"Cheryl," Kevin spoke softly. Tears were still rolling down his cheeks, and Cheryl had to stop herself from reaching out and wiping them away. Her own heart was broken, and now here Kevin Keller was; staring at her with swollen eyes, tears building at the corners of his lips.
The boy was completely broken, and she had no idea how to fix him. Much less herself. The two of them had been locked in an embrace for the last god knows how long. Cheryl had lost track of time while Kevin had sobbed into her shoulders, whimpering gibberish she couldn't understand, but she forced herself not nod and say things like, "It's okay Kev. It's going to be okay. I promise." except she was wrong. It never was going to be okay again. Archie and the others weren't going to come back.
She was never going to see them, bright and happy, full of life- again.
Cheryl cast her gaze away from Kevin's sullen expression for a moment, and allowed herself to lock eyes with Betty Cooper. It was funny. The longer she spent looking away from the ghosts, when she did make eye contact with them again, it felt wrong. Like mother nature was trying to right their wrongs clearly going on.
Ghosts weren't supposed to be real. Apparitions of the dead. So first, she had taken their speech. Now she was making almost translucent.
Elizabeth Cooper had been beautiful in life, but in death? Cheryl envied her angelic looks. The girl was cross legged on the floor, bent over Kevin's abandoned phone. Golden strands of her hair were hanging in her face, sticking to her cheeks. Hair that looked like silk. Eyes far too bright, skin so pale and perfect. Cheryl had a random slightly hysterical thought; Could ghosts sweat? Betty was frowning at the phone, her blue eyes fixated on the black screen.
Archie and Jughead were on their knees too. And Mother Nature had dragged them through her filter too. The cut on Archie's forehead was disappearing, his hair suddenly a whole different colour- a vibrant brilliant flaming red while his skin had turned shades paler, a perfect contrast to his hair. He was still wearing his bloody Letterman jacket, but even that looked like it was being photo-shopped. Telltale stains were slowly disappearing, the blue and gold suddenly standing out.
Cheryl found herself smiling softly. Archie Andrews. She'd watched a film when she was a kid which made her cry. It was a Disney film. Which begged the question why it was so damn dark. It had followed the tale of a dog who dies, and is transported to heaven. And all Cheryl could think as she stared at the ghost boy standing there in glowing blue and gold, was All Bulldogs Go To Heaven. Which was ridiculous. Part of her wanted to laugh hysterically, while the rest of her wanted to cry. Sob her heart out until her eyes were raw, her throat dry.
God, she couldn't look anymore. It was killing her that she couldn't- she couldn't hug the fool. The dumb ass boy with the big brown eyes. Because he was fucking dead.
Tears were trailing down her cheeks again. But she didn't hide them. Cheryl was half aware of Kevin, still looking a state with bright red cheeks, matching eyes, and bloated lips.
He was staring at her with confused and slightly suspicious eyes, looking like he was seconds away from passing out. She figured that might have something to do with the fact that she'd blurted that his friends, the kids who had died only a few hours earlier, were standing right next to him. Poor Kevin was almost as pale as the ghosts.
Cheryl's gaze flickered to the last phantom. Apparition. Whatever you want to call it.
Jughead Jones; the last time Cheryl had looked at him, his forehead had been stained a vicious claret. But now his skin looked like it had been torched, dipped in liquid gold. While his hair, raven bangs, fell in eyes she never thought would capture her breath.
Jughead Jones making her of all people breathless?
In this case, it was all of them. Betty, Archie and Jughead looked to have been bathed in heavenly golden light. It emanated from them, warm and sweet. She blinked rapidly, but the light stayed. And the longer she stared, the more confused Betty Cooper's expression grew. She looked up from apparently-the-most-interesting-thing-on-the-damn-planet which was Keller's phone, and frowned at Cheryl, her eyebrows furrowing. Cheryl, despite herself, got choked up again. "Is there something on my face?" the girl's expression demanded, getting progressively more irritated the more Cheryl's smile slowly grew. It was crazy that the things like appearance was still bothering the blonde. Blinking in confusion, Betty's fingertips moved across her cheeks gingerly. "There isn't anything on my face." the girl rolled her eyes before refocusing her gaze to the task at hand; Kevin Keller's broken phone.
