"I-I didn't mean too...It shouldn't even be possible…The gun isn't real…" Luke stammered, the tolls of the clock still echoing through the halls. He dropped the gun to the floor, his hands up in a beg for mercy as Tyler rose to his feet, laying Craig's bloody body down gently.
"You killed Craig...You shot him." Tyler snarled through gritted teeth. "You shot him."
"It was an accident!" Lui cried, stepping between the two of them. The tension was almost overwhelming yet Evan seemed to be the only person who was calm. Tyler shoved Lui out of the way harshly as he continued towards Luke. He picked up the fallen gun, swinging it above his head and with a scream of anger, brought it down on Luke who tried to block the hard wooden barrel of the gun with his arms.
"Tyler stop! Tyler!" Daithi yelled, trying to pull Tyler away from Luke. Tyler pushed him off, a terrifying look of anger on his face.
"When I'm done with him, I'm coming for all of you." Tyler threatened. Daithi stared nervously at Tyler as he backed up, reaching for Lui's hand that he gripped tightly.
As they backed away, Luke wrapped his arms around Tyler's neck, choking him despite how much Tyler struggled. Without even thinking twice about it, Lui turned and ran down the hall, Evan and Daithi close behind.
"What do we do? What do we do?" Daithi cried as they ran up the stairs, stumbling down the hallway.
"Hide." Evan snapped, his voice sounding harsh. He didn't seem like himself, not acting like any normal human being would in this situation. Lui tried to tell himself that it was just how he was dealing with it, listening to his order as they ran into the nearest room. It was the same one that he and Evan had hid in earlier while they were playing their game of hide and seek. He wondered if everything that had just happened in the last two and a half hours was even real and how any of it was even possible.
Evan closed the door behind them, pressing his ear against the wood to hear if anyone was coming after them. He couldn't lock the door so all he do was hold the rusted gold knob and put his weight against the door, hoping that it would be enough to stop the two bigger men. Lui and Daithi stood back from the door, more scared than they had ever been in their lives. They were no longer wondering who was after them, no longer scared of what was in the shadows. They knew who was after them now. Their own friend seemed possessed, prepared to kill when he had once been so soft and kind.
"Evan…" Daithi started to say but was stopped by Evan who held his hand up to silence him. Footsteps could be heard from the hallway, the floorboards creaking and groaning. A strange, strangled coughing sound startled them, heard clearly from the other side of the door. It sounded like someone choking and crying at the same time, as if they were in horrible pain. Lui wondered if it was Craig's ghost, angry that they had done nothing to help him. Or maybe he was trying to warn them just as Brock and Brian had before. "What is that?" Daithi whispered, his eyes widening as the strangled cry got louder. Evan shook his head, not knowing what it was either. He couldn't open the door to see, terrified of what might be on the other side, living or dead.
"Where did you all go?" Tyler's voice suddenly yelled, his voice muffled. He didn't sound like himself, the playful tone in his voice not his own. The crying had stopped, running footsteps heading away from the door as if the ghosts were scared too.
"Hide." Evan snapped, pointing to the wardrobe that he and Lui had hid in before. Lui nodded reluctantly, not wanting to leave Evan alone to face Tyler. He dragged Daithi into the small dark space with him, closing the doors and prayed they wouldn't be found.
"What about Evan?" Daithi whispered. "Tyler will kill him."
"Shut up. No he won't." Lui refused to believe that Tyler would do such a thing. He knew that Tyler cared a lot for Evan, that even in a possessed state, he couldn't do it. At least, that was what Lui told himself.
"Where are you?" Tyler's voice sounded closer now, sending chills down Lui's back. "Hide and seek isn't fun! It's a game for children! Are you children?" Tyler laughed. A loud bang made them jump, hearing Evan struggle to keep the door closed. "Awe come on, Evan!" Another loud bang, as if he was hitting the door repeatedly with all his strength.
"Tyler please! Stop!" Evan yelled back. They heard the wood splinter as the door crashed open. Lui peered through the small crack in between the two doors, seeing Evan stumble to stay on his feet as Tyler lunged at it him, the bloody wooden gun that killed Craig in his hands. He brought it down on Evan's back, his cry of pain echoing through the room. "Tyler! Stop!"
"I've never felt more alive, Evan...I've always wanted to do this. Beat the fucking shit out of you. You think you are so great, that you are better than us. You've always felt that way." He hit him again repeatedly, not allowing him to get up. "You can go to hell, Evan. You let this happen, let us all die! You don't care do you? It's just less competition for you!" Another hit, the sound of bone cracking made Lui sick. Evan cried out in pain, pulling at the floor in an attempt to crawl away from Tyler. "Did you know this would happen? Is that how you've made it this far?"
"Please! Stop!" Evan cried out in pain. Lui was able to see him struggle to get away from Tyler, his back bloodied. "Tyler please! This isn't you! You aren't like this! Snap out of it! Please!"
"You let Craig die!" Tyler brought the wooden gun down on Evan's back with every word pinning him to the floor. "You let Brock and Brian die!" The next hit almost knocked him out. It took all Lui had to not throw open the doors and push Tyler away from his friend who was screaming in agony, begging Tyler to stop. "You've killed us all!" Tyler yelled, a harsh kick to Evan's side throwing him onto his bruised and bloodied back.
"I-I...I-I…" Evan stammered, struggling to breathe. Lui could see that he was in so much pain, struggling to stay conscious. If he continued to beat Evan, Lui knew for sure that he would kill him. Tyler loomed over him, a wild look on his face that terrified Lui.
"Have you given up, Evan?" Tyler spat. "Are you the next one to die? Is this your hour?" Tyler laughed wildly. Evan's eyes turned away from Tyler, glancing for a moment, at the wardrobe where Lui and Daithi were hidden. Tyler followed his gaze, a wicked smile spreading on his lips.
