A Diverted Fate (Sally Face x Larry)

Ghost Hunters

Sal..
     It was another twenty tense minutes before everyone was loaded into the Tank and ready to go.
     I sat in the front with Larry and Ash and Todd sat in the back. Neil had to pass up the opportunity, however, because he had to head into work.
     The ride there was tense. Todd only broke it as we neared the building. "Sal, are you sure you'll be able to handle this? You fainted last time you were here," Todd said carefully from the backseat.
     I nodded, running my thumb across the lips of my prosthetic. "Yeah, last time I was running on very little sleep. I actually slept a good amount last night without any nightmares," I said, staring out the front window.
     Todd hummed. "Was there anything you did differently? Anything that could have sparked that change?"
     I shook my head. Then I felt a blush creep up onto my face. I heard Ash snicker.
     "Maybe we shouldn't be asking what he did, and instead who he did," she chimes up from the backseat.
     I felt the car jerk a little then I heard Larry descend into a coughing fit. "Ash!" He exclaimed after he calmed himself down. I felt my face burn brighter as I put my head in my hands and groaned a little.
     Todd and Ash we're laughing in the backseat. I looked over to Larry, who was blushing bright red. I then glanced back at Todd and Ash, both of whom were laughing so hard tears were springing up in the corners of their eyes.
      Larry flipped them off, which made them laugh harder. I could only watch and smile. There was a strange finality to this moment. I swallowed hard and looked over to Larry.
     He had a small smile curling the edges of his mouth as he drove down the road. His hair blew in the breeze from the slightly open window and he was growing some stubble.
     He turned the Tank into the Addison parking lot. Once the looming stone building came into view, Ash and Todd's laughing tapered off.
     I swallowed hard and sighed. Larry parked and turned off the vehicle. He locked the doors and turned to address Ash and Todd. "No going off alone. We stay together, no matter what, alright?" He asked, his voice taut.
      I put my hand on his knee, nodding to him when his brown eyes met mine. Ash nodded. "Of course," she said matter-of-factly.
     Todd nodded. "Wouldn't think of it."
     Larry let out a pent up breath and nodded. He turned around and unlocked the car. We all clambered out and joined as a group in front of Larry's car.
     I grabbed Larry's hand as we stood at the edge of the grass that marked the Addison Apartment's lawn.
     The tense silence was broken very quickly by Lisa coming out and walking quickly towards us. She came to a halt near us and I could see now the toll that this all was taking on her.
     Her coveralls were streaked with dirt and stained with dark colours. Her hair was frizzy, and strands were falling from the old elastic that was attempting to keep her brown hair in a ponytail. Grease from some sort of machine streaked her face and hands, the handkerchief she keeps hanging from her pocket covered in the same substance.
     She had dark bags under her eyes and her chest heaved as she ran a hand over her unruly hair. Despite it all, she smiled brightly at us when she came to a stop to speak to us.
      "Thank you guys for coming over. I'm sorry to call you all out so quickly, but I know that you guys can help. It seems that almost everything in this building is shutting down or malfunctioning. You guys have a knack for figuring this stuff out, so you have the run of the place," she said quickly, her voice breathy.
     Larry nodded. "Course mum. We've got it under control. If not us, then for sure Todd," he said with a little laugh.
      Todd snorted and shook his head. This made Lisa laugh. "Alright, go on inside now. I'm gonna head in in a sec, I just need a little break," she said with a tired chuckle at the end.
We all nodded and set off towards the building. The sick and twisting feeling in my gut grew immensely as we approached. Larry kept a tight hold of my hand, despite the sweat starting to spring up on my palms.
We all crowded into the lobby. There my dad was speaking to a disgruntled handyman. He saw us almost immediately and smiled as we passed.
"My old room to regroup?" Larry suggested quietly to the group as we walked down the hall towards the old elevators.
Todd and Ash agreed to that idea and all I could do was nod. I felt like a wad of cotton was stuffed down my throat.
This place. The location of all my nightmares. The place where my father was attacked. I have returned here voluntarily.
Well, not entirely. I was scared this morning when Larry told me where he was off to. That's the reason why I said I'd go along. Him being alone at Addison's was just an eerie echo of the night that he almost left us; left me.
I felt him squeeze my hand, drawing me out of my thoughts as the elevator clanked down into the basement. I looked up at him and squinted my eyes like I was smiling.
Larry smiled a little back, not seeming all that convinced with my little show. Before he could question me, however, the doors of the elevator opened slowly and we clambered out and into the basement hallway.
A quick walk brought us to Larry's old room. The walls were bare, save for a few paintings and posters he didn't want to bring with him to Todd's. There was his old dresser and bed still in the room. The bed was made neatly, most likely the doings of Lisa.
Larry kicked a beanbag over near the bed and flopped down onto it. "Alright. Where should we start? Just work our way up with the GearBoy?" He asked as Ash and Todd sat on the bed.
I stood behind Larry, my hands on his shoulders as he leaned against me. Ash shrugged and Todd pushed up his glasses before speaking. "I think that's a good plan. We aren't going to be able to cover a lot of ground as we all promised to stick together, though," he said, fiddling with the sleeve of his shirt.
