AN: Almost there. Just two more chapters and an epilogue to go for Gregory Loud Horror Story. They will probably be coming up pretty soon, as I've been planning this ending since I started writing the story.
Mental Block
"I want to escape. However, Gregory's words have left a nagging doubt in the back of my mind. Is it really a pointless endeavor?"
As soon as the white haired boy made it to the bottom of the stairs, he started to run as fast as he could down the darkened tunnel. It was rather odd; there was no source of light anywhere, but the corridor still seemed dimly lit. He wasn't complaining, though, He didn't want to traverse a pitch dark tunnel. The sound of his own footsteps echoed around the underground path as he jetted along. Minutes passed...or did they? Lincoln couldn't tell in this world. However, in time, he spotted something truly strange, even by Gregory House standards. The walls were suddenly lined with several tv screens, all of which showing static. He didn't have time to consider what they were doing there, however. He was willing to bet Gregory was on his trail by now. However, seconds later, he found himself reaching a dead end. "Huh?" He placed his hand on the wall and tried pushing against it. The wall was quite solid stone. "...but there was no other path...I was tricked!" The one son realized, thumping his fist against the wall. His mind started to work on overdrive to try and find a way out of this mess, when he heard a familiar voice.
"Get out of my room, twerp!" Lincoln jumped in shock, his head darting around to find the source of the voice, only to find Lori's scowling face looking at him from one of the screens. He stepped back away from that tv when another face appeared in the picture box behind him.
"Not cool, brah…" Luna said with a disapproving look and a disappointed tone. The middle Loud whipped around to see his third oldest sister frowning at him. Then, more and more images of his family appeared on the many screens.
"It'd be a shame if someone found out about THAT…" Lola said with an evil grin.
"It appears I once more overestimated your mental capacities, elder brother," The image of Lisa deadpanned in a cold manner.
"I have no brother…" Lucy said in a low, furious voice.
"That's another grocery store we have been banned from, thanks to YOU!" His mother stated in a voice of angry disappointment. Lincoln's breath started to quick as he looked around at all the angry faces staring right at him, right as the image of Lily appeared to blow a raspberry at him.
"What's going on now?" Lori asked as she watched her brother looking more and more panicked as now Leni was berating him with Lori for posting that embarrassing video of them all.
"I suspect his memories are being used against him," Haiku answered, her eyes narrowing as Lynn Sr's face appeared to scold his son for clogging the toilet again. "Your harshest words and actions, moments of great pain to Lincoln...he's being forced to experience all at once."
The white haired boy started to sweat as more and more of his family appeared on the televisions, each one beating him down for his mistakes, mocking him for his missteps, and bringing up every moment he felt guiltiest about: pushing Lana into the beauty pageant just for Dairyland tickets, his sisters making fun of his Ace Savvy costume, him snubbing his sisters when he won that limo ride, taking Lynn's bike without permission, Lisa's explanation that the sister fight protocol could only have ended after Lincoln left the house and stopped trying to help.
"That's out brother! Captain of the FAIL boat! Hahahaha!" Luan's screen quipped, which made all of the other digitized members of his family laugh along with her. Lincoln's eyes were starting to fill with tears.
"You are, literally, the worst brother EVER!" The Lori on tv snapped, her words making the middle Loud flinch as if he had been punched in the stomach.
"What!? I never said that!" The real Lori said defensively when Haiku and her sisters all turned to look at her, the taller of the goth's narrowed eyes glaring daggers at her.
"And I never made that joke either! What gives!?" The family joker inquired.
"It's getting worse…" Lucy ascertained, wiping the tears hidden behind her hair. "Now it's creating false memories…" He slowly turned to her gothic friend. "...can it do that?"
"...all too easily, sadly."
"Linc! Don't listen to them!" Lana yelled into the crystal ball. "It's not real!"
"Fight it, bro!" Luna tried to encourage him.
"You're stronger than that, Lincoln!" Lynn told him at the top of her voice. However, as they tried to be heard, the voices of the televised sisters simply increased in volume to drown them out. What's worse, they were saving the big guns for last.
"Get away from me!" Lynn's voice sounded through the darkness. "You're bad luck!" Lincoln went pale as he turned to face the frightened face of his sporty sister on the largest screen closest to him. "You're bad luck! You're bad luck!" She kept repeating, loud enough to hurt Lincoln's ears. He tried to cover them with his hands, but it did no good. Now the rest of the family started in on that; accusing him of bad luck, leaving him out of everything, kicking him out of his own room, out of the house. The one son was forced to his knees, tears running down his face from his tightly closed eyelids. About this time, Gregory came hobbling over, looking at all the televisions and shaking his head.
