Fear Itself

  # # #

  Deadguy looked over this bald man for a moment. “Wait, how can I be afraid of you if I don't know who you are,” he questioned. “My friends aren't dead. I don't even know who that girl is, but I'm pretty sure she's not dead. This fire isn't real. You're not real. This is some mind fuck someone made up to screw with me. Well, ya know what? I'm done. I'm not going to hide away from something when I don't even know what I'm suppose to be afraid of.” He slapped his chest. “I'm Deadguy, the Man Without Fear. Wait, no, we can't use that one.” He thought for a moment. “Nevermind, I'll come up with a new title later. Right now, all I have to say is Bye Felicia.”

  Our Hero turned to see a door sitting out in the middle of the parking lot. “Oh look, and my ride's here too.” He walked through to find a small room with grating for a floor and rusted walls. “Or it could be out of the frying pan and into the fire.”

  He took a few steps as the door opened again. He spun around to see Jill walk out. “Deadguy,” she said, shocked.

  He held his arms out. “Who else?”

  “Nothing, just...I just had to deal with an angry Valk and an angry mother,” she explained.

  “Was it your mother?”

  “Jill-sama,” a cute voice exclaimed. Jill and Deadguy turned to see Kiri bound out of the door and collision-hug their boss.

  “IwassoscaredandIthoughtIkilledyouguysbecauseIthoughtIwasbeingattackedandIloveyouguyssososomuchand...”the rest faded off into rambling as Kiri buried her face into Jill's chest.

  “Breath Kiri,” Jill replied. “It's okay...are you nuzzling my boobs?”

  “So soft,” she purred.

  Our Hero started laughing.

  “Okay, Jill stated, pulling the Techie off. “That's enough of that.”

  Valkadaidan was the last out. He took a few steps, then stopped. He looked over each of the Heroes. “You alright, Valkster,” DG asked.

  Eternity passed. “Fine,” he said with a low growl.

  “Okay, the gang's all hear. Now what?”

  “Congratulations, Heroes,” a voice from the deepest depths of nightmare said. The voice was all around them. Through them. Inside their heads.

  “Anyone else freaked out,” Deadguy asked.

  “A little,” Kiri replied.

  “You may have passed the first challenge, but many more await you before this night is done,” it hissed. “By dawn, all of you will become my prisoners.”

  “Why do villains do this,” Deadguy questioned.

  Kiri suddenly disappeared. Jill was next, followed by Deadguy and finally Valk.

  Jill awoke, her mind still reeling. She quickly looked at her phone. It was 2:40. It suddenly rang. Kiri's smiling face stared back at her. “Hello, Kiri,” she answered, her voice a bit groggy.

  “I had a bad dream,” a child-like voice replied. Jill sat up in bed, wide awake.

  “Did it involve a round room full of doors and you killing us,” she asked.

  There was a pause. “How did you know,” Kiri questioned.

  “I had the same dream but-” There was a beep. Jill looked at her phone to see Deadguy's picture. “Hold on.” She switched lines. “Yes?”

  “You okay Jill,” Our Hero asked.

  “I'm fine. Why?”

  “No reason. Well, nothing spectacular. Just had this weird dream that we were all in this round room surrounded by doors and-”

  “Hold up,” Jill interrupted. “You had that nightmare too?”

  “Too?” There was silence. “Boss, I don't think that was a dream.”

  “Meet up at the office,” she said. “We'll figure it out there.”

  Valkadaidan awoke from his meditation. That nightmare. No, not a nightmare. He was way too old to be afraid of anything. That was an attack, like the ones before. He smelled coffee. A very distinct type of coffee. It was coming from the direction of the Office. He suddenly felt like he needed a cup.