10/10: Echo

I finally figured it out, Phillis, the thing that always feels weird about you—it’s like an echo, like I’m hearing my own words and that’s the only thing repeated back at me. Right, speaking of that I had an ... encounter? I don’t really know how to describe it, I just ... so that person was kind of a person? It ... so Phillis, back when I was saving the world, Ery and I met a guy—dog— named Scout. He was a white little pupper with a staff that looked like it’s hurt if you made him angry. He helped us out in running from The Devil and I think the person or thing looked like him, at least it had his dog face but then the rest of his body looked literally anything else other than a dog.

So when Scout came into the cave, he stopped just a foot away from me and stared at me in silence.

“...Um, Scout?” I asked, ready to defend myself in that cave. There was still a hailstorm going on and was waiting for it to die down before traveling out there again—what? I know these things I did learn many things under Mama back in the Scourgies. Anyway but Scout or ... fake Scout nodded his head at me—okay make that three heads I just saw the other two pop up and glare at me as I’m writing this.

“O-kaaay,” I replied, still feeling weirded out by his presence, “Are you going to kill me?”

Nothing, just nothing. I don’t even think I saw the mutt’s eyes blink before his jaw unhinges and something slaps me across the face.

“OW WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR?”

“Your recklessness.” fake Scout hissed; taking me by surprise. The last time I heard this guy actually talk was through Ery way back. Otherwise, the guy talked like, well, a dog for the most part.

“Wha’ do you mean?” I rubbed the bits of foreign drool off where his tongue struck me, “I didn’t do anything—this time!”

He didn’t say anything more just taking a seat across from me and bearing the rows of jagged teeth at me in a low, guttural growl.

“C’mon, Scout, you gotta believe me—I really didn’t do anything,” I pleaded with him, “I don’t even know what’s going on other than everything is red and not in a good way, and everyone looks like ... not themselves.”

Scout was still silent until his jaw stretched open again, mimicking my voice perfectly, "Wha' do you mean? I didn't do anything -- this time! C'mon, Scout, you gotta believe me--I really didn't do anything, I don't even know what's going on other than everything is red and not in a good way, and everyone looks like ... not themselves."

My face was steaming at this point; the last thing I needed was to be mocked, "Alright, what's the meaning of this?! This place isn't exactly fun and games for me, you know!"

I think the best way to describe what I saw Scout's face do is like that moment when you take clay, crush it up, and smoosh it back into a ball before you smooth it out and re-shape whatever you were making it as again. Yeah, yeah, I know, Phillis, I hang around my boyfriend too much.

Anyways, but that's pretty much what Scout's--ah, right--fake Scout's face did before he spoke again with my voice, "Just need to go down from here, and then I'll have it."

I tilted my head at him, "...Why are you mimicking me?"

"Why are you mimicking me?"

"Argh, what is with you people?!" I ran my hands through my hair and groaned, "Look, if you're that intent on messing with me, just end me already! You're working for that thing, right? The fake Ery? If this 'He' wants me dead so much, then aren't you going to do it?"

Another silence, this one dragged for a long time between us before Scout slowly answered me; this time, however, each voice seemed to shift to different people, "Echoes of the past, are what I speak now. All because of you."

Phillis, not really sure how to write it well, but let's just say I did get a little bit scared when he said the "you" part--it sounded like multiple people shouting at me. Anyways, he then pointed one of his tentacle-looking limbs behind me and even though all I could see was just the wall of the cave, I decided to listen to him. I walked over to the wall, only to see my hand went right through it.

I slowly turned around to face him, "...I've been here before?"

"Alright," Scout spoke again, now in my voice, "Thank god Ery is a heavy sleeper ... it's game time."

Upon hearing him say that, I went quiet and sat down against the sidewall of the cave, stunned. I mean, Phillis, it's just ... I told you, summoning another demon to the point Ery and Az got sacrificed, that sounds like something I'd promise Ery I'd never do to him. I mean ... so I did that? That's what I did? I snuck out behind Ery's back and came down to this cave and made another deal? But why? I never had a reason to.

I think at some point, the itching kicked up again, causing me to double over in pain. I couldn't really see it--well, I kinda didn't want to see it--but I could feel more bits of me falling out. I don't think fake Scout did anything, he just seemed to watch? Come to think of it, I could have sworn, in the wave of pain from what I think are the beetles biting me inside, that Scout laughed at me. I just took a glance at him a few seconds ago, and he stared back at me, his clear eyes seem cold and dead. So yeah, I think he was laughing at me; whether or not it was actually himself laughing at me or him echoing someone who did laugh from the past.

The thing that's really just messing with the most is that Scout--fake Scout--you know, it's been getting strangely hard to remember to call everyone "fake" and then their name. It's ... like I'm being forced to acknowledge that they're real, and everything I'm being told is real. I mean, I know I told you I'd been struggling to not think that I am the real Lucio they are looking for a few days ago, Phillis, but still. But right, that's also now a thing as I'm trying to not let the fact that Scout didn't say I was the wrong Lucio get to me.

Kinda wish I had stuck with Portie and Jules ... maybe they'd be giving me a nicer treatment by now.

"They are liars." is what Scout just replied to me as I finished writing that sentence. So, I'm guessing that is a ruse--right? Or, is what Scout saying to me the true ruse? Or is what I'm thinking the ruse? ...Are you a ruse, Phillis?

Ugh, I think I'm just going to call it a night. Scout hasn't left the cave and although all three of his heads scare me, I don't think he'd kill me in my sleep? ...I don't think he will, but you know what? At least I died fighting and trying to find my way back -- even though I'm not looking so great, Phillis. I lost a lot more pieces of myself in that wave of pain from the beetles inside me, and I don't know if I'm gonna make it by the time I do manage to find a way to get back home. I don't really wanna think about what I'll have to do if I end up turning into one of them...

I'll let you know what I find in the cave when I explore it tomorrow; fingers crossed I don't die and Scout stays if he doesn't kill me. I could use another friend around, especially for exploring a dark cave with some creature I can't kill trying to hunt me down.