Ghost


Content Warning
Mentions of self-harm and suicide. Hover over blurry sections to read.
 

I looked out the window of my spacecraft into the eerie void, expecting to see nothing but the odd star floating about. Something caught my eye. Something moving. Moving fast. Suddenly I didn't feel so alone in this vast, open void. I checked my Navigator, noticing I had approached Deep Space. Shit.

What lies in Deep Space is unknown to most. Stories of monsters are rampant around space colonies. Few that venture into Deep Space come back, and those that do are so traumatised from whatever they witnessed that they are unapproachable and in far too worse of a state to be interrogated.

Ghost Stories

Of those that were able to describe their encounters of Deep Space, all spoke of a mystical... "thing", that stalked their every move. Never made contact, never approached their spacecraft. Just sat. And watched. Whatever this thing was, it didn't appear on any radars. No detection system ever spotted what people call Ghost, so whatever this was, it was certainly something to fear.

It was so fast, I didn't have time to process things. First thing, all of my ship's power went out. Couldn't see a damn thing. Then I saw its eyes. Not one, not two, hundreds. Blinking. From every single direction. Fucking horrifying.

Dr. Arian Salaves

If anyone knows a thing about Ghost, it's Dr. Arian Salaves. In the very last page of her book, Salaves' Most Terrifying Creatures In The Yonderverse, is what many suspect to be a subtle nod to Ghost.

There is no clear image of this creature, nor is there a description, but the words I will find you lay in the middle of the page, surrounded by white and purple wisps.

This last page has raised many questions, many online reviews stating that it made readers mildly uncomfortable at the implications.

 
Eggy Placeholder by Dr Emily Vair-Turnbull
Next, my radar stopped working. That's not much of an issue, but at any moment a meteor could come flying towards my ship and I'd have not the faintest clue. I began panicking. It could sense it.

Void Insanity

Ghost is the suspected cause of Void Insanity, a ruthless disease that affects those who spend too much time alone in the depths of the spacial void. The isolation sends people into a manic episode, hallucinations, elevated anger and stress, devolving into self harm and eventual suicide. Those who have suffered from Ghost's haunting experienced identical symptoms, and even those that survived their encounter did too.

Some people believe that Ghost does not limit itself to Deep Space, venturing into the spacial void to terrorise isolated ships. Reports of thousands of unusual blinking lights in the darker corners of certain galaxies are not rare but not unheard of.

I heard a creaking. And a groaning. Metal snapping. Bolts unscrewing. That's the last thing I heard.
Current Location
Age
Unknown, suspected at least a million years
Children
Sex
Unknown
Eyes
Piercing yellow dots, in their thousands
Size
At least seventy thousand kilometres long

Related Articles

Deep Space
Geographic Location | Apr 14, 2024

The farthest point from the Centre of the Yonderverse. What lies inside may haunt you forever.

Void Insanity
Condition | Apr 29, 2023

A condition caused by prolonged existence and loneliness in the vacuum of space in the Yonderverse.

Dr. Arian Salaves
Character | Apr 15, 2024

One of the most powerful people in the Yonderverse, who uses her supernatural gifts to explore the farthest reaches of space.


Comments

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Dec 31, 2023 15:45 by Dr Emily Vair-Turnbull

Too many eyes, too many eyes! :O

Emy x
Explore Etrea
Jan 1, 2024 22:51 by Mochi

not enough eyes!

I hope you have a great day!   Explore the endless planets brimming with life of the Yonderverse! Go after creatures, discover new places, and learn about the people you find along the way.   Check out my Institutes of Learning Challenge entry!
Jan 1, 2024 22:49 by Doug Marshall

This is an AWESOME article. It's eerie and evocative, and makes me desperately want to know the actual nature and motive of this "presence." Is it a god? The sentient consciousness of space itself? The weight of the author upon the narrative? So many questions!!

ASP | AV | OE | SPH | TMS | CDL | LOR | PR | HTH
Jan 1, 2024 22:53 by Mochi

aaaa thank you so much!! I can't wait to keep dropping more hints about what this figure might be >:)

I hope you have a great day!   Explore the endless planets brimming with life of the Yonderverse! Go after creatures, discover new places, and learn about the people you find along the way.   Check out my Institutes of Learning Challenge entry!
Jan 2, 2024 17:53

I like the creepy and the monstrous, the unexplainable and the terrible. Sometimes it's the not knowing that makes something all the more scary. The line of No detection system ever spotted what people call Ghost, so whatever this was, it was certainly something to fear. sort of played right into that, which I really appreciated. No one knows so it must be especially bad! For such a 'short' article, the creepiness of Ghost was really well conveyed. And I'll always love little writing snippets amongst an info article, since I think it adds flavor. I looove it. Real House of Leaves vibes with the last page of the book, too. :3

What would an ocean be without a monster lurking in the dark?
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Jan 2, 2024 17:56 by Mochi

aaaaaa thank you so much!! <33 I really enjoyed writing this article, it's way spookier and creepier than my normal content so it was a bit of a challenge, so I'm really glad it paid off! :D

I hope you have a great day!   Explore the endless planets brimming with life of the Yonderverse! Go after creatures, discover new places, and learn about the people you find along the way.   Check out my Institutes of Learning Challenge entry!
Jan 8, 2024 22:06 by Micah Olson

Cool work keep it up. Love to see scifi stuff!

Jan 8, 2024 22:26 by Mochi

Thank you! :D

I hope you have a great day!   Explore the endless planets brimming with life of the Yonderverse! Go after creatures, discover new places, and learn about the people you find along the way.   Check out my Institutes of Learning Challenge entry!
Jan 21, 2024 14:55 by Ben Kmeczik

I love how well you described this entity without actually describing it.

Jan 21, 2024 15:08 by Mochi

Thank you so much! I hope people never know what Ghost is :D

I hope you have a great day!   Explore the endless planets brimming with life of the Yonderverse! Go after creatures, discover new places, and learn about the people you find along the way.   Check out my Institutes of Learning Challenge entry!
Mar 17, 2024 21:04 by Aster Blackwell

This is a great article, but it was hilarious reading the spooky beginner quote and then scrolling down to see the derp face of the egg placeholder XD

Mar 17, 2024 21:16 by Mochi

hahaha, the duality of Ghost >:)

I hope you have a great day!   Explore the endless planets brimming with life of the Yonderverse! Go after creatures, discover new places, and learn about the people you find along the way.   Check out my Institutes of Learning Challenge entry!
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