eriegizmo

[eriegizmo]

Valley of Ashes

Start at the beginning: [x]

Anti grinned as he made his way down the path towards Jack’s cabin. This had been a long time coming. Something that Anti had been anticipating for along time since he was first created.

The windows were dark as Anti came up and he grinned in excitement at the fear and pain he could cause Jack. It was easy for Anti to sneak his way in and Anti delighted at how easy this was going. There was no one to hear Jack. There was no one to save him now.

It was the furniture being covered up that alerted Anti to something going on. The house was empty of everything it needed for a person to live there.

With a snarled curse Anti threw the bedroom door open to a empty room. It seemed Jack had wisened up and moved.

“No matter,” Anti whispered with a sickly grin, “there’s nowhere for you to go that I can’t find you Jack.”

Anti glitches out of the house and into the closest town. He needed new information on Jack and the quickest way was the fans. A tickle on his upper lip and Anti rubbed it only for his hand to come back bloody.

It was a nosebleed and Anti growled as he used his entire arm to wipe the blood from his nose. It didn’t matter to him at all.

Loud shrieking laughter from nearby and Anti twitched in agitation. A couple was approaching him with the girl being overly loud and the man posturing.

“Hey look at that freak,” The man pointed at Anti. He had a knife sticking out of his throat in the next second. There was a look of slight surprise on his face before blood sprayed out as Anti ripped his knife out and the man gurgled as he collapsed on the ground.

The girl shrieked and Anti shook his head at the ringing in his ears. He swung his knife at her but she stumbled back while fumbling in her purse. She pulled a gun out right as Anti lunged forward and plunged the knife into her chest. The life went out of her eyes right as the gun went off.

A line of burning pain erupted from the side of Anti’s head as he barely dodged the bullet putting a hole through his head. With a hysterical laugh Anti began stabbing the girl’s chest repeatedly. She had made him bleed.

She

                 Had

                                 Hurt

                                                Him.

Her chest was a ruined mass by the time Anti calmed down. Giggles still erupted from him every few seconds. Her phone had fallen next to her body and Anti picked it up with a crazed grin. It only took a simple search and Anti had his information needed.

“So you moved to England there Sean. Thought you could run from me,” Anti whispered. He bent forward as giggles overtook him.

A glitch and Anti was gone right as someone rounded a corner and began screaming.

England was new territory for Anti but he didn’t care. His end goal was in sight. Nothing would stop him.

Anti scratched his chest obsessively not caring that he had scratched two spots raw. They burned all the way through as if he was shot.

Anti glitched to a certain house and approached with twitchy excitement. The lights were on and Sean was definitely home. Anti could feel it.

He glitched in to the front hallway with his knife out. His entire body was still covered in blood from the girl.

Off to the side, unseen, a symbol on the wall lit up green.

Anti made his way down the hallway swinging his arms from side to side in preparation. He didn’t get far before there was a rush of footsteps and Sean appeared at the other end of the hallway.

“Anti,” Sean shouted. He slammed a sheet of paper onto the wall and it lit up. It was so bright Anti had to close his eyes before something zapped him and Anti dropped the knife.

The light disappeared and Anti blinked his eyes to try and see but all he saw was a dark blur running at him. Anti swiped at it forgetting he had dropped the knife. Sean ducked down and grabbed the knife off the ground and plunged it into Anti’s stomach.

Anti shrieked at the pain as he clawed at Sean’s back.

Sean pushed Anti harder and forced him back until they were in the entryway of the house. Reaching over Sean hit the green symbol and with a glitch Anti was ejected from the house.

He reappeared a few blocks away collapsed on the ground with the knife still in his gut. Gritting his teeth he ripped it out and turned over onto his back.

It seemed the little magician had left some fail safes for Sean in case of Anti. Anti grinned maliciously. It didn’t matter to him, Marvin’s magic never held out long against him.

Anti runs a hand over the wound on his gut and it begins sealing itself together. A giant smile scar stays behind in its place over the tiny wound. Anti doesn’t see it as he stands and brushes himself off.

His knife is now covered in his blood, something that hasn’t happened before, and Anti looks it over. For a second as Anti stares into the bloody metal part he sees five other different pairs of eyes at him. He drops the knife in shock.

There’s a pull for Anti he feels and he knows it’s Sean calling him. Forgetting the incident with a maniacal laugh Anti glitched to where Sean was. It was a tiny woods in the sea of the city. Sean was on the other side of the clearing that Anti appeared in.

“Figured it was time to stop hiding Sean?” Anti taunted. He waved the knife around.

