After what had happened, the doctors were taking no chances while Drake was in their care. Luckily, there had been no serious damage done to his body by the fire. There would always be burn scars on his legs, the flames had seen to that. Cuts and bruises would heal on their own over time, but what they were all most worried about, was Drake's mind.

In his first brief awakening he had lashed out against the nurse at his bedside, wild with fear and painfully aware that he was alive. Drake had demanded answers from the fear-stricken nurse, and when she could offer none he had pushed her aside and searched desperately for anything to help him kill himself. That was why he was again cuffed to the hospital bed, sedated and under near constant observation. Once the hospital cleared him, he would be taken away to the mental hospital where his father had been held in the hopes that they could help him.

But Drake didn't want to be helped, he wanted to be dead. Staring at the far wall of the room, he could see the shadows swaying from side to side, gently trying to lull him back into sleep. He closed his dark, brown eyes and turned away from them. If he went to sleep, then he had to face the gloating monster that he had failed to kill. He had been so close to freedom, to saving everyone. The demon had been weakened, but with time, it would gain back all of its former strength. Even now it was feeding on his fear, drinking his misery like a fine wine.

How the righteous warrior has fallen. The demon laughed against the walls of Drake's mind. He could taste its foul breath on his tongue. They're going to lock you away, and then you'll be all mine. I'll mold you into the very thing you fear to be, and then the bodies will fall.

"Shut up." Drake hissed, pulling at the restraints around his wrists. He didn't care about the bruises, he just wanted them to come loose so that he could be free. He needed to finish what he had started.

One by one, first your family, then the world. The demon marveled, its claws dragging against his insides sending chills down Drake's spine.

Drake shook his head, feeling the tears burn in his eyes as he looked at everything within the room that could do the job he needed done. If he could just get free, then this could all be over. If Josh hadn't interfered, then it would already be over.

We could kill him first. The demon offered. He who betrayed you could be the first to fall.

Drake's head fell to the side, catching his blurry reflection on the metal bars alongside the bed. In those eyes that had once been his own, the combined image of both his parents, he could only see the monster within himself. Twin pools of raging flames behind transparent brown glass. The fire within his body left him sweating, the rage building until his clenched fists turned his knuckles white. Deep within himself, he wanted to hurt his brother for pulling him from those flames. But he didn't want to kill Josh, and he didn't want the demon to get to him either.

Maybe it was better that they would lock him away. Like his father, he could forget about everything, and the demon would fade away. If he were alone, then he couldn't hurt anyone. He would never have to see the fear and hurt in their eyes, and they could be happy again. The monster would die within the man it had hoped to live through.

~.~

Walter walked around the remains of their home, his feet stirring up bits of ash. Most of the house had been lost, what remained was thanks to the firefighters and the heavy downpour of the night before. Even destroyed, he knew every inch of the house he walked through, the rooms that had been and the memories they had held.

Without thinking he made his way back to the bedroom he had shared with Audrey, damaged, but for the most part, unharmed. There, in edge of the closet doorway was the shoebox of memories that Audrey hadn't been able to part with. How he hated the sight of the untarnished box, sitting peacefully where it had been left. Walter wanted to burn it, to destroy everything that remained of the man who had brought this upon his family.

Falling to his knees, Walter opened the box. Shaking hands gathered up the old photographs, empty eyes looking through the happy images. Buried within the stack, almost completely hidden from view was a folded piece of paper, yellowing around the edges with age. Walter dropped the pictures, feeling the soft summer breeze brush against him as it carried a few of them away.

He unfolded the paper, tears building in his eyes as he saw Audrey's handwriting. One sentence written for every year since the night of the first fire. Some of them written in perfect cursive, others shaky and smeared. The first six were all the same, it was the seventh, the one written just before she had left with Brenton that allowed the tears to fall from Walter's eyes.

I did not love the monster, I no longer love the man. The first six read.

Walter, understand that I don't love the monster, but the man he used to be. The man still trapped within. The seventh read, written hastily and slightly smeared with tears.

Walter crumpled the paper in his hands, his eyes turning towards the hole in the ceiling to the gloomy sky above. Had she known that he would someday read those lines? He wanted to believe that Audrey hadn't gone with Brenton knowing that she would die. How could she have known what would happen once she was there? He told himself that those words had never meant to be seen by him, that they had been her way of fighting the feelings he'd tried to make her confront. He didn't want to feel responsible for her writing them, but deep within his heart, he knew that it had been because of him. The way he'd acted and the things he'd said.

After what had happened, Walter could only wonder if she still loved him the way she had still loved Brenton. He'd been so cruel, doubting her feelings and unleashing his own hurt upon her. Brenton had been cruel too, and even after years of dealing with that cruelty she had loved him. Even if she hadn't wanted to. So, could she still love him despite the monster he'd been? That last smile, as full of pain as it was, had been for him. She must of loved him when she'd died.

"Audrey," His whispered words drifted into the shadows of the fire stained walls. "Where do we go without you? How do we beat this?"

There was no reply. He'd known there wouldn't be, but he had hoped that something within himself would give him the answers he needed. The bit of Audrey he would always carry, the father within his grieving chest, anything. The world around him was quiet.

