Confessions of a Corpse

Chapter 17 - A window to the past

Slowly, I turned back around, intent on going down the path before me, only to jolt in surprise. I wasn't in the sewer anymore. I was in an eerily familiar hallway. Paintings lined the walls. I walked over to the first one.

"...Chef..." I murmured, looking up at the painting. It was of Chef the Chef, the head chef of Markiplier Manor. His eyes were crossed out. I shuddered a bit as his warning of "I thought I told you to stay out of my kitchen" echoed through my mind, and looked away, feeling my phone vibrate in my pocket. That was odd...when did I get a cell phone? Curious, I pulled it out, only to see a text from an unknown number.

"Aren't you tired of it?"

I blinked at it, shook my head, and tucked the phone back into my pocket, looking at the next painting. Benjamin the Butler, also with his eyes crossed out. The only thing I could hear while looking at the painting was ghostly whispers that vaguely sounded like him. I shook myself out of my daze as my phone vibrated again. After fishing it out of my pocket, I stared at the newest text.

"Don't you feel like you're running in circles?"

As a matter of fact, yes. Yes, I did. I felt like I was stuck in an endless loop, and honestly? I just wanted to be free. The next painting was of Abe the Detective. His eyes were crossed out. That seemed to be the pattern. Every person in each painting had their eyes crossed out.

"Ah, the one who made me his partner without my consent," I muttered. "If only you could see me now, Sherlock." I heard a faint "Maybe I shouldn't have trusted someone so goddamn gorgeous" as I continued to stare at the painting, shaking my head as my phone vibrated again.

"No one seems to question it."

"Oh, believe me, I've questioned it," I sighed. I walked over to the final painting. The Colonel. William. His eyes were crossed out and a large pink mustache was drawn on his face. My eyes brimmed with tears, and I reached out, my fingers brushing against the painting frame.

"...William...I'm so sorry," I whispered, letting a few tears free. As I kept my fingers against the frame, I heard "I thought it was about time that we got to know each other. Someplace far, far away from the prying eyes of... anyone else" echo through my head. One of the few times William and I really had a conversation, even though he seemed to teleport around the manor. My phone vibrated again, and I looked down at it.

"But I thought you'd see through it."

I lifted my head and stepped back, wiping my eyes.

"See through what?" I whispered, confused. I looked around for a moment before realizing that I hadn't finished walking. Slowly, I continued down the hallway, shivering as my surroundings grew darker and darker. There was one more painting at the end of the corridor, and as it came into view, my blood ran cold. The Actor. And this, almost mockingly, was the only painting without its eyes crossed out. I felt myself trembling in anger as I could practically hear his voice all around me.

"This is not about me. It's about you. And who knows? I could be dead tomorrow."