*FINA-FUCKING-LLY
GOMEN*
Chapter 75
Jeff's POV
Scarecrow's pleading calls faded more and more as I just kept running and running. I couldn't stop. I didn't want to stop. I needed to keep going. For Ellie's sake. I don't care if she's already too far gone, I will find a way to bring her back. This will all be over if I can just bring her back...!
The streets I once roamed freely and dominantly were now filled with nothing but rubble and devastation. That can go away if I can succeed. The sky I looked up at every morning isn't as welcoming as it used to be. That can go away too. The air that gave life and supply was now seemingly poisonous and suffocating. That can go away. This can all go away! All I have to do is bring Ellie back!
The bright crimson light in the sky kept getting closer and I could hear the sounds coming from there more distinctly. I turned a corner and ran down the next street. My heart was racing and my nerves wouldn't calm. I was scared. I was ultimately terrified. I don't want to die. I don't want to die. I don't want to die knowing...that I won't see Elizabeth everyday. Before all of this, I couldn't care less whether I ended up getting arrested or shot down, or killed in prison or be put on death row. I didn't care. I didn't care. I always knew monsters existed. They weren't just in my head. I know they could kill me but I just wouldn't care. I had nothing to live for, nothing to satisfy, nothing to prove. I was just another murderer. But now, instead of caring less whether I died or not, I want to die with purpose.
If I'm going down, then I'm taking all that I can with me.
The more I neared the source of the crimson light the more the air around me seemed more pressurized and thick. Everything blurred as I ran. I just have to turn another corner and I'll see Elizabeth. At least, that's what I'm hoping for. The street corner was getting closer, twenty, ten, five, three feet away...
Almost there...
I passed the street corner and the light had ceded. More of that ash filled the air here than anywhere else I've passed by. Down the street I saw a figure upon nothing but what seemed to look like a pile of burning charcoal. As I kept getting closer I could see it was only burning rubble from broken buildings and bits of asphalt.
I kept running towards that figure, wondering who it was. The flames of the pile were too high and too bright, leaving the figure to look like a shadow. Until I was about a few meters away I started to see the figure's features more clearly. A body armor suit, black hair down and slightly disheveled, it's a girl judging by the shape and structure of the sides and hips. It only took me a few more feet to realize who it was. "Elizabeth!" I gasped, more in shock than trying to get her attention. I ran faster to get to her. But within the few moments it took for me to build up more momentum, she had turned to look at me and I stopped dead in my tracks.
That same shade of red that unsettles me. The black, tribal looking marks upon her face. The evil scowl of utter hatred and rage. Her red eyes glint with ferocious flare as they peek through that black hair. I can just see the passion to destroy in those deadly orbs. She glares at me like a rabid, vicious wolf. Scarecrow was right. This isn't Elizabeth. I don't even know who to call her- WHAT to call her. He did it... Zalgo really fucking did it...
"....E...Ellie...?" I said with a quivering voice. She just cocked her head to the side and examined me.
Like a predator to their prey...
She straightened up and started coming down from the burning rubble. She was unaffected by the flames as she just walked straight through them. As she walked towards me, like a sneaking tiger ready to pounce, I could see the snow at her feet just...melt and sizzle. I gulped and just stood there until she was right in front of me. I was shaking. Not from fear but mainly because her whole vibe weighed me down to the point where my chest hurt after five seconds within her space of energy. I could barely breathe.
She just kept staring at me, anticipating for me to run or strike or do anything for that matter. All I could do was stammer. "E...Ellie...?"
She didn't respond to the name. All she did was keep staring. It was quickly unsettling me to no end. Before I could say anything more though, I heard her say in a monotonous voice, "She's not here anymore. It's just me."
My body tensed up more than it already was. As the both of us were locked into a stare down, I gradually clenched my fists and scowled slightly. "...Y-Yes she is... I know she is. Ellie is still in there!"
"I told you, it's just me," she replied. "I'm here to stay."
"No, you won't," I growled. "Bring her back."
"I said she isn't here anymore," she stated.
"Where is she then? Huh?" I stepped closer, looming over her small figure. Despite this, she was still highly intimidating. "Give her back to me. Give her back!"
