Releasing the Cold One: Part 2

Sam slumped in the car with a splitting headache. He felt like the air itself was pressing against his skull. Every time he shut his eyes he received flashes of horrific images, smells, and sounds. People burning, dying, crying, screaming, and even images of cities disintegrating! Sam rocked back and forth, holding his ears as the psychic assault continued.

Shaking with fear and pain, Sam grabbed the keys with shaking hands, and tried to start the car. Nothing happened. Not even a sound came from the engine. Sam clenched his teeth, resting his head against the steering wheel. “What the FUCK is going on!” He yelled before kicking the door open and stumbling out of the car. With a look of frustration, he pulled out his phone and texted Jake again, telling him to hurry up. He looked up at the gray abandoned looking gym and shuttered. Something was wrong with this place. Even Rick was acting weird before he left.

Sam practically ripped his shirt off, just as another bout of searing pain attacked his head. He leaned on the car, massaging his forehead. Sam focused on the energy emanating from the gym, then did something he never did before. He used his powers to push the dark energy away from him, forming a cocoon of sorts. His eyes shined a bright blue as the darkness seemed to retreat away from him. He let out a sigh of relief as the screams and other sensory horrors retreated into the darkness. He stood there, breathing hard when he finally noticed Jake emerge from the Gym.

The man smoothly walked out of the building, his massive legs flexing and pulsing as he made his way towards the car. Sam almost smiled, but as soon as he made eye contact with Jake, the pain seared his skull again. He cursed loudly and almost fell to the ground. Jake jogged over to him with a look of confusion and concern. Sam sensed him probing his mind. “It’s this pain, this place is making me sick man, we need to go!” Sam said through gritted teeth in an almost annoyed tone. Jake frowned and walked over, placing his thick muscular arm around his waist to steady him.

“Dude, are you ok? What is going on?” He asked calmly. He sounded almost too calm, which annoyed Sam a bit.

“Well had you actually checked your phone, you would have seen I was texting you!” Sam shot back, shrugging the man's large hand off his thick shoulders. “I think I need to go to the hospital.”

Jake stood there for a moment, looking confused as he patted his tight shorts before pulling out his phone to check his messages. “Oh fuck man, i’m soo sorry! I was talking to Rick and didn’t hear it go off!” He said innocently before coming over and resting his arm around Sam to steady him. The pain started to ease a bit, but everything felt, hazy and odd. “It doesn’t matter now man, the car is dead!” Sam said quickly, he could feel the pressure on him lessen, but the relief felt temporary.

“Listen, Rick told me he had to run some errands, but he would be right back. Why don’t we just wait for him inside? I’m sure he can give us a lift when he gets back.” Jake said as he walked over to Sam, resting his thick hand on his shoulder. “You need a moment to just chill. Besides, he needed us to close the gym anyway!” Jake said with his smooth deep reassuring voice.

For just a moment, Sam noticed Jake look down at his shirtless body. Sam looked away and blushed. He had a crush on Jake, but didn’t know how the man felt about him. He nodded and slowly walked towards the gym. Jake walked next to him, slipping one massive muscular warm arm around his shoulders with a closeness that surprised Sam. The negative feelings and the pain seemed to lesson even more. Sam carefully wrapped his arm around Jake’s waist. He noticed his body was so . . . hard. He could feel Jake’s muscles flexing under his tight black shirt.

The two stumbled inside, taking a moment to lock the doors. Jake pulled out his phone, looking at his messages with a frown. He shook his head in shame as he eyed Sam. In addition to your missed messages, Rick texted me to let us know he won’t be back until tonight. Sam nodded, although a little surprised the two got close enough to share numbers already.

“Rick said you know the code to get into his place, I think we should get you a drink or something.” Jake said with a knowing look. Sam’s headache was now a dull ache, but he still sensed waves of . . . fear washing through the area from time to time. Jake didn’t seem to be affected by the energy at all, which was a bit weird considering he was so adamant about how evil this place was, and how it made him feel ill every time he passed the gym.

