Part 16

"Tu Fui, Ego Eris"

I can't remember too much of my 'past lives' but suddenly, I felt as if they were going to be more important than they already were. My walk towards the Carousel only brought my thoughts to Loki and the mad god that possessed him. I sighed, thisshould've been just a bad dream and I'd wake up and find my dad alive, Douglas and those two weirdos(Claudia and Vincent) out of my life, and Loki, a perfect stranger - maybe a fellow high school student and a friend I was close to since childhood. However, I doubted that it would be like that. Why did I have such a sick reality now? Wasn't there any alternative to this madness, or was I doomed to this from the start of my existence?

But perhaps it would bode a little more fair for my sanity if this was just reality and not something from my own imagination.

With all other dark and discouraging thoughts behind, I went towards the Borley Haunted Mansion. It was a short cut and the only way physically possible. When I got to what would be a line if normal people actually existed in this sick word, I found that the mansion ride look a little weary. It was normal enough looking for this place but, I just got a horrible feeling from it. But I just shook my head, horrible things happened on a normal basis anyway, why would this be any different? I walked up to the doors and pushed them open. The greeting area looked okay, but the creepy voice that proceeded to talked made me think of Vincent's own creepy voice.

"Welcome to Borley Haunted Mansion! We're so glad you came.

Please come inside and look around.

When you feel that you're ready, then go through the door."

I sighed, this was going to be intensively boring. I walked through the door, hoping that the narrator of this place wouldn't talk too much throughout the entire experience (but I could tell that my hope of that would be diminished quickly).

"Heeellppp...Heeeellllppp....Do you hear those voices?"

I looked around the room, blood covering most of the furniture and I walked around the gate, looking at the dinner table. I couldn't tell if it was real or fake blood. I prayed it was only red paint as I waited for the door to unlock so I could move on.

"A family of four was sliced into bloody pieces in this room. Ah, the cries of the children...

The murderer was caught. Do you know why he said he killed his family?"

No, but I hope this guy just gets this over with so the door will unlock and I can get out of this corny house.

"'Because I felt I had to!' Anyway, I'm lying. It's all just a joke.

I wanted to scare you, that's all."

I sighed, looking at the drapes at the other end of the room. This guy couldn't scare anything if he tried.

"The truth is only one person died, by suicide."

Lightening flashed a silhouette of a person being hung showed itself. I looked down, remembering Loki, and how badly he wanted to be dead. I heard the door unlock, and I went through, hoping that his narration wouldn't kill me before the doors would unlock after he spoke.

This time, this room looked like an office, a slumped over figure in a rocking chair. He was facing the wall and he was blocked off by a gate as well. The chair made a horrible squeaking noise, and I just continued to the door on the wall the figure was sitting in. As I approached it, a figure hung upside down came out of nowhere and I backed up,a little surprised.

"That's Danny. A quiet young man, but quite friendly, as you can see. He was so eager to meet you."

That sounded a lot like Stanley, the creep that kept of professing his love for me.

"His hometown is New Orleans. But he came here after first losing his way.

Oh, maybe you might know?"

This narrator must really think I was an all-knowing goddess, for I didn't even really know what he was talking about.

"Where is the path to Heaven?"

Hell if I knew. I turned around to see another door, and went to it. It was unlocked and I smiled. Almost out of this BARELY haunted mansion. I guess some things don't change in the other world.

"This mansion is quite old. So please, watch your step.

Sometime the floor suddenly gives way. And beneath the floor is nothing."

I was walking around the cages, carefully. Even if he was just lying, I couldn't risk it. But as I was halfway to the other door, I heard something come crashing down. I looked up, one of those spiked roofs. It lifted again and he began talking again.

"I'm so sorry. This place is just falling apart. The mechanism is broken, you see.

It wasn't supposed to stop there, I assure you."

That wasn't really assuring. But I was at the door, ready to exit this terrible ride. The door was locked still, so this creep must of have something else to say.

"There's the exit. I hope you enjoyed your tour. Please come back anytime.

Or if you'd prefer it, we could come and visit you instead."

I walked through the door but the man started talking again, and I didn't move. An apparition of a cloaked child stood before me.

"That was supposed to be the exit. But it seems no one wants to see you leave."

That was when a small voice told me to follow it, and the child started running, the voice then saying something about running and not looking back. I was unsure but the part of the face I could see looked familiar,a little bit like the younger Loki. I trusted it, maybe he'd led me out of this hell hole.

"Everyone really likes you. They want you to stay with them forever.

I have to agree with them. You won't feel pain, after a while."

