The Haunted Orphanage

Chapter 91

Mark's POV

As Thomas, Jack, and I ran in the direction Robert came from, we heard him get off the ground. He yelled something in a language I'd never heard before, then started following us.

Dark laughed in my head.

What's so funny?! I demanded as we turned a corner.

He's speaking the native language of the Underworld. I haven't heard anyone talk like that since we were forced to learn it in elementary.

So what?

He yelled something about needing a weapon, I think. What you should be more worried about is the fact that we now know exactly who's taken over Robert's body.

Jack pulled me sideways to keep me from hitting a wall and yelled something about me needing to watch where I was going. Once I was on a steady path again, I replied, Who? Also, is this information going to make any difference in me wanting to beat the shit out of whoever it is?

Dark snickered, Hopefully, it'll make you want to kill him more. The only person I know who still speaks that language is Felix's dad. The guy who lied to everyone here in the Underworld and probably traded some crazy shit to get to the human world.

"Great," I mumbled to myself.

Jack pulled me around another corner before making us stop. Once Thomas jogged over to the two of us, Jack smacked my arm. "Dude, what the hell is going on? We're running for our lives and you seem completely focused on something else!"

Kiss him.

I almost fell over. "What?!"

Thomas looked taken aback, but tried to get us to quiet down before Robert found us. Jack, however, seemed ready to rip my throat out. "What do you mean 'what'?! Are you kidding me?! Mark, it's like you're trying to get us killed! You have to focus on what's happening!"

If you kiss him, he'll shut up and Robert might just take the wrong turn.

"No way," I muttered through gritted teeth.

Jack blinked and stared at me with his mouth hanging open slightly. Thomas was staring at me too, but he quickly got out of his trance and screamed, "Duck!"

I fell to the ground, but Jack was frozen in place. I watched as a baseball bat slammed directly against the side of his head.

His body fell to the ground and blood began dripping out of his ear. I felt my heart stop as I stared at his motionless body.

Thomas jumped over me and started fighting Robert with his table leg.

I quickly picked up Jack's body and put my head against his chest, trying to find a pulse. I felt tears fill my eyes as I didn't hear anything. I moved my fingers to his neck, then to his wrist. Still nothing.

The tears slowly fell down my face. Jack couldn't be...dead. That wasn't possible. No one was supposed to die.

I shook his lifeless body back and forth. Blood started streaming out of his mouth. I fell backward and covered my mouth with my hand.

I dove forward again and picked him up off the ground, cradling him in my arms. I put my head against his shoulder and let my tears pour out. "C-Come on, Jack." I sniffed as more tears came flooding out. "Don't–Y-You can't–"

Mark, you have to go. You have to run.

I sobbed a little too loudly. Dark, I'm not leaving him.