Into the Void

We need help

I put the groceries away, grabbed the new clothes I had picked up, and went to the bathroom. I needed a shower, and then I needed to figure out a way to get Bri out of this mess. The shower felt nice after everything that had happened, but I was too far into my dark thoughts to enjoy it. I leaned against the shower wall and spiraled farther and farther into the darkness that is my mind.

I’m not sure how long I stood there wallowing in my own misery, but it wasn’t until my teeth started chattering that I realized the water was freezing. I got out of the shower and got dressed. My mood was dark, and I no longer felt hungry. It was too early to go to bed, but I was ready for this day to be over with.  Matt was still on the balcony when I got out of the bathroom. I glanced at him before making my way to the fridge.

I put a can of coke and a sandwich on a plate beside Matt and left him alone. Hopefully, he’d come around, and he wouldn’t hate me too much. I sighed, sitting on the edge of my bed, and tried to think of anything that might help us. On the run from Dark and Anti didn’t leave me many options. I couldn’t come up with a single solution that would get us all out of this mess. I would just have to hope Marvin had something up his sleeve. I laid down and fell straight into the abyss of sleep.

“Mark, I told you it was an impossible jump!” Bri laughed as she gently shoved me. We were on the couch playing video games and I had just died….again. Sean started laughing hysterically at me while I attempted to make this stupid jump again. She was right, of course, it was an impossible jump to make.

“I am trying my best! Give me a break!” I mock glare at her as I jump off the cliff and die another terrible death. “Fuck! I give up. You try since you think I’m doin such a shitty job.” I smiled and tossed the controller at her.

“Yer such a baby, Mark. Anybody can see that’s the wrong way ta go. If ye weren’t so stubborn, ye’d see that.” Sean stuck his tongue out at me, and I laughed as I flipped him off.

“You guys want anything to drink? I’m going to get me something.” I stood up and headed towards the kitchen. Both of them said yes as I opened the fridge to grab a few drinks. “Are ya guys hungry?”

There was no answer, and I shrugged before taking the drinks back into the living room. The cans slip from my hands as I walk into a pitch-black hole that used to be my living room. At the very center of the black hole was Bri. She was in a large cage, chains around her wrists that came from the ground. She was screaming something at me, but the metal band around her mouth muffled the noise.

“BRI!?” I shouted and ran over to her. I shook the bars, reaching my arm in as far as I could to try and grab her. She reached out as far as she could, but the chains didn’t even let her get halfway. “Bri, are you ok?”

She struggled against the chains, and I saw one snap in half. She focused her attention on the other one, but it didn’t budge. Bri grew tired and instead started reaching for me again. Our fingertips touched, but that was as far as we could reach each other. We were both crying as I yelled promises at her.“Bri! I’ll get you out of here, I swear! Don’t give up. Please, whatever you do. Don’t give up.” 

Slow clapping comes from behind me. “What a touching reunion. Best friends reunited again.”  I turned around to see Dark standing a short distance away. He had a condescending smirk on his face that made me want to punch him.

“Let her go, Dark. It’s me you want. Let her go, and I’ll do whatever you want.” My voice was harsh as I glared at him.

He stared at me for a moment as though he was thinking it over before he laughed and walked closer. “As tempting as that sounds, I think I’ll decline the offer. Seeing you in this much pain is much more amusing.”