All the stories are true

by Dayfal

A fan of the "Five Nights at Freddy's" franchise is brought in a world where the events of his beloved video game series have yet to take place. Taken in by the Emilys, he slowly adjusts to his new life and tries to stop the murders and save those that would have originally died as well as stopping William Afton, all while he figures out the games' extensive lore from memory.

16. Chapter 16

The Puppet and its child share a tender moment, Cassidy is taken on an "adventure" by her best friend's counterpart, Matt gets some professional help, and William reflects on his mundane life thus far.

I felt really insecure about this chapter while I was writing it because it contains stuff that may or may not turn some people away and come off as edgy as it is very different in terms of tone and pacing compared to what I usually write, so I'm not sure how many people will like it but it has plenty of cool parts that I think are pretty great. I guess we'll see ^_^. At 18k words, this is the longest chapter yet, and while I'm not sure how good it is, I tried to make it as special as possible and I'm quite pleased with how it turned out. I've tried a bunch of new things and styles with this one so I hope you enjoy the end of the second act!

Also, this chapter is sprinkled with references here and there so look out for those if you want. I've written this as an homage to a bunch of media that I love.

Anyway, enough of my ranting, here are the trigger warnings for this: suicidal thoughts, mental breakdown, body horror, psychological torture, blood and violence and violent fantasizing… Yeah, this one is gonna be pretty heavy. It is what it is though ¯\_(ツ)_/¯.

End of Act II

---

Please do explain how you're not insane.

"Huh…?" was the only sound his vocal cords produced after a long pause. He studied every inch of the Puppet's mask to be sure he had heard it speak, and that he hadn't finally started to lose it. Despite the voice he'd just heard, the Puppet's mouth had not moved one bit, so the possibility that his mind was playing tricks on him was very much valid in Matthew's mind. Mari chimed at his reaction, raising a brow while its chest vibrated. "Wait- y-you- you can talk? Since when?" the boy asked to confirm if yes, he did hear it speak, and if yes, he wasn't going insane.

"I discovered I could talk a week ago." the Puppet answered to his surprise. Okay, great, so he wasn't delusional then. That was good to know.

He wasn't sure what he'd anticipated the Puppet to sound like. Matt hadn't really thought about it up until now since Mari had found a way to communicate, which was through writing, so there was no need for him to wonder how the Puppet would respond to what he'd say. But that voice just sent chills down his spine. Not out of fear, it did not sound scary, but more because of how… peculiar it was?

"Really? Why didn't you say anything until now?" Matt questioned, curious as to why his friend had thought it was better to wait then to come out the moment it had learned it acquired this ability.

"I did not feel the need to speak, and I quite enjoy writing. Plus, it would have ruined part of the surprise for tonight if you knew I could talk. This wouldn't have been as impactful." Matthew chuckled at Mari's explanation. It was sweet of the Puppet to think of him so. Saving the reveal for his birthday "What do you think, anyway? Do you like it up here? I was afraid you'd be too frightened and I'd have to stop. That would've been perfectly understandable however."

"I can't complain. This is the best birthday gift I have ever gotten." the Puppet trilled cheerfully. "I only wish I'd brought a camera."

"If you want, all you have to do is ask and I will gladly take you here to take as many pictures as your heart desires, little one."

"I think I'll take you up on that." he leaned his head one Mari's chest, his eyes still shimmering with wonder.

It was not a normal voice, he thought, that was for sure. It wouldn't be able to pass up for a regular human if the Puppet tried to impersonate somebody. However, it was oddly captivating, ensnaring his full attention and almost muffling out all other noises. The more predominant male tone that reverberated first somehow did not overshadow the lean, female whisper. They were even in terms of volume, and they mixed so well together that despite how uncanny their combination was, it did not unsettle the boy in the slightest. If anything, he found the Puppet's voice soothing.

If Matthew were to concentrate on either one of the two, he could choose to better hear the part he was focused on. The only thing Matt could really compare it to would have to be a friendlier, barely younger version of the Puppet voice impressions done by David Near, but those didn't possess the addition of the female tone, which here, definitely made Mari's voice more pacifying.

The Puppet sounded otherworldly, but at the same time so very familiar and cordial. Matthew decided this was the best voice for his friend. It fit the Puppet's nature to a tee, and was not offensive at all, like what he would envision a jester to sound like, nor was it a boring voice like that of any other person… It was special, just as Mari was, and Matt didn't think he would get tired of hearing it. And it seemed that Mari was as genderless as he had believed it to be, which was kinda cool given how he'd called that so early on.

"So um, what about the flying? When the heck did that happen?" he asked after a while of stargazing.

"It was on August twenty-fifth. My systems had received a notification that they had detected a new Memory File, and after viewing it I gained the ability to levitate." hmm, so not only did those files make his friend more aware, they also gave it powers. Now that was an interesting thing to mull over.

"What caused it?"

"I…" the Puppet's green eyes dimmed, fidgeting as it held him. "I encountered what I believe was responsible for your nightmares."

"WHAT!" Mari flinched at how loud he was, and seemed to hesitate to go on.

"…But, I have, at least for the time being, gotten rid of that entity. Since then, your nightmares have not been made worse by it." Matthew's jaw hung open. He closed his eyes and nodded.

"Okay." He said calmly. If it wasn't lying then he shouldn't get too angry. "Why didn't you mention this? I mean, that happened a while ago, so… And I feel it's kind of an important detail, you know?"

"You were and are dealing with a lot, little one." he coughed at the nickname. If Mari was gonna make a habit out of calling him that then Stripes would be the Puppet's new name. "You didn't need me to stress you further with something I had taken care of. I assure you that it was not my intention to lie, I would've told once you were more… in a better state of mind. I didn't believe it was relevant." that didn't really make it better. If there was one thing Matt hated with a burning passion, it'd be when people made his choices for him, or more specifically, kept stuff from him to protect him like he was a baby that couldn't handle the truth… That said… he understood where the Puppet was coming from, and if it had truly gotten rid of whatever was making his nightmares worse, then he couldn't fault the Puppet for hiding that from him.

In a way, he was doing the same thing it had. Matthew hadn't told Mari where he came from, he'd explained his knowledge as visions because, he too, wanted to protect his friend from the truth, thinking Mari couldn't handle it. He would argue it was different in his case, but the boy recognized it still made him a hypocrite, so there wasn't a point in holding a grudge where all the Puppet had done was look out for him, and doing it successfully at that.

Matt sighed.

"What did it look like?"

"It was identical to Fredbear in shape and size, save for being dark purple in color." the boy took the information in with a hum.

Then it clicked.

Oh…

Shit. So Shadow Freddy, the thing that tried to get Evan killed, is also what's causing my nightmares? And Cassidy's?... Fuck, this is… ah, this is just peachy. Well, at least now I know it's all connected and that if more stuff like this happens in the future, I'll know who's responsible for it, but still… Ugh, I'll figure it out. I just hope there is something to figure out, otherwise everyone's screwed. Shaking his head, looked at his friend again.

"Alright. I get it. You were doing what you thought was best for me… But if that happens again, you tell me the first chance you have, got it? We're not in this together to keep stuff like this from each other. We're going after Afton; we share everything that matters to stopping him. Info, supernatural crap, whatever. If we don't, people are gonna die. You with me?" the Puppet nodded, uncomfortable. Its mask had lost its smile.

"I promise I won't hide anything from you." that was all he wanted to hear. "I'm sorry I did."

"No… no harm done this time, so… I forgive you." the porcelain around Mari's eyes extended, looking as if the Puppet's eyes had widened. His friend was completely still.

"You do? You're not angry with me? I did lie to you about this, you have the right to feel angry." its tone sounded pleading almost. Was Mari really that taken aback by his forgiveness?

"Do you want me to be? Listen, if you promise to be truthful from now on and are, then that's more than enough for me to be cool with you. I don't like holding grudges, and you deserve that treatment the least out of everyone I know. If it wasn't for you… I'd be pretty bad right now, let's just leave it at that. You mean more to me than I think you realize. And uh… on top of all of that, it's my birthday, so, I don't wanna ruin the moment." he joked at the end part, trying to lighten the mood that had turned sour so swiftly. It earned the reaction he wanted, making the Puppet actually chuckle a little instead of chiming like it usually did when it was amused. It was a melodious sound that he wished would last longer so he could engrain it into his memory.

"I… thank you, Matthew." the dots in its eyes darted upwards before they looked back at him. "Well, I should mention that I have also developed Telekinesis along with Levitation. I am capable of moving objects with without touching them. My flight is a subset of this ability, since I use the same principle to move my body through the air." the boy's eyes lit up like a Christmas tree.

"Oh, well then you're showing me that when we get down."

"It is already past your bedtime and you still need to be well rested for school. Tomorrow, little one." he pouted but did not argue back. These were actual superpowers, of course he'd want to see them in action, who wouldn't? And bedtime… bleh.

"Fine, but I'm holding you to that. You can't just tell me you have superpowers and not show me. Like, that should be illegal. You should literally be in jail for that."

"You have my word I'll show you, but you'll have to wait until tomorrow after school." again they went quiet, only for Mari to be the one to break the silence. "I am happy you are taking this so well... I do apologize if this was a bit much for you, and for not asking for your permission before taking you so high up. I did not mean to overwhelm you, little one."

"No, I'm good. Enough with the apologizing. You don't have to be sorry. I mean, with all of the stuff I know is possible, you talking, flying and having telekinesis isn't really all that shocking. And as uh- exciting as going up was, this is too beautiful for me to be mad at you. So really, I should thank you for this. This is just…" his eyes locked onto the clear night sky, admiring it.

"Breathtaking." Mari completed for him. "That is how humans would describe this, no?"

"Yup, like, no other word would fit for this, you know…" they were quiet after that.

