Love within the shadows

The Quack Of Conscience

In the aftermath of the brutal fight, Zacky Vengeance lays awake in bed, staring at the ceiling, his mind racing with thoughts of the confrontation and the fractured state of his band. The words exchanged, the anger and frustration—they all replayed in his mind, refusing to let him find any peace. Exhausted, he eventually drifted into an uneasy sleep, the turmoil of the day haunting his dreams.

It was in the midst of this restless slumber that Zacky found himself in a surreal, nightmarish landscape. The sky was a dark, swirling mix of grays and purples, and the ground was covered in a thick, murky mist. Strange shapes loomed in the distance, and the air was filled with an eerie silence. The setting felt both alien and vaguely familiar, as if he had stepped into the darkest corners of his subconscious.

Suddenly, the silence was broken by the sound of quacking—loud, rhythmic, and growing closer. Zacky turned, his heart racing as he saw a sight that made his eyes widen in disbelief. An army of enormous stallion ducks, their feathers slick and glistening, marched toward him. Their beady eyes glowed with an unsettling intensity, and their size was imposing, each duck larger than a small car.

Leading this peculiar army was an ethereal figure, dressed in black with an air of melancholy. The figure had an aura of haunting beauty, with brown, flowing hair and piercing eyes. Zacky felt a chill run down his spine as he recognized the figure—it was Johannah, a character he had only heard about in passing conversations, an emo girl whose presence seemed to embody the very essence of sorrow and rebellion.

Johannah floated above the ground, her eyes locking onto Zacky with a piercing gaze. She was both captivating and unnerving, her expression one of serious determination and emoism. The army of ducks followed her, their quacking creating a rhythmic backdrop to the tense silence between them.

"Zacky Vengeance," Johannah's voice echoed through the dreamscape, a haunting melody that sent shivers down his spine. "You have been warned, but you still carry the weight of your prejudice."

Zacky tried to speak, but no words came out. His mouth felt dry, his heart pounding with a mix of fear and confusion. The ducks continued their march, their massive forms casting long shadows over the misty ground.

"You and your bandmates are at a crossroad," Johannah continued, her voice filled with a very American cowgirl accent. "You have allowed your biases and ignorance to drive a wedge between you, tearing apart something that once held great meaning. But you still have a chance to make things right."

Zacky swallowed hard, the weight of Johannah's words sinking in. "What do you want from me?"

Johannah floated closer, her eyes never leaving his. "I want you to confront your own demons, to face the hatred and fear that have clouded your judgment. You must stop being homophobic, stop letting your prejudices control your actions. This is your chance to redeem yourself."

Zacky's mind raced. "But how? I didn't mean for things to get this bad. I just... I don't know how to fix it."

Johannah's expression softened slightly, though her scary blue eyes remained intense. "It begins with acknowledging your mistakes and seeking to understand the people you've wronged. Apologize, make amends, and work toward acceptance. This is your responsibility now. YEEHAW!!" 

Before Zacky could respond, the ducks let out a synchronized quack that resonated like a thunderclap, shaking the very ground beneath him. Johannah's gaze hardened. "Fail to do this, and you will face the consequences. The path you are on leads only to further division and pain. You have the power to change it, but you must act now. If you fail to do this, you're gonna ride the lightning" 

The dreamscape began to distort, the colors swirling and the sounds becoming a cacophony of quacking and echoes. Zacky felt himself being pulled away from Johannah and the army of ducks, a sense of dread filling him as the dream slipped away.

He jolted awake, his heart racing and his body covered in a cold sweat. The remnants of the dream lingered in his mind, the image of the emo, Johannah and the massive stallion ducks burned into his memory. He lays there in the dark, trying to make sense of what he had experienced.

The dream had been bizarre, surreal, and oddly compelling. It wasn't just the stallion ducks or Johannah's presence that left an impression—it was the message she had delivered. The confrontation with his own biases and the need for redemption were clear and undeniable.

Determined to address the issues that had surfaced, Zacky knew he couldn't ignore the dream's message. He had to face his own prejudices, make amends with Matt and Brian, and work toward rebuilding the trust that had been shattered. The dream had been a wake-up call, and despite its bizarre and unsettling nature, it had given him the clarity he needed.

Zacky resolved to confront his own shortcomings and seek reconciliation with Matt and Brian. He knew it would be a difficult journey, but it was one he had to undertake if he wanted to mend the fractured bond of Avenged Sevenfold. The army of ducks and Johannah's haunting presence would remain a reminder of the path he needed to take—a path of understanding, acceptance, and changes.