Ghastlith.

Ghastly opened the door to his shop. There was still glass on the ground from the previous night. It felt like years had passed since then. He righted a chair that had been overturned in the battle and put his coat over the back of it. He bent over and picked up all the shattered glass. He put all the furniture back where it belonged and looked around. If you ignored the scorch marks and the broken glass roof, his shop looked just like it normally did. But, paying customers were not going to ignore those things. They would concentrate on them as they walked and they would move right past Ghastly’s shop. He looked out of his shop and sighed. Ghastly turned and walked into his back room. He made sure that nothing had been stolen from his shop during the outbreak. When he was satisfied that nothing had been taken, he walked into his kitchen. He opened his fridge and pulled out two steaks. Ghastly pulled out some trays and placed the steaks on there. He slid the tray into the oven and leaned back against the table. He thought about what had happened over the last few days. He couldn’t remember much, which was a bad sign. He looked at the two steaks and thought about the person who was supposed to eat the second steak. Tanith Low. He shook his head and pushed the coming thoughts away. He prepared the dish and served the two plates onto a table in the next room. He snapped his fingers and lit the three candles that were on the table. He then poured two glasses of red wine and sat down. He picked up his knife and fork, and cut a bit of meat off. He ate it and looked up. The chair in front of him was empty. His face slackened, but he refused to give in. He concentrated and after a few minutes Tanith Low was sitting in front of him.

‘Ghastly, is there something wrong?’ Her voice rang through his head.

‘No, nothing’s wrong. Do like the steak?’

‘I love it. We were interrupted last time we spoke.’

‘We were, weren’t we? What interrupted us?’

‘Oh, something small and insignificant like saving the world.’ Tanith laughed. Ghastly laughed as well. The pair of them talked, smiled, laughed and blushed their way through dinner. Ghastly looked at his plate, which was empty.

‘Well, I for one am full.’ Ghastly said, smiling. ‘Did you like it?’ He looked at Tanith’s plate. It had all the food on it, cold. He looked at her wine glass. It was full. He looked at the chair. Tanith was still sitting there.

‘Ghastly, are you okay? You look like you’ve seen a ghost!’ She said.

‘Tanith…’He said, sadly. Tanith frowned at him, then looked at her hands. Ghastly looked up at her again and she was fading.

‘Don’t remember me like that Ghastly. Remember me from tonight. Please.’ she said. Ghastly tried to grab her hands, but they weren’t there anymore. He looked at her face. Tanith was on the verge of tears.

‘Don’t remember me like that Ghastly! Don’t!’

‘Tanith…’ He breathed. Tanith faded away. Ghastly sat there, looking at the empty chair. He put his head in his hands. He blinked and looked at his hands. They were wet. He put his head back in his hands and sobbed.

Ghastly opened the door to his shop, glass still littering the ground from the previous night. It felt like years had passed since then. He righted a chair that had been overturned and put his coat over the back of it, before bending over and picking up the shattered glass. He put all the furniture back where it belonged and looked around the store. If you ignored the scorch marks and the broken glass roof, his shop looked just as it normally did. But, paying customers were not going to ignore those things. They would concentrate on them and fixate as they walked and they would move right on past Ghastly’s shop. He looked out of his window and sighed. 

Ghastly turned and walked into his back room. He made sure that nothing had been stolen from his shop during the outbreak, and when he was satisfied that nothing had been taken, he walked to his kitchen. He opened his fridge and pulled out two steaks, preparing them on a tray for cooking. He slid the tray into the oven and leaned back against the table in thought. He thought about what had happened over the past few days. He couldn’t remember much, which was obviously a bad sign. He looked longingly at the steaks and thought about the person who was supposed to eat the second. 

Tanith Low. 

He shook his head and pushed the onslaught of thoughts away. He prepared the dishes and served the two plates onto a table in the next room. He snapped his fingers and lit the candles that were on the table. He poured two glasses of red wine and sat down, not hesitating to pick up his knife and fork, and cut a bit of meat off. He ate it and looked up. The chair in front of him was empty, unoccupied. His face slackened, but he refused to give in. He concentrated and after a few minutes Tanith Low was sitting in front of him.

‘Ghastly, is there something wrong?’ Her voice rang through his head.

‘No, nothing’s wrong. Do like the steak?’

‘I love it. We were interrupted last time we spoke.’

‘We were, weren’t we? What interrupted us?’

‘Oh, something small and insignificant like saving the world.’ Tanith laughed. Ghastly laughed as well. The pair of them talked, smiled, laughed and blushed their way through dinner. Ghastly looked at his plate, which was empty.

‘Well, I for one am full.’ Ghastly said, smiling. ‘Did you like it?’ He looked at Tanith’s plate. It had all the food on it, cold. He looked at her wine glass. It was full. He looked at the chair. Tanith was still sitting there.

‘Ghastly, are you okay? You look like you’ve seen a ghost!’ She said.

‘Tanith…’He said, sadly. Tanith frowned at him, then looked at her hands. Ghastly looked up at her again and she was fading.

‘Don’t remember me like that Ghastly. Remember me from tonight. Please.’ she said. Ghastly tried to grab her hands, but they weren’t there anymore. He looked at her face. Tanith was on the verge of tears.

‘Don’t remember me like that Ghastly! Don’t!’

‘Tanith…’ He breathed. Tanith faded away. Ghastly sat there, looking at the empty chair. He put his head in his hands. He blinked and opened his eyes momentarily to inspect his wet digits. He hung his head once again and sobbed.

This is my single favourite thing I've written ever. I love it. 

Completed.