After editing his Halloween Horror Extravaganza gameplay for the night, Mark stretched in his chair and posted the content to his Youtube channel. As he watched the video to make sure everything was done perfectly, you finished prepping the bedroom. A pillow fort consisting of dark blankets, Halloween decorated pillows, jack o lanterns, and spider plushies surrounded you, as you anticipated your boyfriend's arrival. Dangling skeletons with glowing bones would guide him to you, clad in a simple super hero costume as you fiddled with a deck of tarot cards. Laying the cards down at your feet you studied the designs and read the descriptions. The Moon was beautiful just like the one outside the window, Death was as dark and brooding as the night sky, and the Lovers made you grin. Smiling at this artwork of a man and woman gracing each other's presence beneath a flowered angel, you couldn't help but to imagine yourself and Mark.

It had been a few years since you two fatefully met at a convention after party. You were at a table about to eat a salad with a few friends when you heard an addictively enthusiastic voice on a microphone not too far from you. Attracted to the vocals you briefly left your table to watch the performance. The performer was handsome with fair skin which was complimented by his floofy black hair. From the murmuring and dancing crowd around you, you learned that the man at the microphone's name was Mark Fischbach. He was brilliant, enunciating every word to Journey's Don't Stop Believin, giving it his all, and having fun with the song. You couldn't help but to dance and somewhere in between shaking your hips, he happened to notice you with those playful, chocolate orbs. After his session was complete, he joined you in the crowd and you immediately hit it off.

Your thoughts were immediately broken as you drew the Tower card and placed it before you. Of all the cards to draw on Halloween, the Tower was an omen of future disaster, foreboding misfortune, and impending doom. Shivers ran down your spine at the mere idea of this card and to think you had drawn Death not too long ago. It was uncanny and amplified by the mere spookiness of the holiday as you nervously bit your lower lip.

"Happy Halloween," Mark entered the room, speaking with a spooky tone and erupting into a playfully evil cackle.

Jumping a bit, you weren't expecting Mark, but regardless you grinned and cackled loudly with him.

Shrugging off the Tower, you figured it was a coincidence; a mere uncanny, spooky coincidence. Things like that always happened, especially on Halloween. Your love for Halloween was unbound, just like Mark's. It was a wonderful time of the year when the Autumn chill was setting in and preparing itself for a night of ghoulish delight. A night where everyone took to the streets clad in costumes, hiding under masks and makeup just to receive candy from someone they may or may not know. A night when telling ghost stories in the dark was more thrilling and chilling. A night when fooling around with tarot cards and palm readings and Oujia boards seemed surreal, as though you were trapping yourself in a horror movie with no escape until the dawn emerged.

"Happy Halloween to you too," you returned his wish and grinned like a lunatic to which he did the same.

Turning off the lights, Mark grabbed a flash light and guided his way through the blanket fort. Clad in a Venom shirt with black jeans, it was a simple outfit to match yours. Putting the cards away, you retrieved the main event for the evening. Trick or treating had ended an hour ago, so you knew no trick or treaters would bother you.

"What do you have in store for us tonight?" Mark questioned as he suspiciously eyed the object your fingers lightly brushed against.

"Ever hear of a little thing called an Ouija board?"

"Yeah, but aren't those things dangerous?"

By now you had heard all the rumors and stories and refused to believe any of them. They were all tales told by others to scare people. You had brushed off those myths as nothing more than old wives' tales and purchased the Ouija board. Although, you could feel your beliefs tested by the way the cashier looked at you. She was a woman, no more your age who had gazed upon the board as she rang it up. Her worried eyes scanned over the case, knowing all too well what lied inside. You heard her swallow something and watched her trembling lips utter the price and a cautionary 'be careful with that.' Reaching for the money in your wallet, you questioned if you should make this purchase. Slowly, you handed her the amount due and watched her bag the board. She barely touched the object, as though it were crafted with snake venom and sulfur and reluctantly handed you the bag. No sooner she did, you bolted out of the store, reaffirming the belief in your head that nothing bad would come of this.

"Nah, nothing will happen. It's just a board anyway."

Setting up the board, you watched Mark's concern gradually fading away. You knew in your heart he trusted you as you trusted him, why you both lived together in a nice little ranch home in a friendly neighborhood. Placing the planchette on the board, you smoothly slid your fingers on top. By now all anxiousness had died within you and Mark as you felt confident about the Oujia board. Slowly, Mark slid his finger tips on top of the planchette, feeling the smooth yet cold texture. Looking at you, you saw the last glimmer of doubt melt away in his eyes as you leaned over the board and gently kissed him.

"It'll be all right, I swear," you spoke softly, the words soothing his tense shoulders and calming him.

