A/N: Thanks to PrincezzShell101 for your review!
This chapter was difficult. Plain and simple. And that was due to being unable to decide who should die. I had four potential candidates, with one of them definitely surviving. So I had to choose between one of the other three and boy was it a hard decision to make. I mean, I compare this to Director's Cut and I realise just how much the character's have advanced since my early days. I had no qualms killing people then but now… man, it's just hard to kill off characters now. But I had to make the hard decision and ultimately I'm happy with it in story terms.
Chapter 80
Scream
"Don't cry, it'll be okay." Derrick brushed tears from her sister's cheek, keeping her close. "Okay, Gracie? You gotta be strong, okay?"
Sniffing, Grace nodded. "Y-Yes…"
"That's a good girl." Derrick smiled before looking up and over Grace's shoulder, towards the commotion going on in front of the building. A short time after Joshua and Lisa departed after Chloe and Jeremy, the first authorities started coming. Soon there were firemen and an ambulance along with police cars. Detrikov had gotten angry with some of the policemen and was handcuffed as a result, although Derrick hadn't heard the conversation being far away. "There's police here now. We're safe."
"But that man…" Grace turned her head to the gurney with Cray's body covered in a white sheet lying on it, but Derrick quickly turned Grace back towards him.
"Don't look, Gracie." Derrick said sternly. "He was a bad man. One of those terrorists."
"Even bad men shouldn't have to die." Grace chewed on her bottom lip lightly. "We are all human no matter our preferences. That's why we have… have prisons and things like that."
With a sigh, Derrick just shook his head. "No, Gracie, that's not true. Sometimes people should be punished like this."
"I don't agree with that." Grace shook her head. "You don't really believe that, do you Der?"
Der brushed a hand over Grace's hair. "Of course not. I'm sorry, I'm just stressed." He looked up and narrowed his eyes. Derrick stood up glaring at the approaching Richard. "Go away."
Richard just shook his head. "Look, David tells me that you think-"
"Go. Away." Derrick took a step forward, keeping Grace behind him. "I don't speak to people like you."
"Like me? You really don't understand, do you?" Richard asked but got no response other than a sharp glare. "What am I saying, of course you don't understand. Look-" Richard took a step forward causing Derrick to clench his fists tight. "Okay, okay, sorry." Richard stood back again and sighed. "You don't need to be so angry."
"Don't I? Terrorists live solely to end innocent lives."
"…Terrorists…?"
"Stop trying to kid around now. You're all caught and you'll all be arrested. I heard it all." Derrick crossed his arms glaring into Richard's eyes. "A list of people to kill, probably in one mass so-called 'accident'. A bomb placed somewhere, right? Well you've been caught red-handed. I'll bet that was a bomb that blew up by accident." Derrick pointed towards the hole in the building. "Just deal with the punishment you deserve."
"You… are truly misunderstanding this situa-"
"What am I misunderstanding?!" Derrick stood toe-to-toe with Richard, nostrils flaring. "People who kill other people deserve to be given the death penalty, and that's what you lot are going to receive."
"No one has killed anyone." Richard tried to no avail.
"Bullshit." Derrick spat. "You go on and on trying to lie. Don't you understand? It is over. You were caught and I sure as hell hope you all get the penalty. I caught it all on my phone. That conversation. Your list."
"It's a different list than you are thin-"
"I don't care what you think, I really don't. Not one bit. You spout lies, just like that other guy."
"He saved you lives." Richard's eyes opened wide. "Don't you understand that? If it wasn't for him, then you'd be smoking corpses."
"He hit my sister! What kind of 'good guy' does that, huh? Hitting a girl?" Derrick unfolded his arms and got closer to Richard. "Stop it. You need to realise that no matter what happens you guys are gonna get it. So why don't you start telling the truth?"
"The truth is that David hit your sister by accident, and that the list is –"
"This is an accident too." Derrick growled, suddenly throwing his fist out and connecting his fist on Richard's jaw, sending the man down to the floor.
"Der, don't, please."
Derrick looked back to Grace and saw that she was shaking. He moved back towards her. "I'm sorry, Gracie. I didn't mean to scare you."
"It's fine…" Grace managed a shaky smile. "You're stressed, right?"
Derrick nodded. "Yeah."
