Daniel Hall: The Sandman (New Age)/Issue 2

The second issue of the series Daniel Hall: The Sandman. The Endless have been summoned by mortals on several occassions, but none so young as the mysterious sorceress known as Casey, who has successfully summoned Dream with her magical abilities. However, her request is more than Dream bargained for...

Plot
A young girl, no more than 12, stands in a dark room lit by candle light. Her hair unkempt, her clothes ragged, and her face dirtied, it's clear she has not been taken care of. Her expression is one of rage. Pure, hate-filled anger as tears roll down her cheeks and spit dripples from her mouth just from her screaming alone.


 * Casey Campbell: Kill them! Kill every last one of them!

She grits her teeth and clenches her fists, trembling and staring down at the concrete floor below her, attempting to avoid eye-contact with the man in front of her. Daniel Hall, Dream of The Endless. He stands tall, towering over her petite frame as below him rests a chalk summoning circle. Dream simply watches the young girl in the middle of what can only be described as a breakdown.


 * Daniel Hall: ...Why?
 * Casey Campbell: Cause they deserve it! They deserve everything bad to happen to them! And... and... and they should all choke! Choke, fall over, and... and never get up again! You're the Dream King and I drew the circle, so you need to listen to me! Make them all die!
 * Daniel Hall: What would fill a child with such fury that she would demand one such as I to slaughter her entire family, Casey Campbell?

Casey grits her teeth harder and glances up at him repeatedly. She attempts to open her mouth to speak, but all that comes out is a garbled whine followed by loud sobbing as she buries her face in her hands. Dream continues to stare down at her. His face is hard to read. He could either be pitying the young girl or just be bored with the situation and both would seem just as plausable.


 * Daniel Hall (thinking): The summoning of my kind through magical rituals is not unheard of. However, it normally takes a legion of magi. And yet this one, the young thaumaturgist known as Casey Campbell, not only comprehended the spell, but managed to summon me single-handedly. Intriguing, indeed...

Casey continues to cry into her hands. Her fingers spread and she sees Dream staring at her through them. This seems to snap her back into her rageful state.


 * Casey Campbell: Shut up...! I'm not crying!
 * Daniel Hall: May I ask why you wish for me to slaughter them?

Casey stares at him. The rage slowly melts off of her face and she wipes her tears, sniffling as she does.

Dream remains quiet as Casey looks at the floor. She doesn't want to talk about the experiences that led her to this moment, but she understands that she can't convince the Lord of Dreams to do what she wants unless she confesses.
 * Casey Campbell: O-okay...


 * Casey Campbell: M-my... we were... That is that, um...
 * Daniel Hall: Take your time.

Casey smiles. Dream was only trying to help her speak, but her expression makes it seem like that's the nicest thing she's heard in a long time.


 * Casey Campbell: ...The oldest memory I've got is when I was, um... six... I think...

In a flashback, a very young Casey wanders the hallways of her home. It's a big home, one clearly owned by a well-off family. It's not a mansion, but it's undeniably fancy.


 * Casey Campbell (narration): I was walking down the halls of my house. I don't... I don't remember why I was alone... S-something I remember is that I was always told not to go into the room with the green door in the house. "Don't go in there, Casey, daddy will be upset". T-that's what they said... B-but, that day, I saw the green door hanging open...

The young Casey stares curiously and slowly approaches.


 * Casey Campbell (narration): One of them forgot to lock it, I guess... A-and... And I was a stupid little girl! I was stupid and didn't pay attention to my parents and I walked inside...

Casey opens the door. It's a room of shelves, each of which has beautiful vases, plates, and statues, all made of porcelain. Casey stares in awe at them. In particular, she seems interested in a porcelain fairy, which she slowly cups in her hand.


 * Casey Campbell (narration): T-the room was full of these beautiful... things... I don't know what they were, but they were all so shiny... And I saw a fairy. A little fairy statue. I like fairies... I wanted to hold her. That's all, honest. I just wanted to hold her in my hands and look at her. She was so beautiful... B-but...

Back in the present, Casey's eyes well up with tears again. She looks up at Dream and grips his shirt with her tiny hands. Dream allows her to do so, though it takes him off, as she gazes up at him with a tear-stained face.


 * Casey Campbell: P-promise you won't get mad at me...
 * Daniel Hall: So long as you do not attempt to decieve me.
 * Casey Campbell: I'm not, promise! I'll tell the truth, I'll even be honest about the parts I wanna lie about!
 * Daniel Hall: Then I will not get mad at you. You may continue, Casey Campbell.

Casey lets go and sniffs again.


 * Casey Campbell: I broke her...

