━━ 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍!
❪ bring back the dead ❫

( warning: specific descriptions of various body horror from certain previous chapters; please be careful. you have been warned )

⋆        𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗥𝗬𝗢𝗡𝗘 𝗪𝗔𝗦 𝗤𝗨𝗜𝗘𝗧, not knowing what to say, as they watched Ivan fall to his knees at the edge of the hill's edge, the sound of the gunshot wounding Ivan. Abby looked at everyone, and she couldn't help but notice how everyone was reaching the point of being broken and beaten. The world wouldn't allow a break to be given to these kids. The world was cruel and unkind, and there were so many words that Abby couldn't find to describe herself. Her mind was empty, a black hole was sucking her thoughts and emotions out, and she was just the host. She exhaled a breath of air, her body aching from the running and pain she faced.

Everyone looked at each other with sorrow, knowing that the pain they had to face these few hours would forever haunt their minds, lingering on their skin like a bloodstain. Abby sighed again, trying to find the right breathing pattern, her lungs feeling suffocating. It wasn't much, but it remained a reminder for Abby to know that she was still alive.

She looked around, trying to get a good look at everyone's face, and her eyes stopped on William, who was sitting against a stone wall. He clutched at his leg, seeing the damage that was caused to his calf ━ he couldn't bear to look at it any longer. She felt terrible for him, knowing he was losing all his friends in one night to evil deeds. On top of that, Abby knew that William was traumatised by it, the way his hands couldn't stop shaking and how he would jump at every sound. Abby knew that William blamed himself for this night.

Then it was Vanya that she turned her eyes to, seeing that she was sitting next to Eleanor. Even though the two were unstoppable forces, they were tense because of Eleanor's confession. And yet, Vanya never left her side. Vanya seemed tired, her knees at the risk of buckling over in pain, and Eleanor was quick to hold on to her, even when she was already buckling down towards the ground. Abby noticed that Eleanor's face had changed in a way that didn't feel familiar anymore; how she used to radiate happiness now felt like a faded memory. All that was left of her was suffering.

Abby looked over to Ivan, kneeling alone on the ground as he still glanced at the lake. His arms were to his side, shaking as if he was trying to release all the pressure inside of him, almost as if he was like boiling water, and he was waiting for the tipping point to blow up. Abby could sense that he was hurting, hurting badly. He lost his best friend, ally, and brother, and all that was left was a space where he used to be. It didn't help that Ivan didn't know the feeling of comfort either because he had never felt the warmth of someone until Jamie came along. Now that was gone.

Then she looked over to the last person, Sedona.

Abby softly smiled, even though it hurt a little, knowing that there was a chance that someone would betray her and send Sedona packing towards purgatory. Abby didn't want to be abandoned, left behind by someone that she had learnt to love. Sedona turned to look at Abby, and she noticed that her eyes softened when she met Abby's eyes. It was good to know that someone in this place cared for Abby because, in the outside world, no one could understand Abby like Sedona could.

"Did... Did anyone figure out what the cards on the table were meant for?" William hesitated to question and was meant with silence. He doesn't blame them, only himself.

He swallowed before turning his head towards the patio's table, seeing the familiar box. He stood up carefully, his leg screaming to sit down, but he hobbled towards the table, placing his bloodied hand on the surface. Silently, Ivan joined by his side, looking to see the cards, only to see that one more was added to the list of the deceased. Ivan's hands hovered above Jamie's, seeing the gunshot wound in the centre of his forehead was now bleeding, but Jamie's smile remained.

"Ivan?" William said as he placed a hand on Ivan's back, and surprisingly enough, Ivan accepted the contact from William. "You don't have to talk about it right now, but don't close the fresh wound immediately. It's important to know that."

"Thank you, Will; hearing you speaking again is good," Ivan whispered, and William nodded before he turned his focus towards the cards. By now, the group had noticed the two boys standing together and decided to join by their sides, seeing the cards themselves.

"Wasn't this inside?" Eleanor questioned, and Ivan nodded as he couldn't quite understand how it was here.

"Maybe that means it's important?" Abby said, and Sedona nodded in agreement. "Wait, look; there are instructions here now," Abby said as she pointed towards the small scroll leaning against the voting box.

