Check out Secrets from Scdoodles' Doodle Writes (SDW) for something a little similar to this.

Chapter 36

It's Not Me, I think

(Enderlox's POV)

I was cold and scared, trapped in an abyss that reminded me too much of the void. Sometimes the surroundings will glow a rich crimson and a wave of thrill and joy would hit me. It felt wrong, sickening. But, such a strong sense of happiness that it's addicting and I wanted more. It isn't until the smell hits me do I realize what happened to make me feel this way. Memories would flash through my head. Screams. Cries of help. Begging it to stop. When they grow quiet, a puddle would quietly form under their limp form and I would see a reflection. It's me every time. Then the puddle and body disappear. Like it was never there. Something separate from me wishes that it'd stay.

I try to stop. Screaming and begging similar to the ones I ended. The first time, I screamed out of fear. I caught someone's or something's attention when I did. I felt emotions erupt through my body, but they weren't my own. Annoyance and anger made its way throughout me and I couldn't help but add confusion to it. Something was sharing emotions with me and it wasn't until the voice rang around me when things clicked. It had taken over my body, but I was more conscious then previous times.

"You couldn't have slept a little more, huh? Such a nuisance."

The echo was different from my dreams and when I was in control. Maybe it was because I hadn't heard it in a while? Perhaps the last time I heard it, it sounded weaker? Whatever it was, I could definitely hear more than that snarky ring it usually had.

"Welcome to your mindscape. Unfortunately, I can't give you the grand tour with me being in charge and everything. Now if you don't mind, I'm in the middle of a game."

After that remark, I could feel a force grab hold of one of my legs and drag me across the abyss. Automatic panic set in and I began to twist around trying to break free.

"You'll stay here for the mean time."

I was tossed into something similar to a cage. It was small and seemed to be made up of smoke. Unfortunately, it wasn't as navigable and even burned when I touched the wispy bars. The anxiety wasn't helping in the situation and more than enough questions were starting to pop up.

"You should have checked the date before coming here you know."

The voice began to cackle and I realized what he meant. Whatever magic in the bracelets Seto had charged it with is gone now, or at least most of it was. If all of it had gone I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have to be locked up in cage. Why didn't it just remove the bracelets then? If they were still on at that point anyway.

"The disguise is useful. Shut up now and let me continue with this."

It had answered my question at the time without me voicing it but that would only make sense. We are in my (?) our (?) mind at the moment. That was how it communicated anyway, so why couldn't I. Of course though, it's absent has been more than obvious when I was actually going to test this theory. A sense of loneliness hitting me was the only warning that I was, indeed, alone.

Ignoring the burning the bars were causing on me, I had tried my best to break it open. I would only stop my effort when the colors began to appear. I hate it how there was a delay into seeing who was the next victim. Not to mention the satisfactory feeling that washed over me wanted to make me sick even more. I knew it wasn't me personally who enjoyed the killing, but I wasn't entirely being bothered with it, now anyway.

It killed two others, making five total, before it found Sky. By that time, I was able to figure out how to see what it was seeing. Sharing eyes or something like that. I recognized Sky first. We were still walking up to him when I figured it out, but it was ignoring me and hadn't taken notice until we were practically over him. It was distracted, but I couldn't really blame it. The surroundings were familiar and had caused our shared headache to worsen. Apparently, this had been from my memory but I couldn't remember from when.

Being up next to Sky, the frustration and anger was smothering. Something else had been mixed in. It felt like betrayal, but it was directed at me. That was because I had forgiven Sky and it hadn't. If I only had killed Sky instead of hiding under the blanket, I wouldn't have this dread when it drove the sword through Sky's hip. I had sat in that tiny smoke cage not moving, not even trying to distract it from hurting Sky. I had thought I was scared. But it didn't feel like it. The events leading up to the stabbing I have felt the fear, but when the pressure of skin to metal had collided, relief started seeping in. It wasn't from the voice though, but from me. Maybe if Sky hadn't survived, the drama would stop, everything would just end somehow. I would die alongside him. He didn't though and my agony continued.

Following the blood trail led to more killings. I had stopped struggling at that point, accepting the emotions that passed through. Enjoyed them to an extent, happy for the stimuli. It started to converse with me more because of it. Although it was more of taunting and mocking.

"What'd you think of that boy? He was more enjoyable, no? I can still sense your flickering emotions. You liked it that much, huh?"

Things like that kept being said after each kill now. I didn't like it though. I couldn't have.

"It's in you. The pleasures of seeing someone's blood run. I can't wait until we get some flesh, then you'll really turn."

I wanted to empty my stomach, because that was the natural response for something like that. I didn't feel like that at all. I was curious. Was it as good as it said it was? It encouraged the thought when that went passed my head. Thankfully it snapped me back to my sense. Or what I had left of them.

It didn't rush to find Sky again seeing as the blood trail wasn't fading. At times it would just sit against a tree and read through the screen that popped up from our arm. It explained that the thing was another wristband which had technology which made the screen pop up. Right next to it I could see the bracelet Seto gave me, but the green wasn't as bright, it was dulling.

It explained more about how the thing worked but I just couldn't understand and that made me feel stupid and useless like Sky had made me feel when he was trying to explain about this world.

"He made you feel stupid. Just one more reason to do him in, right?"

I ignored it. That wasn't what I meant.

Continuing with the screen, it said that the thing recorded whenever someone killed another and also served as a chat. It demonstrated when it pulled up a secondary screen filled with the letters Sky was teaching me. When it tapped a letter, the square highlighted and then once it was done with all the tapping something else popped up in the primary screen.

"It says 'Anyone there?' You think someone will respond? Maybe our prime target?"

I couldn't help but be amazed, but I had to control myself. It would start to think I'm trusting it or something. No one responded.

