Ghost Story
Summery: Once-ler's new house has just been built and, strangely enough, it's already haunted! The girl with troubled eyes needs his help, but how do will he do that when he can't keep hold of the hand he wants so much to protect?
Authors Note: I like this story, it's very sweet and I don't think it's been done a hundred times before (though, by now, it probably has as this was written Oct. 2012); so you might see me retracting that claim) and, not to boast or anything, but I don't think I did a bad job writing it! This fiction is an October 31st (Halloween) fiction! Yay, I love Halloween! The costumes, the candy, the costumes, the trick-or-treaters, the costumes, the parties, the costumes! But my favorite about this holiday is... You guessed it! The decorations! Wow, you're all so smart! :D
A tall lanky man walked confidently down the hall of his freshly built house, the smell of paint still clung to the bright green and white candy cane stripped walls and shined brightly from the antique light fixtures that hung from the tall ceilings. The plush green carpeting cushioned each step he took and he could easily compare it to walking on clouds; his mother had been right when she'd told him wood floors would hardly do.
It took him a moment to locate his new bedroom only because of the length of the hall, and as he opened the final door and walked inside he looked around and took a moment to admire the skill of the interior decorator he'd hired. The tall golden four poster bed had long silky dark green bed curtains that were held back with thick golden ropes that showed the dark forest green comforter and golden pillows within.
Golden ivy leaves were painted on green walls in intricate detail from the green carpeted floor to the high ceiling and when he touched one he was pleased to note that the risen paint felt smooth to the touch even under his gloved fingers. "Oncie, you've finally made it." he congratulated himself, taking his hat off and placing it onto the long dark wooden dresser with shinny gold handles. His loves came next, laying them atop the tall hat neatly so he could undo the gold buttons of his waist coat.
Walking into the large bathroom he sighed and enjoyed the luxurious marble heaven that he now stood in. The sunken bath. The glass shower with the specially fitted six shower heads in the top. Even the toilet. It was all state of the art with shinny golden knobs and dials that beckoned for his touch and he quickly finished undressing and slipped into the shower box to turn the handles about and breath a sigh of bliss as the water fell over him like steady drops of hot rain. The waterproof stereo that was built into the walls had come preset with his favorite stations that were only a touch away and when he turned it on he was even lucky enough to hear his favorite song begin it's opening rift.
He stayed in the shower much longer than he needed to and didn't come out until he could feel his toes pruning against the white tiled floor. He turned the stereo and water off easily, reaching out of the glass door to the fluffy dark green towel that hung waiting for him before wrapping it about himself and stepping out onto the fluffy green rug and looked up to smirk at the large foggy mirror behind the double sinks along the opposite wall. There was nothing about the new large mansion that he didn't like, however his room had the rest beat by far; built for comfort and convenience, if it wasn't for the fact that he had a business to run he wouldn't even dream of leaving.
Stepping up to the sink he wiped off the steam fogged mirror and shot himself an attractive grin before laughing and shaking his head; was it just him or did even his reflection look better? He chuckled and picked up the golden toothbrush and spread mint toothpaste over it before brushing his teeth, humming to himself and shuffling his feet in a simple dance until he was finished and rinsed his mouth out with the jade cup that had been placed there for only that reason.
He was finished with the bathroom, but he took a moment to step back and appreciate it once more; it was a far cry different that the one he'd shared with his family back in the country. No longer would he have to pull hair from the drains before bathing, gone were the days where he'd have to wash the sink
of short brittle hair before he brushed his teeth. He had to take a moment and stop the tears that threatened to fall, pressing a knuckle between his teeth and sucking in a quivering breath before turning to the door and opening it to reveal his new room once more.
Walking to his dresser he pulled out the dark green silk pajamas and appreciated the gold threads that decorated the fabric before slipping into them and sighing at the feel of the cloth sliding against his skin. He opened his closet to toss his towel to the floor when he noticed the golden hamper and used that instead, going back to the bathroom to collected his used clothes to add that into it as well before shutting the door and turning around.
Now he could examine the other benefits of his king-like bedroom, and as he walked to the plush green loveseats and flopped himself down, putting one of the golden cushions under his head and picking up the large golden remote that sat on the long dark coffee table. There was a television hidden somewhere in his room and he didn't plan on sleeping until he found it hiding in one of the walls or large pieces of furniture.
He pressed a button and jumped a little when a stereo slid out of the top of his dresser on the other side of the room and laughed as he tried to turn it off. "That's fantastic." he said to nobody, shaking his head and turning it on again just because he could, he turned it off and continued his search for the
television. It took him several attempts, one of which actually lifted one of his walls completely to allow for a large over-stocked bar to take up half of his room that he could only begin to guess why he would ever need. Another try had a series of disco balls lower from his ceiling, he decided to keep those out only because he'd never even thought to ask for one, let alone three small, medium, and large.
When he finally managed to get the television to blink through the wall and realized that it was only yet another trick wall he laughed and tossed the remote into the air, catching it swiftly to spin in his hand a few times.
"What are you doing in here?!"
He blinked and looked over his couch to see a timid looking girl with long wavy blonde hair going well past the middle of her back staring at him fearfully. "We don't have any money, go away!" she snapped, keeping her back firmly pressed against the wall and trembling, "I mean it! Get out!" she stumbled over something and he blinked at her, frowning slightly when she scurried back to her feet.
Standing up slowly he turned to come around the couch and face her fully, "Why should I leave my own room?" he asked, arching an eyebrow at her.
The long purple nightgown she wore covered all the way to her toes, which curled in when she noticed him staring and he chuckled, "How did you get in here without me knowing? Sound proofed or not, the door still clicks when you close it; I should know since it's my room and all."
"What are you saying?" She blinked at him and he frowned, what did she mean by that question? He'd said it perfectly calmly, maybe she had trouble hearing? "I told you to get out! I'll call someone!" she fell over something else, but as far as he could tell her little path was clear, was she tripping over her own feet? "Really, I'm going to scream!"