Matthew bit the inside of his cheek. Staying silent now that he knew the Puppet could talk was getting pretty unbearable, he'd call it. "Hey, so, I hope you won't give me the silent treatment after this. I really like your voice. You're um, more fun this way."

"I'm flattered you think so. Very well. Though I will not give up writing entirely because I do not think it would be a good idea to reveal this to Mr. Emily and your sister."

"No, definitely not. They'd uh… I wouldn't want to see how hard they'd freak out. Charlie maybe not so much, but her dad? Nuh uh. He's already pretty freaked out that you're um, sentient- which is a great thing, don't get me wrong- so it's safe to say that telling him you can speak would probably result in him trying to scrap you." the Puppet's music box broke into static as it stared in forward.

"Even if he were to find out about my true nature, nothing would happen to me, little one. Do not fret." the lightheartedness in Mari's tone was gone, its voice instead being rigid and stern, though not at him. It had said it like it was a matter of fact, making Matthew squint at his friend, asking himself what Henry had done to piss the Puppet off. Maybe that wasn't a good such a good subject to discuss.

"Thank you for this birthday gift. It's uh more than I could have ever asked for, so thank you. Really. You've no idea how happy you've made me with this." Mari smiled softly at him. It was not gaping grin it generally sported, but was instead a genuine, smaller yet more winsome smile.

"You are very welcome, my friend. But seeing you happy is reward enough for me. No need to offer your thanks. Your happiness is worth this, Matthew. This, and so much more. I only pray that you allow me to continue making you happy, my child." the Puppet didn't give him a moment to respond, holding him closer to its chest in an improvised hug.

He hugged back, too stunned to really reply anyway. The two of them stayed like that for some time, comfortable in each other's embraces, until Matthew's eyes began drifting off. He fell asleep to the sound of the Puppet's light singing, but this time, instead of using its box to do so, the Puppet had sung to him using its actual voice, and it was the most pleasant sound Matthew had heard all day.

Perhaps his entire life.

o0o

This was not the kind of dream she'd imagine she'd have. Her eyes studied the bedroom she found herself in. It wasn't hers, or any person's she knew. The bed she was sitting on was fairly large, not for someone her age, with two drawers on each side and a nightstand with a big lamp to the right. To her left there was a big window with a glass door that led to a balcony, covered by semitransparent drapes. In front of the bed there was a drawer/cabinet one-piece with a giant, thin, black rectangle on top. The object bore a resemblance to a television set, but was far too wide and thin to be functional. Near it, there were multiple figurines assembled in all sorts of poses. They didn't look like any toys she had seen, given how the joints somehow gave the toys articulations akin to an actual human.

Most of them were of comic book characters, some of the more popular heroes like Spider-Man, Wolverine, the Hulk, each having multiple variants with minor differences in shape and color, but there were also plenty of figurines of characters she didn't recognize. Among them, there were these cute statues with big heads that were trying too hard to look scary. To her right there was a closet with four doors. Some boxes were stacked on top of it, along with a soccer ball and a few miscellaneous items. All of the furniture was brown.

In the right corner, near the same wall as the one-piece, there was a desk with some kind of device on it, along with papers, notebooks and… a small tablet? Getting down from the bed, Cassidy walked over to inspect the strange object. It was like an open book, if the top half was a mini version of the slim screen while the other one was a keyboard. Several cables were plugged into the black object, one of them leading to what she recognized as a mouse, if only very stylized. The "setup" reminded the girl of computers- her parents were rich enough to afford one, that they didn't allow her to use- but it didn't seem at all functionable, given how barebones it was. Seeing how it was turned off, and noticing a button with a circle cut by a line above the keys, her curiosity got the better of her and she pressed said button to see what would happen.

The next moment the keys and mouse lit up, with shifting lights changing every second, going through all of the colors of the rainbow before restarting the process and doing it again. She was definitely impressed by the light show, but she wanted to see what the weird computer would do in this weird dream of hers, so she waited for the screen to boot up only to be disappointed when all it showed was white noise. Already getting bored with it, Cassidy redirected her attention to the tablet, that was also a screen, only this one had a pencil missing the charcoal tip attached to it like a magnet.

Expecting the same result as with the computer, the girl shook her head and picked up one of the books from the stack under the desk. The title read "Civil War", and the cover was fairly detailed, featuring many of those heroes that had their clones in the form of the figurines next to the huge screen, but in much greater detail than she'd ever seen in comic books. It must've cost a fortune had it been real.

Having her interest piqued, she opened the comic only to once again be let down when all she saw were blank pages containing nothing. No text, no images, not even a hint at a single drawing. Though Cassidy really shouldn't have been surprised. This was a dream; real world accuracy didn't apply here. And given how her somewhat recent dreams had been, she'd need to find him in order to wake up.

Not even when she knew she was dreaming, she couldn't wake up. She had no actual control over what happened in these dreams when they occurred. And she had tried to think the dreams into ending, into letting herself awaken, but it had all been for naught, as the only proved way to escape the realm of weirdness was to find him and try to just hang around for a while until whatever was causing this decided it was time to let her leave.

Because something must've been the source of all these- she wouldn't call them nightmares-…

Visions. That fit better. Or hallucinations. Either term was more fitting than simply nightmares. There had to be a source, Cassidy just knew there was. Someone or something that was responsible for all of this was still out there, and she had not made any progress into finding and stopping it. Thankfully, no significant events ever happened in these visions, unlike her friend's. For her, it was all just empty spaces she'd never been to before, with the only individual to keep her company being a deformed version of her best friend.

Not really in the mood for this to go on longer than it had to, and assuming the rest of the books were like the one she'd attempted to read, she sat it on the desk and moved to look outside the windows in search of him.

Perhaps he was outside like usual? Most of the time he was outside somewhere when those empty spaces contained buildings, like now, but instead of spotting him anywhere or learning any information on where this was taking place, and in whose home she was residing, all she saw was a black abyss. It was as if the house she was in was floating in complete darkness, the null being the only thing that existed, with no other world besides for it.

A little off-putting, but not the creepiest thing she'd seen by now. That award would have to go to him. He was the embodiment of eeriness, with his crooked limbs, jittery movements and face-splitting smile. One would be hard-pressed to find another, more anxiety-inducing creature than him. There was a… wrong sort of vibe she was getting about the way he acted that spooked her to the core unlike any other thing she'd ever seen or encountered.

Cassidy very much hated looking at Matthew's imitation, but she had to in order to leave these awfully peaceful dreamscapes. If he wasn't outside, then he must've been inside. Well, she didn't have much to lose. She decided to get this over with and left the bedroom. The hallway that greeted her had three doors, one at the right end, another at the opposite end and then one a little to the left. Two of them led to other bedrooms, similar to the one she'd woken up into but lacking the items to indicate they belonged to children, while the third door was for a bathroom. Matthew wasn't in any of them, so the girl made her way downstairs.

A heavy weighing dread gripped her chest as she went further down. When not paying attention to the steps' loud creaking, she could make out the sound of scribbling coming from the living room.

Whispers that she doubted were actually there spoke in her mind, warning her to stop and go back the way she came, that she would regret choosing to move forward. Her instincts were roaring at her, desperate to get her to leave, and her heart was pounding with such vigor that she could practically feel every beating. Her hands trembled, but she bit her lip and swallowed.

It was unbecoming of her to give in to primal fears. This wasn't real, so she shouldn't be afraid. That was the only thought running through her head. The silver lining that kept her from freezing up in terror.

With a wary breath, Cassidy peeked in to see what was causing the noise, and saw Matthew hunched over at the table, his back facing her, as he wrote or drew furiously in a notebook.

His hoodie was pulled up, but it was obvious it was him sitting in that chair. Although, what had changed about his appearance was the message that was printed on his back: "FREEDOM MUSIC FESTIVAL. The VALLEY GOD SOULMATE COMPANY". It was a poster for a concert, written in graffiti font while displaying many weirdly drawn illustrations. Had she the ability to speak, Cassidy would've asked what it meant, but since these dreams had begun, she hadn't been able to utter a single phrase while asleep. She could open her mouth, but no words would ever come out, so she settled for listening to what was around her.

When the girl got closer to Matthew, the boy stopped writing, closing the notebook and allowing her to see its title, "The Subjective Validity of Pain.". The book didn't have any fancy covers; it was a leather-bound journal with a blue exterior. Matthew set it on the table and held the pen he'd used to write in front of him. He tightened his fingers onto the object and before long, rust and cracks were spreading across its surface. In less than a few seconds the pen broke, falling onto the table in piles of dust.

Cassidy took a step back, struggling to keep her cool. The whispers were more agitated, and the moment Matthew's head snapped in her direction her heart skipped a beat. It was then that she got a good look at his face. Normally, tracks of black tar would've been flowing down his cheeks from the pits of darkness that were his empty eyes, but now that same substance was dripping from his forehead as if he had sustained a terrible head injury. His features stretched symmetrically, grinning from one side of his face to the other, exposing his gums. He looked absolutely demented.

Matthew's skin was like snow, devoid of the vibrance in living flesh, only dirtied with the dark liquid. All of the clothes he wore; his open hoodie, t-shirt and sweatpants were different shades of grey. Matthew looked as if he had been pulled straight out of an old recording, the kinds that were black and white and always had those weird spots appearing every few frames. He stood out like a sore thumb in the otherwise colorful living room. His limbs were longer than they should've been, probably due to having a silhouette as slender as hers, despite being so much taller than Cassidy.

Slowly, he rose to his full height, easily towering over her at least five feet. He was so tall he had to bend his head so he wouldn't hit the ceiling, leaving his neck in an awkward position that made it seem like it was broken. He gave a short wave then beckoned with a twisted finger for her to get closer.