"Sigh...I tried to warn you, my friend." The old rat said in faux sympathy, strolling over to put a wrinkled, furry hand onto his shoulder. "Reality is a cruel thing, much like your family. They exist simply to make you suffer...why would you want to return to that?" Lincoln slowly looked back at him, his eyes red and watery. "Why not return to Gregory House? You look exhausted in every sense of the word. You need to rest. Go back to your room, get some sleep, and just give up…"
Just give up…
Just give up…
Give up…
Give up…
Never give up…
"You never give up…" Another familiar voice said. In spite of how soft it was, it seemed to sound about the din of the false family. Lincoln blinked, the tears in his eyes spilling out before he turned to the source: a screen with Ronnie Anne's face.
"Ronnie Anne?" He managed to choke out.
"Who?" The old rat asked, looking in the same direction as his unwilling guest. The one son crawled over to the screen for closer inspection. He remembered this moment: it was when they went to get ice cream, after he lost that dollar to Lola.
"I think that's your most admirable trait, Lame-o." She told him as the two shared a sundae between them. Since Lincoln could only afford one ice cream, he was going to go without. However, the tough girl decided to share the sundae with him, so they could still enjoy it together. "You never give up. Life knocks you down, you get right back up again. You make a mistake, you fight to make it right again. You put your mind to something, there's no stopping you...even if it's not always the best idea." The two of them laughed lightly as two spoons made a move for the cherry on top. RA and Lincoln look to one another and grin, starting to sword fight with their spoons. After a few seconds of clashing flatware and giggling, Lincoln managed to slip the little red fruit from the top of the sundae. He smirked at Ronnie Anne in victory with the cherry in his spoon, only for the Latina to lean forward and clamp her mouth onto his spoon. When he pulled it out of her mouth, the cherry was gone. She smirked back at him, sticking her tongue out at him in a teasing manner.
"You never give up." Ronnie Anne said again as the false family started to fade into static again.
"Wh...what's happening?" Gregory asked, looking around at all the blank screens. Just then, Lori's face returned to one of the televisions.
"Don't give up, Lincoln!" She told him.
"Keep fighting Linky!" Leni encouraged him next.
"Never surrender!" His musical sister sang out loudly.
"Your will is superior to his, elder brother," The genius toddler informed him. Lincoln could hardly believe his ears. Where was all this coming from?
"You can do it, Lincoln!" The twins called out together, sharing a screen.
"Don't you listen, Mr Loud," Gregory spoke up, starting to panic a little. "They don't know what they're talking about!"
"Ah, shut up, you dusty old rat!" Lynn snapped at him, completely shocking the elderly rodent.
'How is it interacting with me like that!? It isn't supposed to be doing that!' Gregory thought to himself. '...they must be speaking to him directly from reality! But how are they doing it!? And how did they find us!?'
"Don't stop now, Lincoln! You're on the home stretch!" The sporty Loud then told her brother. 'At least, I think he is.'
"Inkin!" The baby Loud called out to him.
"Do not succumb to the darkness, big brother." Lucy said, in a slightly more choked up monotone.
"Show that mousy mook you're no joke!" Luan cheered him on. With the words of encouragement from his family, he slowly started to get back to his feet. The memory of Ronnie Anne faded from the screen with a smile, but not until she said,
"You put your mind to something, there's no stopping you…"
"No...no...Don't listen, my friend!" Gregory pleaded with his once captive guest.
"Stand tall, Lincoln," Lori told him. "And remember…"
"Louds never quit!" All nine of his sisters exclaimed in unison. Lily tried to join in, but it just came out as adorable babbling.
"Louds…" Lincoln started to say, quietly at first, but with his voice raising with each word. "...Never. Say. Die!" As he shouted that last word, the wall before him started to crumble and fall, revealing the path ahead. Ignoring the continued desperate pleas of Gregory, Lincoln charged forward, filled with a new sense of determination.
"No!" The eldery hotel owner screamed. "This wasn't supposed to happen this way!" He stamped his feet on the stone floor in a tantrum before he roared. "That does it! No more Mr Nice Guy! Now the kid gloves come off!"