"Don't scream." He lifted his palms to her in hopes of pacifying the girl, "You're obviously confused, are you one of the new maids?" she shook her head with wide eyes and he sighed, "Listen, you're in my house. My room. I won't call the police, but you need to l-"
"Why aren't you saying anything? Are you playing with me?" He blinked at her and shook his head, he was speaking loudly enough for her to hear. "Help!" he jumped and shook his head, backing away to put more space between them, "Help! There's someone in here, help!"
"Stop screaming!" He snapped, "The room's soundproofed anyway, the only thing you're doing is giving me a headache!"
She screamed again and ran back for the door, fumbling with the knob before managing to get it open and racing out. Glaring he sprinted after her, sliding into the hall to yell at her more only to discover that she had already taken refuge in one of the many rooms that lined the hall. With a sigh he reached over and pulled the key off the wall from beside his door and locked it behind him when he left the room. He would not sleep in his house knowing that some confused, possibly deranged, woman was wandering around doing whatever she pleased.
He reentered his room and put the key back on it's little hook nearly three hours later, giving up his search for the girl and deciding that she must have sneaked out behind his back. He took a quick glimpse of the clock on his dresser and rolled his eyes when he saw that it was midnight, an entire hour after when he'd planned to be in bed. The blasted woman had ruined his entire night in his new home searching for her when he'd only wanted to relax and watch a bit of television before he went to bed.
"Why are you back?!"
He jumped and turned his eyes towards his bathroom to see her walking out, shock and fear on her face as she shook her head, "I thought you'd left! Nobody here has anything you want, get out!" he glared and took a step towards her which had her gasping and darting into his bathroom, slamming the door
harshly. "Leave! Get out!"
"I'm not leaving my own room, damn it!" He snapped, grabbing the golden leaver and trying to force it open; but she'd apparently locked it from the inside and he had to resort to slamming his fist on the door. "Why are you in my room?" she didn't answer and he pounded on the door again. "I'm losing my patience! If you don't come out now and leave my house I'll call the police and have them escort you to the mental home where you belong!" when she still didn't answer he curiously tried the door again. When it easily opened under his hand he blinked before throwing it open and storming inside.
However the bathroom was empty, the clean surfaces undisturbed. "Hello?" he looked walked over to the thin towel cabinet and opened it, frowning to see that it was empty and turning around to look straight into the wide fearful blue eyes of his intruder. "What the hell?!"
She screamed and scampered back, shaking her head, "How did you get in here?!" she gasped, pointing at him with a trembling finger, "Get out! Get out now!" she raced for the open door, "Help! He's in here! Help!" She screamed, taking three steps before disappearing right before his eyes.
He fell to his knees in disbelief... He'd somehow built himself a haunted house.
"You can't build haunted houses, where did you come up with such nonsense?" His mother asked, her tone tired and stressed as she went through the pile of paperwork he'd just finished. "You're just overworked, you're not being haunted." she slid a paper out from the stack and set it before him, tapping a place where he'd forgotten to sign impatiently, "Sign this and go home, relax for the rest of the
weekend. Come Monday morning you'll realize how ridiculous you're being and we won't mention it again."
He frowned at her and quickly signed the paper, handing it to her waiting hand and leaning back in his char, "I'm not over-worked, you should have seen her!" he shook his head, taking off his dark sunglasses and setting them on his desk agitatedly, "How am I supposed to relax if I'm being haunted by a man-hating ghost? What if my walls start bleeding-"
"You're not being haunted." His mother stated again firmly and turned around, putting the paper on the top of the stack and walking to his office doors, "It's just your imagination, new houses can't be haunted and yours is the newest house built on property that nobody's ever lived on before." she paused at the door and sent him a considering look before shaking her head, "You and you father always did have the most active imaginations out of all of us, try to keep it under control so you don't frighten yourself out of a perfectly good house."
She knocked on the double doors and stepped back so his brothers could open them, leaving without another word on the matter. "What do you guys think?" he called to his brothers who sent him clueless shrugs before he remembered his office was soundproofed... Maybe all the soundproofing was getting to him. Maybe he was a little over-worked; it took a lot of energy and time building an empire, after all, and he hadn't taken a break from it for the past three months. Sighing he shook his head and waved his brothers away, eyebrow twitching as the doors closed.
Slouching in his chair he looked at the wall clock and glared at his door, he only had another half an hour before the factory closed and he had to go home either way. If he was smart he'd bite the bullet and stay in his old tent, whining Lorax or no whining Lorax it was still better than the angry ghost waiting to scream at him to leave when he got home.
Not as pretty, though.
He shook the thought out of his head and pushed himself away from his desk, reaching down to pick the sunglasses off the top and slip them into his pocket before turning to leave. He made it to his doors when the little orange annoyance showed up, harping at him over his trees as much as he could until Once-ler could kick him out of the elevator and hit the star button that marked the ground floor.
Headache growing, he took his sunglasses out of his pocket and put them back on his face, "He just keeps getting worse and worse." he sighed to himself, leaning against the metal back of the square box.
Ghost or not, the girl was going to have to learn to shut her trap around him, he wanted to enjoy the riches he was rolling in and not listen to her wailing. The elevator hit the ground floor and he wasn't surprised to see the Lorax waiting for him to start up his nagging the second Once-ler's foot hit the linoleum floor. "Would you go away already? How many hints do you need before you realize I'm not going to stop?!" Once-ler snapped at him as he walked away, "I'm going to continue biggering and a little runt like you can't stop me!"
He left the building and quickly hopped into the waiting limo, shutting the door against the angry green eyes that continued to glare at him even after he couldn't see them any longer. Sighing he shook his head and closed his eyes, maybe if he'd just sleep in one of the guest rooms; they were smaller and a little less high-tech, but still luxurious in their own ways.
He looked up to the driver and seen his Uncle Ubb looking curiously back at him, "What do you think about ghosts, Uncle Ubb?" he asked tiredly, sitting up in his seat and straightening his lapels. "You believe in them, right?"
