ALL OR NOTHING~ Dalton Lambert

THE BOY WHO CRIED DEMON

Dalton's body shot up, eyes directly looking at the painting faced up on his desk, at the hammer that was no longer there. Then his gaze moved around the room, examining the art on the walls, as things were scattered around, then at the warm body on his bed. His face lit up just a little, careful to make no noise as his eyes lingered over the body, eventually seeing it was a girl, Shiloh. A gentle knock brought him back to reality, "just checking on you."
A woman's voice said before opening the door, Chris rushed into the room with something metal clanking in her arms. She stopped as she saw Dalton sitting in the middle of the room, staying completely silent.

"Okay," she began, "sitting on the floor, being weird. That's normal." Clearly uncomfort, she moved to the bed on the right side of the room and displayed whatever she had brought. "So you're good, right? Because..." her voice trailed off once she saw her friend laying on the bed, ignoring her presence completely. "Uh, I just thought that when the power went out, that maybe you were messing with that dark realm shit again." Chris rambled on while making herself as comfortable as she could.

"And I know that you don't really care for the dark. Oh, did I mention that Ezi probably isn't gonna join us? She wanted to stay back in her and Shi's dorm." She began untangled a ball of string lights, "Anyway I figured I would illuminate your room, much like how I illuminate your life." Chris smiled before plugging them into an extension cord, she hadn't even realized Dalton was sitting behind her. "I'm not even afraid of the dark anymore." His voice low, Chris rolled her eyes in irritation, "okay."

Unplugging the lights, "well, I hauled these all the way down here, so they're going up anyway. Even though you're totally freaking annoying." She scoffed, struggling at pulling the lights apart and getting no help from Dalton. "So, um, listen..." she plugged another set into the extension cord, "I got your text and I wrote a snarky response. And then I deleted it, because Grandma Perkee always told me to never escalate an argument over text. Doesn't convey tone."
Dalton, still lurking behind her. Shiloh, still paralyzed to the bed.

"But, I mean, if you want my opinion...here it is. Don't go digging around in your past." Chris plugged in more lights, "some things are just better left buried, you know?" Unplugged the lights once more.

Dalton moved away from her, "And, sometimes you just have to move on." Chris continued, getting more on edge that the boy has yet to answer her.
She turned her head over to where she assumed he'd be except he had vanished. Chris took this time to notice Shiloh's body still in the same position from before except this time her eyes were wide open and staring directly at her, with pure fear.
"Dalton?" Her voice quivered, the room still hard as she got up from her seat and began to walk towards the door, slowly looking down at Shiloh before moving her gaze forward. Making her way, she noticed the large armoire in the corner near the door, Dalton still nowhere in sight- Chris knew she most definitely wouldn't open it.

She continued to slowly search the room with her eyes, looking under the bed from where she stood, then facing the Shiloh once more she kept going. Facing the closed blinds and the desk, before looking at the right corner of the room, nothing was there.
Then to the left where things were darker, but the soft noise of cries had Chris look back into the right corner and stop right where she was.
Dalton's back was facing her as he was standing in the corner, his head down causing him to look hunched  over from his height. "Hey." Chris said, bewildered. His cries seemed to quickened into what sounded like a dog, yet Chris stepped closer to him. An animalistic growl came from him, "Dalton. You okay?" She asked, his posting on straightened and he slowly turned around. Chris watched in horror as she looked at him, his eyes weren't their normal blue but rather a bright- more captivating. Darkness covered his expression, Chris gasped and quickly stumbled back and bolted for the door. With one lift of his hand, Dalton sent her flying into the wall and collapsing onto the bed alongside her variety of unplugged lights.

-

'Knee-deep in flowers, we'll stray...

We'll keep the showers away...

And if I kiss you in the garden,
In the moonlight
Will you pardon me?

And tiptoe through the tulips with me?'

Shilohs breathed in the thick fog that covered her body, her eyes slowly opening to see Dalton leaning up against something above her. Although she couldn't move, she could feel her head resting against his thigh.
She realized he was most definitely awake, he had been crying- his eyes were closed yet tears stained his cheeks. She didn't know how long they had been there hiding but she wanted to get out.