At first, Chase was hyper aware that he was dreaming but luckily nothing was really happening.
He felt as if he was floating. Something that reminded him of a night sky hung above him, stars flashing like fireworks. In the distance, something like laughter echoed around, joyful and loving.
Then he realized he was falling and he could start seeing everything much clearer around him. It was still dark but the stars turned into gun flashes, bullets flying in the night. Slowly like a broken record, the laughter turned into screams, so terrified and agonizing.
Chase kept falling and falling deeper until finally he hit something! The ground was a liquid, sucking him in like thick water. He swam up only to realize it was blood.
Bodies floated on the surface with him all bloodied and broken like in the last nightmare he had.
In the distance, he heard a sorrowful laugh. It was different from last night's, no longer giggly and insane. It sounded like his laugh.
Chase used one of the bodies as a raft and pulled himself up, uncaring of his surroundings. He just had to block it all out and it will all go away. It wasn't real!
'It's not real. It's not real. It's not real. Just a dream. You're fooking dreaming. This fooked up mess isn't you. Come on, Brody! Wake up!'
'Wake up Brody' another voice spoke out but it sounded as broken as the screams. Chase's eyes darted up to see a figure not too far away, eyes glowing green. Watching him like prey.
'Always watching, Brody. Always'
A darkness swept over him and suddenly Chase leaped up in his bed gasping for air. He held his hand over his chest, coughing at the sudden movement.
For some reason, this nightmare was worse than the others.
He raised his hand up to feel tears and brushed them away, 'Something bigger is happening here' he thought, 'Feels that way, anyway. Perhaps Marvin's spell is breaking?'
Once he finally caught his breathe, he looked around his bedroom, only vaguely realizing beyond his black-out curtains, the bright sun beat in the room from the sides, softly lighting it up. He could see the mess that was still covering his floors and he sighed heavily.
'Well it's not like I have a job to go to now. I really don't have any excuses this time.' With a light groan, he picked himself up off the bed and went to the bathroom to clean up a bit, doing anything and everything to distract himself from his own mind.
The nightmare was so bad, he actually wanted to clean to forget about it.
When he finally got some leftover clothes on, he crackled his knuckles and set himself to work, albeit slowly, turning on some music as he did so.
Anti had seen it all. Not the nightmare, but rather Brody's thrashing. It was like he was being tortured not that Anti minded. He merely cocked his head to the side, watching in fascination and listening to Chase's pained cries in his sleep.
Anti wasn't sending him nightmares. He couldn't. But that didn't mean he didn't enjoy seeing Chase in pain. Anti didn't enjoy a lot of things but for some reason, seeing this man in fear just really tickled him.
Anti nearly glitched within the bedroom TV when Chase woke up so suddenly, breathing erratically. Minutes passed until Chase finally did something that confused Anti. He went and took a shower!
Now he was cleaning!
Why? To better himself? No, Chase was too far gone at the moment to do that. Perhaps it was for distraction? The music would help explain that.
The glitch was curious about this sudden weird behavior but he really wanted to play again. To mess with Chase. With nothing better to do at the moment, why not?
Connecting himself to Chase's phone where the music was coming from, he glitched into it, rummaging through to find something to fuck with.
Chase was just minding his own business, almost finished cleaning up his bedroom floor when the music started to cut in and out.
He stopped and looked over at the phone with worry, making Anti giggle through the speaker.
Chase let the bag he was holding go and shuddered at the noise.
'Chasey~! I see you!'
Nothing could have prepared Anti for the rage in Chase's eyes. With sudden fury, Chase ran over to the phone and just started screaming.
"WHO ARE YOU!? WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME YOU SICK FUCK!? WHY ARE YOU WATCHING ME!? HUH!? YA FOOKING LITTLE BITCH, WHY DON'T BE A MAN AND SHOW YOURSELF!? YOU DON'T KNOW ME!! I'LL FOOKING KILL YOU, YOU WORTHLESS PIECE OF SHIT!"
Honestly, Anti didn't know how to respond to that.
So he kept quiet. But this only seemed to anger Chase further and he grabbed the phone and threw it against the wall, breaking it!
Immediately, Anti was shoved out of the connection and back into the void.
His 'body' shook and jittered, glitching like mad, trying to contain itself. A strange pain wedged itself in his core almost akin to physical pain.
'The fook was that? That was . . . .strange?'
