Let's see if you figure it out
??: "We're losing him!"
I only saw bright lights shining down on me as I heard muffled cries.
??: "Get the defibrillator! Clear!"
After using it I hear a steady heartbeat next to me as I drift off again falling asleep as the beeps were the last part in my head.
Morning
I woke up and see my assistant I the chair wearing her pajamas and messy hair as she drooped and I threw a pen at her making her wake up as she was shocked but quickly came over to me and see if I was alive.
"Yeah yeah I'm fine. What happened?"
Assistant: "You suffered a heart attack when you were finishing up your writing."
"Right. I haven't been in the right headspace lately."
Assistant: "Why not take a small vacation?"
"Vacation?"
Assistant: "Your last story with the murderer and detective didn't do that well. It also didn't help that you were stressed out. From several factors. Mainly that certain one."
She was talking about my wife's passing. She was my biggest supporter ever since I began my career and was there for me every time when stumped or hit a wall I needed to hurdle over. She was murdered in cold blood and yet I believe she's always with me and the reason I lived.
"You don't understand...."
Assistant: "Your right. I don't. I know you two were high school sweethearts and pretty much knew the deepest secrets but listen as your friend you need to move on. Yes I know it's hard but you've been writing as if she's been there. But she isn't. Please take a break and look for yourself."
I look at my hands as they tremble and look at my notebook that I had opened when I work up and just close it shut.
"So got any ideas where to go?"
Assistant: "I do have one. Bright Falls."
"Sounds familiar."
Assistant: "You should. It's where that famous novelist went to."
"Which one?"
Assistant: "Oh don't worry about specifics."
Eventually I'm discharged from the hospital and return to my apartment and start packing my suitcase as I see a photo on my counter. She had beautiful snow midnight hair, turquoise eyes, and had wings on her head.
She wasn't obviously human but she was the love of my life. I pack it into my suitcase and some change of clothes and even books I had wanted to read and heard whispering in the room. Turning my head around I see no one and just shrug it off as just slight paranoia and pass my selection of books.
Assistant: "Don't worry I'll make sure your home is in top shape when you come back."
I wave goodbye and call down a taxi to head to the airport.
Assistant POV
"Yes....he's going to Bright Falls. Please just leave my family alone.....I did as you asked!"
....
"T-Thank you...."
Back to you
I saw the ferry come into view as I look at photos and see that my wife had actually been to Bright Falls before in the past and probably the reason she wanted me to come here.
Driver: "Oh hey your that writer. Uh (Y/n) (L/n) right?"
"That be me."
Driver: "Listen can I get your autograph? My daughter loves your books."
I smile and write it down on a book he had from me and just wrote it on the back cover and placed it back on the passenger seat. We made some small talk and eventually I got out and tipped him but he stopped me.
Driver: "Hey man I heard about your wife. Listen. Things hurt in life and life is to short to keep grieving in the past. So remember there might not be another her but there will be someone for you."
"Thanks. Tell your daughter to stay in school."
Arriving at the ferry station with my bags I keep my head down to avoid any more conversations but I did get a couple of calls and few pictures taken with me. But I did resume sitting by myself as I decided to take a small nap.
??: "The writer decided to take a small nap aboard the ferry returning, unbeknownst to him, the final act of his journey."
I woke up seeing the small town come into view and just rub my eyes wondering what that little dream was about. I saw a person on a chair possibly writing but I never got a look at the person in question.
Cracking my bones while getting up and feeling the fresh air entering my lungs and exhale a yawn seeing my breath. Stepping down I saw that the town was relatively quiet for the amount of people that came here.
It was cold here was the first thing I thought of and began to rub my hands together warming them up and check my phone that the person giving me the keys would be in the diner. Walking to the diner in question I could see the sights were a little more dated but it gave off a home feeling.
Matching the diner with what I'm given I enter the establishment and look around hoping to see the person that matched the description and eventually I'm called over by a person fitting the description.
Lucy: "Oh! Mr. Writer! I'm Lucy!"
She made a rather large commotion by calling out to me and the cooks and other workers looked at her and quieted down apologizing to the patrons as I assume this wasn't the first but most definitely won't be the last. Well she did say the person was eccentric
"So uh Lucy. I was told you have the keys to my lodge?"
Lucy: "Oh yeah I do. Uh here...oh wait was it these keys? Or these ones?"
I had to not scream at her as I had a bad problem with people taking to much of my time that was to important and I could use some sleep.
Lucy: "Oh here we go. Sorry about that I manage the inn's and lodges around here. Your getting where your wife used to stay."
