☆~Among the stars~☆

The Demon who beckons your name

Edit of my edit A/N: I actually do own Red, Rachel, and Tobias, now.

The night sky was a dark blue canopy. It glimmered and twinkled brilliantly, as bright stars garnished the navy blue overhead blanket. Zodiac Klondike was walking home all alone, no *ahem* "guard dog" to accompany him, this time. He messed up at work, today. He messed up really bad.

One of the patients had been ready to strike, donning a stolen knife from the Hospital's kitchen. They weren't locked up, because the patients always were. Escapes were quite the rare occurrence, there. They tumbled across the floor, as the patient tackled Dr. Klondike, harshly pinning him to the wall, he was absolutely sure this was where his life would end. Then, almost as if he were being forced against his will, the inky black tentacle-like appendages emerged from his back, as he doubled over, wailing and groaning in agony, tears welling up in his eyes, as this pain was all too familiar. He could feel the black liquid oozing from his eyes and mouth, dripping like an open wound. It was times like these where he felt the most pain and misery he's ever felt in his life. The squiggly black tentacles wrapped themselves around this threat, they were quick and scary, and without a moment's hesitation, they thrusted our poor patient through the room's nearby long, rectangular window, dropping him down on the other side. Zodiac watched this whole thing unfold, his eyes wide, full of remorse, fear, and tears. He felt a wave of negative emotions rush over him. That wasn't him. This wasn't his doing. Zodiac had never hurt anyone intentionally....had he? He could practically feel the puppet strings tug at his limbs. He peered out through the window, hoping and praying he hadn't done too much damage. The patient merely had a few cuts and bruises, which were bleeding. He ran outside the patient's room to check his pulse. He was still living, fortunately. There were a few deep gashes in his side, but, nothing Dr. Klondike couldn't fix, himself. He gently picked up the patient's Unconscious body, struggling and groaning, using his weak limbs to carry him to the table, trying so very hard not to drag him about Like a rag doll. He gently placed him on an operating table in the clinic of the hospital, and cleaned out his cuts, he soaked up some cotton balls in disinfectant, scrubbing out all the dirt that would've infected his wounds, and bandaged him up, making sure he was careful not to wake him up, as the disinfectant always stung him, personally. He was so disappointed in himself. What had he done? He promised himself he'd be a pacifist. He didn't like to hurt people. He was so ashamed. He turned out all the lights, and locked the place up, walking home. -

He felt so bad just thinking about it, he almost killed someone today. Everyone was right about him. He would never change. He'd always be the monster he once was. The violent, brutal, abuser he once was. "It's in your blood~..." He heard a whisper in the distance. "N-No, you're not real!" He said aloud. " Your father was a cruel man....He may not have been to your mother~..." It continued. "I don't believe in you!" He covered his ears, crying. "But there was so much going on behind the scenes, that you didn't know about....For a mama's boy, you're so much like him~.... By the way, you can't escape my call, You're stuck with me, I'm deep inside your head, I'll drive you as insane as the patients you care for until your dying days, I'll run your life into the ground~." The voice fades from it's hushed whisper into nothingness. Zodiac spent a good bit trying to walk home, he felt more weak than usual. Taking frequent breaks, feeling sick and fragile, his head pounding and aching from all the tears leaking from his eyes like an endless faucet, he stumbled into his house, closing the door, behind him. He could manage to speak through his sniffles and wheezes, but just barely. He tried calling out, only managing a soft "R-Red? Rachel? ...." Neither one had heard him, so he made his way to the bathroom, hoping he could just cry and get it out of his system, and that would be the end of it. He'd drink some chamomile, and make his way to bed. Red was probably asleep anyway, he wouldn't be conscious enough to think anything of it. He just sat there and let it all out, crying and crying. He was sure no one heard him, it was sort of silent at first, so he was right...for a while...Then he got louder, and louder, and eventually, he saw a tall, dark figure looming over him. "Huh? What's wrong?" The voice sounded groggily and confused, but concerned. "It's so late... You've been at work all day..., what's wrong?" Zodiac said nothing. Red made his way over to him. He sat down next to him, looking him in the eye. He merely turned away. He scooted in front of him. "C'mon, there's nothing that can be done if we don't talk about it." Zodiac remained silent, trying not to look at him. Red pretty much had enough of this, he was getting impatient, he didn't want him to feel like this. He forced his chin up, getting Zodiac to look at him. "Dammit, tell me what's wrong! I can't see you like this. I know you've got a lot going on at that job, already, give me something, anything, please!" Zodiac sighed. "I...I hurt o-o-one of the p-patients really b-bad, t-today...." He sniffled. His stutter had been present since he first learned to speak, but it worsened with strong emotions, negative or positive. "I th-threw him th-through the glass o-of the w-window...He was bleeding so b-bad...I-I fixed him, but it was my fault, I-In the first place. I feel so bad..." Red looked around, trying to piece together the puzzle in his mind that answered his anxietal boyfriend's cry. "You know, that wasn't you....You have a tendency to blame yourself for these things...we both know it's not truly your doing, but you still place the blame on yourself. You told me, 'It's a demon.' It's in no one's control but his...Stop making yourself out to be this villain. You're not the villain. I know you." Zodiac stared up at him, the tears in his eyes subsiding, but the streaks and stains still all over his cheek fur, he gently wiped away the remains, then hugged Red as tightly and quickly as he could. Red seemed surprised. He started crying, again. "Okay, now you're overdoing it." Red smiled, hugging back, and joking, hoping to brighten the mood. "I KNO-HO-HOOWW!" Zodiac continued, laughing a bit through his tears. "We still have a huge tub of ice cream in the freezer, Neapolitan, to be exact. There's also a new season of 'The Tsundere Chicken'. Did I say that right? The first three episodes aired, yesterday." Red offered. "I-I'd like that." Zodiac replied. Red carried him off, the rest of the night spent watching anime and gorging on frosty soft serve. Red's words still burned in the back of Zodiac's mind. Or froze rather, probably due to the ice cream.