Disclaimer: Still don't own it
Here is the last chapter and the epilogue will come next week. I want to thank all the people who enjoyed this fic and stuck with it until the end. I am writing a new story which will be a Spoby and Mike/Mona mystery fic taking place ten years after the series.
I chased after Alison into the darkness.
She was actually easy to follow since the police lights had illuminated the entire area and I did my best to keep up with her.
I had no clue where she was going and only surmised that she was trying to escape; though I could not see how. Alison was obviously now exposed as the perpetrator and with Courtney being dead, the only one who can still take the blame for everything. She was also now without allies and was now completely alone; which was rather sad now that I thought about it. My guess was that she ran out of instinct which was normal for the blonde since that was a common trait with her.
I had no idea why I was chasing after her since it wasn't like I could tell anyone where she was hiding. Actually, I could but that would only lead to more questions for my friends and I imagine that they had more than enough to answer from Tanner already. I had no clue how the woman was convinced to come to the Lair, but given Courtney's pot shots at the cops, I would say that there was little doubt now. It was probably for the best though that me being a ghost be left out since that would complicate things.
The way that Alison was moving through the trees, it was obvious to me that she was in pure panic mode and just running for the Hell of it. I liked to think that there was some part of her brain that was telling her to just give up; maybe even telling her that it was better to just give up. She was going to jail; no one in existence could deny that given the sheer number of people against her. Not even her father's money could keep her out of there though it would be hilarious if she somehow wormed her way into Radley by pleading insanity.
Which I suppose works given that she has always been evil enough to be insane in my opinion.
Whether it was out of pure fate or even some sort of divine cliché, we ended up in Radley's graveyard on the far side of the grounds. The sanitarium sported its own cemetery for the inmates who were without families to that they could have some sort of burial. There were rows of cement headstones laid out in a pattern on a well-kept grassy plain; even the headstones looked to be attended. It was customary for the staff to lay out flowers in order to make sure that the deceased were never forgotten.
In another form of cliché, there was a slight fog drifting in and was covering the ground which we were running across. While I didn't have a problem with the obstacles on the ground, Alison wasn't so lucky and tripped over one of the cement tombstones in the ground. She fell full forward but fortunately onto the grass. I could hear the groan from her lips as she struggled to get up and compose herself. I stopped several feet away and watched as she just looked around; making me conclude that she was lost. Her eyes suddenly bulged when she looked in my direction; which told me that she can finally see me.
I suppose it shouldn't have been a surprise that Alison could finally see me; given that out of the people that had the most impact on my life, it was her. I owe most of what I was to Alison DiLaurentis in one form of another and that made me feel regret since I now know it didn't have to be. Maybe things were coming full circle and this was my moment to end things between us once and for all. I had no plans to kill Alison, since that would surely damn myself to where Courtney ended up, but it was time to clear the air between us.
"So you really are a ghost," Alison said, more as a statement than a question. I made no move as she slowly approached and put her hand through me. There was no jerk of the hand like the others but then again, Alison had ice in her veins already.
"Did you really think I could rest easily after what you did to me?" I asked her with my voice neutral. Strangely, I had no resentment towards her like I did earlier and I was puzzled by that since I really should have.
"You should have just stayed gone; this is all your fault!" she practically screamed at me and tried to strike me, only for her hand to go right through me.
"No Alison; this is all your fault. All of this is because of your own choices; it's time to take responsibility for what you have done," I calmly said to her. The peace I was feeling was really a surprise given the hatred I had always had towards her.
"You did this to me; forced me to become A and lose my friends. If you had just known your place, then none of this would ever have happened" Alison stated angrily with some tears in her eyes but I just shook my head.
"I only became A because you tormented me my entire life. You made my life Hell and made me so sick that I never had a chance to recover. However, I never caused you to blind Jenna, bully others, lord over the girls like a queen, push a girl down the stairs, and murder Cece. You did these things all on your own Alison and it's time to pay the price," I said to her and she looked fearful suddenly, taking a step back.
"Are you going to kill me?" Alison inquired with a voice indicating that she was more than afraid.
"No; I am, not going to murder you like you had Courtney do to me. But you are not going to escape. You are going to face the consequences of your actions," I answered her as I took a step towards her though not to attack.
"What are you going to do; you are just a ghost and like you said, you won't kill me," Alison said and she seemed to have a renewed confidence that I found amazing.
"I suppose I really can't do anything physically to block your escape. However, I can just follow you wherever you go and tell the others where you hide. Eventually you will be caught Alison and you will go to jail," I told her and indicated it as more as a fact than being smug.
"They won't send me to jail; I can still get out of this because my family is rich and powerful," Alison simply stated with a smugness that simply amazed me more than angered me. She was becoming delusional and I knew I had to shake that out of her.
