Chapter Text
Mari sat alone on her stage. Here there was only the magnificent piano, and a shining spotlight against the black void around her. Always expecting her to be perfect. Well, she'd done this before, she can do it again. She’d play to her heart’s content, not a single mistake of course. Mari began playing a tune, the one she and Sunny were going to play at the Recital. It was decently challenging, but all of those practise sessions with Sunny had paid off, she could probably play it with her eyes closed by now. As the song reached it's finale, Mari grew more confident. Everything was right in the world. And on the final note…
A dissonant thunk rang from the keys and into the void around her, giving way to a chorus of mutterings. She messed up. Instead of the gentle climax that was intended, all she could hear was the sour note, driving itself straight through her skull. She messed up. It was all going so perfect and she messed it up. Their whispers rang through the black stage, now a dark void threatening to swallow her, the spotlight her protection and ridicule alike. The whispers felt like the ravenous laughter of hyenas, clawing at her mind. Mari could feel those eyes judging her, ridiculing her for not being perfect.
One unblinking eye came into clear view, however. It belonged to a large, four-legged creature, but that was all Mari could see. It was Something . The Something that smashed her Piano, the Something that nearly ate her and her cat. The creature stepped closer, each step sounding worse than her messed up piano playing, but Mari couldn't move. She wanted to run, to scream, to beg for help. But she was expected to be here, even if she’d already ruined everything she wasn’t allowed to leave. With one more step, something stepped into the spotlight with her, they were alone together. It was a tall, spindly creature, soaked in blood with black messy hair.
It was a freak of nature. It was an abomination. It was Something .
"MaRi…" Something cried in pain. "wHy DiD yOu LeT tHiS hApPeN tO mE?"
"I-I didn't-" Mari couldn't move. She could only watch as the grotusque beast of her creation shambled towards her. "YoU fAiLeD. yOu CoUlD hAvE sAvEd SuNnY!" Something now loomed over Mari, judging her for her past and future actions. "yOu'Re UsElEsS! a WaStE oF SpAcE!" Something raised it's long, thin arms, ready to give her the punishment she deserved. "yOu ShOuLd JuSt DiE!!!"
Something brought its fists down, smashing Mari's piano into splinters as the crowd of eyes cheered. She could only watch as all her accomplishments came apart. "N-No! Help!" Mari screamed and begged, but no one came. Not even her friends considered her worth it to help. Something picked Mari up by her throat, raising her into the air for all to ridicule.
"N-No, p-please…" Mari gagged. She was coughing up blood, her tender throat being crushed under Something 's long claws
"I hAtE yOu!!!" Something slammed Mari into the piano with all its strength, and she could feel her bones snapping, her skin tearing, her blood leaving her body. But the sweet embrace of death wouldn't take her. She felt everything. For a while she was left to lay there, feeling the rightful pain and completely unable to move.
Mari could only watch as Something lifted her once again, it's gaping maw closing around her skull.
Mari woke up with a cough, quietly gasping for air. She turned to see Hero laid asleep next to her, in their shared tent. Basil had offered to take them Camping to a "Special Hideout". It was a large lake just behind Faraway Park, with a large tree next to it. It would be perfect for a Treehouse and something else , Mari thought.
Mari could feel Something breathing down her neck. It was always stalking her, just out of view. It felt like it was inside her skull, gnawing away at her brain until there was nothing left. Always judging her. She couldn’t mess up ever or else it’d take a big bite out of what was left of her sanity. Mari couldn't take it.
She stared at her hands as she thought back, It all started that night. The night Something happened.
Mari had been woken up by scuffling outside her door and looked around, she realised Sunny had disappeared. Mari thought he had gone downstairs to get something to eat. He usually woke up late at night, and bizarrely enough had started eating lots of Raw Steak. It couldn't have been good for him, but when she asked he seemed fine, and their parents refused to believe her little brother hadn’t cooked it first. Mari stepped outside and saw… blood? There was blood in front of her Room. This wasn't good, Sunny might be hurt! Mari made her way down the stairs holding the railing tightly, careful of her bad knee. Falling down these stairs would hurt.
