Hey everyone! Well it's been a little while since I've updated, on account of school and all the hustle and bustle of the holiday season. But I've got another chapter here ready to go! I hope everyone had a great Christmas and I'm happy that I can make one more update before the year was up!
Enjoy!
Disclaimer:
Paralysis part 4
"Fox…"
The sudden, feminine voice stirred Fox out of his slumber. He groggily blinked his eyes open as he desperately tried to adjust them to the dark room. His immediate instinct was to lift himself up to see who had called his name. But upon doing so, he found himself unable to move. Once again, Fox tried to move any part of his body but found that they were completely paralyzed. Fox began to panic. His initial thoughts were very similar to the night before.
"What the hell's going on here? Why can't I move? Am I dreaming? Is something wrong with me?"
But before his brain could conjure up even more frantic questions, Fox suddenly remembered everything that Miyu had told him about sleep paralysis and how it was nothing to worry about. Slowly, Fox began to rationalize his thoughts and slow his heartbeat down. Although the situation was still unnerving to him, he felt a bit of comfort in knowing not only what he was going through but also how it was less supernatural than he initially thought. The only thing he wondered however, was just how he could escape this surreal predicament before anything disturbing could happen.
Fox was so preoccupied with his thoughts that he had nearly forgotten about the mysterious voice, until he heard it again.
"Fox…"
Fox's attention immediately snapped towards the unknown source of the voice. Now that his eyes had adjusted more to the darkness, Fox could see that everything in his room looked relatively normal.
"Just like…last night," Fox thought as his anxiety began to rise again.
Just then, he heard a sound coming from his closet. It sounded as if someone, or something, was shuffling around in his closet. Fox moved his eyes towards the left-hand side of the room, where his closet was situated.
For the longest time, Fox kept his eyes completely focused on the closet door, as the shuffling got louder and louder. But just as quickly as it began, the shuffling stopped and the room was encased in an eerie silence.
It was then that Fox heard another sound echo throughout his room. A giggle. A haunting, childlike giggle began to fill the room. But it wasn't just the ambiguity of the laugh that caused him to break out into a cold sweat, it was the very nature of the laugh itself. The giggle didn't sound like it came from a little girl, but rather a grown man trying to imitate a little girl. The laughing went on and on before it abruptly stopped and the room was once again silent.
Once more, Fox tried to calm himself down by thinking more positive thoughts. He closed his eyes and silently prayed, wishing he could wake up from this nightmare unscathed. But just as he felt himself relaxing a little, he felt something grab the top of his head.
Fox practically felt his heart stop. He was sure that he was the only one in the room. He didn't hear the main door, bathroom door or even the closet door open. He didn't even hear anybody walking around him. But the thing that disturbed him the most, was just how this…thing was holding onto him. It felt as if it was standing directly behind him. But the space between the bed and the wall was far too narrow for anyone to get into, let alone stand in.
Suddenly, Fox heard the voice again. But this time it sounded clearer, softer and somewhat familiar to him.
"Fox…"
Fox felt the thing remove its grip from his head. He then heard it shuffle its way out from behind his bed. Fox rapidly moved his eyes to the far left and the far right to see who it was, but there was only darkness around him.
But just as he was glancing towards his left again, Fox felt something tap him on his right shoulder. Startled, Fox quickly glanced to his right and saw someone he hadn't seen in a long time. Someone he could only barely remember from the attic of his brain.
His own mother, Vixy Mccloud, was standing right next to his bed. It was almost as if she was coming to tuck him into bed, just as Fox remembered all those years ago. Despite the darkness of the room, Fox could still make out his mother's vibrant orange fur as well as her striking green eyes. A gentle smiled was painted on her face and her eyes showed nothing but pure love and comfort.
For a while, the two simply started at each other. The intense anxiety that Fox had felt only a moment ago was slowly fading, as his mother began to gently rub his shoulder. He had even started to forget that he was in a state of sleep paralysis.
