Imagine Me Darker

Chapter 19

"I love you," Mark says after he hands me a bowl of cereal.

"Love you too," when I say it, I know I sound distant. My mind is so occupied by everything, it makes it hard to focus.

It's now midafternoon. After Mark snapped he gave me a hug and tried to talk about our next step, but I told him 'who can think on an empty stomach?'

Mark takes a seat on the stool next to me. He gives me a sideways glance then starts to eat. We both sit there, eating, saying nothing. And we don't need to. We both know that silence is just something that fills unneeded words.

"So what are you going to upload today?" I ask as Mark puts away our dishes.

"I don't know," he replies, "I have so much editing to get done."

"Well then let me do the dishes, you go work!"

"No, no, no. It's fine," he rambles.

I pause, slightly taken aback at his response.

"Mark?" I reply softly, "Just because I'm sick doesn't mean I can't help you."

Mark freezes and looks at me over his shoulder.

"I never said that."

"But you were thinking it right?" He doesn't answer, "Just because I'm sick doesn't mean I'm not me. I'm still Jack. I'm still your Jack."

Mark turns and sets the bowl down. He takes two steps and stands in front of me.

"You'll always be my Jack."

"Just like you'll alway be my Mark?"

We're inches away, "Exactly."

He moves to kiss me.

"Hey Jack." I freeze, but Mark doesn't notice. He meets my lips and kisses me I don't kiss him back. I'm too distracted now.

"Do you always listen to me?"

Oh no.

Dark what the hell? I think. Mark pauses and looks into my eyes.

"Jack are you okay?" Mark asks.

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine. You go work on you video."

He looks at me, his eyes full of worry.

"Go," I urge. Once he leaves, I hear Dark laughing.

"You know, I do like a rebellious man once in awhile."

I whip around expecting to see Dark...but he's not there. I hear him laugh again.

"Anti told me not to go by you anymore, I decided I'll listen, just this once."

"What did you do do with Anti?" I demand.

"Why do you care?"

"I'm not just gonna let you fucking use him whenever you're angry!"

"What are you gonna do? How are you gonna stop me?"

"I-I don't know," I admit.

"Exactly." I feel a chill down my spine. He sounds exactly like Mark.

"At least I kept my promise. I'm not going by you, am I?"

I grit my teeth, "What the fuck do you want Dark?"

"I want you," his voice gets louder and deeper, "But I can't. I have to keep my end of the bargain."

"What bargain?" I snap. I can't see him, but I know Dark is smirking.

"It's none of your business. Why must you always poke around in things that don't concern you?"

"What bargain?"

Worry settles into my mind. Anti. He had to have made a deal with him. Who else would...could?

"Tell me what you've done with Anti!" I holler. Then, from behind me, I hear Mark, "Jack, is everything alright?"

"Yeah I'm-" I freeze. I'm not fine. I'm not okay. I'm not normal. This isn't normal.

"Please," I plead, "just tell me if Anti's okay."

"Oh Anti's fine. No one can ever really kill a phantom."

That doesn't insure me.

"But you can get close."

"Let me see him. Now," I demand.

"Why? I told you he's alive, isn't that enough?"

"No! Please, can I see him?"

Dark sighed, "I can never please you, can I? Not that you've ever really let me try..."

I cringe, "Dark?"

"Meet me in the bathroom. I'll see if I can get him there."

I breath a sigh of relief and hurry into the bathroom.