Noir (Part 1)

174 5 2
                                    

When Anti opened his eyes, he could hear music playing on a fizzy gramophone somewhere behind him. Right next to his ear, much louder, was the whirl of a projector, casting a blank white scene onto the wall in front of him.

He tried to move, but he couldn't. Looking down, he saw he was tied to a chair with what seemed like simple duct tape and chains. He knew it wasn't–much stronger than that couldn't hold him.

Frustration, like a cornered animal, welled up inside him and he let out a roar of anger, thrashing spastically in his bonds. Reality around him bent and glitched as he seethed, spit flinging from his mouth.

"W͍̮̞͓̼͍h̷̘͕̩̭̠̬͎ǫ̤̪ ̀d̢̰͕͍͇͕id̹̝͇̖͈͈͟ ̴̩t̻h̨͚̟͙i̝̮͉͉͇s̫̱͙?" he demanded, his eyes wild as he looking around the dark room. "Ŝ͛ͩ͊̾ͯhͨ̔ͤͩ͏ơ͋͐̆̀w̧ ̐͒͡yͭ̏ͣ͡ȏ̐͆́uͬ̇r̡ͥ̂̐ ͩ̌ͤ̾͟f̸͋ͭ̓͐aͪ̾̊͊̋͒̓͡c̷ͨ͗̀̈ͣ̾̅e͗ͤ̓!̈́ͫͣ̑ ͦ͌͛͞Sͨ͌͗ͧho͗ͣͬw̋̎̈̀ ̸͂ͬͤȳ̵ő́ͪ̉̔̉uͨ̀̑̆ͨ̓r̶͌͊ͬ̒͗ f̨͂ͬ͂́̋ȧ͛ͣ́ĉ̷̌͐̌̉e͛͒ͥ̕,̽̋ͫͬ͟ ̃̽̚y̸̒̒͑̿ö̌u̚ ̎ͦ̈́͆̆͟f̛ͥ̋ͥű͝c͞kͧ̄̀͒͘ǐ̈̎͌n͏g͗͝ ̀c̡̽ͫ͐͑͛ȯ̋̃̿ͩw̏ͣͫ̽ͤ̍ͤ͞ȃ̸͊͗ͫͯrd̆ͫͤ!̢ͧ̾ͦ ͊͒͡I̊ wͪ̾an̓t͊͐͂͛ͨ ̨t̽̔ö̡̈̊̿̌̓̉ ̵̉̓̈́̐͆g͗̅eͫͤ͂ͦ̿t́ͣ̂ͪ ͥ̓̂ͥ͂͆à ͐́g̽͏oͦ͝ǒ̏dͨ͋͐ͨ ̃̾ͬlo̴ͤͧͦ͐̔o̅̏̽ͭ͊ͭ̓k̢͂̽̾̑͗ͮ̆,̛̑́̇͆̍͛ ̈͋̑ͣso͒ ̢̔ͫ̾́ͥĬͪ̑͌ͫͥ ̽ͥ̊͊ͣk̏ͧ̆̄͆̔͒̕ñ̛̾o̾̈́͗̇͡w ̸͆e͑̑͏ẍ̨̓ͦ̚a̡̓͊̊͊͌̂cͤͤ̂̎ͧͥţ̊̏̔̈́l̋͛ͪ͋̂͒ͯy̡͒̓̐͐ ̈́̽̅w̧ͨ̉hͭ͗ͥ͐̊o͐̏͜ t̊ͨ̊͟òͦ ͆̅̾̈́ͤḑͦͭ̐͑ͮ͒i̕s̅̐ͥ̎emͥ̒͋ͬ̑b̈́̽͒͂̄͆̌͢o̽w̑ͥe̊ͦͥͦ̏́l̒.͂ͤ̔̈́̽͒ ͆͋ͫİ̏ͪ͘'͂ͬ̀͛̉̀̕m̌̍ ͭ͆̎͊̇̔͡g̔̌͑̇̑oͣ͏į̾͐̅ņ̅g̒̊͞ ̈ͬ̅ͬtoͬͭ̇ ̑pͤ̓̎̑ͤ͜e̛̊̌̎̾̚e̡l̓ͣ̉͝ ͞o͑̑̏̑ͦ͏u̸̒ͨ̋͐̈ͭt̴́ ̆́eͮ̇ͬ̃͗̚v̌̍eͣ̂ͬͤr̅̏̈́̂ͧ̿̋͜y̨̌̂ͭ̽̋̾ ̇͘sͭ͋̌̆͟in̾̎̽̋͂̓ͨg̃̈ͬ̐͌ͭ̚l̶ͣȩͨ̂͂ ͋͒̾̇͒͢vͣͬ́̓̓͐͠e̸ͪ̾i̢ͮͬͤ͊̋ͮn͊͂͊͘ ̄ͭͥͤ͠fͩ͜rͯ̔̃͊̉̚oͥͨ͢m̨̄͐ͯ ̓̍̑y̷ͥ̃͗͂ͥ͂̓ỏ̽́͏u͆̊́̊̊ͬr̃ͯ̂̏̊ͮ̾͡ ̔ͮͨ͌̓ṡͪ́̂̉̚kͫ́͛͠i̎ͦ̀n̓ͮ͢, ̐p̛ͫͧrͮͫ́̏̿̿͏y̛͑ ̈͗̒̔͐ͩ̚͜ó̶ͫ̍̓͒uͦ̔̽̓͒t͆͒̕ ҉yͬ͆ͯ͑o̅uͫͪr̸ͪͯ͊ ͠b̶͂o̐́nͧ̚ĕ̶s͂ͫͪ͐̓҉ ͏wͩhȋ̧l͐̑̓̿ë̐̈͟ yͧ̾͡o̍ͮ̐̋͛̌̚͘u͛̎̇̈́͋͗'̌ͥ̈́̇̓͛̀r̢͒̄̃̂͂ͣͮe ̀́ͤ̓͊̈̍̀s͋̒ͩͣͥͩ̚t̾͌͗̊i̇l̸̍ͪ̈̓ͥͥĺ̸ͦͫ ̀s̊c͂̈̉ͫ̈ͣr͐͒ͩ̎́̔ͧe҉a̔ͮͦ̂m̢̏̓̈i̎̈̍ͯ̽̈́n̈́͛͒ͥg̃̇ͣ-ͩ̾̅̉͗̆-̧"

