A/N Hey! Don't hate me for this chapter. Everything happens for a reason, I promise! Reviews are love!
The last year had been good to Blaine Anderson, a bright and handsome eight year old boy. He had plenty of friends, he got good grades, and he had a wonderful home life. He had finally come out of his shy shell, and started to make an impression on his elders, and his peers. Most of the children in his class idolized him, and his teachers adored him, he was very much a teacher's pet. At lunch, all the kids wanted to sit with him, and wanted to play with him at recess. It was a nice change from the previous year, when not one of his classmates even wanted to speak to him.
He was still very much friends with the girl he had met in kindergarten, Brittany, who still couldn't spell her full name properly. However, being avid friends with Blaine had made her become more popular with the students. They no longer picked on her, calling her names right to her face as if she didn't understand they were making fun of her. Now, they no longer considered her a freak because of some of the more unusual things she said, instead choosing to focus on her good looks. Still, as many new friends as they had, they preferred each other's solitary company. Especially on the days when they wanted to do nothing more than watch Disney movies on repeat, a giant bowl of popcorn nestled between the two.
Which is exactly what they had chosen to do on an ordinary Wednesday afternoon in the early fall. They had just gotten back from school, taking the time to strip off their suffocating outer layers, in preference of a more comfortable ensemble. It had been picture day at school and Blaine's mother had dressed him up in a sweater vest and bow tie, much to his dismay. As soon as he had gotten home, his bow tie and sweater had been carelessly thrown to the corner of the room, along with Brittany's cramped dress shoes and tights. Any one looking upon the scene would probably be flabbergasted, seeing a young girl and boy take off and toss about their clothes as if it was nothing. However, it was normal between the two of them to be completely comfortable around each other.
There was a silent and unconscious understanding between Blaine and Brittany, something that they had discovered long ago. They had figured out from a young age that they would never be like the other children their age. Even though they were young, they could already tell that they were different from their peers. Blaine had come to understand the fact that he could see and interact with what he called "demons", a characteristic that he had retained from a young age. It had taken Blaine a few years to get used to the involuntary skill, but he had managed. It was hard for him at first, being afraid of the monsters that only he could see. Once he had gotten past the dark implications of such a gift, it wasn't so bad in his eyes. It had definitely proven useful at times. Still, it was a secret that he had never shared with anyone before Brittany, in fear of being outcast and seen as a dangerous freak.
Brittany never judged him, seeing only the good in Blaine's unusual abilities, and accepting him for who he was. As dark as Blaine felt at times, Brittany was just the contrary. She was sweet, happy, and bright in her own unusual sort of way. She was everything Blaine had ever wanted in a friend, and, with Brittany, he was happier than he had ever been. He would be happy forever just to cuddle next to her without a care in the world. If only it were that simple.
Blaine had been having trouble controlling his impulses and emotions over the last year. It was getting harder for him to resist the urge to simply do as he pleased, regardless of consequence. No matter if it was to ignore his mother's or father's commands, or to raise his hands to those who angered him, it still worried Blaine. Regardless of the intensity of the desire, it was getting harder and harder for him to resist. He didn't know if it was and outside influence that was affecting his actions, such as his imaginary friend, or something darker. He couldn't help but feel as though it was his own inclination, a darker side of his personality that was just starting to show. Blaine wasn't pleased with the situation, and how his behavior seemed to be getting progressively more remorseless by the day. The more dominant part of his disposition, the kinder side, was hell bent on making sure that he never strayed too far.
A few hours after Brittany had left, Blaine sat on his bed, and thought hard about the effects his actions were having on his life. After a good amount of debating, Blaine decided that it was time for him to take responsibility for his own actions, and to make sure that he kept himself in check. He was not going to let himself become one of the monsters that he had the misfortune of meeting all too often. He knew it would be a difficult task, but it was something that he had to do, for himself, and the people he loved. He was just about ready to get up and apologize to his parents for his horrid behavior the past few days when he felt a presence settling next to him on his bed.
He looked over, already knowing who it was, and smiled over at his imaginary friend. It was a boy who seemed to be Blaine's age, with hair as dark as midnight, and eyes that shined the color of jealousy. He smiled his crooked smile at Blaine, and laid a reassuring hand on his shoulder. Even though Blaine knew Sammy was a bad influence, he still felt comforted by his presence. He knew he should distance himself from the boy, but he couldn't find it within himself to ask him to leave. In the back of his mind, he could tell that Sammy wouldn't leave him alone if he did. He got the feeling that Sammy was more than just an imaginary friend, and that he was more attached to Blaine than he had previously thought. Sensing Blaine's dismay, Sammy tilted his head in question, and pulled him into a hug.
"What's the matter, Blainey? Did somebody make you mad?" he asked in a worried voice, a sickly sweet undertone dripping through his subtle sincerity. Sammy could tell that he was displeased with his illusive manipulation, even if Blaine hadn't quite figured out that it was the cause of his misbehavior.
