When Violence Ensues: Slenderverse Short Stories.

Story Fourty Six: Infecting Through Screens, Ends Justify The Means.

Michael sighed lightly as he sat on the floor, his back against his bed with his laptop on his knee- logging into his youtube channel and scrolling mindlessly through the latest uploads from his favourite channels. Most of the day, nowadays, was spent scrolling through youtube and watching videos. Particularly, videos in relation to the issues he was facing.

The tall entity with no face.

Unfortunately, Michael had found that he wasn't the only one being haunted by the creature. Part of him was extremely happy he wasn't the only one, as he was beginning to believe he was losing his mind, but the majority of him was terrified by the discovery. Not only were channels such as Tribetwelve and Everymanhybrid suffering as he was- but there were many others also documenting their own personal struggles and experiences with what they had seen.

Just how powerful was this otherworldly monster?

Michael had wondered about it almost every hour of the day- he among others had been tangled in the spider's web that connected their fractured realities together in one massive, horrific construct that centred around the tall entity itself, and how it infected them.

Infected them with this sickness that drove them to the edge of existence itself- only to forcibly plunge them into darkness and ravage their minds until nothing was left, nothing but the blood and lies that remained in their hands at the very end of it all.

With dark hearts and dark thoughts in blacked out rooms, the flies stranded in the web succumbed, one by one, to the spider's poison.

Michael was watching it happen, and eventually, he knew it would happen to him too. The blackouts had already began- and from research and conferring with other channels in his position, he had become very aware that the patches in his memory were the beginning of a spiral into hell. There was no cure for the sickness, no vaccine for the infected.

Not yet.

The exhausted male gritted his teeth as he clicked onto his own channel and saw a video that he was not aware he had posted. Eyes narrowing in confusion, Michael clicked on the video entitled, "Patrick." And watched the entire video's contents.

Stunned into complete silence.

He knew that was him, talking to Shaun out in the cold like that- but he looked so ill. So weak. Michael did not remember any of it, and even seeing the conversation unfold on camera was enough to make his head ache. There was something deeply unsettling but yet familiar about the 'Michael' in this video, and the concerned male knew that this was not in fact him, but the other version of him. Patrick, if the title was anything to go by.

The infection was beginning, it seemed. At least that was one blackout explained.

Running a hand through his ruffled hair, Michael clicked off of his channel and resorted to scrolling through the other related channels that knew the suffering- who were infected too. A heaviness had found its way to his head as he wearily recalled the video and what had occurred in it. It was as if he was observing a ghost. Not to mention the nausea that was swirling in his stomach and forcing his mouth to become dry with nerves. How was he supposed to feel, being caught up in a chain of events he cannot even account for due to not having any form of recollection about it?

The entire situation was playing with his head and corrupting rational thought.

Swearing under his breath and resorting to logging out of youtube, Michael shut down the laptop and set it beside him before rubbing his face with his hands, shaking his head as he calmed his breathing. What, exactly, was he supposed to do now? Hit up one of the other channels like, "Hey, I'm Michael and I'm being hunted like you? :D" Life didn't work like that.

That would be an awful idea, especially not to mention the fact that he couldn't even confide in his own brother without multiple issues arising- how could he even possibly think talking to others would work? He'd simply drag them into the hell hole he was falling into.

He couldn't drag them into the spider's lair however, they were already there, trapped like moths in light. No, instead of dragging more people into the situation, Michael decided it would be much better to remain isolated to a point- surrounded by his brother and Eric.

He had to at least try to minimise the casualties while he could. Who knows how much longer he had alive?

Shaking his head as he hand his shaking hands through his hair, the male pulled himself up from the floor and paced the floor of his bedroom as he contemplated what to do. Well, what exactly could he do? Apart from do his level best to get through the next twenty-four hours and meet up with Shaun- talk to him about the video and the conversation he had with him, but it wasn't him. A confusing concept but, it was real. It did happen, despite what Michael wished or what Shaun believed.

That damned, headstrong brother of his who refused to believe anything other than the fact that his brother had simply spent sixteen years in a hospital ward regarding his mental health and its rapid decline.

Funnily enough, after encountering the faceless being during an innocent game of hide and seek in the local park.

So in Shaun's eyes, nothing Michael said could be taken seriously- what would he know, suffering from severe mental illness? It was ridiculous how his brother treated him, frustrating to the highest degree how nothing he said could ever just be accepted without a snarky comment or some form of suspicion. There was nothing Michael could possibly do that would make or convince Shaun to take him seriously.

Apart from save his life.

Which would be ironic considering Shaun most likely would still not believe him.

Michael rolled his eyes at the thought, and heaved a sigh once more as he rubbed his face and attempted to form his thoughts into a coherent plan- only to fail miserably. The man's mind was racing with numerous thoughts, buzzing with concerns and fears.

He was very, very afraid.

Who wouldn't be? With more than one otherworldly entity with malevolent intentions chasing him and destroying everything he loved- Michael had a right to be scared.

Too bad he was in no way prepared for what HABIT would bring to the table.

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Hello friends!!

I hope life has been treating you all well!!

I also hope you enjoy this little chapter :DD

O o f I've got three months until my finals, and it's pretty stressful, but that's okay!!

I started watching Tokyo Ghoul season 3 and I literally cried I'm so happy it's so good ;; like literally I remember why I fell in love with that anime and manga-

Anywho, I hope tomorrow treats you all well!!

Thank you all so much, and until next time!! :D