The Project

Chapter Forty-Five: Trapped

"Jack are you insane?! We can't stay here." Dark shook his head at me sternly, shutting the room door behind him as I sat down on my brothers old bed. "It's not up tO yOu DaRk." He scoffed. "I believe it is. You're not a responsible leader so.. The job falls to me."

"I don't care what you do with yOuR pAtHeTiC lIfE. I was already planning on LeAvInG all of yOu PiTiFuL pEoPlE behind once we left that cAgE." I snarled at him, narrowing my already glowing eyes. "So take them. LeAvE."

"You'll only SlOw Me DoWn."

"Is that what you think about them..? They'll only slow you down? What about Felix? Or even Tyler? They helped you! They're your allies!" Deeply sighing, Dark closed his eyes. "What is this really about, Jack?"

"Stop calling me JaCk. I'm sIcK of EvErYoNe calling me JaCk!" I gripped at my dark green hair, growling deeply. "Jack this, Jack that! Jack, Jack, Jack!" I grabbed the nightstand lamp, tossing it across the room. The lamp shattered, spraying pieces everywhere.

I sank to my knees, tears staining my cheeks. Snapping a few strands, I pulled at my hair harder. I looked up at him, more tears threatening to spill. "Why do you CaRe anyway? Aren't you the one who said to LeAvE tHeM in the first place?!"

"That was before I discovered that they're just as.. scared as I am." I scoffed, rolling my eyes. "AwW big and BaD Darkie is ScArEd.." I let my head fall to the carpet, pain pounding away at my skull. "Just LeAvE. LeAvE me AlOnE."

Dark placed his hand on my shoulder. "J- Mcloughlin, please. You can't just abandon them like this." He sighed as I jerked away from him, lifting my head. "Just WaTcH me." Dark stepped back as soon as I got to my feet, wiping away tears angrily.

"What would Ethan think? -And Blank? His other half?" 

"What are you talking about? You KnOw more than you're letting on DoN't YoU?" He opened his mouth to say something.. but then shut it again. "Stop changing the subject, Mcloughlin. This isn't about me.. or even you. They need us."

"No! They need HoPe." My lips curled into a snarl and I looked up at him. "There is No HoPe! HoPe is a figment of the ImAgInAtIoN!" I chuckled dryly. "I used to rely on HoPe. Until I figured out that HoPe isn't what frees you from PriSoN. YoU can only rely on YoUrSeLf."

"So go. UsE tHeM. UsE tHeM to FrEe yourself." I looked him up and down, scoffing. "Unless you think you can fReE them too. Mister high and MiGhTy." My fingers dug at the carpet. "You're no bEtTeR than everyone else. WeAk. ScArEd."

"Like a FoOkInG cHiLd."

"Please, Jack. Come with us." I looked up at him again, fury evident in my eyes. "No. Now LeAvE. Tell the others I don't give a ShItE about them. Do what you do BeSt. MaNiPuLaTe." I laughed as he finally gave up, letting out a defeated sigh. "Fine. -But don't come crying to us when you-"

I cut him off. "I won't. I PrOmIsE."

-

A few hours after they left, I drifted off into a peaceful sleep. Sort of. It was suppose to be peaceful until.. it wasn't. "Hello?!" As far as I knew I had been walking around in a dark abyss of silence for a few hours now, my feet hurt and.. I was scared.

"Is anyone there?!" It was more a demand than a question. A few seconds later, the almost unnoticeable tapping of feet caught my attention. "H-Hello..?" Suddenly the dark abyss warped, changing into what appeared to be a bathroom.

I leaned over the sink, feeling very queasy. "̷S̷e̵a̷n̶.̶"̸ I looked up, startled by the sudden voice. "W-What..?" The voice laughed as my eyes darted around the bathroom. "̸O̴v̷e̴r̷ ̷h̶e̴r̴e̷ ̵y̷o̷u̵ ̸i̵d̸i̴o̸t̶.̶"̷ I looked back at the mirror, staring at what I thought to be my reflection.

