10 Minute Tales

Jul 4 - Unsettled

The fools had gone through with it after all! His home had been brought to nothing, reduced to rubble in one foul day. He had nothing left. He thought to himself in silence as he wandered through the streets. It was deathly silent, the soft rumble of traffic echoing through the empty street. He didn't know what would follow. All he knew was that he could never go back. He groaned softly as he looked for somewhere, anywhere. Somewhere with people, he needed people... he looked into an apartment building. The receptionist there seemed bored, filing her nails down without a care in the world. He smiled as he entered noiselessly; the receptionist didn't even look up. He had hoped she wouldn't. He went upstairs, looking around. This would work. He rested a hand against the wall, thinking to himself. He just needed a suitable host...

"Oh, come on!" he heard a voice from beyond the wall. "He wasn't even close!" Intrigued, he looked over. The voice had belonged to another man, but one he almost recognised... he turned to look at the speaker. Ah, there was why. They had met before, though a long time ago. He opened the door and let himself in. "What the hell...?" the speaker commented, getting up from his seat and looking at the door. "How the hell did that...?" he walked over to and closed the door again, not even thinking to look at the traveller. Once the door had been slammed closed, he returned to his seat, his attention fading in favour of The Game. The traveller watched for a while, not really understanding what he watched. The men in the small window were darting around on a large green field, chasing a small white dot around. Why not just pick it up? He watched, incredulous as his host continued to talk to the box. They didn't reply, however.

"How rude..." he muttered to himself. The host froze, looking around. The traveller turned his gaze to the host, intrigued. Had the host heard him?

"... what the hell...? Who's in here?" he demanded, looking around.

"Do not mind me, sir." the traveller replied. "I am just staying for now until I find a home for myself."

"Who the hell said that?!" he scrambled to his feet, the little box all but forgotten. "If you're messing around with me...!"

"I assure you, sir, I mean no harm." the traveller tried to calm him down.

"Is it you, Chuck? You goddamn..."

"I know no person by that name." the traveller admitted. The host grew quiet, looking around in mounting fear.

"What the hell...?" he stopped, looking straight at the traveller now. "... what the hell is going on..."

"I am here." the traveller admitted. The host cried out in surprise and stepped back, nearly tripping over the chair behind him.

"What the hell, what the hell...?!" the colour slowly drained from his face as he looked the traveller over. "Y-you're a goddamn ghost!"

"Oh, I am?" he looked through himself, to the floor beneath his arms. "Well, that would explain a lot..."