two waters. Max passed one to Finney, before sitting down beside him on the couch.

"so what's going on? did something happen?" she questioned, genuinely concerned and curious. it was rare that Finney would show up to her house unannounced, he'd usually notify her beforehand.

tears unknowingly filled his eyes, as he stared at the girl. How was he supposed to tell her, he's been suffering mentally? they've basically known each other ever since they were babies, so why was it so hard for him to tell her?

"I don't know" Finney croaked, a single tear rolling down his cheek. Max quickly wrapped her arms around him, bringing him into a hug.

That's when he let the tears shed, holding onto the older girl for dear life like she might disappear. "I feel like I'm trapped Max, I don't know what to do" He quietly cried to her, finding some comfort in her soothingly rubbing his back.

"if you can, explain it to me Fin, it'll make you feel better instead of bottling it up" Max suggested, though trying not to overstep boundaries.

"I-I feel like I'm back there, in the basement, it's like a reoccurring nightmare that I can't get out of, and instead of me making it out, I get stuck like the rest of the boys" He explained, furiously trying to wipe the tears streaming down his face.

"Do you mind if I show you something?" She suddenly asked, taking Finney's hands into her own while staring at him dead in the eye.

he nodded albeit slowly, Max grasped his hands tighter. "I need you to close your eyes" she instructed, closing her own aswell.

Max concentrated on her ability, clenching her eyes shut, searching for what she wanted to do. Her hands began shining a light blue hue around Finney's, though they both remained unaware.

Finney was a bit curious to what she was going to show him, he was silently grateful she distracted him from his own thoughts.

"Fin? Max?" asked a familiar voice in confusion, Finney's eyes shot open

"Robin?"

A/N: Robin and Max are more alike than ya'll may think, It'll soon show how they are soon