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"Get rid of him."
...
"Do you have a specific message for us tonight?" Sam licked his lips. He resisted the urge to rub at his neck. The hairs on his arms stood and his hands tightened around each other, pushing his leg further to his chest.
"They hate you."
Sam's mind went blank. His muscles locked up and his eyes stared into nothing.
The pressure behind him grew. It sent chills up his spine.
He barely registered the voices of Colby and the boys freaking out over the reply. Everything sounded and felt like he was underwater, weighing him further and further down.
And then he was snapped back to reality, "-did you hear that?" Colby's voice was the one to bring him back.
Sam looked up, trying to get his act together. "What?!" he squealed, and all their voices just bumbled together in his foggy mind.
Mully wore a grin Sam knew was a nervous grin - he could feel the nervousness radiating off of him - as he pointed to him, "Immediately it was: I hate you ."
Sam felt his hairs stand again. "What the fuck did I do?"
...
Sam felt tingly all over. His fingertips were completely numb. His mind was all jumbled together- nothing made sense. He couldn't think straight. He barely listened through the Estes Method. He only ever caught small parts of it- and then he would try his best to participate in piecing the responses together, so none of them would get suspicious. 'Cause he was fine, absolutely fine.
...Yeah. He was fine.
"Are you scared of us?" As soon as the question left Eddie's mouth, the spirit replied through Narrator immediately.
"Evil."
Sam stared into nothingness. The pressure returned. His skin felt hot and clammy. It felt so hot it was hard to breathe.
"We're not evil, we're very friendly." Sam heard Eddie reply.
"Except him."
There was a sharp pain in his head and the gasp got caught in his throat. His vision whited out and he tensed up, unable to move.
The voices jumbled together, accusing Mully- until the conversation shifted to him, and Sam wanted to scratch at his skin.
"-or Sam."
"Oh yeah, probably." His voice came out in a low grumbly voice- that wasn't his voice. His whole body felt hot and cold at the same time. Everything ached. He wanted to scream but his voice wasn't working.
And everyone was oblivious, too caught up in their jokes.
Narrator, hunched over in the Estes Method, said aloud, "The bad guy."
Colby grinned and gestured to Mully, continuing on the evil-Mully joke. "See?"
"Fuck no," Mully chuckled and shook his head.
"Who is it? Is it Sam?" Eddie asked.
The pain in his head got worse. Sam squeezed his eyes shut.
"Is that why you hate him?" Colby wondered, his voice low- and Sam knew he was keeping an eye on him, like he always does, but probably just checking up on him to see if he was alright with all the targeting towards him.
Sam wanted to scream and shout and cry.
"They have been calling you out the whole time, dude," Eddie stated.
His whole body vibrated with a growl. Nobody but him heard. He strained his tensed up neck, tilting his head- and there it was. The creeping feeling going up his back.
"What have you done here, Sam?"
The pain returned to his head. His face changed. It wasn't him. "W h y d o y o u h a t e me?" he asked. He wanted to scream it.
"Are you really Sam?"
Sam turned his head to Alana, holding the camera to him, his eyes sharp. "Am I even..." He turned back to the group. His vision whited out. "Hello."
"Are you?" Narrator said.
Everyone exclaimed. Sam wanted to scream. "That's actually crazy," Colby chuckled. "Insane, dude. What the hell." Colby was laughing. Sam wanted to scream.
"Sam, you're going to prove you're Sam, right now," Juicy
said jokingly.
"I don't know how to prove it guys." Sam felt like crying. The others might see a silly Sam-like grin, but inside, it was nothing but pain.
"Say something only Colby would know, quickly."
There was nothing but stutter from him- and then he felt such an alien feeling of relief in him when Narrator spoke up and the conversation was shifted.
And no one saw the split-second smirk appear on his face.
...
It was a game of Hide and Seek. In a house full of confusing hallways, many twisting stairs, doors that lead to nothing and rooms with weird purposes.
Josh found a door - surprise, surprise - that lead to an open space. The drop into the hallway below was only covered with small, thin planks of wood that would do nothing to catch you if you should fall in.
"Hello?" a voice called out down below- it was Juicy.
"Hello," Josh chuckled, looking at Juicy down below him.
"What the fuck. Oh my..."
Both were wearing shit-eating grins.
"You do not know how confused I just was," Juicy laughed, staring right back up at Josh.
