AN: So here is where the story takes a very dark turn. I want to explain. When I re-entered the DP world for chapter ten, I saw Sam shaking in a dark corner. It was really creepy to see one of my favorite characters like that. Then I went in her head and saw things from her perspective and started to sympathize. Please enjoy chapter ten. Oh, by the way, I have no idea when song names started to title the chapters, they just…did. By the way, there is an alternate ending version of Chapter Ten that I will be posting later on.
Chapter 10: Under Pressure
Jazz threw Tucker a pleading glance; wishing he could distract her, change the subject anything. But she knew Maddie wouldn't drop it. She felt her bones tremble and the sweat bead on her forehead. Her breathing became heavy and Tucker saw her breaking at the seams. He started to bite his nails, waiting for her to answer.
"Jasmine, I'm waiting." Maddie's normally cheerful voice hushed out in a husky, dark tone. It made Jazz shudder.
"T…Tucker, help me out please." Throwing him another glance. Maddie switched her glance to him in less then three seconds. He felt the enormous weight and pressure don itself upon his young shoulders, crushing him, and drawing him closer to the ground, inch by inch. He felt his stomach cave in; butterflies fluttering violently, his back slouched in even more. He sat down on the curb and started to breathe in and out deeply.
"Tucker, tell me where my son is." This time it was filled with sadness, rage, wanting.
"Jazz," he began, looking back up to her, tossing his arms up in defeat. "I…we…" exhaling one last time. "We have to tell her. It's not fair."
"Do you think he'll be mad?" she agreed.
"No. He'll do anything to get Sam back right now. I don't think something like this is going to blow a fuse."
Sigh "All right." She turned her head from Tucker and faced her mother dead on. "Mom, I don't think there is any other way to tell you this. Please don't be angry at Tucker, Sam, Danny, or I. Promise?" she asked, grabbing Maddie's shoulders.
"My gosh Jazz. What happened? Did you toilet paper someone's house? Graffiti school property?" eyes wide with humorous fear.
Elric Mansion
SPOV
I was sitting against the wall in Al's room, hugging my knees for dear life. The bed I was on was bare because I became so enraged with his brother; the covers were over there. Rage coursed through my body; but not only rage, fear, and guilt also. I was afraid Ed would kill Danny, or he would hurt me. I didn't realize that I was shaking; fingers sore from gripping onto the skirt so hard. I was loosing it, loosing everything. Everything I knew was slipping from my mind, exiting out of all my pours, hair strands, tears, words, steps. Anything I did seemed to do allow the information to exit in a different and larger way.
I must be going crazy!
"Sam, Sam," voices called my name. I'm hearing voices in my head! Ice dripped down my spine and pooled in my stomach.
"Get out of my head!" I screamed out loud, gripping the sides of my head with hair. "Get out of my head!"
"Sam, Sam," it kept calling. The pool in my stomach made me feel very cold and goose bumps arose on my skin. A shudder shot threw me and I gripped my hair tighter; as if I were gripping on to my sanity. Or what was left of it. Tears started to fall out of my ghost-fighting experienced eyes.
"Stop…please stop," I whimpered and begged at the voices. I felt the breath on my bare arms, my trembling bare arms. I could tell my voice was a tiny, insignificant little whisper compared to the normal volume of the voices.
"Sam, Sam, are you okay?" why couldn't they be kind and leave a girl loosing her mind alone.
Silk wrapped around my arm in the form of fingers; gently pulling me towards them. They felt warm, and heavenly safe. I opened my eyes to a now white room, and a warm, calm atmosphere. The air was amazingly clean and pure; filling my lungs with a sense of hope, freedom, and love. The warm silk fingers caressed the cup of my eyes, brushing away any tears that fell. Giggles came out of my mouth as the angel took me from hell and was slowly transporting me back to heaven. I reached for the angels face, expecting it to be baby soft and warm, radiating with love and happiness. My hands reached its face, and it was icy cold, and radiated with hate, and evil.
I screamed at the devilish creature.
APOV
"Sam! Sam!" I screamed, shaking her. "Sam you're scaring me! Are you okay?!" Her whispering pleads; startling screams, shaking figure, recent odd giggling and now screams again shook me and made me question her overall sanity. Had living in the house made her mad? Or was this more of Edwards work?
"Sam please respond to me!" setting her down on the bed, she scrurried back to the spot I got her from, hugging her arms and hiding behind her knees. She looked absolutely terrified and crazed. Hair a mess, teeth bare, tear flooding wide eyes, and pale skin.
"Oh Sam," I started to walk over to the side she was on.
"Get away from me you monster!" she screamed. "Leave me alone! I know you want to bring me somewhere, but I'm not going! Get away from me!"
