The Perfect Illusion

Let Me Show You

Narrator's POV

Stephen was sitting down at the dinning table. He had a mug to his left as he read his book of incantations.

Tony walked over to him and sat down in the chair across from him. He tapped his fingers on the table. He looked like a wreck.

His hair was still messy, and he had bags under his eyes.

"So..." Tony said, interrupting the silence of the manor. "...whatcha drinkin'?" He asked.

"Tea." Stephen said, not looking up from his book.

"Oh." Tony said. "What kind?"

"Black." Stephen said.

"Mm." Tony nodded slowly.

It was quiet in the room again.

It was so quiet, you could hear silence.

"Listen..." Tony started. "...thank you for letting me come into your room last night. I know it's a really childish thing to asked of, but these dreams keep get-"

"Kindness is weakness." Stephen said, looking up from his book. He stood up, picking his book up. "Caring is not an advantage." He slammed his book shut and walked away.

Tony stood up. "Wait!" He called out.

Stephen didn't stop.

"Don't you ever get lonely? Do you ever get scared?" Tony asked.

Stephen stopped in his steps, listening.

"The dark, it's terrifying." Tony said. "It's so lonely and cold."

Stephen turned to him. "It's a deep, but dazzling darkness." He said.

"But what about when you dive in so deep and see no way out?" Tony asked. "It's consumes you, tearing at you. Pulling you apart and putting you back together. It tortures you. Manipulates you."

Stephen levitated over to Tony. "Oh, but when you submit to it, it's such a beautiful thing. So lovely and terrorizing." He said.

A dark shadow began to climb from the floor onto the walls and windows, darkening the house. The lights began flickering.

"Ah!" Tony gasped once he looked at Stephen.

His eyes white.

"Stephen." Tony said.

A third eye opened on his forehead.

"Jesus!" Tony gasped.

"Let me show you, Anthony." Stephen said, reaching for Tony. "I'll take your pain away like a bullet to your brain."

"Where's Stephen?" Tony asked. "What have you done with him?"

"He's not here." Came a low voice from Stephen.

Stephen being used as a puppet at the moment.

"What did you do with him?" Tony asked.

"That's not important at the moment." Stephen said, he took Tony by the arm.

"Ah!" Tony gasped. "Let go of me." He pointed his blasted at Stephen. "Or I'll shoot."

"Your power is no ma-"

Tony blasted him in the head, making Stephen's head fall back.

"Argh!" Stephen picked his head back up.

Part of his head was missing, and the inside of his skull could be seen.

"How rude." Stephen said. His head began to regenerate.