Suddenly, a series of memories began to flash before Fox's eyes like a roll of film. He began to remember everything about that fateful day when his mother's life was cut off in the blink of an eye.
XXXXXXX
It was a typical Saturday morning and a young Fox Mccloud had just finished the last of his sugar infused cereal. He quickly got up from the table, plopped himself down on the couch and grabbed the TV remote to turn on his cartoon ritual.
He had only been watching for about ten minutes when he heard a series of voices coming down the stairs.
"I don't know dear I don't want to impose…"
"Really Vixy it's nothing. I don't have to go into the city for anything today and I'll watch Fox for a while."
"Well…alright."
Fox then saw his mother and father enter the living room. He saw his father hand her a set of keys before he leaned in and gave her a kiss on the lips. Fox immediately turned away and slightly gagged. Even though they were his parents, he still thought that thing they did was just plain icky.
Fox continued to watch his show until he felt someone wrap their arms around him and give him a kiss on the cheek.
"I'll be right back Fox. I just have to run to the store."
Fox merely nodded, the animated images on the screen capturing his attention. He heard his mother walk across the living room and then down the stairs. He then heard a door, which connected the house to the garage, opening and closing.
As the program went to a commercial break, Fox saw his father filling a mug in the kitchen before he went over and sat next to him on the couch. Neither of them realizing that their lives were about to take a dark turn.
A deafening boom echoed throughout the house. It was so sudden, and so powerful, that Fox felt himself being knocked off the couch, with a loud ringing in his ears. He glanced up and saw a look of horror begin to bloom on his dad's face. Fox heard the sound of a mug breaking behind him as he saw his dad run rapidly down the stairs. Fox tried to call out to him but his inquiries fell upon deaf ears.
With his body still rocked to the core, the young cub stumbled to his feet and tried as quickly as he could to catch up to his dad. But upon reaching the top of the stairs, the young fox saw an ugly cloud of black smoke emit its way through the open door of the garage. Fox began to cough as the house began to fill up with the toxic fumes.
But just then, his father came racing out of the garage with tears streaming down his face. Before the young cub could open his mouth to speak, he felt his dad pick him up under his shoulders and hurriedly raced him out the front door. The older fox continued running until both he and his son were across the street. His father placed him on the sidewalk before he began hysterically crying to the neighbors, who by now were outside investigating the disturbance, to dial 911.
It was only a matter of minutes before a swarm of firetrucks, police cars and even ambulances raced up the street. Fox just continued to watch, dumbfounded, as he saw his father run towards the firefighters with tears in his eyes. A group of police officers tried to restrain the hysterical man as the firemen made their way towards the fire, which by now had engulfed nearly half of the house.
It took nearly an hour for the firemen to get the blaze under control. Fox then saw an officer speak to a firefighter before he slowly walked over towards his dad, who by now was sitting in a daze on the front lawn. He tried to hear what they were saying, but found that he was too far away to hear anything. Fox then saw his father come towards him with a look that he'd never seen before. It gave him a sick feeling.
Before long, he saw his dad sit next to him on the sidewalk. For what felt like hours, the older fox simply sat in silence. Ultimately, it was the young vulpine who broke the silence.
"Daddy? What's wrong?"
No answer.
"Why isn't mommy with us?"
Still no answer.
Fox couldn't handle the silence anymore. "Daddy? Daddy? DAAAAAADDDDDYYYYY!"
Without warning, Fox felt his father wrap his arms around him in a tight grip.
"I-I'm sorry Fox," his father said through his sobs. "M-m-mommy can't be with us r-r-right now."
The young Fox then asked a plethora of questions, all relating to what his father had meant by that statement. But only a series of anguished cries answered his questions. They stayed in that pose for what felt like ages before Fox felt his father unravel his grip. His father then told him that they would be spending time at uncle Peppy's house for a while.
