Escape the Night: Origins of the Society Against Evil

A/N: Hello, world and welcome back to the next installment of the post-season story of Escape the Night!

Yup, it's time for another chapter for you all to enjoy. Onward!

Read, review, and enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything from Escape the Night. I just own any and all characters that I just happen to create.

CHAPTER TWO: THE MEETING

James entered a large chamber made out of stone, where there was a large round table in the center of the chamber, surrounded by high-back wooden chairs covered with red velvet, and he seated himself in one of the chairs.

A large pale blue crystal orb that hung over the table began glowing and beams of light shot toward the remaining chairs, and transformed into men and women of various ages and skin tones, but they all were wearing business outfits of either black or grey.

`"This meeting of the council will come to order,"` said the First Elder, a white male with thinning white hair and green hazel eyes, as they all stood and made the sign to warn off the Darkness, and then resumed their seats. `"James McCoy, what say thee?"`

"The survivors of the 1920s house are on their way back to their homes and families," James reported. "The cover story will be sent out shortly, and the victims' bodies will be returned to their respective families as well, including that of the late Shane Dawson, whose mission was completed by the following: Joey Graceffa, Dawn Hatcher, Eva Gutowski, and Oli White." As he said the names, their images appeared over the table. "They were the only ones to come out alive, and according to Dr. Green, they will recover physically from the experience."

`"What of their mental and emotional states?"` the Second Elder asked, a woman with black skin, long silver hair pulled in a tight bun and piercing green eyes.

"Only time will tell of how they will recover emotionally and mentally from what they experienced," James replied. "I need to bring to the attention of this council that a discovery was made within the dinner coat that Joey Graceffa had been wearing during the incident."

`"And what in the dinner coat?"` the Third Elder, a Japanese man with hair that was a mixture of black/grey and brown eyes, inquired.

James summoned an image of the deed. "This is the deed to the 1920s house, which I found in the dinner coat," he informed them, agreeing with their startled expressions. "It's been sealed away in an iron box, but the evil that tainted it has infected Joey Graceffa, and I do not know how long it will take to grow within him or if will grow at all."

`"This is a concerning development, McCoy,"` said the First Elder gravely. `"What of the others? Has the evil tainted them, too?"`

James shook his head. "No, at least not in any way that could harm them," he responded. "With the amount of time that they have spent with Dawn Hatcher, any taint left from the house will be washed away by her Light."

`"Then, we must hope that the Light-bearer will be able to purge the taint from Joey Graceffa as well,"` said the Fourth Elder, an older woman with red hair, grey eyes, and she was of Irish descent. `"As to the Light-bearer, did you tell her the truth about the Light within her?"`

"No," James answered and waited as the expected rumbling of questions and protests from the council died down. "I know that it was the wish of the council that Dawn Hatcher be told of her heritage, about the Light, and start her training as the Light-bearer," he continued. "But, given what she had just gone through, I thought it best to give her time to recover, to heal, and to deal with the guilt of what she and her friends had had to go through during that long night that they were in that house, fighting the evil of the Cursed God."

The First Elder had a grim expression on his face. `"That is quite a gamble that you are taking, McCoy,"` he remarked in a grave tone. `"I know that our ancestors have been careful when it comes to the bloodlines of the Light-bearers for the past century, and yet, Dawn Hatcher is the descendant of two of the strongest Light-bearer bloodlines. She needs to be told the truth and trained for what is to come."`

"Sir, I know that you speak of the prophecy that the Society has been keeping safe this whole time," said James, having expected it to be brought up. "And if I will remind this council, the last time that there was such an incident, it turned out to be a one-time event, and it's likely that this, too, will be a one-time event as well."

`"But can you be sure of that, McCoy?"` the Fifth Elder, a Native American woman with long black hair that was turning white and dark eyes, questioned. `"There has been signs that those who serve the Cursed God are on the move, and the incident at the 1920s house is proof that the prophecy will be coming true this time."`

James sighed and rubbed his forehead. "I know that it looks like it," he agreed. "But we have only just retrieved the paperwork and other stuff that Arthur had had at the house, and we need time to go through it before it can be certain that this is either a one-time event or if it is connected to the prophecy. If it does turn out to be connected to the prophecy, then I will personally see to it that Dawn Hatcher is told the truth about her being the Light-bearer, and start her training. But, until that time, I ask this council to give her the time she needs to heal from the experience."

`"Very well,"` said the First Elder. `"And what of the other three survivors? Will they need to be watched?"`

"Of the three, the one that I believe that needs to be watch will be Joey Graceffa," James answered. "Until we can be certain that the evil taint isn't growing within him, he will need to be monitored, and should the Darkness overwhelm him in any way, then that will be the time to move in and stop it, hopefully without killing him."

The First Elder nodded. `"Very well,"` he agreed. `"Until such time that it is determined of whether what occurred is a one-time incident or connected to the prophecy, the Society will continued to watch over Dawn Hatcher as we have since her birth, and we will also keep watch over Joey Graceffa, too. This council meeting is over."`

Once again they all stood, made the sign once again, and then the orb powered down so that James was left alone in the chamber. Sighing, he exited the chamber to return to the study to go over the folders and other paperwork that had been recovered from the 1920s house, and he knew that there was a lot to do in order to make sense of what had led to the incident.

'The odds of a Light-bearer encountering the evil of the Cursed God like that,' James thought. 'Especially one who has no idea that she carries the Light within her, are very unlikely, and yet, Dawn encountered the evil, and she pulled through despite not knowing the truth about herself.'

A/N: Yeah, so Dawn has no idea that she'd been watched over this whole time, or that she's a Light-bearer. I will see you all on Thursday with the next installment. Bye for now! R&R everyone!