Chapters Darkness. That's all I saw as I fluttered my eyes open. I couldn't tell if my eyes were even open or closed, nor could I tell where I was. Strangely, I couldn't remember much, except for... Suddenly, realization hit me as I remembered taking the survey, and being abducted by a demented version of Fluttershy. The element of kindness herself. I had been forced into a sick game of life or death, and every choice I made had either ended in bloodshed or punishment. Fluttershy had been ruthless throughout the entire survey, forcing her animals to do the unthinkable to people I cared for, but also didn't care for.
I had broken the rules only once, and as a result of my desperation, my girlfriend who had coaxed me into taking the survey was mauled to death by Fluttershy's most deadly animal, Harry. I was given an array of questions, and with each question came either suffering for me or my girlfriend. In the end, I had done harm to myself, being forced to cut deep into my flesh with a nearby knife I had in my room. I had to spell out "TRAITOR" on my arm, and cut deep enough so that the wounds would leave scars. I had attempted to use my girlfriend as a cover to save my own ass, but Fluttershy put me to the ultimate test. A test of kindness in it's own twisted form.
In the end, I had failed, and seeing I had enough nerve to use my girlfriend as an excuse to save myself, she was slaughtered before my eyes on webcam. Fluttershy truly had exposed me for who I really was. A lying traitor that would use someone he actually cared for as a cover to save himself. By the end of the survey, I was already broken, and it only grew worse, as I was forced to watch some demented video labelled as "Fate.mp4" In the video, it showed footage of my girlfriend moments before she died. She told me that she hated me, and wished only the worse death for me. I couldn't escape my own true nature, seeing she had every right to hate me, because I had gotten her killed.
After the survey, I remembered being abducted into some room with close to a thousand different screens, each being other unfortunate victims of the survey. Fluttershy had approached me, telling me that it was up to the other participants to decide my fate. I was expecting certain death, but somehow, I had been spared. Fluttershy stated that I wasn't finished, and had yet another test to take. After that, I remembered nothing except pitch-black darkness.
Now, I was here. Lost in what seemed like endless darkness, but strange enough, I was able to move freely. I wasn't constricted by any sort of force. I decided to feel around, and attempt to figure out where I was. Using my hands, I examined the solid surface I was sitting on. It was cold and hard. It wasn't even hard to recognize as steel. Out of my investigation, the sound of a hiss from within the small box erupted, causing me to jump and immediately panic, as I sprawled to my feet and attempted to run. As weak as I was, I couldn't run fast, but didn't get far, hitting a solid wall of what sounded like glass.
Not thinking straight, I ran in the opposite direction as fast as possible, until once again I hit yet another glass wall. I couldn't run to my left or right, so I attempted to run forward, but came to the same conclusion as before, hitting a solid glass wall. In the darkness, I couldn't tell which direction I was running anymore, so I pounded against the glass wall, hoping for it to break. The glass was thick, causing my knuckles to start hurting and sweat start to form upon my forehead. I resulted to shouting for help, only to receive no response and my own voice to echo within the small enclosure.
I continued to pound against the glass, even though it was clear that it wasn't going to break, as the hissing sound continued to circulate throughout the enclosure. My worst fear was that the hissing noise was some sort of poisonous gas being leeched into whatever I was stuck in, slowly killing me with each passing second. The darkness made it hard to even tell if anything was happening. I couldn't see my own hand in front of my face, I couldn't determine where I was, and in that moment, I couldn't tell if my eyes were even open. I continued to panic, until I heard the sound of an intercom erupt from within the area.
"Experiment 1030771, please hold still," spoke an unknown robotic voice.
I stopped pounding, looking around in the pitch-black darkness.
"Who are you! Where are you! Come out and face me!" I yelled.
"If you do not calm down, I will have no choice but to sedate you," replied the voice.
"FUCK YOU!" I cussed, as I continued to scream and pound against the glass.
"Experiment is not responding. Commencing sedation process," spoke the voice.
Suddenly, I felt a strong surge of electricity surge throughout my entire body, immediately causing me to collapse to the ground in severe pain from the unexpected shock.
I opened my eyes to nothing but pure darkness, confused at first of where I was, until I remember what had happened. I carefully stood back up, being careful to watch my surroundings, even though my surroundings were completely invisible to me. Panic and fear started to overcome my mind, until I heard the same voice within the box again.
"Do you understand the consequences now, Experiment 1030771?" asked the robotic voice.
I was in no position to argue, so I just nodded my head in response to the unknown voice.
"Good. Now that you are calm, allow me to explain where you are," spoke the cold voice. "You are in a safe box, protected from any threats outside of the box. However, this box is a test of both mentality and sanity. All you have to do in this box is remain within for a period of four days, but be warned. As I had stated, this is a test of mentality and sanity, meaning this test will play tricks on your mind, human. The darkness is both a matter of wonders and mysteries, able to fool even the boldest of the bold. No human has ever survived this test, so tell me, human, are you afraid of the dark?"
My anger was growing massively. Was this unknown voice serious? All I had to do was remain here for four days? That seemed too easy, and the fact that no human had survived the test made me quiver.
"What if I do survive?" I asked with aggravation in my voice.
"You will be free to go," confirmed the voice. "You will be returned to wherever you came from, able to do whatever you wish to do."
The reward of the survival made my confidence boost a little bit. If I survived, I could shut down this sick game of madness for good, and all I had to do was sit here for four days. It seemed simple enough, but even I knew that nothing about this sick game was simple.
"I'll survive your sick game," I claimed. "You bastards will pay for all you've done!"
The robotic voice let out a chuckle that made me shake.
"We'll see, human. Let the test begin."
Suddenly, the voice cut off, and I was left alone in the never-ending darkness. Just me, the dark, and my sanity.
"I can do this," I spoke.
Little did I know that I was in WAY over my head. My nightmare was just beginning.
DAY ONE
The test had begun, and seeing I had nowhere to go except for here, I took a seat on the floor of the box, trying to think of other things besides of what had happened in the past four hours. Thinking of negative things was the last thing I wanted to do right now, seeing the negativity would add to the creepiness of the environment I was in. I didn't know where I was, who had put me here, or if I was even alone in the endless darkness. I stopped myself right there, feeling a chill run up my spine.
"Think happy thoughts," I said to myself, attempting to shrug off the small bit of fear that had corrupted my mind.
I was already too late, feeling my body enter a state of insecurity and paranoia. It was true. I had no idea if I was alone or if the sick bastards that had stuck me in this hell had included any other threats in this hell with me. I stood back up, attempting to listen for any growls, breathing, or the sound of any steps within the environment. The hissing noise within the box made the task impossible, as I debated on moving from my current area. I couldn't see anything, so finding my way around the box was far from possible.
As I attempted to listen for anything over the sound of the hissing, I made sure to keep my breathing shallow, not wanting to arouse any sort of attention, if there was anything here accept myself. No matter how hard I tried to hear for anything, the hiss made it impossible, meaning that if I was going to find anything, I had no choice but to move away from the hissing noise. As much as I didn't want to move, I had to, so I carefully moved away from the hissing noise with caution.
