Chapter 15: Controlled
Bebe
"MOM! DAD!"
Immediately after Bebe's frightened exclaim, a door slams open and hurried footsteps follow, but the girl pauses at the top of the staircase. She stares down at the darkness beneath the stairs in horror. All of the lights instantly went out after a close flash of lightning.
"M-mom...?! Dad?!" She calls for them again. She doesn't receive a reply from neither of her parents, instead a booming thunderclap answers her and she screams. Whimpering, she turns around, about to go back to her bedroom but the door is closed. She did not close it. She approaches the door and tries to twist the doorknob...it doesn't budge. Tugging proves pointless after a short while. The door had mysteriously closed and locked itself. "H-how...?" She backs away with her heart pounding against her chest. Her legs give out and she drops onto her knees, breathing heavily with tears in her eyes. "Mom...dad...where are you? I'm scared..."
"Bebe?" The girl gasps after hearing the soft, familiar call of her name. "Bebe, it's okay. Come down into the living room, me and your father are here."
"Mom!" Relief washes over Bebe. She wipes the tears from her eyes using her pajama shirt sleeve, then stands up on her feet, walking towards the staircase once more. Her feelings about descending the stairs haven't changed, it is way too dark for her to even attempt to go down. She hovers a lightly closed fist over her chest.
"Quickly," her mother urges her in a calm tone of voice.
Pressing her lips into a hard line while clenching her fist over her chest, Bebe swallows down her nervousness and reaches for the railing with her other hand. She grips the narrow wooden bar firmly before starting her trek downstairs. She takes each step slowly, being careful since the steps are the only things she's able to make out.
It takes a little over a minute for her to reach the last step. Letting go of the railing, she plants both feet on the floor within the living room and glances around. The curtains are closed, and...there are a pair of vibrant dark green eyes near the sofa. They lack pupils.
"M-mom?" Bebe utters almost quietly.
"Over here." Bebe's breath hitches with a fright. So...those eyes belong to... "Come, sweetie. Me and your father have something to discuss with you." Bebe refuses to move. The glowing eyes narrow a little. "Come here, Bebe," 'her mother' says again, clearly impatient.
Bebe shakes her head. She isn't going anywhere near the woman who claims to be her mother. She soon discovers that her father isn't sitting next to 'her mother', in fact, he isn't even in the living room with them.
"W-where's dad?"
"Do not worry about him, just come here-"
"No!"
The storm decides to fill the quiet house with a rumble of thunder.
"What?" Mrs. Stevens demands.
Bebe lowers her hand from her chest. "I...I said no..."
There is silence between them once again, a fraught silence. Bebe watches her supposed mother narrow her eyes into slits as she stands up from the sofa. "Bebe...are you disobeying me? Your mother?" The woman asks, her tone menacing. She starts walking towards Bebe.
The girl's instincts instantly tell her to run, but fear immobilizes her body. Why is her mother acting like this? But most importantly, where's her father? If she wasn't so scared, she would call out for him. Mrs. Stevens closes the distance between them in almost an instant, standing before Bebe with a vehement glare that strikes terror into her heart.
"You impudent child, we've wasted enough time already due to your insolence." A hand roughly seizes Bebe's right hand, yanking her arm. She jumps with a yelp. "Now come, Bebe, it is your turn now. Serve our Master and the darkness."
Wendy
Wendy is running.
She doesn't know where she's going nor how long she has been running for, but fear, sorrow, and adrenaline has kept her from stopping. Not even the raindrops slowed her momentum. Her hair, pajamas, and socks are thoroughly drenched, sticking to her frame like glue. She greatly misses her mother's warmth. Lowering her head, she closes her eyes tightly, tears welling up behind her eyelids. She thinks back to the incident that transpired minutes ago at her home with a heavy heart.
"Mom...Dad..."
*Flashback*
Wendy was huddled up on the couch in the living room, right in the middle of her parents. Not a single light source was on inside the house thanks to a lightning flash that struck a couple of minutes prior, knocking out all of the power within the town. Neither Testaburger had moved from their spot since then, that is until Wendy's father stood up.
"I'm gonna go find a flashlight," he announced. Before he left, Wendy sat up and quickly grabbed his wrist.
"No, don't leave," she pleaded.
Her father turned himself around placing his free hand over Wendy's. "It's okay, I won't be gone too long," he told her, then he gently pried her hand from his wrist. Wendy sat back with a frown, but said nothing else, trusting her father.
"Be careful, honey," her mother said.
"I will." And with that, the man left the living room in search for a flashlight.
Wendy and her mother sat in silence, listening to the occasional thunder and the rain. It felt like the thunder was becoming less frequent now. The sounds had a calming effect, something Wendy found odd due to the situation they were currently in. But with her mother by her side, she felt safe knowing that she wasn't alone in the dark. She rested her head against her mother's arm and closed her eyes.
