Chapter 6:

Wilson jolted awake with a gasp, half-expecting to find his companions next to him. But above him was nothing but darkness, he was alone. Quickly pushing away his surprise he cautiously sat up, gently using his bad arm. Oddly the burning pain was no existent, puzzling him as to why.

Patting his shoulder confirmed his fear that the stab wound was gone. Instead of the woodlands around him, there was nothing but grey, chalky dirt. The trees were dead and as bone white as the rest of the world. Around him, the world shimmered with black, sinister shapes barely visible in the gloom. Wilson groaned, grumbling as he got to his feet. Wonderful, so he was back here again. He had hoped that he'd never come back. But it was clear from the dull whispers that the shadow creatures were still here, jeering at him.

"Oh, shut it!" he snapped, glaring into the dark as they sniggered back. If he was here, then that meant he had gone completely mad. Which was never a good thing because he was back here. Wilson massaged the back of his neck, rubbing away the tension that was growing there. "Ah, Ms. Wickerbottom is going to kill me… they're all going to kill me! And everything was starting to go well too…"

Wilson huffed, shoulders slumping. "Well, I suppose that's what I get for being an idiot. What was sane-me thinking, moving around in the dark! My brains being wasted. "He frowned at a sudden thought, peering out into the darkness. "Though if I'm here, then that would mean- "

Like on cue that a familiar, painful sound reached his ears. It was music, a scratchy, upbeat tune that he'd hear countless times before. Twisting around he spotted flames of green dancing in the dark, resting on top of white-stone pillars.

"There it is, my headache."

Knowing that it was pointless to just snub it. After all, he probably knew he had entered his place. Wilson walked towards the light, sending up a trail of ash as he went. Into the light, he stepped, into the company of the lunatic.

"Say, Pal," the man said, breathing out a long puff of his cigar. "You don't look so good."

Wilson glared at the dapper man before him, sitting lazily on a plush armchair. Every single thing about him boiled Wilson's blood, the arrogant way he sat, the smirk plastered on his face, even that cursed cigar. So furious the sight of this man made him he was tempted to ram him out of his chair.

"Maxwell."

The man grinned at the venom in his voice, arm swaying in the air. " I was waiting for you to show up. Truth be told I was fearing I'd never see you again."

"I have better things to do with my time than mope around here." Wilson sneered back, eyeing the gramophone with distaste. " I see you're still wasting your time doing nothing, like usual."

"You wound me Higgsbury! I'm actually quite a busy man. More than you think."

" Sure, you are…" he didn't believe it for a second. He knew how much Maxwell liked to dump the work onto others whenever he could. Working just wasn't in his nature.

Maxwell abruptly gasped, sitting up with a jolt. " Where are my manner!? It's not every day that I get a guest, as there's only the two of us, after all. Come, pull up a chair and sit down, I'm dying to hear what you've been up to!"

Out of nowhere, an exact copy of the armchair Maxwell was sitting on appeared across from him, materializing from the grey ash. Wilson looked down at the thing with distrust. No way was he about to act all chummy with this guy. " I don't need to sit down."

"Don't be such a killjoy! My neck's going to hurt staring up at you."

"I'll pass."

"Come now, I insist!"

"No!"

"Higgsbury, I insist."

Wilson sighed angrily, giving up. Maxwell would drag him into the chair if he had too. Deliberately he slowly lowered himself in the chair, unable to hide the sudden happy feeling that sitting in the comfortable thing made him. It had been so long since he'd sat in a real chair, even if it was made up of nothing. Maxwell smirked at his reaction, taking another puff from the endless cigar.

"How about a game, eh?" Maxwell chuckled, and with a wave of his other hand, a chess-table appeared between them. " It's been forever since I had a good opponent. It's no fun always winning when you're only playing yourself! But you always give me a run for my money Higgsbury."

Leaning back into the cushion back, Wilson exhaled through his nose, eyes closed. " I'm not playing chess with you, Maxwell. That's final."

