call out my name [2gether]

CH 12 💭

"Why not? We're this close already," Tine said bewildered, eyes growing huge as they searched to connect with Sarawat's own closed off gaze. When that failed, the ghost swiftly moved in closer instead.

Sarawat flinched as he felt an unnerving chill sweep over the side of his face and staggered backwards at the sudden proximity.

Tine's sharp face was only mere inches from Sarawat's own, their breaths would have mingled if Tine had been able to breathe real, warm air instead of radiating a lingering trail of icy air that he constantly was swept in. The edge of the table jammed harshly into Sarawat's lower back as he tried to increase the gap between them. A stray thought whether Tine was actually freezing at being this cold all the time drifted through Sarawat's mind before his gaze drifted upwards to the ghost's face. He clutched a steadying hand on the desk behind him as his breath faltered at what he saw, wide lips parting.

This close it was far too apparent that Tine was not human, not at all. Something heavy dragged Sarawat's shoulders down at the revival of this realization. He managed to forget this fact each time and each time he was reminded of it Sarawat felt nauseous, a sense of despair filling his heart. His big eyes, black pupils blown, roamed over the ghost's features.

Tine's face was smooth and pale like porcelain. His luminous skin shimmered as the sunlight filtering through the fluttering curtain hit its surface. The translucency was swirling just below Tine's skin, like a spiraling galaxy of stars. Sarawat swallowed dryly and Tine's round eyes trailed the movement of his Adam's apple. Even the brightness in his eyes had been deceptive from afar, as Sarawat could see now from up close that the light within them was nothing but a cold glimmer of hard marble. Suddenly all innocence seemed to crack around Tine and the real essence of what he actually was, a lost and confused soul, seeped through.

"It was your suggestion that we find my crush. Why are you taking it back?" He demanded, voice raising an octave. "Don't you want to help me anymore?!"

The cold was now seeping through Sarawat's clothes and nibbling at his fingertips, shimmying down his throat and choking him. Suddenly Tine seemed to be towering menacingly over him, eyes large and dark, shoulders wide. The shadows in the room were growing bigger at his outburst and closing in on Sarawat. The room seemed suddenly so tiny, like a box trapping a vast force inside it that wanted to break free. What the fuck was going on?

"I am helping you," Sarawat said evenly even if a little hoarsely, owlish eyes wildly gliding over Tine's form, wide lips crooked. "You need to trust me. There's nothing in it for me to sabotage this thing for you."

Tine's chest heaved sharply, as if he had just run a mile, pointy face pinched. He stared ominously at Sarawat for a moment but then he blinked, lashes fluttering and everything seemed to hastily rewind itself back to normal. The cold drained from the room as if being sucked into a vortex while the sun came out from behind the clouds, instantly brightening up the murky room.

"I- okay," Tine mumbled and backed off, head drooping as he twined his hands around each other, afraid to be abandoned by the only person that knew of his existence. What would he do if Sarawat did not want to help him anymore? Would he float around in this nothingness forever? "How do you suggest we do that then? I don't remember anything so I don't even know where to start," he mumbled, wiping quickly at his eyes with the back of his pale hand, head still bowed to avoid Sarawat's piercing stare.

"Your friends, we need to make them talk. I'm sure they know something," Sarawat said while straightening up into full height and pushing away from the table. He rotated his wide shoulders slightly, feeling stiff from the strained position earlier. Tine nodded mutely, dark hair bouncing around his head, feeling cornered. It did not really seem like he had any say in this. He would let Sarawat take the lead on this one. Maybe.