:)

INT. LIVING ROOM, THE HOUSE - ???

We cut to a cast of characters in the lounge. They seem to be in the midst of playing a game of Charades. The raccoon, rabbit, swan and otter seem to be on the sofa while the gulo seems to be standing; mimicking a thing of some sort.

Foggy/Will seems to be sitting on the warm carpet pavement; his focus on the things he had purtained from the cabinet—trying to make sense of it all.

The rabbit turns to glance at the sheep. She smiles.

BLACKBELL

C'mon, Foggy! Join us! You're missing out!

Foggy plainly looks up at Blackbell from his work, and lightly smiles.

FOGGY/WILL

I don't really want to play games right now. I'm...

Foggy/Will shakes their head, and continues fixating on his stuff. Blackbell frowns.

FOGGY/WILL

...nevermind.

As the game continues on, noises of laughter upon imitation rushes through the room.

The sound becomes muffled as Foggy gazes at the picture in the center of his eye. As he filps the page—we can catch a glimpse of a strand of messy handwriting²⁴ a short period of time before the darkness shrouds the room.

A flashlight powers on; the illumination casting a veil on the first thing we see; Ferrie. His papier-måché fur is slightly more tattered than when we last saw it; claw marks riddling the sides of his torso, and missing chips in their midst.

OTTO

Ferrie! There you are! We were wondering where you were!

Ferrie huffs.

FERRIE

Something²⁵’s tried to attack me, and turned off all the lights.

^{24. Interestingly enough, the note that Foggy is in fact, somehow, the same exact note that I have, which, upon treading it, depicts a strand of letter, number, and symbol combination. I've foraged the Net for this type of code name, and to my surprise, it came up with Base64. Now if you decipher the message written on this note you'll read the following text:}

THE SECRET TO THE HOUSE LIES IN THE DEPTHS OF THE DARKNESS.

HEREBY, YOU'LL SEEK SACRILEGE OF THE SCALES AND EARN THE MISCHIEF OF THE FISH

WHO WILL EARN YOU THE HEART OF THE MAZE THAT LIES WITHIN

AN EXIT IS ETERNAL BLISS

^{25. Despite Ferrie telling us that he's been "attacked", we never truly see any proof of the assault; no scene or any sort of flashback to solidify the evidence. This serves as a example that maybe Ferrie is a lying scumbag who makes up things for his self-centered commitment. But, then again, I could also be reading too much into this and I'm just... pointing digits at people. You can't trust Warren's unreliable narration anyways.}

Ferrie points, with his flashlight, to the group—specifically Otto, Wayfinder, Snieg and Blackbell—on the couch; slightly to the right.

FERRIE (CONT'D)

You four stay with me and keep watch. Make sure nothing leaves your sight.

FERRIE

You, Tapey-

Ferrie shines a light upon the raccoon before swiveling it onto the sheep, who seems to wince upon the light.

FERRIE

You will accompany Foggy to the breaker room. In the box next to the cable board, there are a few fuses. Whatever you do, do not let it get to you.

Although there is a lack of light in the room, we can briefly perceive the raccoon nod along to his statement and wanders forth; approaching Foggy in the light.

TAPEY

Will do.

FERRIE

Take this flashlight too.

As Ferrie places the flashlight in the center of Tapey's palm, he then nudges the two to go on their way. Both the raccoon and the sheep take their escort out out the room. Ferrie turns to the rest of them.

FERRIE

You've got a spare?

Four flashlights make their appearance with a click. Holy hell, where did they come from??

INT. BASEMENT, THE HOUSE - ???

As the clank of the knob emits through the air, the door creaks open with a haunting groan; revealing a oblique stairs descending down into shallow darkness. As the amalgam moves aside for the raccoon to amble cautiously down the stairs, one step at a time, the amalgam follows behind it; frantically grasping ahold of Tapey's paw.

As the two walk, their footfalls seem to be louder then any other sound in the room. The flashlight darts from side to side as Tapey observe their dimmed surroundings; trying to reach the breaker room.

As Foggy/Will does the same thing as Tapey does, he catches a glimpse of a figure in the corner of his eye. He squints his eyes. It looks like Illusory.

FOGGY/WILL

Hey, Illusory! Illusory!

Tapey opens its mouth to question him, but upon following his gaze, he blinks as the figure's ears twitch. As it turns; its form stretches and shifts into something monstrous yet familiar.

ILLUSORY(?)

Barnes²⁷?

