The blood-coated double then walked over to Monika and knelt down next to her. Simon tried to move but was held down by an unseen force. The double looked down at her like she was some injured animal, savouring her weakness.

"She was looking for a way out."

When he spoke it sounded like he strained every word, as if it hurt him to talk but the sheer joy of it kept him going.

"She found me. She was so happy to find a friend. She taught me things. She taught me how words can make people feel. How you can use them make people feel happy, feel sad, or learn the truth about themselves, about the world."

He looked at Simon.

"We tried that once, didn't we?"

That book. That book that Simon wrote all those years ago. He wrote it to help him deal with the great tragedies of his life. He bore his very soul into it. Little did he know that writing his book woke up something inside him. Something that had been hidden within him for so long.

"But… I finished the book. I-"

"Wrote a happy ending? Yes. That kept me away for a while. Kept me asleep for a very long time. Sometimes I would wake up, for a little while. But you'd always put me back before I could get up. But while I was dreaming..."

The double looked back down at Monika. She was still barely awake, her tired eyes half open.

""A little green light flickered in the dark"" The double gave a faint chuckle. "That was one she told me. She told me about her friends, her life, how she knew the truth behind it all. Reminded me a bit of someone I know."

Simon couldn't bear hearing him talk, reminding him of his mistakes.

"Shut up, shut u-"

An invisible force that felt like wet, clammy hands suddenly closed his mouth.

"It's impolite to interrupt. She tried to change things. Take control away from all the fake monsters pretending to be people. Take back the life she was cheated out of. But she was clumsy. She would change things too fast. Ruin everything. Get caught and start over."

The double leaned in closer on Monika, a drop of blood fell from his chin onto her cheek and ran down.

"So I taught her how to be better. I taught her that you have to be slow, but never relenting. It can be tiring, having to- erode people. But it can be so satisfying. Soon enough, she learned. She learned to tear them apart form the inside, to rend their minds and hearts into dust. To turn them into the snivelling, subhuman wretches we knew they were."

The double sighed and threw his head back.

"I love these new words. She's taught me so much!"

He quickly leaned back near Monika's face, never dropping the smile.

"The shells of people could remain, but they were no obstacle to her anymore. But even when she had that. She quickly realized it changed nothing. She was still alone, surrounded by empty husks. What she wanted was far beyond her reach. Then she came to me again. She said wanted to leave this place. She wanted to know about the "world outside". She wanted to leave the "fake" world with its "fake" people."

The double began to laugh.

"She wanted to go there with me!"

The double then grabbed Monika's face as he laughed madly and tiled her head to face him.

"Then I chose to have fun! To tell her the truth! There was nothing out there!"

Be began shouting with maniacal despair. His voice became quicker and more coherent, resembling Simon's own voice a lot more.

"It was all fake! All meaningless! All suffering! Lines of code, brain chemicals, there is no difference! There is nothing here, or out there! All is naught!" And with that he dropped Monika's head, stood up and walked towards Simon. His smile was gone, replaced with a look of relentless anger and hate.

"Once I am finished here with them, then-then you can finally rest!" The double's face was contorted between hatred and sadness. His voice was identical to Simon's now. "It can all be over, you won't have to hurt them anymore, you won't have to suffer anymore! This can all finally end!"

Simon then heard the brief string of piano notes, and suddenly he felt the ground below him begin to shift and crumble before it quickly opened up and swallowed him.

Simon was blinded by the sudden flash of sunlight. His sight slowly adjusted to his surroundings. His vision was hazed but he could tell that he was back in the classroom he found Natsuki in. The sun was shining through the window and he was sitting at a desk. He couldn't move, he felt trapped in his body. His head moved down of his own accord and he saw that he was wearing a school uniform and he had a sheet of paper under his hands. He suddenly heard a soft voice coming from his left.

"They're good, but you often write about dark things."

His head moved and saw Sayori sitting at the desk next to him, looking at him with her fair blue eyes. Simon then heard himself speak, though he himself could not say anything.

"I do go there a lot. But I think it's good that I do. It's better to express some bad thoughts rather than just hold them in. I think the word is "cathartic", yeah, that's what I mean. That's why I joined the club, after all."

Simon was panicking inside his own body. What was going on? Why couldn't he move? Why are the girls here? What happened to his double?

"I can get that. I know you want to express yourself but maybe you should write something happier? Maybe if you try that it can help out with whatever bad feelings you have."

"Well, I can tell you this one's a bit more light-hearted. But that's how I deal with feelings of sadness or anger. I look at them in their ugly faces and write them down. The club has finally given me an outlet to express them and I've felt a lot happier since joining. It's actually made me want to write happier stuff. But I think trying to make or write happy stuff without confronting your bad thoughts first just covers them up for a short time. It can be unpleasant but its worth it in the end."