Sam relented, leading the way to the back of the gym through the locker room into a small hallway. Rick’s apartment was up a small flight of stairs, one of those old brick buildings once used for storage. It wasn’t strange to have Rick offer up his place to stay. Sam had done it many times before. He punched in the code and let Jake inside. Jake smoothly stepped in, then took charge, leading Sam to a nearby dining room chair to sit down before grabbing them each a drink from the fridge.

“So why is this place affecting me all of a sudden and not you?” Sam asked as he took the coke from Jake’s massive hand. “And what the hell happened between you and Rick, I think Rick was pissed earlier.” He sat there, running the cold can across his brow, trying to ease the pain a bit more.

Jake sat across from him, his massive body looming over the small table with his own drink. “Honestly I didn’t trust him. I was always taught that this place was pure evil for as long as I can remember, and that I should never use my abilities. When I saw Rick telling you to do the opposite, I immediately thought he didn’t have your best interest at heart.” Jake looked down, as if contemplating what to say next. “So I confronted him with precisely that, especially seeing you getting sick like that.” He looked up, his dark eyes meeting Sam’s. “I guess we both don’t have the same level of power as you, since I can barely feel anything and you are . . .” He vaguely waved his hand in Sam’s direction.

Sam looked down embarrassed for some reason. He honestly hadn’t used his power as much as he did today, and he admits, he had never sensed any power on this level from Rick or Jake. Just then Jake got up, pacing the room thoughtfully.

“You know, Rick wasn’t wrong. Honestly, you two are the strongest psychics I know. Well the only psychics I know. Whatever darkness is here, I think it’s worth a try to . . . seal it away.” He looked up with a twinkle in his eyes and an eager warm smile. “Rick and I agree, if you can reach out and connect to that . . . whatever it is . . . you could push it back to wherever it’s coming from and . . . seal it. Kinda like how you block your mind from me sometimes.”

Jake smoothly reached over and gently grabbed Sam’s hand in an almost pleading way. All the fears and reservations Sam had seemed to melt away at his touch. Something stirred within him as he immediately began to get hard. Jake leaned in, his dark brown eyes seemingly staring deep within him. It was weird, sometimes he had the same . . . connection with Rick. Was this due to our shared abilities?

“Sam . . . I like you, you know this. But who else is going to do this? Rick and I don’t have the power, you are the only one I know with the power to do more than what I consider are cheap parlor tricks. My family avoiding it hasn’t made the darkness go away after all these centuries. This whole community has been dealing with this dark haze for generations. Honestly, if anything, this darkness has gotten worse! It feels like . . . a leaky pipe, not some conscious presence that means us harm.”

Sam looked at Jake with an intense look of lust and admiration. Realizing Jake was staring too, he shook his head and quickly asked, “What if we are wrong? What if it makes things worse?” Jake leaned over, so close he could feel his breath on his neck. Jake’s body shifted carefully so he knelt next to him.

“Things will probably get worse if we don’t try. What is the harm?” There was a moment when Sam seemed to notice a psychic intrusion, but that vanished when Jake came in close and kissed him. Sam sat there for a moment stunned, but then gave into the lust and sexual drive, pulling Jake in and passionately kissing him back.

The two men began to massage each other as Jake climbed over on Sam’s lap, easing his thick ass over his tenting shorts. The chair creaked as Jake shifted his weight, hugging and kissing Sam with ravenous passion. Sam’s lips connected perfectly with Jake’s, their tongues complimenting each other, the smooth wet surfaces adding to the arousal and intensity! Jake broke the kiss and eyed Sam, as he caressed his face.

“I’m so sorry man, I . . . if I assumed anything . . !” He said breathlessly with a look of worry etched on his handsome face. Before he could continue, Sam pulled him in for another kiss. Jake slowly began to stand up, pulling Sam up into his arms as Jake jumped up, wrapping his thick legs around Jake’s waist. They broke the kiss, breathing hard as Jake gently lowered Sam on the bed. “Let’s try reaching out together!” He said eagerly, there was something primal glinting in his eyes now. Energy pulsed around them. Sam was so turned on, he couldn’t feel anything negative, and his pain was gone!

