*#The Split#* Thursday, December 21, 2012

It was the day before court and this was supposed to be a quick and easy custody battle. Toby’s mother was hardly putting up a fight. With all the evidence she had practically handed him, and now Timmy breaks his arms sledding the day before court.

Anton could hear loud rap music outside and group of men laughing.

“I knew I shouldn’t have let him stay with you!” Tanya scolded Anton. “He’s staying with me tonight.”

“In case you have forgotten, I was granted emergency temporary custody,” Anton reminded her. “Remember you were too busy to get him to school.”

“I had health issues!” she defended herself.

“Yeah, I know, mental health issues that you use as an excuse. I’m over that already,” Anton reprimanded her.

“Whatever, asshole,” she contested.

“He asked if he could stay here with you tonight, and I promised him I’d never be the reason he doesn’t see you. I’ll pick him up at 6 on the first bus.”

On his way to the door to leave, Anton stopped and had a strange feeling. Is he making the right decision by letting him stay at her place on a school night? Nothing better stop Toby from getting to school in the morning.

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Toby awoke from is deep sleep burning from the intense heat. He shot up and looked around, noticing he was no longer in his mom’s apartment. Instantly, Toby gets sucker punched by that foul odor that has been lingering in the background his whole life. This time, the stench was so overwhelming that it sucked the air right out of Toby, putting him into a slight panic. Then, came the hissing, right on time, the noise penetrating his soul.

He was completely surrounded by absolute nothingness. Below his feet, more absolute nothingness, yet his feet felt as though he was standing on the coals of smoldering fire. Other than the hissing, there was absolute silence to go with that nothingness.

“Toobyyy,” hissed one voice that sounded eerily familiar.

“H-hello?” Toby stuttered, frozen in fear. “How do you know my name? Who are you why are you always following me?”

“Following? Oh no, no, no, boy,” the voice hissed back. “I do not follow you. I am you, you are me., we are one.”

That sent shivers down Toby’s spine. What does he mean?

“W-what are you talking about?” Toby was terrified now. It’s never gone this far. It’s usually just the sound or the smell. “Please, stop.”

“Ssstop? Oh yesss, I will ssstop,” the voice hissed with a slight chuckle. “When the timelinesss meet, I will ssstop.”

That confused Toby. “What timelines? That makes no sense,” he argued.

“It makesss perfect sssenssse. You will sssee, you will sssee,” taunted the voice.

That almost sounded like a threat to Toby. One of the many character traits he got from his father was his temperament. If Toby even begins the feel threatened his temper begins flaring up. What would his father do right now? He knew he wouldn’t back down.

“You know my name, but do you know who my father is? The Tank, Anton Mathias Heft, that’s who!”

“Oh yesss,” hissed the voice. “The Almighty Tank.”

As the voice was saying that Toby began to feel the hot breath from the voice on the back of his neck. The voice’s breath smelled like rotting flesh.

“Excccept he’sss not ssso almighty in my reality. He’sss more like the Ssstank, to me, he’sss weak.” the voice mocked Toby.

Toby had heard enough. His dad was a strong as they came. He sticks up for the ‘little guy’ and never backs down. He’s never weak and always strong. Toby spun around swiftly and tried to get into the best fighting stance he could imagine. He’d handle this voice like he handled the bullies at school. He never expected to see what he saw when he turned around.

Standing before stood himself, sort of, causing him to fall to his back. This other version of himself had some noticeable, other than a hiss in his voice. The creature had red, glowing eyes and long sharp teeth. The other version of himself looked pure evil. It’s gaze tore right through Toby’s core.

“Who are you,” Toby asked trying to hold back tears. He’s never been so scared. “What do you want?”

“I already told you, I am you. How about Reverent Toby?” the nightmare responded.

“Leave me alone!!” Toby screamed at the imposture. “You’re real!”

“I wisssh I wasssn’t real,” hissed Reverent Toby. “Your wordsss, the cut like ssswordsss, but don’t hurt me.”

“Words” cut like “swords”; words as weapons. His father’s voice suddenly rang loudly in his mind with yet another valuable lesson. “Words as weapons, boy. If you can’t beat them physically, use your words. Use your mind not your body.”

“Sssoon Toby…”

Toby started giggling, “you sound silly when you hiss at me. It’s not even scary anymore.”

The evil smile on Reverent Toby’s face disappeared. He pursed his lips and scrunched his brow to show frustration. That’s all Toby needed to see. It was working, Toby stood up.

“It’sss,” began Reverent Toby.

Toby burst into laughter this time even louder than his first giggle. “Yeah, like that. Do it again.”

“Sss…”

For dramatic affect, Toby thew himself back down laughing hysterically. “That’s the funniest thing I’ve ever heard.”

Toby’s hysterical laughter enraged Reverent Toby. The more Toby laughed the angrier it got. Toby could see it was working.

“BE QUIET!” It yelled at Toby. His voice boomed louder than Toby thought possible. “YOU had the good father, the ssstrong father! You got the love, the praissse. You got The Tank.”

“What are you talking about?” Toby questioned.

“I got the weak Anton, the drunk, the lossser,” continued Reverent Toby.

“I didn’t do anything. Why are you mad at me? It’s not my fault.”

The angrier Reverent Toby got, the hotter and darker it got. Pretty soon Toby couldn’t see anything except Reverent Toby glowing red eyes and blood stained teeth. It got hotter…darker…hotter…darker…

“That all changesss now!”

The heat got so intense that Toby felt like his was on fire. It was so dark he couldn’t even see his hands in front of his face. With that, one last blast of heat shot through Toby and woke him from a dead sleep…. on the couch…. in his mom’s apartment.

“Daddy!” screamed Toby. “Mommy, I need dad!! Dad!!!”

Karin burst through her bedroom door into the living room where her son slept. She’s never heard him in such a panic; never seen him this scared. Why is he screaming for his loser father? What did Anton do to her boy?

Everything changed after that night while still remaining the same. Toby’s life split into two paths, two separate but connected timelines. Two versions of the same day would exist, running side by side. One version was filled with victory, joy, love and family. The other was filled with defeat, tragedy, guilt and solitude. Two stories running side by side; both real, both full of emotion, both completely different. The same day with two completely different outcomes; destined to converge again one day