Hey, long time, long time... Pete here, not Manic that man
who never knew when to stop egging stuff up, the man who always played it off
as if he had a plan... atleast he used to be. It must be somewhat nearing on a
year since the last post went up from, I think, Manic. Is that how little time
has passed, huh, that’s a funny thing ask me then where we would be now I
probably would have said fine alive, living in safety after Manic’s master plan
came to fruition, that’s just how funny life is. If you haven’t guessed yet Manic
is dead, saw it myself stabbed in the chest by some no face proxy or other, his
body got shredded and burned just to make sure. How I hear you cry the answer
seems to be very simple, it seems that Manic’s accelerated healing ability had
an unforeseen and very mortal side effect. This side effect being that the
cells of Manic’s body multiplied out of control, replacing those that suffered
from slightest damage, the smoking didn’t help, he had cancer…. seems one of
the few things he couldn’t protect himself was well himself, very cliché and
droll, it almost makes it seem like a poorly written tragedy. Sirus was the only
one who seemed to know this, he and his brother had been meeting late at night
during our stay at Manic’s old home must have been talking about the
possibility that Manic would die and leave his family sad and in pieces, well
he did it seems he got so bad he couldn’t even heal anymore, his system was so
clogged up and damaged that he just laid on the ground and slowly bled to death,
the mighty raucous death of a great meddler.
The war he planned also went that way, though the surprise
of an alliance of otherwise unassociated less powerful fear servant did shake
the plan of the established power. The clash being between those that wished to
be free from the Fears’ oppression, or the few drones and such which sought to increase
their own position of power in whatever game those monsters play, maybe they just
did it for fun, I don’t know. The ‘War’ lasted perhaps 8 months, Manic’s death
basically signalled the end, even his sponsor the ticking man helped him in his
predicament, nowhere to be seen he just left the one waged his war died, very
Fear like attitude, after that the hive minds left only the dying shards trying
to spread as best they could before they too grew bored. The last left being Manic’s
core group and those who had openly rebelled against their faction and Death
was imminent, the last month being a guerrilla tactics attack, with no effect
as new recruits were brought to the enemy side. Amongst there were Plague bringers,
Slender Proxies, Rake Vessels, and Lamia. We finally retreated for good hiding
ourselves in our own bolt holes for what little carnage raged overhead, the independent
groups who didn’t wish to give up yet crashed against the Iron walls that stood
before them I feel like their screams still echo in the night air as they were
stripped for parts, skinned and eaten, probably, alive by all forms of foul
abomination.
After Manic died Kat and their son disappeared during one
night neither Tom, Aoife, Grey, nor Sirus knew where they had gone all I can
hope is that they still survive despite their grief what little time they had
as a family seemed to have been precious to all of them. Siren also disappeared
probably lost interest after her test subject was pulverised and burned into
nothingness, Susan also disappeared, and I never really expected her to stay
long regardless in this world I’ve learnt never to try anything to stay the
same or to make enough sense to trust. Otherwise the five of us stayed together
for a small while Tom, Aoife, and Grey doing more because I guess they felt an
obligation to Manic, since he had brought me in to this world and somewhat
protected me, Sirus I think did it more out of boredom a lot like his brother
would have. However that being said after a few weeks he left aswell, not
saying nothing except ‘I’m going this way, see you around’, the others didn’t
seem too bothered by it, almost relieved actually, they may have been
uncomfortable with the resemblance to Manic. After that our little party ran
together for another week until they split aswell after making sure I could do
it on my own, they probably didn’t want the runt that Manic dumped on their
laps, like his many other strays… though I guess these strays are used to each
other. I met the Ticking Man a month ago he offered me a certain deal, it
appears that the ticking I heard for Manic was a clockwork heart, oozing with
fear power, he offered the power of possibility, I will transcribe as best I
can how I remember this conversation went;
Ticking Man: This Deal allows you the possibility to change
your fate and escape this accursed world, maybe face the Fears who have control
over you, and join me as my right hand in a revolution, a new turning of the
cogs.
Pete: I don’t particularly want to barter with a thing that fancies
itself a false god or whatever, from what I’ve see from your right hands they’re
either crooked or dead, I have no reason to join you I’ll die sooner or later
in this world, with you it’d probably be sooner rather than later.
TM: Come now, come now, such pessimism is unbecoming of an
upstanding young man such as yourself, do you not atleast wish for a
comfortable position in this world that you have rudely been thrust into..
P: By you, you mean?
TM: That is inconsequential, *As he inches forwards and like
a snake comes behind my ear and talks his words clicking and rasping almost as
a snakes* you may have ended up this way regardless, they were circling before
and even more will now due to your association to our dearly departed friend.
P: Again your fault, I again will pass on your offer I like
my freedom to atleast having some freedom to how I die.
TM: You may think that, but due to this friend of our
transgression the servants will be looking for those close to you, the
organisations and entities themselves seemed to have lost balance. And you know
what happens when you lose your balance you grab at anything you can, this
timed it’s a reason, this time it’s to crush you to restore some balance to
show the departed’s protogee subjected to the worst eldritch horrors until his
soul and mind are so broken, you can barely be called living and even then they
wouldn’t stop and you’d suffer.
*Though I thought it may happen I still felt such
existential terror, a terror that reaches my bones my soul, but I tried to put
on a brave face*
P: I’m aware my answer is still no, you pile of meccano.
TM: *It snickers in a raspy way* If you say, though even if
you have this baseless resolve that’s so weak all can see through it…… will
your family feel the same as you that brother, your parents?
P: What?
TM: They will probably take
everyone you’ve ever known, every relation, girlfriend, or friend you’ve made, it’s
no big task for a Fear, I however can help you if you agree, you can fight with
me so they don’t take your loved ones.
P: *I snicker in response* you
overestimate my altruism with those in the normal world, I don’t live there and
they think I’m dead, I have no place there anyway.
TM: What if I say I can help you
can be there again alive and well and you won’t remember anything of hell, what
do you think?
P: Lies, firstly, also even…. If I
say yes I don’t want to end up like Manic, he didn’t seem too powerful or safe.
Though I suppose you won’t leave me alone unless I say yes.
TM: Good, remember to leave hell
you must first traverse through it, and death is always a possibility, though
with it come the possibility of a free life.
P: How do I know you’re telling
the truth?
TM: P E T E M I I C E, my
TIMEPIECE would I lie to you.
P: * I turn and smile*, well I
know you will, I’ve learnt that death isn’t just a possibility. It’s a
certainty.
I Put one of Manic’s cigarettes
in my mouth and light it, God they taste awful, atleast it distracts me from
the bad taste in my mouth of doing business with this devil, and the feeling in
my stomach that I’ve made a very poor choice.