"Sure do." The man answered without hesitation, turning his eyes onto the road so that he could make the turn down the small newly laid highway that lead to Once-ler's mansion, "What you do is you light incense and buy yourself a black cat; it scares 'em off." he turned his eyes to the young man in the back seat and gave a large grin, "But if I had a pretty little ghost following me around I'm not sure I'd want to scare her off-"
"She's trying to scare me off, Uncle Ubb." Once-ler interrupted, not wanting to hear what his uncle would want to do to a specter of the night. "So incense and a cat, huh?" he pulled out his phone and called his aunt, asking her to pick him up a cat on her way home from the beauticians. She grumbled about it, but in the end he smugly hung up the phone and had his uncle swing by the gas station to pick up incense.
When they pulled in front of the mansion his aunt was waiting with a kitten. "That's a kitten..."
"It's what you wanted, isn't it?" She asked, dropping the little black and gray kitten into his arms and walking towards the limo, "You asked for a cat, that's a cat." she got inside the running car and both she and his uncle drove off before he could tell her he'd wanted a full grown cat that could scare away a ghost; the little thing in his arms could hardly scare away a mouse.
It meowed and he looked down at it, frowning, "You're not staying." he told the kitten, flinching when it licked at his gloved wrist, "Don't be cute, you're not staying." repeating it did nothing to stop the darned thing from being as adorable as possible and when he got inside he found himself raiding his kitchen for a bit of cream.
Pouring it in a bowl he set both it and the kitten down onto the table and watched it drink, lapping up the cream with it's quick little darting tongue before it finished and looked up at him. "I'm not giving you anymore; I draw the line at owning a fat cat."
"Meow."
He refilled the cream and sat down to wait for the darn thing to finish.
The kitten fed and lit incense in hand, he opened his bedroom door at six-o-clock and brandished the incense about before tossing the kitten in and shutting his door again. Waiting a few moments he peeked in and seen the kitten clawing at the top of his loveseat, making itself right at home, and frowned, "Knock that off, that's velvet!" he snapped at it, walking inside and shutting the door with the
heel of his shoe.
He looked around quickly before walking the rest of the way into the room and setting up the incense in what he figured was a strategic placing before hedging towards the bathroom. Once he was sure that he'd safeguarded his room the best he could he cautiously retrieved a new set of pajamas from his dresser and carried them into his bathroom with him, looking over his shoulder to make sure the kitten was still on duty and frowning to see that it had laid itself down to take a nap in the middle of his coffee table... Which would have to work since he didn't think the darn thing would scare anything anyhow. "Just keep an eye open and holler if Miss. Ghost comes back." he told it. It meowed sleepily in response and he shut the bathroom door.
He decided to use the tub only because he didn't want to be in such a small area with a ghost running around his house. It took a while to fill up, but when he sank down into the warm water he sighed and leaned against the built in chair. He hadn't been able to stretch out in a bathtub since he was thirteen, just before he hit his first growth spurt, so he took his time enjoying the novelty. If he'd have been thinking clearly he would have taken the little plastic pillow he'd found in his bathroom cupboard and blown that up as well.
When he finished he drained the tub and wrapped another of his green towels around his waist, making sure to dry himself as much as he could before walking over to his pajamas and quickly putting them on, not wanting to be caught with is 'pants down' by yesterdays night time visitor.
Quickly brushing his teeth and rinsing his mouth he stepped out and sighed, looking at the pale haired girl curled on his loveseat staring at him like he'd broken into her room. "Welcome back." he stated blandly, preparing himself for her screams.
However she kept her mouth shut and shook her head before darting her eyes back towards the television, her hands gripping into the blue pants of her night clothes. "I see you made some changes as well." he told her, walking closer to see she was trembling despite the brave face she was putting on. "Can you hear me tonight, Miss. Ghost?"
Her eyes flashed to him when he walked past to sit on his matching chair and he watched her pink tongue come out to moisten her lips. She was still frightened, so why was she sitting so still and being so quiet? It didn't take a psychic to see that she expected him to attack her at any given moment, and as vocal as she'd been last night, he was a little surprised he wasn't getting screamed at until his ears bled, "Hello?"
"You're not real." she whispered, closing her eyes and rocking slightly, "You're a figment of my imagination, you're not real."
"I'm real." He snapped, dragging a hand through his hair and looking towards the television to see that she'd figured out how to turn it on, "Why are you watching cartoons?"
She looked at him and shook her head before gluing her eyes onto the television, had she heard him? She wasn't acting like it, but that didn't really mean anything, "What are you doing in my room?" he asked calmly. If she was willing to rethink her loud screaming behavior then he'd be willing to negotiate a better living-specter situation where she moved her room to one of the many down the hall. "I have plenty, go use another, Miss. Ghost."
"I'm supposed to stay in this room." Her voice trembled and her eyes darted to the door like she'd enjoy nothing more than to run out screaming and never return. Creamy white fingers released the fabric of her pants and her legs curled up against her chest, her arms going to wrap around her legs tightly, "Just let me stay right here and I won't bother you, okay? I'll just stay right here until morning and then I'll leave until tomorrow night."
He frowned, if she was so utterly frightened of him then why would she want to stay on his couch? It didn't make any sense... Then again, he supposed that being a ghost in general didn't make any sense, "Is there any reason why you can't leave the room?" she looked at him and he sighed, leaning forward and threading his hands together to show that he was listening with no intent to harm her.
She looked at the door and swallowed again, "You made me make them angry last night because ghosts aren't real." she looked at him and gave a strangled giggle before looking at the glowing screen of the television again, "You look real to me."
"I'm not a ghost." He frowned, leaning back in his chair and crossing an ankle over his knee, "I am Theodore Once-ler, more commonly known as The Once-ler, inventor of the Thneed which is a fine thing that everyone needs." she looked at him for a moment before her lips twitched a little, as though his statement was something to be laughed at. "Don't you know what a Thneed is?"
She shook her head and he stood up, walking over to his closet to remove the pink Thneed he hadn't worn in over two months and carrying it back over to her proudly. He stood in front of her and held it out, "This is a Thneed." he introduced her to his product, holding two of the four long straps before wrapping it around his neck, "It does whatever you need it to do; a scarf like so, or a blanket, a hat, bag, purse, net, cane, more, and even more." He was folding it into the examples he gave until her laughter stopped him.
