Belief In The Occult

Thirteen

Kodiak got up into his room, shut the door, turned the light off, then promptly laid down on the floor and had a panic attack. A poltergeist with anxiety, he thought as he felt his aura pull around him, protective yet malignant. What a ridiculous concept.

A few hours later, Kodiak was still lying on the floor. He'd politely excused himself from lunch through the door, explaining he had a migraine, which wasn't untrue. Now he just laid there, listening to the half-broken clock ticking in the corner, counting. His aura no longer whispered, but it was still present, not visibly by physically, a deep weight in the air accompanied by the clammy feeling of fear.

Eventually, he heard the heavy creaking footsteps, and a stolid knock on his door preceded Faust's voice. "Are ye alright in there lad? Been a bit since anyone's seen heads or tails o' ye." Kodiak gritted his teeth. Running away from problems was bad. But he was tired. When he didn't answer Faust called again, "Kodiak, will you open the door?"

"I didn't lock it." he answered, surprised at the clarity of his own voice. It wasn't that clear when he spoke normally.

Behind him, he heard the door open and shut as Faust entered, and the floor creaking as the dragon-man sat down on the rug next to him. "What seems te be troublin' ye?"

"I don't... I'm not..." Kodiak sighed through his nose, trying to articulate what was happening but having difficulty. He gave up with a sigh, and closed his eyes.

"Aye, c'mere lad." Kodiak grunted slightly as he was pulled into Faust's embrace like a ragdoll for the second time in so many days. Faust rubbed one hand up and down Kodiak's arm, as if to warm him, "Blimey, my boy, yer shakin like a reed in the wind." Kodiak mumbled something noncommittal through stiff lips.

"Remember lad, if ye tell me what's wrong I might'n be able te fix it, but if ye don't tell me then nothin' gets done." Faust offered.

"I dunno... if this is a fixable thing... I don't think... I'm normal..." Kodiak said after a long while, "I'm not like... the others here." he tucked his knees up to his chest and let Faust support all his weight, which actually wasn't all that much.

"In what way do ye mean?"

"I don't have much... in way of personality. I don't even... like to eat." Kodiak said.

"Yer a ghost lad, that's not abnormal. It's just gonna take ye a bit longer to come along. It's nat'ral fer an entity o' your kind." Faust explained. "There's no need te worry son. Everythin'll be jest fine."

"You're... sure?"

"A 'course lad."