Buttons and Demons

Chapter 9 ~ Let The Games Begin, Hannah V.S. Possessed Balan

Hannah began to kneel to start crawling through the unlocked little door, along with being fully aware of the caution of her final meeting with Other Balan. As she enters the dark tunnel with the lit candle in hand, she places her cell phone in the back inside pocket of her bag and zips it up tight. In the exact second, the puppy also follows Hannah as tim, NiGHTS, and Reala are already inside her purse, safe and silent. The pup soon began to speak again despite him being halfway through the tunnel between the natural world and the other world.

Pup: You know, you're just walking right into his trap.

Hannah: Yes, I know fully well, but I have to go back... they're my friends, plus they're like a family to me...

NiGHTS: *peeks out of the bag* They're like our family. But for this, who knows what tricks Balan or the monster in him has up his sleeves?

Pup: Hmm... why do you challenge him then? As I can figure out, he may not play fair, but he never refuses. He's always got a thing for games when playing them with his guests.

Hannah: *nods* Okay, I'll take that as advice. But I'll also be careful and avoid his trap on all coasts.

NiGHTS and the pup nod, knowing Hannah is ready for this fight. The minute NiGHTS returns to hide in the bag, the door at the other side of the tunnel opens, and Hannah's candle gets blown out as Hannah places it safely in her bag. But as she hoped that it wasn't Other Balan, she thought that she had just heard Kira's voice and saw a shadowy figure that formed Kira's body with her blue eyes shining in the dim light.

Kira's voice:*sounds in worry* Hannah?

Hannah: Kira?

Kira's voice: Hannah! You came back to save us. *sounded happy to see Hannah as she opened her arms, wanting a hug from Hannah*

Hannah: Kira! *crawl runs out of the tunnel to go over to Kira and hugs her*

But what Hannah didn't realize was that this was NEVER Kira at all as she hugged her. Suddenly, Kira's voice spoke but mixed with... Other Balan's voices combined as his clawed hand appeared on Hannah's back in a gentle touch.

Balan?: *had his voice mixed with Kira's voice* Hannah, why did you run away from me?

Hannah saw Other Balan's hand, leaving her to scream as she saw black-like smoke surrounding the fake Kira, revealing Other Balan from his disguise. His skin remained as Hannah last saw him with his skin light blackish-grey color, and his hair, sharp teeth, and clothes were not only torn-like, but they were all in dark greyish colors with himself now the height of 8.2 ft. His hands remained claws as his fingernails were trying to rip out of the gloves, and he looked a little skinnier than usual from the last time. His legs, arms, and the rest of his body were now a bit slimmer than his previous form.

Balan?: Hehehehe~ Welcome back, Hannah, my dear guest.

Hannah: Where are my friends?!

Balan?: Gosh, I don't know Hannah where Kira and Lyra are, my dear. Perhaps your friends have grown very bored of waiting for you; they must have returned to their homes in your town.

Hannah: They weren't bored of me; you stole them!

Balan?: Now, now. Let's not be so difficult, Hannah. Do you have a seat, would you? *smirks a sharp toothy grin*

But soon, Hannah felt two pairs of hands holding her waist from behind, but as she tried to look back, her eyes widened in shock to see Lance. But he looked like a melted wax figure as half of him was like Other Balan's but with the hair all frey, with very light-toned colors, and looking more depressed as half of him seemed to look different along with his face like a mask over the right side of his face as it seemed to how his eyebrow and mouth hollow with paint like saliva coming out as wax was running down and from his mouth leaving strands of the resin and face as it was over the face with blanket blue paint, plus his voice sounded like a low monster tone combined with his normal voice, yet sounded saddened and ashamed.