I was already running but this made me keep up the pace and follow the child even more. I could hear a collection of strange noises behind me, as if those people from this house were chasing me. I kept on going, making the bends and turns rather smoothly. I finally got to the door, only to find more hallway. I kept on running despite being a little tuckered out. The apparition of the cloaked youth kept on leading me to freedom, which I wondered where I'd end up after I left this place. When he got me to another door, I quickly stepped out of it, finding that the light no longer chased me and that I was out in the park again. I smiled, relieved to be out of that boring place.

That's when the small child tugged on my skirt, looking up at me. I looked down at him, realizing that his face was horrifically burned, one eye completely shut and the other wide open - the eye lids being completely burned off. I gasped, kneeling in front of him, pulling the hood back. He was bald as I excepted, the child looked like he was burned for hours on end.

"Who did this to you?" I asked, the cloak looking like what Dahlia and the others from the order used to wear actually.

The boy looked down, his good eye falling out after something smacked him on the head. His body crumpled to the ground and I looked up. There was a large man staring down at me, a creepy ass grin on his face. His teeth gleamed and one eye glowed, the man looked me in the eye and I froze. I saw where his other eye was - did he tear his own eye out and attach it to a long sword? I got up, stumbling to find his long and disgusting looking red coat looked to be made of muscle tissue, and that theeye patch he wore (which was in the shape of the moon) seemed to be made of flesh as well. I ran to the left, scared for my life. His presence gave me the feeling that I was doomed, that if I stayed there too long, I'd be killed. I heard guffawing, presumably from the man.

No, he seemed more inhuman despite taking a human-like form.

When I got to a gate, I found it rusted to the point it wouldn't open. I shook it, whimpering. I could hear the monster coming, his sturdy boots (in which I couldn't tell what it was made of) clinking on the grating. I turned around, the man effortlessly swinging the giant knife in one hand. I shook, this didn't look too well, but I had to escape. I ran to another area, trying to find another exit. I had a stroke of luck, this gate opened. I ran through, finding myself in another part of the park. It was on of those wanna-be carousels with rockets instead of horses. I went to the gate, but it was stuck.

I walked up to the rocket carousel and saw that if I attached a chain or something, I could attach it to it and then the handle and finally turn the ride on. That could pull the door open. Looking around me, making sure the man in red wasn't near me, I got off the rocket carousel and walked around it, making sure to note where I left. I saw a sign telling me where a stage was and I followed it, maybe the stage would have a chain.

When I got there, there were a lot of bleachers and they were facing the stage with the light hitting a red shoe. I walked up to the stage and got on it, looking at the shoe. I had a feeling that I would need it sometime so I pick it up and looked up. I felt someone watching me, amused or scheming an evil plot. I looked around, finding that the bleachers were now filled with shadowy people. I took a step back, hoping that being out of the spot light would kept me away from their attention. However, I felt myself bump into someone and that person gripped my body tightly. I let out a scream, the person's grip too painful to bare for long.

"Did you think you'd get away my pet?" The voice hissed, the powerful arms now throwing me to the side of the stage.

I laid there for a moment, my body aching from the impact. I looked up, seeing the man in red and fear stirring up in me, "Leave me alone!"

"I simply can't. You're going to ruin my plans and that isn't simply allowed to happened." The man said, his voice really making my ears ring, even if he wasn't shouting or anything.

"What plans?" I asked, picking myself up slowly as the man stood there and watched me.

"With the birth of that monster, humanity will get paradise. You filthy race deserve no such pleasure but you do all deserve to perish a horrible extinction." The man almost cooed, my legs shaking as I stood up and my stomach now hurting me yet again.

"I don't plan on this thing being born!" I shouted at him, pain and fear making myself bug out to the point that I just watched him come towards me, but yet I had the urge to run.

"That doesn't matter to me. I don't trust your kind, not even my little pet; he has his moments where he needs to be punished." The man smiled, that toothy, creepy-ass smile.

"Loki...? You're torturing him, why don't you let him go?!" I hissed, holding my stomach, it aching now a little bit worse.

"Torturing him? He belongs here, no one would want a thing like him out in the world that humanity constructed by it's own deceit." The man replied, holding back a laugh.

"You're insane! He deserves better than this." I replied, the man laughing now, as if I told some hilarious joke.

"I would watch what you say! Sanity isn't in your strong suit, my ignorant fool." The deranged eyes watching me with malice, his voice purring his insult.

"You shouldn't talk! In no way can anyone call you sane or normal." I replied, finding that he pulled out his long knife, easily handling it and lifting it up in the air, over his head.

