Dark Outside

PRO TIP! THIS IS A CONTINUATION OF Alone Again, SO YOU SHOULD READ THAT FIRST!
== Dark Outside ==
"Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there, wondering, fearing, doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before. -Edgar Allan Poe
===Prologue===
"It's time to wake up"
I remember those words. I remember it all. But is any of it true? Or is it all lies, like everything else? I can't trust anything, or anyone. I can only trust myself. How do I know this new world isn't a dream as well? The answer is: I can't.
== Chapter 1: Expergiscimini ==
I got out. I didn't want to, but I got out. The world I came out to is... Different. It is very similar because there are Zombies and Skeletons and Spiders, but there is also people. Or at least I think there are. They could just be projections, created by my own mind so I would stay here. There is something terrible happening. No one has told me anything, but I overhear whispers. Something about a place called "Oak Town"? I need to learn more. I don't know anything about this world. I need to learn, to gather information. And do what I must to destroy the "voice". That is the only point of my life. Revenge is the only thing driving me on. Without it, life would be pointless.
I would be just as trapped as before.
== Chapter 2: Auferet ==
I have been listening. Now I am sure something horrible is happening. A whole town disappearing into the ground? It sounded like madness. But with what I have been through, nothing would really surprise me. There was talk of an army, marching towards this town. I also have figured out this town is called "Border". I need to find equipment for when this "army" comes. I need to escape. Why are the townsfolk not as worried as I am? They should be trying to get away, but they sit here and go on with their lives. I went and chopped down some trees, and collected some unrefined iron. I don't know when I should leave, because nobody knows how far away the army is. I am planning to leave Border Town in a few days, or sooner if I need to. A group of people claiming to be from Oak Town, the town that was destroyed, came into town. They looked bruised, battered and disheveled. I walked by one of them, and he gave me a strange look. Could he possibly know about the amulet, and the Voice? I need to talk to him.
He could help me have a reason to live.
== Chapter 3: Relicto ==
The group of people left before I could talk to him. They said they needed to do something, and didn't have time to talk. I left also. I took some equipment and food, and went out into the wilderness. It was good that I did, as I heard screaming from behind me about half an hour after I left. Then, I ran. I couldn't actually see whatever attacked the town, but when I was about to cross a bridge over a river, I was hit in the right elbow with an arrow. This arrow didn't magically disappear, and I fell off the bridge. I washed up in the middle of nowhere. I checked my possessions. I had some soggy pieces of meat, an iron sword and pickaxe, and somehow my map survived the river, although it was a little soggy around the edges. The arrow was still stuck in me when I washed up. Pulling it out was hard and painful. I broke the shaft and pulled it out, but the head was still stuck. It was barbed, but I didn't know that. I tried to pull it out, and the pain I felt was incredible, impossible. I just lay there for a while. It seemed like there was nothing worth the pain. I rolled over... On the arrowhead. The pain came back, ten times worse then before. I wished I could of just died so I didn't feel it anymore. Suddenly, the pain stopped. The arrowhead was lying on the ground, next to a bloody hole in my elbow. I checked my map so I could see where I was. I was near something called, "Hollow". There was only one thing to do.
See what it was, of course.
== Chapter 4: Mortuus ==
I forgot to mention that next to the name "Hollow" on the map, it said, "Extremely Dangerous. Do not enter at all costs." No idea what that could imply, but I'm still going to check it out. As I walked near it, I could see deserted-looking buildings. I saw a person, and walked up to talk to him, but- I stopped. Something didn't seem right. I took a closer look at the person, and I saw he, or it, was kind of fuzzy looking around the edges, and the details were all blurred. I yelled, "Hello?" The person turned to face me, and I saw it was definitely not human. The face was blank, and It released a sound from nightmares that seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere. I pulled out my sword and charged, but when I sliced through the thing, it distorted a little bit but didn't seem harmed. It pulled a sword out of a holster that seemed a lot more real than the rest of it, and swung. I was at a disadvantage due to my crippled right arm, but thank the gods I was left handed, or I would be dead right now. It knocked the sword out of my hands and was about to deal the finishing blow, but I yelled "STOP!", and somehow the thing, whatever it was distorted, made an incredible effort to swing the blade at me and then suddenly disappeared into mist. I saw more ghost things in the distance, so I ran into one of the disheveled buildings and rested. If another attacked, I would be killed. After a little while, I heard a pinging noise in the night. "Is anyone there?" I whispered.
