ᴀʀᴇ ɢʜᴏsᴛs ʀᴇᴀʟ

[glbins]

wrightism‌:

all these years, julian had never once understood how laila could move on so casually from the terrible things that took place in the house they were both standing in front of. how she had managed to forget everything and to come back and have the metaphorical balls to renovate it and sell it. it hadn’t made sense to him that she could have acted so callously at the funeral, talked about their father like she knew what he wanted. there was something so frighteningly frigid about her, like she never wanted to bother to try to understand the traumas that he and his other siblings had come to associate with the place.

“what the fuck do you know about what dad wanted?” he hissed, taking a step back as if he had been physically slapped by her words. when was the last time she had even taken into account what the rest of the family wanted, let alone their own father? “i was happy, i was fine, until you decided to drag me and everyone else back into this mess. why do you even want to sell the place? you need money? a hobby? something to do after your wife left you? what is it?”

sneering, he held his hand up. “stop calling me that, i fucking hate when you do that. it sounds so condescending coming out of your mouth, like you just want to shove what i feel aside because you don’t want to deal with it.”

“ oh? i’m sorry. i forgot that you and dad were just so closed and that you constantly checked up on him and that you were the one who had to pick up his meds and deliver them to him every few weeks otherwise that will never be done. better yet, you definitely saw him every other weekend just to make sure that he was actually still breathing and the phone calls weren’t just prerecordings so you wouldn’t have to check up on him. yeah, my apologizes. if anyone who would know what dad would want, it’s clearly mr. golden boy who’s just filled with all kinds of responsibility that i just never understood. ” 

the sarcasm and rant was all probably unwarranted, okay, it definitely was. but the angry that always seems to surround julian, even when they were younger, is very easy to fall into. easier to fight back with him than the rest. “ i think out of all of us, i would know what dad would have wanted, ” her words were slow, tired. tired of this fighting. tired of this house. always seems to be the center of their disputes and the center of their deaths. “ don’t you want to get rid of this house? what better way than restore it to what mom and dad thought it could become and leave their legacy as that. rid us of the house and move on with our lives, all of our lives. ”

her hands cross in front of her, a brow raised. as if she was waiting for him to be done without having to ask. “ would you prefer golden boy? i think i prefer golden boy. ” she was trying to lighten the mood just then, but surely that will fall flat too. “ that’s not -- none of that is true, julian. ” 

[glbins]

theprcdigal‌:

Astrid paled as a figure appeared at the top of the stairs, her fear quickly turned to rage. She hated every minute she was in the house, hated that Laila had brought her back here. It felt cold and left her feeling dirty. Every minute on the grounds of Hill House felt like there were hands pressing in tight around her. This house had taken everything from her, she would be damned if she let it take another one of her siblings — no matter how stupidly stubborn and condescending she could be. 

“Well, I was practically forced to come back to a house my mother died in, that I have many times over mentioned to you harbours many traumatic memories, but leave it to you to have the audacity to make a joke of it.”  Standing at the foot of the steps, she couldn’t help but shake her head. “I got your notice, wanted to make sure there was no delay in you getting it.” Her intentions were clear, the only way her sister would have her consent to sell that house would be over her dead body — if she didn’t already know that, that charred leftovers of her notice would get it across, loud and clear.

“ no. you were not forced astrid. i would have never forced you to come here, hell, i don’t even remember asking for you to be here at all. ” perhaps this was luna’s doing. her youngest sister did have a habit of trying to smooth everything over, making peace when the house is at war. but laila had long planned on inviting the rest of her siblings to the house once it was done --- shiny and bright and just like new. not the way it is now, still filled with memories that she could only wish she could take away from her siblings; including the ones that she believes their imagination created.  

she wished she could wrap her arms around her sister right now --- apology for the way things were at their father’s funeral, for what she said. for what she’s doing. but she wasn’t really sorry, not for any of it. can’t they see that she’s just doing this for them? that every minute she stays in the house is just as agony as it is for them? how she sees the place their father took his final breath every time she passes by it despite all evidence of him ever being there wiped away. but she couldn’t say that --- couldn’t hug her. “ if you don’t want to be here, then i would have preferred the delay. ” does she believe that her sister actually signed the notice without further convincing from herself? not a fucking chance.

