Author's note: Okay, let's set the record straight: I'm pretty addicted to the Chzo Mythos quadriology. Yes, I'm a fan of a series of indie games created by the guy that brought you Zero Punctuation!

Needless to say, I've decided to do a series of short drabbles that are set throughout each of the four games, giving us a look on what goes on through the minds of major and minor characters, so there will be major spoilers for everyone.

Also, I wrote this fic for Halloween, just to get into the mood. With that said, enjoy!

Dark Musings

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End of the Road (5 Days a Stranger)

Philip Harty was constantly looking through the floor plans, trying to see if there were any more secret passages, but he knew he was fruitless. He also just conversed with Trilby, or in his own words, that pretty boy cat burglar in the suit, and chewed him out because he didn't trust him in the first place. Not only that, but he was able to take his prized metal detector!

Screw him, screw his stupid blonde friend, and screw that dumb kid! I'm doing this on my own! Just you watch - when I get out of this shithole, I'm gonna explain to the press and the police that there's a killer in that goddamn forsaken house!

"DAMMIT!" he exclaimed as he slammed his fist onto the table, before leaning back into the chair and looking up towards the ceiling for a brief period of time, before taking notice of the portrait of Roderick DeFoe on the wall.

For the past few days, it had been slowly changing, and as of lately, the man in the picture appeared to sport a grey beard, and his clothes were a little spotty.

But did Philip Harty, the seemingly fearless treasure seeker care? No, not at the very least.

So what do I do? How do I get out of this house? Perhaps...

...perhaps the doors might work out well, would it? I know I've did it before, but this is my last resort.

Standing up, he left the room and went straight to the main hall where the front doors were. Taking a few steps back, he lunged towards the doors, until he collided against them. Unfortunately, despite his attempts, the doors wouldn't budge.

Giving up, he silently cursed to himself as he stormed back into the room with the floor plans. As he sat back into his seat, he buried his face into his arms on the table, believing that all hope was lost.

Then, the sound of glass being broken immediately got his attention, and quickly stood up. He looked around, wondering where the noise came from, and went into the room with the television, which was next door to the trophy room. The brown-haired man also heard the sound of footsteps, and was able to notice a shadow coming from the trophy room. He was able to escape the room, and headed back to the front hall.

He knew that something was wrong...very wrong.

The footsteps continued, and as Phil squinted for a closer look, his suspicion slowly evolved into horror as a man in a suit, sporting a welding mask, an apron and a machete, was coming closer to him. Retreating to the room with the portrait and finally heading into the kitchen, he knew he was cornered, but believed the door leading to outside would be a wise choice.

But just as he was about to open the door, the blade sliced through him...

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No Sleep (post-5DAS, pre-Trilby's Notes)

Trilby was able to successfully flirt with a rather beautiful woman after gloating to her about his latest heist, and as he took her back to his place, things got hot and heavy. Post-coitus, he was so tired that he fell asleep, but unfortunately, that was where the nightmares came in.

He imagined himself in the bathroom of DeFoe Manor, with Simone, as well as the man in the welding mask and apron, which happened to be Jim under the idol's possession. He tried to use the carpet to surprise him, but it was stuck to the tiled floor. It was only a matter of time before the man with the machete stabbed him, and this prompted him to bolt himself up from his sleep.

Taking in gulps of air, the pupils in his eyes dilated with fear, he looked around and found himself to be in his bedroom again, no longer in DeFoe Manor.

After scanning the bedroom for any 'suspicious things', he glanced down at the woman sleeping next to him. Despite his glowing reputation as a gentleman thief and a casanova towards the opposite sex, he still had nightmares of what transpired.

Attempting to sleep once again, he tried to have a more pleasant dream, but this time, the second dream had him sporting the three items, in the kitchen, and coming closer towards Phil, who was trying to escape, before proceeding to stab with the machete.

If only he didn't touch the idol, it wouldn't have happened...

Trilby awoke a second time, even more unnerved than ever, and buried his face into his hands, taking a deep breath, and trying not to freak out or even scream, or probably both. If he chose the second option, then it would surely awaken the woman.

After putting on a robe and taking some sleeping pills, he laid back on the bed and onto his side, and clutched at the pillow as he tried to think happy thoughts, and reflecting on the events back in 1991, in Chapow City in the USA, when he was able to prevent The Company in getting their hands on the XJ Unit, before he tried his hand at DeFoe Manor back in England.

His eyes slowly closing, he sighed as a faint smile appeared on his lips. But unbeknownst to him, he would continue to have these nightmares during every night he slept.

