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The darkness around her was all encompassing. A frigid abyss that swallowed her whole. Sometimes little flashes of the other side would come through. As if the curtain separating the two worlds was fluttering in the nonexistent wind.
It was always him. Always Toby. Her Toby.
Lyra wished that whatever form she was trapped in could weep. Every glimpse she got made her want to call out, to cry, to scream, to comfort.
But she couldn't. She couldn’t even hear what was being said on the other side. A part of her knew she didn’t want to though.
So she watched. Unable to move, unable to hold, unable to protect. This was hell, her own personal hell.
His fits were getting worse. His outbursts were becoming more violent.
The thing that had taken him after the fire seemed to be getting more and more irritated. It didn’t have a face but Lyra could tell from its body language that Toby was pushing all of its buttons.
Lyra smiled sadly, some things never change.
There were two men too. They’d sometimes hold Toby down or back during his outbursts. The one in yellow was much calmer. The one with the white mask had a temper though. Lyra had watched Toby and him fight a few times, it wasn’t pretty.
The poor guy in yellow seemed tired, like he hadn’t slept in ages. He sometimes had to drag the one with the white mask away. Lyra wondered what they did. Toby was normally left alone, in what Lyra could only assume was his room. He’d curl up in a corner and rock back and forth until his body finally gave out. She would watch his drop like dead weight on the floor after a couple hours. It seemed that was the only way he could get himself to sleep without being knocked out by one of the others.
This outburst was bad. This one was bloody. Screaming, crying, things were being thrown.
Lyra didn’t see what led up to it, but she knew it couldn’t have been pretty. Something had triggered him. She’d never seen him lose this much control.
Toby was smashing his face into the wall. The one in yellow tackled him to the ground and wrapped his full body around him. Lyra guessed he was trying to talk him down, but to no avail. Toby was still screaming and crying in his arms. The one in the white mask ran out of the room. He came back, the creature behind him.
Lyra felt her gut twist as the thing separated the two men and slammed Toby into the wall. Her brother fell to the floor unconscious. The man in yellow was now panicking and flailing his arms. It looked like he was yelling at the creature. The thing bent down, getting in the poor guy’s face. He went still for a moment and the thing stalked out of the room. The man in yellow went to Toby's side, trying to make sure he was breathing.
The veil closed and Lyra wanted to scream.
She wanted out!
She Wanted Out!!
SHE WANTED OUT!!!
Fine
Lyra felt the wind get knocked out of her.
It was strange, seeing as how she’d never been conscious that she was breathing before.
The abyss opened up again. It was the woods, dark and foreboding. No Toby in sight. That was a first. A strike of fear cut through her. The thing was on the other side of the veil. It was among the trees, nearly blending in with them. It got closer, as if it could see her.
A wave of realization hit her. It could see her. Lyra shuddered, at least she now knew who put her here. A clawed hand reached into the void she was suspended in and pulled her out. The pain of passing through the veil was blinding.
Something was screaming. Screaming sharp and loud. Lyra realized it was her. It was like every cry she had built up since dying had erupted out of her. It left her gasping. It left her dizzy. She nearly fell to the forest floor but something caught her. She blinked and tried to focus her spinning vision. It was the creature. Something long and dark was wrapped around her waist. A tendril? It was cold and slimy, leaving a black residue on her. It smelt like ink.
The creature hoisted her up over its shoulder and began to walk.
Lyra yelped and tried to struggle out of its hold. “What did you do to him?!” She began to beat at the creature’s back. “What did you do?!” Despite its willowy appearance, the creature seemed unaffected by her blows. It trekked on through the darkness.
Lyra gave up, all of the energy in her was drained. She was hungry, she was tired, and she just couldn’t fight anymore. The forest was dense. The only light came from the full moon overhead. Lyra wondered how long this thing had been here. She wondered if this was even reality or if it was another part of the abyss.
The creaking of a door made her jump. She was able to catch a glimpse of a cabin. At least the creature was taking her inside. It was small, but definitely cozy. There was a lit fireplace that gave off a welcomed heat. It was like the one at Rosswood Park. Toby and her would play house in it. They would run away to it when the fighting at home got bad. That’s where they were headed when-
She gagged when the thing began to ascend the stairs. The jolts and her being upside down were really starting to get to her. “I’m gonna puke,” she warned. Lyra gasped when it set her on her feet. She took a deep breath and rested against the wall. The nausea slowly subsided with each inhale. She decided to get a good look at the creature. The thing was massive, ducking on the staircase and looming over her. It didn’t immediately grab her, which she was grateful for. It seemed to be waiting for her to make a move.
