Chapter Text
That time Regect sent Ze to super hell felt like a cake walk compared to what had been plaguing him during his gaming sessions recently .
There hadn't been any major incidents like when he first jumped down the hole in the front of his old house or when he discovered the underground hospital in his world but those freaky eyes kept appearing right where he wasn't looking. When he was alone it would appear just out of rendering distance, quickly disappearing when he turned his character’s head towards it.
Ze felt almost grateful that Regect rarely left him alone. Almost, as Regect was still an annoying obnoxious presence who fucked with Ze with every chance he could get. The eyes seemed to leave him alone in the presence of his personal tormentor and his friend Moe. Moe, he's pretty sure, had also noticed his slight decline in energy over the past few days and had been following him around a lot more.
He feels a bit bad about that last part, she shouldn't need to worry about him for reacting so poorly to what was basically just a scary jumpscare on his screen. Not that he’s told Moe or Regect about what's been happening. Again, kinda embarrassing to admit your paranoia of some loud noise and a png.
He wasn't thinking about that currently at the moment, as him and Regect are currently in a yelling match about Regect wanting replace the birch wood in their new home with oak but still thinking jungle wood was the same as oak
“Im not doing this again, it's a completely different color from oak that's not oak wood!” he shouted, clicking his mouse while repeatedly punching Regects minecraft avatar.
Regect also was punching Ze’s avatar back, they were knocking each other back over and over agian“ Thats like saying a green apple isnt an apple because its red you fucking idiot!”
“Thats not a good metaphor for this, what is your problem!”
They were both on the first floor of their new home, the one they had to build because Regect had blown up their previous house. Zes knew having that many furnaces was a bad idea but not sure on how it actually managed to blow up. Not like his world really followed vanilla minecraft mechanics.
Regect after Zes most recent punch turned around and walked towards a wall. He removed a block of birch wood and placed a jungle plank in its place.
“Regect, stop! You're going to make the house look like shit!” He ran up and pushed Regect away from the wall. Regect whipped around and started pushing Ze away.
“GOD why are you making such a big deal out of this, jungle wood and oak wood look basically the same “
“OOOOOH!! So you admit their different blocks”
The front door clicks open causing both Regect and Ze to turn their heads. Moe walks inside the house, and a baby chicken on a lead follows behind her; and another one, and another one, and another-
Half of the first floor is now covered in little baby chickens loudly chirping, with more flowing in via the entrance. The frames per second are actively dropping as more and more chickens come inside the house. Moe starts honking something at Ze and Regect.
Ze turns his head slightly to Regect who's also staring back at him. If Regect had a face, something of horrified recognition would have been on it.
“Ze dont you dare-”
“-awh man, it's pretty late Moe, sorry I gotta go! See you tomorrow!”
Ze quickly opens up the menu and exists to desktop. A few open tabs he had open while on minecraft are on his screen. One a video file of his math professors lecture today and the others a gun catalog website he was scrolling through. He clicked out of both those tabs and turned his laptop off.
Looking towards his bed, his beside clock glowed green with the time ‘2:32 AM’. Ze pushed back from his desk and sat up from his chair. He made his way to his bed, sitting down on the edge. Pulling his shirt off first, then kicking his pants off, he left them both on the ground and slipped under the covers of the bed. The window near his bed was slightly cracked open, making the room a nice temperature for Ze to get cozy.
It took a while for Ze to finally fall asleep though; blue light wasn't great for your sleep cycle to be fair.
The sound of something sliding caused Ze to open his eyes slightly. Looking around, he could barely make out the furniture in his room. Ze pulled back his blankets, the room several degrees colder then when he had gone to bed. He sat up from the mattress and walked towards the light switch next to his bedroom door. Flicking on the switch he turned back towards the room, then scanned it once more. That noise from before returned, causing Ze to bite his lip slightly. He spotted his open window which now looked slightly more closed.
