My Imaginary Friend

Bygones

Moonchild
Bzzrt. Bzz. Bzz. Bzzrt. Bzzzzz.

Eugene lay on his side, staring blankly at a fly repeatedly banging itself into his white, enclosed room's wide window. The fly, like Eugene, was delving into insanity, repeating the same thing over and over again, expecting a different result. The fly, like Eugene, was trapped, but unlike the fly, Eugene had stopped trying and began thinking of a new way out; so perhaps...he was truly on the mend.

So much for a large, open window if all you could see was a plastic recreation of the actual world in Barbie's dream house. Fake grass, plastic seats, rubber trees, and paper flowers. The way things were around here, it felt like they never wanted you to leave, no, they were going to suck you dry like cow teets until you finally had enough and blew your brains out. But Eugene was stronger than that, he had a life he left behind that he would be reunited with. Shadelight had his bright ideas, yeah, but look where those got them. Eugene was starting to comprehend something he should have realized a long time ago: if he wanted to return home, he needed to get rid of the one true obstacle in his way...

"Good morning, Mr. Fowler. Do you think you can get up and get your medication from the day room, today? I think it'd do you good to see some friendly faces." Emerged a voice that overrode the monotonous droning of the fly's buzz. It was nurse Beckham. Friendly faces? Is that what you call these scowling jackals of people? Eugene had some sort of self-awareness, enough to keep that arrogance he used to have of thinking he is better than everyone else shining through. He didn't think he was crazy, which was his first mistake, because no one who is crazy believes they are crazy.

Eugene used to never be allowed in the day room, Shadelight wouldn't let him, he'd find a way to make Eugene do something horrendous and they'd be locked into solitary confinement for a while. Even Shadelight had his limits and would lay off enough to get Eugene in better spirits and better behavior so that they weren't couped up together for so long. He'd get bored. And the cycle would continue. But Shadelight's techniques weren't working any longer; Eugene had become numb to them, even distracted; Eugene didn't think it was possible, but he was having his own thoughts once more.

Out of spite, he says, "Yes." Shadelight was quiet, maybe he wasn't awake yet, but even so, it wouldn't take long for him to make his appearance.

"Glad to hear it," Nurse Beckham smiles and ushers him out of his room. "I really think you're starting to make great progress, Mr. Fowler."

"You know what...I do too." Eugene remarks as he follows close behind, a cocky grin on his face.

He accepted the medication and downed the two mystery tablets from the small paper cup right away, something Shadelight would have protested to, but still...not a word from him this morning. He then took a seat in the dayroom's center, next to the artificial fireplace. Everyone stopped moving as they peered at this strange sight, as though deciding how to proceed in the presence of an unpredictable wild animal. Eugene never came out of his room. He lingered in this manner amid the other patients for a while, it was something Shadelight had taught him: to savor the smell of fear.

"Nurse," Boomed his voice suddenly, and he was surprised it was his own. "I'd like to make a call."

One of the nurses looked around, puzzled themselves when they realized that it was him, and hesitated for a second before responding. "Sure, but keep in mind that this is your only call allowance for the day, so make the most of it."

'Only call allowance for the day'...is this a hospital or a prison? I can't tell anymore.

"Yes, yes," He grumbled, strolling over to the array of phones mounted in the wall.

Old collect call phones mounted to the wall, asking for permission to do anything, allowance—yup, this is prison alright.

He dialed a number. It rang for a few seconds and picked up. "Ma'? It's me. I just wanted to let you know that...I'm coming home."
 
Shadelight awoke drowsily, arousing from deep in Eugene's mind. He had been resting for a while, but he had heard faintly what had happened moments before. He knew a small bit who the person Eugene called Ma. Shadelight knew that the man had trusted her, but that was about it.

"Hmm..?" Shadelight groaned lazily, or at least sounding the part. "Yes, go home.. It's better than this hellhole.."
 
There was an itch in the back of his head, an incessant itch deep in his membranes that let him know that he wasn't alone in his mind anymore. Eugene shook it off and ignored Shadelight, trying hard to focus on the excited words of his mother through the phone.

"I know they were saying you were making some steady progress as of late, but by God, I didn't know it would have been this quick! Oh, my boy, my sweet boy is back to normal..." Her words were rapid and frenzied at first, but as it began to sound as if she was on the verge of tears, they became softer and more somber. "I haven't heard anything from Doctor Calhoun, that's why I am so surprised, I didn't think I'd hear it straight from you. Is he going to give me a call?"

