The Moths on Your Ears Will Cater to Your Fears ||short story||

The sky is never azure

In a town where everyone sleeps, outwardly being alive seems to be a crime. Disturbing the still water of silence that settles upon this town, with the persistent fog makes for thick breaths and clouded thoughts.

Feeling unsettled is like feeling alive. A depressed city center with winding streets and grey stores that match the sky, makes the blood stains on my porch stand out. The vampire that lives in the back room of my house like to claim he's not responsible, but I know the reapers are not as messy, nor as obvious. I ask my friend Theo over to help with cleaning up. His vivacious persona causes him to stand out like a serial killer in a white mask, but his presence is calming.

I stand inside the rectangle my uneven white fence makes, and wait. Stealing a glance at my neighbors' house, the one that is two stories in this one floor town, makes my stomach knot up. In the front window stand one of its residents. They're so disrespectful to the ghost community - dressing up in white sheets and walking around like they haunt. Granted, they do seem to haunt me. The chills they send down my spine make me want to tear my skin off.

This one stands alone. Its face as close to the window as possible without actually touching it. Their new fashion is bowler hats. Atop their cheesy white sheets they all wear black bowler hats. How rude. Its black eyes don't waver as it stares at me, and I wish Laurence had not been so hungry for mice. At least he asks me to go away when he feasts. The wood finishes inside are his problem.

Theo taps my head as he stands on the other side of the fence. His smile is sincere, his long form adding another shadow to this desolate place. But he's oh-so happy.

"How does he even make that big of a mess?" Theo questions, nodding towards the bloody front steps.

I shake my head at the ground. "I have no idea."

"We're going to need some paint. Or really strong soap at the very least," He glances at my nervous stature as I continue looking at the ghosts' house. "...and I think having you walk around will serve some good." He opens the gate so I'll step out, and we head towards the convenience store on 5th street.

"Do you ever think the birds miss the sun?" I ask toward the sky.

" Do you miss the sun?"

" Always."

"Then I think it would be correct to assume the bird's feelings are the same," he answers.

I smile at my shoes, and I know he's looking at me.

The store's door slides open and I reach for a basket as Theo frantically taps my shoulder.

"What?" I jolt. Looking to my left where he is pointing, they are there. Five of them with a cart. One pushing, one standing on the cart's rim, the others standing the area around shopping.

Theo and I stare.

Stains are visible on their sheets, others have red splatters that look like they were frantically scrubbed away. Not proper ghost like at all. Ghosts don't take it upon themselves to clean their figures in the slightest.

"Why would ghosts need Mountain Dew?" Theo asks. We stare at them gliding by and posing on their cart. Pretending they aren't nonexistent, pretending Theo and I are.

"I can't take it," I say to Theo as we purchase Extra Power Cleaning Erasers and a can of dismal, washed out green paint. It kind of matches our cashier - he looks dead already. Almost moldy.

"What are you suggesting..." Theo replies slowly.

"I don't know... Maybe we could- should, check out their house a little closer. Not break in or anything. Just... knock."