That night, Fox had been hurriedly put to bed by his father who claimed that he had to discuss some things, with Peppy, in private. After a few minutes of lying in bed, Fox's itch of curiosity got to be too much for him. He quietly slipped out of bed and tiptoed his way towards the top of the stairs. From where he was standing, Fox could hear a set of two voices coming from the kitchen, although he mostly heard his father doing the talking. Fox heard his father telling Peppy everything that had happened earlier that day.
But the part that caught the young fox's attention the most, were the things he had not heard anything about. Mainly, the explosion was caused by a bomb planted under the hood of his dad's car. But because of his father's actions, it ended up costing his mother's life. No sooner had his father finished, that Fox heard him breakdown in tears.
Fox had heard enough. He quietly slipped back to his room and got into bed. For a while, the cub simply laid in his bed before a sickening realization finally came to him. His mother was gone, forever lost to an act of vengeance against his family. Fox then cried himself to sleep before he drifted off into a cold and lonely slumber.
XXXXXXX
Just as quickly as it began, the flashing memories ceased and Fox found himself back in his bed, still paralyzed all over. His mother was now sitting on the right-hand side of his bed. Her pleasant expression was still evident on her face.
"It's been a long time Fox."
Fox froze. He had clearly heard his mother's voice, yet her lips remained unmoving the entire time. The panic on his face must have been crystal clear as soon he heard his mother say,
"Do not be alarmed my son. Just think with your mind to talk to me. It's a dream after all. We can do anything here. "
Fox tried to shake his head, but all he accomplished was a slight twitch.
"Please don't say that mom," Fox thought. "It's been so long. I miss you and dad every day. It's… It's just unbelievable that I can see you again."
Vixy gently nodded. "I know son. I never got the chance to let you know just how much I love you."
Vixy then reached over and rubbed her thumb under Fox's right eye. Fox hadn't even realized that he was crying, but then again he couldn't really feel much of anything at the moment.
"Shhh…don't cry my son. I know how much you miss us and I know how much pain you've experienced over the years. But I just wanted to let you know that…your father and I are proud of you. Just seeing you get on with your life, after everything that's happened, has made us proud. I love you Fox and nothing will ever change that."
Fox felt a wave of comfort fill his body. Both his mother's words, and her tone, were so soothing he felt his eyelids grow heavy.
"Never stop being who you are Fox. The Lylat system is blessed to have heroes like you watching over it."
Try as he might to keep them open, in order to see his mother for just a little while longer, he eventually let them close completely. The words continued in Fox's mind.
"You've become so strong Fox, not to mention handsome. Krystal is more than lucky to have you as a partner. She must be the luckiest girl in the world to see your beautiful eyes every day. Why…I bet she just loves seeing your face every day. You definitely inherited your father's good looks. I mean…just look at your face, it's so…bright and masculine and perfect. Oh why couldn't I just have a face like that? I would cut you open, gut you like a fish and wear your skin just so I could so the world how beautiful you are."
Upon hearing these words, Fox felt his heartbeat experience an adrenaline rush. He shot his eyes open and immediately recoiled in horror. Although she still kept her foxlike features, his mother now had long, twisted grey hair that came down to her shoulders. Her face was nothing but a forest of wrinkles with many bits and pieces of her flesh dripping and sagging. Her teeth had now taken the form of fangs and were a disgusting combination of yellow and black. But the thing that disturbed Fox the most, were her eyes. Where his mother's loving green eyes had once been, there was now nothing but empty holes that dripped black ooze. In addition to her gruesome appearance, the figure had also completely changed positions. She was now sitting on top of Fox and her ugly, rotting claws were pressed tightly against his chest.
For a while, the horrifying figure simply started down at Fox with a twisted smile across her face. But just then, the figure grabbed the skin around Fox's chin and dug her sharp nails deep into his flesh. The nails were dug in so deep that Fox could feel multiple trickles of blood run down his throat. Fox then heard the voice again, only now it was a cold, hoarse shadow of his mother's voice.