Eugene was silent for a long while, staring blankly at his feet, he was waiting for Shadelights two cents on the matter. "Eugene?" His mother's voice on the phone had become distant, and a ringing in his ears had taken precedence over any other noise. He hung up the phone.

"Shit. Now we really gotta' get out of here." Eugene realized he said the "w" word and scolded himself—"we"—there could no longer be a "we", there was only room for "I".
 
As Eugene spoke to 'Ma', Shadelight mock-snored, teasing him all the while. "Oh, gods.. why do you talk to this sobbing bitch?" He growled, already annoyed, "And to think, she's related to you! That's probably why you landed us in here!"

To be honest, Shadelight's opinion of Eugene was indifferent verging on pity. He couldn't do the wonderful things that Shadelight could do, he definitely wasn't as intelligent as him, nor did he have the sheer and absolute charisma that Shadelight had. After all, Eugene needed him.

"You shall turn off the lights, my friend, and I shall do the rest, do you concur?" Shadelight asked as soon as Eugene got off the phone, still bitter after listening through that seemingly pointless conversation.
 
Eugene grits his teeth, but refrains from any more of a reaction. He would not let it be like any of his other outbursts, he had been good for so long... he wasn't going to let this be what let the house of cards fall. He peers around him, the paranoia setting in. A few were looking his way but quickly averted their gazes when they were met with his, they were all afraid of him, no, not him, but Shadelight. He storms off to his room.

"You're on your way out, you. You're on your last fuck—" Eugene growls under his breath but quickly swallows his words when he sees a nurse approaching. He flashes them a charming, phony grin and nods hello. He was crumbling, slowly but surely, he was crumbling.

He bursts into his room's small, dimly lit washroom and grips the white porcelain of the sink with such force that it shakes beneath him. His face is gaunt and his eyes are engulfed in a swirl of black circles as he stares in the mirror before him. "You will do nothing. You are nothing. You are not real." Eugene jabs a shaky finger at his reflection, his tone low, as to not be heard, but still menacing.
 
“I am very real, Eugene..” Shadelight’s voice wasn’t in Eugene’s mind anymore, it was coming from right next to him, and he could see Shadelight leaning on the sink, but only from the mirror, if the man would turn to look at him, he would see nothing. “You just do not believe in me and what I can do. You can either turn off the lights and get the hell out of here, or you and I can forever live in this place of insanity, it’s your choice.”

Shadelight was sick of the petty crimes Eugene had been committing here, or at least what he thought was petty. Petty could be stabbing a nurse or stealing from a fellow ‘patient’, he didn’t care, he just wanted out. He sensed Eugene trying to resist him, but Shadelight wasn’t ready to be just imaginary quite yet, he still wanted to savor the pain and chaos for now.
 
He had only looked away from his reflection for a moment when he looked back, Shadelight had appeared beside him. Shadelight was in the mirror when he peered to his side, which revealed nothing. He lunged and punched the glass, shattering it and slicing open his knuckles to which began to bleed. "Come out and face me like a man!" He spat, his adrenaline numbing the pain. As the punch drained what little he had left in him, he heaved, breathing laboriously.

There was noise coming from down the hall, most likely someone coming to investigate the commotion. "Shit." He whispered as he watched blood from his knuckles drip onto the tiled floor. "Shit! Shit! Shit!" He grabbed for hair that wasn't there and began to look around frantically. If they were to see this mess that he was in, all the progress they had thought he had made would be refuted. It was time to go. Then he saw it. A vent. On the ceiling. Was he stupid to think it could work? He didn't care. He stands atop the toilet to reach for it and tugs to pry it open, to no effect. He tugs and tugs, footsteps getting closer. Finally, he rips it from its hinges and the vent along with bouts of drywall comes loose and he falls to the floor.

"Mr. Fowler? Is everything alright in there? I'm coming in." A voice comes from the door and he scrambles up on his feet and climbs onto the toilet again and hoists himself into the square hole. If he was any wider, he would not have fit.
 
“Dumbass…” Shadelight muttered in the back of Eugene’s mind, “You think punching the mirror would do any good? You got yourself hurt, and now I have to clean up your mess..”

