Into The Madness of The Corrupt

Life for a Life

"Guys what are gonna do? How are we gonna vote?" Elijah asked.
Ella screamed very loudly, "I fucking hate this place! I didn't ask to be here! When will we not have to worry about dying every five seconds?"
"Ella none of us want to be here. But whatever happens we can do this. We've done it before."
Jobe said.
"What does it mean that if we die here our soul is gone?" Elijah asked.
"If we die here our soul will just be nothing, it'll be removed from existence." Sophia reiterated.
"So this is it?" Kayla asked, going to hug Jenny after.
"Let's just go back to the mall and we'll talk about it there." Jobe said.
They walked back into the mall in their hazmat suits and walked up to a giant blue screen in the food court that had the time on it. The digital clock read, 10:50pm.
"So we have about 8 hours or so to do this. Good, good, good." Nene said.
They went back to the skating rink, opening the shudders with their desired remote and closing them as the group stepped into the rink where a floating, glitching, reality defying card waited for them in the middle of the rink.
"Someone awaits for you in the back room, they will be the one to tally your votes." Jobe read.
"Who could it be?" Jenny asked.
Jobe and Ella walked up to the back room in the skating rink and opened up the door. Behind it was a familiar face.
"Ava!" Jobe and Ella yelled in unison.
"Ava?" Elijah asked, as he ran over to them.
"Guys I've missed you!" Ava said.
They hugged each other, after she ran into Elijah's arms to give him a hug as well.
"Baby, I missed you so much!" Elijah said
"I thought you were gone?" He said again.
"Well I was, but when I died in the dark realm I went in the castle and saw a bright purple ball. I went through it and ended up here. I was just a wondering spirit for a while and I saw you four when you all got here but when I tried to interact with you guys it didn't work, it was like you guys couldn't see or hear me. I think Evalah sensed I was here though and she brought me back to the mortal plane with you guys just now?" Ava explained.
Jeremiah stared at her, feeling something off about her story and her energy. Ava hugged everyone and said hi and they mingled for a few minutes.
"So you're saying you just happened to spawn here, or something, exactly when we got here." Jeremiah asked.
"Yeah, I don't know." Ava shrugged.
"I don't trust you." Jeremiah said.
"Where is this coming from Jeremiah? She died and she's back now to help us get out of here." Jobe said.
"I don't trust her, it's just my opinion. I think that her story is bullshit."
It was quiet for a while, awkwardness floated in the air.
"Guys the floating card thing changed. It says something else." Sophia said.
"Read it!" Jobe yelled.
"Behind the prize counter is paper, pens, and a big red hat. Make do and use those to vote." She read.
Elijah and Ava went behind the counter and got the supplies.
"Isn't that weird to you that Jeremiah would invalidate you and your story randomly?" Elijah asked.
"Yeah I thought so too it made me really uncomfortable..." Ava said.
"Should we vote for him?" Elijah questioned.
"Yeah, I mean I don't know anyone else we can vote."
Ella, Jobe, Nene, and Sophia talked to each other in a corner about who they wanted to vote for.
"I know we went through a lot with Jeremiah a few days ago in the dark realm, but we've been through a lot with everyone here, and I just feel like him questioning Ava is weird." Ella said.
"No but also, we know Jeremiah you know he's always kind of flamboyant like that, and I'm sorry... but we don't know Jenny personally and I just feel like I can't vote for my friend for one stupid accusation over some random girl I don't really know." Jobe said.
"Yeah I felt like that too, because in the end, we've spent the last year with Jeremiah and he went through hell with us in the dark realm, Jenny hasn't." Sophia said.
"Well I don't really know Jeremiah because you all kind of got close to him when I wasn't around. And I've gotten very close with Jenny in the past few months, you guys should get to know her. I don't think you should vote her." Nene said. Sophia, Jobe, and Ella looked at each other, they knew who they were voting for, even if Nene didn't.
Kayla, Jenny, and Jeremiah were talking about who they were voting for.
"I think that the way that Ava's story was laid out was weird, how did she happen to appear when we got back to the rink... like?" Jeremiah said.
"Yeah her story was kind of fishy..." Jenny said.
"I don't know, but I've known Ava for a long time... she seemed different when they opened up that door, what connection does she have to Evalah?" Kayla questioned.
Elijah and Ava walked back with the supplies, tore some paper off and each wrote down the name of who they wanted to vote for. They scrunched up the papers and threw them into the hat, the votes were about to be finalized.