One shots or something

After Episode (Johnny Ghost)

Johnny Ghost paced his small room, the only space he did not share with his best friend and partner Johnny Toast, the two had known each other since they were young children and one would be hard pressed to find them apart. Ghost was stressed, he had gone on a another case yesterday and had another "episode", he had blacked out and found himself in a different location when he awoke, and the homeowners were unwilling to tell him what happened. Ghost hadn't had an "episode" for months, it always worried him when they occurred, The last time he had a blackout of this length he came to he was covered in blood, holding a knife, one he most certainly did not own, and there was a dead bird at his feet. The reason he was pacing was less from the stress and more to help him think, trying to remember anything that could have possibly triggered the "episode", memories were difficult for Johnny, much of his past was repressed, he began retracing everything that had happened the previous day, but he couldn't remember what happened before his blackout. After maybe 46 minutes of pacing the edge of the room, there came a knock at the door, "Sir, I'm sorry, I must ask you to stop pacing, the creaking is becoming quite a nuisance."

The man at the door was Johnny Toast, he had been asleep on the living room couch, the floorboards creaking under Ghost's weight had woken him up. Toast pried the door open, stepping in to Ghost's room, he walked to the bed and motioned for Ghost to sit beside him.

"Sir, I believe it would help to talk about what is bothering you, I can not offer assistance if you do not tell me what is going on."

Ghost sighed heavily and shook his head, "I'm not sure what is going on, but I promise, I would tell you if something happens."

That night Ghost struggled to sleep, he could hear Toast quietly snoring next door, he drummed his fingers on his chest, focusing on the rhythm hoping it would lull him to sleep. After an hour of laying awake, Johnny moved to the edge of his bed, sitting up and rubbing his temple, a dim pain had begun to build in his head. Johnny quietly walked to the kitchen, avoiding certain floorboards as to not wake up Toast. He poured himself a glass of water, he barely had the rim of the cup to his lips when he felt a sharp pang in his gut, he drudged to the restroom. Ghost leaned over the sink, splashing lukewarm water on his face, wiping his brow with a washcloth, the pain in his head had grown much sharper, his ears were ringing and his eyes were watering. Johnny gripped the sides of the sink tightly, using them to balance as he stood up, his focus still resting on the water as it crawled down the drain.

His gaze slowly traveled up to the mirror and as he locked eyes with his reflection, he froze. The man looking back at him had dry cracked lips, much dark matted hair and scratches covering its face. Johnny's breath shook, the ringing in his ears grew to a deafening volume and his head felt like it was going to explode. He tried to run, to tear himself away from this monster in the mirror, to shake himself awake from this horrible nightmare as he began to sob, but no tears were running down his face... His heaving chest felt like it was on fire, suddenly the rhythm of his sobs shifted, and his heart almost stopped, it had become laughter? He glanced back at his reflection and his blood went cold, it had a cheshire-like grin, Ghost moved his hand, feeling his face, unsure if he could trust the mirror, it was not a lie.... Johnny once more locked eyes with the man in the mirror, the ringing and the pain began to fade, but he was not comforted by this, he began to tear at his face, trying desperately to wake himself, as his vision blurred, he watched through his now speckled sight as his reflection's eyes turned a fearsome crimson red and the last thing he heard was his own maniacal cackling as his world faded away.....