Right before anyone could come in, Shadelight manipulated the shadows from the room to block the door, absorb the blood, and sweep the broken glass into a trash can in under five seconds.

“Consider that returning the favor.” Shadelight hissed, he normally would have let Eugene suffer the consequences for his actions, but Shadelight wanted to stay relevant to Eugene for now until something else came up.
 
Eugene wasn't expecting any help from his nightmarish side-kick, he honestly thought Shadelight was enjoying the torture they were enduring in this purgatory of a facility and would make escaping as difficult as possible. Well, the day had just begun so whether this was true or not was unforeseen just yet. Shadelight would surely disrupt things along the way.

"Oh, there are no more favors between you and me..."Squeezing into the dark, cramped, and stuffy space in the ceiling, he sighs, "In fact, there is nothing between you and me." There was pounding heard from the door and muffled voices, sooner or later they would find he is missing and lock down the whole facility; his time for escape was limited. He couldn't see much since it was so dark, but even if there was a shred of light, he wouldn't be able to see anything because he had to crawl with his head down. He hoped that eventually, he would make it to another vent and drop into another room from there. "If you want to get out of here without me destroying the both of us in the process, I suggest you help us get the hell out of here."
 
"Oh?" Shadelight taunted, "So.. whenever I ask you to do something.. you don't really have to and I can piss off, but when you need something from me, I'm supposed to jump to your orders? No matter, this'll be fun anyway.."

Suddenly, a shadowy figure manifested in front of Eugene. Shadelight quickly traversed through the darkness of the vent with ease. He broke the lights in the common room, further bolstering his abyssal abilities. The darkness of the room bent to Shadelight's will, forming blades and tendrils that slaughtered without mercy. Blood and corpses covered the floor and stained carpets a wicked shade of crimson.

As soon as everyone in the room was dead, Shadelight picked the lock to the staff room, killing everyone there as well, he would keep the doors open for Eugene, showing him the path to freedom.

When the deed was done, Shadelight returned to Eugene, entering his mind once again. "The path is clear, don't mind the mess.."
 
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Before Eugene could make any more snide remarks towards Shadelight, his body begins to convulse and his eyes roll into the back of his head...he was taking over. There was a brief moment of darkness, silence, peace... just utter nothingness...then, like a lighting bolt rushing through his body, he is alive once more. Eugene slinks out of the vent and flops onto the floor of the chaos-inflicted room like a ragdoll. He was dizzy, disoriented, and weak; this always happened when Shadelight took over, but never like this before. He leans his back onto the nearest wall, his legs displayed out in front of him as he sits on the cold, crimson-stained floor. Everything was blurry so he couldn't make out many details, but he knew what Shadelight had done. And he wasn't quite sure if Shadelight was ever capable of this, but it was something that lingered in the back of his mind.

"What..." He pants, "the fuck...did you just do?"
 
“I simply did as I was asked..” Shadelight said smartly. “Is that not what you asked me to do?”

This was the first time Shadelight has even tried to take over, and his attempt was successful, but he felt drained and somewhat drowsy. Shadelight decided he was going to rest for now, besides, he had set Eugene up for brilliance, what could possibly go wrong?
 
After a few blinks, his vision clears; it was dark, but shards of window light shined over motionless bodies coated in blood. His heart jumps into his throat.

"No..." He chokes out, then cries, almost shrilly, "NO!" head in his palms. After a few moments of whimpering, he thrusts himself up onto his feet, though staggers as a headrush come on because he was so weak. He looked away from the corpses. "The line...you have MORE than crossed it." Eugene's voice is shaky albeit stern. "We...YOU...don't..don't do this.." He is almost hyperventilating and stops for a moment. "They're going to think this was me! Me! I won't be just a schizo-psycho now, but a violent murderer."

Eugene suddenly breaks out into a sprint, not looking back. He follows the path that Shadowlight had made for him, the halls of the facility dark and ominous now. He was running from Shadelight; a weak, useless, pass of judgement, as Shadelight could not be ran from. He was a part of him. They were a part of each other. Through a sick, twisted fate, they were nonetheless bonded. "Stay. Away. From. Me!" Eugene cries, and his pitiful voice reverberates throughout the corridors. He runs and runs, stumbling over bodies and busted through doors orchestrated by Shadelight, but finally stops as he is met with the outside, the world. The sun beats down on him, scorching his eyes and making his skin appear sickly pale. He was finally free.
 
