Connor Birmingham - Mental Reality (fanfiction)

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters, the cover, and setting. All rights belong to Connor Birmingham. No copyright intended.

Get the original story here

http://www.alibris.com/Mental-Reality-Connor-Birmingham/book/33270105

(Warning: spoilers ahead)

What if instead of the ending where everyone dies, things played out differently? In alternate fan made endings, inspiration and light arises, but so does a terrifying tragedy.

(Contains swearing and magical violence)

Alternate ending 1

  “It means that your mind isn’t here. It means you’re not here.”

I think back to what Alex had said to me before. If my mind was somewhere else, then where was I? Either I was somewhere else, or Alex’s computer program used to protect us from 'Him', had a glitch. I gaze at Reina, her black hair with purple highlights framing her face. Alex is figuring out what went wrong with the program. Death is lost in thought, his red eyes scanning the surroundings of the complex Mental Plane, trying to comprehend the situation.

Just recently, Reina and I had traveled to the Physical Plane, the real life world, to try and escape from 'Him', my hunter and a misanthropic tyrant. Since I have powers in the Mental Plane to manipulate my surroundings, 'He' thinks it is a good idea to use me for his own ends. 'He' plans to possess humans deemed worthy and rid the world of the unworthy scum of the world that call themselves human. With my unfortunate experience of being around jerks for much of my life, and no one to trust, I am the perfect soldier to 'Him'.

The world suddenly turns dark, as if my thoughts shunned away the light. I feel a strange sensation of drifting to and from consciousness, like I’m half-way asleep. I look back for Death, Alex, and Renia, but they are nowhere to be seen.

“Confused, I presume?”

A chilling voice echoed through the darkness, sending shivers up my spine. I had a good idea of who it was.

“Who the hell are you?” I demanded.

“No need for such vulgar language Aldarrus. I have gone into your mind, I know you’re smarter than the majority of the populace, and clever people don’t have use for profanity. Vulgar language shows weakness and stupidity, so let’s leave your façade and speak like the person you truly are.”

It is definitely 'Him'. What right does he have invading my mind and telling me how to speak? He may have my mind, but he is not me; he doesn’t know who I really am. I need more time to come up with a plan to defeat this guy. I can’t fight him right away; he seems to know my every move, like a chess player. I need to distract him, get more information.

“Fine, I’ll stop my language, but this does not mean that I’m complying with you. A dictator does not deserve to be treated with respect. I don’t care how clever you believe you are.”

“Rebellious I see,” 'He' replies,  “Though I can see your confusion, I am no dictator, though I’ll admit I have dictatorial aspects, I’m not ruling the people I’m taking control of, I’m helping them.”

“Help? You are robbing them of their free will.”

He explains with disgust in his voice, “You’ve seen it, haven’t you? I know you have. How disgusting this world has become; the rape, slavery, child warfare, neglect, depression, the injustice that the world drops onto each of us for simply being born, the injustices I’ve had to experience.”

I could not deny that the world was a horrible place to live in. A world fueled by material greed, with no regard for knowledge, the millions of people in need, and the important life lessons to learn. It was almost tempting to listen and let 'Him' go through with his plan. Then I thought, ‘Who is this guy, really, and what did he experience?’ When my eyes suddenly saw a new horror in the empty space, the thought quickly vanished from my mind.

Brains wired to metal podiums are in jars across the room. “These are the wretches, vermin, the disease that plagues this world,” 'He' explains, mentioning the brains that seep with agony. “You see, Aldarrus; I do not target random people to control. I target two kinds, the worthy and the corrupt. What you are viewing are the minds of the corrupt.” This is not right. As much as I would like to hurt criminals and bullies, never in my mind would I decide to put them in constant mental torture. Alex had tried to protect the minds of other people, but that did not stop 'Him' from gradually taking them over.

I think back to my training sessions, where Death taught me to manipulate the size and shape of a blue ball to get used to my powers in the Mental Plane. I remember Alex stopping me from destroying a rapist’s mind, after we looked through his memories. I think of Reina, of how she encouraged me and attempted to get me to break free of my self-focused mistrust and misery.

I spoke, “If you know so much about our actions along with what I know, why did you bring me here? What do you plan to use me for, you appear to have me in your possession.”

“Primarily, I wanted to inquire something of you. A proposition.”

“Which would be?”

“Join me.”

Join 'Him'?! The guy who hunted me down, used everyday people to hurt me and attempted to put my new friends in danger? Not a chance.

