I don't own RWBY or Escape the Night.
A few months ago in this very house.
3rd POV
The view opens up on two strangers making passionate love. As the man climaxes the girl leans in to kiss only for him to back away. She lets out a sigh, wishing that this would be more than just a job for her. The man walked on over to a dresser before tossing a wad of cash on the bed. The woman sat down on it and lit up a cigarette. As she takes a drag from her cigarette, she failed to see the man pulling out a rag and a bottle of chloroform. As she finishes counting the money, she suddenly felt a hand wrap around her. She looked over to him as he silently requests for the cigarette with his hand. She complies and he takes a drag, before placing the rag over her mouth. Once unconscious the man got dressed and carried her from the house. He carried her to unknown location on the property where another man was busy digging a grave. Unbeknownst to them, the chloroform was cheaply made and the girl slowly begin to awake.
"Hey will you hurry up?" The man hissed as he tosses the unconscious prostitute on the ground.
"You try digging a grave by moonlight!" The other hiss's back in annoyance. "I swear Billy, you find us the strangest jobs!"
"Yeah well least we'll be paid for it. Unlike last time." The man said before the girl suddenly broke free and sprinted away. "Shit hey stop! God's damn it!"
She tries to get away but before she could the man tackle her and with the help of his friend, he managed to bring her to the coffin. She begs for her life as she was stuffed into the coffin. The lid closed tightly and the two men quickly bound it in chains. As she bangs and claws at the coffin, the masked man appeared from out of the shadows with the cursed relic. He looked down at the coffin before back at the two kidnappers.
"Is she inside?" The masked man asked. The lead kidnapper nods before the Masked Man demands. "Bury her."
The two men got to work. Pushing the locked coffin into the hole before tossing dirt on top of it. As they continued to pour dirt onto her coffin the masked man set the cursed relic into a box before pouring white sand around it. In a summoning ceremony the ground begin to shake around the box before the earth itself opened up, swallowing the relic whole. The view goes dark before opening up in the foyer
A few minutes after the Ungodly machine was destroyed. 10 hours to Sun Rise
The group were sitting down in complete silence. Two good friends had died and it seems that one among them was in league with the evil. Pyrrha's name appearing twice in the hat only confirmed this dire warning. Jaune sat by himself looking over at Sun with hateful eyes. He believed him to be in league with evil and anyone here could have been. The only person he knows absolutely for sure who didn't put Pyrrha's name in was Ruby. As the clock continue to tick the tension got to the point that somebody needed to act.
"(Sigh) Guys, we need to stop worrying about who is in league with the evil. For all we know that letter could have been faked." Ren remarks gaining a support from Nora.
"Yeah. Screw those letters. They got us into trouble to begin with." Nora chirped.
In response Jaune slapped his hand on the table. "That can't happen till we find the bastard who killed Pyrrha! The longer they remain the longer we all are in danger!"
"What so you rather blame me for something I didn't do till the sun fucking rises?" Sun shouted across the table.
"I don't see anyone else who could have done it!" Jaune shouted across. Before long the two continued shouting at each other. As this dragged on and on and on, the group suddenly had enough. Ruby motion to Blake and the two walked on over to Sun and Jaune before abruptly the face. Shutting them up for good.
"Both of you quit this idiotic argument!" Weiss remarks as she stands between the two.
"Now before this argument goes any farther, I would like to remind you both that this conversation can be saved till later when we leave the house. So either shut your mouths or Monty help me I will shut them for you!" Weiss snapped at the both of them. Both of them tried to start the argument before being slapped by Ruby and Blake. "Now then, any questions before we continue the hunt for these damn objects?"
Nora raises her hand before Weiss remarks. "Questions related to the cursed object."
Nora lowers her hand. With no questions or comments Weiss continued. "Good, now then wasn't there a letter that came with that damn relic?"
"You are Correct Ms. Weiss. Here's the letter but it isn't addressed to anyone." Penny replies as she hands the letter to Weiss. It was unmarked but looking at the wax seal it's apparent that the Society Against Evil. Weiss opened it only to be confused by the object inside.
"What you got their Ice queen?" Yang asked.
"A picture… a creepy one at that." Weiss said as she presented the photo to everyone. Sure enough she was right. That photo was creepy. It was of a woman with strawberry blonde hair, piercing green eyes, emerald earrings, and a fabulous red scarf.
"Huh… ok I was not expecting that." Blake remarks.
"Does it come with anything else?" Ren asked.