She hated how her fear gave him power over her, but she stood her ground, ignoring the voices that were telling her to either comply or flee. Matthew's expression softened at her defiance, but the room's temperature seemed to increase spontaneously. His hand brushed against the table's corner, causing the wood to wither in a matter of seconds. Yet even after seeing that, the girl refused to budge, although she suspected he didn't exactly intend to intimidate her.

Matthew tilted his head sideways, raising his shoulders in a silent chuckle before, in a flash, he reached out to grab Cassidy's hand.

Her surprise was palpable as she tried to pull her arm out of his steel grip. She was half expecting to see her skin melt under his fingers, but thankfully, the only sensation she could feel was that of a minor burning. That however, did not save Matthew from being punched and kicked all over in order to let her go. Unperturbed, he knelt to Cassidy's level, letting her hit him in the face, only to move his head back in position after each hit.

Matthew didn't even flinch. She busted his nose, and his lip, but he merely wiped the dark blood away before finally getting tired of her assault, and catching her fist with his free hand, holding it in place. He shook his head, staring her in the eyes for a moment, smiling as if she hadn't beaten the living daylights out of him. No actual damage was visible on his already dirty face, so after squirming for a little longer, Cassidy gave up fighting.

She narrowed her eyes angrily at him, but her glare didn't affect him. The girl was having trouble explaining this shift in behavior to herself. He'd never done anything like this before. No dream had him being able to rot things he touched or act this direct. He hadn't made physical contact with her, always keeping his distance while simultaneously being in her personal space. Seeing as how he wasn't actively hurting her, much of her fear had subsided, but she had no clue as to what he wanted out of her.

Too bad she was unable to talk. The torrent of curses that would've flown out of her mouth would've made her feelings about this whole situation and how much she despised him true justice. Instead, she was left glaring at the amused distortion of her best friend, who found a great deal of enjoyment out of watching her try to hurt him like she did most people who wronged her.

Carefully, he freed her fist before standing up, still holding onto her wrist. Cassidy did not retaliate this time, sighing as she looked up at him. Matthew picked up the journal and opened it to a page with a ton of unintelligible scribbles. He showed it to the girl, and pointed to a few lines. She could only pick up on some of what was written. Observe, whole world, till end, cries, fear, torture, I, the same, for you.

Suffice to say, Cassidy was left somewhat confused. Those words were enough of a reasoning for Matthew however to discard the notebook and turn around, ready to take her further into the dream. She'd rather he didn't, but, well, what choice did she have except for going along? He established she had no hope of getting away, so the girl might as well refrain from complicating her predicament with unhelpful resistance.

The boy took one last look at her before walking to the front door to the house, and pulling a flare out of his pocket. Where that had come from Cassidy did not question. What was the point in doing so? She was dreaming, anything went while asleep.

Not letting herself be dragged along, the girl matched his pace, even though his elongated legs allowed him to cover more ground. They both got out of the house into the abyss, but instead of dropping into a never-ending freefall, their feet seemed to walk on nothing. The flare lit up on its own, the cord having been pulled by an invisible force, serving as their light shining in darkness, and Cassidy allowed Matthew to lead her through to the other side, wherever it was that they were headed to.

They had walked in peace for about fifteen minutes, she counted- although her sense of time was greatly messed up- the only noise to spice the uneasy stillness being the consistent burning of the flare. The thing just kept burning nonstop, lighting up a path for them to pass on. She admirably endured the suspense that came with the thought that at any point they could be attacked from the shadows by what she'd rather not imagine. Matthew's calmness did ease her tension though.

Finally, the two of them came to some sort of open field of grass. Via an unseen light the field was lit up, creating a dome where the darkness couldn't penetrate.

Matthew destroyed the flare, no longer needing it to see. In the distance, about ten figures, all dressed in orange, filthy uniforms wandered about, walking aimlessly, bumping into each other on occasion. Their movements were sporadic, staggering from one foot to the other in random directions, jerking every so often like roadkill. Their spasms were faster than that of a regular person, Cassidy noted. From where they were, the girl couldn't make out any other details about those people, if she could call them that.

She saw Matthew inhale, staring intently at the people in front. Then, after seemingly readying himself, he began advancing towards them. The tension again bubbled up inside the girl when the people's features became clearer as they approached them. She squinted her eyes to better see them, only to shudder in shock when she saw just what they actually were.

They were as tall as Matthew, with limbs just as elongated, although that was where the similarities stopped. Their legs were misshapen, copying animal legs unsuccessfully, being broken at the knees, ankles and feet, with bone sticking out of the joints, ripping through the skin. Trying to balance themselves on them should've been impossible, but these creatures had no problem doing so. The next deformity would be their arms. Instead of ending in fingers like those of a human being, these ones had blades made out of bone, growing from their elbows and being as long as their torsos. Their rib cages were cut open, and missing all of the necessary organs to survive. Only the spines could be seen in the back of their chests. Their eyes and mouth were sown shut, leaving expressions of constant pain on their faces. But perhaps the most bizarre detail were their clothes. The monsters were dressed in sports equipment, and had numbers ranging from two to twelve all the way to ninety-nine on their backs.

They were players, she realized.

Cassidy felt like puking at the sight. She might've been used to violence, but this, seeing these abominations walking around like they didn't defile the air around them with their mere existence, even in a dream– it made her want to pull her own eyes out just so she couldn't stare at them. It was disgusting, and the worst part was that she and Matthew were now right inside the group, so anywhere she looked she'd see one of them. And the clicking sounds they made from deep within their throats…

The usually brave Cassidy tried to make herself as small as possible. To her dismay, Matthew had other plans in mind. He charged one of the creatures, this one having seven written on its back, before grabbing it by the hair and slamming its face on the ground with strength disproportionate to his lanky body. She pulled on his hand, trying to get him to stop, but he brushed her off, decaying the monster's head on the spot, killing it.

The action however, was noticed by all of its friends, and when the girl looked behind them her eyes widened at seeing the rest of the abominations facing the two of them. Matthew got up, still smiling, but now bearing a hidden anger behind his mask. He moved the girl behind him and cracked his knuckles.

Then all of the players broke into a sprint. Despite stumbling with every step, they were incredibly fast, closing the distance almost immediately. Matthew plunged to the side, pulling Cassidy along, causing most of the creatures to fall on the grass when they couldn't stop running. Two of them hadn't been baited, and were able to catch themselves before changing angles mid sprint straight for Matthew and her.

The nearest player lunged at Matthew with a blade ready to tear him apart, only for the boy to clasp his palms around it, keeping it inches away from his neck, rotting it off before using it to stab the player through the chin. The monster limply fell to the ground, but the boy wasn't allowed a moment's respite as the second player was already upon him. Being too close to dodge, Matthew instead raised his right forearm to shield himself, resulting in it getting pierced all the way through.

Not even uttering a grunt of pain, Matthew dragged his other hand's fingers across the player's face, causing it to reel back as its flesh fell off, revealing a mangled skull underneath. The boy took the opportunity to pick up the wounded monster and throw it at its incoming brethren, making them fall onto their backs, save for three that were separate from the group. Seeing the trio rush him at once, Matthew picked up Cassidy and jumped further back, resulting in one of the players tripping and bumping into another, missing the two entirely. The third however was unaffected, and tried to decapitate the boy with a slash.

Thankfully Matthew had ducked in time and pushed the girl away from him so she wouldn't get hit. The monster maintained its assault, managing to cut the boy across his cheek. His head would've been impaled had he not shifted it out of the way. The boy moved behind the player, wrapping his hands around its head and melting it off, but while he was busy doing that, the player that had tripped had gotten up and had stabbed Matthew in the side, digging the blade deeper into the boy's gut.

Black stained her friend's imitation's hoodie and shirt. Cassidy looked away, feeling the acidic taste of bile rising, helpless to help him only to freeze, seeing her life flash before her eyes when the second player, instead of focusing on Matthew, was barreling for her. Being too slow to outrun the monster, the girl shut her eyes in fright, begging it to be over quickly so she wouldn't have to suffer. If kill touch Matthew was having trouble fighting these things, eight-year-old Cassidy had no hope of making it.

The girl didn't even have time to ponder on her regrets and what she would've done differently in the face of neutral death, but she supposed that was how it worked in life. Sometimes it came so quickly there was nothing you could do to react. No way for you to tell your goodbyes or reflect on the happy moments. Your life was just cut short without warning, and she was in that exact situation, so seeing as how there wasn't a way out, she swallowed her despair and crushed soul, simply accepting her end, waiting in held breath to die…

Only for her death to never come. Cassidy opened her eyes to see the blade a few millimeters away from her face. The monster was held in place by the shoulders by Matthew, who was bleeding heavily from the mouth. The boy pulled the player away from her, spun around with it and used it to hit the rest of the creatures who'd gotten back on their feet and were about to attack from behind. Two were sent flying a few dozen feet, while a third was flattened under the monster Matthew was holding.

There was a fourth however, that hadn't gotten hit and slashed the boy across his chest, making him drop the player that had been used as a baseball bat. Then, the player drove his arm blade into Matthew's leg, wanting to immobilize him, but the boy just smiled more wickedly and used the monster's mistake to shove his hand into its open ribcage and decay its head from the inside out. After destroying the blade in his thigh, he exhaled and looked down at Cassidy apologetically, offering her his hand.

His injuries seemed to be the least of his worries. The fact that this was a dream was absent from her thoughts completely. So what if he saved her? He'd been the one to start the fight and now he was trying to say he was sorry?! Cassidy was furious. Not thinking of the carnage that she was definitely too young to have witnessed, the girl got up to give the boy a piece of her mind when two blades impaled Matthew through the chest and abdomen. She recoiled back to avoid getting stabbed as well, staring in horror at the sight of her friend's mirror enduring something that should have killed him.