"How can you ask for something that doesn't exist anymore," she remarked flatly, "It's impossible."
"No it's not!" I was getting frustrated with this girl. She looks like Elizabeth but she's not my Sunshine. I want my Sunshine! "Bring her back, you demented, little bitch. Give Elizabeth back to me!!!"
"She was never yours," she hissed slightly.
I froze and then began sneering even more. "Well, she sure as Hell isn't His," I growled.
She just stared at me for a few more moments. Her lips upturned in a small smile and she muttered, "I can't bring back your precious girl, even if I wanted to-."
"You will!!! No matter what I have to break to make you!!!" I seethed.
Her smile widened slightly and she went on. "I'm telling you, I can't bring her back."
Slight confusion filled my head and I asked, "What do you mean you can't bring her back?"
"It's not up to me," she answered, "its up to Daddy."
It took me a while to register what she had meant. When I did I could feel the anger race through my veins and I snapped. "Zalgo is NOT Elizabeth's father! Louis Umber is! Her real father died, protecting her real mother!!! She's an Umber, not a demon spawn! A father isn't the being who gave chaos to this world!!! A father doesn't try killing all of humanity!!! A father isn't a fucking monster!!! A father is a father!!! Zalgo is not that! He is a monster, all he does is destroy and destroy for the sake of dominance!!! He is a monster...! And monsters deserve to die...!!!"
Without any emotion in her tone, this...girl...said something that left me speechless.
"Then why are you not dead already?"
I just stared at her, unable to speak. I looked away from her and grit my teeth in frustration. My fists shook and clenched tighter and harder, until I thought I felt something trickle down my palm but nothing was there. Through a quivering, angered tone, I muttered, "I...I'm not a monster... I'm just another coward... I've always been a coward..."
"Tch," she stifled, "I see."
I looked back into her crimson eyes and continued. "I'm a coward that wouldn't change anything if he died..! I'm nothing...! If I die, I'd die being nothing but a waste of space! But, just because I'm a coward, doesn't mean that I don't want to die without fighting 'til my last breath! So, yeah, I'm a coward! But, I'm not weak."
She frowned slightly though her face quickly contorted back into its expressionless look. I brought a little more confidence in my stance and glared down at her. "So, I will fight. I will fight for what is needed. And, when I'm through, Ellie will go and do what she was meant for! She's going to make your pathetic excuse of a twisted bastard you call Daddy go running back to the Hell he came from and wish he never, ever came back!!!" I started stepping up closer to her until she was forced to slowly walk back. "I'm going to ask, one more time, for you to give Elizabeth back. Bring. Her. Back."
She grit her teeth and said, "No."
"I don't take no for an answer," I growled. I started reaching for my knife to get ready to fight. She frowned at my gesture and I swore I heard her growl like a wild animal. "You won't win. You're only a human! Once we start fighting, you've already lost..!"
I frowned. "Shut the fuck up, you demented harlot." Her concealed growl grew more fierce, but it soon stopped. Her expression softened and she spoke in her monotonous voice again, "Is that how you talk to your own precious Elizabeth?"
I actually laughed at her. "Bitch, you're not my Ellie."
"She isn't yours and never will be. What if she doesn't want to come back? What if she's happy where she is? A place without you."
My hand froze just before I was about to finally grip the hilt of my knife. She noticed this and added, "Didn't you ever stop to think that you're only hindering her? Didn't you ever stop to think that, if you hadn't showed up, she wouldn't be in this predicament? Didn't you ever stop to think that she's better off without you?"
My thoughts faltered as she kept speaking. She spoke with Elizabeth's voice. She spoke her words through Elizabeth's lips. Words that are meant to hurt me. Words that Elizabeth would never say to me. How dare she use Elizabeth's voice, her body, her mind? How dare she?! Such a disgusting thing doesn't belong in a girl so perfect... How dare she look like Elizabeth?! How dare she mock me with Elizabeth's looks?! How dare she?! HOW DARE SHE?!?
