SID

When I heard someone upstairs, I thought it must have been Vivian and Daniel returning.  I started walking up the stairs and then my bat comes swinging from around the corner. The next thing I know, I’m falling down the stairs (I'm still surprised that my neck isn't broken). For a split second, I remember us taking control and getting up, but the bat came down again, and then we were out. I could still hear things going on around me – Tyler yelling at Becca to grab something, another thump after the bat connected with Tyler and sent him to the ground.

When I could finally concentrate again, I was looking up at a man in a black business suit and a mask that was completely blank, with only two eyeholes and a slit for the mouth. In one arm, he was cradling Lois’ child – in the other, he was carrying a kitchen knife.

Five chairs had been arranged in the room, all facing him. The others were tied down by a black cord. I saw Tyler was beginning to wake up, as well, though he looked out of it due to the large welt across his face. The only other person who looked like they had fought back was Lois, with a black and blue mark right below her left eye.

The bastard looked around the circle and examined each of us. When his eyes rested on me, I swear that the mask looked like it was smiling. He walked over to the couch and placed Lois’ daughter on it, just letting it cry the entire time. Then, he turned to all of us and spread his arms out. “So, who wants to go first?”

He was just staring at us expectantly, almost like we were supposed to do something. We didn’t have gags, so I assumed he was waiting for one of us to start screaming for help. But no one spoke, just kind of looked at him like he was nuts.

He walked back over and stood on the very edge of the circle. “Group therapy,” he replied in this matter-of-fact tone, like we should already know that.

But, that got everyone’s attention. “What are you talking about?” Will asked.

“I’m talking about… letting it out. Relieve some tension."

"No." I surprised myself when I said that, half-expecting the other one to take full control - but it wasn't them, it was just me. SID looked over at me, and I think we knew what the goal was - this wasn't about some group therapy, this was about getting me to talk. I think that's what it was. Hoping. hope.

“It’s not going to happen,” I replied. SID didn’t respond, just kept looking at me, his eyes seeming to say Is that all? “It’s not going to talk. Not to you, or Vivian. Even if you kill one of them." I tried me best to smile at him, trying to make him go ahead and get it done with, if he was going to kill one of them.

"I'll have to settle for you, then."

I hadn’t expected that response. I tried thinking of something to say as SID came closer, waving the knife in my face. "Koschei - you mentioned it on your blog. Want to know who it is?" I didn't respond, didn't know how to respond, so I got that odd feeling he was smiling at me again. "You sure? He sent me, you know - came to ask for a meeting."

"A meeting?"

SID shrugged. "More or less. He doesn't want to meet with you specifically, but hey, I'm not here to argue with him." Placed the knife on our shoulder. "So. Want to know or not? I haven't got all day." All I had to do was incline my head just a little bit and SID took that for an answer. "Oh, good! Well, fine - this Koschei? The thing who you should already know, Smokestack? It's the old man. And he wants to meet with you - soon, before anything drastic."

Though I had little to no idea what he was talking about, I asked him "Where?"

"Date and location will be provided at a later time - all he needed was the confirmation."

SID gave me that expectant look again, like I should know what he wanted, or know what was coming next. When I didn't say anything, SID took a step back and shook his head, wagging the knife at me like you would a finger.

“You haven't noticed yet - or have they not let you? Well, let me say this - Koschei is not the only one who wants something from you.

"Forget about this feud with Lois – it’s pointless and downright embarrassing to see your Atheres have to put itself so low as to deal with a teenager.” SID paused and brought the knife closer to my face.

“First, deal with the two who are protecting Lois’ friend, Sarah. They’re in a motel, just outside of town – apartment twenty-nine. If you wanna kill Sarah, well, why not? She's not part of the deal.”

“Why them?"

“Both have managed to survive and actually wound two... Ah, what the hell, Fears. What makes you think they’re incapable of killing a runt like you? Take them out, and then we can focus on the big picture."

Before I could say something, though, I heard someone else speak using my voice. “And after that?”

SID bared his teeth underneath the mask in a gleeful grin. “Then we burn this town to the ground.”

Let it not be said that I’m inconsiderate. I posted Vinnie’s incomplete account of today’s events, didn’t I? Ah, well. He can go back and edit it later if he so wishes.