A scream made her jump. She knew that voice well.
“Toby!” she cried, racing up the rest of the stairs and into the room the wails were coming from. The man in yellow was shushing him, trying to calm the flailing boy down.
“Toby, stop it!” he grabbed the teen’s wrist, “She isn’t here!”
“Toby,” Lyra ran to his side. The man in yellow jumped back in fright. Lyra didn’t care though, she had her brother to worry about. “Toby, Toby, look at me.” She watched his eyes widen and heard his breath catch.
“Lyra?” His voice was hoarse and broken.
“It’s me, Tobes, it’s me.” Lyra felt tears well in her eyes. “I missed you. I missed you so much.” She hugged him, placing a kiss on his forehead. “I’m so sorry, Toby I-”
“Toby!”
Lyra screamed as she was ripped away by a tendril.
The man in yellow had Toby’s wrist again, trying to pry a raised hatchet from his fingers. “What the fuck is your problem?!”
“She’s not real!” Toby screamed, tears flooding his eyes. “She’s not fucking real.” He stared at her, “You’re not Lyra! You’re not Lyra!”
“Toby,” Lyra tried to reach out to him again but the creature pulled her from the room and into another. It set her on the bed and made a motion that told her to stay. Lyra felt her heart beating wildly. She’d dealt with Toby’s outbursts before but he’d never been violent towards her. Her body felt so weak and her eyelids were growing heavy. The bed was surprisingly plush and she couldn’t stop herself, she fell asleep.
A knock at the door startled her awake. Lyra shot up and pressed herself against the headboard. The door slowly opened and in came the man in yellow.
“Uh, hi.”
Lyra was surprised how...normal he sounded. “Hi.”
The guy was carrying a tray. “I hope you like peanut butter sandwiches, we don’t have much else right now.” He set it down on the nightstand. The guy pulled a chair from the corner over. “All we had was orange soda, hope that’s alright.”
Lyra smiled, “Thank you.” She was ravenous and scarfed down the meal.
The guy laughed. “Yea, you don’t realize how hungry you are in the void.”
Lyra washed down her food to ask, “You know about the void?”
The guy nodded, “Unfortunately.”
“How?”
“I was in there obviously.”
Lyra rolled her eyes, “Well yea, but how and why and what the fuck even is that place and-”
“Whoa, one question at a time.” The guy went quiet, “Why don’t we start with introductions.” He stuck out his hand, “Hoodie.”
“Hoodie?” Lyra took his hand, giving it a shake. “Lyra, but I guess you knew that.” She smiled, “What’s your real name?”
The guy seemed to be taken aback. He thought for a minute before answering, “I don’t really remember.”
Lyra’s smile fell. “I’m sorry.”
The guy shrugged, “Could be worse.” He tossed his head to the door, “Could be like him.”
“Do you mean the guy with the white mask?”
Hoodie chuckled, “His name’s Masky. Original, I know.”
They both laughed awkwardly. “What happened to him?”
Hoodie wrung his wrists, “I don’t know. I only have flashes of memories, a lot of it is blurry. I know...he used to be different. He used to smile, laugh.” The guy’s voice became strained, “He…he’s different now.”
Lyra reached out and took his hand. “I’m sorry.”
Hoodie laughed, it was sharp and disbelieving. “You, you don’t have to apologize.” He sniffled, pulling up his mask above his nose. He chest felt tight and the stupid cloth was making it hard to breathe.
Lyra smiled. “You’ve got scruff,” she teased, hoping to lighten the mood.
Hoodie nodded, “Yea, can’t really shave here. Well, I could but it’d probably end badly.” He swiped his thumb over the back of her hand. “I’m sorry about last night. Toby...he sometimes-”
“I know what he’s like. I’m his sister. I’ve seen his fits. Never thought he’d try to hurt me though.” Lyra squared her jaw, “I’ve been watching him, through the void. I thought if I got out he’d immediately be...fix? Okay, not fixed but, better? That whatever that thing did to him would immediately go away. It just, the reality of not being able to just- I know that’s crazy but I hoped-”
“Lyra,” Hoodie said to stop the girl’s rambling, “You can’t beat yourself up for wishing.” He sat back in the chair, “I know I’ve done my fairshare. I’ve dreamt of leaving this place, getting Masky to how he was. Finding our names. Escaping the big guy is ludacris though, but I’ll be damned if I stop trying or stop wishing.”
