Room 808: Dreams and Visitations
Todd was sleeping contently, nestled against Neil. His dreams were strange, things seemed to be fading from view.
Then...
"Psst... Todd. Hey." He heard a voice, and sleepily blinked his eyes open.
"Huh, Neil, it's still early... what the hell?" He turned toward the source of the voice, and stared in shock. He scrambled up the bedframe to sit up, jostling his lover a little.
"Easy... you'll wake him, and it'd be too confusing." The ghostly figure gently admonished him. Namely Neil. But there was also Neil still asleep in bed by him. Uh... what's wrong with this picture here?
"Neil? Wait, how can you be here, and here? What's going on, who are you?"
The ghost chuckled and grinned at him, "Listen to you, become quite a chatterbox since I've seen you. About time you came out of hiding."
He walked, or rather floated closer to the bed, and Todd shivered at the cold. He thought he felt his lover shiver a little, and drew the blanket up over him more.
"It is me, or I'm from your world would be the easiest way to explain. It's actually complicated." The ghost attempted to explain.
Todd replied, "I spoke to Death, she said she took you."
There was a sad nod, "She did. Said it was my time. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have left you all, but I felt trapped. Being taken away from everyone, especially you, it was too much. My soul felt dead already, and I decided to just...finish the job."
He slowly nodded back, "He, he told me that. But...does that mean it's his?"
The ghost studied the sleeping figure thoughtfully, "See, that's one of the complications. Depending on the path I choose, it is or it's not." He shrugged, "I know it's hard to explain, and I have all this information now. Speaking of which, I'm kind of on a mission now."
Off the confused look, Neil's ghost replied, "Part of my penance, but we don't need to get into that. You're in a rough time soon, Todd. Something's coming, and you will have to fight to keep what you're building here." He nodded to the figure to indicate what he meant.
"What do you mean? Fight me? What am I supposed to fight?"
The ghost held up a finger, "See, I'm not allowed to say. I'm allowed to warn you, and see how you are. You've done good, Todd. I'm proud of you. Cherish what you two have here, been given a once in a hundred lifetime opportunity." The ghost then started to head back to the door.
"Wait...did, did you know? About...?"
The ghost seemed to have tears of ectoplasm on his face, "What do you think, Todd? Part of me knew from the moment I first saw you. And so did you." He paused to add, "One thing. Don't ever let yourself fade away, or me. Dream and fight for us, my warrior poet, you Whitman in the making." He then stepped through the door.
"Neil..." Todd called softly in his sleep.
Then...
"Psst... Todd. Hey." He heard a voice, and sleepily blinked his eyes open.
"Huh, Neil, it's still early... what the hell?" He turned toward the source of the voice, and stared in shock. He scrambled up the bedframe to sit up, jostling his lover a little.
"Easy... you'll wake him, and it'd be too confusing." The ghostly figure gently admonished him. Namely Neil. But there was also Neil still asleep in bed by him. Uh... what's wrong with this picture here?
"Neil? Wait, how can you be here, and here? What's going on, who are you?"
The ghost chuckled and grinned at him, "Listen to you, become quite a chatterbox since I've seen you. About time you came out of hiding."
He walked, or rather floated closer to the bed, and Todd shivered at the cold. He thought he felt his lover shiver a little, and drew the blanket up over him more.
"It is me, or I'm from your world would be the easiest way to explain. It's actually complicated." The ghost attempted to explain.
Todd replied, "I spoke to Death, she said she took you."
There was a sad nod, "She did. Said it was my time. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have left you all, but I felt trapped. Being taken away from everyone, especially you, it was too much. My soul felt dead already, and I decided to just...finish the job."
He slowly nodded back, "He, he told me that. But...does that mean it's his?"
The ghost studied the sleeping figure thoughtfully, "See, that's one of the complications. Depending on the path I choose, it is or it's not." He shrugged, "I know it's hard to explain, and I have all this information now. Speaking of which, I'm kind of on a mission now."
Off the confused look, Neil's ghost replied, "Part of my penance, but we don't need to get into that. You're in a rough time soon, Todd. Something's coming, and you will have to fight to keep what you're building here." He nodded to the figure to indicate what he meant.
"What do you mean? Fight me? What am I supposed to fight?"
The ghost held up a finger, "See, I'm not allowed to say. I'm allowed to warn you, and see how you are. You've done good, Todd. I'm proud of you. Cherish what you two have here, been given a once in a hundred lifetime opportunity." The ghost then started to head back to the door.
"Wait...did, did you know? About...?"
The ghost seemed to have tears of ectoplasm on his face, "What do you think, Todd? Part of me knew from the moment I first saw you. And so did you." He paused to add, "One thing. Don't ever let yourself fade away, or me. Dream and fight for us, my warrior poet, you Whitman in the making." He then stepped through the door.
"Neil..." Todd called softly in his sleep.