#but a surgical mask? it takes nothing to wear one like it's annoyance at worst | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

shig-a-shig-ah · 3 years

Text

GOOD CLEAN FUN

» pairing: chisaki kai x fem!reader

» cw: noncon, somnophilia, oral sex, medical kink, needles (brief mention) 18+, minors DNI.

» a/n: Quirkless AU! This was written for the BNHA Degeneracy 9 to 5 Server collab.

» wc: 5k

» ao3 mirror

Dentistry is a disgusting profession. It makes Chisaki's skin crawl, the poor care people take of themselves, and he frequently regrets being pushed into this family business of staring down filthy gullets all day, though he takes sadistic pleasure in refusing to be gentle with the worst of his patients. Why should he be, when they obviously have such disregard for their own health and hygiene? No, in those cases he takes great satisfaction in ripping the rot out by the root with nothing but pliers and his own brute strength.

Some days, though...some days there are patients like you, who make it all worth while. Patients who are clean.

You make yourself such an easy mark too, though Kai had expected as much after Kurono so slyly told him that he'd probably want to take care of the new patient in room two personally. Hari wasn't wrong; you're trembling when Kai enters the exam room, staring wide-eyed at the tray of neatly-arranged stainless steel instruments next to the chair in which you're reclining, fingertips gripping at the armrests. You're chewing at your lip too, as though your nerves weren't already apparent enough, those perfectly white, straight teeth digging into your plump lower lip in a way that's practically obscene. Even without a closer look Chisaki can tell what good care you take of that cute little mouth, and it's enough to send his cock twitching.

He takes a seat on the stool next to you as he introduces himself, careful to keep the excitement from his voice and to squint his eyes just right so that you'll know he's smiling even behind the surgical mask he wears, the one that both protects him from those much filthier than you and keeps you from seeing just how cold that grin really is. Your own smile is much more obviously forced, but he likes that you try - it's endearing that you're working hard to be brave even when you look close to tears with anxiety. Of course, he also likes that you're scared, likes that extra little bit of power over you, and that it will make all the easier for him to take advantage, because he's already decided he has to have you.

It's impossible for you to remember how or why this dentophobia started. You can only remember being dragged kicking and screaming to the dentist as a young child, your mother scolding you for refusing to behave. As you got older you managed a little more self-control, but while you can force yourself into the chair, you can do nothing to stop the way you shake and your heart races. It's only made worse by the obvious annoyance you face when practitioners have to deal with you; you know they think you're stupid or immature for this reaction you can't control.

The man before you, however, is smiling sympathetically, gold-flecked eyes crinkling with concern in a way you appreciate. He's handsome even with half his face covered, all bright eyes and perfect dark hair, and your cheeks heat up when he asks if you're nervous. You force out a meek nod, and he chuckles softly.

"No need to be self-conscious. It's a common fear," he says. "But we do offer sedation, if that's something you're interested in. It can help with the nerves."

Your brow furrows slightly. It's not an option you've been offered before, hadn't even realized it was a possibility. "Sedation? Like, put me under?"

"No," he says, chuckling softly again as he turns to the monitor by the chair and starts scrolling through what you assume is your file. "Nothing as severe as that, at least not for a routine cleaning. Just a little nitrous oxide to help take the edge off."

That you have heard of, but always thought it was only used for more intense procedures. "That's laughing gas, right?"

"That's the colloquial name for it, yes. It'll numb you some and help you relax. Although it might make you a little giggly, as the name implies. Some of my patients even enjoy it." Your face heats up again when his intense gaze lingers on you, not just with embarrassment this time, and a small titter escapes you.

Chisaki can't believe his luck with you, if he's being honest. You're exactly his type, and as he expected your dental records are flawless - never so much as a cavity. He's confident too that you'll accept what he's offering with as anxious as you are, and your reaction to his presence. He's not surprised by that; Kai knows the effect he has on people when he tries. Probably he doesn't even need to go through the great lengths he does to get people like you into a compromising position, but he enjoys the process. It's easier this way, with access to medical records so he knows what he's touching, and an army of sedatives to ensure he's perfectly in control of these encounters.

You only deliberate for a moment before nodding and giving him the answer he knew you would. "Okay, I guess I can try it."

The smile he gives you this time is actually genuine as excitement blooms in his gut. "I think you'll find it really helps," he says, daring to rest one hand on your forearm briefly. Even through the thin latex of his gloves, he can feel that your skin is soft, and he feels another pang of anticipation. Then he stands up. "I have to supervise the sedation, so I'll take care of your cleaning and exam personally. I'll be right back and then we can get started."

Your chest is still tight with anxiety as he situates you, arranging a strange mask over your nostrils and instructing you to breath deeply through your nose, but once you catch the scent of that slightly sweet gas being pumped into your lungs, the effects are almost immediate. The tension in your chest abates, your whole body going light and tingly, and suddenly you can't remember what you were ever so afraid of. When Chisaki tells you to open wide, you don't even hesitate, doing so immediately and sticking your tongue out slightly, making an exaggerated 'ahhhhh' sound and then giggling a little, though you couldn't say why.

"I can see it's working already," Chisaki says. He's unable to keep the breathiness out of his tone this time, but he trusts you're too distracted to notice. The way you'd opened so obediently, and the sight of your little pink tongue poking out lewdly has his cock hardening already, and he's only barely begun. He can't stop himself from reaching out, pushing that wet muscle back into your mouth with one finger, letting it linger on your tongue a moment longer than necessary to feel the heat of it before pulling away, but you only giggle at the slightly inappropriate act.

Despite his straining erection begging for relief, Chisaki still has a job to do, and he works with well-practiced efficiency as he goes through the process of cleaning your teeth. The anticipation is as much a part of this as anything else, and he'd be lying if he said he didn't enjoy the buildup. He's not a masochist by any means, but these little self-denials are gratifying, only serve to make the end result that much sweeter. Still, he can't help but find himself occasionally distracted by the way you laugh every time he gives you an instruction to open wider, or tilt your head, noticing the way your chest bounces slightly beneath your tight top, and how you lie with your legs slightly spread, so inviting.

Normally he waits until he can render patients like you truly helpless before he touches them, recommending elaborate procedures that they don't realize are entirely unnecessary, but then again most patients don't request or accept sedation for such routine procedures as this. He reaches over to the tank of nitrous oxide, increasing the dose slightly and watching as you slump a little more in the chair, and then he reaches out to trail one gloved hand up your thigh and over your clothed center.

You've barely felt anything this whole time, aware of him working at your teeth but not really registering it, too overwhelmed by the way your whole body feels pleasantly tingly and numb, and it's only after he's ceased fussing over your mouth that you start to notice another sensation, a building tension between your thighs that makes you squirm, a small whine escaping you. Your eyes, closed to defend against the bright overhead light, flutter open, but you can't see him hovering over you anymore.

