215: Heart Vs. Fear -Andrew-

I found myself standing in the rain. Up ahead stood the one group of people that despised me more than anyone else. The Warlock stood off to the side, his head down with ears blushing red and Ben was wrapping Crystal in a blanket.

My job was simple. All I had to do was find Carl and his brother, then kill them. If this was the other me than I wouldn't have even hesitated, but I had escaped my prison. Indigo hadn't just devised this horrible situation just to get back at the brothers, but also to tell me where I stood. To her I was nothing but a human, an easily manipulated sponge that she would squeeze the water from until I was wrung dry.

"Daddy, I don't know what to tell you." My brain emulated my daughter's voice, "I don't want to go back in that place, but this is wrong."

I knew it was wrong but I had no choice. If I didn't go and do her bidding then I was lost; I would never have my mind back.

"Honey, what happens if you do it? What do you become if you do as she says?" My wife was always the stronger one, the one to ask the questions no one wanted to.

How different from the old me would I be if I did what she'd asked? Would I end up the same? A monster in the skin of a man. The only difference would be the hate I feel for myself, but after a while wouldn't even that fade away? The group up ahead had stood and were walking away. They were probably headed to the hotel they were staying at. As I watched them I noticed a kind of deep camaraderie that I had only felt when my life was simple, and my family was alive. If I did what she said, then I would be destroying another family, removing two important people and leaving the rest in ruins.

Up ahead a bus turned the corner splashing Ben, Crystal, Nick and Will.

When I was in the Other Lands I remembered watching them, studying their movements and learning their skills. I had gone to the museum knowing that I could beat them, only to find that everything I'd thought was wrong. This single group of people spit in the face of what was definite, almost as though they weren't held down by the rules that bound us all. None of them seemed very special, they weren't even the most powerful people he'd met, but something about them kept them going even against the power of Gods.

"Daddy, you're special too." Tears came to my eyes, and even though my mind was making up her words I was touched, "That mean lady can't control you if you don't let her. We can all choose to be different."

"Honey, we're with you no matter what you do. You've gotten us back, so we're here for you."

The bright headlights of the bus filled my vision and something in me fell together. Indigo and Patrick had caused me all this hardship, but this time I wasn't their puppet. Back then I was tortured and weak, unlike now when I'd faced death and lived. I was like those people I had studied. I was my own person, able to make my own choices and not be controlled by the greed and vengeance of Gods.

I stepped off the curb and turned to face the several tons of metal hurtling toward me. I held my hands up and screamed, "Indigo! Here's what I say to your request you manipulative, evil witch! Go to H-"

The bus collided with my body. I felt my skin rip open and my insides burst as pieces of me flew every direction. I heard a muffled scream as I hit the ground and slid in the mud. I was dying and the pain was incredible, but I'd felt worse. I had felt it for so long. Slowly the world blurred away and went black.

I was free. I was strong. I was special. I was dead.

210: The Church of Guilt -Andrew-

The inside of the church was elegantly furnished. The windows had curtains of black and red striped velvet, and the carpet was a deep shade of purple.

"Please, if you don't mind taking off your shoes before you walk in." Sister Victoria turned and looked at me, "God doesn't like her floors getting dirty."

I knelt down and slipped off my shoes, "So you think God is a she?" I was trying to make small talk. Something about this place didn't feel right, it felt . . . familiar.

"I know she is. Right now she's out, but soon she'll be back." Sister Victoria motioned for me to follow, "Please come and sit with the other Sisters."

The hallway opened up into a massive room with a high ceiling, too high for it to be the same building I'd seen outside. I was right, something was off about this place. It was bigger on the inside.

"I'm sorry, I just realized that there's something I need to do." I turned to leave, but was stopped when I saw who was standing in the hallway. I couldn't move my feet. My palms grew sweaty and I began to shake uncontrollably. She walked over to me and ruffled my hair, her hand warm and comforting. Her touch made me feel the happiest I had been in a long time, but when she stopped I couldn't stay standing because of the power of the returning emotions.

She knelt down to look at my face, our noses almost touching, "Aw, you remember me. That's sweet."

She patted my head as she stood up. My vomit from the assaulting emotions would stain her rug. I felt a warmth flow from down my thigh and wasn't sure what it was until I realized that I'd wet myself.

"Victoria? Please, stand him up." Her voice wasn't as sweet as it had been. It was all business and anger.

I felt Sister Victoria's hands lift me to my feet, "Yes, ma'am."

Through blurry eyes I watched her turn and wait until I was standing on my own. I reached up and wiped my eyes.

"Indigo." I growled.

She smiled cutely, "Oh wow, you even remember my name! This is getting better and better."

"How could I forget? You trapped away the parts of me I cared for the most. All because Patrick told you to."

"Patrick never made me do anything. He is searching for something and I am doing my best to help him find it. That's what you do for people you love." She grinned, "What am I saying? You wouldn't understand, you sacrificed your wife and child's memories just to feel better."

I was quiet because she was right. I had done that, it was all my fault because I was weak.

"Please, don't be angry at me. We had some good times, I thought we were friends." She pouted, "Oh well, I didn't bring you here to chat. This is business. I need you to do something for me."

