Chapter 8: U/Untitled II.

  “A person's mind is like the edge of the universe, sometimes we do things that our hearts want, and our minds don't, our mind and hearts have dreams, hopes and fears, and sometimes when we wish for something to happen, like if you were treated badly as a child, those same experiences shape your persona and how you feel for others.”

  September 15th, 1988.

  A sense of dread filled the air.

  Link II walked around the empty void.

  Seeing nothing but darkness.

  Beginning to get desperate and run like his life depended on it.

  Feet thumping against nothing, yet sounding to him like thumping on floorboards.

  No sound heard besides his breath.

  Seeing all around him…

  Nothing.

  Absolute nothingness.

  Thereafter, he ran without looking back.

  Each thump against the silence floor felt like elephant steps to a wood floor.

  Heavy yet silent.

  Stopping once he saw a silhouette of a figure.

  As he walked closer, he found out who it was.

  Himself.

  Soon disappearing in the silence of him approaching.

  But getting closer, he noticed one more thing ahead.

  A mirror.

  A mirror with no reflection against it.

  Cautious as to what dangers it possibly possessed, he walked to it tensed.

  Ready to run at any moment.

  Link II kept getting closer.

  And closer.

  And closer.

  Like a heartbeat.

  The adrenaline of fear and danger elevated his actions.

  As he finally stepped directly in front of the mirror…

  Nothing happened.

  Nothing jumped or hurt him.

  All that happened in that moment was a boy confronting an empty mirror of his soul.

  He began to walk away, he glanced back one last time.

  Seeing his reflection, his tiny figure showing against the reflection.

  His hands and shoulders low in brooding.

  Eyes filled with child-like glee and pain, his expression showing stoicism.

  Yet his child-like innocence and trauma were hidden under the surface.

  He stared at it with curiosity, wondering if his figure was something real or illusionary.

  Just as a soul jumped at him through the mirror.

  Slamming into it, realizing it was stuck inside out.

  Banging intensely to be let go.

  The only sound in the void being its hard bangs against the glass that contained it.

  While Link II jumped back in fear.

  His body landing on the floor, horror filling his eyes.

  Realizing this didn't just have to deal with him, but somebody else.

  Running away instantly, the screams of the damned all echoing throughout the void.

  Their tone filled with anger.

  “WHY CAN'T YOU RELEASE US?! LET US FREE, DEMON SCUM!”

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

  Link II couldn’t take it anymore.

  The souls sounded too familiar to the screams of dying men and women.

  And then to add to the flames…

  He heard bottle clinking, breaking…

  Till he heard what sounded like death reach out towards him.

  A hand reaching from the mirror towards him.

  Whispering something seductive, sounding just like the eldritge being he heard when comforted by Willard.

  “Kiddo… it's okay, come to me… ill do everything you'll ever want… money, fame, a big booty bitch? All yours. whatchu say?~”

  Eventually falling to his knees and breaking down, yelling into nothingness.

  “I DON'T KNOW!”

  Snapping back into reality when closing his eyes.

  September 16th, 1988.

  The clock in his home read 7 PM.

  Link II woke up in sweat, tears, and confusion as to what just happened inside his mind.

  Wondering who and what those souls were in his mind and why they couldn't leave.

  Calming down by thinking of something positive.

  Which was only the gratefulness of him having lived.

  When he fully calmed down, he decided to try and troubleshoot as to what his dream was.

  And to understand why they kept looking at him like a savior.

  As Link II darted to the bookshelf for any mental health books and what this meant for him.

  Only finding nothing that fit his own pain.

  Yet as he desperately looked, he could tell one thing was sure.

  He did something to cause this weird occurrence, but Link II didn't know what caused this exact mistake for souls to beg at him like a savior.

  Quickly putting each book back on the shelf with Telekinesis.

  Thinking of a way to get back into the void.

  “Wait… what could I do to arrive back into that dark space?

  I… I slept and woke up there, maybe if I closed my eyes or covered myself with a pillow of sorts…

  It could bring me back into the dark space!”

  Glancing back at the CD player yet again, he knew the answer to fully submerge himself into the void.

  Music.

  Realizing how every meltdown he had, there was always music associated with it.

  Grabbing the To Pimp A Butterfly CD and putting it into the CD player, the air filled with the intro notes of the song…

  Wesley's Theory.

  While Link II sat criss-cross, putting on a blindfold and tying it with ease.

  Ready to finally confront himself.

  As the song progressed, he sat impatiently, waiting for whenever the void would pop into his mind or not.

