Nightmares Within Me

Final Night of Part 3

Eight days past and i just wandered around. Three days into being here food began showing up at the door. I never ate it but i knew when it would come, everyday at exactly three in the afternoon. Only Austin was like that and would be able to maintain a set time. It was funny, everyday he would bring new food and take the old food away but would never get the hint that i didn't want it. I was going on eight days without food and it was normal. Before all this i had trouble eating because i was never hungry but now it was normal to not eat. I would wander around up and downstairs. After doing that all day i decided it was time to go try and clean up Nicoli's blood, and do some laundry.

I found bleach underneath the sink in the kitchen and just kinda poured it on the ground where his blood was soaked into the carpet and still wet. It took a little bit of the blood stain out. It was just pinkish carpet now. I shrugged and put the bleach on the porch with a note, trying to make a joke saying that i didn't drink it and i wasn't hungry and when Austin came to get my food from the day before and drop off the new food he laughed a little and just walked back, but with more spring in his step than he had walking over here. It was a good sight to see.

I decided to forget doing laundry and just took the sheets off of Ryder's bed, because it was the only comfortable one in the house to use and burned the sheets next to his dad's bones. I decided i would be kind enough and send Ryder a present. I put some of his dad's ashes into a bag and label it asshole before putting a bone to it and putting it on the porch to be collected tomorrow. I laughed a little to myself at how petty i was being but then ignored it. I decided after remaking the bed with some random things i found that i was going to try and do some shit. I forgot that we had locked Ryders two dogs up during the party so i went to go get thn from Nicoli's room. Upon going in i saw the two bodies of the only things left in the world that meant enough to me. In that moment i knew that i was going to be leaving the house, with at least one dog. THe bigger of the two was Ryder's dog. He loved that dog, it was the on thing that had kept him alive for me to love for so long. I gently put the dog in a box and the other dog in an identical box. I knew Ryder would think this was me but he still had the right to see his dog and do with the body what he wished.

I knocked on the door and it was immediately opened by Lillian. I ignored everyone and walked directly to Ryder. Someone made a comment that i was unarmed, i lifted up the back of my shirt with one hand to show i had my pistol in my waistband. I heard several guns cocked.

" Don't worry, if i wanted to kill any of you i wouldn't have knocked. I came to give this to Ryder," he looked up with that, " I also hope you have enough sense to know i loved him to and would never do this. I found him like this when i walked into your father's room doing a sweep," yes i lied about a little of it but he wasn't going to believe i just happened upon the dogs while i was looking for them. I handed him the box, tears already forming in his eyes. This was the reason for the long nightmare not ending with Nicoli, this was the purpose for it. Ryder took the box and opened it without hesitation or a chance to talk himself out of it. He closed it and pulled his gun out. I had already had mine out by the time he had readied his. I knew where this was going to go.

" You did this? Didn't you? Just to torture me, you are sick," i rolled my eyes. I had guessed he wouldn't believe it. I looked him in the eyes and he avoided mine. He knew as well as i did that i didn't kill them but he wasn't going to have it. He pressed the gun to my head and i did the same to him. He suddenly looked around at everyone who had their guns drawn now to. They were all aimed at either him or me. He dropped his but i didn't.

" Do it," he whispered, " You know you want to," he fell to his knees and held the gun against his head as tears fell. This, this was my Ryder. This was the man i knew. This was the ultimate torture. I tried pulling the gun away from his head but he held it there so i knelt down and pushed the gun to the side of his head and rested my forehead on his. I just went through memories, trying to see if i would actually shoot.

So many things went through my head. Our first date, the first gift he ever gave me, the first time he told me he loved me, everything that ever meant anything played through my mind. The creature wasn't even her and it was torturing me. It was the kind of torture that came with knowing so much of your family's blood is on you're hands and then knowing you'll have more in the time to come. There was no way he was going to live through the night. Either i shot him or he shot himself. Our first date took over my mind. We hadn't started dating yet and it was the first date i had ever been on. He was the first person to take me on a date. We went ice skating. We both fell but had so much fun. After we came to this house. This was when i first met Nicoli. We laid up on his bed, he just held me, and watched movies and played video games. He always wanted to do more for me and never knew that even then that was enough. That was one of the happiest days of my life. And then Christmas when he got me a ring on a chain, a necklace of sorts. A necklace that i rarely ever took off or was without. I even had it on now. Then Valentines Day.

Tears began to fall and i felt someone hand wrap around my back and pull me closer. I knew exactly who it was, knew that touch anywhere. IT should repulse me, make me violent, but instead it comforted me and reassured me. I opened my eyes to see his looking right at me. I eyes him a little, and he saw the question. It was him. This was Ryder.

" I'm sorry," he said as he left go of the gun and held my cheek. I almost dropped the gun. But i knew it had to be done, i knew that it was either me or him to pull the trigger and i'd rather do it then let him die alone tonight.

" I know, i love you to," he opened his mouth to try and say it back and i refused to hear it because if i did i wouldn't pull that trigger. And in a heartbeat all i heard was a gunshot and then silence. Everyone gathered around me, someone's hand touched my shoulder. It didn't even register to look. I just shot. I didn't care who it was anymore. I just killed the person that i wanted to be with me until the end of time. I killed my best friend, my love, my world. His blood was all over me. In my hair, on my face, on my clothes. It was in my eyes, turning my vision red. I didn't care who went down by my hand anymore. My heart hardened and i no longer felt anything. Just emptiness.

I stood up and looked. It had been Jessica. The smallest but toughest person i knew had also died at my hand. My will. I no longer had control of anything. I didn't want them here, i didn't want to look at any of them and constantly be reminded of what i did and who i lost while doing that. I shot Kat as she approached. No hesitation, just lifted my arm and shot. Next was Austin, then Justyn. Lillian screamed and Alex ran in front of her, shielding her from me. He looked at me and then it changed. He turned to her and just hugged her. He knew there was no escaping this. I walked closer and Lillian tried disappearing into Alex. I shot through Alex's chest, into Lillian. They both fell and i shot them both in the head. That was everyone. No one was left now. All my friends were dead. Everyone i cared about was gone. I raised the gun to my head and just then the creature decided to show up.

" Nice of you to finally show. Who did you take over this time, I know it wasn't Ryder," it just laughed.

" No one, i merely sat back and watched it all unfold. This was all you and them. I simply planted the idea in Nicoli's head to kill you and Ryder. This was all your mind and you choice," it said. I felt sick. It had no play in this, nothing other than starting it. This was all our doing. I looked at the bodies of my family on the floor. Lillian still having a look of horror on her face.

" Kill me, i know you'll be back with something different soon, so just kill me," i asked it. It smiled and obliged. The dark was comforting and i saw my family all back in that field. All of them. I tried going to them and stopped. Ryder was the only one who saw me. He was the only one looking. I turned and walked away from them. The light from the field faded and then there was nothing. I awaited the next horror that i would encounter.