The boy in question was only annoyed with the interruption though, evident by how he lost his smile for a brief second, and held onto the blades, preventing them from being pulled out of him, spreading the rot all the way to the two remaining players' bodies. Their arms disintegrated into crisp, and Matthew turned around, punching a few teeth out of one monster then strangling the second. Afterwards, he raised his stabbed leg and brought his foot down on the punched creature's head repeatedly.

The girl winced at the crunch, refusing to see any more violence. She did her best to calm herself and get rid of the need to puke her guts out while she waited for him to finish.

Once done, Matthew clapped his palms together proudly and again offered Cassidy his hand. The girl paled. This was still not over. There was more…

What did he want from her? Was he seriously wishing to continue!? If these things had been so bad what the hell would they encounter next?! Why did he need her to go with him? She obviously would just slow him down and need protecting since she was far too underpowered to fight more things like these, so what benefit could he get out of making her come along? Why couldn't he just leave her alone and go deal with this shit himself- Cassidy hadn't asked for this! If she knew this was what they would find then she would've refused to go along no matter what he would've tried to pull to convince her. She'd have rather died right then and there as opposed to being anywhere near these abominations. She shook her head.

Matthew watched her disappointedly. Shrugging at her refusal, he forcefully grabbed her hand, determined to drag her along if he had to, which he did. He laughed at her attempt to fight him again, after having seen it was meaningless. She'd stop her quarrel eventually. They had quite a bit to walk so she'd have plenty of time to cool off. It wasn't like he was giving her a choice anyway. Either she came willingly, or he made her follow him. They wouldn't be done until she observed all he wished for her to see. He'd promised he would do the same for her after all.

The girl was unknowingly helping him, so naturally he'd return the favor, even if he would be the only one to benefit from it- but Cassidy didn't need to know that. Just appearing in her dreams was not enough, a more direct approach was needed if he wanted to… achieve anything worthwhile. Especially after she had gone and confessed his presence to her friend earlier today. In hindsight, he should've seen it coming, but he wasn't particularly dejected he hadn't.

The boy summoned another flare from his pocket, lit it up and walked forward into the void, leaving the corpses-littered field behind.

They came upon a set of double doors, reminiscent of a school's. The moment they entered a grandfather clock rang out from nowhere. The two of them were met with a long corridor that seemed to be made for someone of Matthew's stature, given that the doors on either opposite walls were taller than even him, as if this was a place strictly for giants. The hall was similar to the ones at school, except for the fact that it had lockers and was less colored, the walls having a sterile white for paint just like a hospital.

The boy dropped the flare into a trashcan before marching onward. Cassidy dreaded what they'd be met with here. A more rational person would've asked her why she was afraid, since she was just dreaming, so nothing could hurt her, right? She wasn't so rational, or maybe she was too rational; because ever since all of these visions had begun, she could always vividly recall every sensation she'd felt during them like they'd actually happened.

She was in an almost identical situation to her actual dummy- constant night terrors with a certain character stalking you and being able to feel in said nightmares- only hers were not really about animals, so wasn't it reasonable to assume that if one could feel then they could also be hurt? She thought it was anyway. It sucked that the real Matt wasn't here to talk to him about this, as he was the only one who'd understand, and she was stuck with this loser who wouldn't let her go.

The girl sighed. These halls were endless. They seemed to be going in circles. Matthew certainly didn't appear to have a clue as to where to go, or that was what she got from how he kept looking around in search of he knew what. Was he trying to find more monsters like the ones before to fight them? That would've been incredibly stupid of him. Oh, how she wished she could knock some sense into him. That would've been fun, but no, he had to be this creepy, slender guy that was cool with getting mortally wounded, leaving her to stare absentmindedly at her boring surroundings.

There was a deep rattle as they explored the halls. It was diminished by the maze that was this place, and the sound of their footsteps slightly hid it, but it was there. The rattling was kind of like those ambiances that would play in a horror movie when things got quiet and the danger passed, or when a there was a build up to a ghost about to jumpscare you. It made everything seem deserted and bleak. Like her and Matthew were all alone, going through memories of the past that had once been occupied and utilized only to be abandoned in the present. This… school was too silent, almost. Because there was no activity besides them. It was desolate… depressing even. To see what she would assume represented a once lively place be reduced to a ruin of its former self.

But then they rounded the corner, and she facepalmed.

Goddammit, she'd spoken too soon, didn't she? About one hundred feet in front stood a figure the size of Matthew. It was enveloped in shadows so she couldn't tell just how deformed it was, but there was stuff sticking out of it. Matthew stopped in place, waiting. They didn't have to stare at it for long because as they ceased walking the creature raised its head in their direction. Like a spider, it scaled the wall onto the ceiling, coming into the light…

The grandfather clock rang out.

It was more horrible than those other ones by a large margin. An odd assortment of parts was poking out of every place imaginable. Skin and muscles had been fused with cold, unfeeling, unsympathetic metal into a failed hybrid of the two, which resulted in a toxic being that would hurt anything it touched. Barbed wire, razors, sharp plates and sawblades covered it head to toe. Spikes filled its hanging mouth in rows, and rusted nails were used to cling to the ceiling. The thing was drenched in its own blood, some fresh enough to drip onto the floor. Its eyeballs had shrunk in their sockets as well, giving the monster a depraved glimmer in its expression.

She just gulped, her eyes trailing on Matthew.

This creature, unlike the others, was not pained by the state of its body. It just looked angry. So angry that Cassidy didn't think it was directed at them specifically. That was its default way of being. Matthew didn't care how it felt however. He spread his arms, inviting it to attack.

When it got in range it suddenly lunged at the boy, who ducked under it to grab its foot only to get cut. It landed behind Cassidy, who turned and got out of its way, letting it jump straight for Matthew. The boy, being too tall to dodge, caught the monster but impaled his hands in the process. The creature then proceeded to wrap its limbs around Matthew in a piercing hug, piercing the boy's entire upper body.

She saw it then. The fear in his eyes, carefully hidden behind the mask that was his smile. It was not that he didn't feel the pain of getting hurt, but that he simply charged through it no matter how difficult it was. Matthew pushed himself to keep going, to never stop fighting, to persevere even though he should've dropped dead a while ago. Aided by the false reality of her dreams, he ignored the injuries he sustained, he battled through the monsters he encountered. He didn't give up…

Was that the whole point of this? He wasn't letting her get hurt, Matthew was tanking everything that came their way, even going so far as to be the instigator, and for what? What was the point of doing any of this… if not to show her how she should be? He'd written he wanted her to observe- he dragged her along when there wasn't much she could do. Was this what she was supposed to see then?...

He was scared as well, and yet he battled these demons- perhaps his own-, ran at them head on ready to prove them wrong and win. And he had won… Cassidy wasn't sure what to make of this.

Having his arms trapped, he actually squirmed under it, trashing about in order to get it off of him, but he couldn't budge the hybrid. It opened its gaping maw to bite down on his throat, shredding a large chunk out of it, but somehow, he still kept up the smile, although she could tell he wasn't as calm as he pretended to be, because that was when Matthew shoved himself forward into the lockers over and over again, trying to bludgeon it to death.

The tactic was partially effective, as the monster seemed to loosen its hold, but he was still wrestling to get it off. Matthew could keep her relatively safe, but Cassidy had a feeling the if he were to get beheaded, he wouldn't be able to do much good, so she looked around for anything she could use to help him. The girl spotted a locker door that'd been ripped off its hinges near their feet which she rushed to pick up. She raised the object above her head and struck the back if the hybrid's nape when it had gotten Matthew on the ground as hard as she could with the corner of the door once, then twice, then a third and fourth time until finally the creature released the boy, prompting him to tackle it to the wall, steal the door out of Cassidy's hands and sever its head with it, getting it stuck into the concrete.

The body dropped while the head remained shelfed on the plate, and Matthew bent over to hold his knees, out of breath. His clothes had dozens of tears and had been dirtied beyond salvation. It would be a pain to scrub the black tar out of them, she thought, wanting to ease her nerves with some self-comfort, even if she wasn't the most humorous person out there. Matthew offered her a trembling thumbs up.

The other doors down the hall that led to what she guessed were classrooms all opened, and more of those creatures poured out, climbing the walls, attracted by the commotion. Another ring of the clock. Alarmed, the girl shook him, pointing at the wave coming their way. A small, awkward pause and a nod and Cassidy was put over his shoulder as he ran the opposite way.

Their escape was halted however as more hybrids cut them off, forcing the boy to touch the wall and decompose a hole for them to pass through. Matthew didn't even look back as he ran across the classroom, that also happened to be filled with hybrids. Thankfully, he was fast enough that none had even managed to get up from their seats before the boy had made another hole.

As he ran deeper into the maze of hallways, more and more did the they begin to fill up with monsters. He weaved his way through crowds, avoiding getting scratched or grabbed, since it would mean their certain deaths, occasionally breaking into a classroom to avoid populated corridors. There was a stark contrast to the empty halls they had walked moments ago. Cassidy's heart was racing a mile a minute. She held on tightly, getting dirtied by the boy's blood being the least of her problems. Hybrids lunged after them, always barely missing Matthew but appearing to get closer each time they leapt.

The girl could see the horde that had formed, there must've been hundreds of them, all roaring as they trampled over each other when they couldn't stick to surfaces due to the lack of space. Matthew put his hand on the wall as he ran, causing cracks to spread to the ceiling, making it collapse onto the horde, trapping or crushing a large number of hybrids under rubble, but that was not nearly enough to get rid of them all. The monsters crawled their way form under the debris, continuing their pursue.

The clock struck ten.

The lockers were fewer now the more they ran. The overhead lights flickered in and out and the pristine white paint was turning into a stained yellow, but they kept going. Matthew turned right, then left, then right again before finding a set of double doors. He ran faster, already outstretching his arm, preparing to melt them only for the doors to bust open, causing the boy to make an abrupt break so as to not crash into what had emerged from the other side.