Jake stood up, looking around the place. “I’m sure Rick won’t mind, i’ll make sure to clean up afterwords.” He said with a wink. Sam watched Jake as he slowly slid his tight shorts down, revealing his massive perfect cock and thick toned thighs. Jake’s massive shirt, which did a good job hiding his well muscled body, seemed to fill in and tighten before he slowly pulled it off revealing his smooth muscular body.

Sam noticed Jake didn’t even bother taking off his lifting boots, which wrinkled and widened as he slowly approached the bed where he lay. Sam eagerly kicked off his jeans, and rolled over on his stomach, his cock pulsing against the mattress as he admired the man. Jake looked at Sam with a sort of hunger. Sam looked up at him, he could feel an energy, pulling their bodies towards one another.

Jake slowly crawled over to Sam, reached out and gently massaged Sam’s perfectly toned tight ass. His cock seemed to pulse as he slid it against Sam’s lower back. Sam could feel Jake’s thick legs straddle him on the bed, the shoes making a stretching noise as he bent over Sam’s body, his hot breath gave him chills as he kissed his neck. Jake slowly pulled the underwear off Sam, revealing the man's toned sexy ass. Sam groaned in anticipation, slowly turning over, wrapping his thick legs around Jake’s even thicker waist before pulling him in. The two men began to kiss again, grinding and pulsing against each other. Sam's well endowed cock slid between their bodies as they pulsed and moved with a stripper's grace. Jake leaned in, gently biting Sam’s ear as he slowly began to press his cock up against Sam’s hole. Sam shuttered, he accidently released some power, which pushed everything on a nearby table to the ground as he groaned with pleasure.

Jake looked down at Sam, his lips stretched into an almost too wide smile. Sam looked up at him, caressing his thick chest. His body was warn, the skin smooth and seemed to move over his steel-like muscles. Sam looked into Jake’s dark eyes as the man gently began to push his cock inside him. Jake leaned in as Sam let out a groan to whisper, “Go ahead, try reaching out towards the direction of that energy.”

Sam felt a psychic wave of intense sexual arousal causing his body to tense up, his cock sticking up against Jake’s abs, which wrinkled from the pressure. As the two began to go into a rhythmic humping motion. Sam let out a groan, rocking his hips into Jake as they both started to breathe hard. Sam saw Jake’s eyes roll back for a moment as something . . . shifted under his skin, like snakes under the sand. Sam didn’t care as another wave of sexual arousal flowed through him, so intense his socked toes curled. Sam’s mind flared again, his psychic energy emanating from his body, now pushing the chaotic energy away from not just himself, but the entire building!

“It’s everywhere, but I don’t know where it’s coming from.” Sam said breathlessly as Jake massaged his ass with one of his hands. Jake came in again, kissing him before rearing up and slowly beginning to pump his cock deeper into Sam’s ass.

“It’s DOWN . . . try down!” Jake said with a moan. He clenched his jaw, as his body momentarily expanded in size, the skin wrinkling and his eyes becoming misaligned before he was able to control himself. He let his unnaturally long tongue slip out from between his lips again as he moaned. Sam was shocked for a moment, but then the feeling vanished, as if deleted from his mind. Excitement pulsing in the air. “Just reach towards the center . . . try connecting to it . . . drink it in! DRINK ME IN!” Jake yelled in a different deeper voice as he looked down at Jake with a serious almost angry look. Every single strand of muscle seemed to tensed up as Jake continued the rhythmic thrusting, but he was becoming distracted, clearly struggling with . . . something.

Suddenly there was a wave of negative energy that broke through Sam’s defenses. Sam let out a cry, something between fear and arousal. Jake didn’t stop. Instead Jake pulled him in closer, bodies began to slide over each other. Sam could feel Jake’s back muscles shift and move under his tight grip. Sam reached out further with his power. Without thinking about it, as he began to orgasm, he started to mentally draw in the strange chaotic energy. Sam’s eyes began to glow bright blue. Jake’s face wrinkled as an evil smile stretched across his face, his body seeming to bubble and shift as he flexed his muscles, thrusting deepering within Sam.