He could tell from a quick look into Blaine's mind that the child was trying to stay his influence, and disarm his control over the boy's actions. He was very annoyed with the boy's sudden determination to challenge the control that he didn't even know Sammy had over him. It was a small roadblock in his plans for the boy, nothing he couldn't handle with a little persuasion. Sammy still had plenty of work to do before he had Blaine molded into the perfect little antichrist, ready to lead the world into its ruin. Blaine had no idea of the impact that he could have on society, the power he could have over millions of naive people everywhere. That would only be the beginning. At that moment, however, Sammy had to deal with the current problem.
"Blainey, would you like to play a game with me?" Sammy whispered quietly into Blaine's ear, still leaning his head on the boy's shoulder. He felt the child nod in response, so far all of Sammy's games had been fun and harmless. Sammy smiled into Blaine's shoulder, knowing his plan would work. He sat up to look Blaine in the eyes and smiled his falsely innocent smile. "Close your eyes."
Blaine closed his eyes, willing himself to ignore the foreboding feeling in the back of his mind. He didn't want Sammy to know he didn't want to be friends anymore, he got the feeling it would end badly. Therefore, he decided he would play along, for the sake of appearances. He listened as Sammy told him to imagine a street dimly lit by the moon and slick with rain. A back road, often traveled, without streetlamps or rails. He then told him to picture a car, silver, with a young woman, trying to get home to her son, whom she loved very much. Blaine nodded as he imagined what Sammy was describing, wondering what the point of the game was.
"Now, Blaine," Sammy whispered in his ear smirking maliciously, knowing Blaine couldn't see. He could follow through with his plan on his own, but he wanted to test out Blaine's powers, and his resistance. "imagine another car, with a man."
He watched as Blaine's face scrunched adorably in concentration. A trait he must have inherited from his mother, seeing as nothing about Samael could be considered cute. He then told the child that the man had done a terrible thing to the woman, many years ago, and that he deserved to be punished. Blaine's eyes flew open, and he stared at Sammy with bewilderment. Sammy could tell that Blaine was not amused, but he urged the boy to close his eyes once more. He smiled when the child reluctantly closed his eyes once more.
"You don't agree? You won't punish him?" Sammy's eyes lit up with malice when Blaine nodded in affirmation. It seemed as though his plan wouldn't pan out exactly as he thought. It didn't matter if Blaine couldn't be convinced to make the the man suffer, there was something else that he needed done. It was a good opportunity that would save him a little time, another chance to test Blaine's abilities. "Fine, but let me tell you about how the man has once again made a bad decision. You see, he has a nasty little habit of drinking too much. You remember what drunk is Blaine, I told you a while ago when your daddy had too much scotch and yelled at your mommy. Well, this man likes to get drunk, and he tries to drive home, knowing very well about the bad things that can happen."
"I don't like this anymore, Sammy." Blaine protested eying Sammy warily. He had stopped wanting to listen to Sammy when he mentioned the time Blaine saw his father in a drunken rage. It was a bad memory for Blaine, and it only heightened his apprehension. Sammy, however, was not amused. He gave Blaine another one of his stern looks, putting his hands on Blaine's shoulders and squeezing a little too hard.
"Close your eyes and hear me out, Blaine." Sammy impatiently waited for Blaine to listen, his grip on the boy's shoulders tightening when he didn't. "Do it, Blaine. Remember the last time you didn't do what I said?" Blaine nodded his head weakly and did as he was told. Sammy wasn't playing Blaine's stupid little game any more, he would be damned if he lost his influence over Blaine so soon. "That man, the one you didn't want to punish, is driving too fast. At the rate he's going, he's not going to make it around the corner that's coming up, right about where the woman is driving her car. Are you imagining it, Blainey?"
Blaine nodded once more, the feeling of Sammy's hands on his shoulders becoming extremely uncomfortable. He reluctantly imagined what Sammy was describing, a screeching car, the flash of lights, and a very loud crash. Red, everywhere, and the thudding of a barely beating heart. Sammy told him to picture that same man, staring down at a ditch, where the woman's car was overturned. He told him to imagine how man wasn't really seeing what was in front of him, like many years ago when he had done another terrible thing. How the man turned around and got back in his car not sparing a glance at where the woman lay in her car dying. The last thing he told Blaine, was to imagine a very strong tugging feeling, like something was gently being pulled from his very core, and a vast darkness, like nothing he had ever seen.
Blaine let out a choked sob, he felt as though he had just done something horrible. He felt as though it wasn't just a little game of imagination, it felt very real. It felt very terrifying for Blaine, and he wasn't sure what to do. Trying his best not to break down in front of Sammy, who was smiling down at him. Sammy gave him one last hug, feigning reassurance, before he left Blaine to his own devices, feeling as though he had accomplished something very important. Perhaps his little game had been more beneficial than he had planned.