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The scream that escapes my mouth awakens everyone in the Hotel and brings them to the foyer where I'd been set up for weeks.
My tireless fight for recovery was finally paying off and I was walking around my 'room' of sorts at last.
One foot dragging along the 'knuckle', my upper toe claws running along the wood as I moved. But still, I was walking, I was breathing, I was here!
That is until I passed a mirror.
Then I felt like I was back in the troughs of death once more!
With the loss of my right sides four eyes, I only JUST glimpse a bit of movement in the reflection and I panic, turning my head towards the source swiftly.
I regretted it instantly upon what my remaining four eyes caught looking back at me!
"Nissy? Nissy, what is it, what's wrong?" I hear Anthony call from the hallway leading to the foyer.
"Pentious? What's going on?"
I wilt.
"Nisssssy?"
My last four irises grow tiny as something stares back at me with all the deadly hatred I'd last seen before being skewered by the barb and thrown out the window!
"He moved? Nisssy?" Pentious panicked behind me on the couch we shared.
He'd been so damn tired, they all had!
I didn't want to wake them-
"Slow, slow!" Vaggie orders when the sounds of worried foot falls grow closer to where I stood frozen.
I shrink beneath the stare laid upon me then see Anthony come into focus just behind me.
"Tony…"
"Nissy, Nissy, your okay~"
He sounds worried but gentle. His upper right hand reaches for Pops shoulder. His stare soft, but laced with 'please understand' in all eight of his eyes.
"Pops.. He's… Tony.. He's in the Hotel, Tony!"
"Henrion?" Charlie whispers with a little gasp to her voice.
"My Dear, he's not in his right mind-" I think Alastor speaks next, I don't know anymore-
All I see is Pops in the Hotel!
Just as I feared he'd be if I stayed!
"Niss… Niss dats not Pops.." Tony assures, finally touching my shoulder.
That's when it hits me-
His hand wasn't touching the Monster looking back at me, but-
Me!
His hand touched me!
"Your okay, shhh~"
I begin to tremble, feeling ready to get sick!
If that wasn't Pops…
"Ton…y.. Pl..eas..e.."
"Easy, Nissy, eaaasy~" Tony whispers and reaches out to hold me.
I scream and slam myself bodily into the reflection of Pops/Me just so he doesn't touch this thing I'd become then look around like a caged animal, eyes huge, catching the faces staring back at me.
"Johnny!"
"Stay AWAY!!" I bare my fangs and despite the pain racking through my entire body, I swipe out and spit my way through.
"JOHNNY! JOHNNY IT'S NOT POPS!"
I ignore Anthony's cries and do my best to race out of the room.
Away from the many eyes who'd seen what I'd seen.
The eyes that only ever saw what they never told me they saw!
Kept hidden from me this whole time!
Henrion, Pops, not Johnny, not Arackniss!
That Monster! That unhinged Abuser!
Not Arackniss, not the man trying to get better! Not a man trying to make his own life!
But the Monster he was made to become!
"NISSSY NO!!" I hear but bolt away faster.
I'm thrown through the glass again and howl in absolute farel terror when I hit the ground outside.
I don't wait for Pops to see me nearly lifeless upon the ground where I lay! Instead, I drag myself to my feet, slip, then race on hands and foot, as fast and as far away from him as I could!
I feel warmth dampening my clothes and begin to sob.
I feel the agonizing pulse of pain that wracked my body prior! It gives me adrenaline to keep going!
And I don't let it go to waste!
I needed to get Pops..
I needed to get THIS away from those I loved!
I don't recall slipping a final time however, nor do I remember clawing at the ground beneath me, BEGGING myself to keep going, to CRAWL, to get away from my new Family, get Pops away from them all.
But I find that I have stopped moving and sob aloud on my side, bleeding, hurting, like I'd done the day he tried to kill me!
I couldn't get away from him, I couldn't get away from-
Me!
The perfect Soldier he'd made out of me, the one everyone saw when they looked upon me!
I'm not Arackniss, I'm not Johnny-
I'm just what my Pops used and destroyed then dumped on the streets when he was done!