"I spent 25 years cooking for these uppity fucks. I'm not about to die for 'em! I quit! Bitch!"

Watching the chef walk away, you could almost feel your last bit of hope leave. Your friends were dead, and the ones left were in danger. Sticking around this horrible, evil place would only end in disaster.

You could see the look of hurt on the Colonel's face. You wanted to help him, but you knew that what you had to say wouldn't help the situation. You were starting to panic when the butler caught your eye. He nodded at you reassuringly before stepping forward.

"I know things seem far beyond your control right now, but such that it is for all of us here."

The butler, Benjamin, put his hand on the Colonel's shoulder. What was most likely an attempt at comfort only seemed to make the man angrier. You stood off to the side, afraid to say anything. You were at least thankful Ben was able to keep a level head at a time like this.

"I shall take my leave," he continued, "and I implore you to do the same."

You flinched when the Colonel shouted, "I won't let my friends die in this godforsaken house! And if you all are too much of a coward to do the same, you had best leave before I kill you myself!"

He pushed the butler aside as he tried to storm away, but the detective's hand on his arm stopped him, if only for a few moments.

"Now hold on a second, I've got more questions-"

"Get your hands off me!" The Colonel tore himself away and continued down the hall.

"What the hell is going on here?!" the detective asked you before he chased after William. As if you would know. You were just as lost as everyone else.

You felt tears sliding down your cheeks. Damien, your lifelong friend, was dead. Celine was dead. Mark was dead. Who was next? Which friend would be the next to die? Would it be Abe? Will? Ben? Maybe even... you?

You jumped when you felt a hand on your shoulder.

"I know he's in pain," Ben said softly. You looked up to meet his eyes. "I know you might be, too... but we need to leave this place."

You nodded in agreement. "There's nothing but death here," you confirmed.

"Please, come with me." He held out his hand, inviting you to follow him. "I know William and Abe are too stubborn to listen to reason, but if I can save at least one life tonight, it will be worth it."

As much as you wanted to escape this horrible place, you hesitated before answering. You didn't want to leave your friends to die. However, you weren't willing to risk your own life in this twisted quest for revenge.

With tears still in your eyes, you looked to the floor and nodded. You felt a hand gently grab yours before you were pulled into a hug.

Benjamin was warm and comforting. He rubbed circles on your back as you cried into his shoulder.

"We'll call for help," he promised. "We'll get the proper authorities here and they'll help the Colonel and the detective."

You knew it was the right thing to do, but that didn't stop you from feeling guilty.

"Come on, we best be out of here before anything else goes wrong."

He pulled away and wiped your tears with his thumbs. You mumbled a quiet 'thank you' and tried to give a small smile.

The butler returned your smile before leading you down the stairs and to the front door.

"You're positive that this is your choice? I don't want to force you into anything," Ben asked with concern in his eyes.

You glanced around the empty entryway. You wished you could at least say goodbye.

"Yes, I'm positive."

Neither of you heard anything from the house as you left. It was as if those still inside had disappeared. You had almost grown used to the constant chaos and commotion, and this silence left you filled with unease and dread.

It was Benjamin's hand still holding yours that kept your mind and sanity tethered.

In the back of your mind, you realized that walking away was probably just as hard for him as it was for you. You were walking away from your friends, but he was walking away from his home. You gave his hand a light squeeze to let him know you were there and you understood.

Together, you walked away from the death and deceit that seemed to define that horrible manor.

However, you had only been walking for about 10 minutes before you heard the gunshot ring out.

[Hello everyone! Sorry for not updating in a while! And sorry if this one shot isn't the best, I've been home sick with the flu for the past few days and I'm a tad bit out of it right now. Remember that I do take requests, and I can't wait to write more! Thank you all ❤️ ]