She was smiling at him, her sky blue eyes lit with amusement as she sat forward to watch his little display with interest. He found himself returning the smile before he coughed and shook his head, walking over to hand her the Thneed he wasn't sure she would even be able to hold. But when he dropped it onto her lap she giggled again and picked it up, rubbing the fabric gently between her fingers, "It's so soft." she breathed, rubbing it gently against her face.
The sight of a girl's first experience with a Thneed was a powerful thing, Once-ler watched as she breathed it in deeply to release a little happy sigh. No doubt she was smelling the butterfly milk scent that was unique only to the Thneed and she laughed, "It smells like you, doesn't it?"
He blinked at her and lifted an arm to smell before he could stop himself, blushing and putting it back down when she laughed at his actions, "Well... I've been making them for a while, so I suppose that I would smell a bit like them." he conceded, not sure how he should feel about smelling like butterfly milk. She smiled at him and leaned to hand him the Thneed, but he shook his head, "Keep it." he wanted her to. She looked so damn happy with it that he was tempted to find another so he could give her two.
She shook her head, "I can't keep it, I wouldn't be able to explain where I got it." but he refused to take it back and she finally sighed, setting it in her lap and playing with the soft fluffy fabric. "Why couldn't I hear you last night?" she suddenly asked, tilting her head up to him with a slight frown making her nose scrunch lightly.
"I don't know, Miss. Ghost, but I can promise you that I could hear you." he rubbed his ears and laughed a little, making her smile sheepishly in response, "Not that I blame you, I'm sure I shocked you just as much as you shocked me." he looked over to the cartoons and watched as a bird of some sort ran over some type of dog like animal with a train for some reason and felt his lip twitch...
Of all the random things he'd ever seen that was one of the funniest. He seen her move a little out of the corner of his eye and brought his attention back to her as she tried to make the Thneed into a blanket. He grinned and sat beside her, ignoring her surprised squeak and taking the pink do-it-all from her hands to fold it for her, "It takes a bit of practice, but once you have the hang of it you could even make a robe." covering her with the Thneed version of a blanket she grinned at him and smoothed her hands over the top. For a moment she looked like she wanted to say something, but then her head suddenly jerked towards the door and the smile slid off her face.
She reached out and snatched up the remote, turning the television off and curling onto the rest of the loveseat as the door opened. He could see footprints step into the room and felt the hair on the back of his neck stand when they came to a stop before the girl who feigned sleep. Watched her hair move of it's own accord, like someone was playing with the strands, and quickly reached out to jerk it from the unseen fingers.
The feet stumbled back a bit and Once-ler had a sinking feeling that, while he was being haunted by the girl; she was being haunted by someone much bigger and much scarier. He turned to look at her but she was fading before his eyes, and as the door shut behind her specter he quickly jumped up and raced for it, locking it shut in a simple motion before turning around to see that she'd sisappeared. "Miss. Ghost?" she failed to answer and as he looked over the side of the couch he was only comforted by the fact that where ever she had gone, she had taken the Thneed as well.
At least she would be warm.
Once-ler spent the next day convincing himself that last night had been a dream, however he still spent the majority of his day wishing the night would come faster; and when it did he was in his room waiting for her. He stared at the spot on the couch where she had faded, mentally urging her to return so he could ask her what had happened, see for himself that she was okay and that whatever had touched her hadn't returned to do it again.
It was eight when she finally appeared, walking out of the bathroom and towel drying her hair with his Thneed dangling from her elbow and a pink robe tied around her waist. She looked at him like she was surprised to see him sitting on the chair waiting for her before she blushed and hurried over to his dresser to pull something out and hold a finger up to him before darting back into the bathroom. Then he realized she was nude under the robe and nearly choked on his own tongue, shaking his head and hoping she knew that it hadn't been his fault to catch her such a state.
When she came back out he felt his lips twitch at the pink and purple fried egg half calf pajamas she wore, "Good evening, Miss. Ghost." he greeted her as she padded back in on bare feet. She grinned at him and walked to the closet to hang her robe on the hook where his hung and he shifted a little when he realized that whatever world she was living in was right atop his own, "Did you sleep well last night?"
She froze and his stomach sank.
"Are you alright?" He asked and she shook herself visibly, trying to fend off whatever had happened to her the night before to turn and give him a bright smile. "You disappeared when I locked the door for you-"
He cut himself off as she closed the closet door and eyed the bedroom door lock before reaching out and latching it into place, "I've been practicing making a blanket." she told him, turning to give him a small smile as she walked towards his couch and sat down. The Thneed she now wore around her neck like a scarf, much like he usually did, was unwound and set in her lap and she grinned to him, "I keep trying to figure out how you did it, but the best I can do with it is a skirt." she laughed and shook her head, "It makes a wonderful skirt, if I were a bit shorter I'd wear it."
He frowned at the obvious change of topic on something so simple as how she was and shook his head, "Yeah, I'm afraid sometimes the size does come up lacking for some people, I've been trying to come up with a solution for that, but aside from making it bigger I'm still not sure." he shrugged and leaned against his knees, not sure if he wanted to ask who had come and touched her hair last night. She seemed even smaller now, weak and defenseless with thin wrists and slender shoulders; no doubt she was the flight over fight type.
She laughed a little and he frowned, "What happened last night-"
"My mother asked where I got it, you know." She laughed and shook her head, smoothing the Thneed over her lap before trying to fold it into a blanket again, "I told her a friend gave it to me and I think she believed me, she thinks it's a very fine gift." she looked up at him and smiled, "Thank you very much for it, you're not nearly as frightening as I had first thought you were."
"Who w-"
"I let her play with it for a bit and she was able to fold it into a purse like you said, I was so-" he came forward and sat beside her, clamping a hand over her mouth and frowning at her. She shook her head with wide eyes and he shook his in return, why wouldn't she at least let him ask if she was alright?
"You're okay, right?" He asked softly and she looked away from his eyes before nodding. That wasn't nearly the answer he wanted, why couldn't she look him straight in the eyes? "Really, just tell me; nothing's going to happen to you, trust me." she looked back at him and shook her head and he glared, "Who was it that touched your hair? Were you hurt?"
