HEY PEEPS! THIS WAS SUGGESTED BY C.T. Genius! HOPE I DID ALRIGHT WITH THIS ONE! SURPRISE TWIST IN THE STORY!
Chapter 66: Split Personality!
*Third POV*
It was a normal night in the library, quiet since the hauntings have stopped, which was fine for the delivery man. He was delivering a box of books, lightly used shipped from Texas, right to the librarian. See, he did this later in the night because he liked her a lot, enough to want to be alone with her. Miss Herera didn't mind, since she fancied him too, as they unpacked the books together. As they sorted through the books, Miss Herera came across a very odd book. She looked it over and it had weird markings on it, almost as if they were stitches, as the book felt like leather.
"What's that?" Mr. Gomez, the delivery man, asked curiously.
"I'm not sure, but I don't like it." She said as she flipped through the pages. Some seemed blank, others worn, but the rest were in other languages mixed together.
"Seems like junk." He commented as he looked over it as well.
"Perhaps, but I'll just keep it behind my desk, just in case." She commented before getting up. Mr. Gomez stood as well with a smile.
"It's late, how about I take you home." He offered, since it was creeping close to 11pm. Miss. Herera looked at the clock and sighed.
"I suppose you're right, besides, a ride home would be nice." She said as she put the book behind her desk.
"Then shall we, Senorita?" He asked politely with a bow. Miss Herera blushed but accepted and, holding hands, walked out of the library together.
Unfortunately, the book didn't like being put behind a desk. It flung out onto the floor, then dragged itself all the way across the floor and onto a random shelf that had a slot open. There, it would wait for it's next victim. Someone unexpected. But who?
*Aria's POV*
It was Monday, a few days after the genie attack, and I frowned as I looked at myself in the girl's locker room. I was in a familiar yellow and blue cheer leader uniform, hair in a pony tail with a yellow bow in it, and the usual black eye liner. The colors looked awful with my hair, but what else was there to do? I needed to get into college and show I can do this. Besides, I needed the exercise. While it showed my belly, the top was small. My scar was well hidden, no worries, but it made my boobs look bigger. That's what I hated. Oh well. I grabbed the Pompoms and hurried out onto the field.
"Oh Aria! You look cute!" Betty tells me.
"Don't. Just don't." I say a bit bitterly. I didn't like this, but would put up with it. Betty was the cheer captain after all and the main reason I was a cheerleader in the first place.
"You do look cute, though. And the bow is a nice touch." Veronica tells me. I still pouted.
"Ready to practice?" Betty asked me.
I sighed but nodded in agreement. We practiced the routine, all of us giving suggestions on what to replace or move around, before we made a final routine. Practice was finally over within the hour and, honestly, I felt good. I was stretched, nimble, had very little sweat on me and could feel the work out without being exhausted.
"Wow. I never thought this would be a great workout." I comment as we head to the girl's locker room.
"Did you think it was easy?" Betty asked me.
"No, I just thought it wasn't as productive as this." I confess to Betty and Veronica.
"Well, at least it'll keep us fit and nimble." Veronica says happily.
"Yeah, I just have pros and cons about the uniform is all." I say to them.
"Like the color?" Veronica asked me.
"Well that and the stares." I tell them.
"Stares?" Betty questioned.
"Yeah. Everyone knows this isn't my thing, yet here I am. Plus, while I don't mind being ogled by Jughead, it's Vinnie I worry about." I confess as I felt myself shutter in disgust.
"True. He's a creep." Betty agreed with me.
"I'm still in shock that you and Jughead are still together." Veronica commented.
"Why is it surprising? He's funny, he's strong when needed, he's adorable, nerdy with many things, he's my kind of guy." I say with a smile.
"Well I think you two are cute together." Betty tells me.
"You're just saying that because you're lucky I'm related to Archie so it's less competition." I say smugly. They blushed a dark red as they remembered our first encounter.
"Hehe, yeah. Sorry about that." Betty said sheepishly.
"It's ok. Though, I'm surprised no one really knew from our matching hair color and freckles." I say with a shrug. I then shrieked when I felt arms wrap around me follow by being picked up.
"Sorry ladies, but I'm kidnapping my princess now." Jughead suddenly said. I laughed as I gently kicked.
"Jughead, no! I gotta change!" I say, while laughing, as he started carrying me off.
"Nope. Not gonna work." He tells me.
"I gotta get my stuff!" I call out.
"I already got it." He tells me.
"Did you go into the girl's locker room and take my stuff?!" I scream out in shock.
"Nope! Archie did!" Jughead said as he carried me off the field. I just gave up and slumped as he tossed me over his shoulder.
"See you two later!" I called out to them as Jughead carried me all the way to the parking lot. We had some stares, but I only giggled at how Jughead was acting.
"Where are we going?" I asked him.
"To your car, then I'm treating you to an early dinner." He tells me. I blush at this.
