Markiplier x Reader | The Promised Land

Chapter 10: Daydreams and Nightmares

Mark felt like he was stuck in limbo, switching back and forth between the waking world and the sleeping world. He kept seeing things. Shadows, lurking in the corners, in the doorways, at the end of the hall. His eyes grew heavy, but he forcibly tried to keep them open. Whenever he checked to make sure [Y/n] was still sleeping he thought he was seeing something in the corner of his eyes, looming over him like a tall and very thin, shadowy man. However, when he darted his head around to see, there was nothing but an empty hallway.

He held Chica and his gun close. He knew what he was seeing wasn't real, but it still frightened him. With years of experience in dealing with horrifying scenarios, he thought he'd be immune by now. But there was something different about hallucinations during sleep deprivation... paranoia.

He adjusted his jacket and accidentally bumped his golden ring pin. He looked down at it as it glinted. It was difficult to live the life he had chosen, but he knew it was to better the world, and to give him peace of mind that he was making a difference.

The light that caused the ring to glint came from above. He looked up and saw the grey, night sky through the broken roof. It appeared that the top of the building was completely gone on this side. The sky's blanket seemed to have broken apart in some areas, and his eyes widened as he got a glimpse of the moon.

He hadn't seen it in several years now, and it gave him a new sense of energy and calmness as it gazed down at him in its near full, beaming glory. He leaned over and gently tapped [Y/n] whispering, "[N/n], [Y/n] hey."

[Y/n] stirred, lifting their head up and blinking away tiredness. Mark pointed upwards and [Y/n] looked up. The look on their face was more rewarding than he initially envisioned. Their [e/c] eyes widened and sparkled in wonder at the sky. The blanket had broken a little more revealing some stars, but within moments, it was all covered up again. This time, [Y/n] and Mark were encompassed in near complete darkness.

Mark didn't like the dark, he felt panic trying to rise up in him as his eyes tried to adjust, but failed. Then he heard movement and he tensed. Then he told himself, It's just [Y/n], it's just [Y/n].

They shuffled around for a moment, and then Mark heard a click. A light flashed on, making him squint. [Y/n] dimmed the light down and sat back, their face blank like earlier.

"Don't like the dark." was all they said as they leaned backwards.

Their skin was paler than usual, they looked gaunt. Mark would've asked how they were doing, but [Y/n] had already dozed off again, snoring softly.

He sighed, feeling how heavy his shoulders had become. He stared at the lantern for a long time. It looked familiar but he couldn't place where he'd seen it... He felt... so tired. His entire body felt like it was sinking through the floor. His eyes grew heavier... darker...

Suddenly, Mark felt himself shifting into a dream. He was only aware it was a dream because he was conscious of the fact his body finally shut down from exhaustion. However, his mind remained awake.

He was running. He recognized this scene. It had happened just a few days before meeting [Y/n].

Mark was running at full speed shortly after being spotted by a group of Skull Breakers, not the same group that attacked last night. It was only a group of three. He was running down one of the highways. He didn't remember which highway exactly in the dream, the signs were blurry.

As Mark was running, the muffled voice of one of the Skull Breakers called out from behind. The only word that stuck was "trap," and when Mark turned off the highway and into the streets he managed to get stuck in a deadend alleyway. Perfect timing for a trap indeed.

He turned around, his back against the brick wall as the Skull Breakers slowly approached. One of them was maybe twice his size, and had a large hammer in one hand, swinging it around like an idiot, almost hitting his buddies. Mark knew who it was, but couldn't remember in the dream.

The voice was still muffled and couldn't be understood, but Mark remembered watching out of body as he reached for his knife in his boot at lightning speed. He was sucked into first person perspective as he kicked off the wall behind him, dashed straight for the guy with the hammer, and stabbed him right in the shoulder. Just as he pulled the knife out and ran in between the others, he felt something crash into his right knee.

He stumbled and fell, skidding and rolling a little ways. With an adrenaline rush, he stood up and took off, knowing a hiding spot not far from where he was at. As he ran he thanked whoever was listening up in the sky that his leg hadn't been broken.

The scene faded and shifted to an interaction he had with Sean about a week ago. Just before Sean reported back to his post in Castaic Village. They were talking, and that was when he met Gabby for the first time.

The scene warped suddenly, and everything around Mark disappeared. He felt his heart beginning to race as he watched his dream morphing into something else. Something sinister. He knew this feeling. It was the very reason he resisted sleep.

In the pitch darkness Mark found himself floating in space, he tried to control his body but it refused to move. Suddenly, he heard voices calling out for help.

"Mark! I need you!"

"Save me!"

"Help us!"

He recognized all of those voices. One of them was Sean's, the second was a friend named Ethan, but the last... he couldn't quite recognize it. The name escaped him the more he tried to focus on it.

In the far distance of the darkness, he saw something slowly coming into view, and it was massive. It looked like nothing but a shadow for a while, but as it was coming closer. Mark realized it was a hand. It was reaching out for him. He tried to move away from it as it came closer, trying to envelope him. He called out but his voice didn't work.

Then he heard the unfamiliar voice again. It wasn't more than a whisper.

"I didn't ask for this..."

Mark realized it was [Y/n].