The world shook as the demon roared. It stepped towards them, shivering with rage.

Several feet away, Kimberley winced at the pain in her broken leg. She held Brian for support as Derek raised a protective arm over them both.

The demon swung a thick arm through the air, causing sections of the houses next to them to disappear, leaving nothing but a white, empty space. Around them, several other parts of the world had gone, or were slowly fading away

The car that younger Kimberley had driven lost its colour and then disappeared. The driveway up to their house had also started to fade.

Brian whimpered in Kimberley's arms. Sorrow tightened her chest, her face twisting with distress at seeing her son's tears.

"Brian, sweetheart," she said, taking his face in her hands. "It's okay, everything will be okay. I promise."

Brian shook his head. "I don't want dad to be mad at me."

Derek bent lower to Brian. "Listen to me, Brian, that demon is not your dad." He looked up at Kimberley, his eyes as tense as his voice. "I believe that thing is a manifestation of Ben's emotions, possibly the last emotions he had when he was killed."

Another step closer, the hulking demon raised its arm, preparing to attack them.

Brian startled back, blinking fiercely as if to wish the demon away.

A section of the road disappeared, leaving a circular hole as the demon stepped towards them. Its foot fell through the empty space, but its overly large torso filled the gap, stopping its decent. It began to push itself up, growling and barking.

"Quick, over here," Derek called out, grabbing Brian's hand and leading him down the street. Brian pulled Kimberley along, having to support her as pain shot through her damaged leg.

They rounded a few wheelie bins and huddled behind them, catching their breath. The demon's furious growls echoed down the street.

"It's so angry," Kimberley said between breaths.

Derek shook his head. "Ben must have been filled with some aggressive emotions. Do you know what could have been troubling him so much?"

Kimberley looked at the ground, attempting to hide her pained expression. Ben must have known about her affair with James. Did Ben really think that she killed him on purpose, to be with her lover? It was the only reason he would be so angry at the moment of his death.

Kimberley merely shook her head and turned away from Derek's questioning look.

She looked out over the bins to see the demon several feet away now. Her throat caught when she saw the faces of her loved ones, and her own, twisted together into such a hideous mess.

"You killed me, bitch," the demon growled. Its voice was a twisted amalgamation of her own, mixed with Ben and Brian's, but with something else also – something darker. "Now I can return the favour."

Kimberley remained fear stricken for a moment, until Brian's cries shook her back to action.

"It's all my–my fault," Brian stuttered between sobs.

"Pathetic boy," the demon said. "Worthless."

It swung an arm through the air. A car beside it stretched out, smearing in a long arc like a metallic rainbow. The end came crashing into the street next to them, cracking the pavement and sending up chips of dirt.

Kimberley blinked through the rising dust, amazed at the curved stream of the car. It made her think of someone smearing a wet painting.

She lifted Brian's head, her mothering instincts giving her strength.

"Brian. Brian, honey. Look at me. You have the power to stop this. We're inside your head. You can remove things, change things, by thinking about it. Just like that thing can."

"That demon has been feeding off of your grief, Brian my boy," Derek said, nodding emphatically. "It has as much power as you give it."

Kimberley looked at Derek, trying to assess how certain he was of his words. The therapist gave her a shaky nod, though his eyes betrayed his uncertainty. Nonetheless, she was greatly relieved of his presence. She knew she couldn't do this without him.

"I... I can stop this?" Brian asked, his large, wet eyes looking up at them.

A tree blinked out of existence beside them. A house behind it had already losing its colour.

"Yes, Brian, look!" Kimberley said, her focus darting between the approaching monster and her son. "Look around at what you can do. That hole you made in the street."

Derek sighed, shaking his head. "If only there was some way to resolve Ben's pent up anger issues. To help him come to terms with whatever was bothering him so much at the moment of his death."

Kimberley's stomach churned, her dry throat threatening vomit. If only she had never been so weak. Had never had that stupid affair. If only...

She turned to Brian. "Sweetheart, I need you to be strong. Bring back the world."

Brian shook his head, wiping his nose with his sleeve. "I... I can't, mum. I just can't."

Kimberley thought frantically. The demon was almost upon them. She hated seeing her son like this.

She grabbed Brian's shoulders, urging his eyes to her. "Then draw. Draw, Brian. I need you to draw for me."

Brian frowned with confusion. "Draw?" The word seemed to calm him a little. "I don't have anything to draw with."

As he said that, a drawing pad appeared next to him, along with a thick pencil that rolled to his foot.

That gave Kimberley further hope. She thrust the pad and pencil into Brian's lap. "Draw, honey. Draw the day your dad died. This day. The driveway, me in the car. Remake all of this." Her voice caught, grief and regret tightening her throat. "Bring it all back."

The ground shook as the demon came closer; it's growls louder than ever.

"There's no time," Derek said, shaking his head. "But I can buy you some time." He shot them both a reassuring look as he rose. "Just keep drawing, Brian!"