'He' briefly explains the progress he has made, then adds “The only people I don’t control are the ones your friends are harboring. What you see around you, this hellish construction is my Magnum Olympus.” Skeletal dead trees are spread out, reaching toward a crimson sky. It is the antithesis of my beautiful, natural forest sanctuary that I have gone to in my mind. “I am ensuring the punishment of those who deserve punishment, and the safety of those who don’t. I am fixing this world, and all I need to completely fix the world is your compliance.” Well, if I am the only one that stands between 'Him' and his dystopic ideology, then I will be sure that I keep my feet on the ground and not budge. If I joined him, I would be just as despicable as he is. I cannot give up now; I have to save my new friends, I have to save humanity…and I must save myself. I put all the determination I have into my next statement: “I refuse.”

I could feel the anger rising from him after I said that. “Fine. I just gave you the choice as a show of good sport. I will have my revolution a reality, and you will join me, even if I must be rid of the only thing refraining you from making the right decision.” My friends. I must save them.

Back in the tower, I rise from my bed, black spots dancing across my vision. The glass from the windows liter the floor, blood is splattered on the walls and the cheery atmosphere of the area is no longer here. I make my way to the base and struggle to open the door. I manage to open it and I enter my forest. Black trees stand under a red sky; a sign that my forest had been corrupted. Shadows slither along the ground, and I get a gut feeling that I am being watched. Sure enough, there He is in front of me, hovering several inches above the ground. His gray skin contrasts with the sky and his yellow eyes pierce inside my soul. Before he can open his mouth, a voice rings out, “Al!”

I look behind me and I see Alex, Renia, and Death make their way to my side. “Where have you been?” asked Alex. “Is everything alright?” “No time for talking, now,” Death mentions, pointing straight ahead. “It’s 'Him'.” We all stare back at the tyrant. He doesn’t appear intimidated at all. “You really think all of you can defeat me?” he asks. “I wouldn’t be so sure of yourself,” replied Reina. “There are four of us and one of you.” 'He' grinned and spread out his hands. Waves of darkness spread through the air and condensed around him, forming into human shapes. The same people that had attacked me in the store were standing at attention, glowering at me, fists clenched. Right near the front of the group, his chest now healed was…

“Darek!” I spat. “How do you do, Al-dunce?” he sneered. “My boss found me after my group and I tried to beat you and your friends up. He offered me another chance, and here I am. You will pay for what you did to me back there!” “I owe you nothing, Darek,” I deadpanned. “Though I do have enough to bet that you are more of an idiot than I first thought.” The rush of anger in Darek’s expression was satisfying, if not slightly disturbing. “Next time, don’t try and kill my best friend.” Wait…so the mind I entered into before was from Darek’s best friend? “Now to finish you and the work that my boss gave to me,” Darek said, turning back to face 'Him'. How ironic that a son of a bitch was working for a man with a claim to cleanse humanity of jerks. The tyrant only wants this world for himself, I’m sure of it.

“Last chance, Aldarrus,” 'He' offers. “Join me now and your friends will not get hurt.” Before I could respond, Alex shot out his hand and an invisible force knocked some of the group members to the ground. “Get them!” 'He' ordered. The dreary land was alive with the sounds of battle. Yells and the zaps of power rang through the still air. Black fire enveloped my hands and my fists made contact with enemy faces. “You don’t stand a chance, bitch!” Darek yells at Reina. “Speak for yourself, bastard!” she responds. Darek pushed her to the ground and gripped her neck with his hands. She kneed him in the groin in response. He yelped in pain, releasing Reina. I throw my fireball at Darek and he collapses to the ground.

From above, more fighting was occurring. Death and 'Him' swung punches at each other, both at equal skill level. Death blasts 'Him' away with magic, only for him to fly back. Death swung his scythe at him and his arm fell to the ground. In seconds, his arm appeared in the same place, materializing from his dark magic. “You will have to do better than that,” he smirked. Faster than thought, 'He' thrust his spear deep in Death’s chest. “No!” I cried. Death’s face was expressionless, as he plummeted to the ground. “No point in taking control of your mind,” He muttered. “You are too resistant. Besides, it is Aldarrus I want.”

Back on the ground, the battle was still going on. Darek was back up from the ground, swinging punches at Reina. Alex had trapped the enemy army in cages he made with his mind, but his power would not last long. 'He' watched the scene and the worn out heroes with satisfaction. “My utopia is nearly complete. With Death gone, I am one step closer to riding the world of evil.” I ran over to Death, who was breathing air in gasps. “Al… you have done well, my student…but it is not over. You must save humanity. Come here.” I leaned in closer. Death brought his gray fingers to my forehead, between my eyes. A sudden rush of electricity raced through my mind and colors flashed before my eyes. Images appeared at random; Death as a child, Death’s collection of knowledge of the Mental Plane, him talking to me, his last moments in the battle…

Just as quickly as it came, the thoughts abruptly ceased like an end of a dream. I now had Death’s knowledge. “Use what I taught you well…” he stared vacantly into space and whispered, almost childlike, “Mom…Dad…” His red eyes closed and his body went still. First Death’s family, then Death himself, ironically, now in the void of nothingness. How many more people had to suffer under 'His' rule?

