I'm bigger than these bones.

Fear is an awful energy that can consume your soul.

///

It's too dark in here...

Is that a light?

Where does it lead?

Oh! To a treasure chest!

So exciting.
What's inside?
Wow it's full of gold and treasures.
This is so much fun.

Why is everything else so dark...?

"Hello?"

I only hear my echo...
ah- What was that?

"Who's there?"

It sounds like the walls are groaning.

What was that?
I don't like this anymore.

This is scary.

What's that?!
The shadows, they're moving!
They're coming for me.

My voice isn't working.

But the shadows!
They're coming.

They're coming for me!

AAAHHHH!

///

There was a knock at the door.

"Damiaan? Are you alright?

I heard you scream."

The door opened gently, as a purple haired neko entered the room.

Holding a small candle, for light.

The neko had long free-flowing hair, and was wearing a nightgown.

Sitting in the bed was a small child, a boy of perhaps five years.
Also a neko, with purple hair to match his mother's.

The boy was shaking, "They're coming for me."

His mother gently walked over, "It was just a bad dream sweetheart."

"But... but... they were coming for me." the child protested.

His mother sat down on the side of the bed, "Who?"

"The shadows."

His mother looked concerned for a moment, before offering a gentle smile and spoke.
"Well, just remember that there is always light.
Even if that light has to come from within.

There is always light."
The boy didn't look convinced.

The neko gave a soft sigh, and set the candle on a dresser.

Before gently holding the boy in a soft embracing hug.
"For now, I can be your light.

Go ahead back to sleep, I'll keep the shadows at bay."

The boy still looked concerned but eventually nodded off to sleep again.

The next night...

///

It's dark again...

No, there's always light. Always.

Focus on light.

There's, there's always light.
I can be the light.
I can-

What's that?

Was that a shadow?

My voice isn't working again.
Why can't I talk?
Focus, there is always-

SHADOW MONSTER!!

///

The boy opened his eyes in a panic.

He breathed heavy, feeling exhausted and frightened.

He didn't want to wake his mother, the quadruplets exhausted his mother enough.

But he was to scared to sleep.

So he sat, staring at the candle his mother had left him.

But each night it was the same, and he was becoming more exhausted.

One night he awoke panicked.

Over top him, was another child.
They looked identical, except that the other child was female.

"Rose?" he managed to whisper.

Before she suddenly grabbed him by the throat, attempting to strangle him.

He went wide-eyed and struggled violently, before managing to kick her off.
He coughed, and spoke to himself, "First shadows, now you..."
She growled at him, then paused, "Shadows?

You're having the nightmares too?"

He looked to her, "You're also having shadow nightmares?"

She gave an evil smile, "I did. Then I met a demon." she laughed, "I liked the demon.

Promised that I'd be stronger than you. I already am, but now I'll always be stronger!"

she laughed and ran out of the room.

He felt troubled, he was tired.
He had shadows in his dreams...
And Rose in the waking world.

He did his best to stay awake, he feared the shadows more than his sister.

Yet, he was five, and couldn't force himself to stay awake forever.

Many sleepless nights later...

///

Oh no...
I feel asleep again.
Why is it always so dark in my head?

Shadow!
Oh no, they're coming for me.

"Please stop, you're scaring me."

I'm crying, I'm such a baby.

Rose is right, she'll always be stronger than me.
'You should be scared of me.'

"Who said that?"

'Your own personal demon.'

There.
He... He looks like me.

But... he isn't a neko.
His hair is all red and his eyes are red.

"My own demon?"

'Yes. I've come for you.'

"Come for me?"

'Yes.'

He's coming closer.
He's covered in blood!
'Only one of us can be in control.'

"Control?"

'YES!'
AAHHH!!

///

The neko boy sat up screaming, he was wide-eyed, and clutching his own shirt.

He'd fallen asleep in the forest, and looked about.

The sun was filtered thru the leafs.

He wrapped his arms around his head, curling into a ball, and crying for a bit.

Finally he exhausted his tears, and got up, walking back to his home.

He went inside and to his mother, who was cooking dinner.

He knew that in the living room the babies were sleeping.

"Mommy...?"

His mother looked to him, "Yes, dear?"

"How do you stop blood demons?"

His mother dropped the spatula, it hitting the floor loudly.

"What?" his mother asked.
"In my dream... this demon appeared...
And he was covered in blood...
He attacked me.
But he looked like me.
How do I stop him?

So I stop having nightmares..."

His mother looked concerned and picked up the spatula, setting it in the sink.
"Well, demons in general are rather hard to stop.
I suppose the best thing to do is remember that it's a dream.
He can't actually hurt you."

The boy shook his head, "But he said only one of us can be in control."

His mother gently knelt down, to be more eye-level with the child.
"Perhaps, I should teach you a little thing to help."

"Sure. Anything... I want to sleep..."