Unfortunately, Vivian and Daniel will be unable to join us for tonight’s festivities. However, we do have five lucky contestants (six, counting Smokestack), all willing to spill their mind in one way or another.

Now, if you’ll excuse me.

- SID

They’ve been gone since last night and neither Tyler or Becca knows where they’ve gone. I’ve tried calling several times, but NO. How hard is it for one simple phone call? And do they even know how hard it is to restrain myself from going in Lois’ room and breaking her neck? I mean… I had enough trouble with stopping myself when they first got here. Becca’s been trying to keep me calm, and has done a good job at that… Tyler, though? He’s a damn psychopath. Sure, he’s between me and Lois’ door – sits right in front of it, actually! – but he’s been drumming on her door, yelling taunts at her, saying how he’s going to “get the kid” if she doesn’t stop crying…

I tried getting him to stop because it was getting on my last nerve, but he just smiled at me. When Becca, who normally manages to keep Tyler under control, tried speaking to him, he started shouting at her, saying she should mind her own business and to leave him be. And, sometime between all of this, he managed to get one of the kitchen knives and has kept it near him.

That’s not even the end of it, either – Becca’s tried getting food for both Will and Lois, but each time she’s tried to do so Tyler’s stopped her. “They don’t get a scrap until they’ve come back,” he’s said.

Now, Becca’s talking to Tyler to find out what the hell is the matter with him. I’m hearing snatches of conversation, like “Keeping him away” and “It’s him”. Well, not my fault that whatever’s in me is causing it. Trust me, if I could take a walk, I’d go for it.

If he keeps it up, I may

Damn it.

Of all days… I mean, it had to be today, didn’t it?

Daniel and I had run out to retrieve the stuff I had taken with me after that night with my parents. What I really wanted was my dad’s rifle – even though it serves as a reminder of him, it’s still nice to have due to the things happening in our town.

The place I hid for a few days is back in the woods, in this old cabin that lies in the middle of nowhere. There’s an old dirt path that leads to town, but I’m confident that no one uses it. The cabin looks like it hasn’t had anyone living in it for a while, so I thought it was the perfect place to hide.

When we got there, the place was just as I remembered it. Empty of everything – no vines clung to the sides, no animals nested within. It was kind of eerie stepping in there, but Daniel’s company made it better than the other times I had been there alone. He seemed more quiet than normal, though – maybe he was as creeped out as I was. As I gathered my things from what I believe was once the living room, Daniel broke the silence with an uneasy “We should go.”

“… I know. I’ve got my stuff right here.”

Daniel shrugged his shoulders and stared out the window. The sun was already starting to go down and darkness was falling. Earlier, I remembered him saying something along the lines of not wanting to be there after dark. I nodded towards the door. “Alright, time to go.”

There’s a door that leads down into the basement that sits right by the front door. I’d never cared to notice it before now, but when I stepped in front of it something made me stop. I looked down into that darkness and swore I saw something hunched just at the foot of the stairs, looking back up at me. Daniel called from outside and got me moving away from that door before I could go down.

Things were silent between us until Daniel, again, broke the silence by asking me why I hadn’t brought the rifle with me to the hospital. Heh… I explained that to him by saying that I had gone to get some food and was trying to be discreet while I was in town, so I had only kept the baseball bat on me. When I checked Sarah’s blog, well… It was some stroke of luck, I guess. Any other night and I would have missed the post.

When we were off the dirt road and heading back towards Vivian’s, that’s when it happened.

We had just come to a halt at a stop sign when this idiot came out of nowhere and slammed into Daniel’s bumper. It sounds worse than what actually happened; not a lot of damage, but just enough for a lot of repairs.

Daniel kept swearing as he examined his car while this kid who looked like he had just gotten his license stepped out. The poor guy was a nervous wreck and kept apologizing, saying that his brakes were bad and whatnot. “I don’t want your damn apologies, asshole!” Daniel shouted.

“Daniel, calm down,” I said.

The kid stepped forward and tried to talk, but Daniel cut him off. “’Calm down’? Do you realize how hard that is when-” He stopped and scowled, turning back to his car. The kid again tried to say something but stuttered over his words.

And then… just, DAMN IT.

