A/N: Hello! Welcome back to HF! - Snekochan here, pleased to see you!
First things…
Thank you to: Kovva, Uula, Danielle20, Xweetok, Manyara, Piloneo, Amber-phantom, Lyra the Sorceress of Scholars and PhantomAngels2 for reviewing this story- you guys rock. -
Um…I know the chapter is a long time coming. I'm in the middle of final exams. Well, ok, my last one is tomorrow!! Yay!
Oki, chapter 4- yay!
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Chapter 4: Synonym. (It all means the same)
She was flying, twisting and looping through the green chains.
They wouldn't catch her. She shot higher, further and further into the yellowing sky, not minding the heat of the setting sun on her skin for once in her life.
"You alright Sam?" the voice came from the air beside her.
"O-oh yeah!" her voice answered. "Flying's…nice." A shadow loomed up ahead of them.
Thump!
"Oof!" she sat up, opening her eyes. "Falling stinks." Stupid bill board. She glanced up at the branches lacing over their heads- how did that happen?- the evening sun painting them a soft pink as she looked down at the large hand holding her small one.
"Sam, I couldn't have done any of this without you." the voice was warm, and she sniffled a little as the small gold band was slipped onto her finger, the green gem catching a rogue sunbeam. "I don't care what's coming next. I-I just hope that, whatever it is, you'll be there to share it with me."
"I will be." Her voice slipped into the air as she shut her eyes, leaning into the kiss, into him. His warm hands flickered, suddenly cold as the sun vanished and stars smattered themselves above them. "So." he whispered, leaning back as they both panted. "You want to go for a ride? See where the future takes us?" She smiled up at his silhouette, so different from the leaves and sky above, yet that was where he seemed to belong the most, his face caught between starlight and dreams, his hair mirroring the moon in creamy whisps.
"Sure." She reached up-
And there was nothing.
"What?" Sam sat up, blinking in the shadows and the soft light whispering from beyond the curtains.
White frilly curtains.
"Ug. Just what I always wanted to see on waking." Sam groaned, rolling over on the pink marshmallow her parents called a bed. Grunting, scowled at the time- 7:00 am- and rolled off the bed.
Thank heavens it had been dark when she'd stumbled to be the night before. She would've had nightmares otherwise.
Well, there was always tonight anyway.
"Yuck." she stumbled into the bathroom, choking at the sight of a creamy white towels, curtains, shower- and a water wall! "Do they know how much water that wastes?" She yelled, trying to find the plug. "Darn it!" she stomped into the shower and turned the water on- hot, trying to singe the white goodness and lacy-ness away. She stepped out and opened her eyes. Nope. Still white and frilly.
Even the shampoo bottles were white.
Well, at least they liked variety.
"They're lucky people don't go snow blind." she growled, stalking down the -thankfully not white- hall to the elevator.
"First floor?" She jumped, staring at the porter as he grinned at her.
"I'm quite capable of pushing a button by myself." she snapped, pushing past him. "Contrary to popular belief, us women can actually read." she leaned against the wood panelled sides of the elevator as the porter stepped in.
"This is such a cool place. Did you see the golf cars? They're all run by computer, and there's a full gaming system in EVERY room! You're sooo lucky to get to stay here!" Sam snorted.
"You can have my room. Look at this! Do you realize that they cut down trees- rare, near extinct trees- just to make this!" she started pacing the small confines.
"I'm Tucker-"
"And this- look- platinum- PLATINUM! For god's sakes! What's wrong with steel, I'm mean REALLY! Must people flaunt it so much!" She banged her head off the (platinum) side panel, groaning. "Look at me," she whined in a high, bitchy voice. "I'm Samantha, and I'm rich and beautiful. Come do everything for me! Dammit!" Tucker laughed as she stopped prancing about and scowled. "See why I hate it?"
"Not really. What wrong with having everyone doing everything for you? Besides, you have all of these awesome computers!" she glared, her eye twitching. "I mean, really, isn't it great? You don't have to work, you can loaf around all day-"
"And be expected to act like a spoiled brat! And what about the pink dresses, and social obligations- no thanks. And then, then there's the fact you can't trust anyone because they could just be after you for the money." Tucker chuckled.
