Thought You Knew (based on A Gorey Demise)

"J is for Johnny who was bitten by snakes..."

[[Chapter started: March 14th, 2015]]
        I guess digging up the archives of my past is having much more of an impact on my psyche than I had imagined. That last chapter was an absolute mess. I apologize for not updating this story sooner, I recently had a horrible experience dealing with persistent delusions. I had to take a break until I could guarantee I was mentally stable enough to continue. Unlike the past chapter "One by one we bite the dust..." actually having a meaning behind it, the last one does not. It might seem like it does, but believe me, it doesn't. Don't try to decipher it. Please.
        Anyways, I'm sure you've all been waiting for me to tell you what happened to poor ol' Issac, hm? Well, I made sure to keep a close eye on the news to see if I could catch the story. And to my delight, I did.
        "Today a car was spotted in a ditch with two adult men in the driver's seat and passenger's seat. The bodies were of Issac Mann and Cole Lee, to which neither of them survived the crash. Upon further investigation it was discovered that the car, which belonged to Issac, had faulty brakes installed. It appeared that the car had driven right off of a cliff..." I had to walk away before I started laughing manically. A bonus sacrifice for the Misfits! I hope you're happy, guys... Just as I thought that, an unfamiliar voice called out my name from upstairs. I paused as I passed the stairwell and looked up, puzzled.
        "Curtis, come on up. I have to talk to you." I realized that the voice in fact WAS familiar, I just couldn't put a name to it. Who are you? I asked internally. I slowly made my way up the stairs, cautiously moving and ready for something to attack me once I made it to the blind corner at the top. As I neared the second floor, I snuck up to the corner and then quickly checked to see who was there. I was surprised to come face-to-face with one of my victims.
        "Hello," Erik said with a bitter look on his face. His clothes, the same ones that he had worn the day I had buried him, were tattered, ripped and smeared with dirt. He appeared pale and his eyes were glazed over, as if he were dead. Dead, just like he should have been. Dead, just like he was. He was a ghost who returned to haunt me. A spirit who existed only to get revenge. I backed away, knowing that this was the purpose he had come to me.
        "H-hello, Erik. I uh... I...... Hello," I stuttered. I smiled nervously, and he narrowed his eyes.
        "Can you guess why I'm here?" his voice quivered with rage.
        "Well, it... uh.... Because...." My voice trailed off, I had no idea what to do or say.
        "Because you buried me alive, maybe? Even though I never wronged you in any way? No, never mind, sociopaths don't NEED reasons to harm others, do they?" He took a step closer, which only caused me to recoil further. I frantically shook my head.        
        "You don't understand, Erik. I do have a reason!"
        "Yeah, sure! What is it? To satisfy your craving for death?" he spat.
        "I don't crave death!" I shouted back. "I have to sacrifice people! It's what I was born to do! I was chosen!" 
        "Chosen? By who and for what?"
        "The Misfits," I replied in a rushed tone. "They are entities from another realm called Sire Telle. They rule four other groups who control different parts of our reality. They help organize and sort the four other groups so that they can work together in harmony so that our world can function properly." He hesitated, resulting in a small spark of hope lighting up in my mind. My heart sank when he shook his head angrily.
        "You're absolutely INSANE!" he screeched as he pounced on me. He tackled me to the floor and started strangling me. I struggled and squirmed, desperate to throw him off of me, but he didn't budge. "How does it feel to be completely helpless while being deprived of any air?!" he sneered. I continued to fight, to no avail. As my vision began to black out and as I watched, expecting my life to end, I felt the pressure on my neck fade. I choked and gasped for air, wondering how I was still alive. "I'm sorry..." I heard Erik mutter from above. My sight returned to normal and I noticed his hand reaching out, waiting to help me up. I hesitantly took it, and he pulled me up onto my feet. "Two wrongs don't make a right," he added, looking down at the floor. I stared at him silently, still shocked from nearly dying just a few moments ago.
        "I don't expect you to forgive me," I said finally.
        "I didn't expect you to try and give a reason for killing me, nor show any sign that you knew it was wrong," he answered, lifting his head to look me in the eyes.
        "I rarely feel remorse, but not because I particularly enjoy being a serial killer. I always have a reason to kill, even if sometimes that only reason is because the Misfits force me to," I explained.
        "You seemed to be having a fun time chucking me into a hole," he murmured and he crossed his arms.
        "Well... it was an idea I was proud of, admittedly."
        "So you do enjoy killing people?"
        "Sometimes. As long as I have a reason to do so, I can have fun with it. You weren't someone who I'd choose to sacrifice, but you were vulnerable, and I really wanted to try burying someone alive." Erik sighed and looked away.
        "You took my life because it was convenient?" I shrugged.
        "I guess so..." When I answered him, Erik turned and started walking away without saying a word. "Erik, where are you going?" As I finished the sentence, he vanished before me.
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        Two weeks later, the Misfits were at it again. They consistently urged me to get them their next sacrifice, however I hadn't come up with a plan yet. They weren't making it any easier for me to think with their constant chattering distracting me, coupled by the other voices I then heard regularly. On one mid-autumn day, I decided to go for a short hike through the forest I had killed Heather in. I strolled along the trail with my hands in my sweater pockets, head hung and feet dragging. The recently fallen leaves crunched underneath the weight of each step I took, and there was a chilly breeze that picked up now and then that rustled the brightly colored canopies above. Eventually I came across a man sitting on a flat rock looking out over a cliff. It was quite an amazing sight with the hot oranges and yellows that dotted the hillsides and the small waterfall that poured into a lazy creak. He noticed me and greeted me with a friendly tone.
        "Hi there!"
        "Hi, how are you?" I asked as I approached him. If you're wondering if I interact with random strangers like that all of the time, the answer is no. I had a reason.
        "I'm doing well, you?" I smiled as I replied.
        "I'm great. My name is Curtis, what's yours?" I queried just for fun.
        "Johnny," he responded simply.
        "This is a really pretty view, isn't it?" The man nodded as he laid his eyes upon the gorgeous scenery once again.
        "I really like the creak."
        "Really? So do I. Want to get a closer look?" Before Johnny could even open his mouth, I shoved him over the edge of the cliff and watched him tumble down to the shallow stream of water below. Johnny gave me quite a scare when I saw him move when he was supposed to be a limp body. Oh dear God... No! You shouldn't have survived that! I started making my way down the hill, quickly but cautiously as to not fall down myself. I had to finish him off before he could get away and snitch on me. But I stopped dead in my tracks when Johnny's startled yelp shot through the air. I tried to see what was going on, but when I did he started to thrash about and was panicking more and more. What on earth... I curiously neared him, and by the time I got there, he was stone cold dead just as I wanted him to be. I inspected the body to find snake bites all over him, including a fatal one to his neck. I suddenly felt a sharp pain shoot up my leg, resonating from my ankle up. I shrieked and without thinking I kicked with the same leg that was bit. I saw the pale green body of a snake fling into the air. The same agony that had overcome me before was mimicked through my arm. I swatted my arm to send another snake of the same kind fall to the ground. At that point I turned tail and took flight, fighting through the horrible pain that coursed through my right leg. In a panicked rush, I scrambled back up the hill and half ran, half limped home. I didn't tell my parents what happened and treated myself in my bedroom.

[[Another chapter of the book complete. I believe this is the longest one so far. I had fun with this one for sure. Oh and, hooray for March break! I'll see you readers in the next chapter. Make sure to leave a comment and give me some feedback! Constructive criticism is highly encouraged. Thanks!]]