The Forest [septiplier]

7 - Climax?

Jack was scared. He couldn't deny it. He was scared, but he wasn't scared like before. He had a dangerous fire burning now, something that couldn't be put out with empty threats or creepy voices. He was determined. He was dead set. He was hopeful. And damn, you shouldn't mess with that.

"I know you hear him," Dark said, still holding Jack by the neck. "I can see it in your skin. Anti. He's here. And he's coming. Let yourself go, Sean. Let it happen." He pulled Jack up further, a misplaced twinkle in his eye. "Any last words?"

"Always remember- gah- the fourth of December!" Jack choked out, barely able to breathe. Dark sent him a glance of mock pity.

"Sure I will Sean. As if your dying wish matters anyways," Dark said. "Just let him in already, will you? Let the darkness win." Jack struggled. The hope burned within.

Jack will never let the darkness win.

Jack sent a kick at Dark's torso, throwing him off guard. He loosened his grip just enough for Jack to slip slightly, taking a gasping breath.

Mark's eyes flashed back to brown for a split second. The fourth of December. Their wedding. The lights, the rings, the colors, the cake, Mark, Jack... Mark, previously asleep with his body walking, was starting to wake up. His head twitched and his eyes changed back to black. Dark took over. But now Mark was alert. Now Mark was ready. He was going to put up a fight.

The clouds were just beginning to part. The rain slowed to a steady drip. Neither Mark nor Jack noticed.

Jack budged free from Dark's grasp, high-tailing it to the cabin's clearing. He needed to find the book. He needed to find how to get these piece of shit demons out of here, once and for all.

He spotted the red duffel abandoned among a couple of bushes. It was unzipped, the contents soaked with the once-pouring rain. "Fuckin' hell," Jack whispered, paging through the thick book. There were hundreds of pages and not a single index, table of contents, or navigator whatsoever. "I'm fucked. I'm so fucked."

"Page 19!" A voice shouted. Jack's stomach dropped. He wasn't ready to hear voices again, never again. The voice was textured and sketchy, as if coming from a radio. Jack turned, looking for a source. It followed him.

"That's weird," Jack said. It was almost as if the voice was coming from his back pocket... He reached for it, pulling out his Walkie-Talkie. "I forgot about these things!" Jack said, pressing the send button. "Message received, over," he said half-jokingly. He just hoped Mark was doing alright out there. He leafed through to page 19, reading the title aloud. "Chapter Three, Page 19: How to Cage Demons in Mirrors. Wh- Mirrors? Where the hell am I going to find a mirror?" Jack groaned. This day just got better and better.

Mark, meanwhile, was just struggling to get his body back. It was like he was stuck in a ball pit, fighting to reach the top. Except, the balls were human teeth and he was also drowning in boiling water. Dark was pressing him down, urging him to stay compliant, stay quiet. Mark was having none of it.

To an outsider it might look ridiculous. Mark was all but strangling himself. He was tearing at his hair, his skin, his eyes- anything he could reach. Dark wasn't the only one forcing the tearing. Mark was struggling to break through. He wanted to get out of here.

Mark's knees buckled, dragging him to the ground. The two of them were tussling, Mark and Dark, wrestling on the ground in only one body.

Jack had no idea where to even begin to look. The map was still dry in his left pocket, but if he didn't know where a mirror would even be, it wouldn't do much. He scanned the clearing. "There'll probably be one in the cabin," Jack said, walking towards its doors.