Seven Devils // lashton/muke

chapter four

He wasn't sure what happened after Luke introduced himself, but when he found himself being shaken awake by his mother, he assumes he had passed out.

Or perhaps it was a dream? Some weird dream he had from eating too much ice cream.

God he hopes that's the case.

"Dinner is ready babe, it's on the table. Your dad made lasagna." She told him and he nodded as he rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand. "Go wash up and then come downstairs."

"Okay," Michael yawned as his mum walked towards the door. The teen threw his blanket off and then went to the bathroom, closing the door behind him.

"You're okay Michael. You're fine. No dead people. No ghosts. No cute blonde boy in a Nirvana tee. You were just on a sugar high from eating an entire carton of ice cream... something you shouldn't have some cause' now you're gonna get fat. Fucking stupid." He told himself as he looked in the mirror, only to hear another voice from beside him as he shook his head.

"Cute blonde boy? I mean, I'm right here, and also queer. Very queer." He heard the same voice from earlier.

Michael jumped, holding his chest as he looked towards the bathtub to follow the voice. "You're real..." Michael trailed off, looking at the blonde with wide eyes.

"I told you, I'm dead. I was real... now I'm just..." Luke sighed, his hand moving the shower curtains slightly. "Invisible. There. Not quite alive, but clearly, not quite gone aswell."

"But I can see you. I could feel you." Michael reminded as he walked towards the teenager. Was he even a teenager anymore? How long has he been dead?

Is he even dead, or is Michael just going crazy?

"It takes a lot out of me. By tonight I'll end up being nothing more than just a shadow until my strength goes up again. After all, if we could be seen all the time, do you think my parents would have moved? Do you think it'd still be a debatable topic whether we're real or not?" He asked and Michael sighed.

"Why don't you just leave then?"

"I can't go anywhere. My spirit's tied to the house." Luke leaned back in the tub, his arm hanging over the edge of the white ceramic wall.

"How did you die?" Michael found himself asking, his heart racing in his chest at a million beats per second. He was talking to a ghost, something he thought his dad only lied about when he was a kid to get him to be good.

He didn't know they were actually real.

"Michael! The food's getting cold! Hurry up!" He heard his mum call and Luke gave him a small smile. The ghost of a grin.

How hard must it be for Michael's parents to just be downstairs, and for Luke's to be... gone?

"I won't keep you. Go ahead. We'll talk... soon." Luke nodded at him, his body going transparent as soon as the words left his lips.

"Stay in my room."

"I never leave it anyways." Luke voice was now a whisper, a gust of wind blowing past Michael as the bathroom door opened.