Behind Closed Doors

Co-author here (@DJ Sprouts) this was originally intended to be much, *much longer than it ended up being.* But then burnout happened and we had new ideas we wanted to do, and... yeah, this ended up being left to die. Much like Lincoln in this story a few paragraphs from now. Anyways, this is a remake of another story called "Face Reality," dont check it out (if you still can), it's literally re-hashed beat for beat if not word for word, so save yourself the time and effort and just stick to this version, and finally, the other co-other is @GardenFlower!
== •The Dream • ==
Despite the family dismissing Lisa’s warnings, the rolling storm clouds approached closer and closer as the days went on. And the humble town of Royal Woods remained blissfully unaware of the storm’s overwhelming wrath, until it was far too late. It turned the sky as dark and gloomy as the rain that poured down on the muddy streets. Sullying the streets with muddy puddles that clogged every drain. Of course, everyone chose to stay indoors instead of braving the storm. Reducing the once bustling town of Royal Woods to that of pitiful rain.  This dampened the houses’ mood quite a bit as most could infer. For most of the Louds were quite extroverted. Always wanting to do something, whether it be fights in the hallway or Luan’s ‘practical jokes.’ Yes, the family outclassed the raging storm when it came to causing chaos without question. And no one knew that better than Lincoln Loud.
Life for the poor boy was very simple, you wake up, you do whatever you’re told, and then go sit by yourself. That was how it was, that’s how it is. He knew he was destined for mediocrity, and there wasn’t anything he or anyone else could do about it. He figured the odds were simply stacked far higher than he could even hope to reach. His family were very family with his jaded demeanor, but no matter how much they would try, one couldn’t help him, no one could breach his wall. This behavior had bled into his social life naturally, or rather lack-there-of. Apparently he’s just now found a saving grace inside the privacy of his room. A saving grace he would keep far away from his nosy family. His secrets would always spill out eventually, but he could let those ones go, not this one.   
Why such secrecy? Short answer: Lynn Jr... 
Long answer? Well it was a while ago now, but it wasn’t long enough ago to not matter, that’s for sure. What with Lynn accusing Lincoln of being a walking hex, for each and every time he came out of his room, something bad happened. The details don’t matter after that, all that matters is that whether they knew it or not, the incident taught him a lesson that day. A lesson that changed Lincoln, for good... 
Now, Lincoln didn’t spend the whole day in his room, sometimes he would venture up to the attic. In fact it was the only place he would go when it wasn’t his room, he wouldn’t even stick around for dinner! Instead having his food delivered at his room’s door, where he would either scurry back inside his room, or scurry up the attic through a vent. Taking a page out of Lucy’s metaphorical book, he would check was there every time he trekked through the ventilation shaft. What he actually did when in the attic? No one knew for sure, not even Lucy. All she could tell from the faint wails reverberating throughout the whole ventilation shaft, was that it wasn’t just for more solitude. 
But today, the day of the storm, when everyone had settled down by the TV. And Leni had her tubs of ice cream to weather the dreadful weather. And after Lynn Sr had taken the obligatory family photo. Lucy alone was going to slip away, and for once, investigate what Lincoln was crying about in the attic, it’s not like anyone else was in a hurry to find out. Now, unlike everyone else Lucy was well aware of how skittish Lincoln was, so she took extra care wherever she tired, gingerly brushing past any spiders that crossed her path. And in return, the spiders parted any cobweb or creature that crossed their path. It was the least they could do for Lucy not squashing them. At the end of the trail, Lucy assumed she had finally caught a glimpse of the most elusive creature the family had known. However, there was a caveat to what she saw. For yes, there was someone there, sobbing in the dark, curled up in a ball of pure misery. A murky grey light beside him, illuminating his bare dirty feet.
She doured at the pitiful display, steadily crawling towards the sad animal before her. Half expecting the boy to jump out the window at the slightest creak. But that wasn’t all that bothered Lucy, no, there was something gleaming in his hand as he sobbed into his knees. And to her horror, it was a blade, a blade that gleamed not just silver, but red. Dripping, red, all over his skeletal body. 
“L-Lincoln..?” Lucy uttered, barely more than a whisper, but was more than enough to startle Lincoln. Snapping his head up so hard that the crack was almost deafening. He gawked at Lucy for a long while, as if he didn’t recognize her, as did Lucy.
For it couldn’t be, not this ghoul sitting before her. Only for her to gasp, clutching her hands over her mouth she couldn’t help but start to cry, for who else, could it be. “Y-your arms… L-Lincoln your arms!” Lucy pleaded desperately, as blood continued pooling through the floorboards.