"Such a lovely face…"
Then, before Fox could even process the meaning of her words, the haggard woman ripped his face off in one clean motion. The pain was so unbearable that Fox tried to scream out loud but his mouth still couldn't move a muscle. He began feeling a warm, sticky fluid flow out of every square inch of his face and straight onto his bed.
After performing her gruesome deed, the old hag gave a glance at her twisted prize. A gleeful expression crossed her face, as if she were a child who had successfully won a toy from a crane game.
"It's a face only a mother could love…"
Without a moment's hesitation, the hag twisted Fox's face to one side and viciously tore off a piece of it with her own teeth. She then began to laugh hysterically as she savored the ghoulish morsel.
With the hag's laugh chilling his blood, Fox shut his eyes and desperately tried to move any part of his body. Any sense of pain he felt was greatly overshadowed from the terror of the situation before him.
"Got to wake up! Got to wake up!" Fox frantically thought. "This isn't real, this isn't real, this isn't…"
Just then, Fox felt a pair of cold, bony hands grip around his throat. Fox stayed still for a moment, not wanting to open his eyes for anything, especially not for something as horrific as that…thing. It was then that he heard another voice enter his mind, only now it didn't sound like his mother or even the other woman. This voice now resembled his own.
"There can be only one Fox Mccloud…"
Startled, Fox opened his eyes and saw that the old hag was now wearing his face. A piece of flesh now missing from the left cheek. But before he could shut his eyes once again, the figure suddenly began violently squeezing Fox's throat before it began to giggle in a deranged manner. Fox's mind immediately went into a panic as he once again tried to wake himself up. As the figure continued to squeeze harder and harder, Fox found his vision growing darker and darker.
Just as Fox felt he was taking his last breath, he heard one final voice enter his mind. A calm, cool and collected voice that simply said:
"Wake up."
At that exact moment, Fox suddenly found himself jerking up in his bed. He shot open his eyes and quickly turned on the lamp beside his bed. Fox then glanced back and saw that his room looked exactly as it had when he went to bed. He placed a paw to his face and felt an overwhelming sense of relief when he felt the thick fur run through his fingers.
Fox shook his head and got out of bed. He quickly walked over to the bathroom, turned on the light and closed the door. He leaned against the door and began breathing heavily. His disturbing episode continued to plague his thoughts as he tried to remember what Miyu had said to him earlier.
"It's just a different kind of nightmare. It can't possibly hurt you in any physical way."
Fox sighed before he went over to the sink and turned the cold knob. Fox cupped his hands under the running water and began to splash it on his face. Fox performed this procedure a total of five times before he turned off the faucet and grabbed a towel nearby. Fox gently wiped his face as he peered into the mirror. He was again relieved to see that his face was still in once piece.
Fox continued to rub his face with the towel until he felt a sharp pain underneath his chin. He swore under his breath as he cupped his chin with his right hand. Fox removed his hand and looked down at his fingers. A small sliver of blood coated his middle finger.
Startled, Fox looked in the mirror and felt his blood freeze. Under his fur, he could see an ugly collage of scratches covering his chin. Fox slowly stumbled away from the mirror as he felt a growing uneasy pit in his stomach.
"This isn't happening," Fox thought. "I'm tired and my mind's still fuzzy. There is nothing wrong with me."
Fox got down on the floor and leaned back against the wall, still trying to convince himself that there was a logical explanation for all of this. He continued to do this until sleep overcame his paranoia.
So…yeah that happened.
In all seriousness though, I hope you all enjoyed my belated Christmas gift to you guys. Thanks to all of you who have reviewed my story so far. It's always pretty cool to hear what you guys have to say!
I'm not certain when I'll update next, (though it defiantly won't be in 2015 :p) but I will try to update whenever possible.
I wish you all the best in the New Year! :)
Peace!
