Weirdo - Jughead Jones

31: Late

Jughead Jones

All four of us were in or fighting tears. There was a dreadful silence before Betty quickly stood up and called Cheryl to warn her.

I continued to stare at the screen, the thumbnail of the video. Jason was killed in the basement of the Whyte Wyrm. What if....

"Maddie." I stood up so quickly that I almost lost my balance.

"Jug?" Archie asked.

I was almost out the door. "Call the police and tell them to go to the basement of the Whyte Wyrm." With that, I left.

I ran. Faster than I thought I could. I couldn't even think about getting tired. I wasn't sure if she was there. I just needed to see that she wasn't. And if she was, I just hoped I wasn't too late.

Madison Parker

Mustang came back a little while later. He was angry. As soon as he stormed down the stairs he ripped the bandana off.

"What did you do?" He spat.

"Hmm?" I responded.

Another slap across the face. "Did you call the fucking police?"

"I'm sorry, but I've been tied up and gagged this whole time."

And another. "Whatever." He then pulled his knife from his jacket.

"No." My voice was barely audible as I lost the shred of confidence I'd had a minute ago. "I didn't call the police. I swear. Please, don't—"

"Well I was just told that they're on their way," he growled. "And they can't find us here. So once I get the wires off, you're gonna do what I say. If you run, you get cut. Got it?"

Tears came again and I struggled to nod. He cut the wires with the knife, used new ones to bind my hands behind my back, and shoved me forward. I heard the growing sound of sirens outside.

"Shit," Mustang grunted. "Move. Now."

I felt the knife pressing into my side; not enough to cut, but just enough to get me moving. He was directing me toward another staircase; one that went straight outside.

I stumbled in the darkness outside. I was crying, fearing for my life, and continuing to be pushed forward towards his truck.

The sirens grew louder and louder, and finally the back parking lot was lit up with blue and red.

"Police! Stop moving and drop your weapon!"

There were so many men in uniform. They surrounded us. Hope finally began to rise inside of me.

But it wasn't over yet.

Mustang didn't drop his weapon. As the police got closer, he gripped it more tightly and pressed it harder into my side. I gasped as I felt it start to cut through to my skin.

Sheriff Keller yelled at him again. They were almost close enough to grab one of us.

I heard a familiar voice shouting my name. I tried to see who it was through the bright police lights. But before I could see them, Mustang took the knife away from me, only to plunge it deep into my side. Everything went into slow motion.

I called out in pain, stumbling forward and bending over. I needed to move my hands, but they were still bound. I looked down to see that the knife was still stuck in my side. Behind me, Mustang was being forced into handcuffs and a police car. I felt someone loosen the wire around my hands. I then fell to the ground, laying on my back, curling and crying. I held my side with shaking, bloody hands. The shouting around me became muffled. All I could think about was the pain. Hot, endless pain.

I felt excruciating pressure on the gash in my stomach. I was fading in and out of consciousness when I heard a familiar voice. I couldn't register what they were saying, but I knew who it was. "J... Jugh... head...."

Jughead Jones

Archie had followed my instruction to call the police. I heard sirens getting louder as I continued to run towards the Whyte Wyrm. I tried to push away the thoughts and images of Madison dead in the basement, but I was too scared.

Finally, I arrived at the Wyrm. The police had just barely gotten there. I didn't stop running; I went straight to the back of the building where I knew an entrance to the basement was.

Multiple police cars were already there. There was a line of officers slowly moving forward. I ran closer and stopped as soon as I could see what they were closing in on.

Mustang had Madison. Her hands were tied behind her back, and he held up a knife against her.

Anger and fear flooded through me. I moved forward to get to them, but the cops held me back. I frantically struggled against them. "Let me go. Let me go."

I still struggled as I watched the other officers get closer to Mustang. They were almost close enough when Mustang pulled back his knife.

It seemed like everything was in slow motion, and I knew what was going to happen. "Maddie!"

Mustang plunged his knife into her just before they caught him.

I struggled harder against the police holding me back. "No! No, let me go! Let me—!" I tore free and ran to Madison, who was in a fetal position on the ground. Mustang was taken away, and someone had cut the wire that bound Madison's hands.

My eyes were wide as I sank to the ground beside her. I put a shaking hand on her back and rubbed it. "M-Maddie, i-it's...." My voice was low and trembling. "It's gonna be okay, just please.... please hang on. Just please, please stay with me. I... I need you. I love you so much, Weirdo."

I couldn't help the tears from falling. We were both shaking. I watched her shoulders rise and fall in choppy breaths. I took her hand and squeezed it. I felt her hand twitch. I then heard her faintly say my name.

Someone tapped me on the shoulder and I looked up to see a medic. I got out of the way as a group of them carefully put her onto a stretcher and carried her into an ambulance.

I wiped my tears harshly and watched everyone work. One of the medics turned to me and put a hand on my shoulder, squeezing it lightly. She kindly told me I could be in the ambulance with Madison. I nodded and followed, not ready for what was happening, or what would happen next.