"It's been so long since we've had a storm," her mother said, reminiscent. "We've had nothing but snow throughout the years, no matter the season. But this storm...is nothing we've ever had before. This must be a sign. A warning."
Wendy opened her eyes, confused. "Mom, what are you talking about?" She asked.
Her mother was silent for some moments. "...Wendy...I love you. You know that, right?"
"Yes, I know," Wendy replied as she looked up at her mother. "And I love you too. Both you and dad."
There was another second or two of silence, Wendy able to see her mother's lips curling into a small smile. "And your father too. I love the both of you with all of my heart. That's why...if anything were to happen to either of us or both of us...-" Footsteps neared and entered the living room, stopping by the sofa.
Wendy looked away from her mother and at her father, nearly screaming at the color of his eyes. They were a radiant, pupil-less dark green. "D...dad?" Wendy asked, apprehensive.
"Wendy...run," her mother ordered. She got up. "Run out of here as fast and as far as you can." She took two steps towards her husband.
"Come, it is your turn to serve our Master," Mr. Testaburger said flatly, raising and pointing a kitchen knife in his hand at the woman.
"Run, now!" She hollered at Wendy, bracing herself to protect her daughter.
Wendy recoiled at her exclaim, but composed herself to scoot towards the edge of the cushion before getting down. She eyed her parents with immense worry. "But mom-"
"Please, Wendy, just go," her mother begged.
Wendy began to tear up. Without another word, she turned around and sprinted to the front door. She clasped the doorknob, but did not want to open the door. She did not want to leave her mother. Drying her eyes with an arm, she quietly went back to the living room, standing in the entryway. Her father was prepared to stab her mother. Wendy covered her mouth with both hands to keep from making a sound.
"Join me or die. Our Master will not allow traitors," Mr. Testaburger hissed.
Mrs. Testaburger narrowed her glossy eyes as she curled her hands into fists at her sides, clenching them so tightly that they shook. "I don't know what's going on, but I know you aren't doing this because you want to. I'd rather die than join some cult you bastards suddenly dragged my husband into."
Tears resurfaced in Wendy's eyes, her body trembling. "Dad...please don't kill mom...Please..."
Her father's eyes displayed his anger. "Very well, foolish woman. I'll kill you here and now, then claim Wendy Testaburger afterwards."
Both Wendy and her mother stiffened, but her mother quickly regained her composer with gritted teeth. "Like hell you will!" She looked over her shoulder in Wendy's direction. "Why are you still here? I told you to run away."
"N-no, I don't want to! I don't wanna leave you!" Wendy objected.
"Please, you have to. You must continue to live for you are still a child. You can't lose your life here...especially at the hands of your father." A teardrop slid down her mother's visible cheek.
"Enough chatter, it's time for you to die," Mr. Testaburger declared. He brought the knife down, Mrs. Testaburger turning her head back around to see her morally depraved husband stab her in the chest. Wendy let out a shrill scream as blood gushed out from both the wound and her mother's mouth when she cried out with a cough. More tears poured from her mother's eyes. However...death hadn't claimed her just yet. With whatever energy she had remaining, she gripped the handle of the knife with both hands over the man's hand in a firm grip.
"N-not...y-yet...I-I'm taking you down with me!" She said through clenched teeth, thick strings of blood trailing down both sides of her mouth. Grunting in both pain and effort, Mrs. Testaburger started pulling the blade out of her, Mr. Testaburger far too stunned to stop her.
"Impossible..."
Finally, the knife was out causing more blood to spill to the floor, Mrs. Testaburger panting heavily from the exertion. Wendy remained speechless as she watched what was unfolding, tears leaving wet trails down her cheeks.
Her mother managed to acquire the knife for herself. "H-hurry...and go, Wendy..."
"M-mom..." Wendy wept, but she closed her eyes again, turning away and going back to the front door. Opening her eyes, she grabbed the doorknob and slowly turned it, pushing the door forward in the same manner. Cold wind and the rain greeted her.
Hesitating for a few seconds, she clamped her teeth together and ran with all her might out into the storm.
*End Of Flashback*
Wendy slows to a stop, panting and snivelling, the rain blending in with her tears. Remembering her father stabbing her mother makes her chest ache, and she grips her shirt right where her heart is. She can feel it still pounding as her breathing regulates, as if her heart is reacting to her sadness and grief.
Letting go of her shirt with a shaky sigh, she pushes her damp bangs back, then raises her head. Wiping the blur from her vision with her hands, she glances around, not surprised to realize that she's the only one out here. She's never seen the sidewalks and streets devoid of a single person or moving vehicle before. It's...very demoralizing.
She's lost on what to do, where to go...
She feels...stranded...
She wraps her arms around herself, and moves into a slow walk. She tries not to recall the last few moments she spent with her parents, especially leading up to...She shakes her head with a pained expression, clearing her mind. If she thinks about anything regarding her mother and father, she'll surely lose it.
