#im only a lowlife high school student trynna make it through college life ugh

[dannyphantomisameme]

Not What I Want

~ Chapter 4 ~

(Click for prologue, chapter 1, chapter 2, chapter 3, and fan fiction link)

‘You need me.’

‘No I don’t.’

‘You want me.’

‘No I don’t.’

The devil began to multiply and evolve, growing in number and size to surround Daniel. Their smirks gradually took over their faces, spreading like the Cheshire cat. Their stances unveiled dominance and madness. Behind them roared the intense inferno, red flames blazing to touch the ceiling. ‘You will never escape.’ they said in unison.

Behind the numerous devil’s rested a cage with an indistinct figure inside. Daniel ran through the mob of monsters, pushing them aside to reach the cage. Their eyes continued to follow him, searing into his fragile skin. Instinctively, he recognized the need to save whoever was in there. As he neared the silver restraint, he noticed a ghost with flaming blue hair sitting on the floor, bawling her eyes out. His pace slowed as he reached the cage.

Ember. Was it really her? Was she back?!

She suddenly stopped crying and her head pivoted to face him. ‘YOU DIDN’T SAVE ME…’ she shrieked as she began to ooze into a pile of ectoplasm. The noise pierced his ears and he fell to the ground, clutching his ears to stop the noise.

‘THIS ISN’T WHAT I WANTED!’ Daniel shouted just as the largest of the devil’s monstrous hand lept for him. Daniel squirmed to be set free, but he was stuck within the palm of the demon. The devil’s all began shrieking, their laughter ringing through his head and tearing the little sanity he had left.

‘You will never get what you want.’ The largest devil’s voice echoed. The fire thundered to match his words. ‘You’re my little pawn. You do what I want. Understood?’ The laughter picked up again and rumbled throughout the inferno.

‘Stop. Please. STOP!’ Daniel shrieked as blood poured out of his ear and dripped down his face. He couldn’t hold consciousness anymore.

Daniel gasped and sat up suddenly, only to bump his head on the table above him. It was cramped in the vehicle with all the pieces of furniture, but there was enough space for a half-ghost teenager to fit in. The events of yesterday hit him like a train, prompting him to lie back down and sigh. He rubbed his head as a migraine began to form. So he really was free. Away from the devil. Closing his eyes, he continued to doze off.

With his heightened hearing he heard a screech and noticed that the vehicle had stopped moving. Realizing he needed to take off before anyone noticed him, he went invisible and flew through the wall. Just as he exited, the back doors opened and two men began unloading the furniture.

He flew off into the sky, not understanding where he was. The van had stopped in a suburban neighborhood. According to the sky, it was late morning. He flew out of the neighborhood area into the parking lot of a strip mall. Becoming visible again, he landed on the floor and rounded the corner. His back contacted the stone wall as he slid down into a sitting position. He placed his pounding head into his hands.

Now what?

He couldn’t evade his father forever, right? At some point his money would run out and he wouldn’t be able to provide for himself. He needed some way to fit in and save money.

Lifting his head he noticed his hands covered in soot. I need a shower. A warm shower. He needed to change his clothes too, before someone noticed a ash-coated teen with a tattered attire walking around. He got up, went invisible, and sprung into the air. He ground was covered with a thick blanket of snow, making it harder to spot what he was searching for.

After soaring through the frigid atmosphere, he discovered a forest filled with pine trees. He knew he could find what he was looking for within the thicket of timber, but overlooking the woods he couldn’t see under the large evergreens. Plunging to the ground, he landed swiftly on his feet in front of the forest. He trekked on foot, searching and searching. The forest seemed deserted, except for the little wildlife not hibernating.

Finally noticing a glimmer from a distance, he raced towards it. Upon closer inspection, he came across a frozen pond.

It’s not ideal, but I’ve been through worse.

Blasting a hole onto the pond, he shattered the layer of ice that sat upon it. He didn’t notice any fish in the pool of water unfortunately. He lightly tested the water with his fingers, a cold sensation running up his spine. He manifested ecto energy on his palms and placed it down onto the pond. Soon he saw the water begin to smoke, fog rising into the air. He removed his hands and checked the water temperature again.

Perfect.

Removing his clothes and tossing them aside, he stepped into the water. The liquid rose up to his armpits when he sat down. His muscles softened as he relaxed into the warm sensation. He had created his own hot tub.

Ha, beat that, father.

He scrubbed himself clean of the ash. Once he was finished, the water had returned to its original temperature. He got out and fished for a new pair of clothes in his backpack. Realizing he had only packed one outfit, he was careful to not get it dirty. Slipping his collared shirt, boxers, blazer, and pants on, he tied his shoes and stood up. He grabbed his backpack and took out a packet of Chex Mix.