She stepped into the Main Room, and saw a tall shadow slinking, almost looking like it’s limping into the Piano room, the trail of blood coming from that Creature. Mari wanted to run, it looked dangerous… but Sunny was still missing, so she silently peered into the Piano Room. The Creature was bent over her Piano, staring down at it. It appeared to be a large, unhealthily thin, Deer-like monster, with visibly bloody Antlers sprouting from it's messy black hair. Wait… messy black hair? The creature raised it's misshaped fists, large hands with claw-like nails, over its head and slammed them down a couple times, smashing her Piano into pieces. Mari could barely contain her gasp, but even that was enough to get the creature's attention. It slowly turned to face her, staring with deep empty eyes. It began to move towards her, blood dripping down the face from its head, and Mari recognised the creature's hair.
The Creature went to grab Mari, and she did the only thing she could think of. "S-Sunny?! I-Is that you?!" The creature stopped, and stared at Mari. It began making a slow cry of pain, before covering it's head and sobbing. The Creature began to shrink and compact, it's bones splintering then clicking into place as it took a new, smaller form. It was Sunny. He whimpered in pain and finally started speaking. "M-Mari… I-I'm sorry, i didn't know what i was doing and it hurts so much and i'm so so sorry-" Sunny began sobbing even more. "S-Sunny? What happened to you?!" Mari looked him over carefully, noticing the antlers remained on the young boy’s head, seemingly bursting from his skull. "I-I don't know… my head started hurting so I went d-downstairs to get some water and then I j-just…"
"Blacked out?" Mari said, still keeping her distance from Sunny, in case he blacked out and started attacking again. "Y-Yeah…" Sunny mumbled, still clutching his head and newfound Antlers in pain."I'm going to be honest, I have no idea what's going on. But we'll get through this, ok?" Mari reassured Sunny, taking a step closer. "Y-Yeah. Thanks." Mari placed her hand on his head, gently combing his hair while not touching the bloodied antlers.
Mari thought back to that day, the horrible beast her brother had become, that might’ve been her fault, and what had formed in her mind because of it. She got up out of her sleeping bag, extremely careful not to wake Hero, and looked at her Lover for one last time. She'd really miss him. Mari began the short walk back to her home, and went inside using a Spare Key her parents hid nearby. She walked to the Piano room, and grabbed something she'd been saving for this occasion. A Jump Rope.
Mari could barely even feel herself move as she carried the Jump Rope outside, as well as a small crate. She went to the Tree in their backyard, and placed the crate near it. Tying the Jump Rope into a noose. Something was nearby, waiting to strike. She wouldn't give it the chance. She attached the Jump Rope to the tree, and pulled it around her neck. A quick and relatively painless death. Her only option to escape the Beast, to escape Something. Mari stepped off of the crate and kicked it aside, welcoming her escape.
But she didn't get it. The Makeshift Noose scraped and burned her throat, and out of pure instinct she began frantically clawing at it, bloodying her fingers. Her body didn’t want to die- no, she didn’t want to die, not anymore. But the noose remained fastened, and as everything faded away, the last thing Mari ever saw was Something, her own little brother. It was Sunny.
Sunny rushed over and began clawing at the dangling corpse, trying to get Mari down from the tree. He was able to cut the Rope using his Claws, but it was too late. What laid in front of him wasn't his dear Big Sister Mari. It was a cold, dead body. Sunny could smell the fresh corpse, the raw meat giving off a smell telling him to eat. He didn't want to, but he was a weak willed kid and eventually he gave in, deciding to eat only a little piece. However, this was all it took to change him back into his Monstrous state, and his bones shifted once again as his mind went blank, only leaving a creature of the night behind.