"What? That doesn't make sense; isn't it just voting?"

"Maybe it's for something more ━ something that we aren't prepared for."

━━━━━━

⋆        𝗦𝗘𝗗𝗢𝗡𝗔 𝗣𝗜𝗖𝗞𝗘𝗗 𝗨𝗣 the old parchment that supposedly had the instructions written, and everyone crowded around Sedona. "You have one task to complete. Vote three of your deceased friends, not your living friends, as the Gravedigger will choose himself for the challenge. All will be revealed sooner than you think."

"Who the fuck is this Gravedigger?" Ivan said as he crossed his arms, frustrated.

"It doesn't say, but he's a gravedigger. So, what are we supposed to do?" Vanya said softly as she looked towards the cards placed on the table. The instructions repeated throughout her head, and she realised it had never explained why they were voting for their deceased friends. "I suppose we all vote for three people and then place it in the box... The instructions say that the truth will be revealed soon."

"Hold on, wait, Sedona. There's more writing on the back of the parchment," Eleanor said as she pointed towards the back of the paper. When Sedona turned it over, there was indeed writing. "What does it say, Sedona?"

"Only one person will vote at a time, and all votes must remain secret. Gather by the treeline once you all have finished and await further instructions."

"What does that even mean?" Eleanor as she looked towards the cards, wondering who she was to vote for.

"It means that we can't see or know who voted for who; everything remains anonymous," Ivan said as he cleared his throat, eager to begin voting to get rid of the nerves. When he noticed that no one was willing to begin first, he sighed as he turned around, facing the table. The others all scattered around to stand alone on the patio, unwilling to share their thoughts for fear of revealing secrets.

Ivan inhaled as he placed his hands on the table, tapping his fingers against the stone. He looked at the cards placed in front of him, unsure of what he was to do. Ivan had a plan in his head, and he supposedly knew who he was voting for, but when he was in front of the table, all thoughts disappeared. He knew he was to vote for Jamie as his hand floated above it, placing ━ one vote down and two left to go in front of him. Yet, he was stumped again, so he turned around to face his friends. None of them noticed him observing them as he glanced around the gardens until his eyes stopped on William, who looked different, almost as if he wasn't the same person he used to be. So he grabbed Samuel's hand and placed it on his votes. One more. But a problematic choice came up to challenge his sense of morals. There was Darling, who managed to keep the happiness, representing the group's innocence. But there was also Rosalie, who never got a chance to live out her life nor put in her resourcefulness. Claira was also the same, and Ivan inhaled, making the choice difficult. But then he remembered the promise that he had given to Jamie. So in went Darling, who placed all three votes simultaneously into the box.

"I'm finished; who's next?" Ivan said as he turned around and faced the group. Vanya looked over to Eleanor, who sighed as she stood and headed towards where Ivan previously stood.

Eleanor didn't know how Ivan managed to make decisions because she found it immediately tricky. She didn't know why, but she felt like she had nothing in her mind, and the guilt of living when her friends couldn't be slowly eating her alive. Eleanor didn't understand why choosing people was hard ━ maybe it was because of the afterthought; for example, would her friends hate her if she made the wrong choice? Would it haunt her for the rest of her life? She looked at all the cards, her heart beating hard against her ribcage as her eyes darted across the table, seeing the different choices she could make, but she grabbed Rosalie and Claira's cards, putting them together. She knew they deserved another chance at survival, and if this voting was a way to do it, then so be it. Then she closed her eyes, trying to think about who her last vote would be. Eleanor, without hesitation, grabbed Darling's card without realising it and then looked over the three cards in her hand. Before she could give herself second thoughts, she placed the three votes into the box and took a deep breath before heading back towards where she sat previously.

"I'm... I'm done; someone can go now," Eleanor said, covering her arms to protect herself from the cold.

