Nobody likes the basement

*This story is under my folder titled “Basement spooks”. Gacha Club character designs are under this forum: https://www.youngwriterssociety.com/viewtopic.php?f=27&t=117842&start=105. Enjoy!*

Introduction 

Nobody likes going down to the basement. Well, maybe a select few, but the average human being does not like their own basement. It may be because it’s dark and dusty, full of things they promise to take out, promise to fix, but are left to rot. If anything is sent to the basement, it is sent to die.

But perhaps the monster in the basement wishes to see the light. Maybe it does not want to be amongst the silhouettes of half-finished furniture and fading Christmas decorations. Maybe it wants to see sunlight and smell fresh air. Maybe it wants to meet people.

Maybe it wants to be more than alive.

Chapter One 

Davon did not know where he came from, nor how he got there. But over time, he had come to understand that the dark, dusty place he lived in was a “basement” and the beings that did not have claws or sharp teeth who lived above him were “humans”.

There was a young human called Edward who sometimes went down to the basement. It was usually to get something from there, be it a piece of paper for school or some odd object his parents needed. Sometimes Edward saw him. When he did, he’d run, pure terror in his eyes.

Edward would always close the door before Davon could get out. It was like he didn’t want Davon to leave, which was strange, because what was so bad about getting out? Edward did it all the time.

But Davon would get out. He’d find a way.

Chapter Two

Davon reached his gray claws out to the ground and began to feel for any way to break it. His claws were strong enough to do so, but they only yielded dirt, not sunlight.

A crack or a crevice, anything for him to fully open. There were nails sticking out, mildly stinging, but not hurting much.

Anything…anything…there!

Chapter Three

A crack in the basement floor, big enough for him to break! Davon tore through it viciously, hoping to yield more than dirt and mud and…and it was still the same thing. There were bugs amongst it too, but he did not want bugs. He wanted out. He wanted sunlight.

Davon’s red eyes traveled over to the wall in front of him. He never thought to look at the walls, his head was always facing down.

But one of the walls had a box on it framed by a white border that showed the sunlight streaming in. He crawled over to the box on the wall and reached out to shatter it…

The box slid open, letting in the light and the cool air.

Chapter Four

Davon had crawled out, shielding a claw against the blinding bright light. Why didn’t he think to open that strange box before? And more importantly…

Why didn’t he think about what he’d do once he got out? What was there to do? What did he want?

People to talk to. Friends, as Edward called them.

But how to obtain friends?

Chapter Five

Edward! Edward saw him all the time! Maybe, if Davon got a chance to talk to him, then he could convince Edward to be his friend, to not run away from him.

He turned around and faced the brick wall of the house. His claws reached out and began to crawl on the wall, looking for the box that would show Edward.

The house had boxes everywhere that showed rooms and people. He just needed to find the right one.

Chapter Six

It didn’t take long for Davon to find Edward’s window. He tapped lightly on the window, letting the boy in on his presence.

Edward ran away, just like he always did. Davon was a little disappointed, but he still banged on the window.

He’d crack it himself and talk to Edward.

Chapter Seven

The window shattered into pieces, giving him white scar marks on his claws. Davon didn’t mind. He was used to stinging pain. He felt it with the nails that stuck out in the basement.

“Stay here. Do not move. You are going to scare him and then you will take him. You are under no circumstances to leave and-“

“I don’t want to stay here.”

Davon rubbed his head. That was strange. He didn’t remember talking to anyone before. But his mind brought up what must have been memories of him talking to another person.

The person didn’t sound very nice.

Chapter Eight

Davon finally found Edward in the hallway and grabbed onto the back of his shirt, pulling him back into his room. Edward was about to scream, so Davon covered his mouth with a claw.

Once they were back in Edward’s room, Davon closed the door with his magic and asked:

“Can you show me what else is outside?”

Chapter Nine 

Davon had removed his claw from Edward’s mouth so that the boy could speak. Once he did, Edward turned around to face him and cried out:

“What do you mean, “what’s outside”?! Who are you?! What are you?! Why are you here?! What-why-“

“I’m Davon. I don’t know why I’m here. I was hoping that fresh air could help me. I’m not going to hurt you, I promise.”