Larry shrugged, his shoulders tense beneath my fingers. "Whatever. I don't like it here and I'd rather not break up the group. Never been good before," he said, his voice quiet and slow, like he was thinking hard before he was speaking.
Todd nodded. "I understand, just wanted to check to make sure that you were still holding that original notion," he said as he stood and brushed off his pants.
Ash stood soon after. "This will be my first time seeing the GearBoy in action. Don't disappoint Sal," she said, waggling her finger at me with a wry grin.
I laughed a little. "I hope I don't."
And that's how we all ended up crammed into a small bathroom as I held the GearBoy out in front of me.
I scowled as the little green light stayed as dead as it had been the whole time. We had wandered through the apartments until we got to the bathroom in which Megan usually appears.
     The light had not turned on once so far, and I was starting to get a little concerned. This never happens. There is always, and I mean always some ghost trying to get my attention while I'm in Addison's.
     I looked to Larry, who was watching me as I fiddled with the GearBoy in my hands. "Maybe it should be just me and you. Megan gets a little shy with visitors sometimes," I suggested in a hushed voice.
     "Alright, I'll take that as my cue. C'mon Todd," Ash said as she herded Todd from the bathroom.
     There was a click of the door closing. I heard Larry's sharp intake of breath, and when I looked back, the GearBoy was glowing a bright green.
     "Megan?" I called out into the dim air.
     There was a slight squishy sound, then screaming as the form of the little ghost girl materialized in front of us. Her dull eyes looked scared as she fiddled with the cross around her neck.
      "You guys shouldn't be here. It's all wrong. They're gonna be upset..." she moaned, her face contorted in fear.
      I bent down a little. "Megan, what's wrong? Are you alright?" I asked, trying to keep my voice gentle.
      She shook her head quickly, her hair fanning out around her head as she did so. "No. Larry, you should be with us and Sally you should have cleansed the apartments.. no, no it's all wrong," she said hurriedly, her nose scrunching up.
     Larry kneeled down. "Hey, Megan. Tell us what's wrong, we'll help you," he said, his voice gravelly but quiet.
     Megan locked eyes with him. I saw gooseflesh rise on his arms but he did not break the contact. "This is not how it was supposed to turn out. No one knows what will happen now. What he will do now," she whispered urgently.
     "What do you mean this isn't how it's supposed to turn out? How what wasn't supposed to turn out?" I asked, earning not even a glance from either Larry or Megan.
     "The basement," Larry said, but it wasn't phrased like a question.
     Megan nodded, and with a blood curdling wail, she disintegrated and melted into the floor tiles. Once she was gone, Larry dropped like deadweight to the floor from his kneeling position.
     I jumped and caught his head in time before it hit the tiles of the floor. I don't remember calling for Ash or Todd but they soon came into the  bathroom in a rush.
     Todd bombarded me with questions, none of which I really retained. Ash eventually got him to stop, and urged me to tell what happened.
     I recounted the story, all the while cradling Larry's head in my lap. I was shaking and fighting back tears. This was all too similar to the night that I almost lost him.
     Could that have been what Megan was referring to? Was I supposed to not get to Larry in time to save him? Were all those dreams meant to be my reality.
     I felt a hand on my prosthetic. I jumped, realizing I was lost in my thoughts. I looked down to see Larry's pale eyes looking up at me. No, wait, not pale. They're brown. Brown. Like always.
     I felt that I was crying. I couldn't find the words to say anything, and I was lucky when Larry sat up, mumbling 'I'm okay' as he rubbed his temples.
     "What happened to you?" Ash asked, pressing her palm to his forehead to check his temperature.
     Larry shook his head, taking Ash's hand from his forehead. "I'm alright Ash. I just locked eyes with Megan, and I couldn't move. I heard Sal say something, but I was just brought back to that night. The night that I almost died. It- the feeling that I got when I met her eyes was the same as I got that night. Something big is happening here, and I don't know if I'm supposed to be on the side of the living to see it," he said, his voice shaky.
     His words hit me like a blow. I grabbed his face, making him meet my eyes as I fought off more tears that burned my throat. "Don't you say that. Don't you leave me," I said, my voice horribly shaky and hoarse.
     Larry looked guilty. Good. I don't want him to think that he can get away with thinking like that. I forced him to meet my eyes again. "You promised to not leave my side. I've never known you to be a man to go back on your promises." I tried to sound stern but my voice betrayed me by cracking.
     Larry sighed and grabbed my hands. "I'm sorry. I'm just not in my right mind here. Let's just figure out what's happening to these apartments," he said guiltily.
     "We aren't doing anything rash today. We are simply here to see the cause of the disturbances. Nothing more. No more sleuthing, as I don't think any of us can handle that right now," Todd clipped out, standing and shifting on his feet.
     Ash stood as well. "I agree. This place gives me the creeps and I would enjoy heading home as soon as possible," she said in a nicer tone than Todd. 
     I stood, offering out my hand to Larry. "Nothing rash. And we're keeping that pact to stick together for now on. No matter what," I said, meeting his eyes and trying to broadcast my resolve to him.
     Larry took my hand and hoisted himself up. He looked to everyone and smiled a little. "Let's go then gang."