The faint crinkling of sheets and a whiff of cologne woke him from his sleep. The bright outline of a woman laying her head against the edge of his mattress greeted him.

‘Hey, he woke you up this time.’ The girl’s voice was energetic as she nodded towards the other side of the room.

In the darkness, something was moving in the sheets of the neighbouring bed. The man ignored the woman's gesture and groaned softly. The bed was usually the resting spot of the room's sole other occupant, Tink, and frankly, he didn’t care what his roommate was doing. 

‘You should ask him what he’s doing.’

“No.” The man shook his head.

“Jack?”

The ruffling of sheets stopped and a disheveled voice whispered across the room.

‘Crap, you said that out loud.’

“Crap, I said that out loud.” Jack lifted his head and the faint outline of a person half out of their bed greeted him. “Sorry Tink, Jill wouldn’t shut up.”

‘Hey!’ Indignation laced the girl's voice. ‘You don’t have to throw me under the bus here.’

“O-oh right.” Tink’s hunched outline shook slightly and then finally lifted itself up and out of the bed. “I’m going to go out for a bit, Jack. Won’t be back until later. You should go back to sleep.”

“Out again?” Jack propped his head onto the pillow and turned it to face Tink. “That’s the third time this week. Why are they even letting you go? Did you make The Reverend a new television?”

‘Seventh time. Once every night. The other times he just doesn’t wake you up.’ Jill’s observations went unnoticed as Jack stared at Tinks outline.

Jack could tell the onslaught of questions had his roommate on the ropes. Tink seemed to hesitate and opened his mouth, only to shut it again and make his way to the door. It was a clear refusal. 

“Just don’t slam the damned thing when you come back in.” Jack buried his head in his pillow.

‘Oh come on! You’re not even the least bit curious about what he’s doing out there? He has cologne on for god's sake.’ Jill hissed at him as he got comfortable. 

“Probably taking a massive dump.” Jack’s voice was already drifting off as his body began to fall back asleep. “I just want to sleep.”

‘A dump doesn’t take seven hours! He always comes back in the dead of night shivering and looking like death.’ 

“So you say,” the pillow muffled Jack’s mouth but he knew Jill could understand him as clear as day. “But I’ve never seen it. I’m always asleep, and I can tell you that’s a damn good way to spend my time Jill. In fact, I’m going to do it now.”

Jack could hear his sister protesting in his mind, but he ignored it and with a final huff of anger, she let him sleep. She knew he didn’t have the same ability to stay awake all night that she did. But she couldn’t help but wonder where Tink was going so late at night. It wasn’t like there was anywhere to spend your time in this dump.

The next morning Jack woke up to a very pissed off Jill. 

‘Tink didn’t come back last night.’ Her golden-brown hair flowed perfectly straight and was parted enough that Jack could see her deadly serious eyes and pursed lips. ‘You think he’s dead?’

“God no. He’s probably in the dining hall or something.” Jack groaned and dragged himself to the bathroom, turning on the shower and dumping his clothes on the floor. “It’s not the first time someones gone off for the night, and it won’t be the last.”

‘Jack.’

“Fine,” Jack grunted as he moved inside the shower and a curtain of cold water hit him. His body hadn’t expected the sudden change in temperature. “What the hell, they didn’t even pay their gas bill this month? I’m going to complain to the management.”

‘Who’s going to listen to you in this dump?’ 

“Gah-” Jack turned around and saw Jill standing there with her arms crossed. “Jill get out! I’m showering here.”

‘Oh shut up, it’s not like I have a choice.’ Jill’s sharp tone bit into him and he shivered.

She was more worried about Tink than he thought. Normally, she’d at least stay away to help preserve his sense of dignity. After a few seconds of hoping for hot water and getting nothing in return, he gave up and brushed his teeth instead. 

‘Okay, I’m not saying he’s doing anything bad,’ Jill continued to update him as he went about his daily routine. ‘But I see him and he always comes back way more tired than the day before. It can’t be healthy, who knows if he collapsed! He’s an old man.’

Jack rolled his eyes, gargling with water and spitting it back out. “That’s what happens when you stay up at night Jill. You get tired. It’s a normal human thing, you wouldn’t understand.”

‘Ha.’ Jack could see Jill’s expression in the mirror turning stormier and stormier. 

“Fine, maybe I’m being too harsh. Sorry.” Jack got dressed and made his way to the door. 

Jill was right, nobody had touched Tink's stuff since the man had left last night.

