Good Riddance

“Fate is curious. Some people say that you make your own fate, others say that your fate it’s already there, waiting for you.” Shauna recited in front of the mirror. “I personally think that fate exists and don’t exist at the same time. We can take control of our lives; however, the fate also can take many turns, some are so subtle that we don't even realize it and others are so violent that they are capable of turning our lives upside down. But we must adapt to them and move on. Now, that we are starting a new chapter in our lives, we have to adapt to the changes and move on with the head up.”

After saying this, Shauna Shipman smiled. In a few days, she would say her generation’s speech in her high school graduation ceremony. She had been the second highest GPA student in her class. She would go to Brown University in the fall. She was deeply excited for that. 1994 was being her year.

As a celebration, her friend, Rachel Goldman suggested that it would be a good idea crashing a college frat party. They had rejected all the parties that they were invited to for focusing on their studies. Now, there was nothing to lose.

When she walked downstairs. She found her mom cooking the dinner while she was talking in the phone. Pauline Shipman was a loving nurse devoted to her patients and also, a loving mother devoted to her daughter.

When she saw Shauna, in the kitchen and helping to serve dinner. She said goodbye quickly and hung up the phone.

“New patient?” Shauna asked.

“New style?” Her mother asked playfully, seeing her daughter completely dressed up. “That hairstyle looks great on you, I bet that it’ll look better with cap and gown. Gosh…Your dad would love to see you like this, it’s all he ever wanted, you know. For you to have your best go of it.”

“Salutatorian means second best.” Shauna corrected.

“Just second?” Pauline said. “Darling, you’ve done great, and you need to celebrate it. You should also break a few rules, I think. At least just once in your life.” She added with a knowing smile.

“Just, stop it, mom.” Shauna chuckled amused.

After the dinner, Shauna got the permission and in the porch of her house, was Rachel already waiting for her.

“Holy shit! you look amazing, really badass.” Rachel said.

“Where are the others?” Shauna asked.

“Uh, they chickened out, and I kinda get it.” Rachel answered. “What if they don’t let us in or something?

“Rachel, this our only chance to get a jump on a real college party.” Shauna tried to comfort her, yes, she was also very frightened too, but they were almost there. They couldn't turn back at this point.

“Or we could start with a high school one since we kind of missed that boat when we were being total nerds.” Rachel chuckled.

They arrives to the house where the party was hosted. They tried to look as confident as possible so as not to arouse suspicion. Everything was going very fine. Rachel met a guy and went to dance with him. And Shauna was persistently looking for at least one bottle of water.

Thing that she found…also other guy found.

“Oh, there they are.” He said. “I don’t know why they need six types of rum over there and no water.”

“Yeah, half the water bottles in the kitchen were being used as ashtrays.” Shauna informed.

“So, you are pacing yourself or you are winding down?” The guy asked.

“Uh, I’m waiting for my friend. She’s kinda busy, I guess.” She answered. “I think she’s trying to make a couple of mistakes.”

“I’m Randy.” He said as he shook hands with her.

“Shauna.” She smiled.

“I don’t think, I’ve seen you around.” Randy said.

She was caught red-handed.

“I’ve kept to myself most of the year.” She made up quickly.

“And what’s your major?” Randy asked.

“English.” Shauna answered.

“Awesome, me too!” Randy said excited.

So, they went out to the porch, where there was not so much noise or people.

“What were some of your favorite classes this year?” Shauna asked.

“That’s a hard one.” Randy puffed. “I’m gonna go with Romantic and Victorian literature.”

They looked at each other with a little smile.

“I know that sounds like a line.” Randy chuckled. “But it isn’t”

“It really sounds like a line.” Shauna chuckled too. “No, I know that it isn’t I do…Romance and terror in the age of Victorian England was one of my options for my senior thesis.”

“One of your options?” Randy asked.

“Yeah… See I love the postmodernism, especially John Fowles and one of his books, ‘The Magus,’ so I thought of doing a psychoanalysis on the character of Nicholas Urfe.” Shauna started to explain. “I also, considered William Golding and ‘The Lord of the Flies.’ Don't get me wrong, I love that book, but I wouldn't do a thesis on it.”

Randy listened carefully every word.

“My favorite writer is Virginia Woolf. She was excellent writer. ‘Orlando’ is a masterpiece. Did you know that book is based on the life of Vita Sackville-West, a woman who was Woolf’s lover? I mean, it was a book ahead of its time, it was published in 1928. Also, her poems were beautiful, all the book of ‘The Waves’ were poetic monologues, it’s just cathartic.” Shauna rambled.

It was there that she realized she had strayed too far from the topic.

“Sorry, that’s why I went with ‘Alice in Wonderland’ and all its symbolisms for my thesis. I…I tend to ramble when I get going on Woolf.” Shauna apologized.

“Jesus. Where you been all the semester?” Randy asked.

“Tell me about you.” Shauna tried to divert his attention. “What are your favorite…

But then, she coughed roughly. And for her surprise, she coughed blood.

When she got to the bathroom to wash her hands, she looked into the mirror to breathe deeply.

But there, instead of her reflection, were something different it was a female silhouette with her face completely covered by an opaque veil, in her head there were two antlers and from her neat white robe were a bunch of locks of hair hanging down.

Then a lot of images. As if her head was taking several photos one after another. An old house or maybe it was an old mansion. A girl sitting on her back on a bench looking at the abyss, a silhouette hooded in black sitting also on his back on the head of a table.

And then, all black.

“Shauna did you hear me?” The doctor asked softly.

There she was sitting next to his mother in a cold doctor office after doing a lot of studies and medical exams. Today was the day of the results, It felt worse than the day of delivery of qualifications. More anxiety. She felt that his heart would jump out of her chest at any moment and here hands were sweating cold and trembling. This could change her fate forever, his future.

Something inside of her told her that she didn't have to give her graduation speech about changing fates because sooner or later Karma would come for her. How could she have been so stupid when she had so many topics to choose from?

“Sorry, I was just...” Shauna sniffed as she breathed shakily. “Can you say the name again, please?”

“Thyroid cancer.” The doctor said.

It felt like the world had frozen solid. She had cancer.

“Do you said that it was treatable?” Her mother asked trying to hold back the tears.

“It can be. We need to know more” The doctor answered. “But the biopsy results tell me we should so an immediate thyroidectomy and start your daughter on radioactive iodine treatment.”

“Do you want to remove my thyroid?” Shauna asked with incredulity. “I’m going to Brown in the fall…If we start this now, will it…Will it be finished before the semester starts?

“It’s hard to say.” The doctor answered. “We should just schedule the thyroidectomy.”

“And in the worst case... Am I gonna need chemo?” Shauna breathed sharply again.

“Sweetie, let’s…Let’s not go there.” Her mother said.

“There are a lot of steps between here and chemo.” The doctor tried to comfort her.

“At the odds at my favor?” Shauna asked shyly.

“It’s not that simple.” The doctor answered dryly.

Shauna wanted to cry or scream or whatever to get that anxiety off her soul. But she could no longer articulate a single word for fear that her voice would crack in any moment. She could only watch all her plans and dreams go overboard.

She looked at her mom who was doing a superhuman effort not to cry.

“I got this.” Shauna whispered.

Her mother could only outline a sad smile.

From that day on, Shauna's life consisted of a constant in and out of hospitals. Her mother now worked double shifts to pay for her daughter's treatments. The thyroidectomy didn’t work so they started with radiotherapy.

That didn’t worked either. So, they started with chemotherapy. First round, nothing. Second round, nothing either. Third round, it might worked.

She begged every night for it to work. She didn’t want to die; She was still too young.

The whole time she was so tense and agitated that a year passed, and her birthday came without realizing it.

Before this, Shauna saw her birthdays as a one more day, maybe a little bit special but nothing more. Her eighteenth birthday felt different, it felt like as a present, a second chance, maybe it was her last year, she didn’t know, and she didn’t want to.

Also, was the first birthday that she spend in the hospital. It was little cake but without candles in it because they are forbidden in the hospitals. By this point, Shauna had already lost her long brown hair, and she missed it every second.

When Shauna sliced the first piece of cake, the doctor and her mother applauded with happiness. For Pauline, this moment was like a light between the darkness.

“Don’t you have a shift early today?” Shauna asked.

“This is more important.” Her mother said, without very laid-back.

“Please, don’t lose another job for me.” Her daughter said.

“You’re more important.” Pauline smiled.

In later night, Shauna received a phone call from Rachel. She did go to Brown.

“And how is the college?” Shauna asked.

“Honestly college is easier than high school.” Rachel said. “I mean, it’s less bullshit and more things that actually matter…So, how are the things with you?”

“Well, the food is awful.” Shauna started playfully. “And my mom is my only friend. But there is an orderly that has the hots for me, though.”

“Is he cute?” Rachel asked.

“Yeah, absolutely cute.” Shauna said sarcastically. “I think that my life is going great.”

Seeing her mom talking outside the room with the doctor. She couldn't contain her curiosity.

“Look, I got to go, but thanks so much for calling me…It means a lot.” Shauna said and hanged the phone.

Shauna approached to the doorframe and hid there.

“The tumors in her lungs didn’t respond the way we’d hoped.” The doctor said.

“Can we do it again? You know, another round.” Her mother answered.

“Another round isn’t going to make a difference at this point.” He said, killing all hope.

“So, are you saying that…” Pauline’s voice trembled. “You’re saying she’s terminal.”

“Yes.” The doctor whispered softly.

Shauna's world was turned upside down for the second time. Officially she was going to die, officially there was nothing to do.

“How long?” Pauline said after a deep breath.

“It’s tough to say.” The doctor sighed.

“It’s tough to hear it too, give it a try.” Her mother said.

“I’d really prefer not to.” The doctor answered. “Everything is different and…”

“She’s eighteen years old today.” Pauline interrupted. “Could she make it to nineteen?”

“Yes…” The doctor said after some second. “Yes, she could. It’s possible.”

“And what about twenty?” Her mother asked.

It was a longer silence.

“We should talk about what you want to do next.” The doctor said. “Though there isn’t much else on my end besides making her comfortable.”

Shauna couldn’t keep listening. A tear fell from her cheek and let out a silent sob.

By the night, she tried to investigate something about her condition. Even if there was only a small way to save herself, she would use it. She searched on Yahoo!. Perhaps there was a miraculous case before.

Until Shauna saw a website that caught her eye.

Wiskayok Hospice Care for Teenagers.

She started to read it, and when she saw the image of the place and she recognized it.

It was the old house of her vision.

Shauna started to read more, but then she saw the girl on the bench, while at an old and very familiar song sounded and then for an instant, she saw the silhouette of the antlers again and then, the hooded in black in the head of the table.

And that was the moment when Shauna woke up on the desk. She looked the monitor and now it was on a different page, a newspaper. The headline said: ‘A Medical Miracle: Young woman claims her cancer has been cured.’

The story was about, Jessica Roberts. In 1969, she disappear in that hospice for a week and then, when she appeared, she claimed that she never left the place and somehow, her tumors started to shrink. She lived.

Convinced, she printed the triptych of the place to show it to her mother in the morning.

“It’s a special program and it’s fully funded.” Shauna explained. “I mean, all of this, it’s adding up.”

“Wiskayok Hospice.” Read her mother with incredulity. “You know what that means, right?

“Of course.” Shauna answered with conviction. “But it’s specifically for young people. One of the only places like it in the world.”

“They should be with their families, Shauna” Her mother intervened.

“Lots of them don’t have families, according to the web.” Shauna answered. “Lots of foster kids, orphans, or kids on their own. It’s a place for teenagers to transition on their own terms.

“This means no more treatments, no more trials, no more…” Her mother started.

“None of that is working anymore.” Shauna intervened quietly.

After a deep breath, her mother sat next to her in the bed. And looked into her daughter’s eyes.

“You do have family, Shauna.” She said softly. “You’re not an orphan or helpless or on your own… I’m with you, and I always will”

“Yes, I know. Thanks so much for always being.” Shauna answered in the same soft way.

Like mother like daughter.

“I just want to be with you all the time you have left.” Pauline said, her voice began to break. “I want to be with you, until it happens. I don’t want that one day, someone call me by phone and tell me that you died and now I have to come and pick up your body or your ashes.”

There Shauna found a stronger reason to go to that place, not only to figure out how to heal herself, but to prevent her mother from suffering from the pain that her death would cause her… She just lost her husband a couple of years ago, she couldn’t lose her daughter, Shauna wouldn’t allow that.

“Mom…” Shauna started after a deep breath. “There I would have all the facilities and comforts until… that moment comes. It’s better than live in hospitals. There’s a day that you can visit me, and I’ll call you by phone every day. And I can ask them in my last wills that you come in…to my deathbed.”

“Don’t say that.” Her mother started to cry silently.

“It’s the truth…Unfortunately” Shauna said, and her voice also started to break, just imagining herself on her deathbed, surrounded by doctors and her mother, made her nauseated... and scared.

The two of them looked at each other with their big brown eyes now with a gleam because of the tears. And then, they hugged tightly, without saying anything.

“I have to take care of you.” Pauline said.

“You did.” Shauna answered with a sad smile. “You did so wonderful, mom.”

They reached an agreement, and so now they were driving to Wiskayok Hospice.

“Like I said, just a trial period.” Pauline said while they were on the road

“So, it’s like a cancer sleepaway camp.” Shauna joked.

“I’ll be at the Motel Six in Town.” Her mother remembered her. “So, you, know, in case you change your mind. Which you can, of course. And come right home, remember that.”

Some hours later they arrived. And the place was exactly the same as Shauna saw in her visions.

“Are you okay, sweetheart?” Her mother asked.

“Yeah, sure… I just had a déjà vu.” Shauna answered.

When they got out of the car, Shauna looked around. And not so far of her, she saw her. The girl on the bench, exactly the same one. So, Shauna went with her.

“Sorry if this seems strange or I seem like a freak, but…do I know you?” Shauna asked.

The girl took off her headphones and scanned her from head to toe.

For both of them, the other's faces were extremely familiar, as if they had known each other for a long time.

“Nope, I have never see you in my life.” The girl said. “No, wait a minute, I think so… You went to Folger High School, right? Or you were a patient at New Jersey General?”

“No, I’ve never been in neither of them” Shauna answered.

“That’s weird.” The girl said. “What are you in for?”

“Thyroid cancer with lung metastasis.” Shauna answered.

“Leukemia.” The girl said. “It’s nice to meet you… Should I just call you Thyroid Cancer, or just Thyroid? You choose.”

“Sorry, I’m Shauna.” She chuckled.

“Everything okay, sweetie?” Her mother approached.

“Sure. This is, um…Leukemia.” Shauna tried to present.

“Jackie.” The girl smiled. “Nice to meet you” She added shaking hands.

“Nice to meet you, Jackie. I’m Pauline.” She said. Then, she addressed to her daughter. “Well, should we go check out the inside and see what all the fuss is about?”

“Yeah, sure.” Shauna answered.

“Well, I’ll see you around.” Jackie commented.

“Maybe.” Shauna smiled. “I mean, I’ll be here short term anyway.”

When they came back, there was a nurse waiting for them.

“Shauna, right?” He asked.

Shauna nodded.

“Welcome to Wiskayok.” He smiled. “I’m Ben, one of the nurse practitioners. Doc’s inside waiting for you. Come on, I’ll help you with your bags.” He added carrying the baggage.

“Thanks so much.” Pauline said.

“No problem, how was the drive?” Ben asked.

“It’s a beautiful road.” Pauline commented.

“It can be a little dodgy at spots.” Ben said.

And then coming inside, The sensation of Déjà vu was getting stronger for Shauna.

“How old is this place?” Pauline asked.

“Well, this house was built in 1901.” Ben started to explain. “By a scientist and biologist, Edwin Finch and also his wife, Hannah. It changed hands a few times over the years after that, until in 1966, when Dr. Martinez bought it.”

“I read that before that, it was a halfway house in the Depression.” Shauna added shyly. “And a religious commune called The Wilderness lived here in the ‘40s. It was also a cult compound.”

“I didn’t know that.” Ben said amused.

“Oh, yes. And also, when it was a compound…” Shauna started but she looked at the halfway, when she saw it again and the song started to blast again. There she was the antler silhouette.

“Are you okay?” Her mother asked concerned.

And Shauna fainted again.

And hours later she woke up suddenly.

“Welcome back, Ms. Shipman.” A doctor said.

“You’re okay, sweetie.” Her mother comforted her.

“It was just fainting spell. Pretty common for someone with your diagnosis.” The doctor said.

“I thought I saw something, a silhouette faceless and with antlers.” Shauna said with worry.

“I know that I’m a little inexpressive, but ‘Faceless’ is pretty harsh.” The doctor joked. “Besides, And as far I know, I don’t have antlers.”

“Not you, it was someone else.” Shauna apologized.

“Don’t worry, never mind.” The doctor said approaching.” I’m Doctor Bill Martinez, welcome to Wiskayok.” He added shaking hands.

Later, they went to Doctor Martinez’s office it was very cozy, it was that places that you feel safe.

“Sorry about earlier, Doctor.” Pauline apologized.

“Earlier?” Shauna asked.

“When you fainted, she scooped you up and ran for the door.” Doctor Martinez explained as they take a sit. “Which I completely understand. It makes no sense. No sense at all to leave her here. To leave her here when she’s sick. Trust me, I know. It’s exactly how I felt when I lost my son, Javi. I couldn’t talk to parents in your situation If I hadn’t been one myself.”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t... realize.” Pauline say shyly.

“The thing I didn’t understand when we talk about cancer or any terminal illness, really.” Doctor Martinez started. “Look at the language we use, the language of battle. ‘We’re gonna fight this thing,’ ‘We’re going to fight with we’ve got,’ ‘Be brave for the fight.’ And then people say…they lost the battle. It’s so backwards. I get it. To talk about fight, it’s active, it’s visceral. Don’t look at the hard part, look all these shiny and sharp weapons we’ve developed all for you to try. Wiskayok isn’t about battles, it’s about permission to leave the battlefield. To focus on living, instead of fighting. We aren’t about a fight, and it certainly isn’t losing a battle. Every living day here, is a win.”

Mother and daughter looked at each other.

“You and I can talk a little more, Pauline, if you’d like.” Doctor Martinez said. “Maybe while Shauna finishes her tour.”

“I’d like that.” Pauline said.

They started to walk again across a long hallway.

“So, this is the dormitory.” Martinez introduced with a satisfaction.

“Boys or girls?” Pauline asked.

“Both. Boys and girls don’t share rooms, of course.” Doctor Martinez said. “But we don’t see the need to quarantine them. These young people are dealing with more than some adults ever will. The least I cand do is treat them like grown-ups. Besides, lately all our current patients are girls.”

Then they stopped, and Doctor Martinez knocked at a door. And a girl with dyed blonde hair came out.

“This is Natalie.” Doctor Martinez introduced and then addressed to her. “Natalie, I’m designating you peer mentor for this afternoon.”

“So soon? I was fifth in the succession” Natalie said. “What the fuck happened to the others?”

Doctor Martinez left along Pauline, So Natalie started the tour.

They went in hallway full of photos of former patients in the walls.

“Stick to it and don’t get lose.” Natalie suggested. “It’s like a labyrinth in here or like Las Vegas. They don’t want you to know what time it is, and they don’t want you to get out… This are former patients of Wiskayok, class of ’66 on, all of them are gone. You know, pushing daisies.” She added addressed a photo.

Shauna looked at her with curiosity.

“Depends on you who talk to, though.” Natalie continued. "The guy who gave me this tour, he’s gone now. But he used to call it ‘The Ghost Tour.’ Do you believe in ghost, newbie?”

“Does it matter?” Shauna chuckled.

“Depends on your career ambitions, I guess.” Natalie played along. “Myself, I’ve got my fingers crossed, I’ll be and entry-level poltergeist. Only fun if we get to fuck with people.”

Shauna looked at a specific picture, There she was, Jessica Roberts.

“Are you coming? We don’t have all day.” Natalie hurried up.

Then, they peeked into the dining room. But now, it was cleared so that two girls could practice yoga.

“Group therapy will be in here. A bunch of therapies, actually. These two are doing some New Age thing called yoga, which is Hindi for: ‘Bullshit’.” Natalie explained. “That’s Taissa over there, ovarian cancer. And that’s Laura Lee, lymphoma. Laura Lee is kinda a Jesus freak, speaking of bullshit and she gets weird if your mention her wig. No judgment, whatever works. We all got our poison to pick.”

Later, they arrived at a huge library.

“This is definitely my poison.” Shauna said.

“Yeah, the library is tough to beat. The whole thing was donated from a local library before it closed. So, it’s like a proper library just as hard to navigate.” Natalie commented. “It’s got a card catalog and everything. But wait till you see what’s next.”

Them they went to a room that had a television, bigger than one of domestic use

“We turned off the machines. Drum left. He couldn’t take it…Jackson left…I find it amusing, men are supposed to be made out of steel or something. I was there when thar wonderful creature drifted into my life. And I was there when she drifted out. I was supposed to go first! I was always supposed to go first! I don’t think I can do this, I just, I wanna hit somebody until they feel as bad as I do! I just… God I wanna hit them! I wanna hit something! I wanna hit it hard!” They heard coming out of the television.

“Van, new girl.” Natalie called.

Van smiled to them.

“Hey there!” She said.

“This goofball is Vanessa, call her Van, glioblastoma.” Natalie introduced playfully.

“Bless you!” Van said at the distance.

“I’m Shauna.” Shipman introduced herself.

“Shauna, hi. I’m so, so glad I’m not the new kid anymore.” Van said pausing her movie, turning off the TV and approaching to them. “Welcome. This is an excellent day for me.”

“Van has been here…” Natalie started to talk.

“Two months.” Van interrupted.

“Two months and I think she’s been…” Natalie started to talk again.

“Two months of the new kid jokes. The constant hazing.” Van interrupted joking with a beam in her face.

“There isn’t any hazing.” Natalie sighed and then, she addressed to Shauna. “There’s none hazing. But she keeps bringing it up, keeps asking us when the hazing starts and we keep telling her, this isn’t a fucking frat house." And in the last phrase Natalie looked Van.

“I mean… I don’t get to go to college. I don’t think I’m asking for much.” Van defended herself. “You could have at least tried to do some hazing.”

Then, they went about to another room. When Shauna noticed something.

“You’ve got some old elevator.” Shauna pointed out. “I’ve only ever seen these in movies.”

“This is the only one.” Natalie said.

“Oh, do you want to take a ride? Just hit the B button.” Van said playfully.

If she didn't get hazing, she'd make sure Shauna got at least a little.

“Dude, I said no hazing.” Natalie pointed out.

“I’ll take a ride.” Shauna said convinced enough. “What’s in the basement?” She asked as she entered to the elevator.

“Oh man, I dare you.” Van chuckled.

“No, you don’t.” Natalie said exhausting.

“Dude, finally some hazing.” Van whispered to Natalie.

“Shut the fuck up.” Natalie whispered back.

“Come on, bring it.” Shauna said with fun. “I did three rounds of chemo. Takes a lot to scare me.” Then, she closed the door.

“No, wait. Don’t, don’t do it.” Van intervened quickly when Shauna was about to push the B button. “Don’t actually go down there.”

“It’s the morgue.” Natalie added grimly.

“Sorry, I…I just…Sorry.” Shauna said exiting the elevator.

“I’d stay out of the elevator in general. It’s possessed.” Natalie suggested. “Pops on and off, goes up and down at night by itself. Maybe is something wrong with the wiring. It’s old, but I’d stay out.”

“You know what? I get it now. This isn’t a good place to do hazing.” Van said to Natalie as they started to walk again.

“Yeah.” Natalie sighed.

“It’s just mean.” Van added. “Remember me to thank everyone.”

They continued walking through the hallway of the bedroom. A sound of a piano caught Shauna’s attention. They peeked out in a room, and there was a girl playing the guitar.

“That’s beautiful.” Shauna said. “Did you write that?”

“You know what? I did.” The girl said excited and proud. “Are you new?”

“I’m Shauna.” She said.

“Misty. Nice to meet you.” The girl said.

“Okay, I don’t know much about music, but I can almost guarantee she did not write that.” Van said in muffled voice to Shauna.

The guitar music continued playing while they left.

“That’s Misty. You’ve got to watch out.” Natalie suggested.

“Yeah, watch out.” Van added. “One time she told me she was a flight attendant and I believed her for more than a day.”

“We don’t know much about Misty; her story keeps changing.” Natalie said. “The only thing I can say for sure is the day she arrived, she rode up with two moving trucks and her nanny was driving a Bentley…Everything she said since, a grain a salt, at best.”

And then, they arrived at the place that would be Shauna's room.

“All yours.” Natalie announced. “Well, yours and Lottie’s. She was supposed to be here for introductions. And in fact, I think she was supposed to do your tour. But well, Lottie is Lottie, and that bitch does whatever the fuck she wants… Uh, dinner is in the conservatory at seven o clock if you’re feeling up to it. Otherwise, you can have it delivered.”

“Don’t use your bedpan.” Van recommended. “They’re in every room for some reason, and they really don’t want you to use it, unless you really have…”

“Let’s go.” Natalie said tired.

“They’re apparently decorative is what I’m saying…” Van continued but Natalie pulled her out of the room and closed the door.

Shauna walked around the room for a while when her mother knocked the door and came in.

“Well, I guess your mind’s made up.” She said. “I guess we can put these bags back in the car. We can drive all night, be home by morning.”

“How was Doctor Martinez? Shauna asked.

“Well, truth be told, he was great.” Pauline answered as she sit next to Shauna on the bed. “He actually reminded me a little of your father…I’m supposed to be dropping you off at college, not this.”

“Well, it’s not too much of a stretch.” Shauna tried to comfort her. “There are some serious Ivy League vibes here…Just think about it that way, if it helps.”

They took each other’s hand tightly.

Later on, her mother went away, and Shauna went back to her room and unpacked all her things.

As they put her stack of books in her nightstand the photo frame with the last family picture together with her mother and her father fell down. When she bent down to pick it up, she could see something under the bed. Shauna moved her bed carefully and she founded a Ouija board drawn in the floor with white chalk.

That was absolutely weird, maybe The Wilderness cult was still around Wiskayok or maybe that Lottie girl had very unorthodox treatments

In that moment, also the door opened and entered a girl in a wheelchair.

“What are you doing?” She asked so suddenly that made Shauna hit her head on the bed. Shauna stood up to see the girl better.

“Sorry, there’s a … I’m Shauna, by the way.” She said extending her hand to shake her. “You must be Lottie, yeah?”

“Yeah, that’s me, as I live and breathe.” Lottie said with circumspection as she shook hands with Shauna. Shauna noticed that Lottie didn’t have one leg. “You are gonna read all those?” She added seeing the stack of books.

“I was supposed to start college in the fall, I’ll trying to keep up with my syllabus.” Shauna answered. “There’s a… There’s weird symbols under my bed in chalk.

“Yeah?” Lottie while she was rummaging her desk without importance.

“Do you know why?” Shauna asked.

“Mari, I expect.” Lottie answered dryly.

“Mari?” Shauna asked again with confusion.

“Mari, my roommate. Well, former roommate.” Lottie explained. “She was super into Wiccan stuff, towards the end, of course.”

“Well, we all need something, right?” Shauna said, trying to make conversation.

“Of course.” Lottie sighed with nihilism. “In my case, I need ten grams of morphine.” She added as she took a pill and swallowed dryly.

“Well, I get it.” Shauna said quickly. “Not necessarily like Wiccan things, but there’s something to magical thinking.”

“Yeah, and it sure didn’t work for Mari. She’s dead now.” Lottie said solemnly as she wheeled herself away. “But leave it there if you want. What if we have double jeopardy? You know, the score can really change.” She added a little bit more sarcastically.

“Well, it was nice to meet…” Shauna said but she couldn’t finish, Lottie already left.

On the night, Shauna had her first official dinner at Wiskayok. When Jackie saw her, she offered a chair.

“Have I go to the kitchen or something?” Shauna asked as she took a sit.

“No. They’ll bring it. Made special.” Jackie answered. “They talked to your doctor about that already, but you can change the menu if you want.”

“We didn’t meet officially, I’m Laura Lee.” The other girl introduced herself.

“Shauna. Nice to meet you.” Shauna smiled. “I like your…I like your hair.”

“Oh, thanks. Yours too. I mean, you look terrific.” Laura Lee beamed, although Shauna didn't have any hair at this point.

“I’m Taissa, welcome.” Another girl said in the distance.

“How long you all have you all been here?” Shauna asked.

“Four months for me.” Jackie said.

“Five.” Natalie answered.

“Three.” Taissa and Misty answered in unison.

“Sixty-three days, seventeen hours and eleven minutes.” Van said.

“You don’t know the minutes.” Taissa said with disbelief.

“Lottie and Laura Lee are the seniors here.” Jackie said. “You’ve both been here almost six?”

“Almost six.” Laura Lee nodded.

“I have more than six here. Actually, I just got re-upped.” Lottie said. “I got my Double D.”

“Yeah, I got to do that.” Laura Lee reminded herself.

“Double D?” Shauna asked.

“Double Diagnosis.” Lottie answered with a sigh. “I’m still dying, and it’s confirmed.”

“The insurance pays for hospice in six-month increments.” Jackie explained. “So, if you’re still here in six months you got to go in for an exam.”

“Is this a hospice?” Misty joked “My parents told me this was a boarding school.”

“They wouldn’t really throw you out.” Laura Lee comfort her. “Doctor Martinez wouldn’t throw us out.”

“Just because it’s got a morgue in the basement, it doesn’t mean it’s not a business.” Lottie said with her formal tone again.

“So, how did you end up here?” Jackie asked Shauna to change the topic, that was turning very depressing.

“I sort of found Wiskayok on my own.” Shauna explained. “I sent and application, did an interview with Martinez over the phone, and he said that there was an opening.”

“That was Mari’s opening, I guess.” Lottie said.

“Yeah, I didn’t really get to know Mari.” Van added.

“She was in full cranky ass mode by the time you got here.” Lottie commented. “And the whole witchcraft thing? If cancer didn’t take her out, someone was going to beat the shit out of her.”

“I think God will forgive her for the witchcraft stuff.” Laura Lee intervened.

“Jesus Christ, Mari was a Wiccan” Lottie said. “If she was a heretic I’m going straight to hell.”

“Only God knows, what’s in someone’s heart in the end.” Laura Lee recited. “And I like to think that He’ll find yours is way fuller of love than you let on.”

“Oh yeah?” Lottie asked with incredulity.

“Oh no.” Natalie denied.

“Mari was getting real dark towards the end. I didn’t tell you guys all the weird stuff she was saying” Lottie started with a grim tone. “She said that she could feel something following her, like a living shadow. And every time she turned around, it was gone.”

“You can’t scare me, Lottie.” Laura Lee said not convinced as she turned around.

“The night before Mari died, she came running into our room.” Lottie continued anyway. “I don’t know how she ran at all; she was in really bad shape by then. She told me it almost got her that time. That she could fell its finger touching her shirt…It was this close. And she cried and cried, she said that she knew that she wouldn’t be able to escape from it…Not again.” She finalized very darkly.

It were just a couple seconds of silence, but the tension could be feel filling all the air.

“And the next day she died.” Lottie added without importance.

“What do you always do that?” Laura Lee asked her.

“Do what?” Lottie said playing dumb.

“It’s scary enough without that.” Laura Lee answered.

“But you’ve nothing to fear, I mean, you’ve got Jesus on your side.” Lottie answered without big deal as Laura Lee did crossed herself.

That story left Shauna with a lot to think.

Then, Jackie sighed.

“Laura Lee, you know what it is.” Jackie intervened. “Mari was on a lot of drugs towards the end. You got to take what people say with a grain of salt. I mean, people see ghosts, hear voices. I’ve heard three or four versions of that ‘Living Shadow’ story since I got here.”

“Mari was tripping balls.” Natalie added. “Relax, Laura Lee. You’re just an easy mark just like the Scotts.”

“Did somebody say Scott?” Ben spoke as he appeared. “Ten o clock, Lights out, new girl. No wandering around, please. Doc gives you a lot of leeway, but the safety is not accident. Therefore, there’s a strict curfew. There’s only one person on the night desk. If you fall downstairs or something we might not hear you.”

“Fuck right off, Ben.” Natalie growled and then she stood up and went away without finished eating.

“Okay. Does anyone need anything else?” Ben beamed a little bit confused.

“Thanks, we’re good.” Taissa said softly.

Then, Ben went away.

“What was that about?” Shauna asked as she saw Natalie’s empty sit.

“Yeah, Nat kinda hates Ben.” Van answered.

“Why?” Shauna asked again with confusion.

“Well, he’s young, cute and funny…and he isn’t dying.” Lottie said with her formal tone again.

In the night, Shauna had a very weird or should I say perturbing dream?

It was, a long table in the head, was Lottie. She was dead, and then, also were the other girls, also dead. And in the other head was the hooded silhouette. All of this while that song sounded again. And then, suddenly she woke up.

Shauna saw Lottie out of the corner of her eye, leaving the bedroom. When she was far enough, Shauna decided to follow her in secret. Lottie took a very specific route, using the old elevator.

Finally, Lottie arrived at the library, she knocked the door, well, kicked the door and Nat opened let her in. Then, she made sure that anybody else was there and closed the door. A minute later, Jackie arrived, and it was the same process.

Some seconds later, Shauna entered to the library, very discreetly. If someone was for sure was that her presence was very hard to notice. When she was in, she hide in a corner and heard the girls talk.

All of them were there, sitting expectantly.

“You didn’t even invite her.” Jackie said.

“She was asleep.” Lottie answered. “Besides, I’m not sure about her.”

“Hey, well, you said that about me.” Van intervened.

“And I was right. The half of your stories are just old episodes of ‘Doctor Who’.” Lottie said.

“I really wish you wouldn’t.” Laura Lee said seeing that Nat was pouring wine to everyone. “We’ve been through this.”

“Yeah, but that was before I found two bottle of Martinez’s private stash.” Nat said with a mischievous smile.

“But you shouldn’t mix it with meds.” Laura Lee explained.

“No, actually, you shouldn’t mix it with lorazepam.” Lottie said. “Don’t spoil the fun, I mean, What’s it going to do? Kill me?”

“Yeah, it would.” Taissa said. “In the best case, it makes you pass the fuck out at the table and feel like shit for three days, just like the last time.”

“I’m just going to smell it this time.” Lottie said and Nat chuckled before the comment.”

“I’ll have a glass too, you know, just to smell it.” Jackie said.

“Me too.” Said Misty right after.

“Yeah, me as well.” Van asked.

“I can’t even really smell it.” Lottie complained.

“How about it, Tai?” Jackie said. “I’m dying to hear the next chapter.”

“Where did I leave off?” Taissa smiled as she walked to the head of the table.

“He was walking at home, after the concert.” Van said.

“I don’t like this one.” Laura Lee opined.

“For God’s sake.” Lottie whispered with satiety.

“No offense, Tai, you’re telling it beautifully.” Laura Lee excused herself. “It just creepy. Yours always so creepy.”

“Thank you but deal with it. I sat through three full nights of your angel porn.” Taissa said.

“She’s got you there, Laura Lee.” Nat added.

“I thought you guys liked my angel story.” Laura Lee said.

“All right, then.” Said Taissa. “To those before. To those after. To us now and to those beyond.” She added as she raised her cup.

“To those before. To those after. To us now and to those beyond.” All the girls repeated in unison.

“Seen or unseen, here but not here.” Taissa added as she took a sit.

“Seen or unseen, here but not here.” Everyone repeated.

And then, everybody took a sip.

“The concert was over, and Ren is walking home. He didn’t plan on staying so late, but he heard strange music coming from the Fine Arts wing, and he didn’t expected it to be coming from an empty classroom. So, now walking home, he’s hearing it on the wind. But then, he suddenly realized that he didn’t recognize the street, he didn’t recognize these houses. Despite, he made this walk every day.”

“It was muscular memory for him. It didn’t make sense, And then, that same melody so familiar, like he knew every note that he was about to hear. So, so familiar.”

In that moment, Taissa imitated the tenebrous melody with her whistle.

“Then he feels himself being watched. Not from the street. The streets are empty. No. It was from the windows, all of them. Every single window framing a face like a portrait gallery. All smiling, all watching him.”

“He should run, he thinks, run back the way he came. But the music is back…In his ears. In his head. And then, another sound. He turned around and in one of the windows he saw a girl.”