They really were taking a damn interest in the boy's phone. Cheryl felt shivers tingle down her spine when Archie lifted his head slowly, his brown eyes wide. He was mouthing something. But to her, he was just doing goldfish impressions again. Which, by the way, sucked.
She wished she'd payed attention back in kindergarten during games of charades. But Little Cheryl had always been preoccupied. Her chest ached. It wasn't a good idea to think back, back to the past. Back they were little kids and life was innocent; when things like death and murder were scary stories, word of mouth in the classroom. Cheryl hated that she could recalled not a game of charades- but something worse, a sweet childish moment of her young life coming back to haunt her. It wasn't exactly a clear memory. But the trauma her mind was going through triggered it, dragging suppressed memories of the four that she really didn't want to see right now. Oh god. Not now.
But still they came, the memories hitting her like a tumultuous wave of ice cold water. She could almost smell her old kindergarten classroom.
The smell of crayons hanging in the air, meshed together with the old, ratty carpet they had all sat on. At five years old Cheryl had sat with her long red hair pulled into pigtails. Which she made sure weren't cascading down the back of her baby pink t-shirt. Because of the boys behind her, their giggles and prying hands. She knew they were pulling on her pigtails, and she most definitely was not going to cry. Even when she was turned away from them. However, her eyes had been stinging. One of the boys had lunged forward. And she'd seen the motion at the corner of her eye. But before he could grasp hold of her hair and give it another almighty tug, a voice had splintered through the bubble she had built around herself.
"Cheryl!" Looking up, Cheryl found herself staring at a mane of golden hair and pink fluff. Elizabeth Cooper. The girl smiled brightly at her through a large gap in her teeth, and she found herself smiling back. The girl reminded her of a princess.
"Do you want play with me?" Elizabeth asked. The gap in her tooth was making whistling noises, and Cheryl couldn't resist a grin of her own. "Okay!" she jumped up, suddenly feeling on top of the world. "Great!" the blonde started dragging her towards a boy with hair the colour of the vibrant sun set sky Cheryl sometimes caught at dawn. Archie Andrews. She had been avoiding him since the teacher had mistakened them as brother and sister, and Jughead Jones had laughed so hard he'd been escorted out.
Archie was smiling nervously. "We're playing Scooby Doo," he said softly. "Do you want to be the girl?"
Who was the girl? Cheryl didn't watch Scooby Doo. She was happy though, that she'd been picked to play a game. She nodded. "Okay." she murmured.
"I'm Fred!" Elizabeth said proudly. "And Ronnie is Scooby." Cheryl startled when Veronica Lodge jumped on her back, giggling. Her thick black hair was pulled back by a blue headband. "Woof!" the girl pretended to sniff Cheryl, and she couldn't help giggling, teasingly pushing the girl away. Veronica backed down, breaking into a fit of laughter.
"And Juggie and Kevin are the van!" Elizabeth had hold of two boys who didn't exactly look happy to be there. Kevin Keller and Jughead Jones. Kevin looked perplexed. He still had hold of an unfinished painting before the blonde had grabbed his arm, yanking him to the middle of the playroom. Jughead Jones grinned at her, his green eyes sparkling. "The van is the best part." he waggled his eyebrows before pretending to drive, honking on his imaginary horn. "Everybody on!" he yelled. Elizabeth wrapped her arms around his waist, then Archie grasped onto her back, Veronica and Kevin joining in. Cheryl stared at the five kids hanging onto each other, ready to speed off on a Mystery Adventure.
Part of her wanted to walk away and join Ginger, Tina and Reggie playing with Lego with the other kids. But there was something playful and intriguing about Elizabeth and her group of friends that made stomach flip over. Cheryl nodded excitedly, no longer caring about how long her hair was. "Come on!" Jughead groaned. "We need the girl!"
"I'm coming, I'm coming!" Cheryl joined the chain they had created, tangling her arms around Kevin Keller's back. And then Jughead was off, flying forward, with them all attached, laughing and yelling for him to go faster. Which had been a mistake. Cheryl was so excited to be part of their strange adventure, she wasn't expecting for the seven of them to run into their exasperated looking kindergarten teacher. One by one they had tumbled over, which had been perhaps the funniest thing that had ever happened to her.