His mother nodded, "Repeat after me.

I'm bigger than my body.
I'm meaner than my demons.

I'm bigger than these bones."

The boy repeated, and repeated until he had it.
His mother smiled, "It's to remind you that even if you are small, you are strong.

You can overcome any obstacle.

Also that you have a strong spirit.
Your spirit can easily be bigger than your body.
It can overpower any demon that comes your way."

The boy nodded, he liked that.

Moms were good for reassuring words.

///

It's dark.

I have to remember mom's words...
'Hello again.'
"Go away!"

He's laughing at me...
'Your voice betrays you.
You are frightened.

No matter how you much you pretend you aren't.'

He's right.
I am scared.

No. No.
Remember mommy's words.
"I'm bigger... than my body.

I'm mean- meaner, than my demons.

I'm... I'm bigger than these.... these bones."

'You're what? Hah.
Was that a cute little chant that our mommy gave you?'

"My mommy."

'Our! We are one.

The only question is who's in control.
And you aren't strong enough to stop me.'

"I am strong."

'Hah! Don't make me laugh.

You're pathetic.
All I need is one little... slip.
Shouldn't be long.
We're young.

Children are prone to emotional outbursts.

Until then...
Let's play.'

///

Over the next week...
Damian was simply trying to focus on happier thoughts.

Each night the demon teased him, or attacked him.

Some nights he'd awaken to Rose attacking him.

Then he met Black.

And for that week the demon didn't appear.

One day, while Black was there the two sat together next to a lake.

Black spoke, "I just realized I'd never met a neko before.
I mean... I've seen them...
But, mother doesn't care for them."

Damiaan smiled, "That's okay.
I'd never met any other species before...
I never met anyone outside my family.
Mom always went out to see visitors."

Black looked to him then the lake.
"Do you know anything about other species?"

Damiaan shook his head, "Not really.
I've heard names of species.
But no details."

Black stood up, "Okay.
I'll teach you about my species.
So that you know, in case you meet others."

Damiaan nodded and stood, "Okay, like what?"

Black thought hard, for a moment.
"Oh! I know.
I'll show you what shadow demons can do.
That's what my species is called, shadow demon.
We don't bleed, or have a heartbeat.

We're near impossible to kill." he seemed rather smug about the description.

Damiaan smiled, "That's cool.

But... like what happens if you scrape your knee?"

Black's smugness quickly faded, "Oh... Well it just sort of...

oozes shadows. And heals really quickly."

Damian nodded, that sounded reasonable.

Black spoke again, "You kinda saw what I could do when I scared off your sister.
But I can show you more stuff.
Like... this!"

He created a small shadow figure, shaped like a cat.
Damiaan smiled, "It looks like a kitty." he went over to try to touch it.

"Wait don't touch-"

But it was to late, he touched it, and it seemed to slightly disperse before lunging at Damiaan.
Damiaan cried out, partly in shock, partly in fear.

Black ran over, and grabbed Damiaan.
The shadows vanished.
"Sorry. I don't have it mastered.
It has a mind of it's own if touched...
You okay?"

Damiaan was breathing quickly.
"They're coming for me." he whispered.
"What?"
Damiaan looked to Black.
"The shadows, they're coming for me." he said, sightly hysterical.
"No, no they're not.

I won't let them.

I'm a shadow demon.
I can stop any shadow.
I'll protect you from the shadows."

A couple days later...
Damiaan's mother gently carried him inside the house.
His face was wet with tears.
His clothes were bloody, and torn.
His mother sat with him, in a rocking chair.
Setting Damiaan on his mother's knee's so they were looking at each other.

"Damiaan... I had always hoped that it wouldn't be important.
That perhaps your father's linage wouldn't affect you.
But given your nightmares of late...
And the fight just now with Rose...
Damiaan..." His mother was quiet a moment, before exhaling a sign.
"Damiaan your father, was a blood demon.
I believe... The nightmares you've been having...
It's your blood demon side fighting you...
Your father told me he was worried about having children...

He said that half-bloods were prone to instability and violence..."
His mother looked very concerned, and a tear began to stream down.

Damiaan gently reached and touched his mother's tear whipping it away.
His mother smiled weakly, "I told him that a neko's gentle nature could easily overpower such a thing...
I quickly realized your sister was lost to her blood demon nature...
Yet you... You always seemed so stable, I had hoped it'd never come up.

But it has... So I think you're entitled to be upset that I never told you...
And I'm sure you have questions about blood demons...
I'm not an expert, but I can tell you what I know."

Damiaan touched his throat.
His mother spoke, "Right, your throat hurts.
Let me get you a chalk board."
His mother gently lifted him, and set him on the other chair in the room.

Damiaan sat, and looked at himself.
He looked a mess, as he thought on the things the demon had said to him in his dreams.

