Ghosts'Ghoul Gang

Rest Easier Now

Phantom remembered only the darkness, so void of anything else; the space vast but empty, and the atmosphere around him was just excruciating. He could feel his ribs being crushed, no air could reach his lungs, just panicked emptiness. Every sound coming from his lips was a strangled painful choking sound. Phantom could feel the anxiety swelling in his chest; his body responses were slow and resistant, he could feel himself being pulled deeper into the black. Phantom could feel the lack of air being sucked from his already dry lungs; his arms reached out aimlessly in front of him as the feel of being pulled back slowly made him sick.

Phantom woke himself from his night terror in a cold sweat and screaming, stopping immediately once he sat up awake; hands shakily rubbing at his face. Phantom reached for his mask, an 'Ick' still ate away at him, it felt like someone was watching him in his room. Phantom shrugged on a hoodie he borrowed from Rain- who probably stole it from Mountain- before leaving his dark and scary room. Closing the door the new ghouls spotted a figure already sat up on the couch in the dark, Phantom didn't risk turning on any lights on his way over, but he was sure the other ghoul knew he was here. He turned the corner, slowly sitting on the farthest cushion, turning to find the other ghoul already sat looking at him with unreadable eyes past his mask.

"Forgive me." Phantom said quietly, "I'm slow with names."

"Swiss. I'm the one with yellow eyes."

Phantom committed that to memory with a nod, "If I'm disturbing you, I can always sit somewhere else."

"You're fine. I wasn't doing anything anyway."

The pair fell into silence for a long moment, both feeling rough as hell's flames as they sat on the couch. Swiss hadn't slept in days; the voices laughed and teased at him- humiliating him- but of course Phantom couldn't hear the voices, they were only there to eat off Swiss. The younger ghoul was plagued by memories as foggy as a whisper but as sharp as a whip, he still hadn't gotten his breathing to mellow out, his ribs stung with every inhale too deep.

"Why are you still up?" Phantom asked first, finally breaking the silence.

Swiss shrugged, "Couldn't sleep. I could ask you the same. What are you doing awake?"

Phantom was confused, "Did you not hear me earlier?" he meant when he woke up screaming.

"Everything except the doors has a layer of noise canceling insulation. I could hear you if I was trying to listen. I was not."

"Oh." Phantom looked into Swiss' eyes- yellow like honey dipped sunflower petals; "I think I remember how I died." he admitted. He didn't know what made him say it, but something in him wanted to trust Swiss, he wanted to talk to Swiss, nothing about Swiss said he couldn't be trusted.

Swiss saw the panic hot on the younger's chest as it caved with Pantom's each breath. The multi ghoul extended his arm in silence invitation, phantom obliged happily sliding his little body up next to Swiss, the multi ghoul let his arm drape over Phantom's shoulders lazily.

"How did you die?" Swiss' thick voice cut the silence.

Phantom shrugged small, "I drown, I think. I'm not sure, it's still confusing."

"Things often are."

"I couldn't breathe, or see. I just felt like something was pushing me deeper. It sucked the air right from me. I don't think I was wet? But I don't remember that far; it was just painful and heavy."

Swiss nodded, quiet for a moment before saying "Sometimes it takes a little longer to let all the memories and thoughts return, be patient with yourself."