Other Ways

Ch 3

It was midnight but Artie couldn't sleep. He was thinking about what had happened today. He wondered why that demon was in Brianna. But he then saw a bright light appear in the forest and went to check it out.

"I hope it's not one of Ambrisa's friends. We're too weak right now to fight if it is!" he thought but was relieved when he saw it was Snowgre but older. He was twenty years old but depression and sadness was mixed with anger in his eyes. "Hey Artie it's me. You guys took care of Ambrisa." He said sadly.

Artie wondered what had changed his friend from happy and fun loving into a sad adult. Snowgre then clutched his head as they entered the swamp. "Get out of me! I don't want to be your host anymore!" he yelled. Artie was scared. "What's going on with you Snowg? Was it Ambrisa that did this to you? Or is it the same as Brianna?" he thought as Snowgre sat on his make shift bed in the living room.

"Don't you sleep?" Artie asked him. "No I can't… It'll force badness on me as well as visions of those I love being killed or hurt especially you." He answered him. Artie realised it was insomia that was making his friend erratic. "It's not just that. There's a demon inside me, a Sleep Demon. It wants me to do bad things because Ambrisa put it in my head to stop us from being free and to scare Shrek. Ambrisa knows Shrek would do anything to protect me but this demon inside is freaking me out. Help me please!" he explained with tears in his eyes. Artie then climbed into the bed beside him. "What're you doing? If you stay with me, you'll get hurt! I can't bear that, not to you." Snowgre told him. "Maybe this is worth the risk. I… love you for who you are." He told him. Snowgre felt tears at that as his eyes grew heavy. Nobody had said that to him. In his dream he was with Artie but then just as he was feeling happy, the dream melted into darkness and he could hear Artie's voice screaming, begging for mercy. Snowgre's mental self shivered at that. He knew who was doing this.

"I love you Snowgre... to death!" he heard the Sleep Demon cackle as he appeared out of the darkness. He looked like a shadow but with glowing purple eyes. "Why do you haunt me? Stop this, please! I just want to dream, to be happy again." Snowgre begged him. The Sleep Demon laughed madly at that. "You know what you must do if you ever wanna be happy and have sweet dreams again." it replied as he saw Artie's mental self becoming lifeless as the demon was draining his soul, his love and his heart. "Stop it! If you leave him alone, I'll do what you want! Just let Artie live!" he begged through tears. The Sleep Demon smiled at that as he returned the life force to Artie. "Snowg don't! He'll hurt you!" Artie yelled. "I'm sorry Artie but this... is the only way to save you. Just forget about me." Snowgre said as a Japanese mark appeared on Snowgre's head. Both of them woke up depressed and scared. Artie felt heart broken at this. His friend had let the demon win in order to save his soul.

Snowgre was slowly beginning to change mentally and socially under the demon's control. He withdrew from the others especially Shrek and Artie. His eyes were slowly changing from green to black. Artie felt powerless to do anything as he watched his best friend and love turn into a monster and hurt those close to him...

Brianna then saw Snowgre attack her in the forest. She wasn't dead but mainly hurt. Shrek heard Snowgre laugh madly as they took care of Brianna. "It's not his fault. He's under the control of a demon Ambrisa sealed in him. It won't let him sleep and last night he let it win to save me from dying at it's hands. It's... my fault." Artie said crying as he ran out of the house into the forest.

He then saw Snowgre corner him and used his most powerful attack that made Artie pass out. Shrek saw fear and tears in his cousin's eyes as he vanished with Artie in his arms...