haunted. //joshler

three.

word count: 529

tyler was home alone again. he felt sick. his stomach was queasy. he had thrown up four times in the middle of the night. he was currently playing animal crossing on his nintendo switch, music playing in the background. he felt slightly better. he couldn't wait for lunch. his mother had stayed up in the wee hours of the night and made him chicken noodle soup when his temperature was 101.  

"you'll feel better later babe. but i made your favorite for lunch," she told tyler, kissing him on the forehead. 

"thanks mom," he sniffled. 

she walked tyler back to his bed. 

"goodnight, honey."

"good night m-," and then he was out. passed out and sleeping soundly. 

his headache had died down a little and he could finally relax. after being the center of attention, the "new kid", for a week straight. his favorite silence was finally enjoyable. 

then the tv glitched. blathers was split in half and so was his character. it was utterly terrifying. so he reset his switch, walking into the kitchen, waiting for it to be ready for him to play again. 

it was 11:05, late enough for tyler to eat. he grabbed the container of chicken noddle soup and opened it. he smiled and turned around. 

"hello there."

the container fell out of tyler's hands and onto the floor.

"who. the hell. are you?"

"my name is josh. i'm your friendly house spirit."

and then tyler screamed his heart out.

-

"house spirit?"

"yes."

"what the hell is a house spirit?"

"well, a spirit that-,"

"shut it. i know what a house spirit is."

"fine."

"why are you here?"

"seriously?"

"yes!"

"i'm dead, tyler."

"how?"

"about, i don't know, two years ago. i was fifteen. got murdered in my own house. today actually."

"of fucking course. your death date is the day im alone. fuck me."

"yeah, well, you're the only one my age in this house."

"wait, you know my name? you're the one who's been creeping me out. FUCK YOU!"

"hey i just tried to befriend you!"

"YES BECAUSE SCARING ME THE FUCK OUT IS A WONDERFUL WAY TO BEFRIEND SOMEONE!"

"i didn't have any other ways to do this, tyler."

"why is that?"

"again. hello! i'm dead. you can't see me. what else was i supposed to do?"

"go back to your grave."

"don't have one."

"your parents didn't give you one?"

"they died too."

"then why aren't they here?"

"the murderer dragged them off. forgot about me."

"does that mean your body is still somewhere on this property?"

"uhm."

"tyler! i came on my lunch break to-,"

"mom!"

"holy shit tyler, you're a mess."

"i got scared. i was hearing noises."

"oh honey. i'll clean this up. go take a shower."

tyler nodded and ran upstairs. 

'i'm going crazy,' he thought. 'i'm going insane.'

"you're not crazy."

"what so you can read my thoughts now?" tyler hissed at the spirit. 

"no, but c'mon how hard is that to guess? you think you're crazy because you see a spirit in your really old house."

"okay fair. but why did you disappear in front of my mom?"

"because, i don't want her to see me. adults don't believe in this stuff. it would be you guys moving out and me being alone again."

tyler walked in the bathroom. 

"get out."

"right."

"goodbye, josh."

"bye tyler."

"it was... terrifying to meet you."

"it was nice to hear a voice other than my own."