We're All a Little Crazy

Once More, With Passion!

The paralysis had almost fully worn off. Mark had returned to making videos, making sure to reassure the fans that he was okay. Mark and Jack had just finished recording them playing Tug the Table, and now they were all relaxing, enjoying the moment of peace. Since the 'Week of Hell', Mark had started making this a hobby, stopping everything to just exist. No words, no thoughts, no worries. Just the companionship of your best friends.

Sam felt a nagging in the back of his head. He ignored it, still not used to the whole 'meditation' thing, but it was enjoyable all the same. The nag turned into a tug, and he sighed, relishing the last moments of whatever-this-was-called before opening his eyes. Something was wrong.

Mark gripped the armrests of his chair, sweat dripping down his face. His features tightened. He quivered and his breathing became labored.

"Mark, what's wrong?" Jack opened his eyes as well, and noticed. "Mark?"
Mark tried to speak, but nothing came out. He tried again. "...D...d-dark" A shiver ran down his spine and he jerked to the side.

"Jack, go." Sam looked over at his green-haired friend, frozen in shock. "GO!" Jack stumbled back a few steps, then came to his senses and rushed out of the room.

"...Sam... go..." Mark was struggling not to let it in. "I'm not leaving you Mark. Come on, you can do it."

"...Can't... too... strong..." His body was jerking, like he was tied and trying to escape. "no... No... NO!" His eyes flew open, panicked. "S-Sam, run, h-he's goi-" His head rolled forward. His body jerked a few more times, then went still, and his breathing returned to normal.

"Mark?" Sam cautiously approached the man. His eyes opened, a sinister grin on his face.

"͉͓̗̱̰̦̹S̙̥͖͕̙ͅor͖͎r̞̼̻̺ỵ̼̦̱̠ t̺̮ͅͅo ̮̲̜̩̰d̮̲̠͔͍͉͖i͇͖͖͖͍̲s̞̫̤͙a̫p͔̪͓͓p̬̙̘͈o̪̪̜̖͍i̱̩̼̩̟̗̪n̟͙͙̻̥t̗͍͎̰͕̝,̣̙̭̟͚"̠ͅ the man said, rising from the chair. "̦͇͖b̹u͎͕͙͚̤̩t͙ ̮M̗̬̟̰̳̮a̖̮rk'̠s̟͖̞ ͈̳̝̰̭n̫̘͍o͎t͈̖͔̖ ̤h̲̤̟e͈̣̻̥̣ͅṛ̮ḛ̩̙͓̹̹͙ ̞͚̟̹̲r͙͓̟̼̗͚i͕̬̤ght now." He recognized Sam and looked at him quizzically. "Y͚̪̠̜̩̳͖ou'̗̫͎̮͙͉̤r̪͖e̻̥̪̳ ͖a̫̩̞̞͙l̼̙͎ͅi̖̖̺v̦̩̻͚͖̻͖e.̦̙̭͕̣"̯

Sam spat back at him. "I wish I couldn't say the same about you."

Darkiplier got a pouty look on his face. "M̭y̯,̖ ͍͔̗̦͓͈m̭̬̘̰y̯̯̬,͈͓̞ ͈̮̥m͔̹̠̬y̹̠̝̲̼͈.̘ ͚͎̳So̞͍̦̤̥͖m̝͉͈̞̝e̯̟̯̪o͓͇͍͇̺ͅn̩̹̤͚͙e̗̩'̟͔͈̦͚̼s ͙͎̩a ve̮͖͇r̭̭̯̪̳y̜̜̤̞ ͕͇̳͚̩n̟͈aug͇͇h͙͚͍̟̪t͈̱̘y̖̭͇͍͚̰̬ ̦b̙͙o̻͇̩̗͍͍ͅy̝͍̙̱͎̠.͇̦" He pinned Sam to the wall. "Did͍̦͍̰̰͈n̰̝̜'̙̯̤̭̪̩̖t͙ y̟̦͇̯͙̻͍ou͍̞r̳̞ ̬͔̲̰̞̬m͕̜a̬̗̬̗̩͙m̝ạ̯̥̘̬͚̗ ̟͚͔͙͚̩̠e̦͈̳͚̤̖̰v͎̝e͖͚r̬̖̦ te͔͖̫̭l̻̰l͕͉͔͎ ̬̹͇y̪̝͙̗̳͖o͔͎͙u̩ ̹̼͖̣t͚̠̘̜͚o̮̪ ͔͚͈̗̙͎̖p̖͙̣l͉̗̼͉͉̼̻ay͇͈͎̹̦ n̪̙̭i̭̙c̥̯̹̩̱̫ẹ̜?̬͓̻̜̳̠ͅ"

Sam struggled in the demon's grip, but Dark was crushing his windpipe.

