SymbiosEd

Summary:

When his life is uprooted by tragedy, Edd must find a way to survive as a creature of the night. Will a deal with a demon be his saving grace? Supernatural creature AU. Updates every other Friday.

Pairings: BroEdd

Triggers include: Pedophilia, Child Abuse, Dub-Con, Psychological abuse. Other warnings include Violence and Language.


Author's Notes:

I'd like to issue a big thank you to those who are following this and who've reviewed so far. I really do appreciate it. Please, don't forget to leave a comment after you've finished reading this chapter. Other than that, I don't have much else to say. I hope you enjoy.


First order of business for Edd as he rises from the bed is a shower. Scrubbing until his skin is red and raw and scrubbing some more just to be sure. He has no idea whether or not it's doing much good, so he scrubs even harder.

When he's relatively confident that he's clean, he steps out of the shower and dresses himself. He opts against wearing the man's jersey. This will be awkward enough as it is…So he picks out some of the clothing the man had bought for him. After he's dressed, he goes out to the living room to collect his discarded clothes from last night, before settling down to scrub the couch cushions. Even if they're not going to be coming inside, he doesn't want to risk them slipping past him and noticing any…'stains'.

Finally, he's ready, though only on the surface. Inside, he's fighting back an intense nausea as he approaches the window. Pulling the curtain aside, he finds the two loitering on the landing. Ed's chasing his own tail to amuse himself, but Eddy's looking impatient. His foot is tapping anxiously against the grate and he's got a scowl on his face. Taking a deep breath, Edd unlocks the window and slides it open, alerting the boys to his presence as he slips outside. Before they can get any bright ideas, Edd shuts the window behind him and turns to them fully.

"Boy do you have some explainin' to do!" Eddy snarls, "What the hell is going on, Double D?!"

Edd pauses, averting his gaze shyly as he tries to think about where to begin.

"It's…complicated…" he mumbles.

"Yeah, ya mentioned that," Eddy scoffs, "How the fuck did you end up here with my brother?! How…How is my brother even here?!"

The hatted boy sighs a little, "To be honest, Eddy…I don't know the answer to that. Terry hasn't shared anything about his past with me. I don't know what brought him here or how my wretched circumstance brought me to him. I didn't even know he was your brother until this morning…"

Eddy groans: "Alright, what the fuck do you know?!"

"Let me start at the beginning…" he suggests. He glances between them, brow furrowed. "You two might want to sit down."

Ed does so, sitting up and beaming as though he's about to hear a riveting story. Eddy, however, remains on his feet and leaning against the railing. Edd takes that as incentive to begin.

"So, you know already that I'm a…vampire," he begins slowly, "I still don't…really know how that happened either. I'm not sure I really want to, but, that's beside the point. After I…" He trails off, feeling suddenly breathless. He swallows thickly. "A-After I attacked you, I was chased away from home. Since it seemed like most of the adults in the cul-de-sac wanted to…well…kill me, I refused to go back. So I wandered in the woods alone for days."

He leans back against the wall behind him, his shoulders falling in disappointment; "It felt like ages, but I finally came across this city. It was even longer after that before I found this stability. I was living in the subway systems underground for weeks, but I never tried to feed myself. People were…very unpleasant. I was beaten up a lot — worse than back home when one of your scams would inevitably go awry and evoke rage within our neighbors. More hurtful too, since I'd never done anything to provoke the people in this city…I was just an easy target…"

Pausing for a moment, he rubs the back of his neck shyly; "Then I met Terry…I'd decided I'd try to feed and, in doing so, I ran into him. The person I'd intended to feed on was one of his…'dates' and he was none too happy that I'd snuck into her room. But when he found out that I was a vampire — an immortal, like him — he proposed a deal."

"Yeah, I heard you two talkin' a lot about some kinda deal," Eddy notes, "What does that mean?"