The game 'Scooby Doo' had been banned after that. But Elizabeth had come up with better games, more exciting games, all involving the seven of them. Cheryl had found her own group of friends. They would pretend to be detectives, or searched for buried treasure, crawling around on their hands and knees looking for that imaginary pot of gold that Jughead had squiggled on a piece of A4 paper. Granted, his drawing was just a large circle with scribbled yellow felt tip spots and glitter. But in Cheryl's imagination, it was a giant case of gold hidden deep in their classroom. Hidden by their evil teacher.
It was only when Cheryl grew older, did she start to fade from their little group. Finally, Elizabeth, or 'Betty' now, had excluded her from their games exclusively- making passwords for each one. But Cheryl, then nine years old, didn't care. She was friends with Reggie, Tina and Ginger. Little Cheryl had been so ignorant, so stupid. Her nine year old self would never know that The Scooby Gang wouldn't even reach eighteen.
"Cheryl?" Kevin's voice shattered the memory, and Cheryl realized she'd been staring at Archie for far too long, and her cheeks were damp again. She could almost see the little year old inside of them. Despite everything, he'd still maintained that spark in his eyes. That damn hair. God dammit. Sniffing, she cleared her throat. "Hmm?" she was still trying to figure out how she was going to explain the ghost situation.
Kevin looked like he was having a hard time keeping it together. "I saw them last night," he whispered. "Oh god, Cheryl, I saw them- I saw them last night."
Cheryl sucked in a breath and wiped her eyes, then her cheeks, surely smearing mascara everywhere. "Kev." she murmured. "You know I'm not kidding around, right?" glancing at Betty for some kind of coaching on how she was going to explain how they were lingering still, in his damn living room. But the blonde only shrugged with a helpless expression.
Kevin stumbled back a little, his head still bowed. He was sniffling, his green eyes filling with tears once again. "I saw them." he whimpered. His fists were clenched by his sides. "They said they were doing- I don't know, some kind of project?" the boy let out a pained cry, scrubbing his eyes with the balls of his fists. His eyes flared with anger, his lip curling. "Why didn't I go with them?"
Cheryl tried to grasp hold of as much information as possible. While Archie's head snapped up, his eyes widening. He jumped up, nodding. He wanted her to press Kevin more about the project they were doing. But how could she? The boy was falling to pieces right in front of her, and instead of being their for emotional support, she was going to start demanding he answer her millions of questions. Cheryl rolled her eyes at the redhead, and then cleared her throat. "Kevin, do you know what they were working on?"
Kevin didn't look her in the eye. "How am I supposed to know?" he mumbled.
"The- project?" she was stumbling over her words, still trying to steel herself from having a mental breakdown. She wasn't far from one. Her chest felt like it was being crushed, all the air driven from her lungs. "Kev, you said they were working on a project."
Finally the boy met her gaze. "What does it matter?" he growled. "How is that going to help them now, Cheryl?" his voice broke. "They're dead, Cheryl! They're fucking dead!"
Cheryl tried to reply, but there was a lump in her throat. She watched as Betty straightened up slowly before wandering over to Kevin. After hesitating, she wrapped her arms around the trembling boy. Kevin didn't acknowledge her, of course he didn't. But there was something about the sweet, heavenly light that was Betty Cooper wrapping herself around her best friend, that made Cheryl want to break down.
God, she wasn't cut out for this! A frustrating burn began to build inside of her. Why did Archie choose to haunt her? Why could she of all people see them? It should be Kevin!
Cheryl held her breath. "Snap out of it, Keller." she said softly. Immediately regretting her choice of words when the boy's eyes narrowed.
"Snap out of it?" Kevin repeated softly, his voice icy. "Snap out of it?!" he said it again, choking out the words, as if they were a joke to him. Betty held tighter onto the boy, refusing to let go. Even when Kevin scrubbed at his face, moaning into the palms of his hands. "You're- you're telling me to snap out of it?" he let out a harsh laugh and collapsed on the sofa, burying his head in his knees. Cheryl watched Betty fall with him, keeping a hold on the boy. It was adorable and heartbreaking. "This isn't happening." Kevin said softly. Then again; more hysterically, screaming into his knees. "This isn't- god, this- this isn't happening!"