"Huh?"
Lucy: "Oh? You didn't know? Your wife used to live here."
"That's not possible. We both grew up in the same town and never in Bright Falls."
Lucy: "Really? I always remember seeing her exit that lodge every now and then. When I was younger. But I guess I'm just wrong. Either way I managed to pull some strings and get you her lodge. Enjoy your stay writer! Hey! Can I get another hashbrown!"
I grab the keys and eventually leave renting a car as that conversation was weird. I met my wife when we were kids and went to the same school together and well made it official. She never once mentioned Bright Falls in our years together. But maybe Lucy wasn't all there in the head.
I take in the scenic route as I park on the side and take a picture of the lake and the mountain in the back as I realized something. There was no birds, no sounds, not even a gust of wind.
??: "The writer looked around the area. Knowing something was wrong as the area had fallen into a muted silence as if the world knew something was looming."
I shake my head as the voice seemed to be narrating my actions but it was probably because of my lack of sleep and got back in not seeing the silhouetted person in the background of one of my photos.
Arriving at the cabin I could see that there was signs of well age and wear but it gave off a familiar feeling and opened it seeing a triangle on the front and entered the cabin seeing that it was much better then the outside gave off.
Setting my things down in the bedroom and unpacking my items while placing the photo on the bed stand so I would wake up to see her like I always did. Taking a little break I head outside to see the tree that was planted ages ago and spot a carving on the tree. K and the first letter of my name.
"What? But I've never been here....what's going on?"
I retreat back into the cabin and figured it was someone else with a k and same initial as me and drink a little bit of the fizzy drinks they had stocked in the fridge and lay on the couch just wanting to rest and relax from a stressful time as this would be the first time sleeping in someplace new.
...
I woke up to banging outside and silently grabbed an axe as it was the only weapon I had on hand.
??: "Come out (Y/n)! I know your in there! She wants you!"
The door was busted down by a man in a deer skull mask with w machete and was going to bring it down on me but instead I rolled to the side and grabbed a shard of glass and jabbed it straight into his chest sending him back as he took it out and prepared another slash.
Thinking quick I shove the table towards him stumbling him a bit as I took the side of the axe and pressed into back and eventually slammed into his chest as he fell backwards loosing blood as I realized what I did and threw up wiping my mouth with the rag.
Lifting the mask on him I stumble as it was the driver who brought me to the ferry but something was wrong. He seemed more dead like and missing features like the scar he had above his eye. And he said she. Who was she?
I hear honking and see Lucy enter the cabin with a shotgun with a duct taped flashlight.
"L-Lucy! It's not-"
Lucy: "Come with me now. Take the axe and that flashlight. He won't be down for long."
I remove the flashlight from the countertop and leave with her as she was aiming into the darkness and I noticed how the moon wasn't out at all.
"Before I'm getting in there with you what's going on? Why was I attacked by the driver!"
Lucy: "That wasn't the driver. This place isn't like the rest of the places you've been. Every five years something happens here and we're overdue."
"Different how?"
Lucy: "Get in the car."
I jump in and she joins me throwing her gun towards me and I weirdly hold it.
Lucy: "This started in the 20's or more accurately in 1923. This place has a dark counterpart one that exists separately from our own world. And every five years it seeps into our world like an infection but just as quickly as it comes it's gone."
"How do you know this?"
Lucy: "This dark counterpart world appears and creates a form of interference around the whole mountain range preventing anyone from leaving and entering. And when it leaves the residents have no clue but only more questions to the disappearances."
"Disappearances?"
Lucy: "Mhm. Starting after 1953 someone would go missing every 5 years and would never be found."
"Wait if you've been living here since you were born how do you remember the dark world?"
I held my axe tightly as she drove.
Lucy: "The dark world emits a power that drives people into a state of fear and anxiety and after they awake to no memories. I'm...slow so it doesn't affect me so therefore the frequency. But something changed. This is the first time the dark manifestations attacked. You okay?"
"I think so. Where are we going?"
Lucy: "The community center. Everyone started to meet there or the people who could fight back and I remembered you being out here."
I hold my hands close as I see how dark the place was as I a brutish looking man stand in front of the car with a similar deer mask stop the car.
Man: "(Y/n)! Submit to the darkness!"
I hyperventilate and grab the shotgun aiming as he became blinded by the light and fired sending him back as Lucy looked at me holding her ears. The man was disintegrating in light particles and eventually gone.
Lucy: "H-How....you actually killed one?"
"H-huh?"