The lights began to dim, one light could be heard popping in the next room. Jake’s boots were stretching now, his body started to bloat and shift. Both men moved and seemed to glide against each other, their hands exploring each other's naked bodies. A clear ooze began to escape Sam’s ass around Jake’s thick cock. Jake looked up and let out a deep inhuman laugh. His neck wrinkled and expanded a bit, his lips stretching open as something partially emerged before sucking back into his face with a slurping noise.

Sam witnessed this, but then again he didn’t. The power he seemed to be tapping into shattering his brain! He was in what seemed to be a million places at once for a moment! Sam couldn’t make out what was reality or these horrible distortions of reality. Blood began to seep from the ceiling, darkness swept in outside with thunder and lightning, birds began to slam into the windows with a bloody sickening crack! As this was all happening, the room disappeared into this dark void, where Sam floated, still experiencing this horrifying mix of fear, pain, and arousal. That’s when Sam could make out something in the distance . . . well a lack of something. He could see a portal of sorts in the darkness . . . like an absence of light more than just darkness. Although at times, purple lightning seemed to escape it like massive claws swiping at the energy around it. Sam couldn’t tell what was up and what was down, but he saw it, like a void in the chaos. The energy that emanated from that portal was terrifying. It seemed to push Sam back into reality!

“I see something! It’s like a portal . . . . it’s dark, oh it’s so dark. I’m scared!” Jake gritted his teeth as his body shifted, for a moment looking almost bloated. Sam thought Jake’s face had an almost frenzied look now. His abs sagged and wrinkled as he crouched over Sam, thrusting smoothly in and out of Sam’s ass. “CONNECT WITH IT! You are not AFRAid AnyMORE.” Jake barked out as he grabbed Sam’s wrists and pinned them to the bed. Sam’s cock began to bounce up against Jake’s sagging abs, cum began to leak out.

They both groaned, their bodies began to shake as they moved. Sam’s toes spread wide as he pulled Jake in closer with his legs so Jake's cock went deeper inside of him. Sam felt these psychic waves of sexual energy. His nerves jerked and spasmed with orgasimic power. Jake wrapped his arms around Sam’s neck, coming in for another kiss. Sam’s wide open glowing eyes saw Jake’s features wrinkle as his lips caressed his own just as he began to shoot cum between their slick bodies! That’s when it happened. Sam felt something click. Power raged around him, bathing everything in a bright light, freezing time itself for a moment!

Jake reared up, covering his eyes and letting out a deep scream. That’s when there was a galactic shift in power. For a moment, Sam was frozen, bathed in this bright light. He smiled, still breathing hard. “I DID IT! I can hear it now!!!” Sam yelled, his body jerking and flexing. Jake’s body tensed up as he began to let out a deep inhuman laugh. Clear goo began to explode from Sam's ass as they both began to cum. Jake could feel the power release at the same time. Fear cascaded over them, all defenses seemed to shatter as Sam let out a loud scream, his eyes flashing between a bright blue color to a deep purple color as the room was plunged into darkness, a rumble of thunder outside flashed, revealing the contorted features of Jake with a manic grin!

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There was a loud distant moan, like a tornado siren, from outside that shook the room, waking Sam up. He wasn’t sure how long he was out, but he could feel his ass and body slick with sweat and cum. He looked around the room, noticing the plaster falling from the ceiling now. Fear grabbed him again like a physical energy as he quickly sat up, breathing hard. “JAKE? JAKE WHERE ARE YOU?” He yelled. It was light outside, but it felt so . . . gray and dark . . . otherworldly now. He frantically pulled on his pants when he heard the deep inhuman laughter behind him. He slowly turned towards the corner of the room and saw Jake, standing there turned away from him wearing nothing but his underwear.

Jake’s body was massive, but looked more . . . worn than before. His skin looked patchy and wrinkled. His back muscles shifted as his massive shoulders shook as he laughed. “Jake? Are you ok?” Sam asked wearily. The fear he at one time was able to keep away seemed to grip his heart and mind now, making him dizzy, his heart beating hard against his chest. There was something wrong with Jake. He probed the man with his mind, this time sensing something . . . evil. Something is wrong. Something unbelievably powerful.

