Fear Garden: Five Petals

Prologue (Dreamland)

It's a garden. A very beautiful, very vast garden. It's almost heavenly. I begin to lose myself in its beauty. But then...
I see her.
It feels like I haven't seen her in a long, long time. Like we're practically strangers. I wanted to run, God, I wanted to run to her. To scream out her name, to hold her in my arms. To tell her that I'm sorry, that I should've done more. That I love her.
But I can't. No matter how hard I try, it's like my feet are rooted to the ground, just like all the plants that lay before me. I wanted to open up my mouth, to call out to her, to say something. My mouth felt as dry as sand, and I still couldn't move an inch.
This isn't fair...
I felt the tears starting to build in my eyes, I shut them to stop my pain from pouring down my face. But then...

That's enough dreaming.

Who..?

It's time for you to wake up.

A stranger's voice rings out. I've never heard of her before. And wake up?  Am I really dreaming?

You want her back, don't you?

What are you talking about...

You miss her. You miss what you had with her, before it was all swept away. But, maybe I can help, if you let me...

You don't know anything about me and—

Oh you are very mistaken. I know quite a lot about her...and about you. Don't you want to spare her all that pain? If you knew what she knew, oh, my dear, you would've done the same thing! Well, a little less emphasis on the "you" aspect. She never did anything unless I commanded it.

You... commanded her? You made her... do all of those things? To us? To herself? What the hell is wrong with —

We can skip those formalities, darling. It was very, very horrible for her. Excluded from everyone else, treated like a joke, a laughing stock. Her pain was mocked and ridiculed, so I helped her climb to victory. But you were the only one who cared, didn't you? You were the only one who had had her back, through and through, but yet...when the going got too tough, you ended it all. Just to save yourself, to "stop the pain", as you said, because watching her fall apart in front of you was just too much. How sickening.

How selfish of you.

No... please. I never wanted to leave, I didn't know what to do! Everyone else was being taken away from me, the thought of losing her too was so... so...

So you leave her high and dry huh? To face everyone else? After what they put her through? That doesn't sound like someone who cares. Then, on top of all of that, you bring her back, back to a world where she was deemed a monster, a world she will never be able to truly enjoy. Where, if anyone were to ever see her, they'd rip her apart with their bare hands, and bask in the glory as her blood—

Okay OKAY! I GET IT! Please stop... What do you want from me?

I want your unwavering loyalty, and...your services.

My services?

Yes, dear.  I've lost everything too, but I was hoping with her help, I could get it all back. But it failed. And I was thrusted into darkness once more, but now I've found a new special person to carry on my work!

Me?

Yes, you! Along with...another, more...unexpected individual, so to speak. You'll enjoy each other's company, I'm sure!

Why would I even WANT to work for you, when you made her go through all that hell, for what!? Give me one good reason why I should believe you or do anything you say!

Because, it's the least you could do for her. She's been through SO much, and when she needed you most, you ripped yourself away from her, and left her all alone.

I—

And you stand here and tell me you love her? When you can't even for a second comprehend the torture and agony she endured. It's quite pathetic really. Unless you...want to spare her. Save her from the pain like you should've. You could...

Return the favor.

But I SAW how she was when working for you, she was a husk of her former self! What's going to happen to me if I work for you?

Nothing darling, as long as you do what I say. Come on now, we both know you'd do ANYTHING for her, you crawled through the depths of hell just to save her, and it was all for nothing. This could be the ultimate act of love and sacrifice! You could make it all up to her... if you just
Let
Me
In.

Okay, but only on ONE, single condition

Hmm?

if I... work for you... if I let you in, no after what, you won't touch her. You'll leave her alone all together! You won't dance around in her head o-or tell her crazy things! You won't mess with her, even again.

A bit boring...but, I know a good deal when I see it! You've made a great choice! We'll go far, darling. We'll go so far!

I... okay.

With all of that out of the way, it would be rude of me to not even introduce myself to my new vessel!

Your...vessel?

Yes... now, we can finally get to know each other! I have a feeling we'll get along just fine!

Who ARE you?!

Rude. But if you must know...
My
Name
Is...