A big chapter but it's an important one. There will be a trigger warning for heavy gore so watch out for that. Enjoy.

It was just a normal day.

Anti got out of bed. Had another nightmare. Big deal. What was new?

His sheets got bloody again and he had the red burning embarrassing feeling shoot up his spine to his face. What if they see it again and make fun of him for it?

Jackie and Marvin's jokes were lame but they still dug into him under his skin.

Chase was always okay with it but Anti could tell it freaked him AND Jameson out a little.

The only one that treated it like a normal thing was Schneep. Of course. Why wouldn't he? He's seen blood way more than anyone else in this house ever has. Besides Anti of course.

He'd just suggest good ways of getting the stains out and offer him new ones until his own were clean. Apparently Hydrogen Peroxide can get blood stains out easily.

Anti was still nervous about going downstairs, though.

He had the dream again that he killed them all. Of course he'd never do that, though. Every time he dreamed about it, he felt sick to his stomach. And yet the itch was satisfied momentarily.

He honestly didn't know what to feel. And he couldn't just tell THEM about it.

Things were just starting to look up.

Chase had been summoned out of Sean's head for a video, Jackie had apologized to him the other night for saying all that mean stuff, they all had a bon fire the night before and welcomed Anti into it with them.

They had been doing good.

Anti made his way downstairs with the bloody sheets.

Only this time, there was no one right away to greet him.

'Good. That means I could just sneak off into the laundry room and-'

"BOO!"

Anti glitched, flinching for a mad second before turning sharply to meet Chase.

The father had a bright grin on his face and his nerf gun in his hands, "Gotcha! It's about time I got you back for all the times you jumpscare ME!" He shot Anti playfully with a foam bullet.

Anti relaxed considerably but gave a rough pout, "Fucking idiot! I could have killed you!"

"Aw, no you wouldn't have!" Chase shot him again with another foam bullet, "You're a softie at heart and you know it!"

Before Anti could retort, Jackie bolted out from behind the couch and shot Chase with a foam bullet, "Hahah! That'll teach ya to let your guard down!"

"Aw no fair! I was talking to Anti!"

Jackie swerved his nerf gun towards Anti and shot him, "And you for good measure!"

Anti growled dangerously, "If anyone else shoots me with these stupid things, they're getting them SHOVED UP THEIR ASS!"

"Kinky" Marvin came out of the kitchen playing with some cards, his coffee mug levitating in the air.

"Oh great, now everyone's here" Anti rolled his eyes.

"Why's that such a bad thing?" Jackie taunted him, "Afraid we'll make fun of you for being on your period again?"

"FUCK OFF, YA DISCOUNT ROBINHOOD!"

"TAKE THAT BACK, GLITCH BITCH!" Jackie yelled back, "You know I don't like that name!"

"And you know I don't like being called Glitch-bitch! And stop fucking teasing me about something I can't fooking control! IT'S NOT MY FAULT YOUR PRECIOUS SEAN MADE ME THIS WAY!"

"O-kay! Okay!" Henrik walked in quickly from eavesdropping and turned Anti away from the situation, leading him off, "Follow me, quickly, quickly"

Anti growled but followed the doctor nonetheless, "Fooking assholes" he mumbled to himself.

"Easy there" Henrik took his bloody sheets from him as they came to the laundry room, "You know we're all-"

"On edge?" Anti finished, glaring at him, "We've been 'on edge' for years by now."

"Sean doesn't like to take us all out at once anymore" the doctor shrugged, "And I can't really blame him"

Anti watched blankly as the doctor put in the stain removal for the blood. Watching it drip in the washer . . . thick and almost slimy. Like blood.

He swallowed hard, "Because of me"

"Well-"

Anti grit his teeth, "Just say it, doc! Stop fooking trying to get on my good side and just tell me the fooking truth! Don't ya think I don't know it!?"

"Anti-"

He took out his knife and put it to the doctor's throat, "THE REASON WE'RE ALL TRAPPED HERE IS BECAUSE OF ME! BECAUSE I 'MADE THINGS DIFFICULT'! HE CAN'T HANDLE US ALL AT ONCE ESPECIALLY IF I'M THERE BUT IF I'M NOT THERE IT WOULDN'T BE FAIR, WOULD IT?!"

