Strings and Stars (YouTube Oneshots)

Static (JSE)

A creepy little Anti and Schneeplestein oneshot that I posted on Tumblr about a week ago, and then forgot to post here. Oops.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

           

He didn't know how long he'd been there.

Weeks, days, months.

They all blurred together.

He no longer had a solid grasp on time. Or anything, really. His senses were dulled and muted by the static that constantly filled the void around him, wearing down his psyche at a painfully slow pace. It had served to only annoy him at first, the harsh sound grating on his nerves and nothing else, but that had begun to change more and more drastically the longer he was forced to listen to it. It didn't help that the incessant noise was his only company in...whatever space he was trapped in, as that meant there was nothing else for him to run to. No distractions, no comforts.

Just noise.

That horrible, horrible noise.

The one constant he had in this terrifyingly empty place.

And he loathed it.

He loathed the fact that he had to listen to that god-awful sound every second of every indeterminate day.

Because it reminded him of that fiend.

That odious creature that had ruined his life and would continue to ruin so many more after him.

It reminded him of the time he'd spent trying to save his friend from the clutches of that very creature, the memories of that static-sound scratching at his brain like a caged animal all too vivid in his mind. The feelings of anxiety and absolute fear it had instilled in him, the way he felt his heart rate quicken and his throat burn, the way his hand shook uncontrollably, all while he desperately clung onto the hope that maybe he could still be a hero.

It reminded him of the months before that, how he'd hear the static in his dreams or down the hall when he knew for a fact he was alone. Sometimes, he could've sworn it crept its way into the laughter of his friends, turning their giggles into maniacal chuckles faster than he could blink. He never told anybody about this, of course. He couldn't. The creature thrived on fear and attention and spreading his name to the others would've only increased his strength. It was better to ignore him. Or try to, at least.

And it reminded him of that day. That fateful October day. When he and the others heard it for the very first time, and could only watch helplessly as the static gave way to a horrific creature that began to take over their lives.

Even before he got stuck in the predicament he was currently in, that sound was already so familiar to him. Anything that even resembled it set him on edge and made his blood run cold.

Sometimes, he used to hear it even when it hadn't been there. As if it was stuck in his head.

Like a song.

A funeral march.

Mocking him. Torturing him. Killing him.

Tearing him apart.

But that wasn't even the worst part.

The worst part was that he knew the fiend was always watching. He had been ever since the day he first appeared, he was watching right now, and he would always be watching.

He was watching as that sound ate him away.

And relishing all the chaos he created.

"What's the matter, Doc?" It called, his voice bringing about even more static. "Do your ears hurt?"

He didn't want to look up. He knew that thing was standing right in front of him, grinning sadistically downwards, and he didn't want to see it.

"Come on, not even a hello? Talk to me, Henrik. I love our little chats."

He remained silent still, though it was hard to do so. That creature saying his name was enough to send red hot anger searing through his veins.

The creature scoffed at him.

"You're pathetic." The tone of his voice was much harsher this time, causing the static to grow louder as a result. "I thought you were better than this. The amount of untapped potential in you is remarkable, and yet you're throwing it away like this."

The creature paused. He could feel the thing's eyes looking at him. Studying him.

"You're different than the rest of them. You know that, right? There's something inside of you. None of them can see it."

He crouched down and moved closer, then placed his hand under his prisoner's chin and forcefully turned it upwards so that the two were now staring each other in the eyes.

"But I can."

"Shut up." He hissed, attempting to pull his head away from his captor's hand.

The creature grinned. "So, he speaks after all."

He glared at the thing, angry at himself for giving this monster the satisfaction of his words, but he quickly pushed the feelings aside and spoke again regardless.

"Leave me zhe fuck alone already. I can't give you anyzing."

The creature chuckled, the sound gradually growing loud enough to overpower the static that was still present.

"Oh, but you can. Like I said, you've got something the rest of them don't. Something that would cause them to leave you for dead if they found out the truth."

It paused, purposefully leaving the broken man in suspense.

"You have bloodlust."

He felt his heart nearly stop at those words, their weight hitting him like a ton of bricks.

"I... I have no idea vhat you're talking about."

It smiled even wider, flashing its beastly fangs in glee.

"You do. You can deny it all you want, but I've seen the things you've done. I know what kinds of thoughts lurk in the farthest corners of that brain of yours, the events from your past that still stick with you to this day.

I know, because I am the same."

His heart was pounding now as he frantically tried to convince himself that what the monster was saying wasn't true, that it was all just a tactic to torture him further. That thing had to be lying. There was no other explanation. He knew himself far better than anyone else, especially in comparison to that monster in front of him, and bloodlust was not a word he associated himself with. It wasn't true.

But, deep down, a part of him knew it was.

All the wrongs he'd done in the past, the pleasure their undertakings had given him...

"No!" He cried.

The creature looked at him with both intrigue and bemusement.

"No?"

"No. I'm not like zat anymore. Zat version of myself is dead. You're chasing a ghost."

The disgusting smile came back.

"Well then, if that version of you is dead," the creature caused a knife to appear out of seemingly nowhere, its arrival into the creature's hand accompanied by the sound of an electrical shock. "I suppose I'll have to resurrect him."

His eyes widened in terror as the creature brought the knife up to his face.

"I'm going to make you just like me."

The last thing he heard was static. Not the kind he was used to, though. It came in a short, deafening burst that enveloped his entire world.

And then there was silence.