I took baby steps away from the hiss, immediately noticing a difference in volume. The hissing noise became much more quiet, as I moved more and more throughout the large enclosure. I took great caution with each step, reaching out with my hands for guidance. The only thing I prayed not to feel was something along the lines of prickly fur or even another human's flesh. The people who threw me in this place were sick and twisted enough to do something that demented, so I just continued to feel around for either a wall or nothing.
For a good twenty minutes, I had walked around the box and found nothing but blank space and four glass walls. I had not heard anything besides the sound of my own breathing and heartbeat within my chest. Even though I had no idea where I was in the box, I knew that the theory I had about being locked in here with something else was all but diminished. As I came to a stop within the darkness, I let out a breath of relief, knowing that I was safe within this place, and that the voice I had heard from the intercom was not lying.
I shook my head at that theory, realizing what was happening. It was exactly what the voice had stated before.
"This is a test of mentality and sanity, meaning this test will play tricks on your mind, human. The darkness is both a matter of wonders and mysteries, able to fool even the boldest of the bold."
I had been tricked into nearly trusting the people that had put me here! I understood the purpose of me being put into pitch-black darkness. It had easily fooled me into thinking that I wasn't alone here, and even now, it still had me on the verge of panic, unsure of what other tricks I might fall for if I didn't keep a level head. This was only day one, and within only thirty minutes, I was already panicking.
"Remain focused," I spoke to myself. "It's just a box. Nothing more. There's nothing to be scared of. It's all in your head."
Indeed it was. Exactly what these sick people wanted me to know. I just hadn't realized it until just then in the darkness of the box. I didn't know who these people were, where I was, or if I was even safe. All I knew is that if I had any chance of surviving, I had to remain level-headed. Easy enough, right? Wrong.
I opened eyes, only to find myself in my computer desk chair, tied down by rope and unable to move anything except my head. I looked around, seeing that I was back in my room, but once I saw the computer screen, I knew I was in danger. The computer screen was a familiar sight. A sight I'd never forget. Fluttershy was in the middle of a dark room, humming a tune that had an ambience of happiness and kindness, until she turned to the screen to face me. The element of kindness was holding a large knife with one hoof, and caressing the blade's edge slowly with the other, continuing to hum her tune.
Her eyes stared into mine, as she stared at me with a deadly smile on her face. I struggled with all my strength to get out of the chair, but it was clear that I wasn't going anywhere, as Fluttershy began to speak familiar words.
"Such a shame that someone that grew up such a sweet boy would pull an act of such unkindness, " she spoke in her normal sweet voice. "For that, you must be shown that such horrible acts will not pass, but don't worry, I'll be as gentle as possible."
At that moment, Fluttershy leaned toward the computer screen, easily passing through the computer screen, just like Samara passes through the television in the movie "The Ring." Fluttershy's appearance had changed from what I saw behind the computer screen. Instead of her eyes being their normal blue color, her eyes had changed into an endless black with her pupil being a single red dot. She looked more evil and demented, but her voice is what added to her character.
"Don't worry, Fluttershy knows what she's doing," she spoke to me.
The voice started out normal, but quickly escalated into a more demonic sound, as she thrusted the knife into my left arm. The pain was unbearable, as she dug deeper and deeper into my arm, proceeding to carving "TRAITOR" into my arm. It was just like before, only with more force and unbearable pain. I screamed for mercy, as Fluttershy continued to carve, humming that same tune in the moment of torture.
I woke up screaming in the darkness of the box, hearing my screams echo off the four walls of the enclosure. Sweat drenched my entire body, as I struggled to catch my breath. I inhaled and exhaled long breaths of fear, as I stood back up, feeling my heart beat inside of my chest. The struggle to catch my breath continued, as my mind came to realization of where I was and that I had just woken up from a horrifying nightmare.
I finally managed to catch my breath after nearly a minute of waking up from the nightmare. Sweat dripped from my forehead, as I calmed myself down to a content level of breathing normal.
"Calm down," I said to myself. "It was just a nightmare."
It was hard to focus in the darkness, as I wiped away the large amount of sweat that had been built up on my forehead. I had no idea how long I had slept, nor did I even remember falling asleep. I regained my composure, and stood in the darkness, noticing that my throat was awfully dry. I was dehydrated and exhausted.
From among the darkness, I suddenly heard a mild giggle, which immediately caused me to jump to caution. I wondered if it was just my imagination, as I carefully navigated through the mass of darkness, suddenly hearing another giggle. This time it was loud enough for me to clarify that it wasn't my imagination.
"Hello?" I yelled, immediately noticing something move within the darkness.
Whatever had moved was quick, but I swore that I had saw something like a yellow stream in the glimpse of movement. The darkness made it impossible to tell, as I moved deeper into the darkness, hearing something very familiar. A humming tune had suddenly made itself known within the box, as I muttered out a word without realizing it.
"Fluttershy?" I questioned.
The humming just continued, as I saw yet another glimpse of yellow closer to me. I attempted to look around, but it was pitch-black everywhere I looked. The humming got closer, closer, and closer, until I realized it was coming from in front of me. I couldn't see anything, but I did see two red dots, as she got closer to me. As defense, I threw punches toward the red dots, but I hit nothing except blank space. The humming grew in volume as I threw fist after fist, hitting only blank space once again.
I'm dead! I'm dead! I'm dead!
That's all I could scream in my head, as the two red dots finally made contact. I continued to throw punches as defense, but it was like fighting a ghost. I expected the impact to be my demise, but instead I felt nothing, as I heard the humming tune dissipate in the darkness.
"Was that real? It had to be?!" I contemplated, as I heard the intercom erupt within the box.
"Day one complete," spoke the same robotic voice. "Day two has begun."
With that, the intercom static faded to nothing, and I was left alone again, wondering if what I had saw was real or just some sort of hallucination. I'd never know the answer, because this darkness was managing to do what it was designed for. I could no longer tell what was real and what was just a mind trick, and I still had two days to go. Two days of hell.
DAY TWO
Nothing had changed as the second day commenced. Everything still remained the same in the still darkness of the box, with only the sound of the oxygen filter hissing being audible. From my point of view, I could hear my breathing and my heartbeat pounding in my chest as the time passed. My heart was still pounding, considering what I had just experienced, and still was questioning if it was real or just some sort of hallucination.
The sight of the red eyes seemed too real to be just a mind trick, along with the humming and giggles I heard clear as day. The thought of being in a seclusion like this with something I couldn't even defend myself against caused my mind to immediately enter a different state of insecurity. I had walked throughout the entire box and found nothing, but I couldn't get it out of my mind that what I saw in the darkness of the box was far from just a mind trick. Was I alone in here, or was that monster in here with me?
I attempted to survey the box, but it was clear that I was only going to see the same sight no matter how hard I tried. All I saw was pitch-black, and nothing more. My breathing increased, as I felt sweat drip from my brow onto the steel floor of the box, listening around for anything in the darkness. I navigated at a much more rapid pace than before, using only the glass walls as my guide, attempting to find if what I had saw was either real or just an illusion of some sort.