“You know, it’s been years.” Jake said slowly between laughter. “I have been toying with you humans for millennia.” Sam heard a cracking noise emanate from Jake’s body, his boots made a leathery stretching noise as his calves seemed to flex and bulge. Jake raised his massive arms looking at his hands as if for the first time before continuing. “Traveling this small world in these small forms since the dawn of time.” That low forbidding sound outside made the hairs on his arm stand up. Like the calm before a storm. The power in the air was growing thicker. A transformer outside popped as Sam could hear distant emergency sirens and explosions.

Jake laughed, straightening his hunched posture, his massive legs and back shifted again, but . . . wrong. Like something within was sliding around underneath the skin. Sam began to back away on the bed. The wrongness emanating from Jake seeped into his bones, a presence he never noticed before from anyone or anything. The building again shook, knocking Sam off his feet as the windows shattered. He heard some of the weights downstairs fall, thumping to the ground. “I have been pushing you and pushing you for years, playing my part as Rick, babysitting nothing more than a key. How this door could not be opened by the likes of us is still a mystery. How humans like you prevent Gods like my father from entering this reality is beyond us.” Jake finished, turning his head ever so slightly as to acknowledge that Sam was in the room.

Sam breathed hard and sat up, grabbing a nearby club bat from beside the bed. He felt Jake’s presence and knew this wasn’t going to work. He tried gathering power, but Jake, without even looking, slammed a psychic bolt into his mind, preventing him from even thinking straight. Sam fell to the ground clutching his head. Jake slowly turned, his handsome features were tight and severe. Wrinkles formed around his eyes and lips. Sam heard a slight popping noise from somewhere within his body as Jake smiled a bit too wide for his face. The stretched lips forced his eyes and forehead to wrinkle, which made him look menacing and cruel.

“The end has come, and now I, Nyarlathotep, no longer need to walk among you. I no longer care for your culture and your languages.” Jake said with anger and disgust. “You have released him, and he will turn all to dust.” Jake said, his voice now unrecognizable, casting an otherworldly deep growl that sounded like many different voices saying the same thing. There was a loud roar outside, Sam looked and saw a massive plane falling from the sky, one wing blazing with fire and smoke. Jake cocked his head, nodding towards the devastation just before there was an explosion somewhere downtown. “The time for games is now at an end. Mankind has had its time in this reality. We shall consume now.” Jake said, taking a step forward, his massive feet widening until a small tear formed, revealing a slimy purple tentacle slithering out of one worn boot. Sam cried out in fear, pressing himself against the wall, staring in horror. “We shall bring chaos back to this era . . . we shall . . . bring the VOID!” Jake finished, his hands raised up in the air in almost a reverent way.

Jake laughed again, this time bending over, a wet noise, like slurping mixed with this tearing. His abs sagged as he began to shutter, letting out a low deep belch-like laugh. His muscles bulged and strained, whatever was within was growing within the skin! He smiled in ecstasy as skin tightened and wrinkled around his true form. His manic face was distorted and tight, as he seemed to push whatever was writhing underneath against the skin.

There was a moment when time seemed to slow down. Sam felt the power building as Jake strained and shook. His face shifted to a look of anger as his back began to bulge. Sam dove to the floor just in time. There was a meaty rip and a blast of psychic energy blew out the wall behind Jake’s stretched out form. His skin shifted and bulged before massive tentacles broke through the skin of his back and out from now tattered remains of his boots. One large tentacle snaked out of his ass and cock area as the skin split around his massive thighs! There was another wet burping noise and a deep laugh as the skin slid down his expanding arms as more tentacles unfurled and emerged from the tattered remains of the human skin. The lips on Jake's slack emotionless wrinkled face violently stretched apart as a giant tentacle emerged. His human face slid back, eventually tearing apart as the giant creature’s now slightly humanoid face formed on the gray giant tentacle, which shifted and grew. Jake’s once handsome human form wrinkled and slid down the still shifting slimy creature's body. His once thick human chest and abs ripped apart, making a wet slapping noise on the now shattering floor below as it fell away.

