Nights and days came and passed. And every time Connor and I saw each other, we pretended everything was fine, even though our eyes always screamed what we couldn't say out loud.

Maybe, because we both thought that we had completely lost our minds. Or even that we were mentally traumatized by everything we went through because of digging up memories that should have remained buried deep under the rubble of time.

Or maybe, we were just mindful of the fact that telling each other what was going on would make it an inevitable reality that we could never escape from. And we were too cowardly for that...

"We need to leave this town as soon as possible," said Connor, who looked ashen and kept looking all around him every few seconds—especially behind him.

I noticed he looked worse for wear—even more than I did. The dark circles under his eyes showed that he hadn't tasted sleep in days. Also, his wrinkled clothes, unkempt hair, and unshaven face made me believe he deliberately avoided looking in the mirror.

Staring at him, I struggled with forming any words. I didn't know what to say that wouldn't make things even worse. And I even restrained myself from telling him that I thought all our attempts to escape would be in vain.

But on second thought, I found no harm in trying. We had got nothing to lose anyway.

"Let's leave the town together tonight," I finally said.

He opened his mouth to say something, but I interrupted him again. "You can spend a few days with me where I live until you find somewhere else to stay. And after that, I believe it's better for us never to see each other again."

Connor looked surprised but didn't object.

We agreed to meet again in two hours so Connor would have had a chance to pack a small bag and tie up any loose ends he might have in this town.

I went back to the cheap motel I was staying at to gather my things. As time passed, I kept checking my wristwatch while tapping my feet impatiently, waiting for Connor to pick me up with his car so we could leave this accursed town once and for all.

And then, suddenly, I heard a loud rattle that made me jump. My breath caught in my throat, for I was very familiar with that sound.

Slowly, I turned to look behind me, and I saw him standing right in front of me...

He looked exactly the same as all the times he popped up in front of me out of nowhere in the past few days. His eyes were pure white with no iris nor pupils in them. And he looked pallid and was covered with dirt from head to toe.

He had never spoken a single word to me before. Every time he tried to talk, dirt spurted out of his mouth, preventing him from speaking. The only sounds that ever came out of him were the ear-splitting moans and rattles that made me wish I were deaf so I would stop hearing them.

"What do you want, Ethan?" I said, feeling the hot tears making their way down my cheeks. "Please leave us alone."

As expected, he didn't answer, but a sinister smile made its way to his lips. It was enough for me to know that he wasn't going to rest until we were buried with him, six feet under...

Looking away, I pulled out my phone and dialed Connor's number as quickly as I could manage with my trembling hand. However, Connor didn't answer, and I was sent to voicemail.

"Damn it," I muttered under my breath as I grabbed my backpack and ran out of the room, deciding to go looking for Connor.

I went to his place, but the second I arrived there, the blood froze in my veins, and my stomach churned as if it were twisted in knots.

The whole area was surrounded by police cars, ambulances, and fire trucks...

Pushing away all the dark thoughts that started clawing at me, I tried to approach the building where Connor lived. But I was shortly stopped by a man in a firefighter's uniform.

"Sir, you can't go in there. It's too dangerous."

Looking at him, I felt as if I were witnessing the whole thing from underwater. When in fact, I was being drowned in my own thoughts.

"W—What happened?" I hardly pushed the words out of my mouth.

His face softened as he looked at me with sad eyes. "Elevator accident."

My heartbeats raced as I felt rising panic, and my mind started to think of the worst. "But... but my friend lives in there."

I could sense that he was feeling pity for me as he asked in a soft tone. "What's his name?"

"Connor Johnson," I said as I held my breath and prayed that he would be unscathed.

I watched as his eyes filled with sorrow. He patted my shoulder lightly before he said. "I'm sorry, son."

I felt the world spinning around me, and suddenly, I couldn't hear anything anymore, as if I had put on earplugs. I felt that my legs were no longer able to carry me as my knees started to feel wobbly.

And then I saw him... They were taking him out of the building on a gurney—and they had put him inside a body bag. Connor's voice echoed in my head from when he read the letter that was inside his capsule...

"So you think you know what comfort can lend.

When the days languish, but the anguish won't end.

How it seems we can never make amends.