As I navigated the box, the amount of sweat upon my forehead had increased massively, along with my level of fear. I wasn't sure where I was in the box, or if I was just going in a circle. All I knew was that my mind had entered a state of panic that I could not just shrug off, and only increased, as I heard another giggle from within the box. The sound of the giggle had caused me to become startled, as I turned in the darkness from where I thought I had heard the giggle. Hoping to catch whatever was taunting me, I abandoned the glass wall, and ran in the direction of the giggle, not knowing what I'd encounter.
I ran as quick as I could, but just as I came to the spot where I thought had been where the giggle came from, another giggle erupted from another spot within the box. Once again, I ran in the direction of giggle, only to find nothing but open space once again. The peaks of my anger and fear were at a dangerous peak, as I heard another giggle, and another, and another. It was then, that I realized that the giggle was coming from everywhere within the box, and it continued echo loudly throughout the box. I attempted to plug my ears, but I couldn't escape the sound that easily. It only became more difficult, as the volume of the giggle increased to where I could barely hear myself thinking.
Anger and fear finally took hold of my sanity, and I broke.
"WHERE ARE YOU!? SHOW YOURSELF!" I shouted, attempting to intimidate whatever was taunting me, but instead the giggling just grew louder and louder.
My anger grew, as I continued to rant my voice out to whatever I had managed to stir to life.
"SHOW YOURSELF, COWARD!" I shouted in anger once again.
Again, there was no response, except for the endless audacity of Fluttershy's giggle, as I threw my face into my hands, attempting to shut out the endless echoes of Fluttershy's giggle, but nothing settled. My mind began to spin into a spiral of insanity, as I suddenly heard a voice from among the giggles.
"I'm right here," spoke Fluttershy, caressing my eardrum.
In defense, I threw a punch in the direction of the voice, only to hit nothing except a solid plexiglass wall. My entire right fist erupted with a cracking noise at the collision with the glass wall. My entire hand pulsed with pain, as I quickly grabbed my right fist, immediately feeling something wet and thick. Blood was leaking from open wounds that I could not see, as I resulted to cussing violently, hearing Fluttershy once again.
"Such language! Shame on you!" she exclaimed, as I felt something hit me violently across the mouth.
This was no illusion, as I felt blood leech out of my mouth, and the taste of iron slither across my tongue. There was something else there too, something sharp and hard. It took me a minute to realize it was a tooth fragment, which I spat out, hearing it hit the steel floor.
Seeing that everything I had tried to do to fend off the taunting had failed miserably, I fell to the cold floor, and curled into a fetal position, feeling completely helpless.
"Heavenly father, thy lord in Heaven, I'm sorry for what I did to Cheryl! I didn't mean to cause what happened to her, or any of this! Please take care of her! Please let her know, I'm sorry for what I did! Amen! Amen! AMEN!!!!"
I didn't realize it, but I had started to cry in that moment of weakness, and only continued to try and shield myself, as the torture continued.
"Please God... Help me," I whispered.
No response came.
Hours passed before the laughter of Fluttershy finally faded away, but I had a feeling it would be back in due time, so I didn't get comfortable in the darkness. I was drenched in sweat from a combination of my fear and sadness, as I carefully stood back up, continuing to dress my right fist with my left hand. My entire right fist pounded from the multiple broken bones beneath the skin, while my left hand became sticky from being drenched in blood from the open wounds.
I couldn't move my right set of fingers, nor grip anything with my right hand, making it nearly impossible to do anything. My right hand was my dominant hand, so it only made sense that I was struggling to do anything. I had lost my best resource for defense, and was an even easier target for whatever else was in the box with me, waiting for the right moment to strike. I didn't dare cuss from the pain I felt, seeing I had already paid the price for that, which was a hoof to the mouth by Fluttershy herself, as I thought of what to do next.
I groaned from the pain of my right hand, as I resorted to thinking of a way to dress it the right way. Using my left hand, I brushed my hand against my body, feeling for clothing. I was still dressed in the same thing I had been in at the start of this nightmare, a simple t-shirt and my gym class shorts. I could only imagine what they looked like now, covered in blood from the punishment Fluttershy gave me for betraying Cheryl and my broken hand wounds.
Without wasting any time, I gripped a nice handful of my shirt cloth and ripped the content with a hard tug. I quickly turned to wrapping my right fist as best I could in the pitch black, letting out small groans of pain whenever I hit a sore spot. I tied the cloth around my hand, applying pressure to the wounds, while not doing any other additional damage. As soon as I felt confident I had tied it tight enough, I returned to wondering what to do next. I didn't dare sleep, due to what had happened the last time I had accidentally fallen asleep.
I decided to just remain where I was, knowing that I was near one of the glass walls, and just attempt to find a happy place, despite all that happened here in this hell. I was exhausted, and could tell from my body feeling heavy and my strength being very weak. Standing up straight was hard enough, along with keeping my eyes open, even though I could not tell if they were open or closed. For support, I leaned against the glass wall, trying to keep myself stable. My mentality was slipping away, and I could feel it. I had felt physical and mental pain from something I thought was just an illusion, but it was clear that whatever was here with me, was far from an illusion.
"I need to stay awake," I spoke weakly. "I can't let her get me."
For a moment, I felt comfortable against the glass wall, until I felt a sudden impact against the glass wall, along with a growl that made my blood run cold. The impact against the glass was strong enough to make me fall to floor, and struggle to get back up. However, once I saw what was against the glass, I debated on even standing back up. A pair of hooves scrambled along the outside glass surface, leaving blood with them, but that wasn't what scared me. The noise the unknown creature was making along with its endless persistence to get through the glass is what made me shudder.
The noise was somewhat human, but demented in a twisted manner. I wondered if what I was hearing WAS human or a twisted monster. I couldn't move, as I sat frozen in place by the sight of the unknown being on the other side of the glass. Somehow, I had regained my senses, and quickly scurried as far from the creature as possible, watching as those hooves continued to scratch against the glass wall. I didn't yell or scream, as I continued to listen to the creature. I swore I could hear, "help me" within the cryptic noises the creature made, but it couldn't be speaking human, unless it were...
It hit me, as I cowered once again. Now I knew what happened to the corpses of whoever ended up dying in either the conclusion of the survey or this test. They become pawns in this game of insanity, and never move on. This is what would happen to me, if I didn't make it. I'd become one of whatever had called out to me outside of the box. Over the ambience of the creature and the darkness of box, I passed out again.
A massive surge of electricity is what woke me from my short sleep, as I opened my eyes to darkness and silence. I was angry and exhausted, as I stood up again.
"What was that for!?" I yelled angrily.
No response came, infuriating me even more. I knew that they could hear me, and I wasn't going to be ignored.
"I know you bastards can hear me! Answer me you fucking cowards!"
I was beyond the peak of my anger as I heard no response once again. My breathing was heavy, as I resulted to screaming in anger, and punched myself in the face multiple times, tasting blood each time. No response came, as I fell to the floor on both knees, and continued punching myself violently. After multiple minutes of my outrage, I lost all sense, and held my head tight.
"I'm not crazy! I'm not crazy! I'M NOT CRAZY!" I exclaimed, feeling myself fall to a new level of insanity.
I stared at the glass wall, covered in blood from the creature, seeing a reflection of myself.
"You need to calm down," spoke the reflection.
"How can I be calm, when I'm being watched by monsters!?" I exclaimed.
