"What do you mean? I feel fine!"

The Bog will be the death of you, if you let it reach your neck… Welcome back to #Bogtober.

And will you just ease my pain?

Will you just call me insane?

your body takes time to recover; actually, it might never be the same. but so is your mind, too. you were put back together with flesh and metal, alien to your body; and now, you question if it's still yours. you feel like an imposter in this strange vessel, a bizarre mix of man and machine. the only thing you retained is your mind - and even that part of you had to be put back together by your friends.

your body takes time to recover; you aren't sure if it's your body at all. staring at yourself in the mirror for hours certainly doesn't help.

///

you close your eyes for just a short moment, and visions of your past swarm into your head like bog insects. you couldn't understand what was going on back then; you were in a haze, your mind corrupted with the Bog, so grand and overwhelming. now, with a clearer head, you can see it.

you would put on different masks for different purposes all the time; that's what being a spy is, after all. but back then, it wasn't a simple act. you were gone without a trace, buried somewhere deep in your own infected mind. the only thing that saved you was your friend's everlasting hope. you won't admit it, but you're glad she reached out to you back then.

you open your eyes, and immediately you feel watched. the scar on your forehead seems to twitch, almost as if the third eye is ready to open again, sending you back to your mindless slumber - but you know you're just paranoid at this point. you won't admit that either, but you are scared of going back to madness; that's why you do your best to prevent the Bog from claiming you ever again. but sometimes, you still question yourself. is any of this real? or are your parasites still playing tricks on you, trying to make you feel like this is the good ending?

what if it was a good idea after all - going back and embracing the nightmare within? it would have only hurt the others if he stayed; and besides, he's so much happier now. and who wouldn't be happy, being so closely connected to the Bog?