“Finally…” Lincoln said for himself, as blood began squirting out of the wounds, spraying viscera all over the attic and Lucy. Who could do nothing but watch as Lincoln collapsed into the puddle of his own blood. His body sloughing off in chunks as he decomposed into the pool he made. A pool that steadily grew in height. Corroding anything that floated above, including Lucy…
She toiled to escape back from whence she came, but when she crawled back inside the open vent. She could feel the corrosive blood eating away at her legs. And then her hands, and pretty soon, her entire body. Blood pooling into every decaying orifice as she began to drown in the blood. Her entire world reduced to nothing, but red. And then, nothing. Every sensation had been completely dissolved. No thoughts, no sounds, no-body. Just the void, and her non-thoughts. It’s strange to not exist, to have your entire being, erased, and then some. It’s something Lucy didn’t think she’d have to go through this soon. Yet here she was, having non-thoughts. But wait, that can’t be right. If she doesn't exist, how can she even perceive that?
And just like that, her eyes shot wide open, so wide that it burned. Until suddenly it didn’t, with the world re-manifesting itself inside of an empty, white-padded cell. Lacerations lined with dry crimson, smothering nearly every inch of this padded cell. Judging by the color of the coagulated blood, Lucy assessed that something bad happened only a few hours ago. Stumbling to her feet, the young lady darted her desperate eyes around the room in an ultimately fruitless effort of finding an exit. Eventually, Lucy’s eyes met with bars of some kind. Wandering over, Lucy tore the grating away, and threw it across the floor before peering down into the murky abyss below. It seemed big enough to fit, but it was a tight, dusty squeeze. She slowly crawled inside the duct head-first, allowing her to move through the vent. For what felt like eons, she trekked down the vent. Until without warning, the floor collapsed underneath her.
Stumbling to her feet, she examined the cell. It was much smaller than the last room, so small in fact that Lucy was forced to keep crawling along the floor. However there was a metal door just her size. With stars in her eyes she barrelled down, expecting to bust out without hassle. But she just ended up bumping her head against the unyielding door. There wasn’t a lock or handle to pull, it was just stuck. Undeterred however, Lucy turned herself around, kicking the tiny door repeatedly. With every hit warping the door, until finally, it broke away completely. Leading out to a long, dreary hallway, dousing any hope Lucy had mustered. The hallway was lit by dull, white and yellow lights hanging above towering metal doors. Doors that appeared so daunting, that one could easily mistake them for buildings. 
Peering down left and right, Lucy couldn’t make out either side’s end. Lucy just threw up her hands, and chose on a whim that she’d go left. After considerable time, Lucy stumbled upon what appeared to be a lobby elevator. Surrounded by various benches and potted plants. Lucy examined the Elevator that stood before her, hoping that it could bring her salvation from the dreadful labrinth she found herself in. But when she tried operating the elevator. She noted that the buttons weren’t lit up, and neither was the overhead light. Lucy just sighed, as if witnessing, whatever the hell happened to Lincoln, was enough. She was now trapped inside this horrific sprawling labyrinth. Lucy leaned against the wall, sliding down till she reached the floor. Hopeless, and with nothing to show, Lucy began to break down, crying. But then, something caught her wandering eyes. To her right lay another corridor. With a sign sitting alone, deep inside the darkness of said corridor. A sign that flickered on and off. 
"P-pharmacy?" Lucy read from afar, she wiped the tears she wept, and pressed forward into the flickering darkness. while traversing the hallway, she trod on something, freezing solid at the sound of something snapping. Bending down, she picked up what she stepped on daintily. Growing puzzled at what the flickering darkness revealed to Lucy’s now, puzzled face. An antique snapshot camera it was, it’s lens now broken thanks to Lucy’s carelessness. But upon closer examination, it looked just like her father’s strangely. But what’s even stranger is when Lucy’s finger slips, the camera snaps, flooding the room in blinding light. After her vision cleared up, Lucy inspected the photo that had been taken. And next to the photo, was a number. 
“Two shots left,” Lucy mumbled to herself, gazing up towards the ‘pharmacy’ sign. She compared the photo to what she saw in front of her. Discovering that in front of her was a doorless-doorway, and not much else…
Taking a gulp, she stepped forth. Clenching her eyes shut before taking another blindingly bright shot, revealing to Lucy yet another corridor of towering doors. Only all of the lights appeared broken and idle. But after a breathless moment of quiet, some of the cell doors began to emanate a lucid yellow light through their bars. Lucy decided to not, stick around to find out what that could have meant. Instead barrelling down towards an unpowered sign that read 'breakroom,' and a tiny fluorescent bulb peering through the breakroom’s door. Lucy’s hope flickered back to life. With the exit surely in sight now! Right? 
