"Oh no. No way." Evan cries out. "Tell me you're joking."

He turns to Andy. She doesn't respond. In fact she avoids his gaze entirely.

"Take a look. It's in the trunk." Conan says with the same smirk, as if goading Evan to check that he's telling the truth.

Once again, the only thing Evan wants to do is deck Conan right in his handsome face, square in that broad jaw. Unfortunately, his taunting works and Evan finds himself popping open the lid of Andy's car. Sure enough, he's looking at containers of Monster Blood, a whole crate of the stuff. But this Monster Blood is not as Evan is used to it. Instead of blues cans, this Monster Blood is stored in tiny plastic eggs, the same kind you'd see used for Silly Putty, only green, much like the slime itself, and the familiar dripping red text slapped on. It looks even more like a toy now. You'd never know how dangerous it is just looking at, but Evan sure does. God, does he know. He can hardly contain his anger.

"Jesus, Andy. You never learn, do you?" Evan snaps.

He wants to say he can't believe it, but he totally can. No matter how disastrous the consequences, Andy always found an excuse to use the Monster Blood. It's like an addiction. She doesn't fear it like he does. She's a thrill seeker. Not afraid of much and always searching for something that will scare her. Maybe it would be better if she was afraid, then she wouldn't go looking for trouble. In that regard, Evan supposes Andy isn't all that different from the Monster Blood because at the end of the day, she does what she wants to do, uncontrollable just like the growing slime. Evan isn't sure what this says about him, given how much he hates Monster Blood and likes Andy. Maybe it's better not to think about it. At least Andy's brand of chaos is kinda fun, though right now it's just plain irritating.

"Look, before you blow up- this Monster Blood is new. It's a trial version. It lasts only 12 hours. It wasn't easy to get. Had to search the dark web since the stuff is TECHNICALLY illegal now-" Andy starts explaining.

"I don't care how you got it or how long it lasts. You told me you were done with this." Evan says.

"Oh come on, Evan. Tell me it wouldn't be funny to see some rich asshole's house get destroyed by Monster Blood." Andy replies defensively.

"Funny?" Evan asks. "It could KILL them. You don't even know the Darks!"

"Neither do you! Listen to yourself. Lucy Dark just has you wrapped around her finger. Or should I say claw? And that's how she'll get you." Andy shoots back, before smirking at her own suggestion.

"Nice one!" Conan says.

The look on his face is a mix of amusement and something that just Oh Jesus, are these two fighting AGAIN? She thanks him anyway.

"You stay out of this!" Evan tells him. "We don't even know they're monsters."

"Really? You seemed so certain earlier." Andy looks at him accusingly. She's not wrong.

"Well we can't be certain yet. Look, I don't need your help getting into the Dead House. I'm perfectly fine on my own. When I do, I'll let you know. We need to take things slowly." Evan says.

"Slowly? It might be too late if we do that! Things could get really bad really quickly." Andy says.

"She's got a point, Ev." Conan says.

He doesn't follow up on that sentence. Anything Conan says in a conversation never helps much with anything. Not to mention he always sides with Andy, not Evan. He is right though. Maybe slow isn't the best way to do things.

Evan groans. "Fine. Just let me do this on my own, okay? Too many people will just make things all screw-y. You both can wait here. I'm sure my parents will be home soon."

"Ooh, that's exciting. Your folks love me! I'm sure they'll cook us a nice meal, right, Conan?" Andy says, turning herself in his direction.

Conan chuckles. "I sure hope so. I'm thirsty as fuck."

In reality, it was a lie. Neither of his parents care for Andy very much. They think she's a bad influence. You can imagine their disapproval when they tried dating. Now there was something almost as scary as Monster Blood. They practically danced for joy when Evan told them things hadn't worked out.

"And what about you? What happens if Lucy tries to eat you?" Andy asks.

Evan hadn't considered the possibility. "I dunno- I'll text you or something."

"Smooth plan." Conan chimes in.

Very helpful.

"It's not going to happen." Evan assures them, but neither Andy nor Conan look very convinced.

"Take some Monster Blood. Just in case." Andy tells him.

Evan's temper flares again. "I am NOT using Monster Blood!"

"Then it might be your funeral. You'll be buried right in the Dark Falls cemetery. But hey, Lucy will visit you then, won't she?" Andy says.

Evan doesn't appreciate the comment.

"Just take an egg, dude." Conan says.

"It lasts 12 hours-" Andy starts speaking.

"Yep. Just like Viagra." Conan interrupts, laughing at his own stupid dirty joke afterward.

"I'm not sure what you've been taking, Conan, but yeah. The Monster Blood will do its thing then return to normal. You don't even have to use it- just in case."

Evan wants to scream. "Fine, but I'm not using it. I don't care what happens. I'll find another way."

Once again, Andy has convinced him of doing something he doesn't want to do. With reluctance, he picks up one of the plastic eggs of Monster Blood. It's surprisingly warm. He can't tell if he's imagining the sensation of something moving beneath it or not. It's like a tiny beating heart is inside the egg. It makes him only slightly nauseous, but Evan places the thing in his pocket, praying it won't burst open. Then all hell will really break loose.

"It's getting to be time. I should head to the cemetery" Evan tells them.

"Good luck. Don't die, please." Andy tells him.

"What she said." Conan says.