"How does this door even open, man?" Josh asked, still flabbergasted by how this crazy house was actually built. "This isn't safe." He looked at the wooden gills that separated the two floors, and tried putting a little weight on it with his foot. Yeah, that would not hold. "What the fuck!"
"I went-" Juicy looked to his left. Looked to his right. "Left, right, and then up." He looked up with a sheepish grin.
Both men laughed.
"So we got Jackson, and Alana?" Juicy asked, trying to find out how many was left in the game.
"And Sam," Josh added.
"Fuck! Okay..." Juicy started walking off, grumbling.
Josh chuckled.
Unaware of what was happening elsewhere in the building.
...
After Mully, Colby and Juicy passed Josh, still in the doorway above, and got the scare of their life, Eddie and Narrator found Alana. And just as they thought they had found everyone, and called out to Jackson saying he had won, Colby looked around the group, brows furrowing.
"Has anyone seen Sam?"
Everyone stopped short with a confused look. And Colby's stomach dropped. Something wasn't right. He just knew it.
"Nobody's seen him?" he asked, trying to keep the panic out of his voice. All he got was 'no's and shakes of their heads.
Sam had been acting off all night, and he'd be lying if he said he hadn't been worried about him- but he just assumed it was because it had freaked him out the way he was always getting targeted that night.
Colby turned on his heels and hurried down a hallway. "Sam?" he called out. Behind him, he heard everyone spread out and call out to their blonde friend.
"Sam, c'mon! You won, man!" he called, still hoping Sam was simply hiding and would jump out on him and scare him, and they would laugh it off and everything would be fine.
But things never were so simple, were they?
"Sam? Sam!"
Colby skidded to a stop, his breathing coming in pants. There stood Sam, his back to him and facing the corner of the room.
Colby shined his phone flashlight, his heart beating fast. "Sam?"
Sam was tense. Something was very wrong.
Colby swallowed and took a step closer. "Dude, what's going on with you?"
The lack of reply didn't help on Colby's anxiety levels. "Guys!" he called out, getting really worried. "Guys, I found him!" He hoped someone could hear him in this god forsaken house.
"Sammy, c'mon." Colby stepped forward and reached his hand out.
As his hand came in contact with Sam's shoulder, the blonde whirled around. His hand gripped Colby's in a tight painful grip. And that's when Colby saw his eyes. Oh God, his eyes...
Sam's eyes were wild, his pupils blown wide, almost coloring his whole eye black. The whites of his eyes were bloodshot... He looked terrible. His lips were pulled back in a snarl and he looked like a wild animal.
Colby's eyes widened.
He opened his mouth to get his Sam back, but he didn't get to that before he was flung down the stairs Sam stood beside with an inhuman force.
Colby rolled all the way down the short steps, coming to a stop by the turn of the stairs. His back hit the wall hard and he heard something crack behind him. He lay crumpled, his whole body hurting.
"Fuck..."
He managed to push himself up. And that's when he saw Sam at the top of the stairs, his chest heaving and with the same animalistic face. Colby's breathing hitched.
And then Sam- no, not Sam, whatever had fucking taken over his friend's body- fucking jumped past all the steps and landed with a heavy thud right in front of him, towering over him.
Colby scrambled to his feet, eyes wide in fear. "Sam! Sam, this isn't you-" An arm lashed out and hit him square in the chest, sending Colby crashing into yet another wall. Colby cried out and landed in a heap on the floor.
He groaned, his vision spinning in and out.
Heavy and familiar yet so alien footsteps approached him and he lifted his heavy head, staring up at Sam, unrecognizable with those blown wide black pupils. There was a very thin streak of blood under his nose- the sight made Colby's stomach churn.
"Sam..."
Hurried footsteps at the top of the stairs neared, and when Colby looked up, so did Sam and they both saw Eddie and Narrator at the top of the stairs, staring in horror and confusion at the duo.
"What the fuck..." Narrator muttered, eyes blown wide in fear.
Sam snarled and Colby saw his legs twitch. He grit his teeth and jumped to his feet, managing to push Sam against the wall before he could jump at them. Eddie and Narrator jumped, clearly startled.
"Get out of here!" Colby yelled. He grunted as Sam struggled against his grip. Sam's eyes, void of their usual warmth, stared right back at his terrified and pained eyes.
"Colby, what the fuck-!"
"I said get out of here!" Colby's eyes widened as Sam pushed him back with an inhuman force and knocked him against the railing, almost causing him to fall over the railing, but he managed to regain his balance.
"Sam!" Eddie exclaimed, horrified that the blonde would ever even think of doing that to his best friend.