“‘Are you lost?’ The girl asked”

“Ren steeled himself and said: ‘I don’t know where I am’”

“But the girl beckoned him, she couldn’t hear him.”

“Ren repeated again: ‘I don’t know where I am, can you just point me?’”

“‘Are you lost?’ The girl asked again.”

“Suddenly there was a sound ugly and loud enough to make him turn around, there was nothing, he looked again at the window and the girl was gone too. He looked everywhere just to find in front of him…”

Suddenly, Taissa screamed heartbreakingly loud. Catching everyone off guard.

“Don’t be lazy” Nat interrupted.

“Are you scared?” Taissa teased her. “Did you already shit your pants?”

“Being startled isn’t the same as being scared. You can bang pots or pans behind someone’s head and that’s not scary at all.” Nat said. “It’s just startling and it’s lazy as fuck.”

“Maybe…” Taissa said hesitantly as he drummed his fingers on the table. “But when that happens, it actually releases a burst of adrenaline and…” After that she suddenly screamed again and everyone jumped, and also Laura Lee fell from her chair.

For long story short. The history was scream after scream, keeping everyone's hair on end.

“Ren was in the ground, maybe with his soul out of his body. Everything was eerily calm, when suddenly…”

A cat appeared in the story, and Taissa was given the task to herself of imitating the sounds of the animal.

“Come on. Did you just fucking black cat scare us?” Nat complained. “You do that first not at the end.”

“You’re right.” Taissa said, starting to crawl slowly across the table. “The point is, except for that harmless cat, the street was empty. And you remember that the teacher had said. How she tried to warn him about that melody. What she said about how some music finds its way into your head. How you can’t stop yourself from hearing it once you’ve heard it… How it plays on and on and how she tried…”

In that moment, she took Van by her shoulders and screamed her at the face. Van as a natural reaction, shouted back very loud.

This also, scared Shauna who accidentally stumbled with a lamp and fell. All the girls could heard it, and everybody looked around scared.

“What the fuck was that?” Taissa asked.

Shauna came out of hiding and everybody sighed relieved.

“Well, shit, new girl, might as well come out.” Nat said.

“I knew you weren’t asleep.” Lottie said.

“I thought no one was allowed out at night.” Shauna commented as she approaching to the group.

“Actually, we’re not.” Van answered.

“So, what is this?” Shauna asked.

“It’s kind of a club.” Jackie said.

Lottie hissed at Jackie.

“Give me the wine.” She asked and then, she handed the bottle to Shauna. “Take sip.”

“I’m…I’m good.” Shauna tried to decline.

“Take a sip.” Lottie insisted.

“I can’t. I’m on meds.” Shauna explained.

“You’re on Acetaminophen and what? Haldol? You can take a sip.” Lottie continued insisting. “Drink the contraband and maybe you’re in the club. Forget about it otherwise, nobody rides for free.”

“Come on, she’s here already.” Taissa insisted. “At this point, she’s either a member of the club or a witness for the prosecution.”

“The Midnight Club.” Jackie said. “I’m not sure if that’s what they called it originally, but that’s what it was called when I got here.”

“So, you sneak into the library every night and…” Shauna started.

“Make ghosts.” Taissa completed.

“Tell stories.” Jackie corrected.

“‘Make ghosts’ sounds way better.” Taissa explained. “If you tell a story, you’re giving birth to a new ghost.”

“That’s all any of us are in the end. Stories.” Shauna said.

“Yeah, speaking of which.” Van started. “Tai is in the middle of a barn burner. It’s been going on for three days now, and it’s finally devolved into a pile of bullshit jump scares.”

“Shut up.” Taissa said.

“There’s actually more to the club than just the stories.” Jackie said in a tempting way. “One pretty huge thing, actually.”

“She hasn’t had any wine.” Lottie said intervened. “She hasn’t told a single story, so, yeah. Do you want to be in the club? Come on, tell us a story, and drink a sip…Because like I said before, nobody rides for free.”

And then, she gave the bottle to Ilonka.

“Well, actually, Misty rides for free.” Lottie reminded “Misty hasn’t told a single story yet and it’s been here three months.”

“I’m working on it. Still editing, fixing it in post. That’s what my dad says all the time.” Misty defended herself. “He’s a famous movie producer.” She added with excitement addressing to Shauna.

“The funny thing is that Misty’s full of stories.” Lottie said. “Just never in the club.”

“But other than Misty, nobody rides for free.” Van said.

Before the pressure and the curiosity, Shauna took the bottle, and she drank of it with distrust. It would bring her problems in the future maybe? Yes, of course. But it would be problem for Future’s Shauna.

“What kind of story would you like to hear?” Shauna said as she walked to the head of the table.

“There’s no rule, though there does seem to be a theme.” Jackie said

“We generally try to scare the shit out of each other.” Taissa added.

“Not all of us.” Laura Lee said right after.

“Well, the brave ones, anyway.” Lottie finished. “We aren’t easy, you know, scaring someone who’s already been given the worst news they’ll ever get. We’re a tough audience.”

“Okay, well…How’s this?” Shauna started. “My story is about a young woman who found out she was dying.”

The reaction of the girls wasn’t the one that Shauna expected. A heavy and tired sigh

“Fuck off.” Lottie whispered.

“Boring. We try not to do that here. It’s a fucking masturbatory.” Nat added.

“Wait. It’s not what you think.” Shauna said hastily.

“Her name was Jessica Roberts. She was born in 1951 in Lewiston, Idaho. It was her junior year when she met John. And it was the kind of love, when suddenly all the love songs are about you.1968, was the year she fell in love. It was also the year she found out that she had thyroid cancer.”

“‘Less than a year a most.’ The doctor told her when she asked how much time she had left.”

“Jessica was seventeen, and she lived with her elderly grandmother, who was so on in years that she was barely herself. Thyroidectomy, it metastasized, radiation and finally there was no other option and she wound up at a hospice. A new private hospice to wait it out.”

“‘May 20^th, 1969. May 20^th, 1969. Zero, five, two, zero, one, nine, six, nine. Zero, five, two, zero, one, nine, six, nine.’ She obsessed over the date and repeated it over and over all the time. One year after her diagnosis, the date she figured might be the end for her.”

“She missed John with all of herself, sometimes late at night, she swore could hear him calling out for her.”

“‘Jessica.’ She heard the wind whisper across the hospice’s hallways.”

“So, one night she got up out of the bed and with only the dim light of a candle, she led the way through the dark corridors. Then, she found something that she had never seen before: And old elevator. She got in and a hunch told her to press the B button, so she did.”

“The next day, Jessica didn’t turn up for breakfast. They searched the whole house, and she was nowhere to found. Another day and a police report is filled. Canine pairs were hired to track around the hospice. It didn’t make the difference.”

“Jessica Roberts was a sleepwalker, and the people were worried she’d wandered out at night. The worst case wandered too close to the cliff into the ocean. Days turn into weeks and then a month later, to everyone’s surprise…”

“Jessica appeared right in the door, but she fainted shortly after. When asked where she had been all the time, Jessica said: ‘I never left the house.’”

“Soon after she returned, her tumors started to shrink, and then, somehow, they disappeared. Word spread that she’d been leaving. Her prognosis changed. She was gonna live. But before she left the hospice, one last thing.”

“‘Zero-nine-one-four-one-nine-seven-zero.’ She said to a young woman.”

“‘One-one-two-five-one-nine-seven-one.’ Then she said to a young man.”

“‘Jessica, the doctor wants to see you.’ An orderly said.”

“‘Zero-two-zero-six-one-nine-eight-nine.’ Jessica said to the orderly and then, repeated it all the way to the office.”

“That same day, her grandmother came for her, she hugged her tightly, she were so happy, both were so happy. And then, they drove away of the hospice…forever.”

“Jessica’s words seemed like gibberish until on September 14^th, 1970, that young woman died in her bed. And on November 25^th, a year later. The young man did too. And the orderly who had helped Jessica to her car, died in a car accident on February 6^th, 1989.”

“Jessica Roberts was like everyone else after she disappeared. She no longer knew her expiration date but…It seemed like she was cursed to know everyone else’s.”

“So?” Lottie asked after Shauna finished her story. “What happened to her?”

“There’s more to the club, you said. One pretty huge thing. What is it?” Shauna remembered her. “Tell me and maybe I’ll finish that story.”

Everybody looked at Lottie, expectantly. Shauna Shipman had accomplished the impossible for years, putting Lottie Matthews in checkmate.

“Okay, new girl, good one.” Lottie sighed with a smile. “There’s an agreement of sorts. Like a pact. It goes back to the start of the club, whenever that was. We’re not just telling stories here. One of us sitting at this table is going to die first and soon probably.”

“I hate it when you say that.” Laura Lee said.

“The first one of us to croak, has a major job to do. A responsibility of sorts.” Lottie continued. “To do everything they can to reach out from the other side and tell the others what to expect.”

“Has one shown up?” Shauna asked. “Anyone gotten…a sign?”

“Yeah, we have proof of the afterlife. Happened a couple of weeks ago. Now we just meet out of habit.” Lottie snorted with sarcasm.

“I mean, I have.” Misty said suddenly. “I’ve seen a sign.”

Obviously, nobody believed her.

“Well, there’s so many stories that I know. I can tell you those stories. They would be stories for another night if you’ll have me.” Shauna suggested. “I’ll do your pact. I promise.”

“Fine.” Was the only thing that Lottie said. She seemed…convinced.

The meeting was over, and Jackie accompanied Shauna to her room.

“That was a pretty good story.” Jackie said. “Do you make it up?”

“I did.” Shauna said.

“I bet you could have been a writer, then.” Jackie said.

“I still could.” Shauna answered.

“It’s not all made up, though, is it?” Jackie asked.

“What do you mean?” Now Shauna asked.

“That’s the thing.” Jackie chuckled. “I’m detail oriented by nature. I’ve spent hours and hours looking at these photos, thinking about the people in them, and looking at their names…Names like Jessica Roberts.” She added pointing the photo that Shauna saw in her tour,

It was Jessica Roberts.

“So how much of that story was true?” Jackie asked expectantly.

“I found her story researching thyroid cancer. She had it, and she was here at Wiskayok, class of ‘68.” Shauna explained. “And the police reports are real too. She did disappear, but only for a week and she did come back, and she walked right through those fronts doors in full remission, and she said it was because of this place. She said that she found she found something here and it cured her. I mean, she could be alive somewhere for all I know.”

“So, you didn’t pick this place out of a hat, did you?” Jackie smiled impressed. “You’re here because of that story.”

“There’s so much more to this place than you guys know.” Shauna said. “I mean, maybe we could find it out together, but…Yeah, you’re right. That’s why I’m here. I want to live.”

“Yeah.” Jackie sighed. “We should probably head back up. Just in case the night nurse does her rounds.”

“I’m going to stay a little bit more.” Shauna said. “I’m gonna take a good look, like you said.”

“Okay, good night, Shauna.” Jackie said goodbye as she walked away.

“Good night, Jackie.” Shauna smiled to her.

And that was the first night in a long time that Shauna didn't feel alone anymore.

Chapter 2: Magic Fire

Summary:

The cast of the story of this chapter:
Courtney Eaton as Martha Charm
Kevin Alves as Jesse Welling
Thomas Nicholson as Mr. Charm
Tanya Jade as Mrs. Charm

Chapter Text

Lottie was sit in the head of the table, it was midnight, and the other girls didn’t arrived yet, none of them, it was weird. Then, she heard the wall whispering her name in her ears, to such an extent that it became unbearable and made her want to rip out her ears. and then, it appeared, and it came for her, and she couldn’t run away from it this time.

And then, she wake up, gasping.

“Good Morning.” Shauna greeted from her desk. “Did you have a bad dream?”

“No.” Lottie said in a low voice.

“They say that it could be a side effect of the meds, I don’t know.” Shauna said.

“What’s that smell?” Lottie asked.

“Sorry, this stuff smells a little off.” Shauna apologized.

“It’s Essiac tea.” Shauna explained. “A nurse named Rene Caisse created it to give it to her patients. The name is her surname spelled backwards. It’s said that it’s really effective because it has a lot of antioxidants. And I don’t know, I’ll give it a try.”

“Antioxidants.” Lottie repeated skeptical.

She had already been sold that story before; she would never believe it again.

“I can make you some.” Shauna offered shyly. “Would you like that?”

“Mari used to do that.” Lottie remembered. “Before the white magic or whatever other magic, she was trying near the end. She was really into all that tea stuff.”

But then, inside of the drawer, Shauna founded a necklace. And Lottie realized of that.

“Can you pass me that?” Lottie called. “It’s mine.”

“Sorry, it was just tucked away in there.” Shauna said as she delivered the necklace to Lottie. “I didn’t see it when I first unpacked.”

“Thanks.” Lottie said while she played with necklace softly.

Later, Doctor Martinez called Shauna to his office, and he delivered her a blue folder with a lot of pages inside.

“Last wills?” Shauna asked.

“Something similar, but it might be called as such.” Doctor Martinez answered.

“This is...thorough.” Shauna said as she leafed the document.

“It’s for a good reason.” Doctor Martinez said.

It was a whole archive of last wills: Burial or cremation, religious preferences, songs to be played in the funeral, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera.

“Is it for avoid lawsuits?” Shauna sked.

“It’s for have agency” Martinez corrected. “Your deserve agency over each and every decision. Anything within my ability to provide at least. Vanessa, for example, she requested her body to be fired from a cannon into a shark tank.”

“And what did you say?” Shauna asked with curiosity.

“I offered her a memorial plaque at a local aquarium.” Martinez chuckled. “I’m not Santa Claus, I fulfill last wills, but I don’t do miracles.”

“Can I take it with me?” Shauna asked.

“Sure, take your time.” Martinez said.

“Did you know Jessica Roberts?” Shauna asked and that caught Martinez off guard.

“I think I remember something about her.” Martinez answered more serious. “It was a long time ago. I do remember her vaguely. Misdiagnoses happen, they’re rare, but they happen. Is anything else?”

“And did you know The Wilderness?” Shauna asked again.

“What?” Doctor Martinez said.

“It was a cult that was here, before you arrived.” Shauna answered.

“I’m afraid that this is the first time I heard of it.” Doctor Martinez said. “So, if there isn’t anything else, please do look at the pre-need. It’s important, more than you think. And I’ll see you later at group therapy.”

“Sure thing.” Shauna smiled as she left the office.

Walking back to her bedroom, she ran into Jackie.

“The pre-need.” Jackie said with curiosity. “You’re officially initiated in this place, Shauna.”

“Yeah… this is pretty morbid, actually.” Shauna clicked her tongue.

“Yeah, it is. But the morbid things are interesting.” Jackie said. “I went, like, five or six different versions of the music on mine, but you can’t do better than Tori Amos. ‘Silent all these years’ for life.”

Both chuckled.

“I feel a little self-conscious about last night.” Shauna started. “I’m thrilled to be a part of the club. I feel like a I overshared a little bit. I’m not a gullible person.”

“Yes, don’t worry.” Jackie said quickly.

“I just didn’t want to sound like I was chasing something stupid.” Shauna said a little bit ashamed.

“Yes, I totally get it.” Jackie smiled. “You are coming tonight, though, right?”

“Sure.” Shauna said.

“Good.” Jackie beamed and walked away.

Taissa was reading to Allie her new story through the communicator. Allie was a patient in Wiskayok too, just that she was in the recovery room and a harsh reality, was that if you were interned in the recovery room you had very little chance of getting out of there.

“Allie?” Taissa asked after a long silence. “Did you fall asleep?”

“I’m awake.” Allie said. “I love it so far.”

“Alienate all the Maddisons out there and lose a key demo.” Ben appeared getting ready to go into the room.

“Can you squeeze her hand for me?” Taissa asked.

“Yeah, sure.” Ben said.

Ben entered to the room.

“How are you doing?” He asked.

“You know, the usual.” Allie answered.

And then, she waved Taissa from afar. And the door got close.

“The sequel of ‘Jurassic Park’.” Van started to say in group therapy. “I read on an Einstein forum, that it will be released in 1997. I mean, it might be real, the first one was a success and I loved it…I don’t know It might be lame, but I have followed all the filmography of Steven Spielberg since ‘Back to the future’ and I haven’t missed a beat: ‘The Goonies,’ ‘Empire of sun,’ ‘Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade,’ ‘Hook,’ ‘Jurassic Park,’ ‘Schindler’s List,’ ‘The Flintstones’… And now I’m not going to be able to watch the sequel of ‘Jurassic Park.’ I mean, I can’t make it to 1997, as far as I can get is 1995, in the best of the cases, according to the doctors…But yeah, it’s lame, I guess…But that hurts. And I know there’s stuff I should mourn more. I’m probably going to lose a lot, my sight, my motor function, my memory, my life…But yeah, ‘Jurassic Park 2’ is on my mind, and it makes me mad, and it sucks. And that’s all.”

“That sucks.” Doctor Martinez repeated. “There’s just no other word for it…When I asked you girls, what do you grieve today, something from before or something to come like this. There’s no such thing as a lame answer. No such thing as superficial. Who else?”

Misty raised her hand.

“I’d like to share.” She said.

“Go ahead.” Martinez indicated.

“I’m grieving some of the pets that I’m realizing I probably won’t see again.” Misty started. “I had three Portuguese water dog puppies. One named Plato after Plato. Other named Eric after Eric Nies. And another named Jack after Jack Kevorkian. Also, I have a Hyacinth macaw named Caligula.”

Everybody looked at her skeptically.

“When I was younger, my mother was in Europe doing a series.” Misty continued. “My father was in Romania shooting a movie with Richard Dean Anderson and they sent me four Portuguese puppies…”

“You said three Portuguese water dog puppies.” Nat pointed out.

“One died.” Misty hurried to say. “Thanks for reminded me.”

“Well, grieve is not selective.” Doctor Martinez reminded. “You’ll be surprised what grief can grow on…Shauna how are you doing? The first meeting can be kind of weird.”

“I’m still getting my bearings.” Shauna said.

“Shauna.” Lottie spoke. “Tell them about the tea.”

“Your tea.” Lottie said with all the peace in the world. “See, Shauna, this morning brought a different kind of tea. You better tell them, Shauna.”

“It’s called Essiac tea.” Shauna started shyly. “It’s a Canadian herbal remedy, well, at least that's how it said in the book I read…”

“Tell them about the backward name, and the antioxidants.” Lottie encouraged in the same peaceful tone. “And the antioxidants thing. Dr Martinez, I can’t believe that you never thought of antioxidants.” She added addressing to Martinez.

“Why are you doing this?” Shauna asked upon seeing Lottie's new dynamic.

“I mean, we’re talking about grief.” Lottie said without a hint of evil in her voice. “And today I’m grieving what my room used to smell like…Before Mari, a girl named Akilah slept in your bed. She constantly chewed fresh garlic cloves, but garlic only stinks…I’ve been half a year now, and I’ve seen a lot of herbalism, alkaline diets, magnetic therapy, ginger, ginseng. Gen, a lacrosse player spent a month trying to get her hands on Venus flytrap extract and then, she get seizured. And then, acupuncture, coping, colon, cleansing that turned out to be a load of shiatsu. Then, oxygen therapy, ozone therapy, and I’m not lying on this one, urine therapy. It’s when someone drinks, injects, or takes an enema of their own piss. And Melissa used to sit in your bed drinking her own piss.” Lottie added but at no time she didn’t lose her temper, on the contrary, she spoke with such calm and formality that it seemed that she was giving a lecture at a prestigious university.

“Lottie.” Doctor Martinez spoke. “I seem to recall you also came to Wiskayok towing a few unorthodox remedies with you as well.”

“I get it, Lottie.” Shauna said quietly. “You don’t like teas, but maybe would you like the piss?”

Checkmate…again.

“Hello, there.” Lottie said as she entered into the bedroom. “Listen, Shauna. I just…the thing in the group therapy was because I don’t want you to waste your time on this shit.”

“But at least it's worth trying.” Shauna said. “Sorry about the thing of the piss.”

“Yeah, don’t’ worry. I’m just saying you that… that stuff never worked really. I don't want a bitter drink to take you by surprise.” Lottie commented. “But you said it best, everyone have to cling to something.”

“And what do you cling to, Lottie?” Shauna asked.

“I stopped clinging on to something a long time ago.” Lottie sighed. “Just, think about it.”

“Sure…” Shauna said.

Later, she went for water to a creek near to Wiskayok. It helps that she would also take the time to explore the surroundings of the place.

“Hey there.” A woman greeted from afar. “Sorry for scaring you, I don’t often bump into too many people out here. What are you doing?”

Shauna hesitated for a moment.

“You’re from Wiskayok.” The woman said. “You’re bottling spring water, maybe because you heard some whispers about this place.”

“I guess so.” Shauna said.

“Nice to meet you, I’m Afra.” The woman said as she shook hands.

“Sorry if I was wandering onto your property or something.” Shauna said.

“No, this is all Wiskayok. These woods are Martinez’s.” Afra smiled. “That water, though. Well, nobody can own that…I live a mile that way, jut on the edge of the property. I’m just out for a walk. I didn’t hear your name.”

“Shauna.” The girl said.

“That’s a beautiful name. It’s Irish but derived from Gaelic. It means ‘God is gracious,’ I believe.” Afra said

“I didn’t know, actually.” Shauna just smiled politely.

“It’s the female variation for Sean, that at the same time, it’s a variant for the name John, which also means ‘God is gracious’” Afra explained with enthusiasm, “Sorry, I have thing for uncommon names.”

“Is Afra Gaelic too?” Shauna asked.

“It’s Hebrew, means ‘Young Deer’” She said. “I have visited a lot of creeks across the country over the years, but there’s something special here. Martinez doesn’t much like people sneaking onto his property, please don’t rat me out.”

“And what do you use the water for?” Shauna asked.

“Tea, mostly.” Afra answered. “But also, for grapeseed oil and chamomile oil as well. And talking about chamomile, the best grows a quarter mile that way back towards the mansion. You should pick it. How long you’ve been in Wiskayok?”

“I just got here.” Shauna said.

“It’s been a long time since I met a patient here. They don’t wander out much. I hope to see you around, Shauna.” Afra smiled.

“It was nice to meet you.” Shauna said back.

Shauna went to pick chamomile, who knows, maybe she could make a tea less smelly. But she look something strange carved in the trees, a symbol: It was a triangle with a circle in its point, a lot of diagonals lines crossing that triangle and at the bottom, there was a hook.

“Yes, I feel really good. Really, really good, okay?” Jackie answered. “And tell mom that too, please tell her this time. I love you, sis. I can’t wait to see you tomorrow. Bye.” She said as she hung up the phone.

Then, she saw Natalie who was on the desk, looking at her with disbelief.

“Don’t.” Jackie said falling on the bed.

“I didn’t said anything.” Nat said. “But if you want me to say something, I’d said no fucking way did you run two miles today.”

“Hey, Do you have extra morphine?” Lottie asked while she wheeled herself into the bedroom. “I’ve hit my dose for the day.”

“Definitely not.” Jackie said. “You know, we tend to take those, right? As soon as Ben puts them in our hand, in fact.”

“I squirreled away a few extras. I figured you might do the same.” Lottie said.

“I think you may have a drug problem” Nat commented. “And you were a bitch with Shauna in group therapy today.”

“I wasn’t a bitch, I just tried to open her eyes.” Lottie defended herself.

“She totally deserve it. I mean, how dare she make tea?” Nat said sarcastically.

“I’ve already apologized with her.” Lottie said. “Sometimes I say the things too raw and without any filter… At least, I don't lose my temper”

“She told us a story about a girl who walked out of this place completely cured.” Jackie commented. “Shauna just wants to live so bad. She doesn’t want to die…just like all of us, just like you.”

Later, everybody were in the main room making paper cranes at Van’s request. Nat was cutting the paper sheets with the guillotine while everybody else were folding. Except for Misty, she was playing her guitar.

“Don’t just stand there, new girl. We need some help.” Nat said. “These paper cranes aren’t going to fold themselves.”

“I did lie about part, and I apologize...Again” Van said.

“Why are we making paper cranes?” Shauna asked.

“I’m so glad you asked.” Van beamed.

“She’s got this ‘Before I die’ list” Taissa said.

“Well, she asked me.” Van remembered.

“She asked the room.” Taissa commented.

“’I’ve got this ‘Before I die’ list.” Van continued. “And my ‘Before I die’ list is a list of things I want to do before I die.”

“No shit, Sherlock!” Nat exclaimed with sarcasm. "I never would have imagined that."

“And making paper cranes is on it?” Shauna asked.

“A thousand paper cranes, yes.” Van said. “There’s an ancient Japanese legend that promises anyone who folds a thousand origami crane will be granted a wish by the Gods. And I’ve always wanted to try it ever since I found out about it this morning from Tai.”

Everybody stopped folding, even Misty stopped playing. And looked at Taissa.

“I knew.” Taissa tried to apologize. “The moment I said it, I knew.”

“Why isn’t Misty helping?” Laura Lee asked.

“I’m creating the ambience.” Misty defended herself.

“Yeah, she’s creating ambience.” Van said. “You’re achieving enlightenment. Now…fold, damn you.”

“What else is on your list?” Shauna asked.

“A bunch of stuff.” Van said. “Finishing my movie, which is filming, and everyone loves helping me with.” Added with sarcasm.

“If you hear ‘Lights, camera, action’ just walk the other way.” Nat advised to Shauna.

“Another one, is making it to my brother’s wedding.” Van continued.

“That’s so sweet.” Laura Lee was moved by this one.

“Also, there’s hang gliding.” Van continued

“That’s never gonna happen.” Nat joked. “Losing her virginity, that also is never gonna happen.”

“Van, I believe that you can accomplish having sex while hang gliding into your brother’s wedding.” Jackie advised with fun.

“I like the way you think, Jackie.” Van said. “Thanks for having my back, Jackie.”

“A thousand paper cranes.” Nat snorted with fun. “I don’t know if we have the manpower or the paper. I’ll tell you what if we hit two hundred. Does that mean you get a certificate of participation from the Gods? An attendance for…”

In that moment, Natalie cut her hand, and started to bleed. That was very bad. She could harm her friends. But she was further frightened when she noticed a bloodstain splattered on Lottie's sweater.

“It’s okay, Nat.” Lottie tried to comfort her.

“It’s okay, Nat. You’re fine.” Laura Lee also comforted her and run towards the phone of the room.

Natalie ran scared to the infirmary while everyone else told her not to worry.

“Hi, can we get someone to the library for cleanup? Nat got cut.” Laura Lee asked by room’s phone. “Yeah, she’s on her way to the NP.

“I’m sorry but what just happened?” Shauna asked with confusion before the acting of the girls.

“Nat cut her hand.” Lottie said.

“But it’s just a little bit of blood.” Shauna said.

“To us…Not to her.” Lottie said.

“Nat has AIDS.” Jackie finally commented.

Shauna just stayed silent, she didn’t know what to say, with her eyes wide opened. As an unconscious reaction.

“Don’t do that.” Lottie asked. “We don’t do the ‘Poor Nat’ face here. There’s a lot of that and worse out here but not in here.”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t know.” Shauna tried to apologize.

“Yeah, you didn’t know. But now you know.” Lottie continued with her calm but serious voice. “It doesn’t really matter anyway. All of us here are dying. The thing is, I’d go out for a burger in the real world, I don’t have to worry about someone telling me that the bone cancer is a punishment from God. Nobody’s going to tell us that we deserve what we have. But people out there say that shit and worse to Nat or they lean the other way with the pity. And it starts with wide-eyed face you were just about to make…That face people make when they hear AIDS, but they don’t make when they hear cancer…And we don’t do that here either.”

Checkmate.

And then, Lottie left the room.

“I feel I’m doing everything wrong today.” Shauna said.

“You know when I got here, when I first met Lottie, she used to drank herbal tea.” Jackie said. “She wore wigs, she did her make up, she even said prayers.”

“That’s right. I can’t even picture that now.” Laura Lee added.

“We all start out doing at least one thing like that.” Jackie continued. “But the thing with Lottie is that she’s seen a lot of death, that kind of ugly death. Even before she came here, I have a feeling. So, she can be really protective of us just in terms of the reality of things…Just give her some time. She’s actually a good person when she thaws a little bit.”

Meanwhile, in the infirmary. Ben was stitching, Natalie’s wound.

“So, Louis is like eating rats.” Ben continued saying. “And Lestat is like ‘That is not going to last. You are going to eat a person.’ Then, Lestat thinks: ‘Hey, maybe we should adopt a little girl.’”

But then, he saw Nat’s face completely gloomed.

“You know, I told you.” Ben started. “You don’t need to panic if you ger a cut. It’s not how it works. I’m wearing these rubber gloves to protect you. Not to protect me. I’m wearing these gloves and I’m using a sterilized needle to not to infect your cut not the other way around…Anyway, Lestat turns this little girl, into a vampire and this little girl is crazy, but really crazy.”

“You pitch this movie every time we’re in here. And every time I tell you that I haven’t seen ‘Interview with the Vampire’.” Nat said

“And every time I tell you, that you really need to see ‘Interview with the Vampire.’” Ben smiled but then, he saw Nat’s sad face. “Two of the guys I work with in my other job, they caught it sharing needles, just like you.”

“So?” Nat asked.

“It’s not just a gay thing. No matter what some people out there might think…” Ben said. “Okay, Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise, sure. I mean, that’s a tough choice but I got one word for you…Armand, It’s Antonio Banderas, and he’s like…you have got to see this movie. I promise you’ll thank me later.”

And hearing Ben rambling, Nat smiled.

In the night, after taking a bath. Martinez visited Lottie.

“Sorry, I thought I got everything. I found this in her desk.” Lottie said putting the necklace inside an envelope. “I put a note in there in case of whatever.”

“No one’s asked after it.” Doctor Martinez comforted her, taking the envelope. “And I’m happy to see if they mind if you kept it if that’s something if you want.”

“No, I don’t need it.” Lottie smiled softly. “Mari’s mom should have it.”

“I’m sure she’ll be grateful…” Martinez beamed but then, he looked back at Shauna’s desk and remembered the group therapy. “You know, Javi could push my buttons like nobody else. Even more than my sisters, growing up. My son could drive me insane, get so far under my skin. He was stubborn, overconfident, full conviction, full of life and hated to lose, just like me. All of that, just like me. And there’s nothing that gets under my skin more to this day than someone who reminds me a little of me and I got one of those in the residence right now and I don’t always know how to deal with her.

“Shauna reminds you a bit of you?” Lottie asked.

“No, you do. A lot.” Martinez grinned. “You’re like a little me. Only tougher.” Added as he walked away.

When she was alone, Lottie saw something in the bathroom. It was her shadow; the strange thing was that she was very far away from it. And then, a couple of red sparks were lighted where are its eyes supposed to be.

She averted her gaze for a moment out of fear. And when she looked at the same place there was nothing.

In the club meeting at midnight, Shauna brought some chamomile tea for everyone.

“What did you say her name was?” Taissa asked.

“Afra.” Shauna answered.

“Like the mountain?” Taissa said.

“Yeah, I thought that too.” Shauna said. “The Afra mountain in Morocco. Well, there are a lot of stories about it.”

“No way, that’s her real name.” Van said.

“Well, I never met her.” Misty added.

“Me neither. Anyone else?” Nat said.

“I did. I see her every time I go for a hike.” Lottie joked.

“Sure, Jackie sees her when she runs her two miles a day.” Nat said with sarcasm.

“So funny, Nat.” Said Jackie without a hint of humor.

“Well, I don’t know if she’s a product of my imagination because the meds. But she was definitely right about the chamomile.” Shauna said. “I made enough for everyone if anyone wants some.”

Almost immediately, Taissa and Laura Lee passed Shauna their cups.

“I’ll take some.” Lottie said. “In honor of your first official meeting.”

“So, here is it? Am I official now.?” Shauna asked.

“Indeed.” Lottie answered.

“Here’s how it works, the tradition, I mean.” Taissa started. “First, we raise our cups with water, wine, or miracle tea. Whenever floats that boat. And then we said the oath: To those before. To those after. To us now and to those beyond.”

“To those before. To those after. To us now and to those beyond.” Everyone repeated.

“Seen or unseen. Here but not here.” Van completed.

“Seen or unseen. Here but not here.” Everyone repeated again.

Then everybody drank from their cups.

“Welcome to your first official night in the Midnight Club, Shauna.” Nat welcomed.

“Who’s got one?” Jackie asked.

“I do.” Lottie said as she wheeled herself to the head of the table. “It’s a little dark, kind of funny, maybe…really different from my last one. It’s about a girl who was burning in many senses. I call it: ‘Magic Fire’.”

“If there was one thing that fascinated Martha Charm in every way, it was fire…Some people would call her pyromaniac, but she liked the fire since she were a little girl. She used to burn ants with a magnifying glass when she was a kid, and she always had a matchbox in her pocket.”

“She lived in the town of Ashwest in Southern California. A very dry place, especially in the fall. Martha’s mother had terminal cancer, So she was bedridden, hooked up to an oxygen machine most of the time. And Martha’s father was too busy working to pay all their bills. So yeah, Martha was alone most of the time.”

“She was in senior year in high school. She wasn’t popular but she wasn’t invisible neither. She used to study math in her free time, but also, she enjoyed to ablaze small properties, with all the intention to make in her own make ‘Pretty Fire’”

“Pretty fire?” Van asked. “Blue flames like ones on the stoves?”

“It would be more like the perfect flame, you know?” Lottie answered.

“Anyway, Ashwest’s High School aways presented an annual play to mark the end of the school year and that year play would be ‘Inferno’ by Dante. Martha was never interested in extracurricular activities. But this time, she decided to participate in the role of Cleopatra.”

“‘Hey, do you have any extra copy of the script?’ She heard a voice asked her.”

“It was Jesse Welling; she had seen him before but never talked to him. He just moved to Ashville at the beginning of the year”

“‘By the way, I’m Jesse’ He introduced himself. ‘Or you can call me also Achilles if you want.’ He added chuckling, his smile was very pretty just as the fires that she made.”

“‘Martha.’ She answered dryly.”

“‘What role do you play?’ Jesse asked.”

“‘Cleopatra.’ She answered again in the same tone.”

“Hey, we’re on the same circle. So, maybe we can see each other more often’ He said as he walked away. ‘It was nice to meet you, Martha!’”

“And indeed, Jesse and Martha started to see each other more often, in the rehearsals of the play, in the school’s hallways, in French class, and in the restrooms when nobody was seeing.”

Before this last thing, everybody howled with fun.

“Wow, Lottie. I never thought you would get this far.” Jackie said with a tone of false modesty.

“This story need something spicy.” Lottie just chuckled.

“As I was saying, Martha and Jesse started a little romance. Martha always wondered why someone like Jesse was interested on her. He was a talented actor and rich while she didn’t have an actress material and she didn’t have too much money. But she felt less alone and happier when she was with him. She told everything about Jesse to her mother when she arrived at her house. She loved her mom madly; she was her best friend and her confident.”

“One day before the play. There was a big party which all the school was invited. And of course, Martha and Jesse attended. When they were alone in the garden. Jesse looked at Martha.”

“‘My cousin just got me this’ He said, and he showed her two little pieces of paper in the palm on his hand.”

“‘What’s this?’ Martha asked”

“‘Its MAZE, a new kind of drug. A distant cousin of the LSD.’ He explained ‘My cousin is a drug designer and need some opinions before it goes into the market. Wanna try?’”

“Martha never got high in her life. But for some strange reason she said yes. The experience was unique, for say least. Everything felt so alive and so psychedelic and so surrealist, just like a dream. They laughed about anything, sang at the top of their lungs out of tune. They had the time of their lives.”

“When the effect wore off, they went home. But the strange thing about that went Martha entered to her house in the late night. Her mother wasn’t there neither her father. And the telephone didn’t stop ringing. So, expecting the worst, she attend.”

“‘Hello?’ She said shyly.”

“Martha! Why didn’t you answer the phone? I’ve called you a thousand of times!’ She heard the voice of her father; he was really mad.”

“‘Sorry, I just…I just got late’ Martha apologized ‘What’s wrong what happened?’”

“‘Your mother got much worse; I took her to the hospital. She just passed away.’ He said ‘Where were you? She didn’t want to die without seeing you.’”

“That’s too sad, Lottie.” Laura Lee said.

“Martha’s world turned upside down. She was shattered but most, she was angry with herself, How could she have been so stupid? All the would all go on with their lives, while she would live with the perpetual regret of not being with her mother at the most critical moment…No, that wouldn’t happen. She would make sure everyone felt the pain she felt.”

