Angel's End / reddie ghost au

Eighteen - Halloween

0 days till Halloween.

...0 days until Richie leaves.

Fuck.

The boys had been watching the sky turn from a light blue to black on the 30th of October.

Richie had been so excited and so confident he could barely stand still.
Eddie, in contrast was polar opposite. The day he had been dreading had finally come.

The clock ticked over to midnight. It was officially the 31st of October. 0 days till Richie leaves.

Richie was leaving Eddie today.

Eddie was going to be alone again.

Maybe... he'd be alone forever.

The two boys stood in the doorway of the bedroom.
Richie took a deep breath, "You ready? Ed's?"

"As ready as I'll ever be," the small boy smiled sadly. Of course, he was lying.

Seeing Richie step forwards out of the door seemed so strange and out of place. It felt like something Eddie feels he shouldn't have seen.

On the other side of the threshold Richie took another deep breath, a glorious, excited grin plastered across his sunny face.
He reached out his hand for Eddie to take. The small boy took it, hungry for Richie's affection. Inside his head he swore he would never let himself let go.

Eddie followed Richie out of the bedroom for the first time in what must've been a year. The two boys rushed across the landing and down the stairs. Richie dragging Eddie like an excited puppy on a leash.

It was the first time Eddie had seen the inside of his house since Stanley's family had moved in.
What was once his dreary, sad looking home had been transformed into a happy family house. The murky grey walls had been covered with a charming duck-egg blue wallpaper, tiny oaken picture frames holding pictures of a smiling Stanley and his parents hung upon them.
It was the first time Eddie had looked at his own house and seen it as a positive place. He barley recognised it.

When they reached the front door, Richie looked disappointed to see it bolted shut.

"What did you expect?" Eddie muttered, "It's 12 at night,"

Richie grinned, "Follow me,"

Richie dragged Eddie through the kitchen, past new shiny marble work surfaces and a large fridge with more happy photos stuck to it. Eddie almost wished his house had been this homely when him and his mother properly lived here.

"Ah ha, fuck yes!" Richie grinned, "Nice to see you kept the ole cat flap Ed's,"

In the bottom of the back door was a small cat flap with rusted hinges from years of neglect.

"I never had a cat, this was here when my mum bought the house. We just didn't have enough money to get rid of it." Eddie explained, watching as Richie clambered onto his hands and knees.

"There's no way you'll fit through there Rich," Eddie smirked slightly. A small part of him hoping that, for whatever reason, they'd have to stay inside.

Richie grimaced slightly, "Um- after you m'lady," he said gentlemanly gesturing towards the cat flap.

Eddie raised an eyebrow. He had to keep constantly reminding himself that he was doing this for Richie. But a small selfish feeling at the back of his mind was telling him to sabotage this, to ruin today so that Richie couldn't leave him. No way... Eddie could never.
Eddie pushed away those self centred feelings and got onto his hands and knees.

Today was his last day with Richie. He didn't want to spend it feeling sad.

Eddie began to squeeze himself through the small gap, awkwardly rotating his head and shoulders at a strange angle to get him through.