John's Fan Fiction Final

A Long Night

It had been the longest night of my life. A one man crusade against the worst New York had to offer, and it was all going to end soon, the man responsible for everything was about to pay. As if it understood what was happening the blizzard that had been raging for several days now seemed be throwing up one final blast of ice and snow, showing no signs of letting up. It felt as if hell itself was about to freeze over.

The headlights of my car served only to illuminate the impenetrable white wall of ice. I was blind. But nothing was going to stop me now, not even this. When was the last time I had stopped for a rest? I could no longer remember. But when I did it would be for the last time. It felt like I had lived an entire lifetime in this one night, I could barely remember anything from before. Like a nightmare that I could not wake myself on. I pressed on. Adrenaline was all I was running on. Following nothing but my instincts, I drove through the deserted suburbs.

I knew the place I had to find, I had been there once before in another life. That flashy mansion stands out so much that it should be impossible to miss. However it was going to be hard to find anything at all during this wild storm.

After driving around the deserted suburbs for what seemed to me like an eternity. I managed to spot the large iron gates. Oddly enough they were wide open.

Strange.

I cautiously drove through to the entrance to the mansion. Every light was off except one on the second floor. This did not look good.

The large front doors offered no further resistance and I entered into a dark entrance hall followed by a chilling gust of wind. A single fork of lightning in the distance illuminated the room for a split second and it seemed to be completely deserted. The only thing I could do for now was find that one room on the second floor.

Groping my way through the dark I managed to find a door that was leaking a subtle light.

It turned out to be someone’s study or perhaps an office.

A man lay slumped over the desk. On closer inspection I found out he was dead, the man responsible for all this and the man I had come all this way for, someone had gotten to him first.

Should I have felt relieved right now? Because I sure as hell did not.

“That’s far enough Mr Payne.” An unfamiliar voice rang out from behind me, before I had time to find out who it belonged to, someone grabbed me and stabbed a syringe into my neck. Whatever it was, it took effect immediately. A green flash of light struck across my head blinding me with a bright pain, all my senses became obscured. It was unbearable.

“Heh.”

“Looks like you won’t be bothering us again.” The mystery voice rang out and I could see a figure exit the room followed by several shadows of men.

The room had become a blurry haze. Objects shifting in and out of focus, spiralling around me in a sickening circle. I had to get out. Seeing what appeared to be the door I ran for it. It felt like the weight had drained out of my body. With every step I took I seemed to float through the air unable go where I wanted to go.

The room seemed to stretch on and on as if space and time itself were being warped.

“Who’s there?!” I could hear a panicked sounding woman asking, but I soon found that I could not reply.

“Max? Is that you?” she asked.

The voice spiraled around and around my head.

I found myself in an endless maze of hallways, rows of identical doors to my right and left.

Where was I going?

Everything felt strangely familiar. The wooden walls, the furniture, the open fire place crackled with a welcoming fire.

I realized that I was now in some sort of living room. The floor was littered with discarded papers. Gibberish scribbled across them. Lit candles gave off an eerie light and shadows danced across the floor and walls. Portraits and photos hung on the walls and stood on the tables but I could not make out the faces of the people in them.

The only way out seemed to be a long staircase on the other end. I began my ascent.

It gave way to a study or an office that I did not recognize at first. Things were still here. Finally, peace and quiet.

An expensive wooden desk stood in the middle of the room.

A single letter lay neatly folded on top of the desk; it was calling out to me.

I picked it up and unfolded it.

There was something disturbingly familiar about the letter before me, the handwriting all pretty curves.

“Max.”

“You’re in a fan-fiction”

The truth split my skill open. A glaring light washed the lies away.

My entire life was nothing but a fake, a forgery.

I was in a fan-fiction, funny as hell; it was the most horrible thing I could think off.

Based on the 2001 computer game "Max Payne"