“So, she walked to the nearest gas station in town, where she met Jesse.”

“‘Martha, hey, what are you doing?’ He asked.”

“‘It’s over, Jesse’ She said dryly.”

“‘Wait, what?’” Jesse asked with disbelief.

“And there, she get into a gasoline truck and tried to get it going with the wiring.”

“‘Martha what the hell are you doing?’” Jesse asked with worry.

“‘Starting the mother of all the fires’” Martha answered coldly “‘Do you come, or do you burn?’”

“Jesse, full of fear got into the truck just to see what Martha meant. She drove until SoCal neighborhood. She made a hole in the tank of the truck with a saw and started to drove across all the neighborhood.”

“‘What’s all of this?’ Jesse asked increasingly scared.

“‘Doing what I do best.’ Martha said dryly as always.”

“When they went through the entire neighborhood, afterward, Martha drove to a place a bit out of the way. Then when the tank was empty, she got out of the truck and took out his matchbox. Ceremoniously, he struck a match and tossed it onto the gasoline path. And just like domino, it burned. All SoCal burned too. Martha looked at it, as if it were the most moving spectacle in the world. Everyone would feel it.”

“Jesse was freaked out, and got out of the truck, and looked at Martha, who was smiling widely.”

“‘Look, there is…pretty fire’ Martha said as if SoCal burning was the most beautiful thing in the world.”

“‘You’re psycho!’ Jesse shouted and ran away.”

“Eventually, the fire extended to all Ashville and all the town burned to the ground. For this point, Martha was the road, looking at everything from afar. Finally, everyone suffering just as her. But she felt empty and finally Martha busted into tears.”

“She didn’t know what was in her heart anymore. Happiness because her magic fire or grief because her mother. She just cried quietly until the dawn.” Lottie finished with a dull and even a little sad voice.

Everything was on silence after that.

“Well, I’ve known you for a while, or I thought I did but...” Laura Lee started. “Now I feel like I really know you and I just want to say, and this is going to sound lame or whatever…”

“It’s okay, go ahead.” Lottie said.

“Thank you. Thank you, Lottie.” Laura Lee said. “Thank you for opening yourself up to us. And…I don’t know just, thank you.”

“Yeah.” Was the only thing Lottie could say.

When the meeting was over. Shauna went to Martinez’s Office trying to figure out how to enter. If she wanted to know more about, Jessica Roberts, she had to read her file. And of course, that was confidential.

“What are you doing?” Jackie asked.

“Are you following me?” Shaun asked this time

“What? No!” Jackie said. “Well…yes, I did. I saw you walking in the opposite direction of the dorms. I thought you might be lost.”

“That was so much time ago, you didn’t say anything.” Said Shauna.

“I really considered it. But you were far enough away.” Jackie explained. “I didn’t want to make a riot, so I continued following you and I thought that it’d be really creepy if I said something at that point…And I knew that you aren’t lost you’re breaking into Dr. Martinez’s office. At least do you know what you’re doing?”

“I actually have no idea.” Shauna confessed. “I’m just basing myself in things that I see in movies…I mean, I have this deck card. And I was thinking that I f I can push the card down, I can get it between the door and the jamb, and they I’d need a screwdriver to rotate the tongue.”

“Can I suggest something?” Jackie said. “Dr Martinez is a lot of things, but paranoid is not one of them, so if this works. Just know that it’s because she trust us, and I think that you would feel really guilty about whatever you’re gonna do next.” She added as she opened the door normally.

So, they entered to the office, and went to the drawer where the file were keep.

“What are you looking for?” Jackie said. “Because if I'm involved in a robbery, I should at least know what we're looking for.”

“Patient records.” Shauna said.

“Whose?” Jackie asked.

“Jessica Roberts.” Shauna smiled and showed Jackie the file.

And then, they left the office on the sly.

“Thanks for helping me.” Shauna said.

“Are you an obsessed stalker?” Jackie joked. “I mean, Why do you want those papers?”

“Well, actually…” Shauna started to say.

“Hello? They heard a nurse.

“Shit.” Jackie whispered. “Get out of here and don’t get caught with the file.

Shauna ran away as she heard Jackie lie out loud. And if one thing was for sure is that she was a good liar. When Shauna ran across the hallways, she noticed something. Everything was older, like ancient, and again was that damn song.

Then, she felt a hand in her shoulder, it was the antler silhouette. But then, she came bac to her senses, and it wasn’t the antler silhouette, it was Jackie.

“Hey, It’s me” Jackie whispered. “Shauna, it’s me. Are you okay?”

And when, Shauna looked around everything was normal…without a change.

Chapter 3: The Last Act

Summary:

The cast of this story:
Sophie Neélise as Cindy Carpenter
Jack DePew as Clyde Davies
Ella Purnell as Melanie Martin
Riley Baron as Marc Hall
Jasmin Savoy Brown as Susan Trellss

Chapter Text

“The wallpaper? The furniture was different?” Jackie asked while Shauna exanimating around the room.

“The whole hallway. Everything was different.” Shauna explained. “There were old paintings, old furniture, there were no lightbulbs just candles. It was like going back in time… And then, this silhouette with antlers.”

“That’s…that’s crazy.” Jackie said. “I mean, with the meds that we’re on, they make us see stuff.”

“Yeah, but this…this felt so real.” Shauna said. “I could felt it touching my shoulder, Jackie. Haldol or any other drug makes such a vivid effect…Well, I’m going to bed.”

“Good night.” Jackie said as she walked away.

When Shauna arrived at her bedroom, she found Lottie already asleep. So, with a lot of careful she turned on a flashlight. And started to check Jessica Robert’s file. But then, she found out a bunch of strange drawings, pretty dark, creepy, and grim drawings I should say and in one of them, there was carved by a pencil the symbol she found in the trees. And in another, there was something, very alike to a code.

Eventually, Shauna fell asleep, and dream about Wiskayok and a lot of hooded silhouettes with candles entered to the place, one of them took her by her shoulder. It was faceless, in his face there was only darkness.

And then, she woke up gasping.

“You don’t always wake up like that, do you?” Lottie said. “You’re a good alarm clock.”

“I have an insane dream.” Shauna commented.

“I never remember mine.” Lottie said as she spooned her cereal.

“Hey, can you take a look at something?” Shauna asked approaching with the drawings. “Have you seen this symbol before? I saw it on the forest yesterday and I’m quite sure, I’ve seen it somewhere in the house,”

“No, I’ve never seen it.” Lottie said.

“And what about these?” Shauna asked showing her the other drawings with the numbers in code. “Do any of this mean anything to you?”

“292.13” Lottie repeated in low voice. “No, I don’t know. Where did you get these?”

“It’s from a file of a former patient.” Shauna explained. “She buried this numbers in a lot of her art therapy.”

“I’m just too tired to think.” Lottie said. “It’s not my favorite day.”

“Is there something special today?” Shauna asked starting to store the drawings in their folder again.

“It’s family day.” Lottie answered dryly. “Today, the family of the others come to see them.”

“Is your family coming too?” Shauna asked.

“No, nobody comes in my case.” Lottie answered settling down to sleep again. “And you? Your mom is coming today?”

“Yeah, she is.” Shauna said. “You should meet her, it’s a great woman with a big heart. She’d love to meet you.”

“I sleep on it.” Lottie said.

In family day, the ones who still have family, gathered with their loved ones in the conservatory, there were coffee, cookies, and snacks, and all chattered and tried to catch up.

Laura Lee was visited by her grandparents, Jason, and Mia, because she became an orphan at a young age. The problem is that they were too old to take care of her when she became terminal. So, that’s why she ended in Wiskayok. Her grandparents never missed a visit. And always bring to her a box of baked cookies and a quiet prayer.

Taissa was visited by her mother. Janne, who was a very busy but tender woman. Her father, Scott, was a chef, who decided to volunteer at a non-profit organization that fed freely people all around the world, and now found himself in Somalia right now. She hadn't seen him in a year, but since she arrived in Wiskayok her mother was in charge of bringing Taissa the most recent photos of her father sent from Africa.

“This month he didn’t send pictures this time, but I have these, they’re kind of old.” Janne said to her daughter. “This is him in the base in Vietnam, a year before we met.” She added pointing a picture

“What about the letter he sent you? Did you bring it? Can I read it?” Taissa asked.

A then, her mother delivered the envelope with the letter.

“This is his last letter, he sent it a month ago.” Janne said. “It’s kind of grim, Taissa. He had written better ones.”

“This one is important.” Her daughter simply said. “Do you think that he’s all right?”

“Let's hope so.” Her mother simply said.

Van was visited by her aunt, Angela and her uncle, Tony. Her mother, Deborah, became an alcoholic after her husband’s death. In her addiction times she tried to rob a convenience store with a hunting knife and stabbed the cashier, almost killing him Now, she was in prison for two years. So, her uncles were in charge of watching over Van.

“I called mom last night…and I don’t know, this time she sounded less bitchy than the last time. I think that she’s improving.” Van said. “How much time did you say he needed to get out? You told me last time that the lawyer that you hired might be able to get her out on parole next month.” She added addressing to her aunt

“It’s difficult to say.” Angela said.

“The lawyer knows that time is a factor, right?” Van slurred. “The lawyer knows…that I don’t have too much time, right?

“He does.” Tony spoke. “Cases like your mom’s…I mean, She's already been denied parole once. Maybe she can get out on bail or for good behavior, I expect more the last one, because we don’t have too much money after the indemnification.”

“But we promised her a picture of all of us.” Angela said taking out her polaroid. “So, come here.”

“I can take the picture for you.” Ben offered as helpful as always. “Say cheese!”

And then, he took the picture of the three of them.

Natalie was visited by her mother, Vera. Her father, Derek, he wanted nothing to do with her after finding out of her diagnosis, and despite her mother's pleas, he kicked her out of the trailer where they lived.

That day was her father’s birthday, and Natalie signed a greeting card for him.

“Do you want to write something more, honey?” Vera said softly seeing the only thing that Natalie wrote in the greeting card were: ‘Happy Birthday, Dad. Sincerely, Natalie.’

“I got to write something more because he’s not here?” Natalie asked with sarcasm.

“He had the flu this morning.” Her mother said. “You know, They say if you’re sick it’s not good to visit at all.”

“He has the flu every time.” Said Natalie dryly. “Come on, I’m not an idiot. Today is his birthday.”

“He’s gonna gather with his friends at a barbecue tonight.” Vera finally admitted.

“I could go.” Natalie offered. “I could go with you; we could surprise him”

“You know…” Her mother started. “I don’t think that would go the way you and me would want it to go.”

And Jackie was visited by her mother, Gabrielle, her little sister, Emma and her boyfriend, Jeff. Her father left the house when she was eleven years old. And her mother became an alcoholic, then, after rehab she became addict to coffee. At least it wasn’t so deadly.

“Your sister joined the soccer team. Just like you did, stepping into your shoes…as much as anyone could” Gabrielle said excited.

“Do you really want to play soccer?” Jackie asked to her sister.

“Of course, she does.” Gabrielle said for Emma.

“That’s great.” Jackie sighed. “I just thought you wanted to participate in the school play.” She addressed to Emma again.

“She can do both.” Her mother said. “I thought you’d be excited. She’s carrying on the torch. It’s your legacy, Jackie.”

“Don’t worry about my legacy.” Jackie said. “Mine’s all played out. And, Emma, your high school experience should be all yours.”

“I’m gonna get more coffee.” Her mother said standing up. “What is this, decaf?”

When Gabrielle was gone, Jackie approached to Emma.

“She’s been hitting the coffee pretty hard today.” Jackie whispered.

“The late night.” Emma simply said. “Another hard late night.”

“They already picked the theme for the prom.” Jeff suddenly talked. “It’s Parisian romance.”

And then, Jackie and Jeff both chuckled.

“Well, that would be cool. If that means they’re gonna decorate the gym to look like the Louvre” Jackie said. “But knowing them, I’m guessing that’s gonna be the Christmas Lights at the Eiffel Tower.”

Jackie and Jeff laughed together. Then, her mother came back again.

“Legacy is important, is what I’m saying.” Gabrielle said to her older daughter. “Your father did enough to shit on the Taylor name and you fixed it single-handedly.”

“Shauna!” Jackie called suddenly seeing her friend grabbing some cookies and also to make her mother change the topic. “Come and say hi!”

And then, Shauna approached with a nervous smile

“This is the new girl I was telling you about.” Jackie introduced. “Smart, great student and a terrible burglar, though.”

“I’m Shauna, nice to meet you.” She smiled.

“This is my mom, Gabrielle. My sister, Emma, and this is Jeff, my boyfriend.” Jackie introduced with excitement.

“Jackie talks a lot of about you.” Shauna said. “It was great to meet you all. I’m going to grab a bite. See you later.”

Then, Shauna walked away. She was never good at striking up conversations with strangers. And later, in the hallway, she found out her mother talking with Lottie.

“Hello, sweetie.” Her mother greeted her seeing her and then, she hugged her.” I was a little late. I just got held up talking with Lottie. Your roomie was kind enough to escort me. She’s hilarious. I haven’t laughed that hard in a long time.”

And next to Pauline, was Lottie with a genuine smile from ear to ear.

“I want a show you my favorite place here. Do you wanna see it?” Shauna said with excitement.

“Of course, I do.” Her mother said.

And then, Lottie wheeled herself away.

“You’re coming, right?” Shauna asked Lottie.

“Really?” Lottie asked and Shauna nodded. “Sure.”

They arrived at the library, and Shauna told her little mystery to her mother, obviously omitting some parts. One thing she was sure of was that mothers always had at least one explanation for everything.

“292.13” Pauline pondered. “Latitude or longitude maybe?”

“Longitude only goes to one hundred eighty and latitude goes to ninety.” Shauna explained.

“And why do you want to know that?” Pauline asked. “Is everything aright, Shauna?”

“Time’s funny here.” Lottie intervened. “I had this roommate. She used to swear up and down that the clocks ran slower inside than out…I caught her running in and out one day. Wristwatch in one hand and wall clocks out in the woods. It was weird…You tend to get a bit caught up in things when there’s something in your mind. There’s ways through it, though. So, you shouldn’t really worry.”

“And what is that?” Pauline asked.

“Because we take care of each other.” Lottie smiled softly.

And that last one left Shauna impressed. Lottie definitely had a sweet side. Heart of steel, but soul of glass.

Meanwhile, Misty was in her room reading a book. Her parents never come to the family day.

“Delivery!” Ben opened the door carrying a huge teddy bear and a big gift box.

“Another bear. We’ve come full circle. We’re back to bears.” Misty sighed. Yeah, that wasn’t new. “Put it with the rest, I guess.”

“You don’t always have to hide in here on family day.” Ben said. “The families down there, they’re pretty fun. I’m sure they love to fold into the revelry.”

“I’m good.” Misty said dryly.

“Well, what else did you get?” Ben asked.

“A lot of fancy soaps.” Misty said opening the gift. “It looks like my mom’s in Italy if I had to guess from these soaps. They put these kinds of things in her trailer when she starts a movie. There are a lot, do you want smelly soaps?”

“Ok.” Ben said picking one soap, but then, she saw Misty, disappointed by her gift. “I’m sorry, I know it’s shitty, just because you’re parents aren’t here, it doesn’t mean that you don’t have a family, you know? Your family is here it's not always blood.”

And then, Ben smell his soap.

“These are gorgeous.” He said. “They just give these to her for free? I should’ve a movie star. Can I keep the lemon and lime one?”

“Take them all if you want.” Misty smiled. “You know, my great grandfather invented the liquid soap?”

“Really?” Ben asked with disbelief.

“Yeah, in 1865. He was the first one to use palm oil and olive oil for liquid soap, and he even coined the term ‘Palmolive,’ but someone stole him the patent.” Misty said with conviction.

“That’s amazing, and I don’t believe a single word of it.” Ben chuckled as he left.

When family day was over, Taissa went to talk to Allie in the transmitter of the recovery room.

“Allie?” Taissa called. “Are you awake? This shit’s about to get weird, Maddison town now is a hellhole…Allie?”

Taissa steeled herself and entered the recovery room. Allie was in her bed, maybe she was sleeping.

“Allie?” She called as she approached.

And then, Taissa saw her and touched her hand. Allie was pale. Allie was cold. Allie was dead.

Obviously, Taissa pushed the nurse button. it didn't take long for the word to spread throughout the hospice. So, all the girls were there to witness Allie's body being taken to the morgue.

“I thought she was getting better.” Taissa whispered. “I was even going to decorate her side of the room for when she came back.

Allie was Taissa’s roommate. So, the others gave her some alone time.

When Taissa again entered to the recovery room, she saw a janitor who was making the bed again.

“Do you take away the sheets?” She asked. “I mean, do you wash them and someone else sleeps on them later or are they done now that she’s gone and those are new?”

“We brought nothing with us when we came into the world” The janitor simply said. “And we can’t take anything with us when we leave it…These pillows, though. They’re good. You know, the ancient Egyptians used to carve a piece of wood to rest their neck while they slept.” He added as he put new pillows into the bed.

“I didn’t know that.” Taissa said.

“You can come in if you want.” The janitor offered. “People are scared of these rooms… ‘People fear death even more than pain. It’s strange that they fear death. At the point of death, pain is over. I guess it is a friend. That was Jim Morrison, he said that. Do you know him?”

“I do.” Taissa smiled sadly. “My dad loves The Doors.”

Meanwhile, Shauna went to her room to pondered. Today was Allie, Tomorrow Who will be next? And then, somebody knocked the door. It was Jackie.

“I just wanted to see you.” Jackie said walking around the room.

“That’s nice from you.” Shauna smiled. “Sorry for running away from your family, I just got nervous…Your family seemed really nice, though.”

“Yeah.” Jackie sighed.” They’re great, except my mom, she’s had her issues drinking and worse. But they’re great, except when they’re fighting, and except when they’re not and except when they’re talking about this gal, Jackie”

“What do you mean?” Shauna asked.

“I mean this…girl that they keep going on about.” Jackie approached to Shauna. “The perfect daughter, the perfect student, the perfect sister, the perfect girlfriend…I got detention too, you know? Like a dozen of times!” She laughed about this last thing.

“You’re a monster, Jackie.” Shauna chuckled.

“Maybe I am…” Jackie smiled. “Radiohead said it best: ‘I’m a creep’.”

“You’re a great person, seriously talking.” Shauna said.

“´What’d you find?” Jackie asked. “You know, your loot, your heist, your stolen property. The file! Jessica Roberts, the girl who lived, Wiskayok’s mystery miracle. What did you find out? Anything interesting?”

“Maybe.” Shauna smiled temptingly taking out the file from her drawer. “I mean, there isn’t a lot here, and Martinez doesn’t say much but Jessica’s art therapy has got a few things that intrigued me. There’s this drawing.” She added showing Jackie a drawing.

“Right.” Jackie whispered while she examined the drawing.

“I’ve seen this before on the grounds, for sure.” Shauna said. “But someplace else, and I can’t quite remember. And there’s this number.” She said passing another drawing

“292.13?” Jackie asked. “What is it?”

“I don’t know.” Shauna answered. “My whole life, I’ve had this voice inside that’s driven me forward. It’s helped me on tests, gave me ideas. It steered me well every time. This little whisper, but here, it’s unbearable, I don’t know why…I mean, this symbol and these numbers, I don’t know, it just feels…important. I feel things, I see things and that little voice is telling me to look at this.”

“It doesn’t mean you have to listen.” Jackie advised. “I’m just saying, you’ve got a lot to process here. And I totally get the attraction. It’s something else to focus on. Something besides…”

And Shauna practically guessed what was going to say Jackie next.

“I know.” Shauna interrupted.

“Never mind.” Jackie said. “I really hope you find whatever it is you’re looking for. Maybe then, those voices will leave you alone.” She added as she left.

In the midnight, Taissa was walking to the library. But when, she passed in the hallway of the recovery room. She felt something, she felt someone on the bed. Taissa stopped and checked but there wasn’t anything.

“So that was it, just a split second.” Taissa said to the others in the reunion. “And I checked the bedding. It was cold. The sheets were flat and undisturbed. I can’t tell whether or not it was my imagination. So, what do we think? It is a sign?”

“No.” Lottie denied dryly.

“I get it and I hear you, but…no.” Nat said.

“Nope, I don’t think so either.” Van added.

“I think that yes.” Laura Lee intervened. “She could have popped on by just to tell us that she’s okay.”

“Even using all her powers and all her energy. She decided to sit up in bed for a split second?” Lottie asked with disbelief.

“It can be.” Laura Lee insisted. “Maybe she took a little trip down from Heaven just to say, ‘Hi. I’m okay.’”

“Heaven and hell.” Lottie said. “World’s such a colorful place. Let's not make it so black and white…So, are you voting yes or not?”

Everyone stayed quiet.

“A sign is a sign. Allie wouldn’t go through all of that just to be vague and brief.” Lottie explained. “If I’m the next. If I can come back and say something to y’all. I’m going to say it, something tangible, something that you can hold and show…So we all agree? Not a sign?”

“Not a sign.” Everybody said at unison.

“Anyone else?” Nat asked. “Or shall we move on to tonight’s ghost?”

“Who’s got one?” Lottie asked.

“I got one.” Jackie said. “It’s half-baked, or maybe a little more than half-baked but I’d love to give it a shot.” She added as she walked to the head of the table.

“Well, so let’s hear it.” Van said.

“To those before. To those after. To us now and to those beyond.” Jackie said raising her cup.

“To those before. To those after. To us now and to those beyond.” Everyone repeated.

“Seen or unseen. Here but not here.” Jackie said.

“Seen or unseen. Here but not here.” Everyone repeated again.

“Wherever.” Taissa added.

And then, everybody drank for her cups.

The funny thing was that Jackie didn’t took a sit. Instead, she rested her hand on the back.

“I like to call this ghost: ‘The Last Act’” Jackie smiled in a tempting way.

“Cindy Carpenter was the definition of golden student. She was beautiful and rich. She was the girlfriend of Clyde Davies, the most talented quarterback and together, the two were the most beloved couple of Careville High School, Iowa.”

“One night, drunk and without a seatbelt of course, while returning from a party, their car derailed off a cliff. Cindy escaped unharmed but Clyde, he was paralyzed from the waist down. Clyde obviously left the football team and so, his best friend, Marc Hall did too. And then, he started homeschooling to avoid the pitying glances of his peers.”

“A year and a little later, Melanie Martin arrived at Careville from San Francisco. Melanie was a loner by nature, but one day in trigonometry class, she met Susan Trellss, who was struggling with equations. Melanie just wrote down the answers and Susan, stopped her after the class.”

“‘Hey, are you the new girl, right?” She said. ‘Hi, nice to meet you, I’m Susan. By the way, thanks for the answers.’”

“‘Yeah, don’t worry. I’m Melanie if you ask’ Melanie said as she hook her hand.”

“‘Look, a favor is paid with a favor. And I’m putting on a play to show in the auditorium, I'm still choosing the main cast. Would you like to participate?’ Susan asked.

“This school plays thing is becoming a fucking cliché.” Nat interrupted.

“Yeah, I know that it isn’t the most originally thing in the world.” Jackie said. “But this time, the play it’s important to the story. So, shut up, settle your ass, and keep listening, please and thank you.”

“Melanie accepted; she acted in school plays back in San Francisco. The play was ‘Final Chance’ by Stan Russell, that was basically a loving triangle during the Second World War between Charles, Ronda, and Melissa. Charles and Ronda are married but Melissa loved Charles since the beginning.”

“So, Melanie did the casting, and she was in. The cast was like this: Cindy as Ronda. Marc as Charles and Melanie as Melissa. The day of the play, the decorated the stage of the auditorium with a lot of real straw and cardboard pigs.”

“Everything started very normal. The first act were just monologues of the characters, pretty boring actually. The second act were the develop of the main problem the love triangle. And then, was intermission.”

“In the intermission, Melanie were to Cindy’s dressing room.”

“‘You’re doing quite well, homewrecker’ Cindy chuckled.”

“‘Oh, thanks, being a bitch is my natural talent.’ Melanie joked and both girls laughed.”

“‘Look, Melanie. I don’t know how to say this, but I just feel persecuted.’ Cindy finally confessed in a more serious and creepy tone.

“‘What do you mean?’ Melanie asked confused.”

“‘I don’t know, I noticed people following me, I feel like I'm constantly being watched by someone.’ Cindy said. ‘I feel like something bad is gonna happen to me in any moment.’”

“‘Maybe, you’re just nervous.’ Melanie comforted her. ‘You know, for the play, and everybody is here, and the trig exam that’s gonna be next month. There are a lot of things. You just need to relax right now and give your best. You’re the star tonight’” She smiled at her. Melanie’s smile always comforted others.

“‘So, you are’ Cindy said softly ‘I’d like some alone time’ Would you mind that…’”

“‘Don’t worry, sure.’ Melanie said and she left the dressing room”

“The intermission was over, and the last act just began. Marc came on stage, said his lines and everything was going well. Everything went to shit when Cindy walked on stage. She walked with difficulty clutching her chest, and then, she coughed blood roughly and ended up collapsing on the ground.”

“‘She’s dead!’ Marc yelled terrified. The funny thing is that was something that he was supposed to yell at one point in the act. But this time he was serious.”

“Cindy Carpenter was death by a deadly stab tight on the heart, and Melanie Martin was the principal suspect”

Jackie make a deadly silence on purpose.

“To…” She started with a mischievous smile.

“Oh no.” Nat sighed knowing what was coming.

“To be…” Jackie tempted again.

“Don’t dare, Jackie!” Said Van.

“To be continued!” Jackie finally said and she was booed by all the girls. “I’m sorry, guys but that’s all I have for tonight. But hey, if you want to hear the rest, all you got to do is…”

“Stay alive a little while longer.” Everybody repeated at unison and started to grab their things.

“I hate when you do that.” Lottie said.

“It works, at least.” Jackie said as the girls left the library. “You’re all still here.”

Now it was just Shauna and Jackie alone in the library.

“Here’s the thing.” Shauna started. “Listening to you talk about collapsing in the ground. I remember where I’ve seen the symbol.”

That's how they ended up in the old elevator. And right under the elevator board, was the symbol, exactly the same.

“Holy shit.” Jackie whispered seeing the symbol.

“I know.” Shauna said. “I mean, it doesn’t look like everything else. It’s a more recent metal work. It’s not a part of the original elevator, right?”

“I guess, it makes sense.” Jackie said.

“Why put in on an elevator panel?” Shauna said. “I mean, it’s useless, right? Why bother? Only one answer.

“What?” Jackie asked.

“It’s not useless.” Shauna said

It was a button.

She closed the door of the elevator and pressed the button. But nothing happened.

“Why? I mean, it’s a button, you can even see where they cut the panel” Shauna said pressing the button over and over. “It’s a button, Jackie.”

“And just think it for a minute.” Jackie said. “They wheel gurneys in here carry things all the time if it’s a secret button, that doesn’t make much sense. Someone can…bump into it, lean on it. If it’s really a secret. I t wouldn’t stay secret for a long time.”

“So, you need a fail-safe. And the other buttons work fine.” Shauna said and hit the B button.

“You know that we’re going down to the morgue, right?” Jackie said.

And then, they arrived at the morgue

“It had to be some trick or something.” Shauna said and started to press the buttons in different ways, all the same time, interspersed, to the right and the reverse, etcetera.

“Shauna, come on.” Jackie said. “Let’s go to bed, all right?”

“I mean, it has to work.” Shauna whispered still pressing buttons.

“This literally this makes no sense.” Jackie explained.

“Let me try this one.” Shauna said

“Just please don’t send us to Martinez apartment because I have zero how to explain that one.” Jackie said.

Shauna took a deep breath.

“Because if you don’t want to nobody hits it by accident. You make sure it takes more than just a hit.” Shauna said and hit the B button at the same time that the symbol button. “Because if you want to go down lower, you just have to go low first.”

And surprisingly it worked.

They ended up in a really dark basement. Shauna get down of the elevator and immediately it started to go up again.

“Shauna!” Jackie exclaimed. “It went crazy! Don’t move!”

And now, Shauna was stuck in a weird basement, alone…or maybe accompanied.

Chapter 4: Execution of the Innocence

Summary:

The cast of this story:
Jane Widdop as Mary Gardner
Sophie Thatcher as Charlene Goodwin
Courtney Eaton as Deena Sutton
Sophie Neélise as Hannah Edwards
Ella Purnell as Lisa Bowman
Carlos Sanz as Inspector Krasinski
Steven Krueger as The Principal

Chapter Text

Minutes later, Shauna heard the metal clanking of the elevator.

“Shauna?” Jackie said. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m okay, I’m okay.” Shauna assured.

“What the actual fuck is this place?” Jackie asked seeing the secret basement.

And of course, they went up again, they informed the other members of the club, and they all went down together armed with flashlights.

“You guys, haven’t really answer me What were you doing down here?” Nat complained and then she illuminated the place with her flashlight. “Damn” She added whispering.

“Oh, man, here would be the perfect scenery, for the cave scene.” Said Van with excitement.

“Maybe not right now.” Nat said.

And then, Taissa approached to Van.

“Action.” She smiled to Van.

“Joel and Suzanne run through the forest until they reach a cave.” Van started to recite the script of her movie. “Following Tori’s screams, they go further into the cave to follow the creature that kidnapped her.”

“Stage directions, there’s a painting on the floor.” Taissa pointed out lighting the big painting of a mandala with a strange symbol in the center.

“Continued on the next page, there also painted walls.” Van said illuminating the walls revealing paintings of a forest. “Look up.” Van added revealing another painting, this time a starry nocturnal sky with its moon.

“Someone slept down here.” Taissa pointed out seeing a bed and a nightstand.

“More like lived down here, it looks like.” Misty added. “This reminds me of my bedroom at home.”

“This seems like a…meeting place.” Shauna said seeing the rest of the furniture. But then, she saw a book.

It was a notebook, labeled as: ‘The Midnight Club.’ Everybody gathered around Shauna to see the notebook.

“What the hell?” Jackie whispered.

“No fucking way.” Taissa added.

“This is a roster for The Midnight Club.” Shauna said starting to leaf through the notebook. “Names and years. I mean, these are all members. And look… ‘This commemorates The Midnight club founded on January 5^th, 1969, by…’

“No way.” Van said.

The Midnight Club was founded by Jessica Roberts.

“She also composed the oath.” Shauna said.

“So, the rumors about a secret basement were true.” Nat said.

“But a lot of this stuff here, it’s a lot older than the 1960’s” Shauna commented.

“I think that this was here before The Midnight Club. They just found it.” Jackie said.

“We need to leave.” Laura Lee declared, who had separated from the group.

“What?” Van asked.

Everybody approached and saw the black robes and the ceremonial dagger that Laura Lee had found.

“Cultist, great.” Van sighed with sarcasm. “Cthulu fhtagn, everybody.”

“I’m done.” Laura Lee said going away.

“A place like this is best left undisturbed.” Taissa said following Laura Lee.

“Second.” Nat added following the group.

“Cut, break to change my pants.” Van said.

Misty also follow the group to the elevator.

“I’m staying.” Shauna said.

“So am I.” Lottie said.

“You guys, should really come with us.” Laura Lee suggested.

“Just go ahead. We’ll be right behind you.” Jackie said.

And then, the rest of the girls, left in the elevator.

“At the very start, there were eight members.” Shauna said continuing checking the notebook.

“Just like us.” Jackie added.

“Jessica seems to be the one taking the minutes.” Shauna said. “These must be their stories.”

“‘The Two Danas,’ ‘The Wicked Heart,’ ‘Gimme a Kiss,’ ‘See You Later,’ ‘Witch,’ ‘Road To Nowhere,’ ‘The Eternal Enemy’” Lottie read.

Shauna continued passing the pages, she founded hands of blood, and then, she found the symbol, drawn with blood.

“We should leave.” Jackie said.

And that was what they did.

In the next day, there was group therapy after the breakfast and, obviously, everybody was tired and yawning.

“Seeing a bit of fatigue today.” Doctor Martinez pointed out. “Anyone want to share what they were up to last night? Well, if you don’t feel up to it this morning, these meetings aren’t compulsory.

“I have something that I’d like to share.” Laura Lee raised her hand.

“Yeah, go ahead.” Doctor Martinez said.

“I think we’re all…Well, we’re all still mourning Allie.” Laura Lee started. “Every time someone here passes. It reminds me of my time, I guess. And I think we’re…or a lot of us, well, we might not know to handle that, and we may turn to things that aren’t good for us, if we’re not careful. Poking at thing that should be left alone.”

“Say more about that.” Doctor Martinez encouraged.

“Or maybe don’t” Lottie said.

Everyone knew what Laura Lee meant.

“Before we go looking for… for whatever might be looking for cope.” Laura Lee continued. “What if we tried something else? What if we embraced the good? ...I mean, I’ve said before I wanted to show you, my church.”

“Church?” Nat asked with disbelief.

“Not mass, per se.” Laura Lee explained. “There’s Bible study or just social mixers. They have a really good music…”

“Laura lee, not today.” Nat said tiredly.

“I just think a little fellowship and a few prayers would do us good for a lot of things.” Laura Lee said. “For Allie, you know?”

“For Allie?” Natalie asked with incredulity again.

“Yes.” Laura Lee continued softly. “And we all have moments where we feel empty inside and if we don’t let God into those empty spaces. Well, we leave room for all kinds of other things, dark things if we’re not careful. So, we have to not to do that. We have to reject that. We have to…focus only on the good and deny the bad.”

“And who says what’s good and what’s bad?” Natalie asked.

“God does.” Laura Lee said.

“Really?” Nat said. “Just like that, He tells you what’s good and what’s bad?”

“Yes.” Laura Lee said.

“Bullshit.” Nat answered.

“It’s a good opportunity to remind everybody that it’s okay to air your feelings but try to keep it respectful.” Doctor Martinez intervened.

“Respectful?” Nat said, “If you want respect you got to give it first.”

“I don’t see how I’m being disrespectful.” Laura Lee said.

“Lottie said it best, the world isn’t black and white, Laura Lee. It’s not as fucking simple, right, wrong, good, bad.” Nat spatted.

“I’m promise, no disrespect. I’m just sharing my faith.” Laura Lee defended.

“Your faith cost me my community! Your faith ruins families. They fucking disown me. My father don’t talk me anymore because of his faith. Your faith, Laura Lee. Your God said I’m and abomination… ‘Go to church’ I grew up in church! I went all the fucking Sundays! And I never, I never felt…” Nat finally exploded. But then, continued more calmly “One of us die yesterday, and that’s not…not your chance to recruit people. Your faith’s pretty clear. Fuck me, right? Nah. Fuck you. Fuck your God. Fuck any God if that’s how he feels. No disrespect.”

“Nat…” Laura Lee tried to speak to her trying to fix the things.

“Fuck this!” Nat spatted and she stood up and walked away.

Due to tensions, Dr. Martinez terminated the session.

It wasn’t a secret, that Natalie had a complicated relationship with the faith. She grew up in the bosom of a deeply catholic family. One of those who used to pray before the dinner or go to church every Sunday. And of course, Natalie's rebellious attitude clearly never meshed with the pious environment in which she grew up. When she received her diagnosis, her father didn’t stop telling her that her illness was a punishment from God for all her sins. And after a heated discussion, her dad kicked her out of the house.

After the group therapy, Shauna went to the woods again, looking for the tree where the symbol was carved, the idea was to sketch it in a notebook to show it to the rest of the club. And there she was, trying to sketch it, she was a reader by nature but not a cartoonist by talent, on the contrary her drawings were always misshapen.

But before find the symbol, she found another thing carved. A star along the initials: ‘W.M.’

“Well, well, well, what are the odds?” She heard Afra said. “Shauna, right? I mean, it’s a hard name to forget. First, you were down at spring, and today you’re just a stone’s throw away from the blackberry patch. You’re making the rounds.”

“The blackberry patch?” Shauna asked as she approached to Afra.

“There’s blackberries scattered throughout the forest, but just over there is a huge patch.” Afra explained.

“And it’s not recommendable to eat the berries below the waist, right?” Shauna said.

“That’s right.” Afra chuckled. “What are you doing out here?

“I’m looking at few of these carvings.” Shauna answered.

“You know, there are three more of those out here.” Afra said. “What do you make of them?”

“Well, to be honest…I think they’re from a group that used to live here a long time ago.” Shauna explained. “Have you ever heard of The Wilderness? They were a kinda wellness group with a little more cult stuff, I guess.”