Sean doesn’t respond. He simply watches with sad eyes. With a shaky breath Sean turns his head away and closes his eyes.

Anti tilts his head in curiosity, “Cat got your tongue?”

The ground beneath Anti turns liquid and begins bubbling. Anti immediately glitches but doesn’t go anywhere he simply just glitches on the spot. Hands begin crawling out of the ground and clawing at Anti. A decaying face manages to pull itself out and Anti stares at Marvin’s glowing green eyes. His eyes had rotted out of his skull but there was still a green glow coming from them.

They began pulling Anti down into the ground and he shrieked as he tried to glitch away.

He grabbed the edges of the stable ground and scrambled to get a hold of anything. The other Septic’s pulled him back.

Anti caught a glimpse of Sean still standing there,watching everything that was happening.

“Sean!” Anti screamed, “SEAN PLEASE!”

Anti held a hand out in desperation, begging for help. There was no response from Sean as he stood and simply stared at Anti.

Despair hit Anti right as he lost his grip and was plunged up to his neck. Anti opened his mouth to plead with Sean again but a skeletal hand reached up and grabbed Anti’s jaw to pull him face first into the ground with it. Anti flailed his body as he lost air but the other Septic’s grabbed him and pulled him completely under.

The last thing Anti saw besides the muck in his eyes was Marvin’s glowing green eye sockets. He tried to open his mouth and whisper his name but dirt poured down his throat.

Sean stared at the mud pit where Anti had been dragged down by the Septic’s he had killed. He waited for anything to happen.

There was no response.

[eriegizmo]

Gunsmoke in the Twilight Zone

Start at the beginning: [x]

“On this day of history!” The announcer on the T.V. yelled, “Mankind ended the Greatest of wars!”

Jamie wiggled his moustache in distaste as the television played images of the war they were talking about. It was a little mature for a public station to be broadcasting.

He turned it off after another rather horrifying image flashed across the screen. With a sigh Jamie picks up his phone and checks for any messages. It was empty as usual.

The other Septics hadn’t contacted Jamie in a month and he was getting worried. No responses was generally a bad thing to receive from any of the Septics’s who were usually a chatty bunch. Yet there group chat had been silent for over three weeks now.

Jamie opened a chat to Chase and typed out a quick how are you doing before putting his phone down. He hoped this one wouldn’t go unread like the others.

He turned to go make breakfast and get ready for the day. When he came back the message there was no response. It was time to take measures.

Jamie grabbed his wallet and keys before leaving his house. He was thankful the Septic’s lived close to each other in the suburbs so Jamie went to Jackie’s house first as it was closer.

After ringing the doorbell a few times with no response Jamie used his key Jackie had given him to let himself in. The house was dark and silent and Jamie knocked on the wall in code to alert Jackie but there was no response. It appeared as if Jackie wasn’t home. He would try Schneep’s next.

Jamie walked briskly to Schneep’s house and frowned at the foreclosure sign on the door. Something wasn’t right.

Jamie brought out his key and opened Schneep’s door and gagged at the smell that came out. There was definitely rotting food somewhere in the house but also something else. Jamie entered the house and looked down the hallway. There were dark spots on the wall that Jamie couldn’t make out with no lights on. He flicked the switch but the power was off.

He brought out a tiny flashlight Chase had given him and shone it on the wall. It was dark, like blood, but Jamie refused to believe it was that. There were tissues everywhere on the floor dark with blood. Jamie moved farther into the house but found nothing.

He needed to find the other Septic’s now and figure out what was going on, there was no going back from this.

Jamie exited Schneep’s house and half ran to Marvin’s house. Something was wrong, so very wrong. None of the Septic’s were answering him and Schneep had blood all over his house.

Marvin’s house was also locked and there was no response when he pounded on the door. The interior was just as dark as the others with no one inside. There was nothing here, not like there should be. It had to be a sick joke Jamie decided. A very sick and twisted joke.

Jamie ran from the house and towards the only Septic left that Jamie could go to. Chase’s front door was wide open and there was a trail of blood leading onto the sidewalk with drag marks going through it. Jamie burst into the house to a horror scene.

Everything was destroyed and covered in a horrifying amount of blood. So much so that Jamie gagged. One of Marvin’s stage shoes was laying just on the inside of the door in a puddle of the blood.

Jamie picked his way carefully through the house trembling in fear but finding nothing. The only place left he had to look was the basement.

He stepped down into the basement carefully to more blood. There was something over in the corner though that Jamie couldn’t see. He pulled out his flashlight and turned it on. It shone onto a child’s hand and Jamie reeled back. The hand was shrunken from being down here so long but Jamie could still make out the bracelet Chase’s daughter London always used to wear.