In the flashback, the door to the room opens and startles Casey, causing her to drop the fairy. It shatters at her feet. She immediately bursts into tears and attempts to reassemble the pieces, but it's too late. Her father has entered the room and caught her. He stares down at the young Casey.


 * Casey Campbell (narration): My d-dad... He wasn't happy...
 * Casey's Father: You didn't...

He crouches down and picks up the head of the shattered fairy while Casey cries. He simply stares down at the head, not doing anything to comfort her.

The young Casey tries to hug her father, who outright rejects her embrace, pushing her away.
 * Casey's Father: We told you to stay out, Casey...
 * Young Casey: I-I'm sorry! She was so pretty, I--
 * Casey's Father: We told you to stay out and you went in anyway? Why?! What were you thinking?!
 * Young Casey: T-the door was open! I'm sorry!
 * Casey's Father: So because the door's open you think you can wander in!? What are you goddamn it, an animal!?
 * Young Casey: Huh...?
 * Casey's Father: You must be! Only animals are stupid enough to walk into a place they know they're not supposed to go! Actually, no, scratch that. At least animals won't walk into other animal's territories! You're actually even more stupid than a fucking animal!
 * Young Casey: D-daddy...


 * Casey's Father: Save it! And get out! If you're lucky, I'll be able to glue this back together...
 * Young Casey: B-but I said sorry! I'm sorry! Please!

He turns to her, his face clearly indicating that he's done with this conversation.


 * Casey's Father: Get. Out...

Tears streaming down her face and sobbing uncontrollably, Casey watches as her father scoops up what's left of the porcelain fairy. Upon realizing that he truly isn't going to hug her, she slowly rises to her feet and exits the room, her feet dragging behind her as she whines. Back in the present, she continues staring at the ground, as if ashamed to even make eye contact with Dream.


 * Daniel Hall: ...This seems like a minor reason to wish your entire family were dead.

Casey looks up at him, surprised by his blunt words before hanging her head again.


 * Casey Campbell: Uh-uh... 'S not just that...
 * Daniel Hall: I see. I apologize for assuming.
 * Casey Campbell: T-thanks... B-but... like I was saying... I think that... I t-think that... That my dad stopped loving me after I broke his fairy...
 * Daniel Hall: What makes you believe such a thing?
 * Casey Campbell: C-cause... before that he yelled at me. He yelled at me and snapped at me when he was angry. But then... He, um... It was dinner time and I was done eating. B-but I was still hungry... A-and...

Flashback Casey shows off her empty plate to her parents. Her father sits in front of her and eats his food, a steak with mashed potatoes, while her mother smokes beside them both.


 * Young Casey: I'm still hungry.
 * Casey's Father: Be happy with what you get, Casey.
 * Young Casey: Could you make me more peas?
 * Casey's Father: Be happy with what you get, Casey...
 * Young Casey: But I'm not full, daddy! I want more peas! I'm hungry! I'm hungry now!

Casey begins slamming her fists on the table, throwing a tantrum as very young children are known to do. Her father simply listens to her fists slamming, his face becoming more contorted until he responds by slamming his own fist, even louder than her. Casey flinches back. Her mother doesn't react and keeps smoking, as if in her own world. Casey's father stares down at her, his imposing frame casting a shadow over the trembling young girl. But then...


 * Casey's Father: ...It's not even worth it.

Casey's father takes his seat and begins eating again. Casey stares at him. She's stopped trembling. In fact, she's stopped doing anything anymore.


 * Casey's Mother: ...I'll just make her some soup.

The father doesn't respond. Back in the present, Casey has the face of a broken person. If she has any more tears to shed, they aren't coming out.


 * Casey Campbell: ...I thought I'd be happy to not hear him yell at me.
 * Daniel Hall: But...?
 * Casey Campbell: ...I wasn't... I... I felt hollow. He had screamed at me so many times before, and the one time he decided not to, I... I felt so...

Casey stares down at her own hands.

Dream raises an eyebrow but nods and allows Casey to continue.
 * Casey Campbell: It was like he didn't care enough about me to even yell at me anymore...
 * Daniel Hall: That is quite a sad tale, though I still feel as though this is not enough to require my summoning or to wish death upon your loved ones. Or, shall we say, formerly loved ones...
 * Casey Campbell: I'm still not finished...


 * Casey Campbell: ...My mom. She's... she makes... well...

In the flashback, Casey's mother downs some pills.


 * Casey Campbell (narration): She hasn't been the same since she started taking her medicine...

Casey's mother places her pills on the cabinet beside her and flops over on her bed, which is poorly kept. The floor is dirtied and covered in garbage bags and empty pill bottles. She stares up at the ceiling as her head rests on a pillow without a sheet, her face devoid of any emotion and her eyes half-lid. Somehow though, a tear manages to fall down her cheek.