"There's nothing here. You just believe there is, when there isn't," assured the reflection.
"What the fuck do you know!" I exclaimed.
"You are losing it! Exactly what they want! Can't you see that you are falling for their scheme!"
"I'm losing it... I'M LOSING IT! I'm not losing it! YOU ARE! You are just here to make me believe that there's nothing here! I've seen it! I've heard it! I've felt it! This isn't fake! THIS IS REAL! YOU AREN'T REAL! GET OUT!!!!"
The reflection shook his head, as I continued to lose grip on reality.
"I'm what you've lost, and unless you get a grip, you'll lose full grip on reality! You'll never survive here, unless you LISTEN TO ME!"
It felt like my mind was spinning, as I struggled to hold myself together, feeling tears form in my eyes. The reflection's words continued to repeat in my mind, as I finally resulted to screaming so loud that it shook the room and shattered the glass walls protecting me from the outside threats. I panicked, as I heard something approach from the darkness, and quickly pin me to the ground. Whatever had me was strong and massive in size, as I felt the breath of the creature blow against my face. Out of the darkness, the face of the creature manifested before me, and what I saw made me nearly collapse to tears.
Before me was a monstrous creature, but the eyes were all but familiar, as I recognized them as Cheryl's eyes.
"C-Cheryl?" I questioned.
The creature just smiled a row of jagged teeth, before it lunged down at me with it's mouth wide open.
"PAYBACK!" shouted the creature, before it took it's first bite out of my face.
My eyes shot open, as I struggled to regain control of myself, hearing the intercom erupt above me.
"Day two complete. Day three has begun," spoke that same robotic voice. "Congratulations human, you've made it farther than any other victim has."
My anger grew at the sound of the voice taunting me, seeing I was just a suffering animal in a cage to them.
"One day remains, before I take you down for good," I spoke angrily.
The robotic voice laughed at my confidence.
"I can assure you that you will never make it past the third day, human," taunted the voice. "Your body is slowly breaking, and you've already lost all grip on reality. Besides, the body can't survive without a critical resource past three days."
Suddenly, I realized what the voice was referring to, due to my throat feeling like I had swallowed sand.
"So, humans have no chance at surviving at all, seeing you just leave them without water for four days! That's a cheap win!" I spoke angrily.
"No, human. Little do you know that your resource exists within the box, but only if you are smart and bold enough to perform the needed actions, will you find the resource."
I thought hard about what the voice meant, but once I found where the resource existed, I immediately fell to panic.
"I see you've figured it out," taunted the voice. "Are you willing to puncture your own flesh and drink your own blood to survive, human? Even if you do, you must be careful on where you puncture, for it can end fatally."
I swallowed hard, realizing that the voice was right. I needed water, and 90% of a human's body weight comes from water within the bloodstream. Could I do this? No... I HAD to do this. With as much boldness as possible, I took a deep breath and bit as hard as I could into my left arm that I had been forced to carve into with a knife, being careful not to go too deep or puncture an artery. I screamed, as I heard the flesh tear, and the taste of iron began taint my tongue. It tasted disgusting, but I had no choice but to do this, as I bit deeper into the flesh.
Blood was all I could taste, as I pulled my teeth out of my flesh, and pressed my mouth down on the open wounds. I sucked the blood from the open wounds as if I were drinking it through a straw, feeling the hot, thick, and bitter content slither over my tongue and down my throat. I quickly adapted to the taste of the blood, making it easier to drink, and almost immediately I could feel a difference in my body's strength. I hadn't drank anything in three days or ate anything, so this was my first serving of something in a long while. I did my best to enjoy it, expressing a look of disgust at who or whatever was watching me.
The intercom fell to silence, as I continued to drink. One day remained. Just one day. Little did I know that "one day" was farther away than I could ever imagine. I had already fallen to insanity, and whatever would follow in the third day was going to test me beyond any bit of sanity that I had left.
I had lost every bit of sanity I had.
DAY THREE
I spent a full two minutes drinking the blood from my arm, before I finally stopped. My arm throbbed with a burning inflammation, but at this point, I was unfazed by any sort of pain. Two days within this relentless hell had changed me into something else, and I could barely grip any bit of sanity that may have remained within the deepest depths of my now-broken mind. Paranoia had taken over every bit of whatever remained within those depths, and in every second that passed, I felt like I was being stalked within the enclosure by not just Fluttershy anymore, but something else. Something more powerful and deadly.
I didn't bother wiping away the thick liquid that stained my entire mouth, seeing I could care less about my appearance anymore. I was in darkness, with only the hissing oxygen filter to keep my ears company. My mind seemed to be wandering in multiple directions at a rapid pace, as I returned to wandering the inside of the box, feeling as if I was slowly going insane. I held my head with my hands, angrily wandering throughout the enclosure with my bloodstained teeth gritted. I was angry, sad, but mostly lost. Here I was, an ungrateful asshole wandering in what seemed like endless darkness.
If anything, I deserved every bit of this torture I was receiving from who or whatever had put me here in the first place. That's all I thought about as I continued to storm angrily throughout the box, intentionally hitting the glass walls as additional punishment to what had gotten me stuck here in the first place. Arrogance, stupidity, betrayal, and just being a full out piece of shit to the one I cared for. She hated me now, even though I saw her die before my eyes. She was here, haunting me, torturing me, pushing me to my limits until I would snap out of it all.
The speed of my pacing increased with each hit, sometimes falling flat on my ass, then getting back up. My anger increased with every collision to the plexiglass walls of the box, eventually resulting in my legs speeding up to a running pace. Every hit was harder, but I didn't fucking care anymore. I had nothing to fight for, except myself. My own PATHETIC FUCKING SELF! THE ASSHOLE WHO HAD CAUSED THE DEATH OF A BEAUTIFUL INNOCENT WOMAN OVER BETRAYAL, JUST TO SAVE HIS OWN FUCKING ASS! I collided into a glass wall again, only this time I didn't just get back up and run again. This time, I remained still, staring at my faint reflection.
The reflection had begun to warp into something else, as I stood still, feeling a small stream of blood caress down my nose, dripping to the floor of the box. My only focus was the reflection, which had begun to manifest into some sort of shadow figure that resembled me. I wasn't running anymore, seeing that's only what this unknown shadow figure wanted. It was time to face what I had been running from ever since I had arrived here. Only in a state of insanity could I face what was hidden from me.
The figure had blood-red eyes, and a maw of a blind light and sharp teeth. The creature looked at me with an expression that most would fear, but at this point I had realized that all along, I had been running from... myself. I couldn't fear myself, nor could I run from myself any longer. This was my ultimate test, and I didn't care if I was dreaming or hallucinating at this point. In this darkness, I couldn't assure anything at all, because the things I had been seeing were my fears. Although they felt real and looked real, all along they were just the results of my mind's own creation.
Now that I had fallen to insanity, I could see things for what they really were. It was like I had managed to expand the limits of my mind, and now could see things in a whole different light. It was mesmerizing, yet terrifying at the same time.
"I'm not running from you anymore," I claimed. "I won't fear myself."
I continued to stare the manifestation of my own self, as it expressed a smile of pure terror, but fear did not even phase me anymore. I had finally found what had been hiding in plain sight, taunting me in my slow fall to pure insanity.