Biting his lip, Edd bows his head; "Terry informed me that he's an…an incubus and…that he too feeds on other people. So he proposed that I forge a contract with him that would allow him to feed on…me and vice versa."

"I don't get it…" Eddy pouts, "How would he 'feed on you'? What even is an incubus, exactly?"

Ed starts laughing uncontrollably, covering his mouth as he blushes. Eddy cocks his brow, shooting him a confused look.

"What're you gigglin' about?"

Blushing, Edd swallows thickly.

"An…An incubus, Eddy, is a…a demon," he stutters, "Who…u-um…Wh-Who feeds via…" His voice fades out as he mumbles the rest.

That makes Eddy cock his head to the side in confusion; "Say again?"

Edd whimpers a little; "Who feeds via se…" Again, he murmurs the rest, this time into his hand.

"Out with it, Sockhead!" Eddy groans.

Edd sighs; "Via…s-sexual…intercourse."

Eddy regards him with a mortified look.

"Are you sayin' you n' my brother've been—"

"Eddy please!" Edd whines, covering his ears, "D-Don't say it out loud!" He starts pulling at his hat. "I'm already ashamed enough as it is…"

"Why the heck would you agree to that, then?!" Eddy demands.

Edd hunches his shoulders; "I was desperate…starving…He said I wouldn't be affected the same way…'humans' would be and that he wouldn't either. We could both feed without hurting each other. As…unpleasant as it is, I've not had to feed on another person since I met him."

Eddy's shoulders fall. Clearly, he's disgusted, but he doesn't know how else to approach this. It's likely too much for him to process the news that his best friend has been sleeping with his brother, whom he'd previously thought to have been deceased. Therefore, rather than let the silence settle or let his friend come up with another question that would humiliate him, Edd decides to continue.

"Anyway," he shrugs, "the point is, I agreed to his terms and entered into a contract with him." He pauses, taking a deep breath, "And…it's because of that contract that…I cannot return home to the cul-de-sac with you and Ed."

The boys are taken aback by that. Ed is at Edd's side in seconds, his eyes wide.

"B-But Double D!" he gasps, "W-We came to find you! We want you to come home!"

"What the fuck, Sockhead?!" Eddy demands, "You really wanna stay here?!"

"I'm sorry, Ed, Eddy," Edd pouts back, "I don't have a choice…"

"What does that mean?" Eddy asks with a sneer.

"I can't break our contract like that…" Edd shrugs, refusing to make eye contact, "S-Something…bad might happen if I do…"

"Bullshit!" Eddy counters, "Full disclosure, Double D: I made up most of the stories I told you and Ed about him. So, whatever my brother may have told you is a fuckin' lie."

"I realize that those stories were false, Eddy…" Edd mumbles, fidgeting with the hem of his shirt, "He's certainly nothing like I would have expected from your stories. But I fear that this warning about our contract is…true…And, even if I could leave, I…I don't know if I…want to."

"I don't get it…" Eddy grumbles, "He treats you like shit. Why would you ever want to stay?"

Edd shrugs a little.

"He's not…always like that…" he mumbles, "Sometimes he's…kind of pleasant." Eddy doesn't look convinced, drawing Edd to sigh. "I mean, during the day, he's usually quite… 'affectionate'. When I…um 'cooperate' with what he wants of me, he's very gentle. For the most part, he makes me feel wanted." He bows his head a little. "It's just at night, usually, that he becomes…cruel. That's when the…demon comes out…"

Ed gasps; "Like Dr. Jekyll!"

That makes Edd grimace, but he can't disagree. It does sometimes feel that way…

"Look, Double D," Eddy interjects, "I don't care what my brother's told you, you need to come home! Your folks are worried sick about you!"

A small gasp tears itself from Edd's chest.

"D-Do you really mean that?" he asks, eyes wide as he steps toward Eddy, "They've really expressed a desire for me to be home?!"