[glbins]

allbatrs‌:

she takes stock of the house, noting that it was a lot more than the FIXER UPPER laila had told her it was going to be.  ‘ well homes like these especially in a climate like maine’s tend to just have a lot of old house noises from the wood and the metal being worn. ’  rowan clucks her tongue at the rotted wood of one of the stair railings.  ‘ how far did your parents get through in renovating it the first time around ? ’

“ remind me that once this is done and sold, to never return to maine. ” as if it’s the countries’ fault for their misfortune in this house resulting to their long stay here and not the idea of a goblin or three. “ they didn’t make it past the summer before --- yeah. summer. so props on us for pushing past that with no causalities or campfire stories. even though i feel like we made very little progress. ”

[glbins]

allbatrs‌:

‘ i mean considering how corrupt the police were like, all across the nation, i’m not surprised. ’

“ exactly. and it’s not only the corrupt but also the lazy and the lack of like things to collect evidence or something. like the only way i would get caught in a murder is if i’m still on the scene covered in blood or if i’m gloating about it in a bar. ”

[glbins]

fearsexposed‌:

“I don’t know about that, Ms. Laila. Some find comfort in the thought of spirits and honor them. Just because you may not believe in them doesn’t change the fact that spirits play a significant role in many cultures and religions.”    

“ just laila, aaron. please. ” how many times must she remind him? ah well, at least he was a good worker. “ and you make a good point. i’m not here to knock any spirit attachments when it’s culture or religion related but when it comes to this house? it just makes me think that people would have better things to do than continue on with childhood stories of ghouls. ”

[glbins]

wrightism‌:

“if i’m the almighty, you must be god herself, then.” he shot back at her, half teasing and half mocking. it comes out much more bitter than he intended it to be, however. it’s like anger coated his tongue with deadly venom, curled and ready to strike like a snake. julian doesn’t bother to apologize, he knew that she was likely used to this by now and he’s hardly sorry anyhow. it was clear that the rift that had formed between them over the years was too wide to close with too many things left unsaid.

he could feel the the deep seated rage boil over at her words, his jaw clenched so tight as an attempt to hold back his words. ultimately, he failed as he always did in her eyes. “move on?” he echoed, his tone clearly frustrated. “i’m sorry, didn’t dad just die here six months ago? are you fucking kidding, laila? or are you just incapable of feeling anything in that messed up brain of yours?”

“ ha-ha. very funny. ” she was all out of insults, all out of energy for this kind of battle. the house really did seem to takes what it can, or maybe it was just simply about another project she just wants done. especially now that she’s months behind schedule. all of the baggage that julian carries around him, not something she entirely has a desire to deal with, to try and solve, right now. not when the house has the majority of her attention.

fixing a bad relationship between her siblings was on her list of things to do, really. but throwing herself into projects such as this was just another way to avoid the rising problems, and this exact project seemed to be the major one. “ i don’t recall stuttering. move on. dad would have wanted you to. he would want you to find happiness not to stand here and just, argue about this nonsense. ” was that true? some of it. the happiness part was definitely true. moving on and away from the house was also true. she’s certain of that.

another deep break. “ look. i don’t want you to come here and just --- i don’t want us to fight, jules right now. do you --- want to come in? i get if you want to wait for astrid, nick or luna or whatever. that’s fine. ”

[glbins]

wrightism‌:

he knew that he shouldn’t have been surprised that laila was lingering around somewhere, like a virus that just wouldn’t quit. still, julian jumped at her voice, head swinging up and pulling away from his thoughts to glare at her. his features softened slightly a moment later as if remembering that this was his sister, after all. “some things you just can’t do alone. i was waiting for astrid or nick or luna…” he trailed off, glancing around as if his other siblings would magically appear behind her. “or you, i guess.”

he doesn’t mean to include her as an afterthought, but it happens far more than he’s ever willing to admit. his younger siblings are just more endeared to him, he couldn’t remember the last time laila hadn’t had a stick up her ass and actually empathized with him. he tilted his chin up like a petulant child, ready for her to inevitably insult him in some manner. “can you blame me, though? considering everything that’s happened in there?”

