AoN: Countdown to Madness

Cracks

Josh POV

    I open my eyes feeling a lot better than before. My migraine isn't as bad as before and my legs aren't as numb. Man, what is going on with me? I know it might be the shock of waking up in a new body, but this is too much! If Jack hadn't been so focused on messing with me, none of this would be happening!

    I touch my head as it starts to pound harder. Great job, dude, you got it started again! Maybe Nightmare could help me. After all, they're the one that did this to me— with no alternative. I don't blame them, though. In that moment, it felt like everything was being torn away from me. I was going to lose the only friends I've had in a long time. I guess I won't have to worry about that anymore...

My thoughts faded when I saw feet on the ground, looking up to see...me?

    It was me, the human me. He looked darker, though, and it wasn't just the outfit. He had a goth look, all black clothes with just a white undershirt barely visible. His eyes, though...they looked barren, almost dead. It was like looking at my own ghost.

    He just stared at me for awhile, piercing my head with those eyes! I pushed through the pain enough to give him a glare, to which he didn't react at all. He just stood there, still looking at me with that dead look! I let out a growl that sounded more animalistic than I wanted it to be.

"What do you want?!", I snap.

    He didn't seem to react, or even care. He continued to stare for a few more seconds before actually doing something— turning and walking away. He stopped and turned his head at me, not moving any further. To think that I'd have a break from the cryptic crap! I already had my fill from Mari, but now it's time for a second helping.

    Reluctantly, I follow the "ghost me" through the halls of the attraction. He didn't say anything along the way, which just made me more annoyed than creeped out. Phantom robots, I get. A murderer trapped in a rabbit suit? A little much, but I understand with context.

Ghost me? My god, I must be going mad at this point.

    For some reason, we ended up at an exit door. He kept looking at me with that same look, but I could see something else in it. Sadness? Empathy? There's kind of a lot going through his eyes, so I couldn't be sure.

"Look, if you want me to go out there, you're insane.", I said with crossed arms, "Unless I could magically disguise myself, I'd stick out like a sore thumb."

    Again, no reaction from ghost me. He just kept staring, not a word coming out of him! Just when I was about to contemplate mailing him, he stepped closer to me. I backed up despite being taller, stronger, and honestly more fierce. He has the spooky element on his side, though, which can do a lot when used correctly.

Oh, and another thing: the headache started again!

    It was worse this time, though. It was enough to get me stumbling into the wall while holding my head. Okay, the moment I see aspirin, they're going down my throat! Ghost me's footsteps got closer, but I was in too much pain to react. The only thing that got a rise out of me was something touching my head and the pain disappearing completely.

"What?", I open my eyes, "How did you—"

He was gone, but that wasn't why I stopped.

My muzzle was gone.

    I raised my hand to look at it, and it was skin! I didn't bother asking since it would just lead to more headaches. My clothes are different, though, a black jacket outlined white with similar pants and shoes. As much as it doesn't really feel like something I'd wear, it's better than nothing. I guess that solves the problem of getting attention to myself.

    I slowly open the door and find myself in an alley. Great, a back door. I guess it works since the place is abandoned and someone walking out would be weird. It looks like it's just past midday, the sun practically glaring at me from above. Looking at the building, it pretty much has "abandoned" written all over it, rusty and old-looking.

    Okay, what can I do right now? Obviously going home is out of the question, and Sophie's still in class right now. Eh, I guess I could take a walk to clear my head a little. To be honest, I need some alone time right now— without any ghosts or demon animals.

    Lucky for me, the building is in a less busy part of town. It certainly doesn't look like anybody lives around here, some of the buildings looking worse than the attraction itself! Still, it's quiet and works well for some figurative soul-searching.

    So I'm like Nightmare and the others now. It's still kind of surreal to think about despite already being used to my other body. So what are the positives? Well, no school is an automatic plus, along with no more annoying people.

    That thought brings me back to Dr.Walsteen. He was the only one who understood me other than the "Nightmares". Sure, he compared me to the child from The Bite and was a little pushy at times, but he was nice. He had patience and actually tried to empathize with me when I opened up about my past. I guess you could say he was the only human friend I had before all this...

    I stop at that thought. What if all of this was for nothing? Was I just doing all of this because some part of me wanted to deny that I had people who care? Sure there was Sophie, but what about Mom and Dad? Dr.Walsteen? For all I know, there could be a ton of people I pushed away without even knowing!

    I look around to see that I'm a few blocks away from the attraction. It's amazing how getting engulfed by your thoughts can make time go by in a snap. I can see a small newspaper stand that's unattended, so I sneak over and grab a copy of the usual paper I see around town. Right on the front cover is a picture of the Mystery House— or what remains of it, which isn't much. It looked like the whole place collapsed, save for a few walls and what's left of the porch.

I skim through the article and stop almost immediately.

I focused on the words "released" and "lack of evidence".

That son of a bitch..., I let out a growl that would almost seem feral to someone nearby.

    I'm back at the attraction without a second thought. Not a word from my mouth as I clench the paper in my hand, barging in and down the halls. Springtrap sees me and backs up instantly, probably sensing how pissed I am right now. Good on him, I'm not in the mood for any crap today.

"Josh?", Freddy asks as I enter the office, "How are you-"

"Nightmare.", I said.

"What?"

"Where are they? We need to talk."

"Right here.", I look over to see the bear itself at the back wall, looking surprised and worried.

"He got away with it.", I said.

"What?!", they both asked, instantly getting the context.

"That bastard got away with it!"

~~*~~

A.N: Now things are starting to get real. Buckle up while you can, kiddies. The wolf's about to go wild.