Sam's head snapped towards the duo at the top with a snarl.
"NO!" Colby jumped forward but it was too late. Sam had run right back up the stairs.
Eddie and Narrator yelled out in shock as Sam came for them and they jumped away, eyes blown wide.
"SAM!" Colby scrambled after his best friend.
Sam jumped right on Narrator, tackling him to the floor and pinning him down. Narrator stared right up into his almost black eyes. Narrator gritted his teeth and folded his legs up to his chest as far as he could, planting his feet on Sam's chest and with a push powered by the fear and adrenaline, he managed to get Sam off of him and scramble to his feet. Narrator rushed over Eddie's side.Sam started to get to his feet but Colby was quicker and slammed his fist into Sam's face. He winced and shook out his hand. Oh God...
"Sorry, Sam."
He turned around, giving Eddie and Narrator a quick once over- they looked startled and frightened but unharmed. "C'mon, quickly." He ran off, quickly hearing two sets of footsteps following, and not three- if three, they would have a big problem.
They ran through the confusing halls, looking around every corner. They couldn't call out, or he'd find them again- but they had to find the others before he did.
"Colby, what the hell was that?" Eddie hissed quietly, grabbing onto his wrist, but Colby twisted out of his grab, spinning around.
"I don't fucking know!" he whisper-yelled. His eyes felt hot, the liquid behind begging to come out. "I found him like that- Fuck! I should have seen it."
Eddie's eyes softened.
"We gotta find the others." Colby spun back around and rounded a corner-
Nearly running straight into Mully.
"Mully!" he gasped quietly in relief.
Mully's brows furrowed as he took in Colby, and then Narrator and Eddie behind him.
Juicy came up behind Mully and his eyes widened when he saw the three. "What the hell happened to you guys?" Mully questioned rather loudly.
Colby quickly shushed him and Narrator and Eddie looked around frantically. "Not so loud," Colby hissed.
"Why? What the fuck is going? Why are you bleeding?" Juicy ranted nervously.
Bleeding?
Colby reached a hand up to his head and found it damp and slick, and sure enough there was a line of blood going down the side of his face.
"Where are the others?" Narrator asked, stepping forward.
"We don't know," Mully shrugged.
"We haven't seen them since we spread up," Juicy added.
Eddie started to walk off, his mouth set in a thin line. "We have to find them, now ."
"Wait, Eddie." Worried, Mully grabbed onto Eddie's shoulder, soft eyes searching Eddie's face. "What happened?" He spared a glance at Colby and Narrator too.
Colby exhaled shakily, his hand clenching and unclenching. His eyes glistened in the dark. "Something's wrong with Sam... I think he got possessed or something."
"Possessed?" Juicy and Mully said in unison, both staring at him like he had grown a second head.
"That's why we've really got to find the others." Colby waked off and gestured for them to follow him.
Colby took the lead. He tried blocking out the whispers behind him as Eddie and Narrator did their best to fill in Mully and Juicy.
He did not need to relive that again.
His best friend, staring him down with black eyes, holding no recognition or warmth... Throwing him into the wall...
Colby shook his head to rid him of the thoughts. He should have seen the signs.
"Josh? Josh! Hey!"
Colby spun around and saw Juicy whispering down a hallway, the others' eyes fixated on it as well. He walked over to Juicy's side and, sure enough, saw Josh, Alana and Jackson.
"Oh, thank fuck," Colby sighed, seeing them okay.
Josh's brows furrowed in confusion and his eyes zeroed in on the blood on Colby's face. "What the hell happened to you?" He looked around. "Did you find Sam?"
Eddie winced. "Well-"
Eddie was cut off by Narrator's scream. Colby spun around, eyes wide. Sam was once again towering over Narrator where he had grabbed him from behind and thrown him to the floor.
"Why me?!" Narrator exclaimed, rolling out of the way just in time to avoid a hard punch to the chest. His wide eyes stared at the cracked wood under Sam's fist.
Sam's head snapped up, black eyes staring into Narrator's soul.
"Oh shit-!"
"Grant!" Juicy reacted first and grabbed Narrator's arm, pulling him away just in time.
Colby ran forward and placed himself in between the group and Sam, pleading eyes staring at Sam, desperate to have his Sam back.
"Sam?!" Josh exclaimed in shock. "What the fuck's gotten into you, man?!"
"That's not Sam..." Eddie said quietly.
With a snarl, Sam lunged forward again. The group parted.
