I didn't sleep much that night.
When my sleepy eyes managed to flutter open for what must have been the twentieth time that morning, I finally saw the first signs of morning light.
The bright orange sun gleamed through the single window of the room, casting bronzed shadows across the cemented walls.
I glanced over towards where Jane was still sleeping. Her bed looked almost identical to mine. A simple twin bed with plain white linens.
I pulled my own sheets back, lifting myself out of the bed and stretching slightly.
- "Hey...Sully?" -
I called out towards my alter as I approached the window and peered out.
It really was beautiful. Nothing like I'd ever experienced in Zalgo's realm. Somehow, I already felt more alive than I ever had since I died.
- "Liu." -
Sully responded simply.
I felt his awareness build upon mine as he took partial control of our body.
"I don't want to hurt Jeff." I audibly spoke, just soft enough as to not awake Jane. There was a twinge of pain in my voice, and I was sure Sully could tell, considering what he said next.
He shifted control, sighing softly.
"I know." Sully groaned softly.
"You're a good person Liu. Too good. It's gonna kill you someday..." He shook his head, lifting us up to sit on the windowsill as he glanced in the direction of the rising sun.
A confused expression crossed my face as I responded. I had to let out a soft laugh.
"I'm already d-."
"No. Not like that." He cut me off.
"You care, Liu. Too much. About everyone else. That's what's gonna kill you. It'll destroy you. It'll eat away at you from the inside out." Sully spoke somberly for once, that raspy and typically anger coated tone fading away.
I blinked my eyes closed, turning away from the sun and kicking my feet against the floor quietly.
I was about to respond when Sully suddenly spoke again.
"You paint me out to be this arrogant, self-absorbed dick, but that's not fucking true. I just-..." Sully sighed, bringing a hand up to our forehead.
Several moments of silence passed before I spoke again, urging him on to continue as my curiosity roared.
"You just...what?" I asked softly.
"JUST NOTHING!" Sully exclaimed, crossing his arms suddenly.
I jumped at his volume, as did Jane.
I felt my face grow heated with embarrassment as I quickly apologized for being so loud.
Jane didn't seem to mind too much, in fact she seemed...concerned.
"Is everything okay?" She asked tenderly, sitting up in her bed.
I nodded quickly, grabbing my scarf from my bed and wrapping it around my neck.
"Yeah, I just...need some air." I responded, too apprehensive to look her in the eyes.
She responded with a soft "Alright." Seconds later, I heard the shifting of sheets again.
I stepped out of the room, assuming she'd decided to ignore my random unsuspected outburst and head back to sleep.
I did as I had said, walking around the mansion for what felt like forever before finally finding a suitable exit.
I headed out the door, embracing the cool autumn breeze and calming sound of birds chirping softly from within the pine trees.
There was a small clearing in the forest which I proceeded to follow for a bit, needing a break from all of this insanity. I just needed to think.
I found a large desolate tree, separate from the others in the forest, and sat down against it, resting my head back against the trunk.
My eyes fluttered shut as I let my mind go silent for once.
The calmness of the breeze mixed with the stillness of the woods quickly lulled me to sleep for what felt like hours.
For once, I didn't feel a care in the world. That is, until I was suddenly awoken by the sharp sound of a twig snapping from behind me.
I jolted awake, jumping to a standing position and quickly glancing in the direction of the sound.
Nothing.
Before I could inspect further, however, I felt a hand wrap around my neck and jerk me backwards.
I yelped in a mix of pain and shock as the bony fingers tightened their grip.
It wasn't long before Sully emerged either, choking out slurred curses as he attempted to kick the figure holding us in place.
I heard a dark and familiar laughter reverberate throughout the forest.
"What in the world gave you the idea that you could so simply deceive me?" Zalgo's voice hummed with a lurid bitterness.
I stopped struggling almost instantly at that. Too overwhelmed by fear to fight back.
"You believed you could make a fool out of me? Outsmart me? Bind yourself to the Slenderman's will and escape me for all eternity? I misjudged you, Liu Woods." The bitterness of Zalgo's tone only seemed to grow darker as his nails began to dig into my throat.