A monster, different from those chasing after them, stared at the two. It had the physique of a woman with stretched extremities characteristic of what Cassidy had seen thus far, but was far taller than Matthew, and dressed in a crimson suit. Half of her head was an exposed brain, while the lower half was regular skin, the two sides being separated in a clean cut. Her bottom jaw however, was missing, leaving her tongue hanging out from its throat and its teeth in clear view.

It didn't attack immediately- which let Matthew swiftly back away while keeping his eyes locked on the new monster- but took its time drawing in air. The boy created a hole to enter next to him, not having the patience to see what it'd do, moving into a classroom full if hybrids that he hastily crossed. As he exited into a corridor, a shriek was heard. It was so powerful that Cassidy had to cover her ears so they wouldn't burst.

The girl's mind went blank. Sweat ran down her forehead at seeing the room's wall explode outward and all of the hybrids inside being torn apart like tissue paper by the ripples that were going through the air. The screamer woman dashed in after them, stepping over the corpse filled floor, and Cassidy gripped Matthew tighter, silently pleading for him to get a move on. The sole reason she and him hadn't been turned to mush was because they'd made it into the hall where they'd been protected from the sonic attack, but a second one was sure to destroy their shelter if Matthew didn't start moving.

The roaring of the hybrids signaled their arrival, making the girl elbow him in the back to start running. He promptly complied, sprinting faster than he had previously. The corridor narrowed as he advanced, losing the lockers and doors completely. Was this the right track? It seemed like it was, but Matthew could always destroy his way out of a dead end. He collapsed more of the ceiling as he picked up speed, the screamer's shrieking instilling a sense of urgency in the boy.

The clock's bells rang, and the corridor compressed to fit only one person. Red oozed down the walls, forming rough letters, smelling so bad Cassidy had to bury her nose in her sleeve so she wouldn't get vertigo, but it was still potent enough to burn her lungs with each breath of air. She would've been fine to keep from inhaling in a normal scenario, but the sudden claustrophobia made her gasp for oxygen. Her eyes were no longer focused, darting in every direction in an attempt to find something that would calm her, but she couldn't make sense of what was around her.

There was no detail to catch her attention, it was all plain and cold, made more barren by the chorus of wailing and beating beyond the tunnel. The messages in red were right. Like a storm of rambling thoughts, they only spoke the truth, even as they peeked into a mind that was not hers.

Why are you doing this? Go back-

No. Don't listen. Don't stop. Keep going. Follow the path. See it to the end. Don't think. Don't question it. Doesn't matter. This is good. Better this way. Necessary. Forget. Purge memories. There is no future. No consequences. You're helping yourself. There's a light at the end. You'll see it. You'll feel better. The pain will stop. No more hurting. Rest.

For what?

Yourself. It'll be over.

I'm fine. The pain is lying. Jealous. Angry. Anxious. Afraid. Apathetic. Hurt. Stressed. Sad. Liar. Letdown... Nothing new. I'm fine.

Can be better than fine. No negative impact. You want to be better. It's understandable. They'll get it.

They won't. Blame themselves. Can't leave. Can't leave. Can't breathe-

No need to breathe. Hold it in. A little more. Almost there.

Have to stop. Episode. Breakdown. Untreated. Confused. Not usual. Need help. Let them know. They can help. They want to.

You'll leave soon. Too late to stop. Came this far. Made up your mind.

I am sick. I AM SICK. I AM-

So close. There's the light. You're here. Go through. Now. Go. Get out. Get out. Get out. End it. END IT. END IT. END Y-

The emergency exit was all but blown open. The panic had been cured by the fresh air. She could breathe again. She was safe. No more thoughts intruded her mind. Cassidy was sat down, and she took a momentary pause to let the poison fade from her system. Meanwhile the boy dusted himself off before inspected his wounds.

When she looked to see where they were, she found themselves on top of a pretty high rooftop in some city she didn't recognize. There were no landmarks she could make out besides the few skyscrapers that filled the horizon, but those didn't tell her where she and Matthew were. This definitely wasn't the labyrinth school they spent the better part of an hour running through. And the sky was surprisingly lit up. Maybe it was finally over, and she could wake up, and go about her day and forget any of this had happened. Maybe… What was Matthew doing?

She dubiously watched him write on the roof's edge in his own blood. The letters spelled out "Reached the end. Your turn now.".

Sirens could be heard from below in the streets.

The clock struck midnight, resonating across the rooftop.

Matthew rose, got behind Cassidy, and pushed her off the edge.

His signature smile was gone as he watched the girl plummet to her death. There was little she could do as her impending death came nearer. She couldn't scream, she didn't have time to comprehend what had happened, all she could do was stare at the rapidly incoming street. A second was frozen in time just as her head made contact with the pavement…

And then nothing.

A tiled, checkered floor was what welcomed her when she woke up. She laid there on the ground for a while, groaning at the soreness that spread through her body. She'd jinxed it. She wasn't hurting as much as she should have from falling off of as twelve-story building but instead was feeling as though she hadn't moved in decades. Did she feel betrayed? Perhaps, or just angry, angry at him for shoving her off the edge.

This was a dream though, even with all of the surrealness she'd experienced so far- including her perfectly clear and thinking mind- that she had no answer for, none of this rollercoaster had been real, so maybe she shouldn't feel mad at a figment of her imagination, but at what was causing this in the first place. She shouldn't associate her anger with her best friend just because a creepy version of him was haunting her in her sleep. She always wanted someone to blame, but Matt wasn't it, and it wouldn't have been fair of her to blame him for this.

After a few more minutes, with shaky limbs she pushed herself up, getting a look at the room she was in. The walls had a checkered stripe between two red lines painted over going from one end of the room to another. Dust had settled on their surfaces, while mold had grown in the corners, but they otherwise looked presentable, if she was being kind. Crude children's drawings were stuck to said walls, depicting various colorful characters and all having the message "MY FUN DAY!" written above. Stars and other party decorations were hanging down from the ceiling, along with cables.

However, the thing of note that really caught her attention was the broken golden bear suit that was sitting limply against the wall in front of her. Its fur was dirty, and in many places ripped, showing the rusting mechanical components bellow. Wires poked out of the suit's shoulders, eyes and missing left ear. For accessories, the bear wore a black bowtie and top hat, but also held a microphone in its right hand. Its mouth hung wide open, revealing a dried-blooded inner jaw. She didn't want to know what was inside.

Cassidy might've been disgusted had she not seen the horrors that attacked her moments ago. The girl found herself comparing Matthew's- the real Matthew's- descriptions of the golden rabbit in his dreams to the bear before her. The only difference was that this one was very much dead and immobile as opposed to what her friend dreamt of.

As she stared at the costume, the sound of machinery buzz seemed to increase from out of nowhere. Gears shifting, pipes vibrating, the clanging of metal, all kinds of sounds one would associate with a factory echoed throughout the small room the longer she made eye contact with the yellow bear. A pit settled in her stomach, and she could feel her hair stand on end, like a chilling breeze had just washed over her. For some reason, she felt compelled to keep looking at the animal mascot. It was unnerving, but she felt it. The bear- it was calling to Cassidy, whispering for her to get closer. To take her rightful place inside.

To go home where she belonged.

To put it on…

Her trance was broken by the whine of a door opening. She snapped her head around to see Matthew in the doorframe, holding onto it without the material rotting away. His wounds had disappeared, but his smile had returned, now even wider than it had been earlier. He stepped out of the way to present the misty landscape behind him, out of which a figure approached. The whole dream thus far had been nerve-racking, and after what had just happened, she wouldn't trust Matthew to protect her from any other monsters that might appear out of the blue since he so easily switched sides.

But whatever was coming out of the mist was doing so quickly, and Matt didn't seem at all bothered. There was nowhere for Cassidy to run or hide, and fighting these things was a death sentence. Despite the fact that she was dreaming, she felt as though if she died here, she'd die for real. And because she had felt pain, fear and everything in-between, the girl had to reconsider the outcome of giving up and suffering what was about to occur.

The outline of two, long protrusions sticking out of the thing's top became visible, one bent and the other upright.

She had to think fast. The entire room was empty except for the suit, but how would the suit…?

She understood what it was trying to tell her. Cassidy ran up to it, attempting to lift the massive head up. Her heart was beating faster and the sound of machinery had returned stronger than before, pulsating with enough power to shatter her eardrums.

The footsteps got closer.

The head seemed to be too heavy for her to raise, but she had to try. Putting as much strength as she could into her arms, she slowly, but surely pushed the head upwards.

A shadow was standing over her.

The hole in the torso that housed the robotic spine was too small for her to climb through, but maybe if she ripped some of the fur, she'd be able to make the perfect amount of space to fit in. She bit the synthetic fur and pulled, straining to hold the head high.

She managed to tear off some of it when a hand clasped her shoulder. She was turned around against her will, the bear's mask being left to fall back in its original position, only to come face to face with a monster she would never forget the image of.

Right before her the golden rabbit of her dummy's dreams looked down at her with glowing green eyes. The segmented parts of its costume allowed her to see the corpse that hid beneath the gold. The flesh, while being in a state of putrefaction, was still a bright pinkish brown. A horrid smell emanated from the mascot. It was like a nightmare playing dress up.

The monster holding on to her was a fake in appearance. The rabbit was wearing a disguise to try and appear pleasing, or honest, but the gold skin was a lie, made just to hide the heinous truth underneath. It took a considerable amount of effort on her part to not vomit. Being near this thing repulsed her like nothing else.

