The Call (A Marble Hornets inspired story)

Chapter 2: Reliving Old Memories

I stand there for a second and take in what I was seeing. It was him. It was Brian. Not that masked fucker who nearly killed me. But Brian. He stood there, looking at me with a happy-sad expression that he always had. "Brian" I say. That's probably the only thing I can say. I can't believe he's alive! I don't know what to do.  "Hey, Tim" he says, with clear sorrow in his voice trying to be masked with a happy tone. My joy starts to fade with this realization. Why is he sad? I thought he'd be happy to see me. Then again, I did try to kill him. And threatened him. But why is he sad? Wouldn't he be angry? "Are you-" "Okay?" He finishes for me "Yeah...I'm fine..." He says, the happy facade slowly slipping. He can tell that I know. "I...I want you to have this." he says quickly, shoving a tape into my chest, forcing me to take it before pushing past me and running down the corridor. 

"HEY!" I yell after him, desperately trying to keep up. He's faster than me. Not by much but still faster. I glance around me as the scenery suddenly changes. The school has turned into the abandoned asylum. I keep chasing him as the Asylum turns into the street outside Alex's old apartment, which turns into the tunnel, which turns into another random part of the forest. I keep chasing him, the whole thing feeling too familiar. I catch up to him and tackle him to the ground. But I don't grab anything, I just fall into leaves and come face to face with that mask. Not his. Mine. That mask I wore so many times without being able to remember a damned thing afterwards. The mask that, from what Jay recorded, made me turn into a psychopath. Someone who tried to kill anything he could find. Someone who wanted to kill anything he could find. Someone who wasn't me. A side that lay dormant for years until being released by wearing that mask. I don't question how it's here. I don't question how i'm here. I can't. It's happened so many times that i've gotten used to it. Like a person who's blind. First few times it was confusing, shocking and terrifying, but after a while they accept it. Just like I did. 

I feel breathing and I snap back to reality to notice i'm holding the mask dangerously close to my face, about to put it on. I throw it as far as I can. What the hell was I thinking? Did I really just do that? The mask doesn't land that far from me, but far enough so I can't see it unless I try. I stare at my hands for a few seconds, feeling tears starting to form in my eyes. "I- I don't want to be here anymore. Why did I let myself come back? I should've ignored the call. I should've just kept driving and not answered." I whisper to myself, the words getting caught in my throat. I feel tears slide down my face and onto my hands as I curl into a ball against the fallen tree I was leaning on. "Are you sure that's what you should've done?" I hear someone say. It was Brian again, but like he sounded on the phone. Strangely different. I look up and see that hooded man who was my best friend. But it didn't feel like it. Then I realise, I have never heard his voice before. It was muffled from the fabric but was definitely different. Like he was using a voice changer. I can still feel myself crying. I can't stop. He looks at me and sighs, as though he pittys me. "You're going to need this, Tim." He says, holding that mask towards me. 

I feel anger rising inside me. That son of a bitch has the nerve to hold that mask out in front of me and say that I'm 'gonna need it'! I don't need it. If anything, that's the one thing I don't need! "Fuck you!" I shout at him, my throat slightly sore from crying but still fine. He takes a deep breath. "Tim. Listen to me. You can either do this the easy way...-" He motions towards the mask. "Or the hard way." He says, staring into my eyes. I can't see his eyes but I know that's what he's doing. "You're insane if you think i'm going to put that mask on myself!" I yell. He puts down the arm he was using to offer the mask to me and drops it. He seemed saddened. I feel a slight twitch of guilt for refusing my best friend's offer but then remember that this isn't my best friend. He's someone who deserves to feel sad, someone who deserves to feel guilt and regret. He's someone who's trying to ruin my life. He looks to his side and kneels down, picking up a metal pipe. Then I realise what the 'hard way' is. My eyes widen as I start pushing myself further into the tree, trying desperately to get away from him. My legs aren't letting me get up. I can't think straight as tears start to fall again. He steps slightly closer. "I'm sorry, Tim." He says to me, raising the pipe. "Please! No! Don't do this! Brian! I'm sorry! Please!" I plead with him, still backing into the tree as if it would just open and take me away from here. I see him hesitate slightly, as though hearing me for the first time. But soon regains his grip on the weapon and swings it at me. I begin to scream but get cut off from the pipe hitting the side of my head. My vision instantly blurs and I feel my body fall to the ground. I lay there for a second, struggling to stay conscious as I hear the pipe fall and hit the dirt below. My vision dims as I slip out of consciousness, the last thing I see being the hooded man standing over me as I feel blood trickle down the side of my head.