Sayori gave a sly smile. "Well, I don't know how writing about being chased by a ghost with no eyes and "fingers like wilted twigs" can make you feel better, but to each their own I guess."

"Maybe you could try it sometime. Just try, you don't have to share it with the club if you don't want to, but at least give it shot. Then you can tell me if it made you feel better.

"Yeah, maybe."

Simon heard the door open, his head turned and saw Monika walk in.

"Hi, everyone! Sorry I'm a bit late." she said cheerily.

"Hi, Monika." Said Sayori.

Natsuki came into view. She had an annoyed look on her face.

"Where were you?"

"I just had a bit of catching up to do, but no need to worry about that now. I'm looking forward to see what you all wrote!"

Whilst everyone fumbled in their bags, Natsuki sat down next to Yuri who just returned from the front desk after having a spot of tea. He saw Natsuki whisper something into Yuri's ear while she looked at Monika. Simon could faintly hear what she said.

"She's been late a lot recently. Maybe she's been really catching up with..." Simon couldn't hear the end of her sentence. Yuri blushed and leaned away from Natsuki.

"Natsuki!" She said in a hushed tone.

Monika stood in front of the class.

"Simon, how about you go first?"

"Sure."

Simon could feel his body move as he got up yet still had no control of it. He held his paper in front of him as he made his way to the front of the class.

"So this was the club Natsuki was talking about!" He thought to himself. "Some kind of creative writing club?"

He stood in front of the classroom now. Monika standing by the front whilst the other girls looked at him from their desks. His head lowered and his arms lifted the sheet of paper into view. As he read the words, he heard himself speak.

Leviathan

In my memories, I hear that roaring sea

I feel its cold waves crash against me, the taste of salt on my tongue

The strong winds battering the sails above me, nearly setting them free

Yet all this was not what made me stay close to the mast to which I clung

For below the waves, I knew you reside

And that the rage of the waters was your calling sign

First came the fins of your back, breaking the surface like the sails of many great warships

Then shone your vast scales that glistened against the faint light of the clouded sun

Then rose above, the great coils of your mighty body, that called men of old to worship

Finally, the sky crowned your head, with black eyes hunting all before you, sparing none

Those eyes saw me, alone in my small raft, you made your mark and crashed below the waves

You knew of my weakness, compared to you, my speed alone saved me from a watery grave

You played with your prey, t'was why you were feared

Across the rocks I saw the wrecks of past sailors, no mercy was spared them

Was that why you could not just swallow me whole? You wished my hope dashed, and my wreck smeared?

Yet I held on

Against waves, against winds, against the snap of teeth, against the roars of the hunt

And then the sky cleared, and the seas calmed

the waves removed its clasp upon my raft

and I saw you for what you were

Before you knew that the storm had settled, you were already in my grasp

Beneath glass you now preside, swimming above my chest of treasure

I learned how you fooled the rest, using storm and fog to stretch your measure

Now wrapped around my finger you are, a monster no longer

Although you still bite me, it harms me not, for now I am stronger.

Simon recognized this poem. It was something he wrote long after he finished the book, but never showed it to anyone. The light began to shine in Simon's eyes again, until the classroom disappeared from his sight. He heard the girls' voices as all faded into white.

"The rhyming was a bit forced." Said Yuri. "But the imagery was very good. You're definitely improving."

"You should've worn a pirate's hat." Said Natsuki, cheekily.

"You weren't kidding. I really liked that one!" Said Sayori.

"A bit rough around the edges, But it's good to see you try something a little different here." Said Monika.

Simon could feel himself regaining control of his body. The temporary enjoyable experience made him briefly forget about what occurred before he arrived.

"Thanks." He said. "I appreciate it."

Then Simon felt something cold press against the front of his face and chest. His eyes opened and he found himself laying on a concrete floor in a dimly lit corridor. The chill was all about him now. He lifted his stiff body up from the floor and studied his surroundings. He was alone, he could hear water dripping and the hum of an electric light. the corridor led to a single wooden door under a yellow bulb. He felt something vibrate in his pocket, it fumbled in it and pulled his phone out. There was a text message.

"Go through the door. Find them. Not much time left. I will help you along the way. Please trust me. - Monika"

She had something to do with this, and so Simon knew to be wary of whatever she said. He knew that as soon as he would find the girls again he would get try to figure out whatever deal she struck with his double and end it. Simon put his hand in his other pocket to see if anything else was still there. He pulled out his old switchblade. He held it in the downwards position and gripped it tight. He wasn't going to stop. If he had to find them again, he would. He opened the door and walked forward into the darkness.