"You've been there since the day I beat that kid to the point of where he died, and I left him in the gutters," I confessed. "I should've called the police and taken the fall for my crime, but instead I ran and left him for dead, hoping the rats would decompose the body of that poor innocent kid."
I paused, feeling my anger start to rise.
"It's one of my biggest regrets in my life, next to not attending my mother and father's funeral. I should've been there... I SHOULD'VE FUCKING BEEN THERE! But, instead I was too focused on getting to third base! I am easily one of the most ungrateful assholes to EVER exist in this world, and now, I understand why I've been seeing these things that I have been seeing in this box."
My anger was at it's peak, as I wiped away tears from eyes, ready to dissipate the monster before me in the glass reflection.
"They're manifestations of my fears and regrets, including Cheryl. Fluttershy; the pony I fear the most for what I experienced during the events of the survey. The monstrous creature with the face of Cheryl; my regrets for what I did to her. I should've made the right decision, but instead I made Cheryl take the fall! It's all obvious now, and now that I've figured out why I've been seeing and hearing these things, I can see that there's no possible way for me to make it out of this as a victor."
"Even if I make it one more day, what do I have left to go back to in my life?! What is left for me?! Absolutely nothing, except to keep living with those fears and regrets! I'll continue on, when Cheryl should've been the one to make it, not my ungrateful ass! There's nothing left for me in life, therefore, what am I fighting for?! You can continue to haunt me, torture me, and taunt me all you want, but in the end, you'll still be there, even in death! There's no escape, and that's just the harsh truth!"
I paused, feeling tears roll down my cheeks. Nothing was stopping me anymore. This was the climax of whatever reason I had been spared and brought into this relentless hell. I had come to realization that the environment I was in was really just a glass box, and that the things I had seen, felt, and heard were all smoke and mirrors. Fear had created these things, and now it was time to destroy them.
"I created you and everything I have seen, felt, or heard in this hell, and now that I see the truth of what will happen no matter the outcome of this demented test, I see there is no reason to continue this any further. You lose!"
With no further hesitation, I violently slammed my good fist down on the oxygen filter at a rapid pace, not holding back any force. The hissing of the oxygen had begun to dissipate very quickly, as I begun to let out a laugh of neither happiness or sadness, only of pure insanity, as I continued to violently pound against the oxygen filter. I didn't care anymore.
"If I'm going down, I'm going down my way, motherfuckers!" I exclaimed through a series of insane laughter.
After making sure the oxygen filter was completely unable to produce oxygen any further, I turned back to the glass, only to see the reflection of myself gone. I pounded against the glass, taunting at whatever may be behind the glass.
"Come get me! I'm all your's now!" I yelled, pounding my fists against the glass, feeling no pain or emotion.
I watched, as the bloody hoof from before once again caressed against the outside of the glass. I just continued to laugh maniacally, as I continued to taunt and pound against the glass, hearing an alarm ring from outside the box. In the midst of pure madness and the alarm, I could hear the sound of Fluttershy's voice faintly within the darkness.
"This isn't the way ," the voice of Fluttershy spoke.
I just continued to laugh, not caring about what the voice said to me.
"Shut the fuck up, bitch!" I exclaimed.
The voice quickly dissipated, as I continued to laugh over the sound of the alarm, and proceeded to colliding to the floor. I could feel the lack of oxygen starting to take effect, as I continued to laugh and let out coughs from the lack of oxygen. In my final moments in the box, all I saw was the manifestations of what I once feared standing side by side, along with the normal Cheryl. Cheryl stared at me with tears in her eyes, as my vision faded to nothing but a blur of darkness and a faint light. I had no regrets in my choice. I had lost my sanity, my fears, and my regrets. All was over.
My eyes shot open, only to be greeted by a blinding light just above me. I was seated on what felt like a hospital bed in a vacant long hallway, and strangely, I wasn't restrained by any straps or anything like that. I proceeded to getting off of the bed, and placing my feet on the cold hallway floor. I didn't understand why once again, I had been spared. Didn't these bastards want me dead? I had no idea where to go, what to do, or why I was here in the first place. I didn't understand, as I carefully proceeded down the hall to wherever I was going next. I wasn't sure yet on the reason why I had been spared, but somewhere among the dark atmosphere of this mysterious place, I had a feeling that I'd find something. I just wasn't sure what... yet.
DAY FOUR
Hallways. Endless hallways with countless locked rooms was all I could make of this new hell. It seemed like I was in an endless maze of long halls and doors, as I continued onward, unaware of what I was even looking for in this place. There was no sound in the errie silence of the halls, except for the echoing of my footsteps and my shallow breathing, not wanting to attract any attention, if any existed beyond the numerous doors I passed.
The errie silence was suddenly interrupted with the sound of an intercom, following an all to familiar voice that made my blood boil at the sound of it.
"Awake already, I see," spoke the same robotic voice from before.
The cold voice made my anger rise, wondering if this was even real or just some demented nightmare. Here I was, wandering down endless halls, unknowing of where I was even supposed to go from here. What was I searching for in this new place? Was I just being played with, like a chess piece on a gameboard, or was I just falling even further into insanity? One thing was sure, I was tired of being watched and taunted by who or whatever was behind the intercom. They had put me here, had caused me to break to the point of where I confessed everything, and even pushed me to dying in the box. Yet, here I was, alive and well.
"Why didn't you just let me die?!" I questioned angrily. "Isn't that what you've wanted from the start?!"
"Foolish human, did you really believe that you'd escape that easily?" taunted the voice. "You still have yet to learn why you are REALLY here, and only when you realize the truth of why you've been spared once more, will you be set free from this place.
I was surprised, not expecting the voice to respond with an answer like that. What did this unknown person or creature mean by that I still had yet to learn why I was really here? I was here for a reason? If so, then what was that reason?
"I don't understand!" I yelled with confusion. "I thought I was here for passing the survey! What the fuck is going on?!"
"Allow me to shed some light on the situation," stated the voice from behind the intercom. "Walk down the hall, and you'll come to an stop, with two choices; left or right. Take the the right hall, and walk to the end of that hall. You'll come a double-door entrance to where you'll find your answer."
I wasn't sure whether or not to believe the voice that had stuck me here in the first place, but at the same time, I didn't have any better ideas on where to go in this endless maze of halls. I had a choice, believe my worst enemy or continue to wander for eternity through this maze with no guidance or any sort of clue of what I was searching for in the first place.
"How do I know you aren't just leading me into some sort of trap?!" I barked.
"Have I lied to you yet?" replied the voice. "Think about it. I haven't lied to you about one thing. Everything in the box was a hallucination and a safe haven, just like I said on the day of your importation. I even alerted you that you wouldn't survive the four days without taking bold measures, drinking your own blood. I have been nothing but a guide to you, my friend, never once an enemy. Another thing that you must remember is that I didn't kill Cheryl, YOU did with your desperation and selfishness to escape the survey. You've just blamed me, because you are blinded by your anger, and refuse to blame yourself for yet another ungrateful act."