"Jughead.~ Why can't I change?~" I asked in a slightly whiny tone.
"Because we're celebrating you becoming a cheerleader today." Jughead said casually, not caring about any stares we receive, until we get to the car. Once there, he sets me on the hood to sit as he smiles at me. Jughead might not seem like it, but this guy can be the most romantic creature to walk the earth when desired.
"Besides, I did say you had great legs for a mini skirt and would look attractive in a cheer uniform. Now, as a football player and the track team member, we're a perfect power couple. Especially since you're a good cook and I love eating." Jughead said as he leaned onto the car. I couldn't help but laugh while blushing.
"Aw, Jughead, you're too kind." I say as I tried to hide my red face. Jughead prevented that and gave me a kiss, which I kissed him back.
"Don't hide, you look cute no matter what." He says with a wink.
"How is it you know how to make me blush?" I questioned him.
"I guess I just know you very well." He tells me.
"I guess so." I say with a smile. I loved how Jughead made me feel, no one could change that either.
"Alright, where are we going? To Pops?" I asked him.
"Nope. Great Wall Of Chinese Buffet." Jughead tells me.
"I haven't ate Chinese in forever!" I happily say as I tried to remember when I had it. I think 9ish months ago.
"Well, my treat, but only for the prettiest girl in Riverdale." He tells me with a wink while taking my hand followed by kissing it after speaking. I couldn't help it. I blushed, giggled and got super girly.
"Aw.~" Was all I could say.
"Shall we?" Jughead asked politely.
"We shall." I say sweetly. I slid off the car and noticed Betty and Veronica walking out together. Jughead and I got in the car and drove off to our destination.
*Betty's POV*
Jughead had carried Aria off for a date, which Veronica and I laughed and thought it adorable, Aria pouted but gave up, before we went to the locker room.
"It's sweet how romantic Jughead can be." I comment as Ronnie and I took a quick shower before getting dressed in our normal clothes.
"Yeah, but he's still a bit too odd for me." She commented while putting on her dress. I decided not to put my jacket on, revealing a white tank top instead of my usual white tee shirt.
"Well, Jughead and Aria were meant for each other." I say as we put our heels on.
"True, though I'll never understand what she sees in him or even how Jughead ended up with her." Ronnie commented.
"Maybe Archie should write that in his weird mystery column." I say before we laughed at my cheesy joke. We had now made it outside and to Ronnie's car.
"Wanna go shopping together?" She asked me as we got to her car.
"Can't. I have to return a library book and pick up another one for a reading assignment." I tell her.
"Can't that wait until tomorrow?" She asked me. I shook my head no.
"No, it's easier for me to just do it today." I tell her.
"Alright, then let me drive you there at least." She offered. How could I say no?
"Alright, thanks." I say cheerfully before getting in her car. We rode off and soon made it to the library. We said our goodbyes before she drove off. I, happily, walked into the library and waved hello to Miss. Herera.
"Hi Betty, what could I do for you?" She asked politely.
"I wanted to return this and check out another." I tell her with a smile. I was usually punctual or early when returning my books, never once late. Never! And I've had a library card since I was 5! She happily returned the book and told me there were new books in 3 different sections. I thanked her and went off to one section. As I was browsing, when I came across a weird leather book. I slowly pulled it out and gasped at how it seemed to have stitches on it.
*This is weird. It's almost as if it's stitched up skin. I mean, leather is skin of sorts, but this feels almost… Human… No, no way. This wouldn't be here if it was. Probably Jimmy pulling another prank.* I thought as I remembered Jimmy pulling all sorts of pranks on me. I shook my head before putting it back. I wasn't going to fall for it. I put my bag down and continued looking until I found a good book. The Secret Garden. It seemed a bit worn, but still great condition. I didn't notice the book fell from the shelf right into my bag perfectly, nestled in with the rest of my books so I wouldn't notice. I went back to my bag, picked it up and headed to the desk. After I checked the book out, I walked all the way home. I went inside and was greeted by my brother. His gothic style reminded me of Aria, but more intense.
"Hey Elizabeth." He greeted me. I cringed at my name.
"You know I don't like that name. I prefer Betty." I tell him. Yes, my real name was Elizabeth, but I honestly preferred Betty. My older sister, Polly, gave me that nickname and it stuck with me. He only rolled his eyes.
"Whatever." He says before ruffling my hair. I swatted his hands away.