Gagging Jamie ran up the stairs and into the living room. His foot stepped onto the remote for the television and it turned on even with a slightly shattered screen. It was on an old station playing Lassie and Jamie paused in confusion. Chase would never watch stuff like that.

Jamie didn’t know what to do.There was no going back from this. He couldn’t find anyone.

In his terror Jamie realized he was signing the other Septic’s names and he grabbed his hands to try and calm down. There was no calming down from this.

Jamie exited the house and began walking quickly back to his. He hunched his shoulders as he went trying not to think about the possibilities.

He was alone.

There was no response from anyone.

Jamie entered his house at a run and closed the door swiftly while locking it. He couldn’t stop moving he was shaking so bad. Jamie went through the entire house with nothing to do.

It was in one of his spare closets that Jamie found the bag. He didn’t remember it being there before so he opened it and then dropped it. It was all his clothes but they were covered in blood. He didn’t remember this. He couldn’t go back from this.

Jamie began shaking convulsively as he stumbled away from the closet. What had happened, why were those clothes there.

This was insane. Jamie felt like he was going insane. Nothing was right. Everything was so wrong.

...going back…

He couldn’t have. He wouldn’t. Jamie gasped out a sob.

What had he done.

...back..

Jamie stumbles through his house into the kitchen where he grabs a kitchen knife. He needs it and he knows he does because of what's coming. He can’t believe he didn’t see this. How he let this happen. Jamie can’t believe it.

...there’s no going back…

There’s a noise in his head. Giggling. Like from a madman. Or a glitch.

...you can’t fix the past…

Jamie collapses onto the ground and feels a hard plastic lump in his back pocket. He reaches back and pulls out a phone but its not his. It looks like Marvin’s but Jamie can’t think of any reason why he would have it.

...can’t go back…

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall

Jamie’s breath comes faster as he hears ominous thumping coming from down the hall. A shadow appears in the doorframe and Chase, with a bloody hole in his head, stumbles in. He was dragging Schneep’s bodies with him.

Jamie sobs at seeing them but Chase’s bright green eyes lock onto him.

Humpty Dumpty had a great fall

Chase grins wide and sickly at Jamie and reaches for him. Jamie cowers into the corner clutching his knife making tiny whimpering noises.

The hand grabs Jamie’s face over his eyes and Jamie goes still. When the hand comes back Jamie’s eyes begin to slowly lose their lively blue and turn a sickly green. A crazed gleam enters his eye as the last drains from Chase’s who falls to the floor.

All the king's horses and all the king's men

With a laugh Anti rose.

“No one here to stop me now boys,” Anti crowed, “it was a long time planning this but all the pieces fell into perfect place.”

He turned and kicked Chase’s corpse, “Some were easier than others.”

Anti twirled the knife in his hand with a grin, “Now let’s make sure you don’t come back.”

Laughing Anti used the knife to slowly slit Jamie’s throat and loved how he cried in Anti’s mind as he slowly died.

Couldn’t put Humpty Dumpty back together again

Anti giggled maniacally as he exited the house.

“No one left to save you now Jack.”

[eriegizmo]

These City Sunsets

Start at the beginning: [x]

Jackie punched the alley wall in frustration. Another dead lead in trying to find the Jolly Sunset Slayer. With another frustrated sigh Jackie punched the wall with less force.

There were more leads to follow that Jackie had found but this had been the most plausible. Now he was left with some ramblings of a coked up homeless man to run on with. Rubbing his now bruised hand Jackie stalked out of the alley and out into the open.

It was around sunset now and Jackie shivered as a cool wind swept by him. He always felt weird around this time even before the Jolly Sunset Slayer came and ruined sunsets for everyone. Anti ruined everything and sometimes Jackie wondered if the Jolly Sunset Slayer had been Anti possessing some poor person and forcing them to murder.

Thinking of Anti had Jackie remembering his creepy giggle. It sounded so real in Jackie’s head he had a moment of dysphoria remembering what he went through. This time the chill that went down Jackie’s spine this time wasn’t from the cold.

Jackie’s phone began vibrating in his pocket and he shivered in revulsion. The time when Anti took him over had been through a phone call. Jackie ignored the call, not feeling like answering it.

Ever since Anti had taken him over Jackie had nightmares of his throat being slit. Vivid nightmares that left him choking and gagging when he woke up from it. He was getting less sleep than normal from it meaning his temper was up more than usual.

Marvin had taken the brunt of it but Jackie couldn’t stand being near him right now since Marvin had willingly made a deal with Anti. Jackie still didn’t know what Anti wanted from Marvin but it couldn’t be good.

