Slave To Torment

Sight

Be warned this could be uncomfortable for some people, keep that in mind as you continue with this part and the rest of this book...________
Gradient had continued to ask me questions, some I could answer while others I unfortunately couldn't...that part made me worried... Because I should probably know something about the man standing in the corner of my room...
But I didn't, so I just didn't worry about it.
"Where is he now? Would you know that?"
For a moment I looked away from the man, my shadow, in my room to look at my brother.
"Oh ya he's right there, was standing in the door earlier but he's over there now."
"H-Here! PJ!"
"What he hasn't moved yet, and he hasn't done anything. Besides I'm not a baby that gets scared about scary dreams, Gray."
"Hey n-not fair!"
I stuck my tongue out at him jokingly, and we both laugh as he tackled me on my bed and we wrestled a bit. We do that a lot, Dad sometimes getting mad but mostly laughing along with us knowing we would never hurt one another. Once we were done with that we both laughed, me throwing my brother to the empty space beside me as we slowly calmed down.
"A-Anyways, where was he again? I mean I know you said he was here but you know where."
"Oh um he's just-"
My finger was raised about to point out where this man was when I didn't point, I didn't see him, he was gone...
"He's um-"
I felt something grasp my collar and pull on it slightly. Looking I saw the body of the dark figure behind me as it spoke words to and for me to say.
"Nowhere"
"Nowhere..."
"Nowhere?"
When I heard my brother say the words that came out my mouth like he was confused, in a way I snapped out of a trance that I hadn't noticed I was put in... This thing still looked behind me, near me...and now in a way it spoke for me... He spoke to me...
"Don't tell him where I am, you can only see me anyways."
"Ok..."
"PJ? What are you talking about?"
"I don't know-"
Just as I said that, a small knock came from the door that was open. Me and Gray looked up to see dad smiling in the doorway.
"How are you two doing?"
"I'm ok, but PJ said he saw something, think he could be imagining?"
"Well um maybe, but even so to him it's scary and real."
"Not really..."
I don't know why I grumbled and said those words the I did, but it didn't matter so I didn't think about it.
"Oh ok buddy...but if you ever do you know you can talk to me."
"I do, thanks dad..."
My dad smiled, just as he ducked back out of our room...
"I'm gonna follow him-"
"Scared now?"
"I mean not really...but...I guess..."
"That's fine, just don't cling to him like a baby"
"Hehe, would never~"
Both of us laughed as I waved him bye and left, following where my dad went. Following his path, I appeared to be heading back to the kitchen, passing my shadow at every turn as he stood in every dark corner of this house. I made it back to the kitchen, or at least the entry way to see Dad and Uncle Dream a little close. I couldn't see what they were doing but after maybe a minute or two they started talking. So that's when I decided to go see them, but just as I was dad was getting his coat for some reason.
"Dad? Where are you going?"
"Oh I have to get some things"
"What things?"
"Just a couple of things, I'll get you and your brother some snacks to."
"And soda!"
"If it'd make you happy then of course, you want orange right?"
I nodded about a hundred times, making my Dad laugh.
"Alright, now how about you give your Dad a hug..."
I ran over without hesitation and wrapped my arms around my Dad.
"And I'll be back in a bit"
"Ok bye!"
"Bye Jammy, and bye Dream~"
My Dad said that in a weird way for some reason, well not the entire thing but some of it... It was only when he was talking to Uncle Dream... Even weirder was the way Uncle Dream reacted, I didn't know what word to use to describe how he looked exactly...but I tried to think of something...and unfortunately I said that thing I thought of to Uncle Dream...
"Hey Uncle Dream..."
"Oh ya JamJam?"
I didn't mind him calling me that most of the time, I know he liked it and it didn't bother me, just like how Dad calling me Jammy also didn't bother me. But what I said to him well...
"You seem...swooned?.."
He gave me a very confused and almost concerned look after I said that, chuckling awkwardly and shifting his eyes away from mine.
"H-Honey? Do you know what that m-means?.."
