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   Rain had been consistent that week. It poured non-stop and it didn't seem like it was going to stop. There could be a storm coming, or maybe he was already in the middle of it. Hart wasn't sure since he didn't watch television or read the newspaper unless it had something important; like huge celebrations or someone having information about the mysterious disappearances in Bellumstone.

He stood on the wet grass in front of his house, a large towel in one hand and a mug of water in the other. He had been waiting patiently for hours, watching the gray clouds get stronger and pour cold rain on him. He was soaking from head to toe, but not the towel; the towel was warm and dry – it had been taken from the house just a minute ago, when he heard the heart beat.

Now the man concentrated on the ground in front of him, his eyes scanning every inch as he heard the beating of a human heart grow louder. Not far from where he stood, he saw the ground rise, and he knew that it was time. He ran towards the little moving bump and got there just in time to see a hand burst out of the ground. Followed by the hand was a shoulder, then a head popped out and Riley screamed, his hand clawing the ground as he fought to free himself. Pieces of mud and dirt fell off his skin as he pulled himself out of the earth, crying hysterically, obviously terrified.

Hart reached down and wrapped the towel over the naked man on the ground. Riley was so cold and he could hear his teeth chattering. Hart pulled him up by his arm and wrapped his hands around him, guiding him towards the house. The boy hadn't even opened his eyes when Hart offered the water, but he still took it like he knew it was there. He chugged it down, coughing as he choked.

“It's okay, we're almost there,” Hart reassured him softly.

They walked up the porch steps and Riley could barely move a muscle, Hart had to hold him up as they made their way across the red stained area. The door was wide open so all they had to do was walk in. Riley shuddered at the coldness of the house, it was much worse than outside.

Hart tightened his grip on Riley as he led them up the stairs to his room. He thought his bathroom was better than the one in the hall; it was bigger and it had a shower head so Riley didn't need to bathe in dirt.

“I-I'm s-s-so cold,” Riley stuttered, his voice weak and worn-out.

“It's okay, you'll be okay,” Hart told him as he opened the bathroom door and walked them in. He went to the shower and turned it on, putting his hand under the water until it he felt it turn hot. “The water is warm, get in and clean all the dirt off your body. I'll be right outside when you're done.”

Riley nodded and watched Hart go, closing the door behind him.

Riley took one look at himself in the wide mirror and looked away. He was hideous. All of him was covered in mud and grass, he looked like a tree. But he really only looked away because he didn't want to see his eyes, for he was afraid that they'd tell the truth.

He let the towel drop and he got in the shower, sighing loudly as the warm water showered over his body. He scrapped his skin, watching the water underneath him turn black. It reminded him of black rocks. He shivered at the thought, refusing to cry again. He pressed his forehead against the wall and stayed there for a while, too relaxed from the hot water and too afraid to move. When he felt he needed to get out soon, he began to scrub his hair with products he found close to him. They smelled just like Hart, and now he smelled like him.

“Riley?” Hart called from the other side of the bathroom door.

“I'll be–“ his voice failed him, barely audible so he had to try again a little louder, “I'll be out in a minute!”

“Take your time, I just want to make sure you're okay.”

“I'm okay,” he whispered, but somehow he knew Hart had heard him either way.

Hart was sitting on his bed, watching the door when all of the sudden he heard a cry. He rushed towards the door, not bothering to knock and just let himself in. Riley was naked in front of the bathroom, staring at his image in the mirror, his eyes red and alert.

“What is happening to me?” he asked without looking at Hart. Riley's natural tan color was gone. He was as pale as the man standing beside him. His hair had turned darker and his eyes were brighter. “Am I dead?”

“No, you aren't dead,” Hart replied, handing Riley some clothes to wear.

“Then why do I look like this? Why do I look like you?”

“I'll explain everything, but you need to rest now.”

Riley turned his head, his face turning hard. “No. I am not going to rest until I get some answers. You have no idea what I just had to go through to get back to you. You have no idea what I saw. You're not the one that feels like you're going insane every time you see a shadow. You're not the one that exploded into a million pieces!” he hissed, violently shaking while trying to maintain his teeth from chattering so loudly.

“Riley –“ Hart tried to interrupt, but Riley wasn't having any of it.