There was a bright white light as the building was blown away! Sam mustered some power to protect himself as debris and glass shattered in a whirlwind of power. The creature's giant shifting form pulled his mind in every direction. It took everything he had to protect himself from the psychic onslaught. What remained of the ceiling and the rest of the gym began to collapse, being carried away in a hurricane of psychic power. Sam could barely breathe as the bed flew away, forcing him to hang on to a now broken water main. Over half the building was decimated now as the creature continued to grow in size. At the same time, a giant sinkhole opened up where the main lifting area once was, releasing another massive wave of dark power.

This energy seemed endless and chaotic. Sam could see that same portal he witnessed in that vision within the dark depths of that sinkhole. Matter seemed to dissipate as the hole slowly began to grow in size. That forbidding feeling intensified as it almost seemed to take shape around the hole and the creature that was once his friend. Dust and this foul energy crackled in the sky, piercing Sam’s mind, causing so much pain, he stumbled and almost fell to the ground.

Sam was going to die if he didn’t do something. The power was so great, but he also felt his own power. Sam was somehow able to push the energy away from him, forming a protective cocoon around himself again. The creature that was once Jake looked at him with a terrifying pale eyeless face and laughed, the sound like a crowd of people crying out in unison. “LITTLE HUMAN . . . YOU USE WHAT YOU YOURSELF DO NOT UNDERSTAND!” With that he lifted a giant tentacle and slammed it down on Sam’s defenses. There was a loud burst of power making Sam’s skull feel as if it were shattering, causing him to fall back against a half destroyed wall. Tears ran down his eyes as he cried out in pain.

Sam felt the power and instead of pushing against the force using his own mental ability, he looked beyond the massive creature at the growing dark portal-like sinkhole. Something was coming, and it was larger than . . . everything. Sam’s eyes watered as he gritted his teeth. The creature was laughing again at his attempt to protect himself. He had to undo what he did before, he had to keep that gate closed! It was opening, slowly but surely.

Sam sat up, this time diving away from another tentacle blow, which collapsed the floor where he was. He ran barefoot into the still intact hallway, jumping through the now open door to the back parking lot. He heard another otherworldly roar and a crashing noise as the building fell around him. He jumped rolling on the parking lot as the last portion of the gym collapsed from the impact. That’s when Sam made his move. He used the vile energy around the area to push that darkness back. At first, nothing happened, then he felt something . . . a presence cried out in pain and retreated! He didn’t truly know what he was doing, but he pushed and then began to stab at the force with his own power.

This . . . creature that was once Jake cried out in pain as well, swiping out towards the ruins of the building with a claw-like appendage. Sam didn’t need to move. The creature missed as it stumbled back. Sam focused on that feeling he had when he first probed the darkness. It’s almost like something clicked in his mind. This power was granted to him by whatever was behind that gate. Sam clasped his hands and pushed out, focusing on that power within him, connecting himself to the dark void. There was a sharp pain and then . . . nothing! Time seemed to stop as there was a flash of white light emanating from his body! The creature let out a scream that shook the ground as the darkness in that void went out like a light!

Sam did it! He locked that gate as it once was before, the chaotic force just dimmed to a distant roar as he stumbled back, the light fading. The ground immediately stopped shaking, and although that dread presence was still there, furious, it was not of this world anymore! Sam smiled and fell back, breathing hard.

Nyarlathotep was furious. The creature let out an otherworldly roar, which again made Sam’s head explode with pain. It stumbled forward, swiping at the few portions of the building that was left standing. “YOU LITTLE ANT!!! HOW DARE YOU!!! HOW DAAARREE YOU!!!” The creature roared with that cacophony of voices. Sam was starting to understand that he indeed saved the world by shutting that door, but he did not save himself. This creature was seemingly boundless in power and force, and it was pissed!

Dust and debris continued to blow around them as Sam tried to push the dark energy away from him. The creature slowly stalked him, letting out a deep dangerous laugh. That’s when Sam felt it. Like a bolt of lightning, his sight dimmed and he was swallowed in darkness. When Sam woke up, he was in a white room with nothing around. He couldn’t feel his power, hell he couldn’t feel his body anymore. Sam could hear his breathing echoing within this strange white empty space, but his own footsteps were non-existent. He was breathing, but it felt still and unnecessary. He felt nothing, he was nothing.