"Sam, it's me, Alphonse. Do you not recognize me? Please answer me." I begged. I felt sympathy for my friend. I wanted to hug her and tell her it was all okay and that I was here to comfort her. I felt the hot, stinging tears brim my eyes.
SPOV
The demon was starting to cry. Good. It deserves to. The room had a deep gray that danced its way up the walls and started to consume the white. I was truly going crazy. I wouldn't admit it out loud, but I was going crazy. Nothing made sense any more. I started to laugh at all of my beliefs. I could hear my laugh growing louder, it grew crazed and evil. The hideous laughing continued for a while and the demon still stood close by, watching and waiting for me to do something. I wanted to scream at it more until it went away and never came back. I wanted to run away, run until my legs gave out on their own will and not a conscious one. Where was my saving grace?
NPOV
Al sat in that room with Sam, waiting for her delusions to stop and for her to talk some sense. He feared for her, feared for her future. What would this time here do to her sanity, and trust for other people? He wondered.
A quick rap came to the door and Edward phased in.
"What did you do to her!?" Al screamed at his brother, grabbing his collar and picking him up to meet his face.
"What do you mean Al?" Ed yelled back, squirming under the large hands of his younger brother.
"What did you do to Sam?! She's terrified of me and calling me a monster! I think she's really going crazy. I'm scared." Admitting while breaking out into another sob.
"I didn't do anything to her. If my piano spells start creating there own effect without my command then that's something new to me. Otherwise I didn't do anything to her sanity." He said. Al's lips pursed and his eyebrows knotted together, fighting back more tears. He didn't believe Edward, but for now, he'd go along with it. He'd pretend to believe him for now.
"Okay. I'm sorry Edward. I'm scared for her that's all. She's one of my friends and I don't want her to go crazy. I fear for her sanity and her future! I really do. I don't know how this will affect her in the future. Can you even imagine what you might have caused on her? What traumas, new fears, new demons you've created for this poor girl?! How could you not even seem to care anymore?!" he shouted. Ed stood there in a daze. His mouth was slightly ajar and his forehead creased. His eyes wandered to Sam and he saw the madness she was being thrown into. Days stuck in the Ghost Zone with no outside world to assure her that she is still in reality, that she is still sane. The severity of her apparent damage set into his brain and he sunk to the floor.
"Oh my gosh…" he whispered.
"So now you get it Edward." Al stated harshly. Ed didn't even acknowledge the sentence; he became invisible and sunk through the ground, floating into the distance.
Amity Park
The three sat on the curb while Maddie thoroughly went through the years of Danny lacking in sleep, falling grades, coming home late, and unexplained bruises. It all made sense now.
"Why would he keep this from Jack and me? Why wouldn't he explain it to us?" she asked, forehead resting on the palms of her hands.
"He was afraid you wouldn't accept him." Jazz answered simply.
"How stupid of him. Of course we would've accepted him. He's our son; we love him no matter what."
"Danny seemed unclear of that for a short time. He gave up wanting to explain to you last year. He focused more on the fighting and school for a few months. Sam and I really didn't see him much." Tucker explained, eyes never leaving the pavement. Maddie got up and started walking.
"Mom, where are you going?" Jazz asked also getting up to follow. Tucker joined them.
"I'm going to go tell your father." She stated pulling out her cell phone to call Jack. She found out where he was and headed his way.
"We knew this was inevitable Tuck. One of us was bound to let it out sometime." Jazz spoke as she came back to meet Tucker's stride.
"Yeah. But I thought at least all four of us would tell your folks, not just us. I really hope Danny and Sam are okay." He wished as they followed Danny's mother.
Ghost Zone
Danny flew towards the mansion, phasing through every rock-island he came across; ignoring all foes that reached for him. He was feeling weak and tired. The day was not progressing the way he wanted. Wishing it would go by easily, but he forgot, nothing was ever easy for him. He wanted to get to Edward and end this right here and now. To bring home his best friend and free her from the ghost zone forever. Promising to himself that he'll never bring her back here for the rest of their lives.
A quick shiver raced up his spine as he saw the decrepit mansion in his view. With bubbling rage he progressed faster. His eyelids began to droop and fight against being awake; he fought against not falling asleep. As the island grew closer, a wave of exhaustion washed over him. It filled every muscle, pour, and nerve. Again he fought against it, resuming a hero like state.
Finally he landed. His eyes searched the area a dozen times to make sure Edward wasn't in sight. Once he decided it was clear, he trudged his legs forward, feeling them ache and rip near his feet. More shivers raced when he grabbed the door knob.
"Hello?" he called, it echoed. "Alphonse?"
