Spook Me FIC: A Solitary Ghost (Oz, PG)

[vanillalime]

Title: A Solitary Ghost
Characters: Tobias Beecher, Chris Keller
Rating: PG
Word Count: 3,133
Creature Prompt: Ghost
Summary: A mentally unstable Toby receives a visit from Chris's ghost. But who's haunting who?
Notes: Written for the 2018 Spook Me Multi-Fandom Halloween Ficathon. Cross-posted to AO3. Inspired by the following artwork prompt:

Comments

[shabby86]

I love this story! I was as creeped out as Toby. It was great to be along for Toby’s decent into madness. Rather, his perceived madness. Chris haunting him is completely plausable.

I was heartbroken realizing, along withToby, that he had died. After Chris’ warning I had thought maybe his dinner was poisoned. It was eerie timing. But when it seemed Toby was still going on with his life... well I wondered. When it looked as if he was being haunted, I entertained the idea of Chris’ ex being into some black magic sort of thing... like a spell to make Toby go crackers!

I enjoy how, even if Toby’s dead, it was as happy an ending as can be. Although, it is scary to see that Toby can forgive Chris for getting him into solitary after blaming him for his death. It shows how far gone Toby is. I’m glad Chris, sort of, is making up for his wrong-doings. Hopefully his haunting on McManus and the others are remotely harmless.

Thanks for the wonderful read!

[vanillalime]

Whee! Thanks Shabby! You leave such great feedback.

I love Crazy Toby, and I love writing about him. Unfortunately, though, Crazy Toby is also usually Angry Toby. And he's usually angry at Chris. Even though the canon end of their relationship was sad and depressing, I still like to play around with it to try to get it to work out in their favor somehow. If the only answer to the two of them being together is for them to be together as ghosts, I guess I'm OK with it. ;D

Hopefully his haunting on McManus and the others are remotely harmless.

Wellll... I think Chris is just looking for some fun! But at one point, I started thinking it would be so much like Chris if he was lying to Toby after all about doing good deeds just so that he could convince Toby to join him. Then Toby only finds out after it's too late.... BOO. :0

[mazephoenix]

Nice. I was not convinced who the ghost would be, but in the end they both were. Poor Toby, at least he has Chris. It was a curiously happy ending. They get to do good deeds and haunt McManus. Wondefully written as always.

[vanillalime]

Thanks, maze! I'm glad you enjoyed it.

I liked the idea of Toby thinking he was being haunted when it was really him doing the haunting, and him being too mentally unstable to realize the difference. But the idea was trickier to execute than I thought it would be. I'm glad I kept you guessing!

A "happy ending" in Oz is all relative! I think them both being dead is "happier" than what canon gave us, and how scary is that?! O_O

[suespur]

Hopefully they also get to torment the underground Aryans as well!

Great story, very spooky!

[vanillalime]

Thank you, Sue! I'm happy to hear I spooked you! ;-)

Oh, I wouldn't be surprised if Chris has more than "good deeds" on his mind. Haunting some of his mortal enemies would be very much in character for him. (Also: ghost sex!)