Boogey stood before the burning fire in his room down in the Underworld. In his hands was Grim's trusted scythe, the golden gleam from the fire reflected in the silver blade. He was listening to Grim's muffled screams in the secret cell behind the wall with satisfaction. He finally had the reaper in his possession, and his annoying little friends weren't going to come running to save him this time!

"Its useless Grim," he murmured, an evil glint lighting up his eyes: "No one will ever find you here..."

"Mmmmppphh! Mmmmmmppppphhhhhh!" Grim tried to scream desperately, twisting against his bonds.

The cell was painfully small, and he barely had room to stretch his legs out. Not only that, but the ceiling was uncomfortably low, enough to make him feel claustrophobic. He had to get out of here, he just had to! Billy, Mandy and Francesca, wouldn't they try to save him?!

But how could they? They didn't even know he'd been kidnapped! For all they knew he had simply abandoned them!

And even if they knew, he seriously doubted they would actually bother rescuing him...

Suddenly, the secret wall which served as a door to his cell slid open to reveal Boogey standing there, grinning menacingly down at him.

"Come on Grimmy...Its Playtime!"

A few minutes later, Grim was lying on the cold, bloodstained ground of the torture room. The ropes binding him had been replaced with extremely heavy and rusty chains and his gag had been removed. Jack and Nergal were also present, eager to watch their worst enemy get what he deserved. Poor Grim shivered with fear as he watched Boogey approaching him with a long whip encrusted with sharp talons in his hands.

"No, please! Don't!" He begged.

But Boogey simply sneered and brought the whip crashing down onto Grim's bones. The skeleton screamed in pain as Boogey whipped him raw, the talons fracturing his bones each time they made an impact. He tried to hold back his tears, but listening to the evil, maniacal laughter of the trio only made his efforts futile. The agony rippled through his tortured bones, and the sight of the tiny bone fragments lying on the ground beneath him drove him senseless.

Finally, the abuse stopped and Grim broke down crying. He cursed himself for giving them the satisfaction, but he just couldn't hold them back any longer.

"Aaww, crying already?!" Boogey snickered: "Don't start this early, the fun hasn't even begun yet!"

"Why?! Why are y-you d-doing this to me?! I've never d-done anything to you!" Grim said angrily between sobs.

"Oh shut up you pathetic moron!" Boogey scolded: "I do to you whatever I want because you're MY toy! You haven't got the right to stand up for yourself!"

"Only because you took it from me, you evil creep!" Grim shot back.

"Yes Grim! I took away your rights, all of them! I've stripped you off your powers and claimed your scythe as mine! And there's nothing you can do about it!" Boogey laughed.

"You just wait, Boogey! My friends'll be comin' down here to save me faster than you can guess!" He was bluffing, and he knew it, but he had to try!

"Liar!" Boogey cracked the whip down on Grim's bones once more: "You think I don't know about your fallen relationship?!"

Grim gasped and glared up at his rival. How the hell had he found out?!

"Oh yes...I know all about your little 'disagreements', Grim," Boogey whispered menacingly: "And do you know why...?"

Grim's eyes lowered into a vicious glare, as suddenly realisation dawned on him.

"It was you!"

"Yes!" Boogey shouted triumphantly: "It was me! I played all those tricks on your nasty little friends to make them think you were their enemy! And by having them abandon your protection, you would be left vulnerable for capture! Mwahahahahaahahhahaaaaa!"

"You evil beast! How could you do that to me?!" Grim's eyes filled with tears again.

"Because I HATE YOU!" Boogey snapped suddenly, a flurry of demonic rage consuming his corrupted soul, and nothing and no one could stop him from whipping him until Grim's bones were covered with a maze of fractures. Grim screamed himself into insanity, but Boogey never ceased the cruel assault. It went on and on and on until Grim's screams stopped and he lay unmoving in a broken heap on the ground.

"Geez Boogey, you might wanna calm down...How am I supposed to get my revenge if there's nothing for me to get my revenge on!" Jack scolded Boogey as he panted furiously, his knuckles turning white with the force he was grabbing the whip with.