Evan assures them he won't, before he starts walking away from the house. The gray sky is even darker now, like a storm is about to roll in at any time. He really can't believe he's doing this. He'd much rather be hanging out with Andy, but not here, but back in Atlanta, where none of this was happening. The street corner is lined with shops, many of which look abandoned, though he thinks he sees shadows moving in the windows. Only a few people are out now. Evan tries to scan their faces for signs they might actually be undead, but isn't quite sure what to look for. Would their skin be rotting? Red eyes? Visible fangs? Evan thinks of all the telltale signs, but that's just horror movie stuff. He's so deep in thought, Evan bumps into a much taller man. He's practically a shadow, dressed in all black, with a dark bowler on the top of his head.

I'm sorry, sir-" Evan starts to speak, but he's taken aback by the cold lifeless stare of the person in front of him.

It's hard to tell for certain if the man really is as old as he looks, but the stranger looks ancient, his hair and beard a deep gray that carries into his face, making his whole skin look as pale as a corpse. Stop staring, Evan tells himself, but he can't stop, a combo of confusion and fear. Evan slowly backs up, but the man's arm raises stiffly, reaching for him.

"Excuse me, sir-" Evan says, but the old man just grunts in response.

It's a deep noise that instantly freezes Evan. It hardly even sounds human. Evan is so caught up he doesn't even realize the strangers on the street who hadn't even been paying attention to him earlier are now surrounding him. This can't be happening, Evan tells himself. This is all a bad dream, or just paranoia on his part. These are just people, not zombies. But then why were the stares so hungry? Like sharks approaching a wounded fish. Why did they look so lifeless? Was Dark Falls that boring that it had sucked the life completely out of them? Well if the stories are true, then maybe that's exactly what happened. A horrible accident. Not that that helps him. He doesn't want to become a meal.

"I'm just trying to get to the cemetery! Please, let me out!" Evan pleads in pure terror. A wave of claustrophobia comes in as he feels the crowd of strangers come closer. Or maybe he's just imagining that part too.

At this, one of them laughs, a bald man with one lazy bloodshot eye. It's a laugh that sounds as if his throat is full of phlegm. Or blood. "The cemetery? I just came from there too!" he says.

The man starts laughing again, tossing his head back as he does and Evan swears he can see a freshly open wound carved across his neck. Evan knows he has to get out of here and does the only thing he can in that moment, he tackles the weird giggler, knocking them both to the ground. It's a decision made so fast that Evan instantly regrets it, now finding himself face to face with the guy. He can see all the deep wrinkles in his face and a subtle yellow is visible in his pale gray flesh that he hadn't noticed before. Evan expects the man to be shocked, but he only laughs, displaying a set of black and rotting teeth, a similar shade as his tongue. Out of his mouth pours a sour smell that hits Evan with blunt force. It's the smell of death. Evan doesn't even question it. He just knows. He pulls himself up and runs. Just runs. Runs like hell down Dark Fall's winding sidewalk, covered in cracks and uneven spots of concrete that Evan just has to wish he doesn't trip on. But he fails, stumbling right over a pebble that ends with him falling hard on his elbows and knees.

Evan utters an "ouch" before looking up. He almost laughs in pure shock. He's made it to the Dark Falls cemetery. The gate is wide open, broken by who-knows-what and the sign at the top is missing a letter, spelling out ARK FALLS CEMETERY. It's larger than he expects. He questions how many are buried here. The trees surrounding the graveyard are completely dead, not even a single leaf. The way their limbs twist into the air reminds him of the bony limbs of those strangers reaching out for him. It gives Evan chills. Already it felt like a nightmare he'd woken up out of, but he knows it really happened. He can't help it, he looks back, in fear they've come back after. But no, there's no one in sight, just the spirits that no doubt haunt this place.

"You make quite the entrance." A voice says. It's so sudden it makes Evan jump, but he recognizes it nonetheless.

Evan sees Lucy Dark stand up from behind a tombstone. She really is short. The cemetery gates tower over her. She's abandoned her dress from class, now sporting a black wool sweater with the words "FINAL GIRL" written in red letters and a plaid dark blue skirt. In her dark hair is a bow of the same color with a miniature plastic skull attached. The skull itself has a pair of horns. It's an odd fashion choice. Evan kinda likes it, but at the same time it makes him uneasy given all the rumors. She really does look ghostly, especially under the gray sky, Evan thinks to himself, before re-assuring himself. Whatever those undead creatures are, Lucy isn't one of them. She can't be.

"What were you hiding there?" Evan asks.

"I guess was hoping to scare you. I felt bad when I saw you trip." Lucy tells him.

"Oh." is all Evan responds. "I'm alright."

"You looked in a hurry."

"Oh, well, I ran into-" Evan thinks of telling her about those zombies, if that's the proper word, but he decides that's not information he should disclose right now, especially if Lucy is somehow in cahoots with the creatures. "I was just eager to get here." Evan says quickly.

It's obvious Lucy doesn't believe him, but she doesn't press the issue.

"Well come on, follow me." Lucy instructs.

Evan walks through the gates, feeling like he's heading right into hell as he does so.

"Oh, I wouldn't stand there if I were you." Lucy says,

Evan's not sure why, but he panics. "What? Why?" he asks.

"Evan.. haven't you ever heard of the Dark Falls toe-biter?" She inquires.

"The Dark falls toe what?"

"The Dark Falls toe-biter. It's a monster that hides in the grass and eats the feet right off any unlucky soul who steps on it."

Evan almost laughs at Lucy's ridiculous story, but then she starts to scream, and any amusement flees his body.

"Oh my god, Evan! It's too late! The monster's got you!"