Her gaze briefly wondered to the door it had come in from to see Matthew saluting her with two fingers then shutting her only chance at escape. Before the despair could crush her, Cassidy felt a punch hit her in the gut- or, no, not a punch. She'd fought tons of kids before; she knew how punches were supposed to feel. Looking to see exactly what had hit it, her breath hitched when she saw a knife sticking out of her abdomen, its handle in the rabbit's grip. The entire blade was pulled out of her stomach in a rapid motion, dragging along red liquid. Her clothes were stained with blood. The sounds had stopped.

That was her blood flowing out of the stab wound. Hers.

There was no pain registered for a moment, and the only thing going through the girl's mind besides the shock of being stabbed was rage. That bastard had just stabbed her! He'd tried to actually kill her.

How dare he?

Cassidy grit her teeth, glaring at the rabbit. Her expression radiated pure hate, but the creature didn't care. It grinned in bravado at her, a raspy chuckle escaping its throat. Hearing it laugh ignited a flame within her soul, giving her the power to ignore the burning sensation and move. But when she made to take a step forward to fight the rabbit…

All the fight left her.

She dropped to her knees, watching as more blood spilled out of her. Suddenly she was too weak to even lift her arms. Her vision became clouded, and a dizziness of sorts disoriented her enough to make her fall on her back. The impact of hitting the hard floor was so light she barely even noticed it. Cassidy tried to pull herself up, to fight through the pain and get back at that rabbit, she tried to gather every ounce of energy within to do something, but her limbs refused to move. She had no control over them. All the girl could do was watch in silent horror as her killer started laughing hysterically, his voice becoming more muted by the second. She hated it. She couldn't bear to hear it.

Stop it. Shut up! Please, just shut up. I can't… I-…

The laughter was familiar. She'd heard it before. She recognized it. There was…

In a forest hidden behind layers of reality, accessed only through glitches, at a pond, a fisherman sighed, knowing what was to come.

At the depths of his lake, the mirror of her friend snapped his fingers, smiling, and opened a door for her as a gift.

This whole thing had been fun. He admitted it'd been exhilarating to fight abominations fabricated by his own hand as well as designing them to appear as atrocious as he could. A good challenge- even though the entire experience; the decay, the environments, the monsters… had been an act-, plus they had served their intended roles well, grossing out and frightening the girl, in addition to letting him blow off steam and cosplay as his favorite horror protagonist. But those were all just metaphors really. Not enough to get what he wanted, which admittedly, he could have from the very beginning, but then he wouldn't have been able to enjoy the prelude, so the next part of the plan had to be initiated. To bring about the real terror he just had to unlock the floodgates and then enjoy the results of his labor… He did wonder what he'd do for his next stunt. Well, he quite literally had all the time in the world to figure it out. Right now, though…

The spectacle was about to begin.

No… Cassidy growled to herself.

That cursed sound of the rabbit's laughter triggered a memory to resurface. Far within her mind of a time long forgotten- one that had yet to pass. She saw past the opened door. Years of torment and pain, torture and anger that would drive anyone to insanity. Innocent people she'd blamed and hurt out of blind rage, confusing them for him, friends she didn't have who shared her suffering but not her anger. Never her anger.

It all came back to her at once. It was almost too much for her to handle. Almost. Because with the agony came the decades in which she endured it. The cruelest of existences she had to experience in that suit.

Like dominos more and more she remembered. Every single detail of every moment where she'd been aware enough to think. Even moments she hadn't witnessed merged in, forming a cascade of remnants of the past, or the future? She didn't know, only that some were her own, others not.

The powerlessness, the tragedy, the grief, all the talks she'd had with her fellow victims, the decision to isolate herself from them in a quest for vengeance that had meant nothing in the end, the peace she'd only tasted but hadn't been able to achieve, the battles waged only with a shinning golden light inside a simulation, the bite, the fires, the logbook, the happiest day, the clocks, the man on the cassette, the life giver, the crocodile mask, the wraith, the ball pit, the disks, the closets, the mall.

She wouldn't beg. She'd look her killer in the eye and not give him the satisfaction of seeing her suffer. It didn't matter that she was about to die. She had already. The pain was irrelevant. There was only one important thing in that moment, for in that brief second, she knew exactly who this was, who the rabbit represented, what he'd done, and what he'd do.

It was him, the one who had lied to her- to them. She knew the man that was hiding inside the golden trap. All that mattered was to let him know she wasn't done. She couldn't be. She couldn't allow him to continue. She'd stop him if it was the last thing she did, if it took her an eternity, if she lost herself along the way, she'd kill him. She'd done it before. Over and over until the only thing left of him would be a husk of flimsy consciousness. She'd break him and put him back together for as many times as it would take to ruin him- to take everything away from him just as he was doing now.

Through the paralysis, she managed to glare. A gesture filled with so, so much, abhorrence for everything he stood for that even the unspeakable horrors beyond the mortal plane shivered under it. Death cowered away in the presence of such denial to its claiming. The refusal to give up and let its cold, nonjudging embrace wrap around the life of her mortality.

Determination coursed through every fiber of Cassidy's being. She was staying.

I hate you! I hate you for doing this! I swear I'm gonna make you pay. You caused this- you- you're the one responsible for these dreams, for Matthew's- for taking so many lives away! When will it be enough?! Why can't you just take your second chance and stop?! When will your hunger be satisfied, Mr. Afton!?

A second voice joined the rabbit's, howling with laughter. She was too dazed to notice it belonged to her friend.

… Once I find you, I swear on my grave I'm gonna make you regret this. You can't get rid of me; the past has no control over me! I won't stop until I find you- I'm gonna come back and I'll search the whole world for you if I have to. There's nothing on this earth that can keep me away from you! You're gonna burn in hell until the sun dies and I'm gonna be there to watch! And then, when you've lost the last shred of your former self, the only face you'll remember will be mine, and you'll wish you hadn't come back.

The limp bear's gold turned to ash. It rose, now a shifting mass of purple flames and knelt down beside her. The rabbit vanished, and the room melted into the abyss, becoming one with the shadow. Its essence seeped into her mind, feeding.

Don't get ahead of yourself, child. You've reached the opening night, but you won't be there to witness the final curtain being drawn. It will be in due time… For you however, the show ends here. The shadow closed the door, and all the stories that had entered her mind were called back into the times they belonged to.

Such is the beauty of pain. It breaks you all the same, whether it originates from your past, or from your future. And with your friend, Matthew, being so kind as to lend me his repertoire of… frights- how could I resist? Your agony was most tasteful, dear. I shall send him your regards as a thank you for your assistance in bringing the end closer.

Let your vengeance burn in peace.

She couldn't feel anything from the neck down. None of it was there anymore. Everything had been lost to oblivion. She was floating in a void of nothingness, unaware. The one that shouldn't have been killed had been disposed of, and any evidence of the spirit's existence erased.

Finally, Cassidy's vision faded to black, and she slept.

o0o

Charlie and Henry were standing on either side of him on the couch. The girl was stroking the back of his palm when her father got up with a sigh and patted Matt on the shoulder, nodding in assurance before exiting the office. She waited for a little longer before leaning in to peck his cheek then getting up as well, smiling one last time then following Henry out of the room. The boy watched as she closed the door after herself, lightly rubbing his cheek. He stared at the ground for a while, unsure of what to say or where to start. This was for his sake, but… there really wasn't anything he could offer the woman sitting in front of him that would assist her in aiding him without revealing his forbidden knowledge. It wouldn't make sense to talk about himself but leave the most crucial stuff out. There were only so many lies he could use before he either ran out or got tangled in them since he couldn't hope to keep track of what he'd said to who.

If this woman was meant to help him heal, then she'd need the full picture, but that was… It was stupid to even entertain that thought. Mentioning the wrong thing could potentially ruin everyone's lives, and if he did that then what was he even fighting for? But right now, he had no reasonable way of getting out of this. He needed to start talking at some point, he couldn't stare at the marble floor until the session was over. The only way to save himself of this would be to make a scene, but not only would that be out of character for him, it would just delay the inevitable. Henry would take him back here on another date once he was "feeling better". They'd been talking about doing this for some time now, and if the man was set on something then that thing would happen no matter what. The boy might be able to cancel this first visit, but there would be a next one.

Matthew was at an impasse. On one hand, he could choose to make a scene, maybe fake a panic attack to go home, but then he'd needlessly worry his adoptive family who he'd put through enough already, or he could choose to spill his secrets and pray the woman wouldn't call him crazy. He did have the appearance of a young child, so perhaps he could shape his story as a result of his vast imagination/creativity, but he didn't know what Henry had told this woman about him before coming here. The boy might just act against the man's description of him if he were to go that route.

He hadn't reached the point where he trusted Henry to talk to him about what bothered him, and with Charlie he could only really speak about his past family, so it'd be nice to be able to confess what he was experiencing to a professional, if he was honest. Of course, he did that with Mari, but the Puppet was… so loving and protective that it wanted to shield him from his problems. Too caring, in a way. And Matt was very grateful for that fact, he'd be in way worse of a place if not for Mari, but the Puppet did not have the training necessary to help children move past their trauma entirely. It had been a wonderful friend that always listened, offered tips to up his mood, made him happy and provided ceaseless support and affection, but that- as much as he hated himself for saying it- was not enough for Matthew to live a normal, healthy life free of intrusive thoughts and destructive tendencies. It had helped, more than anything could have, yes, but the boy was still having a hard time adjusting, and that wouldn't stop unless he got advice from people that were qualified, even though… there wasn't anyone who'd be prepared for cases like his.

The avoidance of looking her in the eyes was so she wouldn't be the one to initiate a conversation. He appreciated her for giving him space and remaining silent, but he felt as though he was pushing her patience. Matthew inhaled, resting his face in his hands, to make it seem like he was readying himself. Every second that passed in which he racked his brain only to come up short was one more second for her to decide she'd had enough and ask him to start. As he squeezed his eyes shut, clenching his teeth, an idea for breaking the ice finally popped into his mind. Coughing, he began.

