Chapter Text
Bells of supposed victory echoed throughout the building as the clock struck 6am. William had gotten used to the sound, and it only filled him with even more dread. He had learned fast that just because he was able to beat Cassidy's came, didn't mean he would be able to escape this hell.
After the bells turned to deafening silence, the power suddenly shut off. The vents and doors opened, revealing the pitch black darkness that waited outside.
A moment passed. Then another, and another, and another. William was expecting someone, anyone to arrive to punish him any moment now...
... but nobody came.
William stood up from his desk, cautiously approaching one of the doors. Slowly reaching out of the door, he squeezed his eyes shut and clenched his teeth, expecting a punishment for daring to escape the confines of his purgatory.
… but nothing happened. After a moment, William's body relaxed, and he let out a breath that he didn't even know he was holding. He examined the darkness, and after taking a deep breath, took a step forward… then another, followed by another, until he had exited the office entirely.
He laughed humorlessly, baffled at his own ability to leave. Mentally cursing himself for not trying sooner, he continued to march forward.
-
The office that William was supposed to be working in had been drained of all its power... and the killer was nowhere to be found within.
Enraged, Cassidy followed William out of the office doors, looking around desperately for her killer when the walls finally faded into total darkness. Footsteps echoed around her in every direction.
William looked down upon Cassidy with indifference and an ounce of annoyance. "I beat your game." He stated flatly, before turning his back to her once again.
The other souls worked together to hold Cassidy back as she screamed in anger, flailing and attempting to attack the one who had taken her life.
As William walked through what seemed to be an endless void for what felt like an eternity, a fish-hook suddenly descended from the shadows, piercing straight through the killer's hand.
William cried out in pain and surprise, only for the hook to reel him upwards, pulling on his flesh as it took him with it. The shadows gradually turned from black to red, and it slow but surely got harder and harder to breathe, until-
William gasped for air as he broke the surface of what appeared to be a lake; except its water was a bright red. Entering a coughing fit, William weakly pulled himself onto the shore. Scanning his surroundings, he narrowed his eyes in a grimace- everything was so terribly bright, and even the trees were a glowing red, a hard contrast to the black ground below his feet.
William's eyes widened when his gaze fell upon a figure- a man, glowing bright red like everything else. He was sitting near the shore of the lake, a fishing pole descending into the portal.
No matter how he pushed, pulled, or otherwise tried to move the trees, they just wouldn't budge. It was as if there was some sort of barrier preventing him from traversing any further.
William huffed, crossing his arms and sitting at the edge of the lake in defeat, tapping his foot as he thought intensely. That's when the other man spoke-
William jolted in surprise, not having expected to hear another voice- let alone coming from the creepy silhouette. William stared at it, unsure of what to do or say.
The silhouette patted the void-like ground beside it; a silent invitation to William. After a moment of contemplation, William swallowed hard, before begrudgingly sitting down next to the strange thing.
An awkward moment of silence passed, filled with tension so thick it could be cut with a knife. The silhouette was the first to shatter the fragile quiet,
“Nice day for fishing, eh?” It chuckled
William scoffed, shaking his head, “Quit the bullshit, I don't care for formalities at the moment. We both know why I'm here. I know you have something to say other than that.” William spat,
The silhouette hummed, slowly and gently swaying side to side, “Do you really think you can escape? You've been trying for years, haven't you?? When are you going to give up and accept your fate? Or are you too stubborn to consider that at all?? Hmm, so many questions, yet so little answers…” It rambled with not a single stutter.
William averted his eyes, teeth clenched as he muttered with venom dripping from his voice, “Ugh, as if I haven't heard this lecture a million times. If you're so wise, then why don't you tell me something that I don't know, hm?” He dared sarcastically,
The silhouette responded with a voice as calm as the lake's surface, “I have nothing to tell you that you don't already know. You simply must accept what you currently deny.”
William turned to look at the silhouette, if only to glare daggers at it.
Suddenly, the silhouettes hook was tugged underwater, “Uh-oh, looks like something's coming.” It announced, laughter brimming from its words.
“AFTON!!” An all-too-familiar, rage filled voice echoed from below the surface of the lake. William's eyes widened, and he shot up onto his feet, stepping back from the red water. “What the-!?”
The silhouette chuckled, “I'll be seeing you, Mr. Afton… sometime in the future, I'm sure.”
Hands shot out of the water, searching mercilessly for their victim. William gasped as he stumbled backwards in a fruitless attempt to flee, his arms flailing wildly as he tried to keep his balance, before losing the battle and falling back into the lake, the silhouettes voice disappearing into the void.
When he opened his eyes, pitch black darkness engulfed him once again. He growled, clenching his teeth in frustration, his hands curling into tight fists.
He was back in the office that he called hell, the clock having rewinded back to midnight. It was time for another round, and William was anything but prepared.