Dgrayman overnight

Allen's tale

Allen played with his fingers under the table. He thought for a moment, taking in deep breaths he let them out slowly. He counted to twenty then did it again. Finally he was ready. He recalled the night he met Marion Cross.

It was cold. Manna had been sick that day. Neither he nor Allen had gone out to do their little act for money. Some times they would even go down to the orphanage to make balloon animals or do tricks for the kids. Today, they had stayed at home.

"Allen, do you mind going to the store for my medicine?" Manna asked him late in the afternoon.

This was something Allen did often, run errands for the man who had taken such great care of him. In that time, Allen wasn't scarred, he had two normal looking arms. He looked like any other kid but his hair was ghostly white, while his eyes remained red. Some kids called him old, ghost or demon due to this. Allen never let it bother him too much.

Today the kids were all in school. Allen hurried along the streets. He would wave to those he knew or stop to pet the newspaper man's dog. Then continue on his way. He got the meds. Coming home he was given bread from the bakery, a case of donuts too! Allen grinned happily at that.

The butcher shop held out a bag of meat that would have had to be tossed that day. He reminded Allen that he needed to cook it right away. Allen said he would. He scurried home. Manna was asleep so Allen left him some butter bread, a glass of water and his meds with a donut next to his bed. He then went to cook the meat up. Once it was done, he took a serving to Manna who had woken to eat.

Allen sat with his "dad" while they ate. They talked about where they wanted to go after the holidays. Manna even asked Allen about his birthday. Manna always tried to do something special for him. Allen laughed talking about going ice skating again. Manna had agreed.

Once Allen cleaned up, he went to his own room. It had been a good day. He hugged the stuffed bunny that Manna had gotten him the snowy Christmas morning the man had found the freezing child. That had become Allen's birthday. Allen went to sleep peacefully.

He was awoken while it was still dark out. That wasn't a surprise since it was winter. He got up thinking he heard noises coming from Manna's room. He walked down the hall...

A tall man with flaming red hair stood in the doorway to Allen's father's room. He held something in his hand. Something that was dripping red paint onto the floor. Allen cried out. He grabbed a towel from the bathroom he was passing. He had just cleaned the house after all!

The man had laughed. When Allen tried to clean the paint, he man lifted him up by one arm. He shook Allen hard making his shoulder hurt.

"Who are you?" he demanded.

"Dad!" Allen cried.

For up here he could see Manna upped over the foot of the bed. More red paint dripped below the bowed head. The man laughed again.

"So he kept you! That's why he ran from me!" The man sneered at him.

He dragged Allen back to his room. Tossing the boy inside, he ordered Allen to pack what he wanted to take with him.

"Is dad ok?" Allen sniffled.

"Manna is dead. You are now my concern!" the flaming haired man ordered.

Allen didn't argue. He packed what clothing he had, his bunny, a framed photo of him on Manna's shoulders along with a few other items he held dear. Once done, the man dragged him out to a waiting car.

They drove off into the darkness. The man smoking a cigarette as he laughed. They reached the end of the road Allen lived on. Suddenly there was a large explosion. The man laughed, chomping onto the cigarette as he looked in the mirror. Allen turned to see the house he once called home with fire locking out the windows. He cried for Manna. He cried for his happiness, he cried until the red haired drank smacked him hard over his face.