Black Roses {Skephalo}

Day Eight

————— 23 days remaining —————Monday, January 8th, 3:47 am
Status 1: stage 4 - Fire
Status 2: stage 4 - Cobalt

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-Zak's POV-

The willow tree looks worse each time I see it. It was pretty unhealthy last time, but now the once green leaves are past yellow and beginning to wither. A purple light is cast across the river in front of me.

The river fills with fog, just as it did last time. The scene isn't vastly different to how it was last night, other than the purple haze and the boy on the other side of the river. There's nobody there this time. There's just me, and this stupid notebook.

The ghostly figure appears from the centre of the river, taking the form of the fourteen year old boy I saw first last time. No matter how many times you see it, you can't ever get used to what seems like a ghost appearing in front of you.

I shiver in the bitter cold, shrieking at the sight of the apparition. It turns its' head in my direction, drifting across the river towards me. I'm unable to move from my sitting position on the floor beside the willow tree.

The figure approaches, eyeing the book in my lap. They reach over and take it from me, flipping it over to look at the front. "Ah yes" they say, in a voice not at all like a fourteen year olds. "Zakary Carder, correct?" There's a formal tone to their voice, which is unsteady and older-sounding. "Y-yes" I manage to choke out.

The apparition nods. "Good. Well, not really for you. You're still here." The ghost places their 'feet' on the floor, 'standing' in front of me like a normal human would. "I'm clearly freaking you out, aren't I?"

All I can think to do is nod. "Yes, well that's to be expected. Normally you'll only have these, well, meetings as such once a week." I squint at the apparition, taking in the look of confusion on their face.

"You haven't noticed? Darryl" the ghost spits his name. "Told you they'd be once a week." I think back to the message 'Darryl' told me.

'D•ss•p s•h en• k••w'

Week one has passed.

"Oh! He told me that, yes. I just didn't realise as it was backwards and missing a few letters." My voice trembles less in my new-found confidence. I've figured something out. The ghost looks bored, they're picking at their metaphorical fingernails.

"Yes, well, we have to keep you on your toes somehow." They float closer to me, stopping a few inches from my face.

"Except, you've messed with my system Zakary Carder." I cringe at the name 'Zakary', I hate being addressed by my full name.

"What do you mean, 'system'? You've messed with my head! Used 'Darryl'" I make air quotes around his name. "Tell me some cryptic message and-"

"Ah yes, Darryl. Let's talk more about him." They spit his name again. The ghost looks angered, like I've upset them somehow. "You see Zakary, we're at the halfway line. At the rate you're going, you'll die on the sixteenth of January." My stomach drops.

"The day before your birthday I believe? What a shame." A small smile returns to their face. "You've already seen what happens if those events play out, haven't you?"

An image appears in my head. The ghost of myself, erupting with black roses. "The black roses, right?" I ask nervously, part of me hoping I'm wrong.

The apparition nods. "Correct. They're what you must fear. When the black roses appear, they signal your death. Nobody can save you from that point onwards."