Steven Tyler's mouth was going to devour him.

He'd welcome it.

Long hallway of inbetween stretched out past his feet, ceiling high above and distant. Too big. Too much room.

You don't get it, do you?

Arms wrapped about knees, around legs, trapping and holding them in place. Hiding from the main hallway, from the entrance to the cafetorium, tucked in the corner of where the milk vending machine sat. Away from everyone, but close enough to hear, to face what he'd done.

Crack!

Steven Tyler mutely screamed down upon him.

What had he done?

Don't worry.

Murmurs of students from the main hallway and inside were heard, mingling with adults taking charge of clean up. Confused, baffled, excited, joking, frightened, uncertain, confirming to one another.

I'm still here. I still exist.

Real screams echoed in his head.

Crack!

I won't turn into that.

His body shook.

Ever.

Pressed himself closer to this corner of wall, pulled further in on himself, bunching himself smaller and smaller, as small and tucked away from everyone and everything as humanly possible.

I promise.

Running. Insignificant scrambling below. Pointless.

What a nice little homecoming.

There'd been nothing like this before. For his ghost side. Nothing like this.

Shame I don't feel at home.

All of the pain and hurt and loss. So angry. Mad. Lost in it.

Let's fix that!

A blur of mindless rage, a child wailing, lashing out to paint the people matching.

Crack!

Danny shook, limbs a shivering terrified mess, bone white fingers latched on tight in a death grip Danny feared losing.

That sound. That one single awful sound. Jolting and shooting through him. The echoing wake up. Nightmare real.

Crack!

Brief pieces. Nothing more.

What did he do?

Crack!

Invading space. Elizabeth. Mouth moving.

ShockCrack!

Shaking, Danny stood, keeping both hands tight around him, keeping everything in and in place, stumbling around the milk machine, Steven Tyler silently screaming at him, around to the open doors, stepping to a halt at the entrance of the cafetorium.

Oh, you are such a child! You promised?

Yes! I promised!

You don't get it, do you?

Crack!

I guess the future isn't as set in stone as you think it is.

I'm still here. I still exist.

I won't turn into that. Ever.

You still turn into me.

Crack!

I promise.