Falling Inside The Black

Part 11

When Dark finished unloading himself into Anti, he unbound Anti's hands and climbed off the bed.  Dark's voice was a little softer, but still had an underlining of impatience as he told Anti.  "Get yourself cleaned up. Then tell me this 'iconic' idea of yours".  Anti's body was throbbing all over.  As much as he liked it... it didn't make moving very easy.  The most painful thing was backing away from the knife that had dug deep into his shoulder.  His body had tried to heal around it... So, yanking back away from it made Anti groan as it reopened the wound.  Dark smirked, yanking the knife from out of the mattress.  Slowly climbing to his feet, Anti brushed passed Dark, muttering sourly.  "You'll never get that clean now".  Dark turned the knife over in his hand, examining all the dried blood as he shot back.  "I'll think of something. I always do".  Anti watched briefly while Dark undressed from his bloody clothes, snatching a shirt and pants off the dresser, before slipping into the bathroom. 

Anti shut the bathroom door and began to strip down.  For a moment, Anti just stretched and rubbed his healing shoulder.  Everywhere Dark had touched him had left bruises.  They would be gone quickly, but one thing would always remain the same.  His eye.  Dark had blinded him and it wasn't healing.  Touching his eye, Anti stepped into the walk in shower.  He just needed to wash the blood off his skin.  Turning the lever to only hot water, Anti braced his hands on the tile wall.  The scolding water felt so good that he thought he might drift off, when he heard a faint voice call his name.  Raising his head, Anti listened closer but could still barely hear it over the sound of the running water.  Taking a hand off the wall, Anti shut off the water to listen again.  Nothing.  Anxiously, Anti called out curiously.  "Dark"?  Still there was no answer.  Cautiously, Anti stepped out of the shower and shrugged on a white tank top and jeans that clearly belonged to Mark from how they hung a little baggy off him. 

When he didn't hear anything, Anti leaned over the sink shaking his head.  He must have been hearing things.  Turning on the sink, Anti leaned over it to watch the water run.  Listening to water usually relaxed him... but right now he felt too wound up.  He had too much he needed to think about.  Too much to do.  Just above him in the mirror, he saw his reflection move and change.  He didn't even have to look up to know what was happening.  He just knew from his own instincts.  Anti didn't even bother trying to hide his disgust as he dryly spoke out into the sink.  "I thought I told you to fuck off, Jack".  Jack's voice was calm when he spoke to him.  "I'm trying to help you".  Anti gripped the sink tighter, snapping back through clenched teeth.  "I don't need your help! I'm not weak"!  Jack's voice was still irritatingly calm as he replied.  "I never said you were. All I'm asking is that you think about what your helping Dark do. You want to be your own evil, fine. I can't stop you... but don't let Dark manipulate your actions". 

Anti raised his head to look at Jack in the mirror.  He looked so god damn innocent and pure.  Everything he wasn't.  It made him so angry.  Digging his fingers into the sink and hearing it starting to crack, Anti bitterly spat back.  "You were always too good to listen to me. How does it feel"?  Jack's hand came through the mirror to touch Anti's cheek on his blind side, telling him gently.  "Then I won't speak. I'll let you see for yourself".  Anti's blind eye started to feel cold and in his frustration, Anti jerked away from Jack's grip.  Fisting his hand, Anti shot Jack a disgusted frown before smashing his fist into the mirror.  Behind him the door opened and Anti shifted his gaze to stare into the broken pieces of the mirror to look.  Only he became distracted for a moment... In his shattered reflection... Anti's eyes were glowing green again.  Both of them.  He wasn't blind in his right eye anymore!

Whirling around, Anti expected to see Dark standing in the doorway but instead he saw Jack.  Jack gestured to the open bathroom door, telling him a little nervously.  "Your welcome. You can now view every plane in existence. With your new vision you can see anywhere without having to be there. Right now, you're looking into what is called the astral plane. Where I am neither living nor dead. Just think about what you want to see and blink. He will show you".  Anti straightened up, curiously asking.  "He"?  Jack held out his palm, replying.  "Can't you see him? Try".  Anti focused on Jack's empty palm and blinked.  Suddenly something in Jack's palm began to shimmer and appear.  Anti raised an eyebrow confused.  It shouldn't exist.  Jack smiled, turning his hand over and watching little Septic Sam slither around his hand like a snake.  With a little pride in his voice, Jack told Anti happily.  "I found him on one of the planes. He exists because people want him to exist".  Jack's voice soured a bit when he added.  "Then when you 'killed' me in my Halloween video... 'he' came into being". 

Jack pointed to Anti's shoulder and Anti turned to see a different looking Septic Sam.  This Septic Sam was black where Jack's was green... and green where Jack's was blue.  Jack lowered his hand to pet his little Septic Sam as he added softly.  "I'm afraid yours doesn't have a name. He's too new. But he has taken the place of your old eye. I thought you two should meet. Whatever you do from here Anti... It's on you. Just know. You can always find me here".  Anti held up his hand and his little Septic Sam slithered quickly down his arm to curl up in his palm.  He was so small in his palm, but compared to Jack's Sam... he was far from cute.  He looked sick.  Especially, with all the green veins standing out against his jet black appearance.  Yet, already Anti felt strangely protective over him.  He couldn't explain it... but he felt a strange kind of love for the little creature.  Closing his fingers over the little creature to form a kind of protective cage, Anti felt a genuine smile spread across his face.  He didn't know what to call him... but he loved him.  To Be Continued...