Brushing through the directions, you saw that in some way you had to welcome the spirits with a chant or a prayer. In a moment the Oujia board felt like a game. You had to guess the correct code to get your adventure started or else you would never begin. Thinking of something, you tried to create a chant in your head to invite the spirits into your abode. Maybe it would do something, maybe it wouldn't. Maybe they would understand your chant as a humble, but spooky greeting to fit this Halloween night. Arranging words in your head, you finally managed to come up with something as you smiled and spoke in a clear tone.

"Goblins and ghoulies, creatures of fright, we summon you now to dance through the night."

Nothing. Your fingers were still and the planchette didn't move from the letter 'G'. It was possible the spirits didn't hear you. Clearing your throat, you tried another chant you imagined.

"Creepies and crawlies toads in a pond, croak for the demons with a spiritual bond!"

Still nothing. Maybe that was just a terrible chant or the spirits had grown so old they couldn't hear you. Screaming the words would just be irritating and unnecessary. Maybe another one would at least do something. Impatience was slowly eating away at you from the inside out, but you knew that the spirits needed to take their time and receive your invitation.

"Rap on a table, it's time to respond. Send us a message from somewhere beyond."

Knock knock.

The hair on your back rose in terror as you watched Mark with stunned eyes. Mark's eyebrows were raised with saucer eyes as his lips were parted in confusion. Rapt with wonder and terror, Mark looked at you through the light of the hanging skeletons, his voice rushed with concern.

"What was that?!"

Knock knock.

Mark quickly looked to the threshold of your bedroom. Nothing stood there but an uneasy tension which slithered its way in and bit you both. The air grew thick and foreboding, as though someone unleashed transparent smoke into the room, and you were both breathing it in, waiting to see what would happen. It wasn't the door; no one could have been at the door. It was too late for anyone to be out, especially any trick or treaters. Both of your friends either lived too far away or were out celebrating the holiday in their own way.

KNOCK. KNOCK.

The abrupt rapping made you jump with fright, your fingers trembling and gripping the planchette for dear life. Whatever was knocking was impatient and needy, as though trying to get in regardless if it had to break any obstacle in its path. The knocking seemed to bounce off throughout the walls in your house. A thousand hands rapping at the walls, trying to break down the structure, tear up the floors, and get to you. A million ghostly beasts trying to break through on the other side and the very idea of them doing so chilled you to the bone.

"Maybe we should stop," Mark cautiously whispered.

Maybe you should have listened to the cashier and question why she would act in such a way when ringing up the Oujia board. Had she known the evil that rested within it? Did she believe the stories? Or was she a victim? She did have a peculiar scar on her arm, as though someone or something clawed at her. But maybe she had a cat and you were being overly paranoid. Not hearing Mark, you swallowed hard.

"As goblin vizard at this spell of the pale wizard who sinks to Hell, rise up tonight to give us a wondrous fright!"

Minutes of silence seemed like hours as no rapping was heard yet tension still hung thickly in the air around you. Breathing hard, Mark looked at you with stern eyes that tried to be tranquil. Confusion swept over your face. Mark was never irritated towards you and it was strange to see him like this. Usually he was calm about everything, but he seemed rather unnerved by this, especially your last chant. His voice shook with what seemed like unraveling nerves descending into fear as he spoke as calmly as he could.

"Wait, didn't you hear me?"

"No, what did you say?"

"I said—"

He was cut off by the sudden jerk of the planchette.

It darted about the board as your fingers struggled to stay on it. Letter to letter, number to number, it was as though someone injected the planchette with caffeine, and it was experiencing it for the first time. Keeping your eyes locked with Mark, your eyes grew wider with every movement as his did the same. Maybe the Tower's premonition was unfurling and you immediately wondered how you could stop the very near future. As if sensing your finger tips were about to give way, the planchette slowly guided itself to the letters needed to create the word 'HELLO.'

Biting your lower lip, you stared at Mark. He had to be doing this. There was no other logical explanation. He was acting goofy and trying to get a scare out of you. Yeah, that had to be it. But he was trying to tell you something (rather, had tried to tell you something), and now you wished you had heard what he had said. Maybe it would have been a joke to calm you or something to ease your shaking bones. Trying to relieve the situation of any stress or fear, you smiled halfheartedly and laughed softly.

"Quit moving the thing, Mark," you spoke in a kidding tone.

"Um….I'm not moving it."

Releasing your hands from the planchette, your eyes widened as the dial darted about the board like an ant trying to avoid being burnt from the Sun. The glass circle fell over letters which spelled out nothing of importance. With every letter appearing beneath the glass your heart started to crawl to a dead stop in pure terror. Sensing your fear, Mark tried to reach over and grab your hand to reassure you that everything would be all right. As his shaking fingers neared yours, the pointed tip of the dial halted at him. Looking down, you both watched the dial, hoping it would dart about once more. Instead it stayed as still as a stone, focused on Mark and filling your heads with confusion.

