Death's Stigma (NanoWriMo14)

Chapter 23

Grim sat on the edge of the building chucking stones at the invisible wall around the school. Each one was flung away smoking with a pop.

"Got any ideas." He asked Nadia who was throwing rocks next to him.

"I could try to overload it with a blast of energy but I don't know how long it would go down."

"Worth a shot."

Grim jumped down and walked towards the invisible wall. Nadia transformed and stuck to his back.

"So do you have a plan."

"I'm going to punch the wall while you overload it, then we go from there."

"One of these days winging it is really going to bite you in the ass."

He cocked back his arm and swung at the wall. A glyph flashed across his hand and the wall cracked. A section become visible and shattered. He darted inside as it sealed behind him. He drew Nadia and entered the school. The metal spires that had ripped through the school building created dozens of reflections as he walked through the hall. He heard a young girl giggling and a chill crept up his spine.

"Welcome to my playground Reapers." A voice echoed in the halls around them. "I want to play a game."

"Help me! Help me Sam!" A new voice screamed.

"Kelly!" Grim yelled. He blurred down the halls.

"Grim wait a minute." Nadia protested.

He barreled into the gymnasium. It was dimly lit and someone was kneeling in the center.

"Help me Sam, help me. Why won't you help me?" The voice morphed from Kelly's to the little girl's. "You humans are so easy to play with."

The girl stood up and Nadia gasped. The girl was like a porcelain doll crossed with a puppet. Her jointed limbs were all conected to a wooden cross she held in her hands with red strings. Her eyes were gone and her lips were sown shut. She wore a red Victorian dress, red lip stick and eyeliner. Her voice changed again as the doll grew to the size of a teenage girl. Her black hair shriveled till it sat just above her shoulders.

"That form was fun for playing with the little ones but I think this one is more appropriate for you two."

"What did you do with my sister?" Grim growled.

"I didn't do anything, it was all an illusion. It's just you and me in here."

"Nadia, lets end this bitch. Nadia?" There was no response from his partner.

"She can't hear you. She is to busy reliving the torture me and my master put her through."

"I can still fight as long as she stays in this form." Grim said defiantly.

"But how will you fight me when you won't even be able to escape your own mind." The demon's left eye glowed a deep pink. Grim couldn't move and the pink glow surrounded his vision. He closed his eyes and when he opened them he was in a dark room.

"Kelly get me a beer." Someone yelled. Grim recognized the voice but couldn't put a face to it. A few moments later there was a knock on the door. Someone shifted around in the room and said.

"Leave me alone."

"Sam, I'm coming in."

Kelly stepped into the room and a smile crossed Grim's face. He moved to hug her and he passed through her. She moved through him like he was smoke. She sat down on the bed that was pressed against the wall a turned on a small lamp that was attached to the headboard.

"Oh my god Sam." She forced the person to sit up and Grim was starring at himself. This was the person Grim had tried so hard to forget, going as far as to change his name. The younger him's shirtless body was covered in bruises and cuts.

"Just leave me alone Kelly." He moaned. Grim tried to look away but something forced him to.

"No Sam, you can't just lay down and take this. You gotta tell the principle."

"Yeah and what happens when he asks where I got this." He turned and showed the greenish blue bruise that covered his eye and part of his cheek. "If they find out Dad did this they put us in foster care."

She grabbed his wrist and he flinched. Lifting up his arm, blood seeped over her fingers as she broke one of the scabs.

"Sam, you don't have to do it alone, alone, alone..." Her voice echoed as the room faded away.

"Your mind is an interesting place Reaper, let's go deeper."

This time they had moved to the kitchen across from his room. He was seeing through his younger self's eyes.

"My daughter is not going out looking like a slut." Grim's father said angrily.

"Dad she looks fine." Grim said.

"I didn't ask for your opinion. Go and change."

"Dad, I'm just going out with some friends and their waiting for me." She pleaded.

"Alright go, but be back by dark."

"Thank you." She hugged him and left. The door shut and Grim went back to reading a book.

"What are you doing?" His dad asked.

"Reading my new book."

"Where'd you get that?" He asked getting a beer out of the fridge.

"Kelly got me it for my birthday."

"I forgot your birthday again didn't I?"

"No you remembered, you called me a worthless murdering bastard and sprained my wrist after you threw me over the couch right before you drank yourself unconscious."

"I'm sorry Sam, I've never gotten over your mother's death. You know I love you right."

"I know dad."

"I'm proud of you. I'm a terrible father and you put up with it for your sister. You make sure we have food and manage the bills and all I can do is smack you around. I wanted to let you know I'm going to quit drinking."

"But he didn't did he?" The demon mocked. "No, he drank to much with his friends and broke your eye socket. You never had anyone to hold you when the world turned against you."

The world faded out again and he was in a car. He and Kelly were dressed up and their dad was driving them somewhere.

"Thanks for going with me Sam."

"Anything for you, especially if it got that creep to leave you alone."

"Did you two have fun?" Kelly's mom asked.

"Yeah, it was awesome." Kelly replied.

"Oh shit!" Their dad exclaimed as a tree appeared out of the fog that had settled around the car. They slammed into it and Grim felt himself flung out the window. He hit a tree and his back snapped. He felt the numbness spread to his legs as his head rang. It looked over towards Kelly who was splayed out on the ground.

"Kelly." He moaned as he pulled himself towards her. From the fog a monster emerged. It grabbed Kelly by the legs and started to drag her back into the fog.

"Sam help me."

"Kelly, it's going to be okay." She screamed as she was swallowed by the fog. "KELLY!"

Grim was reduced to a sobbing wreck as he relieved the pain. In the real world the demon was caressing him as a tear leeked down his cheek. He was frozen in place with Nadia gripped limply in one hand.

"You always break before I'm done playing with you, such a shame. Her finger nail sharpened and she pressed one to his throat. "I guess we're done playing."

Hey everyone, I'm back and the juices are flowing again. Hope you guys like this dip into Grim's past. As always feel free to leave me a comment.