~.~

Drake didn't want to see anyone, but he was to tired to fight the visitors that needed to see him. He stared through the walls, to the world he knew was outside of his room when Walter came in with Meghan. She wasn't allowed to go in by herself. I'm too dangerous. Drake told himself as he avoided looking at them.

"Drake?" Meghan asked, taking a cautious step forward. She hated that the Doctor's warnings had left her afraid of her brother. Seeing him restrained and drugged broke her heart. How much more breaking could it take?

He didn't answer her, so sure that the demon's voice and anger would spill out from his lips like venom. In the reflection of the metal bars, he could see the pain and fear in her eyes. He hated that reflection.

"I'm not mad at you. For what happened, I'm not mad Drake." Her voice was rising as the tears filled her eyes, desperately wanting him to just look at her. "You're my big brother, I love you."

"Go away Meghan." Drake murmured, refusing to look at her. He just wanted to be alone.

"Drake," She reached forward, shaking off Walter's hand on her shoulder. She didn;t need his protection.

Drake squeezed his eyes shut as his wrists pulled against the padded straps restraining him. "Go Away!" his voice boomed against the walls, startling her and Walter. He could hear the quiet gasp as it fell from her frightened form, the hushed whispers as Walter lead her toward the door.

"Why did you do that to her?" Walter asked, his own hurt thick in his voice. "She's just worried about you, we all are."

Drake bit his tongue, hoping that if he stayed silent his step father would go away. Walter stepped closer, his reflection in the bars distorting as if he were standing in front of a carnival mirror. Tall and inhumanly thin, then short and blob like. But the look in his eyes never changed, no matter how stretched or squished they were. Hurt and guilty.

"I don't know why you burnt the house down Drake, but I'm glad that you got your sisters out, that you tried to get Josh out." Walter wet his lips, suddenly realizing how dry his throat was. "I want to be able to help you,"

"You can't help me." Drake snapped. "I was supposed to die, I wanted to die."

Walter sighed, his fingers fidgeting at his side as he tried to think of the right words for his step son. "I don't want them to take you away, but if you don't let us in-"

"Yes you do." Drake muttered darkly. "If I'm gone, then you don't have to look at me and see mom, or my dad. You won;t have to worry about being safe, because I'll be gone." Drake closed his eyes, trying not to see the demon in his own reflection. "I can be someone else's nightmare." He whispered.

"It's not like that," Walter started, knowing that deep within himself, he'd had those same thoughts.

"Just leave me alone, please." Drake tried to turn on his side, frustrated that he couldn't move.

"I want to help you," Walter muttered, reaching forward.

"Just go Walter!" Drake snarled, jerking his wrists against the restraints as if he wanted to attack. He didn't know how else to make Walter leave. "Go away and be happy when I'm gone."

That had done it. It hurt enough that Drake had gone back to calling him by his first name, but to see the way he was hurting himself to try and lash out brought fresh tears to Walter's eyes. "I'll go," The response was hesitant, he still wanted to help despite the hurt he was feeling. Drake was his son, and he didn't want to see him like this. He hated the monster trapped inside of Drake's mind, but he loved his son. "But if you need me,"

"I'm fine." Drake hissed coldly, resting against the bed and closing his eyes. He wanted to sleep this part away, to succumb to the darkness and wake up far away from this room. Away from the people who he couldn't stand to hurt anymore.

When he was locked away where they wouldn't be able to hear him calling out for them, he would be okay. Leaving them like this tore at what was left of his heart, shattering the vessels that kept the part of him still human alive. Memories and reality would fall away, and with them, he hoped the demon would too. He wanted to forget everything in hopes that he would loose everything. He could be alone in his skin. Even if that meant breaking his family down and hurting them. No matter how much it hurt, as long as they were safe from the monster that he was becoming it would be okay.

~.~

He didn't know how long he'd been asleep for when he felt the fingers lightly tracing over his own, gently bumping the cuffs still around his wrists to keep him from hurting himself. Drake opened his heavy eyes, blinking away the fluorescent light from above. Josh was standing beside him, brown eyes clouded with sorrow as he looked down at him.

"Go away." Drake grumbled, turning his face away from his brother's. He, and the demon within were still alive because of Josh.

"No." Josh said, standing still despite the trembling in his legs. Seeing Drake this angry was so hard. He had always been so carefree, so alive. "If you won't talk to anyone else, then talk to me." He refused to see Drake fall into this darkness, to be locked away without hope. Deep within that anger and pain was his brother, and he wanted to save him.

"I don't want to talk to you." Drake turned toward Josh, flashing angry brown eyes. "The only thing I asked was that you leave the house, that you let me die and save yourself."

"I couldn't leave you." Josh pulled his hand away from Drake, lightly draping it over his cast. After carrying Drake out, it had needed to be x-rayed and recast. All of that pain had been worth it to see Drake alive. "You need help Drake."

"I tried to save myself from the demon, to save all of you, and you've condemned me to it." He snapped, what little reserve he had fading in a wave of anger.

