Tim's+Second+LInk

“Noooo!” Gregory screamed and covered his ears. Phineas continued to try to reason with him to take 6 pills, but it was no use. Gregory had already thrown the contents of the pill bottle in the garbage disposal, which turned everything to shreds.

Gregory felt peculiarly happy for the ensuing half-hour. He skipped around outside, chasing birds. He got involved in some TV. He felt utterly at peace: blissfully alone. And then Phineas started to bug him again.

“Come on, Gregory, play chess with me. Or how about backgammon? We can do a puzzle! Ooo, or let’s play hopscotch!”

Gregory’s ephemeral good mood was slowly turning into burning rage towards Phineas.

“Why can’t you just leave me alone?” Gregory wailed as he ran around the kitchen. In an effort to try to get “Phineas out of his head,” Gregory accidentally knocked a knife onto the floor. He stopped to put it back, but then a devilish idea sprout into his plagued mind. Phineas was oblivious to what Gregory was about to do, and continued to plead; only now he was whispering to try to get Gregory’s attention.

“Please, Gregory. I’m your friend. I only want the best for you.”

“You never do what I want to do! You’re not my friend, you’re a big fat meanie who only cares about himself!”

Gregory picked up the knife and started to approach his antagonist. He grabbed Phineas by the collar and dragged him into the living room. Phineas struggled desperately, but Gregory’s rage and wild ferocity was too much for Phineas to fight against.

Gregory threw Phineas against the wall and in a wild excitement plunged his weapon of choice forcefully and repeatedly through his bosom.

At that same instant, Gregory’s parents’ car was rolling into the driveway. Gregory saw them through the window and hastily proceeded to lock the front and side door. That brief moment he averted his eyes had been enough time for the scene around him to change. A large mirror now stood where none had been before! As Gregory approached it in terror, he saw his own image approach, sallow and dabbled with blood.

Or so it appeared. But it was Gregory’s old friend Phineas! As he looked on in horror he realized he had never noticed how much the figure resembled him.

It was Phineas, but he no longer spoke in a hushed whisper:

“You have prevailed, and I yield. Yet, henceforth, you are also dead. Dead to the World, to Salvation, to Hope! In me you existed. And in my dying, look at me, at my figure, which is yours, and see how you have just murdered yourself!”

Gregory heard his parents knocking on the door as he keeled over and took his last, short gasp for air.