12

 

"K-Kyle...Woody..." I stammer, still gripping my knees tightly. They smile.

"Yes, Dan. It's us." Woody says.

"Come on, get up. We don't have much time, Darling." Kyle says, holding a glowing hand out to me. I stare at it for a minute before gripping onto it lightly. Kyle pulls me up and engulfs me in a tight hug. Why do I cry so much?

I find myself crying into Kyle's shoulder as Woody joins the hug. Kyle suddenly pulls away, his eyes growing wide, "Dan...you have to go. Hurry. You have two days time."

"Bye, Daniel." Woody says with a small smile. As my eyes flutter open, they are gone. I find myself still against the wall, my head in my hands. I must of passed out. I bring my head up and see that that wasn't dream. The lights are out. And there beside me is the flashlight and the hand gun, just like before. I know what to do. Find Will and then go in for Cassie.

I get to my feet, dodging the patients and nurses running down the hall. I grab the handgun and flashlight with both my hands, flipping the flashlight on with my thumb, "Okay," I say, shakily, "I can do this..." I walk slowly, the flashlight lighting the path in front of me. It's weird, but as I am running past all the murdered people, murders happening, and screaming people, the song Pompeii rushes through my mind. I don't know why, I think I just finally found out what the lyrics mean...and here it is in front of me.

As I turn the corner, I look to my left and right before sliding down the wall and closing my eyes. A burst of white light comes rushing in and the images are blurry, but I can still make them out perfectly.

There's me and Cassie...meeting for the first time.

Us meeting Kyle, Will, and Woody in first grade.

The time Cassie broke her leg during PE.

Our first "accidental kiss" in fifth grade.

Her first boyfriend.

My first time falling into depression.

Her first real kiss.

Her first heart break, only to make mine worse.

And then...I leave her. We leave her. In seventh grade. I left her saying, "when life stabs you in the back...that's your hint...never turn back."

We meet again with Alice by her side.

I rush out of the concert.

She follows.

I fall for her one last time.

Then she finds out...about them.

They attack her. Not me.

Then the first huge attack, leading us to the insane asylum.

Woody's death.

Kyle's death.

And then finally....Cassie's death.

And it ends. I open my eyes screaming. I did not have to see that...not again. Reliving the past is not what I wanted. I flip the switch on the flashlight again, turning it back on, only to see a message written on the wall in blood, the limp, lifeless body laying under it.

Forty Five Hours Time.

A heavy sigh escapes my parted lips as I notice that I have to find Will, and Cassie's spirit. I keep running down our hall, finally finding our room. I struggle to get the door open, but it doesn't budge. Then I notice the gun. I shoot the lock, opening the door. Will sits on the bed, curled in a ball, rocking back and forth.

"Hey...W-Will?" I ask quietly, slowly walking up to him. Will turns his head slowly over his shoulder to look at me. I shine the light on his face to reveal that he is shaking and his eyes are wide in fear. I stumble back slightly at his appearance, "Will, what happened?" I ask coldly, although I am also worried.

"Take a life to save a life. Take a life to save a life. Take a life to save a life." Will keeps muttering over and over.

"What?" I ask. He stops, just staring at me, the air around us is still and unsettling, "Will what are you-"

"Run..." He whispers, interrupting me. Next thing I know, we are separated by a wall of pitch blackness.

"WILL," I yell through the dark, "WILL, ANSWER ME!" I keep shouting. I see a pale hand burst through the blackness, trying to grip onto something, anything, "WILL!" I shout in relief. I grab his cold, pale hand, the darkness around us starts to clear. A yell escapes my mouth as I see a new horrifying sight.

"No...No, Dan listen," Will says soothingly, trying to calm me down, "I am not going to die, and neither are you. We are going to need to find Cassie. She is on the top floor." It is hard to turn away from him. Half of his face had been burned, and the remaining skin on his left side are is covered in bubbles. The blackness must have been poisonous gas. Will lays there, twitching, "She is on the top floor and I know for a fact that Woody and Kyle are watching down upon her, they won't let her get hurt. All we need to do is be careful for the Murder Hall, disguised demons, and demons themselves. Got it?" He is acting so calm. If I were in his state, I would be screaming at the top of my lungs like there was no tomorrow.

Noticing that I have to stay strong, I inhale deeply, and give Will a nod.