Chapter Text
Crisp cold air drifted through the tunnels of the cults corridors. Chants and prayers echoing down every hall like a deadly chorus. Cultists hovered around the summoning circle in the middle of the room, each supporting pillar in the main hall of the forbidden mausoleum seemed to sway in unforetold agony of what was yet to come.
As the chanting grew louder the screeches of a young girl, no older than five, radiated down the hallways. Silken white hair tangled in a mess around a teary eyed face, steel grey eyes were cold with fear, pale skin was damp with sweat.. Her heart pounded, arms flailed, legs kicked, her throat ached as she let out another scream fighting against her restraints.
A gleam of gold caught her eye. A sharp blade with a sickly green sheath was brought forth, edging ever closer, the sharp metal slowly dragging against it’s casing as it was released from it’s coffin.
The chants only seemed to grow louder, darker, faster, a beast like never before radiating beneath their feet. Screams of the innocent begging to live, cut short with a sickening SQUELCH-
Sal shot up from bed holding his chest, face white as a sheet and sweat pouring down his forehead. Another damn nightmare… great. Just what the doctor ordered, a snuff film at bed time right?
He rubbed his existing eye with his left palm and looked at the clock. It was only 4AM really? Ugh… he had orientation tomorrow! First day of High School, meet the teachers… stuff he honestly wasn't looking forward to. Not that he didn't think he would dislike anyone right off the bat his first day- but he had been proven wrong before. He’d never really enjoyed the conversation he had to have about the whole facial prosthetic thing either… it was always so… personal and, honestly? It brought up bad memories.
Turning his head to the singular window his bedroom provided, the few beams of light the moon shone that night did prove to be soothing. The darkness was like an old friend to him, covering him in a blanket of comfort and support. It was the one time that he honestly felt… well.. Like himself.
Flopping back onto the pillow, a familiar purr of his long time companion stirred him from his thoughts, “Hey there Gizmo,” he smiled warmly, as the cat seemed to curl up on his stomach and purr.
‘He must’ve known I couldn’t get to sleep,’ Sal mused, petting the top of his cats head.
His mind couldn’t stop wandering as he continued to lay in bed. Who was that girl? Why was she being murdered? Who were those hooded men? Ugh… he hoped she was alright…
Letting out a sigh, he forced his eye closed. He had to get some sleep before school tomorrow. He just had to! If nothing else, he’d go in the bathroom and swallow down one of his dads knockout pills. Or maybe half of one? He wasn’t too sure he’d wake up if he took a whole one.
Eventually sleep took him, granted, it was well into an hour later.
“Dude you look like shit,” were the first words that Sal heard out of Larry’s mouth as he let out what had to be the world's longest yawn.
“You can’t even see my face?” he defended, crossing his arms over his chest.
“Nah, but I can tell by the way you’re holding yourself my dude, you’re actually more slouched than normal, and you don’t have that normal weave to your step- so, what’s up?,” the other stated casually, as if he knew Sal like the back of his hand by this point.
“Well doctor Larry, it would seem as though I had a hard time sleeping last night,” Sal put on his best impression of a medical professional, trying to play it off, “I’d say it’s a case of insomnia coupled with too much soda and caffeine,”
Of course Sal was lying, but he didn’t really want to delve into his nightmares with Larry right now. Especially after everything that had gone on that previous summer. For now he decided to focus on just getting more sleep, and with any luck maybe his doctor could put him on some medication that actually fucking worked.
He shook his head. No… that’s no way to think. Don’t think like that. They… they really do try their best. They just have to find one that works… that’s what the doctor said remember? They have to try a bunch of different medications before they find one that might work for me…
“Yo Sal? Earth to Sal? Yooo?” Larry snapped his fingers in front of his friends face.
“Huh?” the azure haired boy snapped from his daze before looking over at Larry, who raised a questioning eyebrow.
“Dude were you… like… having another one of those episodes again?” he asked, a bit concerned for his friend.
“Oh, uhh… yeah, sorry, I couldn’t understand any of it this time though, sorry about that,” he apologized, feeling a bit guilty that he ignored whatever his friend had been saying.
“Nah man it’s fine, I was just curious about how much coffee you’ve been drinkin’ ya know? My mom says that coffee stunts your growth,” Larry shoved his hand into his pocket, clicking the pen he had stored inside.
“I like the taste, and it helps me focus,” Sal admitted.
Larry was about to say something else, when another resident the two hadn’t noticed before came running out of the apartment building. It was hard to tell their features, but judging by their figure, and clothing choice? Most likely a girl. She chose to stand away from the rest of the group waiting on the bus for school, her hood was up, and she was looking down at the ground shoulders hunched.
“You know her?” Sal motioned with his head, not really recalling introducing himself to anyone new in the apartments.
“Naw, I don’t think so?” Larry shook his head, both boys now staring in her direction.
Looking down at the small pager in her hand, the hooded stranger read the message that scrawled across the screen.
‘I love you Snow, see you after work,’ -Dad
A small smile spread across her lips as she nodded, tucking the device into her pocket for safe keeping. It was a precious way of communication with her father, and the last thing she wanted was to break it. There was no way she’d be able to get another one considering this one was a hand me down to begin with.
