Ghost Stories (A Sanscest Story)

A Shimmering Still

Nightmare stared at him blankly. He couldn't quite process what Cross had said. He looked down. Cross stared at him. "I said I'm leaving." He repeated quietly. Nightmare's wide eye flickered and lowered to the floor, along with his tentacles.

They all dropped to the floor, flat and limp. Nightmare was shaking. He raised his arms and held himself. "You can't..." He whispered out, his voice strained. The goo around the side of his head was starting to peel back, revealing the skeleton inside. He stared at Cross with tears streaming down his face.

Cross seemed shocked. "Nightmare?" He asked quietly. Nightmare's breathing had sped up. He slowly dropped to his knees and collapsed on his side. "Nightmare!" The other reached out as Nightmare's vision flickered once. Twice. And it dropped into darkness.

A few hours later, Nightmare woke with a jolt. It was dark. He blinked and managed to get up, using the wall. He had been slumped against the wall. His throat was sore and when he tried to speak, all that came out was a wheezing gasp. He looked over at the bed. He couldn't tell if Cross was there or not.

He stumbled to the bathroom door and opened it. He shut it again and sighed, turning in the light. As he scooped up water from the faucet, he wondered how Cross was. What had he done? He was so confused. Why had he been so pissed? Why had Cross seemed so hurt? He looked up and saw himself in the mirror, stopping. He was passive again. He stared at himself in dismay.

As he left the bathroom, the brief light from it, allowed him to see the bed was empty. He blinked and furrowed his brow. He looked at the door. It struck him. The air became cold and Nightmare raised a hand to his chest, gripping his shirt.

He looked down and turned to leave when a voice startled him. "Oh... how the mighty have fallen." Nightmare inhaled shakily and stared around. He shrieked as a blade suddenly hooked around his throat from behind. A scythe. Nightmare froze and  turned to look at Reaper in the full-length mirror behind him, who tipped his head, eyes glowing.

"Am... I dead?" He rasped, his eyes wide. Reaper blinked and sighed. He pulled Nightmare to the mirror and lowered his scythe. Nightmare gulped. "Y-You're not here for Cross, are you?" The thought made him shake.

Reaper blinked at him. "You're awfully late... didn't you know?" Reaper asked, raising a brow. "Cross left much earlier."

"What? Where is he?" Nightmare managed to whisper out. Reaper's brows shot up in surprise. He blinked, then turned away, shaking his head.

"Oh, I see... that stubborn monster..." He muttered. Nightmare was shaken and confused. Reaper sighed, turning back to face him. "Cross is returning to his crypt."

Nightmare stared at Reaper, shaking. Cross was gone. "He... he left me... here...?" Nightmare could feel his tears pouring down his face and he hiccuped once before shaking and breaking down. "Why?" Why was he so destroyed by this? Reaper sighed as he watched him with those glowing blue eyes.

"I wondered that myself, since he seemed very attached to you, but he disappeared so fast, I couldn't ask him what had happened." He said, humming as he tapped his fingers along the scythe. Nightmare blinked and lifted his head.

"I have to go find him! I-I can't just...!" He trailed off, his voice scratchy. He broke down, coughing and wheezing. His throat hurt so bad. Reaper stopped him and beckoned him closer to the mirror. Nightmare leaned in. He froze as Reaper reached up and gently clasped his hands around his neck. Nightmare was convinced he was dead.

However, when he didn't feel himself dust, he opened his eye, confused. Reaper rolled his eyes. "I can choose when to kill by touch." He rubbed Nightmare's throat and he felt pulses coming from the other. He could breathe again and his voice was better as he thanked him quietly. Reaper sighed and his body drifted to the side of the mirror, leaving view for a moment.