"But how could you possibly...?" Hush gasped.

"I'm not stupid. I know when something's up. So, explain," Martin nodded.

"What?"

"Explain."

"I'm not explaining anything to you!"

"Just because you are dead, doesn't mean that you 100% can't be killed again."

Hush and Martin stared daggers at each other. The hate that they shared for each other was undescribable, yet it was so clear to see.

"Just shut up and listen, OK?"

Martin nodded. He was looking forward to this.

"OK, I've had enough of this. I'm going to see it. I want to know if I'm making it up," Hush decided finally.

That was when she had decided to find out what the thing that was following them was. Back then, she had bright blue eyes and blond curls. The thought of that now disgusted her. It was the sign of an innocent child, when Hush was anything but.

Now that Hush was alone, the Thing seemed to be going away from her, further into the brush.

"Come back!" Hush said.

She kept going further and further, until she wasn't sure where she was. Some odd vine was wrapping itself around her legs, making it hard to take a step. Nonetheless, she went further.

The Thing had led her to an abandoned castle! No, it wasn't a castle, it was too small. It was like a little tower perched on a hill, lost in the forest.

Hush went up the hill into the tower. Inside, it was damp; the stone-paved floor was uneven and wet. She closed the wooden door behind her.

Vines, everywhere.

They coated the walls and the floor and they blocked the stairway. She noticed that they were moving around slowly, making a clump. Then, this clump grew arms and legs, and the limbs grew fingers and toes. Facial features began to appear - first the mouth, then the nose, then the eyes. And those two eyes stared right at her.

This was the thing that Martin called The Thing In The Woods. But, Hush preferred to call it Thirteen. Thirteen represented the creature's nature much more.

Thirteen studied Hush with great interest. It was a malicious monster who had captured a small girl.

"What are you?" Hush whimpered.

"Your worst nightmare."

Hush gulped. Something about the creature was intimidating, in a way she didn't even know the words for.

"I'm... going to leave now," Hush grimaced.

Vines covered the door in an instant. They went much, much quicker than any normal vine.

"Hey, what are you doing?!" Hush cried at Thirteen.

"Listen. My power needs to be restored. It has been drained after decades of being in these woods. So I need you to count to thirteen for me."

Ah yes. That too. That was another reason why she called him Thirteen.

"Why should I?"

"Because I'll kill you."

"One, then!"

The thing smiled.

"Two."

The vines around the room began to move ever so slowly.

"Three... Four."

The vines wrapped themselves around Hush's legs again. They were squeezing tight.

"Five... Six... Seven."

Thirteen pulsed a ghostly green.

"Eight... Nine... Ten..."

It was getting harder to pronounce the words. Her thoughts were all in tangles, and her vocal chords hurt badly.

"Eleven... Twelve..."

Thirteen nodded in anticipation.

"Thirteen."

Then, she was dead.

Except she wasn't dead. The vines gripped her arms and legs as she regained consciousness.

"What... happened?" Hush groaned.

"Well, thanks for that. My power is restored. But, well, you may have accidentally... you know... died," Thirteen shrugged.

"WHAT?!"

"It's OK, though. As a thank you for saving me, I revived you from the dead."

"So I'm a zombie?"

"Don't think of it like that. Anyway, I'm also going to keep an eye on you and protect you for the rest of your life. If anyone or anything tries to harm you, then I will be there to protect you."

"Like a stalker?"

"You're so ungrateful."

They paused for a moment.

"So... Can I leave now?" Hush asked Thirteen.

"Alright then," Thirteen sighed.

"So... You met a mysterious mystical being who saved your life and you judged it?" Martin grimaced.

"It killed me!" Hush shouted.

"It doesn't matter. It's not here to save you now."

And with that, Martin pulled out a second dart gun.

"There's no point in using that. We've already clarified that I can't be killed by the Chaos Serum," Hush rolled her eyes.

"I know. This Chaos Serum is modified to do something a little different. Watch, it's marvelous," Martin grinned.

Then, he shot himself with the dart. For a moment, nothing happened, then he dissolved into the liquid. The liquid seeped through the metal grates and onto the floor in a large puddle, while his clothes lay in a pile on the metal grates.

"Oh," Hush muttered.

Maybe now she could forget about Martin and go on and live her 'life' as best she could - make new friends, maybe own her own business?

But, just as she made to leave, the inky puddle began to change. It was becoming... humanoid.

The mass of Chaos Serum grew legs and arms and a torso, ending in a featureless head. It looked at Hush, then proceeded up some steps that she hadn't noticed before.

Hush screamed and ran to the door, but it was still locked. Hush turned around as the creature stood over Martin's clothes as he began to... put them on?

The mass of inky stuff began to put on each clothing item one by one. Then, he went over to a small cabinet. Inside was a black and red lab coat and a gas mask connected to a diver tank. At least that was what it looked like; it couldn't have been that.

The inky mass put on the gas mask, then looked at Hush. The mask had been modified with black spikes; it was supposed to make Hush scared.

it said. It said.

"What are you?" Hush grimaced, disgusted.

It clicked instantly.

"Martin?"

"Then who are you?"

Hush bristled.

"I hate it," Hush hissed.

Chaos Agent nodded.

"Can I go now?"

"What are you going to do? Wipe my mind? Just kill me? Tell me!"

Chaos Agent peered over the far end of the railing, down at something far below. Hush joined him, and saw a vat of a bright green substance.

Chaos Agent explained.

"So, you're going for the 'just kill me' option, then," Hush rolled her eyes.

"Wow, I'm so impressed."

"A madman."

Hush giggled. Chaos Agent had had enough. He pushed Hush over the railing and into the acid.

It felt like everything was in slow motion. It didn't feel like flight, it felt like falling. Which it was. The wind whipped past her face as she plummeted. There was a doorway in the distance, and something drew her eyes to it. It was all a blur and hard to make out details, but she was pretty sure that Thirteen was in the doorway.

Save me, she thought as she fell into the burning acid.

Jules turned the page, but it was blank. She kept turning, but there was nothing. Being in this vault in this lockdown was boring, but at least she had the diary to read.

"No! That can't be it!" she cried.

"Let me see," Midas said, taking it from her.

She waited patiently as Midas flicked through the pages, hoping that he'd find something. And what he did find made his eyes widen.

"What? What is it?" Jules asked him.

"There is another entry," Midas said grimly.

"Let me see!"

"I'm not sure you want to."

"Why not?"

Midas hesitated, then handed the diary back to Jules.

20th July 2020

"That's the day before I stole the diary," Jules shivered.

After Jules had been found out as being a Ghost agent, she had snuck into The Authority one last time to retrieve the diary. She couldn't resist. Luckily, she had succeeded.

"Keep going," Midas nodded.

Jules, I know you have been reading my diary. It's a shame, I thought I could trust you. Now you know all about my evil backstory. And by the way, I am a scientist. I will not hesitate to kill you now that I know that you've been poking around my office.

Goodbye, and good luck. You may just need it.

- Martin Clifford

Jules' blood ran cold.

"What do we do?" Jules whimpered.

"We have to leave. The Fortilla is no longer safe," Midas said.

Jules nodded. She didn't want to do it, but it was their only option.

TO BE CONTINUED...

Word Count: 1520 Words