Derek rounded the wheelie bins, breaking off a long piece of the smeared car beside him, and waved the metal stick over his head.

"Hey! Hey, over here," he called as he jogged away from Kimberley and Brian.

Scribbling frantically, Brian had already begun drawing what Kimberley had asked. She marvelled at his drawing speed, and how the pencil changed colour at different times, becoming green for grass or blue for the sky.

Yes, he could do this. However scared he might be, Kimberley knew that Brian would always have solitude and clarity in his drawings.

The hulking demon came upon Derek.

It swung an arm out to its side and a tree uprooted, flying towards Derek. Like the car, the tree smeared, becoming a long stream of solid wood and leaves that passed by Derek, who jumped back to avoid it.

He climbed over the wall of wood and continued approaching the demon, goading it with the metal stick and calling out.

"Brian, hurry," Kimberley urged. Her heart raced and adrenaline coursed through her, sweat beading her brow.

All around them, the world continued to disappear. All that remained now was small patches off grass and the road they were on – a long section of gravel surrounded by a white, empty abyss.

With a ferocious roar, the demon brought a hand down, slamming into the ground and cracking the concrete. The shaking ground caused Derek to stumble. He steadied himself, but didn't see the lamppost coming down from the sky. The metal pole skewered him through the chest with a sickening crunch, imbedding into the concrete below him.

Kimberley called out, horror distorting her cry. Derek froze, his arms out in shock, as blood dripped down the pole. He slumped, his arms dropping and head lowering. He remained mostly in place, held by the bloodied pole.

The demon glared at her, its sharp teeth bared in a snarl. "Now you have no one else to protect you."

The empty abyss darkened. The long road curled up, folding in on itself and whirled. Kimberley tensed, expecting to fall in the white, swirling expanse, but a new image appeared – a new location. When she saw the driveway further down and the collection of dark trees lining the street, she knew that Brian had done it. Derek was gone, but it was too late to save him, unfortunately.

Brian sat beside her, grimacing with exhaustion, the pencil rolling free onto the ground. His drawing mimicked their surroundings almost perfectly.

Kimberley took in the scene – the place, and time, she had thought about every day for the past few years.

The demon stumbled back, looking over the renewed location, and let out a ferocious howl.

"You bitch!" the demon spat. "Want to kill me all over again, do you?"

It swung its arms through the air, growling and turning as it stepped. Sections of the new world stretched and disappeared, like scraping wallpaper, revealing that white, empty space behind them.

It would tear this new world apart, Kimberley knew. But she had to show it – show Ben – what she wanted him to see.

She rose onto shaky legs, keeping Brian behind her. "Stay here, honey," she said quietly, keeping her eyes on the Ben-demon.

"Ben," she called out as she stepped towards it. "I know a part of you is in there. You need to listen to me."

"Ben has heard enough of your lies," the demon growled.

"Please," Kimberley went on. "Just look. Just... see for yourself. See what I wanted to tell you. What I couldn't tell you."

The sound of a motor came from behind her. She turned to see a car approaching. Her stomach twisted, having to go through this moment all over again. When she turned around, she knew that Ben would be there, coming out of the house to help her with the shopping. But he wasn't... the Ben inside this world, inside Brian's mind, had been taken over by the demon. But he was still in there, somewhere. He had to be.

"Brian," she called. Her son had stepped to the side of the road, the drawing pad still in his hand. "Honey, in that car, I'm..." She swallowed, finding it hard to speak. She realised that if she were to go through with this, she had to show everyone; to tell her son of her affair.

The car came closer, and she saw her younger face illuminated by the phone in her hand. She grimaced at seeing herself, texting while driving. How could she have been so stupid? If only she could scream at her younger self...

"Can you show us the text I'm writing, please?" She didn't know exactly how Brian could do that, but this was his world. Her mind was so numb – her body exhausted and left leg still screaming with pain – that she left it up to Brian to help her.

Her son was already scribbling in his pad. Despite their situation, Kimberley's heart warmed at the sight. He had that same look of concentration, his tongue sticking out slightly, that she loved so much. He was still her boy.

A thick hand curled around her neck. The demon lifted her up, turning her to face its grotesque head. Kimberley struggled for breath, grasping at the meaty fingers, attempting to loosen the grip, but the demon was so strong. Her feet dangled in the air.

"No more tricks, bitch," the demon said, bringing her closer. "I've played with you enough."

It raised her up and slammed her onto the street. Her head cracked against the concrete, knocking the wind out of her and blurring her vision. Its thick hand remained around her neck, blocking her air.

Through watery eyes, Kimberley saw that the car began to slow as it approached them. No, not the car; time. Everything appeared to slow down – the swaying trees, the sound of the motor – everything but them.

The demon growled and looked around with wide eyes. It turned back to Kimberley and squeezed her throat tighter, growling.

A beam of light shot up from the roof of the car, projecting a large rectangle in the sky. Kimberley knew the image immediately. Her phone screen was projecting in the air, showing the text she was writing.

