Halloween (Patreon)

Art is by Paintfox

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVZTMyQ3SsU

October 2019

They can't touch you, they can't hurt you... at least not in the physical way. Mentally it's a different story, which makes sense because all of this is mental. I was messed up waaaay before the thing that I saw in my trailer, which might explain why I saw it. But it was me continuing to see it that traumatized me; I never knew when I was going home to an empty trailer, or a trailer with a raincoat monster inside. Eventually I was able to realize that it didn't really notice me, I guess. The first time it definitely wanted to make its presence known to me. These days, it just kind of pops up every now and then, and it's really just a cardboard cutout of a spooky character from a horror movie. Yeah, it's still startling when it's at the foot of your bed at 2 AM, but you learn to live with it.

Soon the cardboard raincoat monster with claws became a man who would walk around our kitchen. He was angry, cursing, throwing stuff around, but I was okay with all of it, because he NEVER noticed me. I couldn't say the same about the next thing though, and that was another flat-faced creature, but this one moved around on all fours with its elbows and legs at an angle like a spider. He would crawl onto my bed, over my face, whisper things at me. That's when it really became hard, and things finally broke down after the first time I tried ketamine.

For most of my teenage years, I was a weed and opioid kind of guy. Not like heroin, or anything, but a pill every now and then to go with the weed so I could really chill. My friend, well, he loved stuff that was a bit more intense, stuff that REALLY made you feel something, or nothing at all, which is what he promised me before I took it. You'll feel nothing but calm. And then while i was sitting in my friend's living room (he had an actual house), a bear broke through the window. He had on a ski mask and he had a gun, and I screamed, and I ran, and... I called 911. And of course it wasn't real. I was so out of it, actually, that I thought I as watching someone else do all of that.

 I'm not friends with that guy anymore, but it was a turning point for me. I knew drugs made these hallucinations worse. I knew that the longer I stayed in one place, the more they appeared. and I knew they weren't real. I knew because why was there a creature with foot-long claws in a raincoat and 10 feet tall? Well, I'm going to bet such a thing never existed in that trailer. I'm going to bet nothing like it ever existed at all. I created it, and it follows me, and i ignore it, even though it's starting to get weirdly insistent...

"You alright, babe?" Dev, somehow, already has his shirt off.

"Little eager, huh?" I don't answer the question as I slide my shirt over my head and immediately Dev's paws go to feeling out my sides. He's a little buzzed, so I don't think this is really going anywhere. We just wanted to get away from the party, and after walking around the little forest next to the house (Dev was looking for orbs, or something) we went back in the car, waiting for Jason to come out so we can leave.Hopefully soon because this thing... it stands outside the window. It's aware of us. I don't like that, even to this day.

"Is there someone out there, or something?" Dev looks behind us, right at the creature, and a chill runs down my back as he stares face-to-face with it, the thing grinning at him with its sharp teeth, stooped over deeply because it's too tall. But, as usual, Dev doesn't react. That's because he's normal.

"Are you seeing things again, Cam? Just because you told me it stopped doesn't mean it might not come back."

You'd really like that, wouldn't you?

"Nope! Things are ghost-free."

"Well, whatever YOU think they are. Are you seeing things again?"

I sigh deeply. "I mean, it never goes away. It's just better sometimes compared to other times."

Dev rubs his bare arm, his big chest heaving, then shuddering as I run my paws up his pecs, squeezing them.

"I don't wan to get you upset, but..."

I close my eyes, waiting to be upset. He already knows I don't like him treating me like I'm some psychic. I'm just a stupid kid that sees horrible, useless, things.

"...But would you at least tell me if you see something that might... be important to me."

I blink, thinking, then realize what, or rather who, he's talking about. "Oh! Well, yeah, of course I would. It's just that I don't really see people. Just things. And not good things."

Dev has gone a bit quiet as I rub down his stomach, playing with the fur and the thick layers that come naturally to bears, something that I like. I feel weird doing this while waiting for our friend. I mean, it's our car, but we're both 25 and acting like it just can't wait, we gotta do this before we go home.

Usually Dev just liked to be intimate like this, where he can just feel me, but he only grunts as I tentatively open his fly. He doesn't stop me, so I keep going,

"Well, you know I was supposed to visit Echo today, but Larry had some problems, or whatever, so now we're at this shitty party, and it's gonna be months before I have a chance again."

I shrug, wanting to keep the conversation light. "I've seen worse... Parties, I mean."

"Next time I'm not bringing Larry, it's just gonna be me and whoever else wants to go."

I nod for him to go on, Dev sighs in a frustrated way that has his chest expanding against me again. He pulls my paws from his crotch and he holds me, just pressing out bodies together.

"Obviously, I want you to go, but I don't want you to feel like some kind of tool, or something I'm just using. I think it could be a good experience for all of us.”

I stare back at him. "Didn't like, ten people die, or something?"

"Well not that, but how things will change if we see something."

"And what does that mean?"

"That... there's something more, there's somewhere to go after we die."

I think hard, trying to choose my words carefully, "but how do we know that? Seeing something doesn't really mean anything. I've learned that over time."

"Just--" Dev sighs, not really annoyed, just tired, probably having a hard time thinking straight on the alcohol.

"I just need your help for a few days. I wanna know, I need to know where she is."

Nowhere. She's dead, so she's nowhere. I'm sorry.

I don’t want to do this. It’s such a bad idea, but this is important for Dev, it always has been, so now that he's finally asking me to go, I can only say:

"Of course." 

He grins and lets out a breath, like he's relieved. I had no idea he was this tense about it, though I guess my reactions to previous comments about the town told him I wasn't exactly a fan of going, but I can stand a few days of discomfort if Dev finds his answer, which I really, really hope he does.

"Thank you."

"No problem, man." I try not to jump, because just as I said that, for the first time in my life, I see cardboard creature move.

The first demo of Arches will be released in March 2021