“We’re two fools, huh?” Lyra laughed.
“Oh absolutely.”
The door to the bedroom opened. The creature was there, ducking its head. It crooked a finger at Hoodie and the man sighed.
He turned to Lyra, “Duty calls.” He moved past the thing and down the hall. It must have given instructions Lyra couldn’t hear.
The creature lingered for a moment, as if sizing her up.
Fix him
Lyra jumped, covering her ears and shutting her eyes. The voice had echoed through her mind and rang clear as day. The thing talked?! She looked up again and it was gone, the door was closed.
Lyra stood outside of Toby’s room. She was ready. With a shaky hand, she knocked on the door. There was the faint sound of footsteps before it opened. Toby was still covered in blood and muck from last night. “Hey.”
“Are you real?” Toby reached out a shaky hand, but was too afraid to touch her.
Lyra gently took his wrist and pressed his hand over her heart. “I’m real Toby.”
He felt her heart beating against his palm. He let out a shaky breath and hugged her, burying his face in her neck. “You’re here, you’re really-”
“I am,” Lyra hugged him back, “I’m right here.”
“Please don’t leave,” Toby begged, afraid to let go. He was terrified this was just another hallucination, that he’d wake up alone in bed. “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry I-”
“Hush, you were scared.” Lyra played with his hair. She felt him melt against her. He had changed drastically but he was still her Toby. The same little brother that would climb into her bed if he had a bad dream. The boy that had stolen candy for her. Who had fought her asshole ex at their homecoming. His face was scarred, his hair was course, and his skin was a sickly pale, but he was still her Toby. “I’ve got you. I’ve got you.”
Toby couldn’t see past his tears. His chest felt tight and he was shaking, but he welcomed it. God he welcomed this feeling. This fear, this joy, this love. It was better than rage, better than numbness. “I probably stink,” he chuckled through his tears.
“Yea, you do,” Lyra giggled. She gave him a kiss on the temple. “I probably don’t smell any better.”
“You always stink.”
Lyra laughed wholeheartedly and tousled his hair, “You little shit.”
Toby beamed, “Yea, I am.”
“Does this place have a shower?”
“Yeah,” he guided her to the bathroom.
“With three guys here, I expected this to be filthy,” Lyra teased.
“Hey, that’s a sexist stereotype. Also the house kind of cleans itself.”
Lyra gave him a sly smile.
“Fuck off,” Toby chuckled. “Go first.”
“Loan me some clothes.”
“Why should I?”
“I mean,” Lyra shrugged, “If you want everyone to see me naked I-”
“Alright, alright, you made your point. Give me a sec.” Toby went to his room.
Lyra rested against the doorframe. It was almost like old times. Like nothing had changed.
Showered and calm, the pair were laying in Toby’s bed staring up at the ceiling.
“Are you mad at me?” Toby asked.
“For what?”
He gave her a look of disbelief, “I killed dad.”
“Dad was a dick.” Lyra frowned, “I could see.” She looked at him, “I saw how much worse he got. Honestly, we should have killed him sooner.”
“What about the neighborhood?”
“Yea, that wasn’t very smart and you shouldn’t have done it.” Lyra sighed, “But given the fact an eldritch monster was fucking with your brain, I can rationalize it. Also, didn’t you learn anything from mopping?! You don’t back yourself into a corner, especially with fire, dumbass.”
Toby snorted, “Fuck, Lyra.” He turned on his side and rested his head on her chest. “I missed you.”
“I missed you too,” she played with his hair and felt her eyelids grow heavy. “I’m so fucking tired.”
“Same.”
Lyra rolled her eyes, “Biting commentary.” A calloused finger pressed against her lips.
“Hush, I’m tryin’ to listen to your heartbeat,” Toby slurred.
Lyra giggled, giving him a kiss on the forehead. She slowly felt his breathing even out and his body relax against hers.
“Toby you need to ea-” Hoodie paused in the doorway. “Is he asleep?” his voice barely above a whisper.
Lyra nodded.
“You’re a fucking wizard.” Hoodie placed a plate on the nightstand. “The only way we can normally get him to sleep is to knock him out.”
Lyra winced at that.
“Sorry,” Hoodie sat on the floor. “You even got him to shower.”
Lyra gave him a sympathetic smile, “He’s been a handful huh?”