"Well ya...kind of... No- But I've heard them say it in shows and commercials, and you kind of look like the people others say it to."
"Ok w-well you shouldn't say words that you don't know the meaning of. It could offend people..."
"Oh ok, did I offend you? I'm sorry if-"
"No Jam you just didn't know what that meant  it's ok."
Uncle Dream gave me a hug just as Dad walked back through the door. Trips to the store were normally very quick, and to be frank this was actually a bit of a longer trip than usual. With him, Dad had one bag, it filled with from what I can see so far some chips, a box, my soda, and a glass bottle. I knew that Dad or one of my Uncles would sometimes buy those glass bottles, I don't know what they are but they're bad smelling adult drinks and they use the tall adult glasses on the top shelf in the cabinet. Dad doesn't let me or Gray use them for normal drinks, he doesn't want us breaking them. But he gets us sparkly grape juice sometimes, and if we sit at the counter we are aloud to use the tall glasses. But anyways dad started to take stuff out of the bag, first a small plastic box that I hadn't seen through the bag or before that seemed to have some kind of thin square, tine foil packaging that made Uncle Dream blush a little for some reason. Dad moved the small box of mystery contents when he saw me looking at it and continued to unearth everything else from the bag. The other box that I had seen was a box of crackers, the chips were extra crunchy, and there were some candies for me and Gray, along with a brick of cheese and some other things that Dad would sometimes cut up and put on a cutting board. He makes it look nice, I wonder why he does some times it is just gonna get eaten anyways so why make it look nice? I would ask him that and he said he just enjoyed doing it...but the weird part about him doing that all now is that he never did this when it was just us here, it was either when people came over like Cross sometimes did, or special occasions, there weren't though so why was he getting all of that stuff?..
"Alright Jammy, I got you some candy and chips to go with your soda."
"Yay snacks!"
"Yep!"
Dad scooted the candy and soda over to me, pouring some chips in a bowl before handing that to me to.
"If you want more just come ask me and I'll get you some, I'll either be in here or the living room with Dream ok?"
"Ok and thanks!"
I took all of the snacks and the soda, and ran back over to my room. Gray was still in there, now on my bed and watching something on the IPad. I jumped onto the bed next to him, startling him a little.
"PJ!-"
"Calm down I brought snacks"
"You- Oh you did!"
I laughed setting the junk food between us and opening my soda. We sat there until maybe an hour or so after lunch time, by then our bowl of chips was empty and both me and Gray were hungry for an actual meal, for once.
"I'll ask dad to make us some sandwiches and refill this bowl, I'll be back ok Gray?"
"Alright"
He wasn't really paying attention to what I was saying, but I didn't really mind. I just picked up the empty bowl and left our room to go back to the kitchen. My shadow was still there, like he had been for hours now...but now he was speaking to me...
"Why haven't you talked back to me yet? I want to know more about you."
I ignored him...just like I had been, but it was easier when the noises from the cartoons covered his voice... I still was now...even though it was now a little harder...
"I know you, or I should, I feel like it's weird that I don't. Don't you? Think it's weird that is."
I didn't know him...he didn't sound familiar...
"We do look a like, isn't that weird to?"
"...Your eyes...look like Grays... But that's it...now leave me alone, I wanna talk to Dad..."
I walked into the kitchen before my shadow could say anything. But when I entered the room my Dad wasn't there. I wondered where he was, until I heard laughing from the other room. I followed the cheerful noise to find my Dad and Uncle Dream, with there tall adult glasses filled with there bad smelling adult drink, and with the fancy set of food. They were watching some show and were sitting close to one another.
"Hey Dad?"
"Oh Jammy"
My Dad put down his glass next to the now half empty bottle he had bought and stumbled over to me.
"Do you want more chips or something?"
"Ya and can me Gray get some sandwiches? We want some lunch."