“But he’s seriously got to be around somewhere. This damn cult wouldn’t let him wander off too far. Keeping us in here is their job.”

A new, deeper voice chuckled beside him. “You have that right. Sup Jack.”

“Dilmar you old dog.” Jack turned around with a smile and came face to face with a large man dressed in a plain black shirt and sweatpants. 

Dilmar had his hands comfortably within his pockets and his trademark infectious grin plastered across his face. There was a reason they knew him as the big brother of the entire complex. His mere presence seemed to put everyone at ease, and his natural way of wrangling out your life story and making you feel important didn’t lose him any points either. 

“The same as every other morning, a hint of hope and an earful of shit at the sermon.” Dilmar rolled his eyes and they began their habitual walk to the dining room. “Speaking of, I didn’t see you there.”

“Jill!” Jack turned to his sister. “You're supposed to wake me up.”

Jill shrugged. ‘You told me you wanted to sleep. So I let you sleep.’

“Jill’s here?” Dilmar’s eyes lit up and he poked his head around Jacks, towards where he was speaking. “Hey there.”

‘Hello to you too sexy.’ Jill brought her hand up bashfully to cover her lips.

“God. Stop this right now,” Jack pushed his sister to the side and ignored Dilmar’s chuckle. “She says to stop talking to her.”

‘Hey!’

Dilmar chuckled. “Your reaction suggests otherwise. Always good to not see you Jill.”

‘Always good to see you too.’

"She says it’s good to see your soppy face too," Jack brought his eyes to the dining room they were entering and saw the usual gang gathered and already digging into the food. "Thompson. Gregorian. You lazy bums couldn’t wait a single minute for us to catch up with you?"

Jack and Dilmar took two of the five seats and eyed their friend's guilty expressions. Two empty pudding cups and two more fresh ones spoke volumes about what had happened. The two had gotten in early and ate Jack and Dilmar’s after-breakfast dessert. They'd probably tricked the nurses by saying the duo were in the bathroom.

"We needed some light to read. The bulbs in our room wouldn't turn on."

'Damn people didn't pay their electricity bills either.' Jill tutted.

“Hey Jack,” Thompson turned to the empty chair and nodded, “Jill. Where’s Tink?”

“She’s not sitting down yet, you look like a dumbass.” Jack frowned, “Tink? No idea.”

Jill giggled as she sat in the remaining seat and crossed her legs. Thompson had just been a second too early in greeting her. She’d gone with a deep crimson dress today to contrast against her drab surroundings and Jack could tell she was enjoying being the best-dressed person in the room. Not that anyone else noticed her change in wardrobe. 

‘Oh come on. We know where he is. He’s six feet under the earth where The Reverend probably put him after some crazy late-night gambling operation.’ She mused as she contemplated how quickly Jack would have to move to be able to steal Thompson’s pudding cup from him. 

“Jill thinks he’s dead,” Jack confessed.

“Hell, I don’t blame her. I’d off myself too if I had to stay in a room with you two.” 

“Okay, that’s it. No more pudding for you.”

Thompson's eyes widened as Jack stole his dessert and brought it over to his plate. “That’s a low blow and you know it.”

“It's mine and you know it.” Jack shot back and stuffed the pudding down his gullet before Thompson could protest. 

‘You look like one of those pelicans who doesn't even swallow the fish before gulping it down.’ Jill snorted in derision at Jack’s attitude. ‘Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed today.’

“Don’t remind me.” Jack turned to his confused friends. “Tink woke me up at god knows what time. Again. He keeps going somewhere at night.”

“Sounds like it's time to get our thinking caps on,” Gregorian leaned forward and his dusty, smoke-damaged vocal cords seemed to protest with every word he spoke. “What do you think he’s doing?”

‘See!’ Jill pointed at Gregorian as the group grew curious. ‘You’re the only dumbo who isn’t making a big deal about this.’

Dilmar opened his pudding cup with a gentle touch and as he brought a spoonful up to his lips he paused. “How many times has he gone out?”

“Three times this week. Jill says he leaves every day.” Jack’s eyebrows rose as he saw their interest growing. “You guys don’t think he’s croaked, do you? Come on, he probably got lost on the way to the bathroom. The nurses will be bringing him through those doors at any moment.”

“Oh god no.” “Not a chance.” Gregorian and Thompson shook their heads simultaneously, then Gregorian took the lead. “I would have sensed his life force disappearing if he’d died.”

