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Sunday 26th November ~ 4:22pm

Jack's POV:

We bolted from the store at top speed, which wasn't all that fast since the two of us were ready to drop.

Unfortunately it didn't go unnoticed.

"FINALLY!"

I didn't dare steal a glance back. I didn't want to see all those people. All those victims.

Nor did I want to see my counter part chasing me with a knife.

Already the chest pain was immense, and forever worsening. Every gasp brought on another spike of agony. My jaw was clenched.

Me and Mark sprinted down past the side of the building, the neon lights not reaching that far as everything around us grew darker. I didn't need the darkness to be anymore scared.

I was already on the brink of hysteria.

"Didja MISS M̷͘͡Ę̨?͢͜"

"FU-AAAGH!!"

I clasped both sides of my head, forcing myself to keep up a stumble of a run.

He was there.

I could feel it. His soul being channeled into my body - like I was being possessed. Everything hurt.

My chest being on fire and my head splitting open proved to be too much for me. I broke.

"Jack!!!"

I couldn't run anymore.

"GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY HEAD YOU BASTARD!!!"

My eyes squeezed shut.

I couldn't breathe in enough oxygen. Nothing existed but the pain.

I doubled over, screaming with his voice pounding the inside of my skull. Nothing could drown it out.

"I OWN YOU."

"YOU'RE WEAK!"

"MARK WON'T SAVE YOU THIS TIME!"

"W̸Ę͟A̡K͠-!"

"NOO!!"

I gasped.

My eyes flew open again, my body finally able to feel Mark violently shaking me - ears registering him screaming my name. I wheezed.

Anti's presence wasn't within me anymore.

I grasped onto Mark's arms, him holding me by both shoulders, and I struggled to pull the both of us up.

"W-We-! He's-!"

"YOU THINK YOU CAN SHUT ME OUT?"

I didn't turn around. I knew what was right behind me.

"GO!"

I managed to get up, Mark following suit as we sprinted again. Had I really just fought Anti for control and won?

Nothing felt real anymore.

The car was right in front of us.

I could feel Anti trying to get in, yet now I could shut him out. I was in control.

"NO!"

Anti knocked me to the ground with one swift smack, my body bouncing off the trunk of the car and landing in a heap on the grass. I cried out.

"FUCK YOU!"

Mark swung a fist at Anti - the demon glitching through it. I attempted to scramble up from the floor as Anti landed a hard punch to Mark's face.

The force knocked Mark onto his ass.

"Weak! Both of you are WEAK!"

I got to my feet, too late to stop Anti's foot from connected with Mark's skull. I grit my teeth.

The gleeful laughter pissed me off more than anything.

"Ye fockin' BASTARD!"

I leapt onto Anti, toppling us so that my weight slammed him into the ground. I'd hoped Mark would get up, or move, but he didn't.

"Me a bastard?"

Anti rolled on top of me, hands locked around my throat. I gagged.

I couldn't breathe.

"YOURE THE ONE WHO'S REFUSING TO LET ME IN!"

I tried to level his body off mine with my legs, invisible needles attacking my oxygen starved lungs. Clawing at his fingers did nothing.

My ears wouldn't stop ringing.

"I AM NOT YOUR G҉̡̛̀͏Ļ͟Ì̢T̶͏C̸̶͢͠H̵̛ ́҉̷B̕Ì̡͜T̀́Ć̷̕͠H͏̸̴̡̛!!" Anti screamed, though the shrill ringing was already piercing my eardrums enough. "I'M DONE RUNNING AROUND IN THESE - THESE CIRCLES JUST TO GET TO YOU!"

I was going to die.

What little strength I had was running out.

My brain was malfunctioning.

Then, Anti's expression shifted. As though realisation clouded his features. He looked up from my face at something in the distance.

His grip on my neck loosened.

"Son of a bitch..."

I wheezed, air filling my lungs all at once. I couldn't get enough fast enough. The relief was all I could focus on for a few seconds.

My oxygen deprived brain didn't even consider the fact that I could've been struggling.

I was just so tired.

Anti's eyes fell back to me.

"I guess we'll take this elsewhere."

He lugged me up off the ground, throwing me over his shoulder and causing my chest pain to explode. We'd been here before.

Last time it had ended with me nearly dying.

Anti took off running towards the forest, Mark lying motionless on the grass behind us - getting further and further away. I tried to squirm from Anti's grip but I was weak.

Just like he'd told me.

"M-Mark-!"

I lost sight of Mark and the gas station in the trees, and as the ringing in my ears finally died down I swore sirens blared off in the distance.

They'd been too late to save me.

I only hoped they'd reach Mark in time.

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