Rocking on her heels, Snow looked to the group of people in front of her. Eyes fluttering back and forth between the fellow students she’d be attending school with. Should she dare to go over and greet them?
A step forward…
A step back.
No. Too dangerous. Too many people. People in groups could get you killed. Well…
She stopped a moment, locking eyes with the masked boy- Sal Fisher. She knew him. The boy in room 402, lives with his dad, has a ginger cat, his dad is currently secretly dating his best friends mom. He was a sweet guy. A really kind and generous guy.
The kind of guy that can bring a gal out of a dark place. She’d know, he’d helped her. That’s what made her so curious about him. Snow already made it a habit to check up on everyone in Addison apartments. The more you know about people, the better you can prepare if they tried to hurt you. The more information you have the more likely it is that it can save your life.
Admittedly, it may have been a bit odd for her to spy on her neighbors through the hidden crawl spaces throughout the apartments. But knowledge was key to survival in the world.
‘The more you know your enemy, the better chances your survival!’ her dad always joked.
So, in case anyone became an enemy, she came to know everyone, without anyone knowing she existed. She… preferred it that way.
‘But you’re lonely~,’ a dark whisper in her head chanted, causing Snow to jump and drop all her things onto the ground.
Snow looked around quickly, but to no avail. That’s when it hit her. She knew that voice… she knew who was speaking to her… it was that she devil again.
‘Aww, don’t get your panties in a twist!,’ the voice cooed, laughing inside her head, ‘And don’t get mad at me either! Remember! You still owe me for saving your pathetic human life!’
How could she forget. It was impossible to forget with her around reminding her every day. Impossible to forget with her making her life a living hell.
‘And don’t even THINK of trying to commit suicide again either bitch! I didn’t save your shitty existence just for you to try and kill yourself! You’re not allowed to die til you pay me back!,’ the voice huffed.
You could practically hear the salt in her voice. The last time she’d tried the dark whisper… the mouthed one, as Snow called her- had controlled her body and forced her to the ground until her dad got home… So no, she wasn’t trying that again.
“Here you dropped this,” a familiar voice cause Snow to jump, and stumble into the bush she was standing next to.
Surprised eyes looked to the person in front of her- Sal.
“Hey I didn’t mean to scare you or anything, I just noticed you dropped your things and you looked a little out of it,” he offered a hand, helping the other up before handing her, her things back to her, “My names Sally Face,”
She knew his name. She already knew.
“Hey there, names Larry, sorry I wasn’t over here to help- the bus is here and I didn’t want us to miss it so I went to stop the bus dr-,”
He was cut off by the sudden jolt of the young woman running at full speed away from the two of them. Her heart pounding. Danger. Panic. People. Danger. Panic. People. Too many people. Why couldn’t dad take me to school? Why couldn’t I just be allowed to walk?
Taking the back seat of the bus, Snow hid her face in her backpack. Taking deep breaths and trying to calm herself, she couldn’t stop the panic inducing feeling shooting through her body. It was like someone had shot a bottle of hot sauce through her veins, and into her lungs making it hard to breath. She wanted to cry, but the thought of crying in front of so many people made the feeling worse.
“Dude don’t she’s just gonna-,” Larry started, but stopped.
Sal shook his head, nodding towards the seat that he and Larry were gonna take. Sitting across from the other, he got her attention.
“Hey, are you ok?”
No answer. Only shaking. Only heavy breathing.
“Okay… I want you to know I’m right here ok? Take some deep breaths, and count back from ten with me… can you count back from ten?”
She shook her head. She couldn’t.
“Okay… then you focus on breathing, I’ll do the counting ok?”
Sal did the counting. He started at ten and counted back, and when the feeling wasn’t gone, he started over again, telling the other when to breathe, and then he’d start all over again. Snow just followed his instructions, closing her eyes, and listening to his voice. It was so soothing… relaxing even.
Eventually the world started to melt away… the fire in her veins ebbed away, her lungs were no longer heavy and full of lava, and she no longer felt like she was going to cry. Taking a few more deep breaths, she opened her eyes, seeing the masked face of the other.
Her cheeks lit up. Again. Again he was there. Was… was he an angel of some sort? He had to be. He had to be some sort of angel sent from the heavens to help those in need- it was the only way to explain his charity.
“Do you feel better?” he paused for a moment, looking her in the eyes.
She nodded, setting her backpack down on the ground.
“Good, I was worried for a mome-,” Sal stopped as two arms wrapped around his neck and held on for dear life. A shaking body clung to him much like a newborn koala. He didn’t push her away, he didn’t stop her.
He felt wet on his shoulder. Globs of wet hitting his shoulder as this girl, who he had no idea whom she was hugged onto him and cried. He didn’t mind. Sometimes people just needed to let it out. If he could help just one person? That was enough for him.
Patting the others back lightly, albeit a bit awkwardly given their position on the bus, he took note of a few things. This girl… she had white hair, and… she was crying yeah… but…
It was so odd that she didn’t make a sound.