"We're almost finished," Chisaki says calmly when you whimper again as that slight pressure continues to build. "I just need to enter some notes in your file, and then finish the actual exam."

From out of your line of sight he can see the way you're frowning, your cheeks puffing up slightly with discomfort and arousal, obviously confused. He presses his fingers more firmly against your clothed cunt, palming himself through his pants with his other hand. It's bolder than he'd usually be, but for once he's struggling with restraint, just can't bring himself to wait until he's found some excuse to render you more wholly unconscious in his chair.

"I just...I feel a little funny," you whimper, and then giggle again.

"That's normal," he says, continuing to massage your sex, noticing the way your hips twitch when he strokes over just the right spot. "Some people feel numbness, or a little pressure. As long as nothing hurts, there's nothing to worry about."

You nod, letting your eyes fall closed again. You can't quite help your thighs from twitching; it's a strange feeling, the knot tightening deep in your stomach even as you feel so numb and tingly, and when it intensifies further you feel a stab of shame as you realize exactly what's happening, that you're going to cum even as you try to hold yourself back.

Kai knows it's risky, that all you'd have to do is turn your head and open your eyes to see his straining arousal, but he can't stop himself from working his pants open as quietly as possible and stroking himself properly as he watches the struggle on your face, the way you bite at your lip and obviously try to ignore the sensation, apparently ready to believe this is some spontaneous reaction to your drugged-up state and not his fingers working over you.

Despite the fact that you try to resist the sensation, the tingling in your body intensifies around your clit until your legs are shaking, the walls of your cunt fluttering around nothing and a mortifying whine escaping you. Through your giddiness, however, the humiliation is short-lived, nearly forgotten the moment you find yourself giggling at your own orgasm.

The sight of you quivering as you cum, entirely unaware of his hands on you, only further erodes Kai's patience. "I just need to take one last quick look," he says, and then without waiting for your response he's releasing his cock momentarily, using gloved fingers from both hands to pry your mouth wide again. You squirm slightly when he forces those fingers deep in your mouth, but he removes one hand just as quickly, returning those spit-soaked fingers to his throbbing shaft and fisting himself more urgently. If you can hear the faint wet sounds the action brings, he trusts that you won't question them.

Fuck, and he's close already, the sight of your pink tongue lolling against his fingers only sending the coil in his gut tightening further, and he shoves his fingers a little deeper towards the back of your throat, feeling the muscles there spasm as you gag at the invasion.

"I'm sorry if this is a bit unpleasant," he says shortly, too caught up in the way you look with his fingers probing your mouth to maintain that congenial tone. Even through the gloves he can feel the heat and wetness of your mouth, and it sends shivers down his spine. "This should only take a minute. You have a small mouth - it's difficult to see with your tongue in the way."

He presses his fingers further, not sure why he's explaining himself when you're so obviously unbothered. You're only nodding, spit running down the side of your chin as you salivate around his fingers. On most anyone else he would find the sight nauseating, but seeing your innocent face so debased only spurs him closer to his release. He squeezes his length more tightly, letting the spit-slicked palm of his gloved hand rub over his tip with every stroke, the fingers of his other hand continuing to invade his throat while you simply lay there and take it, and when you finally let out a moan of real distress at the feel of his fingers in the back of your throat, it's enough to send him over the edge, his cock spasming and hot spurts of cum shooting into his gloved hand.

The moment his cock stops twitching he withdraws his fingers from your mouth, stripping off his fouled gloves and tucking himself back into his pant before you can so much as open your eyes. When he turns back to you again, you're staring at the ceiling, grinning slightly with shiny, wet lips.

It takes a few minutes for your head to clear once he removes the mask from your face, and by then you only have the vaguest sense that anything about the experience was strange, and even then it was still vastly more pleasant than any of your prior dental experiences, albeit embarrassing in a slightly different way than usual.

Chisaki waits for you to seem cognizant before drawing your attention to the monitor by the chair. His boldness in touching you did little to truly satisfy him, only made him more eager to fuck you properly, to feel the heat of your tongue against his cock instead of his fingers, and to bury himself in that cunt that responded so sweetly to his touch.

"Your teeth are mostly in good shape," Chisaki says. "But I'm afraid you do have one small cavity. Here, see?" He points at one of your x-rays on the screen, a perfectly healthy tooth but he's confident you won't notice that, that you don't know what to look for, and sure enough you're only nodding, eyes wide. It's adorable, that fearful look on your face. He almost wishes there were a way for you to keep that expression when he has his way with you. "It's only a small one. But I'd recommend a stronger sedative for it, if your nerves are that much of a problem."

"Stronger?"

"It requires an IV," he explains, "and you wouldn't be able to drive yourself home afterwards. You'll still be conscious, technically, but you won't be aware of much."

The idea of having your tooth drilled into already has you quaking, the last traces of your buzz gone, and you agree at once. "Okay. I guess I can ask my roommate to drive me." She probably won't mind; you two do each other favors fairly regularly.

Kai's glad to hear you don't mention a boyfriend. It wouldn't matter in the end, if you had one or not, but the idea of some other man's hands on you still sends a jealous, possessive stab through him. He prefers to believe that he's the only who's touched you, that there aren't others out there tainting you with their filth.

"Great," he says, giving you another one of those reassuring smiles. "Let's get you scheduled."

***

It's a matter of days before you're back again, Kurono having conveniently found a 'cancellation' in the schedule to slot you in. He knows all about Kai's proclivities of course; they've worked together for years, well before Chisaki took over Overhaul Dentistry from his adopted father, and they've known each other even longer. Hari's stayed to watch Kai's little indiscretions once or twice, though he's more prone to lurking outside the door to listen shamelessly, knowing full well that Chisaki has no interest in sharing and would never permit him to touch what he considers his.

Chisaki is practically shaking with impatience by the time you arrive, has to take a few deep breaths to steady his trembling hands before placing the IV and pumping you full of Propofol. He's not sure he's ever been this excited about a patient, but this time around the eagerness has been killing him. He's always considered his libido healthy but not excessive, but he's stroked himself off more times in the last few days that he usually would over the course of a month, waiting for this.

You blink slowly, counting backwards until your words trail off and your eyes fall closed, and then Kai stands up, taking in the sight of you limp before him. You wore a dress today, a summery little thing that buttons from top to bottom, almost as though you'd known what you were coming here for.

He's already hard, his erection straining against the constricting fabric of his pants, but he ignores it for now and focuses on undoing those buttons, savoring each additional glimpse of skin. Your underwear is simple, white cotton panties with a hint of lace around the edges, and a matching bra. He likes them, simple and clean, just like you.

