‘Audrey’s thoughts’
’Ryan’s thoughts’
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"Eeee...." A deep moan was heard from a distance.
Audrey shifted uncomfortably under on the bed. "Eeeeee....." the moan came from far away, from the outside. The faint sound made her chest feel congested. It was too guttural to be a cat's voice.
"Leeeee......" the moaning continued to grow clearer and louder. Ryan was nowhere to be seen. 'He must be trying to scare me for fun.' She thought and turned away from the window that gave way for the streetlight to shine into the room. Irene was sleeping soundly on the opposite to her.
"Ileeeee...." The moaning became clearer. It was a man's voice, and it was sad. She looked into the dark void in front of her and caught sight of a shadow flash on the wall. "Emily....." the moan became clear. It was as though a mourning man was in the room.
Still with her eyes closed, convinced that she was only being tricked by Ryan, she turned back towards the window.
"WHERE IS MY EMILY?! HOW DARE YOU TOUCH MY EMILY?!! WHERE IS EMILY?!!?! MY EMILY??!!"
"AAAAAAAHHH! AAH! AAAH! AAAAAAA!!" Audrey screamed. The ghost's cold breath tingling on her face. The red eyes, the torn and bloodied white t-shirt, the blood soaked grey sweatpants. The pale face glared down at her, fury burning in his eyes.
Irene shot up from her bed when she heard Audrey scream. Audrey was shivering and pale, her eyes were wide and her breathing fast and shallow. She sprinted near Audrey and hugged her, "Audrey, are you okay? What happened? Is the ghost hurting you?"
Audrey continued staring wide-eyed at the air.
Ryan came from the wall near the window. As soon as he saw the ghost, he jumped at him and his neck, "what're you doing here?" His tone angry yet calm. "Emily-" the ghost choked, still looking menacingly at Audrey.
Ryan took him away near the wall and held him by the shoulders. The ghost gasped and choked, "my Emily..." then he screamed angrily. His thunderous voice sent shivers up and down Audrey's spine. He began sobbing and weeping, wailing "Emily..." Ryan tried to comfort him, but he continued crying on the ground.
Audrey sat there, on the bed, watching the two ghosts. The cries of one shook her heart and the calm voice of the other soothed her. Irene was still holding Audrey tightly, her eyes closed tight, she wore a worried expression on her face.
Ryan made the ghost stand and dragged him out of the room. "Audrey," Irene sat on the bed, "what did the ghost do to you?" Audrey shook her head. "Why don't you tell me? Why are you shivering so much? Did the ghost hurt you?" Audrey shook her head again. "Tell me what happened." She continued asking.
Still wide eyed and trembling, Audrey uttered, "A-.... A-.... A-.... Ahh..." she fell onto Irene's shoulder, unconscious. "Audrey!" Irene yelled, worried and confused. She placed Audrey carefully on the bed. "Audrey, wake up." She patted her cheek. Tears began filling her eyes. "Audrey... what happened to you?..." she sobbed, "Audrey... wake up..."
Ryan came back to check on Audrey, and found Irene crying on her bed. He went near them, and looked at Audrey, 'she fainted. Ok...' then he thought about how he could communicate with Irene and comfort her. He saw a book and a phone on the bedside table.
'I can use both. What should I choose? But I've never been inside a phone.'He went inside the phone with the broken screen. The phone jerked up and turned on.
Irene stared gazed at the phone, amazed. The notes app opened and a new note was clicked. Irene went to the phone and peered at the screen.
It began typing, "Audrey is fine. She'll wake up in the morning. This is Ryan, the friendly ghost. 😁. Another ghost came and started screaming at her, he's a poor thing, just mistaken Audrey for his previous wife, who killed him and the daughter he had with his new wife, Emily. Nothing to worry about. Everything is taken care of." Then it stopped, after a moment, it began typing again. "Go to sleep, you've got school tomorrow. 👍😀👍."
Irene smiled at the screen and went back to bed. "What's all that noise in here?" Stephanie came in and asked, her hair was all messed up. "Nothing." Irene smiled. Stephanie furrowed her brows, "you've got Audrey's 'nothing syndrome'." She scratched her head and went away.
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Audrey's POV:
"WAKE UP! WAKE UP!" I heard Ryan shout. "Your best friend betrayed you!" I could feel his coldness on my arms. He was probably trying to hold them. "She went to school without you! You're late!!"
"School?" I mumbled under the blanket. "University! College! School! They're the same! But you're late, lass!" He laughed a bit. Someone started banging on the doorframe. "Wake up, idiot!" Stephanie shouted. "You're late!" Her voice echoed in my head. 'Why is it echoing?'
I slowly got out of the bed and checked my phone. 'My class will start in ten minutes!' "Ten minutes!" I shrieked. "Yeah, idiot!" Stephanie shouted again, she was standing, all dressed up with a bag thrown over her shoulder. I rushed here and there to get ready.
I got ready and went out of the apartment within three minutes, now that's a record. Ryan was in a laughing fit. "Amusing, huh?" I hissed at him and ran like never before. I ran like the devil was behind me. The three minute walk to the campus that I usually take five minutes for, I took only one minute. Isn't that amazing? Like what Tasneem says, never underestimate the power of a common man.
I sprinted through the hallways and burst opened the door of the lecture room. "I'm here!" I announced. My professor checked her watch, "you're late. The reason being...?"
"Death held onto me tightly yet my soul refused to sleep forever, for I dearly wished to see my lovely professor whose class I love with all my heart." I said in a dramatic voice. "Flattery may fire up the blood of common men, but I'm as constant as the northern star!" She replied throwing her arms in the air.
Hurried footsteps were heard down the hallway, I looked to my side to see a panting Walter, sweaty and hot. "You too, Brutus?!" I asked. "Eh?" He looked at me confused. Professor Caitlyn fell onto her chair, "then fall, Caesar." "Erm..., this too shall pass." He said awkwardly and got inside the room. The rest of the students laughed.
I too got inside the lecture room, Professor Caitlyn pardoned us, luckily. I sat beside Irene who glared at me, "why did you come?" She whispered. "Why didn't you wake me up?" I whispered back. "You fainted yesterday, I thought of giving you a day's rest."
I was touched. I thought she wanted to make me late, I thought of her as selfish earlier today, but all she wanted was my comfort. 'What good friends I have!' I thought.
She sighed. "Anyway, I have booked an appointment with a therapist for you." "What? Why?" I asked her. "You were so shaken yesterday! The look in your eyes scared me! Do you know how worried I was when you screamed like that last night? You were shivering so much, and your breathing was so fast and shaky, I was scared for you."
"Miss Pharrell and Miss Barlow, silence." The professor glared at us. We became silent at once.
Ryan was there, I could feel his presence, I just ignored him. He had his chin on my shoulder, leering at me, his arms wrapped around me. I didn't mind him because the sun's heat was burning me and he was cold, cold enough to prevent allergies all over my arm.
Ehh, I guess having him by my side isn't that bad.