"Well, um…" Eddy falters, "I mean…they haven't exactly said it out loud, but, I mean, I know they do. Mine and Ed's folks are probably losing their minds right now, so your parents are probably just as worried, right?"

Edd deflates a bit, pouting.

"I'm not so sure," he murmurs, "They're probably angry or…embarrassed by what I did…I bet they don't want to see me again…"

"What?" Eddy gawks, "No way! I know they—"

Ed tugs at Eddy's vest to get his attention.

"You should show 'im, Eddy!" he hisses excitedly.

Eddy seems pleased by this sentiment; "Good idea, burrhead!"

Grabbing the golden phone from Ed's back, he shoves it into Edd's hands.

"What…?" Edd stutters.

"Lumpy over here wasted his last wish on a sandwich earlier," Eddy explains with a grimace.

"It was so worth it!" Ed coos, pulling half of a submarine sandwich from his jacket to nuzzle it.

Eddy chooses to ignore this display; "Yeah, so anyway, you gotta make the wish instead."

"Um…okay…?" Edd mumbles.

"Good," Eddy beams, before faltering again, "Oh, uh…rub the lamp a lil…"

With a shrug, Edd shyly rubs the golden surface.

"Oh! Lookit that!" Eddy cries lackadaisically, "Looks like you're the new holder of the lamp! Yay! You now have three wishes! Yadda, yadda, yadda. Okay, g'head and make your first wish."

Edd doesn't respond at first, letting that odd display sink in. After a moment to process, however, he looks down at the phone.

"Okay…"

He ponders for a moment how to phrase it. He can't just leave and go home — despite how badly he would like to. He cant risk being trapped back home, thereby luring Terry there as well. What he needs is a way to see his parents without physically being there.

"I wish…" he bites his lip, "I wish I had a window…some way to view Mother and Father from right here."

Eddy thinks about that for a second and snaps his fingers; conjuring up a hand mirror before their eyes. Beaming with pride at his own proficiency with his powers, he hands it to Edd. Hesitantly, Edd holds the phone out for Ed to take before reaching forward to receive the freshly conjured object from his shorter friend's hand. He looks into the reflective surface, his breathing shallow as apprehension grips him. All he can see is himself. He glances back at Eddy questioningly.

"Oh, uh…" Eddy thinks for a second, "Just ask it to show you what you wanna see."

With that in mind, Edd takes a deep breath before looking back into the mirror.

"I…I'd like to see my parents…"

The reflective surface slowly becomes cloudy, the image within obscured more and more. Finally, the smoke within settles, and a new image can be seen. As he wished; it's like looking into a window, specifically, he realizes, a window into his own home back in the cul-de-sac.

He sees his parents in their study. They're engrossed in paperwork and look terribly haggard. Lips closed tight in thin lines and tired eyes gazing intensely down at their work. However, Edd's regretful to note, he can't tell if they look to be in mourning of any kind. It would seem they're working harder than ever — Maybe they're so distraught, that they're burying themselves in their work? It's hard to say…

"Sh…Show me more of the house?"

The image starts to move and shift. He's looking into the living room now and still moving. Up the stairs. Through the hall. Past an unlabeled door.

His eyes widen and he instinctively releases a sharp, "S-Stop!" It works, so he adds "Go back to the door."

He looks at the plain door carefully, squinting a little. There are two small, rectangular shapes on the wood. As he studies them closer, he recognizes them as leftover adhesive resin. Something had once been adhered to this door. He feels a sickening weight in his belly.

Every door in his home was labeled — particularly on the top floor. The bathroom, his parents' room, and his own bedroom. For this door to have had its labels removed…

His lip quivers a little; "Through the door…"

He vaguely notices Eddy furrowing his brow in confusion, but ignores it in favor of watching the scene play out. As though he were passing through the wood, he enters the room without the door opening. His heart sinks a little more. He recognizes the lime green room within. Barren of any decor and most furniture. Boxes piled up and full of various belongings. He starts shaking.

