A Fetish for the Finite (7/14)
Title: A Fetish for the Finite
Author: thefabrosevest
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Brendon/Ryan
POV: 1st, Brendon’s
Summary: Brendon’s aunt dies and he gets her old house, uninvited visitors included.
Disclaimer: Fake!
Author’s Notes: The idea came while watching ‘The Woman In Black’. It's very gloomy and stuff.
Here are a few pictures of the places.
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
“So … what is it like? Being dead?” I ask when we both calmed down.
We are sitting in the living room now, the fireplace warming the room. Ryan stares at the fire and doesn’t even stir.
“I don’t know what you want me to answer. It’s not like being alive, obviously, but I can’t really tell you the difference.”
I nod to myself and stare at the fire, too. It’s calming.
“What is it exactly about this house? I still don’t really understand.” I murmur.
“It’s complicated and there are things even I don’t understand. It’s just … the house has a personality, kind of. I think it’s maybe the person who built the house, I don’t know.”
He pauses and I look over at him. He’s still staring at the fire, searching for words.
“Maybe I should start off with the people who died in here. You know, what happens after your death depends on how you died. When it’s a normal death, like … an accident or illness or something like that, then you simply go to the other side. A person, who commits suicide, is cursed to wander between both worlds.”
He brings his knees up to his chest and rests his head on them.
“When you’re murdered … you’re cursed to wander around the earth till your murderer dies.”
He finally turns his head towards me, looking at me without emotion, waiting for me to ask the question I can’t hold back any longer.
“How did you die?” I ask, barely a whisper.
He sighs and looks away again.
“I was murdered.”
After he said it, it’s too silent in the room.
How could someone murder him? Why would someone want to do that?
“By whom?” I ask, watching him carefully.
“My father”
“Oh …”
I wait a moment before I speak again.
“So he’s still alive?” I ask and he lets out a dry laugh.
“No, he died many years ago.”
Alright, now I start to get confused.
“Then … why are you still here?”
“What I told you doesn’t apply to people who died on this house. The house made his own rules.” He says, looking around. “The house is like a giant soul catcher. I felt it when my father died … but I couldn’t leave, because the house wouldn’t let me.”
“So you have to ghost around here forever?” I ask.
“Yes … seems like it.”
“What I still don’t understand is why you’re the only one I see around here? What about all the others?”
“Well, seems like I’m the only one who got murdered in here. The ones who died in here by accident, or more like the accidents were triggered by the house, became a part of it. I don’t know how to explain it. I don’t really understand it myself. The ones who committed suicide can wander around sometimes, but they can’t be seen by human eyes.”
“Do you see them?”
“Yes, that’s what happened yesterday. A few of those ghosts were about to get here, they are part of the house most of the time or something like that, I should stop trying to understand that part. Most of them are … not quite good. They want you out of here or dead. Pete told me that they were about to come and I panicked.”
“Pete? He’s one of the ghosts?”
“Yes, he and Patrick are the few good ones. All the others turned … kind of evil.”
“What about my aunt?”
“I didn’t see her till now, but I know that she’s here.”
I look around, but of course, all I see is an old house.
“She wrote something about midnight.”
“The ones who are present can be seen at midnight.” He answers.
“God … that’s too much information.” I murmur and get up.
Ryan looks up and watches me when I start to pace around.
“Can you promise me something?” he asks then and I stop to look at him.
“What?”
“When you leave today … don’t come back. Leave Grey Valley and never come back.”
I stare at him with my mouth slightly open.
“Are you nuts? I’m not going to leave you here.”
He sighs and looks away.
“I knew this would happen. Listen, I don’t matter. I’m here for … I don’t even know how long I’m trapped in here already. I’ll manage.”
“I’ll find a way to get you out of here.”
He shakes his head with a sad smile.
“It’s nice that you want to help me, but it’s useless.”
Then he turns his head to the side and stares at something. I watch him for a second.
“That’s Pete, isn’t it?” I ask, but Ryan doesn’t react.
He looks down for a moment and nods and then he turns to look at me again.
“What did he say?” I ask.
“He thinks that if one of us has a chance to get out of here, then it would be me.”
“You see? It’s worth a try. I’ll do some research and stuff.”
He nods, but doesn’t seem convinced. I walk over and sit next to him.
“I still don’t think you should come back.” He says.
“We managed it the last time. We’ll manage again if we have to.”
He nods and shifts a bit to rest his head on my shoulder.
“I don’t want you to end up like all the others.” He whispers after a few minutes and I sigh and rest my head on top of his.