He always did this. See, He was the first born, then Polly, then me, the baby of the family. Polly became a reporter for the California news station, so she knew famous people, while my older brother here lived in NYC, same as Aria, but took time off of work to be down here. He might end up living here too. I remember his middle school photos, he used to wear red tops, khaki's and had his strawberry blonde hair slicked back, but now he has piercings, three on his ears, one on the top left, a lip piercing, tongue piercing, 2 eyebrow piercings on his left, his hair is now dyed black and red in a Mohawk that was huge, sides shaved to make swirl designs, an Edward Scissorhands jacket, pants and boots going on as well as black eyeliner on him styled like Adam Lambert. He claims to be a secret agent, but in all actuality, he works with computers and owns a goth type store. That's why he might move back, to open a new store. Chic Cooper, my eldest brother. Actually, that was one thing I was jealous about. My older siblings have natural strawberry blonde hair, while I had bleach blonde hair. Oh well, genetics can't always be controlled.
"So, what are you doing tonight, oh dark lord." I said with a smile. I teased him with that little nickname.
"Just looking at the latest fashion catalogs from Riverdale, Barbie Doll." He said, giving me that nickname as well. I lightly punched his arm.
"Why? You're style is goth." I tell him. He then showed me a familiar catalog.
"Yeah, but this is amazing." He said as he flipped through the pages to show me all the ones with Aria in it.
"This is a style I want to have in my store, not to mention that model! It says her name is Aria, nothing else, but it hints she lives in Riverdale and I want her as my model! But I need to find and meet her first." Chic tells me. I laughed a bit.
"Oh yeah.~ Aria Andrews, Archie's cousin. Yeah, she moved into town almost three years ago and did that modeling gig over the summer." I tell him. Chic looked at me in shock.
"You know her?!" He nearly yelled.
"Yeah, she's my friend and is now on the cheer squad in Riverdale High. I wanted to introduce her to you the last time you were here, but you ended up leaving in a rush." I explained to him. He then grabbed my arms.
"I need to meet her. I am going to open my store within the year and I need to have her as my top model! I don't ask for much, but please get me to meet her!" He tells me. I shook him off.
"I can see if she can come over again soon, but please stop. Someone might think you've fallen in love with her." I tell him as I crossed my arms.
"No, I haven't, but she's photogenic." He tells me.
"How are you getting the money for this?" I asked him, hoping he wasn't going to ask mom and dad for help financial wise.
"I saved up to do this, but I just need mom and dad to help me find a decent location." He tells me. I smiled at him.
"Alright, well, I'll call her and see if she'd like to meet you sometime." I say before heading up to my room. I needed to study after all. As I got to the top, Chic called my name. I looked at him.
"You said her last name is Andrews?" He asked me.
"Yeah, she's Archie's cousin." I tell him again.
"Hope she's not trouble like that boy." He tells me. I rolled my eyes but smiled before heading back into my room. I set my bag down and sat before taking a breath.
*What to do first… I guess my geometry homework first.* I thought as I reached in my bag to grab it. That's when I felt the familiar leather texture.
"What?" I thought out loud before pulling the book out. My eyes widened as, in my hands, was the book from the library.
*How did this get in my bag?* I thought as I traced the stitches.
This was too weird. I wanted to call Archie about this book, but something told me to open and read. I didn't want to, but it was as if I was possessed to do so. I opened it up and flipped through the many pages until I stopped at an odd one. It was in Latin, but I could read them a bit.
"Hoc veni in mundum, ut omnium. Crescere intra me, vescendum est depositio tabernaculi mei. Fieri fortior, facere anima nullius minuat. Cum operatus fueris consumpsi hanc urbem ira metu." (Come to this world, for all to see. Grow inside of me, feed off of me. Become stronger, make my soul diminish. Consume me when thou art done, Then destroy this town with wrath and fear.) I read out loud. Suddenly the lights flickered, I looked in a panic before looking back at the book. Suddenly a hand sprouted out and grabbed my throat, preventing me from screaming, well breathing actually, before I blacked out.
*Third POV*
As soon as Betty blacked out, the demon appeared in ghost form. A familiar Demon actually. One of gold and blue amongst it's face. It smiled wickedly at Betty, his knew vessel, before opening her mouth. Once her mouth was open, it became smoke and seeped inside her mouth to spread into her body. It would soon grow. It forced Betty up and onto the bed, but had no strength to do much else, but soon it would. For now, both him and the body of Betty Cooper needed rest. In three days time, she would be no more.
*Two Day's later Aria's POV*
This was weird. Betty wasn't in school yesterday and today. She almost never misses a day of school. Archie had gone to her house, but she just seemed like she was running a fever. He also commented her room was cold, but nothing unnatural. Today was my turn to check on her, especially since she missed Cheer practice. I went to the door and rang the bell. Instead of seeing Betty or her parents, a guy in his late 20's opened the door. I blinked in surprise, seeing the full goth punk man there with a large Mohawk and the works, inside Betty's home.
"Hi, Is Betty home?" I asked him.
"Oh! You're Aria, right?" He asked me.
"Yes?" I say questioningly. He then realized I didn't know who he was.
"I'm Chic, her older brother." He tells me.
"Oh! Nice to finally meet you." I say to him.