Jackie’s phone buzzed to indicate a voicemail and with a sigh Jackie pulled it out. Speak of someone and they shall call, it was a missed call from Marvin. He hadn’t tried to get in contact with Marvin since telling him they should be apart and Marvin had left him alone to so Jackie opened the voicemail.

It started off with a bang and a quiet gasp of pain. Jackie’s blood froze in his veins as he listened to Marvin’s pained breaths. Two more bangs and another thud. The breaths were now chokes. Footsteps and then Marvin’s voice choking out, “You...Ja…”

A snap.

Silence.

The phone nearly falls from Jackie’s hand as he turned to race in the direction of Marvin’s house. He doesn’t remember the race there but he comes to cursing at his shaking fingers as he tries to unlock Marvin’s front door. Giving up Jackie takes a step back and kicks open the door.

“Marvin!” Jackie yells. The house is dark and silent.

There is no response.

Jackie races through the house but finds nothing. Marvin isn’t here.

Cursing, Jackie grabs his phone and calls Chase. There is no response.

He tries Schneep. The number is disconnected. No response.

Jackie remembered Chase saying something about Schneep going out of contact and being worried. He hadn’t put much thought into it back then but now he knew he should have. There was nothing to do besides try Chase’s house next.

Jackie didn’t run this time but he walked fast enough to look like it. People jumped out of his way when they saw his expression but Jackie barely noticed.

The front door to Chase’s house was wide open. Dread bloomed inside of Jackie. He entered quietly but froze at seeing feet peeking from the doorway at the end of the hallway. They were Marvin’s shoes connected to an unmoving body.

Jackie raced forward but he already knew it was to late. Marvin’s sightless eyes stared at him when he came around the corner. His neck was at an impossible angle with a purple lump indicating where someone had stomped on his neck to snap it.

“Marvin no,” Jackie whispered.

Bile rose in Jackie’s throat and he had to clamp a hand over his mouth to stop himself from puking. Marvin’s hand was outstretched as if he was reaching for something but there was nothing there.

Marvin’s phone.

Taking a deep breath with his eyes closed Jackie let his calm he had at crime scenes enfold him. He opened his eyes and began searching. His hands were shaking so bad that he knew he was only just barely holding onto his calm.

He didn’t find the phone. What he did find was that the house was trashed besides the living room. The bedroom was especially concerning but it didn’t look to come from a fight.

The only room left was the basement and Jackie could see imprints from where Marvin had sealed it shut, something he only knew to do subconsciously in times of extreme stress. Jackie put a hand on the doorknob and froze when he heard something groan from the otherside. A puddle of liquid that smelled of death seeped out from under the door and Jackie stared at it in horror. There was light scritching of nails and then the thing began pounding on the door.

Whatever calm Jackie had fled as the wood splintered just enough for him to see a glowing green eye with a white film of the dead over it staring back at him. Jackie turned and fled right out of the house slamming the front door behind him.

For a second, he almost called for Marvin to seal it before everything caught up with him and Jackie found himself throwing up into Chase’s bushes. Heaving for breath Jackie notices a glint in the bushes and pauses at the toy mirror that was obviously Chase’s daughters. The reflection in it doesn’t look right as if Jackie is looking at two different people. But Anti isn’t here. There’s only Jackie and...and…

Jackie has a memory of walking down an alley back when he was under Anti’s control and grabbing a woman. He doesn’t remember what happened next. He searched after he got back but all he found were missing posters.

There was something Jackie was missing, something he couldn’t remember, that he didn’t want to remember. Giggling from nearby had Jackie whipping around but it was only children playing across the street.

Children.

Screaming…

And

...flailing

...everywhere

Jackie stares at his hands in horror before turning and running down the street. He can’t remember he can’t remember he can’t he won’t he-.

Jackie remembers.

Mary, Mary, Quite contrary

A smile, slightly crazed and mostly wicked spreads across his face.

The Jolly Sunset Slayer was back in business.

The Slayer giggles as he makes his way downtown looking for the perfect victim. He had so much fun back with that Anti character going around and murdering all the little sinners. A nasty grin spread across his face.

His final victim, the centerpiece to his masterpiece would be the biggest sinner of all. Mr. Jackieboyman himself.

How does your garden grow?

With a giggle the Slayer slipped down a alleyway and began a hunt for the perfect tool to finish his centerpiece. A broken piece of metal caught his eye and the Slayer scrambled to grab it with a high pitched squeal of success.

“Perfect!” He cried.

