☆The Battle of You and Me ☆

20. Third Times a Charm

I wake up in a black room. Like all the others I've been in. I lay here for a moment. Thinking. I'm in ghost purgatory. Who knows how long I'll be in here for...hopefully I'll find a way out. No...When I find a way out...Congeniality is gonna see how I get revenge...

I hope everyone's doing okay...I gotta find a way out of here...quickly. Time moves a lot quicker in here I think. I hope the boys are okay...

👻Reggies POV👻

He's gone...

He's really gone...

As I watch Luke, he doesn't blink, his hazel eyes just stare through everything, his fingers don't move, he's limp. Everything's silent, even the stupid Magician.

Caleb appears and I'm surprised to see him shocked when he sees Luke. Luke was the first thing he spotted...now he looks at me and Alex and he speaks, "Is he...?" Alex lowers his head and I don't speak. Giving him his answer. Caleb covers his mouth and looks to his dad, instantly furious, "What did you do!? I told you to leave them alone! Why don't you just listen!?" Nick's body morphs into Mr. Congeniality's top hat wearing, soul stealing, tall body and he smiles, "I'm doing you a favor." Caleb laughs in his face, "No! You're not! You're hurting people! People I care about! Luke! He was special! And now you're killing Alexander and Reginald and making all the people they care about watch! You're a monster!"

Mr. Butthead looks to us and back to Caleb. "I'm sorry but it's out of my control now..." Caleb's eyes darken. "Puppet Master...you're just a desperate Puppet Master that doesn't even like his own child...how pathetic...instead of calling a kid pathetic for wanting to be a kid! Maybe you should look at yourself...I'm done trying to save you. You deserve what is coming to you...and I know it's coming to you. Lucas is not the type of person to just lay down and die...he's gonna get his revenge and I have no probelem with helping and supporting whatever he chooses to do to you."

Congeniality smiles and gives a chuckle, "What? You think that pesky little ghost is gonna save you all? Come on, be realistic. He has no power...he used to have a lot...more than them actually. Crazy to think how they have more power than him...not for long though." He points to us and me and Alex look at each other.

I grab Alex's hand and I hug him. I don't wanna leave. I wanna stay with Julie and her family...I want to see Julie happy with all of us and her mom. I want Luke back...

Suddenly Congeniality chuckles, "You people are so guilible...I can't believe you really thought Luke came back from the club..." I look to Alex and we both look at Caleb for answers. But he doesn't have any so Congeniality sighs, "He never made it out of the club...that little party trick you did with the ring? It didn't save him...and you obviously didn't get rid of me. I just made the town hallucinate him," the next thing this monster says, visibly breaks everyone's heart in half. Especially his parents...

"Lucas Patterson, never made it out of the dressing room. I have his soul. I made you hallucinate him for the past 6 months." He can't contain his excitement as he sees all the numb, confused faces. I get it now...that's why Luke and Julie haven't got along...it wasn't the real Luke...the real Luke wouldn't stand by and let Julie be miserable...he would do anything to make her happy again...that includes making it possible for Julie to see her mom...not ask her why she isn't gonna go see her.

I lower my head as I think about all this. He made it all up...all the stuff we think happened, was actually Congeniality manipulating us into thinking Luke was with us...

But what about us watching Luke die just now? Was that the real Luke disobeying Congeniality or was it all an act?

I look to Congeniality and speak, "This wasn't the real Luke, was it?" I point to where Luke's body is still laying. I can't even look in the body's direction. If this was all an act...I'm furious.