Once Al heard Danny's voice he stumbled up and raced downstairs.
"Danny! Thank heaven it's you! It's Sam, please you must help her. I think she's hallucinating. Before when I tried to help her she screamed and starting calling me a monster. Edward saw what happened to her but he hasn't been home since. Danny you must help her!" pleading as he threw his hands onto Danny's shoulders and shook him; he understood right away and flew upstairs, Al followed.
He pushed himself through the door and saw his best friend sitting on the corner of the bed—hugging her knees and rocking back and forth, and crying.
"Sam…" his mouth formed her name but no noise came out to give it life. Tears bubbled in his eyes as he saw that she ripped apart at her seams. They fell over and he walked slowly over to her, trying not to scare her.
"Sam," he mumbled being within a foot of her. "Do you know who I am?" it was a barely audible whisper; he needed to be extremely gentle in this situation. With a small increment of her head, she saw him through her hair. He saw her blood shot eye open wide with child like innocence, hope, and fear. Her lips quivered when the realization came to her—she could recognize Danny, but not Alphonse. Danny gently put a hand on her back and she ignored it, lifting her head all the way.
"Oh Danny…" croaked out as she flung her arms around his neck, breaking into more sobs, body heaving like she was about to vomit. He hugged her back, comforting her. Her grace had come to finally save her. Al left giving them privacy, feeling better now that Sam would be okay.
Five minutes passed and she drew herself together, sitting up into a slouch.
"You have no idea how happy I am that you are okay Sam." Stroking her matted hair into place then wiping away her tears. He was sniffing and fighting back his own tears from falling again. She smiled and nodded, her hand holding his to clarify that he was real and not another hallucination.
"You have no idea how sane I feel right now. I didn't know what was wrong with me before. I felt like every thing I knew—reality included—was slipping out of me in through every pore, word, any way possible it was all seeping away from me! I felt so utterly helpless and crazy! I was seeing this devil like creatures; feeling like I was getting dragged to hell and whipped back; laughing demonically at my beliefs. It was so scary." She broke out into another quiet, and personal, sob. He gently brought her into another warm, hug.
"It's okay Sam. I'm going to bring you home; I won't ever bring you back here again, I promise. No more ghost zone. Okay?" he asked rubbing her back. She nodded furiously into his shoulder in agreement. They parted and she rubbed her nose.
"Sam, Edward said he kidnapped my family. Do you know where they are?" speaking slowly for her benefit.
"He did!?" questioning news that was new to her.
"Al!" he called. Al stepped back into the room (he was standing just outside the door incase something happened.) "Did Edward kidnap my family?"
"No…" it sounded distant but it was true.
Then, as if lightning struck, Sam jumped and froze. Every muscle locked into place and fear painted her face, making it whiter than bone. She was trembling a little.
"Sam? Sam what's wrong?" Danny asked, feeling her shoulders ice over under the thin fabric of his glove.
"He's back," it was barely audible. She knew when Edward was back in the house; it was a haunting chill that seemed to grow on her since she's been there. Danny picked her up and raced out of the room, jumping off the stair ledge into the air and phased them out of the house. Al followed using the front door. Ed was waiting in the sky.
"Back off," Danny hissed. "Sam, I'm going to set you down. Go hide," he whispered to her, eyes never leaving Ed. She nodded her head and they slowly descended to the ground. Ed followed. Once on the ground Sam ran off behind the house leaving Danny vulnerable for any harsh attack. Al race up towards his brother.
"Ed please stop—" he was interrupted by the brother knocking him out. His body fell against their front yard. Sam was never aware of this.
Upon Ed's face were dead eyes staring out from the shadows his bangs created, a heavy scowl on his lips. Danny was firing up a ray when Ed turned invisible. The ray evaporated from his palms and he kept a cautious stance, slowly circling his head looking for any sign of Edward. He felt something around his neck but the exhaustion claimed his sluggish arms, making them to slow to reach and grab whatever it is. Ed grabbed his neck and pinned him against the house, Danny's back sheltered into a whole on the side of the wooden paneled house.
"I can feel you muscles wearing out boy," Ed hissed from between his teeth pushing his foes head into the splintering wall. "You aren't strong enough,"
"I'm strong enough to beat you," he exhaled out. Danny twisted his body around and kicked Ed with all his might, he landed against a rock. Dan flew back to Sam, picked her up and began their accent into the air when he felt something grab his ankle. Edward jerked him out of the air in a way that Sam rolled out her protective vice and tumbled to the ground. On the way down her head hit the edge of the porch canopy and she landed on her chest. Something warm and red started to ooze from the side where she was hit. She lifted her hand to the tender spot and brought it to her eyes to see if she really was what she thought she was. Danny was tossed against the earth—causing the Peeler to bounce of his belt. Sam rolled onto her chest and lifted her head and saw it threw her hair; it was the once chance to stop this madness.