"You have done nothing to help her," she said, "You tore her away from her own dying father and mother, you kept her away from the life she deserved! She'd still be in school, she'd still be normal, she'd still have her family and friends, she'd still have her home, she'd still have EVERYTHING you took away!!! But you had to come back. You didn't want to give her up. She was supposed to be just another victim but instead she became your entire world. Or at least that's what you tell her. You fed lies. Everyone you know fed her lies. You just didn't want to give up what you call your 'true love' but, deep down, you labeled her as your property! She's nothing but an object; a nice, pretty toy that you preferred over the rest you collected and consumed with your own filthy greed! If you hadn't come into her life and whisked her away like some prince in a fake fairy tale...none of this would have happened. This is your fault. All because you couldn't let such a naive, adolescent toy run off without you having your fill."
I was too frozen with rage that I couldn't respond. I just stood there, staring into the eyes of the girl that was once my Sunshine. This is not my fault. I didn't start the fucking apocalypse! Ellie isn't some toy to me. If I had a choice between wanting the world and her, I would take the world so I could give it to her. I'm not perfect, but, shit, I love making her happy! This little bitch doesn't know anything about what Ellie and I have!
After finally getting over my rage I reached out and gripped her by the throat. "Shut the hell up, you infernal tramp...!"
I squeezed at her throat and she gagged. I pulled her closer and hissed at her, "I'm going to make you pay for using my Sunshine's body. You'll be punished for speaking your fucking words through her mouth! You're not Ellie. You don't deserve to have her body!"
With closed eyes, she clawed at my bandaged hand and groaned every time I put more pressure. I was too enraged to care about her gasping. That is...until she opened her blue eyes and gave me such an innocent and terrified look that sent chills through me. "Jeff...wh-what are you doing...? Aghk!!! Stop...! Please...! It...It hurts...! Jeff!" Tears started collecting and fell when too many came up. They streaked her black marked face and her lips quivered. Whimpers escaped those lips and I started to tremble. "E...E-Ellie...?" I said, more in shock than in distress."
"Let me go...! Please..! It hurts! Stop it, please...! Jeff...!" She wailed, tears falling harder and harder with every second that passed. This...this is my Elizabeth. It pained me to be...hurting her. In a state of panic I let her go and she stumbled back as she held her neck. She coughed, gasped and wheezed as her tears still fell. Before I could run up to her and hug the life out of her, she started laughing maniacally, which caught me off guard. She looked up at me, but now her eyes were back to red. An utter feeling of disappointment and devastation struck me hard and I just stood there, gaping at what was just now my Sunshine.
She soon stopped laughing and smirked at me. "I can't believe you actually thought you had your precious Elizabeth back!!! You're such a stupid piece of shit!!! Hahahaha!!! So fucking dense!!! Your look was priceless!!!" Her eyes suddenly shifted from bloody red to ocean blue and she pouted. "Jeff! Please, stop...! You're hurting me...!" she wailed in a saddened tone as she forced tears out of her eyes. Her eye color changed back to red and she exclaimed, "Boo -fucking- whoo!!!"
I just stared at her in utter shock and disgust.
That. Little. Bitch.
I finally pulled out my knife and charged after her, feeling enraged by such sick, twisted trickery. I'm going to get rid of the demented freak that took Ellie away. Just as my blade was close to striking her, she caught it with her bare hand. I struggled to pull it away but she ended up yanking it out of my grip and she shoved me down to my knees. I watched as she clutched the actual blade tightly, causing blood to drip through her fingers. Before I could get her to stop, I heard a crackling sound, right before the blade snapped and my knife was left in pieces. I stared down at the blade-less hilt and the bloody pieces of the blade itself, feeling utterly stunned to the core.
I looked back up at the girl in front of me only to see a wicked smile on her face and a crazy fire in her crimson eyes. "Oops," she said sarcastically, right before she laughed psychotically. I got up and took a few steps back. After watching her laugh for a few more moments, she stopped and stared at me blankly again. I frowned and hissed, "I don't need a knife. I'll still take you down." I put my fists up and put one foot forward, one foot back. She scowled and did the same. She huffed, the cold air turning her warm breath into a cloud of steam, making her look even more menacing. I stood my ground, no matter how deep her glare got.
