The Howling Dark, Part 1

"Finally...," Came a loud, deep voice from behind Aaron who reflexively turned toward the voice, his eyes widening in a mixture of shock and horror., "... I've Waited Such A Long Time To Meet You Aaron."

As he turned, Aaron found himself sitting in the same metal chair as before only this time he wasn't strapped into it like before though he still didn't like it very much given what happened previously so he tried to get up but the moment he exerted himself he quickly lost strength and was unable to stand. Aaron slumped back down into the cold, metal chair, breathing heavy, his fingertips unintentionally fell into the deep grooves left by his struggles before. Aaron looked from one hand to the other and while there was no discernible damage to any of his fingernails the sensation of several of them snapping off his fingers was still fresh in his mind so he tried once again to get up but this time instead of feeling weak Aaron felt as though there were a thousand pound pack on his back.

Aaron fell back into the chair and the weight immediately vanished. Aaron looked around and except for himself and the chair he was sitting in he was alone. Aaron's stomach felt unsettled, almost like he were floating some place high up, looking down he couldn't see the floor. Just like the rest of the room, everything seemed to be shrouded in darkness. The only reason Aaron surmised that he was in a room was that if he tried hard enough he could just make out the tangible physical boundaries that enclosed the space around him. He could have seen more but where he currently was was dimly lit which severely limited his otherwise exceptional vision.

Grasping at straws Aaron attempted to contact Gog again., "Gog Are You There?"

Nothing.

"All The Times I Wished She Would Be Quiet and Stop Pestering Me... Now I Cannot Reach Her.," Aaron's thoughts were becoming somber., "What I Wouldn't Give To Hear That Noisy Pixie Whispering In My Ear."

"Can't contact your friend?," Aaron heard a voice say, It sounded exactly like his so for a brief moment he thought that he had said it without realizing it but then he realized that the voice had actually come from several feet away from him. Looking around Aaron tried to find the source of the voice but all he saw was a vaguely defined Darkness swirling and churning at the periphery of his vision. Since he couldn't see anything out of the ordinary he focused his attention on his hearing but after several minutes of straining to hear the smallest sound it was still as quiet as a tomb.

Aaron thought about trying to get up again but the very idea made him feel nauseous so he slumped back in the chair again and tried to think through the sequence of events logically from when he first woke up to now but his train of thought was soon broken by a soft noise growing louder as it got closer.

Aaron snapped out of his thoughts and stared straight ahead., "What Is That? It Sounds Like... Footsteps?"

Aaron didn't have to wonder long whether he was hearing what he thought he was hearing as a Man who looked just like him only a few inches taller and more mature-looking with a long black scar on the left side of his face beginning at the hairline and ending just below the corner of his mouth. He even wore a similar suit to the one Aaron was wearing but instead of a black tie and shoes they were red and there were streaks of white in his otherwise unnaturally black hair.

Shock. That was the only word to describe what Aaron was experiencing right now as he watched the other "Him" approach, holding out his hand a chair immediately appeared in his grip and he sat down in front of Aaron.

"Hello Aaron. I'm so glad we finally get to meet. I've been looking forward to this for a long time.." Aaron heard his Doppelganger tell him in a slightly more mature but unmistakably familiar voice., "Do you know who I am Aaron?"

"Outis?," The word slipped from Aaron's lips before he even had time to think.

"Oho ho. It seems you weren't completely asleep after all.," The Other Aaron smiled widely., "It would appear that I haven't given you the credit I deserve. What else do you remember?"

Aaron tried to speak but all of his mental processes froze like a computer in the midst of a crippling logic paradox.

Aaron's Doppelganger crossed his legs and laced his fingers on top of his knee as he leaned forward and studied Aaron for several seconds before speaking., "You're having trouble... Believe me I get it. I would have preferred a less unsettling means of communication but we don't always get to choose how and when we appear so I would like to ask you to indulge me. This shouldn't take long. I hope... After all we're both very busy Men."

Several seconds went by but Aaron didn't say anything. His brain was still locked in an analysis loop, trying to make sense of what he was experiencing. Meanwhile his Doppelganger appeared to be losing patience as his friendly albeit creepy smile began to slowly fade., "I see. You're having more trouble than I remember."

Tapping his chin with his finger, Aaron's Doppelganger appeared thoughtful then he spoke., "Perhaps this will help... To answer your question from earlier. I am not Outis though if I'm being honest I have met the Man. We all have."

Aaron flinched.

"I see you feel the same way about him as I did when I first met him.," The Doppelganger's smile returned., "He does take some getting use to but if it makes you feel better we all had to get use to him being our shadow."

"W-We?," Aaron managed to grunt with some effort.

"Why your Brothers and Sisters of course."

Aaron quirked an eyebrow.

Aaron's Doppelganger raised a hand., "Don't worry you'll meet them soon."

It was a struggle and his mind still felt like it was stuck in first gear but Aaron **** himself to focus and pushed with all his strength., "Who. Are. You?"

The Doppelganger's face twisted momentarily before going completely blank., "Why Aaron I thought you knew.," Leaning forward, The Doppelganger's face split into a hideous grin that only stopped once it reached the lobes of his ears. Aaron felt a cold chill **** his spine as he noticed the unmistakably sharp teeth filling The Doppelganger's wide grin., "Why... I'm You Aaron.," Aaron's eyes widened as his Doppelganger continued., "I know how confusing all this must be for you. The First Time experiencing The Howling Dark is always the worst but if it makes you feel any better I was once sitting right where you are now and I didn't like it any better than you. In fact, I said all of the same things you've said and all the things you're about to say so trust me when I say I get just how disconcerting all this is."