"Why would I do anything for you?"

She motioned to the sisters who were standing in a circle around me, "For one, you won't make it out of here alive. My sisters are incredibly obedient, all they need is the word. Also, if you happen to get out anyway, then rest assured that what you've gotten back will be gone in seconds. You'll go back to the family slaughtering fiend you once were."

She walked over to me and frowned, "So here's what you're going to do, you know those people you just met? The ones who were with your dear, departed friend Vincent? There were two brothers, a tall one and a not so tall one. A long time ago, we met and they had the most delicious guilt, but they were after my head. I had them right where I needed them to be. They're pain was exquisite . . . but then the small one did something unexpected. His will was . . . like something I'd never felt from a human before. He broke free and stole something of mine, rendering him and any of his direct blood relations unaffected by my charms." She stomped her foot, "That stupid, little, rotten . . . he is why I'm even here, I have much more important things to do. I saw his brother on the television and the small one isn't ever far behind."

"So you want me to steal it?" I frowned, "You do know that they HUNT your kind? They've killed a God right in front of my eyes. I hear that just the small one alone stood against 20 or so zombies and survived. Also, judging from the news, I think Patrick poked one of their buttons too much. Going against their band of misfits is not just stupid, it's retarded."

"I don't want you to steal it back. I don't care about it anymore. I want you to kill the brothers and, while it's touching that you're worried about me, I won't be the one doing it. You will, and you know all about them."

"No. I won't do as you ask. They have an incredible warlock, and even a clairvoyant. Do it yourself and see for yourself. I go in there looking to kill some of their crew and I'll be wiped out. They already hate me."

She touched my chin, making my knees crumple when she removed her fingers, "Oh Andrew, did you think I was asking? No, no . . . I didn't even say please."

"Please, you're killing me."

"I'm commanding you, kill the brothers and if you feel like being on my good side, then you'll bring back what they stole. If you can't . . . "

She smiled a devilish smile, "Then I'll ask the other you instead."

205: Hartman Tribe -Alice-

I stood there frozen in place as I heard movement all around me getting closer. The Black Baggers were hunting me and I didn't know what direction they were coming from.

I was still in the garden, but my back was against a stone wall with pathways leading to my left and right. On the other side of the plants in front of me, I could hear the Bagger that I had escaped from trying to pull at the plants. For the moment they were holding, but I couldn't be too sure how long they'd stay that way.

From both directions I could hear movement now. I was trapped with out any way to defend myself.

Why had I agreed to this? Had Ben known it would be dangerous? If so, he didn't say anything. I shook my head. No. Ben wouldn't have done that, he wouldn't have put me in danger intentionally unless he had no choice.

The screaming started up again as they got closer. Any second now they'd be visible in the pathway, and soon after they'd get to me. I sat staring to the right, waiting for them to appear.

"Hey!", I felt something hit the top of my head, it was a rope made of sheets. Glancing up I saw a guy's head looking out a window.

"Are you going to stay down there and let them get you, or climb up?" There was sarcasm in his voice, but I ignored it as I grabbed the sheet-rope.

Just as they started pulling me up The Black Baggers appeared in my pathway racing toward me.

"Pull faster!"

"We're pulling as fast as we can!"

I swung my foot out and caught a Bagger in the face as it got close. It fell back, causing the ones behind it to trip into a mess of black bags, arms and legs. When the next group of Baggers got to me, I was too high for them to reach. I grabbed the windowsill and pulled myself inside.

Inside the room stood the guy that helped me and four people. There was a young woman with a young child, a tall, fat guy who was lying on the bed looking at the ceiling, and another tall guy that wasn't as fat as the last, but had some weight on him.

The one who helped pointed to the young woman and child, "This is Stephanie Berthiaume and her daughter, Emily.", he gestured to the one that was lying down, "That's Alex Kayser, and finally this is Vincent Smith. He joined us just right before you did." He held out his hand.

"And I'm Jason Hartman."

203: Guilt -Andrew-

The streets of the city were torture to walk through. Everything reminded me of my wife and child, the victims of my warped mind. Every noise brought back a memory that I wish I could forget. but knew that I didn't want to.

The others had been very clear about where they wanted me. They wanted me anywhere but near them, and Carl had been the one to make it the clearest. I winced as I lightly touched my bruised face. I deserved their scorn; I deserved more than I'd gotten.

"Sir, are you alright?" It was a young nun that had just walked from a nearby church.

"I'll never be okay, Sister. Better you just leave me alone.", I continued walking.

"God can help." She caught up to me and grabbed my sleeve, "Come inside and talk to me."

"God . . . ", my mind settled back on the memories of Hell. I could almost feel the amounts of pain I had endured again as I remembered the whips and brands, "God has no place for me. I've done so much. I've ruined so many lives. I destroyed people I care about just to feel better."

"They'll forgive you, and so will God." She put her hand on my shoulder, halting me.

"What if some of them can't forgive me?" I fell to the steps of the church and put my face in my hands, "Not long ago, this didn't bother me. I used to be able to forget about the guilt. I could ignore the pain."

