Phobophobia - A Mandela Catalogue AU

Chapter 5

Cesar led Mark through the dimly lit hallways, the air cool and still around them. The only sound was that of their footsteps echoing against the tiled floor. The moonlight streaming in through the small windows cast thin silver streaks on the walls, causing Cesar's demonic features to appear even more otherworldly. His arachnid features barely scraped against the tiles as they moved forward, with Mark following him silently.

As they turned a corner, Cesar motioned for Mark to follow him into a room. Mark glanced around the room, taking in the details. The walls were lined with silver plates, each having a small decal etched into the fine metal; A more familiar one, the one housing his own body, was set farther down the hallway. The room had a musty smell, either from it being filled with dead bodies, or since it hadn't been used in a long time. Maybe both. Mark's ghostly body floated around the room, taking in every detail of their surroundings. Cesar chuckled behind him, his spider features receding back into his skin.

Mark paused as the sound of a ticking clock filled the room; quietly, at first, before it got so loud Mark could barely hear his ears ringing. He quickly glided over to the iron door, glancing around for his friend. Cesar was nowhere to be found, yet he could still feel his presence in the darkness, watching his every move. Mark could feel the air tightening in his lungs as he lunged through the door and back into his body, wanting desperately to escape the ticking of time passing by.

The room went dead silent, unless you count the echo of the crows outside.

At first, he didn't stir. Cesar emerged from the shadows once again, scanning his surroundings for any signs of movement or sound. The air was thick with anticipation, like the sweet smell of blood in the water before a shark attack. He tilted his head and fixed his gaze on the metallic tomb that Mark had flown inside. Suddenly, he heard a series of coughs. Flinching at the sudden sound, Cesar dashed towards the door and swung it open. What he opened the door to was Mark taking his first breath in years. The undead boy gasped, sat up quickly, and groaned. His eyes were sunken, his skin was a bit too pale, and it had a slight blue-purple hue in some areas. His alternate friend appeared to be worried and extended a hand to Mark, who gratefully accepted it.

The zombie boy slightly swayed as he tried to maintain balance - it was an almost 10-year-old dead body, after all - and hissed in slight pain at the feeling of some of the skin on his face beginning to peel away to show muscles underneath. Cesar squeaked, almost sounding like a moth, and sped out of the room. A few moments after he came back and crudely stitched Mark back together. His friend then wrapped bandages around the stitched areas to make it seem more natural; It slightly worked, but the blue-purple skin and hollowed-out eyes, along with how unbelievably skinny he was kind of gave away that Mark was a living zombie. Especially the reek of death around him.

Mark let out a heavy sigh, already feeling tired as he contemplated going back home to his family. He couldn't shake off the feeling that they might not even want him there in his current state; "They wouldn't even let me get 3 steps within the lawn," he thought with a sad chuckle. Cesar noticed the weariness in his friend's eyes and hugged him in a gentle embrace, both boys finding comfort in each other's company. The cool breeze of the night and the bright full moon above them began to create a sense of familiarity and ease, allowing the two friends to feel more at home despite their worries.

The moment was cut off short, though, as an investigator's heavy shoes stomped outside. Why was there an investigator here in the first place? Last Cesar knew this place was abandoned within the last decade or so... The two glanced at each other, confused for a moment. Mark went out of the body as Cesar posed it to look as if there was an accident, and he stood over the body, morphing himself into his mother. Mark phased through the wall into the other room to let Cesar focus - After all, Cesar was a theatre kid and was pretty good at improv.

Adam noticed the sound of something metal creaking and opened the door, pulling up his hood and putting on his gloves to hide all the eyes over his body. He stopped dead in his tracks as he saw Cesar, his blood running cold as Cesar turned, his voice tuned to an old lady to match the body he shapeshifted into. "Oh, hello young man," He said sweetly to the hooded boy, "It seems my poor son's grave has been robbed... Could you be a dear and help me put him back to sleep?" Adam's eyes narrowed, but he nodded and walked over. He almost puked at the smell of the dead body. "How long has this body been here for!?" Adam thought to himself, panicked, eyes watering as he looked up at Cesar. He froze as his eyes met Cesar's. At that point, he turned back into his original form, a huge grin on his face, and stared at Adam with wide eyes.

Adam's ghost detector began to buzz as Mark peeked in from the other room, his ghostly body halfway through the wall as he peered curiously down at the situation what was happening. The blonde boy suddenly took off his gloves and hood as the eyes around his hands started to cry. Cesar gasped softly, realizing what Adam was, shaking away his phobia characteristics. Mark looked concerned, placing a cold hand against Adam's hand (which caused him to shiver). Adam sat down, trying to soothe the eyes on his hands to stop crying as he suddenly saw the ghost of Mark - which he had mistaken for Jonah in his adrenaline state - letting out a scream and falling over. Cesar snorted and held back a giggle. Adam grumbled, rubbing the back of his head as Mark watched. The two friends watched the investigator like hawks watching their prey.

Adam's nervousness was becoming more and more apparent as he scooted away, his eyes dilating as he began to panic. Mark, who had been sitting next to him, looked worried, but he knew that he couldn't calm Adam down on his own. He turned to Cesar, hoping that the Latinx boy would have a solution.

Cesar let out a sigh, closed his eyes for a moment, and then morphed himself back into his body before the attack. He then walked over to Adam, who was now trembling with fear. Cesar wrapped his arms around the blonde boy, hugging him tightly and whispering soothing words into his ear. Adam was suddenly overwhelmed with emotion and began to cry uncontrollably into Cesar's suit. Mark, who had gone back into his old body, leaned in close to Adam and whispered more comforting words into his ear. The three of them stayed like that for a while, with Cesar holding Adam and Mark reassuring him until Adam's breathing finally slowed down and he was able to calm himself.

"Now, how about we go somewhere else? Do you have somewhere in mind?" Cesar mumbled softly into Adam's ear, waiting patiently for an answer.

"...The forest. Right by the ditch lining the road."