I knew that I probably wouldn't win. The chances of me winning against that thing are extremely low. The only way I lose is if I die. If that's so, then I'll lose, fighting until my last breath, until the last of my blood drops, until my muscles grow numb and my strength decreases. I will mean nothing. I lose, I mean nothing. In the end, everyone is just another lifeless corpse...! But, I'm not dead yet. Life means victory, death means failure. I'm still alive, still breathing. I'm still strong, still capable. My chances of winning are low, this much I know. But it's still a chance.
I charge forward to take the first move in this fight. Unfortunately, she quickly side-stepped, making me whizz by her, but I reacted in time to swerve to my left and do a back kick right across her face. She grunted and stumbled back slightly, fresh blood dribbling from her mouth. She growled and sprinted towards me with an enraged look in her eyes. She jabbed my side and then elbowed my face with her other arm, sending me stumbling too. She threw punches and kicks and I kept blocking them as best as I could. Once, she came in for a kick then I quickly grabbed her by the ankle and pulled her up. She fell but got me back by kicking up my feet from under me. I fell on my back and wheezed for a short time until she straddled me and raised her fist for a punch. I moved my head out of the way in time, dodging a fatal punch that crumbled the asphalt next to it. She pulled back her fist and I retched when I saw bits of bone protruding from her bloodied knuckles. They receded back into her flesh and all that was left was scrapes.
Before she could even try attacking again, I jabbed her throat and pushed her off of me. I got up as quick as I could before Ellie -it sickened me to consider that thing Ellie- could recover and start coming after me. I turned around to see her getting up, coughing a few times and then training her eyes on me. She came running at me and I raised a fist to punch, but she counter-attacked by swiping my arm out of the way and kneeing me in my gut. I gagged and she punched me across the face as I was disoriented. She swung a punch but I ducked and picked her up by the waist. I threw her over my shoulder and I heard a sickening crack. My body jolted and I turned around to see her struggling to get up as her head gushed blood. She grunted and heaved as she forced herself to look up at me. The blood stopped flowing and I could see the gash closing up. I was appalled by the process. Before I could contemplate, she jabbed the side of my knee and jumped up, landing an uppercut on my chin. I stumbled back and when I returned my gaze to her, she grabbed me by the collar and head-butted me hard.
My fore-head ached from the hit and my vision blurred. During this, Ellie took this time to attack me and she punched my torso repeatedly. I didn't want to take anymore of it so I swiped at her neck but she grabbed my arm and spun as she flipped me over. I tumbled across the ground, coughing and wheezing. I stayed on the ground for a while, my body aching too much to let me get up fast enough. I suddenly felt a strong impact on my side and I yelled out. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Ellie standing over me, raising her leg to kick me again. She kept this up and I was begging my body to get up and counterattack. But, my begging wasn't enough as I heard a crack erupt and felt burning pain all over my side. I couldn't breathe. My legs shook. Everything shook. I spat out blood as I coughed and the taste was horrible.
I could hear Ellie laughing at my pain, seeing me tremble from the pain and weakness. I was afraid I'd almost spasm out of control. She didn't show any remorse as she stomped on my back while I was down. Her laughs grew louder and louder with every stomp and it wasn't long before something else cracked. She stopped stomping to say, "I told you, you wouldn't win. Look at how utterly pathetic and weak you are. It hurts to even look at you right now. This fight is over. It wasn't satisfying at all. You were nothing but a waste of my fucking time!!!" She kicked my side again and I yelped from the sudden hit. I coughed, gagged, and wheezed more as she stepped back. "You're finished," she stated and swiftly turned her back to me to start walking away.
This angered me in a way like never before. I brought up enough energy to yell at her, "D...Don't you walk away from me! I-I'm not done yet! I'll fucking...f-fucking kill you! Come back here and fight me!" I hacked up more blood but still kept yelling. "You call that a f-fight..?! That was nothing! Come back here and face me like you mean it!!! Come back and end me! You're nothing but a f...fucking coward if you keep walking away...! Fight me!"