"I miss them...so much..."
Suddenly, her ears pick up a sound through the rain. It's not thunder since the sound hasn't stopped, rather it sounds like hurried footsteps and whoever they are, are gradually getting closer. Now on the alert, Wendy stops walking, checking her surroundings for the person or persons that are potentially heading her way, ready to run if...it's her father. Her body tenses up and her breath hitches when the running reduces to walking. Closer hearing discerns that there is more than one person, and they're practically behind her now. "W-who else are out here besides me?!" Her panic accumulates when a cold hand touches her shoulder. Shutting her eyes, the girl screams and moves away from the stranger.
"It's okay, Wendy. It's just us."
Wendy opens her eyes and spins around, shocked at the sight of Stan and his mother. Mrs. Marsh is holding a black umbrella over their heads. "S-Stan and Mrs. Marsh?!"
"What are you doing out here?" Stan asks, also not expecting to find Wendy outside and by herself.
Wendy's face saddens. She lowers her head as she clutches her shirt even tighter.
"I see, so it got your parents as well," Mrs. Marsh says, her lips a thin line, although her eyes showcase her remorse.
Stan frowns. "Wendy..."
"You knew..." Wendy says. "You knew something like this was going to happen...didn't you?"
Stan is taken aback by her question, unsure how to answer her. "Yes, we did know," the boy's mother responds in his place. "Your parents have been corrupted by a monster known as a Being of Darkness-"
"I already know what that is. Stan told me," Wendy admits. Stan appears as if he doesn't recall informing her about the Being of Darkness. "But...it only got my dad, and he...he..." Wendy can't bring herself to tell them that her father stabbed her mother. It already pains her just remembering that dreadful moment. Her mother is...probably dead now...Wendy looks back up, appearing tired. "I don't know what to do...or where to go..." Her lips quiver, but she doesn't cry, having no strength to. Mrs. Marsh approaches her, squats down, and embraces her in a one-armed hug. Wendy hugs her back, very thankful for the comforting gesture.
Stan scowls at the ground, his hands balling into fists. He was nervous before, but now he's angry, angry at the Being of Darkness that's ruining this town. "Don't worry, Wendy," he raises his head. "I'll avenge your parents for you," he vows.
Mrs. Marsh separates from Wendy and stands up. Wendy stares into Stan's steely-eyed glare. "For now, go somewhere safe," Mrs. Marsh tells Wendy, handing her the parasol. "Anywhere is fine as long as you don't go near the neighborhood the Broflovski's are in."
Wendy takes the umbrella with both hands. "Why? What's happening?"
"I would love to tell you, but we don't have much time. Just get out of harm's way for awhile." Mrs. Marsh nudges her head for her and her son to continue on. "Let's go, Stan." Stan gives Wendy a small smile before they take off into a run.
Wendy turns around watching them widen the distance between them. She stands there even until their figures are gone, not sure where to go. She's curious where Stan and his mother are going. Perhaps they're heading to Kyle's house since Mrs. Marsh warned her to stay away from there, to take care of the Being of Darkness. Wendy really hopes they succeed. She starts to walk the opposite way, but pauses, realization hitting her. She places her left hand over her right wrist, feeling her bracelet.
"I know where to go..."
Bebe
"Now come, Bebe, it is your turn now. Serve our Master and the darkness."
The hold on Bebe's hand tightens, ensuring that she can't flee as a cold air in the form of black smoke suddenly travels up her arm and chills her entire body. She gasps at the feeling, her head snapping back and her eyes expanding like saucers. A faint purple light briefly shines around Bebe's wrist from under her sleeve. The already dark world around Bebe grows even darker as her vision dims, the small clouds of Darkness surrounding her whole. Her frenzied thought process is rewritten. Instead, her brain only wants her to assist the evil in spreading itself to other humans.
"̸̮̚ê̴̻̎ê̶̗͗ê̴͇͋§̴̺̅,"says a malevolent voice inside her head. "§̶̮͐ê̴̗͝ê̸̟̈́ê̷͓̈r̸̢̆v̴̰̓ê̷̪̄ ̸̪̎m̵̙̀ê̴͈͘,̸̳̌ ̵̜̋ß̸̺̆ê̵͇̓ß̶͉̎ê̸͖͐ ̶͈͘§̷̭͆†̸̝̓ệ̶̅v̷̳̀ệ̷͆ñ̶͚̕§̵̞̑."
Soon, the black clouds vanish, seemingly entering her body. Her indigo purple eyes change to a dark green color, then her pupils visibly disappear. Mrs. Stevens releases her hand, her arm going limp at her side. Her head slumps forward, her corrupted eyes glowing portentously like her mother's.
Slowly, Bebe raises her head, her mother grinning in evil triumph.
