The Darkness Within Us

Chapter Three: Something's Up With Jack

Jack was looking at his messages on Tumblr when he saw the message from Mark. "Mark's messaging me at this hour?" Jack said to himself. He opened the message. It read, "Skype me. I need to talk to you." Jack could sense a feeling of urgency behind  the message . Jack replied, "At this hour? Isn't it nearly night where you are?" Mark was quick to reply with, "Doesn't matter. Skype me. Now."

Jack sighed and clicked out of the messenger and onto Skype. He saw that mark was already logged on. He clicked on Mark's name and Skyped him.

It took a minute for Skype to connect the call, probably because of the shitty Irish internet. Finally, Jack was able to see Mark's face on his computer screen. "Mark, What's goin' on?" Jack asked.

"Jack, this is important. Did Anti really come out or not?" Mark asked with urgency.

Jack was extremely confused. Halloween had been over for months now. Why was Mark curious about it now?

"What are you talking about?" Jack asked, feigning innocence.

"Don't you play the innocent card with me," Mark said, clearly seeing through the act. Anti's real, isn't he? Tell me the truth, Jack." Jack sighed and nodded. "Jack, do you realize how dumb of you that was?" Mark asked with a shout. "It only makes them stronger! Your community will never stop talking about it!"

"Don't worry, Mark," Jack said with a calm voice. "Anti's inside the mirror world. He can't get out without my say-so."

"Jack, that only makes him stronger," Mark said with even more urgency. He sighed and said, "I needed you to come to L.A."

"Wait, what!" Jack cried out. "For how long?"

"Two weeks, at the most," Mark said."

"What the fook are you talking about! Two weeks?! Fer what?!"

"I've found someone who claims that they can take Anti and Dark out of us," Mark answered. "It's a week-long operation, with another week to recover."

"Well, who are they?"

"Two people known as Bing and Google."

Jack sat there for a moment in bewildered silence. "Bing... and Google. Really? Who the fook are they?"

"Two of our other alter-selves. They're robots made by a Canadian facility or something. They're the smartest A.I. to ever exist, and they're modeled after to two of us."

"I never gave them a say-so in that!"

"They couldn't for fear that news of the A.I. would be made public." "Well, how do you know about these two?"

"They messaged me."

"The company?"

"No, the A.I. themselves. they were able to escape the lab they were made in and created their own facility  that specializes in the removal of a split personality with a darker side from the bodies of their hosts. They've made a small shop here In L.A., and when they heard about Dark, Google contacted me. Jack, I know I'm asking for a lot here. I know that you don't like spur-of-the-moment trips, but if we don't get Dark and Anti their own bodies, they'll wreak havoc."

"What're we gonna do with em once they're free?"

"Psych ward. There's one in the northern part of Canada that would be perfect for hose freaks of nature."

Jack thought for a few moments before saying, "Yes, I am. Lemme start prepping." He ended the call and sighed. He was relieved that he finally wouldn't have to deal with Anti anymore. He then remembered something important: how was he going to get Anti to L.A.?