Chapter 7: What lies at the end of the spiral Pt. 2

Author's note: Has anyone caught on to what I'm trying to do yet? Just curious...

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I heard the flesh crawling around me, under the metal flooring and inside the trees.

The path twisted and contorted in response, bringing me to Adler.

"Once again, you've returned," he said, "are you really willing to go through with this once more?"

"You've seen what happens, this world cannot take much more... this may be our last chance."

I walked up the steps towards him.

"If you go on, everything will fall apart. I can't let that happen."

Voices swarmed around us.

Ghosts of the past, present or future.

Their voice voice one with his.

I walked up to him.

"YOU SELFISH MONSTER!" The voiced droned.

He brandished a knife.

I unholstered my gun.

Both of us attacked.

His knife broke through my right eye as a bullet shot through his heart.

Oxidant gushed from the hole that was an eye.

The pile at my feet tried to reach for me, stop me.

The voices tried to pull me back.

They let out one last gasp in unison.

"... you'll destroy everything."

The only way to go is forward.

The blood splattered onto my chest piece.

Mechanically if I have to.

The world melted into bloody puddles.

Limping if I have to.

A world of red.

Crawling if I have to.

Monoliths erupting from the blood.

I need to get there.

She's near. We're almost there.

Home.

The Penrose.

Where she is.

The path twisted and contorted in response, bringing me back to a derelict, familiar building, half drowned in the blood.

I grabbed the handle.

The hatch hissed open and I squeezed back into the house. It was empty except for a tub in the middle and it's occupant.

I stroked her head and went to the window.

The stars were out.

I turned to get her, to show her the sight.

The room had no tub.

A sofa, TV and kitchen in sight.

I sat down watching the night.

My muscles tensed.

Oxidant pumped faster through my veins.

I was paralysed.

In the mirror house.

Through the mirror window.

It was staring back.

She was staring back.

She opened the window and dropped to the garden.

I realised my window was open.

She walked to my window.

I couldn't respond.

Closer.

Closer.

She was a few steps away from the house.

Whatever held me lost it's grip as I screamed and leaped onto the imposter wearing my face.

I pinned her to the floor, scrambling desperately, unsure of what to do.

Then a scream.

And another.

One from each house.

I bolted inside as did the mirror.

Through the hallway.

Through the door.

To the dying marble drenched in red.

The room, drenched in red.

I looked down to Ariane, her face contorted to a now silent, frozen horror.

Her voice chimed in, "Remember our promise?"

"Huh?" I looked around, my neck twisting in one way then the next then to Ariane.

I walked closer, deciding to ignore the voice.

Ariane looked calm now.

I kissed her on the forehead.

She looked healthy.

Her hair was back.

Her eyes shone again.

She was back.

"Elster," her voice rang out in her ear, but this time, she had spoken it out.

Her eyes looked into mine, expecting something.

I blinked.

Then again.

I knew what I had to do, but...

"I can't do it" I replied.

"You have to do it...," Ariane begged, "it's time for this to end."

I looked into Ariane's red eyes as Ariane stared deep into her blue eyes. "Please."

"You promised," she said, the voices joining her.

My hands moved forward without my will guiding it to.

They closed around her neck.

I close my eyes.

"I'm sorry"

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Embraced by a pool of red overflowing,Her marble reflection rests unmoving,Hands around her throat,Again and again and again,Ad infinitum.Broken circuits, hollow socket,Again and again and again,Ad infinitum.

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I hear a faint, "Thank you. Maybe next time, it all works out."

The chaos stops.

The ringing stops.

The voices stop.

Her breath stopped.

I feel my vital systems shutting down.

I fall.

There is no destination left.

The journey is over.

Damage sustained is far too great.

My auditory receptors pick up footsteps.

In front of me stands a broken replika, her right arm lost, her chest cavity completely exposed.

She reaches to me and picks up my right arm and pulls, ejecting it from it's socket.

I feel nothing.

She grabs the base of my chestplate with both hands and pulls, ejecting it from it's sokets.

I feel nothing.

My auditory receptors start to fail.

I watch her walk away as my optical receptors fail and I go blind.

My touch receptors are long gone.

I can feel nothing.

Touch nothing.

Taste nothing.

Hear nothing.

See nothing.

I am trapped in a void, slowly fading away.

I think, perhaps Ariane would be there on the other side.

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The End?

P.S.: It's me, ya boi Dolos, currently depressed and needing someone to give me a hug. Any such donations are welcome.

In any case, I'm not fully done with this, if the question mark at the end hasn't clued you into it. Maybe an Epilogue. We're almost there.

Almost.

Arrivederci.