"The fuck are we supposed to do?!" Juicy yelled out, wide eyes going from one person to the other.
Colby grit his teeth in determination. His hands felt clammy. Fuck, was he really gonna do this?
"Hey!" He waved his arms, catching Sam's- or not-Sam's attention. His eyes seemed to brighten up at the sight of Colby and a smirk covered his face.
Colby moved away from the group. "Yeah, that's right," he muttered, shifting from foot to foot.
"Colby! The fuck are you doing, man?!" Eddie gripped at his hair. " ¡¿Estás loco?! "
Colby kept his attention solely on Sam. "C'mon, Sam... I know you're in there," he muttered to himself.
Not-Sam cocked his head with a demonly smirk. "Foolish mortal." And, oh fuck, that was Sam's voice, but not his voice. His heart clenched.
The other stared, frozen, with blown eyes. Silly, caring and warm Sam, now so cold and evil.
"Maybe," Colby cracked his neck. "But I won't let you hurt him, or anyone here."
Sam let out a low, dark chuckle that sent shivers down Colby's spine, but he regained his posture.
"Well, aren't you a hero."
Out of the corner of his eye, Colby saw Juicy making a move. He didn't have the time to react and shout a warning before Sam had raised a hand, sending the man hurling through a room and into the far wall.
"Gaege!" "Juicy!" all of the boys shouted in unison.
He was getting stronger, Colby realized with dread as he saw Juicy's body, that had just been thrown several feet without being physically touched, crumple to the ground, barely conscious.
He turned his shocked eyes to Sam, who was watching him with a smirk.
As the boys moved to run to Juicy's side, Sam flicked his hand and they were all thrown several feet to the sides and either slid down a wall in pain or lay unconscious on the floor. And before Colby could react, a hand had wrapped around his throat and held him up against the wall, his feet dangling a foot off the ground.
Colby gasped for air as his best friend's hand squeezed, and he clawed at his hand. Sam was smirking, but allowed Colby some air.
Colby drew in greedy breaths. "Who... Who are you?" he gasped between breaths.
Sam cocked his head with a creepy, toothy smile and with an insane look in his eyes. "I never left."
Colby's eyes widened in shock and realization. The spirit from Farrar Elementary School. "Y-You..."
Sam's smile seemed to widen in pleasure at Colby's horror.
"That's right," Sam drawled in a low tone, almost a growl. "And I couldn't have done it without you, you know."
Colby drew in a horrified breath. No, that couldn't be true.
"Oh, yes," Sam smirked. "You see, the many hours Sam has been using worrying about you, being scared for you, making sure you were okay... it made him weak . You made him weak, Colby. You ."
Colby tried blocking out his words, shaking his head in disbelief. "No... No, that can't..."
"You really thought you could get rid of me so easily?"
Colby's breathe hitched. He felt tears well up in his eyes. His knees shook.
"It was a really stupid thing to do, having your dear friend sit on top of that pentagram..."
The Sally house, Colby realized with terror creeping up his spin.
"And now, I am finally free!" The demon smiled in pleasure, closing his eyes and tilting his head back. Colby whimpered and clawed at the hand- and Sam's head snapped back and his cold eyes bored into Colby's.
"Your fear only feeds me, boy."
Colby's eyes narrowed. He stared deep into his friend's eyes. "Sam... Sam, I know you're in there," he grunted, his voice hoarse.
The demon barked a laugh. "He can't hear you anymore," he growled.
"Sam," Colby wheezed, clawing at the hand that slowly and agonizingly squeezed his throat. "You have to fight it, Sam! Fight!"
The demon was laughing.
And then he was being yanked off of Colby. Colby's feet hit the floor and his knees buckled. He landed in a coughing and gasping heap on the floor, his lungs begging for air. He coughed and felt around his throat. It felty warm and wrong. So wrong.
Colby flinched and jumped back when a hand landed on his shoulder, and he immediately slapped it away, his head snapping around. Eddie's soft eyes stared back, hands raised in front of him. A trail of blood from his hair line ran down his forehead, over his eye and down his cheek. His pupils looked big- probably a concussion.
"Easy," he said through an exhale. Colby sagged in relief and exhaustion. His stomach churned with guilt. Eddie was gonna be a father, and here he was, fighting for his life against a demon.
He allowed Eddie to slip an arm around his waist and Colby slung his arm around his shoulders, letting him pull him to his feet.