A smiling man was looking back at me. Pale skin, pointed teeth that poked into his bottom lip, black clothes, dark green hair and green eyes to match. -But his smile was what bothered me the most. It was maniacal, menacing, almost.. fearless.

This man.. looked exactly like me. "̸Y̴e̸s̷,̵ ̴y̵e̴s̵.̶ ̷W̴e̶'̵v̸e̸ ̶b̵e̵e̵n̷ ̵o̸v̶e̶r̷ ̷t̷h̵i̴s̷.̵ ̵I̷'̴m̵ ̸n̶o̶t̶ ̸y̴o̷u̵,̸ ̸t̴h̴o̴u̸g̷h̷.̷.̵ ̸a̸m̵ ̷I̴?̷"̶ The man rolled his eyes, fiddling with the knife in his hands like it were a toy instead of a weapon. "̷C̷a̶t̷ ̷g̸o̸t̶ ̵y̶o̷u̷r̵ ̷t̸o̷n̷g̸u̷e̸?̸"̴

He chuckled dryly, tapping the mirror with his fingers. "̵E̷n̶j̵o̴y̶i̶n̷g̶ ̷l̶i̵f̴e̴ ̶o̸u̶t̶s̷i̵d̷e̵ ̶o̵f̵ ̴p̶r̵i̵s̸o̴n̴,̵ ̵S̴e̵a̶n̴?̸"̷ He scowled slightly, punching the mirror. "̶-̴W̴h̴i̵l̴e̵ ̸I̴'̶m̶ ̷c̸a̷g̶e̷d̴ ̴l̸i̷k̵e̵ ̸a̷ ̸w̶i̷l̷d̴ ̵a̷n̶i̵m̶a̷l̶ ̴i̵n̶ ̴y̶o̶u̴r̷ ̸p̸a̶t̷h̸e̵t̷i̸c̸ ̸s̶h̵e̶l̶l̵ ̵o̸f̸ ̶a̷ ̵b̵o̴d̷y̵.̵"̵  He shook his head. "̷I̶'̷v̴e̷ ̸b̴e̷e̸n̶ ̵i̵n̶ ̷h̶e̶r̸e̵.̴.̵ ̵f̴o̶r̶ ̷a̶ ̸v̵e̵r̵y̴ ̶l̵o̶n̶g̸ ̵t̶i̴m̷e̷.̸"̴

"̸H̴i̶d̵d̷e̷n̶ ̶a̴w̶a̵y̸ ̸f̵r̷o̴m̷ ̸v̴i̶e̶w̵.̶ ̸J̴u̵s̵t̸ ̸o̶u̷t̶ ̸o̷f̶ ̵r̵e̷a̷c̶h̶ ̸f̵r̸o̷m̵.̶.̸ ̷e̴v̸e̵r̵y̵o̴n̸e̵ ̸y̵o̵u̵ ̵h̴o̷l̴d̸ ̶d̷e̴a̸r̴.̶"̵ He waved the knife around as he talked, his eyes glowing for a second. "̸Y̷o̵u̴ ̸s̷e̷e̴,̴ ̴S̶e̴a̸n̶,̴ ̶I̸t̷'̵s̶ ̸t̴i̵m̵e̸ ̶f̵o̷r̴ ̴M̵E̸ ̵t̸o̴ ̸h̴a̴v̴e̵ ̷c̶o̷n̷t̷r̸o̶l̷.̵ ̷F̵o̵r̴ ̷o̷n̶c̷e̴.̴"̶

"̵Y̴o̴u̷'̴v̷e̷ ̸b̴e̸e̸n̸ ̷i̸n̷ ̵c̵o̸n̵t̴r̸o̶l̶ ̷s̸o̷ ̷l̸o̶n̶g̵.̸.̷ ̵s̷o̷ ̶l̵e̷t̷'̸s̵ ̴p̸l̸a̵y̸ ̴a̴ ̴n̷e̸w̵ ̶g̷a̷m̴e̵.̶"̴ My stomach churned at his words, making him grin. "I'm sure we can work this out.." He chuckled at my words. "̸Y̸o̶u̶ ̶k̸e̸e̵p̶ ̴t̴e̸l̸l̴i̵n̸g̴ ̵m̷e̵ ̵y̵o̷u̷ ̵k̶n̵o̶w̶ ̶b̷e̶s̴t̸.̶.̴"̸