"So, um… what did uh, Mr. Emily say about me?"

"Oh, he only had words of praise for you. He said you've been a delight to have and that he's glad you've become part of the family. So did his daughter. Neither of them could imagine their lives continuing without you. You've left a big impact on them and they are happy to be there for you." her voice was unusually hoarse for being decently young. It gave him flashbacks of Security Breach. Matt looked to the side, inspecting a shelf that had arranged all kinds of cute little figures for children and toddlers.

"Nothing about how I am, like, if he thinks I behave weirdly or…?"

"Well, he did say that you have plenty of odd traits. Quirks that oftentimes make you stand out from other kids, but they didn't displease him in any way. He is actually quite proud that you've adapted so well and that you can go to school and have friends. And it is a good thing that this is the case. Being able to create a sort of routine and have strange things that you like doing- even for no reason at all then to just fill up time- means you've already started improving. All progress, is valuable, especially in smaller quantities." he just hummed in thought. She probably wasn't lying, but then she also wouldn't tell him exactly what she and Henry had discussed. It was better if he dropped this subject. "He is also very proud that you are doing well in school." too well in his opinion. "He said that you're having an easy time compared to your classmates understanding what it is that's being taught."

"Uh huh… Okay, look… I'm not sure how I should start this. I mean, all that's happened is… it's been hard."

"You can start with whatever you wish. If you want to talk about the things that upset you, we can do that, or we could talk about your hobbies if it makes you more comfortable. Anything you think would be a good topic for dialogue."

"There's a lot to talk about, I wouldn't want to bore you with details that don't matter. Like, I came here to, you know, be able to open up to someone about the things that I've gone through, so I really um- not to be disrespectful- I really want to just talk about what the things that I have to work through, but the problem is that it's uh… it's complicated, to put it plainly."

"Hmm, we could start off small and then work our way up the ladder. Does that sound acceptable to you?"

"Yeah… kinda? Thing is, for you- uh, ma'am- to get what I'm saying um… you'll need the full rundown, so if I don't give you context it'll seem like a mess, but I'm pretty afraid that you're not gonna believe me once I start talking. So, like, I didn't come here to lie, is what I'm trying to say, `cause lying won't help me and it'll mislead you- ma'am-, but telling the truth would be uh… I'm really hesitant to do that."

"If you're afraid that the reality is too fantastic to say it, then perhaps we could speak in metaphors. Do you know what those are?"

"Yeah, it's when one thing is another. Symbolism basically, right?"

"Indeed, so if exposing reality is difficult, you could try to craft a story that represents the reality as closely as possible, and we will go on from there, or would that be too much trouble? It's alright either way, don't feel pressured into settling on just one. We could talk normally and then, when you feel as though that's becoming too personal, let's call it, we could switch modes and use metaphors." that was an… exceptionally good idea. She was inadvertently giving him the chance to say what he wanted regardless of how craze it would sound…

Should he go through with it? If he refused, nothing would get solved and he'd remain the same as he was now, but by accepting there was a possibility that he'd work through his issues and be capable of fully enjoying this new life he had.

He was almost tempted to agree, but there was one thing he needed to confirm first. If that wasn't the case, then this wouldn't be worth the time.

"No, that sounds awesome, actually. But… what is like… the patient confidentiality?" if he could trust her to not inform Henry about what he was going through, then, as insane as what he'd say would be, Matthew could see this being a fresh, new step in the right direction.

"Unless you let me, I can't tell anyone anything you tell me. Not to your family, teachers, no one."

"And there's no… exception to this rule?"

"None that'd be relevant. I'd have to suspect you are treated unfairly at home or school for me to break confidentiality. The only real exception is if you or others were to be put in danger due to something you've let me know. Does that make sense?" the boy nodded, scratching his hair. That was good to hear. He didn't have to reveal every single thing, but she would need to know a majority of it to do her job properly. A partial truth.

"So, you respect these uh- restriction unconditionally?"

"Yes."

He proceeded to look straight at the woman for about half a minute, meticulously studying her expression for any signs of deception. Matt narrowed his eyes near the end, his mouth slightly hung open in concentration. It was such a small gesture, but the woman shifted in her seat the moment he did it. She tried to understand his incertitude, he noticed, but his own visage revealed nothing beyond careful wariness. Instead, contemplation visibly shook her, from the way her chest rose in a wavering, but hidden breath. Throughout his assessment of whether or not she was trustworthy, the boy did not blink once.

"Alright" he said at last, raising his hands then resting them on his thighs. "Can I?" he pointed at the bowl of candy on the table between them.

"Sure, you can have a candy. I think I'll have one as well." Matthew gazed at the woman for a moment, then popped the sweet in his mouth, leaning into the couch to stare at the ceiling fan. The whirring it made was the only sound in the office for the time it took him to decide his next move. He chuckled.

Please don't let this be a mistake.

"Ahem, so… I guess I should begin with-…"

She woke up when she heard the door open. It meant the two hours were up. Matthew walked out and was now wearing a relieved expression. His posture was relaxed and the bags under his eyes had disappeared. Charlie rubbed the sleep away and smiled at him, wanting to ask him how it went before her father did it for her.

"How'd it go, kiddo?"

"Heh, well, that was really"

"-Mr. Emily, a moment?" the therapist lady followed Matt out, urging her father to come in, cutting the boy off. There was some kind of transfixed fury on his features as he stayed in place, glancing at the woman before he raised both eyebrows, rolling his eyes and sighing.

"Ah, sorry guys, I'll be right back." Matthew held the door from closing as her dad walked back into the office, leaving a small gap that they could hear through. He sat down beside her on the waiting chairs.

"So?"

"Hm, you know, I thought it'd be way worse. To open up to a stranger like that, but uh, there isn't much for me to complain about. She listened to everything, and what she said in return was solid. Although she did let me ramble on like nobody's business… I guess I could've stopped here and there to let her be part of the conversation some more, that one's on me, but I just got lost after I started, you know. Overall, it was cool. I'm feeling more… at ease? Not by much but it's enough to count. I'm definitely looking forward to the next visit. I uh, I dunno, I liked it. And… I really hope it helps in the long run."

Charlie smiled brightly at his words. Going to see a therapist had been delayed by her father for months now because apparently "They didn't have the time". She was glad Matthew was finally getting the help he deserved. She and her dad… they had tried, and they still did every day, but their support only went so far. It had been grueling to come to terms with it because, she… she had been feeling inadequate in that department, like she wasn't doing her best, and that if she tried harder, she'd stop seeing Matthew lost in thought when looking at parents taking their kids from school. She had needed to hear the explanation from the woman that despite the fact that she wanted to help there was only so much she could do and what didn't get solved by her would have to be handled by people trained to do so, and seeing how her brother came out of the lady's office happier than when he had entered it the girl couldn't be keep embracing him.

It was almost daily that Matt apologized for making them stress over him, how he didn't want to be the victim, and she hated that he still thought of himself as a burden when that couldn't be farther from the truth. It was because of him that her dad didn't stare longingly at the family photos, that she had found that special connection she'd searched for ever since she'd first stepped into school; to have a friend she could confide in that got her, one that wasn't her father. Only she knew how hard she'd looked for that person, and Matt had just jumped into their lives and solved her personal dilemma, as well as giving her dad more of a reason to live. Because if there was one thing that Charlotte feared, it'd be loneliness.

Being lonely was the main motivator that drove her to be as kind as possible. In her mind, if she was good to as many people as she could they would choose surround her in return and she'd avoid feeling abandoned. Because of Matthew, Charlie had at last accepted that she could never hope to appease to everyone, and that it was okay if there were those that didn't like her, since as long as she had that one person, that one reason to push forward, it was more than enough to be happy and smile.

The fact that they weren't related by blood could matter less to the girl. He was her brother, and she loved him for it.

"I'm so proud of you for having the courage to do this, Matt." her praise was genuine, now holding both of his hands, interlocking their fingers. "You did it, and it's only going to get better from here." he didn't respond, but kept looking at her in silence. He was okay. He was good. And there was no need for him to say anything.

They held hands, enjoying the peaceful moment.

Until they heard the words "Psychiatric hospital" were heard from the room. The voice belonged to the lady, who spoke in a hushed tone, sounding remorseful. Matthew blinked, and opened his mouth only for nothing to come out while Charlie gazed incredulously at the office door. They quietly got up from their chairs, leaning in to pick up on what was being said through the gap.

"…I do not mean to demoralize you, and I don't say this lightly, but I've never met a child as disturbed as him. I'm sorry to say this, Mr. Emily but… I can't help him. And… no one I could point you to would be capable of helping him… The best thing you could do as his legal guardian and father figure is to be as accommodating as you can. He is not a danger to himself or others but…"

Her brother had heard enough.

Matt backed away from the door and put his hands in his pockets. He refused to meet Charlie's pained eyes, averting his attention to the side with a raised brow, shaking his head like he was in denial before bowing it. The light above them served to cast his face in shadow. It was like an admission of defeat. She held his shoulders, starting to reassure him with sweet nothings, but he was simply not there. His whole face contorted to correspond with how he was feeling. He wasn't mad, sad, bitter, or sorrowful.

Matthew was just tired. His features painted the image of someone that was… contempt, and her heart felt like it had been grinded into powder.

He didn't talk on their way home.

o0o

I live thirteen miles outside of Hurricane, Utah in a suburban house within the wilderness. My name is William David Afton and I am thirty-seven years old. I am a father of three, a husband and an upcoming entrepreneur. I have two degrees, one in electrical engineering and one in mechanical engineering. Someday I would like to start my own robotics company.