"Betty's upstairs, but, um, I think you shouldn't see her." He tells me.
"Oh? Why not?" I asked him.
"She's been… Weird lately." He tells me.
"Weird how?" I asked him.
"Well… Maybe you should come in so I can tell you." He says to me. I went in and we sat at the table as he took a breath.
"It all happened yesterday." He starts off, me listening intently.
*Flashback Chic's POV*
Betty didn't answer mom and dad, so I went up to check on her. I shuddered at how cold her room was all of a sudden, but ignored it.
"Barbie Doll, time for school!" I tell her. Betty only rolled over.
"Betty?" I asked as I went over. She looked flushed and pale at the same time.
"Wha?" Was all she could get out before coughing. I felt her forehead and cringed.
"Nope. No school today, lil' sis. I'll let them know you're very sick and I'll care for ya." I told her.
"But." She started but couldn't move much.
"No, stay." I simply tell her before leaving her room.
I had left the door open, to help warm it up, as I went and told mom and dad she was sick. They called her out of school before leaving for work. I sighed before going to make food. I heard the door slam shut and figured it was Betty, so I went upstairs to check on her, but saw her door was still open, all the other doors were open too, while Betty was sleeping under the covers.
"I think I'm hearing things." I said to myself before going back downstairs to finish making food. I made her some eggs and toast to eat before going up to her room. I froze when I saw her door was now closed.
*No way. She… She must've closed it.* I thought before knocking.
"Betty? Are you ok?" I asked her through the door. I heard nothing so I went inside. She was sitting on her bed, with a in her lap, as she seemed to be zoned out.
"Betty?" I asked. She shot her head up at me.
"Oh, it's you." Was all she said in a bitter tone.
"Hey. Come on, sis. I'm the one stuck taking care of you." I tell her. She shook her head lightly then looked at me with a smile.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I just don't feel like myself." She tells me in her usual chipper tone.
"That's alright. I made some eggs for you." I tell her as I moved her book and set the plate on her lap.
"It looks good." She says while I feel her forehead.
"Hmm… You're burning up badly." I mumble while looking at her.
"I feel a bit better, though. Maybe I just need more sleep." She tells me. I move my hand away and let her eat.
"Maybe." I say as I watch her finish everything. She thanked me and laid back down.
I took her plate and left her alone. At noon I was watching TV when I started hearing scratching noises. I didn't think much of it, perhaps a mouse, when I heard a very loud crash from Betty's room. I ran up there and opened her door, which was closed again, to see the bed had moved across the room. I woke her up and checked on her, but she thought I did that as a joke. I had to wait until Archie got there to help me move the bed back. At dinner, dad went up to feed her. After about 10 minutes mom and I heard him scream. We ran up and he had a fork stuck in the back of his hand. Betty was crying and apologizing as Mom helped dad. I was shocked at what happened. Betty neverdid anything like that before. I looked at Betty and was shocked to see her eyes were a different color, but only for a second before she looked back at me.
"I didn't mean to. I don't know why, but I'm sorry." Betty sobbed out.
I wanted to comfort her, but I refused. She wasn't my sister. I got mom and dad downstairs and told them what I thought. They brushed it off as her having a fever hallucination. That could've been true, but seeing her eyes were different… I thought better. I did some research on what was happening and it pointed to ghosts. I don't really believe in any of this stuff, but I needed to be sure. When morning came, Betty seemed worse and had even puked all over. It was a nasty green, but I cleaned it up.
"Why clean it up? It looks better now." I heard a creepy voice merged with Betty's. I turned to look, but saw Betty was in bed, sleeping. I brushed it of and stood up again.
"Why don't you answer me?" I heard again.
I looked over and jumped when I saw Betty sitting up, head tilted at me, with wide eyes and a creepy smile. I'm ashamed to admit it, but I ran out of there in fear. Something was wrong. I called mom and dad to tell them, but they didn't believe me. They thought I was imagining it. I went to check on her again an hour later, but I saw her at the top of the stairs.
"You ok, Barbie Doll?" I asked her.
"Let's play a game." I heard the creepy tone.
My eyes widened as I saw her bend backwards onto all fours before running down the stairs at me. I ran. I ran right into the coat closet under the stairs and secured myself inside. I heard scratches for what felt like hours, but maybe only a few minutes, when it suddenly ended. I waited and waited but heard nothing else. I went out and saw the door had been clawed up, as if a werewolf had been trying to enter, before rushing up to Betty's room. Her bed was moved again, the whole place trashed, but she sat there, on her bed, sobbing.
"Betty?" I questioned her.
"I'm scared." She said to me. I couldn't speak, but she continued.
"There's something inside me… It hurts, I can't make it stop." She sobbed, voice trembling and cracked, as her hands covered her face.
"Chic. I need you to give this to Archie or Aria. I need help..." She said in a cracked voice before tossing me a book. A creepy leather one with stitches all over it. As soon as I picked it up, I heard a roar and looked up.