Fighting through the dizziness overwhelming her, she sputtered and fought for breath. "Ben..." she managed to say. "Look."

The demon grunted and glared at her a moment, before finally looking up. She didn't have to see the projection to know what it said.

James. It's over. I made a mistake. I love my husband and son more than anything in the world. I'm going to tell him everything. He is my world and I can't lie to him anymore. Don't contact me-

The rest went unsaid, interrupted by her husband's brains smashing against her windshield. He must have seen her coming, and thought she meant to hit him. Meant to kill him and run away with her lover.

"I... always... loved you," Kimberley said, struggling for breath.

The demon panted, looking around with glazed eyes, its face twisted with confusion.

"Daddy," Brian called out behind Kimberley. "Don't hurt mummy. I love you."

The thick fingers began to relax as the demon lowered its arm. Kimberley fell to the ground, gasping and sputtering.

"No," the demon said, stumbling back. "She's lying to you. She's never loved you. This is...." Its voice shifted as it spoke, the darkness fading and another, familiar voice taking strength. "This is over." It was her husband's voice, clear and on its own. The demon began to distort, shrinking and twisting.

Kimberley rose onto her knees as Brian came to her. She looked up at her son and pulled him into a hug.

The demon continued to writhe and shrink. As it came to the proportions of a normal person, its face shifted into Ben's. Kimberley gasped, her heart swelling at seeing her husband again. She wasn't sure, but it looked like he was smiling. The image continued to twist and distort. In a swirling mass, the demon shrunk and disappeared, leaving nothing behind.

Relief overwhelmed Kimberley, her shoulders sagging as she held on to her son. Tears streamed down her face.

"Oh, Brian," she said, turning him to face her. "Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine, mum," Brian said. His face was dirtied and sweaty, but no injuries showed on him. "Is dad gone now?"

Kimberley nodded, smiling weakly. "Daddy's gone, sweetheart. He was always gone. That thing just took his face."

She pulled him closer and held him tight.

"I love you, mummy," Brian said quietly.

"Oh, I love you too. So much." She looked at him again, cupping his cheeks. "I'm so proud of you. You were so brave."

Brian smiled. "Can we go now?"

Kimberley chuckled, wiping the tears on her cheeks. "Yes. Yes, sweetheart. We can go now. Can you... get us back? Back to Derek's office?"

Brian looked away in thought, before nodding. He picked up his drawing pad and began sketching quietly.

Kimberley took another look around the world they were in. It looked so real. Real enough to kill Derek and Martin...

Brian paused his drawing. He looked up, thinking a moment, before continuing. Kimberley regarded his drawing, and smiled at what he had added.

The street tilted, swirling like wet paint, colours running together and becoming a blur.

Kimberley blinked. They were back in Derek's office, sitting quietly. It took her a moment to adjust to the new environment. Brian sat beside her. Across from her were Derek and Martin, who both looked around with raised eyebrows raised and open mouths.

"What... what happened?" Derek said, awe softening his voice.

Kimberley smiled. "We're safe now. Brian brought us back."

"But we... we died," Martin said, shaking his head. "At least I think we did."

Kimberley showed them the drawing pad that Brian still held.

"My son's latest artwork. Your office. With him, me, and you two." She held Brian's hand. "He thought to draw you both in the picture too."

Derek shook his head, frowning. "Astonishing. Absolutely astounding."

Martin held Derek's hand. "Thank you, Brian. You're a remarkable boy."

Brian smiled at him. Kimberley ruffled his hair.

"And it's all over?" Derek asked. "The demon is gone?"

The room was silent a moment, before Kimberley nodded. "It's over."

That night she tucked Brian into bed. His hair was wet from his shower, but he looked, and smelled, much better than he had before. It had been a long day, and Kimberley was about ready to pass out from exhaustion.

"Sleep well, my brave boy."

"I will," Brian said, giving a sharp nod.

Kimberley regarded him a moment, stroking his hair.

"You know your dad loved you very much, right? And I know he would be so proud of how brave you were today. You saved us all."

Brian smiled, but then his expression hardened as he looked away. "Will we see him again? Daddy?"

Kimberley's throat tightened. "No, honey. Well, not for a very long time, anyway." She hoped he would understand that.

After some thought, Brian eventually nodded.

She leaned in and kissed his forward. Brian wiggled further down the bed, pulling the covers up.

"Sleep tight," she whispered as she left the bed and turned to the door.

"Mother," Brian said.

Kimberley paused. She turned back to her son.

"I think we will see dad soon," Brian said.

She regarded her son, cocking her head.

"Maybe I'll draw him tomorrow." Brian smiled broadly and turned to his side, closing his eyes.

Kimberley froze. She couldn't begin to interpret what her son meant. Her head spun, her mind growing numb.

She reached for the light switch. Her son was safe. They were free from the demon. That was all that mattered.

She told herself that everything would be alright, and turned the light off.