guarded by ghouls [g.b.c.]

one.

"AHHHH!"

i screamed, trying to back away.

"shh- shh! it's okay!" the figure hushed me, reaching out and gripping my shoulders.

"what are you doing in a tree sleeping?" the figure asked. i opened and closed my mouth, trying to brush off the question but no words could form.

if this guy is going to kill me he really needs to hurry up..

i swallowed harshly, still looking between the two eyes, the only thing i could see of this figure.

"you must be cold.." he mumbled, turning around and looking down at the ground of the tree. "it's too dangerous to go anywhere tonight," he huffed, looking around the tree we were both in.

"um.." i mumbled as he continued to look around. "excuse me," i cut in, gaining his attention. "yeah?" he asked. "who are you?" i asked, trying to keep the fear in my stomach down. "oh, i'm aether." he introduced. "who are you?" aether asked. "y/n.." i stated, still trying to determine if this was a dream or not.

"go back to sleep. i'll keep watch," aether nodded, looking down at the ground.

yeah.. definitely a dream..

i labored sigh shook through me but i brushed it off, laying back down how i was and closing my eyes, wanting to just sleep as peacefully as i could.

i grumbled quietly as i felt myself waking up, the tree feeling a lot more comfortable than it did when i fell asleep. i let out a sigh after stretching, relaxing into the flat surface beneath me.

wait...

flat..?

why is this tree soft now..?

i winced slightly as my eyes fluttered open, sunlight shining into the room i was in.

confused, i brought my hand to my face as i looked around some more, realizing i was in a bed.

i shot up, stumbling off of the mattress and looking around the room in a slight panic.

just then, the door behind me opened.

i whipped around, backing up as i saw the same purple eyes from last night. this time, they had a body to go with them.

i stumbled back, running into the bed frame behind me, my breathing shallow as i stared at the masked man(?) in front of me.

"good morning, y/n," he smiled. i continued to just stare at him, the dream from last night slowly coming back to me.

"aether.." i mumbled, watching as he walked closer to me with my folded clothes in his arms.

"we decided to wash your clothes since they were a bit dirty from your backpack ripping and falling from the tree." aether explained, setting my clothes on the bed.

"anything broken in the bag we ordered replacements. they should be here soon." aether continued.

"and i just-" i cut aether off.

"sorry, where the hell am i? how did i get here? who are you?" i asked, a bit annoyed by how casual this guy was acting.

"you're at the ministry of hell, i brought you here last night once i knew it was safe, and i'm aether. like i said." aether responded, tilting his head slightly.

"alright.." i mumbled. "who's we?" i asked. "papa, rain, dew, mountain, swiss, cirrus, cumulus, sunshine and i." aether answered, something flicking behind him. i looked down, seeing spaded tail, moving in a slightly agitated state.

"you have a tail.." i mumbled, my eyes wide. aether looked behind himself at his tail before back at me. "ministry of hell. we're ghouls." aether explained. i swallowed, nodding slowly as i relaxed as best i could.

"i made breakfast.." aether smiled, seemingly nervous at my passive behavior.

aether led me around the church, pointing out important areas before taking me down to the main level.

"most of the ghouls can be pretty excitable. they don't get many one on one human interactions," aether explained. "but dew's a dick. don't let his attitude get to you." aether rolled his eyes, turning a corner. i chuckled softly, looking at the dark church walls.

"papa know's i've brought you here, so he'll keep the ghouls in line. if any try to attack you i'll stop them." aether told me, making my stomach drop.

might get attacked.. good to know..

aether turned another corner, opening a big door which revealed a dining hall with a long table at the center, chairs surrounding it.

aether walked in before me, gaining the attention of some of the ghouls.

"hey, aether." one of them greeted.

"hello," aether smiled, stepping to the side to reveal me.

immediately a ghoul with red eyes shot up from his seat, his pupils slits as he glared at me.

i took a step back watching as the rest of the ghouls looked at me, some of them gaining the same attitude as the red-eyed one.

"this is y/n, our new human." aether smiled, trying to lighten the tense mood with a joke.

the red-eyed ghoul leaped across the table, running at me only to get caught by aether at the collar.

"swiss, come get him," aether rolled his eyes.

a golden-eyed ghoul stood from his seat and walked over, grabbing the ghoul aether was holding and dragging him out of the room.

when i turned back to face the rest of the ghouls, they were all in front of me, aether smiling.

"i'm cirrus," one of the girls stated, extending her hand. i cautiously put my hand in hers, shaking it.

"aw, she looks so scared," one of the girls commented quietly, staring at me with a frown on her face.

"i'm mountain," the tall one said after nobody spoke up. i nodded, looking at the other girls.

"i'm cumulus," the one who said i looked scared smiled at me. "i'm sunshine," the shortest girl smiled as well.

i looked over to the last ghoul, seeing him staring at me.

"hi.." i mumbled, tilting my head at his shy, yet relaxing demeanor. "i'm rain." he said quietly, still staring.

i jumped as a loud crash sounded from the next room over, looking away from rain and glancing at aether.

"and that's dew," aether sighed, looking back at me from the wall. i nodded slowly, trying to adjust to all the new information.

"why is dewdrop so upset?"

1049 words