chapter seventeen: when a flame catches

SUNDAY: October 27th, 2026,

The darkness was the only thing Claire could focus on as she felt the rough grasp of someone dragging her back. She screamed when she felt the sharpness of a knife slamming harshly into her stomach, the blade twisted making her cry out as she was pushed up a flight of stairs. She knew even in the dark exactly where she was being pushed.

She heard the muffled shouts of Alix and then she winced when the light came on and she looked down in horror. Alex and Kieran were held back by Nadia and Gwen. While Vivian was grasped tightly by an angry and annoyed looking Angel.

"The fifth has to be Ben.. I told you guys! It's always the cute ones!" She slammed her head back into the person holding her and she heard them groan. "Seriously Claire! I'm not even up there!" She looked down at Ben who was on the ground of the stage bleeding out as he held tightly onto his stomach.

She turned and Andy groaned as he held onto his nose "I might have said five angels of death for the dramatic flare! Only four of us joined the cause, Benny down there had the potential to be a part of our group but no! He worships you Claire, he single handedly defended you when I first suggested you were the killer. He refused to even frame you when I told him he could join my side!".

Ben chuckled weakly "it's a cult man! I'm weird but I'm not that goddamn weird! I'd rather Claire yell at my ass than be associated with the off brand Stab. Like seriously what is this? Fucking fork? I hate people, I hate everyone! But I don't wanna kill them, because without them being around I'd be even more alone and miserable. You're an idiot Andy!".

Andy rolled his eyes as he pushed Claire forward "I might be an idiot but you forget I'm the one in charge here! The ultimate sacrifice must be made, you remember the end of the play don't you Claire. You always changed it, could never quite get it right".

The girl huffed as Andy pushed the knife against her throat "you get to watch that ending come true, don't you remember. The angry Benjamin wreaks havoc on the village who stole his eyes, kills all of them and grants his sight back once more. All expect little Vivian who manages to kill Benny once and for all. He just snapped Claire, he couldn't take another day of you bossing him around so he killed everyone in the club and then himself! But oh... he couldn't kill me, no not poor little Andy, the boy he loves".

Andy laughed as he looked downwards "you know what to do!" Kieran struggled in Nadia's hold "come on Dia, you don't gotta listen to this asshat! I know this isn't you, you'd never hurt me".

The girl rolled her eyes "if it's for the sake of the show, then so be it.. don't worry... I'll be sure not to get any main arteries". The boy cried out when the knife stabbed him harshly and he was thrown onto the stage floor. Alex was next and the boy felt the sting of the knife hitting his back and then stomach before he fell beside Kieran who was groaning.

Alix cried out when the knife went to stab her, but it never did. Benjamin shoved Angel off the stage, the duo falling into a row of seats. He cried out when Angel stabbed him in his shoulder.

Alix laid on the floor coughing, she looked up at the sound of Claire screaming. Andy pushed the girl forward as he stabbed her in the back then almost like a weightless bag, he threw her off the railing.

Alix screamed as she desperately reached her hands forward towards Claire. The world felt so slow, Claire was falling and she felt like she was flying as she let out a breath, she let her eyes close as she embraced for impact. Only it never did, instead of landing face first onto the stage she landed into the arms of Corey Becker. The impact of it made them both stumble but for the most part he kept upright.

The man cocked his shotgun and pushed Claire behind him "and this is exactly why I always bring a gun to a knife fight! And you always check the area in case they try hiding anything suspicious".

Claire held onto herself tightly "gosh I almost became a pancake, I'm gonna claw Andy's face off!". Corey moved forward slowly "ah not so fast! Drop it!" He pointed the gun at Nadia and then Gwen.

"You girls better be a lot smarter if you wanna get out of here with your heads attached. Unlike your friends here, I don't exactly have any problem killing you where you stand".

Benjamin limped onto the stage "don't even worry about it. I'm fine, totally not bleeding to death". He smiled weakly as he approached Alix. He coughed as he fell to his knees "gosh I hate Sundays now!".

He secretly pushed a gun into Alexandra's hands "I mean I thought Mondays were the worst! But talk about a way more depressing day of the week! You guys couldn't have done this on a Tuesday!".

He grunted when Nadia pulled him back and pressed a knife against his throat "ah come on! I still owe you a raspberry tea! You really gonna kill me? Cause something tells me you take me out then Mr.B over there is gonna shoot your face off. And I don't care if he takes me out in the process".