Chase's tantrum was unexpected and really Anti had been aiming for it but for some reason, he couldn't bring himself to enjoy it like he thought he could.
'Perhaps it just wasn't enough. Not the reaction I was looking for?'
Anti glitched back into Chase's TV and watched as the man had his foot on the phone as if he had been stomping it and he was now breathing heavily.
He could still see the unbridled rage in his eyes but soon that turned to regret. Or at least that's what Anti thought it was. He was still learning these things.
"Fuck" Chase muttered under his breathe, "FUCK!!" he yelled louder and ran a hand through his hair. After a moment, he grabbed the bag of trash and threw his phone in with it before walking out of the room. Of course Anti followed him as he went to the kitchen and continued the cleaning.
It was odd to the glitch. Why continue such a mundane task after all that? More distraction?
But this time he just watched, not interfering.
Once the house was all cleaned up, Chase set to work on putting his clothes in the washer and his dirty dishes in the dishwasher. He swept the floors up and even went outside to clean out his car.
He was really doing everything and anything he could to NOT think about what the fuck just happened that morning. . . . afternoon.
'Humans are so fucking weird' Anti thought to himself but still watched every move.
Chase breathed out a groan as he sat down on the couch, finally done with cleaning up the whole house. He was finally somewhat relaxed and even a little tired.
'God, I hope I'm not going crazy'
Running his hand through his hair again, he fluffed it back and stuck his cap on backwards over it before crossing his fingers together over his mouth in a praying position. . .not that he had ever prayed before.
'Now I don't even have a phone. I'll have to go get one before the court date soon. Don't want them to see me as TOO much of a screw-up.'
He scratched his beard absentmindedly, 'But I don't have the money to just go out and buy a new phone. Don't even have a job anymore. Fuck, I'm so stupid'
He thought about his options not that any of them were really any good.
'I can't just go to Sean. Haven't spoken to him for years. Scheep's a no-go and I can't just go to Marvin for money AND his funky potions.'
He thought about who else he knew but his options were dwindling, 'Of course Stacey's never getting a call from me about that. And Jameson's probably too busy. That only leaves. . . . ' he didn't want to admit it. He didn't want to inflate this man's ego even more than it was.
But he had no choice.
'Jackie'
Of course he didn't hate his brother. He didn't hate any of them. but Jackie did tend to get on his nerves a lot with his boasting and gloating.
'I guess I don't have any other option.' Rolling his eyes, Chase finally picked himself up and left, promptly making a point not to touch his car. He was walking again, long distance be damned.
Anti watched him go a little miffed that he couldn't follow since Chase destroyed his phone. With nothing else technological on him, he was forced to just wait. Maybe he was going out to get a new phone?
He couldn't wait to mess with that one, too!
But he still grumbled. Maybe he shouldn't have messed with the car so much then at least he could have gone with.
Anti knew he could really probably go anywhere he pleased but Chase was the perfect target. . . . plaything.
He was also one of the only egos that didn't remember him which made scaring him even more fun. He hoped he'd eventually call in an exorcist or something.
In a few weeks, too, would be Chase's court date to fight for the custody of his kids. Perhaps that was also why he cleaned up the house? Anti didn't care but he found himself thinking these things, trying to understand.
Then his mind fell on Chase's spawn. He didn't care about the kids, either, but he didn't exactly hate them. The last time he saw them, they weren't scared of him. It bothered him at first but he tried not to think about it. Maybe all kids were just weird like that.
Anti groaned, turning on the TV he was in. In a bored manner, he sat in the nonexistent couch in the TV show that was on at the moment. Before it could switch scenes, Anti paused the television, keeping it on that frame so he could stay on the couch.
Not even realizing it, he chose to lay just as Chase had and stared up at the 'ceiling'.
Now he played the waiting game. His least favorite game.
After a little over an hour, Chase finally made it to his destination. Sighing, he walked in the studio, anxiously scratching his arm. He didn't want to be here. He didn't want to do this but he didn't have a choice in the matter.
He walked up to the secretary and cleared his throat, "Sir?"
The man at the desk looked up at him with a bored expression and Chase couldn't help but snicker in his head, 'Hey I don't want to be here, either, buddy'
"I'm looking for Jackie. He's a stuntman on the set? I'm his brother"
"One moment." the man made an all-call and went back to playing solitaire on the computer.