"This wench is mine!"It screamed, eyes changing again, as weird markings appeared on her face, claws forcefully growing from her hands, teeth seeming sharper and wider from the creepy smile, before I was shoved back by a force followed by the door slamming shut. I tried to make phone calls, but the power was flickering and the phones made growling sounds. All I could do was wait until the doorbell rang. I had to act normal and get this straightened out. Fast.
*End Flashback Aria's POV*
"That is strange. It, honestly, sounds like a demon possession more than ghost." I voiced my opinion.
"What can we do?" He asked me.
"Do you have the book?" I asked him. He nodded and showed me.
"Well, take it to Archie next door, he'll take you to Doctor Beaumont and have him rush here." I tell him.
"And you?" He asked me. I looked up at the ceiling before back at him.
"I'm going to salt the area, so she doesn't escape." I say with a hint of fear. I had my hands in my lap, hidden from Chic, as they shook.
"But, whatever is in Betty, it won't let me out." He tells me. I got up and had him follow me.
"Sorry for this, I'll pay for the damage." I say before picking up the small table next to the stairs, after taking the vase off it, and threw it through the living room window, causing it to shatter. Chic and I then felt shaking but it stopped as soon as it started.
"Go!" I order him. He didn't stick around before, carefully, jumping through the window.
I went to the kitchen with salt and started salting everything downstairs. I even salted the stairs. I got upstairs and salted everything until I got to Betty's room. As soon as I salted the doorway, her door, which opened inwards, flew open. I looked and saw Betty was there, sitting on her bed, as she looked at me. There was one problem…
This wasn'tBetty!
My eyes widened at the familiar features I saw, the markings on the face, the sharp teeth, the now long arms and claws that forced their way out of her normal arms, and those eyes… Especially those eyes.
"Y-you." I squeaked out in fear. I felt my body tremble as I saw the familiar Demon possessing my friend. The one that tried to take my body years ago…
The demon from limbo.
I heard 'Betty' chuckle a demonic chuckle as those eyes stared right into my very soul.
"So good to see you again." I heard that voice.
Suddenly, all those nightmares I had, all the ones that haunted me but could never remember, flashed into my skull. That demon, ripping me to shreds, destroying Riverdale, devouring everyone it didn't slaughter, all the destruction I had to witness before my soul was shredded, my body used as a suit, all of it. I held my head and sunk to my knees, tears falling from my eyes, as it burned my brain.
"I plagued your dreams, but couldn't do more than that, it seems. You're afraid of me." I heard the demonic voice whisper, as if it were in my head. I looked up, tears still flowing.
"Give her back." I tell it. I heard him chuckle.
"She submitted to me, her soul is mine. It tastes pure and delicious, so why give it up?" It taunts me.
"Please…" I practically begged. I heard his laugh echo loudly into the house. It was not going to give her up that easily.
*Chic's POV*
I had jumped out of the window and ran to Archie's. To say I was scared wasn't even close to how I actually felt. Petrified was the closest. I didn't want to leave Aria alone, but she seemed to know what she was doing. I hope. Anyhow, I pounded on Archie's door until he answered.
"Chic? What's wrong?" He asked me.
"Betty… Possessed by demon… Need Doctor Beaumont.." I panted out.
"Wait what?" Archie asked me.
"Drive me to Doctor Beaumont! I'll explain on the way!" I suddenly yelled at him. Archie jumped at my reaction but grabbed his keys before rushing to his car, me tailing him. We got in and, as soon as he took off, I told him everything.
"She's possessed by a demon?! And you left my cousin alone in there?!" Archie shouted at me.
"What choice did I have?! She's right! If we left Betty alone, She-it could run around doing whatever! You didn't see it, Archie!" I panicked as we stopped at a store. I was confused but followed Archie inside. Archie called for Doctor Beaumont and a wizard type man soon appeared before us. Archie summed it up before I remembered I had the book.
"Here! Betty gave me this!" I tell him as I showed him the book.
"Where did you get this?!" He asked eccentrically.
"Betty had it, but I'm not sure where she got it from." I tell him.
"She must've read from this! I won't know which demon it is, but if I see, then I might know. We must hurry, though." He tells me as he quickly tossed a bunch of stuff inside his bag.
"Aria's holding it off with salt, but I don't think it'll work." I tell him.
"It'll prevent it from traveling, but not much else. We must hurry. Both are in grave danger." He said before we hurried back to my place.
Archie was muttering something about Aria being reckless while Doctor Beaumont was searching the book to see which demon it was. I sunk in my chair as I felt unsure about everything. Either everyone has lost their minds, this was a nightmare, or this was really happening. We got there but Archie couldn't open the door. I led them into the window and we ran up, only to gasp at the sight before us.
