Disclaimer: Never to be mine.

Author's Note: For some reason or another I was looking at the list of different phobias, and thought 'Hey! Phobias, why didn't I think of that?" So here you go. It had started out as little snippets, with a few phobias in one chapter, but I decided to go all out and devote to a phobia each their own chapter.

Warnings: Darkfic, kind of. Slight abuse. Possession.

1. Phasmophobia

© Ethereal Fae, August 2007-August 2008

Fear of ghosts.

Everyone had it in their heads that Seto Kaiba was a man of reality. A logical, intelligent- and a little more than arrogant- man of high class and tailored suits, with the occasional trenchcoat for good measure.

Seto Kaiba denied any affiliation with anything even remotely symbolic of the supernatural. It wasn't in his nature to fall for trickery and slights of hand. He didn't fall victim to the songs of gypsies, or to the call of the fortuneteller. He was never into talking about Destiny or Fate. The Kaiba's way was set in that he made his destiny and no one else was involved. Kaiba had nothing to do with magic, and magic had nothing to do with Kaiba.

At least to the public eye.

What the tabloids didn't know was that Seto Kaiba was a man far more absorbed in the workings of the ethereal unknown than he let on. When he would return home from work, after making dinner for himself and Mokuba, after the lights were off and the stars were out, Seto Kaiba was left with nothing but the silence and the bitter aloneness the night had to offer. His thoughts would flip from work, to Mokuba, to work, to Mokuba, and then when the night grew colder, he'd think of his past.

Seto Kaiba had a constant reminder to make sure that he never forgot how he got to where he was today

He lay in bed one night, eyes flicking between the digital clock and the darkest spaces in the room, waiting for the inevitable. It always happened at the stroke of midnight. The room would chill and Seto would see his breath as it quickened.

'You look tired, Seto. Perhaps you should take a rest for the night.' There was malice in the intent of the statement.

"Shut up." A shadow moved in his peripheral vision.

'Now, Seto.' A leer of enjoyment in the young man's fear. 'Is that anyway to treat family?'

A translucent hand found its way to Seto's arm, and his arm tingled as he felt another bruise begin to form. It wasn't the first time he'd felt physical pain from the unknown. Seto's intense stare could've bore a hole into the wall.

Spirits were horrible things, especially when they were family. Doubly when the more you feared them, the stronger they were.

'You were always such a coward.' Gozaburo clicked his tongue. 'What would your rivals say if they saw you now?'

"Go to Hell." Kaiba turned to face the window.

'Keep saying that, Seto; the mantra won't help. Maybe one day you can convince yourself that I won't bring you there with me.'

Seto pulled the covers over his head in an uncharacteristically childish gesture to comfort himself.

'It was by your hand that I am what I am, son.'Kaiba imagined him grinning like a mad thing. His eyes gleaming with wicked intent. 'My blood will forever be on your hands!'

A book fell off the nightstand. He was getting stronger from the fear welling in Kaiba's being. Things always got worse the more he feared.

"The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want; He makes me lie down—"

Gozaburo cackled. 'Fool. Do you think He can save you now? Deep down you have accepted your fate, I can feel the fear in your eyes, Seto! It's delicious.'

"The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want! He makes me lie down in green pastures!"

'I never took you to church, where did you learn to pray like that, Seto. Did dear old Mommy and Daddy tell you about prayer? Such a shame they believed in the power of it. What has it done for you, Seto; but increase your fear of me. It's not going to save you!' Gozaburo clung to Seto's skin.

Seto felt like he was near a furnace as he felt the demon that was his late step-father slowly consume him.

"GOD! SAVE ME!" A window burst open, and the fiery sensation left Seto as quickly as it had come.

There was silence.

The spirit faded into the night. For now, Seto was safe. He pulled the covers over his head and fell into a troubled sleep.

A whisper carried on the wind. 'I'll never leave, Seto. You know that...'

Fin.

Well, I hope it wasn't too horrid. I imagine that Gozaburo is somewhat of a weakness to the eldest Kaiba, he did quite a number on him when he was growing up in the Kaiba household.

Until next time...