Left with a Memory

Chapter 16- Enclosed freedom

Marvin awoke in a familiar position. Arms and legs restrained to a bed, but his body was in so much pain. He was sweating and breathing raggedly. His body was fighting itself, causing him to wake up briefly, but then immediately falling back out of consciousness. Chase wondered if this was any better. That thought quickly left his mind though. Of course this was better, but that didn't mean it hurt him any less.

Chase kept his distance from the magician, he almost seemed sick. Or like a druggie being forced to detox. Chase couldn't stop playing Marvin's words over and over in his head. "You don't know what I've been through," "You could never understand," "He left you," Chase took too long to find him. He should have looked harder, he should have found him sooner. Chase wiped tears from his eyes. This is all my fault.

"It's not and you know it," A weak voice finally chimed in. Chase looked up from his seat and saw Marvin tiredly looking at him. He tried smiling, but he was clearly in a lot of pain. "You thinking that way is only damaging. Stop blaming yourself."

Chase stood up, he wanted to run over to his friend, but he was still afraid. He could see the faint green in his eyes. Marvin chuckled weakly. He looked down at the restraints. They had put his arms down by his side instead of above his head, which was much nicer Marvin found. "Oh all the time I've spent tied up, this is the one time I'm glad about it," Chase could see just how exhausted Marvin was. "You have no idea how hard it is right now for me to hold back," Marvin sucked in a quick breath of air through his teeth. "He just won't stop screaming."

Chase cocked his head to the side. "What do you mean?" He asked.

Marvin's body was tense against the restraints. He was pulling against them, but also fighting the urge to break himself free. Chase could see his struggles, inside and out. "He's angry! That he lost me. He's furious! Now he's taking it out on," Marvin's eyes went wide. "Oh god," he muttered under his breath.

"What? Marvin, who is he taking it out on," Chase couldn't help it anymore. He ran to the side of Marvin's bed. He could stand seeing him in pain.

As soon as he got too close, Chase started hearing a voice. It sounded familiar, in a strange way. Almost like a mix of Marvin and Anti's voices, but much more distorted, and it was just wrong. It kept whispering alluring things in his ear. "Let me out Chase, Let me out! I'm your friend, it's okay. I'm not going to hurt you. Just let me go."

Chase took another step back, the voices fading away now. He looked down at Marvin's scared face. "I left him behind," He sobbed.

"Who Marvin?"

The magician stifled another sob. "Henrik! Anti has him Chase! I left him behind and now Anti's," Marvin couldn't finish his sentence, overcome with the pain.

Chase stumbled back, nearly falling over. "Henrik's dead," He whispered. "I watched him die. We all did," Marvin shook his head, on the brink of tears. Chase let out a huffed breath. "Are you saying that he's been alive all this time!" Marvin flinched as Chase yelled.

Chase turned and sped up the stairs. Chase ran into the kitchen where Jamie and Jackie were making lunch, breathing heavily. Jackie was immediately at his side, holding him up. "Woah man, are you alright?" Jamie signed, asking what happened.

After accepting the glass of water Jamie offered, he finally calmed down. He looked up at Jackieboy. "Henrik's alive!"

Soon after Chase left him, Marvin felt completely overwhelmed with emotions. He quickly passed out from that and the pain. At least in his sleep he wasn't hurting, but his mind was split, fighting for his attention. One side, his powers were there, silenced by small amount of drug that remained in his body. The other side, was the drug, attempting to keep holding his powers back, only releasing when Anti commanded.

Marvin reached out, trying to get past the dark void inside his mind. It attacked him, weakly batting at his hand, keeping him away from the core of his magic. Though Marvin was tired, and he just wanted to give in, he didn't spare Chase's life by giving in. He pushed past the void, stepping into a fresh field inside his mind. He felt peaceful. Finally, something in him wasn't racing.

The magician observed around him, feeling like he could stay here forever. Finally, his eyes landed on a completely white figure sitting cross legged in the grass. Marvin sighed, approaching them slowly. "Mind if I join you?" The figure nodded and he took a seat. It looked down at itself, the its body began to morph into an actual person. Marvin wasn't shocked when it turned into Chase.

The fake Chase smiled kindly. "You've missed him," It said.

Marvin sighed. "I have, but I'm worried I'll hurt him," He looked back at the black wall keeping him in, wondering the madness that was going on in the rest of his mind. "Why is it so peaceful here?"

The entity leaned back on its hands, looking up into the blue sky. "Think about it Marvin, that.... thing is trying to hold me- your powers back. Why would I try to leave somewhere as beautiful as this. You've been fighting so hard to get through, now what do you think about it?" It challenged.

Marvin looked around, it was beautiful here. Marvin really didn't want to leave, knowing what was beyond that barrier, keeping his power trapped. Although knowing what Anti could do, or make him do while he was here scared him more than anything. Marvin fidgeted with his hands. The entity noticed, and took a deep sigh.

"You still remember everything he showed you, when you were Tri-"

"Don't say that name," Marvin interrupted, now visibly shaken. He rubbed his arm, taking deep breaths. Though he did remember that time when he was Trickster. He wish he'd never seen it. "My mind was trapped in a void. It was a world completely surround by static. Voices yelling, screaming at me. It wasn't even coherent really, it was just noise constantly. It was maddening and, I felt so alone, but," Marvin hesitated. "But I wasn't alone."

The entity sitting with him looked at Marvin in curiosity. "Because you had him," It finished.

Marvin nodded. "Anti lives with those glitches and voices screaming in his mind everyday. He's been trapped like that all alone for so long. No wonder he does the things he does. He's just as afraid as I was. And now," Marvin considered his words carefully, thinking long and hard. "He's got Henrik still. I need to help them."

"Yeah, that's what I thought you'd decide," It stretched out its arms and legs, standing up now. "It was nice while it lasted, but you have more important things planned, don't you?"

Marvin stood with it, taking a moment to just stare off and think. "No more fighting right?"

The Chase standing there laughed. "No I think we can work together now," The two turned to the black barrier between this fake world and the rest of Marvin's mind. Once they stepped through, he'd still be fighting his own body for control, but now that he had his magic working with him, knew he'd be fine.

Jackie settled a meal on a platter and headed to the cabin cellar where Marvin was. Jackie was leaning on the counter, his head down. Chase was sitting on the ground against the fridge. "What is he doing?" Jackie finally said. "What did Anti do to Marvin. Is he doing it to Henrik? I don't understand why this is happening!" He slammed his hand against the counter top.

Chase exhaled heavily. "Jackie please," He muttered. "Getting angry isn't going to help. We need to go back and bring save him like we did Marvin."

"Henrik was gone far longer than Marvin was. Just because Marv was able to fight back, doesn't mean Henrik will too," He said, burying his head in his hands.

Chase was about to respond, when Jamie came running in with a worried expression. He tried to sign something to them, but his hands were shaking so much. Jackie and Chase exchanged a look, and ran for the cellar. Jackie was close behind Chase as he ran down the stairs. Once they made it into the room they kept Marvin, they froze. The restraints were cut open, and the magician was gone.