He ate as he considered what his next objective was. He couldn’t leave behind any evidence, so he decided to burn his clothes and trash. Throwing everything into a pile along with a few pieces of kindling, he sent three ecto-blasts towards it. The clothes immediately lit up, blazing red and orange. Although there would still be some indication that someone was here from the now black stained snow and smoke, it would wear away after some time.

He was proud of himself for surviving this long away from his father. Although his entire life he desired to be away from him, he couldn’t help but feel a pang of guilt. He had stabbed his father, threw him into a wall, and set ablaze his only ‘safe haven’. That wasn’t exactly the best goodbye he could have given his old man. But no matter, he was quite a distance away from the devil and had no intention of returning back to hell.

Daniel decided to trek through the forest instead of flying since he had all the time in the world. He also settled to return to the strip mall and find a way from there. Walking through the forest felt like bliss, the cold radiated through his jacket, but it was better than the devoid sensation of the stone halls back home. He hadn’t the slightest idea from which way he came, but luckily his footprints still showed through the snow, so he followed them.

He began humming a song as he strolled, but he couldn’t recall the name of the song or where he heard it from. But then he realized. He stopped in his tracks, glaring straight ahead subconsciously.

Ember’s song.

It was the last song he heard her sing. Shaking it off and continuing his journey, he remembered the last visit he paid her.

‘Hey Ember’ Daniel said sheepishly, grinning as he entered into the living room.

‘Hey Babypop!’ she squealed as she hugged him tightly. A light green blush tinted his cheeks, but they vanished just before she noticed. She stretched out her arms to look him in the face. ‘You’re just in time to see to hear my newest song,’ she said as she grabbed his hand and pulled him further into the room. ‘come on!’

He smiled as she yanked him through the living room, past the kitchen, and into her bedroom. Her guitar rested on her black comforter detailed with skulls. They both hopped onto the bed, giggling as she picked up her guitar and pic.

‘Just a sneak peek alright? I still want to keep you waiting for the entire performance. You are coming right? Remember the tickets I gave you?’ her mouth moved a mile a minute. She was so passionate when it came to music.

‘Y-yeah. I’m coming.’ he said as he rubbed his neck nervously. No way would his father ever approve of him going to a concert in the ghost zone. But he couldn’t tell Ember that. And it wasn’t like he would be seen in the crowd of thousands of ghosts anyways.

‘Great! Now here’s a little something I like to call Remember’ she exclaimed. Ember began to strum her guitar singing the chorus of her future hallmark song. ‘Ember, you will remember. Ember, one thing remains. Ooh Ember, so warm and tender! You will remember my name.’ With a final strum of her guitar, he clapped for her.

‘That’s amazing.’ he replied beaming. ‘Your fans are going to live again with that hit.’ her vocal range was quite impressive. And with her song, she was going to have so many swooning over her. They surely were going to remember Ember Mclain.

Just like him.

But he would remember for the wrong reasons.

He returned to consciousness, blinking away the surreality. His smile from earlier faltered as he tripped over a log, catching his balance before tumbling into the snow. He was living a life of luxury while Ember was who knows where. And it was all his fault. Maybe if he had disobeyed his father he could have saved her. He knew he should of swung the hammer at his father’s demonic glare instead of Ember’s core. But now it was too late.

He finally reached the end of the trail of his footprints. Going invisible, he vaulted into the air, continuing the rest of his path in the air. He couldn’t remember where he came from, so he resolved to go to the nearest store. Within a mile of flying, he spotted a link of stores. He headed for the shopping center, descending to the ground. Once he contacted the floor, he turned visible and whirled to walk to the front of the store.

Now what?

He didn’t want to buy anything, but he also didn’t want to do absolutely nothing, so he entered the store. Inside, he realized it was a grocery store. Produce lined the right side of the large space. Next to it were refrigerators stocked with dairy products. On the left were shelfs equipped with non-perishables and other food items. Maybe he could buy something for dinner.

“Aren’t you supposed to be in school?” a voice out of nowhere said. Daniel turned to see a woman with blonde hair tied into a messy bun. The cashier. She stuck her finger out at him with a lazy expression on her face. She couldn’t be older than 25.

“I -uh.” before entirely responding, he dashed out of through the automatic doors and into the parking lot. He heard a muffled cry behind him, but he didn’t bother to listen. He continued to run into the streets, using the sidewalk as a guide. Once he was a safe distance away, he swiveled to hide behind a bare oak tree. His hands were on his knees as he panted softly. Droplets of sweat descended down his forehead. Even in winter he could find a way to sweat. So maybe he used a bit of his supernatural strength to race out of there, so what? Hopefully the cashier didn’t notice.

But she did have a point. A teenager roaming the streets wasn’t the ideal situation. Since he wasn’t 18 yet, he was sure to be called either homeless or a runaway. He didn’t need the police involved. If they found him, he would receive a one-way ticket back to his father. And back to hell.

