A Negative Mind
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Disclaimer: All belong to JV.
Chapter 2: SiMPLiciTy
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Devi could not remember a time when everything had hurt so much. Physically, that is. Emotionally was a different story altogether, what with the plethora of disaster dates she seemed to be engaged in at every possible, shitty moment.
When she had come to, finding herself on the floor, the first thought that came to mind was the question of what exactly had happened. She recalled in her last memory before the world went black, that there had been a voice, unlike anything she had ever heard.
Scratch that. It did sound familiar, as if from a dream long ago. If she could possibly pinpoint this familiarity, then perhaps she could figure out where the little fuck came from.
It came back to her suddenly. Mr. Fuck, right? Eff. The doughboy who had surprised her so suddenly, then, with the aid of that little bitch Sickness, rendered her unconscious. The very event that led to the pain she was experiencing now.
"God, my head," she whimpered, lying on the couch. The wound was still bleeding, not as much as it had been previously, but it didn't appear to be stopping. Great, maybe she'd bleed to death. Hell, if it got her away from Sickness and her Styrofoam boyfriend, then fine.
"I assure you," that familiar voice came out of the darkness like some kind of monster reaching out from under a child's bed. "I am not her boyfriend. Don't tell her that though. She's under the impression that she matters. I can see where she gets the idiocy from."
Devi stiffened, tempted to look over the side of the couch and engage in conversation with the foul little beast. However, the pain in her head and the fear in her chest stopped her from doing so. She took a breath and held it in, hoping Eff would go away.
"Oh, come now," the tiny creature giggled. "I was only joking. I know you can't help the fact that she's young and stupid. It really isn't your fault. She's just under the delusion that someone cares enough about her situation to help her out." He paused, stepping closer, that devilish grin across his face. "But then again, you know what that's like, don't you, Devi dearest? You think that maybe if you weren't alone, the shit will go away so easily. Everything will cease the struggling and you'll be in control again. That's it, isn't it?"
Devi didn't answer the question. If he was so damn sure of himself, then let him believe what he wanted. She didn't need to look more vulnerable than she must've already appeared, and purposely reveal her fear. "Where Sickness?" she asked, seeming disinterested.
"That mediocre virus?" Eff chirped, unable to hold back his laughter. "I sent the little rotter on an errand of sorts. Amazing what you can convince someone to do, even when they're under the belief that they're in charge."
"Yeah, you're a fucking prize, aren't you?" Devi spat as she sat up, ignoring the throbbing. "I don't understand why you little freaks have to keep tormenting me. Its as if I'm a shit magnet or something. Well, I can reassure you that I'm not like Sickness, and I'm not about to be dragged around on a fucking leash by something like you."
Eff laughed loudly; one that just abruptly came out of nowhere. Devi jumped at the sound. "My goodness, you're so sure of yourself, eh Devi? How cute. I didn't even notice the obvious quivering in your voice, you know? Ah, my. Nothing like harvesting one's mind for the survival of the so-called Master. Though its quite time-consuming, the outcome is more than worth it. The Master is happy, so everyone's…"he growled a little, "happy."
Devi smirked, a little hesitantly, but Eff didn't seem to notice that much. "Seems like you don't care much for the 'Master's' happiness. What's wrong? Is the poor baby not getting his bottle?"
Eff raised an eyebrow, and turned his back to the woman. "Let's just say that I've certainly had enough of playing 'slave' for a while. Succumbing to higher powers isn't exactly what I would consider fun, but it is for the master. Not to mention the fact that if either Sickness or my ex-companion Psycho were to find out that I have grown tired of the game, they would be more than willing to tell the Master."
Devi's smirk never left. It grew into a wide, devilish grin as she listened to him rant; he was obviously unaware that talking so much would be quite a disadvantage. "So…What if I were to tell Sickness all about it? I'm sure that your Master or whatever would more than happy to destroy you for planning mutiny against it."
Eff smiled unpleasantly. "Hardly. I'm not like Sickness. I'm not expendable. He'd give me a good spanking, though not in the sexual sense that you humans seem to enjoy, put me back in what he considers 'my place,' and then send me back to the harvesting fields. Its all relatively simple, though it would be extremely painful. This is the second time, of course."
"Seems to me like you don't want to listen."
"Oh Devi," Eff sighed, still smiling. "Please refrain from going all psychoanalyst on me. You're already terrible at stating the obvious. Now, what shall we do now? Play a game perhaps? How about Spin The Bottle?"
Devi glared. Hard. "How about not?" she growled, standing up. She quickly grabbed her jacket hanging over the arm of the couch, and tucked it underneath her arm.