His belongings are no longer his. Mother and Father had packed them all up and hidden them away. As though they want to pretend I never existed…

He starts to curl in on himself, clutching the mirror against his chest. Terry's words buzz in his head like an angry swarm. They won't want you back after all this time…no one else would put up with a whiny, obnoxious little brat like you…

"I'm sorry…" he mumbles tearfully, "I…I can't go back with you…"

"What's wrong, Double D?" Ed asks worriedly.

Eddy's eyes flit between Edd's face and the mirror before he reaches for the object.

"What'd you see?"

Edd turns away from him, his back hunching to protect the mirror from his friend.

"Please, Eddy…" he whimpers, "I…I can't leave."

"What're ya talkin' about?" Eddy asks, trying to sound as reassuring as possible, "Don'tcha wanna go home?"

"Of course I do…" Edd answers, glancing at him, "But…I don't have a home to go back to…"

"Sure ya do…" Eddy shrugs, "Your folks are still in the cul-de-sac, ain't they?"

Edd's overcome with grief, tears and sobs shaking him.

"P-Please," he cries, "J-Just go home…Y-Your families are surely worrying themselves to death."

"But Double D…" Ed mumbles, reaching towards him.

"Leave me alone!"

With that last, blubbering cry, he clambers back through the window. Before they can follow this time, he quickly slams the opening shut and locks it back. As he reaches up to shut the curtains, he catches a glimpse of the two through the glass. Ed looks panicked and worried as he tries to open the window again. Eddy, however, looks dumbfounded. Jaw dropped as he stares incredulously at Edd. There's something in his eyes that Edd can't identify. Horror? Betrayal? Sorrow? Confusion? It's all really muddled and mixed together. With a weak, pained grimace, he pulls the curtain closed.

He tries to calm his breathing as he skulks through the living room. Through the hallway. Back to the bedroom. The mirror is still clutched tightly to his chest as he crawls beneath the covers. The surface is slick beneath his fingers as he clings to it. He collapses onto his side and curls up.

His lip quivers as he raises the mirror up to look into it again. He murmurs soft commands to tour back through the house. Back to his parents in their study, looking more and more tired. He can't hear what they're saying, of course, but he sees their lips moving. They're definitely talking to each other. His mother nods wearily and rises from her seat. Father follows suit and they gather their papers into neat stacks. When that's done, they take their leave and exit the room.

Edd chooses not to follow them through the mirror. Instead…

"Can…Can I see Ed and Eddy's families? Beginning with Eddy's?"

The image within shifts and blurs until Edd can just make out the sight of Eddy's kitchen. There are two figures — a man and woman — sitting at the table. Both very large, the woman is hunched over. Tissues surround her on the tabletop and her body is shaking with her sobs. A man is beside her, trying to console her. Edd hopes Eddy will return home like he told him to; his parents really are wracked with grief and losing their minds with worry.

In an attempt to sway his guilt, he shifts a little where he lays.

"N-Now Ed's family…?"

Again, the image in the mirror changes, melting away the mourning forms of Eddy's parents. Replacing them is the interior of Ed's home. His prim, proper mother is bustling about, cleaning the dishes in the kitchen. A drastic difference from Eddy's mother, she's much more composed. However, her eyes are glazed and red, suggesting she's likely been crying, but is trying to remain calm. Ed's father and Sarah are nowhere to be found, leading Edd to request seeing more of the house.

Through the halls and up the stairs. The two are in Sarah's bedroom, he finds, with the tired-looking father tucking his daughter into her bed. To Edd's surprise, Sarah has a worried look on her face. She's talking, but he can't quite make out the words. Ed's father appears to sigh and pats her head to try to comfort her. He says something more — something soothing to ease her worries, before tucking the covers up under her chin and kissing her forehead. Then, he leaves the room, flicking the light off behind him.

