"So how's the eye?" Sam's petite voice asked as her feet dangled from the oak branch.
She didn't climb trees much but Sean had been up there alone. She figured he might need someone to talk to.
"Still hurts," a young Sean responded with a sigh. "Still gross. I'm just ready to get this stupid patch taken off."
A black eye patch covered his eye with gauze underneath. It had been nearly a week since the accident: colliding with a friend while playing sports. The broken glass from his peer's glasses had left his eye red and oozy.
"You know you don't have to wear that around me, right?" she reassured.
"Yea, but," he shook his head in frustration. "Ugg, I just have to."
"I know it bothers you, but it shouldn't."
"Why?" he questioned. "I look silly and everyone laughs at me for it."
She giggled, "Well, you kinda look like a pirate."
"You're not helping."
~~~
As an adult, Jack watched this forgotten memory unfold with surreal detail. The old oak tree at the edge of the pasture was his favorite place to be growing up. He could recall every branch and every step he would take grappling to the top.
Sam, on the other hand, was a school friend who believed in him when no one else did. Hearing her lilted voice with such clarity gave him chills – such a warm yet distant memory.
"D̷o̴ y̶ou r̴em̴em̷ber?̶" Anti's voice echoed.
"Ok – fine!" Jack retorted."Yes I do! But why are you showing me this?"
~~~
"Well, some people make a living getting laughed at," Sam continued. "Maybe you could turn it into something good."
"How do you turn everyone calling you 'JackSepticEye' into a good thing?" Sean questioned.
She smiled before lowering her voice and assuming her best announcer impression, "Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you, the world-renown comedian, JackSepticEye!"
Her enthusiasm made him snort, "Who the hell'd go see a comedian named that?
She laughed, "Isn't that the truth? But people care more about what you do, rather than how your name sounds."
"But how would I get there?" Sean asked.
"I don't know – I'm just trying to cheer you up."
He sighed, but faded into a warm smile, "Well I appreciate the effort."
~~~
"M̶em̶or̴ie̴s ̶ar̴e ̴li̶ke̶ a̷ m̷irro̸r,̵ r̵efle̴ctin̴g ̸th̶e true ̶like̵ne̶ss ̷of̴ yo̵ur ̷so̷ul,"̷ Anti continued.
"Quoting 'Detention' I see – someone did their homework."
"Shut̵ ̵up̴... now t̶ell ̷me̵, ̵wha̴t ̷happ̶en̵e̵d ̵af̵te̵r ̵t̷his ̴sw̵e̸e̴t̴ ̵mom̶e̶n̶t̶ ̶in̶ ̶th̴e ̵oa̶k ̵tr̴e̵e̶?"
Jack was confused, "We... just talked and then another friend stopped by and we all went home together."
"N̵o̶."̵
"No?"
"T̴his̴... i̷s wh̶er̴e our̴ ̵live̶s ̷s̵e̶p̸ar̶ated̷.̷ T̶his is whe̵re̵ I̵ end̷... ̴an̶d ̵be̷gin.̴"
~~~
"You shouldn't listen to them anyway," Sam explained. "They're just meanies."
"Meanies?" Sean questioned. "What are you, four?"
"No! I'm eight – you know that!"
"I'm eight too, but only kids with dodies say 'meanie'."
She rolled her eyes, "If only you could slag those idiots the same way you are right now."
Sean laughed.
"You'll find your voice one day," she continued. "And when you do it's probably going to be obnoxious!"
Sean retorted, "We'll see ab-"
Snap!
Sean yelled. The branch they sat on suddenly gave way between them, sending him free-falling through the air. Sam screamed his name in terror as he hit the ground. He didn't respond, only heightening her panic. That's when she saw a trail of red blood flow from the back of his head. She wouldn't stop yelling as tears formed in her eyes – clinging to the trunk of the tree in fear.
~~~
"My God", Jack's voice wavered as he watched in horror. "This... this isn't right."
"It m̷a̶y̸ ̶no̶t ̶b̷e ̶righ̵t... bu̵t it i̶s̵ ̷m̶y r̶ea̶li̶ty."
~~~
Sam's hysterical screams echoed in Jack's head as his vision blacked out. They were soon replaced by the panicked voice of someone else.
It was Signe, who found him passed out on the floor of his recording room – the term "passed out" used loosely. He had been in a disturbed half-awake state that had terrified her for the past five minutes.
"You were twitching, chanting gibberish, and your eyes..." she trailed off and shook her head as if it conjured up an image that haunted her.
Jack did his best to explain what happened, but only found himself getting frustrated by its surreal nature.
He paused. "...Do you believe me now?" he asked earnestly.
She sighed, putting her hand up to his cheek, "Whatever's been going on... It's crazy enough for me to take that chance."
============
Author's Note: Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this section, please hit the star button and feel free to leave a comment or suggestion before reading the next installment.
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The Threads That Bind Us: An AntiSepticEye Origin Story
Fanfiction*COMPLETED* Jack recognized him immediately, "Son of a bitch..." his perturbed voice echoed through the large room. The man remained silent, never breaking his focused gaze. "Now I have to deal with you? 'Jameson', right?" Jack continued, approachin...
