Memories

[flying_monkees]

Title: Memories
Characters: Peter/Sylar
Rating: PG
Warnings: Nothing really.
Disclaimer: Heroes does not belong to me no matter how much I wish it did.
Summary: Sylar remembers a Halloween from the past.
Table/Prompt:  Horror/Monster for mission_insane
A/N:  This is a sequel to Tricks or Treat because some people were asking about Sylar remembering something from his past.  So I was trying to find some pictures of tunnels and found this, thus the bunny was born.  Much thanks to my lovely beta, flwrpwr_vampyre

 

Sylar smiled at Peter, watching as he helped him take down the Halloween decorations.  It had been a very long time since he’d enjoyed this holiday, but seeing the looks on the kids’ faces tonight had reminded him why he’d loved it as a kid.  Peter looked over at him, smiling back as he reached up, trying to take down the rubber spiders and cobwebs.  Sylar shook his head, chuckling as the spiders were just out of Peter’s reach.  Walking over to the other man, he stretched up, pulling the spider from the ceiling, his smile faltering.   He probably shouldn’t have used spiders and cobwebs, it brought back old memories.  His face turned thoughtful as old memories flitted past.

 

*************

 

Eight year old Gabriel Gray couldn’t believe he’d managed to sneak away from his mom.  This was Halloween night and she wouldn’t let him go anywhere but around the apartment building and that was no fun.  Tommy and Kyle had said there were some really cool places to go trick or treating and he’d wanted to go too.  Tommy said he was too much of a baby to go but he would show them.  He ran quickly down the fire escape, heading to the corner they were going to meet at.  He skidded to a stop, seeing the older boys there, waiting.  Tommy turned when he saw Gabriel come running up.

 

“What are you doing here baby?  Isn’t it past your bedtime?” he sneered.  Gabriel put on a brave front, standing up to Tommy.

 

“I can be here, I’m not scared.”  Gabriel squared his thin shoulders, standing his ground.

 

Tommy just glared at him before sighing and rolling his eyes.  “Whatever.  C’mon then.”  The older boy led the rest towards the old water tunnel, hiding his smirk.  He was going to show that baby Gabriel just what it meant to have fun on Halloween…

 

Gabriel swallowed, following close behind the other boys.  “I-I thought we were going trick-or-treating…” he said timidly, not wanting to sound like a baby in front of them but this wasn’t what he had been expecting.  He stared up at the entrance to the water tunnels, the thin light stopping just feet inside. 

 

“This is even better Gabe, you’ll see.”  Tommy snickered, winking at his friends.  He wanted to teach Gabriel a lesson, show the little wimp that he couldn’t hang with the bigger boys.  A good scare would be all it took and leaving the baby in the tunnels for a bit would work.  They’d leave him behind, then double back and laugh as he freaked.  “C’mon, you’re not scared are you?”  Tommy started to walk into the tunnel, followed by the other boys.

 

Gabriel chewed on his bottom lip, watching the others.  He couldn’t go in there, it was too scary, but if he didn’t Tommy and the other guys would laugh at him, call him baby for the rest of the school year.  Taking a few hesitant steps forward, he paused again in the entrance.  “Are-are you sure it’s safe?”  He called out to Tommy who was already a ways into the tunnel.

 

“Safer then the streets.  Stop being such a baby, Gabe, and c’mon.” 

 

Gabriel took a deep breath, walking slowly into the tunnel.  It was really dark; he could barely see the other guys in front of him.  He fumbled with his small flashlight, turning it on and trying to keep up with the others.  “Hey guys, wait for me!” he said loudly, wincing when his voice bounced back at him, hearing them laughing up ahead and he hurried, losing sight of them.  Running faster he started to panic.  He couldn’t see the guys at all and it was getting darker the further he went.  Jumping, he thought he heard scraping noises next to him.  Swinging his light around, he didn’t see anything.  “Slow down!” he yelled, hearing nothing but dripping water and soft scrabbling sounds.

 

Licking his lips he tried to listen for the others but there was no sound of them.  He stumbled along, knowing they couldn’t be that far ahead of him.  Suddenly he tripped over something, hitting his head and losing his grip on his flashlight.  He heard a snapping sound as it hit something and broke.  Sitting in the middle of the tunnel, he started crying, covering his face with his hands.  He just wanted to go home to his mom, but that wasn’t going to happen if he didn’t get out of here.  Wiping the tears and snot off his face, he stood back up carefully, giving a sharp cry as he felt something in his ankle grind together.  Holding onto the wall, he started hobbling back in the direction he thought the entrance was.

 

After a long time of wandering in the dark, Gabriel started to really get scared.  He should’ve found the entrance by now but he still couldn’t see anything, not even his own hand in front of his face.  Long dried tear tracks smeared his face and he was sure he could feel cobwebs in his hair.  Underneath his hand he felt the wall change, becoming wetter and slimier and he pulled back his hand with a cry of disgust.  Sobbing as he limped along, he gingerly put his fingertips back against the wall, wanting nothing more then to be home.  “Please, someone help me!” he screamed over and over between sobs, terrified about what else could be out there and getting colder as each minute passed.  He’d only worn his thin fall jacket, not expecting to be out this long.

