We're All a Little Crazy

Stranger

        He knocked on the door. "Hello? Mark? It's me, Nate." No answer. Nate knocked again, louder, and the door swung open. It's unlocked?
"Mark, you there? I need to talk to you." Nate called. Still no response. He stepped inside and looked around. Mark was nowhere to be seen.
Nate entered one of the rooms. It was complete chaos. The door hung from one hinge, and was covered in black sludge. The same muck almost blanketed the room, as well as part of a wall. A man lay on the bed, smeared with the stuff, and faded green hair.
"Jack?" JackSepticeye? How-why-was he here? What happened? Nate sat beside him and Jack slowly opened his eye.

It was black, and the sludge pooled just under his eyelid. This wasn't Jack.
Acting instinctively, Nate pinned the dæmon to the bed, holding a silver blade to the back of its neck. "Who are you and what have you done with my friend?"
The dæmon flinched beneath him, and Nate pressed harder with the blade. "p-p-please don't kill me." It's voice was raspy and quiet.
"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't."
The dæmon started. "I-" but was cut off. It started twitching, a pained expression on its face. "r-r-r-run" it squeezed out as Nate pushed harder, drawing blood. "i-i-i-i d-don't want t-to hurt y-you. p-p-please, r-run"
Nate recognized the look in its eyes. He'd seen the same look no more then half an hour ago. But it didn't make sense. How could a dæmon have dæmons?
"g-get....outta... my-" He groaned, but he was cut off.
Nate didn't understand how, but it was clear what was happening. Keeping in mind that this was a dæmon, Nate leaned in and whispered in his ear.
"Just sleep, just dream."
"wha?- p-please, i-i d-don-"
"Just sleep, just dream...."
"p-p-p-please" Nate released his arms and he gripped his head, whimpering.
"In the back of my mind, I was trying to chase a monster this whole time."
His eyes flickered between black, red, and purple.
"What I couldn't see; the monster was me. And no one heard our cries. No I've run out of tears-"
The dæmon quivered, still trying to free his mind.
"-the time has come for me to disappear. Get me out of this mess and away from the stress. Set me free so I can rest."
He was quiet.
"We're only kids who lost our way, but if we wait long enough it will be safe."
The dæmon looked at Nate, bewildered. It was over. "It--you--how-"

"You still haven't answered my question. Who are you, and what have you done with my friend?"

"I-" he swayed, groaning again. Nate felt something leave the back of his skull. Nate frowned and growled in the dæmon's ear.

"I've put up with you for long enough. I've let you do your thing and roam when you want. If you don't leave him alone I will not stop until I've found a way to kill you, and I won't hesitate for even a second."

Nate felt something flow into him and his eyes flashed purple for a moment. He blinked and turned to the dæmon. "You good?"

"How--why?"

Nate sighed. "Can you please just answer my question? Who are you, why are you here, and where's Mark? The dæmon blinked. My name is AntiSepticeye. But you can call me Anti. What's your name?" he asked tentatively. "I'm NateWantstoBattle, or Nate." 'Anti' stared at him, terrified. "You--you're--they-" "What's wrong?" Anti gulped. "Y--y--y--you were in my head. You--the song, they--they tried to take me, D-Dark-he tried to get him out, you-" He teared up. Nate was so confused. Anti was a good dæmon? "Hey, it's okay. They're gone. I won't let them hurt you. You said I was in your head? Singing?" Anti nodded. "That was my dæmon. His name... I think... Natemare? I just call him Night. Gets too confusing, having two Nates."
Anti had a guilty look. "...I'm Jack's. Jack's dæmon. But I'm not like yours!" he stuttered, seeing the suspicious look in Nate's eyes. "We-we're friends. He...He saved my life. Twi---th-three times."
Nate's face softened. ".....you really care about him, don't you?" He nodded, his head in his hands. "You're...."
weird
"....different."
Matthew entered the room. "Nate? Everything oka-" Catching sight of Anti, his eyes widened and he cried out. "Poop on a-" Cutting himself off, he gripped his head and stumbled back, groaning. "N-a-t-e-!--I-t-'-s" Matt fell to his knees.
Nate glanced at Anti. He was twitching again, eyes scrunched up, like before. Nate poked around but-no, Natemare hadn't left.
"Wha-" Matt blinked, standing up, glaring at Anti. "Did you-"

"Whoa." Anti opened his eyes, and Nate saw them gradually change to brown. "Well he was crazy." He turned to Matt. "Recent?"

"Who-what are you?"

Anti grinned. "My name's-" He fell back against the bed, a pained expression in his eyes. Nate saw a fresh wound on his neck, oozing blood. He looked like he was having trouble breathing. He tilted his head until it was flat against the bed. His voice was strained. "n--a--t--e...r--u--n"