#jacksepteyeegos

*a gift to @pumpkin-demon and @10th-no-name-person… if Sean finds this, not really sorry. Happy birthday, Anti!*

If it wasn’t for the candle light from Chase’s desk, he wouldn’t be afraid. He wouldn’t have to face this night alone with him. He knows he’s here, creeping around the corners, hiding behind shadows and paint. Chase is ready to face him in his nightmare. He was ready for whatever he has! If he’s going down, he’ll go down fighting like hell. 

He took a brave breath in before he took the candle and headed towards the red hall, now dark and covered in shadows, echoing in his laughter. He continued down the hall, feeling the fear creep on his back. Anti’s close. He has to be close! He wouldn’t be hiding in he back of his mind for nothing! Not without a reason, but, when he got to the end of the hall, to the closed room, he didn’t feel him around. He looked down at the cold, dead, black knob and shivered as he touched it. He’s beating his fine whiskey that Anti’s in this room. There’s no where else he’ll be!

He pushed open the door and found--nothing? 

“What?” He hissed to himself as he stepped in. “No, no! This has to be a joke!” The door behind him slammed shut, but he didn’t jump. He was only getting frustrated. “Show yourself, you coward!” Chase’s voice echoed, demanding the darkness to bend for him. “Stop doing this and face me!” 

His nose started to bleed when a playful laughter rung in the room. Through the blackness, his candlelight caught reflected back. Determination sparkled in his eyes as he moved forward towards the light to find a mirror. He was shocked first, but he saw himself. He looked tired and his bags were too deep. He smirked when he saw how bad at his beard gotten. He should get a trim--

A red hue glowed behind him as green eyes looked at him. 

Chase stiffened. “Where are my kids?” He asked boldly. “What did you do to them?” The green and blue eyes grew brighter as he grew closer. “Where are they!?” He shouted at the mirror. “I’m tired of your games! What did you do to my family!?”

“Oh, what did I do?” Anti tisk through static and rain. He couldn’t see him, but he could smell the sweet blood on his neck. “No, Chase... it’s what we’ve,” Anti’s reflection showed behind him, but he didn’t hold his knife to Chase’s throat. He only smiled at him, Chase watching it grow wider and wider. “Done.” 

Before he had the chance to ask, Anti brought up his hand and snapped. Light suddenly came on as the mirror disappeared. He felt his hand loosen on the candle stick, but his hands felt warm and sicken sticky, and he was no longer holding a candlestick. A silver knife took its place. Then he saw his shoes and felt his stomach it the floor. He was standing in blood, somebody else’s blood. There was a groan as his eyes dared to travel up, but nothing he could do to unsee the event in front of him. His kids, Stacy, Jack... everybody...

When he first saw Marvin’s magic pass him, Anti’s eyes followed the trail of white fire. Then his heart began to race. Beth and Elaine--what… how? He thought he told them to hide! To leave and not come back! He thought… he thought…

Anti turned heel and felt his wings open up, jumping over the light in mid-air, and landed in front of the girls. He wrapped his arms tightly around the girls and held them close. His wigs covered their little bodies and shielding them from magic. His back was exposed to the white magic, and he felt its burn. He felt there burn on his skin as his heart began to race, adrenaline finally kicked throughout his body. He tasted blood and ink in his mouth as he felt the light burn everything within his blood stream. He shut his eyes and wait for the magic to burn out, and once it did, he stayed like that until his arms drop, his wings dropping, his body falling to the side, hitting the ground in a limp weight, pain wrapping around his body.

Then hands.

Soft, kind, small hands touched his burnt wings. 

His vision was blurred, but he could see Elaine and Beth, both in tears, both confused. Anti tried to lift his hands to hold theirs, but he felt the adrenaline left his body on a dime. He felt his lower lip quiver as he heard their apologies came through sobs and breaths. He tried to speak but his cut under his neck and the blood… he couldn’t speak. Elaine saw his shaking hand trying to reach her, and she took it gently in both of her hands, Beth holding the other. He saw their smiles, their tears, and he could hear their voices. 

He looked up to the sky, his eyes clear and perfect again. The sky was turning purple and black  and clear as the sun started to set over him. 

It’s… It’s so beautiful, he thought to himself as pain burned throughout his being. I want to… He looked over at Elaine then Beth. But then there would be night over them, and he would have to go with the day, with the sun. But he saw their eyes and felt their tears. He didn’t--he didn’t want to…

    But the sun also rises, but a star has to fall. What part would he play?