Disclaimer: I own nothing associated with the WWE!
Summary: A ghost story. Sent off course on a stormy night, five superstars are stranded together in an old house. But they're not alone. Something is haunting them, and they have to find a way to combat their deepest, darkest fears in order to survive the night.
Author's Note: All righty, guys! We're nearing the end of this story, sad to say. But no worries, we have a few chapters left! So, after rescuing Nick, what's in store for everyone next? Well, let's find out! Hope you enjoy!
Part IX– Attribute of the Weak
Eve took a deep breath as she made her way across the drenched lawn through the pouring rain, a thin line of tears in her eyes when she felt the rifle pressed against the small of her back. They should have known from the moment they had arrived at the house that something was off. They shouldn't have stayed. But now, it was too late.
"Don't worry, my dear," Harold assured from behind her as he guided her along with the firearm. "I'm not going to kill you. I can't just have you leaving this place when I do. I have some unfinished business to tend to tonight."
"Unfinished business?" Eve repeated, wincing slightly when the barrel of the rifle was pushed a little harder against her back.
"My business ain't none of yours," Harold snapped, and she could hear from his tone that he was on the verge of being hysterical. "But this all ends tonight. You'll see!"
The Latina felt a couple tears escape and roll down her cheeks as the older man brought her to the root cellar on the side of the house. He walked around her and slid a wooden plank that was keeping the doors shut out from the handles before pulling one open.
"Get in!" Harold ordered, gesturing to the darkness below with the rifle.
Eve glanced back at him, startled by the dark look that was on his face, before she took a deep breath and walked past him to stand on the top step that led down into the root cellar. This was certainly not the man who they had first met back at the house since it appeared as though he had now completely lost his mind, and what could have possibly happened to Mike while he had been in his company terrified her.
Then, a startled shriek escaped from her when Harold nudged her hard from behind, causing her to fall down the last few steps to the concrete floor below. She winced as she slowly pushed herself to her knees and shielded her eyes from the rain as she looked above her. Harold still stood at the top, gazing back at her intently.
"This ends tonight..." he repeated quietly with a nod, an angry look passing over his face. "Somehow, this is over... It ends tonight..." Then, the older man took a couple steps back before he shut the door, casting the root cellar into complete darkness.
Eve sat back against the wall behind her when she heard him slide the wooden plank in between the handles again, locking her inside, and she pulled her knees up to her chest before burying her face in her arms as a quiet sob escaped from her. It had been a mistake to leave her other friends, she realized. She and her boyfriend should have never left the house to try to find their way through this weather. They should have just waited until morning. If they had, then she wouldn't have been trapped in a root cellar where no one would ever be able to find her.
But then, she gasped quietly and looked up when she thought she heard a quiet footstep across the small space from her. "I-is anyone there?" she called out shakily. But then, she sighed. It was probably an animal such as a rat or something equally detestable, and she felt stupid for talking to it.
What she heard in response, however, she didn't expect.
"E-Eve?"
"Mike?!" The Latina straightened up from the wall a little, hardly daring to believe that she had actually heard her boyfriend's quiet voice. She reached out in the heavy darkness in the direction it had come from, trying to find him but not being able to. "Wh-where are you?"
Then, she had to shield her eyes again when a sudden blinding light came from the wall across from her. A familiar hand lightly brushed some of the tears from her cheeks before a comforting arm wrapped around her securely.
"I'm right here," Mike muttered from right next to her ear as he lowered his cell phone to sit on the floor in front of them since he had found his girlfriend, the light from the screen still enabling them to see each other. "I'm right here..."
Eve looked back at him, a few more tears falling before she reached out and wound both arms around him tightly, her shoulders shaking as she buried her face in his neck. "Oh, my God... I was so scared that... that he had killed you, and..."
"Shh..." Mike ran his hand up and down her back in attempt to calm her down, resting his other on the back of her head. "It's okay. I'm fine, I promise."
A long moment passed before Eve took a deep, steadying breath and straightened up to get a good look at him. She noticed that the t-shirt that was much too tight on him had been torn in a few places as she set one hand on his cheek with a small smile. But then, her eyes narrowed in concern when she saw a small cut on the side of his forehead. "What happened?" she asked, lightly brushing a finger under it.
Mike shook his head slightly as he took her hand in his, leaving a light kiss on it before lowering it. "Honestly, I can't tell you exactly," he answered. "He brought me out here because he said that he needed some help with something in the root cellar. He had his rifle with him, which I didn't see until we got out here. He said something about how no one was going to stop him from ending things tonight, and he pointed the gun at my head. I don't know if he's just a bad shot or what, but the bullet just skimmed me. It was just bizarre, though. He was at such close range, I was sure I'd be dead. Regardless, it was enough to startle me to the point where he locked me down here. I swear, Eve, that guy is certifiably insane!" He paused, gazing back at her with concern. "Are you okay? He didn't do anything to you, did he?"
