Disclaimer: Danny Phantom is the sole property of Butch Hartman. "Left Outside Alone" by Anastacia is the sole property of Anastacia and her record company.

A quick note: This idea came to me late into the night and is actually written for October 13th. I'm afraid I was a little late for putting it up on FF then, but that's what it was written for.

Reviews: I'm afraid they disappeared into a hole in cyberspace. Don't ask me how. I went to look for them, and they were just gone. Grrr…

Left Outside Alone

Friday the thirteenth. In October, no less. It was a day to be feared, and he did fear it. He huddled against the sudden draft, pale blue orbs raising to gaze up at the person that had opened the door. The man wore a smirk on his lips. He always did when he came to visit the prisoners. That was what the pale blue-eyed teen was. He was a prisoner, trapped within these cement walls that brought nightmares. A cry was torn from the teen's lips as the man raised his hand and backhanded him. The teen now lay on the ground, hands keeping his face from the ground. Raven bangs created a shadow over his eyes as the man flashed a light in his eyes. The teen raised his hand to shield his eyes, blinking in the unfamiliarity of the brightness. The man spoke.

"You know what day it is, don't you Daniel?"

His voice was harsh and cold, and the teen, referred to as Daniel, shivered. He nodded slowly then flinched as the man reached down, grasping the red collar of Daniel's white t-shirt and pulling him up to his face. Daniel cried out as what he feared happened. The man's fist connected with Daniel's side, and his smirk grew into a wicked smile as the crack of breaking bones echoed in the chamber. He released Daniel, the poor teen collapsing upon the ground and coughing up blood.

"Tell me, Daniel, how many Friday the thirteenth's has it been? How many times have I come in here to break you?" The man circled the trembling teen as he struggled to get his bearings, managing to pull himself up into an awkward sitting position. "Let me ask you this instead." Daniel grunted and doubled over as the man kicked him once more. "How many has it been this year, Daniel?"

Daniel coughed, wiping his mouth with a trembling hand as he gazed up at the man with glazed eyes. His lips moved, and he spoke for the first time in what seemed an eternity. "T-twice," he whispered. His voice sounded broken and empty, unused for many, many days.

"That's right, Daniel. Twice this year." The man continued to circle him. "You must be better at math than I first believed."

"You'd be surprised what can change in a few years," the teen choked out. "Math skills, stamina…. immunity to certain drugs."

The man's foot connected with the side of Daniel's head. The impact threw the young man several feet. He bounced a few times before rolling to a stop in the light revealed by the open door. He had landed on his stomach, his arms sprawled by his head and legs lying at the odd angle they had fallen. He was still breathing; yes, that much the man was still certain of. The man stepped forward, removing a vial of red liquid from his pocket. He stopped only inches from the young man, blood dribbling from his lips as he gurgled. A hand raised to his chest, blood pouring from the wound. He hadn't even heard a gun. Then he dropped to the ground unceremoniously, dead before his head even hit the floor. The vial shattered, the cork bouncing and rolling about on the floor, finally coming to rest not far from Daniel's left hand.

A shadow fell over the two unmoving figures, a gun held in one hand. Daniel stirred and raised his head, blinking and raising a hand to shield his eyes. The light gave the figure the appearance of a glowing countenance, like an angel. Long raven hair flowed down the figure's shoulders and about the shadowed face as the wind blew. The figure stepped into the shadowy cell, and the angelic features of a female teen were revealed. Lilac met pale sapphire, and a sad tilt of her lips greeted him as she gazed down upon his trembling, broken body.

"Sam," Daniel whispered, then darkness claimed him once more.