She sat down next to me.

"But I can't anymore. Now the guilt and pain floods my soul, it reminds me of their faces and compares them to better times. A constant reminder that I did it to them and that I can never go back. I can never undo what I did. Forever I'll be haunted by this pain."

"That's part of the glory of being human. God gave us guilt so we could learn how to treat others." She turned my face toward hers, "Maybe God gave you back your guilt so you can return to him; so you can stop treating others the way you have."

"Sister, I don't mean to be rude, but if there was a God than he'd have done something already. The only person that gave me back my guilt was myself. Don't talk as though you understand! You've never killed anyone."

She paused as though not sure what to say. She smiled and grasped my hand while standing, "Come inside with me. Maybe I can show you God's forgiveness and help you move on."

I was pulled to my feet and directed to the front doors. I hesitated before stepping over the threshold, because I was scared of being smote for entering God's house.

The doors closed behind me and the young nun turned to me, "I am Sister Victoria, and I'd like to welcome you to The Hicks Church of Christ."

Something told me this was a bad idea, but I was desperate. I needed to get rid of this pain that filled me. I pushed the feeling aside and followed Sister Victoria deeper in to the church.

190: Change Of Heart -Crystal-

A fireball narrowly missed my head as Nick, Saba and Carl began their battle with Bob. Saba played defense, deflecting weapons and holding Bob's power back as best she could. Nick pulled long distance with his fireballs, which gave off so much heat they melted an entire set of plate armor to the ground. Carl stayed inside with close quarters combat. Even with all this, Bob still held his ground. He avoided the fireballs with grace while blocking Carl's attacks and still getting some attacks in, even though most of them never hit. Saba would levitate an item in the way of them.

I heard a young girl scream as she was nearly burnt to a crisp by one of Nick's stray flames. I rushed over and pulled her away as the fight moved in her direction, "Are you alright?"

The girl clinged to me as her eyes watered with tears. These people had been through so much for no reason; no reason at all. I felt more hatred toward the thing that had killed my closest friend, putting people through so much for such a petty reason.

"Here, let me take her. You go get the rest. If we don't get them out of here . . . ", I turned to hand the girl to a man.

"Yeah, let's just get these guys outside." I turned to go help some more children trapped under the dead bodies of teachers and fellow students.

"My name's Andrew." He rushed to bring the girl outside and as he turned away, I could swear there were tears in his eyes.

The fighting continued as Andrew and I worked to get the children outside, but with only the two of us it was slow.

"BEN! Ben, where are you?" What if he didn't make it?

"I'm at the Door of the Dead!", his voice made me breathe a sigh of relief, "He came from the door, maybe there's a way to send him back. Keep getting the people out! Get Will to help."

Will! I searched, only to spot him trying to pull someone out of a pile of the dead, "Will! Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. Kelly's in here! I guess she came inside when she saw what happened at the door." I watched him pull the young Taxi driver from the pile of bodies.

Andrew walked over to him and Will's face went white as a sheet, "But . . . you died."

"Yeah, I was dead for a long time, but I'm alive now. Let's get these people out of here."

We all nodded in unison and rushed off to help others as Saba was slammed into the wall so hard that the ground shook.

Bob was winning.

185: Trapped Inside Himself -Andrew-

"You were destroyed. How are you here? Patrick got rid of you." I stepped back to find myself against the wall.

"You cannot destroy us, Daddy. Why would you want to? How could you?"

"You made me weak!", I felt the panic rise as my heart stepped toward me again, "I had to remove you to survive!"

I felt his hands grasp my collar and lift me into the air. For a frail and starving person, he displayed an unusual amount of strength. His grip tightened as he looked at me.

"You . . . you tried to remove your own daughter!" He spun and tossed me into a wall. Pain coursed through my body as I pulled myself to my feet.

"You have no idea what kind of pain I was in! You weren't there! You'd left me to fight it on my own!"

Till that day I'd never realized just how painful my fist could feel, "I was always there! Protecting the parts of you that were most important."

"You're a liar!" I swung my fist, but it never connected. It fell to my side; I couldn't fight him. I didn't want to. This was never supposed to happen. I was never supposed to face this part of me ever again. It was supposed to be dead.

"You were there for years and you didn't break. What do you think caused that? Every time the whip hit your skin, your daughter was there holding your hand! Every time they taunted you to break, I sat at your ear whispering the truths you needed to know. I was telling you to stay strong! Every time you screamed, Stephanie wiped away the tears and kissed you till you calmed." His foot smashed into my stomach. I fell to my knees.

"Why did I break then? Why did it work?!"

"It worked because Patrick muffled us. He destroyed everything that is good by stopping us from keeping you strong."

"Why would he do that? What is the point?"

My heart knelt down and put its hand on my shoulder, "I don't know, but we can find out. Accept us back. Let us out. Free us, Andrew."

Patrick had betrayed me. He'd been in control of my answer before I even made it. I was being manipulated, and had done unspeakable acts because of his influence. I'd killed people. I felt the anger boil as I remembered all the horrible deeds I'd committed in his name.

