T(H)RUST - Ghost x Reader

Chapter 45

Catherine has always had problems sleeping, and tonight was one of those nights where none of her usual remedies worked. She's already over her recomended dose of sleep medication, some small granules still lingering on her tongue. Even her habit with recreational herbs didn't offer her any solace this night either. The bright blue glow from her phone clearly and distastefully put the dark circles under her eyes on display, more than hinting at her terrible relationship with proper rest. While she's busy scrolling through miles upon miles of boring social media content, hoping the sleepiness will soon come creeping in, she hears a harsh growl coming from the apartment above hers. It's rare for her neighbours to make enough of a fuss to be audible, but they might be fighing—something Catherine realizes she's never heard that couple do before. She throws a quick glare at the clock on her phone, 3:42 am. Why are they even awake at this time? A cold tendril of fear coiled her heart, the following silence even heavier than the one before.

It was only broken by the audio from her phone's cheap speakers as they cycle through cute puppy videos. Catherine's arm starts to ache from the prolonged preassure her position has caused it, and she shifts around in bed, making herself comfortable again. Her ears are now less obstructed by her pillow and she seems to pick up on a few more sounds from her upstairs neighbours. It's now 4:08 am and she debates with herself how long couples usually fight for. None of her exes had ever been those to keep up with a fight for more than a few minutes, but every couple must be different. She convinces herself that it's nothing to worry about, although the muffled voice does seem to grow angrier with each spit of words.

It's a few minutes later, at 4:13, when the voice, or possibly voices are raised even further. It doesn't seem like it's a woman and man screaming at eachother, moreso two men arguing. Catherine presses the button to turn off her phone screen, the heavy darkness helping her focus on the turmoil above. She sits up a bit straighter and tries to focus on the voices, in hopes of catching a word or two that they exchange. All she picks up is what she percieves as a stressed "need to get out", but it could very well be something completely different.

Then, out of nowhere, she hears something the insulation has no chance of hiding. Her whole body tenses up. Was that a gun? Shortly after, another low bang echoes in the apartment above hers. Catherine looks to the left and right, as if that could help her understand what's going on in her neighbours' flat. Her bed is placed against her apartment's outer-most wall, the headboard only a layer of drywall and concrete away from the staircase climbing all the way through the complex. Quick footsteps break the silence out there, hammering their way down the building, and it's now that she can really start to feel her heart beating agaisnt hair ribs.

Her inebriated thoughts and priorities would be considered unreasonable by most, but she has no idea of what she should do first. If her neighbours just got robbed, they might have gotten hurt and need help. But if she calls the emergency services and a cop shows up, whould they interrogate Catherine about the suspiscous smell in her apartment or her blood-shot eyes and dilated pupils? She decides it's best to go upstairs and check. It could just be the couple fighting, someone throwing a vase and then running out int0 the dark night to cool off some steam. That's the logical explanation. It's nothing more than a fight. But Catherine is a good neighbour and she should go to check on the woman in the relationship, to make sure she is alright. 

Slipping her feet into her fuzzy white slippers, she's still a bit shaken by the sudden action taking place in her usually calm apartment building. She pays little attention to the mis-matched pyjamas she's wearing, all her neighbours have seen her in this state when she goes to throw the trash out. Quietly, not wanting to cause more of a disturbance in the stairwell, she creeps up to the apartments above. A sweet metallic tone lingers in the air, causing Catherine to scrunch her nose in disgust at the disturbing smell. Her eyes quickly notice the slightly ajar door to her neighbour. The lights inside don't seem to be lit, which only makes the unsetteling feeling in her gut sink deeper. Carefully, she knocks twice on the door before looking inside, feeling like a bit of a nosey aunt and not wanting to invade the privacy of whom might be inside. She calls out to the occupants with a soft "Hello?", but the only sound that meets her eardrums is the faint dripping of a leaking kitchen tap.