When he's gone, Edd notices the sheets over Sarah's little form moving up and down. She's started shaking as she curls up onto her side. He's too shocked to respond to this image. I never thought I'd see Sarah cry like that…So even Ed's family — who, he regrets to admit, were often very negligent — miss their son and brother.

He feels more discouraged as he murmurs his request to see his parents again. They're in their bedroom, beneath the sheets in their separate beds. Edd can't tell if they're sleeping, but, with the exception of their slow breathing, they're not moving. Brow furrowed, he rests the mirror on the pillow beside him, gazing in longing at the mock-screen. Almost like they're here…He wonders what they'd say if he could see them again. Would they deny his worries? Deny the evidence that they've hidden away his existence? He curls up beneath the sheets, tears trickling silently down his cheeks.

"It's not fair…" he sniffles, "Of all the things he could have been right about…wh-why did it have to be this?"

Sobbing more and more and shaking in his misery, he tries desperately to hug his arms and calm himself down. It feels so overwhelming. He's not sure he can really take all this…And, as his body tenses in a feeble attempt to stop himself from crying anymore, he feels himself growing more and more hopeless.


He almost doesn't hear Terry return as the sun begins to rise with the morning. He's not moved from his spot on the bed in hours. Still curled up and trying to add pressure to alleviate the pain in his heart (to no avail). Sobbing fits come and go and he's had no energy to do much else. He jumps only a little when the bed dips beneath the man's weight and as Terry's hands take a gentle grip on his hips. He feels the demon lean over him and kiss his cheek, making him flinch a little.

"Aww…why are you crying, Princess?" Terry breathes into his ear.

There's a mocking tone to his voice. Clearly he's pleased that Edd's upheld their deal and he's delighted to see what he assumes is Edd grieving over the loss of his friends. The child remains silent, as he can't bear to answer. Instead, he reaches out to grab the mirror from where it's still laying on the pillow. Refusing to look at the man, he holds the object towards him. It's lifted from his fingers moments later.

"Where'd ya get this?" Terry asks with a sneer.

"Eddy…" Edd mumbles back, his voice hoarse from crying.

"And…where did he get it?"

Edd shrugs: "Eddy's a genie now…I wished for it…"

Terry doesn't say anything to that for a moment. That makes the boy want to look at him, but he chooses against it.

"So, what is it I'm lookin' at?"

That makes Edd tense again. A part of him doesn't want to tell him. He doesn't want to admit that he's right — he can only imagine how much more smug and insufferable the man will become after this — but he knows he has to at this point. He brought it up; he has to explain.

"Those people in the mirror are m…" Edd bites his lip, "my parents…"

When he receives no response, the boy continues.

"I've…seen what they've done with my belongings…" he mumbles, pausing to swallow his sorrow, "Everything is…boxed up and hidden away in my old bedroom…They've even removed the label I'd put in place on my bedroom door…Like they want to pretend I never…never existed…"

He curls in on himself a little further, the flood of emotion overwhelming him once again.

"Y…You were right…" he whimpers, "Th-They really don't want me anymore…N…No one would…" He grits his teeth against the influx of hurt that courses through him. "I…I have nothing left…No home…no family…and n…no friends…"

At this point, he stops fighting the tears that have welled up within him yet again. He stops caring that he's letting Terry see him cry. Stops caring that he'll be mocked for this. It's just too much to hold in.

He only stops when, moments later, the man's hands return to his hips. His breathing is still uneven and shaking as he glances toward the demon, who leans in to kiss and nuzzle his neck.

"No more tears, little angel…at least ya still have me…"

Haven't heard that name in a while…

Edd grimaces a little, turning away again; "You don't…even like me…Y-You never want to be around me and…and you clearly only want to keep me around as a…food source…What possible comfort could that bring?"

Terry chortles; "So much sass for a kid who just found out he's an orphan."

Edd deflates again, whimpering a little. He hears the man sigh softly before tugging him close.

