Pain, pain was the only thing Hope Corven could feel. It consumed all of her senses. It coursed through her veins like liquid fire that burns everything in its path. Yet through the pain Hope could feel the earth that her body rested upon.

Panic filled her mind making her frantically trying to dig through the soil that surrounded her. And her pain began to lessen as her body moved upward in the dirt. In the blink of an eye Hope was staring up at the night time sky gasping.

Hope slowly stood up trying to recognize the surrounding area. Alas her mind remained blank; she couldn't even remember her own name.

Hope's eyes finally rested upon a giant oak tree. For some reason her attention was drawn to a particular branch high above the other. A certain spot on the branch had been worn down by something. As she looked closer she realized that a remainments of a rope still clung to the branch.

"Now things that were lost shall be returned" a voice called out to her from high in the trees behind her. Before she could turn around a force knocked her face down on the ground. Memories of a past life flooded her brain, but none stood out as much as that life's final moments.

Flashback

"Johnny what is going on?" Hope Corven asked in a terrified whisper. "I don't know, Hope just keep behind me" Johnny Webster whispered, his eyes carefully watching their tormentors.

A group of four men surrounded Hope and Johnny. The men's faces couldn't be seen clearly even though it was a full moon on that All Hollow's Eve night.

"Blades what's keeping Foxy so long to get here" one of the men called out.

"She's coming don't you worry she wouldn't want to miss this Flame-Boy" Blades responded.

"Here she comes now," another cried out.

"Good evening Johnny" the woman named Foxy said when she stepped into the circle.

"Hello Foxy" Johnny whispered in a voice of venom. As he whispered those words, he squeezed Hope's hands a little tighter.

Hope carefully stored every detail of this mysterious woman form Johnny's past. She looked exactly like Johnny but she had frozen oceans in her eyes instead of blue skys.

"Is that how you greet a former lover" Foxy quietly spoke as she stepped toward Hope and Johnny. "But you never really cared about me now did you" her voice dripped with hate. "That is why you're going to die Johnny because you wouldn't love me" with those words, Foxy pulled out a small dagger and stabbed Johnny in his left knee.

Johnny fell to his knees trying not to scream out in pain. Hope was right by his side and tried to stop the bleeding.

Foxy gave some silent signal and two of the men grabbed Hope and pulled her to her feet while one of them held Johnny's arms behind his back.

The one named Flame-Boy stepped up to Johnny with a lighter in one hand and a bottle of liquid spirits in the other. Hope realized what was about to happen, so she closed her eyes. She smelt burning flesh and heard Johnny's blood-chilling screams after Flame-Boy did his nasty job. Hope opened her eyes but couldn't look. She didn't want to imagine what they had done to Johnny's angelic face.

"Blades finish him off so we can have fun with his new lover" Foxy spoke softly to the man holding Johnny.

"Hope" Johnny called out in a weak voice. "Hope, no matter what happens I will love you forever, I will…

Whatever Johnny was going to say was quickly cut off by the blade that was buried deep in his heart.

"Johnny" Hope whispered as she fell to her knees. The men holding her let her go and helped Blades and Flame-Boy with their task. Only sat there staring at the dagger sticking out of Johnny's chest. She didn't notice the rope Foxy had thrown over a high branch or that a large crow had landed close to Hope and Johnny or that its eyes flashed with intelligence.

"Wisher, Goblin are you two ready to pull the rope" Foxy asked the other two men.

"Yeah Foxy just waiting for you orders" Wisher responded. While they were talking, they didn't notice Hope slowly remove the dagger from Johnny's body and carefully conceal it.

Foxy walked over to Hope a hangman's noose in her hand. "Have you ever heard Vindicated by DashBoard Confessions?" Foxy asked in a giggly voice. "If not, my favorite line is "Hope dangles on a string" Really fitting is it not?"

"Go to Hell" Hope screamed as she pulled out the dagger and rammed it into Foxy's left hand.

"Bitch" Foxy screamed out in pain as Wisher and Goblin quickly knocked Hope into the ground and forced the noose that Foxy had dropped around her neck.

"Hurry up and pull the bitch up so we can watch Hope dangle on a string. Foxy spoke between clenched teeth.

Before Hope could get her bearings, she was jerked up into the air by the hangman's noose. The pain of the noose digging into her neck was almost unbearable. She couldn't breathe and soon was losing consciousness.

Hope's final thoughts were only of vengeance and the crowing flying into her vision. Without a word she slipped into the abyss of The Land of The Dead.

Thank you Sickly Sweet and Queen of Sporks for your reviews. I dedicate this chapter to you two. Love you for both the support and good luck with you stories.

Yours truly,

Hope Corven