“And I don’t sense any bloodlust or killing aftertaste in the air.” Thompson sniffed into the air to show them he was doubly sure. “Hell, I don’t think anyone’s died in here for a while. Which is a rare treat for my nose. Do you know how rare it is not to smell death everywhere you go in my line of work?”

“Give me a few more weeks and I’ll probably change that.” Gregorian laughed at his own morbid statement. 

‘Don't say that you’ll just bring down the mood.’ Jill shook her head in exasperation. 

Sometimes the death jokes got a little too real around this place.

“Jill says to stop killing the mood,” Jack took a bite out of the grey goop this place called breakfast and tilted his head towards Dilmar. “Any ideas big man?”

"I’m a showman not a magician like Gregorian," Dilmar shrugged. "Illusions won't help you here. I have seen the nurses acting strange though, and maybe at the sermon, The Reverend was a little extra," He paused, "happy?"

“That’s what we have? The Reverend is happy? God, we’ve gone downhill in our quest for mystery and entertainment.” Jack sighed and pressed his back against his chair. 

A magician, an assassin, a showman, and two ordinary people gathered together eating gray goop and pudding. This wasn’t the life he’d imagined for himself in his teens. Then again, he didn’t think any of them imagined being in this lifeless hellhole for the rest of their lives. He didn't know how the others felt about the complex, but he wanted to get out someday. Even if it was just to spend the last few years of his life in a place not filled with dying old people. 

“Maybe he’s making something. It’s what he does isn’t it?” Thompson shifted himself so that his head was resting in his hands, trying to look smart and thoughtful. “What if The Reverend just wanted Tink to build him a new TV?” 

“Ha!” Jack turned to Jill and she turned away from him without responding. 

“Not possible,” Dilmar refused the question outright to Jack's surprise. “You do remember what they think of us, don’t you?” 

Dilmar pointed above their heads and they drew their eyes to a wooden sign. An ever-looming presence in their lives, that was a constant reminder of who they were.

“Right.” Thompson hung his head down as they all shifted their eyes away from the sign above their heads. “That too.” 

Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

[GodSworn Healing Center for Extraordinary Persons.]

The aging sign was gilded and hung in a prominent place as a reminder to all the patients in the center. Every one of them knew that the words ‘healing center’ were there to make them feel good. This was a place for society to stuff their undesirables. A location for families to hide their most shameful secrets. Every single one of the people patients being treated for their delusions. 

‘Damn bastards telling me I don’t exist.’ Jill spat on the ground and Jack could see the water moving through the floorboards, disappearing underneath. Touching nothing.  

It was the only hint that she wasn’t real. That, and the fact that nobody else could see her. Jack sighed at the sudden hush that had fallen over his group. It was these moments of lucidity that he dreaded. The times when their entire group remembered where they were and why. 

For all their talk, they didn’t know what had happened to Tink, nor did they have any clues. Because they didn’t have any powers. Gregorian couldn’t sense life, and Thompson couldn’t smell death. Dilmar couldn't even do sleight of hand let alone conjure illusions. The only reason they were here with Jack in the first place was that they thought they could. 

This was the GodSworn Healing Center. 

A psych ward for crazy people. 

****

“What up my humans.”

Jack and the gang looked up as two figures approached them gaily. One lifted his head up high and looked them in the eyes, his freckled cheeks caving in to form deep dimples as he smiled. Jill waved at him happily as he entered the room.

“What are my favourite humans doing here all sad and dismal?” 

“Zelthar, Muddy.” Dilmar nodded to both of them. “Sorry about the mood, we’re just thinking about some stuff.”

‘I am not calling them that. Not today.’ Jill’s frown lessened slightly, but Jack could see she was still angry. 

Even he found it hard to say the words Zelthar and Muddy, but it was what they wanted to be called. The two non-humans of the group. One convinced he was an alien, the other convinced they’re a monster. 

“Well think no longer,” Zelthar clapped his hands together dramatically. “For the great Maximillian Lightbringer will soon be among us, spinning his weave of tales for us to hear.” 

“God.” Thompson croaked out a word and his lips curled upwards. “I’ve heard that guy tell his stories a thousand times. I don’t care what his grandpa did in some crappy cold evening in nineteen sixty-three. Give me a modern tale for once.”

“Shush, I like his stories,” Gregorian coughed as he motioned for Zelthar and Muddy to pull up chairs. “When’s he coming?”

‘He’s right behind you.’ Jill pointed out a figure behind Gregorian.

“He’s right behind you.” Jack laughed as he saw Gregorian jolt and shift his head behind him, only to see a golden-haired, chisel-jawed man grinning at him.