"You have nothing left Alison; from the girls to your own brother, there is no one else on your side. It's time for you to understand that it is over and give up," I said, trying to press the point.
What Alison didn't understand was that by having this conversation with her, I was simply delaying her from escaping because Tanner as well as the cops had to be looking for her right now. Both Mike and Hanna had watched her leave with me following, having to tell the cops in which direction Alison was heading. Hopefully, the blonde wouldn't realize that until it was too late though I could just simply follow her wherever she went like I had said earlier. One way or another, this ends tonight and I will not move on until Alison is where she deserves to be.
"So I am just to spend the rest of my life in jail? Forced to share a cement cell with some tattooed roommate while everyone else is happy living their life? I don't think so," the blonde snarled and she took another step back.
"And you won't be in a similar situation on the run? Even in jail, you would still be alive and at least have a chance at redeeming yourself. There is still a chance for you Alison and you shouldn't blow it," I told her and I didn't understand why I was trying to save her despite all the bad things she has done.
Then again, I didn't have to save Alison the night that Bethany had thrown the rock that had struck her and which forced her own mother to bury her. When I encountered her on the road, all dirty and traumatized, I could have killed right then and there by simply hitting her with my car. I could have also taken a pillow and smothered her when she was asleep back during our time at the Lost Woods Resort. There were so many times I could have ended my troubles and simply killed Alison; dumping her body somewhere she would never have been found.
But I hadn't; because I am not a murderer.
Alison was about to say something when we both heard someone approaching. We both turned to see Hanna and Mike as well as the others; gathered as a pack and entering the cemetery. In fact, they were all here; from the girls and their mates, Jason, and Lucas well. Toby was in full uniform and he had his weapon drawn. Behind him, I spotted Jenna as well as Sydney and I was surprised that they were here. Almost everyone who was connected to this was here; making me feel that is was close to the end.
"Alison; on your knees and hands on your head," Toby ordered as she approached. Even though he had his gun out and pointed downwards, I didn't believe he would use it even if she turned violent; especially since the blonde was unarmed as well as outnumbered.
Suddenly Tanner arrived and pointed her gun at Alison, taking the lead. Both she and Toby were side by side while the other were hanging back. Since the older woman was only focused on Alison, it was apparent that she couldn't see me which was so much the better. The last thing I wanted was for her to get spooked and bullets starting to fly. Then again, Tanner was a professional and not a Rosewood cop so things might have been fine. I watched as the woman make the same command as Toby did.
"You did this; you led them here," Alison accused me as she turned and glared at me. I didn't respond since there was no point in lying to her now.
"If you are going for an insanity defense, I wouldn't bother," Tanner said and I could see the smirks on the faces of several of the assembled.
"I am not going to jail; screw you all!" Alison yelled and she turned to run away, betting that Toby and Tanner wouldn't shoot her in the back.
"Alison! Look Out!" I yelled as she started to run but didn't see the small tombstone in front of her.
She tripped and I lunged to try and grab her as she fell, forgetting that I couldn't physically interact with her. When I reached for her hair since it was the closest thing to me, my hand simply went through it and I was unable to stop her fall. Her head hit the front of another taller tombstone that looked to be made of solid granite. Her head came straight back on impact and the sound of her neck snapping could be heard by everyone in the cemetery. She then crumpled like a broken doll and lay still on the cold ground.
I just stood there frozen while Toby and Tanner rushed to Alison's broken form. Toby got on his knees and checked her pulse, then looking at Tanner and shook his head. The older woman just sighed and went to call it in, going right through me since I didn't move. I seemed to have shorted out her radio so she had to leave the area after involuntarily shivering after having gone through me. It was now just everyone and Alison's corpse until she was suddenly a few feet away with everyone staring in shock.
At first, no one could say anything as well as just stared at her while she just looked back; seemingly confused. She looked at me for a minute before turning to see her corpse on the ground. Her confusion turned to horror as it became apparent to her that she was now dead. Alison then screeched and looked like she was going to attack me while the others, who could see her quite well including Jenna, didn't know what to do. She took a step towards me when I felt a familiar heat coming from all around us.
The Earth seemed to crack below us and a metal chain came from below; wrapping around Alison's right leg. The chain was red hot and glowing, which caused the blonde to scream out in pain. A second chain arose and wrapped itself around the other legs, holding Alison in place and causing her to scream even more. Even though I was tempted to help her, all I could do was to step back since I had a feeling that there was nothing I could truly do. Two more hot metal chains came from the earth below us and grabbed each of the blonde's arms; enfolding completely around the appendages. The glow from the crack in the ground was terrifying and I did my best to move away from it.
"Help Me!" screamed Alison as loud as she possibly could and the pain as well as terror in her voice was all too real.