I choked up blood, any pleas for release quickly silenced by cries of pain.
That pain, however, was nothing compared to what I felt next.
A blinding agony struck through me as I felt my chest begin to burn like I'd just been set on fire.
I screamed, my hands clawing at Zalgo's grip desperately.
He let go, allowing me to fall to the dirt ground. But that pain didn't cease for a moment, it only grew stronger, surpassing limits I'd never known existed.
I curled into a ball, crying and coughing up blood as I began to beg him to stop.
"P-please...I cant...it...it burns..." I cried, clutching my chest tightly.
I pulled my hands back for a split second as something caught me off guard.
My arms were growing transparent, something I'd never witnessed before. It was as if I was really disappearing right then and there.
The panic in my tone worsened as my eyes widened in horror.
"What are you doing!?" I cried out, my blurred vision focusing on the blackened demonic figure, hovering above my now dissipating form.
"I'm simply extracting your soul. You've become of no use to me." Zalgo muttered indignantly.
I watched helplessly as his red eyes beamed down upon me, depriving me of the last tinge of life I held onto so dearly.
- Sully...Sully, please. I don't want to disappear. Help... - I wailed within our mind, the pain worsening with every second.
- Liu...I'm sorry I couldn't...p-protect you. - Sully responded, his voice strained with pain.
That was when I let go. My grip on my chest loosening as I let my hand fall limply onto the forest ground.
I wasn't ready to die.
But somehow this feeling had become numb to me. It hurt so badly that a part of me really did just want it to be over.
Just as the world around me began to blur into darkness I heard three distinct gunshots and some further indistinct voices.
They were shouting something incoherent, I was too weak to make anything out.
That was when I felt the sudden release of pressure from my chest, as if it had just been lifted immediately.
Was I gone?
Was this nonexistence?
I opened my eyes slowly.
Everything around me was black. It was as if I'd been thrown into an eternal hell of darkness, the air cold and lifeless.
"H-hello?" I called out softly.
My voice bounced off the nonexistent walls, echoing for what felt like an eternity.
"Sully?" I called out once more.
Nothing. Just pure silence.
I looked down at myself, examining my hands in front of me.
That was odd...
The stitches were gone entirely. As if they'd never been there in the first place.
I instinctively moved my hands up towards my face, feeling it with growing curiosity.
It was entirely smooth. Not a stitch in place, or a wound for that matter.
I heard a faint voice call from somewhere behind me.
"Liu." It beckoned.
I spun around, blinded almost instantly by the white light that clashed against the darkness.
As my vision focused I could make out the silhouette of a boy around my age.
A boy with medium length, dark brown hair, staring back at me with blue eyes.
"Liu...Don't let go." It spoke again.
And suddenly I recognized the figure.
"Jeff?" I asked, stepping foreword as tears welled up in my eyes.
Jeff gave me a sympathetic smile as he held a hand out towards me.
I quickly took ahold of it, stepping into the light with him.
"Jeff, I-."
My voice was silenced as he pulled me into a close embrace, resting his head into my shoulder.
I hugged him back eagerly, the tears rushing down my face now.
"I'm sorry Liu. I'm so sorry." Jeff spoke through echoed whispers.
I shook my head, gripping onto his clean white hoodie.
"I forgive you, Jeff. I'll always forgive you."
Jeff clenched onto me tighter at that.
"Liu...I need you to wake up now." He spoke, not pulling away for a moment.
My face contorted in confusion.
"Wake up? But I'm...I'm-."
"Liu. Wake up." He spoke again.
I pulled away, looking towards him with bright perplexed emerald eyes.
My confusion quickly shifted to horror as I watched my brother begin to melt into a puddle of blood, strewn across the white floor.
"Wake up. Wake up. Wake up. WAKE UP!" The voice repeated over and over, growing more demanding and desperate with each plea.
I covered my ears, screaming out at the intense volume and squeezing my eyes shut.
I bolted up with a gasp. My eyes darting around the room hurriedly as I took in my surroundings. I felt a hand against my shoulder, pushing me back down onto the surface I was laying across.
"Jeff?" My voice shook warily as I stared at the figure above me.
"How?"