Once Upon A Ghost

Thursday

The next morning, Levy was awakened by a beep on her phone telling her school was canceled.

She looked out the window. It was thundering and pouring rain at a rate equivalent to a prairie blizzard. It was Thursday.

For a moment, Levy did nothing. There was a ghost in her house, and she was trapped inside for a day.

Slowly, Levy sat up, put on a pair of slippers, and tiptoed downstairs. She snuck through the halls and into the kitchen. Then, as fast as she could before her courage gave out, she grabbed enough food to last her a day and ran back upstairs. She raced into her room and slammed the door.

She put the food down and turned around. The ghost was there, waiting for her.

Levy shrieked, wrenched open the door and ran into the hall, looking back over her shoulder.

She hit the wall, tripped, and rolled down the stairs. At the bottom, she just laid there, on her back, catching her breath and staring at the balcony. Then her mind registered the black-haired, red-eyed ghost looking back at her.

Her breath caught, and she was up and running again in a flash.

She ducked into her father's study, slammed the door and slid under the desk, hugging her knees and stifling her loud breathing.

The next thunder crashed and Levy gasped. The door creaked open and a breeze of cold air slipped in. 

She held her breath, listening hard for anything and everything. There was something. A whisper that as soon as she heard it, she couldn't ignore it. And there was a feeling... of a... presence in the room.

Levy's eyes widened and she started to need a breath. Then the door closed.

She waited, then let the pent up air inside her escape silently and slowly. Tears ran down her cheeks and she closed her eyes, unable to do anything but be for a moment.

When she opened them, blood-red eyes were looking back at her.

She opened her mouth to scream, but nothing came out. The fear was overwhelming. Then, he was gone. One second there, and the next, nothing.

Levy slowly got up, then walked up the stairs to her room. She saw nothing. She closed her door and curled up on her bed.

After a few seconds, she started sobbing with relief and eventually cried herself to sleep.

An hour passed. Maybe two. Levy had woken up a while ago, but she would not move. She couldn't.

Every now and them she could hear the thunder, and a brightness behind her closed eyes told her there'd been a flash of lightning. But still she didn't move.

A chill slowly filled the room.

Levy froze.

It seemed like a eternity passed as she tried not to panic.

Then something brushed her hair. It was the faintest of touches, but at the slight movement, Levy sat bolt upright and backed against the walls' corner.

The ghost was standing by the edge of her bed, looking directly at her.

He disappeared, but before she could do anything, he reappeared sitting next to her. Levy's breaths started coming in sharp painful jerks.

He didn't move and neither did Levy. They just sat in silence.

Eventually, here breathing calmed down as the ghost made no move.

Minutes passed and nothing happened. Gradually, no matter how hard she tried to stop it, Levy's head started to droop.

Slowly, as if not to startle her, the ghost pulled a blanket up around her. Then he moved her, carefully and gently, so she was leaning against him.

Levy hadn't gotten a good night's sleep the night before, and her fear made her so exhausted that she did nothing to stop him.

She drifted off to sleep, not realizing her head was resting on the ghost's shoulder.

A particularly loud thunderclap crashed and Levy jerked upright, looking around in confusion for a moment. The lights were dark, as was the sky.

There was a movement at her shoulder, black against black, and Levy turned to look.

The ghost's red eyes met hers and her mouth dropped open. His eyes were glowing in what little light came from her window. Oddly, the soft crimson light calmed her.

He bowed his head, matching his eyes to hers. he stared at her, questioning.

Levy looked back at him, and he apparently he could tell she was confused because he sighed and disappeared.

Levy blinked three or four times, then leaned back. She jerked upright when he reappeared with paper and a pen.

He sat down next to her and wrote, Are you okay?

Levy took it from him and read it. "Yeah. The thunder woke me up." She said hesitantly. "Can you not talk to people?"

He nodded, then shifted his position. Levy stiffened, nervous, and he looked at her sadly. He wrote, I'm sorry.

"What for?" Levy asked.

I keep scaring you, but I'm not trying to. I'm curious about you.

He looked directly at her and she felt her heart stop being afraid. She smiled and leaned back against the wall.

They were quiet for a little while.

Levy was almost asleep again when the ghost handed her the paper.

If you ever need me, call for me. My name is Gajeel. 

Levy nodded and curled up on the bed. The night fell and she fell asleep, not noticing when Gajeel stayed to keep watch.