Death Wish

Holy Hell, It's the Finale

Thank you so, so much for your enthusiasm. It has made this project fly by so fast. I am very proud of how much my writing has improved throughout this longass story, but I am mostly proud of how all of you guys stuck with gladly reading and giving feedback on it.

Everybody could have glanced at this story and thought it was too dumb to continue reading past the first paragraph...I'm fortunate to say not too many did.

Thank you. I'd love to keep writing other stories for you.

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I'm dying yet again; I'm too weak to even stand and fight it.

I'm on the floor holding my chest wound as the pentagram around me burns up all of my strives for success. Nothing could have blown up more in my face than this - not only did I fail to undamn my brother, but now I'm going to be just like him once I die. I groan as I can do nothing about it but wait. The hellfire around Mikey and I start to die out as we fail to complete the curse.

Frank can finally see what's happening inside the dying circle. He drops everything and run to me to help, getting a few hairs singed along the way. The apparent awful plan of action ends up catching Bob's attention away from Ray's apparent turning. He gulps as he looks to Ray once more before abandoning him to help me.

"Dying is almost easy this time." I laugh at the reality of the thought, making me appear more than hysterical. Frank worriedly grabs a hold of my wound for me to stop the blood himself. "Just hold on a sec, we gotta get out of here -" He glances back to Ray before to me, "Can you stand?"

I snort, "I can't stand anything anymore.." I wince when I laugh and stop my chest from shaking with a firm hold. I grumble, "Piece of shit."

"Everyone meet us at Rose's place, I'm getting Gerard out of here before something bad happens."

"This isn't bad?" Mikey glares from beside him.

There's a sudden snap and crack in the cement walls around us. We all look up expecting it to be Ray, but it isn't. Streams of cracks go around the walls, all wrapping together in their unfolding wreckage, before forming a circle and breaking open. Whirs of darkness pour out from the gaping hole, blowing gusts of wind our way and making it impossible to look away. Ännwns come out of the portal seconds after it appears.

"That's bad." Mikey confirms.

"Wait, I had more time than this to get the book back!" Bob says.

"I forgot that was even a thing..." I slur from the corner.

The Ännwns don't hesitate to instantly snatch the ghost. Everyone yells and jumps back, not wanting to be taken with. Bob swings his hands about the floor, desperate to cling to one of us for safety, "Wait, I'm so close - !"

The beasts grip Bob tight and drag him towards their whirring vortex despite his protest. He wriggles uselessly before looking to all of us where we brew in our own panic of problems. Frank can only watch his friend being taken for so long before he remembers my own apparent danger. He shakes his head as he has to move on to open a portal to take me and himself away in. Mikey stands there in shock, unsure what to do about the hellish situation. He looks between both Bob and his own brother before making a clear decision.

Bob gasps and shouts, "Wait, please! Help me! I can help you!" His eyes dart to the only item in the pentagram that isn't burning up - Auctor Vitae. She isn't fit for the position, the curse isn't working because of her.

As a part of us rush to save everything else from burning up and the rest hurry to get me into the retreating portal, Bob is left helpless to the beasts taking him to nevermore. He can only do one last thing before his soul is snuffed out without a single goodbye.