Adie pulled her orange-red hair back into a ponytail and stuffed the ice cream tub into the microwave. It had frozen a few days ago and was too hard and cold for her to eat.
She felt something on her leg and scoffed as she saw that it was her roommate's gross sweatshirt that most likely hadn't been washed in weeks. She kicked the sweatshirt aside and sat down on her desk. She checked the local news webpage and saw that there were no strange accidents reported. She smiled in relief. She kept expecting there to be some huge accident but it looks as if that wasn't the case anymore. They had beaten Death. Or so they thought.
"Hey Adie. Long time no see." A voice said from behind her.
Adie turned expectantly to see Rory Peters. He was wearing baggy clothing and a crooked grin.
"Uh hi, Rory. What are you doing here?" she asked awkwardly. She still wasn't used to talking to dead people.
Rory reached inside his pocket and took out a joint. Then he looked up at her. "Do you mind?"
Adie shook her head while he lit his cigarette. He blew it once then leaned back against the wall.
"I didn't know dead people could smoke." Adie remarked slyly.
Rory smiled at her sarcastically. "Very funny. There are loads of things we can do. I could push Lindsay Lohan off a cliff and not give a damn." He retorted.
Adie snickered as she logged off her laptop.
"So, you didn't answer my question."
"What question?"
"Why are you here?"
"Oh, that." Rory hesitated. He inhaled the smoke of his cigarette and met Adie's eyes.
"Wendy is in trouble."
Adie flinched.
"What's wrong with her?" she questioned immediately.
"Can't say. But I can tell you that you have to get over to that Medical School of hers like now."
Adie asked no further questions and quickly got to her feet and grabbed her car keys. Rory just watched, lazily. She remembered that he was still there and turned to him.
"Thanks." She told him with a sincere smile.
Rory shrugged. "Eh it's my job, kiddo. By the way, your ice cream is ready." As soon as he vanished, the microwave dinged.
*** Adie parked the car rapidly and jumped out. Her eyes scanned the area for any sign of Wendy but found none. The campus was full of medical students who were ready to go home after a long day. Adie punched Wendy's number on her cell phone but automatically got her voicemail; her phone was turned off. Disgruntled, Adie tried to read minds around her. None of them proved useful until she tapped into one person's thoughts.
Why is that Wendy chick talking to herself? If this school is getting to her why doesn't she just drop out?
Adie had gotten better at locating people by reading their minds. She looked to her left and saw a group of kids near the front of the school. One girl was looking straight forward-at Wendy.
Wendy got in her car and began to drive away.
"Oh shit." Adie cursed.
She began racing down the street after her. "Wendy!" she yelled.
Wendy however didn't see her and her car continued down the street. It made a sharp turn and Adie struggled to keep up. Suddenly, the car began speeding up. She would've dismissed it as recklessness on Wendy's side but the car raced through a couple of red lights. That wasn't Wendy at all she would never drive like that. A truck rode down a distant hill at top speed, right towards Wendy's car!
"Wendy!" she shouted.
The car still didn't stop and it was inches away from the truck! Just as the car collided with the truck Adie flung her arm wildly and Wendy's car door flew open. Wendy tumbled out and felt the blow of the crash. She soared backwards in the air and landed on the cemented floor, roughly. Adie dashed to her and ordered a nearby bystander to call an ambulance. She moved Wendy's blood matted hair out of her face and winced when she saw the various burns and cuts on Wendy's face. Her face was a bloody mess.
*** "Didn't Ian tell you to be careful?" An amused and slurred voice told Wendy. Wendy opened her eyes painfully, and took a moment to figure out where the hell she was. She wasn't surprised to see that she was in a hospital. With all the times she had been there, she should have her own room by now. Then her attention shifted to the spirit of Zach Burman who was drinking from his signature flask. Wendy tried to hold her head up to answer him but it felt as heavy as a pile of rocks. It fell back down on the soft pillow behind her and she groaned.
"A lot of help he gave me. If he knew something was going to happen to me why didn't he help instead of just disappearing like you all do?" Z
ach stuffed the flask back in his jacket and coughed. "Wow that's strong! Just the way daddy likes it…Oh yeah, he didn't know something was going to happen to you. I mean he did but he didn't know it was going to happen to you right then and there. You get what I'm saying?"
Wendy held up an amused eyebrow. Good old Zach.
"How did he know then that something was going to happen to me?" she inquired.
"Oh we all knew that something was going to happen to you but like I said we didn't know that something was going to happen to you right then. Anyways, like Ian said we can't tell you much. You have to figure it out on your own." He responded.
Wendy rolled her eyes. "Until I figure out what? The fact that Death is after us again? Yeah I get that. What I don't get is why. I thought we had all beaten it and that it was going to leave us alone."