And that's when Colby saw the rest of the group. They had formed a circle around Sam, each of them holding a cross out towards him. It didn't seem to bother the demon as much as Colby wanted to, but when the demon then tried to run at Josh, he shoved the cross in his face, and it jumped back with a hiss. It wouldn't hold forever, but hopefully until Colby could get through to him.
Colby gently stepped away from Eddie- he felt his hand hesitantly let him go and follow his movement, ready to catch him, should he fall- and stepped towards the circle. Eddie followed closely, holding his cross tightly.
Colby stepped up beside Narrator and Josh. "Colby, be careful, mate," Josh said.
Colby nodded, his eyes stuck on his best friend. "He won't hurt me," he muttered. Whether it was to convince himself rather than the two, he didn't know.
"Sam!" he called out. The demon whirled around with a snarl, eyes narrowing. "I know you're in there, Sam! You have to fight it. Please! For me!"
The demon snarled, "Sam is gone !"
"I don't believe that!" Colby yelled right back, staring the demon down. A shiver ran down his spine as those black eyes stared into his soul. He looked over his shoulder, holding his hand out. Wordlessly, Eddie handed him the cross he had had wrapped around his wrist all night. With eyes set, Colby turned back to the demon, holding out the cross.
The demon screeched in rage. "I demand you to exit my friend's body and leave!" Colby shouted, slowly inching forward while the demon screeched again. "We have the power of God on our side!"
The demon screamed and gripped at Sam's head. "You. Are not. In. CONTROL !" With a mighty burst of energy everyone was blown back, destroying the circle of crosses.
Colby scrambled to his feet again. The cross had flown out of his hand. He was completely vulnerable. The demon, panting and slight smoke blowing out of the nostrils, stared him down. A smile broke out on his face followed by wheezing laughter.
Colby's eyes hardened. "Sam, if you can hear me... come back to me, man."
The demon smirked.
Colby took a step forward. "You can do it, man. You're the strongest person I know."
The demon's smile fell. His chest lurched forward. "No! No! You obey me!"
Colby smiled on the inside. That's it, Sam. Fight it. He took another step forward. "I'm sorry, man. For all of this. I should have seen it. It shouldn't have come to this..."
The demon was muttering, gripping at Sam's hair. Colby continued.
"None of this is your fault, Sam," Colby breathed, his eyes glistening. "You hear me? And you really have to come back to us right now, Sammy. To me..."
"No!"
Colby stopped right in front of the hunched over demon. "Please, Sam, you're my best friend... My brother ."
Sam's eyes blinked and he slowly looked up. Colby exhaled shakily when he saw his eyes, a bright smile reaching his face. Sam's eyes, although filled with tears, were wide and blue and filled with his usual warmth, even when filled with guilt. But this wasn't over. His eyes were still switching between the cold, black eyes of the demon's and his own clear blue eyes.
"C-Colby?" Sam's teeth were chattering. He looked so small.
"It's okay," Colby choked. He wanted to reach out pull him close and never let go. But they weren't done. "It's okay, man. I'm right here." He whirled around and found the boys standing behind him- and Eddie had found his cross again.
"Eddie!" He held his hand out.
Eddie understood immediately and threw the cross to him.
Everything went in slow motion.
Colby watched as the brown leather cross flew towards him, all while his friend's blue eyes turned black once again and filled with rage and hate.
Colby's hand swiftly caught the cross, just as the demon went to tackle him.
He whirled around and slammed the cross onto Sam's forehead, cold eyes staring right into the demon's.
The demon screamed and screeched inhumanly. The boys behind him instantly covered their ears. But Colby couldn't. He grit his teeth in determination and pain- his head felt like it was about to explode.
By now, the demon's eyes had turned fully black and he was screeching at the ceiling.
And then its eyes started glowing. A bright white light.
And then it was gone.
Colby's chest heaved with heavy intakes of air. His vision was blurred from the light. Hs ears was ringing and his head was pounding. Was it over?...
When his vision cleared, he saw his hand still clamped around the cross, and it was still placed against Sam's forehead.
And Sam's eyes... Clear blue eyes were staring into space. But they were blue. They were Sam's .
And then they rolled into the back of his head. Colby barely managed to force his locked up muscles to unlock and surge forward to grab Sam, although it sent them both to the floor. Colby slumped on the floor, holding Sam halfway in his lap, propping his upper body into his arms and up against his chest.
"...Sam?..." His voice was nothing but a whisper.
"-olby! Colby!"