“No, don't Riley me. I don't care that you kill people, I really don't – not anymore. I just want to know the truth, I want to know that I am not going crazy. I want to know if what is happening is real. So don't talk to me like–”

“–Riley!” Hart screamed at him, cutting him off. The man waited a couple of seconds to make sure Riley wasn't going to start talking again, when he didn't, he continued, “Riley, you have been gone for a month.”

“What?”

“You came to me this morning, that's when I heard you . . .” Hart paused, swallowing, “when I heard you blow up.”

“How . . . how is that possible? I was only gone for a few hours!”

“And I'm sorry that you . . . that you died.” Hart looked down, breathing slowly.

Riley scowled at him. “You're sorry? You're the one that put the damn collar around my neck! You knew exactly what it did, so how could you be sorry?”

Hart's eyes were soft and full of regret, and Riley saw that, which was why the next thing he heard made his own confusion deepen.

“I never turned it on,” Hart said.

“Huh?” Riley replied.

“I said I never turned it on. The collar, it was never activated. I just wanted you to think that it was. I would never kill you, Riley. Don't you understand that I need you?”

“Then how . . .”

“I have a pretty good idea, but for now you need to rest.”

Riley sighed and nodded as he took the clothes that Hart gave him and quickly got into them. They were normal clothes, something he hadn't seen in a while. He got so used to black suits that he forgot about the existence of pajama pants and T-Shirts with silly sayings like 'All Stressed Out And No One To Choke'. He thought it was Hart's attempt at another joke. This one was good, he actually chuckled, and that felt good. He needed to laugh, to feel like everything was going to be okay.

Hart gestured at his bed, “Use my bed, it's bigger and more comfortable. You'll fall asleep in no time.”

“Will you join me?” Riley asked quietly as he exited the bathroom.

“What? No. If you haven't noticed, I'm wet.” He pointed at the water dripping from his hair, which was messy and made Hart look really different.

“I don't care,” Riley replied, jumping over the bed and hiding under the covers.

“You'll get wet, the bed will get wet and then you'll get sick,” Hart told him.

“Then take off your clothes,” he insisted, looking at Hart like he was afraid. “I don't want to be alone. Please don't leave me alone.”

Hart groaned in defeat, pealing his jacket and shirt off, all while staring down at Riley. He grabbed a new towel from the closet and dried his body, face and hair. When he was done, he unbuttoned his pants, hooked his thumbs under them and his briefs and pulled them down in one go. Riley was purposely hiding under the blankets, giving Hart his privacy. Hart got into a dry pair of black slacks and then he was in bed, next to Riley.

Hart shuffled on his side of the bed, laying on his side so that he was facing Riley.

“Thank you,” Riley said.

Hart's brows raised a bit. “For what?”

“I honestly don't know, just take it.”

Hart chuckled. “Okay, I'll take it.”

Riley's eyes widened at him. “You laughed! I didn't know you could do that!”

Hart's smile disappeared, replaced by a dark frown. He closed his eyes, hoping it would make Riley shut up and fall asleep. As he waited for the silent breathing of a dreamer, he felt the bed move and then Riley was pressed up against Hart, his head against his chest and his arms seeking warmth around him. Needless to say, his plan to wait for him to fall asleep so he could sneak out did not work, because both of them began to quietly breathe as their thoughts turned into dreams.

*-*-*-*

Riley had been soundlessly asleep for five consecutive days.. He hadn't moved at all, laying calmly on his back like a deceased person in a coffin. And there was no difference between a dead person and Riley anymore. He had the pale, cold skin. Frozen eyes with dark bags underneath. If it weren't for his chest rising every second, Hart would have thought he was dead.

When Hart had fallen asleep with Riley close to him, he woke up just a few hours later and separated himself from the boy. He didn't come back to bed, he never did. For days while Riley slept, Hart just wandered his home, thinking. Just thinking. He knew he'd have to tell the truth, but he wasn't sure how to prepare Riley for it. He could easily just say it out loud, but he knew it wasn't that simple.

In the end he chose to climb a ladder and go one step at a time. Besides, if he poured out everything, who knew what the outcome would be when Riley finally realized where he stood. He had to play it safe.

