Release - Septiplier

Chapter Nine

A/N: This cold I have so so awful, I apologize if it affects my writing, which I think it already has in the last chapter. I just can't think straight and have to pause in the middle of almost every sentence to cough or sneeze. Ugh ugh ugh

Disclaimer: This chapter will contain suicidal thoughts/actions. 

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~Dream~

I 'woke up' in the cabin, for a minute thinking I was actually awake, until I noticed a nearby clock, which told me it was before the time Jack and I went to sleep. He wasn't in my arms, which I suspected, knowing Eli was fucking with my head again - if he was the actual thing causing the strange occurrences.

Standing, my eyes caught the calendar that was hanging up in the kitchen. I frowned and went to it to get a better glance at the date. It said it was a month previous. Confused, I started wandering about the cabin, searching for either Jack or Eli, but neither were to be seen.

Whining reached my ears and I glanced over to see Chica standing near the front door. I figured she must want to go outside and tried to touch the door knob, but my hand went straight through it. I frowned, then the door opened on its own, before I spotted Jack sitting outside with a cigarette, holding the door open.

"Come on, Chica," He said in the softest voice I've ever heard coming from him. She rushed out the door and started sniffing around the yard. I quickly stepped outside before Jack could shut the door. I noticed the sad expression on his face as he took a drag from his cigarette.

"What's wrong, sweetheart? You shouldn't be smoking," I sat down next to him, but he made no action that showed he noticed my presence. I tried to drape an arm around him, but my arm went straight through him. "Fuck."

"Chica, quit," Jack tried to speak a bit louder, but it seemed his voice wouldn't let him. Chica was rolling around in the grass, but quit. Her tail was between her legs as she approached him - which was strange, considering her tail was always wagging whenever Jack paid attention to her. She stopped when she neared me and sniffed me, her tail sticking up. She started whining again. "Hmm? Chica, what is it?"

"Hey, girl," I spoke up, unsure if she could hear me. I figured perhaps she could, seeing as she could see me. Her tail wagged and she barked. 

"...M-Mark?" He stuttered and immediately crushed the cigarette out on the stoop we were sitting on. "Mark? Are you here?"

"Chica, speak," I encouraged and she barked. A smile crossed Jack's face and he turned to look where Chica was staring, but frowned once he realized he couldn't see me. 

"Um... I guess I can't really ask you much... considering I can't see you. Can you have Chica sit for no and speak for yes?"

"Chica, speak," I said again and she obeyed. He smiled softly and I scooted closer to him, our waists touching, but I couldn't feel him next to me. I felt so empty and lost - just dead. 

"Um... Eli will be home soon-" He started and I gestured for Chica to sit immediately. "No...? No, what? Well... Um, I can't talk for long... But I miss you."

"Whine," I commanded and Chica obeyed, I noticed Jack tearing up.

"I-I miss you so much. I love you," He sniffled a bit. "I can't believe he-he'd kill you. I just... I'm so sorry. I... I feel so guilty for loving him."

"Sit."

"No... What? This isn't working, Mark," He sighed. "But just knowing your here makes me feel so much better... I'm always afraid Eli will stop taking his medication and-and start hurting people again. I mean, Felix told me he got so bad to the point where he was calling me his pet and so on... I don't know what to do. Are you-are you okay? Wherever you are?"

"Speak," I nodded my head, unsure what to think. Were our roles reversed in this dream? Am I seeing what Eli has been seeing? Does Jack know Eli is here?

"Good... That's really good. I-I want to see a psychic, so I can talk to you. I mean, I love Eli to pieces, so don't expect us to get together in the afterlife or whatever, but I need to talk to you. I feel so guilty. It's my fault he killed you," He started crying and I tried to hug him, but couldn't. I  gestured for Chica to go to him. He pet her, while beginning to sob. "If... If I die... Can I see you again? Would it... help you?"

Chica barked without me telling her to. I started panicking as Jack stood up without second thought, beginning to cry even harder. 

"No! No, Jack! No! Fucking hell, Sean, don't do it! Don't do it!" I practically screamed as he headed inside, Chica and I following behind closely. "Goddamn it, Chica! Do you want him to die?!"

She whined as she trailed Jack, who was going into the kitchen. He grabbed a knife and I ran at him, trying to tear the knife away, but I knew I couldn't. I plopped down on the floor, burying my face into my knees and sobbing loudly. I can't do anything to help him, I can't save him. He's going to die.

"Jack," I cried as I peaked up, seeing he had the knife pressed to his wrist. He immediately dropped it when headlights were spotted shining through the window. He quickly put the knife away.

"I-I'm sorry, Mark. I can't talk anymore, Eli's home..." He trailed off and headed towards the bathroom.

~End Dream~

I bursted awake, sitting up, and waking Jack along with me. He looked tired when he sat up straight, rubbing at his eyes and asking me what was wrong as I felt myself tearing up. I yanked him into my arms and hugged him tightly.

"Don't you ever think about killing yourself, I swear. I need you, sweetheart," I murmured and he pulled away slightly.

"What are you talking about?"

"Eli's such a piece of shit! He's trying to kill you or get you to kill yourself! You tried to last night, but I came home just in time! You had a knife and-"

"How did you know about that...?" He backed away from me and my heart felt like it dropped into my stomach as he confirmed he actually tried. "Do you... Do you have cameras around the cabin or something?"

"No! Fucking Eli has been haunting my dreams and he just showed me it! I'm freaking out, Jack! Why would you do that? Why would you think about leaving me for Eli? Do you not love me?"

"Mark, calm down, please. I love you, I love you more than I've ever loved anything before. I love you more than I love YouTube or Felix or even fucking Eli himself! You mean everything to me! I just... I was feeling really down that day and guilty... It didn't mean anything, so don't worry about it. Please?" He said softly and I hugged him tightly again, crying into his shoulder.

"Just... Please don't think about doing that, please. I love you too much to see you feeling that way, but... we need to talk about Eli. I just- Have you known all along he's been here?" I pulled away from him and brushed the tears out of my eyes. "Have you known?"

"I... Kinda. I wasn't too sure in the beginning, I was only certain of it last month. Ever since you've been experiencing the weird stuff going on too, I've been freaking out."

"So, that psychic? You think they can help?" I asked, frowning. He shrugged. "Well, it's worth a shot... Tomorrow. We're seeing one tomorrow. I can't take another dream like that."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize, sweetheart, but you are going to stop smoking, okay? I'm mad that you lied to me, but it's not the end of the world and it's nothing we can't fix. Please, just try to work with me, okay?"

"Okay, Mark... Kisses?" He asked, as if it became a reassurance that we still loved each other.

"Kisses," I confirmed and pulled him in for another hug, kissing the top of his head.