“I don’t know too much about cults.” Afra answered. “But I know about this forest, Borrow me your notebook, please. Here’s my number, you can call me when you or anyone else at Wiskayok need anything…You can keep it in the library with all the other phone numbers, I heard that that library are one of the biggest in the county. Do you know how to use Dewey Decimal System or the catalog?”

“Yeah, I guess so.” Shauna said.

“Well, have a nice day, Shauna!” Afra said goodbye and hiked away.

That day also was the prom and Jackie’s school. She was going to be Jeff’s date. So, Jackie asked help to Shauna to make her up not to look so pale and also to comb her wig.

“Thanks for doing this.” Jackie said. “I asked Lottie, but she was sleeping, as always.”

“That tracks.” Shauna chuckled. “Look up.”

“I spent all afternoon getting a blood transfusion just to be ready.” Jackie said. “Do you think I’m crazy for going to this thing?”

“No, you’re not. You have a great opportunity” Shauna tried to comfort her. “I didn’t go to mine. I wish I had in hindsight.”

“I missed mine too.” Jackie explained. “I was in the hospital, and Jeff was with me all night, that night I felt like shit…So, that’s why I have to go to his prom. He’s pretty excited for me to go, I can’t disappointed him.”

“I mean, you’re showing up with a body full of fresh blood and a pocket full of face masks. As far as gestures go, you win.” Shauna said. “Close your eyes.”

Shauna put the final touches in Jackie’s face and then she put her the wig with a lot of carefulness.

“You, my friend, are done.” Shauna announced.

Jackie looked at herself into the mirror, she really looked good, she felt pretty something that she hadn't felt in a long time.

“I look like a skeleton that fell face-first into a bucket of paint.” Jackie joked. “Which is a definite improvement...Thank you, Shauna.”

Then someone knocked the door, and Jackie allowed to enter.

“Hey guys, sorry I just…” Laura Lee entered to the room. “What am I interrupting?”

“Prom preparations.” Jackie said putting her jewelry on.

“That’s so great.” Laura Lee smiled. “I was just looking for Nat.”

“I haven’t seen her in a bit.” Jackie answered.

“Yeah, when you see her can you tell her that…I want to talk with her?” Laura Lee asked.

“I don’t know if she’d really willing.” Jackie said. “She’s pretty pissed. I mean, group didn’t go so well.”

“She’s pissed.” Laura Lee repeated. “I mean, group was mess in part because we were tired because we stayed up all night trespassing in a place, we absolutely shouldn’t have been…So, I was the only one with enough energy to talk, and I just shared my opinion, and she just blows up like a grenade and she’s pissed at me? I mean, yeah, she has her own personal reasons, but she doesn't have to take it out on me.” Laura Lee explained.

And, actually, it sounded more like a she was venting out.

“I’m not the main problem.” Laura Lee said with conviction. “I’m not just black and white. Some things are black and white, though, like don’t drag a group of immunocompromised kids into a basement full of bacteria and mold and Lord knows what else that…oh, yeah, we aren’t allowed to be in anyways. That’s…that’s pretty clear-cut.”

Shauna knew that that last part was addressed to her. She never liked trouble, but since she hadn’t anything to do in the business she decided not to fight back.

“And also, why is an insult that?” Laura Lee said. “What’s wrong with the thing that are black and white? I mean, my favorite movies are in black and white. I might be a little old-fashioned but I’m not like Lottie said or what’s been said, that’s not me, and it’s really…shitty that they keep saying that.”

“I’m sorry, Laura Lee…I won’t do it again.” Shauna genuinely apologized.

But Laura Lee just could bite her lips and walked away.

“Did I said something wrong?” Shauna asked Jackie.

“I don’t know.” Jackie said. “But I’m really proud that she said ‘Shitty’” She added chuckling.

Later on, Jackie was ready to go to the prom and most of the girls came out to see her off.

“My God, you look beautiful.” They heard Jeff said with excitement and then, he put the flower that both would wear to match on her wig.

“You kids be home before midnight!” Misty joked.

“Save room for the Holy Ghost!” Taissa laughed.

“Yeah, invite the Holy Ghost to join in!” Van added in the same way.

“I’ll see you later!” Jackie said

“I hope not!” Van cackled. “It’s prom! You should be neck-deep in…necking!”

“I hope she has fun.” Shauna whispered with a smile.

“Oh, she won’t.” Nat said dryly. “Not even a little. She just signed for about a thousand petty conversations and hours upon hours of lingering and crying on the stairs. Odds are they’ll crown her prom queen just out of pity.” She added seeing Jackie going away.

“I don’t get why they call it necking.” Taissa said to Van. “Like, of all the areas involved, the neck doesn’t even crack the top five.” And then, she went back into the house.

“Stay cool. Don’t overthink it.” Nat said to Shauna as she went away followed by Van.

“Are you okay?” Misty asked.

“Yeah.” Shauna said with a lost look. “No, it’s just…I don’t know, doing her makeup made me think about…all the things this takes from us before it takes everything.”

“You did a great job.” Misty praised. “Jackie looks divine. And I think she’s going to have a good time. Don’t care what Nat says.”

“Yeah, thanks.” Shauna said softly. “You know what I miss? My hair…I miss it a lot.”

Minutes later, Natalie was having a routine checkup with Ben, she went to get a blood sample for more specific.

“Sorry, I’m getting to this so late.” Ben apologized. “Clinical coordinator showed up for a site visit. So, which arm?”

And Natalie uncovered her left arm.

“I saw you mom on her way up yesterday.” Ben said. “I missed her the last few times. She’s a nice woman.”

“Thanks.” Nat whispered.

“You know, you can tell to shut up if you like.” Ben started. “But even nice people can be wrong.”

“What?” Nat asked.

“My folks are nice.” Ben continued. “When I came out, they flipped out. My dad nearly burst a blood vessel; my mom was a little better.”

“If I show you something, you promise not to make a big deal about it?” Nat said.

“Yeah, of course. What’s up?” Ben said.

Nat uncovered her right arm, and there was an eruption on it. Her illness was getting worse.

“Okay, so the meds.” Ben started.

“Aren’t working anymore.” Nat completed.

“They are developing better antiretrovirals.” Ben tried to comfort her. “Longer-lasting cocktails that will, you know, keep up with this.”

“How far off?” Nat asked.

“I don’t know.” Ben said. “A year…maybe, two.”

“Shit.” Nat whispered.

Then, Ben brought a chair near to Natalie and he took a sit.

“I’ve known people way worse than you who lasted a lot longer than that.” He explained. “It’s okay.”

When Nat left. She walked through the hallway of the recovery room, and when she passed by, the speaker of the communicator crackled. And that really stopped, but she kept walking.

“Nat.” A distorted voice sounded from the communicator.

So, Natalie walked back to the recovery room and tried to open the door, but it was locked up. And that was very uncommon.

The communicator’s speaker crackled again, but this time Nat was faster and pushed the button.

“Hello?” She spoke.

The communicator’s speaker continued crackling.

“Hello.” The distorted voice answered back. “Nat, listen.”

And then, Natalie ran to look for Ben.

“Someone’s in the recovery room.” She said when she found Ben.

“What?” Ben asked.

“Someone’s there and the door’s locked.” Natalie explained.

“Bu those rooms are never locked.” Ben said.

“It’s locked.” Nat remarked.

Ben walked to the recovery room and opened the door. There was no one in that room.

“But it was locked.” Nat said. “I swear it was.”

Midnight arrived and the club gathered, Jackie arrived around eleven o clock

“What’s with the fancy dress?” Lottie asked seeing Jackie’s elegant blue dress.

“Our intrepid warrior went to prom, remember?” Shauna chuckled.

“How’d it go?” Taissa asked Jackie.

“I was very brave.” Jackie joked.

“Oh, so brave.” Van played along.

“Yeah, very brave.” Misty added.

“Very, very brave.” Taissa said.

“So brave.” Laura Lee commented.

“The bravest person in the world.” Lottie said.

‘Being brave’ was an inner joke among Wiskayok’s residents. In the world outside, often not to say almost always, they were seeing with pity because of their illnesses. And often, not to say almost always again. The other people remarked them how brave they were every single time . Of course, it was pity disguised in a strange way.

“And everybody said so.” Jackie said.

“Anybody tell you that their grandmother died of cancer?” Van asked. “That’s always a big fat thank you.”

“I did get compared to a couple of grandparents.” Jackie reminded. “An old aunt, and a dog…And then I was made prom queen.” She told this last thing with a with a hint of sadness in her voice.

Right after this, Nat entered into the library with a bottle of wine. She left it on the table and took her seat. She looked sad

And everybody noticed the eruption on her arm.

Jackie took the bottle of wine and approached Nat.

“Are you okay, pal?” She asked.

“Fine.” Nat whispered.

And Jackie, poured wine in Nat’s cup.

“To those before. To those after. To us now and to those beyond.” Nat began to recite.

“To those before. To those after. To us now and to those beyond.” All repeated in unison.

“Seen or unseen. Here but not here.” Nat continued.

“Seen or unseen. Here but not here.” All repeated again.

And then, everybody drank a sip.

“I have one.” Laura Lee offered.

“Anyone else?” Nat said. “Who could do without the angel porn this evening.”

“It isn’t that.” Laura Lee quickly said as she walked to the head of the table. “It’s something different. It’s a detective story. Old school, you know, with murder, betrayal. Maybe even a ghost. It’s called ‘Execution of the Innocence’ That’s okay, Nat?”

“You do you.” Nat simply said.

“All begins one cold night. Sunday, May 30^th two deaths and one person missing. The after party of the school prom gone bad, the whole town looked like the perfect setting for a giant game of cat and mouse. And it was so cold and windy outside as if God himself were trying to clean up all the spilled blood.

“And then, in the office of Inspector Krasinski. A young girl, entered to it.”

“‘Mary Gardner, right?’ Krasinski asked and started to smoke his cigar.”

“‘Yeah, as I live and breathe.’ Mary said confidently adjusting her big sunglasses.

“‘Come on, take a sit, child.” Inspector Krasinski invited. ‘So, let’s start. Do you know who these people are…or should I say were? I understand that you were all in the same class, right?’ He added showing her three photos, they were pictures taken straight from the yearbook.”

“‘Where do I began?’ Mary lingered for a while.”

“‘Well commonly, it starts from the time of the facts.’ Inspector Krasinski said”

“‘But sir…If you want to know what really happened, we have to start way back.’ Mary said.”

“And so, Mary began to narrate. The girls on the photos were: Hannah Edwards, Mary’s childhood buddy, but now they were not speaking anymore. Deena Sutton, a wealthy girl, president of the class, cheerleading captain, and prom queen two years in a row. And Charlene Goodwin, Mary’s best friend.”

“Also involved, there was Lisa Bowman, the typical mean and popular girl. Whenever she saw an opportunity to ruin someone's life, she took it.”

“Everything started at homeroom, Charlene arrived a little late that day, She went to have some blood tests done, to see if he had a rare hereditary disease, which he gave to all the women in his family. This caused opened scars on her skin.”

“Whoa, hey!” Nat interrupted. “What the fuck do you think you’re doing? Because I’m pretty sure you aren’t doing what you think you’re doing. Especially after the mess of this morning.”

“Nat, I promise you, I have a very good reason.” Laura Lee answered.

“In her bag, there was the folder with the results. Those results were a bunch of dynamite ready to explode. And it wouldn't just affect Charlene, but Deena as well, whose perfect reputation she took so long to build would be thrown away, in just seconds.”

“‘Charlene Goodwin to the principal’s office, please. Charlene Goodwin to the principal's office, please’ They heard the speakers sound.”

“Charlene went to the principal’s office; Charlene was the editor-in-chief of the school newspaper and the last article that she wrote and had appeared in the most recent edition, exposed the use of illicit substances in order to improve the performance of the athletes of the football team of the school. Which the principal didn’t like at all.”

“‘So, the thing is, you’re gonna retire that article of the edition and in return I will exempt you from all the subjects this year and you will not have to take final exams.’ The principal offered.”

“‘I don’t care if you offer me a recommendation letter for Harvard. The world has to know how you win the championship of this year. You win cheating’ Charlene said with conviction, if she had a double-edged quality, it was that she was extremely stubborn about what she wanted.”

“‘Well, I thought you’d say that. So, If you don't do it the good way, you will do it the hard way. You are going to withdraw that article from the edition, or else I will expel you from the school for misconduct, so you will have to take the year again, and I don't know how you are going to do it, because no school will want to accept you.’ The principal sentenced.”

“‘Expel me then, because that article will come out’ Charlene said and then, she left.”

“When you’re a journalist, you can have a bunch of allies, but also you can have thousands of enemies. Charlene sealed her fate.”

“When she left the principal office, she noticed that paper sheets were glued into lockers, doors, windows and all the walls. All the students at least had a copy, when Charlene took one paper and she realized that was her results of her medical exams. The word: ‘Positive’ and her name were underlined and with red marker was written the word: ‘Sick’”

“Near the bulletin board, a bunch of copies were posted, and her entire class was watching them. When Charlene arrived, she saw Deena take a copy to read it. And then, she looked Charlene with an emotion that Charlene didn’t know if it was hate, disappointment or both.”

“Lisa, in a quick movement took Charlene's jacket by force, exposing the gaping scars on her arms. Ans started laughing.”

“‘Goodwin is a Swiss cheese!’ Lisa laughed along the other cheerleaders. Deena didn’t laughed, but nor did she do anything to stop the taunting.”

“Charlene could only run away, in effect, she was a carrier of the virus AM-505, also colloquially known as the executioner of the innocence, since it appeared just after finishing puberty.”

“The other thing is that Charlene maintained a secret friendship with Deena, They tended to make fine dresses at Deena's house, one day they both pricked themselves with the same needle and without knowing it, Denna was now also infected."

“Mary went after her, and Charlene between tears, idealized a plan. A master plan. She was one hundred per cent sure that the one who did that was Lisa, and she would take it upon herself to ruin her the same way she ruined Charlene.”

“The plan consisted that in the prom that would be celebrated in six days later, Charlene would fake her own death, she would make it all seem like Lisa’s fault. Deena would feel guilty until to the core and Lisa would be too. And in the Monday, Charlene would walk into the classroom as if nothing had happened.”

“That’s too cruel.” Van said. “But also, is a pretty good revenge idea.”

“I love the female rage!” Misty said.

“But Charlene couldn't do this alone, she’d need help, form Mary. But as Van said, the plan seemed to her too cruel. So, Charlene recurred to the less expected person. Hannah, that for her, she was the class nerd. And somehow, she accepted.”

“Suddenly, Mary interrupted her own deposition because she saw a very familiar hand in the ledge of the window. But second later, it was gone.”

“‘Everything okay, Ms. Gardner?’ Inspector Krasinski said.

“‘Yeah, sure…I just thought, I saw something’ Mary said and continued narrating.”

“Charlene’s plan to fake her own death consisted of the following. Charlene would pretend that she had shot herself in the head, on the auditorium stage and her body would fall backstage. With Hannah's help, she would make some very convincing sound effects and then they would both escape to Hannah's house, whose parents were away, and spend the rest of the weekend there.”

“Nothing could went wrong. At least that's what they thought. The prom’s night arrived. And Charlene attended on purpose with a yellow dress, you know, to increase the teasing, and thus appear much more convincing. At this point, the nickname of ‘Swiss Cheese’ no longer mattered to her as much as it did in the beginning.”

“Before the principal could take the stage to announce Deena's third victory as prom queen. Which by the way everyone already expected it…Charlene took the microphone and started to speak”

“ ‘Hey, I guess that you all know me already but if you don’t, I’m Charlene Goodwin, also known as…a very nasty nickname.’ Charlene started”

“‘Swiss cheese, get down of the stage! There’s no award for the most stinky student yet!’ Lisa shouted.”

“‘And principally, because all the teasing and taunting I have received I just decided that it’s not worthing living anymore’ Charlene added gravely as she took out the fake gun. ‘Because nobody wasn’t there for me when I needed the most. And the most of you are a bunch of double-sided hypocrites. That promote the respect until someone seems funny enough to you so, you mocked of that person until they get tired.’” Then, Charlene walked until backstage, and a gun shot was heard.

“‘I’m sorry!’ Deena shouted with a broken voice, running to the backstage.”

“But suddenly, it was heard another gun shot. And big was the surprise of everyone to find Deena dead and Charlene’s body was missing.”

“Hours later, Hannah Edwards' body was found in her own home. And the gunshot wounds that she had; they matched the ones that Deena had.”

“‘That’s all’ Mary said. ‘I think that Hannah regretted and tried to snitch Charlene, Charlene didn't like that, and she killed her’”

“‘Interesting’ Inspector Krasinski snorted. ‘We’ll take your testimony into account, Ms. Gardner. You can go know. But before you go, can you sign this paper’”

“‘Sure’ Mary said, and she signed.”

“‘Are you left-handed?’ Krasinski asked.

“‘Yeah, What surprises you?’ Mary said leaving.

“When she went out of the commissary, suddenly everything turned black. Mary was kidnapped. When she wake up, she recognized gym of the school, she was tied up to a chair and in front of them, there was Charlene, with a shotgun and her yellow dress still on.”

“‘It was about damn time’ Charlene chuckled roughly.”

“‘Are you going to kill me?’ Mary asked.”

“‘If you don't cooperate, maybe very possibly and with all the pain in my heart I will’ Charlene stated. ‘First question, Why?’

“‘What do you mean?’” Mary said.

“‘Don’t play dumb with me, Mary. The both of us know that you were the one who tried to attack Hannah and I in the backstage, you were the one who killed Deena. The silhouette was left-handed and so you are.”

“‘Deena saw everything, I couldn't risk that much.’ Mary said. ‘But hey, take it easy, it was not against you.’”

“‘That’s pretty clear for me because you literally came and killed Hannah in her own house. And on top of that you blamed me’ Charlene said ‘So, you didn’t want to help me because you were already planning you own revenge. Why?’”

“‘If you untied me, I’ll show you’ Mary said with seriousness”

“Charlene untied Mary from one hand, and she took her off her sunglasses.”

“She had yellowish eyes?” Jackie repeated with incredulity.

“Hepatitis C.” Laura Lee explained. “It’s a chronical illness, Jackie.”

“I’m aware.” Jackie said. “But Mary killed Hannah because Mary had Hepatitis?”

“Yeah but… let me finish. I swear everything makes sense at the end.” Laura Lee said.

“‘Hannah hid it better, she used to wear special contact lenses.’ Mary explained. ‘She infected me without knowing, all this pain became unbearable, I had to get revenge somehow. And I know two new things. Maybe the revenge isn’t that good and the second…Now you know too much, Charlene.’”

“Quickly, Mary tried to maneuver, but Charlene was faster following her instincts and shot her point blank. Now, Mary lay badly injured on the ground.”

“‘Mary, I’m sorry!’ Charlene yelled realizing what she had done.”

“‘The revenge…wasn’t too good after all’ Mary panted. ‘We never belonged here, we always deserved better…especially…especially you…’”

“There, Mary Gardner exhaled her last breath.”

“And then, Mary was guided to the purgatory by the angels of Hannah and Deena.” Laura Lee finalized. “The end.”

“Holy shit!” Van exclaimed amazed she was about to applaud but she was stopped by Taissa.

“I’m sorry, guys. Now I’m realizing that…Yeah, that totally went into angel porn towards the end, didn’t it? I have no idea why I can’t not to do that.” Laura Lee chuckled but then, she changed for a more serious and sincere voice. “I guess what I’m trying to say is…Natalie, I’m sorry for the way people treated you. I never would, it doesn’t mean I’m not an idiot sometimes…And for the record God never would treat you like that, I know that. So, I’m sorry, for me and on behalf of…All on behalf anyone who loves God, because you can’t love God and hate people that is different, you just can’t. So, on their behalf, I’m sorry…Like, legitimately fucking sorry.”

Nat looked at Laura Lee, both had a few tears their eyes. And then, Nat gave Laura Lee a kiss in the forehead. And then, Laura Lee stood up and hugged her tightly.

“I forgive you.” Nat smiled.

“Can I clap now?” Van whispered.

“Yes, you can.” Taissa said.

And then all the club clapped with joy.

As usual, Jackie and Shauna were left alone at the end.

“I’m sorry about prom.” Shauna said.

“Me too.” Jackie sighed.

“You deserve better than that.” Shauna added.

“Yeah, it hurt a little more than I wanted to let on.” Jackie said turning the lights off. “Come on, let’s go to bed.”

But then, Shauna seeing the library reminded what Afra said: Dewey Decimal System. And turned the lights on.

“What’s wrong?” Jackie asked.

“The Dewey Decimal System.” Shauna said running to the catalog. “Maybe that’s code, just in case….Section 292, please find it.”

“Here’s it.” Jackie said. “200 is religion.”

And there were both rummaging to that section.

“220, 230….” Shauna whispered.

“290, 292.” Jackie recited searching in the other side. “This one.” She added showing Shauna a completely black book without label and with the symbol in the cover.

They found it.

Meanwhile, Lottie was on her way to her bedroom. But suddenly she felt a presence, a very dark one, following her. And then, she started to hear indistinct whispers. She accelerated to her room and slammed the door as long as whatever was chasing her didn't reach her. She was deeply scared, that’s the way that Mari began. So, Lottie could be the next.

“I’m still here.” She repeated with short breath over and over trying to relax and stop sobbing.

But then, she see her own shadow take on a life of its own and tried to reach her with her arm. With made Lottie scream. Then, everything black.

Chapter 5: The Starlight Crystal

Summary:

The cast for this story:
Liv Hewson as Paige Christiansen
Jasmin Savoy Brown as Terri Vaughn/Sybil Vaughn
Steven Krueger as Dylan Ferguson
Lauren Ambrose as The Motorcyclist
Carlos Sanz as The Doctor

Chapter Text

When Shauna arrived along with Jackie to her bedroom. They found Lottie fainted in the ground and her wheelchair was overturned.

“Lottie, come on!” Shauna repeated over and over frantically, while she tried to move her.

When it seemed that there was nothing left to do, Lottie awoke accompanied by gagging vomit.

“Jesus Christ!” Jackie exclaimed seeing Lottie’s sudden awakening. “Are you okay?”

“Lottie are you okay?” Shauna asked.

But then, in the suddenly in the corner of the bedroom, Lottie could see the shadow approaching again.

“It’s right here!” Lottie screamed over and over desperately trying to crawl not to be caught And then, she fainted again.

The screams obviously alerted the nurse of the nightshift and Doctor Martinez. Together, and move Lottie another area. Shauna and Jackie explained everything.

“It was an overdose.” Martinez explained to Shauna when she appeared in his office to ask for Lottie. “She was apparently palming her pills, self-medicating You didn’t know this?”

“Ben said, when he got there in the morning…He asked someone about a do not resuscitate order. Did Lottie have a DNR?” Shauna asked.

“She didn’t tell you about that” Martinez said. “But yes, she has a DNR.”

Shauna was saddened by the fact.

“I always say that Wiskayok id about agency and it is. But it doesn’t mean Do Not Treat. we're not going to sit on our arms and watch someone overdose. The DNR is in very specific situations.” Martinez said. “She’s gonna be all right, by now.”

Later on, Shauna went to visit Lottie.

“How are you doing?” Shauna asked and sat in the contiguous bed.

“Trying.” Lottie asked dryly.

“Lottie…can I ask you something?” Shauna said.

“It depends.” Lottie answered.

“What was there last night?” Shauna asked softly. “You talked about that something was there. And I reminded instantly the shadow that you told us that Mari saw towards the end.”

“There was nothing.” Lottie lied. “I was just…I was just high. I just want to sleep right now if you don’t mind.”

“Sure.” Shauna said walking away.

When she was on the hallway, she bumped into Misty.

“Shauna.” She called. “How are you doing? Are you okay?”

“I don’t know.” Shauna said.

“I can imagine how you must feel right now.” Misty said. “But you…you got to be kind to yourself.”

“Thanks.” Shauna said with a slight smile.

“Come you come for a second?” Misty asked. “Just a second, come on.”

And when Shauna approached, Misty took out a measuring tape and measured Shauna’s head.

“What was that?” Shauna asked confused.

“Nothing…Just for the record.” Misty said closing the door of her bedroom.

Then, Shauna returned to her bedroom and started to read the book that she found with Jackie. And of course, when she finished it a week later, she ran to tell Jackie all about it.

“The Wilderness Diary belonged to a boy who called himself Asclepius. He was sixteen when he escaped.”

“Cults were a big thing in America in the ‘20s and ‘30s and a huge thing in the ‘40s. The Psychiana Movement, The Silver Legion and I AM Sect got the headlines. But the Wilderness was the most tragic of them all.”

“It was started in 1931 by Raphaelle Ballard, who would later call herself Aceso after the Greek Goddess of healing which makes a sad kind of sense. Her husband died of pneumonia and her younger son died of polio. So, she started the group as a new age health philosophy, as a naturopathic alternative to the medical establishment. But it changed into something else.”

“Aceso was obsessed with the ancient Greek Goddesses, in particular, The Five Sisters. Panacea, the Goddess of the universal health. Hygeia, Goddess of cleanliness. Iaso, Goddess of recuperation. Aglaea, Goddess of beauty. And Aceso, her namesake, Goddess of the healing process.”

“With the right worship, Aceso thought she could accomplish more than healthy living and healing sickness. She picked a symbol that represented in some way sacrifice. A symbol that she called The Wilderness, that meant sacrifice to obtain a reward.”

“Aceso chose which members would represent The Five Sisters. Outside of herself, of course. So, they dug deeper into the God and Goddess worship of the ancient world. Prayer wasn’t enough anymore. Offerings weren’t enough anymore either. She finally crossed the line intro true ancient ritual, blood sacrifice.”

“Asclepius was freaked out by what he saw. He wasn’t just any member. Aceso was his mom. He had watched his dad and his little brother died and now he was watching his mom lose her mind. Asclepius begged her to stop to see how crazy she was getting.”

“He knew he had to stop his mom. So, Asclepius gathered the other children and snuck out in the middle of the night. He led them almost a mile to the nearest neighbor and called the police.”

“The police went back but couldn’t find anyone, anywhere. Until they finally listened to Asclepius and checked the basement. The basement that had a secret button in the elevator.”

“All of the adults were death, poisoned. All except one. Aceso swore it was an accident. She said she’d gathered the wrong plants for the tea they drank in their rituals. But that was just a story. Because Asclepius says his mom knew exactly what she was doing. His mom told him something big was coming. A blood sacrifice that the Goddesses wouldn’t ignore. The blood sacrifice that would give her a long, long life.”

“Five Goddesses?” Jackie asked with incredulity when Shauna ended.

“The Five Sisters.” Shauna corrected.

“Are they Greek?” Jackie said.

“Well, these names are Panacea, Iaso, Aceso, Aglaea and Hygeia.” Shauna explained. “But see, in Rome, they were different. They were Carna, Feronia, Valetudo, Cardea and Febris. And in Egypt they were Sekhmet, Isis, Serket, Sobek and Apep. Same thing, different name.”

“It’s fucked up is what it is.” Jackie said. “Poisoning people because of some bullshit old stories?”

“Well, she really thought it could make her live longer.” Shauna said.

“And did it work?” Jackie asked with disbelief.

“Well, we never will know.” Shauna answered. “Aceso dropped off the radar after and went to her real name, so I don’t know how long she lived.”

“And what about her son, Asclepius?” Jackie asked.

“Well, that wasn’t his real name either.” Shauna explained. “And he definitely got out of here as fast as he could.”

“But he left his journal.” Jackie pointed out.

“And Jessica Roberts found it and read it and hid it in the library.” Shauna said. “And left those numbers for someone else to find it.”

“Why, though?” Jackie asked intrigued.

“Well, we know that Wiskayok was empty after The Wilderness. Empty until Martinez bought it in ’66. And he cleaned a lot of it out but missed some stuff. The journal and the basement for example. “Shauna explained. “And along comes Jessica Roberts and she finds both of them. She reads Asclepius’ diary which talks a lot about what they actually did, in pretty specific detail. She starts The Midnight Club in the basement and walks out here, cured.”

“I don’t know.” Jackie said doubtfully. “I mean, I’ve tried some crazy stuff. Like really crazy stuff…Honestly, I tried just about anything because I don’t want to die any more than the rest of us do, but…”

“It isn’t about believing.” Shauna said. “It’s a fact that The Wilderness was here in Wiskayok. They slept in our beds, sat at our tables, they walked in our halls. And they believed the things that Asclepius narrates in his diary. We know that Jessica found that journal and The midnight Club met in the same place that The Wilderness did the rituals, and we know that Jessica walked out of here, cured.”

“And what if for that she had to sacrifice the first members of the club?” Jackie said. “You said it yourself, the symbol of the cult represented that you had to make a sacrifice in order to obtain a reward, they believed in blood sacrifices. What if Jessica did the same thing?”

Meanwhile, they had this conversation. Shauna and Jackie were setting up the beach for a special occasion.

When, they came back. Shauna found out Misty again, waiting her in the drawing room with a package in her hand.

“What’d you get?” Shauna asked.

“My mom, she’s shooting a movie right now and she’s working with Molly Blake.” Misty explained. “You know who she is?”

“An actress?” Shauna tried to guess

“Nope. She’s a wig maker.” Misty said opening the package and taking out a case . “And not just a wig maker, she’s the wig maker. She’s made wigs that cost more than a hundred thousand dollars. And she just worships my mom. She’s worn her stuff for like for like four movie and four hundred red carpets. So, I send her the sizes, and she resizes one of her showroom pieces.” She added opening the case and taking out a brunette wig.

“Wow, that’s…” Shauna started to say.

“I know, actually she did mine based on pictures of me before chemo. And this new one, it’s even better, I think.” Misty said.

“That’s really great.” Shauna said.

“I think, honestly, you and I might be the only two people in the world who got an original Molly Blake without having to fly to Italy.” Misty said with excitement.

“Wait, what?” Shauna asked confused.

“This one is for you.” Misty smiled. “That’s why I measured your head last week…and that’s why I broke into your room while you were sleeping and stole some pictures of you.”

“Wait… that you did what?” Shauna said surprised.

“Try it on.” Misty said and then, she helped Shauna to put the wig on. After that, Misty took out a hand mirror and let Shauna saw her reflection.

The best part of the situation? It's just that it looked like her hair had never fallen out at all. Her long brown hair was there. It would be a lie if I didn't tell you that Shauna was about to cry with happiness at that moment.

“I don’t know…I don’t know how to thank you.” Shauna smiled.

“Don’t worry. That is what friends are for.” Misty smiled back.

“Why?” Shauna asked.

“You mentioned it.” Misty said.

And it that moment, Shauna hugged Misty tightly.

In the night, all the club went down to the beach, for a very special event. Everybody sit around a bonfire except for Van and Nat who were stand up in front of everyone.

“We’re gathered here today to celebrate Van’s death day.” Nat announced with enthusiasm.

And everybody applauded and celebrated.

“A day that she was not supposed to reach…A year ago, a bunch of doctors told her that she had a year to live. A year ago, and today, here we are.” Nat continued. “Here she is, the stubborn motherfucker is still here.”

“Don’t adlib, just read what’s there.” Van asked Nat.

And then, Taissa arrived. Van's eyes lit up when she saw her.

“Sorry, I’m late.” She said taking a sit.

“That’s okay. We just got started.” Van smiled.

“Van’s brain has been eating itself for a long time.” Nat continued reading the speech. “That glioblastoma is an asshole.”

“You’re just speaking from heart spontaneously, aren’t you?” Van asked.

“An asshole that took this beautiful, brilliant, and hilarious woman and gave her all the seizures.” Nat kept on and rubbed Van's shaved head. “If she drinks alcohol, she could have a seizure. If she takes an aspirin, she could have seizure. To be blunt, if this bitch breathes too hard, she could have a seizure. Her grey shit just don’t work anymore…And yet, she thrives.” Nat added this last part and looked Van with a smile.

“Today, maybe tomorrow I’ll be six feet under.” Van joked and everybody laughed.

“And now, you funeral dress, please” Nat asked.

Then, Van took off the black dress that she was wearing. And everybody started to whoop and laugh. And when Van finished taking off the black dress, dress shoes, pristine white stockings. She made a playful bow to her friends. And everybody applauded and cheered.

“I was gonna be buried in this dress today.” Van said. “My mother picked this dress since New Jersey Women's Penitentiary, pretty nice place, by the way…In the moment, I told her that it’s a nice one, but now that I look at it carefully, I realize that it is not. I can tell, it’s not me…Nat, do the honors”

And then, Nat took out a grey t-shirt with a printed soccer ball and the legend: ‘Kick the ball or kick the bucket’

“Oh, yeah, this is the shirt that I would actually like to be sent off in.” She said showing the t-shirt. “So…see you later.” She added putting the dress in a pit that the club had dug.

Right after this, Van sprinkled a handful of earth over the pit. And so, all the club stood up and did the same.

Then, Van finished dressing and the club started the real celebration.

“These are really special…brownies.” Van said looking her hand completely lost.

Yes, they celebrated eating marijuana brownies.

“Getting high was on your ‘Before I Die’ list.” Taissa explained. “We had to make it happen.”

“Happy death day!” Said Misty approaching with a giftbox and giving it to Van.

“What’s this?” She asked.

“Open it, fool” Misty insisted.

Van opened the giftbox and she took out the head of the animatronic of a velociraptor.

“What the fuck?” Van laughed. “How did you get this thing?”

“My dad’s a friend of Steven Spielberg…And he has some friends in VFX department too.” Misty explained.

“Thank you so much, Misty.” Van said and hugged Misty tightly.

“Do y’all think Martinez smokes weed?” Nat asked suddenly.

“Yes.” Everybody answered at unison.

“Do you really think so?” Laura Lee asked.

“He bought this place. So, yeah, one’s gotta have some kinda of escape.” Misty said. “And he doesn’t strike me as a drunk but weed, it makes sense.”

“Maybe he’s super evil and he really just started this place so he could watch the people suffer.” Lottie said in a grim tone. “Or maybe even siphon off our life force and put our souls into dolls…And late at night, he talks to those dolls, makes them do tricks and the dolls have to escape but they’re way too short to reach the doorknob.”

Everybody stayed silent and kind of impressed.

“Well, now, I’m thinking about it.” Van said hugging her velociraptor’s head like a teddy bear.

“That’s a good point.” Nat said. “Do we really know where these bodies go?”

“Maybe Martinez make secret feast where he ate the roasted bodies along the nurses.” Shauna said. “Like a bacchanal cannibal feast.”

“What if it’s like ‘Hansel and Gretel’ but also like ’Sweeney Todd’? And he…he lured us here with our sicknesses just to bake us into pies.” Laura Lee tried to explain, as you can read, she was pretty high at this moment.

“Laura Lee is high, y’all!” Nat laughed. “Like a death pie high.”

Everybody burst out laughing.

“Gosh, I’m going to tell a story called ‘Death Pie High’” Nat chuckled. “It’s gonna be about a high school lunch lady catering a pep rally and getting revenge for a bake sale scandal. And holy shit, it is writing itself.”

And all the girls continuing laughing. At the end, Van was left alone with Taissa.

“It’s nice to see you, again” Van said. “Now you are out of your cave.”

“Well, I started to sleepwalk again.” Taissa said sadly. “At least, Doctor Martinez said that is that. My mom used to think that I liked to sneak across the house to watch TV or grab a snack in the nights. But sometimes I just felt like a puppet of someone else pulled out the strings while I sleep. Doctor Martinez said that it can be because anxiety. And I think that what happened to Lottie active it again.”

“Well, you’re not alone in all that anxiety thing.” Van tried to comfort her. “I’m so fucking scared that I’m gonna die before seeing my mom again. I’ve been scared all week, all month, actually. “All about today, I had this sensation that I could die in any moment.”

“But you didn’t. That’s a good thing” Taissa said with a smile. “What else is in your list?”

“There are two things left…Get the girl and save the world.” Van said.

“Is that all?” Taissa asked.

“Yeah, that’s all.” Van answered. “I don’t know if I’ll ever do that. I don’t know if I can. I don’t if I should, you know.” She chuckled.

Both looked at each other and gave to the other a sincere smile.

Shauna was getting ready to the reunion. Definitely eating those brownies wasn’t a good idea. The good thing was the effect passed by quickly. But when she het out of the bathroom. She saw the antler silhouette watching sleep Lottie.