One gloved hand lifts to cup your breasts, kneading that soft flesh and then finding the bud of one nipple and rolling it between his fingers, sending it hardening. He watches your face as he does so - you're not entirely unconscious, but you won't react much, and you certainly won't remember this. Your brow is furrowing just slightly under the attention, and when he moves to toy with your other nipple he hears the faint sigh you let out, takes it as encouragement to shove that garment out of the way and reveal your pert breasts, licking his lips at the sight of the slightly darker skin of your nipples, and the way they've puckered under his attentions so invitingly. He bends and takes one in his mouth, laving his tongue over that stiff peak, biting down lightly.

A little whine escapes you this time, and the sound sends spike of heat through his cock. He knew you'd be responsive to him after the last time, but you're already exceeding his expectations. He tips his head slightly, staring at your mouth, those slightly parted lips.

He's never felt compelled to kiss anyone, all too aware of the filth present in even the cleanest of mouths, but as he stares at your lips he's surprised by the urge to do so. And he knows the risks are minimal, spent more than one of the last several evenings reading through your medical records, giving them a much more thorough evaluation than the release form you'd signed probably warranted. But he couldn't help himself, and now he knows that you take good care of the rest of yourself just like you do your mouth.

He leans forward curiously, encouraged when your lips press just a little back into his, even as your eyes stay closed. He lets his tongue snake out to trace over your mouth, probing between those lips, and you let another soft whine, though your tongue doesn't respond to his. That's okay; it's more enjoyable that he'd have expected and he deepens it anyway, relishing your taste, minty and sweet - obviously you'd prepared yourself for him. He grasps one of your hands and brings it to rub against his cock, panting as he ruts into your palm.

When he finally breaks the kiss, he's equally parts disgusted and aroused by the thin strand of saliva that connects your mouths, staring at it in fascination until it breaks.

That uncharacteristic impatience rears its head again, and Chisaki fumbles with his pants, letting his cock spring forth. He wraps your hand around it briefly, savoring the feel of your small, soft hand caressing his length, and then he moves on just as quickly. It only takes the flick of a switch to lower the chair down so that you're at waist level, and then he's tilting your head towards him, pressing the tip of his cock against those spit-slicked lips. You surprise him by poking that pink tongue out just a little, and for a minute he simple brushes the head of his glans back and forth against it, relishing the soft brush of your wet tongue, and the pleasant jolt it sends through him.

"You're a little tease, aren't you?" he whispers. Then, he pushes forward into the hot cavern of your mouth, swearing under his breath at the feel of you. You gag reflexively when he bumps against the back of your throat, but he only pulls back briefly and surges forward again, one gloved hand coming to rest in your hair gently, holding you in place as he fucks your mouth.

It's not tight without you actively sucking, but it's hot and wet, and the velvety texture of your tongue against him is more than enough. Despite trying to be gentle at first, he finds himself thrusting more roughly as his excitement grows at the sight of his length disappearing between your sweet lips, stroking your hair when you gag harder.

"Shh, now," he scolds to your unresponsive body. "Be good and take it."

It's almost as though you're listening - your head tilts back slightly to accept more of him, your throat contracting around him, and before he can help himself Kai's hips are bucking, his balls tightening and his cock contracting as his load spills down your throat. When he pulls away he can still see the last of his seed coating your tongue, and he spreads it around with his gloved fingers, entranced by the sight.

He adjusts his clothes a bit, not done with you just yet, and then circles around towards you feet. His gloved hands wander up along your thighs, squeezing at that soft flesh, and then tug you down towards him - mindful of the IV still buried in your arm - until your legs dangling off the edge of the chair. He spreads them a little, running one finger over your clothed slit. There's a damp spot at the center of your panties, and his eyes fix on it with great satisfaction.

"You really are eager, hmm?" he murmurs, letting the pad of his thumb hone in on your clit, the outline of that puffy bead visible through the damp cotton. You let out the faintest of whimpers, your hips tilting into his touch slightly, and Kai lets out a shuddering breath before bending forward and burying his face between your thighs, letting his lips move lightly over your covered cunt, catching your clit between his lips to tease your barely-conscious form, earning another soft whimper. His cock is swelling again already at those little sounds, and the scent of you.

Forcing himself to pull away, he works your panties down over your hips and off completely with eager fingers, his eyes fixing on your bare cunt. Your positive to response to his touches is all the more visible now, glistening strands of wetness coating your folds. He uses his thumbs to spread you open, circling your clit with two fingers as he stares at your entrance and letting out a throaty groan when he can see your hole clenching around nothing.

The sight of your perfect cunt so greedy for his cock is entrancing, and he repeats the motion. You're not the first person he's done this with and you certainly won't be the last, but oh, you just might be his favorite, so eager for him. He'd known you were special after that first encounter, but your response to him now is better than he could have imagined a few days ago.

He slides two fingers into you, scissoring them gently to ready you for his cock. He can hear the way your faint breathing has sped up, the skin across your chest darkening slightly as you grow flushed from his efforts, and when he removes his fingers they're coated in your slick. He stares at them curiously, tempted again by new desires, and then slides them into his mouth, savoring the taste of you, sweet and quite unlike anything else.

The throbbing in his cock is growing unbearable, and though there's a part of him that wants to draw this out, wants to savor it, there's even larger part that's desperate to feel that tight hole clenching around him. He shifts you again slightly, bringing your hips to rest at the end of the chair, the contours of the leg rest making your back arch nicely, those perfect tits even more on display, and he takes one in hand as he aligns himself near your entrance, pinching at your nipple hard enough to make you whine.

There are condoms in the pocket of his sterile white lab coat; he's normally vigilant with the protective measures, loathe to expose himself to any unnecessary risks, both hygienically and in terms of leaving evidence behind, but he's tempted to forgo that now. The notes from your last yearly doctor's visit stated you're not sexually active, and he thinks it must be true, that an innocent thing like you is too sweet to lie. Of course, because of that you're not on birth control either, but even that doesn't bother him like it should; it excites him even, the thought of his seed taking root and the surprise that would bring.

He runs his bare cock over your damp slit experimentally, groaning at the unadulterated sensation, and that's enough to convince him to abandon his usual precautions. Kai thrusts forward into your wet heat, letting out a strangled moan. Your cunt is so tight, so hot around his length, and god, it's so much better when he can feel it all, the intense wetness of your cunt creaming around him and every tiny ridge of your velvety walls. The way you whimper when he forces himself into you makes him wonder if perhaps he didn't prepare you quite enough - your walls are fluttering around his cock, obviously struggling to accommodate him, but it's not until he's nestled deep inside, the head of his cock kissing your cervix, that he pauses to let you adjust.

You squirm a little - small, feeble movements - and Kai relishes each slight shift of your body, watching your lips twitch. It's obvious you're trying to speak, but in your drugged up state all that spills forth is barely audible nonsense, tiny whines with a pleading undertone. He reaches forward to stroke your hair from your face. "You're so needy," he scolds, "but don't worry, I'll take care of you."