"Okay. Let's figure it out together, and then . . . we kill Patrick."

I woke up screaming for Patrick's blood.

180: Meeting Bob -Alice-

I had heard enough ghost stories to know that I didn't have to open the door, so getting out of the room was simple. Going through the door felt like I was going through a layer of water except I could breathe. I felt my hair stand on end when I reached the other side, because of a small static reaction between me and the door.

The silence was the first thing I noticed as I entered the large lobby of the museum. The only sounds were that of the large, shambling creatures moving toward a door on the opposite end of the lobby from the entrance. On the floor a few feet away lay the guy who killed me and the lady that was with him, their eyes closed.

What was going on here? What were those things? I should have been terrified, but already being dead meant that there wasn't much to be afraid of. Their long, spindly fingers moved rhythmically as they stepped around the bodies of the presumably sleeping people. The doors of the room they were heading into had been ripped off its hinges and inside I saw a massive archway of stone. Inside the archway an eerie, white glow shined brightly, and each one of the massive creatures knelt in front of it and bowed what could only be assumed as their heads.

I glanced back at Ben. I didn't care about the creatures, I only cared about making Ben pay for killing me. I reached out to touch his face, but as a ghost my attempt failed. How would I go about exacting my revenge if I'm not able to touch him? I glanced at the creatures again and back at Ben.

"What am I supposed to do!?", I swung my hand to slap him but it was a failure, "Why?! You could have let me live! You had a choice!"

The light from the door faded and inside the archway stood a very young boy. His hair a pale red and his body nude, he strode toward the creatures and laughed.

"Good. Now, we must find it. The anomaly is in the area so we're going to go through and kill every person here before we go any further with our plans. I want to see this place full of ghosts, just like that one.", he pointed at me.

Before I had thought that being dead meant there wasn't anything to fear, but something about the way he looked at me made me uncomfortable. I could feel the fear in me rising.

"You." He was still looking at me, "Come here."

I didn't move. I kept staring at him.

"I said-", his voice had an unreal calm, "come here."

Just earlier today I had been a normal teenager and now I was dead, looking at a young child who could command creatures of the like I'd never seen. I was so scared that I found my self wishing that people were trying to throw gum in my hair on the bus ride back to school. I took a shaky step forward.

"Do speed up." He glanced at a small faerie-like creature lying on the floor near his foot, "I don't have all day."

He lifted his foot and smashed it on the small being with such force that I could hear the floor beneath it crack. He swiveled his foot as though he were squashing a bug, and as I approached I saw pieces of wing and flesh smear along the ground.

"All of you!", he glanced at the room full of unimaginable beasts. "Kill everything. I want a room full of ghosts and one of them must be of the anomalies."

All around me the monsters slowly stood as they made their way out of the room, two of them dragging the bodies of a blonde girl and a tough looking guy. I could see them breathing, so they weren't dead yet.

"They're not sleeping." I turned to look at the boy as he spoke, "You could even say they aren't here. I've transported them to the time or place they feared most or will soon fear. See, I don't like to kill something that knows they're dying. Just doesn't sit right with me."

"Who are you, and what's going on?"

"Oh, I'm sorry. My name is Bob, and I presume you were planted here by Patrick, yes? Of course, you had to be, he is what he is after all."

"I'm Alice, and I don't work for anyone." I tried to sound tough, but all my legs wanted to do was run, and fast. In the other room I could hear sounds similar to that of a watermelon being smashed and even though I tried not to think about it, I could picture what was going on in the other room.

Bob lifted his foot and picked the rest of the creature he'd killed off his foot, "Everyone works for Patrick. What does he think a ghost can do? No matter. We've won and the only thing he could do to stop us is come here himself."

"He was here." I saw Bob stop and I felt my fear subside when I saw it form on his face, "He left."

The fear on his face turned to anger, "He thinks he's so mighty! I'M THE GOD OF FEAR! HE'S A JANITOR! How can he just toss me aside and pretend that I'm NOTHING?! He left a ghost to stop me!", he leaned toward me and his face got even more angry, "HE LEFT A NEW GHOST TO STOP ME!"

He grabbed a teddy bear off the floor and tore it in half, "WHO DOES HE THINK HE IS?! AFTER WE'RE DONE HERE, WE'LL KILL HIM! And you . . . ", he tossed the pieces of the bear aside and looked at me, "There is only one way to get rid of you." He snapped his fingers.

The world around me disappeared.

178: Can't Destroy Good -Andrew-

It was like the door exploded. Rays of light flooded the room and the only sound was the glass of the museum windows shattering. This was not the plan. Patrick had not told me about this at all. The light washed everything away and stung my eyes. I squeezed them shut to avoid the pain.

When I opened my eyes I was in a dark, stone room, with a single window high on the wall. Light shone on through it, leaving a bright rectangle on the stone floor. There was no door and the corners of the room were shrouded in darkness.

"I want some cake, Daddy. Not until you eat all your veggies, you scoundrel. Dear, don't call her a scoundrel, you'll give her a complex." A voice from the darkness came. Weakness laced with age could be heard in every syllable.

I stood up and pressed myself against the wall. What was this place?