Suddenly a color contrast hit Anit's eyes and he saw red on Henrik's skin. Jumping back, he saw he had pressed a little too hard on the doctor's throat when yelling at him.

"CUH! HUGH! ACK!" Henrik coughed, holding his throat. Did Anti accidentally choke him a little, too?

The doctor was about to say something to him when Anti heard someone gasp behind him.

"ANTI! WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO!?"

Anti turned to face Chase.

He looked so disappointed in him.

"I. . . I-"

Henrik cleared his throat, "It vasn't his f-fault!"

Anti turned sharply back to Henrik who was feverishly wrapping his neck up with some gauze he already had in his pockets. The doc was always ready for anything.

"What?" Chase was confused but Henrik explained.

Anti wasn't really listening.

He had hurt Henrik. On purpose. Cut his skin open, letting blood flow outside of his body.

Of course it terrified Anti but not for the reason Chase was thinking now.

To Anti . . .

It had felt so good.

His itch. . .

It was gone.

After explaining how it had been his fault, Henrik put Chase at ease and led them all out of the laundry room. Henrik slipped by the others in the living room, leaving Chase and Anti behind.

Anti was still in a weird mindset when he came back downstairs with a turtle neck on to cover the wound.

Anti didn't like that for some reason, though.

He wanted to see it.

Shaking his head, he cut those thoughts away, 'Stop thinking like that. It's weird. You didn't want to hurt Schneep'

He didn't know why but Anti stayed in the living room with them all. Jameson had come down shortly after, ready to mingle with everyone.

Anti hated it.

Then why did he stay?

They were all so noisy.

So loud.

And yet he wanted to stay near them all.

No. Henrik.

If only to sneak a peek at his wound again.

No, that's not right. The bonfire was nice last night, right? He wanted to be around all of them.

And Jackie had been nice to him last night, too, right?

'But he just tried to make fun of me again a little bit ago'

He was just messing around like always.

Anti felt that itch crawl under his skin again.

So many noises.

Their voices made him want to slice ALL their throats.

'No, you wouldn't do that'

Wouldn't he?

"Hey I heard Sean might take us out again soon" Chase chuckled as Jackie tried a different defense shield with the chair, "Maybe you'll be next, Jackie!"

"Yeah right!" the hero shouted, pouncing up just a little to shoo the nerf bullet at him only to miss.

"Man, you really suck at this!"

"Bet ya I'm better with real guns!"

Marvin groaned," We are NOT doing that again! The last time you two got into a competition like that, Jackie put bullets through my window!"

"It was an accident!"

Jameson tapped his black shoes on the hardwood floor, listening to music loudly on the old ipod Chase gave him.

Anti could hear it clear over from where he was sitting.

"And I really do not vant to patch up any of your bullet wounds should you decide to aim zhe guns at each other!"

"Come on, Doc" Chase whined, "Give us SOME credit!"

"Anti, you are bleeding on zhe carpet, my friend"

The glitch blinked, looking down.

He was right.

How silly he didn't realize.

"Ah fucking hell, Anti!" Jackie yelled at him, "What the hell's you're problem!? That's disgusting!"

"Hey stop, Jackie! He can't help it"

"Always on his side, aren't you Chase?! Look at him! He isn't even sorry!"

'Why should I be?'

Anti wiped the blood from his neck on his hand, ignoring the slight sting. He look at how much collected in his palm. There was more than usual.

It reminded him of Henrik's blood.

Anti felt a smile forming on his face. Why was he smiling?

"The hell are you smiling about, you freak!?"

'Freak'

Anti felt like millions of ants were running up and down his body. It was such a strong feeling.

His breathing picked up and he couldn't tell if he was excited or terrified.

"Anti?"

Was that Chase's voice?

Always so concerned.

He felt tears fall down his cheeks.

Marvin's cards were loud.

Jameson couldn't even hear what was going on and Anti could still hear the music playing.

He could hear their loud heartbeats

Suddenly Marvin lost control over his card trick spell and all the cards flung across the floor.

Jameson saw it happen and he turned off the music, 'Are you alright, friend?' he asked Marvin and then he saw Anti and everyone staring at said glitch.

To them, they could see Anti grinning and crying. He was glitching like crazy and the sound of static was coming off of him.