On the fifth day, Riley woke up. There was this look on his face, a strange one, one that made Hart feel like Riley had disconnected from his humanity. It was serious and threatening, mostly just blank. He stared out at the space in front of him for a while. And then his eyes slowly landed on Hart who was standing by the doorway holding a tray.

“Oh, good. I'm starving.” Hart saw this as a sign to walk in and carefully place the tray on his lap. Riley looked puzzled as he picked up an apple. “What is this?”

“It's food.”

“An apple? Bread? Oatmeal? I don't want this.”

Hart looked at him angrily. Riley should be thankful he was getting anything at all. Hart wasn't his servant, he wasn't a slave to anyone. “But this is what you always want.”

Riley toyed with the bowl, dragging the spoon around and grimacing as if the oatmeal was made out of slime. “I want . . . meat.”

“But you're a vegetarian.” Hart was confused, and also worried at the same time.

Riley set the tray aside and jumped out of bed, his eyes meeting Hart's. “Not anymore.”

Hart's voice deepened to a dark, husky threatening tone, “I hope you're not forgetting who is in charge here. You eat what I give you. Get dressed, eat and come downstairs immediately. That's an order.” Hart stormed out of the room, closing the door behind him. He went downstairs and entered the kitchen. There was a pile of clean dishes on the kitchen counter. He rushed towards them and started pushing them off, throwing them on the ground and feeling satisfaction when they broke into pieces. He slammed his fists on the counter and screamed, pulling his hair and wanting to destroy things. He went to the small table under the window, where he usually ate cereal alone, and kicked it, flipping it over.

He wasn't supposed to die! Not this early, not this way. Now he's changing. And it's my fault . . . she's going to be angry with me. Hart covered his ears and backed up against the nearest wall. He slid down and sat, hiding his face between his knees. She's gonna come for me and she won't give me mercy.

“Maybe I don't deserve mercy,” he whispered as he lifted his head up.

The morning sunlight peaking through the kitchen window slowly faded. Darkness began to rise from the floor, like fog made out of nightmares. It covered the window like a curtain, blocking any sunlight wanting to sneak in. In a matter of seconds the kitchen became pitch black, with quiet whispers of unknown entities seeping from the cold fog. A specific spot in the middle of the kitchen had more darkness, and from that spot a figure rose. It had no details, just a shadow like the rest of the darkness.

“I'm sorry,” Hart said as his mother's apparition hovered to him. She extended her arm out to him and he swallowed. “I'm sorry I failed you. It seems like I'm not the only one fighting for Riley.”

Take my hand, her voice echoed in his head.

He pulled himself up, reaching for her hand. As soon his hand made contact with her, the darkness swallowed them. The fog, along with Hart and his mother, disappeared. Sunlight once again beamed through the window. The broken dishes and table were back in order, like they were never even touched. Everything was quiet once more, until the sound of footsteps were heard coming down the stairs.

Riley sighed. “Hart. I want to apologize for–“ He stopped in mid sentence when he noticed no one was in the kitchen. He left the kitchen and searched for Hart in the dinning room, but he wasn't there. He checked the front door and it was locked, so he couldn't have gone out. “Hart?”

~*~*~*~*~*~

Night had settled in and there was still no sign of Hart anywhere. Riley even dared to check outside. He wasn't at the barn and his car was still parked outside, so he figured he must have just gone out for some air. But he never returned.

Riley sat at the top of the stairs for hours, staring at the door expecting he'd walk through at any moment. He knew that the man was okay, but a part of him just kept feeling like something wasn't right. Hart sometimes disappeared randomly, and there was nothing to it. But this time it was different and he wasn't sure why. He just felt it.

He was ready to go to his bedroom when suddenly the front door opened. His face lit up and his heart raced, but there was no one there. The door just opened by itself. He got up and carefully walked down the stairs, not taking his eyes off the entrance.

“Hart? Is that you?” he asked out loud.

Riley stepped outside and looked both ways, but it was empty. He felt it was strange for the door to just open by itself, but he had seen stranger things, so it didn't bother him. He simply closed the door again and started walking up the stairs. Half way up the stairs he heard a loud bang on the door, like someone had taken a truck and rammed it against the house. He did jump, and his heart raced more, afraid that someone other than Hart was here.