*Aria's POV*
"Once I have this body completely, you'll be the first one to torture. You left me in limbo, you sent me back, now I can get you and this whole town!" The demon roared out.
"Let her Go! Please!" I screamed out in fear, a whirlwind type storm was happening in Betty's room now. The creature only laughed at this. I stepped in the room, not a good Idea since I was safe before, as Betty's door flew off the hinges.
"Take me! Take me, not her!" I screamed out. I might've been stronger than Betty.
"No! You're tainted! I cannot possess a monster!" It roared out, followed by some growls and cackles, as everything whipped around the room. This thing was twisting Betty's body all around, hurting her, while making her slam into her ceiling.
"Help me! Please! Help me!" I heard Betty cry out before more cackling.
"Leave her alone!" I cried out in anger.
It lunged at me with it's claws, slicing my stomach, not as deep as it would be though, before smacking me backwards into a wall. I watched as Betty transformed into the demon that plagued me. The familiar red and blue swirled face, those evil red eyes, everything. I was shaking, from both fear and pain, as the tears never stopped.
"No one is going to help you this time, little birdy." It growled out before lunging at me.
Something in me suddenly snapped. I wasn't sure what, but I felt myself changing. I fought back, smacking the demon across the room and away from me, as my eyes turned yellow, teeth grew sharp and claws extended from my fingers. I was morphing! The problem was, I wasn't controlling it, but this time I didn't have memory loss. My body reacted on it's own and was fighting this demon off. I couldn't stop myself as I was forced to watch each attack dealt and received to/from the demon before me. I caught a glimpse of Doctor Beaumont before I was slashed across the face. I let out a growl, skin changing to black while my slashes were healing rapidly, before jumping and pinning down the demon.
"Hurry!" Archie said to Doctor Beaumont.
"I can't exorcizer it without knowing it's name!" Doctor Beaumont cried out.
"It's the same one that has hunted me before!" I cried out as the demon switched to pinning me. It smirked and a flash of memory came back.
*Start Memory Aria's POV*
It was the tenth time I had had the same nightmare and woke up, but managed to prevent myself from screaming. Sweat littered my body as I looked around my room. I didn't see anything and I didn't want to wake up my aunt, uncle and cousin again from these nightmares. I sighed as I held the bear, Leviathan's, close to me.
"Leviathan, what do I do? I don't even know what to do. I wish you were here to help me." I whispered as I couldn't even remember my nightmare. I hugged tighter when I heard a crumpling sound. I looked and saw the bear had a piece of paper in it's paw. Curious, I took it and opened it. It only said one thing on it.
Malus.
*End Memory Aria's POV*
That's when I kicked it off me before jumping up.
"Malus! It's name is Malus!" I screamed out. Malus roared in fury before attacking me again.
"It's no use! Betty Cooper is now dead!" It roared.
"Liar!" I screamed as we fought.
*Third POV*
Chic was in shock, even more so when hearing Betty was dead, but Doctor Beaumont found the page he was looking for.
"She's not dead! Not unless we fail to get this thing out by the third day! I can exorcizer the demon now, but I'll need to get close." Doctor Beaumont said. Aria had heard this, thanks to the Morpholomew transformation she had started going through, and smirked.
"Done!" She called out as she slammed the thing around. Once she had pinned it, Archie had found the salt and made a circle to trap the demon. After that, Aria jumped out and was morphed back to normal, wounds no more, before falling to her knees, gasping for air. The tears started up again as Archie went and held her close. Doctor Beaumont glared at the demon, trapped in the circle, as it tried to get out.
"You can't remove me! I'm here to stay! This is my body!" Malus screamed as Doctor Beaumont ignored him and found the correct chant to exorcizer him.
"Exorcizamus te, Malus, crux sacra sit mihi lux! Nunquam libas sit mihi dux. Vade retro Malus! Nunquam suade mihi vana! Sunt mala quae libas, Ipse venena bibes!" (We cast you out, Malus, may the holy cross be my light! May the evil never be my guide. Begone Malus! Never tempt me with your vanities! What you offer me is evil. Drink the poison yourself!) Doctor Beaumont chanted. Malus screamed and had tried everything to prevent Doctor Beaumont from speaking, but nothing was working.
"No! If I go, then she goes with me!" Malus screamed, But Doctor Beaumont knew he was lying as he continued.
Once the chant was over, Doctor Beaumont threw salt, sage leaves and lavender petals right at Malus. Malus shrieked in pain before melting into black sludge, which quickly evaporated into nothing, leaving a weak Betty Cooper standing for a few seconds before collapsing onto the floor.
"Betty!" Chic yelled before rushing over to her and picked up her upper body. Betty Groaned before slowly opening her eyes.
"Chic?" She asked in a hoarse voice.
"I'm here." He says as he holds her.
"It's gone?" She asked softly. "Malus was sent back." Aria said as she dried her eyes.