"Cynical much?" Sam smirked. 5...4...3...2- "Arg!" Tucker yelped as the doors of the elevator opened and he was greeted by the hard marble tiles of the floor. Sam grinned herself, leaning over to help him up. "See why I hate rich materials? They hurt more." Tucker laughed.
"SO, Miss, Sam. Will you go out with me?"
"Are you hitting on my?" She shuddered. "Ew! No."
"Aw well. Hey, my shift's done- you wanna hang out- after I get out of the lousy tux though."
"And you laughed at me for wanting to get out of wearing a frilly pink dress." Sam snorted, heading for the restaurant. "I have to get breakfast, and after that I have some…stuff to do, if you want to come along."
"Sure. I'll just block you in-" Surprisingly not to her surprise, he yanked out a PDA. "Hi baby." he crooned, cradling it. "I missed you." Sam rolled her eyes, and dropped down into a booth- where had it come from anyway? She looked at the rest of the room, choking. The dark, dramatic colours of the night before had been replaced…
By white and fluffy pink! Every table was adorned with a pink table cloth and white napkins, the floor had been covered in a white carpet, the curtains around the window were pink.
"Someone kill me now." Sam groaned, dropping her forehead onto the perfectly smooth table cloth.
Why?
"No thanks. You'd probably kick me with those boots of yours." Tucker said cheerfully, dropping into the chair across from her. "Besides D- Ug!-" he tugged the sleeve of his tux quickly. "Some of the guys thought it was funny to drop my clothes into the dumpster." He rolled his eyes. "Some things never change, hey?" He pulled out his PDA as he glanced over the menu. "Hmm. Good stuff. Yow!" he winced, and Sam grimaced at the prices.
"Relax. It's on me." she shrugged, rolling er eyes as the waitress- the tall, willowy, blond waitress- came over and Tucker perked up.
"Can I help you?" the woman purred, fluttering her lashes. Sam rolled her eyes, handing over the menus. "One soy yogurt with berries, please." she shrugged, glancing at the drooling Tucker and kicking him.
"OW! Sam! Ah- right. I'll have the big steak breakfast, with sausages, bacon and eggs!" he said gleefully.
"That'll take awhile-" the woman warned, but Tucker waved her off. "Not a problem, fair lady." He smiled suggestively and she blanched, scooting away. Sam snorted and Tucker harrumphed at her before returning to his blipping game. "Darn. Maybe next time." he lifted his eyes over the PDA. "Hey Sam-"
"Sammykins!" Sam sank down. "Hide me!" she mouthed, but the whirling tornado of floral print and pink had arrived. "I can't believe you're actually up so early for once- but you're still wearing black! What happened to that nice pink dress I packed you?" Pam gushed, fluttering her hands. "And who's this nice young man?" she asked, eyeing Tucker.
"Oh, he's my new boyfriend. He spent the night in my room. I found him in the closet and assumed he was mine." Sam muttered, glaring at her mother. Her mother's face turned the same cherry-red as her hair.
"SAMANTHA!" she glanced at the next table, where two men were eating. Sam blinked, craning her head slightly.
White suits?
Funny earphones? Her heart picked up and she slouched a little, trying to keep out of sight while watching them.
"ANYWAY." Pam growled, glancing at Tucker. "What do you have planned for the day? Are you coming to the mall?"
"N-"
They were looking at her, frowning.
"You are over due for a shopping trip, and I saw these lovely pink shoes!" Pam nattered, seating herself. "Oh! There were also these nice little high heels- they'd look so pretty on you Samantha- you really should stop wearing all those dark clothes. They make you look like a ghost!"
Ghost? The word sent both heat and ice through her stomach.
"Anyway, there were also these nice white skirts too!"
"Actually, Ms-" Tucker glanced at Sam, cutting in. "Manson. Sam and I were thinking of going to the circus. There's one on site, and we figured we'd go check it out." Sam froze as her mother stiffened, frowning.
