A Dream Of Him

[The Bad Man]

It wasn't a particularly long syringe, but the brackish liquid it contained was intimidating enough. In the flickering light of the Tamorin's dining room, Richard flicked the needle stem once, freeing up the contents. It had only taken a single shot to quiet Joe, who Richard had seen fit to lock in the shed outside. By now, Trudy was beyond the help of Richard's varied implements. He had covered her with a sheet.

The Gatlin lad was languishing before him, writhing in his bonds. Richard lowered himself into his captive's sight, studying him for a few seconds.

He spoke calmly, while still radiating a calculated menace.

"We're going to have a chat. I'd advise you to consider your options, and not try to bluff me. If you're truthful or at least facetious enough to make me laugh, I won't cause you any harm."

Richard watched the boy, waiting for a reply.

[Sly Cooper]

Calmly he looked down at the covered body, "I could've probably saved her. I know a lot about treating wounds." He looked back up unmoved by the older man. Damon became less than apathetic. "I used to have to treat some pretty bad ones on myself when I was younger." His eyes turned a color of grey, the life was gone, the light didn't reflect back.

[The Bad Man]

Richard chuckled. The boy was ready for something awful to happen to him.

Richard hated to disappoint.

He couldn't help it. He smiled his best, eyes flashing in artificial light of a wavering lamp. His element, his place of power. Richard turned the boy's chair around, so that he now faced the dining room table. Odd symbols had been drawn, dizzying swoops and hideous arcs, meticulously crafted by Richard's hand.

"I want you to look deeply, breath deeply, see with your entire mind," said Richard, still chillingly calm.

"I want you to start talking about Gatlin. Your life there. The lives of your fellows. Tell me...everything."

[Sly Cooper]

Damon grinned "Well, if I told you then I would break a promise I was told to keep and I don't believe in breaking promises. But Gatlin, what a boring little town, makes Hemingford seem so busy. Honestly, I don't why you're so interested." He laughed childishly.

[The Bad Man]

Richard returned the boy's grin. When the young man laughed, so did Richard. As the boy spoke, the symbols seemed to move, warping themselves around each word. Richard did not look at them himself. He disliked using them. As the eye played over them, one could almost feel them looking back.

"If you won't tell me about Gatlin, then tell me about yourself. What's your name? Did you actually kill your family? Was that your child bride I struck on the shoulder?"

[Sly Cooper]

"I am Damon. I moved to Gatlin becasue my parents died in a car wreck. But Gamma Penny doesn't like me much. But that's okay, she might be mean and nasty, but she still loves me. That's what adutlts are supposed to do the children right?" He looked up at Richard. "Tammy was in my class in school, couple years back. I really like her. She's the opposite of me, just like my friends Jacob next door," the smile disapeared from his face. "I remember, James' perents were real neglectful." Damon looked down into his lap, tired, he wanted to grab his head but he couldn't "My head hurts real bad, sir. Can I go home now?"

[The Bad Man]

A frown creased Richard's face. The boy wasn't looking at the symbols, which seemed to be struggling into sight, no matter where Richard looked. He grunted, and turned away from them.

He listened as the boy spoke. When he had finished, Richard looked again at the needle. Not drastic, but delayed. He should have tried it from the start. Gripping the lad by his hair, Richard shoved his face down onto the chalked signs. He jabbed the needle into the boy's neck, taking care that every drop of the vile liquid left the stem.

"Tell me about He Who Walks Behind the Rows. Speak quickly, and I'll let you go."

[Sly Cooper]

Damon's inner child began to come out all at once, he bawled like a small child as Richard manhandled him, "What are you talkin' 'bout?" He sniffed and gagged slightly, "I don't know any one that walks behind the rows. Why am I here? Lemme go!" He grew more and more hystarical, "I just wanna go home! What did I do? Where's my gramma?" The boy was terribly confused and frightened, but he couldn't do anything. He was defenceless, which was the most frightening of all.

[The Bad Man]

The symbols appeared to darken. The boy was lying.

"Do you know what that stuff was, son? Do you know who I am?"

Something snapped, the world dimmed, as if responding to the crawling, straining signs. The edges of perception grew hazy. The symbols weren't sentient, Richard reminded himself, but they were damn good actors.

Richard marched to the other end of the table. His voice was triumphant, and terrible. It thundered like some horrible elder god, lashing out in displeasure against an unruly flock.

"People in a position to know call me the Denver Birdman, and you've just crossed the threshold into my world."

The lights began to flicker violently. Upstairs, Joe started to hoot and howl. The symbols were affecting him too.

Richard grimaced.

"Who or what is Isaac Chroner? why did you children butcher your love ones? What the hell is going on in Gatlin? Tell me!"