Regardless, Lucy burst inside. The bulb Lucy first spotted being overshadowed by all the other fluorescent bulbs. Hanging off the ceiling. They cast a warm yellow glow around Lucy, dispelling the horrid darkness that had consumed her so voraciously. Examining the room, her eyes laid upon another piece of film reel that sat upon a lunch table. And next to it, a broken soda machine lying on its side. Several soda cans fell out of the machine, leaking sticky, and very suspicious cola. Lucy just ogled the cans for a moment. Debating on whether she should take her chances, she peered around for something else, to drink. But no substitute could be found. 
“Sigh, just, sigh,” Lucy sighed, picking up the can closest to her feet. Grimacing at how warm it felt. But, Lucy didn’t relent, toiling so hard to open that can, that she made it spray all over herself. Her clothes dripping god knows how old, cola. 
But, a drink is a drink, and in spite of all the red flags, Lucy drank the cola. And to her surprise, it wasn’t half bad, in fact, it was so good that she began to slurp it down within seconds of the first sip. Already reaching for another can, and slurping that one down too. Blissfully unaware of the sound of footsteps echoing towards her. Only becoming aware of someone approaching as she reached for yet another soda can. Dropping it right where she stood, Lucy ducked underneath the school table, she pulled the front of the table over her face, camera in hand. All the while, the footsteps came dangerously close. The creature was heard kicking around cans as it searched. Filling Lucy with overflowing dread, as her grip on the camera grew tighter and sweatier, almost accidentally taking another photo her grip was so unruly. Until all of a sudden, Lucy could feel the creature’s breath smothering her soft, and supple, neck.
Lucy fought back every urge to scream as she wrapped around, and flashed the monster with the camera, sending the creature reeling back as it shrieked like a banshee. Lucy lept from the table, and booked it out of the break room. The shrieking agony of the screams of the mystifying creature fading away as rows of ghoulish hands reaching out to snatch Lucy as she ran out of the corridor, and back in front of the still inoperable elevator. 
But Lucy didn’t fret about that for the moment, instead she gazed down the pitch black corridor directly opposite of the one Lucy just escaped. With the spine-tingling banshee screams fast approaching, Lucy barrelled into the darkness. That after a few steps was cast away by a white light flickering on as Lucy approached an metal office door. Slipping inside, Lucy took note of where she found herself. That being a small office area lit by another tiny fluorescent bulb, with a makeshift desk housing a pile of paper far bigger than the desk was. Squeezing against the ceiling it was so tall. Lucy tried moving the pile, but the tension against the ceiling was so strong that it rendered the paper tower near immovable. 
Giving Lucy a strange idea, as the banshee shrieks rapidly approached. With Lucy snaking around the table, and pressing her hands as hard against the paper tower as she could muster. All while the commotion of the monster grew and grew. Until it burst through, tearing the metal office door wide open, as if it were nothing. Only to be assaulted by a flurry of paper, with Lucy making her daring escape through a rusty door just behind the table. Not even bothering to look back as she ran. And ran she did, using up all of her breath in the process. However, when she stopped to recover, Lucy couldn’t help but wonder why everything looked so familiar.
But as soon as Lucy looked forward, her face contorted into unfathomable horror. For right in front of her was the exact same elevator entrance from before. Or was it? As closer inspection revealed to Lucy that this elevator was powered. Now whether this was the same one as before is another question. But that didn’t matter right now, all that mattered was to keep moving. Before Lucy could step inside the elevator. The ground began to violently tremor, sending Lucy tumbling to the ground, as the sound of heavy machinery roared away. Only for it all to fade away as quickly as it came. Allowing Lucy the opportunity to scamper back onto her feet. Only to gasp in fright as she witnessed the elevator growing further and further away from her. Malevolent whispers clawing at her ears as she exerted all the energy she had left to outpace the ever growing hallway. The evil whispers developed into vile laughter as the elevator was so far away, that the light it taunted Lucy with, was far beyond her meager grasp. Lucy collapsed on the ground, exhausted, tired, and at the mercy of the darkness.
== •The Insanity• ==
Amidst the abyss, the screaming, roaring hellish, indistinguishable laughter, everything ceased, as the elevator dinged, it’s doors opening to reveal a…
Bathroom? And a remarkably clean one at that, the only faulty thing was a flickering fluorescent light. Puzzled yet intrigued, Lucy stepped forth into the bathroom. With the elevator behind her slamming shut the mili-second her foot passed over. Leaving behind a force so strong it throttled the entire bathroom. Glancing around, Lucy could hear the distinct sound of one of her sister’s pathetic whimpering. 