Now it was time to find the perfect backdrop for his final act. In a big city it wasn’t hard to find a quiet area that was graffiti littered. And right in the center were the words “FUCK THE MAN” with Jackieboyman’s symbol and a bunch of silver flowers beneath that.

With Silver Bells, and Cockle Shells

The Slayer grinned. It was perfect.

Kneeling with his back to the graffiti the Slayer pulled Jackie’s shirt open and used the metal scrap to begin sawing open his own abdomen. Instead of screaming in pain like most would do the Slayer merely giggled under his breath as blood began to trickle down. When he had a big enough hole the Slayer reached in and began pulling out his guts.

The nature of his giggles changed as did his face expression as he began to spread them out. It was almost like looking at a crazed or exhilarated Jackie. With a final splat as he put the guts in the right spot Jackie leaned back with a wide smile. His guts were all in a smile now.

Doing this he had atoned for his sins. He could make up for everything now. Jackie glanced up and for a second he saw all the people he had killed that the police had never found standing and waiting for him.

And pretty maids all in a row.

“I’m coming,” Jackie whispered, “Here I am.”

With a finaled labored breath Jackie’s eyes glazed over.

[eriegizmo]

Trust in Your Downfall

Start at the beginning: [x]

Marvin squinted as he shuffled his cards out of nervous habit. He had that itch to go out and do some good but ever since the incident where he willingly allowed Anti to possess him Jackie had gotten a bit aggressive in not allowing Marvin to superhero with him.

It hurt a lot that Jackie didn’t trust him anymore but it was a price Marvin had to pay to see everyone safe and sound.  

Marvin squinted again and hoped that Schneep called him back soon. His eyesight had suddenly worsened the one morning and hadn’t come back along with one of his eyes becoming greener by the day.

The only explanation was Anti and Marvin could only trust Schneep and Chase to make sure he wasn’t possessed. There was no telling what Jackie would do and Jamie was still traumatised by the event.

Thunder rumbled in the distance and Marvin glanced out his window to the night sky of the city. Somewhere out there was Jackie going around by himself as a hero and he seemed to be doing great. He didn’t need Marvin anymore. Jackie even went so far as to admit it the last time Marvin begged him to let him come along.

“I’m sorry Marvin but...I just don’t think we should anymore. You and I are too different now after...Look just stop asking alright?” Was the last thing Jackie had said to him before slamming the door on his way out. Marvin hadn’t seen Jackie in weeks since then.

Marvin didn’t need him anyway, better off without him. Traitor traitor traitor.

“Stop that,” Marvin told himself with a firm shake of his head.

Bad thoughts were constantly snaking their way through his head as of lately. It was probably all the stress.

There was another rumble of thunder and Marvin closed the blinds. It felt like people were staring in and seeing how much of a failure he was. Almost like being back on a stage again. Marvin couldn’t stand stages anymore because of Phantom.

Marvin stood abruptly and made his way over to the mirror he had in his living room for some strange reason and stood in front of it. He brought his fingers up and snapped them to summon a small green flame. The flame leapt up and crackled merrily for a brief second before it rose up and tried engulfing Marvin’s entire arm. Marvin waved his arm wildly and released the magic to put the flame out.

He took deep breaths while staring down at his hand in fear. Ever since his possession by Anti ithad felt like his magic wasn’t his anymore. He could barely control it with its new chaotic aspect.

“I’ll go see Chase to-tomorrow,” Marvin shakily said. With Schneep not returning his calls Chase was the next best person to go to.

Marvin stumbled out of his living room into his bedroom and collapsed on his bed. There was a bottle of sleeping pills on his nightstand that he stared at longingly. He had been using the pills since fear kept him up late into the night. He turned over away from them and willed his body to sleep. The faster he got to sleep the quicker tomorrow would come.

When morning did come it showed Marvin huddled under sheets in the middle of his bed after nightmares terrorized him all night. He twitched at the slightest of sounds and his eyes darted everywhere looking for imaginary enemies.

“Gotta get to Chase,” He muttered repeatedly under his breath.

It took a few tries for Marvin to get out of his bed without darting back under the sheets at the slightest noise but he made it to his door where he stood frozen in fear.

What if people knew?

What if they came after him?

He couldn’t hide from this.

TrAitor TraItOr TraiTor.

Marvin wrenched his door open and stumbled out on the street. Chase’s house was nearby and Marvin kept his gaze fixed firmly onto the sidewalk as he strode down the block. He didn’t want people to look at him or they’d know. They would be able to see.

He picked up the pace as he felt the gazes of people on him.