"Yes" said the voice.
== Chapter 5: Disputatio ==
"Escape Artist? Is that you?" I asked. "It is. I can still speak to you due to your time in the Mind Amulet." It replied. "There is something terrible about this place. Something unspeakable, something incredible happened here. I cannot say more, as that is all I know. I need you to find out what it is. I have a feeling you will recognize it. That is all I have to tell you for now. Also, those ghosts are called revenants. Have no mercy with them. They are no longer human." "Alright." I said. "I will find whatever is causing this place to be infested." With that, I walked away. Outside, the revenants were gone. I walked for a little while. Then I saw something in the city square. And froze. It was just what looked like a heat haze, but it terrified me for some reason. I remember something about this. The haze rebverated instability and chaos. I walked away, slowly. I lost most of my memories, but for me to remember what the thing might be was significant. It had to be important. I was exploring when I saw something unsettling. On a wall was written, "THERE IS NO WAY OUT". I saw more creepy graffiti on walls, like "IT KNOWS" and "YOU NEED TO FIND THE- the letters trailed off. Whatever the thing in the courtyard was, it seemed malign. I found some loose pieces of paper in the town hall on the floor. They talked about the thing in the town square, calling it the "Anomaly". I kept the pages, just in case. That Anomaly really creeps me out. I feel like it is watching me, like it is sentient. It very well might be. I looked for more pages. There were a few more, Stating that the Anomaly was created when Space and Entropy amulets were used in a attempt to protect the town, but it backfired and created the Anomaly instead. It also said the Anomaly didn't seem to be inherently hostile, but bad things started to happen a few days after it's creation. Those revenants started appearing, and the city council evacuated as many people as they could before the area became uninhabitable. The reason the place is called Hollow is because that is exactly what the Revenants are.
== Chapter 6: Anomaliæ ==
That Anomaly is watching me. I know it is. It sees me with invisible eyes. I need to get away, to somewhere small and dark and hidden. I NEED TO RUN AS FAST I CAN SO THE EYES WILL GO AWAY! I NEED THEM TO GO AWAY! I- I need to calm down. Now I know what the Anomaly does. It makes revenants, but it also drives people insane. It's starting to get to me, so I need to leave as soon as I can.
I left. My mind seemed more clear, not panicked and full of cotton. That thing was terrifying, breaking the minds of people who went near it. How does things like that get created? If there are gods watching over us, why do they not step in, why do they not help? Maybe they are more human then I thought. I found an emerald lying on the ground. I picked it up, but it seemed strange that someone would just leave it there. An emerald isn't the cheapest thing in the world, not by far. I found out why. There was a body lying on the side of the road, lacerated by multiple sword wounds. The face was hidden by a hood. I stepped closer, but- It screamed. "OH MY-" I started to say, but the body, or person, calmed down, breathing heavily. "Who-huh-are you?" He asked. "My name is- what was that noise?" "Probably nothing" the person said in the voice of The Voice in The Darkness. "You." I growled. "Wait a second-" I was lying on the ground next to the Anomaly. "Without thinking, I grabbed a sort of vial filled with a strange blue liquid and threw it into the Anomaly. I heard a voice on the wind. "Thank you..." And then the Anomaly collapsed in on itself. "This couldn't get any worse." I said to myself. And then I heard battle cries from the East.