"Of course honey, Dream I'll be back"
"Alright, bye you two"
I waved bye to Uncle Dream as Dad grabbed my hand and pulled me into the kitchen. When we entered my shadow was standing near the sink. I said nothing, and watched as Dad went over there. My shadow looked at Dad, up and down as he made me and Gray some lunch. He watched Dad put some bread in the toaster oven...and use two others to make something for Gray... My shadow just kept watching him do this...and again, unfortunately, started speaking again.
"You love him? Don't you? I mean he is your Dad, even though his feelings are only a few viles of paint... You still love him, even if he really doesn't love you."
Dad had told me about his paints, but he also told me that they allow him to love and care...he doesn't love everyone he said that him, just as much me and Gray, choose who we love carefully...and only love family, and good friends that he can trust and are kind. He just loves differently...and I wish I could say that to my shadow...so he knew...
"I feel like someone that can't feel would be a bad person, bad people normally don't feel, they can't feel remorse. Would your Das show remorse if he did something bad? Would you even be able to tell if he did something bad...maybe he already h-"
"Ok buddy! A PB and J for Gray and a BLT for you."
I stopped listening to my shadow when I heard my Dad speak... He handed me them and the freshly refilled bowl of chips.
"Anything else?"
"...No...I love you Dad"
"Aw, love you to buddy"
Dad rubbed my head, then walked back into the living room. I went back to my room once he left as fast as I could, speed walking past my shadow and getting back in my room.
"You got more chips?"
Was the first thing I was asked, me nodding and going back over to Gray.
"Got some sandwiches to"
I handed Gray his as I began to eat mine...while stilling trying my best to ignore my shadow that was looming over me...
The next thing I knew it was night...we had eaten dinner and Gray was back in his room...and I was laying in bed...looking up at my shadow... I tried to keep my mind off of him, I thought of that day, like what we had for dinner. Dad let us get pizza, and that combined with all the junk food today along with my favorite lunch was him clearly trying to make me feel better. It made me feel nice that he did that, all of that, just to make me feel better... But anyways, other things...I noticed that Uncle Dream and Dad didn't eat dinner, but the cutting board and the bottle of the adult drink was empty... Speaking of those two, they were acting a little weird...I think Dad forgot what garlic knots were...
...Running out of things to think about I decided to get a glass of water. So removing the covers from my body, I scooted past my shadow and sprinted off to the kitchen. I opened the cabinet to where the glasses were, but being short I could not reach any. Sighing I trudged off to my Dads room. I was about to knock on the door, when the door just swung open. Dad wasn't in there, the covers hadn't even been moved. I could now just assume that he was still in the living room, so I went over there and what I saw was shocking. I saw Dad and Uncle Dream...their fancy glasses along with the empty bottle being knocked over on the ground now...and...they were kissing... Dad was on Uncle Dream and they were kissing, kind of like Cross used to with Uncle Dream but a lot longer...and it seemed different... Uncle Dream's body seemed weird just like Dad's...and they were letting out noises... I watched Dad...grab onto uncle Dream's chest in a weird way, while they were still kissing... It was so strange, what they were doing...and I didn't want to watch it anymore...so I left...or tried to... When I went to turn a round a hand landed on my shoulder and kept me where I was... The grip was tight, and rough...it hurt a little but I didn't dare argue... I mean this was...no not Uncle Blue!- Not him!-
"Where do you think you're going?"
"L-Let me go, I don't-"
"Quiet now child, we don't want them seeing us~"
A hand clamped down around my mouth as my breath quicken. Now as much as I didn't want to I looked to my Father and Uncle Dream to help me, see me...save me...
"There...now look at you're Father, and look at Dream..."
I was already doing that as hard and intensely as could, hoping that one of them could just catch my gaze and see everything it was trying to tell them.
"There doing adult things- Big boy things, but I don't think you're a big boy yet... Unless you are a big boy, are you PJ?.."
The hand that had been keeping me silent slipped away, and moved to my other shoulder. I was about to scream when that grip tightened, scaring me quiet, scaring me back into the shadows control...and answering it's question...
"Y-Ya...but I don't wanna do that...it isn't right..."
"It is, people that love each other in a very special way do that, big boys have that and do that."