With that, he pulls out until just the head of his cock is still trapped in your cunt, and then drives himself forward roughly. Your limp body bounces back at the force of his thrust, your tits jiggling slightly with each of his movements, a sight he adores. He lets his fingers circle your clit again, can feel the way your cunt immediately clamps down around him in response, as though you're trying to draw him even deeper, and he gladly obliges you, slamming himself as deep as possible every time. You whimper more loudly than you have yet, and he can just make out your eyes trying vainly to flutter open, never quite succeeding.

"You take me so well," he pants, the feel of your slick walls gripping his cock so tightly has his balls tightening again, and he slows a little, trying to prolong the inevitable, not ready to be done with your sweet pussy just yet. He leans forward clumsily latch his mouth around one of those erect nipples, sucking and nibbling, noting the response brings, you throaty noises coming more quickly, the slight twitches of your hips growing more violent.

"So well," he murmurs again. No one's been this responsive before; he's lucky, honestly, if he can ever coax his patients to orgasm, but your cunt is flooded, obviously ready to cum for him, and it's enough that he loses the last of his restraint, rolling his hips furiously, railing against your cervix with every thrust in a way that's sure to leave you aching once you're fully aware again, but he can't bring himself to care. He wants to feel your release, feel you gripping his cock more tightly if such a thing is possible, and wants to fill you up with his seed.

"Are you going to be good and cum for me?" he asks breathily, and after another minute your body answers his question, your cunt clamping down, a quiet, high-pitched whine issuing from your throat as you hole constricts. Another few stuttering thrusts and his own cock is spasming, pleasant throbs radiating through his core as he drives into you one last time and cums, swearing at the almost unbearable tightness of your cunt around him.

For a moment he remains buried there, relishing the last throes of your orgasms and the way you're still occasionally pulsing around him. When he pulls out, he frowns at the distasteful mess his cum makes as it leaks out of your gaping hole, but it's accompanied by a shiver of satisfaction at the evidence of how he's claimed you for himself. Still, he moves on almost immediately to cleaning up, slipping on a fresh pair of nitrile gloves and tucking himself back into his pants before digging out a handful of papery dental bibs and using them to clean away the mess he's left between your thighs. Of course, there's nothing he can do about the evidence he's left deep inside, but even that he still finds titillating, the thought of his cum dripping out of you even after you've left, of your cute, confused face as you try to understand.

You barely stir as he goes about this process, only occasionally shifting slightly or mumbling a little, and by the time he's replaced your clothes you're lying still, the tiniest frown is on your lips. It's almost as though you know your time together is coming to an end, and you don't want to go. Chisaki glances from you to the needle in your arm, and the still half-full bag of Propofol suspended from the IV stand. Now that he thinks about it, he supposes there's no real reason to rush you out of there.

"Hari," he calls out, and he's unsurprised when the door to the exam room opens almost immediately, knows how Kurono likes to listen. The other man looks at him questioningly, gaze flicking between Kai and your sedated form reclining in the chair.

"Yes, Kai?" he asks, raising on pale eyebrow.

Chisaki smiles behind his mask. "Cancel the rest of my appointments for the day."

#chisaki x reader #chisaki kai x reader #chisaki x you #bnha fanfic #chisaki kai #cw: noncon #tw: noncon

766 notes · View notes

frosty-tian · 5 years

Text

Fan Flash Fiction: A Cold Start:

Ratings: General Audiences

Warnings: None

Genre: Slice-of-life, Comedy/Humour

Fandom: ‘Boomboom-school’

Characters: Rin Hiryu, other Class 1-B students (minor role/appearances.)

Words: 1500+

Extra notes: Idea from my wonderful friend @seersnake! As usual, polite constructive criticisms/feedback are welcome.

Summary:

It’s the new start for Rin, which meant new attitude, and new things to look forward to. However, on this fine morning, an unexpected problem strikes.

Will Rin still be able to have a great time despite the new obstacle ahead?

Early sunlight slanted through the curtain’s crack. The long, warm beam split my room cleanly in half, turning dust specks into flickers of ember.

Usually, I simply would’ve groaned and turn my back to the light, but I was sure about this day being different.

Why, it’s the first day of December. This meant… Few more steps until Christmas and the long-awaited New Years!

Determined that absolutely nothing will meddle with this happy thought in my head, I enthusiastically threw off my warm blankets (I have the habit of sleeping with two layers during colder nights), wearing an unusually big (and possibly stupid) smile that’s brimming with optimism.

This optimism fell flat seconds after I yanked open the thin, olive-green curtains.

I blinked once, twice.

How...?

There were small, grinding sounds (I think) when I gritted my teeth, before I hissed softly through them:

“You…!”

Within a brief matter of seconds, I was hunched in front of my laptop’s screen, click-clacking away on the keys furiously. Right after the result page popped up, I hastily skimmed across the bright screen.

“Clear with periodic clouds, wind speed…”

Finally, I stopped cold on a particular text. I gaped with much horror. Even took me a few seconds to process the info.

“-10C/14F”

Oh, damn it….!

“Isn’t this bit of an over-kill?” Setsuna dropped one of her casual remarks while she tilted her head to one side and scrutinized me with a wrinkled nose. She was wearing a stylish, puffy green jacket over her uniform. Parts below the below the belt had scale patterns that’s made of something like green foil burned into the fabric, which gradually faded as it crept upwards from the hem. I can confirm that she’s one of the more up-to-date fashionsta in our class, but this morning, she looked prettier than usual.

Better judgment managed to strike me during the right moment, so I kept my tongue in my cotton surgical mask.

Simply puffed out in my full ‘winter gear’, I wonder why she thought this was something worth making a big fuss about. Okay, maybe I did throw in some ‘extra layers’ for a good measure, but still…

“I ran out of ginger powder for my warming drink.”

“Ah.”

Our conversation was cut short by a cheerful voice.

“Good morning, Setsuna! Good morning… Uhhh.”

Kendo hurriedly strolled past us, clearly not wanting to be late for class. She’s the class president, after all.

I was rather surprised at how little she was dressed for the winter. Along with her uniform, there’s only a simple, pale yellow scarf bouncing with her orange side-tail over her shoulder.

She gave me a rather bewildered look as she passed.

Personally, I don’t blame her.

Who wouldn’t be confused when they see someone dressed up like a run-away penguin? Especially if it’s one with a terrible wardrobe and braided pony-tail.

After she disappeared around the corner, Setsuna turned to me and let out a small chuckle.

“Good-luck for today, dragon boy.” She gave a small wink and flicked her forked tongue as an odd way of salute before walking down the hall, one hand in a pocket, one hand swinging her school bag with a light spring in her steps.

I rolled my eyes and thought grumpily to myself

Yes, I’m afraid I would need the luck… very, very much…

Not wanting to be too late on the first day of December, I hastily made my way down to the common area (while almost tripping down the staircase at least once).