“You have no fucking idea.” Hoodie pointed at Toby, “You two are really close.”
“Of course we are. I used to help my mom take care of him. Changed his diapers, helped potty train him, got him on and off the bus.” Lyra beamed, “Taught him how to tie his shoelaces.”
“Mommy number two, huh?”
Lyra nodded, “Yea, that’s a good way to put it.” She twisted Toby’s gentle curls around her fingers. “What did it have you do?”
Hoodie sat up straighter. “Masky was freaking out, I had to go calm him down. The boss doesn’t mind throwing Toby around, but he won't lay a hand on Masky”
“I’ve noticed he freaks out when Toby does.”
“Toby’s fits are loud, Masky doesn’t like loud. That’s why they fight a lot. Masky loves the quiet and Toby can’t stand it,” Hoodie explained. “I can always calm down Masky. Toby is a hit or miss.”
“You miss a lot,” Lyra teased, gently pushing Hoodie’s shoulder.
“Well, to be fair, I don’t have the mom aura.”
Lyra shrugged, “Tis a gift, I suppose.” She then asked, “So how do you calm him down?”
Hoodie wrung his wrist, “Kinda just hold him. Tell him it’s okay. I don’t know, I just sit with him and he normally falls asleep on me.”
“That’s cute.”
“Shut up.”
Lyra giggled. She stared up at the ceiling. “If you could run away and take him somewhere, where would you go?”
Hoodie rested against the bed. “The beach. I don’t think he remembers what the ocean looks like. I like the idea of us building a sand castle and finding shells.”
“We always went to the beach in the summer.”
“Really?”
Lyra nodded, “Mom would take us. Dad hated going, so it was the only good vacation we had.” She sighed, “Toby tried to eat a hermit crab one year.”
Hoodie snorted, “Not surprised.”
Toby twitched violently and began to whine. Lyra hushed him, petting his hair. “Hey, hey, it’s okay.” Slowly his body relaxed again. “I got you. I got you.”
Hoodie was amazed, “Damn, he normally wakes up swinging.”
Lyra nodded, “You just have to say the right things. He’ll normally fall back asleep.” She yawned, “Speaking of sleep.”
Hoodie nodded, “I’ll let you rest. Scream if you need help.” He left, closing the door behind him.
Lyra thought the comment was strange but was too tired to care.
Toby cracked his eyes open. It was strange waking up and feeling rested. No splitting headache, no dislocated shoulder, just refreshed. He hummed as a gentle heartbeat threatened to lull him back into slumber. Toby looked up and was perplexed, “Mom?” He rubbed his eyes and his vision cleared.
It was Lyra. She was still here.
Toby sat up and stared at her. Lyra turned on her side and curled in on herself. Toby smiled and poked her shoulder. She was real. She was warm. She was alive.
Why?
Toby frowned and slipped out of bed. He tossed a quilt over her and walked out of the room, shutting the door quietly behind him. Blind panic filled his chest. Toby ripped it open quickly and saw Lyra was still there. He sighed and left the door open a crack.
Masky was at the end of the hall, crouched, staring, and quiet. Toby jumped once he noticed him. The asshole was always sneaking up on people.
“Fuck off, don’t bother her,” Toby hissed.
Masky cocked his head. He raised his middle finger and scampered away.
Toby was too happy to care about the slight. Masky could probably punch him and he’d walk away. Besides, he had someone else he needed to talk to.
Going down the stairs, he saw Hoodie by the fireplace.
“Oh you’re up, did you eat?”
Toby shook his head, “Where is it?”
Hoodie sighed, “Outside, being weird.” He stretched, “You should eat, Toby.”
“I will when I get back.” He went out the front door and into the endless night. There was never a sunrise here. The moon was always full though. Maybe the boss just prefered night time. Toby laughed, it did look kind of funny in day.
Toby quickly found it among the endless sea of trees. “Hey!”
The creature slowly turned.
“Why did you bring her back?”
You were more broken than I intended you to be
“Fuck you.” A tendril wrapped around his neck and dragged him up to its level.
I did you a service, do not disrespect me
It dropped Toby like a hot rock. The teen coughed and nodded. “Yea, yea, thank you.” Toby slowly got to his feet. “How did you get her back?”
I have been keeping her, just in case
“Why didn’t you bring her back sooner?!” Toby screamed.