She seemed to be looking directly at Emily who was being held by Paige with both their mouths open in shock. I don't even think Emily was grasping that Alison was calling out to her and maybe the blonde, at one time, had truly cared for her; though it could be that Alison was just grasping at straws at someone who could help her. Jason tried to reach out and help his sister, only for Spencer to hold him back; knowing that there was nothing he could do. All anyone could do was watch as Alison DiLaurentis faced her final judgment.
The chains that enveloped her were burning at the blonde's flesh and she was crying out in agony. Once again, I was tempted to try and help her, taking a step forward but only to be blocked by some sort of invisible force. Suddenly, Alison was pulled into the Earth rather forcibly and flames erupted from the hole she had been dragged down into. I could feel the heat full well and had to take another step back. Then the cracks in the ground vanished and there was a silence that remained. I don't think anyone was breathing and even I was holding some sort of breath; I think.
"Well that was entertaining," said a voice to my right and I jerked my head to see the Reaper just standing there with his hands in his pocket. Everyone else was also alarmed by his sudden appearance; especially since he no longer had his glasses on and his pure dark eyes were rather intimidating.
"Who are you?" Toby asked and pointed his weapon at the Reaper out of instinct before I could warn the cop.
"Something that can snap your little neck with a flick of my hand so relax pretty eyes," The Reaper said as he just smiled like a predator. I was curious if he could deliver on that threat but it was enough to intimidate Toby into lowering his weapon. Fearful, I stepped in between them and attempted to explain the situation if he didn't already know.
"I tried to help her; this wasn't my fault," I pleaded with him since I felt that Alison's and Courtney's death were my doing. Granted that it was through their own actions that they were now dead, but I was the catalyst.
"I know and you did nothing wrong Mona; your words to Alison were heard by me and Heaven so we know you did your best to try to save her. It was appreciated though all together pointless since Alison DiLaurentis was always fated to die and end up where is she has gone," he told me gently and placed a hand on my shoulder.
"So what now?" I asked as I looked at everyone. I had a feeling that I already knew the answer but think I needed him to say it.
"Now it's time to go home; but you already knew, that didn't you?" he asked and I nodded, feeling the pull to move on. I looked over at everyone and gave a small smile as some of them realized that I was leaving.
"Can I say goodbye?" I inquired of him since I knew that I just couldn't leave like this and had to say at least something to everyone; especially Mike and Hanna.
"Just hurry up; I have work to do," he simply impatiently and waved for me to get at it before he changed his mind. I nodded and walked over to where Hanna, Mike, and Caleb were standing.
"Thank you," I said to them with sincerity but Hanna just shook her head.
"It's we who should be thanking you; I'm going to miss you," Hanna said as tears started dropping from her eyes. If I could cry, I would be mimicking her since I was also sad that I was leaving her after finally having her back again.
"I am too; take care of her Caleb. If you don't, I'll come back and haunt your ass," I said to him in all seriousness.
"I am not going anywhere; thanks Mona and be at peace because you deserve it. If you see someone named Miranda Collins up there, tell her Caleb says hi and that you are alright," he said and I nodded, still annoyed that I never got the whole story about her. I would have to look her up in Heaven and find out what really happened in Ravenswood.
Mike was crying when I finally turned to him, reaching out to try and touch me. His hand passed right through me and he didn't even flinch from the cold. Aria let Ezra's side and tried to go to her brother but I just waved her off; which she nodded and returned to Ezra's embrace. I was touched that she had tears in her eyes as well as a few of the others; including Lucas and Jason. I suppose that I finally achieved what I had always wanted which was acceptance and friendship; though it was only at the end of my life.
"I don't want you to leave," Mike said and I placed my hand on his cheek, feeling warmth though I still couldn't physically touch him.
"I have to; but I need you to do something for me," I said to him and he nodded, giving me his full attention while wiping his face of his tears.
"What is it?" he asked me, putting his hand on mine and I could swear that that I felt something though I wasn't completely sure.
"I need you to live; live a long healthy life and be something. Don't dwell in the darkness and isolate yourself. You have a family and friends that care about you. Please live, for me," I practically commanded him and he nodded.
"I love you," Mike said and I smiled at him while my heart slightly broke at finally hearing someone that I considered a soul mate say that to me.
"I love you too; and I'll wait for you but just make sure it's a while," I said and I leaned in to give him a kiss on the lips before stepping back. I gave one last look of appreciation to everyone before rejoining the Reaper who was only a few feet away.
Before I could ask what I now had to do, he reached out with both hands and clasped mine gently. I felt the air around me flow and there was a sudden light that illuminated everything around us. The others stepped back and I felt myself get lighter, starting to rise in the air. The Reaper was still firmly on the ground but he lifted me up and I arose into the sky. I took one last look at the others and they waved goodbye as I left the Earth for the sky.
Then I felt only peace and life.
Please Read and Review; also a shout out to Paradiccted for the pre-read.