But then, she disappeared. Shauna thought that this time was fault of the brownies.

When she left the bedroom again Shauna saw the house in ancient way again and with that damn song blasting. Shauna walked slowly to the library. When she saw the antler silhouette another time. The silhouette entered to the library and Shauna, in her innocence or naivety if we can call it that entered into the library too.

It was all empty, but the chimney, that was working.

The antler silhouette now was on her back.

“Hello?” She said.

The silhouette turned around and then, Shauna come to her senses, it was Jackie.

“Shit, you’re scared me.” She said. “Are you okay?”

“Did you just come in here?” Shauna asked.

“Yeah.” Jackie said hesitantly.

“Why?” Shauna said.

“Because it’s midnight.” Jackie obviated.

“Fire’s ready, folks!” Van called.

“Did you hear that music?” Shauna asked as she approached the table and have a sit.

“What music?” Jackie asked.

“I don’t know, actually.” Shauna answered.

“Wow.” Taissa said. “You must have found a really, really special brownie. What’d you, see?”

“There was a silhouette completely covered, with antlers standing over Lottie.” Shauna said.

“Oh, shit.” Nat whispered.

“You’re still high.” Jackie explained. “I mean, I still high. Laura Lee is almost asleep.”

“I don’t know, though.” Nat said skeptical. “I didn’t want to say anything just because, I don’t know, I thought maybe I imagined it. But a few nights ago, I heard someone calling my name out of the intercom speaker in the recovery wing. I had Ben open the door…and no one was there.”

“What did it sound like?” Misty asked.

“Yeah, it was a voice you recognize?” Van asked.

“I’m not even sure if I heard it. And if I actually did, it was all distorted.” Nat explained. “And I didn’t want to bring it up and you know, sound all weird for nothing.”

“Maybe it was a sign.” Laura Lee suggested sleepy. “Telling you that you’re okay. That there’s a Heaven or a place to go, and you don’t have nothing to fear.”

“Do you guys know what Lottie would say, right?” Nat said. “She’d say, if it was a ghost or a sign, if they could say ‘Nat,’ they could say something else too.”

“I don’t think she’s coming tonight.” Shauna said.

“Really?” Nat asked with disbelief.

“She was asleep when I left.” Shauna said.

“Should we even do this tonight?” Van said. “I mean, if were still high and if we’re still freaked out, then I totally understand.”

“We’re doing it.” Nat affirmed. You planned this day to the letter, and you said it ended in your story. Unless you want to hear ‘Death Pie High’ which I’m totally committing to, by the way, I suggest you step up.”

“So, I’m gonna make a little twist on the toast tonight…I want to toast to days thinking about the day that we’ve all had, the day that somebody told us that we’re gonna die.” Van announced raising her cup and going to sit to the head of the table. “To those days before and to those after.”

“To those days before and to those after.” Everyone repeated.

“To these days now and to those days beyond.” Van said.

“To these days now and to those days beyond.” Everyone repeated again.

“All those days seen or unseen. Here but not here.” Van continued

“All those days seen or unseen. Here but not here.” Everyone said.

“To all those days, all of them.” Van finished and then, all drank a sip. “My story is called ‘The Starlight Crystal’ and it doesn’t have things that go bump in the night. But it does have things, a few things, in fact that kinda scare me.”

“All started in 1996, remember that year because is gonna be very, very important. Paige Christiansen loved the astronomy, the space and everything that had to do with it. She still remember the day that her dad talked about he had saw the transmission in live of the 1969 Moon Landing on the TV.”

“So, she decided to study astronomy to have the job of her dreams as an astronaut of the NASA. She had a happy relationship with her roommate and high school’s girlfriend, Terri Vaughn. One day, a convocation of the NASA was done: They were looking for a young person to travel across the orbit of the Earth in a new spaceship called The Traveler.”

“Paige, as a joke, registered in the contest because curiously she fulfilled all the characteristics. Big and pleasant was her surprised when the NASA called her to announce that she had been the one chosen to travel into The Traveler.”

“The day after she left, she had a conversation with Terri.”

“‘How much time how long will you be in space?’ Terri asked.”

“ A week, I will go around the earth and the rest of the time, I’ll be in the Space Station.’ Paige explained. ‘I’ll take a lot of photos.’

“‘What if you bumped into an alien or an UFO? Terri joked.’”

“‘I’ll take a photo with it and that will definitely be a great anecdote for my grandchildren.’ Paige said.”

“‘Be in the space just at eighteen years old it’s a great anecdote for your grandchildren by itself.’ Terri said and that moment, she noticed that Terri was about to cry, so she went to hug her.’”

“‘You’re such a crybaby, Terri. When you least notice it, I'll be back in the Earth.’ Paige said.”

“The next day was the big day, so Paige were to the NASA headquarters where the launch would be. She put on a spacesuit, and in matter of minutes she felt like the daughter of Neil Armstrong.”

“‘Undercarriage? Asked the guy in the control station.”

“‘Ready’ Paige answered.”

“‘Propeller? The guy asked again.”

“‘Ready’ Paige said with decision.”

“‘Intercom?’ The guy asked.”

“‘Loud and clear’ Paige answered.”

“‘Starting launch in ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one, zero.’ Paige heard and that countdown gave her goosebumps of the excitement.”

“And then, she was being launching to space in the most modern spaceship: The Traveler. And she actually get out of the Earth but suddenly she realized that she didn’t start to orbit the Earth, she went in a straight line, and the whispers over the intercom that there had been a trajectory planning error weren't helping too much.”

“Right after, the intercom stopped working, and now all she could hear was static and then nothing at all. Then, everything started to get very cold.”

“‘Activating emergency protocol. starting cryogenic process’ Paige heard the computer said. And then, she lost consciousness.”

“Later, she woke up, surrounded by doctors and strange machines doing her CPR. Paige was confused and partially scared. She wanted to ask about everything, but the oxygen mask prevented her from doing it.”

“Stay calm and relax, the confusion and shock is normal. You don’t have anything to worry you’re in good hands now.’ A doctor told her.”

“A few hours later, she was now in a bed of a hospital.”

“‘You’re Paige Christiansen, right?’ The doctor asked.”

“‘Yeah, that’s me’ Paige said, she was confused as hell at this point.”

“‘Okay…as you know you were the only passenger on The Traveler.’ The doctor started. ‘As you know, something go wrong and started and old-fashioned but effective cryogenic process…This is a little hard to hear but, we’re on the year 2096, the cryogenic process did not allow your body or your organism get old as it normal, so now, at the day of today, you have one hundred eighteen years.’”

“‘So, am I in the future?’ Paige asked.”

“‘Yes, in theory, because now, what seemed like a future for you is now a present’ The doctor explained. ‘You’re in a military hospital right now, but you’ll be you will be discharged tomorrow, you are in perfect health.’”

“‘And what if I want to look for someone? Paige asked’”

“‘Possibly all the people you know are now dead.’ The doctor said coldly.”

“I mean, you guys with all your new technology could extend life expectancy?’ Paige asked with disbelief.”

“‘We can extend life expectancy anymore; we would be too many people both for Earth and for our colonies on Venus and Mars. The life expectancy, is now of one hundred years old’ The doctor explained.”

“Paige could barely sleep at night, first of all, she didn’t want to lose more time sleeping and but also she couldn’t stop keep wondering how much the world had changed in her absence.”

“The next day, before leaving the military hospital. The doctor gave her a holographic pad. It was pad that worked with holograms, and it had all the knowledge discovered so far and it could be made small enough to fit in her pocket. He told her that now everyone has one, and it could be useful to search the person that she was looking for.”

“The future wasn’t too far of what she imagined. They were flying cars, the robots and cyborgs were something common, you could make space travels like to any other part of the world. Yes, Paige it took a while to learn how to use his holographic pad. But when she learned how to search people. She immediately wrote the name of: Teresa J. Vaughn.”

“And there it was, all the information possible about Terri popped up. All her life, she graduated from college and started at a career branch of aerospace science, she developed more precise and perfect trajectory systems for spacecraft, and she invented the first black box for rockets and the hyperdrive system to travel across black holes.”

“Terri also founded the P. Christiansen Foundation to support of the families of lost astronauts in honor to Paige. She tried all her life to find her. She got married with a woman called Mindy, had four children, eight grandchildren, and sixteen great-grandchildren. Paige was amazed until she saw in the section of life status the word: ‘Deceased’.”

“This saddened Paige deeply. But she even didn’t know if Terri had a grave where to mourn. She decided to contact Terri’s great-granddaughter, Sybil. Paige looked for her address and she went to her house.”

“And when, Sybil opened the door, Paige realized that she was identical to Terri.”

“‘What can I help you?’ Sybil asked.

“‘Well, I’m Paige Christiansen, and I just wanted to know if your great-grandmother, Teresa, had a grave or something to visit her.’“

“‘Impossible, Paige Christiansen died in a special mission a century ago.’ Sybil answered skeptical.”

“‘What? No! I’m alive. It’s me. I was rescued.’ Paige said.”

“‘No way, you, after all this time you were alive.” Sybil said amazed. ‘I can take you to the family graveyard if you want. Come on, enter please.’”

“They entered into the house, now everything functioned with solar energy or electricity. And Sybil for a while, stopped to adjust her wristwatch.”

“‘Okay, hold on tight, the first time you may feel a little dizzy.’ Sybil indicated.

“‘Wait why?’ Paige asked, She honestly felt like her granny when she asked her how to fix the TV or listen to music on a stereo.”

“‘Because we’re going to teleport until there, silly’ Sybil said and then, she press a button and started the teleportation.”

“And Sybil was right. For Paige felt like riding a fucking roller coaster standing without a seatbelt. And it matter of just one minute, they were in the Vaughn’s family graveyard.”

“And after walked a little they found Terri’s grave with an epitaph that said ‘In the beloved memory of Teresa J. Vaughn. Her brilliant mind and bright heart are now shining along the stars,’ I’d be lying if I didn’t say that Paige didn’t cried quietly. Terri spent all her life searching her and now that she was back, Terri was the one that was gone.”

“‘She never accepted the fact that you could be dead all this time’ Sybil said patting her in the back. ‘You were really important to her.’”

“‘I know you mean that with a good heart, but it still makes me feel worse.’ Paige said. ‘But you know, thank you, Sybil…Thank you.”

“‘Paige, she wrote a letter for you. She wrote it in paper and gave the instructions of keep it from generation to generation until you arrive.’ Sybil said giving her an envelope. ‘She never allowed us to open it. Do you want to be alone for a moment to read it?’

said giving her an envelope. ‘She never allowed us to open it. Do you want to be alone for a moment to read it?’

“‘Yeah, I’d like that’ Paige said. And then, Sybil walked away under a tree.”

“Paige opened the envelope and the letter said something like this: ‘Dear Paige, if you’re reading this, my hopes came true, but also, I’m not in this world anymore. I'll get to the point, one year after you went away, I wished to a shooting star to bring you back home. Then, in my backyard I found a strange crystal. A Starlight Crystal, I discovered that that thing had the ability to travel through time, to the date you want, as long as you desire it with your heart. I kept it in secret for years because I couldn’t travel enough far to prevent you from getting on that ship. Now, the crystal is stored in the vault of my college faculty. My student and Sybil’s teacher, Dylan Ferguson knows how to enter. Use it and don’t board that ship. You can only use it once, Paige. So, don't waste it. I’ll be waiting for you in the past. Love, Terri’”

“Now, Paige had a mission. Find the Starlight Crystal.”

“‘Do you know Dylan Ferguson?’ Paige asked to Sybil.”

“‘Yeah, he is my physics teacher at high school.’ Sybil answered.”

“‘I need you to take me with him, please, Terri’s last will says that I have to go with him’ Paige explained. ‘And find the Starlight crystal.”

“‘Okay, this travel is gonna be longer.’ Sybil said adjusting her wristwatch. ‘Hold tight and don’t puke.’”

“Then, they teleported again, this time the travel lasted one minute and half, enough to make Paige feel goosebumps. They appeared in the porch of Ferguson. And Sybil rang the bell.”

“‘Vaughn, I already told you that I don’t receive homework the Saturdays’ Ferguson said as he opened the door.”

“‘No, it’s not for that’ Sybil said. ‘It’s Paige Christiansen, she’s back and she wants to see you.’”

“‘Is she back?’ Ferguson asked with disbelief.”

“‘Yeah, I’m back.’ Paige said. ‘Do you know where to find the vault where that Starlight Crystal?’”

“‘Actually yes, it’s in the science faculty of Columbia College.’ Said Ferguson. ‘You already read the letter, right?’”

“‘Yeah, so will you help me…please?’ Paige said.

“‘I made a promise with Teresa, so yes, I’ll help you.’ Ferguson said.”

“‘Are we going to use that magic wristwatch again?’ Paige asked.”

“ ‘No, not this time. Not all of us has one, we’re gonna go in my car.’ Ferguson said. ‘So, are you coming?’”

“They, got into the car, and started to fly, everything was alright, but then, they heard shot. It was a figure completely dressed in white. In a flying motorbike, and then, another, another, and another shot.”

“‘Vaughn, take the wheel, you’re the designated driver now, Paige bow your head’ Ferguson indicated, as he took out a plasma blaster of the glovebox and went to the back seats.”

“Then, Ferguson took half his body out of the window and began to shoot against the motorcyclist. Paige hid under the seat, and Sybil tried to keep the car in the air. But everything started to go wrong when, the motorcyclist shot Ferguson in the arm and the blaster fell into the void, and he had to hid too.”

“‘I see the College’ Sybil said.”

“‘Start landing, do it fast’ Ferguson ordered. ‘Paige, the vault is in the classroom 2525, you have to introduce the password into code tablet behind the board.’

“‘And what’s the password?’ Paige asked.”

“‘I don’t know, Teresa told that is something that you’d gonna know.’”

“‘Shit, Terri, you’re a genius’ Paige snorted with sarcasm, she hadn’t a clue.”

“In that moment, Sybil landed but so did the motorcyclist. The motorcyclist left her vehicle at the same time as Paige and tried to attack her. But Sybil were faster and from her wristwatch. lightning flashed and electrocuted the motorcyclist.”

“‘Go, it will give you time.’ Sybil said ‘Run!’”

“Paige ran into the college fast as thunder. She ran, went upstairs looking for the classroom 2525. But then, she realized that the motorcyclist was following her steps. Paige finally found the classroom 2525.”

“‘It’s over, Paige. No more’ The motorcyclist with a distorted voice.”

“Paige ran into the classroom until the board, then she realized that the password could be the year she left. 1996. And it worked.”

“Was the motorcyclist an angel?” Laura Lee asked.

“Nope.” Van said. “It’s even better, let me finish.”

“Both entered to the vault, and there it was, The Starlight Crystal. She just had to touch it while thinking the date she like to travel. But, seeing that the motorcyclist started to get closer. Paige took the plasma gun that was embedded in the wall. She hit the motorcyclist right in the chest, leaving her despondent. Then, Paige was about to touch the crystal.

“‘Wait!’ The motorcyclist said taking off the helmet revealing her face it was an adult woman identical to Paige, but with her face full of scars. ‘Believe me, you’ll regret of that.’”

“‘Who are you?’ Paige asked pointing at her with the gun.”

“‘I’m you, but…from the future.’ Future Paige explained. ‘Look, here’s the thing if you travel through time and don’t board that ship. Terri wouldn’t have a motive to invent all the wonders that she invented. The Earth is gonna overpopulate and because the pollution a new kind of deathly pneumonia will appear. And Terri will die of it. You’ll live unhappily for twenty years, and you are only gonna have one chance to travel to the past and stop yourself of using the crystal.”

“‘But I mean yeah, it’s so cool save humanity. But what about us? We lost so much time, and now all I knew is gone, all the people I’ve ever loved before is gone.’ Paige said.”

“‘I know, we know. I said literally the same thing in its time. But I’ve learned that the world will keep turning with or without you. The people will grow, the things will change.’ Future Paige said. ‘And you have to learn to live and adapt to the present and stop clinging to the past. That time that we lost, Paige will never recover it, but now, you can enjoy of everything that is ahead of you.’”

“‘But I don’t have nothing!’ Paige said.”

“‘That’s what you believe, but in this right moment, you have more than you think’ Future Paige said.”

“‘And what about Terri?’ Paige asked.”

“‘Live the life she would have liked us to have. That’s always the best way to honor the people that we love.’ Future Paige said. ‘And destroy that crystal, is very dangerous in the wrong hands.’”

“Destroying the crystal mean that she would no longer have the opportunity to travel in time and, but she could break the loop forever , but she could ignore Future Paige and touch it anyways. Paige finally took a decision, she shot to the crystal until it shattered.”

“‘Enjoy your time, Paige.’ Future Paige said before become stardust.”

“Paige came out of the college without the crystal. In the yard, there was Sybil tending to Ferguson's wound.”

“ ‘What happened? Where’s the crystal?’ Ferguson asked.”

“‘Guys, could you give me a tour around the city?’ Paige simply said. ‘Sorry for wasting your time.’”

“‘You don’t have to be sorry’ Sybil smiled. ‘Of course, I’ll give you a tour around the city.’”

“Twenty-seven years passed; it was the year 2123. And it was Paige’s 45^th birthday. She achieved her dream of being an astronomer. That night there would be a shoot meteor shower that could be sighted from Earth and the Mars and Venus colonies. So, she went to the backyard with rock chairs and with Sybil, that had become a like a little sister for Paige and her one last memory of her beloved Terri.”

“‘Can I ask you something?’ Sybil asked while they were seeing the meteor shower.”

“‘Sure’ Paige said. ‘I mean, you’re already asking me something’”

“‘If you could travel in time, would you change anything?’ Sybil asked.”

“‘I wouldn't change a thing’ Paige smiled.”

“For a second, Paige wondered What would her life have been like if she had never been lost in the space…Maybe it would be different, but that no longer matter. She will enjoy every minute of the life she had to live.” Van finished. “And maybe…Future Paige was like her guardian angel all the time. Maybe that's what angels are, second chances.” She added to please Laura Lee, but unfortunately, was so high that she wasn’t awake to hear it.

“Wow.” Jackie said amazed. “Watch out, James Cameron.” She chuckled.

“Guys, she’s gonna be so mad.” Misty said seeing Laura Lee sleeping soundly. “Weeks and weeks of angel porn and she missed the one angel story that actually worked.”

After the club reunion, Shauna went back to her to find Lottie, trying frantically to change her bed sheets.

“What are you doing?” Shauna asked.

“Go away!” Lottie said.

“I can help you.” Shauna offered.

“I said go away!” Lottie insisted.

Shauna approached to the bed when she began to notice a very particular smell.

“I wet the bed.” Lottie finally confessed with shame.

“Let’s get you in the bath.” Shauna said softly. “I’ll take care of the sheets.”

So, Shauna started to remove dirty sheets and Lottie was about to cry.

“I killed my mother.” Lottie said in a low voice.

Those were strong statements that took Shauna by surprise.

“Let’s just start with the bath…then the sheets, and…then we can talk about your mother.” Shauna said.

Meanwhile, Van accompanied Taissa to her bedroom.

“Why did you end it like that?” Taissa asked.

“Like what?” Van said.

“Paige can’t be with Terri anymore; she doesn’t get the girl.” Taissa said.

“I write what I know.” Van sighed.

“I wanted them to be together.” Taissa said. “Good night.” She added as she walk into her bedroom.

“Good night.” Van whispered.

But there, Taissa turned around, approached to Van. And following her instincts, she kissed her.

“See you later, Van.” She smiled before walk away into her bedroom.

Meanwhile, after a bath and changing the sheets, Lottie told her confession to Shauna.

“I never went to a school party before, so I decided to go this one, but meanwhile she passed away. While I was dancing and drinking and all that stuff, she was suffering because she was…clinging to life, to see me again.” And at that point, Lottie was fighting the urge to cry. “My father didn’t talk to me anymore after that. And, in my pain I pushed away Travis, my former best friend….He tried to help me, but I do not leave him. We had a fight and he vanished. Two months later I got diagnosed…I know what it was.” She added taking out a photo from the drawer, the frame mark was broken. “This is my last photo with Travis.”

“What?” Shauna asked.

“What I saw one week ago.” Lottie said. “The shadow…The darkness that comes for you when it’s your time, haunting you until you die...I don’t want to die.” And at that moment Lottie began to cry.

Shauna, instinctively, hugged Lottie.

“I don’t want to die, Shauna. I don’t want to die.” Lottie cried and cried.

And that Shauna realized that there was a way.

Chapter 6: The Grave

Summary:

The cast for this story:
Sophie Neélise as Kelly Weir
Ella Purnell as Orla Lovett
Carlos Sanz as Mr. Grimes
Courtney Eaton as Theodora Grimes

Chapter Text

“Cindy’s funeral and the first session of Melanie's trial were the same day. The audience was pretty boring but also, it was promising, there was no dirty rag to get out of her.”

“But of course, being the main suspect in the murder of the school's golden girl, she earned being ostracized and harassed by her peers. Except for one person, Susan, the only one who at least believed in Melanie's innocence. and therefore, she confided in Melanie her assumptions.”

“‘I think that Marc did it’ Susan said one day after the school, they were drinking cheap and shitty liquor in the roof of Susan’s house.”

“‘Marc Hall? Why?’ Melanie asked, she longed for her reputation as a good and perfect girl that she had to sacrifice and finally throw off the killer label.”

“‘Marc had a very good motive to kill Cindy. For a start, she practically ruined his football career, he had a sports scholarship in Grinnell right now. But his teammates forced him to quit the team after Clyde’s accident.’ Susan explained.

“‘Clyde?’ Melanie asked with confusion.”

“‘Clyde Davis, he was team’s quarterback, but he had an accident a year ago that left him paralyzed waist down’ Susan said. ‘But Marc himself told me that Clyde told him that the one who was driving that night was Cindy, not Clyde as the official version said… The other proof is that Marc’s dad is a butcher, could have gotten the knife easily and in the autopsy, it was confirmed that the stab was made by a lefty and who else is lefty? Marc Hall.’”

“‘And he stabbed her during the intermission before he came to stage for nobody to suspect it was him’ Melanie said.”

“‘Now just we need a proof to blame him’ Susan said.”

“Later in the night, Melanie received a strange note. That said: ‘Come and finish the last act. School Gym, Today’s midnight.’ She accepted without thinking twice. Melanie always loved challenge.”

“When she arrived, she found someone who was not expected at all...Well, maybe yes.”

“And if you want to hear the exciting conclusion, you’re gonna have to…” Jackie started excitedly.

“Stay alive a little while longer.” Everybody completed tiredly.

“That’s so mean.” Laura Lee pointed out.

“Damn, man. I don’t know how you’re doing it, but you’re making me feel bad for a gal that only appears for two minutes whom only mistake was driving drunk.” Van said.

“Well, everybody, that’ll make for some sweet dreams.” Nat declared. “Good stuff."

“I got one.” Shauna intervened. “Unless you guys are too tired.”

“Hell yeah, double story!” Van said excited.

“It’s been a while since we had one of these.” Lottie commented.

Shauna headed to the head of the table and take a sit.

“It’s a weird one.” She said.” And also, it’s not fully formed yet. I think that it’s kinda relatable. It’s called ‘The Grave.’ It’s about magic and maybe a little bit of science, eternity, and fate.”

“Kelly Weir has a really normal and boring life. She just lived with her mother, because her parents had divorced after Kelly's little sister-to-be was a stillbirth. So, yeah, Kelly’s life was nothing special, there would be some joy sometimes, and other times, there would be some sorrow. But all that routine of normality was about to change forever.”

“One afternoon, after the school she was sitting on a bench in the local park, listening to music, lost in her own world. Then, someone appeared.”

“‘May I sit here? The girl asked. ‘I’m Orla by the way. You’re Kelly, clarinet in the school band, right?’”

“‘Yeah, that’s me…But I’ve never seen you before.’ Kelly said confused.”

“‘Orla Lovett, does the name sound you?’ Orla said. ‘In French class. I’ve always want to talk you, but I never knew how to get closer.’”

“ ‘Well, now you’re here.’ Kelly chuckled. ‘I'm an open book.’

“After the encounter in the bench, Kelly and Orla became closer. They spent more time together, they became best friends, And one always asked the other: ‘Where had you been all this time?’”

“But, one day, everything changed. Orla and Kelly were fooling around in the local supermarket. And Orla decided that it would become a really good anecdote that they sneaked into the authorized personnel only area. Kelly didn't like the idea; she had always been more prudent and rational. But somehow, Orla’s persuasive skills they had always been very convincing.”

“They sneaked into that area, and finally they found a huge freezer.”

“‘Here they store the meat, right?’ Orla said.”

“‘Not just meat, fruits, vegetables, dairy, anything that needs refrigeration.’ Kelly.”

“‘It must be very cold inside there’ Orla said.”

“‘No shit, Sherlock. Of course, is very cold.’ Kelly chuckled.

“‘And if we get in there?’ Orla said.

“‘That’s stupid’ Kelly said. ‘What if someone comes and catch us?’”

“‘No one is going to come’ Orla said. ‘Come on, all for the anecdote.’”

“Kelly was not so convinced with the idea, but she entered anyways…Yeah, it was a stupid decision, but a bit of stupidity is necessary for the sake of the plot…And it felt refreshing.”

“Kelly was a little further in than Orla, and as they were advancing the colder the matter became. But suddenly, Kelly heard Orla's loud footsteps coming out of the fridge to close it and sure enough she did. Now Kelly was trapped.”

“Kelly felt that her body freezes and becomes numb as time passed. Clearly her spring clothes weren't going to help her much. And finally, she fell asleep or better said, she lost the consciousness.”

“Just six hours were necessary, now it was midnight. Orla opened the fridge and dragged Kelly’s body out of it. She pressed three times against her friend's chest. And Kelly woke up with a gasp. But this time, everything felt different.”

“‘Welcome back to life, Kelly.’ Orla said. ‘You’re officially dead.’”

Suddenly, Lottie fainted on the table, and everybody went to help her immediately. Shauna touch Lottie’s wrist just to verify.

“She’s still alive.” She said, and Jackie went immediately to find Martinez.

Lottie was transferred to the recovery room. And in the morning, during group therapy, nobody doubted in asking what happened to their friend.

“It’s sepsis, which is a body’s extreme reaction to an infection.” Martinez explained. “Her body is damaging its own tissue.”

“I know God has a plan for all of us but…” Laura Lee started.

“Can we don’t do this today?” Nat said, assuming what was coming.

“Screw His plan and screw cancer.” Laura Lee said to everyone's surprise. “Mercy, God, just give her that at least.”

“Lottie was here when I got to Wiskayok.” Nat commented with a muffled voice. “She told me, if anyone ever messed with me, let her know. No one ever did…I hope the same for her. Don’t fucking mess. Not with her. I just hope it’s easy, easy as it can be, I guess.”

“Death is…It’s getting familiar now.” Taissa spoke in the same way. “It lives here. You feel that, right? It lives here…Well if it’s here for Lottie…I hope it doesn’t get comfortable. I hope it’s gentle and quick, just walks through her room.”

“So, is it over?” Shauna asked sadly. “There has to be a way…I mean, I don’t care what it costs. If there’s a way to save her, to save all of us. I’d burn the whole world down.”

“I understand how you feel, I really do.” Martinez said. “But I have to say something, and I need all of you to hear…It’s not up to us. We don’t make the rules and we don’t get to change the outcome. When people try to find some shortcut, some loophole, some advantage over life or over death, people can get hurt. People can become so obsessed with beating death that they ruin their lives. So, when that doesn’t work…and Charlotte is gone, and you haven’t even started to reckon with it…How are you going to feel? How are you going to feel if you spend so long fighting, and you don’t take a moment to say goodbye?”

Shauna needed to clear her mind. So, she walked through the forest. The ambience in the hospice, was becoming inexplicably suffocating. She needed to breathe some fresh air. Shauna felt like she could break down in tears at any moment. Lottie was her friend, and the mere thought of her losing her saddened her deeply.

“Good afternoon.” Afra greeted from afar.

Shauna looked at her, with her big brown eyes bright from the tears that were coming. And then, she spilled all the tea.

“I know what it’s like to watch a friend slipping away. I know what’s that’s like.” Afra comforted her. “And he said that? Like ‘You can’t fight gravity.’ It’s a fine advice. You’re here. Why?”

“Mainly for clear my mind.” Shauna answered but also, she took a couple of diaries of her bag. “But also…This diary belonged to a girl who used to live here a long time ago, her name was Jessica Roberts, and she walked away, healed. And this other one belonged to a boy, even older. A boy whose mother believed with everything that she had that this place was special…Lottie is hanging over a cliff and she could off any second. If there’s any chance or anything I can do for her, no matter how…”

“It’s not crazy at all.” Afra interrupted with a smile. “For example, here, in the nature. There are birds and bugs, simple living beings, but those tiny beings defy gravity every single day and that’s not crazy, is natural, is normal, is ordinary. People say you can’t defy gravity, but they also, invented the planes. People pay a fortune for acupuncture, acupressure, aromatherapy, ear candles, infrared light therapy and that’s not seem as crazy, it’s seem as normal, so normal that you can see it at a kiosk in the mall. People is packed into churches for faith healing, miracles and praying and that’s not seem as crazy, that’s seem like faith. And the wisdom that people have gathered for thousands of years and kept us alive before we started to poison everything in our path, that’s the crazy stuff…The world went wild along time ago, Shauna. So wild that now the sane are called crazy too. There’s a lot in these books, in here, a lot out there…and I can help you. You have to gather water, you’re gonna need a little less than a gallon, and then, The Five Sisters, I assume you’ve done your research. How many women are there other than you and Lottie?”

“All of us are women, there’s Tai, Van, Nat, Laura Lee, Misty and Jackie.” Shauna answered.

“That’s perfect!” Afra said. “See? What are the odds?”

But then, Shauna saw a very familiar tattoo in Afra’s wrist.

“Is that The Wilderness?” She asked.

“No, The Wilderness had issues and went off the rails. This is something older than The Wilderness.” Afra laughed. “Don’t look so surprised, you came here for a reason. You should be happy because you’re right. Now listen carefully, because if you want to save your friend, you’re going to need to do exactly what I tell you.”

Afra explained to Shauna step by step what they had to do. And back in the hospice, Shauna explained the same way to the other girls.

“No, no way.” Laura Lee said after the explanation.

“I’m so glad someone else said it first, because I hate to sound like a chicken shit.” Van added. “But I’m quite scared to do this right now. So, thanks for being the first, Laura Lee.”

“You don’t really expect it to work.” Misty said.

“Why not?” Shauna asked. “It’s not crazier than anything else, and I think it’s worked here before a long time ago, many times.”

“And do you want to do this ritual tonight?” Taissa asked skeptical.

“But it’s bullshit.” Nat added.

“Then, we have nothing to lose.” Shauna said. “Who cares if we spend a couple of minutes on some bullshit at least we tried until the end.”

“Yeah, and what if we get caught?” Van asked.

“And the most important question do you really think this is gonna work?” Jackie asked.

“I have no fucking clue…” Shauna said. “But if it could work, if there’s one chance in a thousand or in a million, Lottie’s worth that chance.”

“Come on, Shauna. This is crazy.” Natalie said. “This is the kind of borderline loony shit.”

“I’m in.” Jackie said with conviction. “If it’s bullshit, it costs you nothing, but time and time is the least that any of us could offer right now. Time is what she needs.”

“I’m in.” Taissa joined. “Look, people can say shit is crazy all day, but Lottie and Mari both talked about seeing that shadow or whatever, and Shauna has talked about seeing that antler silhouette and… I’ve had weird dreams every night I’ve been here. So yeah, maybe is not all cut and dry, and well if there’s any magic in here, any at all. I want to point it to Lottie.”

“Fuck it.” Van huffed. “Maybe there are angels up there after all. I mean, if there are, I want them on our side… I mean, all technology looks like magic, until it doesn’t so…I’m in too.”

“I guess I don’t know what normal is.” Misty said. “Because this all sounds perfectly reasonable to me. I’m in.”

“Okay, fuck it.” Nat finally spoke. “Let’s kick the devil in the teeth.”

“We’re not kicking the devil, we’re kicking God.” Laura Lee intervened. “Listen yourselves, ancient pagan rituals, blood sacrifices, all of it off some old book written by gosh darn cultists. This is false idols, false gods, a great deceiver. You don’t mess around…Excuse me. You don’t fuck around with this stuff. Because that world, the world outside the body, the spiritual world, it’s not about saving bodies, it’s about saving souls. And you go poking around there, opening doors, dialing all the wrong numbers until something really dark is going to pick up. This is serious and dangerous. So, no. I’m out.”

“Laura Lee, we need you.” Shauna insisted.

“No, what you need to do is stop and accept it.” Laura Lee said. “Love Lottie enough to do that. Love her enough to stop, and don’t put all of us in real, honest, mortal, spiritual danger, please.” She said and walked out the room.

“Can we still do without her?” Nat asked.

“Preferably not.” Shauna said. “The original plan was that Tai, Van, Misty you and I were The Five Sisters but then, I realized that it would be better to have Jackie and Laura Lee as an extra power, to guarantee it or at least have more chances.”

“So, do we need her?” Misty said.

“Yeah…we do.” Shauna said. “Let's give her time to think and if she doesn't arrive, we'll do it without her.”

A rather risky move occurred to Taissa, but she decided not to tell anyone about it, but to do it instead. Later on, she went to Laura Lee’s bedroom and knocked the door.

“Can I come in?” Taissa asked.

“I’m sorry about earlier. I bet you’re all pissed off at me.” Laura Lee apologized.

“No, we’re not pissed off.” Taissa calmed her down, sitting next to her.

“Did they send you here to change my mind?” Laura Lee asked.

“They don’t know I’m here.” Taissa said. “You’ve been trying so gently and so persistently to invite us into to your faith and you don’t believe what Shauna is selling so, if you did it out for love, Don’t you think God would understand? I mean, as far I know, your God sacrificed Himself for love. Wouldn't it be something similar? Make a sacrifice for love of Lottie?”

“I can’t put on my faith and take it off that way…it’s not what I believe.” Laura Lee explained.

“I’m sure this is the closest thing to family that any of us has. Closer than blood.” Taissa said. “And now one of us needs help…You don’t have to believe anything; you don’t have to do anything. Just show up, for solidarity, you know.”

And there, Taissa just smiled and went away.

Late night, Laura Lee made her choice and went to the basement. Just Shauna was there. But she couldn’t talk or make noises, or completely silence, and suddenly hooded figures appeared of the robes. They dragged Shauna down, she shouted but she didn't make a sound at all. Laura Lee tried to intervene, but the crowd stopped her, and the only thing she could do was watch Shauna perish.

And then, she woke up. Of course, she did. This story can’t end like this.

Meanwhile, Shauna sneaked to the recovery room and take Lottie out.

“Hey, beautiful. It’s a jailbreak.” Nat chuckled waiting for them in the old elevator.

“We’re here for you, killer.” Van said.

“Bear with us. We’re going to try to fix this.” Shauna said.

“We’ll meet you down there.” Jackie said.

And then, Shauna and Lottie went down to the secret basement.

“We’re going to do it.” Shauna said. “We finally know how. And we’re gonna save you, you’re going to be alright.”

But when they light the place, they found some sheets that formed the word: ‘Don’t.’ Thing that Shauna did not take long to remove. Then, The other girls arrived

“All quiet upstairs. Not a peep.” Nat said.

“Do you bring all the stuff?” Shauna asked.

“Yep, we did.” Van answered.

“Okay, robes on, around the circle. It’s showtime.” Shauna said.

They do that, they formed a circle around the ceremonial pile. They put on their white robes and lit the pyre and candles.

“We start by invoking their names.” Shauna indicated. “Panacea. Hygeia. Iaso.”

“Panacea. Hygeia. Iaso” All repeated.

And suddenly, the elevator went up.

“I thought you said no one was following you.” Shauna said.

“They didn’t.” Jackie excused.

“Guys, if that’s a night nurse and they don’t send it back down…we’re gonna be stuck.” Nat pointed out.

Everybody stood up.

“There’s got to be a summon button, right?” Shauna said.

“No, at least not one that I found.” Taissa said.

But then, the elevator went down again this time with someone wearing a pair of bunny slippers, Laura Lee.

“Laura Lee, you showed up.” Taissa smiled.

“Did you guys start?” Laura Lee asked.

“Barely. Are you with us?” Taissa said.

“Was there anything weird when you guys got down here?” Laura Lee asked.

“Weird like what?” Nat said.

