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"There's not enough room in this forum for the two of us." FM slammed his emptied whisky glass down on the wooden counter. "Step outside, Grix......"
Grix eyed FM carefully. They'd known each other for a long time, but things had been gettin' a little strained lately."
"What's this about, FM," he demanded, making his way through the packed but hushed saloon and pushing the swinging doors outwards as he stepped onto the dusty ground outside.
"Well," replied FM, pushing open the doors again and following Grix outside into the hot, dry air, "You've bushwhacked one of my topics just one time too many. It's time we had this out. Mano a Mano. Poster to Poster."
Grix paused in his stride to think of a witty retort about FM's last comment, then decided that now was probably not the time.
"So, what's it to be? 10 paces, turn and fire?" asked Grix, making sure his gunbelt was fastened properly.
"You know me better than that, Grix. 30 paces." FM checked his gunbelt. The Smith and Wesson 6-shot revolver hung loosely at his right hip.
They stood back to back under the glare of the midday sun, and started to count.....
1....2....3....
The occupants of the saloon were packing the windows trying to get a glimpse of the showdown outside. This was unheard of. The last shootout in the town of Last Chance Reserve had been quite a time ago, when the Er-no posse had cleaned out the Desperate Dans, but this was different. Two equally matched opponents were about to face off.
Insane Bartender was going even more nuts behind the saloon's counter because he was losing good sales whilst all this was going on.
Outside, the count was at 25.... as FM glanced to his right and saw PB on the roof of the Red Splat Hotel and Boarding House, shotgun at hand. PB nodded with a knowing look. FM nodded back.
The count was 26.... as Grix looked across to the SR Saddlery, where he spied Sniper with his trusty Winchester Rifle. Grix gave a brief nod. Sniper returned it.
27....28...29..
Dust whirled up as both men spun to face each other. The blast of PB's shotgun firing both barrels broke the deafening silence that preceeded it, and a cloud of sand flew up at Grix's feet as the buckshot ploughed into the ground.
Grix drew his gun and took aim, FM was still drawing his because he was left handed and his belt was on the wrong way, Sniper fired his rifle, and there was a sharp report, then a clatter as PB dropped his shotgun and swandived off the roof of the hotel and landed in a horse trough.
FM grappled with his pistol, it had snagged in the holster, and he reminded himself to be more careful where he left his chewing gum.
Grix took pity. (No he didn't). Grix fired his gun. Fortunately, FM and done his research and Grix's eyesight wasn't as good as it should have been, and at 30 paces it was like trying to read a Wanted Poster through a mirage. Grix's first bullet flew out of town faster than a newbie Gameaday winner. He wasn't sure if he had hit FM or not, but then he heard FM pull back the hammer of his Smith and Wesson with a
*click*
Grix eyed FM carefully. They'd known each other for a long time, but things had been gettin' a little strained lately."
"What's this about, FM," he demanded, making his way through the packed but hushed saloon and pushing the swinging doors outwards as he stepped onto the dusty ground outside.
"Well," replied FM, pushing open the doors again and following Grix outside into the hot, dry air, "You've bushwhacked one of my topics just one time too many. It's time we had this out. Mano a Mano. Poster to Poster."
Grix paused in his stride to think of a witty retort about FM's last comment, then decided that now was probably not the time.
"So, what's it to be? 10 paces, turn and fire?" asked Grix, making sure his gunbelt was fastened properly.
"You know me better than that, Grix. 30 paces." FM checked his gunbelt. The Smith and Wesson 6-shot revolver hung loosely at his right hip.
They stood back to back under the glare of the midday sun, and started to count.....
1....2....3....
The occupants of the saloon were packing the windows trying to get a glimpse of the showdown outside. This was unheard of. The last shootout in the town of Last Chance Reserve had been quite a time ago, when the Er-no posse had cleaned out the Desperate Dans, but this was different. Two equally matched opponents were about to face off.
Insane Bartender was going even more nuts behind the saloon's counter because he was losing good sales whilst all this was going on.
Outside, the count was at 25.... as FM glanced to his right and saw PB on the roof of the Red Splat Hotel and Boarding House, shotgun at hand. PB nodded with a knowing look. FM nodded back.