She was not needed yet
Tears filled Toby’s eyes. “Not needed? Not fucking needed?!” He wailed, “My brain’s been torturing me with her ghost and you had her. You had her this whole fucking time and didn’t-” Toby took a swing at it. He landed blow after blow on the creature. “You son of a bitch. You sick son of a bitch! She was all I had left. She was the only one that cared! How fucking could you!” The creature let the teen continue to throw punches until he finally fell to the ground again.
Are you finished?
Toby wailed and pulled at his hair, rubbing his face into his scarred hands. “I hate you. I hate you.” he wept. The creature was not amused by his antics. It didn’t react like Hoodie, or Lyra, hell, even Maksy had a reaction to him. It was silent and waiting. “I hate you.”
Are you finished?
Those words triggered something. A plethora of memories. All of them of his father. The disapproval, the coldness. “Fuck you!” Toby whipped out a hatchet. He jumped up and tried to land a strike. A tendril wrapped around his wrist. Toby gasped as his bone cracked underneath the hold. The axe fell to the ground. Toby growled and kicked at the creature, cursing and screaming. It lifted him, and gave him a violent shake.
I brought her here, I can put her back
Toby immediately went limp. His eyes widened in horror. “You’re kidding.” The creature tilted its head.
It wasn’t kidding.
Toby nodded and his wirst was released. He fell to the ground and laid there. The weight of his situation dawned on him. “Please don’t take her away,” he begged.
Then do not disrespect me
It loomed over him for a moment before stalking off to the woods. It disappeared among the trees. Toby sniffled and slowly stood on his shaky legs. He stumbled back to the house. Masky was on the porch, as if waiting for him. “The fuck do you want?” he growled.
“You’re a dumbass.”
Toby froze, “You can talk?”
“You’re proving my point,” Masky scampered off into the forest.
Toby wondered if the interaction was real. He’d never heard Masky’s voice before. Masky mostly talked to the boss. Talked wasn’t the right word, but it was the closest thing Toby could manage. The two had strange silent conversations that annoyed Toby on the best of days. He wondered how they could converse without words. A link maybe? The teen growled and tried not to overthink it. He slunk into the house and closed the door behind him.
“Toby, eat,” Hoodie ordered as soon as he walked in.
The teen sighed and grabbed the food Hoodie had set out for him.
“Why do you antagonize it? You know that’s fucking stupid right?” Hoodie scolded. He chucked some wood on the fire.
“Did you know Masky could talk?”
“Don’t change the subject!” Hoodie snapped. “You should know better. It’s not just your life on the fucking line anymore!”
Toby took a bite of his sandwich. Tears were welling in his eyes again. He sniffled and dropped his plate, breaking down once more. “This sucks! This shit sucks!” he wailed. “I hate it here. I fucking hate it. I want to go home.”
Hoodie smiled beneath his mask. It was small, but it was there. This was his chance. He looked out the window. It wasn’t back and neither was Masky. He kneeled next to Toby, “Here.” He quickly pulled out a bottle of pills.
“What the fuck are those?”
“Keep your voice down!” Hoodie hissed. “Just take them.” He handed one to Toby. “They might help.”
Toby swallowed it dry. “What do they do?”
“They stop the big guy from fucking with your mind too bad.”
“Why didn’t you give them to me before?!” Toby yelped when his mouth was covered by a gloved hand.
“I said keep your voice down,” Hoodie warned. He pushed the teen away. “You were too fucking feral to trust.” Hoodie put the pills back in his pocket. “You would have blabbed to it and these probably would have been taken away.” He got up, “When he dragged me from the void, I had these on me. Something told me to take them, that they were important. When I start forgetting more, I take a few, and boom! My mind is back. They aren’t perfect, but they’re definitely worth it.” He patted the bottle in his pocket, “These have been the only things keeping me alive. Would have probably tried to off myself without them.”
“It wouldn’t have let you.”
“Hasn’t stopped you from trying.”
Toby laughed sadly, “Yeah, I guess that’s true.”
“Toby?”
The two men turned to see Lyra on the staircase. She stretched and smiled, “You two okay?”
“Yeah,” Toby got up, “let’s go play war.”
“You got any cards?”
“Yea.”
Lyra turned to Hoodie, “Wanna play with us?”
The man in yellow shrugged, “Sure, why the hell not.”
Lyra hated the neverending night. It was throwing her off more than the void did. She slowly slipped away from Toby’s sleeping form. He’d fallen asleep on her again but she needed to pee so she gently pushed him away. Lyra groaned, rolling her shoulder. Her fucking arm was numb.