Reality hit me like a ton of bricks. The voice was correct. They had never once lied to me about anything, and had been honest since the day I had arrived here. Had I been blinded so much by anger that I had begun to blame others than myself? It had become clear to me. My jaw dropped, knowing that my greatest enemy all along had been my greatest ally in this unknown place. I collapsed to my knees, feeling like an asshole, which I clearly was. I had no changed since I arrived here on day one. I was still the same asshole, blinded by my own hate.
"I see that you've finally caught onto the truth, my friend," spoke the voice. "All along, you've been blinded by anger and hate. As a result, you've pushed others away, and have blamed others for your own faults. Do you truly believe that I'm lying to you now?"
I was unable to talk, as I slowly rose back up to my feet and remembered the directions given to me by the unknown voice.
"I understand now," I spoke. "It's time to find out why I'm really here, and the answers behind where I am."
With no other word, I proceeded down the hall, just as the voice instructed, until I came to a dead end and had to choose left or right. Just as the voice instructed, I took the right hall, and quickly made my way to the end of the hall, until just like the voice said, a pair of double-doors were before me. I inhaled a deep breath, as I cautiously made my way through the entrance into the room where I'd find answers.
The room was large and open, much like the box, only much more different. It was dark inside, so I browsed the wall, hoping to find some sort of switch. It didn't take long before I found one, and quickly illuminated the room with a large number of lights connected to the rafters high above my head. Once my sight was clear, I was shocked at the contents within the room, causing my jaw to drop once more.
Among the walls was a plethora of monitors, currently switched off, along with six stage setups, with green screens as the background of each. A camera was positioned in front of each stage, currently on standby mode, and hooked up to some sort of device that connected to six separate laptops, aligned on a single table. Lastly, in the far corner of the room, a number of familiar props I had seen before were stacked. Mechanical props of Fluttershy's animals, along with lingerie, ropes, mattresses, and many other props seen in the show "My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic."
It took me a minute to connect the dots, but it wasn't long before I came to realization of what this place was. It was the room where the survey Skype calls are called and projected from. Six stages. Six laptops. Six ponies. Without a doubt, this was it. This was the place where it all took place. The demented survey projection room. I wanted to scream and destroy everything, but I just felt that this wasn't the only obvious answer that the voice was referring to. Something else was here, and I had to find it.
"So, this is it," I said. "This is where it all happens. The demented Skype calls, the survey, and the murders."
"Looks like you are more smarter than I thought," the voice replied. "However, how do you suppose those who run the survey know how to contact the unfortunate victims? It can't just be by luck or random guesses."
I thought hard about what the voice told me, still unsure of what they meant. It was true. Just HOW did whoever ran the survey get Skype contacts? Could it be some imported code in the survey itself, able to import a Skype contact into a draft whenever the survey link is clicked, or was it something less complicated? I decided to search around for anything specific that may relate to the situation.
I carefully navigated the area, keeping a sharp eye out for anything specific, and didn't find anything, until I came to the area of the laptops. In a small drawer below the laptops was what looked like some sort of notebook with a large number of pages. This peaked my interest, so I grabbed one and quickly opened it, only to find what seemed like a well organized log of Skype contacts. The strange thing about the contacts, was a red "X" next most of the names, which I quickly figured out was the victims who been killed already.
I fluttered through the pages, not seeing anything different except the massive numbers of Skype contacts with the red X next to those who had already met their fates. I was about to give up, until I came the very last page of the log, and found something familiar; my Skype contact. However, the last Skype contact was not mine. It was Cheryl's. No red X placed next to it. It hit me almost instantly, as I dropped the book from the impact. Cheryl wasn't dead.
"What?! Cheryl isn't dead?!" I questioned.
"Correct," the voice replied.
"B-but how?! I saw her die before my own eyes!?
"As you've seen, your eyes can deceive you, my friend," stated the voice. " Not everything you see is necessarily real."
"I-I don't understand," I replied calmly. "If Cheryl isn't dead, then where is she?"
"She's closer than you think, but if you wish to find her again, you'll have to watch the moment you regret the most, again. The camera in front of the second stage is paused just before that moment. Watch it again, and you'll be able to find her."
I shuddered at the statement of watching Cheryl's punishment in the survey again. Could I? It was something that I regretted severely. Something I never wished to see again, but the voice had not lied once about anything, and if this was the only way to find Cheryl and save her from this place, I had to put aside one of my greatest fears to save someone I cared for dearly.
"Alright, I'll do it," I stated with my bravest voice, as I made my way to the camera, and prepared for the worst, pushing the "play" button on the side of the camera.
The footage started out with the sight I had seen over the Skype call, where Fluttershy was staring blankly into the camera, holding a paper in her hooves. The questions she asked me.
"Final question; did you take this survey by your own choice?" asked Fluttershy through the webcam.
There was a long pause before I answered over the Skype call. The one answer I regretted the most.
"No! It wasn't me! It was my stuck-up bitch of a girlfriend! She put me up to this bullshit, so if you are going to punish anybody for anything, choose her not me! HER!"
I lip-synced the entire answer I gave, feeling tears build up in my eyes. How could I give such a fucking ungrateful answer?! Cheryl was the kindest person you could know, and was far from a stuck-up bitch that I so-selfishly called her. I wanted to hit myself so hard that I bled profusely right there, but the worst was yet to come.
"Is that really how you feel?" , questioned Fluttershy.
"Yes!" I selfishly replied.
"As you wish," Fluttershy replied, before the beginning of Cheryl's torture begun.
She was already tied up in the green screen projection of what I thought was originally Fluttershy's cottage. Struggling to get free from the restraints. Next came the torture, as Fluttershy proceeded to violently smacking Cheryl across the face, managing to fracture her teeth and causing her gums to bleed madly. Cheryl cried from the hits, but it only grew worse, as Fluttershy resorted to punching her across the face, hard. Cheryl couldn't scream due to the tape across her mouth preventing so, but she continued to cry and struggle from the torture.
I wanted to stop there, but it wasn't over yet, as Fluttershy resorted to her next method of torture, but not to Cheryl this time, to me. Fluttershy pointed at the screen, as she ripped the tape from Cheryl's mouth. She was crying and begging for mercy. Fluttershy's response to her pleas was only cruel and made a chill run down my spine.
"It's not me who has brought this torture upon you, dear, but only the one you care most about," Fluttershy answered in the most cruel voice she could muster. "I only do what he tells me to do, and he wanted you to be tortured, just so he could get away with lying over the truth."
"No! Cheryl! I didn't mean it! I'm sorry!"
Oh my... what a liar you are. First, you say you want her to be tortured, because she's the one who got you into this mess? Looks like you've been caught in a dead lie, but despite your actions now, you already told me what you want, so I have no choice but to do what you say."
"Please... don't do this!" I pleaded.
Too late.
With those two cold words, Fluttershy proceeded to killing Cheryl.
"Oh, Harry, would you mind doing the honors?" Fluttershy asked. "You've been needing a boost in protein lately, and I believe one human is enough to help ease your hunger."
The last of Cheryl's screams were silenced as Harry engulfed her, finishing her off. Strangely, I didn't remember much after that. Suddenly, it hit me, I DIDN'T remember anything after that. Had I... The video answered my question, as it continued onward.
"Oh dear, my victim has become unresponsive," Fluttershy spoke.
