Antisepticeye Oneshots

Always Here, Always Watching (Marvin & Anti)

Premise: After a near-death experience involving Anti, Marvin has been plagued with nightmares. But, what happens when his nightmares begin to haunt him in his waking life?
Warning: A little bit of gore
Word Count: 1605

The tough crowd of people stared at Marvin, penetrating eyes burning into his soul. They were there to see him, but everything in his brain told him that he was going to fail. He took in big breaths, trying to calm his racing heartbeat, before he set down his large case in the middle of the stage. It was silent as he unzipped it and lifted it opened, except for a few whispers of people waiting impatiently for him to "get on with it".

He got out his wand and his magician's hat before putting it on his head, his mask already on his face. The whole point of the cat mask was to keep his identity hidden, as people loved mystery, but he couldn't help but feel that he was naked under the watchful, judging eyes of the crowd. He closed the case and stood up, kicking it to the side of the stage.

He took one deep breath, closing his eyes for a moment to remember his various tricks that he had planned. He was surprised to have remembered his first magical act, and opened his eyes, filled with a wave of new-found confidence.

But, once he saw the crowd, his stomach dropped.

Red string, tied their around throats, reaching up to the ceiling. It was the same around their wrists. Their eyes were blank and empty, their faces pale. They looked like lifeless puppets.

And, dead center in the middle of the bodies, sat a green-haired grinning psychopath in a chair, crossing his legs and waving innocently at Marvin.

Marvin dropped his wand, letting in a shaky gasp. He took a step back, dreading to see the face of Anti. He came back for him. The magician was ready to run then and there.

"Did you miss me?" He said, his words changing pitch irregularly. He had a rasping voice, like a child in anguish who had been screaming for their parents until their lungs gave out.

Before Marvin could get away, he felt an unimaginable pain in his abdominal area, ripping through his body. Literally. He looked down as flashes of a circular saw entered his vision, tearing through skin, then bone, then his organs. Blood spilled out, pooling beneath him on the floor. The deafening sound of the electric saw forced itself into his ears, straining his eardrums.

He felt the warmth of hands on his shoulders, bringing him back to reality. Anti, who was now behind him, leaned in close over his shoulder, "I never left," he whispered softly into his ear. The heat of his gentle breath gave a shiver down Marvin's spine, both chilling him to the bone and soothing his body, like an anchor keeping him grounded.

The pain was unbearable. He dropped helplessly to the floor, beginning to lose feeling his arms and legs. His fingers were numb, and he couldn't get up, no matter how much he wanted to get away from his tormentor. He laid there, unable to move his head. With slowing breaths, Marvin saw his vision darken as his lungs became too weak to breathe in air. The last thing he saw was Anti, looking down at him from above with a smile on his face.

***

Marvin's eyes shot open, wide and bloodshot. His nerves were jittery, causing his whole body to shake and his mind to go into fight-or-flight mode. He bolted up in his bed, seeing the familiar messiness that was his bedroom, lit up by the moon-lit night coming in through his window. Once he realized there was no danger and he was just having a nightmare, he curled up into a ball, holding back tears.

His door swung open and smashed loudly against the wall, making him jump. He was relieved to see that it wasn't Anti, but his roommate Jackie.

"Are you okay? I heard a scream and I just came running."