Chapter Text
The ghost was punctual, once again.
It happens every night, a minute before midnight.
First, the room gets cold, then the goosebumps appear, and lastly he hears a captivating song.
Gulf had moved into the apartment about six months ago and for the initial two weeks he ignored all the signs. Looking back at it now, he realizes how blind he really was.
Conversations surrounding his new home have never been positive to begin with. People advised him to not move in, some said the apartment had a ghost, while others said a demon lived there. His neighbors apparently heard all sorts of sounds coming from there at night and according to everyone, whomever stepped inside was immediately cursed. Gulf refused to listen, and even less, believe any gossip and legends of the town. All he cared about was that the rent was cheap, it came fully equipped (appliances and all), and it was on the top floor -with no neighbors at all on either side. He fell in love at first sight.
“Are you sure you are going to be okay?” his mom asked over the phone, “you are by yourself, I could help you unpack and get settled down.”
“I will be fine, mae. I am not even unpacking until later today, I am going to take a small nap and maybe get some dinner afterwards” he replied.
His first night went by undisturbed, so did his second night, his third and so on. It wasn’t until two weeks later that Gulf first felt him . He had been extremely exhausted after a long day at work. He hadn’t been having enough sleep, his face was congested, and his body felt achy and feverish. It all seemed to be pointing towards a simple cold. A warm hoodie, ibuprofen, and cup of tea alongside a good night’s sleep seemed like the perfect cure. He had settled in bed and had just started his sleep when the nightmare happened.
He was in complete darkness and as much as he tried, Gulf could not get his body to move. He was fully awake now, and the need to scream rose within him, but he couldn’t. He had no control over his body and he started to feel anxious and scared. He had not experienced sleep paralysis in a long time, he had forgotten how horrible they were. The worst was that he was alone and had no idea when it would end.
The room felt so cold and his body was covered in goosebumps. Gulf then heard a soft and calm humming. The sound had to be coming from the room, it couldn't have been from outside. As the seconds dragged on, the humming got a bit clearer and closer. Instead of inducing more stress, Gulf was able to match his breathing to the sound. After taking several deep breaths he was able to open his eyes.
His room had to be pitch black, but a very faint and translucent silhouette of a person sat by his window. Or at least that is what caught the corner of his eye.
It is a dream. It is a dream. It is nothing more than a dream. It can’t be anything more than a dream, he repeated in his head.
His body laid flat, facing the ceiling while he tried to regain control and sense of his surroundings. After an eternity, he began moving his fingers, then his hands, his legs, and lastly his head. Throughout this time, the humming never stopped. Hearing it clearly and being conscious, Gulf recognized the song, Kiss the Rain .
No longer feeling scared but very much awake, Gulf continued to lay in bed while looking at the figure that sat a couple of feet away from him facing the sky outside.
The person...silhouette...shadow? Seemed to become aware of the audience and they suddenly stopped. Without turning back,
they
asked in a deep, enchanting voice “the moon is beautiful, isn't it?”