She just kept walking. I frowned. "Do you fucking hear me?!?! Fight me! C-Come on...! FIGHT ME!!!" Ellie paid no attention to me and I just stared at her back in utter disbelief. I looked away and rested my head on the ground, huffing and trying to maintain my breathing, despite how much it hurt. How could I have let myself be so easily beaten? I had a chance...and I blew it. I don't think I can get up. Everything hurts. Everything hurts so fucking much...
I turned my head to see Ellie's figure getting farther and farther away from me. I dragged a bloodied, bandaged hand across the ground and weakly reached out towards her. Please, come back.. Don't leave me..
Get up.
I'm going to lose her.
Get up.
I can't afford to die like this.
Get up.
I promised that I'd get Ellie back.
Get up.
I promised I'd make it out of this alive.
Get up.
We would get out of this together.
Get. Up.
We would be there for each other. We would get married.
GET. UP.
I'm not about to break my promise. I'm not about to abandon my Sunshine.
GET. UP.
I can't be defeated. Not when I have so much to lose. Not when I finally have my everything.
GET! UP!
I can't break our promise.
GET UP YOU PETTY BASTARD!!!
Somehow, someway, I heaved myself up on my knees and soon my own feet. I huffed and growled from the pain bolting through my side but that didn't stop me. I could still see Ellie in sight. Everything else didn't matter but her. I took a step forward, then another, and another until I gradually broke into a full sprint. The pain I felt didn't matter to me. All that did was winning, because I know that if I do the real Ellie will come back.
I came closer and closer to Ellie, my adrenaline and anger growing more and more. I finally made it and shouted out a war cry as I tackled her down to the ground. She screamed from surprise which soon turned to anger and I pinned her down with my body. Before she could try anything, I started punching her repeatedly, over and over again, growling in rage with every hit I gave. "I can't break Ellie's and my promise! Our promise! I refuse to let something like you get in the way! This promise is one I intend to keep forever! No one will get in the way! NO ONE!! I won't break our promise! I will never break our promise!!! I'll live! Elizabeth will live! That was the deal! That will happen, no matter who we have to kill to make it happen!!!"
She sputtered through my punches, "If you kill me, y-you kill her too...!!!"
I stopped abruptly and glared at her. She smirked up at me knowingly and I frowned. "She was always dead," I muttered, which wiped that bloody smirk off of her face. I punched her several more times, bloodying her face even more. My wounds burned badly, my muscles ached and I'm sure a few rib bones are broken. Though, despite this, my rage and adrenaline overwhelmed what was supposed to be unbearable pain. The only thing that would stop it and satisfy me would to have the real Ellie back in my arms and fighting for the weak once again.
After taking many hits, she grew frustrated and threw me off. I fell on my side and winced from the impact. I was about to get up, when she gripped my hair and pulled me up to my knees. Her expression made it clear that she was pissed off, big time. I gulped at her deadly glare. "Like I said before," she started, "you are nothing but a pathetic piece of shit! Your sentiments towards your lover mean NOTHING!! You are fated to die with the rest of your swine species!!! Because you are weak!!!"
I stared and then smirked. "I got back up, didn't I?" I remarked and her glare faltered. After a few seconds, she came back around and gripped my hair tighter. I seriously should cut it, now that I'm in this situation. She growled and yelled at me, "THAT MEANS NOTHING!!!"
She let one hand let go of my hair and grip my throat instead. I gagged and suddenly felt a deep sinking feeling in my skin. Something started slithering around, consuming whatever space it could get. My pain intensified and I grit my teeth to keep from screaming. I could hear Ellie giggling softly as she looked down on me with a crazy smile and dilated eyes. The edge of my vision blurred and I started hearing other things, like whispers. Is she corrupting me? Shit...! I clenched her wrist in my hand and tried pulling her away from my throat. I could see the Corruption marks make their way up my hand and I panicked.
I tried reaching for my drop leg pouch but my hand tensed up before I could open it up. I choked on the Corruption and trembled by how it kept consuming me and slithering around like a parasite. Ellie just giggled like a little kid killing a colony of ants with a magnifying glass, watching them burn and writhe in agony. But I'm not an ant. Though she belittles me like one. Not even ten seconds in, I was unable to breathe at all. I couldn't make a sound. I looked up at Ellie, surely with panicked eyes, and...her vibe suddenly changed...