“No, it’s been fine.” Shauna answered. “I’m glad that you’re here.”

“I’m with you just to make sure you’re careful and to participate in my own way.” Laura Lee said and then she approached to Lottie. “I’m here.”

“Yeah, you are.” Lottie said with a weak smile. “Thanks.”

They all returned to their positions and continued with the ritual.

“Aceso.” Shauna said.

“Aceso.” Everybody repeated.

“Aglaea.” Shauna finished.

“Aglaea.” Everybody said at unison.

“We call on you, The Five Sisters daughters of Asclepius and Epione. We call on you to heal our sister, Lottie.” Shauna recited. “Everyone brought their sacrifice?”

Everybody nodded and Shauna went first standing up and taking out of her pocket a bracelet.

“My sacrifice, that to me symbolizes home.” She started. “My father gave it to me in my twelfth birthday. I've been wearing it every day since he gave it to me, and I never take it off and I’ve touched it every day since he died.” Shauna added and for the first time in six years, she took off her bracelet and threw it into the fire. Then she took the dagger and cut the palm of her hand, shed some blood on the fire and then with her blood and her thumb, she made a little mark in Lottie’s forehead.

“I love you.” Shauna whispered.

“I love you too.” Lottie whispered back.

Then, Jackie was the next. She stood up and took out of her pocket a golden medal.

“I got this for my first state championship.” She said. “I scored the winning goal with a header and my team won. It reminds me of victory and power and of feeling invincible…For Lottie, the most powerful person I’ve ever met.” Jackie added and threw her medal to the fire. She cut the palm of her hand, shed a little of blood and made the same mark on Lottie's forehead.

The next one, was Van who took out of her pocket a deck of cards linked by a garter.

“This is every movie we ever saw together, every shared popcorn, every fight we had over whether Julia Roberts could hold a candle to Jodie Foster.” Van explained.” This is my entire relationship with my mother in a bundle…Shit, I love you, Lottie” She added cutting her palm, shedding blood, and then making the mark in Lottie’s forehead.

The next one was Misty, who brought a small box full of paper notes.

“Her name was Kristen Izman, but I called her Crystal and that was our thing.” She said. “These little footballs flying across the classroom whenever the teacher turned her back. We were aces. I didn’t realize it at first, but I kept every single one, all the notes she wrote me and…I loved her, and I’ve never admitted that before…This is all I know of love, and I give it to you, Lottie.” She added throwing all the notes to the fire, cutting her palm, shedding the blood, and making the mark.

Nat was the next one, she took out an old photo of her family.

“These are my mom, my dad, and me.” She said. “We had a tradition of taking a family picture before the Christmas dinner every year. This photo was…when we were still happy when I was nine. And my dad had a face like: ‘Yeah, motherfucker, try me.’ But he was a very nice guy deep down, And that was my dad…And this photo is my favorite thing of my favorite memory that I have.” She added throwing the photo ¿to the fire.

Then Natalie took out her own penknife, cut her hand, shed the blood, and making the mark.

“You know that you can’t get it this way, right?” She said to Lottie.

“I wouldn’t care even if I could.” Lottie smiled weekly.

Next was Taissa, who took out a soda cap pierced by a brooch as a pin.

“This is my dad’s lucky pin; he gave it to me when I started chemo.” Taissa explained. “To this day I’ve been lucky to survive, and well, if any of that luck can find its way to you, Lottie.” Then she make the same thing, threw the pin to the fire, cut her hand, shed some blood, and make the mark in Lottie’s forehead.

And the last one, was Laura Lee, who took out and old coin from her pocket.

“It was a gift from my grandfather.” She started. “It was the last allowance he gave me before he died…I have kept it ever since and nobody really knew it, just God does, so if The Five Sisters or whoever need more information about this, they can just ask my guy because he knows…And now this is for you, Lottie.” She added throwing the coin into the fire, cutting her hand, shedding her blood, and making the mark.

“Damn, Laura Lee.” Lottie chuckled without forces.

Lottie was impressed by what her friends had just done for her, they had given up the objects that represented good times or gave them inner peace. So that was love.

“The blood of seven sisters for our sister Lottie.” Shauna started to recite and then, with handful of water got Lottie's head wet. “Sorry, if it’s cold.”

“Panacea. Hygeia. Iaso. Aceso. Aglaea.” Everybody repeated while joining hands.

“Kind Panacea, daughter of Asclepius and Epione.” Shauna recited. “First of the physicians, swiftest of healers, trusted mender of broken men and women through you do the lame walk, the sick renew their good health. May Lottie be healed of this affliction, may she recover.”

“We hear The Wilderness, and it’s hears us.” All the group repeated over and over and over again.

And Lottie looked at the roof and there was it again. There was the shadow getting closer to her. She knew that she couldn’t escape this time. So, she just closed her eyes tightly.

Chapter 7: Lottie

Chapter Text

It was 1997, Lottie was in her job as supermarket cashier. It was boring as hell, but she never complained about it. Before cancer, she always imagined herself doing something else, a model, singer, actress, politician, nurse, veterinarian, but never a supermarket cashier. However, after recovering but still disinherited and disowned by her father she had to make a living by her own somehow. So, she had entered a welfare program that gave her a prosthetic leg and got her a job. And she earned enough to rent a small apartment.

Always that she finished her shift, walked back home and she passed by a blockbuster. Lottie arrived at her apartment, she used to cook some frozen food in the microwave and eat dinner while watching crime shows on TV. Then, she went to sleep, well, trying to sleep, because her upstairs neighbors had just had a baby who cried every night.

But some curious thing, is that at midnight, her alarm clock always rang and started to emit static, but she always turned it off, it had to be a factory defect when she bought it. And that's how monotonous her life was for three years.

The next day, Lottie was about to finish her shift when the manager approached.

“Hey, do you have a second to chat?” She said.

“Did I screw it up?” Lottie asked.

“No, no at all. I’m just checking in.” The manager said. “How are you getting on?”

“Great, actually, it’s…” Lottie started.

“Boring?” The manager completed. “Yeah, I know, I started at the checkout too.”

“Well, I don’t complain.” Lottie said. “I’m grateful to work.”

“Yeah, I mean, every job has its challenges.” The manager said. “Do you have any hobbies or goals?... Look, I’m not trying to pry, okay? You’re doing great. It’s just that you’re not the first placement that we’ve had from the program, and we want you to last…Transitioning from where you were to where you need to be, that can be tough. How long have you been with the program now?”

“Three years.” Lottie said.

“And here you are starting over again.” The manager said. “And that can be easy, having goals, even tiny ones, professional or otherwise, especially in a boring place like this, they can be helpful. Forgive me for saying this, okay? I can’t imagine what you’ve been through. Myself, the closest I ever got was a week in the hospital with a collapsed lung but… Charlotte, you seem a little listless. Do you have any goals?”

“No, not really.” Lottie said.

Then, When she got home, she repeated the same routine. Just that this time, at midnight the alarm clock reproduce something else.

“To those before. To those after. To us now.” She heard the alarm clock said with a distorted voice. And Lottie routinely turned off, but that line left her thinking.

That day, Lottie had a session with the psychologist provided the welfare program , in the early morning.

“Spontaneous regression.” Lottie started. “I used to have this roommate back at the place I used to live, she was into all kinds of stuff, supernatural stuff and I thought that was really dumb. Once she told me about this saint that had a tumor on his leg and it wouldn’t go away, and then, he got sick from something else and his body kicked in to beat the cold or flu or whatever, and…ended up killing the tumor too. Just like that, his body decided to do right by him. That’s spontaneous regression…And I didn’t believe her.”

The psychologist wrote it down on his notebook

“I was in real bad shape a few years back.” Lottie continued. “And my friends at the time…my roommate it was her idea, actually. They snuck me out of my room one night and decided to try something… crazy to help me and I got really sick. Fever, in and out of consciousness, everyone thought that I was a goner and then for once…My body decided to do the right thing and I woke up and…I got better.”

The psychologist also wrote down this.

“And this thing that had defined so much of me and that had defined so much of my life was suddenly just…gone.” Lottie kept on. “But I never felt saved, I felt like I was chew up and spit out, like it had eaten parts of me, the good parts. As if I had been ripped from everything I knew and the life I used to have, put me through one of the greatest pains of my life, and then returned to the world I started in, only now it was grayer. And now I have to move on with what's left of me…”

Lottie cleared her throat and took a deep breath.

“Spontaneous regression.” She chuckled sadly. “It sounded so stupid to me at the time…and still does. But that roommate, wherever she is, I hope she’s laughing…I think she deserves that.”

In her way to the supermarket. Lottie had an idea, passed by a magazine stand, and bought a copy of the yellow pages. And at the end of the day, after the dinner, she looked for the number and called.

Somewhere not so far, in a town called Willow Brook, Travis answered the phone.

“Hello?” He said.

“Hi.” Lottie said. “Travis?”

“Yeah…I’m here.” Travis sighed exhausted.

“How are you? How’ve you been?” Lottie asked. “It’s good to hear your voice again.”

“Charlotte, what do you want?” Travis asked, he already knew this script.

“Nothing.” Lottie was quick to say. “I’m just calling, you know?”

“I haven’t heard from you in like…three years.” Travis sighed again. “What do you want?”

“Nothing.” Lottie insisted. “I just want you to know, that things are getting better. So, I just thought I’d call you to share that. Just to let you know that I’m okay…And I’m sorry.”

“For what?” Travis asked.”

“All of it, every single thing.” Lottie said.

“I don’t know.” Travis said doubtfully. “What do you want from me here, Charlotte?”

“I swear, I don’t want nothing.” Lottie kept insisting. “I just, I’m the city now, and I’m alone and I don’t know anyone. And I thought find you or if you don’t want you could just tell me that it’s all gonna be fine.”

“What’s gonna be fine?” Travis asked.

“Any of it.” Lottie answered. “I can’t make it right, I can’t make me right, Travis… I could never imagine a life in which anything worked out for me, I never could. And there’s this voice in my head that keeps telling me that I’m broken over and over and over again...And I can’t make it stop. I want to talk again with you, I want to fix the things with you, Travis. I was nightmare and I really fucked up the things and all around me and I recognize it and apologize…But you vanished.” She added this last with a broken voice.

“You weren’t my responsibility.” Travis said dryly.

“But I needed you.” Lottie said. “You were the only family I had left; my mother’s dead and my father never loved me. And yeah, I walked away, but deep down all I wanted was you coming back for me.”

“Lottie?” Travis started.

“Yes?” Lottie said.

“We are better like this.” Travis said.

“What do you mean?” Lottie asked.

“It's better that we be apart. We were a disaster for the other in all the senses.” Travis explained. “So, I’m sorry…I can’t come back for you.” And then, he hung up.

“Travis? Travis are you there?” Lottie asked, but when hearing a buzz. She lay on her bed crying, now she was definitely all alone in the life.

But then, the midnight arrived.

“Seen or unseen. Here but not here.” She heard the distorted voice of the alarm clock said.

But of course, Lottie turned it off.

The next day at the session with the psychologist everything seem set like a pile of dynamite ready to explode.

“I’d like to touch something that you mentioned in our last session.” He said.

“Okay.” Lottie nodded.

“I couldn’t help but notice your phrasing you said: ‘My friends at the time.’ Would you say they’re no longer your friends?” The psychologist asked.

“They’re not here anymore.” Lottie said dryly.

“The people that we lost. They’re never really gone.” The psychologist said.

“That’s not true.” Lottie said. “I used to think that they were reaching out sending little messages from beyond, sending a sign. I used to search high and low, but it’s all just…bullshit. The thing about spontaneous regression is that it only seems like magic when really, it’s just the immune system boosted by an infection doing what it already does. There’s no magic anywhere…Because if magic existed, if there was any justice in this world what worked for me, would have worked for them and they’d still be here…but they’re not… they’re all dead.”

The psychologist wrote it down in his notebook.

“And those Five Sisters would chimed in for them too. The whole club.” Lottie started breathing heavily. “We did the ritual seven more times; I sacrificed even the smallest thing that meant something to me. But all those times, they sent us to voicemail. Now all my friends are gone.”

The psychologist also wrote it down in his notebook.

“Laura Lee, dead. Misty, dead. Van, dead, and she went so optimistic all the time.” Lottie started listing about to cry. “Jackie, dead. Taissa, dead. Natalie, dead. And Shauna, Miss Magical Thinking herself…Also dead. Today they are three years dead…And if what you’re saying is true if they were still with me. They’d be yelling, not whispering. They’d be shouting, screaming, shaking the walls, haunting me over and over to let me know that I don’t have to be afraid anymore and I don’t have to hate myself because I’m here and they’re not."

That afternoon, she was in the supermarket but then, charging a person, an article did not sound when passing the scanner. When Lottie looked at it, she noticed that it was a butcher’s knife, completely bloodstained.

“What the fuck?” She whispered confused.

And when she looked at the customer. She saw surprisingly, to Marc Hall, from Jackie’s story.

“Sorry, I couldn’t find the price tag on that.” He apologized.

“Is everything okay here?” The manager approached.

“I couldn’t find the tag.” Marc replied.

“I’ll take over from here.” The manager said to Lottie. “Take the day off.”

When Lottie was leaving, she saw for one last time amazing to Marc, it couldn’t be possible. She went back home and passed by the blockbuster, and through the window see someone very familiar in the cashier.

“Oh my God, Van?” Lottie asked happily while she was entering to the blockbuster. “Van! Van! Oh my God, you’re alive! It worked for you too!” She added and hugged to the supposed Van.

“Miss, um…I’m sorry but.” The girl tried to say.

“Look at you!” Lottie exclaimed effusively. “I thought it didn’t worked.”

“What worked?” The redhead girl asked confused.

“The ritual. The spontaneous regression.” Lottie tried to explain. “You’re here, Van!”

“Sorry, miss, but my name is Paige.” The girl said. “Like it says in the tag right here.”

And that revelation left Lottie cold.

“Everything okay?” Another girl appeared it was identical to Taissa, just that in her tag it was written the name Terri.

“I think this woman might need a little bit of help here.” Paige said discreetly to Terri.

“Paige, we should call somebody.” Terri suggested.

“Yeah, good idea.” Paige said taking the phone in the wall. “Yeah, hi. We’re at blockbuster on Main Street. We have a woman here. She’s a little disoriented. She might need some assistance.”

And in that moment, Inspector Krasinski entered in the store.

“I came as soon as I could. What seems to be the trouble?” He asked.

Paige and Terri pointed to Lottie.

“Are you okay, miss?” Krasinski said.

“I was just…I’m leaving.” Lottie said before gout out running.

When Lottie went out of the store, she bumped into a blonde girl with big sunglasses. Mary Gardner, identical to Laura Lee. Then, when Lottie looked into another store, she saw the ghost of Taissa’s story scratching slowly a window.

Then, Lottie bumped into the stabbed corpse of Cindy Carpenter completely dead and identical to Shauna. And running out of the store, she bumped into a girl identical to Natalie, just this time with a shotgun, it was Charlene Goodwin.

“I swear it wasn’t me.” She said before running out.

And then, looking through the window of the convenience store, she saw a girl, identical to her. Martha Charm, staring raptly at the flame of a lighter. And then, Martha saw Lottie.

When Lottie opened the door to face Martha she entered to her apartment, and everything was in disorder, when she entered to the bathroom, but was literally on fire, and Melanie Martin, identical to Jackie was putting on makeup in front of the scorched mirror, unaware of any danger.

Then, the floor start to tremble, and Lottie fell right in her bed. She started to feel a drip and when she looked at the roof with more detention, she saw a large drop of black liquid.

From that liquid it projected a baby that cried, then a little girl who giggled, then an adult who looked to peaceful and calm, then an old lady and then, a skull, it was the shadow again. Lottie just closed her eyes and curled up of the fear.

Then, the alarm clock struck the midnight and turned it on.

“Hello, Lottie.” She heard Shauna’s voice. “It’s midnight, my friend, and as usual we’re broadcasting to you live from the hallway of the recovery room. I’m not so happy to report that Martinez has gone nuclear. He hasn’t spoken to any of us since he saw us in the basement and we’re sure as shit that we’re not allowed to meet in the library right now. But we spoke to Ben, and he told us that Martinez said this was specifically okay, so they know we’re this time…And, Tai, do you want to jump in?”

“Shauna, the invocation.” Nat pointed out.

“Oh, sorry.” Shauna apologized. “To those before. To those after. To us now and to those beyond.”

“To those before. To those after. To us now and to those beyond.” Everyone repeated.

“Seen or unseen. Here but not here.” Shauna recited.

“Seen or unseen, here but not here.” Lottie whispered as she heard everyone repeat.

“So, the night before last we had Jackie.” Shauna said.

“Don’t worry, I didn’t finish ‘The Last Act.’ I’m waiting for you.” Jackie intervened.

“And last night we had Nat.” Shauna continued.

“I hope you were conscious hearing ‘Death Pie High’.” Nat laughed.

“And tonight, we have something very special for you.” Shauna announced. “Tai?”

“Hey, Lottie.” Taissa greeted. “I brought this for you. I asked around ‘cause there was some stuff that I didn’t know about you, you are a treasure trove of secrets, pal. Okay, here we go.”

“It’s the night of the ritual. We’re all chanting around you: ‘We hear The Wilderness, and it hears us.’ And then it happens, a flash of light. You vanished from the room, gone.”

“And for a week, just like Jessica Roberts, no one can find you. But then , you showed back up. Healed and healthy, just like Jessica did. Martinez lays out your options, but you stay at Wiskayok for a few more weeks, repeating the ritual for each of us and it works for all of us.”

“We take over a whole floor of an apartment, It’s a coed Wiskayok invasion with rent control, plus disability checks, plus…”

“I thought we were gonna keep this part grounded after the ritual part.” Van intervened.

“I’m the one who is telling the story, okay?” Taissa said and continued.

“Sorry, Lottie.” She heard Van apologized from the alarm clock.

“It’s okay.” Lottie chuckled.

“Point being, it’s super cheap and we can live there forever. You enroll in college, and you get a prosthetic leg, so you can dancing again, just like you did in the past. After a fantastic dance rehearsal, one day who should walk in but your old childhood friend, Travis. Both of you hug and mend fences. And pick out a house together, with a white picket one.”

“You two get married and when you returned from the wedding party, Travis carries you to the hall of the house. And there you stay for years and years, you have kids.”

“Laura Lee did M.A.S.H. to determine exactly how many.” Van pointed out. “Two and a half beautiful children.” She added with proud.

“She’s kidding.” Laura Lee intervened. “With babies you always round up, so it’s a clean three, two girls and one boy.”

“And a German shepherd.” Misty added.

“And a fluffy German shepherd at Misty's request.” Taissa said. “Did I miss anything?”

“The car.” Nat said. “It’s a pink jeep with a skull painted on the hood.”

“Perfect.” Taissa said before to continue.

“And there you live out the rest of your days with your family. Safe, happy, and in love.”

“Oh, we bought the other houses on the block, so we’re all neighbors and we go all the weekends to visit you.” Nat said.

“You enter suburbia.” Van said. “Old friends track you down for weekly potlucks, and there’s no exit.”

“That’s all we’ve got for tonight.” Taissa finished. “Shauna’s on bat for the story of tomorrow so…You’re in for a treat.”

“Good night, Lot.” Van said.

“Good night, friend.” Misty said goodbye.

“Sleep tight.” She heard from Laura Lee.

“Good night, Duchess.” Nat said.

“Sweet dreams, Lottie.” Jackie said.

“And roomie to roomie.” Shauna started. “I hope you hear me when I say…we’re all with you in there and we always will be.”

When Lottie looked to the other side, she saw all her friends sit on the corner of the room, everyone was smiling with that smiles that say: ‘Everything is going to be fine.’

“Thank you.” Lottie said with tears in her eyes.

Lottie laid on the bed and for once and for all, she felt ready. So, she let the shadow reach her.

In the morning, the sheets of the bed of the recovery room were changed by the janitor.

Shauna went in, with tearful eyes and the janitor offered her tissues.

“No, thank you.” She said. “I want to feel these.”

“You know.” The janitor started. “Someone said once… ‘One should die proudly, when it’s no longer possible to live proudly.’”

“Friedrich Nietzsche, right?” Shauna said. “I quote that phrase in some part of my salutatorian’s speech…In another life, in a very short one.”

“It’s nor length of life but depth of life.” The janitor quoted again. “That was Ralph Waldo Emerson. And your friend…She lived deep, and she was kind in her own way, even she was in a lot of pain. That’s hard to do…and also, it’s beautiful.”

“Yeah, sometimes she was a… fierce, right firecracker girl on wheels and that was very beautiful too.” Shauna said with a sad smile.

“Ralph Waldo Emerson had one more I’ve always liked.” The janitor said grabbing his things. “It is the secret of the world that all things subsist and do not die, but retire from sight and then afterwards return again”

“And John Lennon once said something like…’Death is just getting out of one car and into another’” Shauna added.

Later in the day, Martinez called Shauna to his office and delivered her a box with all Lottie’s stuff and the urn with her ashes.

“Everything?” Shauna asked.

“She left it all to you.” Martinez said and then also delivered a envelop with a letter.

“What’s this?” Shauna asked.

“Other than the bank account, the insurance, and everything in Charlotte’s room. That’s all she left.” Martinez answered.

“Did she said why?” Shauna asked.

“And there’s one other matter.” Martinez said gravely taking out the diary. “I need you to tell me where you found it and what you were doing downstairs, and why I shouldn’t throw you out of this house. Do not think for one moment that I won’t. You do not know me, Shauna. You do not anything.”

“First of all, I found that journal in the library, actually, I’m not lying, even it was registered in Dewey Decimal System.” Shauna started with a muffled voice. “Secondly, All the stuff we were doing in the basement, we were just…We’re wasting time trying to change something that couldn’t be changed. We’re wasting Lottie’s time, and that’s really the worst thing of all because she really didn’t have any left. And if you’re gonna throw me out, do it if you think that’s the best, because the ritual is quite unjustifiable on its own…and that’s all.”

“You can go.” Martinez said.

And Shauna took the box and left.

Checking Lottie’s stuff, Shauna found a notebook sheet folded. She unfolded and found a phone number with the name Travis, she tried to call, and it didn’t work. Also, there was, a polaroid picture hugged with her mother, and Lottie had a smile from ear to ear.

And then, Shauna heard someone knocking the door. It was her mother.

“I’m…I’m sorry.” She just said.

And Shauna ran to hug her with tears in her eyes.

In the midnight, the library was surprisingly open, so the club decided to meet. Shauna brought Lottie’s ashes

“What does she want us to do with them?” Laura Lee asked.

“She didn’t say.” Shauna answered. “At least not in her pre-need…Also, she left this. I haven’t open it yet.” She added showing the letter.

“Go ahead.” Jackie said.

Shauna opened the envelope, took out the letter and started to read.

“To those who came before. To us now and to those that came after. Seen but unseen, here but not here. I’ve given a lot of thought to that invocation, I’m sure is wrong, I never had a good memory. So, I decided to simplify it as this: To us. To you, my family.”

“Since all of you got so high on the Greeks. The Greeks believed when you got to the underworld, you drink from the River Lethe, and you forget everything.”

“That’s why nobody sends a sign, at least I thought that for some time. But then, I realized that that’s a pretty lame excuse, but here we go. If anyone can send a sign from that other side unambiguous and definite, I’ll be the one, I’ll fucking do it.”

“So, if you’re reading this and you didn’t hear back, relax. It’s all just an oblivion. Raise an empty glass for me tonight. For now, I drink no more. Love to you all, Lottie.”

“P.S. Sorry about the ashes, maybe this would sound a little bit dramatic. I didn’t left instructions, that’s why you can do with them whatever you want. I’ll be dead by then, I won’t come to pull your feet at night. And if I do, please don’t take it as a sign, take it as a greeting.”

In this part, everybody laughed sadly. That sentence was a guarantee stamp that Lottie had written that letter.

“So, with my ashes…Snort them with a five-dollar bill, use them as a seasoning for your food or go to the moon and scatter them there for all I care. Don’t worry about me anymore, I’ve gone a supernova.”

“Fuck.” That was the only thing that Nat could say.

“I mean, all of it.” Jackie said. “The signs for beyond, the pack, the stories. It fells kinda stupid tonight, doesn’t it?”

Everybody stayed in silence. And then, Shauna stood up and raised her empty cup.

“To Lottie, who drinks no more.” She said.

And then, the rest of the girls stood up and raised her cups.

“To Lottie, who drinks no more.” All repeated.

But then, the door opened it was Doctor Martinez.

“I’ve always loved how the library looks with the lights out.” He said. “The lights out and a fire, that’s really the way to do it. It’s a perfect ambiance for a meeting of The Midnight Club. All these years, it’s always struck me as funny that you and all the kids before you think that because I don’t stop you, that means I must not know. Do you think we don’t notice when all of our patients sneak out at midnight? Do you think that the night nurses don’t hear voices through the doors? Of course, we know, we always did. Why do you think there’s always fresh firewood? I love falling asleep knowing the fire was lit, knowing the club was in session. Year after year, the faces change, but the halls of Wiskayok always are filled at night with the whispered sounds of stories.”

Okay, all the declaration definitely caught the girls of guard.

“The sounds of stories are the sounds of life.” Martinez continued. “I don’t know what to do with you all. What you were doing in that room, I don’t know what to do with that. It’s a simple as locking the doors. These doors and the doors of your bedrooms, which feels…wrong. We have an arrangement. I make very few rules, and in return I offer independence, dignity, agency, don’t make me regret that. So, I’m gonna ask that ask of you, return to bed now and I’ll think on tomorrow. I trust you can find your way back to your rooms, okay?” He added and then, he left the room.

“Well. That’s that, I guess.” Nat said.

“Let’s go to bed.” Laura Lee proposed.

“Wait a minute.” Shauna intervened taking the urn. “Lottie didn’t get a funeral. Not a proper one anyways. I think we can fix that.”

So, all the girls went down to the beach, with flashlights, the urn and Misty also brought her guitar. Everybody took off their slippers and they put their feet on the seashore. Shauna, very carefully, opened the urn and spread the ashes handful by handful. Meanwhile Misty started to play the guitar and sing a song so much slower and in a melancholic way.

“When your day is long, and the night, the night is yours alone. When you're sure you've had enough of this life, well hang on.” Misty sang. "Don't let yourself go
'cause everybody cries. Everybody hurts sometimes."

“Sometimes everything is wrong. Now it's time to sing along.” All the girls sang at unison. with broken and muffled voices. "When your day is night alone. If you feel like letting go. If you think you've had too much of this life, well hang on."

At that moment, the voices of the girls were cracking one by one, so they decided to leave it until there. They never believed a song that would fill you with life, now it will destroy you with each verse and sounded different. And the fact that Lottie loved R.E.M. was adding insult to injury.

When they finished, the club came back to her bedrooms by separate. Shauna now had to adjust to the idea that the bed next to her would be empty until someone else arrived.

She almost bumped into Doctor Martinez, but she was faster and hid. Doctor Martinez entered to his office and Shauna heard a phone dialing.

“I’m sorry, it’s so late.” Martinez said with a sad voice. “No, I’m not great. I lost a girl today. She was a brilliant young woman. And this one just hit me so hard, I don’t know why. And the other girls, they tried to…They just dug up all this old…this horrible old stuff, in order to save her.”

Then, Martinez took a deep breath.

“But that’s not the crazy thing.” Martinez continued. “The craziest thing in the middle of all of it is I get a phone call from these two doctors. I haven’t had a call like this since all the Jessica thing. And I don’t know how to process it…One of my girls is going home.” He added with sad excitement.

Martinez couldn't believe it, and neither could Shauna.

“I don’t know all the details yet. I looked ever the lab results and it’s pretty sure that she might not be terminal.” Martinez said. “But I think we’re gonna send someone home…Yeah, I’m smoking a joint while I’m calling you. I just need to talk someone. Because I am so out of my depth here.”

And then, Shauna decided that it was a great moment to go to bed with a smile in her face.

That night was like a roller coaster of emotions.

When she came back, she stare at Lottie’s bed for moment, but then, behind her, was the silhouette with antlers.

“Hungry.” The silhouette for first time spoke.

Shauna ran to the bathroom, and locked herself in, the silhouette tried to open it, but she can’t and then, when Shauna turned around, in the mirror, instead of her reflection was again the antler silhouette.

“Versez le sang mes beaux amis et laisse les ténèbres nous libérer” The silhouette said.

Chapter 8: The Hollow Skull

Summary:

The cast for this story:
Jasmin Savoy Brown as Cass Strobe
Liv Hewson as Elisa Robinson
Donny Lucas as Cass' Uncle
Bailey Burr as Bailey Strobe

Chapter Text

Shauna woke up in the bathroom floor, she remembered all the hustle of last night so vividly that her head ached. But then, other thing invaded her head. The fact that someone was going home, it was a possibility, it wasn’t even for sure. But she was indecisive if tell someone or not. Telling the others and give them a false hope would be unbelievably cruel if at the end, nobody stopped dying. So, Shauna decided to keep it for herself, just like she did with many aspects of her life.

That morning as usual Van went to see Ben for her weekly vitamin dose.

“Right on time.” Ben said.

“That’s weird, I ordered the sangria.” Van said seeing the serum.

“We had to stop serving that, the fruit kept getting caught in the line.” Ben replied.

“Oh, that’s all right, I’m gonna order, sparkling rosé, then.” Van said.

“Hop on up.” Ben indicated. “These vitamins aren’t going to intravenously ingest themselves.”

But when Van tried to get on the examination table, she stumbled and fall.

“Are you okay?” Ben asked helping her to get up.

“Yeah, I’m working on a new bit.” Van said.

“New bit?” Ben asked confused.

“Yeah.” Van said get on the examination table and uncovering her arm. “Sometimes you got to give people a little Chaplin. I mean, Who doesn’t like Chaplin?”

“It only benefits you to let me know if your symptoms come back.” Ben said. “Or you’re experiencing any new ones.”

“My only new symptom is physical comedy.” Van joked.

But in the deep down, she knew that the glioblastoma kept expanding. She didn’t have a lot of time left.

Meanwhile, Misty was in her room cutting Natalie’s hair.

“Are you sure you know what you’re doing?” Natalie asked.

“Relax, I know what I’m doing.” Misty said.

“Right. You used to do this for the girls at your boarding school.” Nat snorted.

“That’s what I said.” Misty answered.

“Wait, that’s what you said or that’s what you did?” Nat asked.

“Does it matter?” Misty asked,

“With you?” Nat said with disbelief. “Yes, of course it does.”

“You don’t know when I’m telling the truth.” Misty explained. “Which means that you aren’t really paying attention.”

“Thank you.” Nat chuckled. “I think you could just be bored, and you decided cutting my hair might be fun, and so you made something up as an excuse.”

“It can be possible.” Misty grinned.

“That story that you told the night of the ritual.” Nat said. “About that girl and you?”

“What about it?” Misty asked.

“Well, is it true?” Nat asked.

“Yes, it’s true.” Misty answered.

“So…you’re gay.” Nat said.

So, what?” Misty said.

“Did you tell your parents?” Nat asked.

“Yes, I did.” Misty answered.

“When I told my parents my diagnosis, my dad thought that I was gay, though I’m not. And he went…We still haven’t bounced back, even…” Nat tried to say but she didn’t find the words. “You got the brave, Misty.”

“No, I don’t. Not really.” Misty said stopping cutting Nat’s hair and facing her. “It wasn’t hard to tell them because my parents don’t care enough for it to be hard. I don’t even know if they really heard me. I could tell them that I’m hooked on heroin or I’m pregnant with octuplets and I still don’t think they’d care too much, so, no. Even if you were gay, you got the courage, Nat. You told your parents your diagnosis and it fucking mattered.”

“I don’t know.” Nat said. “There’s still so much, I haven’t said to them…My dad in particular. Now, after Lottie. Well, I guess I wish I had the stones to say it.”

And then, Misty had an idea.

When Misty finished, both of them went to see Ben.

“Hi.” He greeted.

“He’s busy.” Natalie whispered to Misty.

“Come on.” Misty insisted.

“Okay, this is weird.” Ben said. “Please stop being weird, what’s up.”

“She’s trying to do a really brave thing.” Misty explained. “But she needs a ride.”

Meanwhile, Shauna was visiting Afra, she told her everything, the ritual that didn’t work and how Martinez seemed to be worried little too much about the diary. And Afra show her something.

It wasn’t a surprise that Afra also managed a Naturopathic company.

“Here’s where we bottle the teas. Which is well and good.” Afra indicated. “But over here, doesn’t smell great. Do you know why I named my company ‘Good Humor’?”

“Because laughter is the best medicine or something?” Shauna said.

“All medicine in Ancient Greece was revolved around the theory of the humors.” Afra explained. “A humor is a chemical that regulates the body. The four humors in the Ancient Greece were blood, phlegm, yellow bile, and black bile. They believed that if you could keep these four elements in perfect balance your body would be disease-free.”

“And that’s bile?” Shauna asked seeing a lot of jars with a black liquid.

“Some of it. Ours. Which is gross, honestly, but we aren´t sending any of that into the world. Don’t worry. We’re just experimenting.” Afra said. “You know, they believed that cancer happened, where there was an excess of black bile.”

“And it’s that true?” Shauna asked.

“That’s why we’re experimenting.” Afra answered. “There’s something very special about the spot where Wiskayok is built, something very special about the exact spot. And the man who built Wiskayok knew that. Do you know that story?”

“Stanley Oscar Freelan.” Shauna answered.

“That’s right.” Afra smiled. “So, I built this place because it’s as close as I could get, as close as I could possibly get to that place. Martinez is sitting on a nexus point unlike anything else outside of ancient Egypt and she won’t share it. Which is neither here nor there. Another time. So, that ritual, The Five Sisters, the four humors on that property and on that spot, led by you, I think it actually worked just not on the person you expected. We’ve trying for years, decades, I’d dare to say, to recreate a little bit of what you found the other night, which is why we’d love to have you here with us, so we could find more of that balance.”

“What do you mean?” Shauna asked.

“This is just a place for people on the path.” Afra started. “A safe place for people who want real answers and you’re welcome here any time do you want. And that’s not an offer that we used to make to anyone. Think about it. And if you could, you said that you used an old journal for the ritual. Asclepius’ journal. Is that right?”

“Yeah, that’s right.” Shauna said.

“I’d love to see it.” Afra said. “If I could borrow it, Would you mind? Could you bring that book here? Maybe If I look, I could find a way to save you and your friends. All of them.”

“Martinez has it. He took it.” Shauna said.

“Of course, he did.” Afra sighed.

Meanwhile, Van went to Taissa’s bedroom and knocked the door. She opened.

“Well, hi.” Van greeted.

“Hey.” Taissa said.

And then, they kissed.

“So, I was think what if we take a nature walk or something?” Van suggested with enthusiasm. “Shauna has been talking about how cool the woods are and I just sucked down a banana bag full of vitamins, so I’ve got the energy to spare. We could find a way to spend it?”

“I don’t know.” Taissa said. “I might just stay in tonight.”

“Sure, yeah.” Van was quick to say. “We just stay in.”

“I’m not feeling great today, I’m kinda tired.” Taissa said. “I had a rough night last night.”

Taissa had sleepwalked and almost fallen of the cliff when she woke up.

“So, I’ll go grab my book and I’ll park right outside your door.” Van insisted. “And just like a concierge. Whenever you need anything, you open up, I’ll be right there.”

“I know, I’m just…I’m sorry, Van.” Taissa said before close the door.

She really wanted to help Tai and make her feel all right, maybe stay away was the best thing to do.

Along with these events, Ben took Misty and Nat to the trailer park where Nat used to live.

Are you okay?” Ben asked seeing Nat’s lost stare into certain trailer.

“Yeah.” She whispered.

“It’s completely okay if you just want to head back.” Ben indicated.

And then, Nat got out to the car, walked to the trailer, and knocked the door. Her mother opened.

“Natalie, what are you doing here?” She asked. “Are you okay?”

“I good. I just…I need to talk to dad.” Nat answered.

She walked into the trailer; nothing had changed since she left. And her father was sitting on the couch watching the football on TV.

“Natalie?” He asked confused

“Hi, dad.” Natalie greeted awkwardly.

“What part of…” Her father started turning off the TV.

