Chapter 26: Teddy Bears and Sacrifices!
*Aria's POV*
I had a dream of blue eyes watching me and stroking my hair. There were some points where I was being hugged from behind. The dream felt so real and it kept bothering me. I saw my closet door opened and got up to close it. I stretched and saw an outfit folded up on my desk with the creepy beat up bear on it. I went over and looked at it. It was my jean shorts, all clean, and my shirt with the French words on it.
"Why are these out?" I questioned as I also say my bangles and my one circle one square hooped earrings.
"Uhg." I muttered as I decided to wear them for the day. I went into the bathroom to change and put on makeup. Once I did that I started walking back into my room, while brushing my hair, so I can grab the bear to bring back. I walked in and saw it still on the desk.
"Why is this here anyways?" I asked myself as I walked over to the bear.
"How strange." I muttered as I decided to try and put my hair up.
"Maybe I should get a mirror in here." I mumbled to myself as I tossed my hair in a ponytail.
"I like that." I heard a raspy male voice behind me say. I whipped my head around to see nothing there.
"Of course nothings there." I muttered as I sighed in annoyance. Then I heard a knock.
"Who is it?" I asked.
"It's Archie. Can I come in?" I heard Archie ask.
"Sure." I told him as he walked inside.
"Where'd you get the bear?" He asked me as I looked at him.
"Hey Archie? Would you believe me if I told you these twins I'm babysitting had an imaginary friend who might not be so imaginary?" I randomly asked him.
"Well normally no. But when it comes to us and this town how can I not believe it. Why? Is it a ghost or something?" Archie asked me as he started to get hyped up.
"I don't know Archie. I'm worried now because I'm hearing things and had a weird dream last night that felt so real. I'm actually starting to get really scared. And you and I both know that it's hard for me to get scared." I told him as he looked at me.
"Hey I know! Doctor Beumont's shop! If he's in then maybe he can help!" Archie exclaimed as I smiled at him. I hadn't physically met him or entered his shop yet but I want to. Perfect excuse.
"Sure! Sounds fun anyways!" I said as I grabbed the bear and headed down the stairs.
"By the way. Why are you wearing that?" He asked in reference to my outfit.
"Oh! Well one I'm babysitting tonight and Two would you believe they were folded under the bear as if they were picked out?" I told him and asked him as I grabbed my bag and walked out the door with him.
"Are you serious?!" He nearly shouted.
"I'll tell you more in the car. In fact I'll tell you everything so if I am going crazy you'll help me with that." I told him as we got in the car and I explained everything to him and how Betty didn't believe me and also how she didn't see a thing while I was there. Back in my room I didn't know someone was sitting on my bed.
"It's not nice to tell other's secrets." It whispered in a raspy voice before it went into the closet and disappeared. Archie and I made it to the shop and when I got in there I liked it. I wanted to roam around but Archie pulled me to where Doctor Beaumont was.
"Hello again Archie Andrews. And finally nice to see you here Aria Andrews." He said as I tried not to gawk.
"I'd be asking a bunch of questions but I need to get to the point. I think these twins I'm watching have an imaginary friend who's not as imaginary as Betty or their parents think." I flat out told him.
"And why do you suppose that is?" He asked me.
"Well for one thing I've heard plates and glass cups sliding against either counter top or the floor. 2. I felt breathing on my neck. 3. noises and a voice in my ear but when I look no one is there. 4. both boys can see and talk to him, and yes it is a he, and one twin said something that he couldn't have known because he was upstairs with Betty and I was watching the other twin. 5. Things getting moved and food being eaten. 6. A teddy bear, that supposedly belongs to the friend, showed up in my room. 7. I kept dreaming all last night about the friend and it felt extremely real. And 8. My clothes were picked out for the day and folded under the bear. I'm getting super freaked out Dr. Beaumont. I mean to a point of slight paranoia." I explained to him as he rubbed his tiny beard and listened carefully.
"Do you have the bear on you now?" He asked me.
"Yeah. I do." I said as I pulled it out of my bag and handed him the bear.
"The boy's told me not to touch it and that it was his. I asked to move it and I heard a voice whisper carefully. I'm not imagining this…..Am I?" I asked him as I seriously started doubting my sanity. He was looking over the bear and then at me.
"I believe you Miss Andrews." He told me as I smiled and sighed in relief.
"That's reassuring. And Aria please." I said as I told him he can call me Aria.
"Have you done anything to catch his attention?" He suddenly asked me.
"Do I need to tell you about the whole 4 hours I was there? Because I don't want to unless need be." I said with a groan.
"Perhaps that would be best." He said as I groaned again.
"Archie! If we're going to be here then here's $20. Can you go to Pop's and get me food? Get yourself something too." I told him as I handed him the $20.