Lucy: "I've spent years hiding them and here you are killing one? And what was that about you okay?"
I set the gun down and steady my breathing as the fear was still fresh in my mind and she rubbed my shoulder.
"I have a fear of the dark. Whenever I would sleep Kuki would always hug me to prevent me experiencing the dark and isolation. And she as a gift gave me a lightbulb that whenever I would have it. It would drive away the dark."
Lucy: "The light is their weakness....and he mentioned a she? Who's she?"
"Even I don't have a clue."
She continued to drive as I hold my axe and the flashlight oddly felt compelled to stand under the lamp and felt at ease and saw a piece of paper and pick it up.
"Alan Wake?"
Lucy: "Wait? Alan Wake?"
"You know him?"
"No but that name appears everywhere even though no one in the town has ever heard of him."
I fold it and stash it into my pocket and the community center seeing only candles and torches being the only source of light as families had gathered and saw me covered in blood.
Hunter: "Who the fuck did you kill?"
Lucy: "He fought off one of the dark manifestations. Oh this is novelist (Y/n) and this is Hunter. He well hunts."
I held a hand out as he looked at me and I retract it back into my pocket as other seemed weary of me.
Hunter: "Let's get this straight. I don't exactly like city folk but I can see you got your hands dirty. So maybe your good in my book."
Lucy: "Listen he killed a dark manifestation."
Hunter: "What? That's impossible. We tried everything fire, bullets, and even running them over."
Lucy: "How about lights?"
Hunter: "These things are weak to light? You gotta be kidding me."
Lucy: "Cmon. Let's get you cleaned up."
"It's fine. This is more important."
Hunter: "Whatever the case. These things are after someone? Kept repeating him. She wants him."
??: "The writer watched as families had gathered in the last place of safety while succumbing to the dark that stormed outside."
I shake my head as I can only assume the power was out but small appliances like torches and flashlights still work even radios to certain extent.
??: "Coffee?"
I look and see a girl my age handing me a cup of coffee and I take it holding it in my hand and take a sip.
Lane: "Lane. You?"
"(Y/n) (L/n)."
Lane: "Oh! Your that novelist everyone was talking about! Damn! Never knew I'd meet you here. Oh wait I mean not here here but still great to see you."
"Thank you. Means a lot to me."
I decided to leave the room and head towards the bathrooms carrying my light and the axe as I needed to splash my face in water and heard what sounded to be steps. I brace myself as I take my phone out and use the camera to illuminate the hallways.
"Come on...."
In seconds I was slammed into my side into an empty room as it was sure to get some attention as this time it was giant burly man who had a torn flannel shirt that seemed familiar.
??: "We're here because of you (L/n)! You'll fucking pay for creating us!"
He raised a butcher knife up and I closed my eyes preparing for the inevitable to happen but instead a black crystal spear went through his chest piercing the dark veil as blood splattered over me and dropped me as I rolled out of the way and grab the flashlight only for it to blowout and I turn around to see a woman that eerily resembled my wife.
??: "Apologies darling. He wasn't exactly the best of my creations."
"Who are you? You look like my wife and sound just like her....but you look wrong...."
Kuki?: "I'm still Kuki darling. Just different. But here let's play a game. I have control over this dark world. There's a couple of pages I spread around the town. Each one has information on this whole debacle. If you tell anyone about me...I'll make sure everyone dies here..."
I gulp as she takes from her coat a shotgun with a flashlight attachment and a torchlight and pointed outside as I could hear steps.
Kuki: "Tick tock writer. Before the ending catches up. And I better not see cheating."
The door breaks down as the group saw the hole in the wall and the disintegrating body of the dark manifestation as I could see a shining light in the distance.
Lucy: "Hey writer you okay?"
"I'm...fine....listen I need to go....there's someone I need to look for...."
Lucy: "You can't go out by yourself."
"It's to dangerous to bring a group. Whatever this thing is....it's after me so maybe I can draw their attention away. Lucy how long does this dark world last?"
Lucy: "7-9 hours. Depending on the severity."
"Then just stay here."
Hunter: "How are you gonna solve this?"
He gestured to the area that was occupied by murderous dark manifestations and the only survivors being in the community center while I was here claiming how to solve any of this.
"We're following a story. And it's being written out. If I can somehow alter the story then I might be able to stop this."
Lucy: "Why you?"
"Because I'm the only capable of stopping this nightmare from happening again."
They looked at me and the group began to step forward and handing me cartridges of shotgun rounds, a sidearm, some extra batteries, and a backpack for supplies.
