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Arguments broke out within Woodstone Mansion quite often. Especially for the dead residents. It was inevitable, really. A vastly different group of people stuck together for all of eternity? They were bound to disagree!
Usually, however, the arguments were only one-on-one things. Sass and Alberta having a quarrel over the best type of pizza, Hetty and Flower squabbling over their political views. Arguments in the house usually didn't involve every ghost.
‘Usually’ being the keyword.
Hetty wasn't exactly sure what anyone was yelling about anymore- she had never exactly been within the argument to begin with. Pete was trying to perform damage control, while Hetty was standing off to the side, and Trevor had just entered the room and was lingering in the doorway. Everyone else, however, was huddled in a group in the middle of the room, yelling and screaming.
It was a lot. It was overwhelming. Hetty wanted to scream at them to just stop . Hetty wasn't one to usually want to ‘talk things out’, she actually quite enjoyed a good yelling match between friends, but. . .
It was too much.
Thor was screaming and swinging around his axe, Flower and Isaac were yelling incredibly loud because they wanted to be heard above all others, Pete was nervously wandering around the group, trying to get them all to stop.
Hetty took a few steps back, her hands shaking, her breath picking up.
Hetty didn't often get this hysterical. No- not hysteric- it was called being overwhelmed. Sam had explained that.
There wasn't usually something that caused her to feel like this. She could be having the best day of her afterlife, but something could just snap and she would feel just as scared as she did that day she killed herself.
Oh God, she killed herself. Everyone was still yelling, too. Was Sam here yet? Couldn't she stop this? Hetty needed everyone to just be quiet-
Hetty jerked away sharply as someone touched her shoulder; was that Trevor? She didn't know anymore. Everything was too loud.
Hetty stumbled back, and tripped over her long bustle. She fell over a chair, collapsing on the ground. Did everyone notice that she was having a fit? Oh no, they must've noticed, they had all gone quiet.
Hetty scrambled to try and get up, but only fell again. Alberta and Trevor were calling her name, she could barely hear them-
What was that blasted ringing??
Her entire body was numb, and her mind was too. Suddenly she was back in eighteen ninety-five, wrapping the cord around her neck.
She couldn't breathe, she couldn't see, she couldn't hear. She held her hands over her ears, tugging harshly at her hair, and just screamed. A loud, heartbreaking scream. People around her were saying her name, but she couldn't hear them.
Every phone in the house was ringing, sharp and loud. Every mobile phone, every old rotary phone, even that old landline that hadn't worked in upwards of twenty years.
She couldn't breathe at all, small wheezes coming out of her. Despite popular belief, Ghosts needed to breathe all the same as livings. Especially if they died in a situation that involved no oxygen.
Someone was talking. Who was that? Hetty didn't know. The words, “I'm taking off her corset, she can't breathe.” What was going on? Were they talking about her?
Everything was cold like ice, but something soothing and warm touched her back. Whoevers hand that was, felt like warm water being dumped over snow. Ice being held under a hot flame.
Before she knew it, Hetty felt her corset being pulled away. Oh. Trevor. He was the only one in this house who knew how to get that thing off of her. The countless clasps and knots that branded the fabric to her skin- Trevor was the only one who knew how to undo them.
Hetty took quick gasping breaths, someone's voice was in her ear just telling her to breathe. Were they breathing with her? Oh, they were. It was helpful. They were talking to her as if she was a child, something she would usually hate, but right now she craved for that comfort. Was that Peter? Probably. She couldn't be sure.
Before she knew it, her long auburn hair went tumbling down around her face, relaxing her head of that constant ache. That must've been Trevor as well. He was the only one who knew how much Hetty loved her hair being down.
Finally, finally, everything was quiet. The phones had calmed down- they were only now quietly ringing, it almost sounded like a choir harmonizing. Trevor's hand was rubbing soothing circles into her back, he occasionally left kisses on the side of her neck, a feeling that everyone in the household knew brought her great comfort.
Someone- probably Peter, he knew more than anyone how uncomfortable neck-deaths were- had untied her cord and was holding it as loose as it could get.
The phones finally stopped. Everyone stopped moving. The ringing in Hetty's ears stopped, and she lowered her hands down from her ears. She simply stared at her hand for a moment- they were shaking. A small droplet of water fell onto her right palm. What was that? Oh, she was crying.
“Hetty?”
Trevor.
“Are you okay?”
I don't know.
Hetty couldn't talk. This happened sometimes- after one of her. . . Episodes, she simply couldn't speak.
“Are you nonverbal right now?” Pete's voice was quiet, soothing. He had practice talking to children- and he knew that soft voice is what Hetty needed right now. “That's alright! It happens to me sometimes, too.”
Hetty waved her hands a little, shoving herself into Trevor's arms. Everyone quickly quieted down again, understanding that Hetty just needed a few moments of complete silence.
Trevor held her, resting his chin on the top of her head. Looks like their relationship was out in the open, and this time they wouldn't be able to lie their way out of their very obvious love. Hetty wasn't sure that she minded, though. Maybe it was okay.
“Hey, Hetty?”
Sam?
“I put on Bodices and Barons for you.”
Hetty couldn't help but smile softly. Sam. Sweet Sam, trying her best to help, even though she couldn't physically interact with her friends.
Trevor picked up Hetty, carrying her to the couch. Soon, all the Ghosts were settled in, Hetty's favorite trashy period drama playing in the background of their conversations. Apologies were swapped about the argument, and everyone made sure that Hetty was doing just fine.
Just as soon as the argument started, it was over. And, by God, Hetty hoped it stayed that way.