The count was 26.... as Grix looked across to the SR Saddlery, where he spied Sniper with his trusty Winchester Rifle. Grix gave a brief nod. Sniper returned it.
27....28...29..
Dust whirled up as both men spun to face each other. The blast of PB's shotgun firing both barrels broke the deafening silence that preceeded it, and a cloud of sand flew up at Grix's feet as the buckshot ploughed into the ground.
Grix drew his gun and took aim, FM was still drawing his because he was left handed and his belt was on the wrong way, Sniper fired his rifle, and there was a sharp report, then a clatter as PB dropped his shotgun and swandived off the roof of the hotel and landed in a horse trough.
FM grappled with his pistol, it had snagged in the holster, and he reminded himself to be more careful where he left his chewing gum.
Grix took pity. (No he didn't). Grix fired his gun. Fortunately, FM and done his research and Grix's eyesight wasn't as good as it should have been, and at 30 paces it was like trying to read a Wanted Poster through a mirage. Grix's first bullet flew out of town faster than a newbie Gameaday winner. He wasn't sure if he had hit FM or not, but then he heard FM pull back the hammer of his Smith and Wesson with a
*click*
Page:
I'll read this one when it's on the site. It's the one I wasn't really in.
I was really unhappy with this ending... the story was so good, and the ending was more like a parp, than a true clash.
So, I'm writing a new ending. Bear with me, it's going to take a while. Just thought you'll like to know...
You know, I bet you could read the whole story again by the time I've wrote it... :0)
I can send you a word document to print out, if you want it. It's 120 pages long though.
So, I'm writing a new ending. Bear with me, it's going to take a while. Just thought you'll like to know...
You know, I bet you could read the whole story again by the time I've wrote it... :0)
I can send you a word document to print out, if you want it. It's 120 pages long though.
Story number four.
~~EPILOGUE~~
Grix opened his eyes.
Clouds.
Air.
Oxygen.
He was alive.
Grix's brain looked over him.
"Grix? You alive?"
Grix blinked a few times... he couldn't quite focus on his face...
"Yes... I think..."
"Thank God for that. I was getting worried."
Grix smiled... he knew that he could rely on his brain to help him... even though he insulted him constantly, he always knew, deep down, that he cared for him.
"Get up. I want to get this over and done with..."
Grix stood up... and noticed he was still wearing his black checkered shirt... and his black hat...
The second Grix sat in the sand, waiting.
"...What did you mean, get this over and done with?" Grix asked.
"Why the hell do you think you're alive?"
Grix thought about this.
"Did you retrieve my mind?"
"No... Not me, the sub-conscious. I've worked it all out."
"Hey?"
"Our mind is back in the body, thank God, so we can go and control it whenever we want."
"So why aren't you?" Grix asked, as he walked by Grix's brain's side to a large stone circle...
"Because we made a stupid agreement."
Grix thought about this again.
"What?"
"Because we said that we would fight it out, to see who would control the brain, neither of us could get control, because the three of us weren't here to fight for it. Bit crappy, really."
Grix stopped in his tracks. "...So our subconscious, bought me back to life, because we said that we would battle it out to control the body, and now you're going to try to kill me, so you can control the body after all."
"Spot on. Here's your gun."
"Ta."
"Did Masala die, by the way?"
"Yeah.”
-------------------------
It had been six days now... they were giving up hope. They were sure that the evil had been removed...
All still quite ill from being transfered back into their bodies by Ant, who had never actually entered Grix's mind, they watched the brain patterns of Grix…
"He's alive...” Said Pb. “But he seems... well..."
"Well what?"
"Brain dead."
"Does that make a change?”
“Not really. No.”
-----------------------------
Grix looked at his brain... It really had come to this.
He slowly moved backwards, and headed for a corner of the imaginary triangle… he pulled his black jacket back, and left his gun in a reachable position.
Grix’s brain stepped backwards as well… The second Grix kept his eyes wide, as he traced his steps back to the third corner of the triangle.
They stood apart.
Grix blinked. The second Grix slowly moved his left hand up, and rubbed his hair.
Grix’s brain breathed deeply. He moved his arm up slowly, and moved his hand up towards over his gun.
Grix looked away from his brain, and stared at Grix two. He couldn’t keep staring at him for long… and quickly looked back.