Eff's smile faded. "And where do you think you're going? Shouldn't you get that head wound checked out? Its still bleeding."
Devi tapped the wound again with her fingers, wincing at the pain, then looked on at her hand. Bloodstains. Angrily, she wiped it away on her pants and proceeded to latch on to the doorknob. "What does it matter to you? I don't care. I have to get away from you little freaks. I thought maybe that seclusion in my own apartment would be halfway decent, but no. I just can't get away from the shit, can I?"
Eff just stared, scowling; he seemed to be disappointed that she was leaving him. Alone.
Devi shook her head, opened the door and headed out. For some strange reason, she felt a little guilty for leaving him in there all by himself, and promptly smacked herself for having such thought and feelings for someone who was trying to drive her further down the trail of insanity.
Granted, it was ten times worse out there in the city than inside her quaint little room, but she needed to think about everything. And maybe even get some medical attention along the way. The wound was still bleeding, even after the long(?) while she had been unconscious.
"Devi." A voice jolted her from her thoughts. "Devi, I want you to come back."
She whirled around, expecting to see Tenna, or perhaps the landlord, or maybe even Johnny. But there was nothing; just a simple stairwell and her own doom- impended mind. She was searching for her voice, almost nearly unable to find it. "Who…who's there?" her voice felt beaten, as if she was getting laryngitis, and she couldn't seem to be able to speak without stuttering.
"I mean it, Devi," the voice continued, growing more and more powerful with every word spoken. "Come back now. Its scary out there. You'll die if you go out. He'll be there, waiting to kill you. And there's no telling what could happen to you in the stairwell…."
"Eff? It-its you, is-isn't it?" Devi whispered, successfully keeping control over her words and the appearance of stutters. "Just leave me alone. I need time to myself. I swear, if you do anything, I'll-"
The light above her began flickering violently, and a tremor ran its course up her spine. "Eff? What are you doing? Stop it, dammit. I'm not here to p-play any games with you! Understand? So knock it off!"
"You're quite good at convincing others to do as you please, or so you would like to think," Eff whispered, his voice echoing all over her brain. "That's not the case here, Devi. While I exist in your life, I'm the one in control, not you. You are a simple pawn. Now, come in. Do us all a favor. Do yourself a favor."
Devi didn't say anything. She ignored him, or tried to, entirely, and took that first step down. The light went out, plunging the area in darkness. Keep it together, Devi. He can't do anything. He's a fucking piece of Styrofoam. That's all. You're in control. You just have to keep it together…
"Very well, Devi," Eff sighed, sounding as if he were giving up. "It seems you don't like to listen, and that's an inability I need to take care of before the situation gets worse. I guess I'll have to make you come back, then won't I? Go ahead, Devi. Look over the railing, down into the furthest reaches where the stairwell ends, to the basement. Go on. Have yourself a looksie."
Devi gulped. Taking a risk she knew that she'd later regret, she put her hands on the railing for support and peaked over the side.
There was a low growling noise a few floors down and, suddenly, a hand reached out and grabbed the railing as well. It was thin and sickly tinted. The light on that floor was flickering as well, and it abruptly went out completely. "Deeevvi…" it called, in a tone so familiar it sent the woman's heart straight into her throat.
She wanted to run back into her room, but she was frozen, her hands unable to rip themselves from the steel bar. Oh God, oh God. "Eff. Eff, stop it now! I'm fucking around, you little shit! Stop messing with my head!"
"Am I messing with your head, Devi? Can you be so sure?" Eff's voice seemed so far away now, distant, but pounding in her brain. "Do you really want to take that risk?"
Devi was still awestruck, watching as the demon figure from down the stairs as beginning to head up the flight, slowly, almost in an animated sort of way. For a moment, she could swear it looked up at her, with eyes that she had seen before, somewhere… No, I don't want to remember anything that could scare me more. Its all in my head…Its all in my head…
"Go on, Devi. Walk down the steps and face your fear. Its been consuming you for so long now. Why not destroy it, or are you much too frightened….?"
Devi gulped again and stepped back up the stairs, never taking her eyes off of the mysterious monster below. "You're fucking with me. I know you are! Make it stop now, or I'll kill you!"
"Devvviiiii," the monster was coming closer; Devi assumed that it was just one flight under her. "Let's make something of this moment….I want to make it laaaaast foreeeever…."
Devi screamed, as the creature came further, its true form exposed to her in the dim light. The thumping of its boots against each step haunted her, ringing in her ears. She tried to move, tried to tear her eyes away, but she remained frozen in place, fear striking her heart over and over again like a match that refused to be lit.