"Yes, he's right! I think that's enough for now...Just lock him up until tomorrow, and let US get a turn at him then!" said Nergal.

"Yeah...Fine...Just take him away..." Boogey panted, watching as Nergal grabbed Grim with his tentacles and dragged him away.

'Damn you Grim...' Boogey thought to himself: 'I loathe you! I will not rest until you and everything you treasure are dead!'

Boogey was not content with the physical torture he had put Grim through. He needed to hurt him more...much more...

And so, he utilised his powers to enter Grim's subconscious and take control of his dreams, twisting and mutilating them into horrible nightmares...

Little Grim entered the ancient cave where he lived with his parents, happy and excited that he had just managed to reap the whole list of dead victims which had just been assigned to him. He couldn't wait to tell his parents! They would be so proud!

"Mommy! Daddy! I'm home!" he shouted happily, looking inside all of the rooms. Finally, he found them sitting at the kitchen table, but they were not alone.

With them, sitting right between the two of them, was the last boy in any world that he wanted to see.

"B-B-Boog-gey?!" he stammered in shock.

"Why hello there Grimmy..." the nasty green-skinned boy winked at Grim, a poisonous grin spread on his face.

"Mommy, w-what's he doing here?!" Grim whined.

"Well, you see Grim, me and your father were just thinking..." his mother started to say.

"We don't want you anymore Grim," his father stated bluntly.

"What?!" Grim couldn't believe his ears. Was this some kind of bad joke?

"Me and your mother were displeased with you from the second you were born. We knew you'd be a disappointment, a disgrace to our family. Thanks to you, we were, are, and would always be the laughing stock of the Underworld! Would always be...if we hadn't decided to take action..." his father explained.

"We are going to replace you with Boogey, who is a much more powerful, mature, responsible and sophisticated young man than you could ever even dream of being!" his mother explained snidely: "We want you out by tonight."

Grim simply stood there, staring at them all with disbelief. Had they lost their minds?! What was this all about?! Where had it all come from?!

"B-but I-I just c-completed t-the entire list you g-gave me!" his voice was already trembling with unshed tears.

"Big deal! You surely don't expect us to actually care, do you?" his father snickered: "Beat it you little brat, papa doesn't love you anymore."

"In fact, we never did love you," his mother added: "You are hated by everyone, and you always will be."

"B-but w-why?!" Grim burst into tears, sobbing as he was forced to listen to the three of them laugh at his misery. He could feel his poor little heart tearing apart, and nobody even cared!

"I'm their son now! You're just a nobody! Take a hike, filth! Wander the Underworld forever in loneliness!" said Boogey.

"No...no...NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

Suddenly, the scene changed.

The world around him was plunged into pitch black darkness, and a heavy flow of silent murmuring hung in the air. He felt constricted, he couldn't move his hands or feet. He had the nasty suspicion that he was a prisoner somewhere.

Suddenly, wax candles surrounding the four walls blazed to life, their fierce flames casting dancing shadows amidst the people present.

Grim found that he was just a five-year-old once more, and recognised the building they were in as a ceremonial court where sacrifices were offered.

To his utmost horror, he found that this time, HE was the sacrifice!

He was lying spreadeagled on top of the ceremonial, stone table, his limbs tethered down with thick rope. Around him were demons from the Underworld, each present for the current ceremony. Being a mere five-year-old, the first thing he searched for was his parents. They couldn't let this happen! Surely they wouldn't let their only son be sacrificed!

But as the two ceremonial leaders drew closer to where he lay, he got the biggest shock of his life:

His own parents were going to sacrifice him!

"M-Mom?! D-D-Dad?!" poor little Grim yelled.

"It is time..." his father murmured solemnly.

"Goodbye, Grim," his mother said coldly.

"Wait! You can't let this happen! I-I'm your son!" Grim pleaded in despair, tugging fiercely at the ropes tying him down: "Please help me!"

His panic increased when he saw that his father had raised the ceremonial knife above him and began to chant.

"Mommy! I'm scared! Please stop this!" Grim sobbed fearfully, but his mother made no move, no reaction. She simply stood there, rooted to the spot. The pair of them seemed like robots infact. It was as if they'd been drained entirely of emotion.