[Sly Cooper]

Damon bawled harder. "I wanna go home! I wanna go home! What do you want?" He trembled, no idea what was happening. "Take me home! I wanna go home! Who are you? Where am I?" His mind degrated to that of a child's. "My gramma Penny. What'd you do wif her?" His eye's filled with tears so that everything blurred together. "Please, I'm scared. I wanna go home. I miss my mom and dad! And I just wanna go home." He stopped gagging for air as he cried harder.

[The Bad Man]

The symbols had finally wrenched themselves from the table, and were now flitting across the room. Richard was reminded of the fireflies he had seen outside. Struggling to remain focused on the boy, this Damon, but it was becoming difficult. Something was obviously wrong. Mental trauma on the boy's part or, less likely, interference from Joe out in the shed. A strange bleating sound rushed through the house, causing the symbols to whirl as if caught in a strong gale. Richard paced towards the boy, until their face's were separated by mere inches.

Richard's voice still had its practice calm, but the facade was breaking. Years of experience, and he had still misjudged the boy. As he spoke, Richard became aware of newer, even darker shapes, moving just outside the limit of his vision.

"Damon, listen to me. You have to start talking. It'll only stop when you tell me what I want to know."

[Sly Cooper]

"But I dun know what you want!" Damons voice cracked, "I just wanna go home! Take me home!" He wailed and then coughed, "Please, sir, I juss wanna go home. Take me home. Ask my mom and dad. I dunno the answer. I dunno any Isaac." His voice would crack and he grew so terrified he felt a sharp sickening pain in the pit of his stomach. His pale face turned vaugley green, and his lips faded into his skin. "Sir, please, I dunno what you want!"

[ellie]

Lt. Ellie Jenny got bored of patrolling the boring streets of Gatlin. After all for like a day all she was able to do was take her nightstick upside some snot five year old carrying a machete in a none machete zone. Namely near her person in a 5 mile radius. Stupid kid was all 'I need to harvest the corn, outlander! Your blood will spill for He who walks- AHHH! Don't hit me-AH! No no not the face! The Lord will- AH!!!' What kinda fool did he think she was? Corn was like not eatable nobody would harvest it. It was all icky and yellow. She'd know. She was a cop. But seeing as machete kid were thwarted and left to bleed on the road Gatlin was safe. Now was time to help Hemingford.

She declared Hemingford annexed to Gatlin to some old lady talking about her dumb cats so it was official. She had the authority to bust some skulls. And she'd start by randomly searching houses. So far she only found empty houses and a few people yelling about warrants and due process of law. It's amazing how horrible America has fallen when an honest cop can't just kick down doors and start shooting. Jenny sighed deeply. And picked her next house. It looked like people were home. Probably getting high on illegal substances and petting cats with drumsticks or something vile. It was time to put an end to that nonsense the only way she knew how.

Lt. Jenny ran up to the door and kicked it right above the lock. "LIKE OPEN UP! THIS IS TOTALLY GATLIN POLICE!" She rolled in the doorway and did several flips until she slammed into the wall. She rubbed her face and pulled her out her gun and discharged a few rounds into the wall. "Like assaulting an officer are you? Well not anymore druggie punk!" She scanned the room. And glared. "Anyone like...wanna explain who allowed his wall to assault me? Hmm? I'm placing you all under arrest for being an accomplice to this wall!" She waved her gun over her head and let loose another round. "Like totally...hey...so like whatcha doin?"

[Sly Cooper]

"This scary man came after me. I dunno what he wants. He wants to know 'bout Isaac. I dunno 'bout Isaac." Damon squirmed. "Gemme out. I wanna go home. This scary!" The drugs were screwing up his thought process.

[ellie]

Jenny squinted and the boy tied to the chair. It looked like he was high and not on life. Well she had a cure for that. Ellie ran over quickly and went to jump kick Damon in the face. She rolled to recover and adjusted her aviator glasses on her face. "Like I'm totally the law and junk. And you punk...your a punk doing these Isaac drugs. Like if you stayed in school you totally wouldn't be in the position your in now." She waved her gun in the air again. "The position your in now is like totally uncomfortable and stuff. But wait till I wipe out my pepper spray on you kid. Just you wait." She pointed her gun directly at the ropes in the chair and fired. "Like there. Your like released. But like totally don't run away and junk. I still have to taser you and pepper spray you and like totally shoot at least one of your knee caps. It's procedure you know. This is Gatlin. We don't take kindly to druggies on Isaac in Gatlin." She glared but underneath her shiny glasses it was impossible to tell. She then turned on her heels to face Richard.

"So punk. I know what your thinking. You like thinking how your going to like not get caught right? Well you aren't. You are just like totally going to die. Doing drugs with kids and like hanging around with walls that attack cops is a felony in Gatlin. And only punishable by like being set on fire and junk. So like turn around and lets find us a like totally rad gas station and junk."