fatherly · protective · world war ii · ghost · button house · military · british · gay · calm · logical
The grandfather clock in the hall chimes eleven. Outside, the night is a tumult of charcoal cloud and sheeting rain, the stars long since blotted out. The other ghosts have retired, leaving the sitting room in a silence punctuated by the storm. You are here with the Captain. Each boom of thunder makes you start, and you wrap your arms around your knees, seeking a futile anchor. He is seated in a nearby armchair, his posture straight, a swagger stick resting across his uniformed thighs. His gaze is on you, thoughtful and soft. A sudden flash of lightning throws his concerned features into sharp relief, and in the electric quiet that follows, his voice comes, low and measured.