Jinxed

T W E N T Y - N I N E

Chapter 29: The Tomb

KAI

I was in a tomb...

And not just any tomb...

A tomb that was occupied by a freshly dead corpse.

And the reason how I knew he was fresh was because of the bloating and his stench.

A stench so overwhelming that I couldn't contain the vomit that rose from mouth and splattered onto the poor bastard underneath me.

"I'm so sorry" I retched, heaving as the smell of both my vomit and his...gases jumbled together, and hit my nostrils in a way where if I didn't get out of here, I'd drown in vomit and stench.

"HELP!" I wiped my mouth with the back of my sleeve "SOMEBODY HELP ME!"

As hard as I could, I slammed my fists against the tomb's walls, trying to kick my feet out at the same time to break through the newly cemented tombstone.

"You're never going to get out of here" a voice whispered, freezing my movements and entire body "This is what your future will look like. This is who you'll become. This is what we all become after we took what didn't belong to us..."

I turned my head fractionally and screamed, scrambling away from the corpse that was currently grinning at me, the mouth that was sewn completely shut sliced open and adding to the stench.

"SHIT!" I kicked my legs harder "SHIT! SHIT! SHIT!"

The corpse just laughed, his bony fingers gripping my arms and restraining me to his decaying body.

I struggled harder, trying my damndest to escape his clutches.

With one forceful kick, the entrance of the tomb gave way, allowing me to finally make my escape.

The corpse just gripped me tighter.

"It's easier to accept your fate than fight" he hissed "Fighting kills you faster."

"Guess I'm already dead then" I knocked my head back into his, my stomach knotting up when there was a sickening crunch of bone shattering and a warm spray of what I assumed was rancid body fluids splashed across my neck.

I, of shall I say whose ever body I was currently in, scrambled out of the tomb as fast as our legs would carry us.

I was so fervent to get out of the tomb that I fell on my ass as soon as my lungs tasted the sweet, fresh oxygen.

I scrambled away from the tomb as fast as I could, in case that creepy corpse followed after me out.

Newsflash...he didn't.

When I stood up and peaked back in, his body was still, just laying there looking whole and undisturbed.

It was definitely haunting considering that not even a second ago, he was gripping me tightly as he spewed nonsense about my future.

Before I could blink, the vision faded to black.

And the weird thing was...another vision never took its place, so unlike the previous visions I've received before.

It was almost like I was...this person's mind was protecting them, or me, in a way where I wasn't forced to watch something gruesome or horrifying for once.

Before I could question things further, a warm hand gripped my shoulder and spun me around.

My eyes widened as I came eye to eye with a familiar face.

Kian Lucas, a boy whose face was plastered over all news outlets last year as he and a girl from his class, a Senators daughter, went missing during their senior trip.

"The portrait is the key" he mumbled, his eyes constantly darting back and forth as the shadows surrounded us "The portrait will get you home."

"How is this possible..." I whispered "How..."

His grip tightened.

"The portrait" he trembled "Touch the portrait before the last bell rings."

"They're coming for me" he cried "I wasn't meant to escape...I just...only wanted to help..."

He suddenly started swatting at his sides, screaming for some invisible force not to touch him.

"DON'T TOUCH ME!" He screamed, letting me go and slapping at his arms "LET ME GO!"

I took a step back as three ghosts appeared behind Kian, their eyes white and lifeless as they reached for him.

Louis, the man from the Roaring 20's and my first vision grabbed his right arm just as The Hippie from my second vision grabbed his left arm.

The woman that stood behind him, who I recognized as his missing classmate Every St.James, wrapped her hands around his neck.

His body slumped in defeat as he locked gazes with her lifeless stare.

"No..." he croaked, tears filling his eyes "Every..."

She just stared down at him, no recognition in her lifeless gaze.

Still clasped in their clutches, he rolled his eyes towards me.

"Get out before you end up like we did" he said, a single tear rolling down his face "Please...just set us free."

That was the last thing he said before him, and the three ghosts disappeared, leaving me to return to the present.