Warning, this chapter is going to jump around a lot
"Up... get... get up...get up. Get up. Get up"
There was nothing but darkness. He could feel his eyes opening. He could feel himself blink. But there was nothing but darkness. Blinking he was trying to get used to it. Lifting his hand he couldn't even see the silhouette he would normally see when his eyes adjusted, but nothing again.
"Am I dead"
"Not yet you're not"
"Ghost," he called. The voice didn't sound like ghost. It was more of a whisper, whereas ghosts voice was firm. It sounded as if the person. Wasn't there with him. "Whose there"
From the corner of his eyes, he seen shining light. Reaching out he recognized it as one of the blue gems. The last thing he remembered he and Undertaker was falling, and then nothing.
Eyes widening Joel got up and shined the light around. There was no trace of undertaker anywhere. No body, not clothes. It was like he vanished. He found ghost on the ground whimpering lightly, but otherwise knocked out. Crawling over her stroked the wolf's white fur. His hand hit something else. It felt like another body was there with them.
Turning the gem around, he screamed... His father...
"Dad" he called out, shaking his shoulder. Stuart didn't respond. "DAD!" he panicked, shaking Stuart harder. "Dad wake up." Still Stuart didn't respond. "Shit.. shit shit shit shit shit," Joel swore. His heart beat wildly as he slapped his father face. Still no reaction. "This can't be happening"
Joel started to hyperventilate as he sat back. His father is dead.
"I thought you were sleeping," the beldam smiled as Noel made his way in to the den Rubbing his eyes
"I was but I woke up"
"Is something the matter?"
"No," Noel shook his head. "I was just wondering though"
"About what"
"The two worlds." The beldam cocked her head to the side as she drummed her fingers along the side table. "It's not that I want to leave, but what if I want to see Joel again? Or my friends? Will I be able to go to the other world and do that"
"Why would you want to do that when they're all here"
"Not really. They're imaginative versions of people I know, they're not the real ones. They say and act the way I would want them too"
"And that's a problem"
"Only when I want a real unbiased conversation or game." Sighing Noel sat down. "I don't know. I do t want to leave because it's amazing here, but I also don't want to give up my brother or the friends I've made either"
"Tsk, Tsk" the beldam shook her head. "It seems that you haven't decided on what you want yet Noel. Haven't I given you everything you ever wanted? Isn't this world exactly what you wanted? I give and I give, and yet you want more and more"
"It's not that." Looking up Noel's eyes widened. Standing in front of him wasn't his other mother. She was notably taller and thinner than before. Her black hair seemed to move by itself, her skin is paper-white, and her nails are long and red. She was skeletal in appearance. Something inhumane, though Noel already knew that.
Noel stood up quickly to run but was stopped by the other mother griping the back of his shirt. "Aren't you grateful for all that I have give you?"
"Yes, but"
The beldam sighed, Noel's eyes widened in fear as she dragged him out of the room and down the hall. "You know I love you Noel. I just want to give you everything you could ever want but you're being ungrateful. So until you learn to appreciate what you have, you are on punishment until further notice"
"Wait." His cry went ignored as he was pushed in to what he could only assume was a mirror and came out in to a dark and small room. There was no doors or windows. He was trapped with nothing but a bed. Leaning against the wall, he slid down. She transformed in to a monster. She wasn't his other mother, she was something else. Maybe they were right, he thought.
He couldn't think. He couldn't speak... his father was dead... Maybe he was dead as well. Joel didn't know what to think. He couldn't see anything, nor could he feel anything. The only light was the blue light from the stones, but there was nothing around him but an invisible wall. He couldn't touch, but he felt it's presence all around him.
"You're not dead yet," the voice whispered, "you still have time"
Joel ignored the voice as tears pricked his eyes
"What about Noel. Do you want him to end up dead too?"
Joel shook his head.
"Then you have to get out of here"
"What am I going to do about my dad," Joel finally spoke, his voice hoarse as it burned
"Check his pulse,"
Blinking, Joel crawled his way over to his father. From the bits and pieces he managed to comprehend from his high school CPR class, you can check for your pulse through your neck and wrist. Planning two fingers on his fathers neck, Joel's heart thumped...
"So have you made up your mind yet?"
Noel's head snapped up at the sound of the voice but couldn't find anyone in the room with him.
"She's going to kill them if you don't do something"
"Kill who?"
"Who else"
"If you're talking about Joel and my dad, they left. If you're talking about me, she's not"
"Yes she is"
"And how do you know that"
"Because I know"
"Who are you"
A bright light illuminated the room, blinding Noel who closed his eyes tightly as to not blind himself. Once the light died Noel opened his eyes. There was no one in front of him, and he blinked. A giggle sounded besides him and Noel's head snapped to his right. There sitting besides him was a young boy who looked to be around his age. There was a dim light illuminating from him, and he was transparent. Almost like a ghost. But the most interesting thing about him, was that he lacked button eyes.
"Why, I'm one of the children she trapped in here"
Noel blinked. "And how do I know that? Why should I believe you? You don't have button eyes so how could she have done that?"
"Why would you not," the boy laughed. "Why do you want to believe she's not a child murderer so badly?" Noel didn't say anything. "I get that your parents just have sucked for you to want to stay," the boy said softly, "but trust me, no one is as worst as my parents"
"Why do you say that?"
