Welcome to The Midnight Children's quest. This is a prolonged and horrifying nightmare where the children: Jughead Jones, Veronica Lodge, Archie Andrews and Betty Cooper will be forced to reveal their darkest and truest natures under the watch of Penelope Blossom. Over the course of a week, these children will be tested in the darkest of ways before their truth is presented to the world around them.
And so begins our most terrifying game yet…
Chapter One.
Betty POV.
"This is insane," I mutter to Jughead as we prance through the woods. The first four challenges are done. Night One is complete. We took the antidote and we're safe for now. We have a four hour break before this starts all over again in the morning and we have no choice but to fight. We are surrounded by Gargoyles, Penelope and Chic is probably somewhere in the woods.
"If the Poisons or the Serpents come for us…" Juggie starts.
"Then we all die," Archie finishes.
"Do you think our parents know?" Veronica asks. I stop walking, leaning against the closest tree. I lean back on it, resting my head. Jug stops with me and sits down on the ground beside me, dragging me down with him. I lean on his side, trying to take in his warmth.
"I think everyone knows," I admit. "My mom is with the farm. Archie's dad is away and his mom has no idea about any of this. Jughead, maybe she has your dad too but your mom is gone. Veronica, I almost guarantee your dad is in on it and maybe he has captured your mom too."
"If the whole town is in on it…what the hell are we supposed to do?" Archie asks.
"Play the game," Juggie says in a short tone. He sounds just as terrified as I feel. His body is shaking against mine as we sit against the tree. He wraps his arm around my shoulders. I put my head to his, holding his trembling hands in mine.
"What if the game kills us?" V asks.
"Actually, V," I say. "I think Penelope is going to bring in our family. I think that's part of the truth. I think that's part of the sin of it all. She wants to reveal that the town is a place of horror. She is going to do that by involving the entire town, don't you think?"
"Actually, that makes sense," Veronica agrees.
"We have to get through this together. Play the game. Complete the quests and work together to get the hell out of here," I agree.
"We need to rest," Archie says, throwing his head back. He takes off his jacket and balls it up. Veronica and Archie lay with each other just a few feet from Jug and I. I see Archie put his arm around her as they hold each other. I can see them both shaking from fear.
I feel Jug's shaking get worse. I put my hand to his face and tilt it toward me.
"Juggie?"
He looks up at me with a fear stricken expression.
"These quests…they're going to be bad, Bets. What if… what if they make us do things against each other?" he asks.
I shake my head.
"We know it's just a game. We can do this," I assure him.
He doesn't seem at all convinced. I squeeze his hands. I rest my legs out in front of me and lean my head on his chest, wrapping my arm around his waist.
"It's gonna be okay," I promise him.
Just a few seconds later I see both Archie and Veronica are asleep. It almost makes me smile to see them wrapped in an embrace like that, to see them so close to each other and so peaceful. Of course, that will all be taken away rather soon. But for now, it is nice to see my two best friends back together again.
I can still feel Jug shaking against me. I try to sleep but it won't come. I am too freaked out to rest. Juggie jumps, surprising me. I sit back up with fear in my heart, my hands racing to catch his expression between my palms. He stares at me with wide eyes and a trembling bottom lip.
"What is it?" I ask him.
He shakes his head, swallowing hard.
"I don't know," he says. "I just feel really scared all the sudden."
Archie jumps up, holding onto his chest and calling out with a groan. He sits there with his hand to his chest, breathing heavily and looking all around him, fear on his face. There are tears filling his eyes as his heavy breathing worries me. Veronica sits up to put her hand to his chest, trying to get him to talk.
"What is it?" she asks.
Juggie leans down with his head on his knees, balling up.
"What's going on?" I ask him.
Neither of the terrified boys responds. They sit in their balls of fear, holding onto themselves and mumbling.
"Juggie," I say, putting my hand to his head and wrapping my arms around him. "It's okay. I'm here. We're gonna do this together. Just tell me what's going on."
"Archie, please," Veronica begs. "What is it?"
No response from either. Jughead takes my hand and squeezes it as hard as he can. Something is wrong. This isn't in their control. I think back to all of the times that we did our quests. The boys had to physically fight someone, while our quests were character challenges.
I put it together.
This time it will be the opposite.
"This round has already begun. We don't get a break," I say.
"What do you mean?" Veronica asks.
"They must have taken something or been infected with something that induces fear. It must have been slow acting and that's why they feel it now," I explain. "It happened during their fights. It must have gotten into them from the person they were fighting. Now we have to do these next rounds. Our challenges were for character and theirs were physical."
"Now it's the opposite," Veronica says.
I nod.
"Oh no," she mutters.
"The boys are our rocks. We always lean on them for support. They are always there to physically help us. In this round, we don't have that. We have to prove that we can be their rocks too."
"Plus, we have to prove that we can be just as strong as them," she says.
"Do you think that's what happening to me?" Juggie asks. His head is leaning up toward me. There is still fear on his face and his body is shaking but he is looking at me, at least.
"Are you okay?" I ask him.
He shakes his head.
"I think this round has already begun," I tell him. "You feel scared because of something that they poisoned you with. It's not real. It's just a fake synthetic thing they put inside you. It will probably go away. But we need you to push away those thoughts. We'll get you through this just like you got us through the last time."
He nods.
"We have to," Veronica says with a sigh. This challenge will be even worse for her. She doesn't like dealing with Archie when he's upset or needs her. I know what scared and upset Jughead looks like. She almost never has Archie when he's like that.
"We've got this, V," I say with a nod.
I stand up, opening my hand to Jughead. He takes it and stands, squeezing me tightly.
"We've got this," I repeat to myself.
Welcome to my new fanfic! I hope I have some new and old friends! Please leave reviews so I can post the next chapter! This is going to be one heck of a crazy story!