The Marionette of Madness

17

After an awkward bathroom break where Toby tried to escape multiple times, earning only a mild concussion he couldn't feel and a broken arm. Mari wasn't cruel about it, only cold and silent.

Once they were back inside and Toby was restrained once more, Mari collapsed onto his sleeping bag, apparently asleep.

Toby was alone with his thoughts again, wondering how he got here in life. He wasn't alone long however, before that sinking darkness returned.
"I'm back~"

Mari sat up groggy, clearly not happy to be awake so soon after lying down. His face ticked a few times before turning into a mask of resentment.
"What are we doing now?"

There was no anger in his words, only resignation. The demon laughed.
"We're going to have some fun, won't that be nice Mari?"

Mari didn't respond just stood shakily and picked up the machete he had discarded hours ago. Slowly, he approached the shadowy creature.
"Why can't you ever be specific? Just tell what to do."

She didn't like this response, tutting playfully.
"You're no fun when you're in a mood Dear."
She turned to Toby.
"But if you want specifics, I think you should use that little toy of yours to make him scream."

Toby laughed at that, he couldn't help it.
"Y-you g-g-guys- you guys are stupid. I c-c-can't feel pain, remember?"

The demon didn't stop smiling.
"Oh, he won't be using it on you."
With a wave of her hand, the figure of a young lady appeared, in her late teens. The moment she appeared, Toby realized what the demon meant.

"N-no!"
Toby forced his eyes shut, telling himself she wasn't real.
"L-Lyra is dead, you can't hurt her!"

"Is that her name?"

Toby realized his mistake as Mari shook his head softly, dropping his cold facade. He gave her a memory.

"Interesting."
She turned to a once again calm Mari.
"Mari, kill Lyra for me."

Mari took a few steps forward, before his eyes met Toby's. He must have seen something in them that shocked him from his fearful submission.
"No. I can't."

The demon didn't like that, turning to him with a snarl.
"What did you say?"

Mari didn't break his eye contact with Toby, and Toby vaguely remembered him mentioning he had a younger brother, maybe thats what made him stall.
"I can't. There's no point. You heard him, she's dead!"
He was trying to play it off as logic so that it wouldn't look like disobedience.

In a blink, the darkness was constricted around Mari, a shadowy hand holding up another vial like the one Toby had found in his pocket. The contents were quickly shoved down his throat, leaving him gasping and shaking on the ground. The shadow released him and returned to the figure of Lyra, running a finger down her face.
"I appreciate your concern Dear, but I don't keep you around for you opinion. Now start tearing her apart."

Toby watched as Mari lifted his head, eyes dripping bright green tears.
"Yes Mistress."
There was no sympathy in his eyes now, only empty bloodlust.

Machete in hand, he approached Lyra from behind and put the blade to her throat. The demon laughed at the panic on Toby's face.
"You can save her Toby. Just ask. I can bring her back for you. Just tell some things about her."

Toby shook his head, remembering Mari's warning now. She didn't like that.
"In that case."

Mari dragged the blade across the imitation Lyra's throat. Her face moved in what could only be described as a scream, but no sound came out as blood flowed freely from her neck. She slumped to the floor as Mari dropped her, before he went hacking away at her body.

Toby was screaming now, taking ragged breaths with tears streaming down his face. He tried to tell himself that this wasn't real, but he couldn't ignore what his eyes saw. The demon was loving his pain.
"Come on Toby, we can keep going if you don't cooperate. You can watch her die over, and over, and over."