The Purge - A Countryhumans Book

Chapter 17

birthday chapter woohoo

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Indonesia POV:

I wasn't going to lie—this whole situation was making me feel uneasy. Finding the map, unlocking a hidden room, and reading about a ritual to banish a shadow monster? It sounded like something out of one of America's horror movie marathons.

But this wasn't a movie, and the stakes were real.

I headed toward the dining room to search for a mirror. Poland had wandered off, mumbling something about how he better not find any spiders in whatever corner he got assigned.

As I walked, I felt like something was following me. The hallway was dim, and every creak of the floorboards made me flinch. I glanced over my shoulder, but there was nothing there.

"Get it together," I muttered under my breath.

I entered the dining room and spotted an antique mirror hanging on the wall. It was dusty, and the frame looked like it hadn't been polished in years. Perfect.

Reaching for it, I caught my reflection in the glass. For a split second, I thought I saw something behind me—a dark, shapeless figure looming in the doorway.

I spun around, my heart pounding, but the room was empty.

"Just my imagination," I said, trying to convince myself. I took the mirror off the wall and carried it back toward the hidden room.

Poland POV:

I don't know why everyone always expects me to do the boring jobs. Searching the basement for candles? Not my idea of fun.

Still, I wasn't about to back out. Not when Indo and I had found that map and started this whole thing.

The basement was cold, and the faint light from my phone barely cut through the darkness. I rifled through an old storage chest, pushing aside dusty books and broken picture frames. Finally, I found a box of candles.

"Well, at least this part was easy," I said, grabbing a couple.

As I turned to leave, the temperature seemed to drop. My breath fogged in front of me, and I felt a chill run down my spine.

"Hello?" I called out, my voice echoing.

No response.

I started climbing the stairs, trying to ignore the feeling of eyes on my back. Just as I reached the top, I heard a soft whisper.

"Poland..."

I froze, my heart racing. Slowly, I turned around. The basement was empty.

"Definitely not sticking around to find out," I muttered, bolting up the stairs and slamming the door behind me.

Russia POV:

While the others searched the house, I stayed in the hidden room with America and Germany. We were tasked with gathering the personal items we needed for the ritual.

"What counts as personal?" America asked, holding up a baseball cap.

"Something meaningful," Germany replied, looking through her bag. She pulled out a small pendant. "Like this. My grandmother gave it to me."

I thought for a moment, then reached into my pocket and pulled out a small, worn coin. It wasn't worth much, but it had been a gift from my brother.

America stared at the coin for a moment, then nodded. "Alright. I'll use this." He took off his leather jacket, folding it carefully.

We placed the items on the pedestal in the center of the room, alongside the journal and map. One by one, the others returned—Indonesia with the mirror, Poland with the candles, Malaysia with matches, and Philia carrying a bell she'd found in the attic.

"All set?" Germany asked, looking around.

"Yeah," America said. "Let's do this."

America POV:

We arranged everything according to the instructions in the journal. Indonesia read the ritual aloud, his voice steady despite the tension in the air.

As he finished, the shadows in the room seemed to thicken. The temperature dropped, and the air grew heavy.

"It's reacting," Russia said, her voice calm but alert.

A low growl echoed through the room, and the shadow creature began to take shape, emerging from the walls. Its eyes glowed faintly, and its movements were fluid, almost hypnotic.

"Stay together," I said, stepping in front of the group.

The creature lunged, but the ritual circle seemed to hold it back. It howled in frustration, thrashing against the invisible barrier.

"Keep going!" Germany shouted.

Indonesia continued reciting the chant, his voice growing louder with each word. The shadow writhed, its form flickering like a dying flame.

Finally, with a deafening roar, the creature dissolved into nothingness. The room fell silent, the oppressive weight lifting.

"Is it over?" Poland asked, peeking out from behind me.

"I think so," I said, letting out a breath I didn't realize I'd been holding.

The group exchanged relieved smiles, but I couldn't shake the feeling that this wasn't the end. Something about the house still felt... wrong.