"A-Ar-Are you real?," Aaron managed to stammer.

The Other Aaron's expression instantly softened.

"Real? Why I'm As Real As Any Nightmare You've Ever Had or Any Person You've Come To Know.," Cackled The Other Aaron then as sudden as a snow storm in the middle of a hundred degree weather, His expression shifted and the disturbing laughter stopped.

"It's Funny. I've been wanting to speak with you for quite some time now but our schedules just never seem to align but...," There was an unsettling pause as The Other Aaron's lips continued to move but no sound came out for several seconds then resumed as if nothing had happened., "... Now here we both are in the same place and in the same time and we can... finally have a chat."

"W-What's Going On? Why Am I Here?!," Aaron grunted.

“You are right Aaron. This is in fact a Dream, a nightmare really but that isn't all it is. It is also real... Perhaps even more real than that pitifully mediocre life you cling to so fervently. It is also one which you seem to experience over and over. A prison of your own **** design. How splendidly ironic that is when you think about it.”

“W-who are you?,” Aaron demanded.

"I already told you Aaron. I'm You... just not the You of here and now as you can see.," The Other Aaron gestured to his obviously more mature face and to the deep, black scar that adorned it., “And what's more I am merely a passerby in your nightmarish dungeon for the time being.”

“Are you here to kill me?,” Aaron asked somewhat hesitantly.

“No. That job is for another, whom I believe your brilliant if overwhelmed mind has yet to conjure in this… What did you call it... A Dream. That is what you called it, yes? Observe...”

The Other Aaron stood up and vanished in a puff of smoke as Dr. Elkhurst stepped out of the smoke and approached Aaron.

Aaron was about to fight back when heavy reinforced straps burst out of the metal arms and legs of the chair and quickly subdued him.

"I know you're scared Aaron but it will all be over in a few moments... I Promise.," The Sinister Doctor stated in a reassuring tone as he held up a large bone saw.

Aaron couldn't see it but a shadow much darker than the rest was taking shape behind him. It was The Aaron from before and as he rested his hands on Aaron's shoulders he spoke in a overly polite and formal tone., "Now, now Doctor is that any way to treat your Master?"

Dr. Elkhurst's movements immediately began to slow until they stopped altogether and he stood frozen like a statue.

Aaron's Doppelganger stepped out from behind Aaron and took a seat back in front of him, the chair re-materializing as he sat down.

Looking around the seemingly paralyzed Doctor to his Doppelganger Aaron asked., “Why isn't he moving?”

“You mean why isn't he attacking you? Beating you? Maiming you? Trying to kill you?,” The Other Aaron corrected.

“Yes…” Aaron swallowed hard.

“I have put the good Doctor on a time out. Of course, I can let free him to open your skull, if you’d like. Just say the word.”

“No! I-I mean. Please, Don't. I feel like I'm going insane.. Like I'm losing control of my mind. You’re different from what I normally Dream... But I'm not sure if that's a good or a bad thing.," Aaron said honestly, feeling the frustration and anger that had been welling up for so long fighting to surface., "... I’m tired of being hurt. I’m tired of being in pain. I just want this all to end.”

“Oh, well, why didn’t you just say so sooner?,” The Other Aaron's wide grin returned.

“What do you mean?” Asked Aaron in confusion.

“This place, this Nightmare of Yours, is a Prison Cell and you are its Creator, its Warden, and its sole Prisoner. You are tied to this place as are all the creatures your mind has created to Torment You... To Restrain You. You have made a Prison without a Key and you have locked yourself inside. You will never escape this place… not alone anyway.”

“But you can?,” Aaron scoffed.

“Oh My Dear Sweet Child, I need no keys. There is no lock I cannot Break, No Dungeon I cannot find, No Cell that can hold me. So really, the only question, the only one that truly matters right hear and right now, is if you wish for this nightmare to end?”

Aaron appeared hopeful., “You can help me? You can stop my Nightmares?”

“Indeed I can but... for a price.”

“What price?” Aaron asked.

“Patience Aaron. I will name my price, in due time.”

Aaron paused, “But, can you help me?”

“Of course, I can free you from this Nightmare. All you have to do is say yes. Do we have a Deal Aaron?” A long, clawed and winding hand stretched out of the Darkness in front of Aaron, it was wrapped in inky black shadows, almost as if it was Darkness itself.

"How can I?," Aaron looked down at his hand and the restraints fell away.

Aaron was hesitant., "I Don't Believe You."

"Come now Aaron... Aren't you tired?," The Doppelganger asked.

"Tired?... Tired of what?," Demanded Aaron in obvious frustration.

"Of pretending to be like everybody else. You're not like them you know?"

"Not like them?," Echoed Aaron.

"Humans are Soft... Weak... Simple. If every one of them lived another billion years they would never be as Strong... as Fast or as... Smart as you Are. Right. Now!"

Aaron cocked an eyebrow.

"... And you haven't even reached your full potential yet. You've barely scratched the surface of What You're... What We're capable of. I can help you."

"Help Me?"

"Yes. With my help you will unlock knowledge and skills it would take you years to discover on your own. Think of what that would mean for your plans. I could provide you with the means to remove Garrent as an obstacle right now and not in months or years."

To be honest, Aaron hadn't been taking the guy claiming to be a older version of himself very seriously I mean would you? But The Other Aaron had his full attention now., "And just how would you do that exactly."