A heavy force suddenly knocked me backwards. “Al!” cried Reina. Darek had used my distraction to shove me to the ground. The possessed army were free of their cages, thanks to 'Him'. Unfortunately, my friends were about to be overpowered. A gray hand extended in front of me. “You sure you don’t want to join?” “For goodness sake! I told you I would never join you. No means no!” I said, slapping his hand away. “Don’t be so stupid!” 'He' screams at me, but I ignore him. A pressure starts to build in my head. It is Him trying to get into my mind. I will never let him control me. We lock eyes and the world fades around us. I imagine black ooze tracing up his leg, but it burns away. I try and enclose his body in cement, but it cracks moments later. Thinking alternatively, I attempt to enter his mind, but he must have been resistant like me. How was I going to get past this mental stalemate? 'He' enters my mind again, and this time, the pain gets more intense. It feels like hot wires are skewing holes in my brain. I have two choices: endure more pain, or make it stop and surrender. As I am about to give up, He suddenly releases is hold on me. I quickly push him out and appear back in the Mental Plane. 'He' briefly disappears from the Mental Plane, then appears again. What was happening?

I look up and see white beams of light shooting toward the ground. “Tim?” I asked. Sure enough, the old man arrived, floating in the air, followed by the other resistance members: Jacob, Muhammad, Li Xin Ying, and Mathius among them. Another old man wearing spectacles floated beside him, he had to be Tim’s brother. Tim must have been able to enter the Mental Plane, sneak off and rescue his brother and recruit the other members…all while the battle was going on. Now the odds were in my favor.

Together, Tim and his allies charged into the battle, armed with both magical and physical weapons. 'He' got ready to unleash an attack, but my black fire knocked him against a tree. Tim and the others flew over and knocked the enemy members over with swift punches. Alex imagined the dark power fading away in their minds. sure enough, their eyes cleared as they sat up and looked around in confusion. “All of you close your eyes, we will help you get back home.” explained Reina. They did as they were told, fearing the worst if they disobeyed the magical strangers before them. Alex floated to his computer monitor and pressed several buttons. “Think of the physical plane,” urged Reina. “Your favorite place in the world.” “No you fools, don’t listen to them!” 'He' shouted, but it was too late; the people had been transported back to the physical world unharmed.

'He' let out a scream that cracked the ground at his feet. Darek and 'Him' were the only enemies left. “You are all making a huge mistake,” he stated. “Especially you, stupid face,” Darek said to me. I have had enough of Darek and his rubbish values. At the same time, I didn’t think anyone deserved to be in control of anyone else. “You don’t have to do this, Darek,” I said as I made my way to the front. “You can let us help you and you can go back to school and live the way you want to.”

“I don’t need help from you, dumbass,” Darek answered. “I need to finish my job.” “Then what?” I asked. “What did 'He' promise you?”

“Power, lots of it, if I brought you to him.”

“And only to find out that he wants all the power for himself? Is that what you want?”

“You’re lying,” Darek and 'Him' said at the same time. I put my hand to my face; this was going to be harder than I thought. I looked over at my friends, who surrounded me from behind. Then I came up with a plan. Maybe instead of changing his mind, I could find a way to trap him and let my friends take care of it. Doubt briefly crossed my mind, but I held it down. ‘You can trust them,’ I thought to myself. First I would have to make him angry…

“Hey, jerk face,” I called to Darek. “When did you become such a spoiled brat?” “Same time when you became a loser,” Darek replied. “Oh wait, you always were.” Those words would have bothered me several years ago when I felt like an outcast, but not today. “Both you and 'Him' will get the punishments you deserve.” “We will be gods of a new world that you won’t be part of,” Darek claimed. “Oh really? If you are so great, why don’t you take me on, man to man,” I said raising my fists. “Don’t mind if I do!” “Stop right there,” 'He' said, making Darek freeze in his tracks. "I have heard his thoughts and his friends are planning to defeat you. We must make plans first.” Darek did not move. I saw conflict in his face and uncertainty in his eyes. It was mental possession versus raw emotion, something I could use to my advantage. As Darek took a step back and looked at 'Him', I shouted. “Come over here you cowardly bully! Get your revenge on me!” Anger flooded his eyes and he blindly charged at me. I dodged his fists and shoved him into the arms of my allies. Darek stood frozen from the gazes of my friends. They were mentally holding him down. 'He' flew toward him, but my swift uppercut to his chin stunned him. Darek briefly looked at me, but this time he looked confused, as if he didn’t know what he was doing. In the blink of an eye, he was transported back to the physical Plane.

