Comfort in the darkest times.

Something's off about Mark's house...

Being a member of the Mandela County Police Department is pretty tough. The missing person's reports, the seemingly endless cases of suicide and murder. And especially the alternates who may be the reason any of said missing persons reports and murders were even happening. But Thatcher Davis didn't care. He joined for a reason. He wanted to help people in his community. He could give less of a damn if this was tough. He accepted it with open arms...

The newest lieutenant of the MCPD though, was rushing through the silent pitch-black road. There's been a call from a distressed local about an alternate attack. The local was a young male and he sounded absolutely terrified. Thacher remembered it so vividly. The sound of his pure and utter terror across the phone line. The sound of a man broken and only holding on by a thread. Thacher; trying his best to calm the man down. Only for the man to continue just yelling in utter terror. And the other thing is... it was someone he knew.

Thacher needed to get there and fast. He needs to go and take care of this issue. Because if not. Who else would? There's a guy that needs someone to help. And he would be damned if something disgusting and filled with nothing but malice would hurt someone in his community.

"Not on my watch," Thatcher muttered to himself. He speeded across the road in the night without any further word. His face was emotionless as he drove his way to the local's house. His only goal was simple: go to the local's house and stop the threat. Whatever it was. But what Thacher didn't know is that this would be the most difficult encounter he'll have in his career.

Three days. It's been three, long, agonizing days since Mark has been trapped in his room. He's cornered, huddled up in his bed, and trying to fight tears. He's been stuck without water or food. And it didn't help that some f*cking thing was right in front of his door. Torturing him, tormenting him. And overall trying to break him.

Mark was writing prayers in his notebook to help him live. He tells God to please help him through this time. To help him get enough strength to live. He's shaking nervously. As he writes the same thing over and over again. Praying for the Lord. Praying for his love. Mark continued writing. Until something stopped. Something seemed to snap in his brain. He blinked and wrote down the newest question plaguing him...

"Who have I been praying to?" Mark wrote. He didn't know that the M.A.D was affecting him. He didn't know that the thing was giving off a mental disorder every time it spoke. Mark put the notebook down and stares at the ceiling.

"Why?" Mark whispered. "Why won't you leave me alone? When will help arrive? I ca-can't be in here forever."

The creature knocked on the other side. Its movements were unnatural and otherworldly.

"Mark!~" The thing cackled. Copying the voice of Mark's mother. Its voice glitches in several ways. "You need to open the door! Now!~"

Mark clenched his fist. And he turned to the door.

"No," Mark stated through gritted teeth. "I will never let you in. You're the devil incarnate! Do you think you're my mom? We guess what? I know who you truly are. And I will never let you in! You abomination!"

The creature screams in reply. It shouted out static gibberish. Causing Mark to cover his ears as it continued to yell and scream.

"MARK!" The creature yells out. Its voice changes to Cesar's. It distorts and screams and glitches. It hurts Mark's ears and his heart. "LET ME IN! LET ME IN! LET ME IN MARK! PLEASE! LET ME IN! NOTHING IS WORTH T- LET ME IN!"

Tears welled up in Mark's eyes. The boy only gritted his teeth as he lay on his side. Breaking down by the second.

"Stop it!" Mark pleaded. "STOP IT PLEASE! NO MORE! STOP THIS!"