"Anti?" that was Jackie's voice. He sounded a little calmer, "Take it easy, man. Just calm down. You're having an episode"

Henrik stood up and tried to venture a little closer to him, "Are you feeling unwell? Perhaps you should take a na-"

Suddenly blood sprayed across the room.

Trigger warning starts here. Heavy gore and although pertinent to the story, can be skipped if you wish

Anti gripped his knife in his hand, shaking feverishly. Smiling without any intent of real joy like a madman.

Everyone watched in shock as Henrik dropped to the floor on his back sputtering and gushing blood from his throat.

"He-HENRIK!" Chase bolted for him, trying to apply pressure to the wound. But it was too deep and Anti had appeared to have slashed an artery in half.

Chase tried his best to think of something. ANYTHING.

But it was too late.

"Wh. . . why?" Chase looked up to Anti only to see that insane grin again.

The same as years ago.

Only this time . . .they didn't have their doctor to save them.

"NO!" Jackie broke out of his shock and lunged for Anti but he was ready and slashed the knife across his belly, watching as his intestines showed.

Jackie fell to his knees, holding his stomach, trying to keep his organs in.

Anti just pat his head nicely. He was no longer in control over himself.

Jackie fell to the floor weakly, watching as Anti moved to the next victim.

Marvin tried to reason with him, though, "Anti! Stop it! Can't you see what you're doing!? Snap out of it!"

He threw a curse at him to try and at least knock him out but Anti glitched out of the way only to appear in front of the magician.

"Anti please-"

He hit him in the head with the blunt of his knife, cracking his mask into pieces.

"AaaaahhHH!!!!" Marvin tried to block his face away from Anti further but he gripped his hair and slammed his head into the corner of the coffee table, knocking him out.

Jameson pleaded with him, signing helplessly but he couldn't do anything as Anti stabbed him and knocked him out as well.

When he turned towards Chase, the father couldn't understand it.

Anti was crying . . . and smiling at the same time.

Why?

Did he want this all along? Were those tears of joy?

Or was he terrified of himself? Did he not want this? Was he not in control?

Did hurting Henrik earlier set him off somehow?

"A-anti . . ." Chase tried to speak to him, ". . . It's not your fault . . . .Please . . .. C-come back to us. . . w-we can still"

Anti came so close to him until he was nose to nose with him, "Stay . . .. still . . . . .puppet"

Chase gaped at him but had no time when Anti stabbed him.

Trigger end

They were all unconscious.

Henrik was dead.

The others close to death.

And yet Anti still felt so high.

So much more blissful than he had EVER felt before.

It felt like a dream.

Just like his nightmares had come to life.

Was this really what he wanted, though?

Jackie was next on the hit list. Anti wanted to take him time, though. He had haphazardly stitched Jackie's belly closed and tied him up.

It didn't matter how much Jackie begged and apologized, Anti didn't seem to care.

On the inside, he wanted to stop. He really did. But he just COULDN'T.

It felt too good. Like his own justice was being served. Like he could just soar out of Sean's head for good and he'd live forever.

Trigger warning

"Please . . . . Anti . . I'm sorry"

Those were Jackie's last words before Anti cut open his stomach again, lashed him and gauged out his eyes.

He had made the others left remaining watch.

Marvin was next and his death wasn't pleasant but it WAS quick. Anti had a machete and sliced off the whole front of his face and stabbed him directly in the heart. He even decorated his bloody head with pieces of his crushed mask.

He giggled so much while doing it.

It was obvious that a part of him was having fun.

Chase was barely awake but it was still horrifying to see. Anti moved on to Jameson next and stabbed him in his limbs, poking holes into his body. He broke his joints and bones and made Chase watch as he held Jameson up like a lifeless marionette, giving him a show before ending Jameson's life completely.

Trigger end

When Chase woke up again, he was outside.

There was a fire.

And he could smell something awful.

'Oh god'

Anti was burning the bodies, laughing and dancing around playfully.

Until he saw Chase was awake.

He came over and picked his head up by his hair, "Are you ready?" he laughed at him.

"Anti . . . . I know this isn't . . . you . . . . . I . . . . I should have . . . talk to you . . .more"

Anti's facial features didn't change. It was as if he hadn't actually heard him.

Chase cried, "I'm sorry, Anti . . "

Little did he know, Chase had his gun in his back pants this whole time and pulled it out, shooting him.

'BANG! BANG! BANG!'