He let her mouth go and stared at her, watching as she licked her lips nervously, "I'm okay." she finally said, plucking at the Thneed in her lap and sighing, "My mother got a new boyfriend, he gets drunk occasionally. I thought I locked the door but I guess I was wrong; it's okay, though, I think he went back to bed when you locked the door." she gave a quick shrug and reached for the remote, "Why is your room so high tech? Everything comes out of the furniture or walls, did you know that if you press this button a bar-"
"What do you mean he gets drunk?" He looked at the door and stood up, double checking to make sure she'd locked it before turning around and shaking his head, "He doesn't..." she blushed and kept her eyes glued to the remote in her hands and he suddenly felt sick, "You don't have to take that."
"I'm not leaving her behind." her tone was firm and she glared at him, "She's all I have left, I'm not going to just abandon her." despite the fierceness in her voice she trembled and pointed the remote to the wall to turn the television back on, "She'll dump him soon, I've just got to wait until she does and everything will be fine."
He had no idea what to do, how did he make a ghost see reason when it was stuck in an unreasonable situation? Finally he sighed and shook his head, sitting back, "What are we watching tonight, Miss. Ghost?" he asked softly, watching her flip though the channels mindlessly before settling on yet another cartoon.
"Can't you just call me Lexi? It makes me feel like I'm dead, having you call me Miss. Ghost all the time." her words were light and he turned to see a small grin forming on the corners of her lips before she turned, "You call me Lexi and I'll call you Once." he nodded his agreement, mulling the name around his mind for a few moments as he watched a rabbit and duck fighting over a genie lamp. She
tried her best to explain the nonsense he was watching and he tried his best to understand, but apparently explaining and understanding wasn't necessary and soon he was laughing along with her when the duck suddenly turned into a flower, turned himself to the 'camera' and insulted the viewers.
He wasn't sure how long they'd been watching the cartoons until the knob began turning about and Lexi hurriedly shut the television off and gathered the Thneed in her arms to make a break for the soft bed. He stood and watched the lock, frowning as it started to turn. "He's got the key?" he asked her, holding the lock into place and shaking his head. He turned to see her watching him and frowned, "It's going to be okay, Lexi, I'm not going to let go."
She nodded softly, but he could see her fading and shook his head, "Come over here, come to me." he held an arm out, beckoning her, but she frowned at him like she couldn't hear. "Come!" he shouted, curling his fingers at her. She bit her lip and slowly got out of bed and he waved for her to hurry, reaching for her hand as she finally came close enough for him to do so. However her hand slipped through his as he felt the lock turn through and knew that whatever awaited her was going to be as terrible as the horror on her face hinted at.
"Run away!" He shouted and she turned around to sprint back to his bed as the door flew open under his fingers and passed through him. He watched the large footprints form on the carpet, making a fast beeline for the girl who faded away just as her hair jerked her head back roughly and she cried out in pain, wide sky blue eyes staring into his a final time before the only thing he could see was the dresser against the wall. "Lexi!"
He hadn't been able to even look at his bed last night, the soft blankets and silken bed curtains making his shoulders grow heavy and uncomfortable. He had tried to leave, but the further he went from the room the more he worried that she might return and had ended up sitting in his chair staring at the spot where he'd seen her terrorized eyes disappear.
He hadn't left until he heard the bell to his front door ring after the sun had been up for nearly two hours, and when his mother had pressed the hot foamy latte and newspaper on him he'd taken them to his den and sat them both down to lay forgotten. His stomach felt sick and heavy and even the thought of the creamy coffee made it churn and cramp, "Really, Oncie, you look so sick this morning! Do try to get better before tomorrow." his mother told him, patting his cheek, "You don't want to walk into your office sick, do you?"
He wouldn't be walking into his office at all, actually. He planned on staying in his house until he figured out a way to get the little blonde the help she needed, "I'll be fine, mom, just didn't get much sleep last night." he patted her arm and gave a yawn that wasn't entirely staged. "I'll probably just head upstairs and take a nap when you go, don't worry about it too much."
She nodded her head and left without worrying at all, which had him staring at the front door wondering why he gave her so much and accepted so little in exchange... Was he, perhaps, like Lexi in his regards to a mother who valued herself over that of her child's happiness and health? He looked around his home and shifted on his feet uncomfortably, remembering the promises he'd broken throughout the past just so he could see the smile on his mother's face. He had more people that hated him than he could count, friends that would no longer even try looking at him because of a family that never did to begin with.
Shaking his head he turned back up the stairs and climbed up to the second floor landing, walking down the long empty hall that he'd once envisioned his mother and brothers walking down as well. They had chosen a different route, though, and had gotten their own houses, and at the time he hadn't blamed them for it; who would want to share a house at their age?
… He did.
Heaving a sigh he walked sluggishly into his room and looked around for the girl he knew wouldn't arrive until that evening before fighting against his own stomach and laying in his god-awful bed. If he closed is eyes and concentrated he could almost picture her sleeping a breath away and it eased some of the weight from his chest. "I'm still right here, Lexi." he told the pillow beside him, patting it softly just in case she might be able to hear even though he knew she couldn't.
He wasn't sure when he drifted to sleep, but when he woke it was with his ghost snuggled into his side, sleeping soundly in his arms with her hair resting lightly atop his chest. Her Thneed had been folded into a robe, he could feel it tickling against his cheek and the small open V of his shirt and he could smell vanilla butterfly milk. He wasn't sure what he should do, wake the girl and chance having her become frightened that a man had come to be in her bed, or let her sleep until she woke on her own to discover the same thing.
He was comfortable, though, so the choice was easily made and he spent the next ten or fifteen minutes idly playing with long wavy hair that felt almost as soft as the Thneed around her shoulders. It wasn't until he felt her stiffen in his arms that he knew she was awake, but her eyes remained closed and her breathing even. "It's just me, Miss. Ghost." he told her softly, unsurprised when two sky blue eyes looked into his fully alert, "Sorry, I woke up with you here and didn't know if I should let you sleep or not." his excuse was weak, but she nodded and gave him a soft smile anyhow. "Do you know how soft your hair is? If I didn't like it better on you I'd turn it into a Thneed."
