i forgot my name again || buzzfeed unsolved/shyan

but i feel a little safer when i'm with you

    Shane looked back at Ryan, who could only stare. Shane then looked back down to his feet. He tried to knock aside the salt, but it was unmoving — as if it was a solid object. Shane laughed.

    "What?" Ryan was still watching Shane, passing him to take a step over the salt line. It was effortless.

    "I can't step over it. I promise, I'm not — I'm not messing with you."

    "Of course you're not." Shane couldn't detect either sarcasm or the absence of it. Ryan reached across the line to grab his hand, taking it gingerly. Shane allowed him, holding onto the offered hand.

    Ryan pulled Shane forward, until he was pulled against the barrier. It took no time at all, but it felt agonizingly slow for Shane. It was a weird feeling. Even Ricky's behaviour seemed to subside, as if he was watching to see what would unfold from it all.

    Shane couldn't go through, no matter how hard Ryan tugged on his hand. Eventually the force was so great that he fell back onto the couch, bringing Ryan with him. Ryan stared from where he landed on Shane's chest.

    "You can't cross the salt line," Ryan stated, his eyes wide and full of wonder. Shane thought there was fear, too, but he didn't want to think about it. He didn't want Ryan doting on him and taking care of him, sure, but he didn't want to freak him out, either.

    "I can't cross the salt line," Shane confirmed. "I don't know anything. I promise, it's not. Something I test regularly." He chuckled.

    Ryan leaned back from Shane, watching. It was as if he didn't hear anything Shane had said. He probably didn't. He only inspected him.

    "Oh my God," Ryan breathed out. "You can't cross the salt line." His eyes didn't stop observing, looking from Shane's eyes, then to his whole body, and back into his eyes. "Are you dead?"

    "What?"

    "You know. You're not a ghost, are you?"
   
    "Yes, Ryan, I'm a ghost. No, of course I'm not a ghost! I've never died. And, why would I spend so much time trying to convince you that I don't exist?" The words came out from Shane's mouth more unconsciously than anything else. He hated that he knew it was himself he was trying to convince. But he couldn't be dead. Surely, if Shane died, he would have known.

    "Why else can't you cross the salt line?"

    "I don't know, okay? I just... don't know. A lot of weird things have been happening."

    Ryan moved to sit beside Shane, still eyeing him. He couldn't help but be disappointed. This was the second time today that they ended up like that, and Shane liked the weight on his chest. It was nice to be so close to Ryan.

    "Do you want to tell me?" It was hard to accept the sincerity that Ryan radiated. He couldn't stop feeling like he didn't deserve it after how long he'd tried to hide.

    "I've been feeling real bad lately, I guess. My head. Physically and metaphorically." Shane chuckled, running a hand through his own hair.

    "I could guess you're feeling bad." Ryan laughed with him. He broke their eye contact to gaze nervously around the room.

    "I think... maybe he's tired himself out. I mean, no ghost has ever done that. Assuming we've seen them, of course."

    "Are you admitting you think we've seen a ghost?" Ryan grinned, bringing his eyes back up to Shane's. "C'mon. Tell me you believe."

    "If this is some elaborate prank I will actually, honest to God, murder you right here and now."

    "In cold blood."