Haunt || Matty Healy

Eight.

        

"Boo," he whispers.

Against all better judgment, I scream.

Adam leans back, sitting cross-legged on my bed, waiting too patiently for my screams to ease. "Done?" I take a deep breath, ready to scream again, but hands clamp around my mouth, "Please," Adam deadpans, "That's enough, now." Surely my mother would have heard the first scream; where the hell was she? "You want your mommy, don't you?" I whimper when his face presses closer to mine, dragging all the thoughts from my head and in the moment, I find that I wish - "What's that? You want Matty?" Adam lets go of my mouth, watching curiously.

"MATTY!" I scream, my voice scratching, causing me to gag and cough, his name spills out of my mouth as a shock to me, but I don't fight it. "Matty," I cry weakly. He's all I know. He doesn't want to kill me; he's told me that much hasn't he? He wants me alive - he wants Adam not to kill me, doesn't he? "Matty..."

"Nila, Nila, Nila, for fuck's sake," a familiar voice eases my heart, "I can't even take a sodding shower with you around, huh?"

"Matty?" I turn my head only to be met with darkness on either side of me. I'm no longer in my room and it shouldn't startle me with what's been happening to me for days now, but it still freaks me the hell out. "Where am I?" Adam rolls his eyes when I turn to him. He scoffs and I frown. He's becoming blury to me, now, no longer as crisp as he had been before. I shake, getting to my feet. "Why can't I see you anymore?" I whisper.

"He's weak," Matty explains, jolting my body. I can't see him, but I can make out the frown on Adam's face. Cold hands come down on my shoulder, "Have you been scaring my girl, Hanns?"

"She isn't yours, Matty," He replies quietly, yet he remains in his spot. He shrugs, "And I might have. A good scare or two is good for the heart, yeah? That blood flow."

Matty makes a clicking sound with his tongue against his teeth, "Would that make her yours then? Because quite frankly, I'm not to keen on that. I'm also not keen on you fucking with her. That's kind of my thing." He places a palm against my cheek, forcing my gaze on him. For the first time since I've met him, I can't see him clearly. He isn't letting me. "Nila," He mumbles, dare I say, almost affectionately? "You're shaking, sweetheart." My lips tremble; it makes me uneasy that I can't see his face. I need to, I need some sort of reassurance, I need to see his sharp teeth and black eyes, his spiraling tattoos and pale skin, I need to... Matty shakes his head, "No you don't, princess," he answers my thought, "not right now." He turns to Adam, who's watching the scene unfold. Adam is quiet, calculating. Matty is rash. "You could at least keep the heat on, it's bloody, five degrees in here. The fuck, mate."

"If you're complaining, you can leave. I didn't invite you here, Matty." Adam's voice is too calm. He doesn't seem as evil when he's so far away from me, not killing priests and ruining pop culture songs.

"Nila did." I didn't know if he'd come if I called his name, but it had been the only thing I could think of, the only thing that's emitted from my mouth. His name. That scares me more than anything at the moment, and that's saying a lot.

"She's not yours," Adam repeats.

"She's free reign, isn't she?" I wish they'd stop talking about me as if I'm an object, but before I can respond, Adam guffaws.

"You wish. She's on my list, Matty."

"Yes, well, I have no list."

"What list?" I finally ask, before I can stop myself. I wince at my lack of filter.

"Worry about yourself, sweetheart," Matty mumbles.

"I am!" I cry out. He slaps his hand against my mouth.