Fighting Shadows In The Dark

A/N: So here it is, the sequel to Dealings With Demons. It's currently in progress although I do have a good chunk of it written. Hope you like it. Once again a thank you to all of you who read and review.

Chapter one

A New Beginning To An Old Story

I'm Naomi Breaker and I'm not crazy.

"Naomi, it's time for your medication." The plump middle aged nurse smiled and placed a handful of pills beside the plastic cup of water resting on my bed side table. I ignored her presence just like every other day before. "Come on you know you have to take them." She sighed.

I bit back a string of insults, the same as yesterday and put each into my mouth swallowing them individually, without water. They were for all sorts of things; anxiety, insomnia, paranoia, and depression. The last I took was a vitamin pill. The nurse was satisfied with my cooperation and left the room. I watched he go with disgust, I hated this place.

"Naomi." The door opened again and a small blue eyed blonde haired girl stood there. Her name was Saffy, and ever since I'd come here she'd been obsessed with me, I had no idea why. "Do you want to play with me?" Her wide blue eyes were full of hope. I shook my head no. Her smile fell, "Oh, okay, maybe tomorrow?" I shrugged my shoulders just as I had done the day before, this had become somewhat of a routine. Her face never failed to brighten at the prospect of 'tomorrow.' "Okay, see you later, Bye Naomi." I huddled into a ball in the corner of my bed as the door clicked shut behind her.

Absentmindedly I fingered the slim silver chain around my neck. It was all I had left of him. I'd been away from him for more the six months and two of them had been spent locked up here. Which meant it'd been two months since I'd spoken at all. I hadn't spoken to the nurse, Saffy, or any of the other patients. Most people just left me alone.

I should explain myself.

After being 'rescued' so long ago, after I died and came back, after him, I was never the same.

I sank into depression from the moment I realized I was never going to see him again, and that it was all my fault. I never told anyone why I was so down and no one could figure it out. From that moment I was on edge, muttering about demons and him. I spent so much time alone in the dark. It worried people.

I was sent to a consoler, I told her my story over and over, the truth of what had happened. She tried everything to convince me that I was only faking the story to cope with my horrible 'kidnapping.' I wasn't kidnapped how many times would I have to tell people that.

My story wasn't a lie, it wasn't some expertly weaved tale, it was real! The chain around my neck and the scar in my chest proved that.

My mom did her best to try and help me get over it but eventually I got sick of it all. Sick of being called a liar, sick of people pretending to understand, sick of all the questions without answers, I just got sick of life.

I tried to commit suicide. Needless to say I failed, and was coincidently no longer allowed near sharp objects.

That had been the last straw with my mother. She sent me away for professional help. I had had no say in what was to become of me.

Now I was here, in a bare white cell-like room in Dr. Christos's Asylum for Mentally Ill and Unstable Children.

Have I mentioned how much I HATE this place.

Everything here was white and against all odds impeccably clean. Every room set up the same, four white walls, one barred window, white tile floors, a heavy door with a lock and window, one light, a table, and a chair. Oh and a bed with you guessed it, white sheets. Even all the patients were required to wear white uniforms; white shirt, white pants, and white slippers. My skin was becoming as pale as the whiteness around me.

The lack of color that surrounded me on a daily basis made me feel all the more like the caged animal I was. "I want out of this damn place!" I muttered to the empty room slamming my fist into the bed and tugging violently at the plastic I.D. bracelet.

"They won't let you out until you're cured." I jumped at the soft voice. I hadn't ever heard the door open, but there it was wide open with little Saffy framed in the doorway.

"Giving someone a shit load of pills won't cure anything." I sneered talking for the first time in months to a human being.

Saffy seemed to take my speaking to her as an invitation to come in. She skipped uncaringly to my bed and sat down next to me.

"I believe in them too." Her voice rang with childish innocence, she looked up at me through her lashes, pale golden hair falling into her face.

"Who?" I blinked.

"The demons silly, who else?" She giggled.

That's right, I remembered. I heard that Saffy was an orphan brought here because she claimed to see demons, and other monsters. The orphanage couldn't deal with her 'abilities' anymore and left her here when she was seven.

"Saffy how old are you?" I asked taking the harsh tone out of my voice.

"Ten." She held out her fingers for emphasis.

Three years. She'd been here for three years and was still a perfectly sane, sweet little girl. How in hell did she keep so cheerful?

"What makes you think I believe in...demons?" I choked on the word.

"You do too don't you? I know you do." She shrugged scooting closer to me.

"Well...I...um..."

"You miss him a lot." She continued eyes glued to my chain necklace. "I think he misses you too."

"Who?" I asked again.

"The half demon who wore that necklace before you. Damon." She sighed, like it was the most obvious thing in the world to understand.

"Da...Damon?" I stuttered eyes wide in shock. The word felt forbidden in my mouth.

"Yeah, his aura clings to you and that chain. I can feel it."

"How, how do you know about him?"

"I know a lot of things, I know all about you, Damon, Zak, Marx, and your brother too." She smiled brightly at me. "He's looking for you."

"Damon?"

"No, your brother!" She giggled as if I missed something obvious again.

"But he...he's dead!" I stammered.

"No he isn't." She sing-songed, "Damon brought him back too."

What did that mean, Damon brought him back too? My world shrank to nothing but me and the little girl. My brother was alive...that wasn't possible. I never finished the transfer. "What about Damon?" I asked breathlessly, "Do you know anything about him?"

"He's trapped." She replied bluntly.

"Where?" I was frantic.

"In Hell." Was her simple cheerful reply.

God no! I forgot to breath, my brain went into information overload. I stared at her blankly.

"Naomi!" The nurse bustled through the door again, stopping dead when she saw Saffy at me elbow. "Oh Saffy." She exclaimed her voice a little off. "It's time for dinner girls." She choked.

Was she actually afraid of Saffy? I didn't spend much time around the other people, mostly I kept to myself, just stayed in my room.

I could definitely see why the sweet little girl might freak people out. She knew things, things that were your deepest secrets, things she just shouldn't know. It was a little scary. The look of fear in the nurse's eyes confirmed my decision to make that little Saffy my new best friend.

"Hi Ms. Karen." Saffy smiled sweetly completely oblivious to the way she made the nurse feel. "I was just trying to cheer Naomi up."

"Really?" Ms. Karen faked a smile, "How's it going for you, she'd not much of a talker."

"She's a very smart little girl." I smirked coldly getting up off the bed.

The nurse looked at me shocked, like I had two heads or something. It might have had something to do with the rumor that I was mute, or it could have been the tone I talked in. I was filled with malice, and hate, a bitter unfriendly sound. "Come on Saffy." I held out my hand. The girl laughed delighted and grabbed it happily. I pushed past the nurse in the doorway and walked down the hall to the cafeteria Saffy beside me humming a happy tune.