His mother returned with the chackboard, and a piece of chalk.

"Here you go, sweetie."
His mother then sat down, "Go ahead.
Anything you wanna say or ask."

So he wrote, in the only language he knew how to write, neko.

His mother gently took it, then nodded.
"Yes. Your father is dead."

Damiaan wrote again.
His mother read it, "How...? Well... He was killed.

By shadow demons. Shadow demons normally hunt blood demons.
It's part of why I had hoped it's never come up..."

Damiaan sat and contemplated, before righting more.
His mother waited patiently, before gently taking it.
His mother was quiet, thinking.
Before looking at Damiaan with quiet determination.

"I do not know how you control it.
But I do now that your father always maintained a very controlled emotional state.
He never seemed to show a lot of emotion.
He did show happiness.
I saw nothing else, until the shadow demons found him...
That was the only time I saw... rage, hatred...
And sadness." His mother had to fight back tears while speaking.

Taking a slow breath to calm, before continuing.

"So, perhaps controlling your emotions is part of it...
Did Rose upset you, before you two started fighting?"

Damiaan stared at his mother in realization.
That was true, he'd been upset about Black leaving, and Rose pushed him over the edge.

The demon had even said mentioned children being prone to emotional outbursts.

When Rose had upset him, all his sadness quickly became rage.
Uncontrollable rage.

"Anything else you want to ask?" his mother asked.
Damiaan shook his head no.

"Okay, if you do, you can ask."

His mother gently hugged him, "I know you are bigger than these bones."

Damiaan nodded, before he carried his chalk board up to his room to think.

He didn't want to end up like Rose.
She was crazy.

He had to figure out how to keep his demon in check.

Controlling his emotions were important.
But there had to be more.
He closed his door behind himself, and set down the chalkboard.

Could he control blood like Rose had?

Or was that her demon?

He decided to try.

There was blood all over his cloths anyway.

He looked at his hands, they were stained red.

He took a deep breath and focused on it.
A ball of blood, perhaps just creating a ball.
He closed his eyes to focus, he pictured all the blood globing in his hands.
He shivered a little, he felt like something was crawling on his skin.

He opened his eyes, and looked about.

There was nothing.

So he closed his eyes and focused again.
He shivered again, but pushed it out of his mind.
He had to focus.

And the crawling became worse.
So he opened his eyes again, and saw this his arms and hands were more red than before.
Was it working?

He focused again, but kept his eyes open.
As he watched blood crept along his skin moving to his hands.

He could control blood.

He didn't need the demon.
But perhaps the demon could teach him?
He could be strong.

But he didn't want to be like Rose.
Damiaan stood quietly, he needed a plan.

A way to get the demon to teach him, help him...
Without letting the demon be in control.

///

The shadows.
Always the shadows.
Somehow the shadows had always scared me more than the demon.
Though... I suppose that makes sense now...

There he is.

'Aw, alone again I see.'

"Teach me to control blood."

'You can't control blood. Only I can.'

"Yes I can. I did it earlier."

'That was me. I fought the other demon."

"No, after that. I made the blood move."

Focus, focus. Don't let him upset you.

"I made it move, without you.

Teach me how to do it properly."

'Psh, why should I waste time teaching you?

I already know it.
Just let me do it.'

"No. I will do it.
Besides. I'm the only one who can protect you."

'Protect me? Hah!
I protected you from that other demon!'

"But you can't protect me from the shadows."

The shadows are moving in on him.
'I- I don't fear the shadows.'

"Yes, you do.
That's why they're here.
I am a neko, I have no reason to fear shadows.
But blood demons.
A blood demon's greatest fear is a shadow demon.
For they do not bleed, and are nearly impossible to kill.
So... Teach me to control blood.
I can protect you from the shadows."

'You lie.
You can't protect yourself from your own sister.'

The shadows are encroaching on him.

He is scared of them.
I have to show him that I am stronger than he is.
Move. Quickly.

Grab his arm like Black did.

They're gone.

Afraid of me.

'You... You truly don't fear the shadows?'

"I am bigger than these bones.

My light protects me from them.

Now, teach me.

And I will protect you, too."

'Alright. But I will not give up trying to take control.'

"You can take control when I die."

///

Damiaan awoke to his mother over him.

"You alright sweetie?"

Damiaan nodded, his mother smiled.

"You weren't up early, so I came to check on you.

Did you manage to sleep thru the night?"

Damiaan nodded again.

"See the demon?"

Damiaan nodded once more, as he got up and went to the chalk board.

His mother watched, "Learn anything?"

Damiaan wrote, and offered it to his mother, before getting dressed and walking out.

His mother read the message a couple of times before setting the chalk board on the dresser.

'I am meaner than my demons.

And I am in control.'

Author's Note

Decided to write this, having been inspired by a song.
If you wanna listen to the song please look up, Control, by Halsey.