Cheryl bit her lip. Archie and Jughead weren't being the least bit of help. Didn't they have some kind of ghost powers? As if he had read her mind, Jughead shook his head, his lips curved into a small smile. Archie looked like he was concentrating, as if the boy was trying to see if he did have magic powers. The other boy shoved him. Hard.
"Kev..." Cheryl started off slowly. Gently. She needed his help, the only way she was going to get it, was tell him about their ghosts. Was there even a way of describing it?
"What?" Kevin mumbled. His voice was hitching with sobs and hiccups as he struggled to breathe, coarse words with his muddled tongue. "I think you should go, Cheryl," he paused. I just want to- to be alone." Betty, still with her arm linked with his, shook her head, her blue eyes determined. "Tell him." she said, with her eyes. They were almost pleading. "Please, Cheryl." Cheryl glared back at the girl. "How?!" she mentally screamed. "If it's so god damn easy, why don't you try it, Cooper?"
Betty only bit her lip. She looked infuriated, unable to use her mouth. Her friend couldn't even see her. "I'm trying." Betty's expression said, and if Cheryl really concentrated and let her imagination run wild, she might just hear the girl's soft sobs.
"Stop crying," Cheryl rolled her eyes. "Haven't always said you're an ugly crier, Betty Cooper?"
"What?" Cheryl felt her cheeks go scarlet. She'd spoken out loud. Looking at Betty, the girl looked both horrified and relieved. Kevin was looking at her now, his mouth gaping. "Did you just call me Betty?"
Swallowing a groan, Cheryl ran her hands through her, stalling for time. Time they didn't have. Kevin was staring at her as if she'd just grown three heads.
"Okay, I'm just going to say it," she said. "Kevin, ever since this morning, you know when they-" she shuffled uncomfortably. "Anyway...look, I don't know how to tell you this because I'm going to sound crazy, and that's not what you need right now-" she was babbling before she knew what she was doing, a long string of word vomit slipping from the lips before she could bite it back. "They're here, Kev." she said in a gasp of breath.
Kevin cocked his head. "Who are here?" he swiped at his nose, his eyes which were red raw from crying, peered at her before his gaze bounced around the room. "I don't understand."
"They're here!" she tried again, sounding more desperate. "Kevin, Betty is sitting right next to you!" she pointed to the blonde, who nodded at Kevin reassuringly, as if the boy could suddenly see her now. But by the look of fright and confusion on Kevin's face, he couldn't see them. The boy glared at her. "Cheryl, are you really trying to mess with my head after everything-" he broke off into a sob but managed to regain himself. "My friends are dead," he whispered. "And you're- you're trying to-"
"No, that's not it at all!" she was yelling before she could help herself. "Look, they came to me, okay? They need our help!"
Kevin looked stupefied. And very, very angry. "Get out," he choked. "Cheryl, get out of my house."
Cheryl opened her mouth to start shouting at the boy, but the sound of the front door slamming shut made both of them jump. Kevin sprung to his feet. "Dad?" he whimpered, blinking rapidly, no doubt trying to force himself to stop sobbing. But the tears still came. Cheryl turned to send Archie a panicked glance. But she found herself staring into thin air. As if the boy had been yanked back into the unknown. When she looked back at Kevin, Betty was gone from his side.
Cheryl felt, for a moment, as if reality had been restored. The air no longer shimmered around her. Everything looked normal again. Mundane and boring. Right before she had woken to Archie Andrews looming over her bed this morning. Momentary relief trickled inside her, before she found herself glaring at the empty air trying to will Archie, Betty and Jughead back into existence. How was she going to solve the mystery of their death when they weren't even here?
The man who walked through the door wasn't Kevin Keller's father. It was a deputy. She recognised him vaguely; a youngish man with dark brown hair and five O' clock shadow. He was called Travis with an irritating Southern drawl which didn't take long to get on Cheryl's nerves. He looked like he'd been crying himself. "Kev," The deputy cleared his throat, pulling off his hat as a sign of respect. "Your dad's asked me to come and take you to the station."
"Sure." Kevin said softly. Without another word, he was rising to his feet and grabbing his jacket from the sofa. The boy was still in his pyjama pants, but Cheryl doubted he cared. "I'm sorry about your friends." the deputy murmured. "They were good kids."