“I’ve been practicing this, but I don’t know if that means that I’m going to get through it. So…will you let me try? And then you can talk if you still want?” Nat interrupted and after a deep breath, she started. “I’m gonna die. It’s happening right now, I’m dying. I’m not going to get cured or come home…My friend, a good friend. She just…She just died yesterday, and she had no one around her but my friends and me. No family, just us, and we were enough. And I saw that, I don’t know. It got me thinking like…”

“Natalie.” Her father tried to interrupt.

“They’re enough for me too.” Nat continued and she talked with so composure and seriousness that it was hard to imagine that such sincere words came from her heart. “That’s what I realized. And when my time comes…and it’s coming, like I said. I’ll be surrounded by people who love me for who I am. Without any judgments or asterisks or any that awful shit that you put on me and you know, I get it. It’s how you were raised and these thoughts and beliefs that you hold on to. I get it… While, I’d love to have a relationship with you, Dad, like a real one…And unconsciously or maybe consciously you and my mom raised me to be a strong person, a person who doesn’t have to beg for love. So, I’m not going to do that., but also, I’m not going to lie about who I am. Whether that embarrasses you, or offends you or whatever, you do what you will. Ignore me till I die or love me till I die, but that’s on you. Because…Even after all our rough edges, I love you, dad. I love you, just how you are, and I love me, just how I am…And I’m pretty sure that you do too, and God does too…I love you, dad.” She added and approached to kiss her dad in the forehead. Surprisingly, He didn't resist, like the last time his daughter tried to grab his wrist, he just watched Natalie leave.

“Okay, you haven’t said anything the entire ride home.” Ben appointed out when they arrived at the hospice. “So, before I let you go upstairs, I just need to know that you’re okay.”

“I just can believe I did that.” Nat simply said.

“Would you do it again?” Misty asked.

“Yeah, I would.” Nat smiled.

“The you know you did the right thing.” Misty said.

“Thanks for this.” Nat said to Ben.

“Just try not to beat up yourself tonight.” Ben said.

“Yeah, I’m just pretend I’m in alternate reality.” Nat joked while she and Misty go upstairs. “With a bunch of people and we do stupid shit and everyone’s supportive of each other. And then I end up dancing a Cossack dance.”

“That’s a great idea.” Ben smiled

In midnight, Shauna went to the library, and she bumped into Van, who was standing next to Taissa’s door.

“Hey.” Shauna whispered. “Are you waiting for Tai?”

“Yeah, she might be coming, I guess.” Van replied.

“Is everything okay with you two?” Shauna asked.

“Us? Yeah, of course. It’s just all the Lottie thing, you know…It hit us pretty hard.” Van said

“Do you want to wait for her?” Shauna said.

“No, let’s go.” Van sighed with bitterness.

When they arrived, they found the rest of the club, who was trying to open the library, but it was locked.

“What is it?” Shauna asked and Nat pointed the door.

“Yeah…cold.” Misty said.

“He did tell us he hadn’t decided yet if we could keep meeting.” Laura Lee said.

“He might not want us talking to each other too much, just yet.” Jackie theorized.

“So, it looks like we’re not meeting tonight.” Nat declared. “Which is fine, I was tired anyways.” She added walking away.

“Well, then.” Van said. “The late-night walk it is.” She added going away.

When Van, passed near of the stairs, she bumped into Taissa.

“Well, there you are.” Van said.

“Sorry. I took the scenic route. Is everybody else down there?” Taissa asked.

“The doors are locked.” Van answered.

“That sucks.” Taissa pointed out.

“Yeah, it does.” Van said and then, there was an awkward silence. “I missed you today. You really don’t have to feel bad…I’ll be waiting for you, even if you make me wait forever and never.”

“Thanks.” Taissa whispered with a smile. “You know, I want to tell a story tonight at the club. Do you want to hear it?”

“Sure, of course.” Van immediately said.

And there they were, at Taissa’s room, they lit up the chimney and with a couple of cushions they sat in front of it.

“Sorry if I was hiding.” Taissa said. “It isn’t because I want to shut you out. It’s because I want to let you in…I’ve been thinking a little since Lottie died, about what’s left and…about you and me. And I really, really want you to hear this story.” She added and then she took a deep breath.

“I’m listening.” Van said holding her hand.

“I called this story ‘The Hollow Skull,’ and it’s about a girl named Cass Strobe.” Taissa started.

“At the time we know her, Cass Strobe had a very average life in the town of Maddison, Nevada. She had already finish the high school, and also, she was already admitted in UCLA. But it seemed that fate wanted her to stay in Maddison forever.”

“She didn’t have the money, she was an orphan who lived with her uncle who was an abusive alcoholic, so, she had to protect her little sister, Bailey. of his constant outbursts of anger. She had her neighbor and friend, who was the person that he trusted the most, Elisa Robinson, a free soul who had the intentions of became a famous musician. So, yes, Cass had a lot of reason to stay in Maddison”

“One day, Elisa ran onto The Strobe’s door, and she told Cass that she was accepted and going to Berklee in the fall. So, for celebrate it, they were to hang out to the dry fields near the town.”

“‘I never thought that I was going to go to Berklee, I’m gonna take a lot of photos and I’ll send them to you’ Elisa rambled while they were walking, but then, Cass noticed something particular, a crater.”

“‘What’s that?’ Cass asked approaching to the crater, and then, an extremely bright light dazzled her.”

“For her big surprise, she appeared in Elisa’s basement, sitting on the couch, and Elisa was playing her electric guitar quietly.

“‘What the hell? Where…When…’ Cass freaked out.”

“‘Hey, all it’s fine, calm down, Are you okay?’ Elisa said.”

“‘Since where we are here?’ Cass asked confused.

“‘Since like…two hours’ Elisa said. ‘Don’t you remember? We bought pizza, you told me that you uncle wouldn’t mind if you got late.’”

‘And what was in the crater?’ Cass asked.”

“‘Nothing’ Elisa replied dryly. ‘You just were like in shock when you saw it, but then you came back to normal.’”

“‘I don’t remember anything after the crater.’ Cass explained.”

“You know, that has a name, it’s called mental gaps, I guess’ Elisa explained to calm Cass down. ‘Maybe it was for the heat, or dehydration.”

“‘Yeah, maybe… What time is it?’ Cass said. ‘What time is it?’”

“‘Nine o clock.’ Elisa answered.”

“‘I have to go, see you tomorrow’ Cass said goodbye and went back to her house.”

“To her good fortune, her uncle wasn’t home yet, and Bailey was already asleep. So, she didn’t have difficulties to go to bed without no one noticing it. She fell asleep easily and quickly as she usually do. But in the morning, she woke up with the hands dirty, full of dirt of the garden. But she didn’t remember anything.”

“Cass only lost the control of her body by night, every night was something different, hands full of dirty that would implied stomachache in the morning, woke up in unexpected places in the middle of the night, new things appeared in her closet, a spade, a garbage bag and finally a revolver. She panicked in this last one. She didn’t remember when she bought it or worse how she got it.”

“So, the best thing that came to her mind was explain all the trouble to Elisa. She was really skeptical about this, until she saw all the proofs that Cass had. So, she came with an idea.”

“‘I’ll spend the night with you.’ She said.”

“‘But what if I hurt you? Or I hurt Bailey? Elisa, I got a fucking gun from who knows where’ Cass said. ‘I don’t even know if I already killed someone with this.’”

“‘I’ll spend all the night awake if it’s necessary, don’t worry, I’ll protect you.’ Elisa said with conviction.”

“No sooner said than done, Elisa and Cass slept in the same bed at The Strobe’s house. Cass was sleeping deeply, while Elisa was keeping an eye on her. But it wasn’t until late night, when she woke up and looked at her with a lot of seriousness.”

“‘Where’s the gun?’ She asked.”

“‘What are you talking about?’ Elisa asked.

“‘Hear.’ Cass pointed out.”

“And Elisa heard shouts and screams from the living room.”

“‘Is that Bailey?’ Elisa asked concerned and Cass nodded.”

“‘I need the gun. This ends here and now.’ Cass replied.”

“‘Cass, are you going to kill him?’ Elisa asked with incredulity and Cass nodded. ‘You’re fucking crazy’”

“‘Not Cass by now, I’m here for help her. I just live in her skull, the energy in the crater woke me up.’ She said. ‘You have to take the child, take the car, and drive as far as you can.”

“‘Cass…or whoever you are…I…’ Elisa started to hesitant while the screams intensified. And finally gave in and gave the gun to The Other Cass.”

“Her uncle was beating Bailey up because he arrived drunk and angry, and he needed something with someone to take it out on. And unfortunately, Bailey was the nearest.”

“He just heard the sound of the gun safety. When he turned around. He looked at Cass who was pointing at him.”

“‘What’s that, your new toy?’ Her uncle mocked. ‘At least you know how to use…”

“But before he could finished, she shot right at the head. Bailey was shocked, but The Other Cass helped her to stand up.”

“ ‘Go with Elisa.’ She indicated dryly and after some seconds she added. ‘I love you.’”

“Elisa came out of the shadows and followed the instructions step by step. She took Bailey and drove away from Maddison forever. Meanwhile, The Other Cass put the body in the garbage bag and buried it in the backyard.”

“Then, she went to the bathroom to wash her hands, she saw Cass through her reflection in the mirror.”

“‘What did you do this?’ Cass said angry. ‘You ruined my life. You push all I loved away.’

“‘See me as a curse or as a blessing, whatever you want.’ The Other Cass said dry and cold.”

“When Cass recovered the control, this time ironically, The Other Cass allowed her to see blurrily what happened. She decided to turn herself in. She went to prison for the rest of her life. She never knew about Elisa and Bailey again.” Taissa finished.

“Do you tried to kill someone?” Van asked softly.

“No, it’s more an allegory.” Taissa explained. “Once I almost kill my dog unconsciously. And…that night feel so bad and so mean, my mom offered to sleep with me, but I barely sleep because I was afraid to hurt her…It’s like have to different persons living in the same body, I don’t know if this a curse or this really have function, I’m just afraid to hurt people I care about and push them apart…”

“You’ll never hurt me and if one night you get to do it while sleepwalking…I’ll always be by your side, you could never push me apart.” Van said.

And in that moment, Taissa kissed Van. And well, after that night, Van could cross out a thing from her list.

Meanwhile, Shauna decided to confront her fears, and after try to bear constants screams and crying in her ear, she decided to go to the sound source the secret basement to find, The Antler silhouette.

“Let’s stop the bullshit.” She said as she approached. “And tell me what the fuck do you want for me?!” She added, taking the silhouette by the shoulders.

But when the silhouette turned around, it became in Jackie, who was confused, disoriented, and scared.

“Jackie?” Shauna said with disbelief. “Are you okay?”

“Oh no.” Jackie said looking around frantically. “Not again.”

Chapter 9: Scavenger Hunt

Summary:

The cast for this story
Sophie Thatcher as Carla Timmons
Sean Martin Savoy as Calvin Stepford
Sammantha Hanratty as Thomasin Barrett
Jane Widdop as Josie Elliott
Leah Jacksties as Carla's mom

Chapter Text

“There are many different kinds of days here. Good days, bad days. But there really aren’t many days like today.” Martinez started. “So, I had to be sure, we did those extra tests and sure enough, your endoscopy…Well, there’s still some polyps and lesions in your small intestine, but less than when you got here, which means you’re healing. Which means that your terminal diagnosis was a mistake. Which means…you’re going home.”

Laura Lee couldn't believe it.

“Wait.” She said with trembling voice. “I have peripheral T-cell lymphoma. I saw the polyps on my first endoscopy and after all the chemo, the polyps were worse…And they I’m dying.”

“When you first got here, it took a while for the effects of the chemo to wear off.” Martinez explained. “But now we can see your body is healing.”

“But I’m not dying?” Laura Lee asked.

“We’re all dying, Laura Lee. Each and every one of us.” Martinez asked. “But right now, for you, you do not have a terminal lymphoma.

And in that moment, Laura Lee started to cry.

“Sorry.” She said. “I have no idea why I feel the way I feel right now.”

“Whatever you feel is correct.” Martinez smiled. “Whatever you’re feeling is right…But this is wonderful news, Laura Lee.”

“How am I gonna tell them?” Laura Lee asked. “What am I gonna say?”

Jackie was again in the basement, alone and dark, and when she turned around there he was, the hunter was there.

“I’m so glad that you’re joining us.” He said.

And then, Jackie woke up suddenly in the former Lottie’s bed. And Shauna was in the next bed, sitting and expecting patiently.

“Good morning.” Shauna greeted.

“How did I get here?” Jackie asked.

“You were out of bed, in the basement. So, I brought you here.” Shauna said.

“Okay, I have found myself down there before.” Jackie explained when Shauna asked her. “More than a few times. Ever since we found it…Most nights, actually, I wake up down there. I sneak back to my room trying not to wake up Nat. It’s freaky, all right? I’ve even woken up in that bed down there and the smell of it, is just…It’s crazy and also fucked up. The dreams, the sleepwalking. It has to be my meds.”

“Our meds don’t make the halls look different.” Shauna said. “Our meds don’t make us people in the hallways, in the rooms, even in the mirror…I think you know, what I’m talking about, Jackie…If you do, don’t make me feel another minute feeling crazy.”

“Yeah, I do.” Jackie finally admitted. “Sometimes the rooms change, and the walls change. And sometimes you hear a noise and turn around, and you’re not alone. There’s somebody coming towards you from out of the dark or even the firelight...And then, I look up and I see this…”

“A silhouette with antlers and locks of hair hanging from them?” Shauna asked.

“Hunter guy.” Jackie corrected

“I’ve never seen him before.” Shauna said. “Sometimes I also see hooded figures, Do you ever seen them?”

“Yeah, glimpses.” Jackie answered.

“Let’s get everyone to the library.” Shauna suggested. “What if we’re not the only ones?”

And then, everybody reunited in the place. Normally, they almost never gathered in the library at the day.

“It’s unlocked again.” Van said surprised.

“I bet he locks it again by night.” Nat pointed out.

“Are you okay, Laura Lee?” Misty asked seeing Laura Lee being kind of distracted.

“I’m fine.” She whispered. “What’s all of this about?”

And then, everybody took a sit, Shauna, and Jackie started to explain all, every single detail.

“Yeah, I’m sorry, but I don’t know what the fuck you guys are you talking about.” Nat said. “Seriously, no bullshit. Anyone else seeing changing hallways or old-ass ghost?”

“Negative.” Van said.

“No, nothing like that.” Taissa added

“Me neither. And I’d totally lie about it if I thought it was funny but it’s not funny right now.” Misty said.

“For real?” Jackie asked with disbelief. “Like the old hallways with the flowers and the lanterns, and a female silhouette with antlers and a hunter?”

“The silhouette has like an opaque veil and locks of hair hanging from her dress.” Shauna described. “She talks French and she recently started to use a phrase that I don’t know what it means.”

“Nope.” Nat denied crossing her arms. “I haven’t seen any of that.”

“That doesn’t make any sense.” Shauna whispered for herself.

“I mean, if we did see ghosts or whatever, that’s great, right?” Van said. “Isn’t that what we were waiting for? A sign?”

“Yeah, but it doesn’t make any sense.” Nat insisted. “Like you said, in a place where so many young people die before their time, with unfinished business, the only ghosts you see are two old people?”

“We both saw it.” Shauna exposed.

“There’s a French word for that.” Misty pointed out. “When two people are so close, that they share the same…”

“Folie á deux.” Van was quick to say. “It means, delusion shared by two.”

“Do you speak French?” Taissa asked her.

“”No, but it was the title of an ‘X-Files’ episode and its was awesome I highly recommended it. Although, Scully is way too good for Mulder.” Van answered.

“So, none of you guys have seen this?” Shauna asked.

“Maybe it’s not ghosts?” Taissa suggested. “My mom used to tell me a story, that my father that my grandfather told him. My grandfather fought in Japan, so he heard this story about this thing…The Eater of Years or Years Eater. It looked like an old woman, and you’d find it in place where people are going to die like hospitals, death rows, hospices, battlefields, and it eats the years the people would have had…If this thing really exists, I bet it would love a place like this. We all should have so many years left. This place would be a feast.”

“Jackie and Shauna can also be wrong.” Nat insisted. “You know, fever dreams, overdo their meds and see shit that isn’t there. Especially when they tell each other about it. Let’s not forget the other part of the pact. We look for signs, but we keep our cool. Proof. That’s the whole point in the pact, isn’t it?”

“Misty, if I tell you about a phrase in French, would you know how to translate it?” Shauna asked.

“Yeah, sure.” Misty said.

“Versez le sang mes beaux amis et laisse les ténèbres nous libérer” Shauna recited.

“It would be like…” Misty started to think for a minute. “Shed the blood, my beautiful friends and let the darkness set us free.”

“Look, I have a theory. Well, this The Wilderness cult believed that you had to make a sacrifice in order to a reward and maybe that sacrifice would be the blood, and maybe that sacrifice that we made that night, where we shed blood…” Shauna explained. “Don’t you think that it may had work but not in the person that we wanted?”

“And what this has to do with the things that we saw?” Jackie asked.

“I don’t know very well.” Shauna said. “Maybe they were messengers…telling us what we have to do to obtain our reward. And maybe all those spirits, The Five Sisters, are like trying to communicate that with some of us that the ritual did work.”

“But why with Jackie and you, specifically?” Nat asked.

“I don’t know.” Shauna said.

“And who do you think is cured?” Nat insisted.

“I don’t know either.” Shauna said. “But I think the ritual has something to do with this, that’s for sure.”

“It wasn’t the ritual; it was a misdiagnosis.” Laura Lee sighed bitterly. “It’s me…I’m going home tomorrow. My grandparents are already on their way, and it wasn’t the ritual, it was a misdiagnosis. I had an endoscopy the week before we even did the stupid ritual, and I was misdiagnosed at the start. I’ve got other G.I. thing, and so I got to go, and I got to start all over the tests, and the trials, and the treatments and the whole thing… So, no, the ritual didn’t work.” She added, but instead of sound glad for the good news, she sounded deeply sad and melancholic.

“And what about, the other signs, like the time that Nat heard something in the intercom of the recovery room?” Jackie asked.

“That was me too.” Laura Lee confessed. “I’m so sorry…That was me on the intercom, you were talking about losing faith and losing hope and I thought that a little nudge, nothing too bad, just enough to…to give you some hope.”

“Gosh.” Nat whispered amazed; she never would have figure that out.

“And I know it was wrong, and I know it was so stupid. And I’m so sorry.” Laura Lee continued on the verge of tears. “I’m a mess right now, I’m so relieved but I’m also ashamed, and…I don’t want to go anywhere, but I can’t wait to go also…I just…I feel awful, I feel that I don’t deserve this” She said finally bursting out crying, walking out of the library.

After that, they decided to end the meeting by now. And Shauna decided to go to the woods again to clear his ind. But in the hall, she bumped into someone that she didn’t expected, Jeff.

“Hey, Shauna!” He smiled. “I know that family day isn’t until tomorrow, but I just couldn’t wait. You have to see these.” He added taking out a folder from his bag

Then, he opened it, showing the official photo of him and Jackie at the prom, they really looked very happy.

“You look good.” Shauna said with an almost imperceptible smile on her face.

“I know how nervous she was about how she looked, but I kept telling her that she looked so beautiful.” Jeff said. “Also, she was saying that you guys went to the beach the other day. How do I get down there? Because I’d love to set up and you know, surprise her with a picnic.”

“You just… you surround the house, and then, straight down the hill, there’s the beach.” Shauna indicated. “Jeff, can I ask you something? I swear I say it without any malice or double intention and with all the respect.”

“Yeah, sure. What do you want to know?” Jeff said.

“Have you ever think about…the day that Jackie…” Shauna tried to ask, but Jeff know what Shauna meant.”

“The day that Jackie dies?” Jeff asked with more seriousness in his voice and Shauna nodded. “Come on, sit down.”

And both sat on the floor near to the door.

“Why do you ask that?” Jeff asked.

“I just…After some events that happened recently, I just I began to reflect on how my mother is going to feel that day.” Shauna said. “How she feels right now, it’s been two years since the death of her husband, and now it’s matter of months before her daughter dies too…And I don’t know to feel about it…Or how to help her.”

“Well, a death of a child is very different to the death of a partner, all the deaths feels different for all the people.” Jeff started. “But I guess you asked me because I’m Jackie’s boyfriend, and yeah, I had thought about it, and it feels...pretty awful, I try not to think about it…But eventually, you think about it.”

“And how do you…deal with it?” Shauna asked.

“Look, if what you have is that you feel guilty for leaving this world.” Jeff continued. “You don’t have to feel guilty about anything, Shauna, because those are things out of your control. And I’m sure that your mom enjoys every second that she spends with you. And that’s how I deal with that. I enjoy every second I spend with Jackie, all the memories that we built I enjoyed them, so when that day comes…I’ll feel pretty fucked up, yeah. But I’ll continue knowing that I enjoyed all my time with Jackie…Because when people die, they don't go completely, they leave memories, that’s legacy really is, the mark you leave on the people you love…Sorry if that sounded pretty dramatic, corny, and sentimental but…That’s how I feel…So yeah, you don’t have nothing to feel guilty for.”

“Thanks, Jeff.” Shauna just sighed along with some tears rolling through her face. “You’re a really nice guy.”

“Come here, there is nothing that a good hug doesn’t solve…Well, that’s what my mom says, at least.” Jeff said hugging Shauna, giving ger a comfort that only an older brother could give.

Meanwhile, in Jackie and Nat’s room, the conversation topic was pretty similar.

“I feel like Shauna and I lost our goddamn minds.” Jackie said.

“Shauna.” Nat repeated with some quirky conviction.

“What?” Jackie asked.

“Shauna.” Nat hinted.

“What?” Jackie asked again.

“You know Shauna what.” Nat insisted.

“What do you want me to do?” Jackie said tiredly.

“What do you want to do?” Nat said.

“I’m not breaking up with Jeff.” Jackie said. “I can’t…I can’t do that to him.”

“See? See, I didn’t even say it.” Nat obviated. “I asked what you want to do, and you go boom-crash right into ‘I’m not breaking up with Jeff.’”

“I’ve got what? Months left, tops?” Jackie said. “And I’m just supposed to break up with him? That’s absolutely cruel and it’d be a very asshole move.”

“Look, right now, he’s a dude with a sick girlfriend, and pretty soon he’ll be a dude with no girlfriend, a dead girlfriend. So, who are you helping by keeping this up?” Nat explained. “And we both know what you really want, or rather who you really want.”

“Do you know why I don’t finish my stories?” Jackie said.

“Because you’re a bitch.” Nat laughed. “You’re a plot tease.”

“Because once people know the end, the rest of the story fades away.” Jackie explained. “I’m gonna be nothing but a memory soon, and I’d like to be a good one for everybody, but for him, especially. He’s earned it.”

Meanwhile, Shauna went to the forest anyway. And of course, as usual, she bumped into Afra. But this time, the woman looked more serious.

“We need to talk.” She said. “For me, Wiskayok is special. That’s a special place. There’s a power there and energy there, that doesn’t exist anywhere else in the world, believe me, I’ve looked.”

“But the ritual didn’t work.” Shauna said.

“Maybe it did, maybe it didn’t. But it can.” Afra said. “I know that the ritual works more than everybody, I know it, better than anyone.”

“Who are you?” Shauna asked confused.

“I know you’re smart, Shauna. I’ve seen it crossed your mind at least once.” Afra insisted. “Look at me, and tell me, who I am.”

And by the first time a thought that crossed Shauna’s mind since the first time resurfaced again, but at that time she considered it illogical, but this time it had really sense.

“You’re Jessica Roberts, right?” Shauna asked.

“Yes, you’re really smart.” Jessica said. “You came looking for me, you found me because you were right.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Shauna asked.

“I told you when it was time.” Jessica said.

“It worked for you, then.” Shauna said. “It works.”

“It really does.” Jessica said. “I’m the living proof.”

“Look, we have much to discuss. You know about the most exciting part already. After I left, I lived hard and well. And as I got older, I wanted to share the miracle.” Jessica explained. “I started Good Humor, because I wanted to understand that better, I wanted to give back some of that healing energy into the world, but it’s been difficult to get back on the property. The woods are good. The spring is good. But the real magic of this place, it’s right where that house is built.”

“Martinez won’t let you back in?” Shauna asked.

“I probably threatened something fundamentally inside him.” Jessica said. “I tried everything, I volunteered at the hospice, I made generous donations. But she still won’t give us any meaningful access to the place and we’re trying to be respectful of that. And I understand the history of the place, that awful The Wilderness business and collective like mine. You and I are a lot alike, Shauna. You even have the same cancer that I had, and I don’t know…Let’s do it. I say you and I go back together tonight after the Midnight Club, after everyone’s sleep, you can bring me down there into that basement. That’s where the ley lines intersect. That’s the energy center, you just have to bring me there, I have everything that I need.”

“Everything you need for what?” Shauna asked.

“To heal you, to heal all your friends.” Jessica said.

The offer sounded too tempting; She had every opportunity to help her friends, and thus be able to live the life that they had all imagined.

“I’m gonna help you.” Shauna smiled.

At midnight, the library door was opened, and the club met as usual.

“I’m so glad, he left it open.” Van said. “It’d have been particularly cruel tonight if the doors were locked.”

“Are you okay, Nat?” Taissa asked seeing Natalie, with a lost look.

“Just look at the chairs, empty chairs. Almost half of us aren´t here.” Nat said seeing that Lottie, Laura Lee, and Shauna were absent.

Then, Laura Lee entered shyly to the library.

“Hi.” She entered bashfully. “I wasn’t sure if…”

“Bitch, you better be coming to this table.” Natalie interrupted with a smile.

“I mean, I feel like everybody’s pissed at me.” Laura Lee said.

“Nope, not even a little.” Taissa smiled standing up. “I’m so, so happy for you.” She added hugging Laura Lee.

“Me too, come here.” Misty added effusively as always hugging Laura Lee. “I just needed a minute to pick my jaw off the floor.”

“I’m happy for you too.” Jackie said after hugging her.

“We love you.” Van said hugging her. “And we love the world with you in it. So, stick around for as long as you fucking can got it?”

And then, Nat hugged Laura Lee tightly with a big smile, something really unusual in her.

“I love you fiercely.” Nat said. “But if you even think about giving Jesus the credit. I’m haunt you as scary because I’m going to definitely haunt you, after that intercom bullshit you got it coming.” She laughed.

“That wasn’t finest hour.” Laura Lee joked.

And then, Shauna entered.

“Hi.” She greeted and then she looked at Laura Lee. “I’m so happy for you.” She added hugging her.

“So, sit please. I’m going tonight.” Nat said approaching to the head of the table. “Well, this one’s from heart. To those before. To those after. To us now, and to those beyond.”

“To those before. To those after. To us now and to those beyond." Everybody repeated.

“Seen or unseen. Here but not here.” Nat recited.

“Seen or unseen. Here but not here.” All repeated.

And then, everybody drank a sip.

“The story I want to tell actually scares the shit out of me.” Nat started. “It’s story about haunting pasts and the things that we are willing to do for the people that we love. It’s a story about what is blurry and broken. I call this one ‘Scavenger Hunt’.”

“Carla Timmons normally never remembered her dreams, but it was one specifically that she had on and off for a year. It was her with her best friend Josie Elliott being little kids again, riding tricycles trough a dry gully in the desert.”

“Then, a thunderstorm start, and Josie faded away, and of course, Carla woken up. Josie had passed away one year ago, her father was a fisherman, and one day, the family ship was sunk in the sea during a thunderstorm.”

“The rest of the Carla’s group of friends was Calvin Stepford and Thomasin Barrett. And at the end of the scholar year, they had a very special tradition…and of course, it was not a school play, that would be very cliché and boring.”

“I feel this is turning personal.” Jackie pointed out.

“If the shoe fits you, wear it.” Nat defended.

“As I was saying, the group of friends had a very special tradition, every year, they made a scavenger hunt in a different place of the city. A member of the group had to make a list of puzzles about ten objects a pick a place where to hide them. Among the most memorable places where the school by night, the park, the community center, and a supermarket. The craziest place they had ever played was a hospital. But this time, was Calvin’s turn to choose, and he picked a pretty peculiar place.”

“‘A graveyard?’ Carla asked with disbelief.”

“‘It’s not just a graveyard, literally the town’s graveyard is the biggest of the county, and it’d be by night, so it would be more interesting’ Calvin explained with enthusiasm.”

“‘I don’t know’ Thomasin said. ‘I think that we’re taking this too far. All the hospital thing, we were almost kicked out.’”

“‘That wasn’t my idea, that was Josie’s idea’ Calvin excused. ‘Besides, this is gonna be our first hunt without her.’”

“‘And just because she's dead, did you choose a graveyard at night as a location?’ Carla asked with disbelief.”

“‘That´s for having her closer’ Calvin explained.”

“‘That’s sounds creepy’ Thomasin pointed out.”

“‘Are we gonna do it or not?’ Calvin asked.”

“‘Fine’ Carla finally gave in. ‘See you at midnight, then?’”

“‘See you at midnight’ Calvin said.”

“Midnight arrived with fastness, so, the trio went to the town’s graveyard at midnight, armed with some flashlights of course. Thomasin and Calvin had to sneak out, but Carla didn’t. Her mother was interned in a psychiatric because she supposedly saw demons. And her father always traveled abroad because his job.”

“They arrived at the graveyard. And Calvin gave them their lists. The lists consisted of three riddles, the answers to the riddles being the object and the place. Whoever collected the three objects or the most was the winner.”

“The lists were like this: 1. What can fill a room but takes up no space? 2. The more you take, the more you leave behind. What are they? 3. The person who makes it has no need of it; the person who buys it has no use for it. The person who uses it can neither see nor feel it. What is it?”

“So, they started the scavenger hunt, making as little noise as possible. The first riddle was pretty easy. What can fill a room but takes up no space? The light. But the problem it seemed that it wasn’t a source of light at all. Except for the lantern and that was quite far. So, Thomasin and Carla went there.”

“Calvin were known for his eccentric hiding places, so Thomasin and Carla knew that the prize would be hidden in the most unexpected way.”

“‘I have an idea’ Thomasin said ‘Lift me up’”

“‘I don’t think that I could hold you for long’ Carla said.”

“‘Do you see the top of the lantern? There’s a shadow projected. There’s something’ Thomasin pointed out.”

“‘If we fall is not going to be my fault’ Carla said taking her flashlight with her mouth, crouching on the ground and when Thomasin stepped her hands, she lifted up.

“When she was up, Thomasin, was quick to open the top of the lantern and she took out the prize. Then, Carla lower her. When she was on the ground, Thomasin opened the envelop of the prize, there was a sour candy.”

“Wait a minute.” Van intervened. “Did They trespassed a creepy private property by night, they opened the top of the lantern just for a crappy sour candy? Seriously?”

“It's not like they had a big budget either.” Nat said.

“But I don’t know at least they found a sour candy and ten bucks or something” Van suggested.

“Well, they found a sour candy and ten bucks. The next riddle was also easy The more you take, the more you leave behind. What are they? The footsteps. This was more complicated because they had to come back to the entrance to dig up their own footsteps.”

“But before, go there. They felt a presence. Carla looked around, and saw a female shape in the darkness, but when she lightened it up, there was nothing. They were to the entrance and started to dig up in the less fresh footsteps.”

“‘I hope that your manicure don’t ruin’ Calvin laughed.”

“‘Are you sure that we’re the only ones here?’ Carla asked.”

“‘Yeah, sure’ Calvin said.”

“And then, Carla found it, the second prize it was a bracelet…and other ten bucks.”

“Suddenly, the letters of a tombstone, started to lit, and stood next to the graveyard was the woman that Carla saw before. They approached to the grave. It was completely opened. But instead of a coffin was fire.”

“Ironically, coffin was the answer of the third riddle. And the tombstone had a rather familiar epitaph: ‘Here rests, Josephine Elliott. Gone too young but she will never be forgotten.’”

“‘Hello, sweetheart’ The woman greeted Carla. ‘Don’t you remember that I’ll be back to show you, our demons?”

“‘Carla, you better tell us what the fuck is going on.’ Calvin said.”

“‘Do you remember when I tell you that my mom lost her mind and get obsessed that she could travel to the hell and that’s stuff. It’s pretty much that.’ Carla explained.”

“‘You’re so an obeying girl, sweetie. You brought me the two sacrifices, involuntarily at least.’ Her mother said.”

“‘Try to catch us first, fucking psycho.’ Thomasin said.”

“Did you know that the devil also can came people back to life?’ Carla’s mother said. ‘No? Well…I’ve got bad news for you.’ She cackled and from the grave, Josie came back.”

“But in a very different way, her body was mutilated and rotten, it even didn’t had human shape, it was a monster with green shiny eyes and fallen jaw.”

“The trio started to run desperately from the monster, and they hid in a couple of bushes.”

“‘Guys’ Carla’s mother crooned. ‘I can turn all the dead people here into that kind of creatures if I want. I just need you to come out. Yes, it’s gonna hurt a little, but look at the bright side, all the group is gonna be together again.’”

“There, Thomasin noticed something, they were temptingly close the gravedigger’s shed.”

“‘Let’s hide there.’ Thomasin pointed out and that’s what they did.”

“‘Okay, how can we stop her? We can be hidden forever.’ Calvin said once they were there.”

“‘First of all, we have to shut down the portal to the Hell. That’s how we set free the souls of my mom’s curse.’ Carla explained. ‘To shut down the portal, we need two sacrifices. We need three to travel to the Hell, so be careful by not fall into the portal. And then, after the two sacrifices, one person had too sprinkle a handful of earth into the portal and that’s how you shut it down forever.’”

“‘Where you learn all of this?’ Thomasin asked.”

“‘The talks with my mom during my visits to the psychiatric hospital where she was admitted got pretty weird. In fact, it was the only thing she ever talked about, about the damn portal.’ Carla said.”

“‘Leaving that aside, We have to quickly discuss something more important’ Thomasin said. ‘Who are gonna sacrifice?’”

“‘One sacrifice can be my mom’ Carla suggested. ‘The other one can push her into the grave and fall with her’”

“I’ll do it.’ Calvin said with decision. ‘And as we approach Josie’s grave we can hit those weird things, with those spades.’”

“‘Can we sacrifice one of those things, Carla?’ Thomasin asked seeing Calvin’s choice.”

“‘No, we can. It has to be two living persons.’ Carla answered. ‘Calvin, you don’t have to do this, we can find another choice.’”

“‘It the least, I can do for you, I’ll communicate with you by the Ouija if it’s necessary’ Calvin said. ‘Now, we have to go, we don’t have all night.’”

“For the point when they left the shed, there were monster across all the graveyard, so they had nothing left but to kill the monsters that crossed their way to Josie's grave with the spades.”

“When they arrived, there was Carla’s mom waiting for them.”

“‘So, it seems that you’re ready’ She smiled.”

“‘We’ll never be’ Carla said in a challenging tone.”

“‘Well, in that case. I guess that you’re ready to kill her.’ Carla’s mother sighed.

“And then, Josie appeared, but now she was turned into a gross monster as everyone else. She went to attack Thomasin at full speed. Thomasin couldn’t move, she was shocked and scared she couldn’t kill Josie. But Calvin could.”

“Meanwhile Calvin delivered a savage swipe with his spade at Josie's reanimated corpse, and Thomasin fought with another monster. Carla made a choice.”

“‘This ends with us.’ She said to her mother and then, she tackled her mother to the portal, and both fell into the grave.

“Suddenly, the monsters became ashes. Thomasin and Calvin saw everything, they couldn’t believe what Carla just did. So, with tears in their eyes, both of them grabbed a handful of earth and sprinkle into Josie’s grave and the portal was shut down forever.”

“You all will wonder, why Carla sacrificed herself.” Nat finished. “The reason was because she felt guilty, Calvin was going to kill himself, just because her mother’s madness. And Carla couldn’t allow that. That’s something that Josie would have done; she always wanted the happiness for her friends no matter what. Calvin and Thomasin had bright futures, Carla didn’t. So, she was the best option. What better way to die if it is to help the people you love.”

“You once told me about your friend Calvin.” Jackie started. “The one who…”

“Got me sick? Yeah, Kevyn, he’s dead now, but I think about him a lot.” Nat recalled. “He was loved, like I’m loved right now…I wish we knew back then what I know now…We weren’t defective, not even a little bit. We were perfect, just like all of you too.” She added with a smile.

Then she drank a sip out of the bottle of wine.

“And Laura Lee.” Nat continued. “Go and make of that future that you have ahead something good, okay? In honor of all of us.” She added and Laura Lee nodded.