Anti stumbled back Chase was out of bullets.

And he hadn't hurt him at all. Anti had glitched just right to where the bullets had gone straight through him.

"IS THAT HOW YOU WANNA PLAY?!" Anti lunged for Chase.

Chase didn't have time to think anymore as Anti buried his knife deep into his gut repeatedly.

Even after Chase was dead.

Anti didn't care. He gauged out HIS eyes as well and sliced up his body like some art piece.

Then threw his body into the fire, putting his hat on for himself, laughing all the while.

Until . . . . . . .

It was so quiet.

So quiet.

So much blood on him, most of it not his own.

'Wait'

It was like he had come up from being drowned under water.

'What . . . .'

He turned towards the fire that was roaring and saw a hand poking through the flames.

'No. . . no, I-'

But deep inside he knew. . . . .

He knew what he had done.

As if in sudden realization, Anti shouted and lunged for the fire. He did all he could. He put the fire out.

He pulled their bodies out of the fire.

He tried to wash off the burnt skin. They'd come back to life, right? He had killed some of them before-

He had never killed the doctor before.

He tried stitching their stab wounds back up. Tried shaking them awake.

Screaming at them to wake up.

He tried screaming to Sean for help.

He was in complete denial at what he had done.

'They'll come back . ..they always come back'

But as those hopeful thoughts raced through his head, he knew the truth.

He buried them in the front yard.

When he was done, he took the remains of their clothes and put them in a box.

Then he took them up to the attic.

They were still bloody. He was still bloody.

From the attic window, he could see their graves clear as day.

A perfect reminder of the horrors he had committed.

'They'll come back' the denial was still heavy in his heart.

'They just left to do a project with Sean'

He couldn't see it any other way. Of course they'd leave him and not say a word.

'I wonder how long they'll be gone?'

"̷̡̩̳̫̼̮͉̞̙̎̓͊̀̈́͂̆̋̓̊͆̉̈͗Ā̵̹̘̩̤̥̻̥̣̗̯̳͒͝ͅͅa̵̛̟̥͒̋̓̋̽́̏̀̓͛͗̌͌̕ã̷̧̨͚̹͔̦̳̺̳̟͉̩̮̝̔̓̌́̔͜a̷̖̮̘̫͔̩̹̖̺͕͔̳̿̐̓͌̄̂̍ą̶͔͍̏̋̈́͆͑̌͆͆̔͒̊͊͝ą̶̢̢̬͇̣̼͈̩͉͔͖̀̕a̴̳̲̥̱̠̯̣͖̤̙̟̻̤͊ͅà̷̢̟̺̬̂̓̽̀͘ͅȁ̷̡̭̪̹̯͖̘̯̝̰̯͉͊̉̓̔̈́̃́̈́ä̵̡̧̟͇͇͚̣̝̰̦̟́́̋͌͑a̵̺̭͎͗̆ầ̵̡͎͉̻͖̹̲̗͔̖̈́̉͗ȧ̶̢̨̛̬̤̰̳̼̹̥̱̠̯̪̻̒̾̀̊̓̊̎́͠͝ͅâ̶̪̬̟͎̾͌̌̌̂̌́͊̓̋̒a̶̡͇͈̻̾̓̀̏ḁ̷̛̝̤̭̝͈̠͇͓͔̪̤̦̾̿͋̀͑̅̽͂̕͠ă̷̜̩̬̪̜͖̝̼̠̜͑͌͊̑̑͘̕á̶̰̺̲͉̺͙̤̟̱͔̄̈̏͝ą̷̡̛̥̼̞̩͍͐ͅŭ̶̙̮̣̺̞͖̰͉̠̬̮͙ű̵̢̧̖̬̯̼̟̀̐̊̿̅̊̐̔̓̍͝͝͝u̶̩͕͆̃͝ủ̸̢̻̯͎͙͕̹̟̮̖͈͍͌̄̔́͘͜u̴̡͖̬̦̻͊͌̏͘ṵ̸̲͙̮͓̪̘̭̈́̄̔̽̈́̾̏a̴̧͕͉̞̳͉̣̹̥̯̣̪̣̳̅͜ḧ̸̙̺͙͈͍̟̠̼̤̤͙͖͆̏͗̈́̒͜ͅh̴̲̎h̸̨̥͍̝̫̖͙̻̃̅̇̔́͗̓͆́̈́̚͜h̸̘̉̓̃́̿̎̍́ḩ̶̡͍̝̣̔̓͒̐́́͜͝ḩ̸̧͙̲̦̝̩̦͊̑͒́̈́̈́̋͐͂̀͑h̵̢̲͙̼̩̥͈̞̝͙̊͊ḩ̵̛͖̼̭̠̞̝̰̤̙̥̽̌͐͌̉͛͊̉̚ḧ̶̫̖̹̥͖͖̘͔́̾̊̊͒̀̉̋̌͛̓̆͌ͅh̵̛͕̋̌̿̆̅̅́̚͠͠h̶̡̛̥̯̖͇̙̩̜̹͔̓̋̓͌͊́̆̑͒͑͋͜h̶̨̨̧̹̫̫̺̫̜̺͈̟̪̘̤̾̇h̸̡̜̫̜̘̱̻̱̤̳̪͕̬̝̟̀g̶͚̮͇̾̔̈́̇̔̚͘h̸̡̢̡̛̺͖̪͉̬̙̼̱̿̍̄̓͒̈́͂̏̔̚͝͝h̵̨̼͌͂̔̇̂͋̈̓̌h̷̺̠̰̩͉̗̲͈̿̄̓͒͑̎̒̃̕͘͠h̸̗͈̩̘̠̖̝͆̒̍̏͗͆̏͑̽͆͆̇̔̈́͛h̷̨̨͖̞͉̙̟̠͍͔̝̉͑̎̓̋̏̊̓̚!̶̢͕͈̩̼̖̓͊̃̐̂̄̾̉̋͆̈ͅ!̶̣̭̯̭̎͑̓ͅ!̵̭͔̼̳̳̀͒̈́̇͠ͅ!̵̯̮̩̰̼̥͔̲̲͚̤͑͆̓̊̓͋͘͝!̶̡̜̻̳̠̠͍͈̞͔͔̹̪͖̈́̀͌̀̕!̸̨̨̜̱̭͓̤̖̫̍̅̇̽̂͊͆̃͋̈́̈́̓͛͜͜͝͝ͅ"̵̛̖̟͌̑̅̊̄̀͐̏̽͌̾̉̕͠