After Eleanor voted, Abby decided to go next as the patio remained silent for a few minutes. She could feel her hands twitch as she picked at the skin on her palms, a nervous trait she had for years. Abby looked at all the cards twice, unsure who to vote for. Most of these were her friends, and some were people she knew of. But when her eyes stopped on Claira's card, the memories of seeing her torn up by the wolves plagued her. She felt her hand move towards the card and placed it in the box. She inhaled a sharp breath as she looked back to the rest of the cards, now fiddling with Claira's bracelet instead of her bruised knuckles. Abby didn't know who she wanted to vote for, but then she tilted her head and grabbed Jamie's card, knowing he deserved a fair chance to live. Now, she was left with one more vote. She decided to close her eyes, allowing her hand to float over the cards, letting fate choose the choice for her. Her eyes remained closed as the card slipped from her hands into the box. Abby will never know who she voted for; she supposes that is for the best.

"I'm done..." Abby said as she turned around, facing her friends. Sedona stood up to head towards where Abby stood. Abby smiled as she walked past, and her pinkie finger quickly reached out to link with Sedona's pinkie finger, feeling the slight touch before continuing to walk.

Sedona had a plan for this but didn't know who she would vote for when she stood there. Her brain was numb, and the neurons in her brain refused to link up to give some thought process, and yet she still looked at the cards, trying to think. Sedona was always the one to devise a plan━aside from Ivan━but this time? She didn't know what to do. Sedona closed her eyes, her mind imagining her brother, Eli, imagining what he would choose, and her breath shuddered before opening them again. Sedona refused to allow Eli to invade her thoughts, knowing that it was making her vulnerable and that there was a chance she would never go home to see him again. But maybe her brain was telling her to do something instead. Sedona thought about how her brother believed in the underdogs, and she knew who her first vote was. Even though the pair never really talked, she still believed in giving her a chance, so she grabbed Rosalie's card and placed it in the box. Eli also believed in kindness, even though he never gained that from people, and Darling was the true meaning of that word. So in went Darling into the box of votes. But now, there was one more that Sedona needed to vote for.

"You know who to vote for..." Eli's voice rang out, and Sedona sighed as the voice lingered in her ear. She closed her eyes, remembering the familiar voice. It was true; Sedona did not know who to vote for and hoped her brother would be proud of her. So she grabbed Samuel's card and placed it in the box. She turned on her heel and headed towards a space, leaving for Vanya to be the last one to vote.

Vanya was stuck in her thoughts. It had only been at least three minutes, but she still had not voted for anyone. The others were quick to make decisions, but for Vanya, it wasn't because she had allies and could easily vote for them; they were all her friends. Vanya sighed, her breath wavering everywhere, but it was a hard choice. So she decided to create chaos in this place and closed her eyes as she grabbed three random cards and placed them in the box. She opened her eyes to see that the card piles were no longer there but the box in the centre of the table.

"I'm..." Vanya said as she whispered, turning around to signal that she was finished. She didn't have enough energy to finish the sentence, but they understood as they gathered to head towards the treelines. William got up and limped slightly as he tried to put pressure on his leg. Vanya looked over to Ivan, and the look on his face said  ━ William was getting infected from the leg's wounds. Vanya sighed as she began to fidget with her hands, and before she could begin a conversation on what was next for the group, the manor began to rattle.

━━━━━━

⋆        "𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗛𝗘𝗟𝗟 is happening! " Abby said as she tried to look around, understanding her surroundings. William looked back towards the others, realising that this was the beginning of the challenge.

"We need to leave now."

"What are the rules? What the hell are we supposed to do? What━" Abby said, panicking, but Sedona grabbed her hand and ran. The group followed as Ivan led the group down the patio's stairs, heading towards the gardens. Before they could even reach the central section, they could hear steps approaching them from where they came from. William looked both ways before deciding that continuing was better than jumping over the stone walls to escape them.

"Come on! This way!" William said as he rushed through the grass, ignoring the pain beginning to sting in his calf. He didn't have time to dwell on the pain. Still, he knew that the leg would be a constant painful memory if he ever made it out of here alive. Just before William could look around for another form of escape towards the treelines, he noticed that shadow figures were coming towards the group. He stood in front of his friends, trying to protect them. William couldn't remember the exact wording of the rules, so he prayed that Sedona remembered them.