Furiously, he rushed down the stairs, opened the door and screamed, “WHO IS OUT THERE?” He wasn't stupid, he knew someone was doing this. It wasn't the air, or an animal, it was a person with a brain. He breathed heavily as he stared out at Hart's front yard. There were many trees around, so many that anyone could just hide and not be seen. But Riley wasn't scared, not after what he went through. Now if a human monster with tons of legs came out then that would be a different story, but since he was back in his normal world, then there was nothing to be worried about.

At least he hoped.

The lights in the house began to flicker rapidly. Then one by one they exploded, leaving Riley in total darkness. He considered staying outside, where the moon could be his company. But then he saw a shadow move swiftly between the trees and he tossed all ideas out and went inside, closing the door and locking it.

If something was after him, then he had no way of defending himself. He had no idea where his dagger was or if it would even be useful against what was out there. Maybe if he closed his eyes then nothing would happen. If he denied what was happening, maybe it would stop. He took deep breaths and closed his eyes.

“I'll just . . . close my eyes until Hart gets back. If I can't see what is happening, then nothing is happening,” he told himself, believing his own words over his logical mind; it's happening. He felt coldness touch him, like if he was standing next to a freezer that was blowing out cool air. I'm not opening my eyes, he thought. I won't. I won't open my eyes no matter how much I want to.

He opened his eyes.

Down the hall was a person hovering a few inches above ground. It was a girl, and she was slowly making her way towards him. He couldn't make out her appearance, it was too dark to tell. Was he afraid? He wasn't sure. His heart pounded hard against his chest and he felt like electricity was running through him, but he wasn't sure if he was afraid. His emotions just somehow disappeared.

“Riley,” she whispered, and it sounded too eerie to be human. She wasn't human. But what human could fly?

“Y-yes?”

“Leave,” she said.

“Leave?”

“LEAVE!” she screamed loudly, his ears ringing at the sound of her voice. He saw that her eyes were white, with dark blood running down her arms and neck. The blood dripped from her skin and disappeared when it hit the ground. He also noticed that her body faded slightly every few seconds.

“What are you?”

She laughed wickedly. “I'm dead! I'm dead! I'm dead! And you will join me if you don't leave!”

“I'm already dead,” he whispered.

She shook her head slowly, smiling wide and creepily. “No, darling. You aren't dead. But you will be if you don't leave.”

“Why should I leave? Why should I care if I die or not? I'm talking to a fucking ghost, dying is the least of my concerns right now.”

“I'm only trying to warn you. Something is coming, something very powerful, but you can stop it. Only if you leave will you stop the beast from entering your world. But do it now before it's too late, or you and a lot of people are going to die.”

“I'm not leaving,” he replied calmly, his eyes boring into hers.

“This is your last and final warning, Riley. You have the choice to walk out and be free. I won't hesitate to kill you if it means it can be stopped.”

It suddenly made sense. He was confused because she said this was his last warning, meaning she had previously warned him. What happened in the dark room, when he fell through the fire and landed in that strange place, that was all her doing. And the second warning, when he blew up and Hart told him he never turned on the collar, that was her, too. They were warnings.

“Where did you take me to?” he asked.

She stopped and looked into his eyes, her smile gone. “I took you to hell. And that was only a part of it. What's out there is much worse. It's a never ending torture. I don't think you want to go back there, do you?”

Riley shook his head fast, now beginning to feel afraid. The last thing he wanted was to go back to that place, especially now that he knew what it was. He never believed in hell, he never believed in any of this.

“I can't leave . . . there's nothing to go back to. I killed two innocent people. How can you expect me to leave and forget? Besides, he would find me again. There's not a doubt in my mind that he would search the world until I was his again.”

“He killed me.”

“Hart?”

“DON'T YOU DARE SAY HIS NAME!” she growled, dashing towards him and picking him right off the ground. She pinned him against the wall and stared directly into his soul. She was terrifying up close, a talking corpse that could fly. “Don't you EVER say his name.”

“Why did he kill you?” he asked, hoping he would get her to calm down. Not sure why he thought it was a great idea to keep asking about Hart, when it bothered her. Maybe he wanted to poke her. Maybe he wanted trouble.

“Same reason he will kill you, because he can.” Her eyes suddenly widened in panic. “He's coming.”

“Who is coming?”