"No, he didn't," Eve quickly assured him. "I'm fine. Just terrified..." She tightened her hand around his for a moment. "He mentioned something about ending things to me, too. I wonder what he meant by that..."
"I have no idea, Eve." Mike passed a stressed hand over his face. "But since we're dealing with someone who is completely out of his mind, it's hard to say."
Eve gazed at him for a moment before she worried her bottom lip between her teeth. "Speaking of insane, there's a young woman being kept in a room upstairs."
"I thought you told me you weren't going to go poking around." Mike arched an eyebrow.
The Latina lowered her gaze. "I know, but... I just had to know..." She sighed as she looked up at her boyfriend again, shaking her head slightly. "She's in awful condition... Skin and bones, really. I don't know who she is, but we have to get her out of there..."
Mike sighed. That was one thing about the diva that he had always loved since he had met her years before. She had a caring heart. "Eve, I don't know if there's anything we'll be able to do for her," he muttered, brushing some of her brown hair behind her ear. "I mean, there might not even be anything that we'll be able to do for ourselves if we can't get out of here..."
Eve's gaze faltered. "I know..."
A long moment passed before Mike let out another quiet breath before he leaned forward and met her lips in a soft kiss. Eve didn't return it immediately, but she parted her lips slightly as she allowed him to deepen it when she did. She wrapped her arms around him as his fingers lightly slid along her waist, pulling him a little closer.
"I love you," Eve murmured when she broke the kiss.
Mike smiled slightly in return. "I love you, too," he replied just as quietly.
Eve gazed into his eyes for a moment before she sighed. "We made a mistake leaving that house," she told him.
"Yes, it certainly seems like we did," Mike agreed with a ghost of a smile, lightly running circles into her back with his thumb. "Too late to do anything about it now, though..."
The Latina saw the resignation on her boyfriend's face, and she closed her eyes as she rested her head on his shoulder. Mike tightened his arms around her, pulling her close to him before setting his head against hers.
"We'll be okay," he whispered as she clung tightly to him. "Somehow, we'll be okay..."
"Guys, I... I really can't stay here anymore..."
Phil sighed as he looked back at the still clearly panicked Nick where he was sitting on the couch in front of the fireplace. "Look, we're gonna be okay," he tried to assure him as he sat down on the arm of the couch near him. "It'll be morning soon. If we stay together right here, we'll be fine."
April was kneeling on the floor in front of the fireplace, staring intently into the flickering flames as she tossed a couple more newspaper pages into them. She watched as they rose higher, her gaze faltering slightly, before she let out a quiet breath and backed away a bit.
Nick closed his eyes as he took a deep, shuddering breath. "... I can't..."
Phil passed a hand over his face as he looked at his friend with concern. Whatever had happened when the thing haunting them had taken him to the basement had really shaken him up, and with the head trauma that he had sustained from the crash earlier that night, he was worried about the other man. He certainly didn't appear to be in very good health.
Then, the Straight Edge Superstar glanced up when April suddenly rose to her feet and slowly walked over to him, her hands wringing nervously as she looked around the living room with an anxious look in her dark eyes. "What's up, girl?" he asked.
The new diva sighed, unable to meet his gaze. "What... what is it that you're most afraid of?" she wondered in nearly a whisper. "I mean, you're one of the toughest guys I know, so it's hard to imagine you actually being afraid of anything, but... there must be something..."
Phil shook his head slightly as he looked away from her and rose to his feet, beginning to pace a little. "See, the thing is... I've never been one to believe in this kind of stuff. And now I'm watching it happen... hell, I've seen everything that happened here, and... I know that guy is coming for me next..." He sighed. "I've been in control this whole time... and now it's slipping away from me..."
April gazed at him with sudden understanding. "That's it," she said in nearly a whisper. "You're afraid of not being in control. Of weakness..."
A long moment passed where Phil simply paused in his pacing and lowered his gaze, and the young diva knew she was right. She nodded slightly with a quiet sigh, but before she could say anything more, she quickly turned to the couch when Nick started to push himself to his feet.
"What are you doing?" Phil wondered, watching him warily.
"I already told you..." Nick slowly walked around the couch to where their bags were sitting at the foot of the staircase and picked them up. "I can't stay here anymore. I'm outta here, and if you guys were smart, you would be, too."
Phil let out a low, frustrated breath. "Nick, we've been over this," he attempted to reason. "It's way too dangerous to go out there when we have no idea where we are out here!"
"And it's also too dangerous to be sitting around here waiting to be killed!" Nick argued as he crossed the living room and opened the front door, tossing the bags out onto the porch. "Now, are you guys coming with me or not?" The Show-Off turned back to face the others, and his eyes widened in horror.
"Behind you!"
The Straight Edge Superstar quickly turned around with April beside him, hardly feeling as she gripped his arm. The tall, broad-shouldered man with the dark sweater and hood over his head was standing directly in front of the fireplace, his unseen eyes directly on him. It was the first time they had seen him so close to the place they had once called their refuge.
