I leapt to my feet, heart racing in my chest as I quickly searched the darkness for the book.
I knew this was it; the end. I would either succeed, and rid the house of this primeval force that held the many spirits here. Or I would fail and be trapped here alongside them.
Finally my hands swept over the book and I clutched it to my chest just as something-- a force or a spirit, I don't know what-- knocked into my side so hard I shoved back onto the floor. I curved into myself as a reflex as it felt like I was getting kicked in the side.
"Tate!" I cried out, knowing that no matter what, he'd be close by. He'd be listening, watching. "Tate you know I need to do this! Help me save you!" There was a commotion, and I thought perhaps he'd come to my aide, but instead it was Violet.
"We'll help you, Fox. You're not alone." She promised as she and her family stood around me.
By now my eyes had adjusted to the darkness. I slowly stood up off the floor. Blood was dripping out of my mouth and I wiped it away. "Tate's not coming to help, is he?" I asked.
Violet shook her head slowly, an apologetic look on her face. "Tell us how to help." Violet said.
Taking a deep breath, I looked her in the eyes and said, "get me down to the basement. I need to meet this head on."
We made our way slowly towards the basement door. I cringed every few minutes as something new went flying by my head, shattering against the wall, or another spirit lunged us, attempting to take me out. But the Harmon family was ready to put an end to this house. They kept me safe at all costs.
As we reached the stairs, I pulled the door open just as screams came from behind me. The Harmons, one by one, were ripped away from me and thrown into fights of their own against other spirits. Spirits that weren't ready to give up the house.
I was ready to sprint down the stairs but stopped as I heard Tate calling me from behind.
"Fox." His voice was a whisper in my ear. The noise from the rest of the house faded away. "Fox, I can see it in you." He whispered softly. "You'd get so much satisfaction from it, from staying with me. You've killed before, Fox, you belong here. Give up, do it for me." I could feel his hands on my shoulders, steady and gentle.
"No." My voice was strong. "I'm saving you."
The hands on my shoulders suddenly gripped me tightly. "Fucking bitch!" He hissed, shoving me roughly down the basement steps.
I rolled down them, hitting every step hard and painfully before landing at the bottom, my head hitting concrete so hard that I almost blacked out.
In the fall down the steps, I'd lost the book. I didn't get a chance to even worry about that or process the fact that Tate had just shoved me down the stairs, as I was picked up and flung into the wall like a rag doll.
Darkness inched at the corners of my vision and there was a strong metallic taste in my mouth. I pushed up onto my knees and spit out a mouthful of blood. I reached up and touched my head, my fingers coming back wet and warm.
My head was bleeding, my torso hurt so bad I was sure I had broken several ribs, I was spitting up blood to a very concerning degree. But I wasn't beaten yet.
I used the wall to help me stand.
"Fight me on your own, coward." My voice was shaky as I called the Evil out.
I saw it then. Once again using Tate as it's vessel.
"You think you can honestly win against me?" It spoke with Tate's voice, sounding bored. As if I were a mere child's game that it had been forced to play. "There is no outcome where you walk away from this. This is my home. And I will not lose." The voice turned into a growl.
I wiped blood off of my mouth and took a step towards it, towards Tate, just as it came at me at a supernatural speed.
Tate's hands were around my neck once again, cutting off my airway and slamming my head against the wall.
Finally I did black out. From the pain. From the force of my head being shoved against the wall. From exhaustion.
I was unsure of how long passed before I woke up again. The pain in my body let me know I was still alive. The cold, hard floor let me know I was still in the basement.
I rolled onto my side and curled into a ball.
I wasn't going to make it out of this alive. Or probably at all.
I heard footsteps edging towards me and turned to look up.
The basement lights were now on and Tate looked down at me with a look disappointed look on his face. "Oh, shame. You're giving up hope already. I thought you'd be more fun."
He yanked me up by my hair, forcing me to stand. I looked into his eyes, into the Evil. He raised his hand and I saw the kitchen knife in his grasp.
This was it.
I closed my eyes, not wanting to watch.
---
3rd Person
---
Tate, being used as a vessel for some great and primeval darkness, clutched the knife in his right hand tightly. He held Fox by her neck with his left hand, pressing her against the wall.
She clenched her eyes closed with fear and he grinned at her. Just as he slid the blade against her neck, her hand came up and in one very quick motion, she traced a symbol on his cheek in her own blood as he sliced her neck open.
Both the knife and Fox hit the ground as it was forced from Tate's body.
She had sacrificed herself in order to use a spell that would force it out of Tate and keep it from using any other soul as it's vessel.
Anger surged through the Evil just as Fox's spirit rose up. "I'm taking you with me out of this life." She growled before lunging at the darkness.
The two fought until she whispered a set of ancient words from a language that was long dead and forgotten.
Her body began to glow, much like Sunny's had when Sunny sacrificed herself to save Fox.
The light washed over the house, destroying the darkness and setting the trapped souls free.
One by one they disappeared from the light until it was just Tate left.
---
Fox
---
I felt warm.
Nothing hurt anymore.
I had done it.
The house was still bathed in light, but it was slowly receding.
Tate, the real Tate-- the boy from long before the darkness had seeped into his soul and corrupted him-- slowly made his way towards me.
"Fox. You did it. We're free." He had a lovely smile. "Let's go together." He held out his hand to me.
"I'm sorry. Tate, I sacrificed everything to save you." As the light was fading, so was I. "I don't get an ever after. This is my end."
Tate seemed reluctant to believe me. But I saw him nod. "Thank you." He vanished, his soul going to wherever it was that souls were supposed to go to after death.
And the light faded. Taking my very existence with it.
I won.
I saved them.
---
"But you didn't." My eyes opened and I was once again laying on the cold, concrete floor of the basement. "And now you'll get to live forever, knowing exactly what it would have felt like to succeed."
I looked up into Tate's eyes and then slowly turned my head to look at my body.
---
I may be stuck in this house.
But I won't let the next occupant fail to do what I couldn't.