 * Casey Campbell (narration): She says she needs her medicine to be happy, but she never seems happy after taking them...

Something creeks. This simply sound causing her mother to react finally, one of pure shock at such simple stimulation. She jolts up and spots Casey standing at the door frame. Casey is a little older than in the previous flashbacks, but is still clearly younger than she is now. She stands perfectly still and she seems almost afraid as she hopes that her mother didn't hear. Casey's mother smiles at seeing her.


 * Casey's Mother: Casey, come to bed with mommy...

Casey's face contorts and her breathing increases. She very slowly turns around and approaches her mother, who lifts her up into the bed with her and cradles her from behind.


 * Casey Campbell (narration): I never liked being hugged by my mom... Her hands felt like a cheese grader was running across my skin, her breath always smelled like smoke, and the way she hugged me... it felt more like how you would hug a stuffed animal than a living creature...

Casey's mother sighs loudly. The young Casey's face cringes.


 * Casey's Mother: People... are awful, Casey.

Casey, still refusing to speak, glances back at her.


 * Casey's Mother: They treat you in ways you never wanted to be treated... They make you feel like you're less than nothing and that they could treat you like dirt before just scraping that dirt off their shoes.

She rolls over and lights up a cigarette, smoking it right beside her daughter's face. She seems either unaware or uncaring that Casey doesn't like the smoke, coughing in response to it.


 * Casey's Mother: You know, they give you this stuff that's meant to make you feel better, but then after a while your body gets used to feeling good and... it stops. But at that point it's too late. You keep buying their slop anyway because you can't live without it anymore... You don't feel good, but you know you'll feel worse without it...

She continues to smoke. Below her, Casey's eyes have begun welling up with tears. She doesn't want to talk about this with her mother. She doesn't understand what she means and, even if she did, she knows this isn't something you're meant to talk to young kids about. Her mother seems oblivious and just keeps rambling.


 * Casey's Mother: Sometimes you get a sorry out of them... but usually not. And even if you do get a sorry, it's never the sorry you want, you know?
 * Young Casey: No...

Her mother flinches at Casey finally speaking up for herself, seeming to be genuinely taken aback as if this has never happened before.


 * Casey's Mother: What do you mean...?
 * Young Casey: I-I don' know... what you mean...
 * Casey's Mother: What's that supposed to mean...?

Casey bites her lip and continues breathing erratically, unsure how to express herself. In response to this, her mother begins stroking her hair, which only makes Casey shed more tears. Her mother completely ignores this.


 * Casey's Mother: You know, I don't have any friends, Casey... And your father is... well, you've seen the man. Your brother is even worse... The boy grew up and now he doesn't even want to look in his mother's direction anymore...

She lies her head down against Casey's, treating her as if she were a pillow as Casey continues to cry.


 * Casey's Mother: I thought your father would be different, you know that...? Before him, I was only ever with one other man, the person who became your brother's father... And, you know Casey, when I found out I was pregnant with your brother, I was actually excited... I was a lonely teenage girl who managed to get herself pregnant. I thought that meant he was never allowed to leave me... and then I found out he had fallen down some stairs and killed himself.

Casey flinches and repeatedly glances up at her mother.


 * Casey's Mother: I had lost my chance to make a man be with me... And I didn't want to let that happen again. That's why when I met your father, Casey, I wanted to make sure he stayed. He was the most handsome man I had ever seen, tall, dark, everything a girl would love... So, I...

She chuckles and smiles, reminiscing on whatever she had done.


 * Casey's Mother: You're a little young to know the details. But... men have this unique... "thing" that stops women from getting pregnant. And if it breaks, obviously, it doesn't work. And I needed someone in my life, Casey. So I poked holes into it while he wasn't looking... The moment I found out I was pregnant with you, I called him immediately and told him. I didn't want to risk him slipping through my fingers, too... He was mad at first, but he knew what he had to do. We were married by the end of the month. And I hoped I'd never be alone again... But I was... I was with him every day of my life now, but I was still alone...

Casey's mother smiles widely and looks down at her.


 * Casey's Mother: That is until you were born... now I'm never alone. I don't need friends, loved ones, I don't even need a husband. I have my Casey...

She kisses Casey's cheek. This brings Casey absolutely no joy and she continues sobbing in her mother's grasp. In fact, now that her mother has confessed that Casey has to essentially fill all of her emotional needs, she only seems to cry more. Back in the present, Casey is once again crying and staring at the floor. Dream just watches her and, having learned his lesson by now, just nods in response to the story.


 * Daniel Hall: There is still more, yes?
 * Casey Campbell: Mhmm...

More will be added soon...