The Awakening

[Niezck]

It was building up inside of him, he couldn't stop it. The voices ... they were too strong. His head felt like it was going to explode. He had to control it ... He just had to.

*** *We* are taking control***

“No! Shut up! Just leave me alone!” He shouted out loud, the room full of people immediately turned round, puzzled looks upon their faces.

Edd came closer.

“Man, you look like crap. I think you should go home.” He was watching the reactions of the other party-goers out of the corners of his eyes. He couldn't have Arnold making such a scene ...

“Maybe you're right, I haven't been sleeping too well recently and work has just got on t-” Desperation gripped his voice, he really needed a break.

“I know, I know. Go on, call a taxi and head on home.” Edd interrupted.

*** *We* bring the *light* ***

”Gah! I can't ... Get it out of my head! It's like there's another voice in there man, you couldn't understand. I'm fighting for my own thoughts! It's ... Oh, nevermind ... I'll leave.” Arnold had no idea what to do, this had never happened before. All of his searches on the neural net had been blocked by the Federal Police. What could it be?

[Niezck]

The streets were dimly lit, the lamps overhead struggling to cope with the darkness. Arnold's taxi hadn't turned up. It was a weekend, what did he expect? No doubt they were all in the city centre ferrying people to and from parties.

*** *Arnold* is weak ***

He tried to suppress his thoughts, yet he couldn't. These weren't his own thoughts. There was a second voice in his head, a much darker voice. It cried out to him of being brought to the light and being saved. Normal people didn't have voices in their heads ... He had to block it out.

*** *We* shall cleanse the *darkness* ***

No we, err ... I, won't! He had to check himself. Damn, this thing was really getting under his skin now. A nice long sleep should do it, yeah, that'll sort it out. He's just tired, hallucinations and all. Re-assuring himself was the only thing he could do.

It was only a couple of miles to go until he reached his apartment, not long now. The streets were somewhat empty, most people were either inside with their families, working or in the town centre partying. There was a businessman walking quickly towards him. He was clearly in a hurry to get somewhere.

The man looked up.

Oh ... G*d! Please, don't hurt me! Take all you want, just don't hurt me!!! He was screaming in fear at this point. Arnold was utterly confused.

[Niezck]

What? Why? I'm not going to hurt you!

Your ... your eyes! The man threw his briefcase at Arnold and ran, he ran with every ounce of strength he had left. His scream was almost unearthly, such dread gripped him as to abandon all hope.

*** *They* fear *us* ... *They* are *darkness* ***

Arnold tried to cope with the voices, but they were getting louder, stronger, more frequent. He HAD to get some sleep. The journey home was quiet after that, not a soul to be found. His apartment was as untidy as ever; paper and clothes strewn all over the floor. Arnold released a sigh.

We've gotta clear this crap up tomorrow ... Isn't that gonna' be fun?. He felt as though he was speaking to somebody. As if there was another being there, listening to his every word.

Looks like it's off to sleep then ...

[Niezck]

*** *We* are the light ***

There was a sudden flash of brilliant white light before dissipating into the eternal black.

*** *We* will *cleanse* ***

The image of a Nomad world flashed before Arnold's eyes. His mind was filled with the mindshare for a split second. He knew.

*** *We* are one ***

Arnold awoke. That was one hell of a dream. He knew now. He knew so very much. Yet, he felt wrong. What he should do was wrong, totally wrong. It'd take away his humanity what he had left atleast.

I ... can't. He muttered to himself, almost afraid of angering it.

*** *We* will ***

I won't. I just won- He broke off mid-sentence as he felt movement inside of him. What the f**k?

[Niezck]

*** Do not resist ***

Arnold felt a sudden shift inside of him, something moving up through his back, adjacent to his spinal cord. It carried on going until it reached what felt like his neck, the base of.

”What the-” He was getting alarmed now, this thing was not normal, and he definitely wasn't dreaming. He reached round to his back, nothing. He felt nothing out of the ordinary yet ... he knew it was there. His arm flicked forwards, no longer under his control.

”We are one”

”No! Get ... out of me!” The struggle continued. Arnold was fighting desperately for his own body, his own mind, his life.

”Do not resist” It repeated this over and over, fighting for control.

He'd fallen on the floor now, all muscle control gone. The struggle was over his mind ... for now.

[Niezck]

His mind was a battlefield. Thoughts, emotions, pleasures, pains - they were all being hurled back and forth. Control was key. One second Arnold had it, the next this thing had it. His entire body was twitching and convulsing as though possessed. Well, he was.

*** *This body* is *ours* ***

They were demanding now, almost angry. He felt it, the anger, it was boiling inside of him. This thing was compelling him to release it, to embrace it. Each and every time he saw his friends, his family, any other Rheinlander in fact, he had to use every ounce of his willpower to force it below the surface.

If he could just ... Darkness. His mind entered the void of nothingness, total lack of being. He wandered through the vacuum for what seemed like years, centuries even. More than his mind could handle. It had control.

[Niezck]

Arnold awoke with a start. His head hurt. It hurt a lot. Feeling his forehead, it was wet. Blood.

"Oh man ..."

It felt like a starflier rammed into him.

*** *We* are victorious ***

He couldn't control himself. Hands on the floor, he was pushing himself up. One foot in front of the other. He was walking towards the door? One foot in front of the other. Arnold wasn't Arnold.