"Young lady, why would you read the book of dead flesh?" Doctor Beaumont asked suddenly.
"Wait… It's made from…" Chic said but couldn't finish.
"Yes, human flesh." Doctor Beaumont said. All the teens shuddered at that.
"It was in the library, but got in my bag somehow. I flipped through the pages and, it was like, something made me read that column." Betty explained to them.
"Aria, how'd you know it's name?" Archie asked his cousin.
"It was on a paper after a nightmare I had years ago. All those nightmares… Were from that thing… After the dreamcatcher incident, everything stopped for a while. I think Leviathan put that note there, as a way of helping for the future." She said as she recalled everything.
"Ok, I get that, whatever it was, but what the heck was you turning black about?" Chic suddenly asked.
"I'm infected with DNA mutation to turn into a monster. I haven't had this happen in a while, but it just happened when I was in serious danger." Aria explained to them.
"I need to lock this book up before Malus, or any other demon, decides to try and get out again." Doctor Beaumont said before hurrying off.
That's when the kids realized they were left to clean up the mess on their own. Betty assured them she was fine and, together, got everything cleaned up before her parents would come home. After all that, they all sat down and had some snacks and drinks as Archie and Aria took notes on everything.
*Aria's POV*
"What was it like being possessed?" I asked her the question for the article.
"Well, first I felt tired, then I felt sick, like I was burning yet freezing at the same time, then I always felt sick. If that wasn't bad enough, I would see what the demon was doing, feel it hurting me and everyone around me, and it felt like it was chewing on my soul! That exorcism repaired my soul, but I'll never be able to forget that feeling." Betty explained as we wrote it all down. I had gotten down Chic's side too. I looked Chic over more closely and felt I knew him.
"Chic, sorry to cut in, but you seem very familiar to me." I suddenly say to him.
"Ya know, I was thinking that too." Chic said as he tried to think.
"Betty said you lived in NYC. Which part?" I asked. "
Near the Bronx, but I went all over the area." He tells me.
"Hmm… There was a playground near Bronx, with trees around, that I often visited." I thought about it.
"I stopped going there after this girl got hurt." He tells me.
"What girl?" Archie asked him.
"Well, I was walking bye when I saw this guy over this girl. Suddenly, she was lit on fire and screamed. I yelled at the guy and chased him off before trying to put the girl out. A parent near by called 911. Funny thing was, she was a red head too, but was maybe 12." Chic explained. My eyes watered.
"You… You're the one..." I started but stopped as I got choked up while tears were flowing down. Chic was confused, but I stood up and lifted my shirt a bit to show my scar. Chic froze as he remembered that scar.
"You're… That kid..." Chic whispered in shock. I nodded while putting my shirt down.
"I could never fully remember the face of the person who helped me, but it never stopped me from trying to look… To thank them..." I said as my voiced cracked.
"I only did what was right." Chic justified.
"May I… Hug you?" I asked suddenly Chic seemed awkward but nodded yes. He must've known this meant a lot to me. I hugged him gently while a few tears fell.
"It took 6 years, but I finally found you. Thank you for saving my life, Chic Cooper." I say as a few happy tears fell from my eyes. This was all emotional, for all of us, but after all this, we parted ways. I went back with Archie to finish writing the story for Friday.
"And so, fellow readers, ends another mystery. One of the most dangerous ones yet! ~Archie. You know how they say 'Don't judge a book by it's cover'? Well, in this case, a creepy book made of skin with stitches should be judges on looks. Be careful what you read, because words aren't just words. ~Aria. I'm glad Betty was saved just in time, because loosing a wonderful girl like her would make Riverdale less amazing, as well as all our lives that she's helped. ~ Archie. Besides being one of Archie's girlfriends, Betty cooper is a valued friend, a great person, a wonderful asset to this town and one of my best friends I never want to loose. I don't think anyone wants to loose her. ~Aria. Aria's right. For now, I'm glad to have Betty safe and back to normal, though she'll now be cautious with any book she reads, especially one in Latin, and will now look for translations before reading anything out loud. ~Archie… Especially in a little town called Riverdale! ~ Archie and Aria!"
We finished typing and I smiled happily.
"I'm glad things worked out." I say as Archie saved everything and emailed me the copy.
"I'm glad too." Archie commented before turning to look at me.
"Are you heading home?" Archie asked me curiously.
"Yeah, I should get home. I have to practice the violin again." I tell him.
"Did you figure out what club you're doing?" Archie asked me.
"Yeah, I think I do. Actually, I should head to the school and set up posters, since Principle Weatherbee said it was ok too, before going home." I tell him.
"Ok. See you tomorrow then?" Archie asked me.
"See you tomorrow." I say before leaving. I got to my car when Chic stopped me.
"Hey, I wanted to talk to you." He said to me.
"Yes?" I asked him curiously.
