Archive of Our Own ^beta

Bastian stood at his doorway, staring down the hallway. It was dark. Nothing but that all-encompassing pitch blackness greeted him. He shifted in his spot, wondering if he should just go back to bed. When his bladder clenched again though, he slowly stepped out into the abyss, making his way to the top of the stairs, having to clumsily feel around for the railing.

He hated going to the bathroom at night. Espcially since the one upstairs was no longer working, which meant having to make the trip downstairs. During the day never felt so bad. But somehow during the night the hallway always felt twice as long. As if to mock him. Make the trip longer than it really was. He’d start to imagine things that weren’t really there.

That was just it though. He never could really picture what was there. Just that… something was watching him.

Gulping, he forced himself to walk down the stairs, each one creaking, letting out an airy moan. He tried not to flinch at each sound, and just reminded himself that a house was a house, and nothing else. It would make its strange sounds because of its age. Upon reaching the bottom floor, he made his way to the bathroom down the hall, where finally he felt some relief when the light flooded his eyes.

It burned for a moment, but he was able to adjust and go about his business. The pot felt cold to the touch, and as he sat, he looked around, taking in the details of their bathroom. It was small, and the carpet by the tub was wearing out now, the faded blue threads were slowly unraveling at the ends. The shower curtain was a map of the world, detailing all the capitols of each country. They had, had it for years now.

The tiles were color coded a certain way. One beige color, then white, then a cream white. Not Bastian’s cup of tea. The sink had some items scattered about. A hairbrush, and comb sat near the edges. There were some pill bottles sitting out, their grandfather’s medication, though Bastian didn’t know what purpose they served. A big bottle of ibuprofen was sitting out with them.

And finally, the bathroom walls. They were Bastian’s favorite part. There wasn’t any special picture depicted on them. But rather a childish scrawl doodled various pictures. Some looked like people. Some looked like figures, animals. Objects. Giants. Or what he thought they were. He always found something new each time he studied them, just when he figured he had found every surprise the walls had to offer him, there was something he hadn’t noticed before.

He broke out of his stupor. He really needed to get back to bed. Sitting here wasn’t going to keep him safe from any outer “forces.” Or at least in his mind it wouldn’t. Finishing his business, he flushed then washed his hands. Turning back to the door, he paused.

His doubt and fear started to claw back up, threatening to trap him inside the bathroom all night. It wouldn’t have been the first time it happened. When he was really little. He got so scared to back out into the hallway, he ended up hiding in the bathtub behind the shower curtain all night. Atreyu was the one to discover him leaned against the wall of the tub, dead asleep. He started off his day with a very sore back. His brother would forever tease him about it.

Sighing, he opened the door and flipped off the light.

“Bastian!”

He paused, looking down the dark hallway. He flipped the light back on, listening further. Was he hearing things now?

“Bastian!”

No. Apparently not.

“Atreyu?” he asked, wondering where his brother’s voice was coming from. It sounded muted, behind a wall.

“Bastian! Come down here!”

It was coming from the cellar. He flipped on the hallway light and walked down to the door, opening it, despite the off feeling he was having in the pit of his stomach.

“Bastian, come down here!” His brother’s voice came again from the pitch blackness, something that made the younger boy’s stomach curdle. He turned on the light, revealing nothing but the old staircase, the dust flittering up in the air.

“What… what are you doing in the basement?” He asked. It was his brother but… why did his voice sound so wooden? Why did it sound exactly the same each time? Why was there no difference in inflection?

“Atreyu?”

Nothing else came now.

“Atreyu? Why are you down there-“

“Bastian?”

The boy jolted out of his skin, turning over to see, his brother, standing only clad in his night shorts, his long dark hair spilling over his shoulders. He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, approaching the younger boy.

“What’re you doing? It’s nearly two a.m.”

“Atreyu? Where-where did you come from?”

The older boy raised a brow, “Uhhh, upstairs? What are you doing down here?” He strode over to Bastian and glancing into the dusty entrance of the basement.

“What are you looking for?”

“I thought I- “Bastian looked down the basement stairs then back at his brother. Atreyu only blinked tiredly at him, confused.

“What? What is it?” Atreyu frowned.

“You were upstairs? This whole time?” The younger boy questioned. He couldn’t have been hearing things. Right? He didn’t just, imagine, that whole thing, right?

“Yeah. Why?”

Bastian looked back down the stairs, his stomach dropping. Of course, Atreyu was up in bed. Or well, at least until he came down, probably to use the bathroom. Why would he be in the dark musty basement? In the dead of night?

“Y-you weren’t down here? At all?”

“No. What are you talking about? I just came down to use the bathroom.”