She crept out of the room and shut the door softly.
Lyra jumped, covering her mouth in fright.
The white mask- Masky, his name was Masky, was at the end of the hall. Lyra chuckled. “God, you scared the crap out of me,” she whispered. He crawled over to her. It took everything in her to not shriek. The guy was lightening fast! He was staring up at her. He grabbed her hand and placed something in it before scampering off.
Lyra stood there a moment, waiting to see if he’d come back, but he didn’t. She looked in her palm at what he’d given her. It was her necklace! She must have dropped it when the thing brought her to the house.
It was half a green heart with a scorpion inside it. Toby had gotten it for her years ago. His was a matching blue. She wondered if he still had it.
Lyra closed her eyes and could almost feel the sun on her skin, the smells of the popup carnival, Toby’s giddy voice asking if she liked the necklace. She put it on, hoping to keep the memory close to her heart. The halls were dark and strange. Thankfully, the bathroom wasn’t occupied. She used it quickly, trying to get back to Toby before he had a night terror.
However, when she opened the door, the creature was there. It was ducking in the doorway, it’s “face” level with hers.
“Can I help you?” she blurted out without thinking.
The creature tilted its head. Its spindly fingers reached toward her necklace. Lyra slapped the hand away, clutching the jewelry in her fist.
The creature seemed perplexed.
You are not affected
Lyra winced. The voice wasn’t something she’d get used to. “What are you talking about?”
Why are you not afraid?
“What?” Lyra gasped when it grabbed her chin. She tried to struggle out of the hold but found it useless. Lyra flinched when it pressed its forehead against hers.
Why are you not affected?
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Lyra replied. It let her go and disappeared. The woman looked around, shocked and confused by the interaction. She tried to shake off the dread flooding her mind. Lyra stumbled to Toby’s room. He was sitting upright in bed. “You okay?”
He nodded, but his eyes were distant and glazed over.
“What’s wrong, Tobes?”
“We have to do a job tomorrow.” Toby blinked, his tics coming rapidly, “Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!” Once he calmed down, he continued, “It’s going to be a pain in the ass.”
“A job?”
“He makes us do his dirty work.”
“Like what?” Lyra asked, sitting on the bed.
“Mostly fighting people who are encroaching on his targets or terf. Stupid shit. I hate it.” Toby flopped back on the bed. “You remember that kid who murdered his family?”
“You mean to guy from Hadesville?”
“Yeah him.” Toby waved his arms in exasperation, “Well now he’s like a serial killer. Fucker is causing trouble and we keep having to run him off. There’s also this weird clown guy and a girl who’s all burned. On top of that there’s this creepy thing that possess people and he’s sadistic as fuck and-”
Lyra placed a hand on Toby’s shoulder. “Chill.” She gave him a gentle smile, “It’ll be okay.”
Toby smiled, turning on his side. “I’m glad you’re back,” he whispered, clutching her hand. “It feels so good to be able to talk to someone again.”
“I’m glad to be back,” Lyra gave his hand a reassuring squeeze.
Lyra saw the boys off. Giving Toby a long hug and Hoodie one too. Masky didn’t seem like the hugging type, but she did thank him for finding her necklace. The three walked into the forest and disappeared in the blackened sea of trees.
Lyra closed the door and turned. She was alone with the creature. “Why do you send them?”
It kept still, unnaturally still.
Lyra frowned, “You’re strong enough to pull people back from the dead but you can’t handle a rowdy teenager?” She walked toward it. “I don’t get it, is it a powertrip?”
Of sorts
Lyra was surprised, “At least you’re honest about it.” She looked the creature up and down. “Are you actually wearing a suit or?”
Well, I can’t be naked
Lyra laughed, it was sudden and sharp. She rolled her eyes, “You know if you weren’t killing and kidnapping people, you’d be a pretty good comedian.” Lyra sat near the fireplace. “You brought me back because of Toby, right?”
He was becoming a liability
The good mood dissolved. Lyra growled, “Wouldn’t be if you hadn’t fucked with his head and took away his meds!”
The creature came clower.
You speak of things you have no knowledge of
Lyra shot back, “You forget, I could see what was happening.”
What?
“In the void, I could see through sometimes.” She pointed at it, “I saw you messing with him. I’ve seen how much he’s spiraled since you showed up. You did something to him. I know you did.”