Grix’s brain stared at the second... He moved his arm, and hovered it in the air, over his revolver.
Grix’s brain had managed to reach over his gun now…
Grix was ready. All he needed to do now is wait for the first move.
Grix’s brain blinked. Why didn’t someone move!
The second Grix felt a bead of sweat drop from his face… he didn’t even know it was on his face…
Grix could hear the two others breathing… carbon dioxide leaving them… filling the air… surrounding them…
The trio stood apart.
Grix’s brain felt salvia creep in the back of his throat… he couldn’t do anything about it, he wanted to gulp, but he couldn’t… he was too afraid.
If someone didn’t move soon, thought the fighter, he was going to.
The watcher pushed his weight from his left foot to his right… and then moved, and spread his weight.
The thinker blinked again. He felt water in his eye… itching… he had to get to it…
He slowly lifted his arm up to scratch his eye… no movement from the others. He removed the pain, and gently moved his hand back down to his side…
Grix’s brain gulped.
The second Grix blinked.
Grix’s brain couldn’t remember if his gun was loaded… had he loaded it? What if the chamber over the hammer was empty?… Could he get another shot in…?
The second Grix was going to shoot Grix first. He was the one that had made his life a misery… the one who stole the show from his grasp… Why was he the SECOND Grix? HE was the one that was around first!
Grix tried to clear his mind of all thoughts… he was going to shoot the first one who moved… he would probably end up dead mind… but at least he would get one… well, at most.
Grix’s brain remembered loading his gun… but he couldn’t remember if he had fired any or not.
Would the second Grix be able to hit the brain in time? He knew Grix, and he would definitely try to shoot him, first… Grix was like that…
Grix’s brain blinked again… the sun was drying his eyes quickly… painfully, he blinked again… the sun shone in the bleak distance, waiting for the dead, before it would rest…
Grix two moved his arm slightly…
Grix immediately swung his head towards him… nothing. He wasn’t moving.
The brain didn’t see Grix moving… He looked back at Grix… he blinked, and twitched his nose.
He would move… he would raise his gun… Now… he was going to kill him… …No. Not yet, he couldn’t. The second just couldn’t.
The brain’s arm was getting tired… he didn’t have the strength for this…
Grix looked back at the second Grix… he could see his eyes squinting in the bright light… reflecting from the white like sand.
Grix’s brain was scared… he didn’t think that he could win this now… He didn’t want to die.
Grix looked quickly back at his brain… and went back to staring at the second Grix.
Two moved his foot slightly… and moved his fingers.
The circulation in Grix’s hand was making his fingers cold… cold and tense… he moved them, and the blood flowed. He made a small fist… and opened his fingers again. He lay his hand in the thick air.
Grix’s brain blinked, and accepted his fate. He closed his eyes…
Grix looked away from the second… and noticed that his brain’s eyes were closed… what was he doing?
The second still stared at Grix… the black hat over Grix’s eyes hid where he was looking… but he could feel his eye’s staring… poking and stabbing his body a thousand times over.
Grix’s brain opened his eyes, and moved his fingers.
Grix breathed, and looked back at the second Grix.
Grix’s brain moved his hand slightly… and his index finger touched the handle of his gun… he flinched at the cold metal... No one saw.
The second Grix looked back over at the brain… he could easily shoot him before he got a chance at Grix… but if he got the first shot in…
Grix closed his eyes… he saw clouds before him… clouds on the way to heaven…
Grix’s brain stared at the second… he would kill him. Even if the bullet had been swallowed by his heart and it had began the quick process of moving the blood from his own body… he would kill him…
Grix saw three people… all standing together…
The second blinked.
The brain widened his eyes. He looked over to Grix.
The second looked at the brain.
The three people began to speak to Grix…
The brain blinked again, and looked at Grix, and then looked back… a bead of sweat dripped from his brow.
The second Grix slowly moved his hand…
The three people spoke in unison.
Grix’s brain began to breathe heavier…
“We are many…”
The second looked back over to the brain… another bead of sweat dripped from him.
Grix’s brain stared right back, and forced his eyes to stay open.
The fighter blinked, and looked back at the thinker.