"̵I̷t̸'̵s̴ ̸t̷i̴m̷e̶ ̶t̸o̶ ̵g̶i̵v̷e̶ ̶t̵h̸a̸t̵ ̶s̴h̵i̵t̵ ̴a̷ ̷g̸o̸o̵d̴ ̸r̷e̴s̷t̵.̷"̴  It was evident that he wanted out.. but I wasn't just going to give him his freedom. "̸T̴o̷d̷a̵y̶ ̵I̸'̷m̴ ̴g̴o̶i̵n̵g̸ ̷t̸o̷ ̵m̶a̷k̴e̴ ̵i̸t̷ ̸c̴l̴e̴a̶r̴ ̸t̶h̴a̷t̶ ̷y̶o̴u̸'̸l̴l̷ ̷h̵e̶a̵r̵ ̷m̴e̷.̸.̷ ̶b̵e̶c̵a̷u̸s̵e̵ ̵I̶ ̴A̶M̸ ̵g̵e̸t̴t̴i̴n̵g̷ ̶o̴u̷t̴ ̷o̴f̷ ̶h̷e̵r̸e̶.̶"̷

"̸I̴ ̸u̴s̵e̷d̵ ̷t̵o̷ ̶h̸a̸n̶g̵ ̴o̷n̶ ̸y̴o̷u̶r̵ ̷w̸o̷r̸d̴s̵,̴ ̶y̵o̷u̵ ̷k̴n̶o̴w̸.̵ ̶I̵ ̸u̵s̷e̷d̷ ̴t̴o̷ ̴t̴h̸i̸n̸k̸ ̸y̴o̴u̸ ̸w̵e̷r̵e̷.̸.̷"̷ He cut himself off, glitching slightly. "̴I̷'̶m̷ ̸s̵o̴ ̴t̴i̸r̴e̷d̶ ̵o̷f̶ ̴b̵e̷i̴n̴g̸ ̶i̷n̷ ̸y̷o̵u̸r̷ ̴s̸h̷a̵d̸o̷w̸.̶ ̵I̶'̷m̴ ̴d̵o̸i̸n̷g̴ ̶i̷t̷ ̶m̶y̷ ̵w̴a̴y̷ ̶n̴o̸w̸.̷"̵ His grin grew wider as he wiped his knife off on his sleeve. "̸-̵A̵n̶d̷ ̶y̵o̶u̶ ̵c̷a̸n̸'̵t̸ ̶d̷o̴ ̵a̵n̴y̴t̴h̵i̵n̸g̸ ̴a̶b̷o̴u̷t̷ ̴i̷t̶.̷"̸

"̷S̵o̴o̵n̶ ̴e̸n̷o̷u̴g̷h̷,̶ ̸S̶e̷a̸n̷.̷ ̵Y̵o̴u̴'̶l̵l̵ ̴k̸n̵o̶w̵ ̸w̶h̵a̶t̴ ̵i̵t̴ ̴f̸e̸e̸l̵s̸ ̴l̶i̵k̸e̴ ̶t̵o̶ ̴b̶e̴ ̷t̷r̸a̶p̸p̷e̸d̸ ̵i̴n̸ ̶t̵h̸i̵s̴ ̶H̵e̵l̵l̶.̴"̴ He suddenly dropped the knife, smacking both of his hands onto the mirror, startling me. "̵-̵A̵n̴d̷ ̵w̸h̵e̶n̵ ̵I̴ ̴a̴m̶ ̸o̵u̸t̴.̶.̵ ̴I̴'̷l̸l̸ ̷m̵a̸k̴e̵ ̶s̵u̶r̷e̷ ̴t̸o̵ ̸k̵i̸l̵l̸ ̵e̴v̵e̵r̵y̷o̶n̶e̸.̸.̵ ̵y̵o̶u̸ ̸c̴a̸r̵e̴ ̶a̴b̴o̶u̶t̷.̷"̸