"Dilton!" I scream, reaching for him. He looks back, his eyes bloody, mouth blue.

"I'm going to the kingdom now." He says, emotionless. I furrow my brows in confusion, when blue foam starts falling out of his mouth, a shape resembling the wooden structure of what he calls the "Gargoyle King" rising behind him. A burning pain shoots through my arm, causing my to look down. It was the same three markings on his back.

I was in the game.

I wake up, screaming for air, my hands clawing at my throat. Cheryl and Toni bust open my door, running to my aid. "Dear god, Emmy, what's wrong?" Cheryl asks me, coming to my side.

Few truly know what me and Jughead saw at the forest, hell not even I really know what we saw. All I know is that Dilton is dead, and Ben is barely holding onto life. We were told by Sheriff Minetta to stay hushed for the sake of the two families, but how could we keep quiet about a suicide pact, or even a murder?

I look down at my clock. 5:15 am. "What are you guys doing up so early?" I ask.

"It's the first day of school."

I drive up to Betty's house as she hops down the steps, out the door. She runs her hand through her ponytail as she sits in my passenger seat. "My mom hasn't told you, right?" She asks hastily.

"No?" I say in confusion. What else is going on?

"Em, I had a seizure the other night." She says quietly, as if the neighbors will hear if she talks any louder.

My eyes widen to the size of flying saucers. "What? Betty, does Jug know? Why? What happened? Are you okay?" I begin to question, grabbing her shoulders and looking her over for examination.

She pries my hands off of her, waving me off. "I'm fine, Em. And no, Jug does not know and right now I don't want him to." She sighs. "It was just from stress, according to the doctor." My blonde cousin gives me a closed mouth smile as I sigh, leaning back into my seat.

"School hasn't even officially started and it's already hectic as hell." I groan, starting the engine and finally pulling out of her moms driveway.

Betty looks over at me, "So, has Cheryl persuaded you to actually try out for the River Vixens?" She asks me.

"She says it will be good for my college resume." I reply, keeping my eyes on the road. "And maybe I will, it just seems so...girly."

"As if you aren't girly yourself." She scoffs. I smack her shoulder, causing her to laugh. It was moments like these, where even for one second I felt like I was normal. Like Riverdale was just your everyday town without murders and conspiring against your best friends dad. Like Im just Emilia Blossom, the girl who works at Pops every summer, is friends with everyone, and gets good grades in school.

Maybe, this year, I can try to accomplish that.

Who am I kidding, my best friend is in jail, my best friend owns the diner I work at, my classmate was almost murdered, and my aunt and cousin basically worship some psycho farmhouse where, according to Betty, they throw babies into fires and make them fly. This year will be anything but normal.

I walk the halls of Riverdale High with Betty, Jughead meeting up with us in the Blue and Gold office. "Oh, my god, Dilton is dead?" I lean against the wall, staring between Betty and Jughead. He decided that it was best we tell the blonde, and be honest.

"Yeah." Jug sighs. "And Ben from the from the drive-in, he's barely hanging on." I cross my arms over my chest, the gum in my mouth being the only thing keeping me calm. "Doctors don't know when or if he's even gonna wake up."

I cross my legs, my heel clicking against the floor. "Sheriff Minetta said to keep this all hush-hush, for the family's sake." I add. My mind travels back to my nightmare. This whole thing was truly traumatizing. Dilton foaming at the mouth. Their blue lips.

"Betty, what I saw, what we saw was.." Jughead shakes his head.

"What, Jug?" Betty's voice is soft and gentle, trying to be there for her boyfriend and best friend, who literally found two people naked in a forest, one of them dead.

"It was like a ritual site." Juggy mutters. "Their lips were blue. There were the chalices that were filled with poison or something. Animal bones were in a circle."

I straighten up from my spot, walking closer to the couple. "The tree has markings all over it too. There was a sculpture with wings and a fucking skull." Betty shoots a glare for my language. "Sorry." I mumble.

"So, was it a murder or suicide-pact gone wrong?" Betty asks.

"Or both." I say under my breath.

Jughead runs his hand through his hair. "I have no idea. I saw Ben and Dilton. They were playing this weird game at Pops. Dilton was raving about someone called the Gargoyle King." Betty stares at her boyfriend in shock and confusion, trying to take it all in. "I was also thinking that, you and I could investigate this together, Emmy too." He adds. "For old times sake. Or at least until we catch a new lead with Archie's case."

Betty walks close to Jughead, "I like that idea." She says, kissing him. "I'll try to see if Dr. Curdle can get us into the coroners office."

"Have more romantic words ever been spoken." I roll my eyes at Jugheads cheesy statement, being the third wheel here.

"No." Betty replies. She looks over at me. "What do you say, Em?"

"Nancy Drew and Stephen King and their trusty side kick Scooby Doo? I'm in." I smirk.

"Emmy!" I look over to see Cheryl and a few River Vixens running over as I head to the library for free period. "You already showed me your vixen worthy skills, and now that you're working on your new and improved self, I say it's time for you to join the squad." She holds up a cheer uniform, making me laugh.

I sigh, shaking my head. "Cheryl, I don't know-"

"Do it, you deserve it." I look up to see Josie McCoy, giving me her award worthy smile. "I know we're in a rough patch, but the vixens are a team, and having the most hard working girl in Riverdale on the River Vixens will really bring us together."

Cheryl smiles, looking back at me. "What do you say, gorgeous?"

I sigh, rolling my eyes playfully. "Fine."

I sit at home, flipping through my notebook when Jug and Betty call. "What'd you guys get?"