"Um yeah. This note." Weiss remarks before reading the instructions. "The location of the next artifact can only be found by speaking to the woman in the photograph. The inconvenience is she is no longer with the living."
"Ouch, that really is inconvenient... Just like talking to my grandma." Nora remarks.
"Your grandmother died? Oh I'm sorry to hear that." Penny said with some sympathy.
"Oh no, she's fine. Just that her phone service 119-dead tone service is really terrible." Nora remarks. Everyone gave a perplex look towards her. As interesting as this response was, now was not the time. Jaune and Sun's arguing already waisted enough time as is.
"To get answers from across the grave, you must perform a séance, but to ensure the circle does not open a doorway to unwanted spirits, there must be acquired a unique part of her beauty, an article of clothing, or her birthstone." Weiss continued to read before rolling her eyes. "Seriously? Again, with this superstitious nonsense."
"Seriously with everything that has happened you are doubting the supernatural as a possibility now?" Yang asked.
"Yang… no conversation without scientific evidence backing it will not convince me otherwise." Weiss remarks before continuing the conversation. "Instructions on the back of the photo on how to contact the dead."
Weiss set down the letter before flipping the photo. Reading the instructions and reading them aloud, "If you seek the three, you must study the picture, giving it all your attention, but must tear it to pieces right after you proceed. Once the objects have been found, return them to the golden dish and the séance ritual will be revealed."
Upon mentioning the golden Dish, Ren recalled seeing one by the window. He quickly walked on over and picked it up before placing it on the table. The group gathered around noting the distinct items in like her hair, scarf, and earrings. Upon all confirming that they memorized it did they allow Weiss to rip up the photo. As she rips up the keys the miniature drawers that burst open suddenly and loudly. Quickly looking over the group found three different keys inside.
Yang went with Nora and Ruby into the closest left room just before the stairs. Blake unlocked the far-right door with Sun and Penny following after. Lastly Weiss, Ren and Jaune in the center room. In the first room much to everyone present's shock had a number of wigs lying about. Most weren't blond. As they looked about Yang couldn't help but prank her sister by dawning one of the wigs. She puts on a bad impression of Blake with it. They had a good laugh before Ruby dawn one and pretended to be their dad. It looked like so much fun that Nora hoped in with a wig reminiscing of their professor, Glynda. However they went quiet when Yang noticed a breeze in her wig. She followed it to the wall only to find a secret bathroom inside. Looking in the shower she discovered a strawberry blond hair wig and the three quickly raced out and downstairs. Still wearing their wigs.
In the guest room, this group noticed right off the bat that five suitcases of clothes have been thrown around the room. Much to their annoyance they had to dig through the clothes. As Sun tosses a pair of womens underwear over his shoulder he comments about Jaune and his hostility to him. Blake had no reasons but Penny did. She was questioned as she looked under the bed for it. Penny refuse to comment remarking that it was personal. The two begin pressuring her to tell when Penny suddenly uncovered the red scarf and quickly raced down the stairs avoiding the conversation all together. In the other room, the group found multiple set's of earrings and jewelry scattered about. Seeing a few that caught Weiss eye she may have snatched one or two of them before stuffing them away in her pocket. As they looked around, Jaune once more proved his capability by finding the earrings stuffed in the back of the jewelry drawer.
The three made their way downstairs to find the rest sitting and waiting. Nora held out the golden bowl and they tossed in the earrings. Upon doing that, Weiss remarks. "Right, so what now? Isn't the séance supposed to reveal itself?"
Sure enough the objects inside the bowl suddenly caught on fire and Nora quickly let's go of the bowl as she falls back. Though the bowl didn't hit the ground it simply hanged there in the air. With the fire within slowly turn a shade of blue as a paper slowly pushed out of it. The room was quiet as that paper remained there for a few moments. It wasn't till Yang leaned over to Weiss did the silence was broken.
"So… you were saying about the supernatural?" Yang mocked only to get a jab from Weiss in response. Weiss then quickly walked over to the bowl and slowly pulled the letter out and suddenly the bowl dropped to the ground with a loud banging noise. After a few moments of hesitation did Weiss open the letter.
"You are now ready to speak to the dead. You may construct the séance circle, enclosed with white sand. And each participant sits in front of a candle. One among the group needs to act as the voice of the deceased and sit in the center of the circle." Weiss read aloud causing the group to go silent.
"So we need someone to be possessed? Oh hell no!" Nora blurted out.