Hunter: "We lost a couple of hunters out there so they have some gear on them you can recover be careful."
Lucy tosses me the keys and eventually leave the center and drive down the street. Spotting dark manifestations I just move quickly by them as they lost interest in me and felt attracted to the light.
Following the path, as if by instinct, led me to a power station and open the door seeing dead workers hearing voices.
??: "Ma'am....I'm sorry....he didn't make it...."
??: "What?!....no....no...."
I open the door to see a hospital bed oddly placed in a power station and a document.
"The woman looked at her husband as he had taken his last breath hours ago but to her he looked peacefully sleeping and would wake up if she called his name....How does it connect to me....."
I heard a piece of glass crack and roll as a deformed hand slammed into the hospital bed.
??: "You did this!"
He swung his arm at me sending me back through the glass onto the platform and witness him jump down and roar at me as I raise my shotgun focusing my flashlight at him and fire only staggering him.
'Shit! I need something stronger! Wait! The floodlights!'
I scurried back and began my execution taunting and baiting the abomination into slamming into the walls as I repaired the batteries and eventually diverted power from the station to the floodlights and turned them on.
"I fucking hate the dark...."
The shadows on the abomination peeled away like skin as I moved forward and watching as the abomination fall back still burning but in state of regenerating. I held the shotgun in hand fired a single round into the exposed heart as screams echoed around the building.
Kuki: "Amazing...almost a show of spectacular! Here."
She tosses a key to my direction and clatters and look back up at her as she points behind me.
Kuki: "Might want to run~"
Pa: "Warning. Power at unsafe levels. Please press the emergency shutdown button and inform a supervisor."
I grab the key and run as sparks began to fly from cables and fires began to start. Running past other manifestations as they tried to charge me only for the resulting power surge to send me flying forward and the light be seen for miles instantly disintegrating the manifestations that were close to the blast and cough as smoke filled the air and embers fall. I examine the key seeing a tag.
"Motel?"
After taking a breather I sigh and start punching my steering wheel and eventually just shed some tears.
"Cmon. Get a hold of yourself (Y/n)....."
??: "The writer could only wallow in anguish as it seemed his future was written in stone. The pain and futility at hand was seemingly getting to him..."
I shake my head as the voice was beginning to sound a lot like my wife.
Driving on the outskirts I remember reading a map on the drive here that there was a motel on the outskirts of the town. I ate a protein bar that I had found in the truck and hated it. But I was hungry and needed to eat something to keep me going. Hopefully I wouldn't need to do some dumb crazy shit.
Arriving at the motel I could see in the distance the fire at the power station and hoped it doesn't spread. Entering the motel I could see the power was still on and looked around the main room and could see that nothing was out of the ordinary.
??: "Please....come back to me...."
I turn my head down the corridor and saw a certain door with a door knob and went to it hearing some distinct separate voices.
??: "Your fucking crazy!"
??: "Can't you see this unhealthy....your destroying yourself...."
Sliding the key and unlocking the door I'm greeted by a familiar bedroom that was once a shared room with me and my wife. Looking around I find a paper on the desk and turn on the little lamp light as I could hear voices again.
??: "Dear we have to proceed with funeral arrangements....he's gone and you can't focus on him forever. He wouldn't want you sulking in sadness."
Kuki: "I feel bad for her...."
"W-Who was she?"
Kuki: "Your smart enough. I'll wait."
"This woman was sad that she lost her husband and was grieving really hard. He passed away and her family wanted her to move on. But she couldn't and didn't want to move on after him."
Kuki: "Good now focus~ focus really hard~"
I do as she said and focus on the voices and began to form a image in my head and open my eyes and see that I'm now in the cabin and could be back in reality. If it wasn't for Kuki lookalike still in my peripheral vision.
Then I see my kuki. The one I loved for years be at the table with a knife and bottles of alcohol.
"Kuki? Kuki it's me!"
Dark Kuki: "She can't hear you. This is just a memory of what transpired those years ago."
Kuki: "I can't live without him....don't worry...I'll see you very soon....."
Before she can cut her wrists the typewriter clicks and reads a message "You can see him again. The lake."
Kuki: "The lake.....the lake! Fiction becomes reality! If I use the lake then it can bring back (Y/n)! Of course I'll have to be quick! Don't worry (Y/n)! You'll be back in my arms before you know it!"
The memory dissolves as I hold my heart and stare at Kuki as I now realized who she was.
"You...you were the one to convince her! You were the reason this all started weren't you! I thought you were some manifestation posing as her."