Across the room, the glass doors with their edges frosted framed the morning scene like a pretty picture. Just overnight, the UA field was transformed into a dazzling white wonderland when the sudden snow-storm frosted over. Small clumps of white stood out amongst the bushes’ dark branches, glittering under the bright sun like millions of diamond shards. The trees stood silently in this wintry world, some of its branches bent down a little from the weight of snow.

Most might’ve spread their arms open with a big smile and deemed this sight a ‘miracle’, ‘beauty’ or even one of ‘nature’s wonder’.

Unfortunately, I’m not much of an admirer for such a cold, dead-looking landscape.

I stood at least a meter away from the doors, shifting my weight uncomfortably from one foot to the other.

Should I?

Sure, there’s rather the questionable choice of bunking (not like it’s the first time I did it since I began my school career in general), but the image of Teacher Vald and my family wearing a disappointed or disapproving frown crept into my mind…

Or maybe, I could ask someone else, like Shishida or Bondo to carry me? No no, that is bit of a selfish request, and might be embarrassment for both of us (especially them), not to mention…

After another wasted minute of restless thoughts (and a few in-out puffs of deep breaths), I finally made up my mind.

Fearlessly, (I was trembling just a little) I stepped closer to the glass doors. I still kept my ground as they slid open with a faint whirr.

When the wind slapped against my face like a cold, wet sponge, I instantly tensed up.

But that alone wasn’t going to stop me.

Walking out into the cold, my breath became visible puffs of little white clouds that vanished into thin air. Felt like I was blowing out precious, warm steam instead of simple carbon dioxide.

It appeared that someone had shovelled some of the snow in the early morning to make way, forming an oddly neat block of hard dirt in front of the dorm’s entrance.

Determined, I advanced my way to the far edge of the block. The thick layer of freshly fallen snow was at least 12 centimetres thick, and the mere sight actually sent a freezing jolt down my spine. That’s also when I realized how in the midst of rushing to get ready, the thought of packing snow boots had slipped clean from my mind. Great.

Though reluctant, I began trudging painfully through the huge white blanket.

Cringing while my pant legs stuck to my skin as it slowly got soggy, I can’t help but to think, with just a hint of annoyance, to myself:

If only the person shovelled out a path as well…Certainly could’ve made quite a difference!

It was about ten steps into my journey when a sudden, loud voice pierced the air like a stray bullet:

“RIN, YOU’RE WALKING IN THE WRONG DIRECTION!!!”

Tetsutetsu’s voice boomed across the vast field, making faint echoes that took some time to fade away into the distance. I froze, left foot hovering in mid-air. Turning my head slowly, I saw most of my classmates staring. Directly at me.

To the left, they were walking on a wide, pre-shovelled dirt road that connected our dorm to Class A’s in a T-junction, the middle extending to UA. Which I clearly missed like a dumb egg.

The worst part about being humiliated in front of so many people is possibly how much focus you unconsciously have on everyone else’s reactions:

Kuroiro wore a huge grin from ear-to-ear. Tsuburaba’s whole body was shaking by trying awfully hard (and failing) to hold in a laugh. Yui just looked disappointed, Manga… face-palmed? Shoda had a really concerned look, Kendo…

Not too far away, a few approaching students from 1-A peering at us with curiosity.

I felt some sort of hotness slowly spreading across my face. Thank goodness my red mask and hat somehow covered all of it.

Letting out a huge sigh of frustration, I started making my way back.

Should’ve watched if there were any little puddles.

As my foot shot out from right under me before I could even do a complete turn, the world became a colourful, sluggish blur.

For a brief moment, I caught the slightly softened version of my classmate’s shocked expressions out of the corner of my eye before I did a flip and slammed my back against the hard, wet ground. My sling bag went sailing through the wind, landing with an audible thud and sending up sprays of snow as it landed. Just when I thought this was the end of it, the freezing snow’s iciness stabbed into the back of my head as I sunk into it. I barely managed to stuff down the urge to scream. Sounds reminiscent of irritating alarm clocks screaming clashed around in my eardrums. Though I was rather well-cushioned, my spine still throbbed from the heavy impact.

I groaned miserably as I tried slowly to ease myself up with numb arms, all while feeling hot tears prickling my eyes.

Could this possibly get any worse?

Failing to notice the frantic clopping of horse hooves, I gave a surprised yelp as a pair of small, purple-gloved hands suddenly thrusted out from under my armpits, right before strong arms hooked and helped (say: roughly jerked) me up.

“Are ya alright, Rin?! Did cha’ breakkkk anything?”

“Huh, what…?” My brain was probably half-frozen from the chill. The immediate follow-up of vigorous shaking turned it into a slushy mess.

“How many fingers am I holding upppp?” Despite being able to somewhat make out what Pony was saying, all I can see was a quivering, fuzzy bunny shape in front of my face.

A somewhat gruff yet gentle voice cut in:

“Lady Tsunotori, allow me to take it from here.”

“But…”

“Please.” “Okayyyy!”

Without a warning, Pony’s grip loosened, and I flopped down like a limp rag doll onto my knees, dazed.

Before I was given the chance to come back to my full senses, another pair of arms hoisted me right up. This pair was bigger with tufts of chocolate-coloured fur sticking out from the end of loose khaki jacket sleeves.

I sincerely hoped his glasses were fogged up. The fact that my face were pulling unpredictable, odd expressions made me want to of bury myself deeply, deeply into the soft snow.

Save for a few loud snorts, on one really laughed, but exchanged worried babbles between each other. Maybe one or two “Awwwww”s.

Pony popped up in front of me again, this time holding my (slightly soggy) school bag over her head with a triumphant look while looking up, as though she was showing me a treasure she dug up. Standing next to her like a proud big brother, Monoma was wearing a huge (but surprisingly pleasant) grin, patting her shoulder.

Ah… I’m pretty lucky to have them as classmates.

To be honest, I had no idea whether we could make it to the first lesson in time.

But it didn’t matter that much, because I dozed off in the new-found warmth, surrounded by cheerful giggles and upbeat conversations about the latest gossips, the next test or future holiday plans.

It was the start of a dreary winter month, but at least it wasn’t a terrible one.

#boomboomschool #my writing #first fic posted whoo #hope y'all like it!

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acoolguyscoollife · 4 years

Text

Chapter 40: A Taste of What’s to Come

I hadn’t actually filled anyone else in on the situation, so Seth and Tabitha were now awkwardly standing around outside the school, occasionally making light conversation with each other as Rose and I talked about what we thought might happen next. In addition to this, Paul was with us too, having decided to wait for Amy to show up much like the rest of us were, and so I figured he might as well join us.