She stopped giggling, she stopped smiling and her glare faltered once again. Her face softened and she didn't look like a demented psychopath anymore, though she still had the marks and crimson eyes. She paused with a look on her face that made it seem like she was thinking hard. She looked me in the eyes and suddenly, her calm face turned to one of utter horror and she let go of me. I immediately felt the Corruption go away and I sucked in as much air as I could. Ellie trembled and backed away from me, staring at her hands with that horrified look in her eyes. Suddenly, she started screaming loudly. Her shrilled cries sent shivers down my spine and I watched as she covered her eyes and shook her head, screaming like a maniac. She clawed at her hair and looked up, still screaming.
I got up on my feet and started making my way towards her, despite that it was surely the wrong choice of action. Cautiously, I walked towards her. She hung her head and kept screaming, though this time, it sounded slightly distorted as it wavered. My cautious steps didn't make a difference, as she suddenly screamed louder than ever and swiped her arm in the air in my direction. The ground under my feet shook and I quickly leaped out of the way as a wide fissure made its way across the ground. I landed a few feet from it and stared at it in shock. I could've fallen in!
I looked back over at Elizabeth to see her fall to her knees and hug herself as she kept up her shrilled cries. I backed away from the newly made fissure and got up. I take a glance at Ellie and begin my way to her but she suddenly screams louder again, though it sounded more like a howl. It went on for a while and I wondered when she'd run out of air. She finally stopped and there was a long pause of eerie silence until...something howled back in reply...
I turned to look down the street and I heard pounding footsteps in the distance. Before I could figure out what was happening, a large Corrupted came barreling through a building near the street corner. It skidded to a stop at the center and whipped its tail around, getting ready to charge. "Ah, shit," I mumbled under my breath and it roared loudly before charging towards us. It's red eyes glowing fiercely as it snapped its razor sharp teeth. It came bounding at an unsettling rate and I knew I had to start running. I started backing up and gradually picking up my pace to get into a full run. In the process, though, I stumbled over debris and fell over. I groaned and sat up, quickly trying to get back up on my feet, but my aching body decided to refuse now of all times.
My heart raced as panic swept over me and I looked up to see the Corrupted getting closer and closer. I looked away from it just as it was within reach of me and waited for the impact of its horns impaling me. But the impact never came. Instead, only a loud wail and something splattering. I looked back up to see none other than Scarecrow, on the Corrupted with her scythe lodged in the creature's head. It toppled over onto its side and she yanked her scythe out only to strike it back into the beast's chest. The monster shuddered and then began to wither rather quickly. She jumped off of it and before I could speak to her, she said, "You owe me maybe like four or five things right now."
"Not the time Scarecrow," I muttered. She put a hand out to help me up but as soon as she did it was cut off by some black tendril. She gasped and stared at her stump where her rag hand once was. She looked to her left only to be tackled down by an enraged Ellie. Scarecrow was pinned down and was holding Ellie away from her as the demented girl growled and screamed at her. Ellie stopped growling to smirk and she remarked, "Hey, I remember you. You're one of Daddy's servants."
"Not anymore," Scarecrow said through a strained voice. Ellie chuckled and said, "Did he finally let you go like he wanted to? It seemed like the best thing for the both of you."
"Wh-What?" Scarecrow stuttered.
"You were losing your spark, Scarecrow. You were going soft. He was going to get rid of you but you did all of the work for him and left. Everyone was better off without her, he told me. And I agree. Just look at you now," Ellie said with an evil smirk.
I could sense the hurt radiating from Scarecrow and I frowned. I spoke up, "He's not your Lord anymore so why does that matter?"
Scarecrow glanced at me and then back at Ellie. "I...I...," Scarecrow mumbled and Ellie smiled while I frowned.
"You're weak," Ellie said, "You became nothing but a disappointment to Lord Zalgo. You might as well have done your true job and stand around letting mangy crows peck at your filthy rags."