"Oh, come on! Why waste your time sitting there worrying over everything? You've got nothing better to do, no arrangements. So, what's better than spending your dream than playing a little round with me. I'll let you be Black, you always like playing second-"

"I don't want to play your stupid games!" Wilson snapped, voice cutting through the air loudly. At his angry the chess-table dissolving away into a pile of ash, drifting to the ground.

Maxwell blinked in surprise. "Oh-ho! I didn't know you could still do that."

Wilson gripped the arms of the seat so hard his fingers ached. "You think that after all that's happened you and I are friends? Well, I hate to break it to you Pal, but I hate you. And that isn't changing anytime- "

"- Now hate is such a strong word, I would say more…annoyed- "

"-you ruined my life!"

"Hey, that was all you Pal, you're the fool that listened to a voice coming from a radio!"

"Don't you dare call me a fool when you're the idiot that started all this!"

"Ah, there you go, always put the responsibility on me. Blame, blame, blame, that's' all you do to me when I'm just as much a victim here- "

"-Unbelieve," Wilson threw his hands up into the air. "You still think, after all this time, that I'm somehow partly at fault with this mess you made!"

"Well, I'd say half 'n' half at fault here- "

"Forget it!" Wilson scowled, sitting forward with his elbows resting on his knees. " You're as stubborn as a mule in accepting your mistakes. Charlie's on the move. You know that, right?"

The dapper man's expression sobered, the amused smirk replaced with a mournful look. With a flick of his wrist, he re-creating the chessboard. " Of course, I know. It's no mistake that Charlie's favorite flower has started appearing throughout the land. Course I would notice."

"Then shouldn't we be worried about that? It's the first sign in month's we've had of her. Maybe… it's some sort of threat."

"I doubt it." Maxwell peered at the board, gently picking up a pawn. " Charlie's trying to break the rules, in her way. And They're only accepting it because it's different. If she's still working with a half-sane mind, she'll think she can control the board. But it won't last forever. Once They grow tired of her it's bad to the same old game."

"Break the rules? That's impossible. You don't just change the rules, I tried that."

"Well, maybe you didn't try hard enough, eh?"

Wilson bristled at his words, and it didn't help that Maxwell was patiently waiting for him to make a move on the board. Angrily he picked up one of his knight's and moved it out. " Don't test me, your old crone. You know darn well I tried everything. What I'm worried about is what she'll create. The worlds changing, getting harder. Already new things are beginning to appear, and winter's coming sooner than ever. That's not a good sign."

"It's always like that with a new reign. Though I suppose for you that threat would be more of a problem. What with the little group you've brought together."

Wilson rolled his eyes. " You're still going on about that? What's your problem with me helping them? Those people would be dead without each other. By aiding them I am giving them the hope of escape. What's wrong with that?"

"Hope?" Maxwell snorted, moving another pawn. " Is that what you call it? They can't escape. None of us can. You know that from experience. Beside Higgsbury, would they be so happy to have you lead them if they knew the truth of this world?"

Wilson moved his other knight, gaze darkening. "They don't need to know the truth. The truth would destroy their will to survive. It would break them- Wait... wasn't that the same trick you play with me? Giving me false hope to continue on when I thought there was nothing left. Then luring me all the way to the end only to destroy all my hopes of ever escaping? You're not but a hypocrite if you think what I'm doing is no different."

"True, but you knew the endgame. I never told you there was a way to escape, it was you who thought there was. My challenges were only set so that I might finally be free." Maxwell moved his rock, eyebrow curling. " What your doing is blocking out your most important memories, outright lying to both them and to yourself. Then implanting false promises. Isn't that worse?"

"It's none of your business what I do," Wilson grumbled, moving his white bishop. " I'd rather forget than deal with the madness of it all. Besides, I'm not just forgetting to 'implant' false hopes, It's protection. Protection for them."

"Suit yourself," the man smirked, rolling the cigar between his lips. " But sooner or later you're going to have to face the truth. You can't run from Them forever."

