His eyes darted back and forth rapidly, trying to make sense of the tiny, confined room he was trapped in. He could feel it coming. A shiver traced languid patterns up his spine. He opened his mouth the scream, but he was met with a sudden burst of cold, shocking his voice into silence. He tried to stand, but a force kept him on his knees, hands tied behind his back.

What do you want with me?

The walls shook. He could feel their laughter, beating harshly in his eardrums.

Darkness melted through the cracks lethargically, seeping into his skin.

Shadows worked their way up his body, leaving thick trails of cold, emptiness behind them. They wormed their ways into his bones, not content with leaving any plane of his body untouched with their unforgiving torment.

They caressed his jaw in a parody of tenderness, sharpened talons slowly dragging up his throat. A dark chuckle echoed, not in the small white room, but in his mind. The darkness had crept into his brain, sharp stabs of pain leaving him blank. All form of thought was halted immediately by the freezing hollowness.

He suddenly felt drowsy. He was left unable to form any coherent thoughts. His head lolled back, almost snapping his neck with the sudden weight. His eyes slowly turned to stone in their sockets, blackening with the entrance of the shadows.

The shadows cackled wickedly, suddenly stabbing their claws into his abdomen. His flesh tore easily beneath the thin razors, blood flowing freely, staining the white tile. He was numb as the darkness twisted and gutted his limp body, turning his insides to mush.

The creature took on a more definite shape, a deviously pleased grin appearing on its illusion of a face. It eagerly lapped up the spilt blood, gnawing and slurping at the warm and tormented meat of its prey.

Unhurriedly, the beast licked the delectable crimson off of its claws. Turning its attention to its real prize.

Under the delicious layers of skin and muscle was a faint glow, a real treasure much more exquisite than mere mortal flesh. The creature carefully wrapped its thin tongue around the poor boy's soul, lavishing in its unique flavor, thick, slimy trails of saliva and blood dripped from its mouth.

Suddenly, the creature was jerked away from its treasure. Staring in confusion, it seeped back into the walls, hiding from this new, unseen threat.

The mangled mess of the boy began to shift. The glow of the soul growing stronger.

The creature growled.

The shine started to stream over the boy's remains, gently flowing into the crevices left by the beast. The soul grew brighter, suddenly flashing in a bright display of light.

The creature hissed in pain, dissipating, disintegrating into nonexistence. The soul of the boy rose, taking in a familiar form.

The ghost Billy Joe Cobra floated away from the tiny white room, leaving his mutilated corpse in a bloody mess on the floor.