"Are you sure?" spoke another unknown voice from within the room.
Fluttershy nodded her head.
"Not to worry, his contact has been logged, and as we all know, once the survey is started, it is inescapable until it is complete."
"So, now what?" asked Fluttershy.
"Your job is complete, until the next victim that is. As for this one, we'll put him through the "box" test, where he will continue to take the survey in his mind, and shall remain in a coma until his quest is complete. His girlfriend will be put into the same state as well, and depending on how he copes in his mind, will decide the fate of them both. Only one will survive the ordeal. Put the subject in room B52, for a period of four days. As for the victim himself, his test begins now. Start the mind test protocol, and put it on a four day time schedule. NOW!"
I was speechless, as the video came to an end. All along, this wasn't even in reality. I was in a coma in reality, and this whole thing was occurring in my mind. I had passed out, and was still taking the survey, just in my mind. This newfound information was almost too much to take in, but it was obvious now. This was still a test, and the only way to pass, was to save Cheryl from wherever she was hidden in this place. That's when I remembered that the location was given away in the video. She was in room B52, and was alive, but I feared that she wouldn't be for much longer.
"Now you understand," spoke the voice. "Why you are here, and where exactly you are. You were brought here for a reason, and you've figured it out. Cheryl is alive, but once the fourth day is complete, both you and Cheryl will die in your comas. Despite all that has happened, and what you have learned, even if you manage to save her, only one can survive. It's time for you to choose, my friend. Would you rather live and go on with your life, or are you willing to spare the one you love, and save her from a terrible fate, caused by you?"
The voice was very blunt, which meant that this was it, my final choice. It was clear what I wanted, and the only way I could escape the images that now plagued my mind. I had to do the right thing, even if it did cost me my life. I deserved it for what I did out of my own choice.
"I've done ungrateful things, and have no reasons to go back, while Cheryl has a full life ahead of her," I stated. "I've treated my friends and family as if they were garbage my whole life, even taking the life of an innocent person. This time, I will not choose wrong. This time, I will do the right thing."
My choice was clear, as I heard the voice speak again.
"Best find her before it's too late. You slept for almost two days, and only have thirty minutes before the test ends," the voice warned.
I didn't say anything, and quickly resorted to rushing out of the room, noticing that the rooms were now labeled with numbers, and knew I had a long way to go, due to the nearest room being labelled, "D1." I had a long way to go, and hoped that I could make it before I lost Cheryl again. I immediately shook my head of any sort of negative thoughts.
"No. No more doubt. I will save her. I will not fail again!"
With no further hesitation, I quickly scurried down the hall, my target being room B52.
Several minutes passed, as I continued to follow the endless number of locked rooms, hoping to find B52 before my time expired. Above each room, a timer with blood-red numbers counted down my remaining twenty minutes, and I had only managed to make it to the "C" section of rooms. If it took me ten minutes just to reach the C section of rooms, there was no possible way for me to make it to B52 and back to the monitoring room in a time limit of only ten minutes. I stopped to think for a minute of ANY pieces of the puzzle I might be missing.
"There has to be another way," I said to myself. "There has to be some sort of short cut embedded within these halls that I'm just not seeing, but which one?"
I couldn't afford to waste any time, so I quickly overlooked anything I might've missed. Nothing came to me, seeing I had overlooked almost everything. I clenched my fist, knowing time was running out, and I here I was, struggling to find the TRUE path to wherever Cheryl was being held. I nearly cried, before my guide spoke out from behind the hidden speakers.
"I see you've caught onto the fact that getting to your destination will require much more than just simply running through the halls of this place. No. It will require having to enter the deepest depths of your mind for answers. Think hard, back to the survey before you passed out."
"I don't understand," I claimed. "For some reason I can't remember anything before passing out."
"It's like I said, you will have to think hard to find these answers, before every bit of your memory is destroyed. The more that clock goes down, the your memories become nothing but a cloud of smoke that used to be that specific memory. The answer still remains, but you have to think hard. What was the name of the Skype contact that called you as Fluttershy?"
My mind suddenly spiked like a rocket, remembering a very distant memory. It was question three of the survey. I remembered that very clearly, when the blood-red text appeared on my computer screen and asked me very clearly, "your favorite pony now has questions for you. In an estimated time of about thirty seconds, you'll receive a call via Skype." Of course I thought it was just a joke, until I instantly received a call from a contact named, "shyponeC15," and answered it, only to be greeted with my worst nightmare.
"C15!" I exclaimed in victory, realizing that C15 was the shortcut I was looking for to find Cheryl faster, before the time ran out.
I quickly jolted down the hall, carefully watching for C15, and quickly found it with no problems. As I reached out to grab the handle to the door, I took in a deep breath, not sure what to expect. Would I find safety or yet another obstacle behind the door? I let out the breath, as I twisted the handle, and watched the door open to a new area. It was dark and cold in this new area, as I took careful steps, stepping into the new area. The door shut behind me, following a hidden light source enlightening the area, revealing an area much like the original, but deteriorating.
The flooring of the area was composed of fragile material, slowly deteriorating to nothing but rubble. I was glad that I had taken precautions before proceeding any further, due to a bottomless trench being only inches from where I stood. I felt like I was in one of those video games where the main character had to jump over trenches, seeing it was clear that this area was far from stable, and if I was going to survive, I had to be absolutely careful.
With light steps, I stepped onto the closest and largest area of intact tiles, looking around for a safe path. That was easier said than done, as I caught sight of a door labelled "B20." I was close to Cheryl, but getting to her was going to be near-impossible. I surveyed the area, carefully overlooking my options, but unfortunately I didn't have many options. The only path required jumping from unstable fragments to another. I gulped, looking at the clock above the only visible room. Only fifteen minutes were left, so I wasted no time and took my first jump onto a very small fragment of unstable tile.
I landed with both feet planted, but quickly noticed something was happening. The tile was disintegrating faster than I had jumped on it, which immediately led me to panicking, feeling my footing start to decrease from stable to unstable. With all but a quick glance, I quickly jumped toward the nearest unstable fragment, praying not to slip. Fortunately, I landed with both my feet planted, starting to feel the piece of tile disintegrate just like the last one.
Before the tile could disintegrate to nothing, I jumped to a much longer and expanded area of stable tile, tripping as I landed on the open area. I quickly stood back up, hoping for the tile not to disintegrate, and fortunately for me, it didn't. I took deep breaths, attempting to regain my composure. I knew this was far from over, and it only became obvious as I saw that this hall didn't contain doors, but lockers. It didn't even take me a second to recognize the lockers as my school's lockers.
I looked around, trying to find any clue as to why the door had led me here of all places, but once I saw the locker numbers, I quickly figured out what this area was referring to.
"I know this area all too well, and which locker I'm supposed to open," I said, starting to shed small tears. "The kid I murdered in cold blood. This is his locker area. This is where my hate came from. Where it had begun to blind me, and turn me into a ruthless monster."
I approached the locker with the number "513" embedded just above it's door on a steel plate, and opened it, only to reveal nothing but a replay of the kid's final moments, before I killed him.