"Neither can you." Wilson frowned, watching as he moved another pawn. " Is your door still where you left it?"

"I suppose... why do you- no Higgsbury, you can't possibly think to challenge the throne now!"

"It's my group's only chance of escape. If she's busy building a new world, her mind will be to other things. This could be my only chance to set things right. I can't let it slip by."

"Think for a moment!" Maxwell looked at him like he was still half-mad. " If, and I mean IF you somehow get to the throne room, what then? Charlie kicked you off the last time with her shadow powers, how in the hell do you hope to beat her now, you have nothing! and don't tell me that group of yours is going to change that?"

" I guess it's just a hunch, but I think that Charlie's isn't in full control yet." Wilson moved the black bishop, locking his eyes onto the man. " I think she's made a vital mistake. And if that's true, then I have a chance."

"A mistake?" Maxwell frowned, staring down at the board. At the sight of Wilson mirrored, orderly pieces he snickered. "You always start your games like that, every time, in that neat little formation."

"Better than your mess of play. You start utterly random."

"Ah, it might look random, but's it's far from it Pal!" His face relaxed, worry crossing his pale face. "Let's be serious. I for one know when to let sleeping dogs lie. Living in this side of the world isn't as bad as all that. They leave you alone as long as you stay quiet and suffer. By challenging them again you're only going to put yourself through more pain."

"Coward," Wilson muttered planning his next move as Maxwell barked with laughter.

"I'm a smart coward! This might not be the real world, but I'm now free! Free to do whatever I what in this cursed place. Isn't that what you what too Higgsbury? Now with the knowledge you've gained, you can experiment and invent to your heart's content. Isn't' that wonderful?"

"It's a fake freedom. We are not free Maxwell. Don't kid to yourself," He lent back into the armchair, looking about the shadowlands around them. "look where we are. This isn't freedom, it's a dead end. And until we escape this dreadful place that isn't going to change."

The dapper man looked sadly at Wilson, matching his pose. " We can't get out of here."

"Only because you've never truly tried." Wilson scowled, pointing a finger into the armrest. " I'm not giving up as easily as you did."

It made Maxwell laugh again. "Oh, you've still got a lot to learn, Pal!"

Wilson ignored him, moving his right knight forward on the board. " Don't patronize me."

They returned both to their hunched position, completely soundless as Maxwell stared at the chess board. The music played on. And on. Such a loud, granting noise that Wilson could feel it numbing his mind, eating away at his brain. He watched the record spin, never ending as it taunted them.

"I hate that thing," Wilson muttered, tearing Maxwell's eyes away from their game.

"I forgot. I'm afraid I drown it out now. But yes, they do like to drive me mad with it. Don't try to turn it off here, I tried that already. It doesn't work and brings nasty results with it."

Wilson hummed, debating whether to go against Maxwell's advice. He was about to test it when suddenly he felt a wave of drowsiness, his shoulder blooming in pain. He cried out, gripping his right shoulder as it stung like crazy.

The man blew a smoke ring. "Looks like your time's up."

Wilson gritted his teeth, watching as his left hand began to break away into dust. "So soon."

"You forget time moves differently here."

"Right..." It was one of the reasons he hated coming to this place, the odd feeling as his body began to dissolve away when he woke up, turning to ash like everything else in this place. "I'm still going after your door. With or without your support."

"Suit yourself," Maxwell sighed, watching him curiously. " Do come back before then though, I really would like to finish this game by the next century. Waiting for you to go insane is such a bore now."

Wilson grunted, slumping in the chair. He was just so exhausted. " Next time you jerk... it might be in the waking...world."

Maxwell smirked, " Why bother coming to me? You won't even remember our talks here anyway. By Joe, you won't remember anything in the past! And now that I think about it, how are you going to get to my door if you yourself don't know too?"

" True," Wilson smiled, the world sinking away. " I won't... But if I…can't remember…she will."

Closing his eyes, he felt the last of himself drift back into darkness, the song echoing, echoing. Then gone.