He slowly raised a gloved hand, and Phil quickly glanced over his shoulder when he heard a startled cry from behind him in time to see some force knock Nick backwards, causing him to be cast out onto the porch outside before the front door slammed shut behind him. He then turned back around in time to see April be sent forward, screaming when she connected with the wall beside the fireplace before she collapsed to the floor. The flames inside rose higher still, and the young woman screamed when they skimmed against her leg before she pulled herself away.
"Stop!" Phil yelled, quickly looking around for something to grab in their defense. "It's me you're after! Not her!"
The hooded man turned in his direction, but the Straight Edge Superstar stared straight back at him. "I know what happened to you," the latter continued when the taller man took a small step closer to him. "I understand why you'd be angry..."
Phil paused and winced slightly when he heard the couch tip over behind him, once again caused by the clearly restless spirit before the small table next to it was also toppled and the low bench in front of the piano flew across the room and shattered the window. He was losing control.
Then, the hooded man tilted his head slightly, and Phil's eyes widened when he felt as though all of the strength left his body before he collapsed to the floor. A cry of pain broke through his lips, though it was a sound he could hardly hear, as he attempted to lift his head or even simply move an arm or leg. But he couldn't. He had no strength to move at all. He couldn't even draw a breath.
April sat on the floor against the wall, watching with horror as the dark-haired man attempted to scream again before she looked up at the hooded figure. "You need to stop this!" she screamed. "It wasn't his fault! Stop this!"
For a long moment, the man ignored her words as he continued to stare at Phil lying on the floor at his feet. The young diva quickly pushed herself to her feet and stood in between them, staring into where his eyes were beneath his hood. "Stop," she repeated, much quieter in a calmer tone this time. "You've clung to this hatred for too long. It's time to move on now..."
The hooded figure gazed back at her for a long moment before he slowly lowered his head. April gazed at him before she nodded and turned around, quickly kneeling beside the Straight Edge Superstar. "Are you okay?" she asked anxiously, lightly setting a hand on his back.
Phil coughed when air rushed back into his lungs, and he slowly raised his head and met her gaze. "A-April... what'd you do, girl?" he wondered.
The new diva smiled as she grasped his arms and helped pull him to his knees. "Don't worry about that right now," she muttered. "We need to get out of here. Can you stand?"
A brief moment passed before Phil nodded. "It feels like I've been run over, but I'll be fine," he assured her.
April chuckled quietly before her smile faltered slightly. That was the tough man she knew. She slowly helped him to his feet, pausing when he winced before she took his arm and wound it around her neck. The younger woman looked back at the hooded figure nervously, who had stepped back from them a bit closer to the fireplace, before she and the dark-haired man gingerly started to make their way toward the front door.
Suddenly, they heard loud crackling from behind them, and Phil and April both stopped to see the flames that had once been controlled in the fireplace had begun to spread through the living room. The man that had been haunting them was completely surrounded, and they could make out hints of his pale face under the hood. His gaze, however, continued to linger on April.
"Come on, let's go," Phil urged quietly, and they both hurried as quickly as they could to the front door. However, he cursed heatedly when it stuck fast when he tried to open it.
Then, he glanced over his shoulder when the young diva released her hold on him, turning completely to face the hooded figure as she took a small step toward him. "What are you doing, girl?" the dark-haired man wondered.
A long moment passed where April simply continued to watch the flames spread before she slowly turned to look back at him, a resigned smile on her face. "I've had a feeling that I wasn't meant to leave this house as soon as we got here, Phil," she said. "You have to trust me and let me take control of the situation now. You've done all you can."
The Straight Edge Superstar stared back at her with his eyes narrowed in confusion, though he couldn't deny the feeling of dread that was forming in his stomach. "What the hell are you talking about?" he asked. "April, if we get out of here now, then–!"
However, his sentence was abruptly cut off when April set her hand on the back of his head, pulling him down a little as she stood on her toes to meet his lips in a soft kiss. Phil found himself returning the action though it was unexpected, brushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear before she pulled away and smiled up at him.
"You just have to trust me," she repeated, resting her hand on his cheek. "You've helped me more than you know, and I want to do the same for you. I've been afraid of this for too long. It's about time I actually faced my own fear."
Phil gazed at her for a long moment with confusion before his eyes widened slightly. "April–!" he began, but he never got to finish when the front door behind him was suddenly forced open. He glanced over his shoulder before quickly looking back at her, reaching a hand out toward her. His grasping fingers merely brushed against her arm before he felt something force him backwards out into the rainy night, though his gaze lingered on the younger woman still standing in the doorway watching him. April smiled in return as she gave him a brief nod, the flames continuing to make their way toward her before the door slammed shut.
The Straight Edge Superstar felt as though he had fallen forever before he finally hit the damp ground.
And then everything went black.
Author's Note: Well, I'm sure this raised some questions, lol. But never fear, they will all be answered in the next update! Which, since it's only fitting, will be updated next Thursday on Halloween! What's exactly going on here? Find out next time ;) Thanks for reading! Your reviews are much appreciated. Thank you!