Suddenly, Evan swung his leg around Tyler's, kicking his feet out from under him. Evan grabbed the gun, using it to pin Tyler down with all his remaining strength.
"Lui! Daithi! Run!" Evan yelled. Lui pushed open the doors, sprinting past Tyler and Evan towards the door. Tyler gripped the gun tightly and hit Evan hard across the face, breaking his nose. Blood spurted onto Tyler's face as he threw Evan off to the floor, using the gun to him again. Lui forced himself to not look back, running down the hall as fast as he could. They could hear Tyler yell at Evan, his vicious words echoing after them as loud as Evan's dying screams.
They were still on the lookout for Luke, unsure if he was alive or not anymore. Daithi was quietly crying, wanting to go back and save his friend. Lui glanced up at him from time to time when he wasn't checking over his shoulder or around corners to make sure that no one was there.
"Lui...We're gonna die...One of us is going to die within the hour...We're gonna die…" Daithi cried, tears falling down his cheeks. Lui couldn't stop himself from snapping, turning on his heel suddenly to face his taller friend.
"Shut up! If you keep talking like that, of course you are going to die!" Lui snapped. "At this rate, Tyler is going to kill Evan or Luke...if Luke isn't already dead! We just have to stay quiet and hide! We can't cry. We can't stop. We're facing something real now, Daithi! Our friends aren't our friends right now. Don't you understand that? They want to kill-" He was stopped by the sound of footsteps, the floorboards creaking behind them. Lui jumped, turning to look over his shoulder. Luke was stumbling towards him, a wound on his head oozing blood that dripped down his face. He looked half dead already, the same wild possessed look in his eyes as Tyler's.
"Luke?" Daithi called out, taking a slow step towards him. Lui grabbed his arm tightly, pulling him back.
"Where is Tyler?" Luke slurred, his voice full of pain. He continued to move towards them, staring at them with wide eyes. Lui backed away from Luke, shaking his head.
"Luke...I don't...I don't know...Calm down...Okay? We can figure this out...there is no need for violence…" Lui stammered, continuing to step back. Daithi didn't move, wanting to reach out to Luke.
"Where is he?" Luke snarled, spitting out blood as he spoke.
"Luke, please." Daithi placed his hand on Luke's shoulder, trying to beg him to listen, to snap out of it. Luke stared down at Daithi's hand on his shoulder, a strange look in his eyes as he turned his gaze up to him. "Luke?" Luke reached his hand out, grabbing Daithi's wrist and twisted it, throwing him to the floor. Lui stumbled back, too scared to do anything but stare. He knew he should have helped them but all he could do was turn and run, hearing Daithi scream and yell at him for help as Luke attacked him. "Lui! Lui please! Help me!" Daithi screamed as Lui ran into one of the rooms, closing the door behind him. He grabbed a chair, propping it under the doorknob before backing away. He tripped over his own feet, collapsing to the floor with a cry. He hugged his knees, rocking back and forth with his hand over his mouth to keep from screaming.
"I'm sorry...I'm sorry...I'm sorry…" He repeated, over and over. He wasn't sure who he apologizing to. Maybe to Brock and Brian for not being able to save them, for not listening to their warnings. To Craig for his seemingly accidental death that he didn't deserve. Or to Evan and Daithi for leaving them behind. Or maybe even, Tyler and Luke who were slipping into madness at the sight of their friend's deaths. None of this was fair. None of them deserved to die like this, to be so terrified of their own friends like this. Jonathan couldn't help them, no one could.
Lui jumped at the sound of running footsteps and yelling, hearing Daithi sprint past the door and Luke following. Lui forced himself to stop sobbing, staying as silent as he could. He kept his hands pressed over his mouth, fearful of being heard. Closing his eyes tightly, he listened to the frantic footsteps fade away down the hallway. Silence surrounded him, feeling heavy and sad. Cold air settled on the room, shivers running through him.
A soft, strangled cry caught his attention, sounding more sad and pained than anything he had ever heard before. He opened his eyes, seeing Craig standing in front of him. His eyes were wide, blood dripping from his lips and soaking the front of his sweater where the bullet had pierced his chest. He realized that the door was visible through the apparition. "C-Craig…" Lui breathed, chills making him shiver. Tears fell from his eyes at the sight of his dead friend.
The ghost stared at him for a few moments before raising his arm stiffly, pointing to something behind him. Lui turned to look over his shoulder, his eyes landing on Evan's backpack, his owl logo sewn on to it in bright red colours. Lui looked back at Craig's ghost, confused. "Evan…?" Craig nodded slowly, fear in his eyes. Lui looked back at the owl logo, not sure if he understood what Craig was trying to tell him. He looked back to ask Craig what he meant only to find that the ghost was gone. "Craig?" Lui looked around the room, the cold fading. Was he trying to tell him that Evan was dead? Or maybe something was wrong about Evan, that maybe he was just as posessed as Tyler and Luke was.
"No! Please don't!" The loud scream made Lui jump, the sound of breaking glass faintly heard through the screaming. Lui got to his feet, stepping towards the door. He moved the chair away, hesitantly opening the door. The hallway was oddly silent, no one in sight. Lui stepped out of the room, walking slowly towards the source of the scream.
"Daithi?" Lui whispered as he moved down the hall. There was no answer. He continued down the hall which opened up onto a larger room, the window in the center of the floor now shattered. Taking a deep breath, Lui stepped towards the broken window, looking down at the floor on the level below. Among the shards of broken glass and blood, Daithi lay sprawled and unmoving on the wood floor. Lui fell to his knees, the glass cutting his hands and knees. "No...No…" Tears streamed down his face, sobs shaking his shoulders as footsteps approached him.
Somewhere in the house, the clock tolled three.