The nerves in his body settled as he let a breath out, annoyed, and walked up to the window and closed it fully shut. Something must be wrong with whatever mechanism keeps the frame up. He headed back to the light switch and turned to go head to his bed.
?
“What the hell-”
Two familiar eyes filled his vision, plastered in front of his view with the room as its backdrop.
A eary silence followed and the whole room stood still. The sound of laughter filled the room full throttle, causing Ze to wince and cup his ears. His head felt like it was pulsing and his eyebrows scrunched in pain. Ze backed up hard into the door, a loud bang drowned out by the already maddening sound that had made its home inside his home and his head. Letting a hand drop from his ear he turned the door handle open and flung himself out of the room. He expected his feet to land on the floor of his hallway but instead there was just nothing.
Ze began to fall in void of nothing, his door frame quickly disappearing in the distance. The eyes didn't follow him and the laughter had faded away. His heart was still pounding but his head was soothed by the cool wind blowing through his scalp. Ze thinks he’s falling upside down so he cranes his neck down. Green grass comes fast into his vision as his head meets the ground and everything goes black.
(divider)
Ze wakes up with a thud, landing on his side as he flipped out of the bed. He tried to catch his breath, eyes darting around his room which is now lit up by the early afternoon sun.
Once calmed down he pushes himself to stand up, wearily looking towards the window. The frame was cracked open, the same he'd left it last night.
“Fuck?” He said in disbelief. Ze can't remember a time he had a dream that felt so real and affected him so badly. He kicked the clothes near his feet under the bed. Walking over to his clean laundry bin, he picked out clean underwear, pants and a shirt. Ze carried them and stepped out into the hallway of his apartment. Once finished changing he had brushed his teeth, then walked back to his room and slid into his desk chair.
He wasn't much of a breakfast eater, finding he'd get nauseous if he ate too soon after waking up. Ze booted up the computer and opened up the video file of the previous lecture he was watching. He pulled out some paper from the side of his desk to actually take notes this time. When it was night he’d log on to minecraft and see what Moe and Regect were up to. He hopes whatever the hell he dreamed last night was just a one time thing.
It was not a one time thing. He should of predicted the potential irony in his statement
Ze hadn't been getting much rest as usual. The nightmares persisted throughout the next few days, waking him up in the middle of the night just to return when he finally fell back asleep.
He's become exhausted, barely reacting to Regects stupid antics with more than an exacerbated sigh. One positive revelation though is that the eyes have seemed to completely vanish from his mc world. He wouldn't be surprised if its goal was to just freak him out so bad its presence would bury its way into his subconscious. Honestly kinda impressive for a minercraft arg creature when in comparison to his chud of a roommate Regect.
Ze has a small internal battle between telling Regect how bad he sucks compared to the other entidy and also admiting that those stupid fucking png eyes are somehow super fucking scary to him. He doesn't say anything in the end. Why would he add more shit for Regect to taunt him with?
Ze’s avatar is currently sitting on a couch Moe built today. He has minecraft open on his laptop and reddit on his phone. A half eaten sausage and bun sits on his desk next to his computer. Tomorrow he should probably show up to his classes for once. Moe slides into his player's view and Ze puts down his phone.
“Oh hey Moe” Ze greets, leaning forwards and putting his hands on his key and mouse.
Move waves and stars honking about a new block she found nearby. She walks back a bit and places a fence, then what looks like an old styled television. Stepping back, she plops down next to z and selects a remote from her inventory and clicks on the tv. The screen blinks to life, showing a mirrored version of Ze’s screen.
“Where did this even come from…?”
Moe grips onto his avatar's shoulders and starts shaking him while pointing at the screen.
She honks impatiently.
“You want to watch something with me?”
The clown nodes.