"Alright sure." He said as he took the $20 and left. Dr. Beaumont and I took a seat and I explained everything from the moment Betty and I arrived to the moment Archie and I left to come here.
"Hm. So in other words you fed him? Listened to him? Acknowledged his presence? Treated him as if he were real? Noticed his actions and words? And even then you did not once say it wasn't real?" He asked me all these questions.
"Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. And Yes. Also why would I think it's not real. All the evidence proves it's real. He lives in their closet and I guess can use the closets to move around. What is so hard to understand about that?" I answered and then questioned him with the annoyance that grew in my voice.
"Then it seems to me that this creature has taken some interest in you for one reason or another." He told me as I sighed in aggravation.
"Hm. Stay right here a moment." He said as he got up and went over to his books. I was just tapping my finger on the table.
"Maybe this was a dumb idea." I muttered and then sighed.
"Do you hate me?" I heard a raspy whisper. I bolted my head around the room but saw nothing.
"L-Leviathan?" I asked barely above a whisper. I had no response.
"I don't know if I hate you or not. I-I'm just looking to see if you'd hurt anyone." I said as I then heard a chuckle.
"Why care? No one cared about you." I heard the voice whisper again.
"Archie cared. After so long he finally convinced my aunt and uncle to take me in. If any of them had even a clue what happened then they would've got me out sooner." I whispered to the voice. I got no response.
"You're not going to hurt the twins are you?" I asked him with worry in my voice.
"Why would it matter?" He asked me.
"It does matter. They're just children." I scolded him. He chuckled.
"I don't hurt my friends. I was using them to continue living there. Although with you. Your different." He whispered and the different part right in my ear. I didn't even bother to look around this time.
"Different? How?" I asked in question. I didn't realize I asked barely loud enough for Dr. Beaumont to question himself and take a peak at where he left me.
"You've been alone for a long time. So was I." He whispered in my ear.
"The twins weren't alone." I said to him as he chuckled.
"In a way they were. Their parents can't tell who is who, teachers mix them up all the time, and they get picked on for it." He whispered to me.
"What about Betty? She cares for them." I told him as I heard him growl.
"Betty is a horrible blonde. She can't always tell them apart, scolds them non-stop, and doesn't even listen to them about me." He said as I thought about it.
"She tries though. It's hard when they won't tell you who is who." I said to him.
"But you can." He told me.
"I've been getting lucky." I confessed as he chuckled.
"I doubt that. Even so you listen. Whether you thought I was fake or not you still played along. You slowly noticed me. You even started to listen to me. Betty never could. Not even the boy's parents. It's nice actually." He told me with a small chuckle.
"So you're just lonely?" I asked him.
"Yes. Only the twins can see and hear me. They're nice but I want older friends. Then you walked in and changed everything." He told me.
"Are you afraid?" He suddenly asked me.
"Why does that matter? I don't want anyone hurt." I told him as he chuckled.
"You're a kind girl. You don't know the twins well and yet you're willing to protect them? And their parents?" He asked me as if he was actually curious about me.
"Of course. They're children. And their parents love them. They just never expected twins I'm sure." I told him in a rational way. I could feel my hair being stroked.
"I can feel your pain. All of the pain you have bottled up. The twins felt pain of not being told apart. But you came in. Now they feel less pain." He said as he continued stroking my hair.
"So you live off pain?" I asked him.
"Not really. I try to relieve pain. Yours seems hard to relieve though. You still feel it but you've come to terms with it. It's almost as if you've accepted it." He told me.
"I have. The past is in the past. We can only learn from it. We learn so as to not make the same mistakes again and to better our future." I told him in a serious and educated tone. He just chuckled.
"I agree. But you see, some do not learn nor change. That's why you intrigue me. I can feel the pain you've been through. If I wanted to I could look into your pretty little head and see what pain it holds. But I won't. Not yet. I'm enjoying this for now." He whispered as I could feel and hear his heavy breaths in my ear. He was still stroking my hair when I felt a hand on my arm. It felt long, bony, and had sharp claw like nails. I shuttered at the touch.
"Please don't hurt them." I whispered as I felt his malice on me.
"What makes you think I will?" He suddenly asked me. I had no real answer why but I could feel it.
"Don't you trust me?" He whispered.
"How can I? I don't know what you are. I can feel you like to hurt people though. Almost as if you enjoy making them fight and hurt each other." I said in a firm voice. I suddenly heard chuckling.
"I'm just a lost soul looking for something missing in my eternal life." He told me.
"Can you tell me more about you then?" I asked him.
"You don't trust me but you want to know more?" He asked me in a mocking shocked tone.