Anti remembered now.

His heart felt like it was being crushed like a piece of rotting fruit.

It hurt so much.

"No!" he fell to the ground, "It's not true! You're lying!"

Jackie's voice was all in his head, "You know that's not the case. Accept what you did. Accept what you are"

"No! I didn't mean to! I didn't-"

"You thought it was all a nightmare?" Jackie answered, "It wasn't. It was all too real, Anti. And this is your punishment"

"I. . . . But I didn't-" he couldn't stop the tears. He couldn't stop crying.

"I didn't mean to!"

"But you did it"

"̶̙̃̄Ä̷͓́̽͝a̵̙̦͎̩͐ḧ̸̞̞̥́̽͒̽͋ḥ̴̪̈́̒̇͛͂h̸̞͂͑̉̉̕ȟ̴̢̠̦̊̐ͅh̵͎̭̉h̸̛͇̦̞̘̎͛̅h̶͈̱͈͈͙͊͒h̴̨̰̬͒̂̽̾̚h̴͎͔͛̋̈́h̴̹̙̓̃̈́̈̏h̵̰̭͆̍̾ḥ̵̯͉͊h̵͔͖̞̒͜h̸̥͉͛̒́̋͘ḫ̴̪̼̊̑̐̊͗h̵̢̛̖͕h̵̡͙̮̙͍̀̌̒̄͛h̴̰͗͆̿́͝h̷̟̥̙͊͑!̶͇̉͒!̴̞̭̗̟͎́͛!̸̰̋!̵̲̘̥̅̇̚͜͜͝!̵͂͂͜͝"̵̙̤̂͂̎

Anti screamed again.

He held his head and stomach, nearly pulling out his hair in the process, hiccupping uncontrollably. He felt like he was going to puke.

He felt Jackie's hand on him but it was anything but comforting. Now that he knew it was all in his head. The last months . . . it was all a lie he had fabricated himself.

"You killed us"

Anti whined, sobbing, covering his face. He was an utter mess.

"I'm sorry"

Note: This is not the end of the book. There is still more to come 😈