After what seemed like an eternity, the white light began to dim. Soon darkness pressed in on him, creating a void of darkness and fear. That’s when Sam noticed a man in the distance. This time there was more substance to Sam’s body. Although he couldn’t see his body, he could feel again! His bare feet slapped on the wet darkness before him as he slowly, and warily, walked towards the figure. Light didn’t seem to exist, yet the man in the distance seemed to glow. Again, Sam tried to look down at his body, but he didn’t see anything. He reached out again with his senses . . . and felt nothing. As Sam warily approached the man he started to make out some features, and his stomach, if he still had one, sank into a foreboding pit. The man before him . . . was . . . him.

Sam watched as the man slowly turned and made eye contact. “Hello Sam.” The imposter said in a calm tone. He sounded identical to him as he just waited for Sam to respond. “How . . . how are you . . . “ Sam knew this was that creature. It was taking on another disguise now, but it was his own body!

“No Sam, this is not the real world you know of, this is your mind. I’ve already won, you are dead.” It said calmly, as a slight smirk stretched across his lips. Sam wanted to fall to the ground and curl up in a ball, but all he could do was watch. He couldn’t even move anymore as the creature began to walk around his non-existent form. The darkness seemed to close in around them as the creature laughed . . . using his own laugh! The creature sighed and looked around with a bored expression. As if this dark space was . . . unremarkable. “This is it, you are done now . . . but I have to say, I’m certainly impressed by the power you showed today. I knew you were strong, but this was something we haven’t seen in millenia.” The thing said in a mocking tone, as it rubbed his abs and face with his hands.

Sam had a flash of anger, as he attempted to lash out at the creature. There was a bust of energy that struck the things face- his face- like a blade, forcing the creature to stumble back. The thing slowly looked up, revealing that half of the imposters face, Sams own face, was torn! The skin just hung off his wrinkled neck and there was nothing inside but this slimy writhing humanoid mass of darkness. Sam stumbled back, nauseous and dizzy as he heard millions of screams and cries of pain!

The God continued to circle Sam as if nothing happened. “You know, the fact you haven’t gone mad witnessing my true form . . . much less connecting to my father is a feat in itself.” It said as the skin slowly began to knit itself back together.

Sam sagged in defeat. Although resigned to his demise, Sam still had this crazed anger towards the being. He had nothing else to lose anyways, so he did not pick his words wisely. “Well I guess that thing I just locked up will be pissed that your plan failed you FUCKING SQUID!” Sam yelled, trying to form a barrier around . . . what he assumed was his mind. Sam watched, unnerved, as his imposter doubled over in a fit of laughter. Sam blushed as the creature made a show of trying to apologize while catching his breath between bouts of laughter. As the last remnants of a notably annoying giggle escaped his lips, he stood up, pretending to wipe tears from his eyes . . . Sam’s eyes.

“Oh yes, yes he will be very angry. I’m sure I will not hear the end of it for the next thousand or so years. But for immortal . . . everlasting beings such as ourselves, it is just a moment in time. Soon a distant memory.” He paused, looking down at his stolen body, then looking up to wink at my incorporeal form. Azathoth, the being you just locked up, is my father. And we, little human, are Gods. He will come again. Locks and doors don’t hold up forever you know. Yes he is a bit cranky, and yes . . . he is very hungry, but he is not gone. You did not defeat us. You essentially just called a time-out in the 4th inning.” The thing looked at Sam with pity as the darkness seemed to solidify around Sam.

“You are an inconvenience and nothing more.” It said as it approached Sam. He could feel his own breath, feel his own face near him now. He looked into his own eyes and saw . . . an ancient feeling of dread and fear. This being was old, older than Earth . . . likely older than this galaxy. It was a pit of falling and darkness. Sam had to look away, and this being allowed him to. “Few have looked upon me and lived, and I make no exception here.”