"The circus." Pam echoed, tapping one perfectly polished fingernail on the table. "Well!" she beamed, hopping up. "I best leave you two to it then!" she sang, flouncing away. "Have fun you two!" Slowly, Sam let out her breath and Tucker raised his eyebrows as their food was brought over. Sam rolled her eyes.
"She has a thing against circuses. Tucker- how can you eat that?" She pointed at the huge pile of animal carcasses on his place. Tucker stuck out his tongue.
"Easily." he chewed for a minute, frowning. "This feels weird."
"Uh-huh. Well, if you didn't eat only meat, maybe you'd feel better."
"That's exactly what I mean." Tucker pulled his PDA out of his bag. "I didn't tell you that I only eat meat!!" She blinked at him a moment, then went back to her soy-yogurt.
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It felt like a permanent case of déjà vu. Tucker decided, cursing as yet again, his blipping spaceman bit the dust. "Dammit! Stupid game!" Sam rolled her eyes, glancing at the storefront of a tiny boutique and looking at some chokers.
"So we're going to the stadium for the show?"
"Yup." She had a funny look on her face, the same one she'd been wearing all morning, like there was something she wanted to do or say- the game bleeped.
Another one hit the space dust.
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He was being moved.
Again.
Danny winced, the cold lights over his head beating him. His stomach jerked, and he spat out a mouthful of bile. It ran over the smooth metal of the floor. He shivered, drying blood chilling him as he curled into a ball, the smell bright and acid in his nose. His ears rang as his head struck the top of the cramped containment chamber again. The collar shifted against his neck and he touched it, feeling the fire as it burned his hands, his neck. He clenched his teeth against the pressure building in his head.
They were going to do that again.
As slowly as he could, he lifted one hand, then the other to his aching ears, swimming through lead, lips moving in silent curses as the cage shuddered and his cheek struck one of the bars.
"Feeling a little under the weather there, Phantom?" Danny glared at the Ringmaster, a shudder gnawing at his spine.
Like hell he was letting that happen!
The collar sparked and his limbs jerked, his breath snagging. Freakshow laughed as the flames rose higher, higher. Then he snapped his fingers, and the crackle was gone, leaving the ghost-man slumped on his side, hands torn into his chest.
Burning. Danny choked, feeling himself shaking. "You see what memories do to people, ghost child?" he rolled aside, winching as his back scraped across the floor, the collar clanging. The sound hurt his ears.
Nothing.
He wanted the blackness of nothing.
He shut his eyes.
Violet.
The collar burst into flame at the colour.
Violet.
Blackness. The shadow thrust itself at his mind.
Amethyst.
Darkness. There were more. They flickered against his dreams.
Lilac.
Silence. It pounded his ears, the way it always had.
And how it always would, a voice reminded him.
Indigo.
Monster. That was him. He shied away from the flickering, but it was there, around him.
Lavender.
He was not of colour. He was of shadows and darkness and silence; he was a monster. The shadows flickered green, a high laugh screeching above the burning forest. He fell, unsure, clutching a colour.
Nameless. There was a clanking and the cage was gone.
You are nameless. The shadows loomed closer, blocking the light, though he could see it, could hear the crowing, the jeering.
Fly. His feet left the ground. His was blackness.
Dodge. The shots fell past him. He was darkness.
Disappear.Was he there? He was silence.
Kill. He raised his hand, green flowing around it. He was-
A pale face, lit by green fire.
Kill.
He was-
Violet-
Was-
Monster!
He was-
Amethyst-lilac-indigo-lavender!
Green flames.
Violet eyes.
He was- green light flooded around him, flowing inward, outward.
Monster!
He plunged, clawing. Was-
Servant! Killer! Freak! Monster! Nameless! Darkness! Black! Fly! Kill! You are!
He was-
Nameless!
Wide eyes.
He was-
Monster!
Tears.
He was-
Killer!
Silent words.
"I am Danny!"
And there was light in violet.