She giggled and sat up, stretching her arms over her head and yawning, "It wouldn't smell half as nice, though, which is one of the reasons why it's so great." she laughed a little and curled her legs under her body. She was wearing her purple full length night gown again and he discovered that it was actually
cotton or some other fabric, smooth and warm to the touch.
He could have argued the point and informed her that vanilla was a scent he wouldn't mind wearing himself, but stopped the words before they could be said and misunderstood... Or maybe they would have been understood just fine, which worried him more; instead he sat up and leaned against the gold plated iron headboard and watched her smooth the Thneed over her arms before sighing. "You weren't okay last night."
She shifted, looking up at him with eyes that were suddenly tired and he frowned, "I'm sorry I couldn't stop h-"
"Don't, I'd rather not talk about it anyway." She told him quickly, but he shook his head and frowned; how could she not want to talk about it. "Want me to put on some cartoons again?"
"I want to figure out how to get you away from... there." He had no idea where there was other than a different time he would never be able to access. She frowned at him and shook her head again, "No, really, you need to leave, get away. Your mother's already gone, Lexi, there's no reason to continue protecting her-"
"She was there this morning." She told him, her voice firm and her eyes strict, "She was there when we went to town to go grocery shopping, and she was there when we stood in the kitchen cooking supper. She's still there, asleep in her room waiting for tomorrow when she'll still be there; what will she do if I'm not there with her?"
"Give it a few days and find out yourself when he kills you." He snapped, then blinked at his own words when his stomach cramped; what if that was how she died? The idea was so sickening that he had to get up and walk the fierce pain that had come alive in his stomach off, "You have to go, you can't let this keep happening to you."
She shook her head, crossing her arms over her chest and staring stubbornly at the comforter, "Even if I could leave her behind I have no place to go, we're only able to stay here because we're squatting and Eric spliced the electric and turned the water on himself." the confession made him laugh bitterly and she looked up with flashing blue eyes, "She won't survive without me."
"You won't survive either way." she threw a pillow at him and he caught it, staring at her hopeless form as she sat glaring at him in denial, "I don't want to see you look like that again, Lexi!"
"Don't talk about it-"
"Not talking about it isn't going to make it go away!" He threw down the pillow and looked over at his locked door, shaking his head and going to the couch, "Fine, we won't talk about it anymore, Miss. Ghost, but help me move this so he can't get in at least." she watched him scoot the couch before climbing off the bed to help him. She stepped up beside him and he could smell the vanilla once again
as they pushed the couch in front of the locked door and sat on it. "I regret making this room soundproof."
She didn't say anything and he turned to see her curling herself onto her side before he reached out and brought her against his chest. She stiffened, but didn't fight him, and he brushed the hair from her forehead agitatedly, "I have no idea what to do." the confession hurt to admit aloud and she stilled against him, "How do I save you, Miss. Ghost?"
"You can't save a ghost." She told him, laughing bitterly as she finally relaxed against him, letting him play with the length of her hair as an arm curled around her middle. She looked to his closet and cleared her throat, "Are all those green jackets in there yours?" the change of conversation brought his attention to his closet as well, "You have a lot of them."
He nodded, "I do, don't I?" he laughed a little and shrugged, "It's my trademark, people know me by my style and I do look awfully good in them." she giggled a little and he let himself smile a bit, "Want to try one on?"
"I already have." She told him simply and he laughed again, "Really, they're so big on me that the sleeves cover even the tips of my fingers, I look like a little girl playing dress up." she looked up at him with laughing eyes and he grinned, arching an eyebrow curiously, "I even tried on the pants." that made him laugh harder.
"Try them on again, I've got to see it." He urged her, trying to push the giggling girl from his side as she shook her head and grabbed onto his shirt sleeves in effort to keep herself from being pushed off. "Just for a minute, I won't laugh even if it's the funniest thing I've ever seen."
"You're lying, you're laughing already and I haven't even put them on!" She laughed, glaring up at him in mock anger, "I have no respect for liars, Mr. Once-ler, so you'd better reconsider your promise." he scrunched his nose and shifted uncomfortably but pushed his thoughts aside before they could even take root; picking her up and ignoring her laughing squeals as she fought his hold. "What are you doing? You can't force me into them-"
"Wanna bet?" He gave her his sharpest grin as he balanced her and opened the closet door before shoving her in and closing it behind her. She knocked and kicked against the door, "It'd just be easier to put them on, wouldn't it?" he advised and she gave a loud snort of laughter that had him laughing harder, "Just the jacket, then."
"Fine!" She snapped, the amusement in her voice easing the tone just enough to keep him grinning; a second later she knocked and he opened the door to see her wearing an over-long jacket and he coughed. She lifted her arms and let him see the sleeves dangling from her fingertips and had to cough a few more times to keep himself from laughing more. "Satisfied?"
He stepped back and thought about it, the gold buttons dangled nearly half a foot past where they were supposed to be and the tails trailed on the floor, "You look..." he waved his hand in the air as he thought for a moment before smirking at her, "absolutely adorable." she rolled her eyes and took the jacket off, slipping it back over it's hanger and stepping out with as much dignity as she could. "Really,I'd love to see the pants-"
"Well they fall off, so you can't." She told him smartly, pushing lightly at his shoulder so she could squeeze between him and the door. Once freed she flipped her hair over her shoulder, sending the pale locks flying through the air to lightly brush against the gold buttons of his dark green pajama top without her notice. He stood with his arms behind his back and grinned when she tried to walk away and ended up pulling her own hair, she looked accusingly at him before noticing the problem and sighed. "This is why I need to cut it." she muttered, "Do you mind?"
She wanted him to free her hair, "I don't mind." he shook his head and kept his hands clasped behind his back, "I kind of like it, actually." she blinked at him before her lips tugged up in a small grin and she rolled her eyes, coming close to him so she could untangle her hair from him. Then the doorknob started turning and all joviality left their faces and she began trying to tear her hair free of the buttons.