The man's build reminded Jack of the perfect body he'd once dreamt of having.

Thompson’s eyes widened. “When the heck did you get there?” 

“Around the time you were telling everyone how much you didn’t want to hear my stories.”

Jack scanned the man from top to bottom. He hadn’t noticed him sneak behind them either. 

Maximillian Lightbringer. 

The self-proclaimed superhero. From a long line of superheroes starting from his grandfather, the first man to have invented the superhero serum. Which he then promptly destroyed because it was too powerful for the world to handle. Luckily good old Maximillian was there to pass on his grandfather’s legacy through his stories.

‘Yup. This guy.’ Jill closed her eyes and her ears twitched as his voice boomed across the room.

She absolutely hated Max. Jack knew her thoughts because she voiced them more often than not. Despite his friendly demeanour and a penchant for stories, she thought his ego was too much to take, that he was self-centered and that he always wore a shirt.

Jack wasn’t sure he agreed that the last thing was bad. 

She lifted herself out of the chair and turned to face Jack. ‘Let’s find Tink.’

Jack tilted his face at her as the others talked. They seemed like they’d be busy for a while. It wasn’t such a bad idea to get some sunshine and check out the perimeter. He could see the nurses hurrying about not even noting the group. It seemed like the perfect chance.

“Guys, Jill wants to go out for a walk, so I’m going to go with her.” Jack shuffled up and gestured to the door. “Won’t be five minutes.”

“Heck, we’ll miss you man but make sure you make it for the lunchtime crossover.” Maximillian smiled and waved goodbye, turning to the group and beginning his latest tale. 

‘Blegh,’ Jill poked her tongue out at him. ‘He didn’t even comment on my dress.’

“He can’t see it Jill.” Jack suppressed a laugh as he saw her expression of annoyance. “So where do you want to go?”

‘Let’s look for some nurses. I bet they know what’s up.’

They eyed the hallways and exit outside. Staff filled the area but they all seemed to be busy. Jack wondered if there was an event he'd forgotten about. Technically, they were free to roam wherever they wanted for the duration of the day, but their main haunts were the dining hall and pretty much nowhere else. 

“The garden it is.” Jack took the lead, opening the door and graciously letting Jill through. 

He didn’t have to do it, but she got mad as hell when he didn’t. Luckily the first person they spotted was the one they needed to see the most. 

“Good morning, Jack.” A chill ran through Jack’s back as he heard the hollow buzz of The Reverend's voice. “How are you this blessed morning?”

The Reverend. Jack and the others didn’t know him by any other name, only that he ran this complex with an iron fist. It wasn’t a coincidence that they’d all gathered together under his leadership. The Reverend seemed to have made it his life's mission to take in people with their condition and place them in one complex to watch over them. Their families were all originally part of the same religion, and the complex was one of the many ‘healing centers’ under the management of their church. It wasn’t a major religion, but a splinter group which long ago broke free from the rest. 

A group of followers known as the GodSworn. 

Jack kept his head down respectfully. “Good reverend. Not much to report, although I was wondering where Tink was. He didn’t come back this morning from a midnight walk.” 

“Tink?” The Reverend’s voice seemed to warm up and Jack peeked up with his eyes, surprised to see the man smiling. “Yes, what a good fellow. He’s been helping us with some electrical issues. Unfortunately, he got a bit tired last night and we allowed him to stay in our spare room.”

‘How gracious.’ Jill walked calmly around The Reverend, inspecting him from top to bottom. ‘For a snake, he really is acting awfully human suddenly.’

“Jack…” The Reverend followed Jack’s eyes behind him and frowned. “Is Jill here?”

“Jill?” Jack pretended to play dumb and lowered his head further. “No sir, haven’t seen her in a long time.”

Jack could feel The Reverend’s eyes drilling into him, trying to capture any signs of deceit. It never went well to mention Jill around the man. The reason he was in this place was because they were trying to get rid of her. 

“Good, good.” The Reverend perked up and walked past Jack. “Don’t worry about Tink. He’ll probably wake up soon and head straight back to your dorm. Now if you don’t mind, I have to check on a few things inside.”

‘Curiouser and curiouser.’ Jill pranced to Jack with her hands clasped behind her back. ‘Since when does The Reverend or any of the staff let us rest in their quarters? They’d rather stick their hands inside a shredder.’

“You know what.” Jack searched his surroundings carefully to confirm there were no nurses in sight. They'd all gone inside the complex. “You’re right.”  

‘I am?’ Jill’s eyes widened. ‘What?’