"If I can help protect those twins and help you find peace then I need to know." I told him.
"And what if I don't want to leave?" He suddenly asked me.
"You're going to have too sometime." I told him.
"Maybe I don't wanna." He pouted. He sounded like a child for a moment.
"Leviathan. Are you a ghost?" I asked him as I grew curious.
"Yes." He said proudly.
"Can you shape shift?" I asked him.
"Would you like me too?" He asked me.
"I-" I started to say when I heard him laugh lightly.
"That would be fun. Maybe we can play that game?" He suddenly asked me.
"Are you-" I was going to ask but then Doctor Beaumont entered in a rush and held up an amulet.
"Begone Spirit!" He yelled loudly. It glowed lightly and I heard a hiss before I felt a pain on my left arm and then nothing. He was gone.
"I'm so sorry about that Aria but what I saw was something dangerous." He told me as I still had my eyes closed from the light.
"He said he was a ghost and that he could shape shift. I was going to try and find out who he was until you did that. If it brings him peace then I have to know." I said as I tried to get my vision back.
"I'm sorry but I saw him as a shadow that looked like he would hurt you. This amulet did prove he is in fact a ghost and not a demon." He told me as I gained my vision back. I saw a beautiful pendant that looked to be two on a chain. It was silver and both pendants were in the shape of ravens. One had blue gem eyes while the other had green gem eyes. I was intrigued by them as he put the pendants on me.
"Keep this on you at all times. It will protect you from harm against him." He told me as I looked at him.
"I don't think he'll hurt me though." I said as I rubbed the now light bruise on my left arm.
"This was an accident." I added in a soft voice as I looked at the bruise.
"Perhaps. But next time might not be. Don't accept any deals he gives you nor gifts. He's trying to trick and trap you. Be on your guard. Ghosts are very tricky." He said just as Archie came inside.
"Aria. I've got your GOOD GRACIOUS!" He suddenly yelled as I looked behind me and saw a small mess.
"Oh. That." I muttered.
"It's alright Archie. She was being haunted and I temporarily stopped it. Seems she was correct about a ghost haunting the twins." Doctor Beaumont informed Archie.
"Do you need help cleaning up?" I asked as I put the bear back in my bag.
"No no. You need to start preparing to fight the ghost off and away from those kids." Doctor Beaumont said as he put a small list together of what needs to be done. He explained the small stuff like, even though sage doesn't work all the time, to use it to see how strong the ghost is, salt circles to keep safe and the pendants for no harm.
"How am I going to get rid of it though?" I asked him.
"For now you can attach it to the bear then bring it to my shop after. We'll figure it out then." He told me as he told me how to do so.
"What do I owe you?" I told him.
"Don't worry about that yet. For now prepare yourself Aria." He told me as I nodded. Archie and I left the shop and ended up in the car.
"What happened?" Archie asked as I told him everything.
"Oh man! I need to see this." He told me.
"Sorry Archie. Mrs. Donavon doesn't like you." I said as he groaned.
"Seriously? Still?" He asked me. "What did you do to make her not like you?" I asked him.
"I'd rather not." He muttered as I looked at him.
"I'll just ask Betty or Jughead." I said as he groaned again. I ate up my burgers, that I was grateful to have, as we went home and I got ready for my make up date with Jughead. He didn't like that I postponed it but he was fine with the reason why and was happy I was earning some money. Jughead and I were going to watch 'Frankenstein Vs. The Wolfman' here and just cuddle. Archie was going over to Betty's to talk to her about this case and what not. I ran upstairs to my room and looked around for the coupon I found on a 2 for 1 pizza deal.
"I don't like that Doctor." I heard as I stopped.
"He wants me gone. I don't wanna leave! I don't wanna!" I heard the same voice except it was sounding more and more like a child. Not just the attitude but the pitch of the voice was slowly turning into one.
"Leviathan I'm sorry he did that. I didn't know he would do that to you. You scared him was all." I said as I looked around but found nothing.
"I don't care." I heard him mutter as I looked at my closet.
"He was scared you would hurt me." I said as I went over to the closet.
"I wouldn't though." He said in a childish tone. I sat in front of my closet and continued to talk to him.
"I know that. I also know you didn't mean to bruise my arm. I know it was an accident." I said to him as I became unaware of Archie and Betty behind my door about to ask me something.
"Are you mad?" He rasped out in a whisper.
"No. No I'm not mad. It was an accident. You didn't mean to hurt me or to make a mess in his shop." I said to my open closet door. Archie was peeking in and seeing this.
"Can we still be friends? Or do you want me gone?" He asked me.
"I don't mind being your friend but I don't want you at the twins house anymore. I don't want them hurt." I told him.