"Stop, it's okay." He told her, wrapping his arms around her, "Just hold onto me, it's fine." It wasn't fine, she would disappear from his hold and he'd never know if the couch held up against the man trying to get in; but her arms hesitantly wrapped around him anyhow. "You need to get the key away from him-"
"I didn't even know there was a key." She whispered as the door pushed open against the couch.
He slammed himself into the couch, bringing her with him.
"Lexi, are you awake baby-doll?" He heard the deep voice and shuddered, holding her closer and wrapping himself around her. "Your mama's asleep now... Is there something against the door?" the door pushed harder against the couch and he felt her shiver in his arms. "Lexi-"
He freed an arm and shoved sharply at the door, "Leave!" he snapped harshly, surprised when he heard someone stumbling away from the door.
"Lexi, you little slut! Who's in there with you?" The man growled, pushing more earnestly at the door and Once-ler quickly released the girl to shove back against it, his eyes wide with surprise that he was actually able to get the door shut and relocked.
Once-ler looked to see her shaking her head, her eyes wide and fearful and he gestured for her, "It's okay, Lexi, I'm still here." he reached for her and took her back into his arms, smoothing the soft fine hair down her back. "Hold on to me and make sure you don't go anywhere, I'll keep him out." she nodded and wrapped her arms around his back once again.
The door knob started turning again and he felt her shiver, "You're going to be fine, Lexi, okay?" he whispered into her hair, hating it when she shook her head. "I'll make sure you're okay, I'll keep you right here and we won't let him in." he could feel hot tears soak into his silk top and gnashed his teeth together. He could feel the door vibrate as the man started hitting it and knew that if he kept it up the door would eventually break, "Don't let go, Lexi."
He looked down at her and realized she was looking up at him with her sad sky blue eyes, she was fading away in his arms and the door would eventually come down. "Don't go." He told her harshly, "Stay with me. Hold on tight and don't let go." he felt her hands crush the silk at his back and nodded, hugging her tighter.
He wouldn't let go even if she faded away in his arms, and as he hugged her to him tightly, sitting on the back of his plush velvet loveseat with his back pressed against the thick wooden door, he could almost feel the warm solidness trying to melt away.
Her hold weakened and he crushed her to him, "Don't let go, Lexi, you have to hold onto me as tightly as you can or he'll get you." he reminded her softly and she nodded, looking up at him with eyes that
had already given up, "Don't, Lexi-"
"Thanks for trying, Once-ler." She murmured, her fists slackening and her palms smoothing the fabric across his back as she gave him a gentle hug, "You tried very hard, I'll remember that-"
"He knows I'm in here with you and he's not happy about it, even I know that!" He snapped and she nodded against his chest, her hand falling from his back, "No, don't let go, Lexi." he pleaded, pushing his face into the crook of her neck and taking a deep breath of vanilla butterfly milk, "Please don't let go, I'll give you whatever you want-"
"I want you to stop worrying about a ghost, Once."
She had faded right in his arms and the feeling of the door shaking behind his back had suddenly stopped, raw panic had raked through him as he began wondering if her couch had been moved as well.
Illogical thoughts swam into his head and he wondered if he could just keep the man away from his little ghost by killing himself as well before managing to regain his senses. What would killing himself do? He'd hardly managed to keep the door closed pressing all of his weight against it with Lexi's giving support as well.
The useless kitten mewed from under the bed and he glared at it, "Grow up and chase him away!" he growled at it, making the kitten dart back under the bed in fear and he shuddered. What was happening to her? Whatever it was, it was happening now and he couldn't do a thing to stop it no matter how he raged and no matter what he broke. Even the clock he slammed into the invisible television, cracking the screen and turning it black against the dark green and gold ivy walls, did nothing. "Lexi, come back!" he shouted.
The rest of the night had destroyed the rest of his room.
When the day came he refused to leave even when his mother pounded against the door, trying futilely to open it. Even if she had the key she wouldn't have been able to push the heavy loveseat out of the way and he felt a bitter satisfaction that he couldn't hear anything she had to say through the soundproofed door and walls. The kitten meowed plaintively, wanting to be fed, but he just tossed it into the bathroom and ignored it; the door would remain closed. He wouldn't leave the room.
When evening finally came around he kept his eyes peeled for the tortured blue eyes, and when he finally seen her stepping back into his life he walked straight to her. Her shocked gasp at him being right there didn't detour his hand from cupping her chin and bringing his lips against hers, gently molding his mouth against the soft luscious red lips.
She was frozen for several seconds and he used each one of them to wrap himself around her, his tongue sliding across her lower lip as he tangled a hand in her hair. When she finally regained her senses she tried to push him away but he shook his head and continued to kiss her as softly as he could.
Her mouth opened to say something but he used the opportunity to slid his tongue in and smooth it against hers. He would keep her to him even if he had to break the fragile will that had her pushing weakly against his chest as her breathing hitched. She managed to tear her lips away so he bent over her neck and licked at the soft flesh there instead, "Once, stop! What are you doing?"
He shook his head and hugged her close, "Please, Once, don't do this! We can't be together-"
"We can if I keep you here." He muttered against the smooth flesh that was slowly turning pink as he dragged his teeth lightly across it. "Why did you let go of me?"
She pushed away from him and he seen her stressed tear stained face, "You can't save me, Once-"
"Yes I can!" He shouted, flinging his arms beside him and glaring at her, "I can if you'd let me, you don't need your mother and she's obviously fine without you-"
"Shut up, she's not-"
"She is or she wouldn't be able to sleep so soundly at night! This is the only room in the house that's soundproofed!" she blinked at him and he nodded bitterly, "I play guitar and it can get loud so I had it soundproofed to keep it from bothering anyone; I take it you didn't know that? Then you probably haven't even thought to wonder why you are the one who has to sleep in it?" she shook her head and
covered her ears, her eyes wide and pleading for him to stop even as he continued on. "She knows what he's doing-"
"No she doesn't-"
"She knows and she pretends that she doesn't because her comfort is more important than you." she turned away from him and tried to go to the bathroom, but he grabbed her arm and jerked her back around to face him as she fought against his hold. "You're nothing but a meal ticket in her eyes-"
She broke away and slapped him, glaring at him hotly, "That's a fine thing for someone like you to say!" she snapped, poking him in the chest as roughly as she could. "I read about you, Theodore Once-ler." She gave a bitter laugh and shook her head, "You're the reason why there's no trees, all because you wanted your mommy to love you."