Talking to Tabitha had felt kinda strange given everything that had happened, so I didn’t say much other than some small platitudes and empathising with her shitty situation, which she at least seemed thankful for. Surprisingly, it only took about ten minutes of waiting before we caught sight of Amy walking to us. It had totally slipped my mind that Amy and Paul didn’t live too far from the school, so naturally it wasn’t going to take too long. But that wasn’t anywhere near as surprising as who was with her. The two of them had clearly put effort into making Aki look as inconspicuous as possible, an effort which paid off now that I was able to see her. Aki’s face was covered by one of those masks that looked like a surgical one, but was more than likely one of the ones that K-Pop stars would wear, with her head covered by a hood and the bulge her ears would make disguised by what I could only assume were a pair of bulky earphones. And, for the eyes, a pair of sunglasses that rivalled my own. I had to admit, I was almost jealous. I couldn’t see how they’d hidden the tail or her hands until they got closer, where it became clear that Aki’s tail was tucked into the jeans that Amy had most likely lent her.

“Hey guys!” Amy said cheerfully as she closed the distance between the two of us. Aki was drawing a little bit of attention from other groups, short glances being stolen in her direction, so I wasted no time in ushering the group into the school. Unsurprisingly, there were people in here as well, so I took a moment to think of where Mary would want to meet with us. Considering the circumstances, it would need to be somewhere in the school that nobody would go, even if it was open for people to go into. I was about to pose the question to the rest of the group, before I realised what the most obvious place was.

I had never really understood why people didn’t like libraries. The smell of books alone was enough to make me enjoy being in the room, though that wasn’t the only thing in the room I could smell. There was a tell-tale smell of perfume coming from the far end of the room, a corner hidden from the rest of the room, blocked from sight by bookshelves and with a collection of bean bags and chairs to sit in. I didn’t need to be a prophet to know where Mary would be.

“I think the worst part of knowing the exact time you guys were supposed to show up is that I was still hoping that you’d arrive sooner.” A voice said, one that didn’t take much work to place as hers. Mary poked her head around from one of the bookshelves as we approached, blue hair that reached her shoulders still being a part of her look since she had adopted it way back in high school. We rounded the corner to the little reading nook, with Mary beckoning for us to sit. The tables that were there were pushed together with the seats all positioned around it, with a cup of steaming liquid to go with each of them. “Sit in the ones you want to, your drink will be in front of you either way.” Mary smiled wryly as she said this, and I had the feeling she was showing off a little.

“You’re Mary, right? From class 4-A?” Amy asked, and Mary nodded an affirmation. While I think I only had one class with Mary when we had been back in school, I could tell Amy had interacted with her a lot more. “It’s good to see you!” Amy continued, while shooting a glance my way. I forgot that none of them knew what was happening, and explaining it would have taken a lot more time than it would have taken to just show them. I shot an apologetic look back, and Amy rolled her eyes as we sat down in the seats that Mary had marked for us. The mug in front of me had what looked to be coffee in it, which I wasn’t too much of a fan of, but I wasn’t about to say something to Mary about it. Instead, I took a sip, quickly being caught off-guard by the taste of it. Despite the lack of cream, there was enough whiskey in the coffee to knock out a horse!

“You wouldn’t say anything about how you liked it, so I had to guess. Judging by your expression, I got it right?” Mary asked me, and I nodded while swallowing the first sip I had taken. Even the temperature of the drink had been gotten exactly right. Whatever job she worked must have been easy as hell for her. “By the way Aki, you can take off your disguise now. Nobody’s gonna bother us.” Mary said casually, not even looking at Aki as she took a sip from her own cup. Aki let out a small gasp of surprise at this, but must have thought that Mary had been told by one of us, since she was quick to remove the mask and sunglasses, taking off the hooded jacket to reveal she was wearing her regular clothes under everything else. Aki’s previous gasp was then mirrored – and amplified – by Paul as he saw what was underneath the hood.

“What the hell?!” He asked, before turning his head towards Amy so quickly I thought most of his body would turn with him. “You were telling the truth?” Amy’s response was just to put her head in her hands for a moment, groaning loudly before popping back up.

“I kept saying I wasn’t messing around, but you wouldn’t believe me.” Amy replied, annoyance clear in her voice.

“But why didn’t you bring her down to prove it? I would have definitely believed you then!” Paul said, excitement building in his voice as he spoke. “Holy shit, this is amazing!” Hearing the sentiment coming from a fresh pair of eyes did well to make my mood brighten somewhat, reminding me of just how extraordinary the entire circumstance was.

“Your house is small, with windows everywhere, and you guys have really nosy neighbours. Amy’s room, however, has a tree right outside the window.” Mary said, bringing the group’s attention back to her.

“That’s… exactly what I was going to say.” Amy said, stunned somewhat as her words came out as barely more than a mumble.

“How come she never mentioned you then, Mary?” Paul asked, clearly thinking back on the story that Amy had told him. Mary’s cup was already empty as she placed it back on the saucer, pushing it further onto the table before sitting back in her chair with her hands behind her head.

“Oh, they didn’t know I factored into things yet. They still don’t actually know, really.” Mary said, eyes glancing towards the side of the tables that Seth and Tabitha were sat at.

“That’s a point, actually. Why are we here?” Tabitha asked, and I realised that Mary was following the direction of the person who was going to talk next. I wasn’t even sure that was showing off, honestly, the movements feeling closer to something subconscious.

“I’m a prophet. I contacted Rose about this, since I told her basically everything that had transpired with your group, including details that she didn’t even know.” Mary’s words were still casual, but the atmosphere had become anything but, with just about everyone there buzzing with energy as they held in the urge to yell questions into the air. “Have the rest of you tried your drinks yet? I can assure you they’re exactly what you prefer.” Sure enough, each of us apart from me took a sip from their cups, shocked expressions appearing on each of their faces soon after. “No, it’s not just useful for cheap tricks, but you have to admit, it’s pretty cool, right?” Mary winked at us, clearly having fun with everything happening.

“That’s all well and good, but that doesn’t exactly answer the question of why we’re here.” Tabitha was being insistent, but I could tell it wasn’t out of impoliteness. There was a small glint in her eyes as she watched Mary’s every subtle movement, seemingly trying to take in each action she did. I couldn’t tell for certain whether Mary noticed, as the two of them were sat on separate sides of the table, and following the person speaking with my head was starting to give me a headache. Nonetheless, I turned my head back to Mary, whose expression had changed as she leant forward a little, hands knit in front of her mouth with elbows on her knees as she glanced between us all.

“I have… information, I suppose.” Mary’s tone had changed slightly with her posture change, and I had a feeling whatever she was about to say wasn’t going to be great. “I can’t see everything. Short-term futurevision is one thing, but long-term is harder for me to do. It’s only happened a few times since the first time I saw the future, but every time it did, a picture is being painted of what’s going to happen.” I frowned, wondering what exactly she was getting to here, as it was definitely on the track to be something negative. “Everything you’ve been through so far was nothing but a precursor to things that are coming. Things are going to get tougher.” I heard Seth sigh loudly through his nose, before his movement to lean forward made him slightly visible in my peripheral vision.