"Because she's my mother." Noel's eyes widened, easily piecing two and two together as the boy laughed at his expression. "Yeah, I know"
"What?."
"It was a long time ago." The boy said. He told Noel the story about how he loved his mother and how much his mother loved him. About how he was the child she needed but not exactly the child she wanted. He told Noel of how he loved making things like he does, and how his mother hated it. He told Noel about the games they played and why they played. He told Noel about how he died, and what she did after his death.
"So she misses you?"
"No," the boy shook his head, "how can she miss me when I'm right here with her." Noel didn't know what to say. She was his mother. His other mother. And he was her son. Right? But her son was right here with her. How could she have wanted him to stay as her son, when her son was right here with her. What was the point of this then?
"How do you know my brother and father is still here?"
"Because they're in a place I can see. They're in the well. The place where I died"
"If you died there, then how can you be here too?"
"Because she placed me here, trapped me so that I can't go anywhere but to the well and here"
"Why would she do that"
"To punish me"
"For what?"
"Not being the child she wanted," Noel didn't say anything as he thought back to his own parents. He and the boy had a lot of common when it came to their parental issues.
"What are my dad and brother doing in the well?"
"Dying," the boy laughed as Noel raised an eyebrow. "Sorry, I don't mean to laugh, this is serious"
"So what do I do? I can't exactly get out of here"
"Just leave it to me. I still have some Type of power here. It's my world just as much as hers, she's just more powerful. But before that you have to promise me something"
"What is it?"
He's alive," he sighed in relief as he dropped his head, "but he's not waking up. Why isn't he waking up?neither is ghost"
"It's the well. It's draining his life"
Joel's eyes widened. "So why am I unaffected"
"It's because I'm protecting you"
"Who are you?"
A bright light flashed, blinding Joel for a few seconds before it dimmed. Opening his eyes, Joel was face to face with a boy that looked to be Noel's age. Joel looked him over with a couple of questions running through his head.
"Are you..."
"Dead? Yes I am, but there's no time to dwell on it, Noel is coming to get you out of here"
"What?"
Taking a deep breath Noel walked through the mirror and came out on the other side. He was now in the hallway of the pink palace. Sneaking through the halls he made his way to the kitchen. Peaking in he sighed when there was no sign of the Other Mother. Looking through the drawers he grabbed a knife. If he was going to save Joel and his father, he wasn't going to go unprotected.
With a weapon in hand there was no time to waste. He knew it wasn't safe, but He didn't care about stealth, or safety. all he needed to do was get out of the house and reach his brother and father. So he ran. He ran right out of the door and towards the direction of the well.
"Hey No-El, whats with the rush,"
Noel tripped, the knife falling from his hands as a hand grabbed his leg. Turning around his eyes widened at the sight of what he assumes is Mr.K. He resembled a large cobra-like machine with spider-like arms; four of them have robotic hands, one has a seam-cutting blade, two others have sewing needles, and the remaining arm has a pair of old scissors. All together the Seamstress has six arms. His body is cloaked in a fabric covering. The hood was made from a umbrella, and is in the shape of the crest of a cobra.
Noel turned from him, scrambling to get up as K started pulling him in as red thread started to stitch around his legs. Grabbing the knife, Noel cut the red thread wrapping around his feet, and scrambled to stand. Not looking behind him, Noel ran again.
Not deterred K slithered after him. catching up to Noel quickly, he tripped him again. this time, K picked Noel from the ground and pulled him towards his opening. Noel groaned loudly Noel was able to grab on to a root. K pulled harder but Noel held on tighter. Bending his body, K reached around Noel to fit the branch. Seeing an opportunity, Noel stabbed K in the eye.
It let out a strange noise that Noel couldn't exactly describe. It was like a mix of different animals mixed with a machine. It was hard to describe, but it made Noel's ears ring. Standing up, he made a run for it, not looking behind him as the think known as K didn't follow after him.
Noel ,add it to the well in record time. In order to get Joel and his father out of the well he first needed to open the lid. What should have been a simple task was made difficult, as the wooden board covering the well wouldn't budge as if it was nailed or sealed shut.
"No, no, no," Noel chanted as he pulled with all his might. The covering wouldn't budge. Looking around he found a large stick. Placing it at the edge, he tried to pry it open that way... the stick broke.. cursing Noel searched around again... he tried again and again but nothing would work. Groaning in frustration Noel ran a hand through his hair. There was nothing else he could think of. The covering wouldn't open and there was nothing sharp or strong enough to do the job he wanted.
I can't just give up. If that boy is to be believed, I have to get Joel, dad, and ghost out of the well. But nothing will open it and I don't have any way to break it. As Noel thought, he remembered something.
"this cover isn't that sturdy and you might fall into the well"
That was what remember said. The cover wasn't sturdy at all. Though the other mother managed to seal the cover, she wasn't able to change the material in which it was covered in. Maybe it was as fragile as it was in the real world. With no other option, Noel stood on top of the cover, and stopped his foot as hard as he could, over and over again until his foot broke through.
"JOEEEEEEELLLLLLLLLL!,"
Smiling Joel looked up. He could see a bright light shining from above him.
"NOOEEEEEEELLLL!"
Finally he was getting out.