"T̟̟̰̱h̘̭è͎͈̤̞̤͍̩ ̰̳̼̳o̹̪͚̲̝̩n͈̻̝͖͈̲e̵̱̱̜̫ ͏t͉̟͕̩̖̱̦h̤́i͈̹͖̠̻͇n̹̹̳̙̗̫g̨̮̰̫̗͔ͅ ͕̠̲I̳̪̪'̳̹̠ve̝͇̟͚͚̩͜ͅ ̤͈a͕̝̝͕ḷ͇̮w͔̞̳a͈̰̺̜y̦̼͖̺ͅs̵͕̯ ͙̻̞͖͕́l̼̬i͏̦̹̩̭̟ͅk̡̝̗̙̟̹̻e̩͉d̘͖̼͉̤̦̹ ͡ a̹̫̥̯͖̝͝b̯͍͕̠̘̻͎͡o̭͔̪̯u̦̜͖͖͚͘t̖͚̫̩̠̟ ̝̖̭͢ t̷͎hi̗̥̳̤͓͈̱s̭̭ b͓o͕̺͠ḏ̤͇ͅy͖̣̦͖ ̻̗̟̝͢ i̬͉̲͙̣͓s͏͔̞̙͓ͅ ̪̲th̹̥a͉̯̩͢t̗̥ h̲̟̺e̥̻͉̝ ͖̲͓̼͙̼̩͟ k̳n̴o҉͍͍͉̙̤̣͔w̢͈̦̥̣̩̜s̫͉͔̜͇ ̦̘̲̳͘h̴̬̥o̲̰w͉̯͖͈̘̼͔ ̷̝͔̳t̪͇̣͕̲͠o ̧̮̙g̢̳̩̪̳̫ͅi̢v̬̝͘ḛ̰͚̞̦̤ ͉͉͚͎̼̗͢ s̹͚̜̖̭eͅc̼̹̩͓͕o̞̜̠n̖̣̟̲̹͠d̕ c͓̻͎͉̟̰͇̀h̰͎̘a̴͈͓͉n̻̩̫͞c̩̜͍͎͜e͙͓s̵͉̰̥." Dark smirked. "S͚̹͇̩͙͘o ̵̪̙̪͓̲̗how̡̪͉̪̲̣ ̮̝a͇̝bo͈̥̩u̸̮̦t̩̹͞ ̗̙̳͉̥ͅI̥ ͖̩̣͈̫͜ g͜i͉̳̦͉͓̗v͚̳̞͡ͅe̗̖͔͚̩ ̡̟̘͙̰̠̳y̺͔̙̣͡ͅͅo̸̜̳͔̫͔u̱ ̧on̷̼e͖̠͘?̟̜̬̭̰͜ ̟͔͉͎̮I̴̬͕̹̦̘̘̘t̨̤̙'̘̭͙̝̣̟͘ͅs̻̗͔͓̦͚ t̬͙͘i̳̼̱̼̦m̢e̡ ͎̺͇̤̭̜t̵̲̯͎o̮̼̻͙̗̻ͅ ͎͉̼̰͠ c̩o͖̰̥̰̜m̨͓͉̫͖͔e ̡̤̦͕̳ͅh̢͕̭̫͇͍͈̱o͕͎̦͠ͅm̨̞̼̥̙̯͇̳e̠̜͖̻͈...͙̲̀ ̜͎̬̲̰̭͞ A̭n̶̟͉̤͉͚t̥ͅi̕s̪̺ep̸t̛̺̯i͚c̟͝e̱̝̺̳͇̘͝y̲͓̦̬̳̬ẹ̫̹͚̪"

Sam's eyes widened in terror. It hadn't been a dream, the whole quiz thing. It was real. Dark was-