"Agree, I've seen those horror movies. I'm not going to do it." Jaune said in agreement.
"Well, why not ask for a volunteer. I'm sure somebody else would be willing to." Weiss remarks before everyone remained quiet… much to her dismay. However before she could the Maid had walked over to the center of the room and kneeled down.
"I volunteer myself." The Maid remarks. Everyone remained quiet. Nobody wanted anyone to act as the voice but to find the next clue someone had to. So reluctantly they all agreed. The Butler called in the Grounds Keeper. He entered with a wheel barrel of white sand, upon doing so the Butler remarks.
"Ladies and gentlemen. This here is Marvin. The estates trusted grounds keeper." The Butler remarks.
"I'd say it's lovely to meet you all but it seems we are in a fine predicament." The Ground Keepers remarks.
"That is an understatement for the night." Jaune comment before noticing the white sand. "Say why do you have this much white sand?"
"Mistrial sand garden sir. Was going to have it built in the back when this all happened." The Ground Keeper replies as he hands Jaune a small bucket for the white sand.
"Huh… I see." Jaune remarks as he takes the bucket.
As strangely convenient as this was. Now was not the time to question it. They needed to make this séance circle. To do it the circle must be seven paces across in diameter, a mistake they made before having to brush it all together into a pan before trying again. The next mistake they made was the triangle inside was too short and had to be swept away again. Third time was the charm and everyone sat down with a candle in hand.
"Is this correct? I don't want to be possessed by an evil spirit like in that horror movie." Ruby remarks.
"Should be and I doubt someone would possess you." Weiss remarks gaining the attention of everyone who disagreed. For some reason Ruby seemed like the most likely to be possessed by a ghost. Regardless everyone got ready as Weiss read the script aloud. "Caroline Eastwick, you who lived yesterday, hear these words, hear our cry. We seek your guidance in recovering an ancient artifact, cross now the great divide, and show yourself here."
Upon those words a flash of lightning crackled across the sky and the room begin to shake before the ceiling above begin to curve down like a drop of water. It moved all the way down before stopping just in front of the Maid. A spirit then exited the ceiling drop before it returned to normal with the exception of the Maid. Her eyes rolled back into her skull as the ghostly entity entered her body. A few seconds the entirety of her eye goes black as she breathes for what sounded like centuries. Everyone begins to panic as her eyes goes completely black like in those old horror stories. After a few moments the Maid spoke, but not in the same voice.
"I am here… My name is Caroline Eastwick. I'm speaking through the mouth of your friend." The Maid responds in an out of body hush.
"… so should we um ask her something?" Weiss whispered in a hush.
"I don't know your holding the instructions." Yang comments.
"I don't believe in spirits and ghost, so how in Montys name do I know this?" Weiss hissed back.
As everyone was at a lost for words on what to do, Ren was the first one to speak. "Eastwick… what happened to you?"
After a few moments, the spirit spoke, answering Ren's question. "I was taken against my will and buried in a coffin bound with an iron chain. My life was taken in order to hide the artifact from the living."
"The artifact? By the gods that's what we're looking for!" Ruby shouted with excitement. "How do we find it?"
"… To retrieve it, you must find my coffin, exhume it from the earth, and release me. You must also find the key to unlock the chain that seals it." The spirit remarks as the Butler quickly writes down everything that the possessed Maid had said. After a hefty breather the spirit continues. The path that leads to the key starts at the... At a fork beneath the weeping tree."
"The weeping tree. Do you know where that is?" Ren asked the spirit.
"… Take the low road.. I do not know where the coffin has been buried. I remember being carried past the red stone. Red stone. Near the back, near the back of the house!" The maid then begins to twist and turn in the most uncomfortable of positions before screaming in a banshee cry! "Hurry, release me from this hell!"
The aspiration soon left the Maid causing her to black out and fall onto the ground. Acting quickly Penny races over to check on her. She recovered with a sudden bolt of alertness. The spirit has passed and they soon realize that their mission requires freeing a wrongfully imprisoned spirit. With new found vigor they quickly left the manner and head out back into the night. Upon arriving at the Weeping tree did they notice the road diverging. Blake led Weiss, Ruby, Penny, and Yang down the right while Sun lead, Jaune, Nora, and Ren down the left. On the right the five discovered a board hidden by a red rock. Upon first glance it had an arrow wrapped in string, but when flipped over it reveals a set of instructions written on it.