“Look, I’ll call the police,” the kid finally said, taking out his phone. And… upon hearing the word ‘police’, I ended up decking him right in the face, probably breaking his nose. Blood started spewing like a faucet as the kid landed on the ground, groaning.

Daniel at first just stared at me in shock. “Uh, Vincent… May I remind you that we’re trying to keep a low profile?”

He was going to call the police. We would have been found out after that.

The other driver was starting to get up, moving towards the car. I think he had started to put two and two together, because when he looked at me I could see the recognition in his eyes. Daniel moved over to him and wrapped a hand around his neck, pulling the kid over to the back of his vehicle. Daniel shifted his eyes to me and… something changed in him, like how he had been at the house. “Open the trunk,” he said.

When I had done so, I saw the kid being forced into the back of his car. I could hear his frantic beating and yelps as the trunk closed. Daniel came around to the driver’s side and hopped in, giving me instructions to take his car back to Vivian’s. When I asked him what he was going to do with the kid, he got this vacant look in his eyes. “I’ll take care of him,” Daniel replied.

About thirty minutes ago, Daniel came back with blood all over his shirt. He didn’t speak to anyone except Vivian, and they kept their conversation to themselves. After a few moments of their quiet conversation, they both left the house.

I… I hope that the kid isn’t dead. That sounds odd coming from me, doesn’t it? But that kid doesn’t deserve to die, not for hitting Daniel’s car or recognizing me as a killer…

… Just… damn it. Why’d that have to happen?

Next Up!

Daniel here. Vincent’s given me the password to his account so that I can update the blog when he’s not around. Such a swell guy, isn’t he? Aside from being an asshole sometimes, but HEY. Not a lot we can do about that.

First off, a message to this ‘SID’. We won’t mess with you, and in return we expect you not to screw with us. I don’t give a damn who you are – you do not come into our territory and act like you own the place. Oh, and thanks for breaking Tyler’s wrist, jackass.

Second, Lois and Will have joined the party! We’ve given them a warm reception by locking the bitch in one of the basement’s many bedrooms. And, now that she’s here, Rebecca can finally catch a break. I mean, damn, she’s probably had the worst job out of all of us. I can’t handle children... Not after the first few times.

Finally, the police! You’d think they’d check the areas where Vince would most likely be, but nope! They’re morons. Viv’s thinking that one of the Others is diverting their attention, though. And hey, if they are, I am fine with that! The less attention our little group gets with the local authorities, the more time we’ll have to set things up.

Expect more updates from me in the next couple of weeks, friends. I can tell you all are so happy about that.

P.S. Am I the only one that thinks this blog set-up is really boring? I mean, damn, Vincent, at least make it aesthetically pleasing.

Inside Us

The past few weeks have been kind of a blur. Between keeping the thing inside me from destroying everything and dealing with my injuries, I’ve been learning about these… beings. I’m not sure what’s the best term to apply to them – Sarah calls them Fears and demons, while Vivian calls them the Others… but before we get into that, let me back up.

When I woke up the day after the hospital incident, it was about six in the evening. The room was a bit small and looked to be in a basement; there were clothes stacked on the dresser and there was a broken mirror on the floor, propped up against the wall. In the other room, I could hear a TV and some talking.

I walked out and found myself in a den. A sofa was in the middle of the room, with an entertainment center pushed against the wall. There was another couch pushed against the wall farthest from me, and there was a small kitchen area to my left. Daniel was reclining on the couch while Tyler was playing Fallout: New Vegas. Becca was in the far corner with something in her lap.

What little conversation there was ended when I entered the room. They all stared at me as if I was going to punch a hole in the wall or something. There were a few more moments of awkward silence until Daniel smiled at me. “Well, look what the cat dragged in.”

Daniel moved over so I could have a seat on the couch. I asked how long I was out and where I was.

“Well, you woke up around nine, but that was only for a few seconds and you were screaming at the top of your lungs.” Tyler frowned. “Which also woke all of us up.”

“His snoring woke me up long before that,” Daniel said, looking back at me and grinning. Tyler started laughing but toned down after Becca cleared her throat. He nodded to her and looked back at me.

“This is Viv’s place, by the way. Make yourself at home – we certainly have.” Tyler leaned towards me. “Just don’t make any loud noises, okay?”

“Vivian doesn’t like loud noises?”