"You still think I would hurt them?" He asked me.
"Yes. I know you feed off of negativity and pain. You're using the twins neglected feelings to stay there. Because they're young you might end up accidentally hurting them or their parents." I said to him.
"I won't hurt them. I don't like their parents. They don't love them." He said to me.
"That's not true. Twins are a handful. Please don't hurt them Leviathan. They're good people." I said to him.
"And I'm not?" He asked me.
"I think you are." I told him. There was silence for a while.
"How can you tell?" He suddenly asked me.
"If you weren't good you would've hurt Betty sooner or the parents. You would've done something to get the twins hurt intentionally. You could've even hurt me many times and didn't. I feel like you're a good soul just trapped where you shouldn't be." I told him. I was met with silence for a while longer.
"I was murdered." He whispered to me.
"What?" I questioned.
"Yes. I'm not allowed to rest until someone finds me. But I was found. I still can't rest. I don't know why." He told me.
"How old were you when you died? Do you know how long ago that was?" I asked him. I needed to know. Maybe jogging his memory would help.
"I don't know. I don't when I died. It scares me. It scares me a lot." He rasped out as he, again, went child like.
"Do you know what you look like?" I asked him.
"Yes. I haven't gone into my true form in so long. Not even the twins like it." He told me.
"I want to help. Can you show me?" I asked him.
"You'll send me away." He told me.
"No I wouldn't. Not unless you wanted to cross over. I'm sure there is someone waiting for you." I told him as I tried to reassure him.
"No one cared. Why should you?" He asked me.
"I know the feeling of loneliness you know that." I told him.
"Would you leave if you thought someone was waiting for you?" He suddenly asked me.
"If it was someone I knew and loved then yes. Of course." I said to him.
"What if it meant leaving others behind?" He asked me.
"If it was my time and I knew they would be fine then yes." I said to him. Silence once more.
"What if….I don't want to go alone?" He suddenly asked me. I didn't know how to respond to that.
"I don't want to go alone. I want to be with someone." He told me.
"I want to help." I told him.
"Then don't let me go alone." He told me as I saw blue eyes look at me. They were filled with sadness and fear.
"How can I help?" I said as I leaned closer to look at him.
"Your kindness and happiness is strong but matches evenly with your sadness and pain." He told me.
"How?" He asked me.
"I look for the good in people. Some might not have it bu others do. I can see your blue eyes and I can see the loneliness and fear in them. But I can also see the good in them. Please let me see you. Please let me help." I said as I got closer.
"Not with those on." He said as he disappeared.
"Wait!" I shouted as Archie and Betty busted in through the door.
"What's happening?" Archie shouted as I fell forward and barely caught myself.
"N-nothing." I stuttered out.
"What's going on? Why were you talking to yourself?" Betty asked me.
"How long where you two out there?" I asked them as I started to get mad. Did he leave because of them?
"Does it matter? You were talking to yourself anyways." Archie told me.
"Wait? You didn't hear-" I started to ask but stopped myself.
"Hear what?" Archie asked.
"All we heard was you talking to yourself." Betty said. They couldn't hear him. Selective hearing maybe.
"Never mind. What did you want?" I said as I calmed myself down a bit.
"Well we were going to ask if you needed help with tonight." Archie told me.
"No. Just be ready to pick me up after I'm done babysitting." I said to him. I then pushed them out and closed the door. I looked around and saw nothing and heard nothing. I grabbed my stuff and ran downstairs.
"Hey Ari-ah!" Jughead started to say but I grabbed him and walked out the door in a small huff. I couldn't have Jughead there with Leviathan hanging around. It was too risky.
"What's wrong?" Jughead said as I let him go.
"I'm sorry Jughead. I, well, I." I started to say but I didn't know how to word it.
"Did Archie upset you?" He asked me.
"A little. It's not just that though." I said to him.
"What is it?" He asked me.
"Just a weird mystery I'm trying to solve. No biggie. I also figured we could go to the arcade anyways. I found a half off coupon in the paper for the arcade." I told him as I pulled it out and showed him.
"Cool. So we could use that and skip the pizza?" He asked as I nodded.
"Pop's after though." I said with a smile.
"Sure." He said as he put an arm around me. We went to the arcade and had a great time. I decided to save my tickets for the bigger prizes. We enjoyed Pop's and after he decided to walk me to the twins house.
"So does the weird mystery have to deal with the twins?" He asked me.
"No. Not exactly them. It's a bit complicated. I'd rather not talk about it." I told him.
"Alright. Want me to pick you up?" He asked me.
"That's sweet but Archie's picking me up." I told him.
"Oh. Well maybe I can tag along with him." He said as I smiled at him.
