(no subject)
Challenge [241]: Ghost Stories
Title: A Night of Visiting
Word Count: 593
There's not much traffic in Traverse Town, nowadays. The heartless have been cleared out for the most part, except for the odd Shadow slinking around in a nondescript corner. But the barkeep always locks her door before nearly midnight. It's wrong for it to be so quiet, she thinks; she has a small knife tucked in the waistband of her skirt, because she doesn't know not to be afraid of something if she can't hear it. The noises in the Third District scare her the most, though. Sometimes she hears laughing, or sometimes fighting. Sometimes there aren't even words, just strange syllables like incantations, though she knows she's the only one there. She should probably move house. The bar hardly ever gets customers, anyway, just the occasional drifter, looking lost and empty-eyed.
"I'm glad people have started coming back," says the boy. "It's good to see some life back in town, you know?"
"Yeah," smiles the girl at his side. They take a left turn and are nearly hit by a bike messenger, clicking his bell a little too late. "Maybe too much life, though," she grimaces. He laughs and the old pub comes into view in front of them.
"Let's go the long way around, okay?" she says suddenly, clenching her hand around his.
"But it takes forever," he complains.
"I don't care. I can't go by that stupid bar, not in the dark." She shudders.
"Aw, come on, you can't be afraid. It's completely deserted."
"That's just the thing! I can always hear the door opening and closing and the floorboards creaking like there's somebody in there. It gives me the creeps." Her frown is disconcerting.
"Okay," he says, kissing her forehead, "okay. We'll go through the Second District and pick up some ice cream. No ghosts there."
-
"Tifa?" Yuffie calls out into the street. "Ti-fa?"
"Up here," she yells, and Yuffie looks up sharply. Tifa waves from her rooftop and Yuffie sighs fondly, scaling the building with ease.
"What are you doing out here by yourself? It's getting a little too cold to play superhero," she chides brightly.
"I'm just looking," Tifa says vaguely, eyes on the stars.
Yuffie pauses tactfully. "He's not there, you know. I mean. He'll come back, but."
"Yuffie."
"You can't just kill yourself waiting on him," she says, throwing her hands up. There's a whole world out there, and you're staring at one little corner for him to show up."
"I know," Tifa says, lips quirking. "Hey, tell you what. Go get Aerith and Leon and we'll go out for dinner. My treat."
"Stop exploiting my weaknesses," Yuffie says crossly, but she turns to go all the same. "I'll be back soon."
Tifa keeps staring down to the street. A splash of light bursts into her vision over by the fountain. Yeah. Sure he's gone.
-
"You know," Axel says, grinning wryly, "there's a legend about this desert."
"Spare me," Roxas pleads, trudging through the sand.
"They say there was once a beautiful young witch whose lover left her to become a consort of the Sultana. She killed herself with grief and she haunts the dunes to put an end to all who seek mischief." He makes a ghostly wail and wiggles his fingers. Xion giggles.
"They also say you're an idiot," Roxas quips. Axel shrugs and scratches his head.
"I'll remember that when a witch comes to eat your soul. But jeez, talk about a boner-kill, right?"
-
Kairi wakes up screaming. There are no ghosts in her bed, only memories and moonlight.
Title: A Night of Visiting
Word Count: 593
There's not much traffic in Traverse Town, nowadays. The heartless have been cleared out for the most part, except for the odd Shadow slinking around in a nondescript corner. But the barkeep always locks her door before nearly midnight. It's wrong for it to be so quiet, she thinks; she has a small knife tucked in the waistband of her skirt, because she doesn't know not to be afraid of something if she can't hear it. The noises in the Third District scare her the most, though. Sometimes she hears laughing, or sometimes fighting. Sometimes there aren't even words, just strange syllables like incantations, though she knows she's the only one there. She should probably move house. The bar hardly ever gets customers, anyway, just the occasional drifter, looking lost and empty-eyed.
"I'm glad people have started coming back," says the boy. "It's good to see some life back in town, you know?"
"Yeah," smiles the girl at his side. They take a left turn and are nearly hit by a bike messenger, clicking his bell a little too late. "Maybe too much life, though," she grimaces. He laughs and the old pub comes into view in front of them.
"Let's go the long way around, okay?" she says suddenly, clenching her hand around his.
"But it takes forever," he complains.
"I don't care. I can't go by that stupid bar, not in the dark." She shudders.
"Aw, come on, you can't be afraid. It's completely deserted."
"That's just the thing! I can always hear the door opening and closing and the floorboards creaking like there's somebody in there. It gives me the creeps." Her frown is disconcerting.
"Okay," he says, kissing her forehead, "okay. We'll go through the Second District and pick up some ice cream. No ghosts there."
-
"Tifa?" Yuffie calls out into the street. "Ti-fa?"
"Up here," she yells, and Yuffie looks up sharply. Tifa waves from her rooftop and Yuffie sighs fondly, scaling the building with ease.
"What are you doing out here by yourself? It's getting a little too cold to play superhero," she chides brightly.
"I'm just looking," Tifa says vaguely, eyes on the stars.
Yuffie pauses tactfully. "He's not there, you know. I mean. He'll come back, but."
"Yuffie."
"You can't just kill yourself waiting on him," she says, throwing her hands up. There's a whole world out there, and you're staring at one little corner for him to show up."
"I know," Tifa says, lips quirking. "Hey, tell you what. Go get Aerith and Leon and we'll go out for dinner. My treat."
"Stop exploiting my weaknesses," Yuffie says crossly, but she turns to go all the same. "I'll be back soon."
Tifa keeps staring down to the street. A splash of light bursts into her vision over by the fountain. Yeah. Sure he's gone.
-
"You know," Axel says, grinning wryly, "there's a legend about this desert."
"Spare me," Roxas pleads, trudging through the sand.
"They say there was once a beautiful young witch whose lover left her to become a consort of the Sultana. She killed herself with grief and she haunts the dunes to put an end to all who seek mischief." He makes a ghostly wail and wiggles his fingers. Xion giggles.
"They also say you're an idiot," Roxas quips. Axel shrugs and scratches his head.
"I'll remember that when a witch comes to eat your soul. But jeez, talk about a boner-kill, right?"
-
Kairi wakes up screaming. There are no ghosts in her bed, only memories and moonlight.