“Not Vivian. The baby.” He nodded towards the bundle on Becca’s lap.

I hadn’t known about Daniel kidnapping Lois’ child before that, so I asked about it and they told me the whole story, how Daniel and Tyler had made their way to the hospital before me and taken the matter into their own hands.

“Why does Vivian need the child?” I asked them, but neither of them could give me a clear answer. Daniel said I should talk to Vivian, who was upstairs. I hung around a bit more, watching Tyler kill some more enemies in his game before I went up.

I could hear water running when I got near the top of the stairs. I poked my head through the door and found myself in the main kitchen. Vivian was over by the sink, looking like she was doing the dishes. I started to approach her, almost saying something, when I heard her crying. I didn’t say anything, not wanting to catch her at a bad time. I began backing up when I hit a chair with my foot. She stopped what she was doing and looked over her shoulder at me. Her eyes were red from where she had been rubbing them with her sleeves.

“Sorry,” she murmured, turning off the faucet and looking back at me.

“About?”

She shrugged her shoulders and turned her eyes to the ground. “Didn’t mean anyone to catch me like that. I’m usually more composed.” She straightened and turned to me. “Glad that you’re awake, though. How are you feeling?”

“Apart from the burns and bruises? A little bit hungry.”

She started laughing and looked over at the door. “When I’m done, I’ll get us something to eat.”

“Right… I was hoping I could talk to you about something first, though.” Vivian eyed me, and I could tell she seemed a little wary. I rubbed the back of my neck, feeling a bit awkward just standing there. “Could you explain what’s going on?”

And for the next two hours or so, she did. We sat down at the kitchen table and talked about the things – the Others – and the reason why it was happening to us. She didn’t know why in my case, but knew with certainty why she was there.

“It was a while back… about a year and a half, maybe two years. I was… stupid. I wanted a boyfriend,  but none of the guys I knew would date me because I wasn’t… ‘pretty’ in their eyes.” She closed her eyes and shook her head. “I was desperate and started looking in the wrong places. I met a guy who made me feel like I was worth something, made me feel like I was special. My first boyfriend,” she muttered under her breath. Vivian took a deep breath. “One night, instead of going to a movie we went over to his place. And…” Her eyes opened and turned to me. “We hooked up a few more times after that, but after he left me… well, he never really left me.” She stood up and walked over to the sink, pulling out one of the knives and slashing herself across the wrist.

I stood up, shocked. I was about to rush over to her, get her to stop, but her wrist didn’t bleed. The knife was bloody, but no blood seeped from the wound. Vivian was silent as she dropped the knife into the sink. She looked over the wound she had given herself. “I thought I was pregnant, you know. Told him, but he didn’t believe me. Said it was impossible. And… he was right.” Vivian gave me a half-smile. “They’re calling it the ‘Red Cap’ – some sort of bloodlike goo that makes itself home in your body. It has its benefits, I suppose… it heals the vessel it’s in over a shorter amount of time, and as you can see… I can’t really bleed out. Still hurts, though.

“But there’s so many downsides that I noticed after the first week alone. You must know what it feels like when you wake up in a place that’s unfamiliar to you because it happened to you not too long ago. When that happened to me the first time, I woke up at school during an English test. The next time, I was waking up in some stranger’s car – apparently, I had been hitchhiking. And then… there are times, even now, where I don’t feel like myself, like I’m watching someone else use my body. Do you ever feel like that?” I nodded, remembering the night before. Vivian shook her head as she sank into her chair. “It doesn’t even feel like before, when I’d black out and be somewhere else. At least then I still knew there was a side of me that was… well, me.

“Now, though… Whenever I look in a mirror, I can’t recognize myself. I’m… losing who I am to this thing, and that scares me a lot more than not being able to bleed out, or waking up somewhere else.” She started shaking, as if she were about to cry again. “And the worst part, Vincent, is that I can’t even fight it anymore. Whatever it wants, it simply has to put the thought in my head. It wants Lois’ daughter for some reason, but I still don’t know why. It wants more followers like the ones downstairs, but I don’t know what it’s planning. All I know is that, this past year… It’s been using me, putting thoughts into my head, in order to build up to something big… and that child downstairs is the centerpiece to all of it.”