He suddenly stopped as a feeling, like a tight pulling sensation, overcame him and he drew a sharp breath. Then a voice reverberated around his skull. Familiar.

Stop yelling.

Still breathing hard, he watched as a dark figure suddenly walked up around him, their hands clasped behind their back. The shadows seemed to trail around him, as if magnetized to him. Even the light of the projector seemed to melt away from him, and he remained a dark silhouette even after he stepped in front of the projector.

Anti's eyes narrowed as he looked at the figure, and then a look of gleeful realization fell over his face. "Is tha͟t you͞, ͏JJ?̸ " he asked, his tone mocking despite the fact that he was at a clear disadvantage in this situation.

Jameson turned to him, slowly, and as soon as their eyes met Anti knew something was wrong. His eyes, the most sensitive eyes out of all the egos, had turned cold and stale. Glazed over in grey, almost as if he were blind.

He walked up to Anti, pulling what looked like a knife from his pocket as he did so.

"Lo̵o̶ks l̶i̧ke͡ s̀o͘m͜eo͠ne h̡i̧t͡ ̨p͞ųb̧ert̡y," Anti chuckled as he watch Jameson approach him. Almost as if he forgot he was tied down, he made a move to lift his hand, but his arm could barely budge from the bonds. A flicker of frustration and almost nervousness passed his face before he brushed it aside.

Do you know what I'm going to do to you? Jameson asked, though his mouth never moved.

Anti's eyes narrowed. Som͏e͏t̴hi̵ng͞ ̷f̕un, ͞I̷ ͜hópe͟,̕ ̕" he said. His gaze flickered down to the knife that Jameson was brandishing. His tongue passed over his lips briefly, almost hungrily. "Some̡thìng w͟it̡h ̡t͜ha͠t?"