“We are powerful as one…”
The fighter felt his hand slightly on his gun.
The watcher’s eyes dried… his vision was blurred.
“We are… Theralasa…”
The watcher blinked… He looked at the fighter…
The second Grix slowly moved his hand over his gun…
Grix opened his eyes.
The second Grix drew his gun, and fired.
Grix drew… he fired… but no bullet came out!
Grix’s brain fired. The fighter fell...
Grix’s brain fired again.
And again…
He walked… he aimed again, and fired. And again.
He pulled the trigger once more… nothing came out. There was a bullet missing after all.
“Your hatred for him was quite immense… wasn’t it?” Grix said quietly…
Grix’s brain walked over to the body of the second… and thought about reloading…
“Do you know who hard it would have been, without you?”
Grix thought to himself again. Grix’s brain stood over the body… yes, he would be missed. But perhaps it was for the best.
“You can have the body Grix. I like it where I am. Company, or no company…”
Grix stood over his brain, kneeling on the floor. “Come on. Let’s get going. We have a lot to do.”
His brain stood up. “Yes…”
Grix began to walk off.
“Grix?”
“Yes?”
Grix’s brain waited for a moment…
“I’m not going to say thanks. I just thought the pause would make a good ending.”
Grix stared at his brain.
“Right.”
--------------------------------------
“Life signs.”
Ant looked at the monitor… brain waves… quite… large… brain waves…
They watched for a while…
“Is it just me…” Ant said, “or can anyone see three figures in those waves?”
Pb looked closer…
“Looks like two to me.”
Grix opened his eyes.
Clouds.
Air.
Oxygen.
He was alive.
Grix's brain looked over him.
"Grix? You alive?"
Grix blinked a few times... he couldn't quite focus on his face...
"Yes... I think..."
"Thank God for that. I was getting worried."
Grix smiled... he knew that he could rely on his brain to help him... even though he insulted him constantly, he always knew, deep down, that he cared for him.
"Get up. I want to get this over and done with..."
Grix stood up... and noticed he was still wearing his black checkered shirt... and his black hat...
The second Grix sat in the sand, waiting.
"...What did you mean, get this over and done with?" Grix asked.
"Why the hell do you think you're alive?"
Grix thought about this.
"Did you retrieve my mind?"
"No... Not me, the sub-conscious. I've worked it all out."
"Hey?"
"Our mind is back in the body, thank God, so we can go and control it whenever we want."
"So why aren't you?" Grix asked, as he walked by Grix's brain's side to a large stone circle...
"Because we made a stupid agreement."
Grix thought about this again.
"What?"
"Because we said that we would fight it out, to see who would control the brain, neither of us could get control, because the three of us weren't here to fight for it. Bit crappy, really."
Grix stopped in his tracks. "...So our subconscious, bought me back to life, because we said that we would battle it out to control the body, and now you're going to try to kill me, so you can control the body after all."
"Spot on. Here's your gun."
"Ta."
"Did Masala die, by the way?"
"Yeah.”
-------------------------
It had been six days now... they were giving up hope. They were sure that the evil had been removed...
All still quite ill from being transfered back into their bodies by Ant, who had never actually entered Grix's mind, they watched the brain patterns of Grix…
"He's alive...” Said Pb. “But he seems... well..."
"Well what?"
"Brain dead."
"Does that make a change?”
“Not really. No.”
-----------------------------
Grix looked at his brain... It really had come to this.
He slowly moved backwards, and headed for a corner of the imaginary triangle… he pulled his black jacket back, and left his gun in a reachable position.
Grix’s brain stepped backwards as well… The second Grix kept his eyes wide, as he traced his steps back to the third corner of the triangle.
They stood apart.
Grix blinked. The second Grix slowly moved his left hand up, and rubbed his hair.
Grix’s brain breathed deeply. He moved his arm up slowly, and moved his hand up towards over his gun.
Grix looked away from his brain, and stared at Grix two. He couldn’t keep staring at him for long… and quickly looked back.
Grix’s brain stared at the second... He moved his arm, and hovered it in the air, over his revolver.
Grix’s brain had managed to reach over his gun now…
Grix was ready. All he needed to do now is wait for the first move.
Grix’s brain blinked. Why didn’t someone move!
