A Little Mad

Chapter 17

My eyes jolt open to see I'm in some sorta medieval dungeon that you would expect to see in a fairy tale or something. It was cold and dark and I could hear a slow and steady drop of water not so far away. I had my arms chained above my head and my legs were synched together by a glowing green handcuffs. I go to stand up but my head was pounded me back down. The air had the same thickness to it as before and I could see the green goop still staining my shirt and matting down my hair. Where was I again? Last thing i remember I was in some sort of clock tower. Clock tower... Clock tower... Clockwork! I was looking for someone named Clockwork. To... Uh... What the fuck did I need him for?
I pulled against the chains but it burned my wrist and my forearm screamed in pain. I had forgotten I had dug out my skin all the way down to my bone before. I actually have forgotten a lot. Why did I do it again? Why was my blood green? Where was I again? My head drops to look at my broken legs.
Who was I anyways?
"Why are you here?" A deep voice sulks in front of me. I lift my head and scream. Inches from my face I look to see a skeleton of a man. He had one deep, hypnotizing red eye and the other was covered by a dark monocle. His blue skin was so thin that it molded out a face of a unfed old man. He had a small scar, like a lightning bolt, coming through his arms that pointed to a hollow mouth.
My heart race increases and I grit my teeth. "I-i need your help."
"With?" He growls and pulls away, revealing a ghost tail trailing behind him.
"I... I..." I sigh in defeat. "I don't seem to remember."
He bellows a hefty laugh like an unholy Santa clause or something. "You are weak, boy."
"Huh?" I cough and continue to pull against the chains as he turns around.
"Only the weak lose their memories in the ghost zone, feeble ghost boy." He laughs again and looks at me with pitiful eyes. "Poor, poor little ghost boy."
"Hey!" I shout. "I'm not feeble!"
"Then what's your name?"
I open my mouth to respond but I close it. My head pounds; What is my name?
"Ha!" He turns around and points a thin, sharp finger at me. "You are weak."
Sweat beats down my neck, I had to remember. Why was I here!?
"Poor little ghost." He laughs again at my struggling. "What would kids call you these days? Stupid? Idiot? Loser?
"Loser?" That word stuck with me. "I am a loser."
"What?" He responds. I click my tongue and search my head for that word. People used to call me that. I was a loser. I didn't have many friends, but I did have two really awesome ones. I had to do something for one of them. What did I have to do-?
"My name is Danny!" I proclaim.
The ghost looks at me in shock. "So you remember."
"I do." I snap. "And you're gonna make me human again!"
Now the ghost, Clockwork, laughs even harder, "And why should i!?"
"Well because..." I let my mouth hang open for a bit.
"You think you are some sorta Saint!? That I'll reverse time just because you'll 'do better' the next time around!?"
"I actually-"
"No you won't you little brat. You'll say you will but you won't. You had ample opportunity to make your life better but instead you just threw it away!"
"I mean I didn't-"
"Life is the ONE fucking you don't get another chance at. If it's over it's over. So don't jazz me up with your little speech about how you want to help the world. You don't. You never did. Dying doesn't open people's eyes it just scares the fuck out of them. This is it, this is your afterlife. There is no reward for doing better or punishment for doing worst. Everyone, all the popes and all the thieves and all those suckers in between all end up here."
"I know that." I say quietly.
"So then you just want another shot to make your life better Huh? Your average life less average? Make everything fair?" He floats inches from my face, his breath stoning my nose. "Let me tell you something buddy, the world isn't fair!"
"I... I-" I feel my mouth go dry.
"The world is a cruel and unusually evil place." Clockwork flies away and stares into the distance as he hears click by, "It's horrible. It's cruel to the nicest and kind to the wicked. It's stabs at the weak and beats down on the strong. Nothing can save anyone from dying and being relieved of all their misery. When all the living die THAT is when the world will rest in peace. So tell me child, why you want to go back to that life?"
"Because..." I was (clearly) not expecting this. "Well I mean... I..." I sigh in defeat. "You shouldn't."
"Giving up so easy?" The ghost chortles. "I pour out a long speech and all I get is submission?"
"Yeah." I sigh again and turn away, my arms aching something awful. "I'm an average human with no promises of being better in the future. I was stupid enough to fall for a ghouls trick for three years because I couldn't bare hurting people. And yet... I was trying to be so kind that I walked into that portal. I didn't fight back, I just... I just did it because I couldn't argue with her."
"There's the speech!" The ghost laughs. "Ready to just spend eternity in the ghost zone, child?"
"No not really." I confess. "I'd rather you turn time back and give me back my life."
"I would never." He snaps. "It could destroy the universe!"
"So?" The word fell out of my mouth. But not in the same autopilot-ness as before. I thought it through in a split second, I just didn't realize it until it left my lips.
"So?"
"Yeah so!?" I smile. "If you hate the universe why would you do anything nice to save it!"
"I mean-"
I interrupt him, "Just do it! Who the fuck cares if you do do it! I mean, the universe could end and all living creatures could die... So!? Why do you care!?"
"I mean it's just-"
"WHAT HAS THE UNIVERSE EVER DONE FOR US!?"
He raises an eyebrow as I became to laugh to myself. I knew I had his attention! He will do what I say.
"You are a clever boy, Danny." He smiles. "I have an idea that could work, as long as you don't tell anyone, dead or alive I did this."
"Deal." I nod and the chains drop my limp hands and I sit there, useless.
He smirks, "I won't turn back time for you."
"Huh?" I glare at him.
"But I will turn back time for your spirit, which is you. You will have no memories, you will be a fourteen year old in a seventeen year old body. You will be still at the point of insanity when you left the portal, that 'autopilot' feeling will still dwell inside of you. But that ghoul, Mayhem was it? He will stay here with me and work as one of my servants from outside the flow of time. Do we have a deal?"
I stares at him wide eyed. "What?"
He snarls. "I am not explaining that again you fool!"
I nod and he reaches out a glowing hand. "Shake it and it'll begin."
I swallow a lump in my throat and reach out a trembling hand. "Thanks so much."
"I still don't like you."
He grabs my hand.

WOWY AN UPDATE
TBH, MY WATTPAD WAS BROKEN FOR A WHILE AND THEN U RAN OUT OF MOTIVATION BC VINE IS ENDING AND THEN I STARTED TALKING TO PEOPLE ABOUT THIS BOOK AND THEN I FINISHED THIS CHAPTER

OKAY OKAY SORRY LIKE 1-2 MORE CHAPTERS LEFT AND THEN IM DONE

BYYYE
WOLFIE PHANTOM