Fearing the Dark

Burning Out

This is no longer a flashback, its back in the present

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"After that I learned that he was my age and he lived closer to me than I thought. I told him that I would go play with him some time and before I knew it we played every other day. Of course my parents never found out and he actually opened up to me a lot more. I was waiting for him when...well when I got knocked out and brought here."

Dean nods in understanding, but he never lets go of my hand. I smile at the reminder of Ram, but am than sadden by the thought that I might not see him again.

"What about you Dean?" he looks at me when I ask my question. He stays quiet almost as if debating whether to say something.

"I do have a couple of friends from my neighborhood; however, I spent most of my time with, uh, my younger brother." His tone of voice changed at the mention of a sibling and just as he did for me I squeezed his hand in comfort.

"Tell me about him."

"Well he has dirty blond hair and light green eyes. He doesn't look much like me because my parents decided to adopt him a year ago. Actually he's my age, but I still consider him my younger brother. The thing about him though is that he steals...a lot."

"What do you mean?"

He gives me a conflicted look before continuing. "He's a kleptomaniac, meaning he is a pathological thief. He steals small things from our parents, but recently he started to steal from stores. I have to watch over him and stop him from stealing which in itself isn't easy."

"But at least he has you."

Dean gives me a smile at my comment and nods in confirmation. "Yeah and I have him and I wouldn't trade my brother for anything." A worried look replaced his affectionate smile. "However, now that I'm gone I can't help but worry about him. I-I-I have to get out of here." Dean instantly stands up and drops my hand in the process.

"Wait Dean you can't..." I'm cut off by the remaining two candles burning out almost simultaneously. The dark seemed to make our situation more realistic and my own panic wanted to take over.

I could hear Dean running around in the room and speaking indistinguishable words to his self. Then I hear him make his way to the stairs and run up the creaky steps.

"No Dean!" I yell for him to stop because I know that the hag and devil would be able to hear him also.

I try to maneuver my way to the stairs but in the darkness I am unable to determine where everything is. Then a dim light comes from above and I look towards it and realize that it's the basement door. The light comes from a hallway beyond the door.

"Where do you think you're going kid?!" the devil's words make me freeze in place at the bottom of the stairs.

"Let me out! You can't keep me here. I need to get back to him. He needs me, he needs me!" Dean's desperation rings loud in clear in my consciousness, but not in the devil's.

I step back as the devil grabs Dean by the collar and carries him down the stairs. He then dumps him on the cemented ground before his devious eyes land on me. I gulp down my fear and stand tall in order to appear brave.

His eyes leave me before they scan the darkened room. "Hmm looks like the candles ran out." He seems to think about something before he looks down at Dean and me. I don't like the look he gives us, so I make my way over to Dean who hasn't moved.

"Are you okay?" I whisper to him as I try my best to drag him away from the devil.

He doesn't say anything and continues to look down, which only increases my worry for him.

"I was going to bring more light, but why waste money on you two." I look up at his statement and begin to tremble at the evil grin placed on his face. "For acting up I'll leave you two here in the dark. You don't really need to see anyways."

My fear spikes at the notion of being left in the dark and I hold Dean's arm in a death grip. I grind my teeth together to force myself to not give into this monster. I refuse to beg for any kind of kindness from him.

He watches me struggle to keep my fears inside and only chuckles as he makes his way up the stairs. "Enjoy the dark you rats!"

Once the door closes the room is shrouded in complete darkness and all I can do is hold onto Dean and wait for the sound of laughter to fade.