"Well, how about it, Devi Dearest?"
Sweat dribbled down her forehead, her breathe scarce. She wanted to get out of there so badly, but didn't want to even think about returning to the apartment. But really? What were her options? Go down the flight of stairs to her obvious death at the hands of…She shook her head, not wanting to thinking of who it could be. Not wanting the memories to flood back again of something that had once been so beautiful.
But then…she could always return to the apartment anyway. Back to safety. Back to Sickness, her fears, her paranoia…back to Eff. A shudder squirmed up her spine. No. She couldn't go back. She just couldn't face what was awaiting her back in that room; the voices were coming back…what if they made those promises again? That she could have and do whatever she wanted? She didn't believe that she'd be able to fight them again. She'd lose.
"Eff, fucking stop this!" Devi heard herself scream. "Stop it and go away, you little shit!"
The creature on the stairs neared, finally reaching the last flight towards her. It waited at the bottom for a moment, rasping and panting, its breath deep and sounding as though it had water in its lungs. Then, it began to ascend.
"Deeeeeeeeevii…."it bellowed coldly. "Come back to meeee…..immortalize the moment….with….meeee……Wee can diieeee…together…"
Devi didn't bother to let it get any further. The fear was overwhelming, beating down on her harder than it had ever done before. Unable to control herself, she felt her legs take control, and turned around. She could feel the monster behind her, creeping along, speaking those words that nearly forced vomit out from her throat.
The doorknob to her apartment only seemed to get further and further away with every step she took to reach; it was like a dream, a horrible, horrible nightmare that brought her to her knees with every second that passed.
With one final lunge at the door, she gave the knob a hard twist and shoved herself inside.
It was so overwhelming; everything was just too big to deal with. Her head was a mess and over and over again, the monster's voice played in her head, tormenting her. She fell to the floor, still frightened and exhausted.
There was a soft chuckle, and a cold, Styrofoam hand touched her head gently, petting her hair, as though she were a dog. Her gaze went upwards, falling on Eff and his vicious grin. "Poor dear. You were gone a total of two minutes and forty two seconds. You just can't resist my charms, yes?"
His hand suddenly stopped being gentle and gripped a large clump of her hair tightly. His smile disappeared, his eyes narrowed dangerously. "You little shit. Perhaps now you'll listen to me. The consequences aren't as fucking pleasant as you thought they would be, are they, Ms. Devi?"
Devi didn't answer; instead she raised her hand out to knock the little prick away. He dodged it quickly, though not letting go of her hair, and managed to tear out a good half of a half of a handful. He stared at it for a moment, and, with a look of disgust planted on his features, threw it away. "Disgusting. You humans are just crawling with vile, little vermin all over your wretched bodies." He added, with a hint of a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth, "I want to be just like you."
Devi pushed herself up on her hands and knees, grabbing at her head where the hair had been ripped out, searching for the slightest sign of blood. "Holy mother of fuck…"she growled, dropping her hand to see the tiny little droplets of red adorning her fingertips now. Thankfully, the wound from earlier had clotted now, but she paid no mind to that. "What the hell was that? What was that fucking thing….in the stairway, Eff, you fucking shithead!"
Eff giggled in his wretched little way, and escorted himself to the couch. He was beginning to love this cushioning; it was so much comfier than Nny's had ever been, and it was free of rogue springs popping out of their free will to stab at people. Styrofoam or not, metal couch springs were just about as unpleasant as an angry, rabid giraffe with five nipples.
He laid back against it, feeling the wonderful softness against him, and another smile crept over his face, hiding a secret. Still, he had no means of unleashing that little thing until the right moment. For now, it was time to humor Devi.
And how he enjoyed it so.
"It was simply my going away present to you," he replied quaintly, shutting his eyes. "You seemed in such a hurry to leave….I simply can't allow you to go running off like that when I need you here, where I can see you."
Devi stood up, balancing herself on the doorframe. She glanced down at the bottom of the door, where a tiny crack of light shone in from the hallway under the door itself. A shadow passed by and immediately her heart fell out of her chest and into her stomach.
"I stopped fucking with your head the moment you came through the door, Devi Dearest," Eff giggled again, speaking in a tone that insinuated she was a common idiot. "You're almost as bad as our poor boy, though I must say, he was funnier to watch, and he wouldn't have run from something as pathetic as the figment of a figment. But you are stronger than he was. You did attempt to defy me, after all." He giggled again, but it wasn't as the others had been; it was low, deep. Unsettling. "Stupid girl. That just means I'll have to work harder."