Feeling his hand jerk as though someone slapped it, Mark yanked his palm back and yelped. Hitching his breath, he doubled over as though someone had kicked him in the canon. Uncertain of the situation before you, you leaned over the Ouija board with worry raging in your eyes. Watching his body thrash about, you gripped the edge of the board in front of you as fear took hold. You could see his muscles rise, his jaw lock, his skin pale, his fingers tighten and loosen, and you could do nothing. You didn't know what could be done as you immediately regretted the idea of using an Ouija board on Halloween. Thrusting the board away from you both, you reached out and grasped Mark's shaking shoulders.

"Mark! Mark, what's wrong?!"

At your question Mark stopped moving, as though someone had stopped time, and he was trapped under that person's spell. Staring at him with wide eyes you watched as his pupils rolled to the top of his eyes, nearly vanishing behind his head. A terror inducing aura of darkness and foreboding emerged from Mark and wrapped itself around your body as though pulling you closer to him. You felt yourself give in and inch as close as you possibly could to Mark, hoping it would help him in some way. Shaking his head wildly, you felt the aura temporarily disconnect from your frame as his eyes were wide with horror and locked with yours. His jaw lowered itself as though he had forgotten how to and it trembled like a shivering leaf.

"Mark?"

"Run."

"Mark?!"

"Run!"

"I'm not leaving without you, Mark. What's wrong?!"

"RUN!"

His shriek rang out in your ears as you felt his innocence be stripped and give way to a darker being whose demonic voice screamed in triumph at dominating his body. Quickly gripping your arms with his hands, you couldn't escape. Wriggling and squirming seemed to do nothing as his hold on you grew stronger. From his soft lips and eyes, darkness climbed onto his skin, hiding his natural shade. This shadowy skin slid down his twitching arms and shaky palms, sealing away the Mark you knew into a dark cocoon. Once every fragment of his skin was covered in this ghastly darkness, he stopped moving once more. His grip on your arms grew with pain as his fingers transformed into claws which dug into your skin. Grabbing his wrists, you pried his talons away from you as you stumbled back.

"MARK!"

Hoping there was still some shred of Mark within this new being, your heart pounded throughout your skull, and rang in your ears. Each vibration was more nerve wracking than the last as your eyes never left this new darkly skinned Mark. Each beat struck your entire body as though you were nothing more than a skeleton with a heart. With every beat you could feel it striking your throat, making your vocal chords shaky, just like the rest of you. With as much softness as you could muster through your worry you only spoke one name.

"Mark?"

"I don't feel quite myself," a soft, eerie voice rumbled from the man before you.

Sharply looking up at you, you noticed that Mark's chocolate orbs were gone. In their place were ebony circles with white dots for pupils. The eerie light from the skeletons over your head revealed this new thing that possessed Mark. He was something else, a spirit from the great realms beyond, a shadowy figure hiding in the corner, a demon called forth from the Oujia board. Your shoulders tensed as the lights began to flicker and gave way to this demon's sharpened ivory fangs tipped with pink, as though he had come from a fresh kill. Around his lips you could smears of blood which still stank of the dead and made you cringe. Even his hair stood on edge, losing any of its gentle floof that was there. His new hair resembled the tips of knives which went against Mark's original fluffy floofy strands.

"….Mark?"

"Mark is no more."

The skeletal lights turned to darkness. In this new shadowy fort you only saw those white pupils staring into your soul and stealing it with every passing second. Your breath hitched in fear of this new being as you heard him snarl and lick his lips in the dark like a wolf who had found his prey. Clicking his fangs together he watched you curl against the pillows at your back in the dark. Those white dots never left you, sending shivers to every nerve in your frame.

"W-who are you?"

Within seconds those white dots were in your face, analyzing every note of fear that reverberated from you. The scent of blood was even stronger now as you bit your lower lip hard, forcing yourself not to feel ill. Your stomach sank so low it vanished into nonexistence as your mind whirred for some sort of answer. Not solution was in sight and Mark was nowhere to be found, instead it was a demon you had raised from what you thought would be nothing more than Halloween fun. Nothing would be all right until Mark's kind face appeared as you tried to focus on his caring smile and gentle eyes to help calm you. You tried to imagine Mark having a pillow fight with you, cosplaying with you, holding you until you fell asleep. A low,playful cackle rang out from Mark's possessed throat as your thoughts were torn by the demon before you. There was no escaping this monstrosity you had brought upon yourself and Mark as you watched his lengthy tongue swirl along his lips.

"I'm Darkiplier. And you better run."