The second Grix felt a bead of sweat drop from his face… he didn’t even know it was on his face…
Grix could hear the two others breathing… carbon dioxide leaving them… filling the air… surrounding them…
The trio stood apart.
Grix’s brain felt salvia creep in the back of his throat… he couldn’t do anything about it, he wanted to gulp, but he couldn’t… he was too afraid.
If someone didn’t move soon, thought the fighter, he was going to.
The watcher pushed his weight from his left foot to his right… and then moved, and spread his weight.
The thinker blinked again. He felt water in his eye… itching… he had to get to it…
He slowly lifted his arm up to scratch his eye… no movement from the others. He removed the pain, and gently moved his hand back down to his side…
Grix’s brain gulped.
The second Grix blinked.
Grix’s brain couldn’t remember if his gun was loaded… had he loaded it? What if the chamber over the hammer was empty?… Could he get another shot in…?
The second Grix was going to shoot Grix first. He was the one that had made his life a misery… the one who stole the show from his grasp… Why was he the SECOND Grix? HE was the one that was around first!
Grix tried to clear his mind of all thoughts… he was going to shoot the first one who moved… he would probably end up dead mind… but at least he would get one… well, at most.
Grix’s brain remembered loading his gun… but he couldn’t remember if he had fired any or not.
Would the second Grix be able to hit the brain in time? He knew Grix, and he would definitely try to shoot him, first… Grix was like that…
Grix’s brain blinked again… the sun was drying his eyes quickly… painfully, he blinked again… the sun shone in the bleak distance, waiting for the dead, before it would rest…
Grix two moved his arm slightly…
Grix immediately swung his head towards him… nothing. He wasn’t moving.
The brain didn’t see Grix moving… He looked back at Grix… he blinked, and twitched his nose.
He would move… he would raise his gun… Now… he was going to kill him… …No. Not yet, he couldn’t. The second just couldn’t.
The brain’s arm was getting tired… he didn’t have the strength for this…
Grix looked back at the second Grix… he could see his eyes squinting in the bright light… reflecting from the white like sand.
Grix’s brain was scared… he didn’t think that he could win this now… He didn’t want to die.
Grix looked quickly back at his brain… and went back to staring at the second Grix.
Two moved his foot slightly… and moved his fingers.
The circulation in Grix’s hand was making his fingers cold… cold and tense… he moved them, and the blood flowed. He made a small fist… and opened his fingers again. He lay his hand in the thick air.
Grix’s brain blinked, and accepted his fate. He closed his eyes…
Grix looked away from the second… and noticed that his brain’s eyes were closed… what was he doing?
The second still stared at Grix… the black hat over Grix’s eyes hid where he was looking… but he could feel his eye’s staring… poking and stabbing his body a thousand times over.
Grix’s brain opened his eyes, and moved his fingers.
Grix breathed, and looked back at the second Grix.
Grix’s brain moved his hand slightly… and his index finger touched the handle of his gun… he flinched at the cold metal... No one saw.
The second Grix looked back over at the brain… he could easily shoot him before he got a chance at Grix… but if he got the first shot in…
Grix closed his eyes… he saw clouds before him… clouds on the way to heaven…
Grix’s brain stared at the second… he would kill him. Even if the bullet had been swallowed by his heart and it had began the quick process of moving the blood from his own body… he would kill him…
Grix saw three people… all standing together…
The second blinked.
The brain widened his eyes. He looked over to Grix.
The second looked at the brain.
The three people began to speak to Grix…
The brain blinked again, and looked at Grix, and then looked back… a bead of sweat dripped from his brow.
The second Grix slowly moved his hand…
The three people spoke in unison.
Grix’s brain began to breathe heavier…
“We are many…”
The second looked back over to the brain… another bead of sweat dripped from him.
Grix’s brain stared right back, and forced his eyes to stay open.
The fighter blinked, and looked back at the thinker.
“We are powerful as one…”
The fighter felt his hand slightly on his gun.
The watcher’s eyes dried… his vision was blurred.
“We are… Theralasa…”
The watcher blinked… He looked at the fighter…
The second Grix slowly moved his hand over his gun…
Grix opened his eyes.
The second Grix drew his gun, and fired.
Grix drew… he fired… but no bullet came out!
