The Phantom's Curse

Chapter Seven

''Lex, please,'' Clark begged. ''You need to get away from the phantom. It's done something to you, but I can help. Let me help you.''

''Help? Help me? You, Clark Kent? My best buddy in the whole world, wants to tell me about my own phantom? Tell me something,'' Lex paused, shifting his gaze from Clark's pleading eyes, to the creature standing awfully close behind him. ''How did you know to call it ''Phantom'' Lex breathed. ''The only way you'd know to use that word is if you knew where it came from? As if you've faced something like him before...''

''Lex please-''

''It's almost like you've been lying to me, again, Clark? Naughty, Naughty, Naughty,'' Lex whispered, biting his lip, letting a small smile come through his frightful speech, as he cut something deep inside Clark's stomach. Clark wanted to puke, he wanted warmth, he wanted the sting/burning in his wrists to ease, he wanted to be back on the farm with his family. Most importantly he wanted Lex be okay.

''I didn't tell you because I wanted to protect you, keep you safe. My problems would only slow you down, hurt you more, haunt you, I never wanted to weigh you down with something you'd be unable to help with, Lex. You're only one man, Lex.''

''And what does that make you, Clark? Umph? Are you outing yourself to me, now, Clark? Are you trying to come clean about something, perhaps let's start with what happened on the bridge? I hit you, didn't I?'' Lex spat. Clark tried to nod, but stopped as Lex's hand grasped a tight grip around his throat, forcing all air to seas from coming inside, cutting off his speech. ''I did! I did hit you! I knew it! And you said I was crazy, you made me feel crazy, everyone treated me like I'd lost my mind! But in reality,'' Lex's voice cooled, and he drifted into a short pause. ''In reality, I knew what I'd seen to be real. It wasn't a fake, I wasn't insane.

"Lex-" Clark choked. He checked back his tears, his hands were trembling and he felt to his stomach, then came relief. The strong grip around his throat disappeared, which his breath became quick, and fast paced.

"Lex, I didn't mean for any of this. I didn't mean to make you feel that way, I was trying to be a friend." Clark's voice was shallow and sickening as he tried to speck. His throat felt like it was going to collapse, as every shallow, turned to dust, and stung. Sweet and burning, he coughed, releasing spit and hot tears rolling down his eyes. "Lex....please...I can still help you.."

"Its to late for you to help me, Clark....There's more than one Phantom in play," He felt panicked and sick to his stomach, uncertain what to say next. None of Lex's words registered, nothing but the sick feeling at the pit of his stomach. Clark groaned then dropped his head to the side, sweat covering the under of his cheeks. In an attempt to free himself, he pulled against the ropes, only when he felt Lex close in on him, did his eyes drift back. His expression straightened then he coughed again. Then before he knew it, his body began to shake. He was shivering with the scent of death crossing up and down where he sat.

Lex's light coloured eyes transformed. Innocent colouring with small amounts of power; transformed before Clark's very eyes. "I am the real Lex Luthor. Just had some work done." He seemed to smile at this, at if his joke was funny. But Clark wasn't laughing, he was wincing, but the more he tried to focus on something other than the pain, he felt like the pain was only increasing. Biting at his leg, causing the meter rock to brighten with brighter colour, bright shades of emerald green flashing.

Lex's eyes reflected nothing but soulless ravens. Eyes like black pearl, shallow and deep like the aqua ocean. They looked like something out of a horror movie. Something shaped like the demons themselves. Clark bit his lip, as he found his words. The conclusion was, Lex Luthor held a Phantom inside his body....possessing him. This was going to be more challenging than he first thought.