Accidents Made Right 1: Pistanthrophobia

Chapter 21: Parasitic Possession

A man stood outside Luke's quarters, looking at the sign that showed whose room these quarters belonged to. He didn't sigh, frown, or show any emotion.

All he did was put his hand on the ground and waited for a black slug to push its way through the skin of his wrist.

When the slug fully left his body, it phased through the door, before slowly slithering it's way to my unconscious vessel.

As the slug stuck to the side of the bed's metal legs and slithered to its target, the man outside the door whispered "This is why you don't betray your father."

When the slug reached the top of the bed, it slithered over Luke's lifeless body, then made it's way to my face.

The slug stopped when it got to it's target's face, followed by the man whispering "No. Don't hesitate, this is what you planned. It doesn't matter if he's your son, even he doesn't care."

After a moment, the slug slithered into my mouth, followed shortly by my eyes bursting open and turning black.

* * *

I had the same dream as usual. Steve and I were laying down on a couch, snuggling together by a fire while watching a horror movie. After any scary moment, I buried my head in Steve's chest and he held me close, gently stroking my hair; making me feel safe.

Sometimes the details of the dream changed a little bit. Sometimes it was in the barn we survived together in, sometimes it was in a summer vacation home in Texas.

Sometimes, I was the one comforting Steve.

And then, by the end of the dream, when the movie was over, we always got up, said our goodbyes, and went in opposite directions.

But this time, the dream ended abruptly with everything turning black; white blobs scattered throughout the newly formed wasteland of darkness.

I realized everything was disappearing, so I tried to keep Steve from escaping my grip, but when I went to grab him, he had already disappeared. He was replaced by a dark figure that looked like a gas; it's body moved around itself like a liquid, but it felt like a solid.

I quickly dropped the figure and stepped back, resulting in the figure quipping with a booming voice that sent a shiver down my spine with each word it spoke "Wow. Not a great way to treat your dad."

"F-father," I stuttered, shocked.

The figure got up and pretended to wipe dust off of his body.

"Yes, it's me. Robert, father, call me whatever you want."

"I... w-what are you doing in my d-dreams?!"

"Isn't it obvious? Dreams are one of the many things I control. Well, really it's nightmares, but with you, that line gets pretty blurry."

I remembered what I said in my room earlier, and started to sweat.

"I-I didn't m-meant t-that!"

"Of course you didn't. You're my son. You'd never betray me."

A frameless monitor appeared behind Knightmare, showing my body waking up, stretching it's arms, and quickly getting ready to head out for the morning.

"W-what? B-but... I'm asleep."

"Your soul is, but not your mind or body."

"H-huh?"

Knightmare smiled sinisterly, before explaining "It's very simple, really. I've possessed you... sort of."

"W-what?!"

"Don't get me wrong," Knightmare said as he started pacing.

"I trust you completely," he lied. "I just can't take any chances. Which is why, for today, I'm keeping you from talking to Steve."

"B-but... I need to tell him! H-he needs to know!"

"To know what?! That you're a monster?! That you were the result of evil's failed plans," Knightmare insulted, raising his voice.

"I... Steve needs to k-know. H-he trusts me. H-he wouldn't push me away just b-because of how I was b-born."

My father sighed, then said regretfully "I thought the same thing too, with somebody who I thought trusted me. Multiple people, actually. But in the end... they were all part of the broken system that is life."

I wanted to argue back, but my father stopped my by kneeling down, putting his hand on my shoulder, and saying "Son, trust me. The risk is not worth it, because there is zero chance of anything working in your favor. There is no risk... because it's a definite fate."

"He will push you away, one way or another."

...

"Y-You're right. I-I don't know what I w-was thinking earlier."

"I hate to see you sad, but believe me when I say you needed to hear this. Sometimes... we need to be hurt to heal."

"Thank you father," I said as I hugged him. Hesitantly, he hugged me back, and we continued the hug for a couple seconds before eventually releasing it.

Moments later, the darkness quickly transformed back into the grey and blue colors of Luke's quarters, and I realized that my body was moments away from exiting the room.

Since I was halfway through a step, I stopped to compose myself, and, with a sigh, I headed out of the room.

Ahh, determination. Such a fleeting emotion(wow, I'm really starting to sound like a villain).