Wake him up.

A splash of cold water collides with my face, bringing both me and my thoughts back into this world. I open my eyes to find my vision blurred. There is an aching pain thumping in the back of my head. I can feel the cold, sticky, dried blood matted in my hair. The pain clouds my perception.

Can you hear me?

Yes, I hear you, whoever you are. However, I find it impossible to focus or stay awake. My eyes close once more. I have no idea how much time passes before they open again. This time when I am awoken, it is by the smell of my burning flesh and a painful sensation in my right abdomen. My eyes fly open as my body jerks and I scream out in pain. This time I am far more aware of both my surroundings and the predicament that I find myself in. My wrists are sore from the metal shackles that bind me to the wall, my mouth dry with a taste of dirt from all of the dust in the air, and a man stands in front of me with a red hot sword in his hand. I look down to find a blistering burn from his sword on my ribcage. I slowly raise my eyes back up to this man. At first, I don’t recognize him, but when I finally do, it only serves to remind me how long it has been…























...since I last saw my own face.

The Queen tells me that we are one and the same.

My double slowly walks up close to me and leans in to get a better look at my face. Our eyes lock just for a second, but in that short time, I can tell just how uncomfortable my appearance makes him. He plays it off with a smirk and leans back.

Honestly, I don’t see the resemblance.

He lets out a sarcastic laugh at my expense. “That’s only because my Dolly horribly disfigured me”, I think to myself.

So you come from another world, is that right?

I stare at my captor hatefully, but I do not answer his query.To me, this is the man that tainted the once pure soul of My Dolly… No, not my Dolly, but a Dolly. Even still, I find myself hating myself. At least, I hate this version of me. I know that I’m not a good person, but to think for a moment that I would allow myself to corrupt such a beautiful creature? No, never! Not even I am that soulless.

Tell me strange one, what was it that brought you to this world?

I do not remove my eyes from him for even a second, but I still refuse to answer his questions. He smiles and begins to casually walk towards D’Ville and Samuels. With him being an otherworldly version of myself, I know deep down what is to come next.

You do not wish to answer me?

He annoyingly sucks at his teeth as he nods his head.

That’s fine, but the longer you ignore me, the more pain I will inflict on your friends.

In one swift thrust of his blade, he drives a few inches of his sword into Samuels thigh. Samuels grunts in pain, too proud and too strong to scream. My double locks eyes with me once more as he twists the blade into Samuels thigh, Samuels still does not scream out.

Tell me why you are here!?!

My nostrils flare and I begin to breathe heavily. My reaction just causes him to smile. He seems proud of himself, and I know that he is. If our roles were reversed, I would be loving this. The power that he holds over me, over us. It’s what I live for. To be feared and respected, but mostly feared. Fear is the key to victory in any competitive environment. If you can get into your opponent's head, you have him beaten before the match ever starts. Fear is the power that this other Graves holds over me now. Fear that my new friends will suffer from my actions. Fear that none of us will escape this dungeon alive.

Are we getting upset? Good! Let’s see how you feel about this!

He doesn’t even withdraw the blade from Samuels leg before thrusting upwards. I watch, powerless to do anything to stop it as his blade tears through Samuels thigh and swiftly glides upwards, slitting D’Ville’s throat. I watch as the old man gasps for air while gargling on his own blood. Blood that is flowing from the wound down his neck and chest. The other me slowly struts towards me as I watch and listen to D’Ville take his final few desperate breaths to no avail. A rage takes over as I yank at the chains trying to break free. The chains clank and pop with each thrust, but they do not budge.

Now, answer my question before the other meets the same fate!

My eyes are locked on his. My breaths short and fast. My heart is beating at a mile a minute as adrenaline pumps through my veins. Finally, in but a whisper, I reply.

I’m... going... to... kill... you…

He lets out a loud obnoxious laugh and strikes the tip of his sword into the floor, balancing on it like it's a walking stick.

Whyever would you want to kill me, Micheal? Because of him?

He points to the body of the fallen Wizard D’Ville who hangs from the wall beside Samuels, lifeless and cold.

Did you think him to be your friend? He’s not your friend Micheal, none of them are! You forget we are one and the same, you and I. These men would have betrayed you as soon as you helped them kill me! As far as they are concerned, you are just as much a threat as I am.. So trust me when I say that I did you a favor killing him!

D’Ville and Theo’s needless deaths are only part of my reasoning.

You corrupted Dolly! You made her evil… YOU MADE HER JUST LIKE US!!!!

He laughs long and hard. It’s an exaggerated laugh. It’s for cartoon effect, an effort to drive a point home.

Is that what you think Micheal? The poor, sweet, innocent princess. She sat in her chambers queefing rainbows and farting sunshine, then mean old Graves came along and cast a spell on her, turning her into the evil creature that you see today, is that it? I find how little you actually know about her to be quite astonishing. She isn’t as innocent as you think Micheal, she never was.

LIES!!!

You watched with your own eyes as she killed her own father!

That was a product of the corruption that YOU brought upon her!

He shakes his head no, still smiling, amused by my apparent naivety.

No Micheal, she was this way long before she ever met me. Is the Dolly of your world really so different that you can’t see that?

No, I don’t see that! Sure, Dolly is insensitive, egotistical, violent, and a little narcissistic, but…

I can see it in your eyes, you do see it!