I heard Scarecrow's breath hitch and I yelled, "That's enough!!!" and leaped up to tackle Ellie off of her. We tumbled across the ground, grunting and growling like animals. She ended up on top of me when we stopped and she started landing blows to my face. I quickly threw her off and got up, straining from my injuries. She ran at me and kneed me in my gut again then punched me across the face again. I kicked up and struck her hip then elbowed her head. She growled and kicked me across the face then kicked my chest. I stumbled back and huffed. She struck me repeatedly with different attacks and I tried to keep up but my body wasn't cooperating with my thoughts and will.
I heard Scarecrow calling out to me and I saw her running towards us out of the corner of my eye. Before she could come in to help Ellie screamed, "THIS IS NOT YOUR FIGHT!!!" and sent those black tendrils at her. Scarecrow flew back and tumbled across the ground, groaning when she started getting up. Ellie did that screaming howl again and two Corrupted showed up. They went after Scarecrow, who prepared herself in time to fight them. I directed my attention back to my fight only to be popped in the jaw and I spit out blood. Ellie punched me again and I coughed up more blood into my hand.
Come on, Jeff, you can do this!
I raised up my arms just in time to block another punch. As her fist with-drawled I jabbed her side and kicked up her legs from out under her. She fell on her back and grunted from the impact. I used this chance catch my breath and prepare myself for more attacks. As Ellie was getting up, Scarecrow yelled from behind me, "Jeff!The antidotes! Use them! On Elizabeth!"
"What?! Why?! They won't be enough to get rid of her Corruption!" I yelled back, and dodged a punch that Ellie threw.
"Just do it!" Scarecrow demanded and went back to fighting off the two Corrupted creatures. I looked back at Elizabeth and dodged another attack just in time. I didn't like the idea of using my antidotes on Ellie. Just look at her! She's overrun with Zalgo's evil! How will two antidotes work on her with her Corruption at such a high magnitude? It's impossible!
Right?
At this point, I already screwed myself over so fuck it, why not? I quickly opened my drop-leg pouch and pulled out a syringe with the cerulean chemical swishing inside. Ellie looked at it and growled. I think she knows what this is. Either way, she's getting her damn dose!
I dodged her attacks, waiting for the perfect opening so I could inject the antidote. She came in for a punch but I ducked and jumped up, gripping her throat and raising the syringe to inject it into her neck. Before the needle came close, she head-butted me and I stumbled back. My hold on the syringe failed and, as I fell, I saw Ellie grab it in mid-air. I fell on my back and wheezed for a bit. I sat up and looked at Ellie just in time to see her smile wickedly and throw the syringe on the ground. The glass cracked and Ellie stomped on the whole thing, the crunch of the glass making her smile widen. I stared at the broken remains of the syringe and frowned as the cerulean chemical spread across the ground. Now I only have one.
I backed up and reached inside my pouch to get the other one, but Ellie came charging towards me before I could grab it. I side-stepped before she hit me but she immediately came for another attack as she grabbed my arm, kicked me down and pulled my arm around my back. I yelped from the pain as she kept bending my arm. I was almost afraid she'd break it. I counter-attacked by throwing my head back and hitting her nose. She grunted from the hit and I kicked her down as I rolled over onto my back. She fell and I quickly got up to pin her down. She thrashed under me like a wild animal, nose bloodied from my hit, and I put all of my weight on her to keep her down. I reached into my pouch and took out the last syringe. I have to make this. If I don't then I'll be wasting an antidote that could've saved either one of us.
I held down Elizabeth's head and raised up the syringe. "This is for your own good!" I shouted at her.
Please work...!
I yelled out as I brought up enough courage to bring the syringe down. But, I didn't inject it. I couldn't. A hand had stopped me from driving the needle into Ellie's neck. Then...
"What do you think you're doing to my daughter?" A deep, menacing voice spoke to me and I slowly turned around and looked up to see the embodiment of utter horror. "Zalgo..." I mumbled.
"Daddy...!" Ellie chimed happily. Zalgo flashed her a sweet smile that I didn't think was possible and it quickly turned into a scowl when he looked back at me. His fiery red eyes bore into my very being. He lifted up my hand with a vise tight grip and asked, "What's this in your hand?"