Kevin didn't say anything, only drooping his head further. Deputy Travis' gaze eventually traveled to her. "Miss Blossom, I wasn't expecting you. Would you like a ride? Sheriff Keller has asked me to take his car too."
Cheryl wanted to decline. But walking didn't appeal to her right now. Plus, she had to keep an eye on Kevin. No matter how much he clearly hated her right now.
"Of course," she murmured softly, moving towards the door. There was still no sign of the ghosts. She expected Kevin to start protesting about her accompanying them, but all the boy did was stare at the ground as the three exited the Keller house. The sheriff's car was waiting outside, and Cheryl jumped in the back, leaning into the smooth leather seats.
Kevin climbed in soundlessly after her. Cheryl waited for Archie to appear next to her. But he didn't. The deputy drove in silence, and Riverdale was, no pun intended, a ghost town. Cheryl stared hard at her lap, attempting some kind of apology in her head, something to say to Kevin. But none of them seemed genuine. "Kevin, I'm sorry I told you I can see your ghost friends, but I really can. If you could just listen to me..."
God, she was bad at apologising. In the end she stayed silent. The car ride was longer and more tedious, thanks to traffic. When she risked a glance at Kevin, he was leaning against the windows, his head buried in his arms. The multicoloured bead bracelets on her wrist were a welcome distraction. Cheryl fiddled with them, pulling at the elastic, fumbling with the beads. When the bracelet slipped off her wrist and landed next to her foot, she sighed and bent down, grabbing for it. But instead, her fingers curled around something else; something ice cold which was weighty in her hand, moulding underneath her fingers. She stared at it for a few seconds, before her mind registered what it was.
It was a phone. There was no cover. When she flipped it over, the back was a pale baby blue.
Cheryl couldn't seem to take her gaze off of it. Her fingernails scathing across the screen. Her fingertips hovered over the power button, and when the screen flashed on with the apple logo appearing, her heart dropped into her throat. She checked the phone over, frowning at the back. Whose phone was it? she glanced up, hoping Archie would be sitting by her with the answer in his eyes. But he was nowhere to be be seen, and part of her split into pieces.
What if he really was gone? Had they found a way to move on? The more she stared at the lingering apple logo, the more her heart thumped; pounding in her chest relentlessly. Her lungs felt starved of oxygen. Cheryl swallowed hard. She couldn't think the worst. Archie wouldn't leave without saying goodbye. Would he?
No. She told herself. Unless their death was solved, which was almost definitely murder, the four of them were stuck.
Four of them. Cheryl felt her stomach twist. Veronica Lodge's body had been found in Sweet Water river, confirmed by the police.
So where was she? Where was her ghost?
"What are you doing?" Cheryl bit back a yelp, dropping the phone on her lap when Kevin leaned over, snatching the battered 5C. "That's my dad's!"
Cheryl could breathe again. "I- I found it on the floor," she mumbled, avoiding eye contact with the boy. From the strain in his voice, she could tell he was still crying silently mourning. "I'm sorry Kevin." Cheryl let out a soft breath. She watched the boy stuff the phone in his pocket, leaning back in the seats. He tipped his head back and closed his eyes. "I really can't understand why you're here, Cheryl."
Cheryl didn't know either. In the end, she managed to choke out; "I'm here for you." before silently damning Archie Andrews and his ghost friends into a mediocre heaven where all the B class dead celebrities were. Their situation had turned her soft. Her. Rock hard Cheryl Blossom, queen bee of Riverdale High. Now she was a sobbing mess following their best friend around like a lost puppy. She had truly hit rock bottom.
Kevin scoffed. He didn't open his eyes. "Can you bring them back?" he murmured. When Cheryl couldn't answer, he turned away from her. "That's what I thought."
Before.
All at once it was like her heart had been shattered, pieces of it puncturing her lungs so she couldn't breathe. Veronica Lodge knelt on the riverbank, still soaking wet. Her clothes stuck to her, strands of her hair were glued to her back, her neck, her chest. Her head was cracked open, blood trickling from a gash in her temples.