"I'm sure you can." I said with a smile. We got to the house and he kissed my cheek before walking off.
"Call me if there's trouble." Jughead said as he turned half way to me and waved while walking off.
"I will." I said as I waved him off. I smiled and sighed as I went to the house. No sooner had I knocked did Mrs. Donavon pull me inside. I yelped at the sudden motion and saw the twins were having a fit while Mr. Donavon tried to stop it.
"Thank goodness you're here Aria. The boys keep yelling it was Leviathan and started a massacre around the house." She told me. If Leviathan was involved then he did do something.
"What exactly happened." I said to her rather than asked.
"Their room was completely destroyed and we yelled at them about it. Then we heard noises and they started a tantrum." She told me.
"Mrs. Donavon I'll handle this. Go out for a while." I assured her as I ran to the boys. Once they saw me they stopped and immediately hugged me.
"We're sorry!" Luke yelled out.
"We didn't do it!" Duke shouted after as they held me tighter. I just smiled and rubbed their backs.
"It's alright. I'm not mad." I said to them.
"About time." Mr. Donavon said as I sighed.
"Aria are you sure you've got this?" Mrs. Donavon asked me.
"Yes I'm sure. Everything will be better after you come back." I assured her. Soon they left and I looked at both boys.
"Did Leviathan throw a tantrum?" I asked them. They both nodded.
"I see. Well why don't I help you clean up? We can watch a movie after." I said to them as they nodded. I went up to their room and saw the huge mess. Even the beds were moved. There was no way these boys did this. It took longer than we thought but we cleaned the room up.
"Why bother helping them?" We heard Leviathan ask.
"You made the mess. You should've cleaned it up instead of us. Why did you throw a tantrum?" I asked him.
"They won't play with me." he said as the closet door creaked open a little bit.
"He wants us to go with him. To follow him." Luke said.
"Yeah. He doesn't want to be alone and said we could play forever. But he wants us away from mom and dad." Duke said to me.
"Shut up." Leviathan yelled.
"Enough. Leviathan you can't take them with you!" I scolded him.
"Why not?" He asked me.
"Because you can't." I told him.
"I DON'T WANT TO BE ALONE!" He shouted as things were being tossed around. I tried to make a salt circle but it kept getting destroyed.
"I DON'T WANT TO BE ALONE ANYMORE!" He shouted as Luke then started getting dragged to the closet.
"ARIA!" Luke shouted with tears.
"Stay here Duke!" And kept him in a corner as I grabbed Luke. I saw a shadow of a hand holding him. I grabbed it and Leviathan screamed as the hand vanished away. I Held Luke close to me as I went over to Duke and sheltered them both.
"I DON'T WANT TO BE ALONE! NOT ANYMORE! I HATE BEING ALONE!" He shouted as I felt him near me.
"Aria!" Both boys cried but I heard a shriek. I looked over and saw a giant shadow of a man with huge claws and blue eyes looking at me.
"GIVE THEM TO ME!" He shouted. The pendants! He can't touch me and while I'm holding the boys he can't hurt them either.
"LEVIATHAN STOP!" I shouted at him. The wind inside slowly died down to a light breeze.
"Why? You want me gone! And so do they!" He shouted.
"I don't want you here near them! You're hurting and scaring them! You need to cross over! Someone might be waiting for you!" I told him.
"And what if no one is? I'll be alone again. I don't want to be ALONE!" He shouted as the wind picked up a bit before dying back down.
"You can't keep doing this!" I shouted as the lights flickered.
"Aria!" I heard Archie yell.
"Miss Andrews! What's going on!" Mrs. Donavon's voice shouted out. Right when she and Betty were at the door, and could see everything except most likely Leviathan, the door slammed shut and was locked.
"They don't care! They don't!" He shouted.
"They do care!" I yelled at him.
"Not for the boys!" He shouted.
"You do! And I do too. They don't!" He shouted.
"That's not true and you know it! You're acting like a-" I started shouting but stopped. Like a child! It made sense now.
"Leviathan. Are you, a child?" I asked softly. Things in the room stopped moving but the wind was still there.
"How old?" I asked him. Then the shadow disappeared and soon a small child was there, holding the bear that was now out of my bag, and looked at me. He had very light brown hair and blue eyes. He also had a huge gash on his head. A gunshot wound.
"8." He whispered to me in a child like voice.
"I thought my mommy loved me too. But she didn't. She took a gun and shot me. My mommy was a beautiful blonde who was loved by many. She killed me and ran off. Now I'm alone." He said to me as I saw him start to cry. My heart started to break right then and there.
"Luke and Duke saw me and wanted to be my friend. I wanted friends so badly. I didn't know I was hurting anyone. But don't send me away. Please. I don't wanna be alone. I'll be good! I promise!" He told me as he fell to his knees and cried some more.
