Home Sweet Home

Spencer stumbled into his apartment and managed to slam the door shut before falling into a shuddering mess upon the floor. He laid on the hard tile at the foot of his hallway breathing harshly and squeezing his eyes as if to keep his tears from bursting out.

Yet the liquid sadness came, it ran down his cheeks, into his beard, and to a soft patter on the floor. 

"No..no no no...please..." Spencer pleaded as the room grew colder, the shadows around him thickening to an almost solid substance. "Not now, leave me be..."

The sickening voice bubbled from all around, "Poooor Spencerr..." The Shade chuckled, "Feeling alone, Spencer? Have your little friends left you, hmm?" 

"Shut up!" Spencer barked through gritted teeth and tears, he held his hands tight over his ears to try and tune out his inner demon. 

He watched as it rose from the inky blackness at his feet, its jagged black maw curled in a wretched grin as it drifted closer, almost floating in the shadows. 

"Dear boy, you will not be rid of me. I am here to protect you. To warn you of such foolhardy choices. Did I not warn you of their betrayal, that they would turn on you?" The Shade reached out a hooked claw and lifted Spencers chin to meet his pearl gray eyes, the milky voids were empty of pupils but he felt them there still. "Did I not?" The Shade bubbled.

Spencer whimpered as more tears left his eyes. "You did..." He nodded slowly, "You were right."

"My poor Spencer...look at how they've left you!" The Shade snarled before it lunged forward and embraced him. Its ghostly form was cold and bony against his chest. "They did not deserve you, my boy. They are fools for casting you aside, but I will not. You will always have me..." The Shade hissed as it stroked its claws thorough his shaggy hair.

Spencer leaned into the hug and sobbed freely, "I did everything I could..i tried!"

"Shhhh....i know you did my boy....but no one will ever understand the effort someone like you puts forth, because they cannot. I understand though, I know you in ways no other can..."

Spancer nodded into the Shades bony shoulder, "What...what can I do? I hurt...it hurts so much, I want it to go. I want the pain....gone."

"You can forget them, boy. They are not worth your time. They chose for their path to leave you behind, just like everyone else will always do." The maw clicked between the Shades bubbling chuckles, "But the pain...that I can help with. You know what you must do, I cannot take away your hurt without...tribute..." The last word was spoken with a reverent hunger that made the Shade shudder against Spencer.

Then there it was, the song, the melody, the sweet tune that comforted him so.

Spencer rose from his spot and stepped toward his room.

"Go to it..."

"I...I promised I wouldn't..." Spencer whispered, fresh but softer tears flowing down his cheeks as he crept closer to his bedroom, the song that called him.

"Promised who? Those traitors? They only forbade you from it because they know what sweet release it brings you. Of course they'd make you swear to not partake in what takes away your suffering, those monsters..." The words rang true in Spencers mind, the Shade was right. It was always right, and Slencer had trusted someone from the outside. He scowled and strode forward pushing through his room door and to his bedside table.

There laid his release, the source of the melody, his blade.

With shaking hands he gripped its handle and removed the sheathe. The sweet smell of silver stung his nostrils as he did so, gazing into the deadly metal.

"This will be no simple tribute, your pain is to great for such a meager offering to suffice my boy... I will need more..." 

Spencer spun the knife and held the blade to his stomach, "Then you will have it, just make it stop..."

"Of course...my host..." The Shade bowed.

Spencer closed his eyes and plunged the blade deep.