Devi glared, her hand covering the bleeding area. "What the fuck do you want from me? What the hell are you talking about! Your boy! What does your boy have to do with me? Why can't you just fucking explode and disperse into air and vomit!"
She took a deep breathe, realizing that she was probably just giving him the reaction he sought, and leaned up against the wall next to the door. "God, I don't have time for this. Ever since Sickness came into my life, everything's been nothing but shit, and I can't fucking find a way out. Its like a God damn maze or something."
"Before," Eff interrupted her thoughts.
Devi stared in his direction, raising an thing eyebrow. "What?"
"Before Sickness," the doughboy reminded, poking his head over the side of the couch. "Your shitty life suffered its worse blow BEFORE Sickness wandered in. There was some random memory I came across in your mind, as I recollect, searching around for no reason other to fuck with you. As I recall, you stumbled into someone you shouldn't have."
She tried not to seem fazed, to hide her reaction. She failed in doing so, responding with much more than a hint of curiosity, "Nny…" She turned away, cursing herself for saying his name, his nickname; cursing herself for remembering it.
"So you see, it was before Sickness came along that everything went downhill in such a way that it would fuck with your head," Eff continued, as if never wanting to end the conversation. "Of course, I've also been informed that Nny is the reason that you have Sickness in the first place. Caught his disease, did you? Like an STD or something. Tragic thing, that."
Devi said nothing, not wanting to give anything else away, perhaps something that he wasn't aware of yet.
"So tragic about that boy, too."
That grabbed her attention, holding it in his possession again, and she quickly jumped on the cushion seat next to him. Her eyes were filled with panic at his words, speaking about…it couldn't be the same one.
"Its horrible to know that his purpose really is…"Eff giggled to himself, an odd sort of habit for someone so conniving and mean, or at least that's how it seemed to Devi. "But I suppose I've gone on long enough about someone so young." He flashed her a knowing look, feeling her blood pound inside her pale body as if it were his own. "Todd misses you, you know."
"Alright, that fucking does it!" Devi shrieked, grabbing the Styrofoam figure by his head and holding him up. "I don't know what you really want with me, or how you really know about Nny and Todd, but if you so much as hurt that poor child, so help me God, I will fucking break you! Do you understand me, Mr. Fucking Fuck!"
"Oh Devi," a voice shot out in the darkness. "You really need to keep your temper under control. Who knows what it could do to you…"
There was yet another sharp pain against her skull, and Devi found herself reeling towards the floor for the second time. She released Eff in an instant, and he went flying somewhere; Devi guessed it was probably near the couch.
Going under once again, Devi made a powerful discovery about herself: She had only known him for less than ten minutes total, and already she decided she hated his guts.
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"Oh my," Sickness smiled, dropping the oversized brick. "She's getting more blood all over the floor. Those may leave stains if they're not cleaned up soon."
Eff stared, watching the reopened cut on Devi's head spew out a thin trail of blood. He sighed out of annoyance. He glanced at Sickness, eyes narrowed and calmly hissed, "What the fuck did you do that for? What good did that possibly do? Tell me, Sickness, what random little thought in your small, sensitive brain led you to believe that knocking our dear girl out would help the situation at all?"
Sickness' smile faded, and the screws of her eyeballs turned inward at an odd angle, signifying her anger. "She had you in her death grip; she was ready to kill you. You tell me what fucked up voice in your egotistical brain mass said that my saving your filthy body wasn't helpful in some way?"
"I had everything under control!" Eff shrieked, for a moment, forgetting to hide his discomfort and rage. "I'm only doing what you asked of me, you simpleton! I'm getting her under our control; mind games, fucking around, making her uneasy through words and vocals, dammit. Beating her with blunt objects until her eye sockets fall out is no fucking way to get the desired effect!"
He sighed, turning his back to her, his Styrofoam hand rubbing against his throbbing forehead. He was getting a headache, the first since his talks with Nny long ago. It was the first sign of what was to come, now, and he might've jumped for joy if the situation at the moment completely and totally pissing him off.
He began searching for a way out.
"You're no good to me or the Master if you die," Sickness informed in a soft voice. "If she breaks you, then you disappear. And I can't have that. Not now, when we're so close."
Eff grinned, quite maliciously and so sudden, that it took the other figment aback. He took a quaint little step towards her, and she took a step back. "Yes…I've been meaning to talk to you about that; the whole 'we' thing, you know…. 'We'll do this' and 'we'll make her suffer' that….sit down, Sickness. Its time we had a chat."
Sickness winced.
"A loooooong chat…."
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A/N: Sorry for the lateness of this chapter. I was just thrown all over the place with other projects and a devilish writer's block foiled my plans of writing this chapter sooner. So sorry.