Ze sighs and opens a tab in front of his mc screen. He clicks on youtube finding a playlist of videos he had been watching and plays one. Returning to his mc screen, Moes body is leaning on z, her eyes locked on to the doom gameplay he selected. There's a slight feeling that stirs in his stomach. He's never really thought of it but when's the last time he’s hung out with someone like this in real life? The feeling quickly dissipates when he remembers he never really enjoyed hangouts in his youth. Maybe the fact Moes not really in the room is helpful.
A few minutes pass before Regect walks through the door and up in front of the tv.
“Yo Ze, i built this new like escape room thing, get of the couch and go test it for me-”
Moe honks at Regect urgently, gesturing for him to move out of the way. Ze makes a disgruntled sound and moves his character to the side; peering past Regect, not really listening to anything Regects saying.
“Okay dam asshole’s ignoring me.”
If Ze’s mc character had fingers he’d flip Regect off.
“Moe, what about you?”
A barrage of splash bottles are hurled at Regect, causing him to yell and cover his non existent face. He scrambles away from the tv towards the side of the couch ze’s on. Regect grabs Ze's avatar and moves him in front of himself, acting as a human shield.
“Okay, okay! Damn! What are you guys even doing” He looks towards the tv, letting go of z and pushing him away. The second Regect started looking interested in the playthrough, Ze swapped the video to a bobross compilation. Moe honked a small disappointed honk and Regect started questioning Ze angrily, shaking him violently by the shoulders. A shit eating grin was smeared on Ze’s real life face. He'd let Moe see the rest of the Doom video later.
About an hour has passed before Ze excused himself to the bathroom. He left the video on for Moe as he’d already watched it several times before. Moe responded with a small honk of acknowledgement. Regect was currently sitting with his legs on the couch back and his head upside down. He didn't say anything, probably due to being bored out of his mind.
It was eleven thirty three on his alarm clock: his window was closed. Ze stepped out into his hallway and entered the bathroom, shutting it behind him. The light was already on. He quickly began and finished his business, then pulled up his sleeves in preparation to wash. Faded pink lines littered his skin near the upper part of his arms. His mind took a small note of it, the memory so old it was swept away into the back of his brain.
Warm water poured out the sinks faucet and Ze washed his hands good and well for almost a minute. He really doesn't get why people don't practise proper hygiene; It's really not that long of a process. Ze shakes his hands in the air, then wipes the remaining moisture onto his pants.
Something clicks behind him.
Ze freezes, his monkey brain going through thousands of possible scenarios and how to respond to keep himself alive. He spins around towards the door. The door is now slightly ajar, he can see the light of his bedroom from across the hall. He backs up harshly into the sinks porcelain rim.
Silence follows as Ze holds his breath, listening for anything moving behind the door.
He swears he shut that door. Maybe it didn't click all the way? No he did hear the click so something had to have opened it. Did someone break in? If so, why would they alert him to their presence on purpose? Are they fucking with him? This might actually put every stupid thing Regects used to torment Ze to shame. His heart is pounding but anger suddenly creeps his way into his chest.
He kneels down slightly, opening the cabinet under his sink behind him. With minor searching, he found purchase on a simple hand gun. He has a few guns he's gotten as presents in the past. Zes never thought about actually putting them in a safe, as no one comes to his apartment anyways.
He takes a few steps toward the door, gun raised in his hand. This isn't a big deal at all actually. Zes killed people before with a gun, some wannabe intruder isn't a threat for him. Those people being in mc but the specifics of this dont matter. THe gun should be enough to just scare whoever's in his apartment out the front door hopefully. Ze grabs the handle and pulls it towards him. The door doesn't budge.
His arm hurts slightly now, from pulling something and expecting it to budge.
The door is closed.
.
What?
Something wet drips onto the top of his scalp. Ze cranes his neck up towards the ceiling, taking in the sight of a large black sluge spread out from corner to corner. Two eyes stare into his own.
Ze stumbles back, his neck still craned up. The shock disorientates him and he misses to catch himself as he walks backwards. He plummets down and with a sharp crash, hits his head square into the sink.