"Your time is up. Good riddance." He laughed, bring the knife down and I gasped, covering my face with my arms, bracing for my certain death.

But nothing happened, I heard only a grunt and a familiar voice.

Get out of here! Loki's voice rang in my ear, my arms coming down and seeing him stop the knife just inches about his own head.

"Loki!" I couldn't think of anything else to say before adding, "Be careful."

He nodded, throwing the knife back and the man swung again, Loki catching the blade but not without having it dig into his waist.

Go! Just get out of here! My d-death will mean nothing if y-you die; N-now goo. He painfully shouted, struggling to get the knife out of his waist and the man just laughing, trying to chop him in half.

This time, I ran off the stage and towards the rocket carousel. I caught sight of a chain that would help my cause and grabbed it. I only took one more look back to Loki and the man. I almost cried, Loki was on the ground, the man now picking him up by the neck and laughing. Loki didn't seem to struggle too much now, and I wanted to help him, but his words told me other wise. If we were both dead, I could avenge Dad or him.

So I ran out of the theater area and back to the rockets. I tied one end to the gate and the other to central pillar on the rocket carousel. I went into the operating booth, turning the ride on. It started off with creaks and squeals but slowly, it got faster and the long chain was soon wrapped around the center and the gate came loose. I smiled, walking out of the booth and took a step towards the gate. I stopped, I wanted to check on him. I...I couldn't leave him to die, I couldn't bear it. Loading my handgun, I went back to the theater to only find him up against the stage wall, his form a bloody mess and no more red man.

I ran to him, parts of his skin and clothes tore clean off. I put my hands on his shoulders, tears threatening to pour from my eyes.

"Loki! What happened?" I half sobbed and Loki looked at me, his blood-soaked face blank.

I'm dieing, Cheryl, but...he won't come after you. He spoke softly, his hand shakily reached for me face.

"Oh god, Loki...you can't die." I muttered,letting his hand cup my cheek, "You did so much for me...you just can't..."

Please don't cry. He almost smiled and I embraced him, finding that my jacket starting to get a little bloody from his wounds.

"I don't want to lose you Loki, you're the only one I have left." I sobbed, a tear now rolling down my cheek.

I won't be lost to you, just please, you have to carry on without me. He said, coughing and when I looked at him, it was blood he coughed up, I don't have much time left...

"Loki...no..." I looked at him, his eyes growing more and more empty as the seconds past, "Why...why are you dieing on me?"

Oh...be careful...there is another threat to your life on the...carousel...please go prepared... He uttered, now trying to pull himself up but to only aggravate his own wounds and call out a yelp.

"Loki, don't move too much." I told him, hugging him again, placing my cheek against his, "You...you won't be of much help anymore..."

I'm...sorry...but, I'll always pro... he began but then stopped, his body stiffening.

I pulled back, looking at him. His eyes were open, but his body now no longer soft. I put my hand along his neck, feeling no more pulse. I pulled away, hiding my face. I didn't want to accept it, this wasn't happening. But when I took my hands away from my face and looked back to Loki, it still appeared to me he no longer would respond to me, or any, outside stimulus. I reached out, manually closing his eyes for him. He didn't deserve this, he didn't.

Unable to think of what else to do, I left the now overwhelming grief hit me and I hugged the cadaver that was Loki. I didn't know how long or hard I sobbed, but it felt like an eternity. I...I loved him but now he was gone and I couldn't tell him. He wouldn't know and now the last two people I cherished were dead. I just couldn't find the strength to stand up now, no, even if his body was now getting cold, I didn't want to let go. He fought for me, helping me through this but now...he gave his life to make sure that man didn't get me.

When it felt that the grief was under control and Loki's body now freezing and hard, I left go and placed Loki laying down. I arranged his arms so that his hands met at his chest and he looked peaceful. Somehow though, he didn't look all that peaceful but more of in pain even in Death. But with his death now in the past, I got up and started to walk off the stage again. I looked back, his body in the position I left it. I whispered my confession of love to it before turning away and heading to the now open gate.

When I got there, the gate and everything was the way I left it and I nodded. That man and Claudia weren't going to get away with this. My father and Loki deserved none of this, they were decent, sane people. They won't go unavenged, and I swear by that. I will kill that bitch and man with my bare hands if I have to. But right now, I need to get to the carousel and quick.

I walked through the gate to find myself upon a hurt Douglas, his head hung low and I ran over to him - fearing that Loki's death wouldn't be the last in those around me.

"Douglas!" I called, the man now stirring and looking up at me.