== Chapter 7: Surge ==
I ran. I know I may seem like a coward, but anyone sensible will run from an army of 5,000 well-equipped Pigmen. I wasn't planning on dying today anyway. I ran as fast as I could to the south, opposite of where I came from. I eventually reached a mountain labeled, "Indus Mountain". As I was about to turn around, I had a strange feeling that I needed to go up there. The Escape Artist was "helping" again. It was already cold at the base of the mountain, and about 100 meters up it was freezing. I found a camp of sorts, with an oxygen mask and some warmer clothes. The mask's tank was half empty, so that didn't help very much. After an eight hour long hike, I finally collapsed at the third camp. I couldn't see how I could manage this. It seemed impossible to climb even more after that. And yet, I went to bed and slept. I woke up. For a second, I even thought I was warm, and in my house. Then reality came crashing back down on me. I had to make a final, six-hour climb to the summit camp. About halfway through, I put on the oxygen mask as soon as I started to run out of air. At the top, there was a camp. Inside the camp was more oxygen and a strange looking photo. The photo seemed undeveloped, however. But for some reason, it looked strange. It seemed familiar, somehow. I took it. Now all I have to do is find someone who can develop this for me. Oh, and climb back down the mountain.
== Chapter 8: Submitto ==
Back off the mountain. I had the photograph. It seemed clearer then before. Maybe the air was developing it on its own. Either way, I needed to get to Port Samuel so I could find... Something. I don't know what, but- It just feels right. But first, I need to find better equipment. There was an old armory back in Border, but there was no way I was going back there. There was another armory marked on the map nearby, so that seemed like my best bet. My half-broken civilian issue iron sword isn't going to cut it anymore. I needed to find diamond equipment, but that kind of stuff is so expensive (for a good reason) that it is also very rare. I traveled over to the armory, which looked like a big castle mainly. Somebody left the doors unlocked. They must have evacuated when the Nether Army came by. I walked in. I "borrowed" some emeralds from the vault. Not like they would need them anymore. There actually was a diamond sword in the armory, but no armor. They must have taken it all. I grabbed some carrots and left. A creeper came up behind me on my way out. I heard the hiss, and- I turned around and punched it in the face, then finished it with my sword. Now alert, I continued down the road. Then I saw what the picture was of. It looked like a family portrait, but one in particular looked familiar. "Oh my god." I whispered.
The person was me.
== Chapter 9: Domus ==
I'm not alone in the world. I have a brother. Steve...? I'm starting to remember. I don't know about my... Our... Parents, but I can tell Steve is still alive. But what is my name? Why can I remember so much else, but not my own name? I didn't go to the port. I went back to the Anomaly. I thought I destroyed it. There was a person wearing a tunic and hood standing by it. "Voice?" "Nope" the person replied in a neutral voice. "How do you know about the Voice anyway?" "It's a very, very, very long story." I replied. "Did you try to close the Anomaly?" The person asked. "Yep. Apparently, it didn't work." The person chuckled. "Alright, 1: The Anomaly is a sort of dimensional portal. 2: The other dimension is so beyond comprehension that anyone near the Anomaly for too long has their mind shattered. Except for you, apparently. 3: by temporarily destabilizing the Anomaly, you freed me. You see, I was trapped between dimensions for a while. I tried to close the Anomaly as well, but instead I was trapped. A bit like you and your amulet." "What the- how do you know about the amulet? Who are you?" "No time to explain. I must go. Believe me, you will see me again." "Wait!" I yelled. "I'm not done talking!" But the person had already disappeared. I needed to know more. So I did something incredibly stupid.
I went into the Anomaly.
== Chapter 10: Liberum ==
I felt like my soul was being torn from my body. Everything was colors and shapes, but I couldn't seem to focus on any one thing at once. I was colors and shapes, too. I needed to make myself a body, or the endless, amazing chaos would tear apart my mind and spirit. I tried a cube first, but I couldn't keep it together. It was like viewing it from all sides at once, you would think it would be difficult to comprehend but instead it was surprisingly easy to grasp. Next, I tried a sphere. That worked much better. I could float around in the void. But soon, I needed to get back. The freedom of this place is unlike anything I have ever encountered before. I wanted to stay here. I wanted to forget everything else and become part of the chaos again, I remembered. "S-Steve?" "STEVE!" I made my ball form go up, and up, and up... I was back in my normal body. I can see why people went mad. Now there is only one thing I have to do.
Find my Brother.
END BOOK II
Category:Alone Again canon
Category:Destruction of Minecraftia group project
Category:Minecraftia