“Luna?” Lucy uttered in perplexed worry as she inspected the sole bathroom stall in the room. No one was there, unfortunately? Well, no one she would’ve liked to see anyway. To her left, she spotted a sullen green door, which fortunately was where the trail for Luna’s whereabouts blazed. Opening the lock-less door, Lucy spotted Luna, curled up in a ball on the floor wearing a rugged straight jacket, rocking back and forth as she mumbled unintelligibly. 
Luna appeared to be completely oblivious to Lucy, so she knelt down in front of her, unsure of what to say really. “Uhm, hey Luna, why are you-” Luna screamed into Lucy’s face ferociously, startling Lucy so bad she fell to the hard tile floor as she grunted in pain from the fall. Making Luna pause in sudden, fearful realization. 
“Wait, L-Luce! Was that you?” Luna began, rushing to Lucy’s in tearful distress. “Oh my god I’m so sorry I dunno what’s gotten into me lately! B-but are you alright Luce?” Luna interrogated while offering Lucy a hand.
“What? Y-yeah, I’m fine, I’m sure,” Lucy replied as she took Luna’s hand, stumbling to her feet.
“Great! Now uh, have you seen the others?” 
“No, unfortunately, no one I’d like to see anyway,” Lucy remarked, making Luna chuckle.
“You’re funny Luce, never noticed till’ now, but could you do me a favor and get this jacket off? Bit hard with no hands y’know?” Luna insisted, turning around for Lucy to figure that out herself, but luckily she managed, finding a zipper that went down Luna’s back.
“Ah! Much better! I owe you one Luce, really, ask me anything!” 
“Okay then, how did you end up here?” 
“Hmm, well I remember watching TV, and you sneaking off somewhere, but you did that all the time so I didn’t think much of it. Anyhow I just went back to watching, and then… huh, that’s weird,”
“What is?” Lucy inquired.
“Well I know more stuff happened. But it’s just, blank, I dunno what tell you it’s like someone took a chunk out of my brain or-” 
Suddenly, two synchronized screeches echoed down the hall, sending tremors throughout Lucy’s body.
“Uhm, Luna?” Lucy began, glancing back at Luna, frozen solid, every part of her trembling as if she were on cocaine. Her head ratcheting toward Lucy, her bulging bloodshot eyes glaring at poor Lucy. 
Whom stood paralyzied at the sight of Luna, steadily raising her trembling arms at Lucy. “You?” She uttered, leaving Lucy further perplexed as Luna began stomping towards her. Clutching Lucy’s arms with all her might, raising her off the ground like a ragdoll. “How do I know you?! Why do I know you!?!” Luna roared in primal fear.
“L-Luna what are you-”
“Stop calling that Lucy, that’s not me right now! It’s not! You should know that!” She bellowed. 
“Luna stop, you’re acting insane!”
“No! Listen to me! I, am not, her! I’m not supposed to BE HERE!” 
“W-well then who are you!?”
“Diane! I'm Diane…” Diane wept, letting go of Lucy as she collapsed to the ground, curling up in a ball of tears. 
“Diane, huh? So are you like uh, split personality? Or something-”
“No…” Diane growled. “I am not her personality, I am me! A person! I thought at least you could understand,” Diane moaned.
“I-it’s okay, Diane, we’ll figure this out together,” Lucy comforted, placing a comforting hand on Diane’s shoulder. Only for another synchronized screech to scare Lucy stiff, but Diane didn’t waver. Not even when the sound of something big, squirming towards them rapidly.
“Diane, we have to go, now Diane, Diane? Are you even listening?!” Lucy hollered, as Diane just sat there, unresponsive, her lifeless eyes blinking blankly. When all of a sudden, she looked up to Lucy, shaking her head in confusion. 
“Okay, what just happened?” Luna began. 
But before Lucy could answer, the beast within the darkness slithered forth. Revealing its body to be that of Lana and Lola, only, conjoined. Several pairs of arms jutting all over the creature’s near pitch black body, swaying and slashing mid-air. And it’s white glowing eyes sunken by darkness. And it’s teeth? Monstrous, truly monstrous…
It slowly crawled forward, trailing small amounts of flesh and rotten blood doing so. And as it neared the two shaking sisters, it put a large, demented smile on it's deformed face. "lUcY!" the creature called out, coughing up large amounts of blood as it's lips, or lack thereof moved. The monster giggled as it grabbed Lucy with it's many hands, yanking her upwards, tossing her inside it's large gaping mouth. It then shut it's massive jaw, attempting not to swallow the squirming Lucy inside. "l-Le-t-Ts Pl-Ay!" the creature roared, slowly babbling towards the bathrooms exit, laughing as it tossed and turned Lucy inside it's disgusting mouth.
Category:The Loud House
Category:TV
Category:Cancelled
Category:Lost Episodes
Category:Episode