You should not have been able to see
“Well I did!” Lyra snapped. “Quit avoiding my questions. Why Toby? Why him?”
His mind is the kind I can reach
Lyra frowned, “What?”
The ones that see more
Realization hit her, “You go after schizophrenics.”
Yes, I believe that is the word your kind uses for them
Lyra chewed her lip. “You can’t touch our world on your own, can you?” She watched as the creature moved back. “You have to have someone tying you to it. Most people can’t see you but people like Toby can.”
The more people who know, the more power I have
Lyra snorted, “You’re just Freddy Kruger without the burns. Belief and fear keep you going.” She threw a log on the fire. A new thought hit her. “You’d be nothing without them.” The creature now moved closer. “If they were to run away, you’d be weaker.” Lyra smiled, a plan forming in her mind.
I suggest you stop your daydreaming, girl
“Why should I? You said it yourself, I’m not affected by you.” The air shifted and Lyra smiled. “I scare you, don’t I? Cause you can’t control me like them.” The creature straightened to its full height.
Do not disrespect me, child
“Maybe you shouldn’t have fucked with my brother!” Lyra grabbed a burning log from the fire and chucked it at the creature. It seemed shocked by the action. It stalked toward her.
You insolent little-
“You’re not real.”
The creature stopped in its tracks.
“You’re nothing.” Lyra saw how it began to twitch. “You’re just a story. A figment of a scared imagination, but I’m not scared of you.” Lyra smiled, “I’ll make sure they’re not scared of you either.”
No, you wont
Lyra felt the air in her lungs leave. “You’re not real,” she wheezed. The air was back. The edges of her vision started shifting and blackening. “You’re just a shitty nightmare.” Screams began to echo through her mind. “Just some fucking legend, a boogeyman.” Lyra felt things crawling on her skin, but she kept going. “I’m not afraid of you.” Everything began to happen tenfold. The things crawling on her were digging under her flesh. She could feel them in her skull and against her veins. “I’m not afraid of you.” The screams were deafening. They slowly morphed into familiar voices. Through the wails of agony she cried, “You’re not real!”
All fell silent.
Lyra cracked open her eyes. The creature was gone. She fell to the floor, gasping. She looked around the cabin. It had turned decrypted. The ceiling was falling apart and most of the floor was eaten by grass. Sunlight was fluttering down onto her. It was warm and welcoming. Etches on the wall showed her and Toby’s names. She was at Rosswood. So close to home, so close to- realization hit her.
“Toby,” she whispered in panic. Lyra ran out of the dilapidated cabin and into the forest. The call of birds was so forgein after so long in the silent world. She didn’t know how to get back. She didn’t know if she should go back. What if it hurt Toby? What if it told him it had killed her? What if-
Lyra’s eyes widened. Hadesville. The boy from Hadesville was their target. She saw the old, overgrown trail and raced down it. No way was she letting that thing get into Toby’s head again.
Lyra ran to the parking lot, hoping to flag down a good samaritan and hitch a ride. Just her luck, a beat up old car was in the lonesome lot. A man in a hawaiian shirt was sitting on top of the hood. She waved her arms and got his attention, “Mister!”
“Whoa, whoa, sweetheart, where’s the fire?” he asked, remaining on the hood.
His voice sounded wrong coming from the body he was in. Lyra was in too deep of shit to care though. “I need to get to Hadesville. I’m really sorry, I don’t have any money but my brother is-”
“I can’t believe the old stick in the mud threw you out like that.”
Lyra gave him a confused look. “What?” she felt breathless from running.
“You’ve got some balls, kid. I’m honestly impressed.” He finally hopped off the hood and extended his blood covered hand. “I’m Habit.”
Lyra took a step back. “Are you like it?”
“That asshole?! Hell no! I’m one of a kind, baby.” Habit tipped his fedora. “You can trust me.”
“I’m not going to.”
“Damn, you’re smart!” the man laughed, his voice gravely and deep. “Welp, get in the car,” he went to the driver’s side. Lyra hesitated and the man growled, “ NOW .”
She jumped at the distortion. Yep, this guy definitely wasn’t human. She didn’t have much of a choice though. Lyra got in the car and put on her seatbelt and tried to quell the dread building in her chest. “Can you drive?” she asked.
“Kinda!” Habit laughed, speeding out of the parking lot and down the road.
Lyra steeled her nerves and clenched her fist, the other grabbed her necklace. She shakeningly whispered, “Don’t worry Tobes, I’m coming for you.”