After I shave and get dressed for work, I brush past my sons' rooms and head straight for my daughter's. I knock before I let myself in, waking her up with a kiss to her forehead. The two of us share a hug and check together to see if she has prepared everything she needs for school I let start her usual routine while I go and wake her siblings. I have to avoid the morning chaos of the whole family preparing for the day if I don't want to be late.

Breakfast is had in peace even though we are all in a hurry. We get in the car and I drive us into town, first stopping to drop off Elizabeth and Michael to school then doing the same for my youngest, Evan, who needs both of his parents to walk him to kindergarten, otherwise he will chicken out and begin crying. Lastly, I drop off my wife, who has ballet classes, before I can finally to the sixteen miles trip to St. George where I work a managerial job.

I like things to be orderly and I've often been described as very punctual. On the outside, I might make a great, lasting impression on you. When you come up to me, I'll smile, look you in the eyes, and treat you like an equal. If you are not particularly gifted, you'll relax, drop your guard, and act casual around me, not even realizing that I will forget your face and your name and the person whom you work for the moment you leave my vicinity, because chances are there is nothing remarkable about you. You all dress, look, talk, and care about the same things.

When you drive home, listening to the radio after a long day of work, you'll probably think something along the lines of: What a nice guy, I wish I could be just like him. That is if you do not feel envy first. In my experience I've found that most if not all people are this way. If you pretend to be kind and gentle you are allowed to walk over whomever you wish. Of course, there are exceptions where more tact is required, but having a friendly, charismatic attitude and knowing how to put it to good use will get you places.

The sheep that walk the streets of today do not live difficult lives. They do not know true hardship like the veterans that have fought the wars from only a few decades ago, or the poverty-stricken individuals who live from one day to the next, going to sleep with the thought that the following morning they may not wake up. They have everything they could ever wish for, anything to make their lives as easy and as comfortable as possible, commodity after commodity, and because of this they seek validation, being too empty to find meaning in their material possessions. The most important thing to a human being living in the world of 1981 is their status.

I am one of these people. In a basic sense, I wish for my intellect to be recognized and applauded by others. I wish for my engineering prowess to be appreciated by the masses. I wish for my name to be revered. I want people to stand in awe before what I can create so I can have a feeling of importance. Of value. Like I have accomplished something during my lifetime besides doing what the current societal norms dictate, which includes having a respectable position in a high paying, worthless job, being a married man with a loving wife and multiple children, among other, equally insignificant things.

But I reject these ideals wholeheartedly. I despise the fact that fighting them would be a lost war before it even began. I condemn the sheep for choosing the effortless way of living, for not aspiring to make a change, for not seeking greatness and utilizing their full potential.

Maybe they never had any to begin with, being born and raised in these colorless times. All worms deserving to be crushed beneath his boots. Yuppies. The inferior who should be elevating the superior are the ones ruling.

The worst of the whole herd are their offspring.

Man's hubris disgusts me, and I can only watch as vulnerability settles into normalcy, and weakness spreads faster than ever before. I cannot allow my children to succumb to this weakness. I cannot let them become mere numbers or screws in the giant machine of consumerism. I promise myself for the umpteenth time that I will strive to build a peerless empire for them, that I will offer them the whole world, because by simply bearing my last name, they deserve it.

My face is but an illusion. William Afton is present only on a superficial level. Underneath the smile and the purple there is nothing. Only a faint flicker of light lacking identity. For all I know you can detect the resemblance between me and you. We're both made of the same mortal matter, we both breathe the same air, and we both probably live the same lives, but unlike you…

I certainly do not exist.

As I sit in front of the principle after I've been called from work due to my eldest threatening to beat another student with his delinquent mates, I fantasize about tying Michael up and setting him in the middle of the road so I can run him over with my car. I regret ever agreeing to try to have children. I think that if I could go back in time, I'd stop myself from assisting in bringing a failed reflection of me into this world.

I convince the principle that this would be the last time Michael does anything of the sort, and the man lets me off easy due to knowing how much of a good bloke I am. I stare at the obese man for a little while before I leave his office, anger flashing in my eyes at the mask of pretense he puts on, thinking about how much nicer the man would look if he were to have his torso littered with stab wounds. He takes me for a fool, but I know he'd never expel Michael. If he were to do that then he'd be ruining his school's reputation and admitting that such bad students do, in fact, walk within his halls.

As I pick Evan up, I watch him getting distracted by the back of my driver's seat, avoiding looking at me or the other children that are getting reunited with their parents. There is no point in asking how today went. For him it was fine. Even when he got picked up on, he was just fine. The boy had learned to take a page out of his sister's book and pretend he is not troubled. But he's walking on thin ice. His saving grace is that he is too young to understand what I want from him, and therefore I have to be patient, but the outside influences move him away from me little by little, and I fear he will become his brother. What Evan requires is an isolated setting where I could mold him to my soul's content.

As I greet my daughter and ask her about her day, I thank the silent, neutral God that watches over all of us for blessing me with her. I pray that she is not taken away from me and that she can grow up to be the most amazing young woman ever. I know just how proud she will make me, and I take the moment to tell her a simple I love you. Her beaming smile and return of statement temporarily makes me forget all of my disappointments with the modern environment I'm forced to inhabit. If I could immortalize that smile, keep it with me forever, even in the most trying of times, I would be untouchable.

As I look at my wife Laura, I ponder what happened to the woman I fell in love with. I imagine her being twenty again and in college, when we first met. I remember how I stressed over whether or not I had enough money to treat her to a nice dinner and I remember how her skin used to feel so soft, and how her eyes were so full of love and care, and I look at her now and compare her to a withered flower, one that used to brighten the atmosphere but has now become a shell of its former self. But I do not cast her aside, for I still love her dearly. Or should I say adore? That would seem more correct at first glance.

Later I go to the diner to inspect how renovations are progressing, where I spot Henry and the senior architect instructing a group of construction workers on how to mount the stage. We exchange greetings, and I ride down the restored elevator to the underground storage area where we will house props and equipment. There, I see two workers almost drop a speaker that's part of the PA system while carrying it to Parts and Service. They apologize profusely, but their respect is fraudulent. They believe they are being clever when I have heard just how much they think of me and my diner. As no one else is in there with us I briefly consider locking them in and cutting the room's ventilation. The building is old and explaining their deaths as an unfortunate accident would not raise suspicion, but I decide to instead contact their boss and get them fired for property damage.

I return home at eight PM, exhausted. While I'm making my way to the living room my eyes trail on a certain painting I had set up on the wall when the house was built. It's one I've inherited from my father; a portrait depicting a male figure dressed in a suit and tie, with accentuated facial proportions, red splattered on its bald scalp, pits of dark for eyes and a glare reminiscent to that of a business man.

I shake my head and move to sit down on the armchair, pouring myself a glass of wine and taking a sip. The darkness of the room offers me a substantial comfort that I am grateful for. I feel at home in the shadows. It is where I belong.

I have grown tired of the monotony that surrounds me. The blankness I feel consumes all my energy as I put on a show to lie that I care- when I couldn't be more unconcerned- every second of every hour of every day. I wish for a peace that is not realistically achievable. Control is efficient to a point, but past that and you find bedlam. What is supposed to pull the strings of emotion inside of me stirs no reaction. I am left alone to envisage feelings that are and will not be present anytime soon.

The pain I feel does not leave, or get more bearable as I grow older in body and mind. Dreams of sharing it with others plague me at night, and I am tempted to give in. I do not connect with the sheep. Their single purpose is to be slaughtered, and those that are of substance to rise above them. There is no hope for improvement and I no longer desire the status quo to change.

There are no consequences in this world so long as you're powerful.

My psyche prevents me from fearing consequences and I shall use my power to take what is rightfully mine. Any punishment I could receive from a higher being cannot be worse than this.

After reflecting on all of these details and analyzing my day-to-day interactions with those I most often come into contact with I can say with certainty that I have not gained any deeper knowledge of myself.

There is nothing new to learn that I do not already know. I've only managed to increase the stagnation of my discontent and my urge to test the limits of ignorance that people will bear before they can admit that there is something foul awaiting in the shadows to punish them.

I recall the only moment in recent memory that has given me any spiritual amount of satisfaction and I find myself craving to test it out, only this time on a more conscious victim. The itch spreads through my bones, begging me to satiate it. To watch as the spark leaves the eyes.

I arrive to the same realization I always do. The only real conclusion that I have reached in all of this is that…

human life

is

meaningless.

---

Man, writing fight scenes is hard. Trying not to be repetitive and describing just the right number of details while also not dragging it out… phew. But it's my first go at it so it's bound to not be perfect. I tried making it as entertaining and consistent as I could. Dunno if I succeeded 😅.

Turns out this site doesn't like spacing between paragraphs, i.e. empty paragraphs, which kinda kills the feel for the story, but that's on me for not informing myself properly. Despite that, I hope you guys can still enjoy this, even if it's not exactly as I would want it to be presented to you all. I can't really ask anyone to move over to AO3 just to read this story, that'd be incredibly rude and entitled, so sadly we'll have to settle for this XD. Thank you everybody for the kind reviews. I've read all of them and my heart flutters to know you've liked this ^_^!

This chapter has been greatly inspired by American Psycho and Breaking Bad, which in my opinion are incredible pieces of media, as well as one of my favorite horror games out there, Cry of Fear.

I was especially captivated by Christian Bale's role as Patrick Bateman in American Psycho, and I wanted William to be similar to that character as I've spotted many comparisons that can be drawn between the two, which was what led to the monologue that I think provided some neat characterization for our dear purple guy. That movie seriously deserves a watch, because even if its old it still holds up to this day.

As I've said at the start, this has been dedicated to those pieces of media because they have greatly impacted me and have inspired me want to improve my writing to match them in quality. I had so much fun writing this and I really hope you guys liked it!

I wish you all a Happy New Year!

Chapter title from "Springtrap" by Fiction Music.