Chapter 1:
Buried Alive
… Alive… Buried Alive… Buried Alive… Hey… Wake up… Wake. Up.
He opens his eyes suddenly and nervously, shooting up out of his seat. Brian Zewbowski sweats and breathes heavily. He’s in his own home, having fallen asleep after a long day. It had to be a nightmare, as he so often gets of late.
Brian Z: G-gah. G-god… dammit...
He shifts in his seat, getting up and stumbling his way to the bathroom. He turns on the light, which flickers for a few seconds before staying. Brian stands over the sink, his hands firmly planted into it, as he stares at himself in the mirror, noticing all the imperfections, scars, and his pale blue eyes looking back at him. This is a man who has become worn from his own experiences with life.
Brian Z: It had to be a nightmare… He can’t…
???: He can’t what?
A voice shoots out on the room. A familiar voice in Brian’s life, he stares into the mirror in horror as his reflection stares back, with a wicked grin. The pale blue eyes of Brian have shifted into the demonic brown, marking the arrival of Brian’s life-mate: Humanity.
Brian Z: God-dammit! Why can’t you just leave me be? I thought I had finally gotten rid of you-
Humanity: Pah! A pity you’d think that, Brian my old friend. You thought you got rid of me? Of course not; oh how you tried though. I’ll give you that, you had me buried alive inside your mind for a while.
Brian scrambles, turning the mirror to reveal his medicine cabinet, quickly grabbing his anti-psychotics and swallowing a few pills. He gasps and coughs, taking a glass of water next to him and filling it. Brian takes a few swigs of water and a few deep breaths. He pauses and reluctantly turns back the mirror.
Humanity: You good now? Took your little medicine?
Brian Z: Fuck you… Just go away…
Humanity: Awww, but I wanted to play a little longer. Fine, Brian. Be a real pussy and don’t listen to what I have to say.
Brian Z: You’re gonna say it anyways, just say it, man…
Humanity: Good lad. I see you’ve come outta retirement. New little fed, new ways to hurt your body. I want back in.
Brian Z: Absolutely not. I refuse to let you take control. You aren’t gonna hurt me or anyone else anymore.
The man in the mirror pauses and cups his chin in his hand, with a little smirk.
Humanity: Well, about that. I’ve let you think you had control. But I’m bored, Brian. I want to have fun with you and so many others again. So you know what? When you least expect it, I’ll be back. Not much you can do about it either. Those anti-psychotics won’t work forever against me. Oh how you’ll try and try, but I always get my way in the end.
With grit teeth and an angry roar, Brian rears back his fist and smashed it right through the mirror. Glass shards and blood splatter everywhere, and Brian breathes heavily with sweat pouring down his face. Another mirror broken out of anger and frustration, and hate…
Brian Z: Why can’t I be alone...
Brian looks at his battered hand, with glass and blood covered all over it, he goes to clean it up. He wants that monster in his head gone forever… could there be a way?