When Ghosts Whisper (Osomatsu-san Halloween Collection)

"Now You're Trapped"

"I can guarantee that they won't be there."

I stifled a whimper as I furiously shook my head, the cellphone still pressed to my ear. A sigh whispered over the line in my silence.

"...I get it. I really do," The masculine voice softened, "I just don't like the thought of you being alone this year."

"I...I don't want to go."

"And that's okay. Would you like for me to stop by?"

Another shake of my head, "I want to be alone, Derik. Please...stop asking."

"Okay, okay," The man on the other end consented with a hefty breath, "I just...I know what they did to you, and I want to help you get some semblance of normalcy back to your social life."

The phone call ended with hushed goodbyes, my hand falling from my face as I gently placed the device on my bedside table, burying myself back into the mess of bedsheets and blankets that had been my comfort zone for the past few months.

"It's that time of year again, monster," Derik's voice sounded through the call, "My brother and I are keeping the party to just close friends since we had too many fights last year...interested in joining us?"

While my curiosity peaked about what had happened during the yearly reunion party, I barely shook my head once more, "No...I'll pass."

"Okay," I could hear him smiling a little, "You know that I still care for you, right?"

"You've made me aware of that since it ended months ago."

"Then that's all I have to say. Just promise me that when you're ready to talk about what happened, please let me know."

My gaze fell from the rain-distorted window pane, slowly looking around the darkened bedroom that hid a disastrous mess. There was a comforting presence deep within the darkness despite the seething anger that swirled within it, "...when I'm ready."

"Happy Halloween, monster," Derik's voice called through the voicemail, "I was hoping to catch you around this time, but alas! 'tis all for nought. Party will be starting soon -- got a handful of people coming -- so I'll be a little busy tonight. If you wanna chat, just send me a text."

"No, I'm not going," I responded to no one's question, looking towards the darkest corner of my untidied room as I deleted the voicemail, "They might be there."

My brow furrowed as a retort echoed in my head.

"My friends are better off without some loser like me. They've moved on; I've moved on."

My gaze softened as I took another look around the room, some of the mess pushed aside to make space for occultic drawings and runes, a few lit black candles barely casting any shadows, "...maybe next year."

"You made it!" A man my age shouted out over the loud music, his wild unkempt hair more noticeable with the dyed pink color from a lost bet. He pushed his way through the gathering crowd near the extravagant backyard pool and wrapped his free arm around my shoulders, his other hand clutching a large plastic cup partially filled with shrunken ice and some orange liquid. His breath reeked of alcohol, "Grab a drink, get loose!"

"You know I don't drink, Derik," I tried to shove his arm off, hefting the quarterback's arm from my body before he could settle his weight against me like a crutch, "Headaches and all."