“I won’t.” I say, staring at the fire.
He remains silent for a few minutes and then he turns his head and snuggles into my shoulder. I smile and try to ignore the part of me that screams that he’s dead and that I’m crazy.
“Shut up, Pete.” Ryan says out of sudden, sounding amused.
“What did he say?” I ask but Ryan just shakes his head.
“Can you play me another song?” he asks and sits up to look at me.
“Of course” I say and smile at his attempt to change the subject.
I get up and hold my hand out for him. He smiles and takes it. I lead him up to the music room and look around.
“Is here a guitar somewhere?” I ask and Ryan smiles and walks over to a door I didn’t notice before. He disappears inside and comes back with an acoustic guitar.
“There’s an old electric one, too.” He says shyly and I take the guitar from him.
I sit down on the floor, Ryan sitting down in front of me.
“Can you sing?” he asks and I glance over at him.
“No one ever heard me sing, so no one ever told me if I can.” I murmur and stare down at the guitar.
“There’s a first time for everything.” He says and I can practically hear his smile.
I take a deep breath and think of a song I could play. I look over at Ryan one last time and then I start to play Wonderwall by Oasis.
When I start to sing, I avoid looking at Ryan and just continue to stare at the guitar in my lap. When I dare to look at him halfway through the song, he’s staring at me with the same expression as the time, but now, there’s a small smile on his face.
When I end the song and look at him properly, he beams at me.
“Wanna know what I think?” he asks and when I nod, he crawls forward and kisses me on the cheek.
“I never heard a more beautiful voice.” He whispers.
When he draws back, I smile at him.
“Wanna hear another one?” I ask and he nods with excitement.
*
We spend the next few hours in the music room. I play song after song, switching between guitar and piano and Ryan just watches me the whole time, commenting on every song afterwards.
His comments are really interesting.
After Wake Me Up When September Ends he says “I stopped paying attention to the time of the year. Is it September right now?”
After Big Yellow Taxi he says “I don’t want you to leave me today.”
He doesn’t say something after Carry On My Wayward Son.
After You Found Me he laughs dryly and says “You found me a little bit too late.”
When I’m thinking about another song to play, Ryan gets up and sits next to me on the piano bench.
“Could you play the sad song again? The first one you played?” he asks and when I turn to look at him, he’s staring at the piano keys.
“Of course”
I start playing Mad World again and he leans against me again. This time, I sing along.
All around me are familiar faces
Worn out places, worn out faces
Bright and early for their daily races
Going nowhere, going nowhere
Their tears are filling up their glasses
No expression, no expression
Hide my head I want to drown my sorrow
No tomorrow, no tomorrow
And I find it kinda funny
I find it kinda sad
The dreams in which I'm dying
Are the best I've ever had
I find it hard to tell you
I find it hard to take
When people run in circles
It's a very, very mad world, mad world
Children waiting for the day they feel good
Happy birthday, happy birthday
Made to feel the way that every child should
Sit and listen, sit and listen
Went to school and I was very nervous
No one knew me, no one knew me
Hello, teacher, tell me what's my lesson
Look right through me, look right through me
And I find it kinda funny
I find it kinda sad
The dreams in which I'm dying
Are the best I've ever had
I find it hard to tell you
I find it hard to take
When people run in circles
It's a very, very mad world, mad world
Enlarge your world
Mad world
“That song fits so well.” He whispers when I finish.
He’s just staring at the piano again. I want to know what he’s thinking, but I know that he would change the subject if I’d ask.
“It’s late, you have to go.” He says and gets up.
I sigh and get up as well. Ryan is already walking out of the room and I follow with quick movements.
When we arrive in the entrance hall, I reach out and place a hand on Ryan’s shoulder to turn him around.
“Listen, I’ll come back … and I’ll get you out of here, I swear.”
“Don’t swear when you can’t keep it.” He whispers and looks away.
I want to open my mouth, but then I hear a horn in the distance. I look up quickly and then at Ryan again.
“Want to walk me to the car?” I ask with a small smile.
“No” he says and turns away.
My smile disappears as I watch him walk into the living room. I wait a few seconds before I follow. I’m not surprised when there’s no one in the room. I walk back into the hall and open the door.
“I’ll keep my promise, Ry.” I say loudly, but I get no response.
Quickly, I leave the house and run along the path.
“Finally” Jon sighs when he sees me. “How was it?”
“Revealing” I answer and get into the car.
“That’s good, right?”
“I guess”
Chapter 8