"I don't want to"
I again tried to squirm out of this things grasp, but failed to. When I looked back at Dad, I saw him taking off Uncle Dream's yellow vest. I didn't care that I was stuck anymore- Well I did but I didn't want to look at them anymore, so I tired to turn away just for the shadow to turn my head back.
"You're a big boy- So watch what it means to be one.~"
"I don't want to-"
"Well that's to bad, isn't it-"
"No it isn't, let me go"
"No, watch this, see this, know what happened to him and know why it'll happen to-"
"No let me go!"
I screamed, feeling myself begin to cry... When I did that I felt the pressure on my shoulders give, then heard Uncle Dream gasp.
"Oh no Jammy..."
I heard my Dad mumble... I slowly opened my eyes to see Uncle Dream now covering his body, and Dad coming over to me. Dad scooped me up into his arms, pulling me close and swaying with me in his grasp. Something strange though was the rotten smell coming from his breath...like something fermented...or just something weird...
"How long were you there? Who was holding you?"
"..."
When I didn't say anything Dad didn't push me to do so.
"Ok, I'll bring you back to bed... Dream can you get him some water or something?"
"Ya, I'll be back Jammy"
Dream smiled squeezing my cheek then running off to the kitchen. I watched him leave as I was taken away myself to my room. My Dad laid me down and covered me with the covers, then sat down next to me.
"Can you tell me what happened?.."
"...I went to get something...I'm sorry I didn't mean to-"
"Honey it isn't your fault...me and Dream were doing something private, that's all..."
"I know, and I tried to leave but-..."
"But...what?.."
"Nothing, I just got stuck..."
"Jam I want to-"
Before Dad could finish, Uncle Dream came back in the room, wearing one of Dad's
tea-shirts over his black legging things. He came over and sat down next Dad, handing him the glass of water then it getting given to me.
"Hey JamJam, you ok?"
I nodded, as I sipped on the water on my lips.
"I'm- We are sorry that we didn't see you, we were doing adult things...and we should've...seen you."
I finished drinking my water, setting it down on my nightstand when I did. When I did this I saw Dad and Uncle Dream holding hands...and seeing that made me wonder...about what I was told...
"Are you two in love?"
"W-Well I mean of course in a way we are Jam, b-but-"
"Dream..."
Dad looked at Uncle Dream, gripping his hand tighter and making Dream sigh.
"Yes Honey, we are... It's new...very new...because Cross is gone...me and your Dad got a little close...and well he's helping me right now... But since you asked about that the way you did... I guess you deserve to know."
Uncle Dream looked sad for some reason, or maybe surprised...probably both though... But for as confused he was, I was definitely more...
"Does that mean I call you Mom now? I mean we're told in school that we have Daddy's and Mommy's- Or two Daddy's, would you rather me call you Daddy or Dad 2-"
"J-Jamjam no just keep calling me what you do now..."
"Ok...so keep calling you Uncle Dream?"
"Ya- Um well actually..."
My Dad stopped for a minute, and both him and um...Dream?.. Appeared to be thinking and whispering to one another. They finished in a couple of minutes then looked to me.
"Well Jam, what do you wanna call me?"
Dream asked with a smile. It took me a minute to think of what I wanted to call him, and I came to my choice rather quickly.
"I...I'd like to call you Mom- Or Daddy, I've always wanted another parent and you both love each other, and you take care of me and Gray all the time...so..."
I looked at them for their approval, wanting nothing more but it at the time. They shared a glance and exchanged a few words that I couldn't hear before looking at me again with smiles.
"If that's what you want then ok, you're ok with calling me Daddy right?"
"Mhm! I'm ready happy that I have another Dad! I've always wanted one!"
"We're glad Jammy..."
The both of them pulled me into their arms, they were happy with me but nervous about one another... I didn't know that though...that's just what my shadow told me... I wanted to tell them that he was there, but I couldn't...his hand being over my mouth already and keeping me silent... He put a finger up to his none excitant lips and sshhed me... The only thing I could do now was lean in closer to my family, and try and forget about him...my darkness...