“I, I thought I heard your voice. When I came down earlier.” The boy said.

Atreyu just seemed perplexed. “You heard me? I only just came down.”

The younger boy paused for a moment, and before he could say anything, Atreyu just sighed and strode right past him, descending down the dusty, creaking steps.

“Wait! Don’t go-!”

“It’ll be fine! I’m just gonna look around! Relax!” Atreyu replied, reaching the bottom floor. His voice vibrated off the walls into the younger boy’s ears.

“But Atreyu-!”

“It’s fine! I’m just gonna look!”

It went quiet, save for the sounds of his rummaging. Lord knew how dusty it was down there, or how many cobwebs had grown all over. Bastian hated spiders.

Then it became silent. The light flickered on and off. He stood at the top of the stairs still, waiting, for his brother’s face to pop back into view and reassure him all was right. He waited.

“Atreyu?”

Nothing.

“Are you okay?”

Nothing.

“Can you hear me?”

Nothing.

Now a terrible feeling was filling the pit of his stomach. Nothing but the dim light of the basement greeted him, occasionally flickering. Though he was scared he slowly put his foot on the first step, the old wood pressing into his skin. He grabbed the railing and waved some of the dust particles out of his face. He slowly descended the stairs, one by one. When…

“BOO!” Atreyu jumped out from behind one of the large boxes, arms out.

“WAH!!”

Bastian barely had time to register what was in front of him as he fell back, almost hitting the steps if not latching onto the railing. The older boy was laughing, hands on his sides.

“Hah!! Gotcha!” he grinned.

“That’s not funny Atreyu!! I thought something got you!” Bastian shoved him, now miffed off.

“Relax, I’m fine, there’s nothing down there. See?” the older boy gestured to the mostly empty basement.

“Except you.” The other snipped. Atreyu rolled his eyes.

“Oh relax, we’re fine. There’s nothing down here. Take a look yourself if you don’t believe me.”

Bastian eyed the dusty place, and all its overgrown cobwebs. Lord knew how many spiders had made their home here now. There wasn’t a lot they had. Some boxes full of old stuff they didn’t use anymore, some old furniture, Atreyu’s old bike that he rarely used (he preferred Artax) a little kids bike that Bastian used maybe a handful of times when he was very small, and so on. The grimy stains and musty smell made him wrinkle his nose in disgust. It gave him the impression it was something else.

“… I’d rather not.”

“Well. Then let’s go back upstairs.”

“I heard something! I’m not making it up!”

“Bastian there’s nothing down here. And even if there was we don’t have anything of value to steal. Whose gonna camp out in our middle of nowhere house?”

“Well- I don’t know I just-“

“Come on. Let’s go,” Atreyu sighed, ushering his brother along. They marched up the creaky steps, finally turning off the light and shutting the door.

“Please lock it!” Bastian pleaded, prompting an exasperated sigh from the older boy. He still did it anyways, mostly because it would finally get his brother to settle down, and they could finally go to bed.

“You can sleep with me tonight if that makes you feel better.” The older boy suggested.

“I’d like that please.”

“Come on. Let’s go.”

They marched up the stairs back to the top floor, to Atreyu’s room, where the younger boy could finally see his comforting light of his lava lamp. He had just gotten for his birthday last week. It was a neon bluish green one that Bastian and their grandpa had decided on for a gift.

His pile of clothes had grown bigger in the corner of his room. He had yet to take it downstairs. His sketch and painting materials were splayed all over his desk, not having been properly put away. Even he had his moments of messiness Bastian figured. The swirling color and shapes on the walls mesmerized him as Atreyu shut the door and ushered him along to his mattress. When they settled in, the older boy turned off his lamp, taking away the yellow stickiness of the light.

“… You sure you didn’t see anything?” Bastian asked, burrowing into the covers. He only got a sigh in response.

“Yes, Bastian everything’s fine. Go to sleep. We have school in four hours.”

“Okay… goodnight, Atreyu.”

“Goodnight.”

All was silent now. Except for the little voice that came again.

“I really heard you, you know.”

“I don’t have an explanation for that. Maybe we can talk to grandpa in the morning.” The older boy offered. He couldn’t say what his brother heard and didn’t hear. If he really did hear something then they’d have to resolve it in the morning.

“… You’re my brother right?”

“… I don’t know. Am I?”

Bastian immediately sat up. “Wait you’re not-“

“Oh, for the love of god I was kidding!” The older boy nearly yelled. “Good lord! This isn’t the body snatchers Bastian!”

“Well, you could be one of them. How do I know you’re my brother?”

Atreyu turned to his side and buried his face into his pillow. This was gonna be a long night.