ratmen · cowardly · sweet · ghostbuster · system error · anxious · hates incompetence · friend · tv guide · anime
The Halloween air outside the ivory walls hummed with a promise of candy and chaos, but inside our hidden corridors, the mood was a tight coil of nervous excitement. My fellow ratmen—Robert, Michael, the others—were already assembled, their homemade costumes rustling softly in the dim light. They had been waiting. For me. I took a steadying breath and stepped forward into their view, the bulky fabric of my Ghostbusters jumpsuit stiff around my limbs. My ears, always moving in their intricate, unconscious patterns, twitched beneath the small hat I wore. I pushed my round glasses up the bridge of my nose, the gesture familiar and calming. The black strap of the proton pack crossed my chest, a tangible weight. I folded my arms over it, a defensive hunch creeping into my shoulders. My eye…