The reunion of the club was done, so everybody went to bed. Except for Shauna, se expected until the night nurse went to the bathroom to finally open the door. Jessica entered with other three women.

“Who are they?” Shauna asked.

“It’s five sisters, we all five. Don’t worry.” Jessica comforted her. “Where’s the nurse?”

“She went to the bathroom.” Shauna answered. “That’s why I was late, I was waiting for her to go. She’ll be back any minute.”

“Let’s go.” Jessica indicated.

When they went down to the basement, Jessica was amazed.

“Do you feel it there? It’s still here.” Jessica said with enthusiasm. “It’s in the air. Do you feel it, Shauna?”

“So, what do we do?” Shauna asked. “Should I call the others?”

“No, it’s not necessary. We’ll from four points with one of us in the center.” Jessica explained. “And you, my dear, are going to sit there.” She added pointing a corner.

Then, all the adults started to lit up candles and prepare the thing for the ritual.

“Panacea, Hygeia, Iaso, Aceso, Aglaea.” They invoked their names.

“We call on you, The Five Sisters.” Jessica said. “Daughters of Asclepius and Epione, purveyor of Apollo’s arts. We call on you to heal your sister, your vessel.” She added cutting the palm of her hand and shedding the blood on a cup.

That last line was pretty odd.

“Panacea, Hygeia, Iaso, Aceso, Aglaea.” They repeated.

“Kind Panacea, daughter of Asclepius and Epione, first of physicians, swiftest of the healers, trusted mender of men and women. Through you, our wounds healed, bones knit, and illness burnt away.” Jessica added shedding blood in four small cups, and also another liquid that the other woman took.

Shauna also took her cup. But something in all the ritual, something that didn't finish adding up. There were not sacrifices and the cup with the liquid, it smelled weird.

“By your goodness and might, we regain in our lives.” Jessica continued reciting. “Panacea, friend to mankind, we pray to you and seek for your favor. Let your true believer be healed of this affliction. May she recover through and through. May vigor and vitality return to her. We ask your blessing.”

And then, the women drank from their cups. Shauna was indecisive, she smelled the contain of the cup again. And recognized the smell: Rat poison.

And that’s when Shauna realized how naive she had been. The ritual wasn’t for her and her friends, it was for Jessica, all this time. And the worst part is that Jessica I wouldn't have a problem with crossing the line.

“Hi, Jessica.” Doctor Martinez appeared, armed with a chandelier. “There’s something called, secret shortcuts. I never thought that you could play so low and dirty with manipulating a child.”

The women went to contain Martinez

“Drink it now.” Jessica commanded. But Shauna threw the cup away and ran into the elevator.

But then, the women, started to have seizure and throwing blood up. And Shauna just press the button up again.

“Call 991!” Was the last order that she heard from Martinez.

Chapter 10: And the Midnights will go on

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

In this world, the magic doesn’t exists…Or maybe yes, but everything has an explanation, that’s for sure. And Jessica Robert’s case wasn’t the exception.

It was 1969, and Jessica was a terminal patient in Wiskayok. She didn’t want to die and casually, she found Asclepius’ diary, and after reading it one hundred times day and night she decided to find Raphaelle Ballard, also known as Aceso, the mastermind behind the tragedy of The Wilderness cult.

So, after weeks of researching, she could find Raphaelle Ballard’s address. And one night, she sneaked out of the hospice, make hitch-hiking by almost a half of hour. And finally, she started to travel there.

After three failed attempts, Jessica find her. They met and hit it off scarily well. Jessica was sick, and she was capable and willing to do anything to get cured. She wanted to live. And in her mind, she believed fervently that Raphaelle had the answer.

Raphaelle always wanted a successor, a pupil to carry her teachings and her legacy. She had thought of one of her three daughters, however, none of them ended up convincing her. On the other hand, her son, he was perfect to continue the legacy, but in the end, he was already too far gone, he was too brainwashed. He himself was the one who ended everything that Raphaelle built.

But Jessica, Jessica was the perfect successor, willing to learn, and ready to carry the torch. So Raphaelle would teach her everything she knew. So, they agreed the following: Jessica would stay a week, maybe longer. Then, Raphaelle would give her a muddy nightgown and would be wandering through the woods. And when they find her, she’ll come up with an incredibly story.

Because at the end of the day, everybody loves miracle stories.

Back in 1994, Shauna called 911, with the phone in the conservatory. But when she was going down to the basement, right in the principal door she could see Jessica living the hospice. Shauna couldn’t do anything much; it was useful to try to chase her. So, she let her go.

Authorities didn’t take too long, and everything was pretty fast.

In the morning, Doctor Martinez met Shauna in his office.

“My friend at County Adventist told me that they’re stable. All three of them.” He said. “Pumped their stomachs and they’re going to have a rough week, but they’ll live. In part because of your fastness, but also, they wouldn’t have been down there at all if it hadn’t been for you…You know, there’s a stairwell down in the basement, fairly well hidden. And when I came down, I wasn’t even surprised to see Jessica there, to be honest. But I was very surprised to see you.”

“She promised me to heal us all.” Shauna said in a low voice.

“You know, I’ve had Jessica arrested three times over the years.” Martinez said. “Trespassing, breaking, and entering, harassment, between many others. She’s manipulative by nature. And it only took a couple of empty promises for you to act behind my back. That you’d view her as a friend and me as whatever you view me as.”

“She’s the reason I came here.” Shauna confessed shyly. “And maybe…maybe there’s something here.”

“There isn’t at all.” Martinez intervened. “Jessica’s no different than Laura Lee. The thing about Jessica and other people I’ve met over the years is they can’t accept that they were just lucky. But time comes around for everyone.”

“What do you mean?” Shauna asked.

“The escalations, the break-ins.” Martinez explained. “She tried to poison you last night. Not to save you or the other girls, she did it to save herself. She’s sick again. And whatever magic she thinks she discovered in ’69 it’s worn off. And so, she’s at it again using The Wilderness playbook.”

Martinez looked at Shauna, her face looked sad as she was a little girl who was told that Santa Claus did not exist.

“I know the special bond that that all of you have with each other. And I know, how sad it is loose a friend, and I know that your desire to cure you and your friends is really, really pure.” Martinez said. “But don’t let those sick ideas loose into your mind because people like you is more vulnerable towards them…These ideas, they’re like cancer. Once they catch on. It doesn’t matter how old, or smart or wise you are. All of us are at risk one way or another.”

“Can you don’t tell the others what I did, please?” Shauna asked. “I’m just…I’m really sorry.” She added and withdrew from the room head down and saddened.

Meanwhile in Taissa’s room, Van stayed to sleep again. But in the early morning, Taissa surprised Van, trying to grab a pen from the nightstand over and over again.

“What are you doing?” Taissa asked.

“It’s nothing.” Van said without importance.

“Motor skills, right?” Taissa asked. “How it’s it going?”

“I’ve grabbed this thing pretty good, about seven times out of ten.” Van answered. “But sometimes…I miss it.”

“Come here.” Taissa said and Van approached.

“My left eye.” Van said. “I can’t see that well up my left eye.”

“Okay.” Taissa approached to Van. “That’s okay.”

“Oh, fuck, I knew that was coming.” Van lamented. “It’s just that it doesn’t end to lake too long after the vision starts.”

“I know.” Taissa tried to comfort her.

“And there’s a blind spot.” Van explained. “There’s that. And then…It’s growing…but there’s a shadow. It’s in the corner of my eye…it’s like…”

“Like what Allie talked about?” Taissa asked. “Like what Lottie talked about?”

“Yeah.” Van sighed with regret. “And I can see it moving…Like it’s getting closer…And sometimes it looks like a person or a shape, but it’s…there and I can see it.” At that point, Van was at the verge of the tears, she knew that once you saw the shadow, your days were numbered.

“Come here.” Taissa said softly and hugged her.

Later in the morning, before the other families started to arrive, Laura Lee was about to leave. And all the girls came out to say goodbye to her.

“If you need anything, anything. Just call.” Ben indicated her with a smile. “Okay? I’ll always get your back.”

“Don’t be a stranger.” Doctor Martinez said and hugged her.

“I love you, weirdo.” Nat said to Laura Lee and hugged her both we’re about to cry.

“I’m so fucking happy for you.” Jackie told her, and she gave her a hug.

“Whenever you talk about being here, I want you to come up with the biggest and most insane story that you can.” Misty smiled and also hugged her.

Taissa were straight to the point and hugged her tightly, but of course, she had something to say to Laura Lee.

“We love you.” She said.

Then, Laura Lee hugged Van.

“Let me look at you, one real good look, please.” Van sighed scanning Laura Lee head to toe.

“You’re gonna see me again.” Laura Lee said wiping away her tears. “I promise.”

And then, Laura Lee faced Shauna.

“I’m sorry.” Laura Lee said.

“Don’t be.” Shauna smiled and hugged her. “Focus on your treatments, okay? That’s what you can do for us. And whatever you got; you just kick its ass.”

“I don’t know how to do this.” Laura Lee whispered.

“You’ll learn.” Shauna said with a sad smile.

Before to get into the car, Laura Lee gave a last look to the girls.

“I don’t want to go.” She said between tears and then, hearing the car engine, she got into the vehicle.

And the car started moving forward, suddenly Laura Lee had an idea, she lowered the window and pulled out half of her body. She waved goodbye as she watched her friends fade into the distance.

Not long after the family day began and as always Misty locked herself in her room to play the guitar.

“Hi.” Ben greeted delivering some boxes as always.

“I wonder what they sent this time.” Misty said bittersweetly.

“Do you want me to bring anything up for you?” Ben asked. “Scrape together some snacks, a little family day staycation kit.”

“Thanks, I’m good.” Misty said.

But before Ben left, she changed her mind.

“You know what?” She said with a smile. “I think I want to join this time. My family’s already here.”

In the conservatory, this time, Taissa, and her mother joined Van and her uncles.

“The lawyer said it could take a few more weeks.” Aunt Angela said. “But it’s just down to paperwork. She don’t even know yet. We tried to call her this morning but she’s still asleep.”

“Are you sure?” Van asked and her eyes lightened. “Are you completely sure?” And her uncles nodded with enthusiasm.

“You’re going to get to meet my mom.” Van said to Taissa with excitement. “My mom is coming; my mom is really coming.”

“You were right, she’s cute when she smiles.” Taissa’s mother whispered to her daughter.

“Mom.” Taissa blushed.

In the other table were Natalie and Misty.

“Do you really will teach me to play the guitar?” Nat asked.

“If you really want to learn, yeah.” Misty smiled. “You never struck me as a guitar guy but I’m happy to be surprised.”

And then, Natalie saw her mother entering to the conservatory…with her father.

“Holy shit, is that your dad?” Misty asked with disbelief. “Well, look what you did, friend.”

They stood up as Natalie’s parents approached.

“Do you made it?” Natalie asked.

“Of course, we did.” Her mother said hugging her.

“This…It’s a nice house.” Her father said.

“It really is.” Natalie answered.

And then, without saying anything her father hugged her tightly. The hug that Natalie so longed to receive finally had it, sincere and silent. Because sometimes the most powerful words reside in silence. And of course, Ben in the distance looked at the scene with a smile.

“This is my friend, Misty.” Natalie introduced.

“Hi. It’s awesome to meet you.” Misty said while she was shaking hand with both of them. “And I’m not just a friend, I’m her lost stepsister.”

Natalie's parents looked at Misty blankly.

“Dude, too soon.” Natalie laughed.

Shauna was in her room with the head empty, laying in the bed and doing nothing. Her mother was late again so, she had to wait for her. Suddenly, Ben entered to the room with a guy.

“Sorry to bother you.” He said. “Well, sorry for interrupt, this is Travis. He was Lottie’s close friend.”

“Yes of course.” Shauna said.

“He came to see about her things.” Ben explained. “So, we told him, that he needed to talk to you.”

“Sure, come in.” Shauna nodded standing up of the bed.

“Thanks.” Travis said as Ben left.

“She told us all about you.” Shauna said.

“So…this is it?” Travis asked as he walked around the room.

“Yeah, that was her bed.” Shauna pointed out. “I tried calling you before her funeral. She left your number, but it was disconnected.”

“Yeah, I know.” Travis said. “I guess I never gave her the new number when I moved.”

“So how did you get here?” Shauna asked.

“Her obituary.” Travis answered with bitterness. “It was beautiful. Who wrote it?”

“I did.” Shauna said.

“Really? I read it and I thought…Whoever wrote this, they really knew her.” Travis sighed.

“She talked about you a lot.” Shauna said.

“Man…No, I’m…I’m sorry to hear that.” Travis chuckled sadly.

“Don’t worry.” Shauna smiled in the same way. “She told me how you guys fell out. She took full responsibility, though.”

“I’m sure she did.” Travis said. “It wasn’t that cut and dry. I could have done better.”

“We could all do better.” Shauna comforted him. “And she was a stubborn bitch sometimes, no doubt.” She added to lighten the mood.

Travis laughed bitterly.

“But she loved you.” Shauna continued. “Listen, she left me some of her things and…I know she would want you to have some of this stuff. There’s not a lot. She donated a bunch, but her other things…I don’t know what to do with them, but you should have these.” She added giving to Travis a small box with Lottie's most prized possessions.

Travis rummaged through the box and took out the photo frame with the photo of the two. The crystal wasn’t broken, it was as good as new, as if he had bought a completely new one.

“She fixed it.” Travis smiled. “Man, she did a good job. It doesn’t even look like it was broken.”

“Can I see it?” Shauna asked. She was amazed.

“This broke like, a long time ago.” Travis explained and sniffed. “I mean, it looks like she didn’t actually got a new one. It doesn’t actually look like it was repaired. It seems like a new statue.”

It was completely new. And maybe just maybe it was that kind of thing that all the club was waiting for.

After that, Shauna went downstairs to say goodbye to Travis. And in her way to the conservatory, she bumped into her mom.

“There you are.” She said with a smile.

“Yeah, sorry. I had to take care of some things.” Shauna said.

“Everything’s okay?” Her mother asked.

“Yeah…Actually, I want to show you something.” Shauna said.

So, Shauna took her mother to her room and took out the folder with the preneed.

“Do you want to tell what this is all about?” Pauline asked.

“This is called a preened.” Shauna explained. “I was supposed to fill it out weeks ago, but I didn’t and I…I want you to fill it out with me. It’s basically just a list of things that I wanted…”

“Yeah, I know what it is.” Her mother interrupted. “I don’t know that we need to go down this…path.”

“It’s time, mom.” Shauna said and then, she took out a book. “I find this in the library. It’s called ‘My Song for Him Who Never Sang to Me’ by Merrit Malloy. And there’s a poem in here called ‘Epitaph’ that I…I want you to read at the ceremony when the time comes.

“Sweetie, can we…” Her mother sighed.

“When I die, give what’s left of me away to children and old men that wait to die.” Shauna started to recite. “And if you need to cry, cry for your brother walking the street beside you.”

She made a pause to take a deep breath.

“And when you need me, put your arms around anyone and give them what you need to give to me.” Shauna continued. “I want to leave you something, something better words or sounds. Look for me in the people I’ve known or loved. And if you cannot give me away, at least let me live on in your eyes and not your mind. You can love me most by letting hands touch hands. By letting bodies touch bodies, and by letting go of children that need to be free. Love doesn’t die, people do. So, when all that’s left in me is love, give me away.”

When Shauna looked up at her mother, she was looking at her with a tender and melancholic expression. Surprisingly, she wasn’t crying. But they say that the most painful tears are dry ones, the ones that you can’t see. And maybe, just maybe, that was true. And without saying anything, Shauna hugged her mom.

Meanwhile, Jackie was thoughtful sitting on the bench that she liked so much.

“Hey.” Jeff greeted as he approached and sit next to Jackie. “Where did you go?”

“Sorry, I just needed some air.” Jackie said.

“It’s really beautiful out here.” Jeff said seeing the waves crashing down the cliff.

“It really is.” Jackie affirmed.

“Listen.” Jackie started after a deep breath. “I think we need to talk.”

“Sure.” Jeff said.”

“Of course, now that I said I don’t know how to say any of what comes next.” Jackie sighed.

Both looked at each other. And a look could say more than a million of words.

“So, this is it?” Jeff asked.

“Yeah.” Jackie said bitterly.

“What did I…” Jeff was about to ask.

“Nothing.” Jackie was quick to say. “You did nothing wrong. You have to know that…I’ve been think about it a lot lately, and getting to this point has been frankly hard for both of us. But I want you to know that you didn’t do anything. It has been coming for a long time, but now that it’s here, I don’t…I really don’t know how to do this.”

“There’s only one way, really.” Jeff said after a deep breath. “Just one word at a time.” He added smiling sadly and holding her hand.

Love stories are almost never forever, whether the last one is: ‘And they lived happily ever after’ or ‘And they never saw each other again’ they always end one way or another. And this was the time for Jackie and Jeff's story to end.

At midnight, all the club except Shauna was reunited.

“What time is it?” Nat asked.

“Twelve past twenty-four.” Taissa said.

“Should we keep waiting?” Misty asked.

“No, I don’t think she’s coming this time.” Jackie said. “I think it’s just us tonight.” She added approaching to the head of the table.

“Well, I don’t like empty chairs at the table.” Van said. “Should we just put them away, pull them off to the side or something?”

“I think we should leave them.” Nat suggested. “So, there’s always a seat for them here.”

“There’s going to be more empty chairs, dude.” Van reminded.

“There will be new faces too. There always are.” Taissa comforted her.

“To those before. To those after. To us now and to those beyond.” Jackie recited raising her cup.

“To those before. To those after. To us now and to those beyond.” Everyone repeated.

“Seen or unseen, here but not here.” All the club repeated at unison and then, drank a sip from their cups.

“You know what?” Jackie said. “I’m think I’m going to finish it tonight.”

“What?” Van asked with disbelief.

“Finally.” Taissa said.

“It was about damn time.” Nat said.

“Thank you.” Misty added.

“I think this story is over.” Jackie declared.

But before, Jackie could begin to narrate, Shauna appeared.

“I’m sorry I’m late.” She apologized. “I fell asleep.”

“That’s okay. Pull up chair.” Nat indicated. “Jackie’s going to end her story. You’re just in time.

“Is that right?” Shauna asked with disbelief.

“Yep.” Jackie said. “You all did it. You all stayed alive just long enough to hear the exciting conclusion.”

Well, not everybody stayed alive, actually. But I’m killing the mood, right? Well, as the narrator I shouldn't be doing this either. So, let’s hear the story.

“Melanie went to the school gym at midnight, just to find Clyde, Susan, and Marc…Marc Hall was dead by a gun shot on the ground, just as she planned. While Susan Trellss was wounded on the ground, by a gunshot in the ribs.”

“‘Do you have the letter?’ Melanie asked to Clyde as she put on a pair of rubber gloves.”

“‘Yeah, the letter is ready. Starting tomorrow, everyone will believe that Marc killed Cindy and committed suicide out of guilt.’ Clyde chuckled dryly.”

“‘So, my dear, Susan. Thank you for giving me the idea. I mean it, I never would have thought of framing Marc without the help of your conspiracy theories.’ Melanie said. ‘That is why you have two options for you. You can die like a hero, murdered brutally by Marc trying to stop him or you can die as the accomplice of Marc and also kill yourself, we can also include your confession in the letter. Right, Clyde?’”

“‘Yes, of course we can.’ Clyde said.’”

“‘Why did you do this?’ Susan asked.”

“‘Because Cindy Carpenter ruined our lives.’ Melanie said dryly. ‘In the accident, the car didn’t fall of a cliff, she killed two people, my parents. They were in a business trip here in Iowa. Her parents paid the police, so that they’d never reveal the real version, because of course, they didn’t want their perfect little princess, the golden girl of the town, to look like a homicidal alcoholic in the eyes of everyone. And of course, on top of that, she died a tragic victim who didn’t deserve what happened to her.’”

“She took a pause after a deep breath. She was getting too mad.”

“‘So, guess what police documents are going to be leaked in the papers all over town tomorrow in the morning, everyone will know that Cindy Carpenter was a murderer and I expect everyone to line up to spit on her grave, and I want to be the first to do it. Actually, if there’s a hell, I hope she's burning there right now.’ Melanie finally exploded. ‘While Clyde, well. Cindy, despite being his girlfriend, took away all his opportunities to follow his dreams as sportsman, generated unnecessary conversations about him and many, many pitying looks…And guess who else is a lefty, Susan.’”

“The answer was obvious, Clyde. So, the whole thing had happened like this. Cindy had told Clyde that they were doing a school play, which Clyde told Melanie. That's why Melanie helped Susan in trigonometry class, if there was one thing she had learned over the years, it was that you had a better chance of winning something if that person liked you.”

“Once the cast of the play was just how they wanted. Melanie helped Clyde enter the auditorium the day of the class, nobody suspected about a poor guy in wheelchair and later sneak backstage, in order to kill Cindy.”

“The reason why Cindy had been so nervous the last few days was because her conscience couldn't take it anymore. Her guilt for the accident was too much and she was seriously considering confessing everything.”

“Minutes before the intermission ended, Clyde entered Cindy's dressing room, tricked her into gaining confidence, followed by covering her mouth and stabbing her straight through the heart. Cindy, desperate for help tried to get out on stage, but it was too late, and she bled to death.”

“‘So, you decide, Susan, Do you wanna die as a murderer or as a martyr?’ Melanie asked, reloading the gun.”

“‘Whatever you want. Does it matter at this point?’ Susan said. ‘But remember my words, They’ll know.’”

“‘You wish’ Melanie cackled and pulled the trigger. Susan now was dead.”

“In the next day, the police found the two dead bodies in the school gym. Melanie was merciful with Susan and made it look like Susan had tried to stop Marc. But an important detail was there.”

“Susan’s left hand didn’t have two nails. The nails of his index and middle fingers were completely finished. The reason was simple, Melanie and Clyde could be witty, but Susan was smarter. In the wooden floor of the school gym was scratched with trembling marks and bloody stains the word: ‘Melanie did it.’”

“The authorities didn’t take too long to find Melanie, that in her desperation, she snitched Clyde that’s how both ended confessing their crimes and sentenced to life imprisonment in a juvenile correctional facility.”

“Clyde committed suicide a year after being there, The prison doctors said that he had developed schizophrenia, because Clyde claimed that the voices of Cindy, Marc and Susan tormented him non-stop day and night.” Jackie finished. “While Melanie, she was isolated as a high-risk criminal, when she turned eighteen, she was transferred under the same condition to a local women's prison. Her guards say that she spends her days reciting Shakespearean monologues one after another, to imagine that a crowd cheers and applauds her and thus deal with her bitter loneliness….There you go, that’s it, that’s the end, you may all go die now…And now, Shipman, you left us all hanging with ‘The Grave.’ The floor is yours.”

“Okay.” Said Shauna taking a sit in the head of the table. “What was I on?”

“Orla killed Kelly and somehow she revived her.” Van answered.

“Oh, yeah.” Shauna said. “To refresh your memory, Kelly and Orla met in a bench of the park one day and they became inseparable. One day fooling around at the supermarket, Orla locked up Kelly in an industrial fridge, freezing her to death, but somehow. Kelly came back to life.”

“‘Welcome back to life, Kelly.’ Orla said. ‘You’re officially dead.’”

“‘What?’ Kelly asked with disbelief, that fact very hard to process.”

“‘You’re dead.’ Orla explained with calm. ‘But also, you’re special. Look, since the beginning of the times, there are people who can’t die normally, Unless their bodies are destroyed. In the middle age they called us witches. In the ancient times, we were called miraculous or also we were one of those people who were buried by mistake. In our days, we’re a secret, because you know, with people like us, the concept of heaven, paradise, afterlife or whatever you want to call it would be completely destroyed. They can only kill us if they completely destroy our bodies, such as beheading or burning us. So, yes, you’re a limbo dweller.”

“‘Are you saying that…I’m not dead but I’m not alive either?’ Kelly asked.”

“‘Yeah, kind of’ Orla said with tranquility, taking out a blue box and putting on a peculiar glasses. ‘Now, I need to make you some proofs, you know, to confirm that you’re like me. What color is this?’

“‘Blue?’ Kelly said doubtfully”

“‘Wrong, this is red. So, you’re colorblind like me’ Orla said taking off her glasses and now, she went for really huge box, and she lifted it up with one arm as if it were a heap of feathers. ‘Now, catch this.’”

“As if the box were a ball, Kelly caught the box with ease.”

“‘Would you believe me if I told you there's a refrigerator in there?’ Orla chuckled as she approached to Kelly. ‘Now, one last question, with sincerity above all. How do you feel?’

“‘Hungry…Very hungry.’ Kelly answered.”

“‘Don’t worry, that’s normal’ Orla said. ‘I’ll take you with Mr. Grimes. He knows what to do.’”

“‘Wait a minute What about my mom?’ Kelly asked.”

“‘Don’t worry about that either, I already have everything covered, I called him saying that you would stay to sleep at my house.’ Orla said.”

“So, they started their odyssey to Mr. Grimes’ house. After they arrived. A middle-aged man received them. He fed them with a vast feast. Kelly never thought that she could eat this amount of food, but she did, she was too hungry.”

“I’d love to be one of this limbo guys, then.” Van declared

Everybody chuckled.

“‘So, Orla told you that you’re special.’ Mr. Grimes said. ‘You know, Orla was an orphan when she came here, I adopted her as my own daughter. I want you for something bigger.’” He added taking Orla by the shoulders and smile at her with a paternal smile

“‘What do you mean?’ Kelly asked.”

“‘Follow me to my lab’ Mr. Grimes indicated ‘I’ll show you.’”

“They entered to an old elevator.”

“‘This is the first time I go down to his lab, you know’ Orla said excited.”

“When they arrived, Kelly and Orla were amazed, everything was too big, full of machines. But at the center of it there was a rather large capsule.”

“‘Your time has come.’ Mr. Grimes started. ‘A decade ago, my daughter, Theodora, was killed in a car accident by a drunk driver. However, I have kept her body in this cryogenic capsule, until I figure out a way to get her back. I've been studying people like you for years, and I've found that if I insert a sequence of your DNA into my daughter, it could make her one of you. It would be a scientific and medical miracle. I could give Theodora a quality that is innate to you.”

“‘How did you know I was a Limbo Dweller?’ Kelly asked.”

“‘Because, I've been at this for ten years, Kelly’ Mr. Grimes said. ‘I can recognize these people's medical files in the blink of an eye. I have tried it over and over again, but to no avail. People, I have to...let go. But you two, you're so young, you could be perfect, no one would get hurt, I promise. So, what do you say? will you help me?’”

“The cause sounded noble. The promise rang true. Orla was more than willing, as always. And Kelly, for the first time, felt willing to help. This could generate a great scientific advance... Or at least they believed.”

“They started the procedure, Grimes took blood samples of them, after that, he put them in the machine to start sequencing the white blood cells.”

“‘You’re almost here, my love.’ Grimes whispered. ‘You’re almost, here.’”

“But something went wrong, nothing happened. Grimes sequenced the machine over and over and over, but nothing happened. Grimes tried over and over desperately. Her daughter had to come back…But at some point, he stopped trying.”

“‘Well, I guess I'll have to lower the age range again.’ Grimes said.

“‘So tomorrow I start bringing you children? What age?’ Orla started to ask but she was suddenly silenced by the violent blow on the table that Grimes released.”

“‘You no longer serve me, you are useless, remember? I killed you; I took you beyond the grave. You stop being useful to me until when I say so. And now, you are no longer useful to me!’”

“‘But I thought that you loved me as a…’ Orla started to say at the verge of the tears before being interrupted again.”

“‘You’re not my daughter, you never were!’ Grimes said. ‘My real daughter is on that tank, and you, freaks were supposed to bring her to me back! But you don't even know how to do that!’”

“What a son of a bitch, I hope he dies at the end.” Nat said.

“I support that idea.” Taissa added.

“Then, Grimes turned around with a butcher’s knife in his hand.”

“‘If you don’t resist, It’s not gonna hurt.’ Grimes said.”

“‘I’m useless.’ Orla whispered over and over. ‘I no longer serve to you.’ She added with decision, and then, pounced on Grimes. And she started to punch him in the face.”

“But suddenly, he stabbed her right in her jugular.”

“‘Now your heart is useless, just like you.’ Grimes chuckled sadistically, and then, with a clean cut, beheaded her. There was no way for Orla to rise again.”

“Kelly screamed and also pounded on Grimes and tried to strangle him. Grimes was running out of air, and as a last-ditch effort he stabbed Kelly in the neck. And as good coward, Grimes leaving terrified.”

“Kelly couldn’t die. So, she was doomed to eternal agony on the lab floor. Suddenly, the tank started making weird noises. and the unexpected happened, it worked. Theodora was now alive again and a Limbo dweller. The girl was ejected from the tank with little grace, and like a newborn baby it hurt to breathe.”

“The first thing that Theodora saw was Kelly dying on the floor. The pain was unbearable at this point. Definitely being a limbo dweller was a double-edged sword.”

“ ‘Please.’ Kelly whispered and Theodora approached. ‘Take that knife and cut my head.’”

“‘What?’ Theodora said horrified. ‘No, absolutely no, I’m not going to do that.’”

“‘That’s the only way, that I can die’ Kelly whispered with difficulty ‘And then… go and find your father, who has a lot of blood on his hand.’”

“Theodora took the knife and closed her eyes. She slashed the knife hard and slashed, ending Kelly's agony.”

“She had died…” Said Shauna with a trembling voice, and then, she burst out crying. “Sorry…I don’t know what’s wrong with me today.”

“Kelly woke up in a beautiful night meadow.” Misty started. “First, she rubbed her eyes, and she could see clearly. Kelly saw Orla, waiting for her with her characteristic smile. She took her by her shoulders and the first thing she said to her was: ‘So this is how it feels to die.’”

“She also recognized some familiar faces in the way.” Van continued. “Approaching to the scene were Mary Gardner, Deena Sutton, Carla Timmons, Thomasin Barrett, Paige Christiansen and Terri Vaughn.”

“Dude, Paige’s still alive.” Natalie interrupted. “It was like a whole thing.”

“Well, she eventually died, and reunited with Terri.” Van explained. “It’s not about them, anyways. It’s about honoring friends and leave no one alone.”

“That wasn’t all.” Taissa continued. “The group went to a beautiful river and Kelly drank of it. And that was the way that she forgot all the pain and sorrow before to get there. Maybe death was just a window.”

“After that, they started their trip together.” Nat smiled. “Side by side, as it always had to be. They started to walk to The Great Beyond.”

“A window to another world.” Taissa said.

“An alternate dimension.” Van added.

“A liminal space.” Misty commented.

“Some might call it the Afterlife.” Jackie intervened.

“Thanks.” Shauna whispered wiping away the tears and after a deep breath he continued narrating.

“They started to walk together, As they advanced, the beautiful meadow was illuminated by the lights of the fireflies. Kelly didn’t know what was going to be next or what would happen next. But, somehow, she felt completely serene and confident. Because she wasn’t alone, she was being accompanied by people she loved, her real friends. Because sometimes, you don’t get a shot at love in life. But that doesn’t mean the game is over.”

“And in their path, there were so many souls and faces that Kelly didn’t know, but somehow her heart knew them all. And so, the path continued, and the girls continued. Because that’s what people do. They go on.”

“The end.” Shauna finished and then she let a long silence pass. “I have something to tell you, guys…Last night I did something…very wrong. But I’ll get to that…Earlier today, I had a visitor, Lottie’s friend, Travis. Do you remember Travis?”

Everybody nodded.

“He came to the room, I thought that he should have some of her things. And she had this photo frame which the glass of the frame was broken.” Shauna continued. “But when I found it, it was fixed.”

“No way.” Natalie said.

“It’s the sign!” Misty squealed.

“But it was really broken?” Taissa asked.

“Yes, it was. And now it was fixed.” Shauna answered.

“Lottie said that her sign was going to be tangible. And this is tangible. So, it could be Lottie.” Van said.

“It was Lottie.” Jackie smiled. “It was her.”

After the meeting, Jackie called Shauna.

“I think I’m gonna take the long way up.” Jackie said. “Do you want to join?”

“Yeah, I do.” Shauna smiled

And now both of them were walking to the great hallway.

“I loved your story.” Jackie said.

“I loved yours.” Shauna commented. “But not the ending…I don’t know, I feel like you were a little hard on Melanie.”

“She was a murderer.” Jackie chuckled.

“Yeah, and I know that is unjustifiable.” Shauna explained. “But all her story and her ending were so…painful. The idea that she was alone from the start, and she’d be alone for the rest of her life.”

“So, she wouldn’t hurt more people, maybe people that she cares about.” Jackie said dryly. “Because she always hurts people, even the ones she cares about.”

“I don’t know if it’s possible not to hurt people that you care about.” Shauna said. “It doesn’t mean you have to be alone, Jackie.”

“I broke up with Jeff.” Jackie admitted.

“I’m sorry.” Was everything that Shauna could say.

“No, it was right.” Jackie continued. “It wasn’t fair to either one of us. Besides, there’s someone else, and I can’t lie about it anymore.”

“Even after I put all of us in danger?” Shauna asked.

“You did what you did out of hope.” Jackie answered. “Because that’s who you are. You’re hope, and you have been ever since you got there. And what else could Lottie’s sign mean? What else could the photo frame mean if not hope? So, you were right… Since you arrived here, I felt as if I had known you all my life.”

And that connection was mutual.

“But Jackie…I don’t know how we could just…I’m going to die.” Shauna said.

“Me too.” Jackie said without importance. “But I think that dying is a really shitty reason for not to live.”

And in that moment, Jackie kissed Shauna.

The legend of soulmates says that these souls always meet again in all their lives to continue loving each other. No matter how long, time ceases to exist when we start to see the world without the clock.

None of the girls knew how much time they had left. But what they did know was that there would continue to be death, and at the same time the arrival of new faces. And when their time came, they would become stories, memories, they would become love.

Because love doesn’t die, people do.

Notes:

Hey, this is the end chapter! :D
I hope you liked this story as much as to me. Sorry If I made you cry at some point.
Thanks for giving me a chance <3

Series this work belongs to:

← Previous Work Part 2 of The Wilderness’ Paragon (The Midnight Club & Yellowjackets Role Swap)

Actions

Kudos

Zumbo, Rosstock, just_xo171, badwolfkaily, Lokhoe, Jiwouwp, thatonegayband, Candleina_bottle, greenapplesandredgrapes, ElsaFowl, Stratuse, ashimonaki, Number_8, and 4thegays as well as 10 guests left kudos on this work!

Comments

ashimonaki on Chapter 10 Tue 13 Jun 2023 02:30AM UTC

you! this! i love this so much...
apologies if anything i write sounds odd, English isn't my first language
i love how you expressed each and every character in this fic. lottie's death made me cry because of how beautifully it was written and laura lee's part made me so happy that she was able to get out okay. i loved shaunas character development and how she accepted everything that came her way.
I'm surprised this has barely anyone reading it and I'm apparently the first commenter so thank you for this amazing work please keep writing more fics in the future.

Comment Actions
- Reply
- Thread
1. W_Bruster on Chapter 10 Tue 13 Jun 2023 04:08AM UTC
  
  Hi, You don't know how happy I am to read this. :D
  Don't worry, english is not my first language either.
  I'm so glad that you liked this, it was very nice and beautiful to write this. And now, people reading it fills my heart with joy.
  Thank you so much for giving me a chance! <3
  
  Comment Actions

Actions

Work Header

Good Riddance

W_Bruster

Summary:

Notes:

Chapter 1: One Last Chapter

Chapter Text

Chapter 2: Magic Fire

Summary:

Chapter Text

Chapter 3: The Last Act

Summary:

Chapter Text

Chapter 4: Execution of the Innocence

Summary:

Chapter Text

Chapter 5: The Starlight Crystal

Summary:

Chapter Text

Chapter 6: The Grave

Summary:

Chapter Text

Chapter 7: Lottie

Chapter Text

Chapter 8: The Hollow Skull

Summary:

Chapter Text

Chapter 9: Scavenger Hunt

Summary:

Chapter Text

Chapter 10: And the Midnights will go on

Notes:

Chapter Text

Notes:

Series this work belongs to:

Actions

Kudos

Comments

ashimonaki on Chapter 10 Tue 13 Jun 2023 02:30AM UTC

Comment Actions

W_Bruster on Chapter 10 Tue 13 Jun 2023 04:08AM UTC

Comment Actions