+ • DOORS • + The Series

+ 👁 C H A P T E R : T E N 👁 +

[AN: Hiya! (Signature greeting) We're up to our tenth chapter. I've got a special treat for you all in either Chapter 11 or 12.]

The Other Side

(After Chapter Eight.)

Meat, my stomach grumbles.

Shut up,  I think.

With blood everywhere, my stomach retorts. I'm so very hungry. Should I ever find a way to lure a horde of humans here, I'll kill them off immediately. The prospect of a charming, delicious meal is enough to make me dizzy. I haven't had any of those in so long. 

For those who are making my acquaintance, let me introduce myself before I get too far ahead. It wouldn't suit you well to stay in darkness any longer. My name is ̴̢̡̱͕̥͈̘̖̓́̇̈͌͛ ̴̧̯͇̝̗̍͒͂͌̄̒ ̷͕͍̳̼̭͔̈̈́  ̴̢̡̱͕̥͈̘̖̓́̇̈͌͛ ̴̧̯͇̝̗̍͒͂͌̄̒ ̷͕͍̳̼̭͔̈̈́ ̴̢̡̱͕̥͈̘̖̓́̇̈͌͛ ̴̧̯͇̝̗̍͒͂͌̄̒ ̷͕͍̳̼̭͔̈̈́ ̴̢̡̱͕̥͈̘̖̓́̇̈͌͛ ̴̧̯͇̝̗̍͒͂͌̄̒ ̷͕͍̳̼̭͔̈̈́  , or the Guiding Light as I have been called. 

I can't believe they were plotting against me. The entities I created, housed, that I took all the trouble of making and crafting each one, and they don't give me so much as a thanks before they turn and try to flee. Cowards.

So what better way to take control of that than give them that chance to escape, and dangle it in front of their faces while I try and execute my real plan? Glitch, that lying, cheating rat, hasn't been seen since the Player arrived. The rest of them are doing my bidding until I can permanently make them my puppets.

The Player, well, despite my scheming, isn't as smart as I thought. They keep dying, over and over, and I have begun to get so irked that I am seriously considering killing them off instead of rigging the challenge and bringing them back to life. But then my deal would be invalid; the other entities can only escape once the Player is dead. I'd just be completing the task for them.

So here I am, being the nicest, calmest, the LEAST infuriated and annoyed entity ever, giving instructions like a preschool teacher! I was not made for this. I was much greater than this.

But, well...

"I'm going to be sick," whined the Player, clutching their stomach. "Dying fifty times is making me lose morale."

"Don't give in, Player,"  I say, trying to sound as friendly as possible. "This is their way of corrupting you. You must push through these challenges."

"Right. Right." they nod, despite not being able to sense my presence, and they continued through Door 31. Suddenly, I can see black seeping through the walls, and the small whispers of something moving under the floor. The next room's lights flicker and the Player dashes for a closet, even though I know that Rush isn't coming. 

"I don't think you should hide now."

And, of course, they listen to me. Dear me, the idea of someone doing what I want without me having to go through ten hours' worth of work is genuinely satisfying. Rooms 33 and 34 continue to flicker, but we can both see black weaving its way through the wallpaper, eventually gathering into little eyeballs. The Player shudders, grabs a pencil from a drawer, and pokes an eye. It just blinks back before shrinking into the wall. The Player, believing that this will rid them of the eyes, stabs each with the pencil before doing the same in the next rooms. Eventually, once they are done, they reach a long, open hallway. There are no eyes here.

Once they reach the end of the room, the whispering sound grows louder. At the doorway, the black, inky substance begins to gather through the floorboards. 

The mass starts to take shape, twisting and narrowing and thickening until an almost humanoid shape is standing imposingly at the door. 

Tsk, tsk. I'd have to find some way to help them with this pain up my--

The Player's eyes widen, and they do the most responsible thing I've seen them do in a long time and sprint full speed through the next door. I have a split second to decide what I'll do. Should I hold Seek back? No, that wouldn't work. I didn't have enough physical strength in me to do so. I just had to do my regular job and guide that idiotic player. 

There were objects like bookcases and chairs being shoved in the way. Using my light form, I shot over to it and drifted over the biggest gap I could find. The Player, naturally, didn't notice until Seek was right on their tail.

"Holy Sheep--" the Player didn't have time before they were trapped under Seek's foot and turned to slime. I could have winced if my body could move, but nonetheless, they didn't listen. What happens if you don't listen? Obviously, you die.

"You died to Seek," I instruct them once they reach my void, "The obstacles have crawlspaces. Do you think you can be able to do that?"

They do not listen and start visibly shaking. "I said, can you do that?"

"I don't get it!" cried the Player, on the verge of having a serious breakdown. That was fitting, given their incompetence. "If you want to help me so much, let me out yourself!"

"I can't,"  I seethed, tempted to rip them apart,"I may be able to speak and light the way, but I can't use any physical energy without being exhausted afterward. You wouldn't have my help. And who's to say there won't be some dark room I need  to help you through after that?"

I'm losing my patience. Oh well. Back to Room One they go. They'll learn.

...Right?

+__________________+ END OF CHAPTER. +___________________+

And now, a message from the Guiding Light:

Please don't test my patience.

[AN: Hint for the special chapter. (and stuff to come I guess.)🖌🖼]