"C'mon now, lil darlin'…" Terry tuts, "I mean it; ya still have me. And I aint about to leave you like those shitty parents of yours…"

Edd pouts, his brow furrowing in uncertainty. Sniffling a little, he turns himself around to face the man completely.

"Y…You really promise…?" he whimpers.

The sinister grin he receives does little to quell his nerves as Terry gently strokes his jaw.

"Sure I do, angel. Provided, of course, you keep my satisfied…"

Edd cringes a little before leaning against the man's chest; "Y-Yes…Anything. Wh-Whatever you want…" He feebly grasps the man's jacket in a desperate attempt to pull himself closer. "Just…p-please…please don't leave me…"

Terry wraps his arms around the small, quivering body. Edd nuzzles him, slipping his arms around the man's torso. He feels the man's warm hand rubbing his back in an attempt to sooth his aching heart.

"Deep breaths, sweetheart," Terry grumbles, his tone sounding a little more rushed.

He pushes the boy off of him so Edd's on his back again.

"That's enough cryin' for now, little angel…" the man murmurs, "Let me take yer mind off it."

Unfortunately for the man above him, Edd doesn't look very interested in what he's implying. He averts his gaze as Terry returns to his earlier efforts of kissing and suckling on the boy's neck. Terry's hands drag up his sides, pushing up his shirt to graze his skin. He tries to focus on the man's touch, but he feels drained — weak. Aside from the compounding sadness, he can't say he feels much of anything. To that end, he squirms against the man's groping hands and edges himself away. Terry roughly holds him down.

"What do you think yer doin'?" he growls.

Edd glances up at him, his brow furrowed. Terry sneers down at him.

"What happened to givin' me anything I want?"

With a sigh, Edd reluctantly relents, allowing the man to continue his ministrations. It does no good, though. As the demon takes him, the boy doesn't respond much. He can't muster any desire to actively engage in their intercourse. Even as Terry gazes into his eyes, using whatever charm he tends to implement to arouse the boy, Edd doesn't feel much of anything. He can't explain why. All he knows is that he feels…empty. Hollow.

After Terry reaches his climax, the man tries to coax the boy to his own. But to no avail. Nothing works. Edd vaguely notices the man's grimace, but can't even bring himself to care about that. Instead, when the man pulls out of him, he curls up on his side again. The tears fall fast and hard until he slips into a fitful sleep, plagued by nightmares of his parents and the way they've abandoned him.


The following evening, Edd wakes to the soothing sound of water running. He blinks his eyes open, moaning a little as he rouses himself. As he looks around, he finds himself alone. He pouts a little; he hasn't woken to an empty bedroom in a while…The sound of rushing water is coming from the bathroom, indicating that the shower is in use. Edd glances to the clock. It's quite late — much later than he usually wakes up. It would seem that the man is getting ready to leave. His shoulders fall in disappointment and he returns to laying down on his back.

He feels no better than when he fell asleep. It's like an empty void in his abdomen, occupied only by static. Like he's hungry, but not really. He can't place what it is — just that it feels awful. Turning onto his side, he stares down at the sheets, his brow furrowed. He feels like crying, but nothing will come. It's like his entire being is made of stone, but he still feels so vulnerable. Weak.

The bathroom door opens and Terry steps out. He grimaces in Edd's direction.

"Oh, finally awake, huh?" he scoffs, striding over to the closet to find something to wear, "Are you at least out of whatever funk you were in last night?"

Edd shrugs; "Not really…?"

Terry growls a little, looking downright offended by that answer.

"Care to explain why that is?" he snarls.

Edd doesn't answer and instead curls further in on himself. The angry look doesn't dissipate as the man dresses himself.

"Alright, Princess," he grumbles, "Yer the one who was harping so damn much about talking, so come on out with it!"

"With what…?"

"What the fuck's wrong with you?"

With a soft sigh, Edd looks away from him, choosing not to answer.

Terry groans a little, rolling his eyes; "Jesus, are you still depressed about your folks?"