"Hello? Who's there?", I squinted into the darkness.

"Oh, you've come back. Daddy, does that mean we can leave now? Honey, he might be dangerous. Stay away and let your dad take care of it. Steph, make sure she stays back, you should too. He could be dangerous."

It was me that stepped from the shadows. I looked thin and hungry. For some reason, seeing me standing there filled me with a fear I'd never felt. Something about that other me seeped into my soul, infecting it with dread. I didn't wait for anything to be said, I just ran for the window. The closer I got, the farther away it was.

"It looks like you, Daddy. It is me, honey. I don't like this, Andrew. Stephanie, it will be fine, trust me. Does this mean no more cake? Why are you here? Why would you return after such a long time? After you banished me here, there was no reason to come back."

I turned to face myself and I instantly knew where I was. Panic filled me as I stared into the part of me I'd gotten rid of many years ago. The thin and starved person in front of me was everything that'd kept me from breaking during the torture. It was everything that tore me apart when I thought about it. A solid reminder of what I'd done.

Standing in front of me, was my heart.

I wonder if it's mad?

172: Out Of My Head -Alice-

Life is something that you have until you don't, and once gone you lose everything; gain nothing. At least this is what I thought when I'd woken up this morning and slipped on my clothes. They were hidden beneath the beer cans filled with various liquids unknown that littered the living room floor.

I stepped over my Dad's passed out body and made my way over to the other couch, where my Mother lay naked and bruised. I could see her breathe as I covered her with the living room rug that had gotten swept up in last night's binge drinking. A cold draft came from the open front door. Stepping carefully over the many empty syringes and pill bottles, I made my way toward it.

Today, I was lucky. I was going to a museum for a field trip, which meant I wouldn't have to deal with my Dad's violent hangovers and my Mother's scalding tongue of hate. I was never good enough to them and honestly, I didn't think I was either. I guess that's what happens when you live your life always being told how pathetic you are.

I grabbed my yellow stained backpack and as I shut the door behind me I sniffed it, only to find that my Dad had probably lost control of his bladder in its general vicinity. Ignoring the smell I headed off to the bus.

The entire bus ride to the museum I endured the children that made passing comments about my hair and the smell of my backpack. Being fourteen is hard, being fourteen with my family . . . is impossible. Some days, I just wished I would die. That bus ride was the last one I'd ever take, and I wish I could take it again.

I wish I'd never woken up in that chair, unable to move and staring at a strange, terrified looking man. I heard another man say what was going on, and I saw the man in front of me make the single choice that I'd never realized that I didn't want.

My Mother was horrible. My life was a mess. I had no friends, but I didn't want to die.

The pain as the guy stood up was beyond explanation. Small metal shards pushing their way through the side of my face, making mush of what I once called my brain. My life was over in an instant because one guy decided that I wasn't worth living, just like everyone else I knew. I welcomed the darkness that should have followed. I closed my ethereal eyes and waited for the nothing.

I still could think but that would be gone soon. Even the voices of the people in the room would fade. All cares would be gone, and there would be nothing of me left. Soon.

Fifteen minutes passed and the room had become empty.

So why was I still here?

166: Other Land Survivor -Christina-

I shook my head as a voice from my past faded into nothing. The world was so different now, something new; where humans could stand against Gods in one on one battle and survive.

The door had spit out another creature from the Other Lands, but I was surprised when I found it to be a human male. Since when did humans gain control of the outer realms? The guy I was fighting before moved to attack this man from the door, who easily side kicked the attacker to the side.

"Pathetic. I've seen rodents make better attacks." He laughed.

My mind raced, remembering what me and Patrick had been looking for before he locked me away. I remember what we'd found out.

"Christina! We have to find these anomalies, one of them could be his!" Patrick's voice echoed through my mind.

Soon that voice was replaced with horror and disgust as we found out the truth, "Oh God Christina . . . we have to stop him. We have to find the anomaly before he does, everything depends on us."

This person in front of me now had come from the Other Lands, just like the anomaly would have. He's fearless, just like what is predicted from the anomaly, but something was off. There was no good coming from him. What had happened while I was sleeping?

As he stepped away from the door I realized that I was in a room full of anomalies: A fairy that survived the great war, a walking toy, a man with enough strength to stand against a God, and me, a God with the ability to see things others could not. What had Patrick done while I was sleeping?

The man turned toward me, "You. Are you planning on attacking me too? A wee little girl like you should just stay back and watch me work."

Ah, rage. It washes away thought and rationality and replaces it with raw power, the kind of power I now used to bash this man's disrespectful mouth in.

My fist collided with his face and I felt bones break. His face resembled a crushed grape as he fell, and I closed my eyes so I didn't see blood. A sudden pain in my side opened my eyes, revealing a light from behind me slowly fading away and the man's body disintegrating. Looking down I saw a sword sticking out of my chest.

"So, you've got moves," somehow the man was back from the dead again, "but you can still die. Now just lie still like a good dog while you bleed out."

I grunted as I pulled away, yanking the sword from my body. Breathing heavy I spun around to deliver a kick to his stomach. He stepped back to avoid it.