Jack stood, thinking, as he replayed the events in his head.

Jack could still see The Reverend's smile in his mind. It was a cold and menacing thing, not something that you would show a loved one. It looked more like a predator baring its teeth at its prey. He paced around the garden as he thought of what to do next, but the only thing that came to mind was waiting.

“I’ve never seen him act that way.” Jack turned back to walk inside. “Maybe we should wait for Tink in our room.” 

The Reverend hadn’t seemed to be lying when he said Tink would probably show up soon. But the man hadn’t said what kind of state he’d arrive in. If they’d done something to Tink then Jack wanted to be there to greet him and calm him down.

‘Okay, okay, okay.’ Jill walked alongside him back into the complex. ‘Hey, what’s going on here?’

Jack looked around and then stopped. In the time they'd gone outside, the entire place seemed to have entered overdrive. The nurses were rushing around hurriedly, and inside the dining room, the entire group had disappeared except for Muddy and Zelthar. 

“Hey, guys!” Jack called out to them. “Where’d the others go? And what’s with all the hubbub?”

“Greetings Jack.” Zelther turned to him with a smile. “The Reverend took the others away. Said he required them to prepare for an event.” 

“What?” Jack had heard nothing about an event. “What does that mean?”

“I believe it means they are helping prepare for an event,” Zelther’s smile faltered. “I do not know what else there is to say on this matter.”

‘They had to leave this guy behind.’ Jill sighed. 

She loved talking to Zelther through Jack. The man was kind but also the type of whacky she could resonate with on another level. But even she knew he wasn’t the greatest at conversation. Unfortunately, Muddy was a mute, However, he and Zelther always seemed to be on the same wavelength when it counted. 

‘We won’t be getting anything else out of him.’ Jill shook her head. ‘What do you want to do?’

“We’re heading back to the room then,” Jack said firmly to Jill and waved goodbye to Zelther and Muddy. “Those guys can take care of themselves, but Tink might need our help.”

He trusted Dilmar to be reasonable enough in leading them all. He was the one The Reverend seemed to trust the most out of all the patients in the complex. Not that Jack blamed him. You’d have to have a heart of stone not to trust Dilmar after spending so much time with him. The man would definitely stop the group from pissing off the staff. 

Jill walked alongside Jack as they made their way towards their room. The nurses began to disperse as they rushed off further into the complex and Jack watched them with disinterest. It was a short walk and by the time he’d thought of what to say to Tink he’d already made it there. But then Jill squinted and frowned the moment they went in as she looked out the window.

‘Hey. Who turned out the lights?’

“What?” Jack swiveled around to spot what she was looking at and saw that outside their room a pitch-black colour had covered the entire window. “Oh god. I hope nobody painted over the glass.”

If one of the guys was playing a prank on him, then it would definitely come back to bite them in the ass. The Reverend didn’t take kindly to damaging property, and they’d probably have to wash off the paint.

‘It’s not paint.’ Jill walked up to the window and put her hand on it, her skin passing through the wall as though she was a ghost. ‘It's the sky.’

“What?” Jack made his way to the window and peered through it, realising he could see the grass outside, even if just faintly. “What the hell is going on out there?”

It looked like it was already nighttime. But it had been morning just moments before.

‘Did you blink and fall asleep?’ Jill tried to joke but Jack could see she was nervous. 

Instead of shooting out a comeback he shuffled over to the door and stuck out his head.

“Nurse? Nurse!” he shouted into the hallway the only thing to greet him was the echoes of his own voice.

The entire complex, which had been bustling with activity only moments before, was dead silent.

‘I don’t like this.’ Jill walked out into the hallway and moved ahead of Jack, letting him stay inside the safety of his room. ‘Jack Look!’

“What?” Jack moved up to Jill and stared straight ahead. 

The lights were flickering on and off in the hallway. But between each flash of light, they could see a figure. Running towards them was a decrepit old man, sweating bullets and with the same expression of a deer about to be hit by a car.

Tink.

“Tink!” Jack rushed up to the man and noticed his skin was paler than he’d ever seen it before.

He was trembling from head to toe and it looked like only adrenaline was keeping him on his feet. His lips were a pale orange and his eyes darted from side to side as though trying to escape from something. His breathing was deep and laboured. 

Jack doubted Tink even knew where he was.

‘Is he having some kind of panic attack?’ Jill looked at Tink with concern.

She’d always had a soft spot for the elderly man. 

“Outside. I need to see the outside.” Tink’s shivering body collapsed into Jack's arms as he got closer.

