We're All a Little Crazy

Empty Inside

        "He sure sleeps a lot." Sam lay on the couch, a lopsided grin on his face.
"Yeah, I tink it's tiring fer 'im."
"Hey, Jack?" Jack looked over at Mark. "Speaking of Sam, I've been meaning to ask you something." Mark led him to his room and closed the door behind. "What's up?" Jack asked.
"When Sam was in your head, was there ever a time when it felt like, he was, gone?"

Jack raised an eyebrow. "Nyoooo... wait! When he left it sorta felt like that, but I'm fine now. Why?"

"....I've felt just, empty for about a week now. He hasn't bugged me for a while, and I'm not sure what to think about it..." Jack brightened. "Maybe 'e's gone! Maybe-"

Mark shook his head. "I've known him long enough to know that he's never going to stop trying to get me. I just, I don't know what this means..." He started tearing up.

"Hey, Mark, yer gonna be fine. Maybe Sam tired 'im out enough so 'e won't be back fer a while? If ye' want, I can ask 'im when 'e wakes up-" Mark shook his head. "I don't want to worry him. He's done enough for me. I just... I just wondered if maybe you knew."

Jack grinned, thinking of ways to cheer up his friend. "Hey, let's go play Prop Hunt." Mark sniffled and smirked. "Changing the subject, are we?" Jack started to protest, but Mark stopped him. "I'm kidding. Let's Skype Bob and Wade and tell them." Jack smiled.

"So he's never taken control of you?" Mark sat cross-legged on the floor. Jack wasn't flexible enough to pull off such a feat.
Jack frowned. "Well, not intentionally..." Mark stared at him. "And, how exactly does that work?"
Jack sighed. "Sam is a demon. Demons do bad things. Usually 'e just hangs out, but 'is demon instincts keep telling 'im to- well, you know. 'E keeps it all bottled up, but eventually it gets too much and 'e has to let it out. That's the only time 'e takes over though, and 'e always tries to give me a heads-up a while in advance."
Mark tilted his head. "What happens when he lets it out? Is it like Dark or-"
"From what I've seen of Dark, it's so much worse. It just destroys anythin' and everythin' around it. It's bloodthirsty, it's unpredictable, and it's ruthless. I assume the only reason it hasn't killed anyone is 'cuz it has two people fightin' instead of just one. Though, I'm not very useful when it does come out... I jus' wake up in bed with slightly-crazy Sam, a horrible headache, and a demolished room."
Mark looked terrified. "Is this still gonna happen, now that he's out, or-"
Jack shivered. "I dunno, probably not anytime soon, the last time was just before I flew here." Mark recalled the exhausted look on his friend's face that he'd kept dismissing. "But when it does happen, Sam'l tell us and protect us as best 'e can."
Mark sighed. "For both our sakes, I hope that's true."