Deciding to research some more, he resolved to find a library and use a computer. Although, he didn’t know where to find a library. Entering back into the open and walking along the sidewalk, he noticed someone walking towards him. He waved frantically, hoping to grasp their attention.

As the figure came closer, he was able to make out a man wearing athletic wear. The man noticed him and removed some white bulbs from his ears that were connected to his phone by wires. Were those earbuds he had heard of once?

“What’s up kiddo?” The man’s said in a friendly tone. It felt strange to hear an actual human voice that contrasted his father’s greatly.

“Uh- do you know where I could find a library?” Daniel asked softly. Hopefully the man wouldn’t answer his question with more questions.

“Yea, your in luck. It’s only a 20 minute walk from here. Take a right on McBerry street, then continue until you hit an intersection. Turn left on Winona street and then from there you should be able to see a large building on your left. That’s the library.” the man said as he gestured the directions.

“Thanks!” Daniel replied quickly, not waiting for the man to reply back. He took off, following the mans guidance. He continued walking till he noticed a pole with a green sign displaying the words ‘McBerry Street’. He took a right and progressed forward for another 15 minutes. He passed by more homes that looked almost identical in shape, other than their different colors. Most of the homes looked vacant with their dark windows. Daniel guessed that the residents were off working or studying at school. The chain of trees situated in the front yards were all stricken of their leaves, bare to the twig. The sidewalk was somewhat slippery with chunks of ice forming a rocky sheet, but he was able to keep his balance majority of the time. Nearing Winona street, he turned left and noticed a building in the distance. He headed in the direction of the building presumed to be the library.

Nearing the library, he noticed a sign outside the building. Johnsville Library. So he was on the correct path. Opening the door, he felt a wave of warmth hit him. The air conditioner blew his hair away from his right eye, but he returned the strands back to its previous position. Entering the library, he was reminded of the one back home, however this one was more vibrant with its posters and modern looking furniture. Shelves stacked with books filled the area. In the center, sat a table peppered with computers ready to be used. Few people actually were inside the building, most of them sitting on the couches in the far corner reading a book.

He took a seat at one of the computers farthest away from the checkout. The desktop was already opened to google. In his lifetime, he had used a computer several times. His father occasionally graced him with the opportunity to search the internet for a maximum of two hours. Typically three times a month. He always said yes and learned more about the world around him. His research was the only reason he was still surviving, otherwise he would have been like a newborn child entering the world for the first time.

He first searched for his current location.

Amity Park, Minnesota.

What? He went north? It made some sense considering there was more snow here than his father’s mansion back in Colorado. He then searched for the distance between the two states.

992 miles. 16 hours and 27 minutes.

Was I asleep in the van for 16 hours? He hadn’t slept that long since he was an infant. The rest was helpful though, as he recalled being quite energized after being startled awake. But there was still no way his father could find him here. Out of all the places he could be, Minnesota was one of the most unlikely. It would have been better to get out of the country, but then he would have to waste some of his money on a plane ticket. Unless he flew, but flying over the ocean would be next to impossible. Although he could hitch a plane ride by sitting in the cargo… he set that as plan B. He still had some things in mind he wanted to accomplish.

Daniel proceeded to research about Amity Park. He found some interesting information. Amity Park was among the smallest of cities in the midwest state of Minnesota. So small, that they only had one high school, Casper high. That was good news. He could stay here for the time being till he found a better way to provide for himself. And what better way to amuse himself than going to school?

To be able to interact with other humans his age would be a life-altering experience. He didn’t care if he had to work through it, anything was better than roaming the frigid streets of the petite town. He googled Casper high, coming upon a website with a raven as its mascot. Toying around the site, he found a link to application forms.

Score!

He entered his information, changing some of the details.

Full name: Daniel James Masters. Being accustomed to his name, he knew he wouldn’t reply to any fake name he could provide. But he never had a middle or last name. James was a name he had seen on one the portraits in the hall. His father’s last name was Masters, so it seemed the most reasonable. He kept it the same since he anticipated his father would be looking for a Daniel with a different last name, not something so obvious as his father’s last name.

Gender: male.

Date of Birth: February 15th, 2001. Originally his birthday was April 3rd, 2001, but he needed to switch it up.

Age: 17 years. He couldn’t fake his age even if he tried.

Origin: USA. He kept his home simple, although he knew people would ask where he came from. He would have to think of something by then.

Reason for Application: Previously homeschooled, looking to join a school.

He filled in a couple of other questions, answering them to the best of his ability. At the bottom of the document, it requested him to make an appointment and notify the school when he wanted to join. He decided to see the school tomorrow, and join immediately the next day. Once he finished, he pressed the enter key on the computer and smiled.

He was going to high school.