"I can't believe what we have done. There are many things we have done that I ain't proud of. This one takes the cake. I know we can never undo what we have done, so to make up for it I have scattered a relic of my own. The ring of the forest. Legend has it that when the two parts are merge together, they will reveal the item of great sorrow. Maybe one day someone will redeem the wrong we had done and find her body. To find the object one must walk in the direction of the arrow." Blake read aloud.
Penny stayed behind and held the twine on the board as Yang unwrapped the twine. They moved a few hundred paces before finding themselves on a dirt patch. It took a few moments of digging with there hands before Ruby and Weiss pulled from out of the ground a strange green medallion that was broken in half with a note crudely tied to it.
"The heart of the forest longs for missing half. Take the string and fold it in half. Using the druid statue as a center point. Only then can you find her coffin. God speed unknown Samaritans." Blake read once more.
"You know… I'm starting to wonder how many the house tricked." Weiss remarks.
"Oh so now you believe in the supernatural." Yang remarked with a sly grin
"No, there is no conversation on this world that will convince me. There has to be a rational reason behind this and the only way to figure it out is to survive the night." Weiss retorts as Penny walks over with the twine now halved.
"That is if we survive the night." Ruby remarks as she looked up at the moon. It was early in the night but from her perspective it might as well be midnight by now. As the view pulls in on the moon it falls back revealing the other group as they walked through the trail.
As they walked along Jaune's eyes glared into Sun's back. As he does, Nora pulls Ren to the side before remarking on Jaune's behavior. "Hey Renny… do you think we should have the talk with Jaune?"
"Jaune is seventeen Nora. I think he knows about how sex works." Ren remarks as he kept an eye out for any clues.
"No I mean about this unhealthy anger towards Sunny." Nora said changing her question.
"Oh… that." Ren said realizing what Nora was talking about. "I agree. He's acting more and more reckless, it will cause him to make a mistake he will regret."
"Yeah. Sides he can't honestly believe that Sun is in league with the evil… can he?" Nora asked hesitantly. She never knew Neptune that well but seeing him part of an ancient and secret society. That does raise a few questions about everyone.
"No. We are already on edge as is. That letter was probably placed down as a way to draw a rift between us." Ren remarks.
"Good. Cause if one of us was helping evil it would probably be Weiss." Nora chirped.
"… Why her?" Ren asked.
"Simple. Nobody that young is so snobby. Not unless their sociopaths… that and she is playing the role of the mobster." Nora remarks with a hint of jealousy about not being the character who breaks legs. Ren gave a small chuckle before patting her on the head.
They continued on till they come across a piano. A piano in the woods. As strange as it is, the keys were all black except for two. Playing the two caused the top to shoot out revealing the strings. In this compartment was a small music box. Jaune took a listen and realized that it sounded like a piano. Perhaps it was a clue. Sadly, he didn't know how to play the piano… but Ren did. He recognizes the tune, Claire de lune. It took him a few tries but eventually he found the right melody. Sure, enough the front of piano fell off, with a box falling onto the ground. Spilling out a key to a lock. Sun quickly grabbed it and raced to find the others.
Meanwhile the girls were having trouble finding the next part when Blake noticed something off. A hollow hole in the tree that was within reach of the circle. Cautiously she reached her hand inside and pulled out the other half of the green medallion. She quickly called forth and the two put the objects together. Sure, enough the medallion begins to glow a radiant green. The group stand around it before the clouds move aside and the light of the moon pointed to the place that the coffin was buried. They quickly moved to it before calling out to the grounds keeper to fetch them some shovels.
He came running with the shovels along with the butler and maid. Yang and Penny Grabbed the shovels and started to dig when the other group came running with the key. Seeing them dig, Jaune and Sun fought for the third shovel as Nora took the forth. The four dug unto about three feet until they reached the shallow grave bellow. A pine wood coffin with an inferno lock tightly keeping the body from escaping. The two strongest girls, Yang and Nora notice the funeral straps that were used to lower the coffin on the side and quickly used them to pull up the coffin. Now free, Sun unlocked the lock and removed the chains. What comes next invoked hesitation in everyone. Someone buried alive and died in the box was in here. Thoughts of what kind of horrific corpse in it caused everyone to stand still. It wasn't till Ren found the courage to grab the lid and remove the lid did their worst imagination faulter. For what was inside was much, much, much worse than what they dared imagine.
The coffin was absolutely empty. No body, Skelton, or rodents of any kind laid trapped within. Just an empty box, however someone was in there at one point, for they had scratched a message with their fingernails to anyone who has open the box. Blake reading the inscription caused them to look onwards in utter shock and horror.