“Is it part of some prophetic clause that you have to be as vague as possible? First that other guy, now this, it’s starting to feel like everything is coming together to make sure we get screwed over.” Seth’s complaint rang valid, though I wasn’t sure I’d have been as outspoken as he was. I’d rather have complained in my head and dealt with it, though Mary didn’t seem to be offended.

“This’ll probably sound like a non-sequitur, but do you ever remember drama class? You’d get a line in some shitty play that wasn’t quite anything actually interesting, but since it was school you had to follow the script to the letter, with no improvising?” I had a feeling I knew what she was talking about, with her ability to see the future telling her what she already said. “Well, my life is basically like that now. If I say something that confuses you, hopefully you ask me to clarify so I can explain it.” Seth nodded along as Mary spoke, but I wasn’t really sure if he understood completely. If he didn’t, he must have chalked it up as not worth asking about further, as Mary continued to speak. “I don’t know too much, but what I’ve seen is worrying.” Mary’s attitude had seemed cocky from the get-go, but it was only now that the façade began to drop that I noticed that it was being used to mask her true feelings. Glancing around, I could see the energy of curiosity had gone from the group, faces now grim as each one of us had the same realisation I had.

“Tell us everything.” I said, more as comfort than anything else, and Mary proceeded to do exactly that, taking a deep breath that only heralded a lot of words coming.

“Out of everything I could see, the main things I could discern was that there was someone referred to as Omega.” The gasp I let out was a reflex, but Mary didn’t stop, barely even breaking her stride. “There’s a council of people, all wanting to stop him, and a group of people working with him, but they all blend together, like they all have the same face. And if we don’t stop them, they’ll take over multiple different worlds, including our own.” The mention of the name Omega again only served to confirm that not only did Mary have the ability to see the future, but Untermeyer possibly had as well.

“The faces, what did the people look like?” Seth asked, and I watched Mary’s eyes as they moved for a brief second to me before continuing to talk.

“I can’t tell. Their faces looked like they weren’t quite there, but then I’ve not been able to piece it together quite right yet.” I almost believed her, but I saw Mary’s tell for a very brief moment, clueing me in that her glance towards me wasn’t an accident. As she had spoken, her hand had tightened ever so slightly, gripping the other just a little harder. I was most likely the only one to notice her fingers go white for a brief moment, sitting in just the right place to catch it, but I wasn’t going to be the one to bring it up. She must have had a reason for it, or at least I hoped. “But they’re bad news, which is why I started making a plan.” That must have been the cue, as someone walked around from one of the bookcases. I’d seen him before at school, but since then his appearance had changed somewhat. What was once long dark hair was now tidier and a deep shade of brown, band t-shirts replaced with a tidy, if slightly unkempt, short-sleeved shirt. I’d not spoken to John in a long time, enough time to have forgotten his last name, but he smiled at us as if it hadn’t even been a day since we’d last seen him.

“Alrigh’ lads? Mary’s filled me in on everything, so you don’t gotta worry about explaining it. I’m just here to help where I can.” John spoke with a slight accent that I couldn’t place as his, with the last time I heard him speak being little more than quiet murmurs.

“John is going to be helping me piece together more things from my visions, as well as working with me, Paul and Rose. Meanwhile, you five will be doing whatever comes naturally to you, until the pieces begin to set in motion for us fighting the Omega.” Mary spoke with such authority that even though I’m sure Tabitha would have preferred to take charge, none of us spoke up or complained about the plan. “I can’t guarantee everything that will happen, but what I can guarantee is that if we aren’t careful, someone will die.” The mention of death was the bleak punctuation on the end of the long omen of bad times to come, and nobody spoke for a few moments.

“So… do we all put our hands in the middle and yell go team or is that too cliché?” Amy asked, adding a much needed break to the tension.

“We can if you want.” Mary replied, a smile returning to her face.

“Will it help?”

“No.”

#cool guy #cool #A Cool Guy's Cool Life #story #creative writing

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aworldawordatatime · 6 years

Text

Night Blindness

You could say that I don’t like to drive at night.

No, that’s not quite true, not quite strong enough.

I fucking hate night driving.

I know what you’re saying. Night blindness is a bitch and a half, especially when you’re driving down a two lane road and someone flashes their high beams at you coming the opposite way. But that isn’t exactly why I avoid driving after the sun sets.

First, however, you might need a bit of background.

I wasn’t always this way. My eyes used to be better when I was younger. I mean, ironically, I was basically blind. Had a prescription worse than most old ladies. Had to wear those lenses so thick that they constantly slipped down the bridge of my nose no matter what I did because they were so heavy. I’ve heard all of the insults.

Four-eyes is tame, by the way.

I was in college (and as sleep deprived and full of ramen as you are imagining the average college student to be) when a friend of a friend offered to get me in on this new and experimental eye treatment.

“Completely non-surgical,” she said.

I told her that I was absolutely on board.

Before she brought this up, I may have ranted a bit about the cost and weight of my ridiculously heavy glasses. We were at a party and both of us were a bit tipsy, so my memory’s a bit fuzzy after that point, but after I finished hugging the toilet in my shared apartment for dear life, I found a dog-eared business card in my pocket, and I thought what the heck? So I called them and made an appointment.

The office building I’d been directed to by the friendly woman on the phone was nondescript in such an unremarkable way that now, looking back on it, I don’t remember there being any actual signs other than the number on the glass door leading out of it. At the time I was somewhere between a righteous paranoia that I was going to be forced to pay for something, or that the treatment was going to turn out to be something like raw sewage billed as “healing water” or some hocus pocus bullshit.

So when the cheerful receptionist handed me a clipboard with paperwork to fill out and sign, I read through the entire thing like I was trying to decipher a secret code. The thing was, I couldn’t find anything that said anything about paying for the treatment, nor did I find any references to “healing crystals” or “reiki solar plexus punches.”

“So...this is legit, right?” I asked the nurse as she walked me back to the exam room.

“Well, you are part of a trial, so we do have to get all of your vitals as well as an eye exam,” she explained. “But I’ll leave it to the doctor to explain the specifics of the treatment.”

And so, I went through a generalized physical of sorts, including a blood draw to check for various things. Thankfully, I didn’t have to be fasting, so at least I didn’t have to come back later after agonizing about having to deal with my needle phobia (which is, by the way, severe and one of the main reasons why I had not considered laser eye surgery before).

The doctor turned out to be a middle-aged woman with dark brown hair drawn back in a ponytail. Her skin was slightly lighter brown than her hair, and her eyes were golden and bright as she smiled at me. “I am so glad that you are willing to participate in our trial! We’ve been trying to get the word out for the past month but a lot of people seem to think that it’s a scam or some kind of trick.”