He was too weak to move. 

Jack pushed the terrified man into the room and closed the door behind him. “We need to get you some blankets and a nurse.”

“Jack?” Tink seemed to notice Jack for the first time as Jack pushed him into their room. “Oh god Jack, what have I done?”

“Hey-” Jack held Tink’s hands firmly and guided him into the bed. “Stay calm now. What happened? I’ll get a nurse-”

“No.” Tinks eyes widened with fear at the mention of the nurses, but then they clouded over and he seemed to stare off into the distance. “They told me they’d let me go if I did what they asked. They just wanted one favour and I’d be with my family. You don’t understand. I just wanted to see my family.”

‘He’s not listening to you.’ Jill followed Tink's gaze and found him looking outside. ‘Does he have something to do with what’s going on?’

“Do you have something to do with what’s going on outside?” Jack could only see a pitch-black sky, with the rooms bulb being the only source of light. 

But even that bulb was starting to flicker. Jack doubted it would last a few minutes. 

“Yes,” Tinks eyes seemed to clear up, but whatever trance had overtaken him gripped his mind tightly. “This was all me. My machines, my inventions. The staff knew of my talents; They needed them to complete their machine. Oh how glorious it was, my crowning achievement.”

“Machine?” Jack began pressing a button on the end of Tinks bed, calling the nurses to his room.

The old man had experienced something and lost his mind. Tink didn’t have any special powers, and he was delusional just like the rest of them. He thought he could work any machine in the world, turning even scrap metal into versatile machinery and convinced that he could save the world with his inventions. But it was all pretending.

‘Keep him talking,’ Jill urged Jack. ‘Keep him stable and concentrating on something until someone gets here.’

“I need to get a nurse.”

‘And leave him alone like this? He could hurt himself.’ 

Jack shook his head but then relented and turned back to Tink. “Tell me about the machine Tink. What did you do?”

As long as he could keep the old man talking, it would help calm him down. He had thoroughly wrapped Tink up in blankets but the nurses didn’t seem to be responding to the alarm he was sure he was sending them through the bed buttons.

“I don’t know about the machine. I don’t know what it is or what it does.” Tink shook his head. “They had the plans. They just needed me to help complete it. They said they were missing a way to make an energy source strong enough to power it. So I helped them. Oh god, they took the others.” 

“The others?” Jack felt panic creeping into his voice as he took in Tink’s words. “What about the others? What did The Reverend do?”

“Don’t you see Jack?” Tink’s eyes tinged with mania and he dug his nails into Jack’s skin like talons. “They never needed us here. They weren’t trying to cure us; They were searching for someone. Someone they knew was extraordinary but couldn’t use their abilities.” 

“Tink stop.” Jack broke his arm free and turned to the door.

But Jill was already there. She swung the door open and stopped dead. Instead of the usual hallway that had greeted them every day for years, there was nothing but darkness. It wasn't the ordinary darkness caused by the faulty lightbulbs. This was a pitch-black abyss. It was as though something was consuming everything outside of their room, and it was quickly eating through the walls and making its way towards them.

“Jack. There’s nothing there.” Jill turned to him in a panic and then froze she realised what she’d just done.

“Jill?” Jack’s eyes widened. “Did you just open that door?”

A sharp burst of laughter interrupted their surprise. “So you’re Jill.”

They turned to find Tink completely calm but with an expression of sadness etched onto his face. 

“I guess it’s only fitting that I see you before the end.” Tink ruffled his hands underneath his pillow and brought out a small device. “Ah, see. I was smart enough to do this at least.”

“What is that?” Jack's hands shook as he saw the darkness circling into the room from the outside. It was slowly encroaching around them and it would only be a minute or two before it consumed them. 

Nothing made sense anymore.

“A contingency. To hold back the end.” Tink rolled the device in his palm. “But it looks like it failed. Its going to devour us alongside everything else. What a fool I’ve been, my mind clouded by all my years in this hellhole.”

“Tink,” Jill approached the man carefully. “What is this? What’s happening?”

‘Why can you see me?’ She wanted to ask, but she held her tongue. There were more important things to worry about.

Jack could see the last of the wall disappearing into the darkness as Tink lifted his head. The man’s eyes had never been so clear in all the time that Jack had known him. It was as though he’d been given twenty years of youth in an instant. But the man’s calm attitude wasn’t enough to lower his panic.

“Why Jill,” Tinks body slowly fell into the darkness and the last thing they heard was his voice softly calling out to them. “This is the end of the world.”