When she pressed two fingers against it, they came back soaked scarlet. But Veronica didn't care about her state for the moment, even when her breath grew progressively more shallow, black spots invading her vision. The girl knelt, barefoot, her favourite black dress in tattered rags hanging from her slim frame. She stared stared at the river in front of her, the crashing current spilling over rocks jaunting from the surface. Half of Betty Cooper was sprawled on a rock, the rest of he body submerged in the crystal clear water, which had been tainted with her blood. Veronica knew Betty was dead. Her skin was pale. It was so pale. The girl was floating faced down, her golden hair trailing in the lashing waves.
Veronica knew she should run. That she was next, and the psycho wasn't far behind her. But something glued her feet to the ground and stole her breath from her lungs. Seeing her best friend dead, just lying there motionless, slowly being pulled under by the current, sent shock waves running through Veronica's veins.
It was the first time that she'd allowed herself to let death sink in. With Archie and Jugehead it had been fast. She had been screaming, crying, her body filled with adrenaline. Which suppressed her agony of losing them. She had felt nothing when she lost Archie. Because it was so sudden. Then his body had been flung into Sweet Water like it was nothing- like they were nothing. And Veronica's brain had faltered, unable to register what she was seeing. But Betty was different. She had seen the blonde girl fight for her life, gasping and crying, gulping icy water, until she just stopped- and lay there, the blood she had tried so hard to keep inside her broken body, diffusing the water around her.
At first- she had felt numb. When Betty had died, Veronica had been wading through the water, her arms outstretched, prying fingers aching to grasp hold of her best friend and pull her from harms way. She'd been staggering in the water, gasping for breath against the icy water that lapped knees, spiked at her heart.
She had reached Betty, but the girl had stopped struggling and sobbing. She just lay there on the rocks, her scarlet body painting the rocks beneath her. At first Veronica had tried to revive her. But on the fifth try, with her lips pressed against the blonde's attempting to breathe precious life into her dead lungs, it became evident from the scarlet stains in her chest that Betty wasn't coming back. Then Veronica had felt- pain. It was agonizing, taking hold of her chest and squeezing it until she couldn't breathe.
She had whispered Betty's name over and over again, cradling the dead girl to her. Veronica sang to Betty, lullabies that her mom sung to her when she was a baby. And then she rose her head and sang to her the water too, hoping that wherever Archie and Jughead were, they could hear her.
Then Veronica let go of her best friend. It was hard, letting the girl slid from her grasp. But the forest wasn't safe. There was a man still searching for her. Betty slipped back into the water, and Veronica waded back to shore. Before she knelt there in the dirt and mildew, reveling in the smell of wildlife, and the air around her. She was still breathing, and her heart was still beating. But looking out into the water, knowing that her friends were under there, cold and alone. No longer hurting, but so cold. So alone.
She didn't want to leave them. Part of her wanted to search for Archie and Jughead and sing them to sleep too. But they were already asleep. She'd seen the light leave their eyes back at the cabin. Veronica stood up slowly, her eyes skating the horizon. The moon hung in the sky, reflecting in the river, filling the water with warm, sweet light. She let out a soft breath. And it was only then, when she had calmed down, when her soft eyes were content on the glowing water, when Veronica realized that her head really hurt.
The man had smashed her in the temples repeatedly, and now she felt every blow. When she trailed her fingertips across her cheeks, her salty lips, she felt warm blood. It dribbled from her ears, tasted it in her mouth. Like she had been sucking on loose change. Pain. Veronica squeezed her eyes shut. Oh god, so much pain. It came in waves, crashing over her. Struggling to her feet, Veronica squinted in the darkness, she took a single step forwards before falling onto her knees, her legs giving out.
Fuck. Veronica screamed into the ground until her throat was raw. This wasn't- this wasn't fair! she was supposed to live. She was supposed to become Hiram Lodge's heir and go to college. She was supposed to have Archie's child. Oh god, Archie. Her eyes burned as she struggled to her knees, forcing her legs to work. Work, god dammit! Work!
"Veronica Lodge." the voice made her freeze. Veronica's fingers had been half way to her bleeding, attempting to assess the damage. She managed a soft moan, lifting her aching head and peering through thick strands of her hair plastered over her eyes. And there he was, looming over her. The man who she had trusted with her life, countless times. Riverdale's most respected. Who had murdered her friends. Thrown them in the river.
She had to run. Run! Get away from him! But she couldn't. Everything hurt.
Breathing hard, the girl could only glare at the monster.