However, it was only a matter of time before he would be apprehended...

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Conflicted Feelings (Notes)

To begin with, Trilby didn't seem to develop some sort of romantic interest in Simone Taylor when he ended up in the DeFoe Manor alongside her, Jim, Phil and AJ. But he did regret not being able to catch up with her and the young schoolboy once it engulfed in flames.

And now, he was determined to see her once again after reading the newspaper article concerning her suicide attempt. It had also been quite a while since he joined the Special Talent Project, discarding his gentleman thief lifestyle in favor of being a government agent.

As he drove on to her apartment, somewhat aware of the rainstorm that was already kicking in, there were a few possibilities of how it'd go down spinning in his head. The first one had her already committed suicide, something he'd greatly fear. Another had her laying dead on the floor, sporting a large wound on her torso, causing a shudder to escape his lips.

But the third one gave him some sort of comfort: he'd knock on the door to her apartment, and unlike the two scenarios, she'd answer it. Simone even tried to punch him in the face, but when she finally recognized him, she burst into tears.

"I thought you were dead!" she cried.

"I'm not, trust me." he responded.

Trilby then took hold of her hands gently, and gave her a reassuring smile. In her drunken stupor, she wiped her eyes and was able to embrace him, taking him by surprise.

"So you're still alive - I...I just don't know what to say, but..." she said.

"But what?" he asked.

"Stay with me..." she replied.

It was quite clear that she was very drunk, having consumed two or three bottles of wine. However, he couldn't help but wrap his arms around her, and held onto her. Since he joined the STP, he took a vow of celibacy, but if she wanted him to 'stay with her', as she put it, he may well break his vow.

Simone leaned up to kiss him, her intoxication showing as she threw her arms around his neck, and with that, temptation began to overwhelm him as he returned the kiss. It all led to an unprecedented fling between them that night, and as time passed, the drunkenness would wear off, and she'd admitted that since the DeFoe Manor incident, she never stopped thinking about him, but when she took to the bottle, she'd say horrible things about him.

He ended up reciprocating her hidden feelings, and all was well...

Unfortunately, as Trilby arrived at the apartments and knocked on the door, she didn't answer...

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The Reunion (Notes)

James Fowler ate into his can of peas as he reclined on the couch, watching television. He had been kept in the shelter for quite some time since Trilby ordered him to go into hiding, and until he was able to confront the mysteries at the mysterious Clanbrownyn Hotel, the young man stayed within the shelter and patiently waited.

Aside from having grown a goatee, he began living on the streets for some time, and even took temporary shelter in apartments belonging to former classmates. He also worked part time in order to support himself, yet at the same time, blamed his curiosity in entering DeFoe Manor.

Flipping channels, the dark-haired boy was able to catch a news program covering the mysterious hotel, and explaining the rumors surrounding the 'tree'. He stretched, and continued to watch the telly.

However, the sound of a door being opened immediately took him by surprise, and as he turned his head, he stood up, and wondered who was entering the shelter. Jim was about to make his way to the entrance when the sound of footsteps prompted a chill down his spine.

Was it the strange apparition that killed Simone? Or was it something else...?

Either way, he stood there, closing his eyes, and bracing himself, and when the footsteps got closer, he opened his eyes. To his surprise, it wasn't the apparition - it was Trilby!

"Trilby?" he asked, his eyes widening slightly.

The taller man just smiled, and the young boy was able to give him a hug, a big smile across his face; he couldn't help but hug him back. It was all over.

At least, until 196 years later...

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The Hub (6 Days a Sacrifice)

As Samantha Harty entered through the large doors and into the darkness after temporarily bidding farewell to Theo and Janine, she'd find the entrance to the Hub, which was guarded by a few Trilby clones - the clones she was responsible for creating.

The clones nodded their approval, and she was able to find her way into the ruins of DeFoe Manor. When she entered the main hall, she noticed that everything seemed blurry around her. However, it didn't stop her from investigating the ruins of the house.

Somehow, along the way, she noticed that a few doors were missing on the upper floor, and the brunette biochemist clearly knew it wasn't the house it used to be in 1993, as it was engulfed in flames. Nevertheless, she continued her investigation into the kitchen, where she discovered a large hole in the wall, which led to the basement.

My god, so this is where John DeFoe was kept...

Just as she was able to make her way into the basement, a voice called out to her.

"It hurts."

Sam immediately turned around, and saw a tall, pale man in black, with no face, and a scythe-like weapon. Taking out the pistol from her coat, she shot at it, but to no avail, and as it was coming closer, she gave up, and put the gun back in her coat.