Colby jumped as he felt hands grab him and his head snapped up, finding the boys kneeling around him and Sam, concerned eyes trying to get eye contact with him. Alana and Jackson stood back, looking terribly frightened.
"Hey. Hey, Colby, look at me." Colby forced his eyes to focus on Josh. The man had a hand propped on his shoulder, steadying him. Narrator was on his other side, staring at him with wide eyes.
"Holy shit..." the blonde breathed. He reached up and stroked his hand across his face, close to his ear. When he pulled back, Colby caught sight of blood coating his fingertips. Was that his?...
He reached up himself and sure enough, when he pulled back, his fingers were smeared with blood from his ear.
"-lby, mate. Dude, can you hear me?" His eyes slowly found Narrator's. Why was everything so hazy?
He could hear Josh's breath hitch. "Alana, call-call an ambulance... Call a fucking ambulance!"
"I-I'll go tell the staff... and get the paramedics..." And then Juicy was gone.
Colby jumped when he felt Sam slip from his arms and he instantly held him closer. "No..."
"Dude, it's okay..." Eddie inclined his head to catch Colby's gaze. "We got him. You can let go."
"Nhgn.. N-No..."
"Mate, c'mon." Mully, always so cheerful and full of jokes and always being able to make anyone laugh, was giving him a look Colby never ever thought he should see on that man. His eyes, moistened, so conflicted and confused and concerned.
Colby shakily nodded. As soon as the two managed to pull Sam away from his tense arms, he felt all energy leave him. Josh and Narrator yelped as he slipped forward and they surged forward to catch his shoulders. He was laid across someone's lap. His vision blurred out, but he could still make out Narrator's blonde hair, and Josh's hand wrapped around his wrist, fingers feeling his pulse.
"Where is that fucking ambulance?!"
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
It was hard to breathe. The halls in front of him was blurry. His head was pounding like hell and his whole body felt numb, too hot.
Sam stumbled down the hallway, keeping a hand on the wall to hold himself upright. His knees were shaking and his feet ached.
"No.."
"Yes..." a voice growled low in his ear.
Sam flinched.
He saw flashes of his friend before his eyes. On the ground, bleeding out, dead eyes staring up at the ceiling.
Sam stumbled with a horrified gasp, nearly tripping over his own feet. He stopped and squeezed his eyes shut.
The boys laid on their ground, their throats slashed open.
Sam yelped and stumbled back, eyes wide and breathing quick.
Colby laid on the ground, bleeding out from where Sam had ripped out all his organs. He stared up at him with such a hurt look in his eyes that Sam wanted to rip out all his own organs.
"Why, Sam?..."
Sam's breath caught in his throat and he squeezed his eyes shut again, clutching at his head, his hands fisting his hair.
"Nghh- Get out of my head !" he yelled out, clenching his fists in his hair.
Dark laughter rung in his ears.
And Sam started running. His breathing came quick and uneven. Pictures of his friends laying on the ground, dead and in their own pools of blood- all done by his hands- flashed across his eyes.
Blood.
"Why, Sam?..."
Screams.
His hands coated in their blood.
"S-Sam?.."
Screaming.
Agony.
Pure agony.
Hurt.
Confusion.
"Why, Sammy?!"
So much blood...
"Please stop-!"
No mercy.
"-It hurts!"
Laughter
"STOP!"
Sam fell to his knees, hands fisted in his hair still. His chest heaved with greedy breaths. His hands shook, his whole body trembled.
"Stop... Please, stop.."
"Yes," the voice cackled. "Yes! Beg, boy. Beg!"
Tears escaped his shut eyes, running down his flushed cheeks. "Please, make it stop.."
"I can make it all go away... Just say the words..."
Sam shook his head weakly.
"Just say the words, boy."
"Please," Sam gasped, as if the words in itself had drained his energy. "Just make it stop." His shoulders slumped and a deep exhale escaped him.
"Yes! YES!" The laughter was loud in his ears.
And then there was darkness. Stillness. It was quiet. So blissful. Peaceful.
Sam slowly peeled his eyes open to darkness. All around him. But it was so quiet... A sigh escaped him and he let the ground hug him as he curled into a ball. His knees touched his chest and he let his forehead fall as close to his knees as possible, letting the quietness even out his breaths.
He laid there, the nothingness embracing him.
Then...
"Sam?"
Sam's face scrunched up. He whined and curled up further in a ball. Couldn't he just be left alone?
"Dude, what's going on with you?"
Sam blinked slowly. Then shook his head.
It was so quiet-
"Sammy, c'mon."
