A Little More Time...

ØNE

A/N~ THIS IS YOUR WARNING. This year, it gets dark. Be wary of triggers, be wary of the messed up. Expect an update every odd day of the month

Thank you, goldendaysdebonair for the cover of this fic

Welcome to a glimpse of my nightmares?

Happy Halloween.

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"Please, let me go!" Ryan Ross pleaded as several hands held his limbs so that a rope could be tied around his wrists and ankles. "Let me go!"

Something hard collided with the back of Ryan's head, sending bright spots into his vision. His footing slipped, but the hands held him upright. Ryan's vision also went a bit fuzzy, but he could make out a red figure stepping in front of him.

The red figure leaned into Ryan's face. "He'll do perfect for our emperor." Though Ryan's vision was obstructed by the fuzziness and spots, he could still see the wicked grin that spread over the red figure's mouth.

"I didn't do anything." Ryan attempted to plead as the figure left his view, "Please, I won't say what happened if you let me go."

The hands holding onto him tightened their grips, digging nails into his skin and causing him to cry out. A voice simply laughed at his pain. "Our emperor demands sacrifice, so we must provide."

"We must provide." Other voices echoed creepily.

Ryan shut his eyes tightly. The hit to his head was now causing a throbbing pain to spread. "I won't tell..." He repeated, weakly. He shouldn't be here, he should be at home with his dog and about getting dinner ready. Somewhere between leaving the store for dinner supplies and getting home, however, he had wound up getting abducted by unseen assailants.

"Bring him to the sacrificial chamber." The same voice as before ordered, ignoring Ryan's plea for release.

"Sacrificial chamber." The other voices creepily echoed again.

Ryan shook his head. He attempted to pull his arms away from the painful grips of the hands, but his struggle didn't seem to affect them. Instead, they just casually lifted him into the air and moved him.

"Stop!" Ryan forced the words to be louder than his previous attempts. His legs kicked wildly back and forth as best they could while bound beneath him, but it didn't seem to phase anyone holding him. The nails just dug deeper and tears just swelled in Ryan's eyes, only making his vision worse.

"How should he die, emperor?" The red figure that had leaned into Ryan's face called out, "How can we best send him to you?"

Ryan blinked away the tears in his eyes, attempting to clear his vision. It was so dark, however, that it didn't help. He was blind to where he was being taken, just like when he was first pulled from the street.

Ryan had just bought some pasta sauce and noodles for his dinner on his way home from his shift at work. The proximity of both locations from his house lead Ryan to walk rather than drive.

If only he had driven today.

As Ryan grew closer to his home, an unsettling feeling wrapped around him like a sheet. For some reason, the street felt darker, despite the bright street lights. The air was quieter, almost completely still.

He should have ran to his home and locked the door.

Instead, he was now being held by several sets of hands under the command of some red coated stranger. He couldn't even remember being taken. One second, he was walking and feeling unease setting in, then there was a sharp pain to his neck and he woke up to having his wrists and ankles bound.

"Fear." The voices of those holding Ryan suddenly echoed in their quiet, repeating voices. "Fear."

"An excellent choice, my lord."

"Let me go!" Ryan screamed, hurting his throat with the power and volume of his voice. Surely, someone had heard that. Someone would save him, right?

"We will release you!" Before Ryan knew what was happening, the red figure was back in Ryan's face. Ryan's vision must have improved, because the mad details of the man before him were plainly visible. He looked as if he hadn't slept in days, but a manic grin played on his lips. "We will release you into the arms of our emperor!"

"Our emperor."

"Stop it!" Ryan demanded, again attempting his futile escape. The nails only dug deeper into his flesh; he could feel blood being drawn. A sob escaped with his next breath. He couldn't hold it back.

The red figure seemed to be studying Ryan's face. "What scares him, emperor?" He asked no one in particular, growing closer to Ryan's face. "How can we best transfer him to you?"

Ryan turned his head away from the figure. This was insane. He shouldn't be here. The thoughts were on a loop in his head. He needed to get out of here, but he had no idea how; he was being held too tightly and, just for another layer of helplessness, he had no idea where he was.

"HELP!"

"The emperor will come for you soon enough!" The red figure laughed.

"You're insane!" Ryan snapped, turning back to face the red figure. The words had no effect on him, however. The red figure simply brought his hand up and pressed it against Ryan's face.

The second their skin made contact, Ryan was screaming. It burned. It was hotter than anything he had ever known, and the figure was pressing harder against his face, intensifying the pain.

"Burning fire!" He declared, keeping his hand firmly against Ryan's face. "The emperor has shown us the way!"

"Burning fire. Burning fire." The chorus of echoing voices was barely audible over Ryan's screams.

"Release him!"

In an instant, everything stopped. The burning hand was pulled away from his face. The nails that dug into his skin retracted and the grips of the hands retreated. Ryan found himself falling to the ground and landing with a dull thud. His vision was blinded by the sudden appearence and disappearance of the different levels of pain. His breaths were hollow and jagged, causing his entire body to shake.

"Is this what you wish, my emperor?"

"My emperor..."

Ryan struggled to keep unconsciousness at bay. He needed a chance to get out of here. They were going to kill him. He needed a way out...

"Burn it all." A devilish voice that Ryan couldn't distinguish began to fill his ears, "The fear of fire will never burn, but everything else will.

Fire, fire!

Melt your skin and char your bones, a heated way to kill.

Fire, fire!

Fear it not, for fear is what will kill you first...

Fire, fire!

It won't be long before your fall..."

"No..." Ryan mumbled, weakly. No more, he just wanted to be home. He had to get out of here...

He could hear and feel liquid being splashed around him, but his body didn't have the energy to move. He hurt so bad...

"Light him up!" A faint voice laughed manically before there was a sudden increase of heat around Ryan.

The boy struggled weakly at his bonds to no avail. His eyelids grew heavier as smokey air began to fill up his lungs. He sputtered and coughed with pain. Through his ever closing eyes, Ryan could see faint hues of orange and red surrounding him. It was so hot.

The colors of the flames drew closer and closer. Ryan was immobilized by weakness and his bonds. He could only watch, on the verge of unconsciousness as they began to lick at his exposed limbs, bringing new pains and numbing heat with them.

Not like this... A final breath escaped Ryan's lips as the inner dialogue cried out in utter panic. Please, not like this!..

Just as the world was fading, something in front of Ryan interrupted the path of the flames. A dark figure that Ryan could only see a fuzzy outline of before nothing.