Grix’s brain fired. The fighter fell...
Grix’s brain fired again.
And again…
He walked… he aimed again, and fired. And again.
He pulled the trigger once more… nothing came out. There was a bullet missing after all.
“Your hatred for him was quite immense… wasn’t it?” Grix said quietly…
Grix’s brain walked over to the body of the second… and thought about reloading…
“Do you know who hard it would have been, without you?”
Grix thought to himself again. Grix’s brain stood over the body… yes, he would be missed. But perhaps it was for the best.
“You can have the body Grix. I like it where I am. Company, or no company…”
Grix stood over his brain, kneeling on the floor. “Come on. Let’s get going. We have a lot to do.”
His brain stood up. “Yes…”
Grix began to walk off.
“Grix?”
“Yes?”
Grix’s brain waited for a moment…
“I’m not going to say thanks. I just thought the pause would make a good ending.”
Grix stared at his brain.
“Right.”
--------------------------------------
“Life signs.”
Ant looked at the monitor… brain waves… quite… large… brain waves…
They watched for a while…
“Is it just me…” Ant said, “or can anyone see three figures in those waves?”
Pb looked closer…
“Looks like two to me.”
Don't start THAT again, please!!!
Grix stared at FantasyMeister...
FM, unable to think of where to look, looked at the fire, refusing to move his head.
"HOW. HOW CAN YOU EVEN JUDGE THE STORY..."
FM looked at Grix...
"WHEN YOU HAVEN'T EVEN READ IT."
"Oh yeah... I had forgotten about that... I suppose, really, I should actually know about the story, before making judgement."
"A bit like you making judgements about the X-Box, when you only know half the story..."
FM pulled a face at Grix's comment.
FM, unable to think of where to look, looked at the fire, refusing to move his head.
"HOW. HOW CAN YOU EVEN JUDGE THE STORY..."
FM looked at Grix...
"WHEN YOU HAVEN'T EVEN READ IT."
"Oh yeah... I had forgotten about that... I suppose, really, I should actually know about the story, before making judgement."
"A bit like you making judgements about the X-Box, when you only know half the story..."
FM pulled a face at Grix's comment.
Pb looked at FM setting up the campfire and tutted. Chasing Grix was no behaviour for a man who'd escaped from a dusty megadrive cartridge. Well, he supposed, it was understandable given the things he had to put up with in Grix's mind world.
Pb was glad to have escaped the world just in time before it collapsed. Unfortunately he'd have to find another copy of Street fighter now, especially after he'd got so good at it, and explaining to Ant that his double in the mind world had been destroyed wasn't easy either. Ant had been dissapointed that he'd never got to meet his twin.
Oh well. There would be more adventures for them, of that he was sure. But for now it was nice just to relax in the forest for a while.
Ant and Venombyte cooked the dinner and FM tried to make howling noises like a wolf, until he heard a real one and ran for cover. Grix came back from the water's edge and sat with them, drying his clothes out as he sat by the fire. The stars shone and the air was clear as they relaxed in the moonlit evening, glad to be away from the action for a while.
Pb was glad to have escaped the world just in time before it collapsed. Unfortunately he'd have to find another copy of Street fighter now, especially after he'd got so good at it, and explaining to Ant that his double in the mind world had been destroyed wasn't easy either. Ant had been dissapointed that he'd never got to meet his twin.
Oh well. There would be more adventures for them, of that he was sure. But for now it was nice just to relax in the forest for a while.
Ant and Venombyte cooked the dinner and FM tried to make howling noises like a wolf, until he heard a real one and ran for cover. Grix came back from the water's edge and sat with them, drying his clothes out as he sat by the fire. The stars shone and the air was clear as they relaxed in the moonlit evening, glad to be away from the action for a while.
FM leaped into the thread and caught Grix unawares. He grabbed the book from him, and set off down the beach at a rate of knots with Grix in hot pursuit.
Every few seconds, FM ripped a page out from the book and let it flutter to the sand behind him as he pelted hell for leather under the hot sun, and delighted in Grix's screams of rage as he saw page after page being torn from his book.
FM ran on, oblivious to the cries of murder issuing from behind him, and finally there was just one page left, which he tore with relish from the binding, crumpled up, and lobbed into the sea.
