John Dies at the End

As David Wong reflects on his life, he grapples with the nature of identity, questioning whether an axe remains the same if every part of it is changed. This thought process leads to an account of the supernatural events that unfold in the obscure city he inhabits alongside reporter Arnie Blondestone.

The story rewinds to a party hosted by David, where he is joined by friends John and Fred Chu, along with acquaintances like Amy Sullivan, who has a disconcerting hand amputation, and Justin White. During this gathering, David discovers that Amy’s dog, Bark Lee, has gone missing after an encounter with the dubious Robert Marley, a self-styled Jamaican drug dealer who claims to have supernatural powers. As the evening progresses, David learns that Bark was last seen near his car.

Things take a turn when David is summoned to John’s apartment, where he finds a syringe filled with a mysterious black substance known as “Soy Sauce.” John explains that this substance, injected by Marley, imparts otherworldly knowledge, albeit at the peril of transporting users through alternate realities and timestreams. Evidence of this oddity emerges as a previous version of John converses with David from another time.

In a moment of carelessness, David injects himself with the Soy Sauce, launching him into a kaleidoscope of dimensions. Upon returning, he encounters a cryptic figure named Roger North in the backseat of his car, who deposits a strange creature down his shirt and instructs him to drive. In a panic, David uses the car’s cigarette lighter to incinerate the creature before confronting Roger, who then vanishes without a trace.

The narrative soon transitions to a police station, where Detective Lawrence Appleton questions John and David. Appleton reveals that only John and Justin White emerged alive from a drug-infused afterparty at Marley’s, with the others mysteriously missing or meeting dreadful ends.

Back in the present, David’s bizarre story begins to persuade Arnie, who is at first incredulous, and reveals that an invisible monster lies hidden in David’s car. This eerie encounter serves as a vital introduction to the supernatural chaos plaguing their city. As the police delve into John’s strange fate, an otherworldly atmosphere builds in the room. David unwittingly discovers his mind linked to John’s ghost, who reveals that the seemingly ordinary police officer is a malicious spirit in disguise. Under John’s spectral guidance, David narrowly escapes the station, but not before being overwhelmed by Marley’s cryptic Soy Sauce.

Upon regaining consciousness, David faces Appleton, who harbors sinister motives—he plans to destroy their trailer while hiding the fact that John’s body has vanished, replaced instead by a sinister energy emanating from the Soy Sauce. Now desperate, David plunges into a time-bending thriller, surviving a gunshot wound from the very bullet meant for him.

Remarkably, John’s ghost influences Bark Lee as he seizes control of David’s vehicle, providing a chance for escape. However, peace is short-lived when a possessed Justin White breaks into David’s home, leaving him no choice but to violently confront the now undead intruder.

David’s kidnapping by White triggers a series of events akin to a macabre puppet show, forcing the transport of his friends—Fred, Amy, and John—to an abandoned shopping mall, where a portal leads to alternate realms. It is here that David encounters Roger North and Albert Marconi, a psychic capable of exorcisms.

As they infiltrate deeper into the mystery, they uncover the true origins of the strange happenings: Korrok, a colossal, eldritch supercomputer bent on domination. Once a benign entity, Korrok has transformed into a genocidal force, determined to conquer new realities. With Marconi’s expertise, David and John receive an LSD-infused explosive designed to neutralize Korrok.

Their journey through the portal lands them in a haunting alternate Earth, where they encounter Korrok’s relentless minions and face a ruthless regime that crushes any form of dissent. Identified as “chosen ones,” David and John are brought before Korrok, which plans to consume their knowledge and mastery of dimensional travel before annihilating their own world.

Tension rises as John’s clumsy attempts to activate the explosive heighten the stakes. In a twist, Bark Lee, now possessed by John’s spirit, makes the ultimate sacrifice by charging at Korrok, triggering the C4 and obliterating the monstrous entity in an explosive climax.

Emerging from this apocalyptic nightmare, David and John reunite with Marconi, only to learn that Bark’s heroism was always part of the larger scheme. They strive to rebuild their lives together, with Amy becoming David’s girlfriend and Marconi mentoring them to become proficient exorcists and warriors against both human and supernatural menaces.

Eventually, as Arnie’s account is unveiled, David comes to a profound realization about Arnie’s true nature. This epiphany compels him to grapple with a shocking truth: inside the trunk of Arnie’s car lies the severed head of a man who had initially reached out to him, a tragedy brought on after their fateful encounter. With the stark reality exposed, David shares his newfound enlightenment with the lifeless figure, only for Arnie to seemingly dismiss the truth, fading into the very void that was once their shared reality.

Meanwhile, David and John share a spirited basketball match, their friendly rivalry leading to unexpected consequences when they inadvertently launch their ball into a post-apocalyptic dimension, ravaged by time. As they strive to retrieve their lost possession, a heavily armed paramilitary faction declares David and John as the “chosen ones,” destined to restore the world. However, their initial excitement quickly turns to skepticism as they shrug off the daunting proposition and choose to walk away from the organization’s grandiose claims.

Last Updated: November 21, 2024 at 11:09