4.

Settling in down here, in a low lying over ground underworld filled with the oddest oddities collected by darkness itself, came with a somewhat surprising ease to a certain Sammy Fontaine. It may not have been an instant settling in though a new home in a dark place it became for a thirteen-year-old runaway boy who has let Darkness in.

From his initial arrival to an over ground underworld, it did appear to be quite a territorial place so Sammy found a spot he could claim as his own and his own that spot became.

Time passes quickly as it also passes slowly. The time Sammy spends down here, doing the business of darkness and for darkness, passes in the blink of an eye as it also takes an eternity, a lifetime of wrongness in a matter of a few years. All along Sammy knew his actions were wrong, indeed they were wrong, and they were also addictive, especially when he benefitted directly from his actions. That however only lasted so long.

Indeed, it was addictive early on to the point where he couldn't help but do bad things but the longer it went on the less Sammy was to get out of it and all the more would be expected of him. Yeah, his tasks came to be expected of him, not requested and when trouble came his way he'd be left behind to deal with it, no helping hand would show him the way home, or maybe a helping hand showing him an alternative way home was not his to find.

There will ultimately be a kind of preparation for his life further down the road but that won't be fully realized for some time. In fact, his time with Darkness would in its own way set him up for when he takes a different road.

Yeah, there is somewhat of a duality as there always has been ... the Magpie effect. When he assumed that he had been let down by one it was in actuality the other which was letting him down, having lured him in, for in moments of difficulty, shadows would not come to his aid or show him a way back to the underworld. They would not save him even with the fact that his actions were working on their behalf.

Half of what was once on the inside now is mostly on the outside, the other half always remained inside, it lay dormant, blocked and shoved away, packed away in a cardboard box. In moments when Darkness abandoned Sammy, the cardboard box tried to open itself; attempts were made to reveal its contents, still it managed to work on a preparation for the future.

The more difficult things got for Sammy, the more a light would shine from within that box. More and more Sammy was becoming open to not only see the contents but to receive them too. His mother, oh God, what about his mother? It has been years now since he left her, left her alone with his father. Is Sammy's soul darker now than what his father's soul had ever been?

At seventeen Sammy had a run to do, nothing he hadn't done many times before, again something expected of him and not requested. Choice was not being offered to him, he simply just had to do as instructed.

Under instruction, Sammy made his delivery successfully and he waited for payment. The payment was not his to spend as he saw fit, if anything he was rarely compensated, definitely not as he would have been early on. Darkness never relied on financial payment, spreading his soul and darkness was what he relied on, still he'd have his minions, Sammy being one, waiting on payment, payment to be brought directly back to Darkness or his next in command.

Indeed, Sammy made his latest delivery on time and he waited to receive payment. This particular gig was well up long before Sammy had set out on it and before he could receive payment, sirens began to sound out, multiple sirens and soon Sammy was surrounded. Those in Sammy's company made escape relatively easily, Sammy, not so much at first. He was cuffed and placed within a squad car.

Distraction came and Sammy took advantage, commandeering said squad car and taking off, and escape was made to an over ground location he had used many times as a base of operation. Five days he hid alone until the voice of darkness spoke to him. At this point, tired and weak, Sammy had enough. At this point he was done. At this point light returned full and whole, free to exit that cardboard box not that Light had ever really left him.

Sammy's decision to abandon Darkness has been made; time now to devote himself to all which is good, with a serious want developing to see Darkness fail, however Darkness will not simply want to let go.

Of course, Darkness would not accept defeat, darkness never accepts defeat. It will visit with Sammy Fontaine again. Thing is, how will Sammy react? What might it cost him second time around? In fact, in his confidence Darkness is sure Sammy will return to him. Just in case however, Darkness has sent a six-year-old girl to Sammy's location, a six-year-old he has already met. From within that refuse of his, Sammy sees this girl just standing there looking right back at him.

Darkness may have had plans, it may still have plans though plans for Sammy were made into demands, Light demands nothing and expects nothing. Light would however not give up on or give in on anyone who seeks it. It will not make false promises or guarantees, a lot of hard work may be necessary though rewards are special, rewards are true, and Sammy would see many a reward, not that seeking such had ever been important or required.

Sammy's heart indeed is good and is in the right place though light would never deny him some temptation or some guilty pleasures as long as no harm were to come from it, or no intentional harm on Sammy's part at least.