Grix's cries of anguish were heart rending, and FM paused and turned around just in time to see Grix diving into the sea to chase after the last, soggy page.
FM threw the now useless book binding at him, and then went off to make a campfire for that night's meal.
His work here was done.
There would be other books, other threads, other forums.
He just hoped they'd be better than the one he'd just read.
He made his campfire, and settled down for the night with a
*click*
Every few seconds, FM ripped a page out from the book and let it flutter to the sand behind him as he pelted hell for leather under the hot sun, and delighted in Grix's screams of rage as he saw page after page being torn from his book.
FM ran on, oblivious to the cries of murder issuing from behind him, and finally there was just one page left, which he tore with relish from the binding, crumpled up, and lobbed into the sea.
Grix's cries of anguish were heart rending, and FM paused and turned around just in time to see Grix diving into the sea to chase after the last, soggy page.
FM threw the now useless book binding at him, and then went off to make a campfire for that night's meal.
His work here was done.
There would be other books, other threads, other forums.
He just hoped they'd be better than the one he'd just read.
He made his campfire, and settled down for the night with a
*click*
"I live my life an actor,
Inside my world of dreams.
My mind must stay in pure control,
And nothing's as it seems."
Masala looked at the red light... it urged towards him...
The wind stopped.
The ball of light stopped too. It disapeared.
Masala looked into it. His face spoke no expression.
Ant had found what he was looking for.
"There are two types of people in this world, Grix."
Masala spoke with a calmer voice.
"Those who live by trust."
Grix looked deeper into Masalas eyes...
"And those that die by trust."
Grix stood in the sand. The black sand. The town had gone.
Masala stood in the sand not far away, he faced Grix.
Grix faced him.
"They were all you, you realise. Just simple folk, automatas. Living out actions that you thought were just normal human functions."
Grix watched as Masala spoke.
"Indeed they lived. But only for your sanity. They felt nothing." Masala continued.
Silence.
Nothing of times past, or, he knew, future, would ever be as deadly quiet, as it was now.
"They are more than puppets now, Masala. They are real. They have their own lives, they love, they feel. Just because my world is twisted and makes little sense, doesn't mean that people can't live in it happily."
"But it isn't them who are controlling their actions! It's you! Simple normal folk, who go to work, come home to their wifes, eat, drink, sleep..."
"When I leave this place, I will kill thousands of people. They will cease existing. They will become little more than silent memories."
Grix looked at the sand.
"Which I'm not sure I even have, anymore."
Grix looked back to Masala.
"My face seems unfamilar to me."
Grix blinked.
They were back in the town... The fire ball was gone.
Grix held a gun in his hand. Masala stood in front of him... the other Grix's stood behind.
"The prophecy is true Grix! The three won't defeat me, and I will control the body!"
Masala sneered... he knew he had won...
Grix's brain. The watcher.
The second Grix. The fighter.
Grix Theralasa Thraves. The thinker.
Grix pulled back the hammer of the gun.
Jake stood over his dying son... the legacy of the Dragons were over... so many loose ends, never to be tied. The music of the watch quietly came to a stop as the spring lost it's energy...
Grix raised his arm...
Venombyte lay in a corner... he could have saved Meka. He was too slow. Too slow... it had plaged him. Always. If he had just managed to get over to him quicker...
Grix closed his eyes...
Tony lay inside the bank. He was lucky to be alive... the preacher outside had killed the Sheriff... and even for Tony, he felt sorry for him. He was a good man, yes, he got in Tony's way sometimes... but he would never want him dead.
"As you said Masala...."
Grix placed the gun next to his head.
"...It's all me."
Grix pulled the trigger... the bullet left the chamber... and entered his head... it managed to take his life, before leaving his body.
Grix collapsed on the floor.
"NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!" Masala screamed as he vanished into air... the town began to shake, the walls and buildings collapsing all around.
The town... it's inhabitants, everyone... dead.
Grix's brain looked around...
He was back on the beach. The sea crashed in the distance, and the sun shone in the distance, it seemed beautiful in the sea. He had forgotten how beautiful it really was.
Grix's brain sat in the white sand, and rocked back and forth...