"Listen, you can say no to this, but I, well, wanted to ask you something." He starts off.
"Ok." I say, letting him know I was listening.
"I'm going to open a store soon, Victorian Goth, or something like that. It's going to be a mix for all, but I'm not going to have it open until October the earliest." He starts off. I nod at him.
"Sounds cool." I admit to him.
"Well… Betty had a catalog with you as a model, so, um, I was wondering if you'd consider being a model and an employee?" He asked me. I Smiled at this.
"Well, an employee might be hard, since I work at Pop Tate's, but I wouldn't mind modeling once in a while. Just as long as it doesn't affect my schooling and job." I explained to him.
"Absolutely! School is important and Pops is lucky to have you as an employee." He tells me.
"Yeah. Well I need to go, I have to set up fliers for a new club at school." I tell him.
"What club?" He asks me. I tell him and he smiles.
"Why don't I swing by sometime to help out?" He offered.
We talked on it a bit more and I agreed, thanking him for the help, before I left. I hung up the fliers and set up a sign up sheet for everything. I had a teacher overseeing everything as well, so that's a good thing. I went home and told my dad what happened, I mean everything from the demon to Chic being the one to save me in the park years ago to my club idea and much more, while I seemed cheerful. Dad was glad to know I finally knew who saved me, but was relieved about the demon thing. After dinner I went to bed.
*Next Day After School Aria's POV*
I sat there, with Miss Grundy, as we finished auditions and had now had a whole group ready. Oh, right, so the club…
Glee Club!
Yup! Singing, dancing and performing. Miss Grundy liked the idea and agreed to morning sessions, without her, and after school sessions with/without her. She would supervise and let us know if a song was deemed appropriate or not, though she knew my taste in music so most of my choices were acceptable. We needed a group of 12, so I asked those I knew plus more. Here's who we have. Me, Ronin, Collins, Midge, Cheryl Blossom even though she's spoiled and much more, her twin brother Jason who acts the same, Chuck Clayton though shy is a very good singer, Nancy woods his girlfriend and also a cheerleader, Ginger Lopez though we were both in NYC we were in different areas so we never knew each other but clicked as friends and would be in Riverdale most of this year, Raj Patel though he is decent with singing and not too good at dancing he is setting up cameras to help us out and much more tech stuff as he performs, and a British student, who returned after 2 years, named Berdie. We had a total of 12 students, 6 girls, 6 boys, all even. Now we had to start practicing and figure out 3 songs for a competition. I researched and found a few, but we needed to perform for judges, then perform for sectionals, then regionals, then nationals. It's a lot, but we'd practice for the week to show Principle Weatherbee that we could do this before anything. We used this meeting time to consider wardrobes, since we all had to match, but that one lead to a few dead ends so we decided on jeans, sneakers and plain black tops for now, also had to discuss what we would perform for Principle Weatherbee. Ginger suggested costumes for the song to make up pop more, which we all agreed within reason, then deciding the song was the tough part. We all had different tastes, but we needed one common ground. We only needed one song to show him we were ready for this, after all. We took up two hours before deciding on a song. If we took up this much time with one song, how would we decide on any? Collins asked my opinion, since I formed the group, as others listened in. I looked at us and thought about it for a bit.
"Well, we can either go with an oldie but goodie song or go Disney for this. We might not use it for the competitions, but against Principle Weatherbee, it might be a safe bet." I suggested.
"I can't believe I'm saying this, but I agree with her." Cheryl piped up.
"I agree with my sis on this." Jason added.
"I trust your decision 100%." Midge added in.
"It's a safe bet, without too much risk. Very wise." Ronin said as he agreed.
"I'm in." Collins said, no questions to it.
"I agree, love. Safe is best in this case." Berdie said in his British accent.
"I say what he says." Ginger added.
"I agree with Ronin." Raj added. I looked at Chuck and Nancy for this last one. Chuck looked at Nancy and nodded.
"Chuck and I agree too." Nancy said.
"Great! I'll come up with a small list of songs by tomorrow and we can go from there. Agreed?" I asked them. They all agreed and we ended the meeting. Everyone left but Miss Grundy stopped me.
"Are you sure you can do this? You already have a lot on your plate." Miss Grundy asks me.
"I can handle it. I'm an Andrews, we don't really quit." I tell her with a smile.
"That's what worries me." She tells me. I assure her all is fine before leaving. All was going to be fine…
Right?
THANK YOU AGAIN FOR THE SUGGESTION! IF ANYONE HAS ANYMORE SUGGESTIONS, BE IT AN EPISODE OR A TWEAK IN A FUTURE EPISODE BASED OFF THE SHOW, JUST MESSAGE ME AND I WILL REPLY! THANKS FOR ALL THE SUPPORT PEEPS! YOU'RE ALL BEAUTIFUL AND I LOVE YOU ALL!