"There is no demon." He could still see Drake standing at the top of the stairs, the strange image shrouded in flames behind him. Josh told himself that whatever it had been, it wasn't real. Just the product of his own stress and fear. "You aren't a monster Drake."

"I told you," Drake glared at Josh, making himself as cruel as he could. "I told you that if you didn't leave, I would never forgive you." He whispered harshly, anger and accusation in his eyes. "You did this to me." It was cruel, and he knew that those words would haunt his brother for the rest of his life. They had to be said. He told himself, holding back his own tears as he continued to hold his face in twisted anger.

"You don't mean that." Josh's voice begged.

"Yes, I do." Drake replied sharply. "You wanted me to live, and now I will. Locked away while the monster devours everything that's left." Keep going, He told himself. It has to be done, to keep him safe. "Its going to eat away at me until there's nothing left, all because of you."

"The doctors are going to help you." Josh could feel the crescent shaped cuts on his palm, his blood covering his fingers as he tried to hold back his own guilt.

"They can't help me." The truth was so painful when spoken out loud. "I know that its real, and I'm not going to pretend that it isn't. I can feel it, tearing me apart." He hitched his breath, feeling those claws against his skin. Within his mind the demon laughed, savoring every moment. "All I wanted was to be free of it, and you took that away from me." Drake closed his eyes, pushing back his own tears before meeting Josh's gaze. "I hope you're happy."

Josh didn't know what to say as he starred at Drake, seeing the raw hate in his tired eyes. He'd never wanted to hurt Drake, he'd just wanted to save him. To fix what he'd allowed to happen. "I did this to you." Josh's voice was barely a whisper as his eyes fell to the ground. "I'm sorry,"

Drake shook his head. "No you're not." His voice was empty of emotion as he settled against the bed. "You got what you wanted." Please, forgive me for this. He silently begged as he turned his face away from his brother, forcing his eyes shut to keep the tears away.

"Drake,"

"I have nothing else to say to you." Drake muttered. No matter what Josh said next, he wouldn't reply. No matter how much he wanted to apologize, no matter how much he believe in his own anger, he would say nothing. He wanted Josh to leave, to get as far away from himself and the demon as possible. To be safe.

Long moments of silence passed before Josh walked out of the room, defeated and heartbroken. The last thing he said to Drake was a sincere 'I'm so sorry', and then he was gone. As soon as the door was closed Drake let the tears slide over his cheeks. He'd turned them all away, he'd saved them from himself.

You're all alone now. The Demon snickered, its transparent mass resting against his eyelids. Its just you and me now, boy and monster.

"Not for long." Drake tried to shake the sight of the demon from his eyes, but failed. It was never going to leave, not until he could forget everything.

They tried to make you're dad forget me too. It scoffed, that same, sickening grin twisting over its face.

"He wanted to remember." Drake opened his eyes, staring into the garish light of the florescent bulbs. "I want to forget."

~.~

The next morning Drake was cleared from the hospital, physically, he was fine. He was sedated and handed over to the care of the same facility that had housed his father. Heavily built men led him from the room where he had forsaken his family and loaded him into the vehicle that would take him away from everything he had ever known. He didn't try to fight them off, just followed with empty steps and distant eyes. He wanted to be taken away.

The staff of the Asylum looked at him, sorrow and fear in their eyes as they forced welcoming smiles over their tight lips. They remembered Brenton, and they could see him in every surface of the boy being brought before them. Would he be just as dangerous in the end? The psychiatrist who examined Drake felt a deep pity for the boy as he listened to him speak of the demon raging within him. How badly it wanted to break free and destroy everything. Drake told him that it wanted blood on its claws, that it was going to burn everything around him to the ground. With desperation on his voice and tears in his eyes he'd begged the Doctor to hep him forget, just like they had helped his father before him.

He was committed, assigned his medications and a room, his father's room. White walls and barred windows were his only companions as the demon in his mind tore away at his thoughts. But he couldn't hurt anyone, he was alone and locked away. Just like he'd wanted to be.

Drake would see the Doctor's that promised Walter they could help him, but he wouldn't bend to their words. As long as he was alive, everyone around him was in danger. He swore to follow their rules and pretend he was trying to help himself. All the while he would fight the demon's growing strength until he managed to forget it, and everything that would remind him of its existence. Then the world could pass him by, unburdened and unafraid until the man and the monster within him were dead.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

A/N: All righty, one more chapter to go. Thank you to everyone still reading, means a lot to me. Before I write the last chapter, I feel like its important to say a few things: Reverie isn't like all of my other stories, which is apparent by the lack of response its gotten. With Reverie, I didn't simply focus on the physical pain of the characters, but the internal battles for them all. I took away the 'monsters' and focused on the people. Most people haven't liked that, but those of you who have stuck by it are amazing for doing so! For me, Reverie has been about perception, knowing that I can write something other then physical pain and still put out an amazing story. I stand by Reverie, and am very proud of it, and what its let me see about myself as a writer. Thanks you to everyone who's stuck with me through it, and I hope that when the last chapter is up, you will all enjoy it and the entire story. :)