Back In My Cage [Completed]

Chapter six

It was hard to breathe. Shane felt as though his skin was burning. He wasn't in pain, per say, but the agony and the need to comply was compelling, but he had to resist. Ryan kept going with his act and Shane wanted to follow, to abide with his friend's wish, but he couldn't, wouldn't. Shane held his head in his hands trying to stop the involuntary changes his body was doing.

"Ostende te, loqui ad nos, venis in pace, Shax!"

"Shax we summon you."

Shane really tried to keep it together, but with all the memories of this place, and with Ryan calling for him- it was too much, he couldn't help but answer.

"Shane don't ruin it- Holy- Holy shit dude are you okay?!"

"Ryan!" Shane gasped. This was it, he's been exposed, or maybe he could still stop this and say it was all in Ryan's head?

"Holy shit, Shane? ... Shax?" Shane looked up at his True Name. Wrong move.

"Holy fuck fuck. Please stop possessing my friend, we only want to talk!" Ryan sputtered out, scared out of his mind but god damn it if he would let that demon take his best friend.

"No, no I am still Shane I promise!" Shane tried, though he can feel his horns ache and his fingers being sharper. This was not good.

"Like hell you are! Get out of my friend and leave!" Ryan spoke with conviction, but he backed away, to his backpack just a step behind him. Searching for the holy water while keeping eye contact with the demon.

"I promise, Ryan I promise!" Shane held his hands up in what he hoped gave the impression of a surrendering gesture. "I can step into the triangle if you want? You know the truth thing you were talking about earlier? Please just don't be scared. I won't hurt you okay?" Shane was basically pleading at this point. But what could he do? His most hidden secret has been exposed and he doesn't want to lose his friend. Who, at the moment, thinks he's being possessed.

"Okay, yeah, if you really want to prove it to me, step into the triangle and stay put." Ryan had successfully reached for the holy water. Holding the water gun with one hand and a small bag in the other.

Shane did what he was told and stepped into the triangle. Ryan dared to come closer and only then did Shane realize it was salt he was holding in his other hand. Ryan, with too much space then Shane liked, made a circle around him with the salt. Yay, trapped here again, Shane thought. The salt reminded him of the Goatman trip though, and that put him in a better mood.

"What are you smiling for?" Ryan said, angry but his voice was clearly wavering.

"Oh," maybe this is his chance. "The salt circle reminded me of when we tried to talk to Goatman! Do you remember?" Shane really hoped this would help Ryan calm down, but Shane still had his demon features on display, not being able to simply recoil back when all that demonic energy lounged forward, especially not here in the summoning room designed for him.

"Shane, is it really..? But it can't be you! Shane doesn't have horns, claws, black eyes or.. is that a tail?!" Ryan felt himself almost faint. This couldn't be happening. Was this a prank? No, he saw it all happen!

"Ry, I can practically see the gears turning in your head. Don't get lost in there. I am here, in the triangle of truth - just ask me whatever's on your mind and we can figure this out, okay?" The usage of Ryan's nickname made his tense shoulders slouch, if just a little, and Shane saw that as a win for now.

"Ehum, okay, so... are you Shax?"

"Yes."

Ryan's eyes went wide again.

"But- you said-"

"But I am also Shane!" Shane was quick to reassure.

"So you are possessing him?" Ryan asked.

"No, I have always been like this. I am Shax, but I am also the Shane you know and love!"

"This doesn't make any sense."

"I know this is very overwhelming, for both of us really but you especially. I didn't think it would come out this way, but I guess now is as good a time as any, yeah? If you would remove the salt we can go home, to your or my place, and just talk about this, okay?"

"What if you hurt me? How can I trust you?"

"I am literally standing in the truth-triangle or whatever. I can tell no lies, and I promise you, Ryan, that I will not hurt you." Shane said, hoping to come across as genuine as possible.

"I- wait, yeah I don't want to be here anymore." Ryan said, scanning the room and becoming aware of his surroundings again. Ryan felt as though with Shane, or Shax, standing in the middle of it, with demon body and all, didn't make the basement any less daunting.

"Can you first, like, go back to the normal Shane? Just the pitch black eyes scare me right now." Ryan requested, and Shane really understood where he was coming from. The fact that Ryan actually isn't just straight out bolting right now, leaving him here, gives Shane hope he shouldn't revel in just yet.

"Uh, I can't right now. This room has too much energy with you calling this part of me forth just a minute ago. Right when we get upstairs I promise to withdraw all this." Shane explained, and to his relief, Ryan stepped forward and bent down to brush aside some salt.

"Holy shit! The cameras!" Ryan had almost forgotten- Did they record all that? Does he finally have evidence?

"Oh, about that..." Shane mumbled. "As you have probably already figured out; paranormal energy fucks with technology. They probably blacked out already at the time of your ritual."

"So I didn't get any of this?" Ryan asked, devastated.

"Well you surely got the start of it, maybe you could even see me struggling, but I would really like it if you do not show that to anyone, less the whole internet." Shane said seriously. If it would come to it, he could probably make it look like a joke, he would be fine, but Shane doesn't know if he could ever forgive, let alone trust Ryan again. Sure, Shane is the demon, but he would say he still deserved respect from his once-friend -hopefully still friend- at the end of the day.

"As long as you hold your deal of not hurting me, or, eh, hurting Shane, then I won't show anything." Ryan promised.

"I am Shane, though I get what you mean, Shane and this body is just a human name and form I have created. And again, I won't hurt you."

"Okay let's just, talk more when we are home, my home. I trust you, for now, but you know..."

"Yeah, yeah, your home is more prepared for a demon attack, I know." Shane said with a grin, having teased him about his paranoid-ness many times before.

"Well it came in handy!" Ryan said, letting a brief smile ghost his lips.