Sweet Sinister [A Ziam Fanfiction]

Chapter 5- A sleepless encounter

Hello, everybody!

How's it going? Happy new year! Finally getting back on Wattpad and it feels great. The response on the last chapter was incredible, thank you so much. Sorry to keep you all waiting for months. 

Chapie number 5...enjoy!

-Jenny aka LoveandHeartbreaks

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The next time when Liam opens his eyes, he's lying on the sofa in the main hall. Niall takes one quick look at him and starts shouting Louis' name. Louis and Niall kneel over to look closely at him.

"Are you okay? You scared us to death, man." Louis said.

"We literally had to break in through the window because you won't open the door. And then we found you unconscious in the attic. What happened exactly?" Niall inquired.

Liam lazily rubbed his eyes and then sat up on the sofa. Images flashed in his head—pale boy, curly mop of hair, stacks of rings, collarbones covered with tattoos and that grin—and he curled his fists, trying to erase the memories exploding in his head.

"Hey, do you want some water? You don't look alright." Niall asked politely, brows creased with worry.

"No, I'm, I'm fine." Liam said, heaving out a shaky breath. He pressed at his temple, still unsure of what he saw. More importantly, should he tell Niall and Louis that he's possibly going crazy? What would they say? Would they laugh at him?

"Liam," Louis said, pressing his warm hand on his shoulder. "Are you alright, mate?"

"I-I don't know," He whispered. "I saw something strange in the attic while you guys were out. Maybe I'm tired. Maybe I'm hallucinating. Or maybe I'm just going crazy. I don't know, I just can't shake off what I saw."

"Wait. Is this you telling me you saw a ghost? An actual ghost? That's...crazy." Niall exclaimed with equal proportions of excitement and astonishment.

"Yeah, yeah I know that's crazy. You know what, I'm just gonna take a nap now, lads. Need to clear my head. Just...forget whatever I just told you, okay? I saw nothing, is that clear?" Liam said, waiting for Niall and Louis to nod. Maybe it's really just all in his head and he's getting worked up for no reason. As long as he keeps saying he saw nothing, he'll start believing it, right? Liam knows that this logic is flawed, but flawed logic is better than fucked up logic that tells him that he saw an actual ghost.

Yeah, right. Like he'd see something that doesn't even exist.

"Alright, then," Louis said, clapping his hands, "Liam can go sleep upstairs in one of the bedrooms. Niall and I cleaned it out while you passed out. I'm telling this from personal experience, naps fix everything. So go get some sleep and if there's something that's still bothering you, well, we'll look into it."

"Although we assure you we saw absolutely nothing while we were in the attic." Niall said, crossing his arms in confusion. Liam nodded. See? If they saw nothing then there must be nothing.

After having something to eat, Liam walked up the stairs and went straight to one of the bedrooms that was clean enough for him to sleep. He didn't even look at the attic's door for a millisecond, thank you very much. Once in his bed, he pulled up the blankets, got cozy and slowly felt the exhaustion from today take over him.

First came the icy cold air and then the pressure of someone sitting on the bed. Liam felt the mattress dip lightly around the edge.

He wrapped the blankets tightly around him. He hadn't heard anyone enter the room and let out a sick whimper. He decided that no matter how tight his chest felt, he would not turn and look. He would not look. He would not look...

"Liam."

He squeezed his eyes shut, trying his best to ignore the voice. He knew it was him. But he would not look. He would not look.

"Look at me, Liam."

No, this could not be happening with him again. There is no way it's him again. He would not look. Not look.

"Liam."

Liam looked.

He couldn't help himself. His voice was ringing in his ears and it almost felt hypnotic. It was like every cell in his body was telling him not to look but he did anyway.

As he looked at the boy, transfixed by his presence, he pierced Liam with his gleaming emerald stare. He wanted to run for safety, but his feet would not allow him to do so. Suddenly, the boy's very presence was so enchanting and otherworldly that Liam remained motionless, as if by moving he would disappear from sight and be lost to Liam's memories for eternity.

Liam took in his dark locks of hair, cascading past his shoulders. With his faint glow, the boy looked so alluring that Liam couldn't help but stare. The more he stared, the more dry his throat felt. The more he stared, the more he couldn't move.

"I wish you could've kept our little encounter a secret, Liam." He said, giving Liam one more of his toothy grins. "I heard you babbling out everything to your mates."

Liam opened his mouth to scream but the boy just shook his head. Again, Liam couldn't get any words out of his mouth, like someone got a grip on his very voice. It almost felt suffocating.

"It's no use. They wouldn't be able to see me even if you called them here. I'm only making you see me. Feel honored already." He said, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "You know, I'm not actually slicing your throat. You can stop looking so horrified."

Liam was remembering all the events in this life that had ultimately lead to this very moment. This moment where an apparition was sitting right in front of him and instructing him not to look 'so horrified'. Is this what life had come to?

"I'm Harry, by the way." He said, extending his hand towards Liam. "We met a while ago? In the attic? I welcomed you."

Slowly extending his hand towards the boy, Harry, Liam felt like he was throwing sensibility out the window. When he thought his shaky hand was about to meet Harry's, it passed right through it. As it did, his hand felt a little numb and cold but then, it was back to normal. Liam stared at his hand, then at Harry's face, then back at his hand. He was still shaking.

Harry's eerie laugh echoed in the room. "Gotcha!"

"Who...Who are you?" Liam asked, every word felt heavy on his tongue. Was he actually talking to...this thing?

"I'm Harry Styles, resident of this mansion for decades now. It was nice meeting you. See you around, Liam." With one last crooked smile, Harry disappeared into thin air right before Liam's eyes. All Liam could do was lie wide awake until the others woke up.