"My anger and loneliness makes me morph and I say things that I've heard adults say. I never meant to scare anyone." He said as the tears flowed down.
I took the pendants off me and gave one to each twin.
"Stay here." I whispered to them as I got up and went to Leviathan. I sat down and held him close to me.
"Don't cry. I don't like that. No one wants you to be alone." I told him. He looked at me.
"I don't want to leave. Not alone." He told me. I looked at the scared boys as we heard everyone try to break the door down.
"Can you come with me? Not all the way but at least show me? Just to make sure?" He asked me.
"Is that the only way you won't hurt anyone?" I asked him. He nodded his head.
"Alright." I told him. I held his hand as he started to take me to the closet.
"Aria!"
"Don't go!" Luke and Duke shouted. I turned to them and smiled lightly.
"I'll be back. You're safe now." I said with a smile. I walked to the closet and just when the door was busted open I was gone. I didn't know what was happening. I was surrounded by darkness. I felt a hand and saw Leviathan looking at me.
"Where are we?" I asked him.
"My home." He said to me.
"Why is it so dark?" I asked him.
"Because I'm alone. Because I can't remember much." He told me. He then snapped his fingers and we soon appeared in a small room. I looked around.
"I remember my room and my house. I don't remember what year it is though. I feel like it's June though." He told me as I looked around the room. It was dull and held very little toys. There was a window in the room. I went to the window and saw an abyss of nothingness.
"I wouldn't go outside. It's not safe." He told me as I looked at him.
"Where exactly are we?" I asked him.
"A realm between life and death. An abyss I suppose." He told me as I looked at him.
"Why here?" I asked him.
"I want you here with me. I don't want to go. I've decided I want you as my mother!" He told me as he ran up to me and hugged me.
"What?" I asked him.
"I want you as a mother! You said 'I hope someday I can be a mom.' And now you are!" He told me with a smile on his face.
"No sweetie. I can't be your mother. That's not what we agreed." I told him as he pouted.
"What if I'm alone there? I don't want to be alone." He told me with a pout.
"Sweetie I can't stay here." I told him.
"Do you hate me?" He asked me. I bent down and looked at him.
"No. No no no. I don't hate you. But we both don't belong here." I told him as I tried to explain this to him.
*Third POV*
Luke and Duke where in the corner, were Aria had left them, crying and scared. Mrs. Donavon ran to them while Betty assisted and explained what Aria had tried to warn her about and what Archie filled her in on. Archie and Jughead, who tagged along to pick Aria up, ran to the closet while Mr. Donavon looked around and saw no trace of anyone.
"I can't believe he was real." Mr. Donavon said loudly while he went to Betty and Mrs. Donavon to see the twins.
"He wanted us to go with him." Luke cried out.
"But Aria went with him instead of us." Duke said as he, too, cried harder.
"She protected them." Betty said in shock.
"I found her!" Archie yelled as he and Jughead carried her out of the closet. She was limp and not responding.
"I'll call the hospital!" Betty shouted as she ran down stairs to get the phone. Archie and Jughead laid her down and, while Archie held her upper body, Jughead let go and looked at her.
"What's wrong with her?" Jughead asked.
"I don't know Jughead. She's breathing but that's it." Archie said as he grew worried about her.
"Archie. I'll hold her. Go drive to Doctor Beaumont's. Get him to the hospital and see what he can do." Jughead told Archie. Archie was shocked that Jughead was taking charge like this but he knew he was right and agreed. Soon Archie was in his car and on his way to get Doctor Beaumont while Betty made her way up the stairs.
"They'll be here in 5 minutes." Betty shouted out.
"Good. Call Dilton. He needs to know as well." Jughead said to her while she complied. While she was telling him what happened and to hurry over Jughead held Aria close to him.
"Can you hear me? Please say something." Jughead said as she showed no response what so ever.
"Please. Show me you're still there." Jughead begged as Aria still made no motion except the light rising and falling of her chest to show she was still breathing. They all heard the sirens as soon the medics entered the room. They put Aria on the stretcher as others put the twins on the bed to examine them when the stretcher was lifted Aria's head tilted to the side to see the boys. Her dull eyes gazed at them as they cried. There was a sparkle in her eye to show that she knew they were fine as she was then wheeled her out of the room, down the stairs, and outside to the ambulance. Dilton soon arrived just as Jughead came outside.
"Is she alright?" Dilton asked.
