Opus Eponymous

Genesis

...

They were done. The things all picked out.

They opened the door and saw a Ghoul and Ghoulette chatting and sitting down against the wall.

"Oh, you're done. Okay. Any furniture you need help with?" The Ghoulette asked them.

"Just this book shelf and I might need some help carrying some records too."

"Alright. Here, I'll get the shelf, give him the records and you two go I'll be there soon." She said. She seemed nice.

They handed the Ghoul half of the records and they walked down the halls having a talk about their lives.

"Yeah, I mostly do helping things. Sometimes I sub in for Mountain if he's not feeling well." He smiled. "Me and him are pretty good friends. I've actually never not known him. We grew up here together."

"People grow up here?"

"Sometimes. If their parents send them to our fake conversion camp. We have backup christian clothes and then take them in to give them something better. For me I came out and was first sent to conversion therapy by my mom because my dad wasn't in the picture I think. It didn't work. And then she sent me here. At first I was scared. Then I learned all about their Satanic metal ish music and learned music with Cardinal and the older Ghouls."

"Wow. Sorry about your mom being shitty."

"Yeah, I barely remember any redeeming qualities about her so I'm not too sad I got here instead. A Satanic church is a lot more fun." He laughed.

The walk the rest of the way was just them talking about the records they grabbed and how they hadn't heard some but would like to look up there again and completely clear it. They joked about monopolizing the records and taking all of them.

They had grabbed music they knew and a few of the church's spares that were stored in stacks to study some.

They had a record player in the room now. It sat on the shelf with all the books.

They had learned. The room had been fully renovated and cleaned up. Proper Ghoul formation was harder though. Their official tests and education started within the next week. They had been given the option to opt for self education but they wanted to be fully committed and join the Sisters of Sin's classes to go full length there.

A new schedule had developed. They woke up, went to breakfast, changed into their uniform, they had free time, then attended lunch, then went for outdoor activities with everyone else, then dinner, then practice, and finally free nights. On free nights there was a ritual of the boys going to their room and trashing it and wrecking everything while often head banging and playing their music way too loud while either getting high or getting drunk. Often that became like a concert mosh pit just full of Ghouls with more people who knew to not grope and hit and shove people around. The Ghoulettes normally opted out but invited some other Ghoulettes and have a more tame conversation. Sometimes they'd scream at them for having their music too loud but didn't care too much unless they were unable to hear.

The Clergy had been very kind to them. They had friends, people who shared intrests, people who would invite them to things, and more importantly a better life than was ever given from the Catholic life they used to lead as [REDACTED] where they shoved themself into a box of hate for themselves and everything around them.

There was no judgment unless it was from a Sister who led their lives much different than the Ghouls and Ghoulettes. Compared to the Ghouls the Sisters were Satan's angels. They followed rules, studied, followed their schedule stricter than the Ghouls ever attempted. They often didn't talk to the Ghouls, and to be honest were a little scared of them. But it does take a little special thought pattern to not look at the screaming and off-putting red eyed creatures running around and growling at you and knocking you around because they didn't understand the discomfort to get why people loves them. And the Ghouls jumping out and acting like close friends had driven the ones who tried to be friendly away, so the Ghouls made a habit of barking and growling at them and acting like they were born where they were going.

Their eye had gotten red and shone. The Ghouls all had one. It was most notable while they played, but the red discoloration was like a vampire who forgot to put in his other contact just glowing. The red eye was a little like the Papa's eyes, one green blue and the other white. Another thing they noticed was that all the Ghouls had very similar pale blue eyes that darted everywhere constantly.

They still didn't really know why, but the Ghouls had these features they hadn't noticed before but made sense. Eyes that glow through masks make sense. Why have concealed eyes if you can scare people with them? Right.

They were equipped for a tour now. After endless hours with Aether they had become another multi-Ghoul like Swiss.

They had a good feeling about meeting the fans. They wanted to feel the big rituals that weren't church bound. They wanted that in their veins.

And the night was soon, a week and 3 days, they had been counting. The days felt long, but the introduction to the crowds and seeing the speculation of the fans would be fun. Maybe they would even find who they were at some point, but that was fine if people were so interested. The other Ghouls were exposed to the world but people we fairly kind about it and protective. And maybe that'd just bring them closer to them.

But, after all the excitement of 2018's first Ghost tour they decided they were tired and it was late.

It was all okay now. They were alright. They looked and acted like them. The last tears of forseeable future had been shed. There was no more hurt. No more ache and loss.

No more pain. Just Ghost.

And it was time for rest. Time for everything to go up and up and up. 2018 would be their year. The first as themselves.

There would be no more hope being shattered and loss created. Just many more people accepting them and getting to play instruments with their friends and Papa.

The world was at peace for them for the first time. They pulled up the covers. Smiled a real, genuine, heart felt smile for the first time in years.

The self titled works.