"You're Next!"

- Chapter 15 -

Gem saw the look of fear in Lizzie's face. They think I'm a monster, She thought sadly.

"Gem!" FWhip said happily. "You're okay!" He leaned in and gave Gem a warm embrace, which she accepted. FWhip pulled back suddenly, looking over his friend (sibling?) carefully. 

"Your eye!" He said, a look of surprise and guilt on his face. 

Gem noticed she had opened both eyes, and felt the injured one. An outline of dried blood had formed near the bottom of the scar she now had. Speaking of scars, Scar had his bow drawn, he looked ready to fire if Gem showed any signs of aggression. 

"Scar NO!" FWhip ran forward, slapping the bow and arrows out of Scar's hands.

"But- But she could-"

"SCAR I SAID NO."

Scar started grumbling angrily. "Fine," He groaned. "But if she goes crazy, you know what I'm doing."

Gem saw red magic seeping up through the floors. She instantly let her mind go black, blocking out anything red. Her body shook with the effort of stopping it. She couldn't explode. Not here. Not now. 

FWhip noticed the magic and started frantically trying to stomp it away.

Scar grabbed his bow.

Lizzie, who had set down the tray, looked prepared to grab the injured and hide.

Gem started to sweat. She couldn't hold it. She couldn't stop it. She looked at her shaking, pale hands. She felt her skin burn with effort.

"DO SOMETHING!" FWhip yelled.

Gem looked up and saw it, flying towards her chest. Time seemed to slow at what happened next. 

In panic, she had lost her control, and the thing took over. The arrow was a second ahead and had hit her already, driving the thing out of her, but also driving out most of the life. She heard FWhip scream her name, she saw blackness edging her vision. But it came back. The thing. That thing. It came as a large red hand through the floor. It scooped her, and, unfortunately, Scar, up and they disappeared.

BONUS STORY

Scar felt his fingers slip. He saw the arrow fly, hitting the possessed Gem in the chest. FWhip ran forwards. Scar saw too late a big, red hand come up out of the floor. It grabbed the unconscious possessed Gem, and Scar fell into it's grip.

How long had it been? A day? A month? A year? He couldn't tell. All he was aware of was pain. Stinging pain. He opened his eyes. He was on a white table, chained down to it. Beside him, on a similar white table, was an unconscious Gem. 

"Perfect, he's awake," Scar looked up to see someone in a black cloak sitting regally on a throne made of netherite and splattered with blood.

"Who are you?" He called, his voice sounding crackly and frail.

"Don't worry about that, my pawn. You will be a perfect edition to my... collection..." The cloaked figure snapped and Gem started rising from off the table. The chains unlocked and a possessed Gem was floating in front of Scar. Scar struggled to get loose from the chains.

A very sharp syringe suddenly appeared in the possessed Gem's hands.

"Any last words?" The cloaked figure laughed. At Scar's silence, it said "No? Alright then."

And with a snap, possessed Gem stabbed the needle into Scar's neck, pushing the glowing red stuff into his blood. 

A few moments passed.

Gem was crying internally. She knew what was going to happen, as it had happened to her.

And Scar sat up, with glowing red eyes.