"Well, their was cyanide in this blueberry Fresh-Aid, that's what killed them." Betty says.

"Oh my god." I say, scrunching my face. "That's...wow."

"He said it was familiar too." Jughead adds.

Betty's voice fills the line once again. "Dr. Curdle Jr. doesn't apparently know if it was murder or suicide, but he said whatever it is darker than what happened to..."

Jason.

"Or what my dad did." She finishes. "It's the true face of evil, he said." Shivers run down my spine as I look out the window, seeing a figure out in the backyard.

"You guys, I'll see you tomorrow at school." I say, standing from my spot.

"Em? Is everything okay?" Betty asks, concern growing.

I grab my red robe, wrapping it around my pajamas. "Yeah, I just have to do something. I'll text you later." I say, hanging up. I tip toe down the stairs, knowing Cheryl and Toni had gone out. I look around the dark house, seeing for a weapon just in case. I creep to the back door, gripping the cold handle before swinging it open.

"Fangs, what the hell are you doing in my back yard?" I shout, relief flooding my body.

He looks up from the tree he was leaning on, a smile spreading across his face. "I was bored, and you're my entertainment." Deja Vu comes across my brain, but Im not sure what from.

"You could've called." I say, tossing my hand in the air. Shrugging, he brushes past me into the house, causing me to roll my eyes as I shut the door, following him.

He walks into the family room, opening a desk full of movies. "You got anything scary to watch?" He asks, shuffling through the drawer.

"Third drawer is all horror."

I walk into the Blue & Gold on the second day of school, holding a bag of Starbucks from Centerville, smiling at Betty who's on the phone. "He's out of the ICU? That's great." She looks up at me, mouthing thank you as I hand her a coffee. "Uh, what time are your visiting hours, she begins writing numbers down as I lean against the desk, looking down at whatever she is writing. "Uh, thank you." She says before hanging up.

I laugh, "We have a lot to do." She sighs, nodding.

"Hi." We look up from the desk, seeing a girl with reddish brown hair. "I'm Evelyn. And you're Betty Cooper and Emmy Blossom?" I give Betty a weird look.

"I'm sorry, do I know you?" I almost laugh at Betty's unintended snap.

Evelyn shrugs. "Well, not exactly. We almost met through your mom and your sister." She walks further into the room, causing me to cross my arms over my chest. "They're studying with my dad." Great, another psycho.

"Edgar Evernever." Betty says with realization.

The girl nods, telling Betty she's right. "Anyway, I go to school here now, so I just wanted to say hi, and to let you know that I won't tell anyone about what happened the other night."

I shoot up from my spot, ready to pounce on the Evernever Bimbo, but Betty grabs my wrist. "What are you talking about?" Betty asks.

"Well, your seizure of course." I glare at the girl, my fist curling and uncurling.

"You were there?" Betty grips tighter onto my wrist, knowing I was unpredictable at this point.

"Yeah, your mom invited us over for a cookout and to burn a few of her things."

I scoff, looking down at my shoes. "I'll burn you like the witches at Salem." Betty kicks my leg, causing me to hiss.

"Uh, we have to go, visit a friend in the hospital." Betty starts grabbing her things before rushing out, pulling me with her. I look back at Evelyn, who's just creepily watching us.

I pull on my skirt uncomfortably, sitting in the back of my own car, Jughead driving and Betty in the passenger. "Have I ever told you I hate leather skirts." I complain, pulling on the red fabric.

"Emmy, shouldn't you be at practice?"Juggy teases, causing me to roll my eyes.

"It's not starting until next week. And I have all of my free period as well." I remind him, he pulls into the hospital, and I hop out of the car, my black boots clumping against the ground.

We walk into Bens room, Betty and I standing back awkwardly. "Hi, Mrs. Button?" I shut the door behind me as we walk into the room. "We just wanted to see how Ben was doing." Betty's voice is soft and soothing, really giving the good girl vibe.

I look around the room as the couple talk to Bens mom. I mentally take note how he was with Dilton. The nightmares. I lift up a weird totem from the door, it's a body, made out of wood. "Mrs. Button," I say kindly. I turn aroun, Jugheads eyes furrowing at the sight. "Do you know how this got here?" I ask.

"Or what it is?" Jughead adds.

"Maybe that nice girl left it."

Betty looks over. "Someone else came to visit Ben?"

"Another friend from school, I don't remember her name. She wore a bow in her hair." I sigh, knowing exactly who she's talking about.

"I'm sorry, I have to go." I say abruptly, walking out of the room. Sheriff Minetta was walking our way and I bite my lip, speeding past him.

"Emmy." I turn back. "What were you doing here?"

I shift on my feet. "I wanted to make sure Bens alright, that's all. I felt bad for the family." I say to him. He narrows his eyes at me, then waves me off.

"Don't do anything stupid, Emilia." He retorts coldly. I nod before speeding out of the hospital, knowing I left Betty and Jughead for Sheriff Minetta's rath.

"There's a missing scout, too?" I ask once they get back in the car.

"He's been missing for two days." I bite my lip nervously. Was he dead in the woods somewhere too?"

Jughead looks back at me through the mirror. "Are you sure you want to keep up with this, Emmy?" He asks. "How is this not giving you PTSD?" The thing is, it was giving me memory's from Jason's death. His body. Solving his murder. It was the hardest time of my life. This Gargoyle King bullshit and finding Diltons corpse, is sending me back to those dark days.

My worst fear is, who's next?

_____

it was getting long y'all, so here we are.

and i'm nice and gave some toni and fangs appearances unlike RAS AND THE WRITERS😂

next chapter out soon