Don't Ever Leave - Septiplier

Chapter Thirty

Felix finished uploading the videos to all three of their channels after getting their passwords. He sighed and laid back in Mark's work chair, hoping the two were fine being alone for a while. He didn't want to invade on the couple and was still petrified of Mark. He was trying to get over his fear, but every time he was around Mark, his anxiety would pick up and his irrational thoughts would take over.

'He's going to hurt you.'

'Talk to Jack and you're dead.'

'Mark's going to kill us all.'

He tried to shake the words buzzing around his head, but they wouldn't go away. He wanted to talk about his fears, confront Jack about how insane the Irishman seemed to be for trusting Mark, but his thoughts wouldn't let him. He wished he could get through to Jack, tell him about his nightmare. He didn't know Jack was smoking, but it was in his dream. That had to mean something, at least he thought it did.

'Jack wouldn't believe you.'

'You sound crazier than Mark.'

'Jack's going to die. Mark's going to die. Then I'll die.'

'Can't live without them.'

Felix's eyes watered at the thoughts trying to take control of him. He was willing himself not to panic and freak out again, but his stomach was starting to hurt and his throat was tightening, begging him to let out a scream. He couldn't worry the couple in the other room, but wondered if the soundproof room could cover the panic attack welling inside him. He couldn't risk it, he couldn't let them know how bad his mind was.

Thoughts of being buried alive suddenly popped in his head without warning or trigger. He could recall not being able to see anything, the crate being pitch black. It was insanely hot, his body heat flowing throughout the little space he had and the air was musty and rough, he felt like he'd suffocate before seeing the sun ever again. He remembered thinking about Jack and hoping he found the note and would figure something out. He spent most of the time screaming his head off, longing for someone to hear and rescue him.

He remembered hearing Jack's voice - something he'd given up on hearing again. The sound was like a divine luxury he couldn't afford, but craved. When he saw Jack again, he could've kissed him - platonically, that is. That green hair followed up with blue eyes was a beautiful sight he'd never forget. Since that day, he's felt a huge connection to Jack, but hadn't admitted anything about it. He saw the fellow YouTuber as his hero and was determined to return the favor by helping deal with Mark. If Jack wanted to stay with Mark, Felix would respect that and try to help sort out Mark's mentality and push his anxiety aside the best he can. If Jack realized Mark was dangerous and wanted to get away, but couldn't, Felix would risk everything for Jack. He couldn't just let him go.

'Jack doesn't need you.'

'Nobody needs you.'

'Maybe Mark would've done the world a favor, offing you like that.'

He swallowed the lump forming in his throat, realizing that he was just getting worse. It seemed all of them were beginning to lose their minds, but who wouldn't in this type of situation? This wasn't something they could just shrug off, it was the most dramatic and sudden event to have happened in any of their lives. He wondered how Mark was, being the worst of the group, but was probably stuck in denial that anything was wrong. Jack seemed to be getting worse as well.

Felix immediately noticed the long look in Jack's eyes, the tired bags that started to form beneath them. They'd always been there, but he couldn't remember them being so dark, even though it looked like Jack was sleeping all the time. He wondered if Jack was actually sleeping or avoiding everyone. The fact that he smoked at all was flashing alarms in the Swede's head. It was completely unlike Jack. He never could've even imagined him smoking, it was beyond his comprehension. He couldn't understand what really pushed him into it.

Maybe the stress was finally taking a toll on him, but Mark's denial was rubbing off on him. Jack always seemed to know how to stay positive and pick himself up after falling down, except this time seems to be different. He wasn't grinning ear to ear as much, giggling seemed foreign, exhaustion had set in, and all interests became a distant memory. Everything Jack was seemed to fly out the door. Felix wanted to help get the old Jack back, but even his first idea of suggesting a video didn't seem to help.

Mark was continuing to act absolutely insane and struck distress within Felix, who was pressing himself to stay for Jack. Mark wasn't himself, he was gone and taking Jack with him. Felix wondered if he was as well losing himself with the bunch, but perhaps it was just his paranoia fueling him. Nothing was making any sense to the Swede, but he was attempting to save everyone, even if the whole world was against him. He couldn't let everyone fall and he hoped things could eventually go back to normal.

'They hate you.'

'They're not even Jack and Mark anymore.'

'You're in a house with strangers.'

'You're a stranger too.'

Trembling, he decided it was time to take his mind away from his thoughts the best he could, opening the comments section of the video posted on Jack's channel. He wasn't surprised when it was mostly support, as the Irishman always tried to keep his community as perfect as it could be. Going to his own video, Felix found it was full of spam and people trying to support their own channels. He used to care deeply about getting rid of this, but he wasn't in the mood to even attempt at the moment. Finding his way to Mark's he found a bit more variety of comments.

'Jack looks sad. Felix looks scared. Mark looks insane.' Was one of the first discussions Felix saw, chuckling sadly as this one response from an individual summed them all up entirely. He noticed mixed observations as he looked on, deciding this was just making him more upset. He stood and decided he needed a cold shower to try and rid himself of the burning fear within him.

He got out of Mark's chair, leaving the office. As he passed Mark's room, he heard the two talking softly, something about Jack's previous partners. Felix immediately wondered if Mark was planning on finding these people and killing them, but shook the thoughts away. He arrived to the nearest bathroom, shutting the door and leaning against it, trying to will the thoughts away as he thought again about Mark hurting Jack's previous boyfriends.

'I'm just being paranoid,' Felix reassured himself, backing away from the door and twisting on the shower. 'It's fine. Everything is fine.'