Now, rolling in the deep, and it's a dead-end.

Bearing a great burden into the eternal wretchedness."

Even though he always denied it, Connor genuinely liked Ethan.

During the short time in which we befriended Ethan, Connor used to spend lots of time with him. And Ethan even confided in Connor, believing he was truly his friend.

And so I knew what we did to Ethan burdened Connor the most.

Bearing a great burden into the eternal wretchedness. The words continued to repeat in my head nonstop.

Ethan was never going to stop, and now, I was the only one left. But I refused to give in to him without fighting back. I wasn't going to sit still and wait for my turn to be put inside the next body bag.

And perhaps there was a way to end this, and it was by getting rid of the overwhelming guilt that kept us trapped inside a gilded cage for so long. Perhaps Ethan's soul could find peace if the truth finally saw the light of day.

Finally making up my mind, I decided that my next destination was going to be the police station...

***

The detective looked at me with furrowed eyebrows after I finished telling him the whole story.

I gave him a full confession of the accident we caused and Ethan's murder. However, I made sure to leave out the part where I did this because of a ghost that wanted vengeance and had already killed my two friends, and I was next.

Even if I made peace with going to prison, I still didn't want to be thrown into a mental institution.

The detective sighed, rubbing his chin before finally speaking, "Interesting story indeed, Mr. Miller. But do you have anything that can back any of this up?"

Taking a deep breath, I answered, "Yes, I can tell you where we buried Ethan Walsh."

Crossing his hands, he squinted his eyes and focused his gaze on me for a few seconds. "I'm curious, though. Why did you decide to turn yourself in now and confess to a crime you committed more than a decade ago?"

"As I told you, Detective, both of my friends died in tragic accidents, so I felt that the world was getting back at us for what we did. And I can't bear the guilt anymore."

He looked at me with understanding before saying, "We will dig up the place you told us about, and the remains of the body will be analyzed if we find anything there. But your confession will keep you in custody until we confirm all the evidence."

I nodded slowly but avoided looking at him.

He rose up from his seat and walked up to me. He told me I was officially under arrest and read me my rights. Then he held me by the bicep and led me out of the interrogation room after telling me that I had to complete some routine procedures for my booking.

But once we walked out of the room, I froze in my steps and felt like I had lost all control over my body.

Ethan was waiting for me outside, and next to him stood the little boy who was killed in the accident.

Ethan wasn't covered in dirt this time. He looked like the last time I had seen him in that garage. He looked embellished in his black suit, and a bright smile decorated his face. The little boy was smiling, too, and was petting a small cat that was in his hand.

I watched as Ethan's smile continued to grow, revealing his teeth, and then he burst into laughter.

But what was he laughing at?

What was going on?

And what was I doing on the ground?

And why were my hands clasped tightly around the detective's throat while he thrashed and wiggled under me?

And where was all that noise coming from?

"Get away from him, now! This is your last chance to back off, or we'll shoot you!"

I wanted to, but my body was refusing to comply...

And then everything stopped as if an invisible button was pressed, turning everything into slow motion.

My hands were no longer wrapped around the detective's neck, and I felt a warm liquid flowing out of my chest. Gazing down, I saw a gaping hole from which the crimson, angry liquid was gushing out.

Why did that happen?

Why did they shoot me?

Collapsing to the ground, I struggled to catch my breath as I felt like my chest was set on fire. My vision was becoming blurry, so I only saw shadows lingering over me. But I knew they belonged to the same people who shot me and then formed a circle around me, waiting to see me catch my last breath.

However, when I tilted my head to the side, I saw him, clear as day...

Ethan was looking at me with a victorious smile on his face. He finally completed his unfinished business on earth.

I remembered the words in my letter...

"I watched from afar how the world turned into a mess.

I watched from afar the eyes of the devil glooming from the abyss.

Now, I watch from afar as their tainted souls cease to exist..."

I felt very cold, and darkness became the only thing I could see. But I thought about Ethan's letter one last time, feeling that life was slipping away.

I finally understood what you wanted, Ethan.

You wanted to be a witness to the demise of each one of us. Just like we did to you.

But you could rest now, Ethan, for we were finally going to join you.

Six feet under...