"Surprised I'm alive? As long as this door exists, I'll just keep coming back. Do you know why?" He sneered.

"Why?" I was bleeding out, this wasn't good.

"Someone up here fears me." He attacked.

The world sure has changed.

Flashback Entry 165: Pact With The Devil -Andrew-

"Have you had enough?" This voice was not the hooded man's and yet it was still familiar. I looked up into a face I hadn't seen for a long time. Patrick's.

"What? Why are you here?", I thought I was hallucinating again. The constant torture left my mind shattered, showing pieces of my past that I'd lost a long time ago.

"I'm here to give you a choice." He stood and walked to where the hooded man was standing, "I want you to work for me. If you do, then I can get rid of your pain. I can make you forget all that you've done."

My mind flashed with an image of my daughter, looking up at me with wide eyes, full of curiosity. I shook my head to rid myself of the image. Pain filled my heart, because I knew what I'd done.

"Stop. Please, stop.", I begged Patrick.

"No. You need to know what you did. It's an irreversible sin."

Another flash, of Vincent's family, sleeping peacefully; unaware that I was nearby. Tears came, flooding past the mental barrier I'd put within myself.

"No, it wasn't me. I wouldn't . . ."

"You did. You took your hands," as he spoke the images flooded into my head, "put them around your daughter's neck while she asked you what was wrong. You remember, don't you?!"

"NO! Stop!"

"Her voice broke as you squeezed. You kept squeezing till you'd heard a snap. You killed your daughter, Andrew. Then you killed your friends," Patrick smiled as he leaned down to me, "And you loved it. Even now you can feel the craving for more in you."

He knelt down in front of me, "I can end all this, the torture, the pain; everything. All you have to do is . . . work for me. If you do, then all this will be gone. You can't live like this, Andrew. Let me help you."

I went limp as I remembered all that I'd done. I remembered the feeling of bones breaking, of blood running down my arms. I remembered the look of fear and hatred in their eyes, the confusion. I remembered loving it. I hated myself for that feeling. It haunted my nights, laughing as the whip broke my skin endlessly.

"Okay, I'll work for you."

The pain faded away as my cuts and bruises healed. I could still remember what I'd done but I no longer felt sad about it. It'd given me a high I'd never felt before. I glanced at Patrick as he smiled and released me from my binds. I pulled myself to my feet and felt that irresistible craving again.

The craving for blood.

Flashback Entry 164: Things Before -Andrew-

The whip tore into the skin of my back as the hooded man laughed at my silent screams. When I finally got my voice back I tugged at the binds and yelled at him.

"Please! Just let me go! I didn't mean it. It wasn't my fault! Oh God, I'm so sorry Vincent. So sorry."

The hooded man knelt down in front of me and I could tell he was sneering at me as he spoke, "He can't hear you. No one can. You're stuck with me for eternity, and no amount of screams is going to change that. It's not like he cares about you anyway, you're a monster. A blackened pit of sick that deserved what you got."

My head fell and I felt tears flow down my face. The soothing wet was soon replaced by searing pain as they rolled over the hundreds of cuts and bruises all over my face, "Please."

The snap of the whip reminded me of what my words meant. Nothing. As the torture continued, I fell back into that part of my mind that keeps me safe. The part of what things were before.

My thoughts faded to a darkened bedroom. I was watching her sleeping peacefully, happy that my life had gotten this far. Everything had fallen into place, and I'd just gotten a great job working with a good friend. I leaned down to brush a lock of hair from her forehead, and laid a kiss on her beautiful, pale skin. She was going on 7 and was the most important thing in my life since her mother died.

I walked to the door and took one last look before closing the door. I made my way into the living room where Vincent sat ready to kick my ass in Soul Calibur.

"She's sleeping?" He handed me the controller.

"Yeah, she took it hard when her mother died, but I think she's finally moving forward. Stephanie would have been proud."

Vincent smiled a sad smile and nodded toward the video game screen.

"Wake up, you stupid piece of worthless air!" Hooded man's voice came flooding through my thoughts, tearing me away from a time when I was completely happy. I looked up at him feeling the rage in me grow.

"You need to stay awake while we tear off your skin."

I knew I belonged here. My sins had been too great.

Hell hath fury.

Entry 160: Ben Snaps, Blood Follows -Saba-

The sound of the shotgun pulled me from that small part in my mind that I'd receded to while the knife did its work. I looked up to see blood and brain matter splattered across the tall marble columns. The left half of Ben's body was red with the young girl’s essence. Andrew looked surprised as well, he'd stopped cutting and stood there staring at the reflection of Ben in the column I was tied to.

I could see Ben's mind crack through his eyes as they went from distressed to shocked. We all froze there for a few seconds, the only sound being the pieces of skull dropping on the floor as the blood ran down the walls. I knew what Ben was thinking, I'd felt the same when I'd made my first kill.

I watched as the horror faded, replaced by sadness. I saw him mourn for the child trying to find a way to rid himself of the sickness that had invaded him. I knew the next step, the part where he accepts who he is and realizes that his destiny had been this all along. The part where he joins Andrew in the killing. The part where he kills me.

