Through the Septic Lands

Mark's Breakdown

Mark drove us home after the incident. All these weird things have been happening to me and I just want to know why. And because of those things, Mark decided that I should stay home for a period of time before I can control this... this thing.

"Jack? You know I've got an extra bed, right? You don't have to sleep on the floor." I just shook my head and looked to him. His eyes were full of fear and sweat was streaming down continuously the more he stared. I could understand why he was scared of me but he didn't need to hide it.

"Mark, I'm fine on the floor. And you don't have to be scared of me. I could never hurt you." His face softened but only enough to reassure that he's fine. "And thank you." He nodded and walked back to his room.

I doubt I'll be getting any sleep tonight. My mind is racing at a thousand miles per hour and my entire body shivers even though it's more or less like eighty degrees in his living room. Which made no sense to me. I would've turned an air conditioner on or at least a fan. But then again, he doesn't really have a fan in here and I've no blankets to keep myself warm. Maybe that's why the heat's turned up.

~•~•~•~•~

I had eventually fallen asleep during the early morning when literally every animal and insect was starting to wake. I had hoped Mark wouldn't be more freaked out by myself. But screw my hopes.

"Jack?!" My eyes opened and I was falling... how was I falling? I was on the floor the entire night. My face hit the floor with a sudden thud and my arms weren't there to catch me. "Jack, are you alright?!" He knelt beside me and helped me sit up. "Come on. Speak to me!"

"Ow." I looked up at him and his eyes were bloodshot and swollen. Probably from crying. His hair was everywhere. "What the hell happened to you overnight?" He shook his head as I attempted to stand up on my wobbling legs.

"You were floating." My heart stopped. "Jack, what's going on? What won't you tell me?"

"Mark, I don't even know. I literally woke up one morning and I could... do things. I don't understand how or why. It just... happened." All the weird body modifications began to happen towards the start of my dreams. Every dream I had, more started to change. My eyes begun to turn green and shift back and forth between blue and green whenever I had felt threatened or scared. I had noticed this throughout many of my videos. It wasn't the camera or the lighting. It was simply something I was doing without realizing it.

Not far after that, my ears were becoming pointier then usual. You could again clearly see it on camera. I couldn't hide it anymore from the people on the other side of the screen. Especially when my back pain started to take its toll. I don't think I was ready to explain this to him. He already was upset as it is. I didn't want him to know that I was in pain too. That could break him.

I was so deep in thought that I hadn't noticed that I was engulfed in a warm hug. "I'm sorry."

"Me too." It was true. I didn't want any of this to happen. It couldn't possibly get any worse then it already is. I've murdered a man with almost no memory of it happening, I've had inhuman body transformations, I've completely put my best friend in danger because of myself, and I have no idea why.

An abrupt knock on the door replaced our tension with an intoxicating feeling of danger. My mind was screaming for me to get Mark and myself out of there. But I couldn't bring myself to do anything at the moment.

We looked at each other unsure of what to do. Bob and wade don't usually stop by and the Cyndago boys wouldn't bother him unless something important was happening or going to happen. I doubt it was any of them. But before I could do anything else, Mark grabbed my arm and thrust me into his room and said "Figure out some way to hide your ears and tail. Your eyes are fine but they can't be seen. Hurry." I nodded.

Carefully adjusting my jeans, I stuffed my tail inside while trying not to break it. I have a feeling if I do, it will hurt. A lot. Second, I searched around for a hat or something to pull over my ears. But of course Mark only has weird ones like a top hat and a fedora. So I quietly slip out of his room towards mine when I hear the door fly open.

I reach my bags and pull out my beanie. I gently pull it over top my ears hoping they won't stick out too much. Finished with everything, I'm suddenly tackled to the ground. "What the FUCK!" I could hear Mark screaming in the other room, warning me to get out.

"Jack! Get out of here! They're mphhphh-" the person on top of me cuffed my hands together while crushing my head with their knee. They pulled me up so abruptly that I heard and felt my ankle snap. I cringed at the pain.

"Oh my god. Was that your foot?" The person who cuffed me was a woman. I nodded trying to hold in my cries. Now I've got wait for that to heal too. "SEAN'S INJURED! I NEED HELP IN HERE!" She yelled to whoever else was there.

I could feel it in the pit of my stomach. The mysterious power that I seem to have. I couldn't let anyone else die because of something I can't control. I pushed her out of the way and ran through the window that was next to the couch. The shards of glass cut my skin and shirt as I started to fall.

"Oh No! SHIT!" With my hands cuffed it was really hard to grab onto something. "SHIT!" The ground was so close. I expected to hit it so hard that the impact would shatter my skull but that Did Not happen. I was a few inches off the ground.

When I looked up, I saw Mark struggling with a few masked men to get into a big black van. He was cursing all of them out as he whipped his head around to try and stun them enough for him to get away. "No! YOU SON OF A BITCH! LET ME GO! JACK! JJAAACCCCKKK!" The sight brought tears to my eyes.

"Mark..." I tried to muster up enough courage to call out to him. But before I could, he was shoved into the back seat of the van. He was banging the tinted windows so hard I wondered if for a second there he might actually get out.

My heart was pounding in my chest and I was breathing so rapidly that I thought I would pass out it I didn't stop. I couldn't stop though. Those people were after me.

And I had to find Mark. It was a struggle getting up. With a broken leg and mostly an ankle too, it was a painful ride to rise.

I don't know why I didn't just try to pull the handcuffs apart. They literally just popped off my wrists onto the ground in front of me. I couldn't think for too long because several of those men came looking back here for me. Shit. Where do I go? I can't run.

Wait... wait. Mark said I was floating. I probably could fly. I concentrated on lifting myself off the grass. I heard a few bangs and a crash. I opened my eyes again to see a green glow shoot from my hand towards a metal trashcan across the street. No. That's not what I wanted.

"Mr. McLoughlin! Stand Down!" I started to panic. The power was rising in my chest and I didn't want it to reach the top. Sweat was lining my face and hands as I forced the power down. I couldn't kill anyone else. Not today... Not ever.

"STAND DOWN!" I couldn't take it. I was getting too dizzy to stand and my body was hurting so much from the stress. A painful scream escaped my throat and I was tackled again. The whole world burst with vibrant color while fading to black once again.