Sam slowly sat up, looking around, brows knitted together.
Then, there was this pounding headache. He yelped and gripped at his head with both hands. No, no, please. It was so quiet.
There was so many loud noises, he couldn't make sense of any of it. It shook everything around him.
"Sam! Sam, this isn't you-"
Sam gasped as he saw a glimpse of his best friend being flung into a wall. By his arm.
No.
No, he didn't do that.
He couldn't have.
No- Just no.
Colby.
And then Sam saw him again. He was looking up at him, but not him, with such pain and despair and confusion and fear in his eyes. Sam wanted to throw up. He swallowed down the bile sneaking its way up his throat.
"Sam..."
Sam felt his cheeks go wet as tear after tear landed on them. "Colbs..." He wanted to reach out, but there was nothing but black. Black, black, black-
His head whipped around and Sam shaw a short glimpse of Narrator and Eddie. Sam shot to his feet, eyes wide.
And then he was fighting his own best friend. "Get out of here!- I said get out of here!"
Sam shut his eyes, concentrating. His hands clenched into fists. He felt the ground under his feet, the rumble. His whole being trembled with effort.
When he opened his eyes again, he was staring right at his friend, who stared back at him with a hard look, teeth gritted and eyes firm and determined but there was a rare hint of fear in them.
Sam could only watch as his body pushed Colby back. He cried out when Colby's back hit the stair railing, going to topple over and fall, and he reached out with all his might.
And sighed in relief when he saw Colby's feet plant back on the ground. He blinked, a tear dropping and a relieved smile reaching his face. Even though no one could see it- Sam knew it was there, and it was his.
Sam collapsed to his knees, the pictures of his friends fading away. He was breathing heavily, feeling drained. He could still hear them clearly- how Eddie shouted out to him, and Colby's horrified scream- and he could still feel everything around him.
He felt when he tackled someone to the ground, he felt when he was knocked back- Sam sighed in relief.
And then he felt a fist hit his face, and black began to swim across his vision.
"Sorry, Sam."
...
"What the hell happened? Did you find Sam?"
Sam tried to call out to them, his voice hoarse from all the screaming. But he could only watch helplessly as his body grabbed Narrator from behind.
"Well-"
The blonde man scream as Sam's body flung him several feet backwards. Sam's eyes widened in horror as his body turned to glare down at Narrator, scrambling back on the floor.
"Why me?!"
And then the fist came towards him. Sam cried out, his hands reached out, but nothing happened. Luckily, Narrator had rolled away and all that happened was a huge Sam-fist size dented into the floor.
Sam's eyes were wide in despair and helplessness. "No, no, no- Stop!"
In a glimpse, he saw Colby placing himself between him and the boys. Protecting them from him. The small act felt like a punch to the gut. Sam was crying, silently.
"Please..." He fell to his knees. His shoulders shook with sobs.
"Sam?! What fuck's gotten into you, man?!"
A hitched sob escaped him.
"That's not Sam..."
"PLEASE!" he screamed at the darkness, hands fisting in his lap. "I'm in here!" His chest was heaving.
No reply.
He slumped in defeat, his face crumpling. His head dropped, can meeting his chest. "I'm in here..."
The voices faded into the distance. Sam stared down at his hands and his breath hitched. His hands started shaking.
They were coated in blood.
His friends' blood.
"No, no, no..." He wiped them desperately on his pants, but it did nothing. He scrubbed more frantically, sobs shaking his body. "No!"
RedRedRedRedRedRedRed-
Sam screamed in pure anguish. His screamed echoed off the darkness, mocking him.
His body collapsed in on itself, and Sam let himself collapse in a ball on the ground. It was useless. He was a monster. Please, just kill me... Make it stop
A veil of darkness fell over him, pulling him further and further and further down. Crushing him. Sam gasped for breath. He deserved it.
Sam let his eyes fall shut, just praying for it all to end soon.
If he really listened, he could hear his own voice, snarling... and Colby's gasping voice, as if he was being choked....
But he didn't really listen. He let the dark veil pull him further down.
It was as if everything suddenly went quiet. So nice and quiet.
Sam sighed in relief, and on the exhale, he let his body get consumed-
"Sam... Sam, I know you're in there..."
Sam's eyes flew open.
"Sam! You have to fight it, Sam! Fight!"
Sam placed his hands underneath himself, pushing himself up. Something weight him down. His arms shook with effort. His eyes burned with determination.
With a yell, he managed to push himself to his knees, his chest heaving.