No, she can’t be. It’s not possible for her to be a bad person…

My Dolly started off upset with her father because he had a kingdom to run and wasn’t afforded as much time to spend with her as she would have liked. In time, she grew to resent him for not making her the center of his universe. She blamed him by focusing on every negative trait that she could find in her father and then using them as excuses to justify the fact that she was the one that pushed him away, not the other way around. It was her that rejected his love anytime that he offered it. She decided that he was a bad father, a bad King, and once she did, there was nothing that he could ever do to change that. Was Theo the perfect father? No, he was a busy man, and he liked to drink and fuck whores, but he loved his daughter more than she would ever know. It was a love that she couldn’t return, and it was her support that he needed more than she needed his, but that too was something that she refused to give. Eventually, she began to think that she could rule the land better than her father. She could restore the kingdom to its former glory, and restore her family’s name, even though there was nothing to restore. Dolly is Dolly though, she see’s things the way that she chooses to see them. Just like with me. Dolly knew that I fancied her. She often toyed with me, but it was evident that she had no real interest in anything that I could offer her. Still, that did not stop me from allowing her to convince me to smuggle her out of the castle and bring her here, where she could raise her own army to topple her father and take his lands! Of course, thanks to you, that is no longer required. Because of your actions in leading King Theo here, Queen Dolly is now the rightful ruler of Revac!

Could it be, could my Dolly really be as evil as the one here? Is there hate and distrust just building inside of her, rotting her heart out from the inside? Just when I was beginning to think that it was I that would corrupt her and wash away her light, but maybe that light was already dampened long before she met me. The story that the other Graves tells does sound familiar. It’s almost a direct parallel to my Dolly’s relationship with her father, Muddy, and even to some extent, her mother. Even when it comes to how she has interacted with me, it’s all so similar.

So you see, I never needed for you to tell me why you came here. I already know all about you. The Queen has the power to see beyond this world, and she already knows everything that she needs to about you.

He takes his weight off of his sword and swings it up to rest on his shoulder as he walks even closer to me.

I just hoped to crush your heart before I dug my blade into it!

He swings the sword off of his shoulder and pulls back to thrust it in my chest, but before he can strike, I blow a fine red poison mist into his face. He yelps out in pain, dropping his sword to try and rub the substance from his eyes. I firmly grip the chains that bind me to the wall. I support my weight with the chains as I wrap my legs around his head. He struggles against me for a moment before I twist and snap his neck. His now lifeless body crumbles to the ground. Samuels whispers to not draw the attention of any guards that may be waiting outside this dungeon.

Good work! Do you have any plans on how to escape?

Just one…

I close my eyes and concentrate as hard as I possibly can. There is a connection between us, I just know it. If I can focus all of my will into reaching out, I know in my heart that my message will be received. So I try, oh my God do I try. I try all the time, in this institution… AND I PRAY! Oh, my God, do I pray. Then I feel it, I know that my message has been received and help is on the way!





















With a poof of smoke, Cadryn appears in full Jester garb!

The Jester has arrived to...

The smile quickly fades from his face as he lays eyes on me.

Oh, it’s you!

Cadryn, I need you to poof us out of here, quick!

Cadryn touches his index finger to his mouth as he paces back and forth, considering the possibility of helping me out. Finally, he turns to me with a shit-eating grin.

Nah, screw you, dude. You’re always mean to me!

His words leave me in a state of panic. I yell out for him...

But they’re going to kill me!

But before I can finish Cadyn is gone in a poof of smoke.

Well that worked out well.

Suddenly there is another poof and Cadryn is back in the room.

Dude, quit cameoing in this shit, we’ve got our own match to think about!

Cadryn looks up in the air and seemingly shouts at nobody as far as Graves and Sammy are concerned.

Shut up Jeff, I’m helping my friend, so but out and let me do work!

Fair…

His interaction leaves me slightly confused. Whoever he was speaking to doesn’t appear to be in the room. I can’t help but think that Dolly was right all those months ago when she said that I had projected my mental illness on Cadryn. I feel ashamed by the prospect, but maybe there is something at play here that I don’t understand.

Who’s Jeff?

Cadryn chooses not to answer me. Instead, he silently walks up to Samuels and wraps his arms around his waist and poofs away leaving nothing but the rattling chains that were previously cuffed to Samuels wrist. I look to the ground and yell out in a distraught tone.

Goddamn it!... this fucking guy!

Suddenly the main door leading into the dungeon seemingly flings open and slams into the wall all on its own. I soon realize the true force that flung the door open when Queen Dolly levitates into the room.

Micheal…

I hear a distant voice. It is but a whisper and easily ignored.

What is going on in here!

She doesn’t need me to answer. The dead body of the other Graves says it all.

Micheal…

That voice again, louder this time, but I once again pay it little mind. Instead, I am more concerned with the fiery rage fills Dolly’s eyes as she stares at the dead Graves lying on the cold floor. She holds her hand out and I watch as Graves sword flies from the floor to her hand.

Micheal…

Again my name is called out, a little harder to ignore this time. I quickly look around the room, but I see nobody here except for the enraged witch before me. She lets out a blood-curdling shriek and charges towards me with the tip of the sword aimed for my heart. The still warm blade pierces into my chest. My eyes widen as tears begin to form. The odd thing is, it really doesn’t hurt. There is no pain from the stab, just the fear of knowing that I am about to die. Knowing that I couldn’t save this world, couldn’t save Dolly. Couldn’t save myself.

With my last breaths, one thought enters my mind.




I think about how over the last few months I’ve managed to ruin everything...




My friendship with Cadryn…




My chance at being a hero…




My brotherhood with AX3…




But most importantly…







MICHEAL!!!






That voice again...
































I try to open my eyes but quickly close them again due to the brightness of the room. My head is cloudy, it’s hard to think, but I quickly realize that I’m not lying on the stone floor of the dungeon, or burning in the fiery pits of Hell… where am I?

Oh my precious Micheal, thank God you're alive!!!

I feel her small arms wrap around me and hug me with all her might. I open my eyes again, and that’s when I see her. The most beautiful young lady that I have ever laid eyes on. The girl that I ignored to pursue Dolly Waters. The girl who loves me more than I will ever deserve.