“Well,” I said, feeling somewhat chastened, “in my experience, when something seems too good to be true, that’s because it is.”

“This is usually true, but this is not too good to be true,” she replied, pulling out a sheet of paper. “There are possible side-effects, obviously, and you’ll have to come in every week to be poked and prodded and interviewed on how the treatment works for you. Due to the non-invasive nature of the procedure, it will take, on average, four to six months of treatment before changes become permanent, which is daunting for many.”

“As long as I don’t have to get a needle in my eye, I think I can manage,” I said, crossing my arms.

At that point, she went into the long list of possible side effects, but if we’re being honest, most of them seemed to be on par with the potential side effects from taking ibuprofen from time to time.

After an eye exam that confirmed that I have some of the worst eyesight without being quite considered legally blind, I was given a bright blue bottle of eyedrops and an instructional sheet on how and when to use them, as well as a small lined notebook where I was to record the date and time I administered a dose, as well as a place to record comments.

Now, I’ll be honest. I missed a few doses and fudged the numbers a bit out of embarrassment. I was sleep deprived, taking a full load of classes and working a job and a half, so I didn’t always have the best decision-making skills.

But none of that seemed to matter. By the end of the first week, my eyesight had improved so much that wearing my old glasses gave me headaches, and a literal weight was lifted from my life. I was pretty much religious about administering it at the same time every day. Just two drops to each eye, blink and then dab around the eye to make sure the blue drops did not stain my skin. It stung a bit in my eyes, but no worse than the average redness relief eye drops. There was no scent, either.

Each week, I went in to report my results and get checked out by my doctor, whose name was Dr. Praesh. Each time, she jotted down some notes, nodded approvingly, and gave me another bottle.

Three months into my treatment, something changed.

I was fixing dinner for myself when I saw a blurry form move in the corner of my eye. My first instinct was annoyance bordering on frustration. I’d seen mice around the dumpsters in my apartment complex from time to time, but never in my living space. Stupidly, I grabbed the first thing I could find (a spatula), and ran over to where I’d seen the thing disappear behind the couch.

With a roar that I am still embarrassed to admit actually came from my mouth, I pushed the couch aside, expecting something completely different than what I saw. There, standing, with half of its mist-gray body sticking through one of the legs of the couch, was something I had never seen before. My jaw dropped and the spatula fell to the floor as my arms went numb with shock.

A ghost.

A mouse ghost, to be exact.

The creature blinked its partially transparent beady eyes at me and then had the audacity to clean its whiskers. I stomped loudly on the ground and it started, darting through the far wall before I could do anything else.

It started happening more regularly, but I didn’t want to say anything at first. I blamed it on my penchant for sleep deprivation, or maybe something I ate. I didn’t want to consider the fact that I might slowly be going insane. I even stopped the eye drops as a test to see if the visions would go away, but it did nothing to lessen the appearance of the shadows of the dead.

That’s the only term I can think of for it, but I’m sure that’s not right, either. There’s not a lot of science in classifying ghosts, especially when I’m the only one who seems to be able to see them. They’re not like the sort of ghosts you imagine from movies or books. They don’t attack anyone, and in fact often act as though they are going about their regular business without any mind to what is going on around them. I’ve seen deliverymen step through the body of a sleeping cat’s ghost easy as you please. The ghost didn’t even twitch its tail. They generally appear in a fine, gray mist in the shape of what they were in life with a hint of skeletal features underneath if I look close enough, as though the mist is a thin membrane over their bones.

When I went to the clinic a few months later (after avoiding going due to paranoia as I tried to exhaust every other possibility), the number on the front was gone, leaving a dark outline in paint where it had been, and the office was locked and empty when I peered through the glass door. All attempts to get ahold of the research group turned up nothing. I did, however, receive a strange message on my phone from an unknown masked number. I didn’t pick it up because I generally assume they’re telemarketers, but the message was a full minute long, which is unusual for a telemarketer call. It was someone speaking in a hushed voice, as though they were talking to someone else that I couldn’t hear and accidentally recorded the message.

This is a written transcript of that message:

“I know. I know. It’s not like we knew that was going to be the case. It only happens in 20% of clients. Of course I had them sign the wavers. They knew the risks! Besides, most only have minor symptoms, and can’t interact with the spectors, or vice versa. Oh, hello. Sorry about that. This is just a friendly message to let you know that you can discontinue the usage of your test product. All data has been received and the study is over. If you should experience any side effects, they should dissipate within the next few weeks. We thank you for your time and your patience. Oh. Right. And, whatever you do, if you see them, don’t touch them. They will see you. And if you see them, it’s over.”

After listening to the message, I was vaguely creeped out, but then I reminded myself that it was also possible that I’d just been pranked or spammed or some other thing that my brain was having a hard time justifying with a rational explanation.

The good news is that it’s hard to see them in the day time. There are fewer out and about as well— the sunlight seems to bother them. They tend to congregate in the places where they died, so for many small creatures, that means the streets, especially country roads. When it gets to be evening, I will see a glowing parade of animals walking in the road, though they tend to run out of the way when they hear a car, which is ironic considering that they likely died because they forgot to do so in life.

The bad news is that driving at night, especially in the freeways and cities, is a nightmare. The small animals aren’t so bad, though there are many. Phantom birds preen in the middle of a four lane highway. Skunks play with their ghostly babies on the side of a thoroughfare. A large, rotund, and very transparent raccoon shakes its fist at me and runs off chittering silently into the bushes by the local levy. Most are far too small to pass through the bottom of my car.

The animals are what they are. They keep to themselves in death as they would in life and I do not fear them. In a way, they’ve become endearing.

The problem are the others...the ones that loom tall and flare bright gray like matchsticks with a grinning skull at the head. They wander en masse, across every road, and I must avert my eyes whenever I see a small one, because I know what that means.

At one time, they must have been human. They must have had hopes, dreams, fears. There are so many that roam the streets. And every time my car passes through one and it, in turn, passes through me in some small way— a hand, a head, a torso— it is only a few moments later that I hear the telltale clicking sound as their heads turn, and they see me. It is a game, then of keeping my head down, of not returning that gaze.

They pour across the road in the darkness, and I must not look, must not engage.

Must not think of the sensation of a cold hand touching the back of my neck.

When they follow me, their finger bones click, sending a telltale shiver down the back of my spine and into the primal part of my mind that makes my grasp on reality slip just a little. But soon, they grow disinterested, and move on.

So, all in all, I’d rate this product a solid 8 out of 10. I don’t need prescription glasses anymore, and even my regular optometrist is impressed at how well I score on vision tests nowadays. But I did have to mark it down by 2 points due to the whole “seeing the wraith-like spirits that try to follow me and likely do something awful if I meet their eye sockets with my own” thing.

And I still fucking hate driving at night.

#vaguely creepy story #original fiction #horror #ghosts #wraiths #spirits #scary

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