Ghosting

Chapter 1- Wide Awake

Lance's eyes snapped wide open. He sits up in sudden jagged movements, all the air in his lungs seemingly gone like someone had stomped on his stomach while he slept. He bent over himself gasping frantically, clawing at his throat as he sucked in an unsatisfying breath. Once his attack had come to an end Lance scanned his pitch black room, checking for a potential attacker. He strained his eyes in the darkness, attempting to get even a glimpse of anything in the shadows.
Lance pushed his hands against a hard surface from underneath him and froze

I-I'm not in my room...?

He hesitantly ran his hands over the surface once more, fear and panic starting to grip at his chest once more. He struggled to his feet, feeling pain shoot through his body as if he hadn't moved in days, as if his body was not his own. The ground beneath his feet was freezing to the point where it hurt for his feet to even be touching it. Lance swallowed down the ever growing knot in his throat as he called out into the darkness.

"Hello?? I-Is anyone there! Please where am I?!?" He yelled as his desperation grew stronger, he clapped a hand over his mouth and whimpered as the sound of heals on hard wood floor starts to echo all around him, steadily getting closer and closer. Leaving lance to fall to his knees and pathetically curl into himself.
The clicking sound of the heals comes to a stop when he swears whatever is with him is now standing right before him.
After a moment the new silence became too much and lance raised his head to look around, once again seeing nothing but pitch black. He turned his body in confusion, trying to spot whatever it was, Nothing was standing out in such intense darkness so when he came face to face with a blank white face that seemed to glow a pale grey light He gasped and scrambled back, trying his best not to scream at the morbid creature.
the thing moved its face away from lance, sensing his distress. The cowering boy raised his eyes to look at it again as it moved away and stood to full hight. Lance craned his neck to stare up at it with wide horrified eyes, it was a huge genderless slate that glowed white, it wore nothing and had no expression.

Lance's jaw quivered "wh-what are you..?" The question was barely above a whisper, the creature tilted its head downward, seemingly to look at the boy and a series of soft clicks came almost as a response. It slowly lowered itself on its hunches to get at lances level and reached a grossly long hand out to him.
Something in lances head urged him to take the creatures hand, a feeling of calm and safety flooded him and he reached his hand out to its-

"NO!" He snapped his hand back from the creature in an overwhelming urge to keep away from the creature, and it recoiled violently as if being burned and a rage filled screech erupted from the its core and its face split in two as it plunged forward as if to attack the boy who had curled into himself once more, hands clutching the sides of his head.
The deafening sound of the creature was cut off suddenly and the cold hard surface under him was replaced with warm bed sheets and blankets.
Lance gasped when his eyes flew open, expecting whatever that thing was to attack him but was merely greeted with the ceiling of his dark room. The boy sighed in releif 'It was just a dream' He sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes before looking at the slightly luminous clock that was expertly positioned on his bedside table,
4 am.
Lance groaned and flopped his head back onto the pillow

'That was one hell of a dream..' he muttered to himself as he continued to stare at the popcorn ceiling. As time went by he wasn't able to fall back asleep for fear of seeing that creature, frustrated lance threw the covers off and swung his legs over the side of the bed and groaned as the tiredness threatening to chase him back into bed but he forced himself up and stretched the sleep out of his muscles. He glanced back at the clock that read 6 am

'Two hours of senseless wall staring huh..' He stepped forward gingerly, feeling an unpleasantly familiar ache in the pads of his feet, reminding him of his unsettling dream.
He opened the door of his room and strode silently into the hallway and stepped into the bathroom just a few doors down from his own.
The house was eerily quiet to the point he could have been able to hear a pin drop if it hadnt been for his own heavy breathing and thumping steps. The majority of the household should be awake by now and getting ready for the day, he shook off the unsettling feeling and splashed cold water in his face and looking into the mirror, shocked by how exhausted he looked. The bags under his eyes were heavy and dark, making his eyes look sunken in, his skin normally a rich caramel has greyed slightly and his hair hung lifelessly on his head. He gasped in shock, his hands moving to vigorously rub at his face and eyes, he looked up again after digging the palm of his hands into his eyes, and his appearance had once again shifted back to normal, lance groaned and thought his imagination must be heavily active today. He sighed and moved down stairs to make himself some breakfast before he got ready for school, he makes his way down the stairs as a few muted whispers echoed from the kitchen/dining room. He pokes his head around the corner to see his entire family seated solemnly, no one looking up to greet him as he entered or acknowledge his presence in the least, he shakes his head and smirks.

'whats with you guys? Who died?' He laughed heartily, trying to lighten the mood. Out of the five people in the room not one lifted their eyes to him, leaving the boy standing with a worried frown. He watched as his mother ushered his younger siblings with their bags and lunches in hand, he looks around panicked where was his bag???
Lance rushed back up to his room and threw on random clothes that were strewn across his floor, he flung his door open ready to race down to catch the bus only to almost collide with his mothers face, grief stricken and seemingly staring behind him.

'Are you okay mami?' He brushed her shoulder slightly and she gasped, pulling away and tears springing to her eyes. Before he could question anything the sound of the bus pulling up to his house sounded and he bounded back the stairs, yelling an apology as he swung the front door and sprinted to the bus as it started pulling away. He yelled for the bus to stop as he ran but to no avail, luckily he was able to squeeze through the closing door and onto the bus, although out of breath he shot a threatening glare at the driver who didn't regard him in the slightest. He growled and stomped off, throwing himself in his seat. What the hell us going on with everyone today??! He thought to himself angrily, glaring out the window and the fast passing and hazy country terrain.