And then, the wind was knocked out of him as something hit him square in the chest. He was knocked back several feet, his back hitting against something. He slid down, his legs stretched out in front of him and his arms hanging limply and his head dropped uselessly.
Sam groaned and slowly lifted his head. He tried to push himself up...
Only to find he couldn't.
Sam's breath caught in his throat. His wide eyes caught shackles around his wrists, chaining him to the wall. They hung limply up in shoulder-height.
"No!"
He yanked on the chains. They clanked mockingly. Nothing happened. His breathing was speeding up and the blood roared in his ears.
Then he turned his head, and he stopped breathing altogether. Because, in front of him, was a display of what his body was seeing. It was a clear message: Watch as you slaughter your friends.
Everyone had surrounded him, pointing crosses in his direction. Sam could have laughed in the demon's face.
And then Colby, looking like a mess, stepped through the circle like a guiding light.
"Colby..."
"Sam!... I know you're in there, Sam!"
Sam struggled to get to his feet. "Colby!"
He yelped as the shackles burned around his wrists and he fell to a knee, groaning in pain.
"You have to fight it. Please! For me!"
The shackles burned and burned- "Argh!" Sam wanted to clutch at his hands, but the chains weren't long enough for him to bring them in front of himself.
They burnedburnedburnedburnedburnedburnedburnedburnedburned-
Sam curled in on himself with a scream of pain.
When he looked up, eyes fluttering, he saw Colby holding out a cross. His mouth was moving, but Sam couldn't hear him past the blood roaring in his ears.
The burning got worse and Sam wanted to gag at the smell of burned flesh. His screams got hoarse, his throat hurt.
"Sam, if you can hear me... come back to me, man."
Sam looked up.
And stared straight into Colby's eyes. Where he thought he would find anger and hate, he only found desperation and love.
"You can do it, man. You're the strongest person I know."
Sam smiled through his tears. With gritted teeth, he struggled to his feet, his knees shaking and threatening to give out.
He could feel the sudden panic in the air, and a growling voice echoed in the room, bursting Sam's determination, "No! No! You obey me!"
Sam yanked on the chains, feeling the air around him grow more and more panicked. He gritted his teeth, yanking harder.
"I'm sorry, man. For all of this. I should have seen it. It shouldn't have come to this..."
Sam looked up in shock. What? No, no...
His mouth set in a thin line. He had to get out, reassure Colby himself. He would not let his friend take the blame for this. It was entirely Sam's fault- he was the one who let this happen, he was the one who hurt them all. It was on his hands. It was his fault-
"None of this is your fault, Sam." Sam's eyes widened.
"You hear me? And you really have to come back to us right now, Sammy. To me..."
Colby...
Sam yanked his arms forward, putting all his weight on the chains. The shackles burned. The air was heavy- it was hard to breathe. The stench of burned flesh reached his nostrils once again making him want to throw up.
Memories flashed across his eyes.
"..My favorite is that, I think, for some reason, you have a contagious smile."
"Thanks, man!"
Sam's mouth was open in a scream, but he couldn't hear himself.
"Jake is asleep. We got my beautiful cameraman behind the camera."
"You think I'm beautiful?..."
A chain link creaked.
"Who do you like better: your best friend or your girlfriend?"
"...obviously you."
His right arm snapped back to his side as the chain snapped.
"He's everything I have!"
The determination and desperation burned in his eyes.
"The way that he looks at you, it's..."
"It's romantic."
"It's like a wife that's been there for ten years and just loves you so much, she's like.. mmmh."
Tears poured out of his eyes.
His mouth hung open, screaming.
"Please, Sam, you're my best friend... My brother."
The chain snapped completely and Sam was sent lurching forward.
There was darkness.
Then his glistening eyes blinked open. And there was Colby. Right in front of him. Looking at him with a smile. Was this real? Was he actually..?
"C-Colby?" It was so cold...
"It's okay.."
Sam's breath hitched and a sob threatened to escape him out of pure relieve.
"It's okay, man. I'm right here." Colby whirled around, his blue, comforting eyes disappearing. "Eddie!"
Sam felt himself withdraw against his will. No, no, no- please, not again. Sam reached out with all his effort. He did not wanna go back there.
Something hit his forehead and Sam wanted to scream at the agony that coursed through him.
He new nothing but agony.
Until there was light.
And suddenly, he was staring at Colby again. And he knew he was safe. Free.
So he allowed his eyes to roll back and his body collapse.
He was safe.