Bookview Valley 2

Chapter Twenty-Seven: One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

Sunday, February 3rd...1:00AM

A hand rests on my shoulder as I continue to look at the headstone. I refuse to turn around. I'm not ready. It has to be someone I know. There's no way it's not. Was I wrong before? Is it really Nick? It would make sense. Pretending to capture himself to be removed from the problem.

"I didn't want to kill her," The voice says behind me. I glimpse the edge of his cloak from behind me.

"Then why did you?" I ask, still refusing to look.

"I had to."

"Why?"

"The poem in the book."

"Right. One for Beauty, Marissa, One for Brawn, Brent."

"Mind strong, Brenda," The voice continues with me.

"Jamie said the friend was Jake, and the unloved was Mark, but Mark was loved."

"He loved you, but it was not returned. Unloved."

"Harsh," I murmur, but continue, "He died after everything with Jamie, why did she tell me his name?"

"It was a target she allowed you to know. She was stupid."

"Right," I nod, "Anyway, she wouldn't tell me the rest. So, what about one who is loved, and one stronger than blood?"

"Once I tell you that, you'll know who I am."

"Well, I know Sierra has to do with it, but what about the others? Those who died that weren't part of this little thing?"

"We may have gotten carried away. It was said to us the more lives that were taken, the more powerful we became."

"Who told you that?"

"I can't tell you that."

"Wait," I pause, resisting the urge to turn around, "So..does that mean, you aren't the last?"

"It's more complicated than that."

"Fine," I groan, "Just give me the answers."

"Stronger than blood is Nick. He was supposed to die, and he probably still will, once we're done here."

"Don't you dare hurt Nick!" I exclaim, turning around to stare into the skull mask. It just grins at me.

"I figured you would do that. I was prepared," The Skeleton says, "But let me finish."

"Fine," I glare at the skull mask, but I can already feel my heart dropping.

"The one loved is," The Skeleton pulls the mask off of his head, "Sierra. Because I really did love her, and I didn't want her to die."

"Luci..."I trail off as I stare into my brother's eyes that match mine.

"Hey, Morgan," Luci says, tossing the skull mask onto the ground.

"Why..." I whisper as I stumble backwards, away from him.

"Eternal youth? Power? Something else," Luci shrugs, his black hair falling into his blue eyes. He gives me a sad youth, "I never wanted to kill you. I wanted you to join us, actually, but I knew you wouldn't."

"Then why did you try to kill me before?" I ask.

"You kept getting in the way," Luci sighs, walking towards me, "It was inevitable. You won't let me kill Nick."

"He's your best friend," I cry out, tripping over a stick as I keep moving away.

"That's why he has to die," Luci says, "In order for me to achieve my full potential."

"Damn it, Luci," I feel the tears building up, "Why...you...ugh!" Without another word, I turn and run. Dashing through the cemetery, I hear Luci calling for me. I don't look back I just keep running. Panic races through me, and tears rush down my face. He's supposed to be the one protecting me, but no. He's the one trying to kill me. What the fuck!? How am I supposed to feel? What am I supposed to do?

I hear his footsteps behind me as I dash through the cemetery. Where is Nick? Maybe if I can find him before Luci gets to me? I'm running out of time. Where do I go? Then I spot it. The church. I change course and bound towards the church, where everything went wrong the first time, and where Jamie died moments ago. Is it even possible to kill two killers in the same place? There's no way my luck won't run out.

"Are you really running towards the church!?" I hear Luci yell from behind me. Instead of answering him, I run faster. Reaching the church doors, I throw them open. I race inside, slamming the doors behind me. Taking in a breath, I spin around and realize I'm not in a church.

The space around me is pitch dark. I glance back at the doors, but they've disappeared. I slowly walk through the dark room, glancing every which way.

"Did you really think you could run?" Luci's voice echos off of the walls that I can't see. The room sounds endless, but there's no way it can be. He doesn't have this much power, does he? My breath quickens as I search for a way out, or a way really.

I dare not to say anything encase that leads him to me. Finally, I spot a single light. I walk slowly towards it. My footsteps tap almost silently against the black floor. I reach the spotlight and see another one. There's no way this isn't a trap. Moving towards the next one I hear a click, and then a row of lights turn on; they lead to a door. As I get closer I notice the door is an exact replica of the one from the cinema. The one that leads to the tilting hallway. I'm not sure I'm even in the same plane of existence that the door was in.

When I reach the door I twist it open. Slowly walking into the new room, I let out a gasp, "Nick!" I race over to him. He struggles against the binds that tie him to a chair. I fumble with the ropes before realizing I still have Jamie's antler knife on me. I pull it out and slice open his ropes. He pulls the rag out of his mouth and takes me in.

"Morgan, you're okay," He pulls me to him, nearly squeezing the life out of me.

"Nick," I choke out and he releases his grasp a bit, "I was so afraid. I thought..."

"Morgan," Nick says, turning my face to his face, "It's Luci."

"I know, Nick," I whisper, "And he's still here somewhere."

"We have to hide!" Nick exclaims.

"There's nowhere to hide," Luci says as he walks out of the darkness over to us.