where our memories lie

Brief Conversation

Your despair calls out through this old mansion of mine, chiming long with sorrow in my cursed soul.

The ache of something so close, yet taken so far within a moment's passage.

This pain, this feeling that eats away at your delightfully special soul, is wonderful to me.

I will grant you the audience you seek, though you do not deserve it.

You poor, unfortunate soul..

…

..

.

The moonlight spilling into the room slowly faded out, the shadows oozing out from corners and beginning to pool on the dusty hardwood in front of where the baker and his husband sat huddled together. All sound seemed to cut off in an instant, the darkness continuing to coat the room until Dream could hardly see his own hand in front of his face. A soft jingle of tiny metal bells echoed throughout the room, growing louder as a soft purple glow flickered to life across from the two.

As it grew closer, the silhouette of an old broken lantern came into view, the light revealing just an inch of a small skeletal hand grasping the handle. Dream's breath stopped, catching in his throat as if he were afraid that a single exhale would frighten the ghost away. The lantern stopped just in front of them, lowered, and settled on the floor. The hand vanished from view and clothes shuffled around, the ghost across from them taking a seat on the floor with them. Dream felt the knees of his pants starting to grow sticky and wet, the liquid far too cold to be anything natural.

After a small pause, a bright cyan light lit up from the darkness exposing a singular eye staring in their direction. The new source of light revealed the jagged edges of a smashed skull and the hollow eye socket of the lonely ghost that had joined them. The baker didn't dare speak, wanting so badly to grab his brother and take him home. How he wished things could have gone differently for his dear twin, for tragedy to reverse and give him back to him.

"You seek an audience with me, for the soul bound to another's."

The eye spun around lazily before landing on Cross, the ghost child appearing behind him spinning the end of their rope around their finger. Another spin, another pause, and the cyan spirit focused on Dream. 

"I can undo this, of course. My power is enough, but I do require something in exchange."

Yet another spin, as if it was looking for something.

"I want you here, child of light, for you would make a delightful pair with your dear sibling I've grown so attached to. You'd do so many wonderful things for me."  

Dream could feel Cross tugging on his arm, his husband's hands shaking, his breath quickened and panicked. He opened his mouth to respond, but nothing came out.