Chase’s house was in the distance and Marvin put on a burst of speed to reach the porch. He gasped as he took a moment to catch his breath before going to the door.

It was cracked open.

Marvin paused to stare at the door in concern before pushing it open. “Chase!” Marvin called.

There was no response.

“Chase are you here?” Marvin cried.

The house was silent and Marvin walked in warily. He noticed Chase’s hat he always wore out sitting on the side table. Chase never left the house without his hat on.

Marvin shut the door behind him and glanced around. The hallway was dark but there was light coming from the living room entryway. Marvin slowly made his way over and peered in to see the T.V. on a old tuney station that was replaying the same segment again. Marvin grabbed the remote and turned it off before looking around. The living room wasn’t necessarily dirty but it wasn’t up to Chase’s usual standards of cleanliness he kept.

“Chase!?” Marvin called again.

There was no response.

He decided to try the bedroom next in case Chase was napping and just not hearing him. Marvin opened the door and stumbled back. The room was a mess with everything thrown around. There were large slashes in the wall and the mattress was destroyed. Sitting perfectly in the middle of the room clear of the debri was a picture.

Marvin cautiously approached and picked it up. It was a picture of Chase with his daughter London.

A chill went up Marvin’s spine and he dropped the photo quickly. Something wasn’t right.

Marvin turned and ran from the room. “Chase? Chase!?” He cried with no response.

All the rest of the rooms were similarly trashed with only the front hallway and living room being untouched. There was only one place left Marvin hadn’t checked.

The door to the basement was firmly closed and Marvin had to pull on it to get it to open. The door swung open and with it came a stench that had Marvin gagging and his eyes watering. He knew this smell having dealt with it during the Jolly Sunset Slayer case where a serial killer was on the rampage through their city killing aimlessly and leaving a smiley face in blood left behind. Marvin had been on his own for that time as Jackie was wrestling with Anti trying to take him over.

The scenes had been horrific and the ones that were only found a week after the crime smelled so strongly Marvin had to walk away a few times. He had never found the killer, after a while the killings just stopped and soon Jackie was back. Jackie started up the search anew but never came any closer than Marvin had.

Marvin gagged again at the smell of death and rotting flesh. After all those crime scenes he had never gotten use to it.

Marvin froze.

He hadn't gotten use to the smell of death but he had gotten use to death being everywhere he went. Even so, death shouldn't be in Chase’s house.

“CHASE!?” Marvin shrieked. He flew down the stairs into the darkness when the lightswitch didn't work. The smell became stronger and with it came the buzzing of flies.

Marvin paused at the bottom to summon a flame and light up the room. It was a struggle to keep it contained but Marvin managed. It illuminated a person kneeling a few feet in front of Marvin wearing Chase’s clothes.

Something was wrong and Marvin could feel it.

“Chase!” Marvin nervously chuckled, “I've been searching for you everywhere.”

There was no response.

“Cha-" Marvin took a step forward and recoiled just as fast when he noticed the hole in the back of Chase's head letting him see straight through to the other side.

The horror that raced through Marvin was overtaken by nausea and he leaned over to vomit onto the floor. He closed his eyes as they blurred from tears and tried to block out his sense of smell.

Thump

A noise off to the side and Marvin jerked up to look off to the side. His flame hovered over to reveal….something huddled on the ground in a stained white lab coat. It had obviously been here longer than Chase had by the decomposition.

Marvin's head went through the facts even as he tried to deny the obvious. “Schneep,” He whispered.

Thump

The noise came from behind Schneep where Marvin's light from his flame wouldn't reach no matter how close it got.

Someone was there.

Someone was there.

“Hello?” Marvin called feeling like an idiot.

There was no response.

“H-hell-” Marvin froze as a green glow lit up the floor around Schneep.

Ring Around the Rosie

Marvin stumbled backwards away from the glow to freeze as a thump came from behind him near Chase’s body. He turned around slowly to see Chase’s body flopped on the floor instead of kneeling like before. It twitched and its head turned slowly towards Marvin. Marvin’s flame went out.

One eye was glowing a vibrant green.

Marvin turned and dashed up the stairs with a shriek building in his throat. There was more thumping from the basement and Marvin slammed the door shut. With shaking hands he grabbed the phone from his pocket and brought up Jackie’s number. He clicked to call him.

Pockets full of Posies

Marvin had to warn Jackie before it was to late. Something was wrong. Anti shouldn’t be able to possess multiple people and Schneep and Chase-...they were..they were….

Jackie wasn’t answering.

Ashes, Ashes

There was the click of the safety of a gun and Marvin froze. The answering machine for Jackie beeped right as a gunshot went off.