Zach took out his flask again and gulped down a mouthful. Then he smacked his lips and replied, "Well goodie for you, you got that part down. So now I guess I can tell you the rest. Death decided that you were right; the more people he went after the better you, the survivors, would get at beating the Design. So, instead of going after a whole new set of people and seeing you all save some of them, he decided to just get rid of you all. And this time the whole 'new life defeats Death' concept and breaking the chain and all that doesn't apply. There's no way to beat it."
There was a moment of terrifying silence.
"There's no hope for us then?" Wendy croaked.
Zach seemed to think this over. "There is I think. But I doubt you'll be able to do it. The only other way is to go one on one with Death himself. Beat him and you beat the Design. You even get him off your back, permanently." He explained simply.
Wendy began freaking out. "What the hell do you mean that I have to take him one on one? Are you telling him that I have to show up at his domain and what telepathically talk him to death? And how can you kill Death?"
Zach began to back away from the raving Wendy. "Whoa, take it easy there toots. I only deliver the bad news I can't help you with anything."
Wendy angrily pounded her bed with her fists. "Then what the hell can you guys do?"
Zach shrugged. "Watch over you guys and keep you updated I guess?"
Wendy started taking deep slow breaths and Zach closed his flask. "Well I gotta go. It was nice seeing you, I think. And uh by the way; your sister is hot."
He vanished just as Wendy threw her pillow at the wall behind him. The doctor walked in and eyed the pillow then her. Wendy crossed her arms across her chest. "Sorry I have anger issues."
*** The doctor allowed Adie inside Wendy's room along with Kevin who had arrived a while back. Kevin hurried to her side.
"Hey are you ok?" he asked kindly in his serious voice.
Wendy averted his eyes and let out a laugh full of mirth. "Physical wise? I'm fine just a few scrapes here and there and a headache. No biggie. But emotional wise? God I just feel so…Ian visited me today when I was leaving Med School."
Kevin tensed up. He had been there right before Ian had died and he knew of his intense hatred for her. "
Did he cause this?" Kevin questioned, resentment ringing in his voice.
Wendy shook her head. "No but he mentioned that I should be careful. And a few minutes later something took control of my car and here I am. Then Zach appeared and told me that Death is after us again and this time none of that other stuff like 'new life defeats Death' applies. Death wants to finish us for good this time. And the only way for us to beat him is to go up against it one on one."
Adie ran a hand through her hair and shuddered. "Not again."
"Wait, doesn't that mean that all of the survivors are in danger?" Kevin asked.
"That's what Zach said." Wendy answered.
"Then we have to go and warn Nicki and Freddy." Adie pointed out.
"Wait, if the old rules don't apply here anymore will Death come after us in the original order?" Kevin asked.
Wendy hadn't thought about this. "I don't think so. If Death was going to come after us in the original order then you would've been targeted first, not me." She said, referring to Kevin.
"Oh great so Death's decided to spice it up a bit is that it?" Kevin groaned. He seemed to realize something and looked at Wendy, worriedly. "But then we can't leave you her all alone. Death could come after you at any second."
Wendy waved a careless hand. "I'll be fine. Promise." She assured him.
Kevin kissed her on the forehead and along with Adie, reluctantly left the room.
"Oh and thanks for saving me." Wendy added to Adie.
Adie gave her a small smile and closed the door behind her.
*** As they headed for the exit door, Kevin and Adie were stopped by a tall doctor with silvery hair.
"Excuse me, you're Kevin Fisher am I right?" he made sure.
Kevin nodded.
The doctor extended his hand and Kevin shook it nervously. "I'm Dr. Springer and I'm on Mrs. Christensen's case. I assume you want to be informed on her condition."
"Of course."
"Well, Mrs. Christensen is stable enough and there are no external problems. But we examined her head and found that she had a concussion. Now it's nothing to worry about but there is a possibility that she has a blood clot in her head as well." Dr. Springer explained solemnly.
Kevin froze. A blood clot could kill a person… "Is she going to be all right?"
Dr. Springer seemed to struggle to find the right thing to say. "There's no guarantee that she'll be fine. We're going to do a few more tests to see if there really is a blood clot and we'll move on from there."
Kevin couldn't speak. He couldn't breathe.
Adie stepped in front of him and smiled at Dr. Springer. "Thank you. Please let us know if you find anything."
Dr. Springer agreed and left.
Kevin was still in shock as Adie pulled him away to his car.
Author's Note: So there you have it. Now you know why Death is after them and what they have to do. Wendy is fine-for now. Will Death finish her off? And what about Freddy and Nicki? Had Death already targeted them? You'll just have to wait for the next chapter to find out! Hope you all liked the chapter and thanks to all of you who requested a spirit to appear. If I didn't get to any requests in this chapter they will most definitely be in the next one. You can make a request more than once so go ahead if you want. Thanks for reading and let me know what you thought!