---------------
"You see... my mind created an evil inside my mind. Peace isn't something that is common inside my head, and something needed to compensate for the fact that I was sharing the cartridge with an already large evil, and that compensation was Masala, created only because I thought he should be there. I just didn't know that Bill had died inside the cart, losing his own life to a world that he himself created. We believed that he created his own world based on the Vietnam war... we never found out how he died."
As you watched Grix... or as you knew now, Grix's brain, a tear seemed to appear in his eye. He closed the book, and seemed afraid to continue. You knew there were more pages in that book...
But perhaps another time, would be more suitable.
Inside my world of dreams.
My mind must stay in pure control,
And nothing's as it seems."
Masala looked at the red light... it urged towards him...
The wind stopped.
The ball of light stopped too. It disapeared.
Masala looked into it. His face spoke no expression.
Ant had found what he was looking for.
"There are two types of people in this world, Grix."
Masala spoke with a calmer voice.
"Those who live by trust."
Grix looked deeper into Masalas eyes...
"And those that die by trust."
Grix stood in the sand. The black sand. The town had gone.
Masala stood in the sand not far away, he faced Grix.
Grix faced him.
"They were all you, you realise. Just simple folk, automatas. Living out actions that you thought were just normal human functions."
Grix watched as Masala spoke.
"Indeed they lived. But only for your sanity. They felt nothing." Masala continued.
Silence.
Nothing of times past, or, he knew, future, would ever be as deadly quiet, as it was now.
"They are more than puppets now, Masala. They are real. They have their own lives, they love, they feel. Just because my world is twisted and makes little sense, doesn't mean that people can't live in it happily."
"But it isn't them who are controlling their actions! It's you! Simple normal folk, who go to work, come home to their wifes, eat, drink, sleep..."
"When I leave this place, I will kill thousands of people. They will cease existing. They will become little more than silent memories."
Grix looked at the sand.
"Which I'm not sure I even have, anymore."
Grix looked back to Masala.
"My face seems unfamilar to me."
Grix blinked.
They were back in the town... The fire ball was gone.
Grix held a gun in his hand. Masala stood in front of him... the other Grix's stood behind.
"The prophecy is true Grix! The three won't defeat me, and I will control the body!"
Masala sneered... he knew he had won...
Grix's brain. The watcher.
The second Grix. The fighter.
Grix Theralasa Thraves. The thinker.
Grix pulled back the hammer of the gun.
Jake stood over his dying son... the legacy of the Dragons were over... so many loose ends, never to be tied. The music of the watch quietly came to a stop as the spring lost it's energy...
Grix raised his arm...
Venombyte lay in a corner... he could have saved Meka. He was too slow. Too slow... it had plaged him. Always. If he had just managed to get over to him quicker...
Grix closed his eyes...
Tony lay inside the bank. He was lucky to be alive... the preacher outside had killed the Sheriff... and even for Tony, he felt sorry for him. He was a good man, yes, he got in Tony's way sometimes... but he would never want him dead.
"As you said Masala...."
Grix placed the gun next to his head.
"...It's all me."
Grix pulled the trigger... the bullet left the chamber... and entered his head... it managed to take his life, before leaving his body.
Grix collapsed on the floor.
"NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!" Masala screamed as he vanished into air... the town began to shake, the walls and buildings collapsing all around.
The town... it's inhabitants, everyone... dead.
Grix's brain looked around...
He was back on the beach. The sea crashed in the distance, and the sun shone in the distance, it seemed beautiful in the sea. He had forgotten how beautiful it really was.
Grix's brain sat in the white sand, and rocked back and forth...
---------------
"You see... my mind created an evil inside my mind. Peace isn't something that is common inside my head, and something needed to compensate for the fact that I was sharing the cartridge with an already large evil, and that compensation was Masala, created only because I thought he should be there. I just didn't know that Bill had died inside the cart, losing his own life to a world that he himself created. We believed that he created his own world based on the Vietnam war... we never found out how he died."
As you watched Grix... or as you knew now, Grix's brain, a tear seemed to appear in his eye. He closed the book, and seemed afraid to continue. You knew there were more pages in that book...
But perhaps another time, would be more suitable.
When this one's finished could me an M16 post one we've written on the PS2 Forum???
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