"Look, you are on a list to be killed by Death!" Richard exclaimed from his seated position on the floor, his lip bleeding. Derrick turned towards him, eye twitching. Richard stood up and massaged his jaw. "I'll be blunt to you, since that seems to be a language you understand. Death makes these… accidents, just like that was. But somebody has a vision and a list is thus created. All of the people you saw are on this list, a list of death. We will die in order in we don't do something about it, and if you don't co-operate, then you are endangering everyone else." Richard breathed slowly, trying to control his emotions. "This has happened… multiple times before."
"Is everything okay here?" A police officer walked up to Derrick, Grace and Richard, looking concerned.
"Ye-" Richard started but was interrupted by Derrick.
"No, Officer. I think this man may be a crazy son-of-a-bitch along with a terrorist." Derrick sneered. The police officer looked up at Derrick.
"Sir… that's a serious accusation…"
"I got evidence." Derrick pulled out his phone and gave it to the police officer. "All the evidence you'll need to lock 'em away. I heard it all. They are terrorists, planning some kind of damn list. Me and my sister heard the beginning by chance, and I decided to record what they were saying so that we could prevent it."
The police officer looked at the phone, concerned. "Stay here." He said sternly before heading off towards another, more high qualified, police officer.
"You're making things difficult…" Richard said quietly to Derrick.
"I'm doing the right thing. Stop trying to make excuses." Derrick glared at Richard one last time before pulling Grace closer and walking away towards a police car in an effort to be free of Richard. Richard watched them before sighing.
"No… you aren't…" Richard muttered, running a hand through his hair. "You really are not…"
"Chloe, please, talk to me." Jeremy looked towards Chloe, whose eyes were firmly on the road. She didn't reply causing Jeremy small irritation. "Please, Chloe, you need to explain what you're doing. To me. Please, Chloe?"
Chloe glanced quickly at Jeremy before nodding. "Okay. Okay, I'm just… I'm sorry. I'm going to my dad's business."
"Your dad's…" Jeremy stopped. "Why?"
"Look, Jeremy… I need to tell him." Chloe took a deep breath. "I need to tell him… that… that he's not going to be able to see his daughter again."
"What?" Jeremy turned in his seat. "What are you saying?"
"Don't kid around with me Jeremy!" Chloe snapped before taking a breath to go calm again. "You know as well as I do that… we aren't making it out of this one."
Jeremy blinked slowly. "…Of course we are, Chloe."
Chloe laughed without humor shaking her head. "No, Jeremy, not this time. I mean, we thought it was over! Then… then it just comes right on back. We can't beat this, Jeremy, we just can't!"
"Of course we can." Jeremy protested. "We have Joshua and Lisa and-"
"Not this time!" Chloe repeated, her fingers white on the steering wheel. "They have to watch out for themselves now, Jeremy, they are on the list too. They got to watch out for themselves. They won't have time to watch out for us."
"You're just… you're just scared, Chloe, you-"
"I'm not scared!" Chloe slammed on the brakes, skidding the car to a stop. She turned towards Jeremy, eyes wide with fury. "God damn it Jeremy! For once in your life you got to think for yourself and not just follow everyone else like some stupid blind sheep!" Jeremy drew back, shocked at Chloe's outburst. "We can't listen to Joshua, Lisa, Richard or anyone anymore, Jeremy, we can't! They promise and promise but they never deliver! Look at the dead, just look at them! Riley, Becca, Jay, Alexander, even Joshua's own brother! So many people have died while they give us empty promises! We got to think for ourselves now, and we got to look at reality. There is a reason why none of those five lists survived! Why there are no survivors! Death's wants us dead and that's that!" Chloe shook, before gritting her teeth and opening the door, stepping out into the road.
"Chloe!" Jeremy got out his side and approached Chloe. Chloe was walking down the road, hands running through her hair in desperation. Jeremy jogged after her. "Chloe, you can't just… you can't just accept death like that."
"I can and I will. We can't change it." Chloe crossed her own, tears running down her cheeks. "We try and we try but no matter what we do everyone just… just dies and no one can do a thing about it. Let's save Death the trouble."
"We survived before, Chloe! When you were hit by that fan blade. When I nearly drowned. We survived!"
"Pure luck and chance." Chloe sniffed.