 

Gabriel moved further into the tunnel, his breathing becoming heavier the more scared he became.  His eyes were wide, desperately searching for any bit of light to help him find his way, stumbling in the pitch black.  He finally stopped, exhausted and unable to go any further, setting his back against the rough wall and sliding down to sit on the dirt floor.  He had no idea of where he was or how to get out and he wanted his mom and his bed.  Wrapping his arms around his knees, he pulled them up to his chest, rocking and crying.  Something tickled the back of his neck and he gave a strangled cry, batting at the spider slipping down his shirt collar, feeling other spiders running across his hands and one batting at his face.  Crawling on his hands and knees, he tried to get away.

 

A few feet further down the tunnel he stopped again, shivering from having the spiders crawling over him.  Gasping in air as he tried not to cry even more, he stopped, hearing a sound in the distance.  “Tommy, is that you?” he called out, hearing the shuffling sound stop.  He got to his feet, running towards the noise as fast as he could on his ankle.  “I’m sorry Tommy, please.  If someone’s there please help me, I’m lost!” he yelled, terrified the person would leave him in the dark, his voice bouncing off the walls, echoing through the tunnels.  The shuffling sound got louder and he turned to it, searching for it.  He could hear heavy breathing, smell a dank, fetid smell and he stopped, listening as the sounds came closer.  Suddenly even more terrified then before, he started to whimper, moving back.  This wasn’t Tommy and he had a bad feeling it wasn’t someone that wanted to help him either. 

 

Thoughts of the boogeyman started to run through his head, the stories his mother told him about how naughty children would be grabbed in the dark, carried off and never seen again.  Small noises escaped him and he ran back the way he’d come, hands outstretched in front of him so he wouldn’t run into a wall, terrified that it was the boogeyman behind him and that he’d never see his mom again.  He tripped over a rock and fell to the floor, crying out in pain, hearing the shuffling sound grow louder with each second.  He curled into ball, covering his ears, crying, muttering out loud.  “Please, don’t hurt me, I promise I’ll be good, I’ll listen to my mom, I won’t be naughty, please don’t take me…”  He screamed when he felt cold fingers caress his neck.

 

***************

 

Virginia paced outside the water tunnel entrance, throwing angry looks at the small group of boys huddled in a group, their parents holding on to them, scowling at her.  She didn’t care; these monsters had done something with her Gabriel.  Letting out a huff of breath, she stormed over to the boys, glaring at them.  “So help me God if you’ve hurt him.” she said in a low voice, ignoring the protests from the parents.  Turning her glare on the parents, she spat out.  “Your kids tricked my Gabriel into going in there, then left him.  You need to punish them, teach them how wrong it is to-“  The sounds of shouts coming from the tunnel made her break off the tirade, rushing over nervously.  A small cry escaped her and she put her hands to her mouth, scared that Gabriel was dead.  She hovered over the police man carrying the small body in his arms, touching Gabriel’s face, trying to see her baby. 

 

“Ma’am, please step back and let the paramedics do their work,” the man said gently, handing the boy over to the waiting paramedics.  Virginia looked hopefully at him.

 

“He’s…he’s alive?” she asked in a whisper, watching as they worked on her boy, hope lifting in her chest.  Rushing over to Gabriel she took his hand in hers, brushing the hair off his face and whispering into his ear.  “Gabriel, baby?  Its okay, mommy’s here.  I won’t let anything ever hurt you again, just open your eyes baby.”  Kissing his cheek, she smiled as Gabriel slowly opened his eyes.

 

“Mom?  I didn’t mean to be naughty, I’m sorry.  The boogeyman didn’t get me, maybe he knew I didn’t mean to-” Gabriel said softly, reaching up to touch her cheek before passing out again.  Virginia cried, resting her forehead on her son’s.  She swore she’d never let anything hurt her angel again but she wondered what had he meant about the boogeyman.

 

***************

 

Sylar looked up as Peter touched his arm and smiled softly.  “It’s okay Sylar, I understand.”  The smaller man stood up on his tiptoes, kissing the former killer’s cheek.  “I’m just glad you’re having fun.”  Peter squeezed Sylar’s arm, walking off. 

 

A small smile crossed Sylar’s lips.  He was glad that tonight had been a success and he hoped he gave at least a few of the kids’ a fun, lasting memory of the holiday.  Humming, he locked the doors and turned off the lights, heading for the bedroom.

Comments

[flying-monkees.livejournal.com]

Thank you hun, I'm glad you liked it. :D

And who wouldn't want to huggle poor little Gabriel, he deserves it. Poor baby. And I was hoping someone would like the boogeyman line. lol

Thanks for reading it hun!