^{27. Last night, while I was lost in the shallow depths of slumber, I began to have the strangest of dreams come to light. I was visiting Terrance on the gloomy of nights; where the sky was as black as coal, the white speckles of stars glistening in their wake, and the moon was full; its light casting a veil on the darkest corners of the pavement. For what reason was I there, you may ask? I presume, it was to check up on him. Now, as I stepped on the edge of the porch; leading up towards the entrance into the interior of the house, that's when I noticed something strange in the corner of my eye: that the front door had cracked open a little bit; if you looked closer, you could see the slightest hint of the inside. Upon seeing this, it piqued a sort of wonder in me; its essence bubbling through my veins. Curious as to why this door was unlocked, I reached for the knob, and puilled it gently—thus revealing more of its stomach to me. Then, I looked around}

^{(to see if anyone else was looking)}

^{(and no creep was lurking about)}

^{Before stepping inside; eager to explore more of the house's belly and hopefully find a glimpse of Terrance somewhere in its corridors. Now while I was inside, I could make out the layers; a classy amber and yellow floral wallpaper that sprawled out in every direction paired with accents of white that seemed to accompany it. Bundles upon bundles of paintings (of people whose faces were blacked out) were framed; hanging against the walls, and the floors were a oak brown; tainted with a fluffy red carpet at the center of it all. Here, in the anteroom of the place, I sifted right and I could see a deviled cabinet with three bins in its sockets, with an array of souviers from what I can only believe was North Dakota, Illinois, and a couple more places from America. To the right of me, a coat-rack stood. Polyester jackets with furry hoods, baseball caps, and scarves were dangling from its hooks. Overhead, there lay the overwhelming darkness that seemed to swallow the light of this place whole; replaced with a eerie uncertainity that lingered in my stomach.}

^{Gruffy, heavy footsteps dragged themselves against the floor. Then, from out of the darkness, was none other than the broad, snarky man dressed in his red and black varsity jacket and his tight blue—pure blue, he used to say—jeans, in the midst of the corridor; his eyes lingering on me. His small, familiar smile was all the same, but... that's when I realized—his eyes,}

^{(oh god his eyes)}

^{(what happened to his eyes)}

^{his eyes were no longer the unmistakable, cool ocean eyes I lived with so long. Instead, they were tinged with an amberish brown that glowed abnormally in the darkness. The more I stared, the more I was afraid of the thing, the Something that would awake and haul me into a indefinte unknown. With just the quiver of the lip, and the strained tone of my voice, I cautiously hollered, "Terrance...?" to which, he—the man that-was-not-my-friend—stared blankly with a expression that was unreadable; answering my call with a phrase that sent shivers down my spine. "Welcome home."}

^{I don't think I've been able to get some proper sleep after that. I don't think I'm able to sleep anymore.}

As the figure approaches the two, the raccoon backs away; unclenching and clenching its paw. Its eyes are of pure terror.

TAPEY

That’s not Illusory.

FOGGY/WILL

...What do you mean—

Foggy's words trail off as he glosses over the figure, Illusory's appearence again. For a moment, Foggy notices that it's taller—unnaturally lanky—as it stands before him; catching a glimpse of a melancholic grin in the dimness of light. A sort of unsettling consternation (pins and needles) drops in his stomach as he, the sheep, percieves the white pinpockets of eyes staring into him as if he were a ghost cast before him²⁸.

ILLUSORY(?)

You look different. But that doesn't matter. You, Splinters, are here. Come with me. Come home with me.

Something in Illusory's eyes begins to make Foggy's head split into a throbbing headache; threatening to rip his body in two. A skittering itch begins to crawl over his mind as though there were bugs devouring his rotting corpse. His soothing voice, his eyes, almost hypnotizes him to—

ILLUSORY(?)

(desperate)

Please. I need you.

Foggy/Will's arm, despite struggling to no end, lifts up and reaches for his face without his control. The next time Foggy speaks, his voice sounds strange as though it is not his own.

WILL / FOGGY

Tom, I—

But the flashlight shines on the figure; snapping Will/Foggy out of his control before he could proceed. Foggy/Will shakes his head; arousing from his sudden trance before landing eyes on Illusory³⁰.

^{28. Curious. When Illusory is in the shallow depths of darkness, his form dissolves into a monster of some sort. Was the grey wolf a disguise? Not only that, but his voice is different here.}

^{30. It seems for whatever reason, the flashlight seems to affect Illusory whenever he is in darkness. Not only that, but when the light dims on Illusory, it affects Foggy too.}

ILLUSORY

What a surprise!! I didn't expect you two to show up...

Foggy/Will groggily moans; rubbing his eyes as he arises from his deep, deep slumber, and lays his sleepy gaze on Tapey; his expression gravid with pure confusion.

FOGGY/WILL

Tapey, what's...

The raccoon ignores the amalgam's words; its attention fully fixated on the grey wolf ahead. Tapey's grip on the flashlight tightens, and in pursuing its lips, it mutely prepares to question him.

TAPEY

Illusory, do you know where the breaker-room is?

Illusory's head tilts at its words. His "fur" ripples.

ILLUSORY

Haven't got a clue what you're (talking) about.

Tapey sighs and shakes its head.

TAPEY

...nevermind. Do you at least have a fuse?

Illusory makes a toothy grin. They shake their head and then out of the blue, a obnoxious canned laugh track plays.

Foggy/Will, upon discerning the noise, glances around in confusion, searching for the source. Tapey, on the other end, groans.

TAPEY

Forget it. You're useless. C'mon, Foggy, let’s ditch this guy.

But as the raccoon glances back, it finds no trace of Foggy/Will. Instead, it finds darkness in its place.