"You're late." He simply put, though it sounded more like he was scolding me in a way.

"...Are you hurt?" Words used only to fill in for ones better used.

"I can't move my right leg." He sadly smiled, looking down at it and then back up at me, "It's broken."

"I'll call an ambulance." I said, heading back but then it hit me, even if I did find a phone, would it go through? I'd liked to hope anyways, it's worth a shot.

"Wait!" He called, I stopped and turned to him, "I don't think one would come, don't worry. I'm used to it."

"You...Y-You old fool!" I called him, my grief from losing Loki and now him refusing to get help, I couldn't really understand why he was being this way, "Getting yourself hurt like that..."

"Sorry..." Douglas apologized, though it sounded somewhat weak.

"Why'd you do that for me? What will I do if you die?" I asked him, restraining tears at this point. I didn't need another ally dead.

"Wouldn't Loki take care of you? He seems fond of you..." He said, and I looked down.

"He's dead..." The look on Douglas' face couldn't be read well, but I didn't care right now, I was wiping a tear away.

"I'm sorry to hear that...but what will we do if this god thing is born?" He said, I guess he and Loki were sort of close; The look of disappointment was the expression on his face now.

"Come on, how powerful could a god from a dump like this be?" I joked, adding, "I'm sure it'll be no big deal..."

"Yeah, but anyway, some thing's gonna happen." He told me, his eyes narrowing on me.

"Oh well, who knows? Maybe we'll all be better off if it did." Loki wouldn't like to hear that but right now, this seems to be a losing up-hill battle and maybe there wasn't any hope for what was once reality.

"But if this is how a god of mercy acts, I don't want to see any more of it." He shook his head, he seemed to not like what I said either, "Now that's a pretty good reason to risk my life, don't you think? Plus, I'm just an 'Old Fool' right?"

"You think you're Superman or something?" I asked, kneeling down in front of him, trying to get on eye level with him.

"I've always wanted to be him." He smiled and then added, "Besides, I want to help you out."

"You don't have to feel responsible. I know it's not your fault." I told him, heading towards the gate that would take me closer to the carousel. I didn't want to let him see me get funky - Loki's departure was hard enough and now Douglas has made himself a sitting duck.

"Y-You remind me of my son." Douglas called out after me, I turned around to face him.

"But you said no one was going to cry for you." I almost questioned him, I remembered he said no one would cry over his grave.

"Dead people don't cry, stupid kid got himself shot robbing a bank." The sadness in his voice was heavily audible.

"But why?" I asked, Douglas didn't seem to be the kind of guy to let his own kid rob a bank or do something illegal.

"Maybe because his pop was a penniless good-for-nothing? Who knows..." He looked down, he seemed to still blame himself, "Anyway, I guess I'll never find out...Sorry, I shouldn't have said you reminded me of a guy like him."

"Well...maybe if you should've compared me to your daughter..." I tried to joke, but the awkward silence now was heavy, "Listen, I'll take care of the rest. You stay here and I'll come back when its over."

"Are you going to be okay by yourself?" He asked me, then he glanced down, seemingly to ponder about something.

"Hey, no problem." I said, turning my back to him, "Besides, my dad and Loki aren't around no more, now only I can do this."

I sighed, walking towards the gate. However, with every step I took, I felt something tell me that something was wrong. Like someone held a gun to my back.

"What are you doing?" I asked, hoping Douglas wasn't doing anything worry some.

"Maybe killing you here is the only way to end this nightmare." He said, then I looked down.

"Yeah...maybe you're right." I closed my eyes, waiting for something to happen. When nothing did, I kept on walking only barely hearing Douglas mumble something - I presumed he didn't shot me due to the fact that Loki is recently deceased and he died protecting me.

I continued on to the next area, finding myself standing in front of some Disney Princess and a fortune teller booth. I decided to go the fortune teller booth, I had a red shoe and maybe I'd need something else Disney Princess related. When I walked inside, I saw a book laying on a chair and when I stepped forward, I saw something on the table that looked like a skull. It was as big as an apple and it was shaped like one, but it had the shape of a skull. I picked it up and walked out, finding that the book not too important. That's when I entered the Disney Princess ride and put the shoe with Cinderella and put the skull-apple with Snow White. I smiled, I used to love the Disney Princesses, but I don't think I'd be too into them now. I've grown up and this experience will leave my likings in the darker side for a while.