"You pathetic piece of shit!" I yelled, kicking the kid in the ribs with all my anger. "I told you to stay away from Cheryl, yet you decide to push your fucking luck too far, by doing stupid shit like hitting on her! I warned you, you motherfucker! Now, you are going to learn what happens to dumbass's like you, who decide to overstep their boundaries against people who overpower them in every way possible!"
That's when I pulled out the gun, and proceeded to threatening the kid, even though in reality, I was mistaken and too blinded by my anger to realize that I was wrong.
"You want to try stupid shit like what you did again?! Huh!? Do you TRULY want to piss me off any further than you already have!? No! You won't! Not ever again, because I'm going to make it that way! If only you would've just fucking listened, then this wouldn't be happening! I'll make sure, nobody remembers you, hehe... like anybody will! You are a pathetic excuse of a human being, and never deserved to be born! Maybe you were a mistake, because you can't do shit for anybody!"
"PLEASE! YOU'VE GOT IT...
"Shut the fuck up, you piece of...
That was when the gunfire erupted, and he fell limp, being shot in the head with a clean hole right through his head.
"Oh shit... SHIT! I didn't mean to pull the trigger! Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!"
What came next made me want to jump into the bottomless depths of this area, hearing those words once again.
"I'm not going down over someone like you... I'll make sure of that...
The memory ended, leaving my fists clenched, and tears flowing from eyes, along with the urge to commit suicide. I never did mean to pull the trigger, but the truth was that I HAD pulled the trigger out of anger. Remembering this memory made me nearly vomit, but I couldn't waste any time in this place, as I noticed a key had appeared at the bottom of the locker opening. The grip of the key had "B52" embedded in it, which meant that it was time for me to face my final challenge; saving Cheryl.
I grabbed the key and turned away from the locker, only to see that the other lockers were gone, and only one room remained; B52. I felt a strange sensation overcome my body, as I stepped closer to the room, sticking the key in the key slot of the door handle. I turned the key, hearing a "click," and slowly turned the handle, watching as the door opened, revealing what looked like the top of a building. Something was standing just before the edge of the building top, looking out into an endless dark horizon.
I entered the room, taking small steps toward whoever was standing on the edge of the building.
"Cheryl?" I questioned.
The unknown person moved at the mentioning of the name, as they continued to stare into the horizon.
"Why are you here?" they asked bluntly.
"I'm here to save you from this place," I replied.
"Is that all?" they questioned. "Is that REALLY all you are here for?"
"Yes, I now realize who I really am, and don't deserve to move on from here, but you do," I clarified. "I've been blinded by anger and hate for too long, and am ready to make up for everything I've done, by doing the right thing, giving up my life for yours."
The unknown individual was silent for a second, until finally the errie silence was broken up by a response I did not expect.
"Do you really thing that by giving up your life for mine is going to make me forgive you for what you did?! For using me as a possible free card to getting out a situation you got YOURSELF into!?" they exclaimed.
I paused, thinking hard about what this unknown person had said, realizing that they were right. No amount of anything could result in forgiveness, because, there was no room for forgiveness.
"Are you sure that you are still not blinded by anger and hate, or does that mask still exist before your eyes, and you just are unaware of it?" they stated.
Once again, I paused, thinking hard about the statements, wondering if maybe the mask of anger and hate was still there or not. That's when everything became obvious, due this unknown thing trying to make me double-guess myself, almost to the point of where I doubted myself. It had hit me, and now knew what I had to do.
"No amount of anything can result in forgiveness for what I did," I started. "It's true, I made mistakes that cannot be forgiven, but in the time I've been in this place, I've finally figured out the real truth, and why I'm here. I'm not here to save anybody, not even myself. I'm here to feel what Cheryl felt when I betrayed her, because she never was killed. That much I know is true. That doesn't mean that she didn't feel pain though. She felt pain both physically and mentally, both from Fluttershy's tactics, and the betrayal from the one she loved and cared for dearly."
"In the box, I experienced many things. I experienced fear and torture that matched what Cheryl felt in the moments she was brought into this whole thing. I felt pain when it wasn't even there in the darkness, was pushed to where I had to finally enter a different state of mind to find answers that were hidden beyond the darkness of the box, and even experienced dreams that made me feel hated, forgotten, and betrayed. Just how Cheryl felt when I betrayed her in the most selfish way I could've ever done."
"I don't expect forgiveness, mercy, or to be spared of the mistakes that I've made in both reality and in this test that broke me. Pushed me to doing things I never thought I'd do. I don't deserve forgiveness or mercy from whoever has pushed me to this point of finally realizing what had been right in front of me the entire time, it just took seeing, feeling, and experiencing the sins that I wanted to just forget as if they had never happened to finally see the REAL reasons of why I'm here, and just what I have to do to answer for my wrongs."
"You are not what you say or claim to be at all. You are the very thing that has plagued me since I arrived in the box. You are the things I saw in the box as hallucinations, when they were as real as my mind made them to be, being real enough to physically harm me, and push me to the point of no return. You are the creature that I saw outside of the box, causing me to fear what was both in and outside of the box. You are the reflections of myself I saw. My fears, regrets, hate, and anger! You are the voice from behind what I thought were speakers, that has been guiding me to this point , but now I see that I've only been hearing MYSELF the entire time."
The unknown figure stood quiet for a second, until it suddenly began change into something different; something more familiar to my eyes. Once the unknown figure had finished shifting into its new form, it turned toward me with a smile. Before me, was a reflection of myself.
"Well done, you've confronted what you were hiding from the entire time," spoke the other me. "You've proven that you are more than just a selfish and unforgivable person by confronting the one thing you've been hiding from since you killed that innocent kid. However, you have yet one more thing to do, before you are forgiven."
"I know," I stated, taking steps toward the ledge of the building top, standing next to my other self.
I looked beyond the ledge, taking in a deep breath as I prepared for the final task I had to do before my test was complete.
"Are you ready to be forgiven, and right all the wrongs you've committed?" asked my other self.
I nodded my head, remembering happy memories before I turned into this unforgivable person. I smiled, leaning forward, and falling into the endless abyss of my mind. As I fell, I didn't think negative, and only embraced the new person I had become. I had let go of all my hate and anger that had overcome me for so long, and only now could I truly forgive myself. I didn't expect to be forgiven by Cheryl, not that she ever could, and never would know if she did or did not forgive me for betraying and nearly killing her. Over the silence of the endless fall, I overheard the sound of a heart monitor, flat lined, and watched as the endless abyss closed to nothing but pure darkness.
It was over...
Cheryl Mcgreen lived through her four day coma, but was devastated by the loss of her beloved. Nobody knew what caused the two to fall into coma's and for one to live and one to die right in the same moment. All that followed was nothing but pure tragedy. Cheryl had a hard time moving on from the mysterious death of her beloved, and no answers were given to the cause of the coma, because there were no answers. Cheryl wanted answers, but never found any, until two years after the mysterious death of her boyfriend. Cheryl had come home from her graduation from high school, and like most young-adults, proceeded to getting on Skype to talk with friends.
In her recent messages, was a message from her boyfriend's Skype account. Her boyfriend's Skype account had been deleted not long after his death, yet here was the legit account with a message of only two words that immediately made Cheryl question many things, along with anybody else who saw the message.
THE MESSAGE
"I'm sorry."
Author's Note
Is it really over