TAPEY

Foggy?

INT. FOYER, THE HOUSE

Wide shot. Both the figure and the amalgam walk a twilight corridor; the only illumination trickling down into the veil of shallow depths.

WILL/FOGGY

Are we going home?

Close-up shot. Illusory's grip on Will's paw tightens. He doesn't want to lose him again.

ILLUSORY

Yeah. We're going to Periwinkle's together.

WILL/FOGGY

Does she still have cookies? I want-I want cookies.

ILLUSORY(?)

She will.

A pause. Only the sound of their footfalls now. Something flutters in his stomach.

ILLUSORY(?)

Barnes, I—

FERRIE

Foggy?

Both Will/Foggy and Illusory halt in their tracks. The amalgam glances up to see a shadow of Ferrie in the distance.

Upon recognizing the voice of the figure that laid ahead of them, the man's paw pulls his friend closer to his chest. The amalgam, noticing his tension, glances up at his expression—which seemed to register a deep sense of disgust towards the figure in the distance.

Upon recognizing the voice that seemed to call out, the man's paw drew his friend closer to his chest. Will/Foggy, noting his vigilant demeanor, glanced up at him.

WILL/FOGGY

T... Tom, do you know who that is?

For a moment, Illusory doesn't answer, tracking his gaze on the figure in the distance in front of them; slowly approaching. As he hears his heartbeat pound in his chest, his teeth grit.

A moment of hesitance. Then:

ILLUSORY(?)

That's Ferrie. He's the one keeping us here. Making sure we don't leave. Making...

His expression registers a deep sense of sadness as he pauses; something at the back of his mind sifting through the front.

ILLUSORY(?)

He made you forget.

A few spikes of something cold draft through Will/Foggy's veins as he processes the words sprawling out of the man's throat; the letters like shards cutting through his bitter flesh.

Then, the expression of fear that was once plastered on his face melts down into a expression of desperation. His other paw clasps tightly upon the man's shoulder, and his body clashes against Illusory's chest; making him recoil.

WILL/FOGGY

(crying, hysterical)

I don't want to forget! I don't want to be taken away!

At Will/Foggy's distress, Illusory finds his right paw and begins to pat his back like a stick pounding the top of a drum.

ILLUSORY(?)

You won't. I won't let you.

As Illusory's eyes began to paint a path in the darkness, he began to see a outline of paws overarching; their length reaching for Will/Foggy's waist. The voice from within the twilight began to speak; its tone louder than before.

FERRIE

Hey, it's okay. It's just me, Ferrie.

The amalgam's sobs become to rise at the words spat at him within the shallow depths. Illusory's grip on Will/Foggy's paw closed in more like a strangled neck barely gasping for air.

He hated this. The fire in his head began to cloud his rational thoughts until—

ILLUSORY(?)

Leave him alone.

The paws that clasped around his friend's waist were so tight; they drew blood in its reach, as it ignored Illusory's demands. The next time that the voice whispered to him, it seemed to mock him; invoking him of his authority over the amalgam.

FERRIE

No.

The paws made of darkness and mirthless joy seemed to tug against the man's grip; dragging the amalgam back into the wretched influence of the House; back into the hungry jaws that seemed to swallow his memories of Tom whole. In a devasting shocker of not wanting to lose his friend again, the man began to fight back; pulling Will/Foggy back into a temporal ease of lucidity that would last him a few moments to escape the eternal torment of the House that seemed to haunt the two at every turn.

Despite the man's efforts to pull back his friend from the harrowing influence of the House, Will/Foggy's grip is yanked away from Illusory; leaving long streaks of crimson and him flailing for his friend's touch again.

WILL/FOGGY

No! No! Let go of me! Let go! I want to go home! I want-! I-!

ILLUSORY(?)

Barnes-

But as the light came down on Illusory, the amalgam's eyes had glazed over. His movement seemed to slow, and his lips twitched. Suddenly, he blinked, and there was Foggy, disoriented and mind muddled.

FOGGY/WILL

...Ferrie...?

Ferrie snarkily grins at the amalgam, letting go of his waist. Foggy/Will's mind spun; trying to process the events and the great pain that seemed to spike at him.

FERRIE

You're back.

Foggy/Will rubbed at his forehead. A splitting headache seemed to come down at the seams. God, what had just happened?

FOGGY/WILL

What's going on?

FERRIE

You were under a trance. Which was caused by that thing.

As Foggy/Will turned to where Ferrie was pointing, he landed gaze on Illusory.

ILLUSORY

Wowzers! You found me!! Good job, chum!

Foggy/Will shuddered. He didn't like how it was staring at him; the eyes bearing a eerie resemblance to a dead fish's. Or that there was something; a faint silhoutte of someone that-was-not-him, behind the gaze.

He shook his head, turning back to where the ferret was; his confused eyes begging for Ferrie for answers. The ferret just smiles, ruffles his woolly head, and lightly informs him:

FERRIE

Just don't look at its eyes next time. Keep a flashlight if you need to.

FOGGY/WILL

Alright?