“ wow, high praise from the almighty himself? i’m surprised. ” she shouldn’t be teasing so much --- if that’s what she’s even doing. she just... forgot. forgot that this might just be his first time back in this house since that dreadful night. whatever they experienced in there was clearly far different than her’s. but they are all younger than her, she just chalks it all up to childhood imagination. but unlike them, she had to grow up. fast. perhaps that weighs more on her than she realizes. 

deep breath. there was no need to be rude, he’s her younger brother after all, even when he’s acting like an absolute dick. “ no. i can’t. but whatever’s happened. happened. it’s high time to move on, jules. step into the light and just see the dumb broken down house that it always is. ” an old nickname that’s used in a way to smooth anything that she said in --- a wrong or harsh way, when that happens.

[glbins]

wrightism‌:

lingering at the front door of the house that used to plague his nightmares, julian heaved a heavy sigh of exasperation, mostly at his own hesitance. he swore he would never return to this god awful place only to be swallowed up in it again because the holier-than-thou laila had plans for it that no one else in the family would dare agree to. he only planned on entering to rip up the release form in front of her undoubtedly disappointed face. so, why was he having so much trouble opening the damn door?

“come on, wright. it’s just a house.” he muttered, giving himself a small pep talk as he paced up and down the patio. “it’s just a house, doesn’t matter if your mom and dad died in it, doesn’t matter if it definitely failed a vibe check… no big deal, right?”

well. this was interesting. first astrid wanders inside the house without a single text of warning and now here is julian. standing outside of the house. and yet, doing the exact same as astrid and speaking to himself. what the hell is with this family? if she asked any of them, surely they would blame the damn house or their childhood. or hey, lately she’s the target of the blame. anything and anyone as long as it’s not them. how fun for her.

well, she spent long enough with her arms crossed, waiting for him to take notice of her walking up to the patio. “ are you going to stand there all day or are you going to come in? ” she should comment on him speaking to herself. by why waste her breath on ears that won’t listen to what she has to say? “ and of course it failed this vibe check of yours considering how you can’t take two steps inside. ”

[glbins]

“ but ghosts? my word, what a waste of time. ” 

[glbins]

“ it must’ve been fun to be a criminal in the 80′s. ”

[glbins]

theprcdigal‌:

She could feel the creaks and groans of the house reverberating as if the cold and abandoned joints of it were finally waking up. Hill House had always felt cold. As if it was ready to crumble, held together like broken bones in a makeshift splint. It was only fitting that their broken family returned back to the place that had hammered into their lives with such a force that none of them had truly ever recovered. Pulling her leather gloves up tights around her wrist, out of nervous habit, she hesitantly stepped over the threshold. 

                                                          Just a house. 

It was nothing but brick, mortar, and some stone — yet everything down to the wallpaper felt sinister. Her composed gaze flitting over the house gave away none of the fear coiled tightly in her chest. Part of Astrid had feared that she would see her mother step out from the shadows at the top of the grand staircase. Whether it was the warm smile of her mother she feared, or secretly coveted, it was a sight she would sooner encounter in her dreams or a photo album.

“Hello?” Cringing at the sound of her voice echoing through the empty house, she quickly stormed past the foyer, towards the kitchen. “Seriously? I swear there is supposed to be a ridiculous amount of people working on fixing this shitshow — and, now I’m talking myself. Anyone around?”

none of this house made sense. she’s not sure how many times she can go through the blueprints of a place with things that aren’t there and things that are missing. she never would have expected her parents to be so careless about such a thing, hell even their own blueprint that she once watched her mother form from scratch seemed to be missing quite crucial areas of the house. which just means that laila, herself, must make her own. but it seemed every time she was finished, there was just something she missed. like the house was playing a trick.

but it’s just a weird and unsettling house is all.

she never heard the front door open, perhaps due to being buried in papers. completely focused on the task at hand. it wouldn’t be until a voice --- so familiar and the same tone as it was the last she had heard of it --- called out. laila left the room behind, not for long though, as she stepped out of the room she had transformed into a makeshift office and bedroom and into the stairwell, looking down at the foyer. 