What I saw was something different. I watched as his face went from sadness to rage. I saw the righteous anger surge through him as he realized the lack of control he'd had for the outcome. Through his eyes, like a movie, I watched him blame the person who caused the death of that young girl. Seconds had passed, but something had changed in Ben.

Glancing up at Andrew, I knew that he saw it too. Where his face had been one of ecstasy, it was now very serious. His hand gripped the knife tighter as he turned around just a little to late. The chair caught him in the chest, slamming his back in to me. Pain shot up my body and I cried out.

"How could you . . . ", Ben resolutely stepped up to where Andrew lay coughing as he tried to draw in air, "You filthy, ugly little cockroach."

Andrew grabbed for the knife he'd dropped, but Ben's foot knocked it away and then proceeded to teach Andrew’s face how to bleed with a swift kick to the bridge of the nose. Andrew slipped on the unfortunate child's blood as he tried to pull himself to his feet.

Ben grabbed the chair again and smashed it on Andrew’s back, "She was so young. She hadn't lived."

I wasn't sure what scared me more, the look in Ben's eyes or the fact that he wasn't yelling. His voice was calm as though talking to a child. There was pain and anger behind it, but it was masked with an emotionlessness that made his words sink deep in to my soul as he spoke.

Groans of pain escaped from Andrew as he tried to recover from Ben's retaliation. Ben grasped Andrew's neck and dragged him over to the motionless body of the girl and pointed to where her head had been.

"You like your work? Did you enjoy taking her life away? Did it make you feel better?"

Andrew finally spoke, "I feel no joy in her being dead. The thrill comes from the killing, but you should know that now. You are what your uncle claimed you would become. A monster, just like him, just like me, just like your frie-"

His voice was cut off as Ben shoved Andrew’s face in to the girl's stump of a neck. He pushed him against her neck until it looked like he had been engulfed. There was no way Andrew could breathe. I struggled at my captors. Ben was going to kill him.

Flashes of my past came to me, the anger I'd felt. The killing anger that engulfed me and made me what I am. The loneliness and pain that followed soon after, feelings that could only disappear with another kill. The constant need to rid myself of those feelings. It was a horrible life, and I couldn't sit here and watch as another person traveled down that dark path. I spread out my abilities and lifted the knife from the puddle of blood.

Ben's eyes were lifeless and cold as Andrew's fighting slowed down. The lack of oxygen would cause him to lose consciousness soon. I felt the ropes fall away and for once both sides of me wanted the same thing.

"Ben, stop!" I pushed Ben aside causing him to lose grip on Andrew. Andrew fell to the ground gasping for air. Ben sat on the floor unmoving, only his breath told me that he was alive.

"Thank you.", Andrew’s voice pulled my darkness out and hid my goodness away as I turned to him, "You saved me."

"You're a fool.", I snarled at him grasping the sides of his head, "I saved Ben."

Then I snapped Andrew's neck.

Entry 153: Torture -Ben-

The world came into view and the pain in my head made everything slightly blurry. Across from me was another person, unmoving and dark.

"So you've woke up."

"Where am I?"

"Ben, you are in a special place I've designed just for you."

The lights came on and as my vision cleared I saw the person in front of me was a young child. She was tied so tight that she couldn't move, and aimed at her head was a very large shotgun. Her cries were muffled by a sock, but you could tell by her eyes that she was terrified.

"Andrew?"

"So he told you didn't he? Well, he'll soon shut his yap."

"What do you want?"

"How does that movie go? Oh yes! Ben, ask me again."

"Just tell me what you want!"

I heard a light laughter from behind me, "Want to play a game?"

Entry 148: What Fear Is . . . -Andrew-

"Are you scared?"

She was huddled with her arms wrapped around her knees. She was only fourteen by the looks of it ,and the fear in her face was a kind of beauty you can't appreciate unless you've been where I have. Her eyes were so close to overflowing with tears as she looked up at me.

"I want to go home, but the doors won't open. We're trapped."

I knelt and laid a comforting hand on her back. A properly faked smile looked to have helped her fear fade a little.

"Being trapped isn't something you need to be scared of. You'll get out of here. I promise."

She sniffled and looked to the doors and back at me.

"Really? You promise?"

"Yes. Besides, there are so many other things worse then being trapped."

Like a flower blooming, her apprehension opened across her face.

"Like what?"

I sat next to her and pointed to a dark corner, "You see those shadows?"

"Yeah?"

"What you don't know is that within every dark shadow, a creature awaits. It sits behind the veil of darkness watching the people walk past, its stomach growling. See, the creatures diet consists of human meat, so it sits there staring at us, waiting for its moment to escape."

I felt her shiver next to me and edge away from the nearest dark shadow.

"If they were to escape, I am confident that they would keep to the shadows because their eyes aren't adjusted to the harsh lights. From what I know of them, they'd first drag their victim in to the shadows to hinder its sight. Then, they'd take their large club-like feet and stomp on the person’s rib cage until they'd broken them and punctured their lungs."

She was staring at me, her face having gone from trusting to horrified in an instant.