Shadelight laughed at Eugene. "You honestly think you'll get in trouble for this? There's no way a normal human being such as yourself could single-handedly kill that many people in the time frame that I did, no one will believe anyone that says it! Plus, I'm getting you out, aren't I?"

As soon as Eugene spoke, Shadelight's tone grew sour. "We're bonded, Eugene, you can't get away from me no matter how hard you try, I'll always be with you whether you like it or not!" He growled, annoyed at Eugene for not accepting his aid. "You do not understand that I feel the same way, you-" He cut himself off when sunlight flooded their vision. "Dammit, Eugene! Why the Hell do you always have to look at every single light?! Do you have any idea how annoying that is?"
 
"WELL... let's just think about this, okay? A whole mental hospital is torn to shreds and the only one to survive is an unpredictable schizo freak still at large? That doesn't look too good." Eugene could hear Shadelight's voice ringing through his thoughts no matter where he ran, even if it were to the ends of the earth.

The light stunned him. But his eyes soon adjusted and he was now able to make out his surroundings. It was the hospital's front entrance, with a long, winding paved driveway in front of him, lined with tall, pink dogwood trees and well-kept garden beds. Why weren't the patients allowed to be amidst this? Why were they constrained to plastic venues and artificial life? Oh well, Eugene didn't have to worry about these things any longer; he was free. His eyes darted around the landscape, not a soul was in sight. Did Shadelight really get rid of everyone?

Eugene enjoyed Shadelight's annoyance a bit too much, he was definitely going to use this to his advantage. "Oh good, this will keep you contained for a while then, you sick little vampire." He chortled. Finally taking a step, he realized he wasn't even wearing shoes as the pavement's bitter cold seeped through the thin fabric of his hospital socks. He was still in his pajamas. "I can't go out looking like this..." For the first time in a very long time, Eugene felt self concious. He turned back, scanning the bodies... he was going to trade wardrobes with somebody here.

"Sorry Dr. Calhoun..." Eugene stripped from his clothes and shamelessly stripped Dr. Calhouns out of his, adjusting the Doctors spiffy, fited suit onto his own gangly body. "Just for the record...we all knew you were sleeping with the nurses." And then he was off. "A car...we're going to need a car."
 
Shadelight chuckled at Eugene’s vampire comment. “I am no vampire. I am the spawn of the Abyss, an endless void beyond time. Kind of like your brain.” He laughed at his own wit.

While he was busy slaughtering every single person in the institution, Shadelight nabbed four sets of keys off the bodies, all for different cars, one of them being a black Camaro with almost-illegally tinted windows. Eugene could feel the keys getting heavier in his pockets. “I think I’ve got this covered..” He said, then started a mock conversation with himself between himself and a crude impersonation of Eugene. “Why, thanks Shadelight! I always knew you would always do the right thing!” He then switched to his own voice. “No problem, Eugene, I knew you’d never have done it without me..”
 
Comparing Eugene's brain to an endless abyss felt fitting to him, which was discomforting but he couldn't even remember what his normal brain was like...before Shadelight. Was it any different? He couldn't remember.

Eugene's face flushed and he stamped his foot. "Ugh, how do you do that? Stop! First, you control me then you impersonate me?" He shook his head. "Please.. let me be the least bit of my own man..."

Eugene perked up when he heard the keys rattle. "Hey, I'm driving, give me those. Knowing you, we'll be running over people left and right and I've seen enough bodies today." He held his hand out expectingly. He couldn't recall the last time he touched a steering wheel, let alone drove anywhere, at any time! He here he was, squandering his youth, talking to himself.
 
Shadelight laughed at Eugene. “I’m everywhere yet nowhere! Your mind is my home, and there’s nothing you can do about it! I know what you think about, I know which nurses you swoon over, and I know how much you despise me.”

Suddenly, Shadelight appeared in the rear view mirror, he was sitting in the backseat. “You’re never going to get us out of here alive, Eugene. Anyone knows a nutcase like you can’t drive for shit. Allow me to assist you. I will just talk you through it.” He lied through his teeth, as soon as Eugene might give him the least bit of control, he would take over.
 
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