"She's not responding but she's breathing." Jughead told him as they were allowed to ride in the ambulance with her. Both boys were watching her, watching the iv be put in her, watching the clip be put on her finger, watching the mask be put on her to make sure she gets air, watching her breathe lightly as her dull eyes looked up at the ceiling. They had no idea what to do nor any idea what was happening to her. Inside the mind of Aria she watched Leviathan as he looked ready to cry.
"Leviathan it's not my time to leave yet." She told him as he looked at her.
"You're still alive. You're just in a coma. You can stay like that until it's time. Then we can stay together forever." Leviathan said as he was trying not to cry.
"Leviathan let me help you. I'll take you too the light where you need to go. If someone is there then you can go. If not then I still need to wake up. I'll let you stay with me but I can't stay here." Aria said as she tried to compromise with the small boy.
"You will?" He asked her as she nodded her head.
"Then we should go." Leviathan said as he took her hand and helped her stand up. Meanwhile in the hospital Aria's body was in a bed and the doctors had closed her eyes so she could rest better.Archie arrived with Doctor Beaumont to see the Donavon's, including the twins, at the end of the bed, Betty was with them as well with her arms around herself, Jughead and Dilton were sitting in a couple chairs right next to her, waiting and comforting her, and a doctor talking to Mary and Fred Andrews before everyone stopped and looked at Archie and Doctor Beaumont.
"He can help." Archie said as Doctor Beaumont walked over to Aria. He then held a weird orb, big enough to hold in one hand and the size of a baseball, over her as it began to glow.
"She is still alive and in a limbo of sorts. She hasn't crossed over so she can make it back." He said as an image of her hugging a small boy came into view.
"That's Leviathan!" The twins shouted in sink when they saw the boy.
"Wait. Leviathan is a child?" Betty said in shock.
"It appears so. I can not hear them but if she doesn't hurry and get out of there then she will be in grave danger." Doctor Beaumont explained.
"What kind of danger?" Mr. Andrews asked him.
"There are many spirits that will try to take her body over, leaving her lost forever, or even demons that will trap her soul and use her body for there pleasure and evil deeds." Doctor Beaumont explained while Mrs. Andrews gasped.
"Is there any way we can help her?" Archie asked.
"Please! I might be a man of science but please help her." Dilton cried out.
"Please! Anything!" Jughead shouted after words.
"For now we must make a protective barrier around her body." Doctor Beaumont explained as they got to work using white candles and salt circles to help protect her body from other spirits and demons. While the orb laid on her all they could do was watch her.
"You ready to try?" Aria asked the now calmed down Leviathan as he nodded his head.
"Then do you know how to find the light?" Aria asked him.
"Well, When I follow bad memories it leads me to you and the twins." He told her.
"So perhaps good memories would help you pass on?" She questioned the theory.
"I suppose." He said as she smiled. "I'd like to see the happy times you had." She said as he smiled.
"Then I'll how you all of them!" He said as he grabbed her hand and lead her out his bedroom door. Soon they entered a memory for him.
"I remember this. I was three when I got my first tricycle." He exclaimed as he ran over to his mom, as she saw a three year old him, as he went to the little red tricycle and rand the bell before riding it around with balloons attached to it.
"The woman is my mom! Well…..was." He said as the memory faded and turned into a dark night.
"No. Sweetie don't think of that night. Think good things." Aria said to comfort him.
"I'm not doing this! This isn't my memory!" He suddenly shouted.
"Leviathan! Where are you?" Aria shouted as she searched for him. Something felt off.
"What's happening?" Jughead asked as fear and worry sprang up.
"She's in danger!" Doctor Beaumont stated in fear. Aria had no idea as she then opened a closet door. Bad idea. Inside lurked a demon with red eyes, sharp claws and fangs along with red and blue marking on his face. Aria shrieked as the demon lunged at her. She, out of reflex, kicked the demon and shut the door on it.
"Aria!" Leviathan shouted as he grabbed her hand and lead her out of there. After running through the dark halls, with the demon right behind them, they made it to a very small door and barely made it through. Now it was bright and they were at a river bank. While others in the real world, Veronica, Pops, Reggie, Collins, Tyler, Tyrone, Geoff, Jimmy, Ronin, Midge, Moose, and Big Ethel, after hearing the news and rushed over, piled in to see there friend in that state and watch through the orb at her and could finally hear, Aria looked around and soon recognized this river.
"I know this river. It looks different though." Aria said as Leviathan brightened up.
"I remember this river too. My friend and I used to swim here before he moved away." He said as he then ran into the river with a boy, about 5, as they swan together.
"I was 6 and he was 5. He was my best friend!" Leviathan shouted with glee. Aria made herself comfortable by the edge of the river near a tree, completely forgetting of the dangers, as a smile grew on her face.
"What was his name?" She asked the laughing boy.
