Limited Ghostly Delights and Halloween Frights

[Phoenix]

Sam took a breath of relief as Nat rushed to her and then as he dragged her back. Behind her were Addy and Todd, both lying on their backs. Nat was quick to pull them all in for a hug, and Sam almost gasped aloud at the physical contact. He held them all there for a few seconds, having pulled them all to their knees. And Sam looked between the two of them, between Todd and Addy.

Before she could do what she really wanted to, she reached a warm hand out to Addy’s shoulder and pumped low-grade heat into her now reptilian body. Just enough to warm her up in the cooler air that surrounded them. Just enough for her to know Sam was happy she was alright and would give her more attention momentarily. She smiled at her, her eyes shimmering. As soon as she had–

She turned to Todd, who was looking around with uncertainty. Tears were flowing down his made-up face, leaving streaks in the already ruined black and white face paint. He looked stunned, like he wasn’t sure he could believe that he was there. Sam carefully reached a hand up and turned his face toward her. She held his blue eyes for a moment before shutting hers and throwing herself into him. Her hands laced behind his neck, and she shuddered against the chill of his body. It wasn’t like the chill of the cold void, of the ocean of emptiness. It was different. It was the chill of winter, of fresh snow yet to come.

She pulled back after a few seconds and just looked up at him. Before she realized what she was saying, the words slipped from her lips, “I’m so happy you’re alive, Todd.”

She felt her cheeks heat up under her own messed-up face paint as tears started to fall from her amber eyes. “I’m so glad all of you are alive. You all did so good, you made it through.”

She leaned back over and gave Addy a hug, a real hug, and poured more warmth into her body to protect her from the chill. She didn’t have fur anymore to give her that warmth. Reptiles were cold-blooded, and Addy was going to need all the warmth she could get from now on. Sam was more than happy to give that warmth. She gave it to her for a few seconds before pulling away and just looking at the three of her companions, happy that they were safe. Whatever lay beyond could wait a few minutes for them to collect themselves.​

 

[Katpride]

With her hands over her eyes and her hearing dulled, Adelyn doesn’t sense the others coming until they’re almost upon her. All she’s aware of are the damp trails of tears wetting her hair, the cool of the air around her, and the stars creeping in the cracks between her fingers.

When she does hear them, she lets her hands drop, propping herself up on her elbows, and then she’s being pulled up and squished between someone warm and someone cold. She struggles briefly before realizing it’s just Sam and Todd; Nat is there too, across the hug-circle from her.

“Oh.” Her voice is thick. She knew they’d make it through, but at the same time she’s almost surprised to see them all safe and sound.

Her own laugh surprises her, when it bubbles up and out of her mouth, but then she’s laughing and crying and sniffling just a little as she tries to hug all of them at once. They’re all here! And they’re warm! Or, they’re all warm except for Todd, but he’s on her non-lizard side so she doesn’t mind so much.

Sam breaks up the hug first, stretching past Adelyn to hug Todd, but she doesn’t mind, because she wants to hug Todd too. He looks like he could use a hug or five. She doesn’t think she’s seen him cry before. Him or Sam, before today. She sneaks a look around the couple at Nat, but his face looks dry. That’s alright. She doesn’t think she really wanted to see anyone cry today. She doesn’t need the full set.

Speaking of, her face is all sticky. She does her best to wipe it away with her sleeves, and feels a bit better for her efforts. That and the hug from Sam has her feeling warm again, allowing for more distance from the cold terror that haunted her for the past two trials. Her head even feels less achey!

“We made it.” It makes her feel giddy again, and she tilts to bump her shoulder with Todd’s, laying her head on his shoulder and closing her eyes for a moment. The details of the Trials are still stark in her memories, and as much as she appreciates Sam’s warmth it reminds her just a little too sharply of the fire that singed her fur.

And she doesn’t even have fur! She laughs again, shortly, and turns her face away from the group, into Todd’s jacket. She’s tired.

 

[Wendigo]

They’re here. We’re fine.

Todd stared at the stars while he finally made out noises. At first, the eating and indistinct chatter only made him want to stay in the quiet following the wall of pain. With where he had to be, after dying, it couldn’t be anything good.

Until he heard Nat’s voice. Until he looked toward it, and saw the kid coming over – the kid, who should not be in the same place as Todd after he died. He was a good kid, that one. Nat didn’t deserve to be here. And neither did – neither did Sam, who was right there, or Adelyn, who was suddenly pulled in with the three of them to a hug. A hug full of their familiar scents, their warmth. None of them should be here.

We’re fine.

He felt numb as they pulled away. It was like there was something in his brain that just couldn’t accept – accept that he was still alive. Accept that he hadn’t died. Accept that he had to live.

He had to live. Somehow, that was harder to accept than dying.

Sam’s hand cupped his face, turned it toward her. He smelled cinnamon, jasmine, vanilla, apples. He looked into her golden eyes and only then seemed to realize there were tears streaming down his face, when he saw the joy she felt at just seeing he was okay. And he should feel that, too, right?

Right?

So why was there a hollow in his chest? Where was the joy, the relief, when she embraced him, when her warmth filled him up? Why couldn’t he look at Nat for more than a second, like he knew without knowing there was something he had to be ashamed of?

And then there was a pressure at his side, and he looked at it and saw Addy. Addy, holding his coat, pulled into him. He blinked a few times, and then smiled. Even if his eyes were still sad, even if he couldn’t get rid of the streaks in his facepaint. He pulled her in close, and he held her there, wishing that the hole in his chest wasn’t there. Wishing he could laugh with her, or return Sam’s embrace, or just be happy to be alive.

But the smile came anyway, without the feeling behind it. He hoped nobody noticed how tired his eyes were.

“We made it,” he echoed, softly, putting one arm around Adelyn, reaching out with his other hand toward Sam, and looking at Nat. “We’re all safe. It’s– I’m glad. I’m glad to see you all.”