Sam was scared. He was so scared, but he needed to think. He had to fight!. If this place was his mind, it meant he wasn’t dead yet, rather trapped with this thing as an intruder. He reached out and touched the thing before him, almost caressing the man. It rolled his eyes back and smiled, letting out a moan. “Oh how I loved our time together. I think I'll carry on as you in this decade. I think I’ll wear your face as I consume the madness of man. So much here you know . . . madness. In this time of feasting and consuming mankind's madness, I’ll find another like you . . . I’ll wrap that person's will around my own and break him, releasing my father once and for all. I just wanted to let you know personally what your mark on this world was.” It smiled wickedly leaning into where Sam’s ear would have been, the darkness around them seemed to darken even more. “Nothing.” It finished.

Sam let out a scream of terror and defiance. He knew he couldn’t win. He was already surprised he survived this long. He could feel the darkness begin to smother him. Whatever was going on outside his mind wasn’t good. Sam frantically thought of what he could do. The creature continued to laugh as he reached out for him. This creature was going to take him over, walk around with his skin causing god knows what kind of havoc and pain.

Sam felt the power again, and although different from the power in the portal, it was similar. He would take in that chaotic power, drink it . . . trap it? Sam could sense that there was more to this creature than what Sam could sense or see. It was bigger than the world, yet small. Like a portion of a larger being was here. And now that being further stretched into his mind. Could Sam . . . trap it? Could Sam allow the being to take him, not as a vessel, but as a prison?

Sam for the first time understood what he needed to do. The visage of himself before him began to melt and deflate, as this terrible cloud of darkness escaped the mouth, ears, and eyes of the skinsuit. It hung in the air, swirls of oily color, darkness, and pure horror hung there before lashing out at Sam. He felt his lifeforce drain, like being suffocated . . . his very soul was being snuffed out. Sam began to laugh, half mad with defiance as he took in the dark power trying to smother him.

Nyarlathotep hesitated for a moment, feeling the human’s mind pull him in. The monstrous form outside Sam’s mind wrapped his true body in a tentacle as his eyes glowed with that dark purple energy. Tentacles were entering Sam’s mouth as he began to lurch and shutter. The creature continued to consume the human from the inside. Sam’s body began to deflate as Nyarlathotep continued to pull it over his own form, which shrank and folded in on itself. That’s when Sam’s mind exploded with power.

Inside Nyarlathotep's mind, the darkness that surrounded this human mind shattered as a white light enveloped them. The creature quickly slithered inside the human skin, then began to roll around on the ground, holding his head. Sam did it. He was able to separate his consciousness away from his body, and used his power to pull Nyarlathotep in. Not just his physical form, but the creature's mind. Although Sam was indeed gone, he was there acting as a jailor to this chaotic God, its form wrapped within a skin that could not be removed.

Nyarlathotep cried out in pain, his inhuman voice cutting the air as his eyes glowed purple within Sam’s skin. It was night now, the darkness casting the city in silence. The devastation from the attempted jailbreak was still fresh in the air. Nyarlathotep slowly stood up, grasping the back of his head as he slowly pulled the scalp apart. He growled as the skin tore, revealing the tight bound gray flesh underneath, but he could not slip out of the skin. He pulled and pulled, but the skin kept knitting itself together, faster than Nyarlathotep could rip it apart!!! His body bulged and the skin wrinkled, his face was twisted into a stretched tight snarl as he stretched the skin in his fists.

He writhed and flailed around on the ground pulling at the skin, but he couldn’t break the human’s mental hold on him. The boy was rewriting reality!!! For the first time, Nyarlathotep was scared. He was trapped in this world! Sam let out a mental laugh within the creature's mind. Although Nyarlathotep's true form was far outside this reality, he was trapped, like a mouse’s head in a spring trap. The being spent the night trying to use his considerable power to break the binding, but nothing worked. Sam’s power grew and was able to mirror and match the elder Gods power. Azathoth was locked out of this reality and his right hand, Nyarlathotep, was now forever trapped within this human skin, unable to break free and release his full power. Although unable to stop Nyarlathotep from still being a menace to mankind, Sam was able to do more to save the world than any human before him.