I didn't answer. I could only stare with panicked eyes. Zalgo plucked the syringe out my hand and lifted it up to look at it. He stifled a wry laugh and threw it over his shoulder. "An antidote? How ingenious, yet oh so idiotic. Did you honestly think a mere chemical would save my dear daughter? Tch! You humans really do amuse me, but damn are you stupid."
Zalgo lifted me off of Ellie and gripped my throat. I choked and gagged as he dug his nails into my skin and squeezed. My feet dangled in the air as he studied me with a mischievous look in his eyes. He smirked and said, "Aren't you a sight for sore eyes? Absolutely unsettling." He gripped my chin with his other hand and pulled me down to have a better look. "Nice precision, especially on the eyes. Actually, now that I look at you more closely..." His smile widened and he said, "Wait a second...! Haha! I remember you! My dear little Jeffery! Damn, you've grown. I remember when you were just a kid." Zalgo lifted me back up and I clawed at his pale hand. What is he talking about?
"I never thought I'd see you around, especially with my daughter," he continued. "Still sick in the head? I could only imagine. Does it still pain you to smile when deep down you're suffering?"
I didn't answer. He chuckled and applied more pressure to my throat. "You're a hideous thing, but your creation was beautiful. Murdering your own flesh and blood? So amusing to watch! And you've still been putting on a good show for me ever since. You made me work to see you suffer!" he growled the last sentence and squeezed even more. If he does again, I'll pass out. "But," he added, "in the end, it was all worth it. Ruining you was one of the best things I have ever done."
Realization swam over me and I stared at him in shock. My hands stopped clawing and my blood ran cold. "Y..You...you did this me...? You...made me this way...?!" Zalgo chuckled and put a finger to his lips, shushing softly. I trembled and he just laughed at my fear and rage. "YOU SON OF A BITCH!!!" I yelled at him, practically straining my voice to the point where my vocal cords hurt. Zalgo just chuckled and began casually walking around, still holding me up like I weighed nothing. "You fucker! You ruined my life! How could you?! I was okay! I was normal! I was happy! Everyone was happy! My family would still be alive! Why?! Answer me, WHY?!?!"
He tsked and replied, "You talk too much. Tone it down, won't you?"
"FUCK YOU!!!"
"How rude," Zalgo said and pouted slightly. "You need to resolve those anger issues, Jeffery."
"Don't call me that," I growled. He narrowed his eyes at me and said, "I will call you whatever I want and you will accept it, do you understand?" He squeezed my throat tighter and I wheezed. He raised an eye-brow, waiting for me to agree. I only did one thing. I spit on his face and he snarled at me. His expression scared me shit-less. He wiped off my saliva and back-handed me harshly. "Mutt," he growled lowly, and kept on walking. I kicked at him but he was never fazed by it. His angered expression stayed the same. I clawed at his hand until it should've bled but nothing would happen. He stopped walking and it wasn't until he squeezed my neck and jerked me back, did I quit trying to hurt him. I huffed and glared down at him. He turned to me and chills ran down my spine. Not because he was snarling again but because he was smirking wickedly.
"Well, I apologize for cutting this short, but I'm afraid you need to leave," he said. I gave him a puzzled look and looked down, only to see the fissure that Ellie made earlier below me. I gasped and clung on to Zalgo's wrist. He chuckled and said, "This is the end of the line, Jeffery. You've lost. You had a good run. It was fun while it lasted. I'll miss your entertainment. Farewell, mutt."
I shook my head frantically and, before I knew it, he violently threw me down the fissure. "NOOOOOOOOO!!!" I screamed. Air brushed my back as I fell and I frantically swung my hands, desperate for something to grab and hold me up. I could hear my own heart beat going wild as I watched the red and black sky grow more distant and distant. I could even see Zalgo, looking over the edge and watching me with those devil eyes and mocking me with that evil grin. The walls of the fissure closed in around me as I fell farther and farther in. I was bound to meet an inevitable and messy death. But I was more worried over Elizabeth than myself. I lost. I lost the fight and now I'm going to die without having helped Ellie. I'm so sorry...
I looked back up at the small dot that was once the opening of the fissure and felt my heart shatter. I'm so fucking sorry...
And, as I fell, the last thing I heard before all light disappeared was...
Atone For Your Sins, Mutt.