* Lost Boys ~ Dan/Howell • Phil/Lester *

..

His eyes widened with despair and his heart became heavy with regret while his chest became tight and his breathing convulsed with panic. His arms and legs froze in place. He couldn't believe it. How could this happen. There was no way this was reality. He must have been in some twisted dream.

"Chris?"
"Hello Daniel"
"W-What are you doing here? Tell me you aren't-"
"One of them? Ha. No. I am much more than they are."
"In what way?"
The boy tilted his head and gave the most sickening smirk, squiring his eyes and crawling forward like a spider.
"Did I ever tell you what my job was at healing house?"
Chris was now at Dan's feet, but still of all fours, gazing up at Dan with bulging eyes and an unsettling gaze
"N-no"
"Well"
Chris sat back on his heels and looked down then back up at Dan with the cockiest expression imaginable

"Allow me to explain. Healing house was not a big fan of what we do here. So when they scrounge up our failures, they want to change them"
"Change them?"
"Yes. Change them"
"In what way?"
"Well you see that is where I come in. Long story short my family had always been interested in the supernatural and strange occurrences. I too became interested in these things. But one thing i seemed to excel in, was hypnosis."
"O-oh?"
Chris leaned up, off his heels, and rested his crossed arms on Dan's thighs.
"Hmhmhm yes"
He gave a coarse chuckle
"Well that's nice...I-I gues-s" dan muttered out not really sure how to feel about this intimidating boy crawling up his body

"I learned how to make people do things. I could make them cook clean and talk talk talk, but soon that became monotonous. I wanted more" 

"I-i see"

"I began dabbling in peoples memories. I figured out how to alter them, make them better or worse, or even erase them."

"O-oh" Dan was scared shitless and frieaking the fuck out internally but decided it would be best to go the diplomatic route
"Yes. I fled that home which confined my talents and went elsewhere. I then found healing house. But all they wanted from me was to erase memories of mortem domum from those that they found."
Chris inched further up Dan's thighs and pouted up at him
"But during my time there I made a good friend. Although I care for this friend, I knew that healing house was not for me. So I came here, but worked at a double agent. "

"B-but why would-d t-they w-want you t-to do t-that?"

"Because, honey, they too are corrupt. All they care about is people paying their dues and trying to coexist together but you and I both know that that can't happen. "
"W-wait so you h-have b-been giving then i-info ab-bout m-me and p-phil?"

Chris pushed against Dans thighs, supporting himself on his palms and leaned in.
" every. Single. Bit. Me and even others. Maybe even people you trust. I bet that makes you mad. I bet you just wanna punch me right now. Pummel me into the floor until I bleed to death."
Chris pulled a knife out and cut Dan free.
"So. Go ahead. Do it. Hit me."

Dan felt his rage balling into his fists. Felt the energy of his entire being flowing into his left arm. It would be so easy. He could end this right here right now, get to Phil's medicine, and save his friend. Or he could refrain and wait for another opportunity. He felt himself leaning towards the ladder due to the utter fear of the strange creature in his face.

"Not ready to fight yet? Awwww wittle baby. Are you a coward?"

The word made dan shoot back in his personal timeline. He recalled all the times he had been called that by his mother. He felt himself freeze in sadness and tears began to well in his eyes

"Awwww he's crying how cute. You're adorable when you cry, Howell"

He hadn't been called Howell since the last time he saw his father, when he was four