“ ten seconds in the front door and you’re already pissed. it’s a new record. ” her voice was  dripping with sarcasm as she walked down the steps. “ if you find that you’re talking to yourself often, i suggest finding someone to actually talk to. ”

[glbins]

‘  i  wondered  if  that’s  what  they  felt ,  just  numb  and  nothing  and  alone .  ’ / @ laila

‘  i  wondered  if  that’s  what  they  felt ,  just  numb  and  nothing  and  alone .  ’

“ nicky, ” her voice soft. barely louder than a whisper. “ we can’t think like that. it’ll eat you alive to wonder such things. but if this is you saying that you feel numb and nothing and alone? we need to change that. like. now. that isn’t healthy, that kind of thinking. that kind of feeling. you always have us, your family. you always have me. now, if i have to be the one to drag you to a therapist or something, i will. ”

[glbins]

‘ do you think there’s something wrong with me ? like , really wrong ? ’ 4 laila

‘ do you think there’s something wrong with me ? like , really wrong ? ’

“ no, of cou – ” she was too quick to respond, quick to deny the very idea of something being wrong with him. but maybe he’s right. maybe there was something with him, something wrong with this whole family. it seemed that whatever illness that plagued their family all those years ago is just right back at it. but does julian really need to hear that from her? right now? no. her voice grew softer, “ of course not, julian. i mean, i can name like fifty things wrong with you but like. none of where its really wrong. ”

[glbins]

‘ we’re all stories in the end . ’ // ‘ i seldom am well behaved . ’ / noor @ jay

‘ we’re all stories in the end . ’

jay is, very much, not at all focusing on her friend and whatever she was spewing. which is why what she did hear didn’t make any sense to her, whatsoever. “ are you saying that because you write the stories because if so, yeah sure. we’re stories if we’re written down. some of us just become photographs and some become nothing if we’re going to get real technical here. like there are some people with no stories and no one to pass along their memory. they just become nothing. wait, is this too depressing? ”

‘ i seldom am well behaved . ’

“ is this the part where you tell me that you’re dragging me out to that weird nightclub where i’m going to be forced into being your wingwoman and i have to tell you to behave but you very clearly aren’t going to listen. ”

[glbins]

‘ i felt nothing and so i drank and i drank and nothing worked . i couldn’t feel anything . ’ // ‘ that was really wild stuff considering you were asleep for , what , like… ninety-nine percent of it ? ’ astrid @ laila

‘ i felt nothing and so i drank and i drank and nothing worked . i couldn’t feel anything . ’

“ that’s exactly my point, astrid. drinking like that? it’s not fucking healthy. you are going to drink yourself straight into a grave. if you really don’t feel anything, then talk to someone. i don’t care if it’s not me. fuck, don’t talk to me for however long you want. i don’t care. what i care is that you are seek actual professional help. ”

‘ that was really wild stuff considering you were asleep for , what , like… ninety-nine percent of it ? ’

“ nice. great comeback. how long did it take for you to think of that one? ”

[littlelovelymemes]

(    *   & .   —   THE  HAUNTING  OF  HILL  HOUSE  SENTENCE  STARTERS

*   warning   :   may  contain  spoilers  for  episodes  one  through  ten .

‘  if  you  were  me ,  you  wouldn’t  be  such  a  fucking  asshole .  ’

‘  the  world  out  there  has  teeth  and  it  is  hungry  and  it  is  stupid  and  it eats  and  eats  mindlessly .  ’

‘  you  listen  to  your  gut .  even  if  it  makes  them  hate  you .  ’

‘  i  am  a  dream  and  so  are  you  and  so  are  we .  ’

‘  you  are  a  looker ,  aren’t  you ?  ’

‘  honey ,  someone’s  in  the  house .  ’

‘  i’m  dreaming ,  right ?  ’

‘  i  just  need  a  little  time  away .  it’s  nothing  more  than  that .  ’

‘  you’re  saying  it  was  an  accident ,  so  you  accidentally  put  your  hand  through  a  mirror ?  ’

‘  i’m  scared .  that’s  all  i  am .  there  is  nothing  else .  i’m  only  scared .  ’

‘  do  you  think  there’s  something  wrong  with  me ?  like ,  really  wrong ?  ’

‘  it’s  alright ,  sugar .  it’s  just  a  dream  —  just  a  screaming  meemie .  ’