Edd responds with no more than a shrug, feeling too upset to talk.

"Why?" the man scoffs, pulling on a pair of jeans, "You've known you couldn't go home for months and you've known your folks wouldn't take you back even if you did. Why is that news so upsetting to you all of the sudden?"

A valid point…Edd sits up, thinking carefully about his answer. It's difficult to pin down how to make Terry understand why he's hurting. The man rarely relates to anything that doesn't involve his greed or gluttony. He takes a breath and starts fiddling with the sheets.

"H…How old were you when you…" he begins carefully, licking his lips a little, "became an incubus…?"

Terry shoots him a suspicious look; "Why?"

"How old were you?

The man rolls his eyes irritably; "I was eighteen."

Edd cocks his brow, returning the man's suspicious look; "You don't look eighteen…Since you're immortal, wouldn't you look the same as you did when you were human?"

"Perks of bein' an incubus. I can change the way I look at will."

The boy is taken aback by that answer. He bows his head as he considers that. That does explain a few things…How he didn't notice the man's tail or horns when they met…How his human lovers wouldn't notice them as well…How the man's long, sharp nails would sometimes appear on his fingers, but other times they'd be absent…Makes sense…Though that's hardly the point right now. He sighs a little.

"So, you were legally an adult by the time you…died…?"

"Yeah…?"

"And you were an adult when you realized that you couldn't go home…?"

The man is getting visibly annoyed with this line of questioning; "Pretty much…why?

"And…by the time you died…" Edd mumbles, looking up at him with a furrowed brow, "You probably didn't care anyway about never seeing your family again…right?"

"Well, yeah," Terry scoffs, shrugging that off, "I hated those fuckers…"

Edd sighs; "As I suspected…You can't possibly understand how I feel right now…"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I'm a child, Terry…" Edd states firmly as he hugs his arms, "And yes, I…I've been…painfully aware that I could never return home, but…I've always held a…a small sliver of hope that maybe they still…missed me…that maybe they might still wish I could come home, but…now I know they really don't…"

"So?" Terry asks, pulling on a loose-fitting shirt, "You got it fuckin' made here, y'know? You don't have to do shit for yourself and you never have to lift a finger ever again. I'm makin' your little life nice and comfortable. So who cares if those assholes don't want you anymore?"

Edd heaves a frustrated groan, sitting up a little; "Listen, I know you can't feel anything above the waist, but I'm a twelve year old child. I've been chased away from home and forbidden from seeing my best friends. I can no longer go to school and improve my education — I can't even go outside! I have nothing left to find real solace in because everything's been taken from me. It may not mean a lot to you — since you don't care about anything more than sex — but it means everything to me. And now that it's been confirmed that my own parents don't want me and that I'm essentially trapped here without a home to return to, it feels so much worse!"

He takes a moment after that tirade to try to catch his breath. He's sure that will only result in something much worse from the man before him, but he doesn't care. There's surely nothing worse that Terry can do to him at this point. Nothing that can make him feel worse than he already does.

To his surprise, the man is silent. He grits his teeth. He won't even talk to me now…Without looking at the demon, he lays back down and hugs his knees to his chest.

"Forget it…" he mumbles, "I don't expect you to comprehend how I feel…Nor do I expect you to even care. Why don't you just leave for 'work' and leave me alone as usual? That's what you're wont to do after all, isn't it?"

He refuses to look up after that, aware that his tone will likely result in another cruel, medieval punishment. That should make him worry, but it doesn't. At least then he might feel something more than the pain in his heart and the emptiness that's filling him up and pushing out the anger.

Footsteps walk out the door and down the hall. With the sounds of the front door opening and closing, Edd realizes that the man has left. Another surprise, certainly, but he's not sure if it's a good sign. Surely he's in for something much worse when the man returns in the morning. A twinge of dread resonates within him and he nearly smiles.

It's something, at least…


A/N: Thank you for reading. And please don't forget to leave a review.