Psycho Pt. 2

A stabbing pain crossed through his abdomen and he coughed, mucus dripping out of his mouth gruesomely. He felt his intestines contract, a feeling he didn't know existed. His hair now dripped with the sheen of sweat. He looked at his horrendous self in the mirror.

'What's happening?' He felt the urge to yell but he just covered his mouth and shook his head. 'This pain will go away. It will, it will.' He rummaged in his pocket for a syringe.

'Maybe if I go into the game for a few minutes, the voice will go.' He found the syringe and ripped off the covering.

(You don't want to do that.)

Alex resisted. He held the tip at a distance, ready to inject it into his bloodstream.

But his hands didn't move. He tried to move it, but it was stuck in the air. Before he knew it. His body was again moving on its own and his hand swatted to the side, throwing away the syringe. It collided with the tiled walls and dropped to the floor.

The pain increased exponentially after that, like a punishment for even trying to resist.

(We can go on forever.)

Alex bared his teeth and he gripped the side of the sink. He felt his heart beat slow down, and a shock of fear ran through him at the thought of his heart stopping. His vision went blurry and his legs gave way.

With a dull thud, he hit the floor. But the voice or soul inside his head still left him with enough energy to speak. Alex bit his lip. 'Am I really to die in this washroom to keep Percy and Tiara safe?' He closed his eyes and accepted that. 'No one's going to infiltrate the Project, not on my watch.' He has just installed the chip inside them both, the possibilities for their research had only expanded.

But he didn't die. And the pain didn't stop. "Try all you want, I can take it. Just leave when you're done!"

(A strong one, aren't you?)

Alex found it in him to laugh. "I don't know who you are, but I know you're trying to sabotage the research. That's not going to happen. Kill me if you want."

Silence filled his head and Alex tried to move, but his legs felt weak and his stomach practically non-existent by now. Even his pain receptors failed. But his vision was still somewhat black. 'It's not gone. But why isn't it speaking?'

(I am here.)

Alex laughed again, "Not sure what to do now, huh?"

(Far from that. I'll let you go for now. But once I do, you'll have to step out of the house and go to the back of this building.)

Alex narrowed his eyes. For some reason, this 'retreat' of the voice was more concerning from the torture itself. Suddenly, he could breathe. He gasped as the pain just disappeared and his stomach exploded with relief. He bent over and vomited whatever had built up inside, but after that was done, a refreshing coolness rushed over him, like stepping into an air conditioned room after a whole day in the sun.

"Okay."

He took an extra five minutes in the washroom, trying to look like how he had when he got inside the washroom. He tried to pat his hair down, but it ended up really messy. Then the voice's ominous feeling overtook him again and he found his hands moving on his own and turned back to pick up a comb he hadn't seen there before. His eyes went round in surprise as his hands combed his hair down neatly and placed the comb back on the rack.

He coughed, feeling awkward.

He stepped out of the door and found Percy and Tiara looking up at him the moment he did. Alex ignored them and gave them a small wave before stepping out of the flat. He walked to the back of the building just like the voice instructed him to. "Are you going to torture me here again?"

(No.)

Alex sighed and turned the corner to see the three big dumpsters where the building's trash falls down into. There were two smaller second-hand cars parked on the other side of the small alley behind the building. But most importantly, it was really dark, and smelly.

He pinched his nose and tensed as he heard footsteps from behind the dumpster.

"Who's there?" His hopes rose. Was it the owner of the voice?

A petite lady stepped out. Her face was covered in a black mask and she wore a tight black bodysuit with high black boots. Or maybe everything just looked black because it was night time. Another smaller girl-- no, woman-- got dragged out by the lady in black.

Alex furrowed his eyebrows and stepped forward.

"Don't move!" The lady said, brandishing a pistol with the other hand.

Alex gulped and stopped. The lady pushed the small woman one step forward and some light was shed on her face. Alex made an incoherent sound of surprise and fear when he recognised her.

"Mom…" His heart started racing with fear. What is happening?

(Do you like your present?)

"Mom, how did you get out?"

The woman was silent. She pulled at the sides of her prison uniform and looked down at her feet.

(She isn't in the state to speak. But she will be after a good night's sleep.)

Alex shook his head in disbelief. He couldn't step forward and his mother wasn't coming any closer to him either. "You got her out?"

(You're welcome.)

Alex couldn't believe it. She had been incarcerated, so how? He wondered why this voice was suddenly trying to help him. Did it take a liking towards him? Or was this all an elaborate trap? He remembered how it helped him comb his hair too. "Than...thank y-"

(Ah, ah, ah, Alex. Shh. Take a good look at your mom.)

Alex did, he had been doing exactly that all along. He glanced at the lady behind her, her gun was lowered now, but she was on her toes. If that wasn't the owner of the voice, then who was?

(You want to take her home, yeah?)

Alex nodded.

(Then comply with my previous request.)

Alex knew it. He wasn't even surprised. He clenched his fist. "No."

He caught the lady sway, and with one blink of his eye, she was in front and her pistol, on his mother's temple. His mother stood there like a doll, seemingly unaffected.

'No,' Alex realised, 'The voice might be controlling her too. And the lady in black.'

"Don't stoop so low," he said out loud to the voice.

(It's too late for that now, Alex. Make your decision. Comply, or she dies.)

Alex breathed out, trying to think. But no other option seemed to be visible in his eyes right now. Dread filled inside him. He thought he had everything under control, but now he realised that was exactly what this voice wanted him to think. In truth, it was the one who had everything under control.

'Let my mom die for a cause I swore to?'

(Alex. I see the police patrolling outside. If they see a prison jumper, you'll be in big trouble, especially if you're her sweet little son. Could have broken her out yourself.)

"You think I care about being in trouble?"

(Ah, no. I'll just tell my friend here to shoot her then.)

The gun pressed against her head and Alex decided to accept this too. It will be written down in his list of regrets in life. But some sense inside him acted up and he yelled, "Wait!"

Silence. The sound of police sirens also started to near their area. Alex didn't know what he was doing, but he knew that he was in control of his actions right now, not the voice.

"I'll do it. I'll figure out a way to stay."

The lady dropped her gun immediately and pulled the woman back. Alex looked up in concern. "Where are you taking her?" The lady didn't answer and disappeared back into the shadows. Alex ran forward to catch her but she had blended in with the dark.

(Don't worry, she will be taken to a safe place.)

"Where?" Alex asked, now clearly angry. But he also felt relieved that his mother was alive.

(The prison.)

Alex grunted and hit the wall in frustration. "You're sick." Alex released his fist from the wall, and his voice started to shake in anger. "Who are you?"

The voice sounded in his head for the last time that day.

(A lot of people know me by the title 'The Last Magnate')