Fake Your Death

The End.

"If you look in the mirror and don't like what you see,
You can find out firsthand what it's like to be me."

The darkness surrounding you was suffocating. You could hardly breathe, not to mention the piano notes were pretty melancholic and somber, which didn't improve your worry.

"Mikey, where are we?" You asked him, tugging on his hand slightly.

"I don't know," he sounded vaguely confused as the two of you walked.

And then, as if someone had flicked a switch, the darkness was lifted.

The black was replaced by a overcast grey sky, dull rubbish littering the concrete road you and Mikey were walking on, and a desolate city in the distance. Everything looked right out of a 1920s silent film.

Mikey stopped abruptly.

"Mikey?" You looked at him in confusion, then gasped in surprise.

His appearance had changed.

His Kobra Kid outfit was replaced by black pants, boots and a raven coloured jacket with white stripes going across his chest. His hair was now black and his complexion nearly white.

"I'm..." He grasped a medal on his right side, as if trying to hold on to what exactly was going on.

"You're dressed from the Black Parade," you said in awe.

Mikey looked at you, doing a double take. "So are you!"

"What?"

You were indeed wearing an outfit almost identical to Mikey's, and your complexion was paper white. The note was tucked in the pocket of your pants, much to your relief.

"But- we-" you stammered, turning to look at the sky high piles of rubbish.

"We walked through some kind of portal," Mikey said. "I didn't know this was where it led."

You stared at the surrounding area in awe. This was where the parade happened. Where they played on the float and the dead walked with them.

It was a twisted fantasy come to life.

"Let's find who we need to," Mikey pulled you along, looking for any sign of movement.

After a while of fruitless looking, you were beginning to get frustrated.

"Where the hell is he?!" You yelled angrily, kicking a piece of metal high into the air.

Mikey watched it disappear over the pile of rubbish to your left. "That was a bit of an overreaction."

"Shut up."

There was a cry of pain from behind the trash pile, followed by a loud swear.

You looked at Mikey. "Someone's there."

You ran behind the rubbish mountain to see someone hunched over with their fingers twisted deep into their curly black hair.

"Jesus Christ!" Mikey said to the man. "Are you alright?"

"Never been better," the man said sarcastically, letting go of his head and standing back up. "You've got a pretty good kick."

"Actually-" Mikey began, cutting himself off. "Ray?!"

The man looked at Mikey, shocked. "Mikey?"

"You're here!" The two exclaimed in unison, hugging the other.

Ray Toro let go of Mikey, smiling warmly at him. "It's so good to see you again. Why are you doing here?"

"They has a message for you," Mikey pointed to you.

Ray turned and looked at you with interest. "What's the message?"

"Your friends need help," you told him, giving him the note.

Ray looked over the note, his smile growing wider if possible. "Took them long enough."

"I know, right?" Said Mikey.

Ray handed back the note. "Alright. Let's go."

The three of you walked to a the end of the concrete road, Mikey and Ray talking enthusiastically.

As you walked, you realized the piano notes you kept hearing was the intro to Welcome To The Black Parade.

"Guys," you stopped walking. "Do you hear that?"

"The piano?" Ray asked.

"Yeah."

"That's the beginning to Welcome To The Black Parade." Mikey observed.

"Someone else is here in this land!" You exclaimed. "They can help us find the exit!"

"Wait!" Ray yelled after you as you ran into the junk piles.

Swerving from side to side, you raced in between the piles of rubbish, the piano growing louder and louder. You skidded to a halt in front of a cleared area with one black grand piano in the middle. A man wearing all black with a plague doctor's mask covering his face was sitting at it, playing the same notes over and over again.

You frowned, watching him carefully. He was intent on playing those notes over and over again.

G F# B E D G C B E A D

You approached him silently, wondering if he was okay.

"Stop!" Mikey's voice came from the rubbish piles, sounding desperate.

"Sir?" You asked cautiously. "Are you alright?"

The man abruptly stopped playing and stood up.

"Sir?" You repeated, feeling nervous.

The man let out a cry, spreading his arms into a t shape.

You backed up slowly, realizing you'd made a mistake.

He slowly began to change shape. His black clothing morphing greasy feathers and his mask elongating to sharp beaks.

A murder of crows.

"RUN!" Ray screamed at you.

You turned your back on the crow man, sprinting away from him as fast as possible. You could feel the crows' talons inches from you back. Once you caught up to Mikey and Ray, you found yourself slowing down much to your horror.

"Grab them!" Ray yelled at Mikey

Mikey picked you up in his arms, running faster if possible.

The three of you burst out onto the concrete road once again, running down it. The crowd were beginning to catch up.

One managed to nearly bite your feet, but you gave it a good kick, sending it reeling.

"Over there!" Ray pointed to a curtain in one of the rubbish piles. "That's the portal!"

"A curtain?" Mikey asked skeptically.

"Hey, I don't choose where these things go," Ray said defensively, pulling back the curtain.

Mikey threw you under the curtain, and you hit the ground, rolling, but surprisingly not in pain.

Mikey and Ray jumped through, the menacing caws vanishing as soon as the curtain swept shut.

You could make out a shape in the darkness under the curtain, but everything was blurry, like it was fogged up.

Mikey helped you to your feet. "Sorry about throwing you," he apologized breathlessly.

"It's fine," you told him. "Let's go," you addressed them both.

The three of you began walking towards the blurry shapes, praying you wouldn't encounter any more crows.