‘  we  yield  to  it  or  we  fight  it ,  but  we  cannot  meet  it  halfway .  ’

‘  i  seldom  am  well  behaved .  ’

‘  i  enjoyed  the  conversation ,  but  i’m  gonna  say  goodnight .  ’

‘  did  you  just  punch  me  in  the  boob ?  ’

‘  just  enjoy  me .  i’m  loving  you .  ’

‘  i  wouldn’t  have  changed  a  thing .  i  need  you  to  know  that .  ’

‘  forgiveness  is  warm  like  a  tear  on  a  cheek .  ’

‘  i  loved  you  completely  and  you  loved  me  the  same .  ’

‘  that’s  all .  the  rest  is  confetti .  ’

‘  forgive  a  girl  for  being  lonely .  ’

‘  there’s  nothing  sadder  than  a  cold  bed .  ’

‘  journey’s  end  when  lovers  meet .  ’

‘  journeys  don’t  end ,  not  if  you  love  someone .  they  don’t  end  at  all .  ’

‘  probably  best  you  didn’t  say  anything  to  them .  ’

‘  i’m  asking  you  to  love  me  hard  for  the  next  few  minutes .  ’

‘  i’m  gonna  jump  and  i’m  asking  you  to  hold  my  hand  while  i’m  falling .  ’

‘  i  have  something  that  i  have  to  tell  you ,  but  i  need  you  to  remember  when  i  do  that  i  love  you .  ’

‘  i  wish  i  would’ve  loved  you  better .  ’

‘  pandas  don’t  like  macaroni .  ’

‘  i’m  just  floating  in  this  ocean  of  nothing  and  i  wonder  if  this  is  it ,  this  is  what  death  is .  ’

‘  i  wonder  if  this  is  what  death  is ,  just  out  there  in  the  darkness ,  just  darkness  and  numbness  and  alone .  ’

‘  i  wondered  if  that’s  what  they  felt ,  just  numb  and  nothing  and  alone .  ’

‘  he  was  a  light  in  the  darkness .  he  was  a  life  preserver  in  the  ocean .  ’  

‘  i  reached  for  him  because  i  had  to  feel  something .  i  had  to  feel  anything .  ’

‘  god ,  i’m  so  glad  i  did  it  though .  thank  god  it  worked .  ’

‘  i  felt  scared .  so  fucking  scared .  ’

‘  honestly  i  had  to  do  it  because  it  felt  better  than  feeling  nothing .  ’

‘  that  thorough  fucking  shame  was  so  much  better  than  that  horrible  empty  feeling .  ’

‘  you  have  to  live .  ’

‘  i  don’t —  i  don’t  know  how  to  do  this  without  you .  ’

‘  i  learned  a  secret  :  there  is  no  without .  i  am  not  gone .  i  am  scattered  into  so  many  pieces ,  sprinkled  on  your  life  like  new  snow .  ’

‘  when  we  die ,  we  turn  into  stories  and  every  time  someone  tells  one  of  those  stories  it’s  like  we’re  still  here .  ’

‘  we’re  all  stories  in  the  end .  ’

‘  you’re  supposed  to  protect  me ,  but  you  say  the  meanest  things  to  me  when  i  try  to  tell  you  things .  ’

‘  that  was  really  wild  stuff .  ’

‘  that  was  really  wild  stuff  considering  you  were  asleep  for ,  what ,  like…  ninety-nine  percent  of  it ?  ’

‘  i’m  sorry .  i  should  have  made  more  of  an  effort  with  you .  ’

‘  you  tried  the  best  that  you  could .  i  should’ve  met  you  halfway .  ’

‘  people  fuck  up .  i  guess  you  don’t  get  that  —  you  really  don’t  get  it  until  you  fuck  up .  really  fuck  up .  ’

‘  i  felt…  nothing .  just  nothing .  and  it  spread  everywhere  in  me ,  this  nothing ,  until  i  couldn’t  feel  anything  anymore .  i  was  just  this  dark ,  empty  black  hole .   ’

‘  i  felt  nothing  and  so  i  drank  and  i  drank  and  nothing  worked .  i  couldn’t  feel  anything .  ’

[taishaunas]

@archangelachelsea: Looking fresh and glowing @summerybishil ❤️❤️