I’ve since thought about what she’s said, and it sounds like whatever is inside me is like the ‘blood’ throwing through Vivian’s veins. It’s trying to get me to do something, I know that much, but it’s all unclear. What Vivian said about thoughts being put into her head – that’s happening to me, too, but they’re not making any sense. It’s like blurred images, or single words that have no correlation with each other. For instance, the two I’ve heard most often has been ‘war’ and ‘Koschei’. War is simple enough, and I think that’s what this thing wants – to spread violence using me to initiate a domino effect. But Koschei? It doesn’t make any sense.

For now, though, I can relate to Vivian, even if she is more far gone than me. And, for whatever reason, it seems like both of the beings inside us are cooperating with each other, unlike the one I fought with at the hospital. Maybe I should be grateful for that.

Looking Back

Today was amazing.

It was the first day I’ve been able to get out of the house ever since that night. That first week was horrible… ever since They were let out, They’ve been trying to escape, to cause another hospital incident. And… I wanted that to happen. It feels good when they take control. The best thing to describe it is like when you are really angry and you’ve just won an argument. That moment of triumph when all you want to do is show everyone how amazing you are…

But… it’s been hard to keep it in control. Sometimes, We end up letting go and they rise up just enough to begin talking, but I’m trying to keep it handled. I’m not… immortal, like They claim to be. I’m damaged like everyone else – my fight with the being it calls Death is proof of that. And, I just have this feeling that if I let go again, I’ll end up doing something terrible.

Like before…

Which reminds me, I do not appreciate my past being uploaded on here. There are some things I’d rather keep to myself, and my brother’s death was one of those things. Since I can't do anything about it now, though... You all deserve some sort of explanation.

Adam and I used to explore the woods behind our house all the time. At first, we stuck around the part closest to our house, but we eventually got curious and started journeying farther and farther away. When we weren’t exploring, we were playing some sort of game, like tag or sword-fighting with sticks. We’d pretend we were epic adventurers out to save the world, and battled imaginary foes side by side…

One day, we were at a place we had discovered a few days before. It was, by far, the best spot we’d found for our games. It was on a large hill, with a rocky outcropping that acted as the cliff where we threw the bad guys off the side. That day, I was pretending to be our villain, and I was just… I got to into it. I started teasing my brother, saying he couldn’t win… Adam wanted to prove me wrong, I guess. He wasn’t really angry, just… wanted to win. He swung hard and ended up striking me in the hand. I dropped the stick and for several moments I just stood there. My brother asked me if I was okay, said he was sorry, but all I wanted to do was just to hurt him as he had hurt me.

I walked up to him. He must have seen some look in my eye, because he started to back up… I grabbed him and threw him against the side of the hill. He must have hit his head or something, because he grabbed the side of it and started crying. I… I stormed off, walking back in the direction of our house.

But my brother was young, and he depended on me to get him home. So… when I left him… he didn’t know where to go, didn’t understand that he should have stayed put and waited for someone to find him.

They found Adam a few days later. He had wandered all that time in the wrong direction…

Mom never really got over it… and Dad… the look he gave me…

A few months after the funeral, I was doing my homework… trying to forget. My dad came into my bedroom and just stared at me for awhile with this expression on his face… one that said “This is your fault.”

Their attitude became worse over the years… my dog, Brady? Well… he wasn’t just my dog. My parents got him for Adam and me when we were really little… when Adam passed away, Brady was seen as another reminder of a bad memory. I guess that’s another reason why Brady was put down...

Mom became distant over the years, and Dad… well… I’ve told you all about him. They never forgave me… I don’t blame them for that, since I’ve never forgiven myself… But I wasn’t happy. I had to deal with them for years, had to deal with the silence, the passive aggressive statements…

I’m glad they’re dead.

And I’m sure you all can infer from SID’s post that I eventually worked up the nerve to tell someone my secret and they stabbed me in the back by telling everyone about it, so I don’t feel the need to explain myself on that end.

Does it justify what I’ve done? No. I’ve made some wrong decisions, and that’ll happen the rest of my life… what’s left of it, at least. But I’m not going to make some excuse to justify myself killing Lois. I’ll kill her for the same reason I killed my parents, and that’s because some people need to learn that they can’t treat others in a degrading way and not expect some consequences.