Benjamin let out a heavy breath as he was dragged back "he can kill me all he wants, at least I'll get to kill you before I go. Why don't you meet your true fate, the one you've been faking this entire time. It's only fair I try again, but this time it'll be permanent".

Nadia slammed the knife roughly into Benjamin's left eye making the boy scream as his vision turned red. Nadia pushed it further in "you shoot me then he's dead! If you're so smart Corey Becker. Then you know not to underestimate us!".

Corey chuckled softly "you're really something kid, because I don't think you realize who you're messing with. I'm Corey mother fucker Becker!".

Benjamin groaned as he reached into his pocket "and we made a plan bitch!" Benjamin stabbed the knife into Nadia's thigh making the girl cry out as she let go of him. Benjamin cried out as he fell towards the ground "now!". The lights turned off

Benjamin let out a heavy breath as he gripped the knife in his eye, he gritted his teeth together in agony as he slowly pulled it. He whimpered as he yanked it out, he could feel the blood gushing out of his eye as he pressed his hand against it.

"Benny... come on, I know you're here!" Andy's taunting voice echoed along the stage as Benjamin pushed himself upwards. "Come on don't act all shy now, I thought we were together on this! Did all those moments we shared together mean nothing!".

Ben sneered angrily as he slowly walked towards the back of the stage. He could see the reflection of Andy in the dressing room mirror as he walked past, he kept his steps quiet as he held onto his eye.

"Did you think you could have a happy life! That you'd join the drama club and be welcomed with open arms? You're nothing! The only reason you're even in this club is because I made sure of it! No one even associated with you until you were attacked! Even then you were still a pathetic scary little boy!".

Ben nearly jumped when he bumped into someone, Claire pushed her finger against her lips as she looked at the boy. He let out a soft breath as he gripped her shoulders slightly "get everyone out".

The girl went to shout at him but he had already pushed past her and walked onto the stage. "It's you and me now Andy! Like you've always wanted!". Ben limped toward the boy as he smirked at him "don't think your friends can get away so easily! I'm sure my lovely partners will kill them on the spot! After all, this school is massive. Only so many places one can hide".

Ben stood up tall as he ignored the pain that ran through his body "we made it this far, I'm sure we can survive another day". Andy laughed "only because we made it so! That little trick you did. I gotta admit it was impressive, but I'm a lot more clever Benny".

Ben didn't flinch when Andy walked towards him, his eyes looking down at him with such darkness it made the boy wanna fall into endless tears. The boy in front of him was a complete monster, a shell of a boy who once was, it was emptiness and Ben had known that feeling far longer. It was inside his veins from the very second he was born, yet he let it rest for the sake of no one getting hurt.

"For someone being so clever, you're not seeing the bigger picture around you. I knew it was you Andy, since that night at the cabin. Don't you think I would've turned you in a lot sooner? I mean why would I wait so damn long?".

Andy chuckled "does it really matter? I would've crossed the world just to kill you myself. Everything I've ever done was for this moment! The moment I let my knife stab your heart and I watch you die, that's a real beautiful ending to your story".

Benjamin didn't flatter or move back when Andy gripped his face "you were my muse for all of this, the second I saw you. Freshman year, sitting all alone while you ate your lunch. I saw the true potential, I waited years for this opportunity. I laid my heart out on my sleeve, I let you take it. Now it's time I take back what's rightfully mine".

Benjamin pushed his face into the boy's neck "then take it, I don't want it" Benjamin reached into his pocket slowly, his body aching as he looked upwards at the lights. He wrapped his arm around Andy pulling him against him as he let out a sigh.

"I used to think my life was pointless, but then I joined the drama club and realized maybe it isn't so pointless after all. Maybe for once in my life I had a purpose, even if it wasn't anything special. Even if it was for a split second, I mattered. You tried to make me the bad guy in your story, the one who snapped and killed everyone. Well maybe I did snap, at least it meant I saved everyone".

Benjamin's hold tightened around Andy as he flicked the lighter open, the strong stench of gas filled the air and before Andy could even process what was happening. Benjamin let the lighter fall towards the ground and all that remained was darkness.

—
authors notes:
This was suppose to be way longer and have the others fights with ghostface but it's late and I have to sleep since I work in the morning (sobs). So I figured why not just publish this one and then just do another chapter for the last fights and what not, makes the book longer in a sense. So instead of one chapter being left it's likely 3 since I hate uneven numbers. Anyways I gotta go to bed, so enjoy! I have the weekend off for work so best believe I'm gonna be writing all day tomorrow when I get home, plus I'm already working on the sequel, once gifs work again I'll publish it.