Just as she was about to narrowly escape the kitchen, the Tall Man slit her throat, and as she clutched at it, trying to prevent herself from bleeding too much, ran out of the ruins, and out the entrance.

It was there, that she hit the ground, a pool of blood surrounding her, right in front of Theo and Janine...

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The Dark Side (6DAS)

As Janine Orzechowski's bare body moved in uncontrollable bliss, she gazed down at Theodore DaCabe underneath, who was also naked, but he had bandages all over his body, a neck brace, and even a sling on his left arm. However, she didn't care about his appearance, she was just focused on achieving as much pleasure as he.

After they climaxed together, she collapsed onto his bare chest, careful as to not hurt him, and closed her eyes as she fell into a seemingly peaceful slumber. However, she slowly awoke some time later, got dressed, and discovered a welding mask and a machete on the floor when she exited the room.

Upon wearing both garments, she knew that she was secretly regretting her decision to seduce Theo, realizing it was foolish of her to do so. Had she avoided such a temptation, she'd probably go insane, and prefer to die along with him.

When he awoke, she was nowhere to be found, and after he put all his clothes back on, he went to find her. Little did he know that he also discovered the small room where the man working for the Order of Blessed Agonies was being held captive within had blood on the glass.

While the dark-haired reporter began her pursuit of him, the building inspector discovered a pick axe through his hallucinations, and when he finally came across her in was what supposed to the kitchen of the DeFoe Manor, he lured her in to a terrible fate.

Everything around him changed back to the kitchen within the underground building, and Theo watched in horror as a patch of red blood stained a part of the wall. Slouching onto the floor, he began to cry, grieving over the tragic loss of the woman he knew he was in love with.

However, things could only get even worse for him, as he would soon be christened 'The New Prince'...

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Under the New Prince's Guidance (7 Days a Skeptic)

William Taylor could only let out a sinister smile as he admired his work, and when he looked up with wide eyes, he stared at the mentor that had been helping him with his creation. A tall, menacing figure that was missing a leg, a welding mask on its head, and a large scythe-like weapon in one hand.

It was the New Prince, the man formerly known as Theodore DaCabe, and the very same man who had taken over the Arrogant Man's former duties. As he was hovering above the light-haired doctor, it silently encouraged him to continue his work.

Having taken apart Barry, Angela and Serena's bodies, he had stitched and sewn their body parts together in order to create a new John DeFoe-like apparition. Coupled with the welding mask, the machete and the apron, William was confident that it would turn out to be a success.

However, something was missing. What could it be? He thought to himself.

Then it hit him: he needed one last body part to complete the creation: a head! Either Jonathan's or Adam's...and maybe even a pair of eyes to go with them, too.

He looked back on his prior activity in messing with the pods, so that once the two officers activated them, they would be sucked out of the ship and into space. Truly, both of them would probably be dead once they're out in space, but William would be quick enough to retrieve them if he had a chance.

After leaving his room, he went to where the escape pods were, and found Jonathan laying unconscious. It was clear that Adam was already dead, and since the 'psychologist' was the only one left, he was able to take him into his office, strap him to the chair, bring the body inside, and finally perform the finishing touches.

But the dark-haired man thought of a way to escape, and just as he was about to be given an injection that would temporarily put him to sleep, he stabbed William in the stomach with the scalpel, and as he broke free from the large chair, he exited the office.

Somehow, just as the light-haired man attempted to stand up, he turned around and saw a bald-headed man in red. His eyes widened as he took a closer look; he looked a lot of Jonathan, except he was rather gaunt-like.

The Caretaker.

As the man in red approached him, he slammed his hands into the doctor's eyes, and took out his eyeballs, and gutted him in the stomach, so that he was taking hold of his stomach entrails. He then went over to the body, and after placing the stomach guts in the head's position, he even placed the eyeballs on top.

At the same time, William fled the office, and upon reaching the dining room, he slumped against the floor. He was clearly unaware that Jonathan was hiding in the shaft, and when the 'psychologist' finally found him, he let out his last words, and died.

Fortunately, for the New Prince, everything was going according to plan, as Jonathan...no, Malcolm Somerset, destroyed the idol in the plasma...

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Special thanks goes to Ben 'Yahtzee' Croshaw for making this awesome horror series, and to the fans, as well as the people reading these drabbles. And of course, Happy Halloween (and Happy belated Chzo Day AKA July 28)! ^_^

P.S. If there's any errors or inconsistencies, let me know and I'll fix 'em.

With love for my fans,

Chrissy