"What about the baby?"
"What about it!?" Chloe yelled, her voice echoing around the silent road. "I'm not bringing a baby into this life, Jeremy, I can't! Because I'm on a list, the baby will be too!"
"You don't know that-"
"Oh come off it Jeremy, of course it's going to be. Death wants us dead, it's obvious. If he didn't then he would have stopped when Myers was killed but look at the situation! Another list! Death wants all of gone. He doesn't want survivors!"
"Chloe, stop it!" Jeremy said quietly. "Stop thinking so negatively…"
"It's not negativity, it's goddamn reality!"
"Stop it!" Jeremy yelled, the first time Chloe had ever heard him yell. Chloe froze as Jeremy's jaw quivered. "You told me to think for myself, so I will. I think that we can beat this. I think we will beat this. Because we have each other and the baby to live for. You think it chance that you survived with no repercussions from that blade? Some kind of… of miracle? I don't think it was. I think something allowed us to survive, because look at it Chloe, why would we survive when others didn't? By all rights you should have died and I should have drowned. I don't know why, I don't even care why, but we're special." Jeremy placed his hands on Chloe's shoulders. "Okay…?"
Chloe slowly nodded. "…Okay…"
"We are going to be fine." Jeremy said firmly, tucking Chloe's head into his chest. "We will find a way to beat this. Just see if we don't." Chloe pulled out of his chest and kissed him lightly on the lips.
"Thank you." Chloe said softly.
"Don't worry. We're all on edge." Jeremy stroked her cheek. "Let's go back and find the others, okay? They'll be worried about us." He looked into Chloe's eyes. "…Is that okay?"
"Yeah…" Chloe murmured. "That's fine."
Both were too concerned talking to each other that both missed the sound of a vehicle approaching.
A loud, sudden honking caused Chloe to look up and Jeremy to turn around just in time to see a flat-bed truck carrying some kind of fence-posts or scaffolding meters away from smashing into them.
Jeremy realized then and there, that there was no way they were going to move in time. He quickly tightened his arms around Chloe tight, his back to the truck. "…Love you…" He said into her ear. The truck descended upon them, ready to crush them.
Two minutes earlier
"Are we going to talk?" Joshua asked Lisa slowly as they drove down the road. "Because I'm telling you, I cannot handle this silence."
"I just… need time…" Lisa said, her voice a whisper.
"'Course. I understand." Joshua nodded, his eyes looking to his mother before turning back to the road. "Y'know, I wasn't completely alone when I grew up." Joshua said, causing Lisa to look up. "Other than Miles anyway. There was this woman called Phillipa. She was French who lived in America but spoke Chinese."
Joshua looked at Lisa and was pleased to see a look of confusion.
"Yeah. That's what I thought. She cared for Miles more than I could ever hope to. It's due to her than we're even alive, probably. We would have up and died in some kind of alley. I was far too stubborn for help." Joshua chuckled. "It's funny really. I didn't want her help but then she smiled and y'know what? I saw your smile in her. She cared for us from then on."
"This isn't helping…" Lisa crossed her arms and looked out the window.
"I'm not trying to make you feel bad." Joshua shrugged. "I'm just saying that even when you left us alone, it was still due to you that we survived. Your smile. The memories… Ah Christ, I'm not sure what I'm saying. Trying to make some excuse, whatever." Joshua shook his head. "I just go ahead and tell you simply. You made mistakes. But everyone does. My anger at you was stupid and immature. You were going through a hard time and I understand now. I realize that you weren't thinking straight."
"Mm…" Lisa just grunted.
"Fine! I forgive you! Christ!" Joshua grinned, turning towards his mother. "That's what you want to hear, well there you go. And it's the truth. Especially now that this list has come back for whatever reason, we need each other. I'm willing to throw everything out of the window in order to work together. To solve this. To survive."
"I… think I forgave you when Richard gave me something to think about." Lisa said slowly. "He shouted at me. Made me realize."
"Should I go ahead and hit him for shouting at you?" Joshua asked, his grin growing larger.
Looking at that grin, Lisa couldn't help but mirror it. "No, I don't think so. I can handle myself."
"You wanna handle him though..."
"Joshua!"
"What?" Joshua looked at Lisa innocently. "It's the truth. You and him wanna kiss and make babies, I get it."