"If you weren't such a pain, conversations like these would be nice once and a while."

Yea, if I didn't have to be stuck in some sort of mind cage and have to see my body being controlled by some evil thing and kill everything in sight while tempting me with flesh for food. Things would be slightly better. This was still a nice change of pace, I admit.

Ignoring it again was probably the safest way to go, though. At least until we saw Sky again. I needed to help out next time. Redeem myself in some way. I had to stop being scared at some point.

I found out later that it had the most kills out of everyone else. I wasn't surprised, but I really hadn't understood the idea of the game until recently. A game to the death, last one alive wins. From anyone watching, they would assume our greatest threat would be the person right under us, but I knew better. Sky was probably the most dangerous. No, he is the most dangerous, to us anyway. Or maybe it's me? I doubt it though.

Continuing on it's hunt, it realized how badly the start of the day was. The water in the air was thicker, like when we saw Sky the first time sleeping by that tree. It slowed us down and made following the trail harder.

"You have to have some kind of smarts in you, right? Where would your friend be headed, hm? You know him better."

It was getting desperate. Even I could start feeling how uncomfortable the air was making it feel. It wasn't as bad when it got the shirt all wet and soggy and DEFINITLY not as bad when I was pushed into the pond, but still annoying anyway. Water is such a nuisance.

An idea had pooped in my head and I knew there was no way to keep it secret. We climbed a tree and spotted water cutting through the forest.

"It's a river. You aren't as useless as I thought you were."

For Sky to avoid us, he would stay by water. Simple really, but the heavy air wasn't affecting me as bad as it.

Following the stream made me uneasy and it could sense the discomfort. It seemed to sense that in me and walker a bit deeper into the forest, only following the sound of the stream. After all, I was the one who was pushed and almost died in the water, not it. At least, not in this lifetime. From what I'm finding out, I'm not the only one who the voice has taken over. I am the only one who hasn't been consumed from the start. What luck…

"I still can't understand how something as pathetic as you can continue to block me from full control. To be honest, I should have taken you as soon as the Eye was put in you."

I couldn't help but wonder along with it. Our little mystery was put on hold though.

Finding someone and slaughtering them wasn't the best part of the scenery but it was easy enough to deal with. Finding a group of people was another story. Especially when they were the ones who had the most kills under us.

There were four of them, all guys just chatting. How convenient it was that none of them were looking our way. Even the air had lightened up and energy was just swirling around me now. It wasn't stupid when it came down to fights though. All of them were wearing some piece of armor and that seemed to be the only problem. Also besides the facts that they were all skilled in fighting. But it seemed like luck was on it's side. One mumbled something to the others and started walking closer to the stream.

It waited for a bit before we started to follow him. He had black hair and his skin seemed to be tanned from the sun. He only wore a chest plate and had an iron sword equipped. Getting him from behind would be easy. From what I learned, when it is coming from behind a person, it uses the sword and cuts both sides of the neck or drive the sword through the victim's spine. I rather prefer the latter; it's a lot quicker that way. This guy was wearing a chest plate though and it wasn't enough to cover his neck, so looks like option two was in order. It liked that attack better too. The gurgling sound that the victims made was probably why.

As we neared the river, we started to pick up two other voices. This made the guy slow down and once the voices were more distinguishable, he stepped behind a tree to eavesdrop. I only recognized one voice. How I wished my theory was wrong and Sky ended up someplace else.

"If it helps, we won't be killing him here."

I didn't understand. I didn't question either. There was a target and I was just bracing myself to what might happen. It waited though, until the conversation was over.

There was a girl. She was beginning to walk back and the guy stepped out, but Sky called out.

"Wait! If you see him, uh, Deadlox that is, tell him you know where Sky is. He won't kill you."

Not immediately, if we had met her someplace else that is. That was his plan though. At least, that was what the voice's idea was. But we couldn't wait now, the guy was starting to walk towards them and he would probably kill Sky, and that was something both of us didn't want. Two long strides towards the man and we caught up easily. The canon went off shortly after. He was really close to his sister as well. I couldn't empathize though. She did die right after. It didn't even bother to take her out quickly and just killed her like her brother. I couldn't complain, it wasn't that bad. The sword was already at Sky's neck before I knew it.

It and Sky exchanged a few words, but I couldn't hear it. I was shutting down. I didn't want to see this. I couldn't help. I just wanted to see the blood now.

"-match to the death."

That was my voice. But it wasn't me. Then my, our, body was floating.

"A match to the death?"

"Yes, does that interest you?"

"How can you tell?"

"You spoke. You've let me in now."

"What does that mean?"

"Means that you'll do the killing now. You'll enjoy it too. I understand now why you didn't disappear from the start."

"No, I won't. That's not me. I don't get what you're saying.

"You just need a jump-start and you'll figure it out yourself. Happy hunting."

I was standing on the platform we started the games on along with that invisible force. I wasn't nervous this time. I felt eager. I was in control. I wasn't in that stupid cage. I couldn't even sense the voice. I didn't want this though. This isn't me. I don't want to fight anymore, I don't.

A beeping noise was giving off the middle and giant numbers were counting down from 15. Around were the others that we saw from the forest. Sky was also there. That was it. Those were the only people here. Those guys are going to kill us and then kill each other. This death may not count, but I didn't want to see Sky die.

This is what the voice was planning. It knew about this final battle. Anger had made it forget it though when it saw Sky the first time. I wasn't going to let it trick me into killing just so I can save Sky this time though.

The problem is, I really wanted to. Memories from back in the End started to come back. The urge to just tear them apart. At least Sky will think it isn't me.

As the countdown finished the others started to charge towards me. They left Sky alone. That was good. I had a plan of my own now. I couldn't help but grin and run at them as well.