"͕͔H̪̟e͍ ̦̰̭c̲̘an̟̳͚̜̱ s̼̖t͇̞̩ͅi̘͓͔̬͔̮l̬͍̭l̘̘͍͔͖ ̟̳h̦̟̙̟ea̟͙̱̬r͚̪͎̪̬̪ ̩̪̻y̖̺͎̗͙o̝͚̪u͖͔̺, ̞͔̩͚y̜͈o̲̬̼͖u ͇̝̯͍̼k͕͔͎̲͇n̞͉o̺̩̮w̳̦̘͙͎.̫̯̭͍"̖͚ͅ Dark grinned sadistically. "͙̜̼̣͚̱̟I͖͓̝̭ͅ'͍͖̪̫̬m̺ ͎̯̹̘̹̙s̹̰̘͓̹̹̝ṷ̖c̜h̘̹͉͚̬̠̹ ͖̬͖a̭̘̬͈ ̬̣̺̲͙g̳̮͍̗͓̱e̜̜̘ner̘̲͖̫̖̹ọ̝͓͚u͍̝̺͍͕̲s͉͎̤ g̰͔̜̼̱̩u͚̖̳̹̼͙y̤̹̜̻,̠̩̱̤ ͙̘̞̩̟̺yo͉̬̗̞̤u̖ ̮͈̗̝̞h̼̥̘̥̥̳̹a̹̗̜v̜͙̭̬ͅe͚̱͈̻̤̜͙ ̬̣̖̫̣͙ͅf̲̘͍͔̳ḭ̟̰͓v̤̹̘̞e ̥s̫̙e̺͍̫͓̞̮c̖̼o̜ṋd̦s̟̜̹ ̰t̳͖̮͚̺o̥ ̞͍̝s̻͎̻̩͈͓͔a̬ͅy̼̥͚̦̖͖̘ ̜̝you͚͉͚̞r̹ ̬g̖̩o͙͍̼̱̥̪o͕̱̦̬̺̗͚d͖̮̭͈̣ͅb̞̲y̺̩̦e̜̤̭̻͓͔͇s̟̲͓.͓͚͉̳"
"5"͔͔̳͖ͅ
"Mark." Sam tried to speak, but Dark squeezed his throat tighter.

"̝̬4̬,̰̱̩͕ ̩̹͎̰͇͕͕3̰̦̣͚̥̗"̝

"T-t-thank you,"

"̙̮2̺͚̲̹͖̲͍"̻͎̫̣̝̣

"for everything."

"̩͓͔̹1͕̤"͉̫̻͔ Sam felt pain wave over him, stopping as quickly as it had begun. He peered at Dark. Dark seemed utterly in shock, just staring at him. His head twitched, and he growled.

"͍I'̜̟͇̹̙͔m͈̤̱̹ͅ ̪͙̤n͚̻̫̘̘o̬̙̜t̤̼̝̩̲̜̺ ̬ͅd͓ọ̱͓̯̲͚n̤e͖̪̙ ̳̻̮y̬̤̦̹̤̜͎e̲̺̦͙̙̻t,̜̬̗̟̜̪͍ ͕̹̭͍̣͓y̥͔̬̹͔͇o̘̭͖̙u-͉̠͇̲̞̼" he jerked, and some invisible force flung him against the far wall. He jerked twice, and was still for a moment. Then his eyes flew open and he was gasping for breath, wincing with every movement.

"Mark? Izzat you?"

"I... did it... I did it..."

"Mark." Sam sighed in relief and moved over to help him. Mark's legs gave out, and Sam half-dragged him to his chair.

"I did it. I've never been able to do it before, but I did it. I beat him."

"And it was worth it," Sam said, "because he won't come back for a while after that."
Mark's eyes brightened. "'ya really think so?"

"Mark, I know so." Mark had a dopey grin on his face. He lay back and closed his eyes. "Mark, are you okay?"

"'m fine, just... being."

Sam called Jack back in, and by the time had arrived, Mark had fallen into a peaceful sleep in the chair. He had no nightmares.

Sorry for any mistakes! Publishing this on my phone and Quotev is being all wonky.
This chapter is dedicated to cutekitkat. (www.quotev.com/cutekitkat)