A night of no sleep

[color=333333]Max couldn't sleep.

He was having nightmares, the same ones he'd been having for the past five or six months, with his parents and sister and brothers burning. Now his siblings were following him, clinging to his arms with their unearthly cold hands and whispering unintelligible remarks to each other.

The lounge. Thankfully, it was almost empty, a lone girl sprawled on the floor doing something with her laptop. He shook the ghosts off him, knowing they'd just be back in a minute but hardly caring. He dropped down on one of the loveseats, propping his head up with one of the decorative cushions and turning on one of the tiny lights that he hoped was dull enough to not attract attention.

They came back, and this time he just ignored them as best he could, seeing as for some reason he wasn't getting flashbacks anymore. He grabbed the book he'd taken with him off the floor, unable to keep himself from glancing back at his brother's tormented face for just a second before turning away and to his book. [/color]

[color=333333]Max softly closed his book, glancing back at his brother who was now clawing at his own face. "Is that so?" He mused, flipping his legs upright to provide her with sitting space. "I'll have to remember that."

He could feel her looking at him, not bothering to do the same as a previous glance had shown nothing but the shining of various jewelry. The lamp was too weak to reach her, and her image flickered enough that he wasn't even sure she was real. He held out a hand to shake, relaxing when her hand proved much too solid, too real to be a spirit. "Max Fairbairn." He smiled lightly, scottish accent giving his last name an obvious twist. "Pleasure 'ta meet you, lass."
[/color]

[color=333333]"Aye, 'tis." He grinned lightly, examining her for a few seconds in the light before nodding almost imperceptibly and smiling again. Definitely not a ghost.

"How can everyone teall?" Max sighed and absent mindedly ran a hand through his hair, leaving it even more tousled then before.
He watched as she walked across the room to gather her bags, wondering if the conversation was over as soon as it had started. But no, she was coming back, and taking off her vast collection of jewelry that had somehow reminded Max of his oldest sister. "And why are you up, Ela Heart?" He questioned, tilting his head just enough that a few locks of hair managed to block his vision. "If you don't mind tellin' me, that is." [/color]

[color=333333]As if reminded of his unearthly duty, his brother's ghost began tearing at his face again and Max shrugged reluctantly. "Dreams, homesickness, same as you." He flashed a glance at the ghost hovering behind him, turning back and wondering yet again if Ela was in fact real. "Sad part is, I'm not so sure bein' awake's any better." [/color]