"Just keep running!" Sedona said as her dress flowed against the wind, trying to run quickly. Vanya and Eleanor kept up with her pace, and Abby held her dress up, running barefoot in the grass. Ivan was close to William, and William did everything he could to focus on running instead of the thought of his leg falling apart.

They all tried to regain their breath as they gathered near a small clearing in the far gardens. William fought the urge to drop onto the ground but didn't want to be perceived as weak, so instead, he glanced around to see if the group was safe. As he turned around, his body faced an opening, where a figure stood, and William gave a sharp inhale, attempting to hold his breath to hide. However, the figure had already seen them and was walking towards the clearing's circle.

In the moonlight, it was clear that the figure was holding a shovel over his shoulder. The figure was tall, but his shoulders and back were hunched over unnaturally. His eyes were cold, with no remorse or kindness, only danger and pain. He dragged his leg across the grass, his boots stained with mud as he groaned softly, allowing the group to see that his mouth had been torn open, revealing his rotten teeth and drool dripping.

"Are you..." Abby whispered but wasn't brave enough to finish her words. The figure approached the circle and stopped as if staring at the group, wanting more. Ivan sighed as he kept an eye on the stranger━figuring out that it was the Gravedigger, the name mentioned in the parchment.

"Guests, you have voted three of your friends, and the most votes were accepted. Come on, don't be shy... They're your friends after all," the Gravedigger spoke, and the group glanced at him, confused before they could see three figures appear behind him.

The first person that stepped out of the shadows was a girl wearing a red dress. Abby knew who it was, and she choked a sob, covering her mouth. Claira looked different, and everyone could see how her skin moved differently, seeing how she had died. Her skin was pale white from blood loss, and the outer layer was red, covered in torn bites and ripped from parts. Abby couldn't remember the last time she could recognise Claira's face, seeing as she was ripped to a Jane Doe corpse, but at closer inspections, Claira's brown eyes remained the same.

"Claira..." Abby said as she took a few steps before stopping, afraid to do something that could make her disappear. However, Claira remained in the spot she stood.

"You made it; I'm proud of you," Claira said, her voice raw from her throat being ripped out, but Abby could sense that the softness was still there. She gave a small smile, but Abby could sense the sadness behind it, the same smile she gave before she died.

The next person to step out of the shadows was a familiar face, and Ivan smiled a little, not knowing that tears were going down his face. Jamie's skin was pale, similar to Claira's, but there was a bloody hole in his forehead from the gunshot wound. Dried blood was everywhere on his face as if it was still fresh and streaming. Jamie's eyes were warm, and yet there was just something about it that resembled coldness.

"Hey, buddy... Jamie, how are you?" Ivan said in a whisper, which was rare for him to be speechless. Jamie smiled. However, it seemed he didn't mean it, hiding the sadness behind the teeth━wide smile. Ivan noticed that his hands were shaking, either from the fear of the unknown or the cold wind hitting his once━dead skin.

The last figure to appear was a pleasant surprise. Rosalie wore a torn white dress that flowed softly against the wind as she stepped forward. Makeshift stitches were all over her body, and her throat was the most scarred, the lines becoming woven into her skin. Everyone felt their heart stop and beat slowly, witnessing a ghost.

"Rosalie..."

"Hello," she spoke. Her voice was raw, similar to Claira's, but it was more of a croak. She was the first one in the group to die, and therefore, she was the most dead━looking out of her friends, and yet, here she stood, full of life.

"Now... I've chosen three victims. My creatures will take you three, and if you even think about running, don't bother. They surround you," the Gravedigger spoke, his voice turned from a whisper to a croak and then nothing. "Good luck..."

"Wait━"

"Don't take me, please!"

𝐓𝐀𝐋 𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐀𝐊𝐒!
✶ whoa, is this a new update as well? yep, it is! i was actually writing this previously, and i just couldn't wait to publish this because it's the last act of this book!! i was actually reading the previous author's note, and i noticed that i didn't like the original concept of this chapter, but now? now writing with this rewriting, i actually like this chapter! this is also the same as previous ━ this is a part one, part two is in the next chapter, as if they were combined, it would be over 7,000 words,,, so enjoy part one!

𝗧𝗛𝗔𝗡𝗞𝗦 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚!