Chapter 3: When the nightmare gets real

I got into the car, nervous. I wasn't sure this was a good idea anymore, as I looked up to see dark clouds in the night sky. This felt familiar in some way, but I couldn't seem to place my finger on it. I started the car and as soon as Ivy and Freckle came out ready, we drove off, me anxiously trying to escape my fears. I drove out of town smoothly. I entered into a dirt road that had tall grass and a nearby lake. Hearing the sound of insects, owls, and the trickling of the lake, I breathed out deeply and relaxed. I hadn't even known I held my breath. I was about to laugh about how silly I was to get scared over one little nightmare, when I suddenly jerked the steering wheel. I could hear Ivy and Freckle exclaiming in surprise and hanging on for dear life in the backseat. Ivy yelled, "What's going on?!" "I-I don't know!" I yelled back, deeply disturbed and frightened. "I can't…I can't control it!" I slammed into the side of the car. "Ow." Then,-not on my own will-I made the car accelerate. All of a sudden, my hand turned into the black liquid I saw in my nightmare, and attacked me! I screamed and found myself tumbling out of the still moving car, landing near the lake. The door handle must have been unlocked or something! I hoped Freckle and Ivy would be ok. I tried to get up to run after them, but an invisible shock of pain struck my body, and I hunched over the ground in agony. I felt a deep change within me. I gasped for a breath I didn't have. I felt a strange tingling in my mouth, my scar, and my right ear. My claws gripped the ground like I might get carried into the sky if I didn't do so. The darkness overtook me. I could feel it growing. Then suddenly, an overwhelming surge washed over me, and I felt like I might throw up. I could hardly see anything but darkness. I opened my mouth to scream, but my breath caught in my throat. Just when I thought nothing could get worse, everything instantly stopped. It all stopped-just like that. I couldn't believe it. But the feeling had vanished! I stood up, and looked down at myself. Everything was the same. Nothing had changed. Then something dripped onto my hand. The black liquid. I hadn't really paid much attention to the greater feel of it, but it was almost like black blood, only more gloopy and oozy. It dripped between my fingers. A drop of the substance dripped on me again. Ok, this was getting ridiculous. "Where is that stuff coming from?!" I wondered. Then the liquid dripped down my face. I slowly willed my hand to my head. A bunch of that same liquid was seeping through my own skin on my head! Suddenly, all the dark liquid washed down my face and down my body. It gathered all together away from me and stood up. It started to create…a person. Then the person formed colors. The person was wearing a light blue coat and was a striped gray tabby. His back was to me, but it only took me a second to realize he looked like…me! I took a step back, already sure of what was coming next. "Oh, it's so good to be alive again!" The person slowly turned around. "Hello, Rocky." He said with a sly smile. "Maniac." I should've known! Once again, my evil doubble had stollen my usual care-freeness, my laugh, and smile. I should have remembered him when I wasn't feeling like myself. "How did you get here?!" I demanded. Last time, I touched a powerful cursed mirror that made him alive for the first time. How did he get out?! "Simple. I got here by you. I'm part of you, so that's how I got out. Even though I had some help." His gaze darkened. "Enough interductions. Now you die." Before I could do anything, Maniac flung his hand out and scratched me on the cheek. I stumbled backward from the blow. "Hey, no fair! I hardly had a chance to react!" I yelled, trying to knock some sense into him. This wasn't like Maniac. He didn't like to imeditely kill anyone he wanted revenge of. He would want to ruin my life first. Maniac towered over me. "Oh, silly Rocky. Do I need to remind myself…that I don't play fair?!" He lunged for me. I tried to roll away, but he grabbed my neck with his two bare hands, and started to drag me into the lake-intending to drown me. My surprise quickly turned to fear and horror of Maniac. This wasn't like him, even though he was acting like himself. Grinning like a mad man. Yeah, nothing abnormal there. I kicked, yelled, and tried to loosen his grip, but he continued to pull me into deeper water. Suddenly, it was at my head. I tired at his arms with my claws, getting desperate. But not even pain could stop Maniac. He was dead-set on killing me, all while wearing that creepy smile, unfazed. I stopped scratching his now bloody arms and ripped coat arms. My screams for help were only faint weird noises unheard from above the water. I can feel my strength giving out…feeling faint…losing breath…eyes closing a little… Maniac grins even more, enjoying my struggle. It's clear. Maniac won.