Edward raised an eyebrow as if he wasn’t certain on Davon’s words. There was no need for that. He was being completely honest.

Chapter Ten

“You just want to go outside? That’s it?”

“Yes, that’s what I said.”

“You don’t want to kill me? How can I trust you?”

Trust? What did he mean? Why would Davon want to kill him? Why would he think that? That wasn’t true at all!

 Chapter Eleven

“Because I don’t want to kill you, that’s how you can trust me. It’s how I feel. I’m not killing you now, am I?”

“You kind of hurt me earlier.”

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to.”

Edward didn’t say anything, seeming to think about Davon’s words.

“It’s fine. Just don’t do it again.” He finally said.

Chapter Twelve 

“This is the park. Is there anywhere else you want to go?” Edward asked.

Edward and Davon had left the house and were in a place with a lot of trees and benches. There were people walking their dogs, people talking to each other, people everywhere.

“Not really. I just want to see everything out here. I was in the basement so long that I just want to go anywhere you’d like to take me.” Davon beamed.

He hoped that his teeth weren’t scaring Edward.

Chapter Thirteen 

The two of them had been walking for a while out in the neighborhood, nobody seeming to acknowledge or even notice Davon. The walk was mostly silent, except for moments when Davon saw anything interesting, like a peculiar bug or a large, twisting tree.

“How did you end up in the basement? Do you remember?” Edward suddenly asked.

Davon felt something in him go completely cold, like there was some invisible force stopping him from talking about it. It wasn’t like he could talk about it anyway, since he didn’t remember much of it.

But he wanted to. He wanted to know why he was in that awful place at all.

Chapter Fourteen

“No. I don’t know why I ended up there. I wish I could tell you, but I…”

Bright light exploded into Davon’s eyes. Something crackled in the distance as he reached out, trying to get out and-

He felt human hands grip his wrists tightly.

Chapter Fifteen

“It’s looking at you.” Edward said, a note of fear in his voice.

The it in question was a wax-like humanoid with googly eyes and long, spaghetti hair, teeth jagged and different sizes. It clicked its claws in anticipation as it stood next to a tree. Nobody else could see it.

Davon stiffened. It was looking at him and he was beginning to remember what it was.

Chapter Sixteen

A place of darkness and torment. That was Hell. And it was supposed to be a place where only the truly bad could go.

But there was one demon in Hell who wanted to take away innocent people, too.

Morzina.

Chapter Seventeen 

Morzina rapidly began running towards them. Davon wrung himself from Edward’s grip, anger swirling inside of him as the memory burned stark clear in his mind.

She was his friend once. They used to joke about how terrible the humans were. They used to torture them together. It was not enough for her. She wanted more. More souls. More pain.

He was trying to stop her, he was going to stop her-

Then Morzina banished him off to the human world.

Chapter Eighteen

“I’m surprised you made it out here.” Morzina rasped.

Her claws were gripping onto his arms as they both tumbled in a blur. Davon hoped that Edward had run away, but he wasn’t sure. He couldn’t see anything else but her.

“Why is he the only one who can see us? What do you want?” Davon asked, because he knew that she wanted something, that she wanted to take something.

Or maybe someone.

Chapter Nineteen 

“Only for us to do what we are meant to do. We’re demons. We’re supposed to hurt. You are not giving it your all.”

Hurt? But not good people! No, she had it all wrong and she didn’t seem to care that she did. He could talk to her, but he had a feeling that nothing would change.

Davon had to fix it as fast as he could.

Chapter Twenty

Morzina still slashed, she wouldn’t stop, so Davon didn’t stop either. He kept using his claws until she would let go, until-

What? She was withering? No, black goo dripped from her body, she was screaming.

Davon let go. Morzina fell to the ground, eyes completely blank, slightly twitching, but not getting up.

Had he done it? Had he really killed her?

Epilogue 

Morzina had disintegrated into dust after he attacked her. She didn’t come back, but Davon did not think she was dead. He did not think that she could be dead.

But he did hurt her badly, so badly that she wouldn’t be able to come back for a long time and try to banish him into the basement. He could live with Edward and see the world for what it was, with all of its bright colors.

And Edward didn’t seem afraid of him anymore.