“No!” 'He' shouted as my final fireball sent him back to the physical plane. I closed my eyes and pictured my forest as it was before: the green grass swaying in the breeze, the stars dotting a night sky, the trees healthy again. The peaceful place made it seem like there was never a battle to begin with. I hugged Reina and Alex, “Thank you so much. I can’t repay you for what you have done for me. I should have trusted you…” “It is fine, Al,” said Alex, putting his warm hand on my shoulder. “It is over. You are safe now and you have opened yourself to us. We should thank you for saving all of us.” “Thank goodness for Tim,” I said, looking over at him. Tim was currently admiring a sparkling green rose. “Without him, the army would have overpowered us. “And you, Aldarrius, you helped me find my brother. After some effort, I was able to get into the Mental Plane. I had some trouble finding you, but then I saw you fighting the powerful deity. Then I saw my brother locked in a cage in the air. He was possessed, of course, but I got into his mind and fought the foul presence. Now here we are free as birds…or at least my brother is. I’m still stuck in this rat’s hole of an institution. “I’ll get you out,” said his bother. “Thank you,” Tim said, giving him a side hug. “I have missed you so much.” “Get back to reality before you go crazier than you are,” his brother teased. “I shall say the same to you,” Tim said. They disappeared back to the physical world at the same time. I blink and I am standing with Reina and Alex in front of my house, back in reality.

“You know,” suggested Alex. “If you ever get tired of living alone, you could come spend time with me and Reina if you’d like.” “Thanks, but I have always been happy living on my own,” I objected, politely. “Are you sure?” Reina asked. “I know you may not trust us completely but we are your friends. If you ever need anything, you can always call us.” I stared at her eyes and long eyelashes. There was something intriguing about her that I could not shake off. “Thank you,” I said again. “I think I would like that soon.” I slowly leaned closer to her, and to my surprise, she returned the gesture. Her soft lips were so close to mine… “I highly recommend you stay close to us,” Alex interrupted, jerking us back. “I have a bad feeling that He is still out there.” A shudder ran down my spine, but it went away.

“Anyway, what’s next?” I asked. “I don’t want to go back to that stupid school with stupid people.” “Yes, that would be a stupid idea,” remarked Reina. “You could start by getting a job.” “Doing what? How can I help others?” “You could start by feeding the homeless using your power!” said Alex. “But keeping it low-key,” added Reina. “Wouldn’t people freak out if they saw you restocking food in fridges with your power? You would end up in the institution or worse.” She did have a good point; they both had good points. “I’m going to be working on some computer programs in both realms,” said Alex. “Art teacher, hair stylist, karate instructor, you name it!” said Reina. I looked at my house one last time, reminded of my parents, my classmates, everyone who rejected me, and then I look at my friends, who, as surprising as it sounded, were starting to become a family to me. I held their hands and we walked into the distance. Reina playfully punched my side and said, “Get your motorbike fixed before you leave, you clumsy nut.”

In the distance, a homeless, man with a black eye tried to get back to the mental plane and roared in frustration and pain. “Curse you, Aldarrus!”

Alternate ending 2

The villain tries to persuade Al to join him and he refuses. After seeing his dead friends tied to a tree, he falls to the ground in despair. The villain offers him power, and reluctantly, Al takes his hand and accepts the offer, feeling like he had no other choice. Al is taken back to the physical plane with Darek where an army of possessed humans wait. Darek and Al become possessed bodyguards for the villain and they start by destroying murderers, rapists, and other criminals with their powers. Al tries to fight back the villain’s influence, but every criminal Al kills, he feels the satisfaction of revenge. His mind constantly fights the villain’s voice in his head. Soon, Al doesn’t want to kill the innocent people when they make mistakes, but the villain says, “Looks like we will have to kill more, won’t we?” Many years later, Al and the possessed army are the only ones left. The villain kills them with a snap of his fingers and the world is blanketed in crimson red like the distorted mental world. 3 billion brains fill the villain’s empty hideout space. Al breaks free and tries to kill him, but the villain says “Why would you kill me when I have no control over you now? Are you a murderer?” Al releases his grip and briefly feels sorry for the man. “Sorry, Al, but I can’t allow anyone else to get in my way.” He uses that moment to capture Al with his dark powers. Al tries to imagine his physical body disappearing, but the darkness holds him down. “Who would have thought that your thoughts were one second too slow?” the villain sneers. At that moment, Al thinks: Why did I ever trust this guy? Trusting people has always been a bad idea, and I fell into his trap. I knew I should not have allowed this guy to take over. Now, I have lost everything…and I have lost trust in myself. “I didn’t even get your name,” Al said to him. “You won’t need to know that,” he replied. To Al’s horror, he crushes the green flower with his foot that represents Al’s mind. The villain says to Al, “Thank you for everything” as Al’s world fades to black.