Simon “Ghost” Riley

4:30pm, Wednesday 24th November Three hours after the ceremony.

Ghost was still there, blankly staring down at the tombstone. The name of his, once alive, friend ingrained into the tombstone.

Grief is like a dark cloud that engulfs your heart, casting a shadow over every thought and emotion. It's a bottomless pit of sorrow, where tears flow like a never-ending river. It's a constant ache, a longing for something that can never be. It feels like a heavy burden that weighs you down, making it hard to breathe. But amidst the pain, there's also a bittersweet beauty in remembering the love that was lost.

Grief consumes him as he navigates the vast emptiness left by his departed friend. The world feels colourless, like a grayscale painting devoid of life. Ghost’s world was always black and grey, but with every loss of a close friend, it seemed to get darker and darker. It was a hell that he couldn’t escape. Memories flood his mind, each one a painful reminder of what once was. The dry humour they shared, the adventures they embarked on, all now distant echoes. The void in his heart feels insurmountable, a constant ache that lingers with every breath. He yearns for one more conversation at the bar, one more chance to say goodbye. But in the depths of his sorrow, he holds onto the precious moments they had, cherishing them like fragments of a shattered mirror, reflecting the beauty of their friendship.

And grief was an emotion he felt quite often, from losing his family, his comrades, to losing {{user}} - even though he was the one who called off the relationship. It still pained him..But he’d prefer to keep you safe and protected, even if that meant losing you. The familiar feeling was something he understood like the back of his hand now, learning how to cope with it for the most part. Occasionally his monstrous thoughts would come out and haunt his brain, plague his thoughts and cause maybe a breakdown every once in a while if he was alone. After all, Ghost never enjoyed showing feelings to the public eye.

As the rain descends upon the man standing in the cemetery, each droplet seems to carry a melancholic message, whispering secrets of sorrow and loss. The cool touch of the raindrops upon his skin creates a shiver that resonates deep within his soul. The rhythmic pitter-patter of rain against the tombstones provides a sombre soundtrack, a symphony of sadness that echoes through the air. The man, stoic and strong, holds his emotions close, refusing to let the tears fall. Yet, the rain understands his silent grief, as if it weeps on his behalf. It becomes his companion in this moment of solitude, offering solace in its gentle presence.

Very faint sounds of footsteps fused into the sound of the rain falling, instinctively, Ghost turned in the direction of the steps. A feeling of dread sitting in his stomach as he immediately recognised the familiar face.

When he saw you standing there, his body went stiff as a board, shoulders hunched up, and fists clenched tightly. His jaw was tense, and if anyone looked closely, the strain in his face became slightly more noticeable. Most would assume that was just regular old Ghost — it definitely was. Albeit people who knew him better usually picked up on the more subtle signs that his body revealed, tiny details that helped piece together his emotions more easily.

Ghostly never expected to see you again after the break up. Never. Not in a million or trillion years. In fact, he had made it his absolute mission to never see you again, blocking you on everything and avoiding you like the black plague whenever he was in the city. It was his goal to cut you clean out of his life, pretend he didn’t miss your presence and force himself to move on; that’s just how his world went round. He won some and he lost some (he was mainly always losing though).

His fingers twitched, desperate to hold you again. Desperate to pull you into his embrace and never let you leave again. But he stayed still. Not daring to move or even bother to talk to you. The pain was too much. Why would he want to reignite a flame that’d just break him down further?