Standing around awkwardly, he found he could only wait. It was while he was waiting when he realized just how out-classed he was there. All around him walking in and out, people wore nice business clothing, there was nice art on the walls, everything looked clean and shiny.
Yeah he definitely didn't belong here. So how did Jackie make it here?
Because he could take a hit, that's how.
"Chase! Dude!"
Chase mildly flinched at the sudden yell but turned to see Jackie in his uniform running towards him. Chase felt the urge to duck away but kept fought it down as Jackie made it up to him jumping immediately for a hug.
"Hey, how you doing, bro!?" Jackie looked ecstatic that he was there so Chase couldn't help but smile a little.
"I'm good, man. You seem to be doing well, yourself. Another hero gig? Your favorite, right?"
"Yeah! It's great!" Chase felt so intimidated around him anymore, it was so weird. Here Chase had a fit dad-bod and then Jackie could practically be a super-model! His muscles were better-looking at least.
"That's great. Uh listen, I was wondering if ya had some time to talk?"
Jackie snorted, "Ran out of options, huh? Oh don't give me that look. I'm not stupid. I know you!"
Chase suddenly felt embarrassed but Jackie gently pat his shoulder.
"Hey it's alright, man. Come on." Jackie took his arm and led him to the side of the building. Luckily there was no one else there to bother them or listen in on their conversation.
"Now tell me what you need and I'll try my best to help ya" Jackie crossed his arms making him look even MORE intimidating and Chase had a hard time finding the words. He didn't expect for Jackie to just call him out like that!
"I uh. . . Sorry it's just . . . I don't know what happened, man. I haven't been able to sleep lately. The meds Schneep gives me aren't working. . ." he didn't want to confess it but Jackie's stare was like a kryptonite, "I lost my job."
Jackie sighed, "Another one? Dude" he didn't sound angry but the pity in his voice stung him more.
"On top of that . . . I broke my phone. . . and my car keeps acting up. . . I uh"
"Need money for a new phone?" Jackie guessed and Chase nodded.
Without another word, Jackie pulled out his wallet from god knows where and started to write him a check, "How are the kids doing, Chase? You go to court soon again, right? Want me to go with ya?"
"I can't ask that of you, too, man"
"Hey don't worry about it" Jackie finished the check and handed it to him, "That's what brothers are for, man. I just want the best for you. You helped me get this job, remember. This is me paying it forward"
Chase almost felt surprised until he saw the amount on the check. Barely enough for a new phone.
"Uh. . .thanks man"
"No problem." Jackie smiled, "I didn't want to give you too much, you know, just in case your problem comes back"
That struck him.
"Problem?"
It was Jackie's turn to look uncomfortable now, "You know what I mean. I don't want to enable your alcohol addiction, Chase. It's not good for you OR your situation."
Chase rolled his eyes, "It's not an addiction, Jackie. I can stop whenever I want." said every alcoholic ever.
Jackie didn't look convinced, "I don't want to argue with you, Chase. I'm trying to help you. And I'm sorry about your job, I really am but I can't do anything about that. Maybe if one of the camera guys quits or gets fired, I'll mention you but. . . . I can't help you any more than this"
Chase understood where Jackie was coming from. He really did. But did he really have to just shove it in his face like that?
"Whatever. Thanks for the money, I guess. You should probably get back to work. I know you need to feed your addiction, too" he turned to walk away, not seeing the look on Jackie's face.
But Jackie was calmer than he would have been over a year ago, "I hope things get better for you, Chase! I really do, bro. Nice seeing you. Call me if you need anything else!"
Chase just kept walking, making his way to the bank.
He felt bad. He really did but he was also just so angry. Everything was going wrong for him and then Jackie just had to make things worse. Granted, he DID end up giving him the money to help him a little but his words grated into him like knives under his skin.
It wasn't like he chose for this shit to happen to him!
It was near dark by the time he made it back home with a new phone and a bag of fast food. He didn't go to the store yet again but he couldn't care less. A bad day called for yummy lard.
He flopped down on his couch getting ready to turn on the TV only to suddenly freeze at what he was seeing.
The TV was on already for one but that's not what freaked him out. It appeared a scene was paused and someone who looked exactly like him was laying on the set's couch!
A fry fell out of his mouth in his shock, "What the fuck?"
Suddenly the figure on the couch woke up and stared back at him with an equally freaked out expression.