There was something hanging over the man's shoulder. When Veronica realized what it was, she beat the ground with her fists, letting out a pained screech. Archie's Letterman jacket still tattered and ripped, stained with crimson. When she looked closer, Jughead's hat was hanging out of his jacket pocket.
He held up a phone, and Veronica felt shivers tingling down her spine. Betty's phone. The man noticed her gaze and chuckled. "You might think I'm sick, Miss Lodge. But these aren't souvenirs, trust me. I'm just laying out the trail, y'know? I'm concocting the story of the four kids who went on a camping trip and were unfortunately attacked by some nasty men."
When she didn't reply, he smiled sadly. "Archie, Betty and Jughead were chased through the forest, until they were killed one by one and thrown in the river."
"Stop." she whimpered. "Please." Her legs wouldn't move. Veronica swallowed a choked sob. There was no way out.
The man crouched in front of her, his breath tickling her face. "And how did the great Veronica Lodge die, hm?" She squeezed her eyes shut, ready for everything to end. The darkness was inevitable and she almost welcomed it. But there was nothing. The man didn't give her a final, fatal blow to the head.
"I'll be taking these." he said softly, and she flinched when his fingers, still wet and warm with blood, scratched at her neck. And her hands were following, her own fingernails scathing at her skin, already knowing what he had taken. The pearl necklace she always treasured.
Was that her 'souvenir'? were her pearls going to be trashed somewhere, hidden under moss and bracken for sniffer dogs to find?
The sounds of retreating footsteps sent her heart into a frenzy. He was leaving. Veronica let her eyes flicker open, her gaze frantically searching the dark. The man had shot off in he opposite direction, a whisper in the night. After allowing herself to breathe, Veronica forced her legs to comply. She had to stand up. She had to stand up.
She was alive.
She was going to make it.
Before something crunched behind her. Twigs snapping underneath different shoes. A different person.
"I'm sorry, Ronnie."
The voice was so sudden, crashing through the reverie that was her broken mind. Veronica went hot all over, waves of nausea crashing over her. There was a different voice splintering her heart. Veronica choked out a sob. But she wouldn't turn around.
She wouldn't face him. "You." she said softly. She could feel herself falling apart piece by piece. She found herself letting out a hysterical laugh, her gaze still on the river. The first glimpses of sunrise were beginning to blossom over the horizon. Oh, how many times had the two of them stood here? In this very spot, talking about their future.
"I'm sorry." his voice broke, and that was when she knew she was going to die. His tone held no mercy. He wasn't going to change her mind, and she was vulnerable. She could taste blood coating her lips. "You watched him kill them." she whispered.
He didn't reply.
"You bastard- you watched them die!" it happened in a blur of motion. Veronica's voice rose to hysterics, and she was turning around in a whirlwind, ready to attack with her last ounces of energy. But he was ready. Armed with a brick in his hand, he slammed it into her. Then she was flying- spinning, twirling, dancing. Her mind flickered; throwing the Could Have Been's into her crumbling consciousnesses. She was in a white gown, spinning with a grinning Betty, a long glittering veil cascading down her back.
Her wedding. The one she had always dreamed of.
Veronica, teetering on the edge of life lived out her dreams. For them last moments.
But he continued, his hands still wrapped around the bloodied brick. He wasn't hitting the motionless girl, however. He was hitting the ground with the rock, over and over again. He was screaming it, at the top of his burning lungs, sobbing it into the starless sky.
I'm sorry.
Veronica was dancing with Archie, who was mid-laugh. But she couldn't stop staring into his deep brown eyes, laughing at his dopy smile as he spun her around and around. While glitter surrounded them, mirrors reflecting golden light. They were flying. And she was happy.
For just a moment, before the dark- there was the light. It was the light she had always dreamed of. And in the center were three figures reaching out for her, pulling her into the allure. But for some reason she couldn't hold on. When she tried to hold on, something was pulling her back. Archie was so close- he was so close! his expression contorted with concentration as he pulled at her arm. Betty's frantic yelling was muted, while Jughead lunged forward, grabbing hold of her with his own arm. "Veronica!"
But she was slipping...
She was slipping...
Veronica fell away from the light. Drifted from Archie and the others, who were getting further and further away. Smaller and smaller until...
"Veronica!"
Until nothing.