Kuki: "Oh come on. She was some no good gutter trash. An inferior copy of me in every shape and form."
"And you aren't?"
Kuki: "You should be happy for me. I gave you the chance to come back and live again, as part of the deal. But she clearly didn't uphold her side so she paid for it in her life."
"Your a monster."
Kuki: "Please compared to what others have done I'm a saint."
"So what's you game plan since your oh so smart."
Kuki: "That voice you've been hearing in your head? That's been me due to you being created and written into reality it gave me control over you every action, every emotion, every single piece of pain...me always been me. Now? I intend to keep you here after I clean up the mess."
"Wait don't kill them!"
Kuki: "You really think you can stop me? Not even the biggest flashlight can stop me!
"No but this should."
I take a knife and stab her in the chest and push her down and stomp on it as she smiled at me with a blood filled smile.
Kuki: "O-Oh....I didn't write this...."
I step past her and take the lighter and set fire as I knew it wouldn't permanently kill her but slowing her down was the best I can do as I hunch over and throw up and feel my side as knife materialized in my side.
"S-Shit....going off script...."
I take it out and bandage my side as I recall her words being a big flashlight as my eyes wandered to the lighthouse.
"Kuki had to create this world from being written so she had to apply everything works. The lighthouse is known as guiding ships. If i use it...maybe I can get the people out of the world....shit I'm bleeding bad.....but I only got one shot."
I drive with one purpose and that's to save the people that were ultimately dragged into this because of my death and I will save them with this extra lease of existence.
By the time I made it to the lighthouse I was still aware but limping and did whatever I could do to stop the bleeding as by now i entered and examine the base and see papers stacked as high as possible and take one from the stack.
"Day 1126....whoever reads this I found a way to escape this world. Do not worry about my existence for it won't happen. Thank you for reading me story....T___s ___e."
I set it down and see the typewriter and sit down flinching at my side and place a new piece of paper.
"Day 1127....I don't know why but I felt the need to write this down for whoever finds this. My name is (Y/n).....the dark world preys on your wants and wishes and twists them to fulfill their own agendas."
I finish it and set it down on top of the other papers and head upstairs and turn on the light as the group saw that light was bright enough to burn away the walls of this corrupted world and start to leave with the families. I went to the community center as everyone was cheering and hugging. I could only stare as Lucy and the rest were waiting for me but instead I shook my head and walked away as the power to the lighthouse only had enough for a couple of minutes.
I leave and with losing blood I see her waiting for me at the end of the streets ripping the knife out of her chest and charging at me slamming the knife into my chest repeatedly but oddly I felt at ease.
Kuki: "How....how did you change the fucking story! Great! Now I need to really wipe the slate clean!"
I get up from the stab wounds and felt borderline death but realized. I'm only as real as piece of fiction.
"K-Kuki....how about a deal...."
Kuki: "What kind of deal?...be quick."
"Let me finish the story. And I'll stay here of my own volition. Willingly."
Kuki: "I'm listening...."
....
I'm back at the cabin and Kuki had tended to my injuries to the point I was able to continue as she held a knife. I sit down by the typewriter and with dried blood on my fingers I began to type the finale.
——
Police: "Over here! We found her!"
Police pulled Kuki out of the lake as they were tipped off by an anonymous person that a woman was going to try commit suicide.
Kuki was awake as she remembered everything and could only drearily look around her surroundings as she was sent to the Bright Falls hospital and stabilized.
Nurse: "Oh uh Kuki (L/n). You have a package for you."
Kuki looked up and grabbed the package and opened it to see a book and wiped her tears. "The writer and his dreams." She flipped to the back and began to cry as she read the note left behind.
(Y/n): "Kuki. If your reading this. Then I'm gone. In order to protect the real world I erased my very existence to prevent the creation of Dark Kuki. You'll be fine I promise. Just please move on and find happiness for me."
She began to cry out loud while holding the book close to her chest as she was given one last gift.
——
Kuki: "Hmm. Didn't see that twist. You willingly gave up your existence to stay here."
"I did but it's only to make sure your existence doesn't come to pass."
I sit on the couch as Kuki sits next to me wrapping her snake tail around my waist and neck and eyes me and leans closer and licks my cheek.
Kuki: "I know what your thinking~ you can try~ but who's to say it'll even work? I own your existence~"
"We'll see....after all just because you win doesn't mean the story is over."
Kuki: "I love your defiance~ well then~ what are you waiting for~ let's t start the next book~"
My tired. Don't worry the next part is gonna be more Yandere I just wanted to get this off my chest.