Deciding not to reminisce on what I used to like, I walked to the door on the track, and opened it, finding an emergency exit and finding myself in front of the area before the carousel. I ran towards the Carousel area, eager to get to Claudia. I got there and walked up into the ride, finding the horses disturbing. The gate closed behind me and I found a note stuck to one of the horses. I read it, it's cryptic message spooking me a little. It said something about making all the horses stop or else I'd be killed. Was this Loki warned me about? But I got to work and pulled out my pocket knife, stabbing the Carousel Horses until they cried out and died (which made me feel bad).

When I finally got all the horses stopped, I looked down to find that a flow of blood was rushing towards the middle of the carousel. I looked around, the horses now in body bags and a horrible feeling coming over me. I looked foward, feeling some thing here, and whatever was behind me was angry. I slowly turned around, finding myself facing a doppelganger of myself that looked like the reflection in the mirror in the hospital. I took a step back, the doppelganger raising her pocket knife to me and then in a quick pace, started for me. That's when I knew that this was what Loki was talking about.

I pulled out my handgun and aimed at the doppelganger. I hestiated for a moment, this was insane. I was going to shot myself - and sadly, I did. The other me gave a grunt and that's when I unloaded the clip into her. She eventually fell to the ground and flailed, turning into blood and disappearing. I gulped, what was she? I had a feeling she wasn't done yet so I ran around the carousel, trying to find her. I did and this time, she had a handgun as well. I hid behind a horse, the spray of bullets heading my direction. I reloaded while she fired at me, I prayed that she wouldn't come back this time. I left the coverage of the horse to fire at her, she planned reloading at the wrong time. After I emptied my clip once again, she fell down, but this time, an intense head ache occupanied it.

I struggled to stand up, the head ache too much for me to handle. I felt the doppelganger die, but this head ache didn't come from her or her death. I closed my eyes, hands clasping my head and my body kneeling. When I opened my eyes, I saw a white light engulf the surroundings, and when I could see again, I was in a home with vintage furniture.

"Where am I?" I thought out loud, walking around the room - which I was guessing was a living room since it had a TV and radio with other furnture that would be in a living room.

I heard a man's voice then, dictating something to someone else. I looked over, a man with short unkempt hair and a 5 o'clock shadow stood behind a boy, his dark brown hair kept close to his neck. I couldn't really understand what the man was telling the child but it sounded something religious, and when I walked up to where the child was, I knew it was something about religion. There was a bible like book on the desk and the child was drawing circles and symbols. I stepped back, the face of the child belong to younger Loki and when I looked at the man, they looked related. Was this Loki's father? What was going on?

"Hey." I said to the man but he kept on talking to Loki, his expression growing dark.

Loki's body tensed, something was going wrong. Loki turned around, shaking and from what I could tell, he seemed to be pleading to his father. Their words were white noise and it felt like I was watching a silent movie. That's when Loki's father screamed something and pulled out a belt, swing the metal end at Loki's face. I almost fell backwards, the belt lacerating Loki's face and some blood flew out when the belt hit the skin. Loki looked down, apologizing or something but Loki's father was still upset. I couldn't watch the rest but the one glimpse I saw, he was beating him. Is this what his childhood was like? Having the cult's religious teachings drilled into his head, that he was a horrible mistake, and daily beatings? I wished I would come back to the carousel and just head towards the church.

That's when the white light returned and I found myself at the carousel once again. I sighed, alittle depressed. Child abuse isn't right in any aspect someone tries to put it in. But, I guess that there was nothing I could of done to help Loki, it was a flashback after all and they didn't notice me either way. I stood up, seeing that the carousel stopped and that the door to the church not too far from where I stood. I also found a memo from the other me and when I read it, it must have been a memory of Alessa. I felt bad, I couldn't let her kill me. Even if I let her kill me, what use would that do me? I would be dead and unable to do anything for Dad and Loki, nor would I be able to live as a normal girl again. But I didn't concentrate on that for long, I have to get to Claudia and kill her. She brought all of this misfortune onto me and did an unspeakable act to my father. I couldn't let her live.

With that thought in mind, I ran to the door and through the long and narrow hallway. Their was writing on the wall but it was probably cult garabe. It didn't take too long before I found myself at the door leading into the church. I took a deep breath, this would be either the closing act or just about close to it.

A/N: Yeah...longest chapter and I don't know how many chapters are left...but don't worry, I won't end it all in the next one. Also, I may add parts or take some away, like really annoying puzzles that are in the church. I am keeping the tarot card puzzle but running the back and forth...yeah, I'll be keeping that down a whole lot...but I'll replace it with something. Like I dunno, maybe Heather has flashbacks of Alessa's life up to her being burned and stuff. Anyway, sit tight for the next installment, it shouldn't be too long of a wait.