"Mommy!" Grim begged again, gasping when his father neared the end of the incantation.

"Farewell, son..." his father raised the knife.

"Please no! Don't do this to me! I'm begging you stop! Stop!" Grim sobbed wildly, pulling madly at his bonds.

But at that moment, his father brought the knife down and straight into his body, plunging him into a world of darkness...

Again, the scene changed. Grim opened his eyes warily and found himself lying on the floor of Billy's basement. He was an adult again, and he could hear murmuring coming from the floor above him in the house.

"What on earth is going on here?!" He muttered confusedly, pushing himself up. Making his way silently up the staircase, he pressed his ear against the door and listened to the ongoing conversation...

"Don't you just hate that bag of bones?" Mandy was saying in her usual surly voice.

"Ugh! You bet! He's like so totally annoying!" Billy answered.

"You forgot stupid, irritating, crappy, dumb, lame, loser, freak, wuss, ugly and every other bad adjective I can think of!" Mandy added.

"We're just using him because he's got cool powers and an awesome scythe...Other than that, he's entirely useless!" said Billy.

"Exactly! If it weren't for his powers, we would've kicked his bony butt outta the house a long time ago! But he's our little slave, and so fun to boss around and abuse of. I wouldn't dream of letting him go..." said Mandy.

"Yeah! He's just a pawn in our hands! We do with him whatever we like! He's stupid if he thinks he's actually our 'friend'!" Billy snickered.

Grim couldn't take it anymore. In a fit of rage and hurt, he slammed the door open and confronted the two little runts, who were both sitting on the living room couch.

"Enough! I heard everything! You should be ashamed of yourselves! How could you?! After everything I've done for you!" He shouted angrily.

"Accept your purpose, slave. You are our toy, and exist merely for our entertainment. You have no rights, only the duty to obey our every command. Disobey and you will suffer dire consequences," Mandy said in a low, dangerous tone that sounded almost demonic.

"Billy! You don't think so too, do you?!" Grim turned towards the usually friendly boy.

"Oh Grim, you are so pathetic!" was Billy's dry answer: "If it weren't for your powers, we would just dump you in the trash can! You were never our friend! You are an ugly, good-for-nothing, stupid freak who doesn't deserve to be treated with respect!"

"Face it Grim...everybody hates you..." Mandy finished.

Grim's lip quivered.

"Y-You...y-you d-don't mean t-that!" he sniffled.

"Oh yes we do. We do hate you, and we want you to know that you mean less than garbage to us," Mandy said cruelly.

"Shut up! Y-you're lying!" Grim couldn't stop the tears from falling down his bony cheeks.

"You will remain forever unloved. Why don't you make yourself useful for once and go end your life! You'd be doing everyone a huge favour!" said Mandy.

"Yeah, go kill yourself, freak!" Billy spat hatefully.

Poor Grim burst out crying, sobbing loudly with pain. He couldn't believe how mean they were! Why were they saying these terrible things?

"H-How c-could you?!" He sobbed: "After all the sacrifices I make for you, just to make you happy!"

"Don't make me puke," Mandy scoffed.

"Yeah! Go tell someone who actually cares, loser!" Billy yelled.

Grim broke down sobbing, he couldn't take it anymore. He ran off outside, crying while Billy and Mandy laughed evilly.

Grim woke up with a start, panting heavily. His chest felt constricted, and he was still crying. But they had all been nightmares. Terrible, realistic nightmares. And he had no doubt as to who was responsible for generating them...

His wrists were chained to the wall, and his ankles to the ground. All he could do was writhe in pain as his body ached from the beating he had received. His fractured bones throbbed wildly, driving him insane. But he couldn't fall unconscious. He had to stay awake, or Boogey would give him nightmares again...

But he felt so tired, so weak. He needed to sleep, but he was too scared to do so. The pain, rather than keeping him up, was actually tiring him all the more.

"Curse you Boogey...curse you to hell! I'll never forgive you for everything you put me through...never!" He hissed.