Life Support (Septiplier)

The Spiral Down

-Mark's Point of View-

It had been a few weeks since I'd heard from Jack and I wondered how he was getting along. I had been worrying about him since that Skype call months ago when I found him crying over a nightmare he'd had. I shake my head clear and continue to scroll through Twitter. Many people had tweeted at me about Jack's lack of energy in his recent videos. A lot of people were worried about him, including me. I had messaged him multiple times, but he'd never answered. It was really worrying me, but maybe he was just busy.

I get up from my computer, letting my eyes adjust to the room before walking to my bathroom. I walk to my sink and grip the edges of it. I turn on the cold water and splash it on my face before grabbing a hand towel and drying myself off. I walk back to my computer, sitting down in the familiar and comfortable seat. I pull up Skype and send him a message saying: "Hey, call me when you can. I'm a little worried. Thanks."

I exhale, not expecting an answer. I pull Twitter back up and start responding to people when I hear a notification from Skype. I quickly pull Skype up and click on the new message I had received from Jack that read: "Hey, sorry. I'm okay. But don't call....I'm alright." I was a bit disappointed, and frankly not very convinced, but I didn't want to push him.

"Okay. Call or text whenever you need, I guess. Just...take care," I respond. He reads it and doesn't respond. This short conversation only sent my mind into overdrive. I was even more worried about him than I had been before the conversation. Then, an idea sparked in my mind. I took a few minutes to process it, but realized that it was for the best.

"Hey, what's your address? I have something to mail you," I send. It takes a few minutes, but he responds with his address.

"Thanks," I send, with no response. If he wasn't going to respond to me online, hopefully he would respond to me face-to-face. I start pre-recording, filled with a new determination.

-Jack's Point of View-

My eyelids were heavier than the pressure I felt on my chest, but I didn't dare lay down to sleep. The nightmares that came every time I closed my eyes were becoming unbearable. I looked a mess, dragging myself through videos and holing myself up in my house, almost never leaving. I left a few days ago to purchase a lot of groceries and things that I needed to live without going out.

I was running on fumes and Red Bull at this point, crying so often that I was exhausted even if I did get sleep. My lack of energy was becoming apparent to my viewers and I kept blaming it on sickness. I wondered if I should take a break, but realized that if I stopped making videos it would upset a lot of people. So, I decided not to stop and to push myself even though the quality of my videos was sinking drastically. I put all of my effort into making videos, hoping that my lack of sleep wasn't apparent physically.

I laid on my bed, sobbing gently, my chest feeling as if an elephant had mistaken me for a couch. Mark had messaged me quite a bit. I responded for the first time this morning, realizing that he must be worried too. I used all of my energy making videos before he messaged me and I prayed that he wouldn't insist on calling me. He didn't, and for that I was grateful. I get up and drag myself to my bed, my eyes closing immediately and forcing me into a state of slumber.

In my dream, I was crying, blood pouring out of me at an alarming rate, an unknown person laughing at me from the shadows. The blood poured from my arms. I cried out in pain.

"Why'd you hurt me?," I ask the man in the shadows.

"I didn't hurt you, silly boy. You did this to yourself," he says, his voice deep and familiar. This makes me cry even more, curling up into a ball.