Ed picked Danny up by his neck and again pinned him up against the house to deliver a powerful blow. Horror made Sam's eyes wide and with a forceful lunge, she threw her legs and body up racing towards the Peeler. She scooped it up as she passed it and immediately put her finger on the trigger.
"Goodnight Daniel," Ed commented lifting his fist. Sam's arm extended.Holding the Peeler to Edward's temple
"Don't do it Ed. Don't do it. If you do, I swear I will to you," she spoke through her teeth. His eyes peered over to her—half her face hidden by dirt ravaged hair, red starting to show on her forehead, scrapes and bruises all over her exposed skin, and cuts in the red skirt. She was breathing heavily through her nose with intense seriousness. Danny looked at her too and was shaken.
"Sam…" he marveled. Edward's mouth opened and his eyes were wide. He dropped Danny, letting him fall to the ground coughing and grasping for air into his lungs. Sam followed, setting the Peeler down next to her.
"Danny, are you okay?" she asked stroking the hair out his face. Her voice was frantic and hopeful. She'd clearly forgotten her own pain. "Talk to me!"
"Persistent brat," he chuckled. She ignored the stupid comment and kissed his cheek.
"You moron. Next time be prepared. Okay?" she asked, holding his face into place.
"Maybe I should get beaten up more," joking around. She slapped his shoulder and he moaned. In a long run, he was more hurt then she was. Her fluttering hands went back to help smooth out his pain. She put his arm over opposite shoulder and helped him stand up. Her free hand picked up the Peeler and brought it forward.
"Back off Edward," she spoke holding it to him. He obeyed and backed off and sat on the ground, face totally callous. She walked them over to the opened door of the house and walked herself and Danny into the living room and laid him down on the couch. After settling him down she ran into the kitchen and dug out a loaf of bread from the morning with the library. The faucet worked so she filled a glass of water and jogged back to her friend's side to assist him. He grabbed the things from her and set the glass on the coffee table.
"Alphonse," she remembered. "Where's Al?" she asked gently. With a thrust of his thumb he gestured to the front yard. She got up and ran outside but her foot caught the skirt and she fell head first down the small set of steps. The palms of her hands stung and so did her forearms. They were both badly scraped and she started laughing at the accident prone like actions that rested themselves on her. Being kidnapped, breaking a hand, a potentially very bad head wound, bruises and scrapes from getting tossed around during the fight, and now this.
She found an open whole from the fall in the skirt and tore it westward, making a smaller skirt that came up to her ankles. Tossing the fabric to the side she raced over to Al.
"Al are you okay?" touching his head lightly. He was sitting up, rubbing the cheek that was hit and nodded. She helped him stand up and threw her arms around him in a hug.
"Where's Ed?" he asked. her head jerked up to his face then whipped over to where he was left.
Edward was gone.
SPOV
I heard the pop like sound when my jaw fell open. Edward was totally gone. Not a trace of him or footsteps or even palm prints! But the indent in the side of the house was pretty noticeable.
I totally ignored the throbbing pressure on my head when it hit the canopy edge. I could tell I was bleeding but I set that aside and concentrated on Danny and Al more. I helped Al up from the ground and we walked back inside. My best friend was slowly nibble on the bread and sidle on the couch to make room for us. I set Al down and stood.
My head was still throbbing and the room was spinning and tilting left and right. My eyelids were like weights and magnets that pulled down to cover them. I fought against them to stay awake for my friends.
"Sam?" is what I deciphered, my name was being called. But it was muddled and faint because my ears were ringing. The voice sounded deep and lost in the ocean. I lifted my head slightly to respond but the couch came hurdling towards to forehead instead and I realized I was falling.
I gave into the weight and magnets of my eyelids and watched the room fade into the same shade of black as the couch. Muddled calls of my name following.
AN: Did you feel the atmosphere change? Feel it get darker? I did. This was how the story was turning on its own and natural way. I really didn't mess with it too much. I did, however, write a totally different—and more violent—fight scene between Edward and Danny. And even Sam gets her chance at escaping the mansion at one point. Also, both have the HUGE nod toward the ballet fight scene in the "Twilight" movie that was shown at Comic-Con. If you caught it, awesome, can't wait for the movie!
Chapter eleven will be the final chapter. I intended chapter ten to finish it but I wanted to end it this way. Although it felt odd extended the natural arch of the story but chapter eleven seems to finish it nicely. Hoped you enjoyed.