"Then, they'd take their razor sharp cup-like hands and proceed to scoop up the flesh and muscle of the victim’s limbs. All this time, the person is alive and screaming, only their punctured lungs turn it in to a soundless breath. The creatures then open the shattered ribcage, which usually kills them."

She sat for a while not speaking, then she breathed deeply, her eyes never leaving the shadow, "I don't believe you."

"Oh really?", I stood up and held out my hand which she took like a stupid puppy. I led her closer to the shadows and pointed.

"If you look inside really hard, then you can just make out them moving. They're real. Very, very real."

I heard her gasp and grab my arm. Her breathing became sobs as she tried to drag me away from the darkness.

"My greatest fear, is of them escaping their holds and being released on humanity."

I grasped her shirt and lifted her off the ground. She began to scream wildly as I moved her closer to the shadows.

"Are you scared now?", I laughed as she tried to fight back.

She screamed for help again, but no one would hear her; she had broken away from the group a while back. She shook her head as I inched her closer and closer.

"Yes, I’m scared! Stop! Please, stop!"

"No."

And I tossed her in the darkness.

Entry 147: Darkened Skies, Opened Hearts -Saba-

The clouds came quickly and bloated out the sun with a supernatural speed as the taxi stopped in front of the museum. Ben was in there. I had to see Ben, but the feelings I was getting from this building made me hesitate.

"Oh just suck it up. You're stalling progress, you baby."

I realized it was my own voice as my feet began walking of their own accord toward the large doors. With a swift tug, I found the door choosing not listen to my commands.

"Nothing in this universe can stop me from going where I want. Get out of my way, door." I swung my hand, the door unlocked itself and swung open.

As I stepped in to the building the world got darker behind me and the door closed tightly. I probably wouldn't be able to open it again; not that I wanted to. The building was lit only by its own light. The sunlight was completely blocked by the clouds outside.

People had collected in to the large entrance and were muttering between themselves, while the security guards attempted to contact the outside world on their cell phones. They could help me.

I grasped one by their neck and lifted him above my head, "Ben. Now."

I laughed as the other guards attempted to stop my attack. I dispatched them quickly with their own weapons. They weren't dead but when they woke up, they probably wouldn't ever walk again. I squeezed the man’s neck tighter.

"I don't know where he is.", the guard spoke between coughs.

"Door Of The Dead?" He was getting on my nerves.

The commotion had caught the attention of the crowd, and they had started screaming and backing away. Most of them were small children so I paid them no heed as the guard pointed toward my goal.

"You won't be missed.", I said right before I snapped his neck. Simple security guard who will make no impact on this world; worthless really.

"Well said." I spun to see a man leaning against one of the columns that bordered the large entrance hall. He smiled as he walked up to me. It was a smile that was laced with instability and darkness. It was a smile I'd seen when I looked in the mirror.

"You should get with the others before you get in my way."

"If you're looking for Ben, then I'm all ready in your way. See, I have plans for him and his friends; plans that don't involve you interfering." His confidence was a pressure on my own. He was ruining my cool with words.

"You must not know who I am. Move." I grasped his arm and swung it to throw him behind me.

With surprising speed, he grabbed my arm and used the momentum to pull my arm behind me. A loud popping sound reached me as my arm came out of its socket. Pain flooded up my arm as he pushed me forward against the wall.

"You see, I know exactly who you are, what you are, and all your weaknesses. I used my time in the Other lands wisely. I studied up on all those around Vincent and trained for this moment. There isn't a thing you can do to me that I won't expect." With the word "expect", he smashed my face in to the stone wall.

I fell to the floor and as the world went black, I felt him grab my leg and begin to drag me toward the Door Of The Dead.

"Ben, help.", he mocked.

Entry 146: Andrew -Vincent-

"Soon."

No one else heard the voice as we traveled through out the museum toward The Door Of The Dead. I would have stopped walking if I was walking. Being in such a public place meant that I had to play dead for a while. Lucky for me, Ben had opted to hold me over Carl.

"When I come back, I'm going to go and find every one of your friends."

Andrew.

"I'm surprised to find you walking around Vincent. I thought you were dead."

I thought he was dead too. I had made sure he wouldn't move again after he made me watch what he did.

"I'll find them, Vincent. I'll make you alone again."

Could a Teddy Bear feel fear? If I'd had a face that could show emotion, it'd be easier to find out. I had to find him. I had to find him fast. How could he talk to me and me alone?

"Watch as I rip their wiggly spines through their chests."

That's when Ben turned the corner and we were all in awe at the size of the massive door. The door was surrounded by police and scientists as they studied the remains of that poor security guard that had been killed there.

"Oh, you must be Ben."

No.

"My name is Fredrick."

The fact that I was turned so that I couldn't see who was talking didn't hide their identity from me.

"As you can see, the police are still investigating, so you'll have to wait until they’re done before you can go take a look."

It was just impossible.

"Meanwhile, I'd like you to head that way. I'll show you where you can put your things until they're done."

Ben turned and began to walk where directed. As we shuffled in to the room I caught a glimpse of the speaker and watched as he looked directly at me.

He smiled.

Andrew.