"Joseph Mantle!" He shouted as he swam up to her.
"Wait! Mantle?" Archie nearly shouted.
"Oh yeah. I had a 2nd great grandfather named Joseph. I remember seeing a picture of that boy with him. He moved back when he was in his 20's and even helped to get him a headstone." Reggie explained this. Aria held the boy in a hug as he brought her to another memory.
"This is when I learned how to ride a bike! I was 6 years old!" Leviathan shouted with glee as he started to rid a sliver bike around. It was old fashioned but usable. He was suddenly flung off the bike.
"Leviathan!" Aria shouted as she went to him. She felt something grab her and pull her away. She looked and saw a creepy nurse ghost with a needle in her hand. Aria struggled as she felt the needle pierce her flesh. Before it could be put into a vein and injected Aria punched the nurse, making her let go of both Aria and the needle, as Aria ran. She ripped the needle out of her and ran.
"Leviathan! Leviathan sweetie where are you!" She shouted desperately as the darkness seemed to be crashing around her. She could see blurs of color and hear whispers, laughter, growls, and roars as she grew fearful.
"Aria!" Leviathan shouted as he grabbed her hand and soon had her through another door. Another good memory. Aria looked and saw she was actually hurt.
"It seems I can get hurt here." She said as she came to that conclusion.
"It's because your body and soul are still connected." Leviathan explained.
"We need to hurry." She told him as he nodded. They went through a few good memories before they entered his last one.
"I remember this. This happened the day I died. I won my teddy bear as a prize at the carnival that came to town." He said as he went and won the bear that she had seen before. It wasn't long before the demon they saw before spring out and attack them. They ran. They ran into a fun house where they were being hunted. Everyone in the medical room was afraid for her life but before things got bad Aria and Leviathan found a way through a secret door and soon entered a room of white with a golden gate on the other end.
"Heaven." Aria whispered. Leviathan looked at it and then at her.
"Can you come with me?" He asked her.
"I can't. I'm not ready." She told him.
"Leviathan." He heard a voice. He looked over and saw a man, in his 80's, waiting for him.
"Who are you?" He asked as he clung onto Aria.
"Ah! Right! You don't know what I looked like after I've aged." He said as he glowed and suddenly turned into the 5 year old from the river.
"Joseph? Joseph Mantle?" Leviathan asked him.
"Yeah." He whispered.
"I found out you weren't here but I couldn't go back to get you. I've waited for you for so long." He said as he then reverted to his original old man look.
"You waited?" Leviathan asked him.
"Yes. I never stopped waiting for you. Everyone is hear. Your grandmother is as well." Joseph smiled at him while Leviathan brightened up.
"Grandma's here?" Leviathan asked as Joseph laughed lightly.
"Of course." He said with a smile.
"Now you must let Aria get back to her friend's and family." He said as Leviathan nodded.
"But…..The ghosts and demons." Leviathan said in fear and worry as he looked at Aria before Joseph.
"You now know how to get here. Those things can't stop you from coming here anymore. If you want to guide her back to safety then you may. I can wait a little longer." He said with a smile on his face.
"Aria." He whispered to her.
"The choice is yours." She told him.
"I want to help you home. To say I'm sorry. I caused a lot of trouble, especially for you." He told her.
"I understand why. She said with a smile.
"Do you know how to get back?" Joseph asked her.
"I have to go through all my bad memories right?" She asked the older man.
"Yes. The worst one will be the last one before going back to your body." He told her as she shuttered. Aria didn't want to relive those but if she had to to go back then she would.
"I'll be with you every step of the way." Leviathan told her as he hugged her. She smiled down at him and soon felt the courage to go through with it.
"I just have two questions." Aria said to Joseph.
"1. Can you see a lot of things down on earth?" She asked him.
"Yes only if needed though. Mainly to see the birth of a new family member or to help show a nudge of guidance." He replied.
"Oh. Okay well then my second question is would you happen to be related to Reggie Mantle? He's about my age." Aria asked as he laughed.
"Yes I am. I would be his 2nd great grandfather. It seems, though, the Mantle charm is not so lucky with him." He said as he showed it off. Aria would be sweat dropping if it were an Anime.
"Yup. You're related." She muttered.
"Tell him I said hello." Joseph said to her as she then smiled at the old man.
"I will." She said as they soon left and ended up back where they started. Back in the hospital room Aria's heart beat slowed down and looked like it would stop while the orb showed nothing but light.
"She's at heaven's gate." Doctor Beaumont said as he stopped the doctor from getting help. After a minute her heart went back to normal and the light was gone to see her and the child back where they were before.
"Let's hurry and get you home. I'll cross over when you're safe." They heard Leviathan tell her as Aria smiled at him.