"I can feel your presence near, my spirit will soon be free. There is only one more task ahead of you. The hiding ritual used to conceal the artifact required an unwilling soul to be buried alive and it was mine. Now another... unwilling soul must be buried to reverse the spell. Only then will the artifact rise from its earthen tomb. ...I know it is a horrible thing to require, but if I had told you in the beginning, you would never have come this far. The group must choose on one name. That person must be taken away against their will and buried alive in this coffin. Please do not falter now." Blake read aloud, causing a wave of outrage.
"What the hell! No seriously what sicko could even come up with this!" Nora demanded.
"Yeah! This is just wrong!" Jaune said in agreement.
"But… we have too… it's the only way to escape." Weiss remarks playing devil's advocate.
"Then why don't you volunteer princess." Yang snapped back.
"She can't we need an unwilling participate." Sun remarks protecting Weiss.
"So… we must select someone to go in? Does that mean we can't toss our name into the vote?" Ruby asked causing the crowed to go silent. She was undisputedly right. While the last match called for two to enter this one states it must be against the persons will… hence forth nobody could put their own names in.
As they remained silent, the Butler had pulled out the top hat and the Maid came with a platform for them to write the names of those they wish to send. After a few moments Jaune quickly walked over to the maid and wrote Sun's name before tossing it in. Sun seeing this quickly took Jaune's place and tossed his name in. Blake sided with Sun and wrote Jaunes name. And soon after everyone tossed a name in. Ruby was the last one to do so not willing to do it but forced to knowing she has to do it. She wrote a name before dropping it into the hat. The Butler shook the hat a few times before reaching in. He pulled out one parchment. The group held their breath as the light was shined upon it.
"… Lie Ren." The Butler read aloud.
The group turned their eyes to Ren whose eyes went wide. His name out of everyone's was selected. Who could have? That was the same question asked by everyone present. Who could have but of course now wasn't the time? Ren had to go. With sadden faces Sun, Penny, and a majority of RWBY, excluding Ruby and Blake moved towards him.
"I'm… Sorry Ren… we got to do this." Yang said with a sad look on her face.
"NO Damnit don't you dare!" Nora shouted as she and Jaune got between them and Ren.
"This… this is harder on us then you think Nora." Weiss remarks
"Not so hard seeing you're not on the same team!" Jaune snapped back.
"Jaune… I'm sorry but it has to be done." Sun apologies but Jaune didn't want to hear.
The moment he took a step forward Jaune threw a punch that missed Sun and suckered punch Weiss. Upon doing that Weiss goes into a rage and tackles Jaune, Nora then struggled to keep everyone from going after Ren, even screaming for him to run. He quickly did only to be tackled by the Grounds Keeper. Seeing this Nora goes berserk trying to save her beloved Ren, but was held down by Penny and Yang. The Maid held Jaune down as Weiss and the Grounds keeper put the thrashing Ren into the coffin. The last thing that Nora could hear clearly was Ren, screaming out her name and she in reverse. Ren was in the coffin and the lid close. It was pushed into the hole where Penny, Weiss, and shortly Yang quickly got to work tossing dirt on top. Nora could do nothing now but watch as she cried out for them to put her in the coffin. Jaune stared on in disgust at his fellow friends, as he continued to, he suddenly felt something grabbing him. It was Ruby. She couldn't bare to watch and turned to Jaune to hide herself from this. Jaune held her as he watches silently enraged by what they had done. Blake was equally disgusted by what they were doing and stayed with the three as the five buried Ren alive. Upon refilling that hole, did the banging stop.
The deed has been done… and with that the spell was broken. The ground begins the shake and a box shot halfway out of the ground. Armed with a shovel, Yang and Sun quickly dug up the box and retrieved the artifact… along with a precarious black block signed by Calvin Blanche. A name that means nothing to most, but to those during the time was the name of the infamous serial killer in Vale history.
Nine: Little Soldier Boys stayed up very late; One overslept himself and then there were eight. Tsk, Sorry Renny but seems you'll sleep forever more. Hello everybody, Wombag1786 here.
Seems this story has some attention. Wish for a little more but eh, it's a side project that I finish in a month and half. So, seeing nobody had responded I'll just save the monologue and thank those who Fav and Fol'ed the story and request those who have not to please do. Fav and Fol the story is greatly appreciated and a comment or question would as well.
So please do. I'll see you all again next Wednesday, This is Wombag1786 signing off.