"No, what… I…" Lisa blushed furiously.
"Or maybe Nick. I know you were teasing him before. Maybe it was more than teasing…"
"He's not worth it." Lisa said stubbornly.
"Oooh, ouch. He won't be happy to hear that."
"Well, he's not going to hear that, is he?"
"I dunno… I think I'm owed something to keep my silence."
"Is this blackmail?"
"Nope… Maybe… Yeah, sure it is. You've missed a lot of presents."
"And you are far too cheeky for your own good. I'd ground you if you weren't eighteen?"
"Ground me where? We ain't got a house as far as I know."
"…'we haven't' got a house."
"Hey, I didn't go to school much. I'm allowed to speak stupidly." Joshua breathed out. "It's nice…"
"What is?" Lisa asked.
"To… have fun like this. To laugh together, to make jokes. I just feel like this huge weight has been lifted."
"Yeah… me too…" Lisa nodded. "It's nice."
Turning back to the road, Joshua squinted. "…What the hell?"
"What?" Lisa leaned forward and saw the car on the side of the road before seeing Jeremy and Chloe in the middle of the road. "What the hell are they –"
"That's a truck!" Joshua exclaimed. "It's… it's not stopping… what the-"
"Joshua! If they are first then…"
Joshua pressed hard on the acceleration. "Way ahead of you. Hold on to your seat." Joshua grit his teeth and willed the car to go faster. He did not want any more blood. The truck was closing in fast, not stopping. Joshua tilted the wheel slightly and sped towards the truck, seeing it meters away from the two. "Come on!" Joshua yelled just as they zoomed past Chloe and Jeremy and smashed hard into the front of the truck. The sheer force of the car managed to ram the truck out-of-the-way of the couple. The truck and car spiraled together, before the truck hit a ditch and bounced, tilting sideways in the air. The car went underneath as the truck was in the air. The truck smashed down on the back of the car, sharp posts flying off of its back into the front of the car, piercing metal and glass.
The vehicles came to a rest in the ditch, the truck on its side, crushing the back of the car while the front of the car was pierced with the spikes.
Joshua coughed, feeling a pulsing pain in his forehead. Nevertheless less he was sitting relatively normally, a metal spiked rod just missing his left ear. Joshua let out a breath and glanced in the rear-view mirror, seeing the back of the car completely crushed. He looked down and noticed no other injuries.
"Oh man… that was a close one…" Joshua grinned as he turned to Lisa where the grin slid off his face. Lisa was sitting straight-backed in the chair, hands scrabbling weakly at a the spiked rod going right through her chest. "No…" Joshua gulped, moving his hands over the rod hesitantly. "No… mother…" Lisa's hands found Joshua's and she clasped them tightly.
"J-Joshua…" Lisa looked to her son, blood leaking out of her mouth.
"No… no, they were meant to be first… they were…" Joshua shook his head. "I saved them so… so…"
"…s-so the list skipped to the next…" Lisa said in a pained voice. "…I was… I was next…"
"You are not… you're… we'll get… this…." Joshua hands shook in Lisa's.
Lisa just smiled, looking up at Joshua with wet eyes. "Y-You've got a strong… will… Joshua… It's kept you strong thr-throughout your life… Keep going… save the others… beat this!" Lisa gave a rattling, bloody cough. "…I know you… are capable of it… just like your father…"
Joshua tightened his hands. "Mother… please…"
"…I wish I was there… for you… when you… needed me…" Lisa moved one hand onto Joshua's cheek, tracking blood over his pale skin. "…B-Both times… You were… my son and I-I abandoned you…"
"…Please, Mother… please…"
Lisa shook her head. "Be strong… my little one… I-I know… you… you can… you can do it…" Lisa took another deep breath. "…Isaac... Miles…" A smile was the final expression on Lisa's face as her eyes dulled and her hand dropped from Joshua's cheek.
"No… no, no… no…." Joshua put a shaky hand on Lisa's neck. "No… no, no, no… No! Don't do this to me… don't go… don't… don't do this to… don't… please, you can't… y-you can't leave me again… you can't…" Pulling his hand away from Lisa's neck, Joshua let out a scream which echoed loud and clear, sending waves of misery out into the sky.