Marvin jerked and searing pain spread through his chest. Two more gunshots and Marvin couldn’t breath. His knees hit the floor and Marvin choked as he tried to breath.

Spots entered Marvin’s sight and he hit the ground fully. Blood crawled up his throat and Marvin choked.

Shoes entered his line of sight and Marvin struggled to drag his eyesight up.

“Y-you…” Marvin gasped, “J-ja-..”

We All Fall Down

The foot stomped down on Marvin’s neck with enough force that an audible crack rang through the room. Marvin stopped moving.

The figure bent over and picked up the phone. It ended the call and walked out.

[eriegizmo]

Head in the Sand

Start at the beginning: [x]

It was with a heavy heart that Chase fumbled for his keys with shaking hands and opened his front door. He had been out searching for Schneep who had been missing for the last few weeks. The last anyone saw of him was 19 days ago. That was also when Chase came home to his front door smashed open.

Neighbors said they saw Schneep running like a madman down the street and Chase knew Schneep had come here to warn him of something.

Chase tugged off his hat once through the entryway and tossed it on the side table below the mirror someone had gifted him. He paused to look in it and noticed how dark the circles under his eyes were. All his energy had been sapped by the monster in his brain a long time ago. Chase cursed Anti’s name for the thousandth time for ruining his life.

With a groan Chase collapsed backwards onto his couch and brought his shaking hands up to stare at them. Ever since Anti’s possession Chase had been left with this condition. Schneep had said it was from all the trauma Chase had went through and that his repressed memories from that time were causing this.

Chase rolled over to bury his face into the couch cushion and maybe take a little nap. There was giggling from behind Chase and he sleepily mumbled, “London please quiet down a little.” The giggling only got louder and Chase dragged a pillow over his ears as his daughter laughed louder and louder until she was screaming-

With a gasp Chase sat up on the couch and looked around wildly. His house was empty as it always was now. London wasn’t here, she was with her mom and brother far away from Chase. Stacy hadn’t let Chase talk to his own daughter ever since she left no matter how much he begged or threatened. He was only allowed to talk to River.

River gave him updates on London, hesitant updates but Chase had to figure that Stacy was right there and only allowed River to give Chase the barest of facts. He just wanted to see his baby girl again.

Groaning, Chase flopped back down onto the couch and covered his face with shaking hands. “Why am I still here,” He whispered.

His kids didn’t need him anymore and at this point Chase considered himself a waste of air. He didn’t have any redeeming qualities about himself. Nobody needed him anymore if they ever really needed him.

“Maybe Anti was right,” Chase muttered, “maybe it would have been better if I was never created.”

Thinking about Anti drudged up all the bad thoughts Chase had from back then. Back then Schneep had said they had been brought on by Anti. Now Chase wasn’t so sure that was the case.

Moping around wasn’t going to get Chase anywhere, especially not with finding Schneep. Chase stood up and shook off his drowsiness that still clung to him. He paused as he heard something behind him.

London Bridge is falling down,

Chase whipped around looking for whoever was making the noise but there was nothing there. A brief shadow from the corner of his eye had Chase sprinting towards his hallway. He got there just in time to see the basement door slam shut.

“London?” Chase called. It was the only person who knew how much the song meant to Chase.

There was no response.

Falling down, Falling Down,

The light to the basement wouldn’t turn on and honestly Chase hadn’t been down to the basement in months for reasons he didn’t remember. There was an awful smell that had him gagging. It seemed like some animal got in and died.

London Bridge is falling down,

Chase reached the bottom of the stairs and gagged at the smell that hit him. It was so horrible. There were dark stains on the floor that hadn’t been there before. Some were new and there were drag marks that went into the side room of the basement. There were old stain marks on the floor that led to a white sheet in the corner.

Chase stumbled forward staring at the little hand peeking out from under the sheet. It had a bracelet on its wrist just like the one Chase had gotten London.

What was it that Anti had said to him the first time he had been possessed. ‘I’ll take away the things you love most.’

Chase heaved as he fell to his knees beside his daughter. There was a moment's pause where he stared at her.

The gun had never felt so heavy in his hands.

My fair Lady.

BANG!

[eriegizmo]

See The Sheep

Schneep cursed as he lifted his glasses away from his face and rubbed his eyes. He picked up the form he had been working on and threw it into the trash with all the others he had messed up and grabbed a fresh form.

He barely got through writing his own name before a black shadow flew by in the corner of his eye causing his entire body to jerk away from it. Schneep peered in silent panic at the spot where he swore he saw something. When he saw nothing Schneep took a calming breath. It was just too many late nights Schneep told himself, to many late nights and not enough sleep.