The cruel words were unexpected and he blinked at her, "Yeah, it's in all of the old news papers! You hacked away all the trees to make your precious Thneeds so you could build this house and live with your family who never even came by for visits!" he stumbled back from her and her eyes widened, her hands coming up to clasp over her mouth as though she had never intended to say them. "I'm sorry, that was a lie-"
How did she know all about that?
"Really, I never even-"
"The trees are gone?"
"No, no! I'm sure there's some around somewhere-"
He shook his head and looked at his hands, a sickening realization coming onto him; "I am the ghost, aren't I?"
"I don't think you're really a ghost, Once-"
"I'm a ghost who cut away all the trees for a mother that never cared for him." His knees felt weak and she hurried over to him even as he fell to the plush carpeted floor. He could feel her hands on his face, smooth palms patting his cheeks and brushing back his hair frantically and he shook his head. "I'm sorry-"
"No, stop! Don't look like that, I was lying!" She snapped, frowning at him and nodding in a way that made him want to laugh, "I just wanted to hurt you, I was lying, stop looking so sad." he reached out and hugged her to him, pressing his face into her vanilla scented hair and breathing it in deeply. When her arms immediately came around to wrap around his back he gave a weak smile; he was finally getting the affection he wanted and it turned out he had to be dead in order to get it. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry-"
"You thought I wanted you to kill yourself, didn't you?" He asked softly, hugging the girl close to him. She froze in his arms and he laughed bitterly, "I didn't know I was dead, I don't want you to kill yourself." she shook her head and looked at him, opening her mouth to try and say something and he kissed her again. Dead or not, he would enjoy at least the warm comfort of her lips; and when her tongue slid against his willingly he shuddered and brought her closer.
The door knob turned but he ignored it, focusing himself only on the pair of hands that cupped his cheeks tenderly, holding him to the soft lips that moved firmly against his own. It wasn't until the door opened against the couch that he looked up and seen the mans hand for the first time, "Don't let him hurt you." He whispered pleadingly, "Don't let him even touch you, go hide in the bathroom and lock the door."
She looked at him, biting her lip before nodding and standing up. She wrapped her Thneed around her neck and slowly made her way to the bathroom, pausing at the door to look back at him with determined eyes that seared into him. "Lexi-"
"I'll be right out, Once-ler, just stall him for a little while." She told him, backing the rest of the way to the bathroom and nodding once, "I'd rather be with you."
"Lexi, don't-"
The bathroom door shut as the man tried to push his way through to the bedroom, "Baby-doll, are you awake?" he heard the gravely voice ask and he shuddered. "Come on, sweetie, don't be coy." Onceler turned and slammed the hand between the frame and the door, enjoying the man's pained scream with a dark grin. He was killing the little blonde who was in the bathroom hurting so much that it tore into his guts and sparked a flame of hatred that wrapped around his mind like a burning chain. "Let go of my arm you little bitch!"
"I'm not a little bitch, sir." He laughed, leaning over to peek around the door with a large smile, "I'm Lexi's guardian spirit, and I've decided I'm going to take her with me." The man glared at him with red rimmed eyes before ramming himself against the door and Once-ler danced out of the path, laughing brightly at the bastard as he tore through the door and fell over the couch, looking around the room for his little blonde target. "Try the bathroom?" he suggested.
The man snarled at him before turning to he bathroom and breaking the door in with two well placed shoulder thrusts to reveal the little blonde girl, her eyes sightlessly staring ahead with the Thneed Onceler had given her wrapped about her neck. He heard he sound of feet running across the room and turned to see what must have been her mother who stood frozen behind the bastard as she stared in shock while her daughter swung lazily from the light fixture.
"Don't worry." Once-ler stated, walking through the couple and reaching up for the girl, before turning his head to give them a happy grin. While he hadn't planned on it, he wouldn't think twice about keeping her, "I plan on taking great care of her." he felt the light touch of smooth fingertips and looked back to see pale fingers slid into his own and gave a gentle pull. Lexie tumbled into his arms and he hugged her tightly to him, "But I'm afraid I don't want either of you in my house, so... If you don't mind."
They both shook their heads fearfully before turning and racing from the room. He could hear their panicked screams for a few seconds before they faded away and turned to see the smiling girl in his arms, "Don't let go of me." she whispered.
He looked at the light fixture, smiling when he could only see the brightly swinging round designer bulb, and nodded, "I'm never planning to." Pulling her out of the bathroom he shut the door firmly behind them before walking over to the couch and heaved it back into place, stretching his tired joints and shaking his head, "I haven't slept in days and I've got to get to the office in the morning...
Apparently I need to put a stop to the trees getting cut down." he chuckled and imagined the shocked faces from his mother's outrage snarl to the Lorax's pleased grin.
She laughed and gave him a soft kiss on his collar bone, hugging him tightly and snuggling against his chest in the warmest hug he'd ever received, "So we still get to live?" she asked as he lead them to the bed and tiredly slipped between the sheets, dragging her in with him so he could wrap her in his arms.
"I didn't even know I was dead, remember?" He asked, closing his eyes and drawing her close, "I'm sure it's just another of those things that can't be explained." a soft scratching noise came by his bedroom door and he groaned, "Stupid kitten."
He felt her shift and look over to the door before giggling, "I didn't know you had a kitten! How sweet!" suddenly her giggling stopped and he felt her shake his shoulder, "Once, what happened to your room? Why's everything broken?"
He looked around before giving a lazy shrug and tucking her beside him again, "I think this room might be haunted by a love-crazed ghost." he joked.
Authors Note: Fawhahaha! It's one of the few times you get to kill a character off and still have a sweet ending. :D I hope you all enjoyed my (not so) little 'once-shot' Ghost Story; I had a lot of fun writing it! It's always nice to take a break from writing your main stories to give into a little this and that, and I've always wanted to do a fiction like this one.
Tralala, tootles!
FYI: So tired of fixing this... So... tired... -dies-