Don't Open That Door - GoM 1

BW - 12

Aidan was up to his waist in the hole he was digging, while Alex watched shotgun in hand, when the shovel hit the casket. Aidan removed some of the soil covering it and hit it harder.

"Found it. Bring the fuel, Princess."

Alex hurried to fetch the can. Aidan kept hitting the cover until it gave in, exposing Beth Campbell's bones, still wrapped in the drags of her wedding dress. He was climbing out of the hole when Ann showed a few steps away.

Seeing the open grave, she let out an angry howl and charged against Aidan. Her unexpected strength took him by surprise, and he stumbled back, fighting to keep his balance. From across the clearing, Alex pointed the shotgun at Ann, but the old woman only needed to flick her fingers to throw Alex down. Aidan took advantage of Ann's distraction to retrieve the shovel and swing it against her. Ann stopped the blow single-handed, with one of her maniac giggles.

"Aidan!"

Mark's distant calling was followed by a scream that pushed Alex to stand up. Claire! However, Ann wouldn't let her get away. She moved her hands and threw both Aidan and Alex down, then she jumped to sit on top of him, squeezing his throat with her hands.

Behind her, Alex ignored the pain burning her chest and crawled on her hands and knees to the edge of the grave, dragging the shotgun and the fuel can. If the witch was there to keep them busy, it meant she'd left her pet ghost with Claire and Mark. While Aidan pushed Ann off him, Alex opened the can and let the fuel pour into the hole and the broken casket.

Mark's scream echoed under the thick canopy. "Hurry up, Aidan! Do it!"

Aidan rolled over and staggered to his feet, grabbing the shovel again. He attacked Ann, trying to drag her away from the grave.

At the same time, Alex found the zippo she'd bought for the occasion, flicked it and threw it into the hole. The blazing flames caught Ann's attention. She let out another horrid howl and jumped on Aidan, trying to push him to the fire. Alex managed to stand up and ran to them, stumbling onto Aidan as her arms locked around his waist.

He fell flat on his back only a step away from the hole. Alex jumped back to her feet, grasped the shotgun barrel and swung it like a club with all her strength. The blow pushed Ann back, and before she could try anything, Alex hit her again, this time in the head. Ann fell face to the ground by the open grave, completely out.

Alex didn't wait for Aidan. She sprinted away to where the screams had come from, fear like cold claw clutching at her heart. Aidan caught up with her and they stormed into another small clearing together, almost stumbling on Mark and Claire.

Beth was standing between them, a rotten hand deep into Claire's chest. Aidan stopped Alex, because the ghost straightened up and stepped back from Claire, face up to the sky under the ragged veil, letting out a shrieking cry that was painful to hear. The tattered dress burned without flame from the bottom up.

Alex didn't care about the burning ghost. She pushed Aidan away and hurried to kneel by Claire. As the ghost turned to ashes that floated for a moment before raining on the grass with a soft hiss, Aidan produced a hunting knife and cut the girl's ropes before releasing Mark. Alex caught Claire in her arms and her heart stopped: the girl wasn't breathing, and she couldn't find a pulse.

She lay Claire down on the ground, fighting back her horror, and tried to bring her back. She didn't care about the tears rolling down her pale, dirty cheeks. Everything disappeared for her but Claire, while she kept pressing the girl's chest and blowing into her mouth, as desperate as stubborn.

Just when she was about to give up, and lie down by Claire to die with her out of sheer grief, Claire's lips moved and her eyelids fluttered. Alex fell back on her butt, hands to her mouth to hold back a cry. Claire coughed, opening her eyes a little. Before she could fill her lungs, Alex held her tight in her arms. Claire clung to her, shaking from heat to toes as she burst in tears.