(This was in my SS one-shot book, but a discord friend wanted to read it and they don't know much about Sanders Sides.)

Here goes.

No ship

TW: Regret, anxiety, abandonment, Deceit, hints at abuse. Tell me if I forgot any.

This isn't a ghost story. Ghosts aren't real. I promise that this is not a ghost story. 

(btw, bold means Deceit is speaking in lies)

Ghosts.

Strange things, ghosts.
They aren't real.
But they are everywhere.
They get into your head and swirl your thoughts around, like a bubbling cauldron of pictures, feelings, and words.

Each person has their own ghosts.
And the ghosts of the past are the ones that haunt you in you're awake.
The ones that haunt you in your dreams.

He was always dealing with the hauntings.

His dreams were filled with regrets.

"Anxiety!" A voice sobbed, "Please don't leave me with him! You know what he'll do!"

"I'll come back for you someday. I just need to make sure that they'll have a safe home for us," Anxiety whispered.

"Don't leave me," Intrusive Thoughts quietly cried.

But Anxiety turned and ran as fast as he could. He didn't turn back.

He woke up with a few tears coming down his face, "I'm sorry," He whispered into the night air as if his friend could hear him.

They asked him why the host had a panic attack in the middle of the night.

"Anxiety! I expected better from you." Morality firmly scolded.

"I'm so-"

"Sorry doesn't fix anything." Creativity berated.

"I didn't mea-"

Logic cut him off this time, "Anxiety, you need to learn how to control your emotions. You are harming the host's sleeping patterns and mental health."

"Okay," he said, timidly, as he went to his section of the mind.

Sometimes the ghosts would plague him during his waking hours.

"You said you would come back for me! You promised!"

"I was trying to make sure it was safe!"

"For three years?"

"They don't understand us yet! If you trust me, I can convince them to accept you."

"I gave up on you a long time ago. You don't deserve my trust. You left me for Deceit to use. I was his toy, his pet! All while you and the light sides were eating Crofters and talking about Thomas's trivial problems! You got to be happy!"

"Well, what if I don't care anymore!"

Intrusive Thoughts recoiled, "You're just like him. You promised you wouldn't be like him."

"Well, maybe he was right! Maybe we're both just monsters!" He cried, "I'm a monster."

"Yes. You are." Intrusive Thoughts turned and ran off while Anxiety just stood there.

"I'm a monster," Anxiety whispered.

"What was that?" Morality asked.

Virgil looked up to see the others standing around him.

"Why are you crying?" Logic inquired.

He touched his finger to his cheek, "Oh. It was just a bad memory."

"Okay," Morality said, "Oh! And Dee is staying with us now."

"Who's Dee?"

"Oh. Dee is Deceit. Turns out he's a pretty great guy. He's staying with us now."

They didn't hear him as whispered, "No!"

And sometimes they were in his moments of emptiness,
when he was between awake and asleep. Between dark and light.

This was usually where his moments of panic lead him.

"Where aren't you going Anxiety?"

"I-I was just going t-to get some-"

"Were you going to stay?"

"No-no I wasn't!"

"Oh, I think you weren't. Come over here, I don't have a surprise for you."

Intrusive Thoughts was on a leash. The collar on his neck was a bright green and the leash itself was a strong, thick chain, pulled taught as he struggled against it.

Intrusive Thoughts' teeth were filed to a point and dripped green saliva. He wore a demented smile but you could see the pain in his eyes.

Deceit released his leash and Intrusive Thoughts dashed forward.

Anxiety had his hands wrapped around his head, "No! No! No!" He shouted, over and over.

Deceit rose up suddenly and his panic worsened.

"NO! NO! NO!"

Deceit snapped his fingers.

The world was reduced to ringing.

And he woke up.