  Tapping his fingers impatiently on the couch he sat on.

  Waiting for whenever the music would connect with his mind.

  After four minutes, around 7:04 PM, he snapped in boredom, not feeling and synchronization besides the amazing jazz riffs.

  Instantly ripping off his blindfold to find…

  His plan worked.

  He was successfully inside the void.

  Seeing the bleak emptiness yet again.

  Walking alone in emptiness, confidence filled in the air.

  Finally seeing a silhouette of himself yet again.

  Feet thumping every moment of running.

  His mind having one clear goal.

  “I must either find Willard and get him to explain my situation or find that weird shadow thingy to answer my questions.”

  As he jumped towards the silhouette, he knocked down somebody, immediately speaking in irritation.

  “The fuck's wrong with you kid? You tackle anybody in your mind-”

  His face looking up, he saw Willard's expression of confusion.

  Instantly getting off of him and asking.

  “Willard, what the hell is this place? I've been suffering in this place, and I don't know what it is!”

  While Willard avoided the question, glancing around like he was stupid.

  “Uhhh who are you talking to??”

  Which annoyed Link II, who speculated that somebody was involved with these void visions.

  Realizing it could be Willard who made all these visions.

  Instantly bolting his arm towards him, ready to use his telekinesis.

  Link II was tired of everybody lying to him about his safety and help.

  As he began to yell at Willard.

  “Where the fuck are we Willard?! Cause i’m tired of you lying, pretending that you don't know shit about this void place!

  So you better explain what the hell this place is or-”

  Just as Willard desperately threw his arms out, his face filled with fear.

  “Please Link, let me go, I'll tell, I'll tell!”

  Taking a breather to begin explaining what the void was to Link II.

  His arm went back down to let Willard speak.

  “It's your mind, kid. I'm surprised you haven't concluded that…”

  While Link II was confused on what he meant by that; so he asked:

  “What the hell does that even mean? You think you could elaborate-”

  Willard interrupted him, elaborating on his void mindscape.

  “This whole place is your telepathic abilities acting up.

  It's both mind walking towards those of the damned… and your own corrupted mind.”

  As they both glanced at the emptiness of the void, making them both shudder.

  Willard continued speaking.

  “You made this place at a few months old, when you did your first kill to save Samuel…

  Because you didn't know how to process the neglect by Samuel.

  From that, you created me too. A personality that doesn't exist to anybody else but yourself.

  And in turn, you connected this place to the suffering of children.

  Wanting to help everybody else when you were younger and more ignorant to what the word ‘suffering' meant.

  But you have more abilities than you think…”

  As Willard took a breath, calming down from his initial anger at being tackled.

  “Get this straight, Link II.

  You ain't just some kid, you are the kid of two powerful people.

  But one's death led to one losing faith in you.

  So, you sit here alone again with no family besides me.

  So, explain to me why the hell are you giving an attitude to the only person-”

  Cut off by Link II slapping him in the face so hard it felt like a sonic boom contained within his hand.

  His eyes filled up with tears.

  Link II began to speak, almost somber.

  “So tell me W-Willard! If that is your real name anyways… are you even real or are you like an alternate version of myself that exists within this void?

  A-Are you another person that will leave me alone at the end of the day?”

  While Willard took a sigh, knowing that he wouldn't like the answer.

  “Yeah… I am just a personality you created due to trauma.

  I'll change over time, developing new personalities and names as you grow older.

  Basically becoming a person you won't recognize anymore.”

  Link II began to cry, not wanting somebody to leave when he gave him the answer he needed.

  His whimpers and cries were now being hearable only in his mind.

  While Willard began to approach, hugging him tightly in his arms as he began to fade away.

  “Hey, kid. Look at me.”

  Link II glanced up with tears.

  With a sigh, Willard began to speak his final words.

  “I love you. I love you for enduring so much, little man. I love you for never giving up despite how much you have suffered.”

  Willard chuckled at the last part, trying to hide his incoming tears with sarcasm.

  “Despite what those officers said, despite what Samuel said. Fuck them all.

  You are the best person anybody could wish to be, you basically are the most innocent child I've ever seen, despite you killing.

  But hey, nobody's perfect. But you are an angel, little man. Don't forget that you deserve the world.”

  Just as Willard disappeared into the void.

  Link II felt Willard's form fade, feeling like touching the inside of a man's guts…

  But not caring about the gross feel, keeping his arms hugging around Willard as tightly as he could.

  Leaving Link II crying to himself on the floor yet again.