DISCLAIMER: I do not own Pokemon, any of its characters or the cover image.
Inspired by CarpeDiemEveryday's piece 'Spook'.
Night drapes its navy cloth over the Earth- a cloth specked with sequin-esque stars, striped with the grey of the rainclouds. The moon surveys the wide world that lies below, the way a queen surveys her kingdom. It is a perfect night...a perfect night for mischief.
Life as a spirit is monotonous, but it's much more fascinating when you can lurk amongst the living and meddle with them until your cold heart is content. When you are a ghost, you feel numb. Almost emotionless.
I hide in the dark alleyways, patiently awaiting my prey. Streetlights cast a harsh orange glow over the urban streets. For a while, it is almost silent. The only sound is the quiet white noise of heavy rainfall. No wonder the streets are so empty today. Humans are wusses; they hate the rain. Ah, heckling the humans...It's the only idea of proper fun I can think of.
I hear a skittering through crumbling autumn leaves. It looks like it's a human...yes, definitely a human. His headphones blast his favourite tunes at such a high decibel that any other sounds are completely inaudible to him. He looks oblivious to his surroundings, only concentrating on the path ahead, until something peculiar happens.
His shadow stops. He looks confounded. It dances around him, cackles, then runs ahead of him, blending into the oncoming darkness. His eyes are dilated, his gasp loud and sudden. That expression…it's priceless. Just the reaction I'd hoped for. To my surprise, he continues as if nothing has happened. That's probably what he's thinking. Just my mind playing tricks on me. It is not your mind playing tricks on you, boy…It is me. He has no idea what is coming to him.
It is extremely cold out here. The breeze bites at my every limb. That human looks content, however. He is wrapped up in a thick coat, seemingly unaware of the harsh cold. I wait until he walks by. I creep up behind him, drawing in all of the wondrous warmth that he possesses. He quickly grabs his arms to shield him from the sudden cold. He's probably trying to figure out where that cold snap came from. He probably thinks that it's just Mother Nature just being a bitch. He seems much too naïve to notice my presence. That's it, my boy. Keep walking. No matter how far you walk away from here, you can be assured that I'll always follow. I can't just waste prey like this. I may as well make the most of him before I take his life.
Throughout the duration of his journey, his eyes remain restless. He decides to remove his earphones and switch off his music player. Thank goodness. They call that 'music'? Oh, my…Humans never fail to interest me. I cackle again. The heart-chilling sound paralyses him with fear. He screams like a child and runs for his worthless life. Keep running, human. It will not save you. Nothing will.
He stops outside of a small house. He fumbles for his keys, accidentally dropping them. He snatches them from the ground and jabs them into the key hole, frantically twisting and turning them. His breathing has increased tenfold. I can almost hear the pounding of his heart. He slams the door behind him. Through the frosted glass, I can just about make out a vague image of the same human, sliding down the door. He's relieved. He thinks that he's safe in his home-sweet-home.
I slip right through the door as if I were mere air. The interior of this house is cosy, with its beige wallpaper and its soft lamp lighting. My vile sniggers fill the house with an essence of chaos.
Come out. Come out.
"Get away from me, whatever you are!" yells the boy.
The sheer horror on his face is exhilarating. Well, it seems I've made the most of what remains of his life. I make myself visible to him, and his mouth hangs agape. He tries to speak, but not a single word leaves his lips. I would ask him if he has any last words, but it doesn't seem like he has any words at all.
Now is the time.
My eyes open wide. I exhale deeply and focus my mind. I can sense it- the aura of life that envelopes him.
It will be mine.
I suck out his aura with ghostly magic. I watch in delight as he gradually falls to the floor. He curls into a foetal position, hopeless, lifeless. Shudders course though his limbs.
Vitality pulses throughout my shadowy body. After a long and agonising wait, I feel alive once more.