YouTube: Dream Gamers: Book 3: The Humatronics

Chapter 14

Jack woke up slowly. His head was spinning as he tried to process what had just happened. What did happen? Jack's vision focused, but his vision was still slightly blurry. Jack looked around, and found his glasses on a tray nearby. Jack looked down and saw that his hands were strapped to the arms of the chair he was sitting in. His legs were also strapped to the chair. Jack immediately understood. Mark was holding him prisoner, and ready to "punish" him when he woke up.

"About damn time," said a deep voice behind him, making Jack flinch. Mark had been behind him the whole time! Jack leaned his head back and sighed. He was still scared beyond belief, but he was filled with a strange certainty that Mark wouldn't do anything too terrible to him. Mark and Jack may have only known each other for a few years, but they had quickly grown to be good friends, and that was part of where the ship between the two of them came from. Surely Mark wouldn't do anything too horrible!

"You've got some nerve messing with me," Mark scowled. That sentence oddly made him seem like a pissed off Wilford Warfstache, but not quite to that extent. "I said in the beginning that if there was any disloyalty, there would be punishment. And guess what? I'm carrying out that promise!"

Mark reeled back, balling his hand into a fist. "I never thought I would have to do this, but you leave me no choice."

Mark punched Jack in the face at full force, bruising him immediately, causing Jack's nose to begin to bleed.

"Mark," Jack said, shaking from the impact. "This isn't you. I know it. You wouldn't do this to anyone."

"Shut up!" Mark punched Jack again, this time causing blood to mix with saliva and trickle from Jack's mouth.

Impact after impact, Mark's hits kept getting harder, but Jack wouldn't stop telling him the truth. The true Mark had morals. This Mark was vicious and dishonorable. After a few more socks to the face, Jack began to understand.

"Mark," Jack coughed up more blood, forcing himself to spit it out. "Tell me what's wrong. Tell me what's in your head!"

"What's going on in my head is none of your business!"

Enduring punches to the stomach this time, Jack was sent into a coughing fit, unable to catch his breath without breathing in his own blood.

"Mark," Jack wheezed. "What... what h-happened to you...?"

Mark stood silent for once.

"What's wrong?"

Still silence.

"Please... tell me..."

Suddenly, Jack saw something in his head. A vision of a ghost taking the form of a young teenage girl grabbing hold of Mark's neck, and strangling him. Mark was on his knees, begging for mercy, just like Arin and Dan. However, the girl gripped him tighter every time he begged.

"You will surrender yourself to me," she constantly said, coolly.

"N-no...!" Mark would reply back, and then be burned by wispy purple flames from the girl's hands.

Jack's mind snapped back to the present, but still heard the voice of that girl.

"What are you doing, Mark?! FINISH HIM!" Jack heard.

"I can't..." Jack heard Mark's voice again, but he wasn't speaking. Was Jack hearing Mark's thoughts? Was that ghost girl possessing him?"

"Mark..." Jack tried again to talk to him. "You're being possessed. Is this why you've been this way...?"

Mark was silent for a moment, then spoke.

"It's nearly time for the shift," he said simply, and walked out of the room.