She stared at the ceiling, like she was listening to something. Slowly, and very gently, they lowered down to the floor and she released him. Quietly, she whispered, “My name is Michelle. When you need me, just call me. But only if you're in the house, I cannot come to you outside of this house. Do you understand? And whatever you do, don't kill again.”

The door next to them blasted open and Hart walked in, giving Michelle a threatening look full of revenge.

Michelle screamed in fear and hovered back, her body disappearing with an explosion that shook the entire house. Riley was so nervous that he couldn't even breathe properly. He had never seen Hart this angry before, and he didn't want to make things worse by letting him know he was right next to him.

“Riley,” Hart said. So much for staying invisible.

“Yes?”

“Did she hurt you?”

“No.”

He closed the front door and began to walk up the stairs like nothing had happened, like a ghost showing up in his house was a normal day in his life. Well, that was his life, not Riley's. He wasn't going to let Hart disappear again without Riley getting some answers, not this time.

“I know where I went to,” Riley said.

Hart stopped half way up the stairs but didn't bother turning around. “You were in hell.”

“Why didn't you tell me?”

“I was going to.”

Riley slowly climbed up the stairs, passing Hart only to stand in front of him so the man wasn't avoiding confrontation. “Are you going to tell me how I'm still alive after exploding into pieces?”

His face was emotionless, nothing new there. But as he said the next words, there was some sadness, “The dagger. That's why you're alive.”

“The dagger . . . how did the dagger bring me back to life?”

“When you killed the girl with the dagger, you took her life and it became yours. You were immortal. So when you die, only the life you took will be taken. But now you're vulnerable again, because you haven't killed anyone else. If you die, you'll permanently stay dead.”

He searched for a sign that he was lying, but his eyes were as truthful as ever. They were clear and bright like a divine light from an angel. They were innocent eyes hiding pure evil.

“So the dagger is magic?”

“It's much more than that. You can kill anything with it, including that thing you were talking to.”

“Can I kill you with it?”

Again, no emotions. “Yes, even myself. But only you can wield it. Anyone else will die if they use the dagger. It was bound to you with your blood and the fire of the dark world. It will only respond to you.”

“Respond to me?”

“Call it.”

“Call the dagger?”

Hart nodded.

“How do I call a dagger?”

“Call out to it in your mind. Imagine it's in your hands.”

A second later the dagger was in Riley's hands. He had barely thought about it and it somehow appeared in his hands. He felt safe knowing he could kill anything with it. For Hart to entrust him with such a weapon only meant something big was going on.

“Did the dagger change me?” Riley asked.

“You weren't supposed to die. You were supposed to kill again, feed your dagger until you had enough captured souls to live forever. But that whore ruined it. She ruined everything,” Hart growled.

“I'm not going to kill again, I hope you know that,” Riley told him, tucking the dagger away in his pocket as he eyed him. “And you still haven't answered me.”

“The dagger is tied to you, Riley. When you died, you were close to an actual death. That is why you look the way you do, because in a way, you're actually dead. But you're not, you're just too close to death. You need to kill.”

“I'm not going to kill.”

“But you will.”

“I'm not going to become like you. I don't know what your plan is, and I'm not even sure if I want to know, but if I say I won't kill, then you better believe it.” Riley turned his back to Hart and climbed the rest of the stairs, disappearing to his room. He needed time to process everything. He was really surprised he was handling everything so calmly. Maybe deep inside he already knew the answers to his questions, and that was why he had accepted everything so easily. Or maybe he was becoming like Hart. His emotions were hanging by a very thin thread.

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[Author's Message]: Hey guys, sorry for taking a while to upload. This chapter was a bit difficult to write because I had to decide whether I wanted it to be scary or not, but I obviously went with not. I focused more on the truth while still trying to keep the secrets . . . a secret. I didn't reveal everything, just a little bit. So you guys are going to start to find out the truth little bit little, just like Riley. You guys are Riley O.O LOL. If you guys spot any mistakes, please tell me. I found myself writing in first person a couple of times so I'm sure I missed a couple. Once this story is finished I'm going to do a massive edit and re-write it all so please help and tell me if you spot mistakes. Thank you <3 LOVE YOU GUYS. Remember to vote and comment and like and LOVE! :)