Schneep cursed again as he stared down at the black mark from his pen that ruined the form. With a sigh he threw the form out and stood. He would have to work on it in the morning after he got some sleep.

On the way out from his office in the back of the house Schneep heard a faint double clicking noise. It almost sounded like a locking mechanism when it was opened or closed.

“Vhat?” Schneep muttered. It wasn’t unheard of for Jackie to come sneaking in for medical supplies if he got hurt although he was usually less subtle about it.

“Jackie if that iz you again ve vill be having a long talk about your heroing,” Schneep called.

There was no response.

Not feeling in the mood for dealing with Jackie but not wanting to just leave him if it was an emergency Schneep stomped down the hallway towards his back door. Along the way was a mirror on the wall. Schneep didn’t remember why he put it up but it had stayed there ever since. He looked in it as he passed as he always did and had to do a double-take when he saw blood dripping from his nose.

Schneep touched it and looked down just to confirm he wasn’t hallucinating and there on his fingers was blood. “Scheiße,” Schneep cursed as he rummaged through his pockets for a tissue. He stuck it up his nose and hoped none got on his lab coat.

The back door was locked and Schneep gazed at it in confusion having sworn he heard it unlock. There was no sign of anyone having entered his house either.

Schneep shook his head and determined, “It haz been too long since I have slept.” Along the way to his bed he dropped the tissue into a trash can overflowing with other bloody tissues. He glanced at his phone briefly to see a message from Jamie but determined to answer it in the morning.

Laying in his bed Schneep found sleep hard to come as the shadows seemed to grow out of the corner of his eye and jump at him. His heart was pounding as he kept jumping up to click on the light just to have some peace of mind before sleep dragged at the edges of his fraying mind.

“Go avay,” Schneep hissed at the shadows that lay innocently in the light of his lamp. They mocked him by staying still and Schneep realized how crazy this must seem.

Sleep would have been easier if Schneep’s wife was still here but she was gone for good. He could only hope she got better and led a happier life than he could give her since the lost of their child destroyed her.

‘Not lost,’ Schneep’s mind laughed, ‘taken by your own hand.’

Schneep shook his head to dispel the thoughts. “It wasn’t me,” He whispered, “Anti did that.”

That hadn’t mattered to his wife. It didn’t matter to Schneep’s guilt either.

Sleep was hard to come by that night.

When morning dawned Schneep was sitting on the edge of his bed with his head in his hands. He felt awful and knew he probably looked it too.

Something tickled his foot and Schneep moved his hands slightly to peer down at the shadows lapping at his feet. With a yell Schneep flung himself backwards into the center of his bed but when he looked back there was nothing there.

“Hallucinations, from lack of sleep,” Schneep muttered under his breath like a prayer. He fought for breath and for peace of mind for a few minutes before only winning one of the battles.

Having gotten his breathing under control Schneep cautiously put a foot on the ground and stood. He made his way to the shower ignoring the way the shadows followed him and the world seemed a bit less than yesterday. It was all just the lack of sleep.

Schneep continued on his day determined to ignore everything. He had tested himself again and again to make sure it wasn’t Anti possessing him but the tests came back negative.

It wasn’t until later in the day that the shadows in the corner of Schneep’s eye gained green static. He had been resolutely ignoring them and had no way of knowing how long that had been going on.

“That iz not possible,” Schneep stared down at the test once again displaying negative.

If Anti wasn’t possessing him and this was still happening…

If it wasn’t Anti…

The static was growing larger and Schneep could hear children laughing in the hiss of it. It was almost like a warning of what was to come.

“I-I must find Chase,” Schneep said desperately as he stood.

The static had overtaken half of Schneep’s vision by now and all he could hear was the hiss of it with the distant sound of children laughing as they sang a song.

Rock a by Baby, in the tree top

Schneep barely remembered exiting his house but he was on the streets now dashing wildly in the direction of the Chase’s house.

When the wind blows, the cradle will rock

There was Chase’s house in the distance. Schneep could laugh at how close he was. He could really laugh.

When the bough breaks, the cradle will fall

Schneep rushed into Chase’s house using his key and cried for him. There was no response. Schneep ran through the entire house but Chase was gone.

He giggled.

Not everyone was gone.

There was still the basement.

Schneep opened the door but he was barely able to move properly and stumbled down the stairs into the basement. He couldn’t get up. His vision was failing him. He couldn’t stop giggling.

There was something in the corner with a white sheet draped over it.

And down will come baby, cradle and all

The hand of a child peeking out from under the sheet was the last thing Schneep saw.