Without warning Jameson lunged forward, shadows swirling around him as he grabbed Anti by the shoulder. Then he plunged the knife in his other shoulder, twisting a little as Anti gave a short scream through his teeth.

The scream quickly turned to a strangled, gargled laugh, and Anti leaned forward until there were only inches between their faces.

"Deepȩr҉, ̸lo͡ve҉r b͡o̷ý," he hissed, his voice giving every indication of indescribable pain though the wide, twisted smile never left his face. His eyes were wide in pain and insane elation.

Jameson's eyes turned cold as he glared at Anti, looking for any sort of negative reaction. Then he pulled the knife out slowly, and several jagged whimpers escaped Anti before he let his head fall. Blood spurted from the wound and poured down the front of his shirt.

You must be wondering how I can do all this, Jameson asked. His words were triumphant, mocking. How I can control you. How I can render you powerless.

"I h͏-h͞av̀e a͞ p͡ŗe͘t̨t͟ỳ ̡g̸ood̵ ̸ģue͠ss͟," Anti chuckled, though his breaths were still uneven and ragged. "Sh͝a҉do͞ws͏, mi͢n͏df͟uc͟k̢i̵ng͘, aǹd dist͢àstefu͠l͠ f͠or̴e͟pĺa͡y̸. T͏his̡ ͡has Ed̢g̷e̛lor̷d ̷w̧r̡i͜tte̴n ̴a͞ll o̸v͜er i̶t."

You tried to break me, Jameson spat as he paced around Anti. You tormented me, mocked me, drove me insane. And now I have you where you had me, all those nights. I have you.

"Wel͠l ͏are͢n't ͠y̕o̡u̸ the l̷i̶tt̨lé ͟e͢n͟g̷ine͟ tha̢t còuld," Anti said with a smirk, though there was a frightening glint in his eyes. As if his chaotic rage as beginning to leak through his pretense. "So̷ w̨hat͝, y̶óų went̢ dar̨k͘ ̨j̛u͜st̕ to̢ ̕gív͏e ͜m̢è a f͡éw҉ pape͘rc͜ut̶s?͡ ҉If̷ ͜you w̶a̕nted to ͝fu̴ck͏ ̴up your̨ ͏soul̡ ̕ýǫu co͡uld've ̀ju̧s̴t ̛a̸s̸ked.͘"

It's ironic that you're laughing now, Jameson snarled, grabbing Anti's chin without warning and yanking his head forward. For a moment Anti's eyes turned fearful as they stared Jameson down. As if he was trying to reach into his soul. For a moment silence reigned.

I know you're scared of him, Jameson said. I know you fear Dark's power. I know that you're trying to imagine what I could possibly have in store for you. I know all this, because I can see right into your mind. I see everything. It's a fucking shitshow in there.

"You k͢n͠ow̛ Dar͢k͠ i̴s͞n͝'t͝ ͝out҉ ͠t̡o h̨e͟l͠p͢ ͠y̕ou͘," Anti growled, his words slightly muffled by Jameson's hand that tightly clenched his jaw. "He ̡ju͝s̸t҉ ͡w͟a͝n̴t͞s yo͠u̕r͝ s͘q̶ui͟r҉m̛y ͢l͞i̛t̢tl͡e͠ so҉u̧l."

A ghost of a smile, completely triumphant, flickered over Jameson's face and he leaned down. He can have it, Jameson snarled, if it means I get to have this much fun with you.

Then Anti laughed, a garbled glitchy wheeze. "I̷ ͢kn̢eẃ I͡ k̀e̵p҉t yòu͝ ͟a͠rou͡n̸d͜ f͘or̀ s̷ome͟th͘i͠n͝g," he purred. "You k͝n̸ow̕ ̴ho̸w m͏uch ́I͏ love ́f̴ưn͟, so͜ w҉hy̷ ҉are ̀w̸e ͢w͝ait́i̛n͝g? L͠i͞g͞ḩt̶s, ̨c̢amer͝a, ͝ac̕tion, lover bo͟y. S͡ho̸w ͜me ̸wh͢a͢t ͏yo͘u̕ g̢ơt͏."

Jameson Jackson / Noir Stories (JSE Fanfiction)Where stories live. Discover now