One Week in June | ONC2020

June 12th 4:08 AM

Figured out the plan wasn't that difficult and luckily finding where Igor Petrov was buried actually turned out to be the easiest part of this whole three day process. The thing that had been postponing the start of our plan, and slowly killing me internally, was been finding the right time to excavate his body from his grave. Alistair was right, it's pretty freaking illegal to dig up a dead body without proper warrants and paperwork from the local officials. Seeing as how the police were going to be useless in getting us the body right away without asking too many questions, that left us with three days to create a plan to avoid the graveyard's night guard, dig up Mr. Igor Petrov, and escape back out of the graveyard with the body, or technically skeleton, without anyone noticing he's missing.

After days of reconnaissance, perpetual warnings from Alistair about the trouble we could get in if we're caught, and constant reassurance/lying to my Mom that the week if officially over and that I'd taken care of sacrificing the remaining five people, we finally pulled the trigger and snuck into the Kepner Cemetery. We figured out where Igor's gravestone was the first day and since that point we spent every waking hour learning the night guard's routine.

We found a small window by which we could initiate Operation Retrieval. From the hours of 1:00 am to 3:00 am the guard spent his time in the guard house at the entrance to the cemetery. The last few nights he'd been watching a Faulty Towers marathon, so I expected nothing less tonight. In theory, it makes perfect sense for him to take his break during that time since 12:00 am is known as the Witching Hour and 3:00 am is technically the Devil's Hour, my guess is people are more likely to try and break in around those times since those are both prime Séance/Ouija times. Don't ask how I know this...

It was extremely stressful the entire time we were in the graveyard and I really wasn't mentally prepared to dig as fast and as hard as Alistair and I had to dig to get to Igor's body deep in the ground. Alistair kept pestering me to hurry, but my skinny arms could only move so much hard earth at one time. Eventually we reached the wooden coffin holding Igor's remains, I quickly collect his bones making sure to triple check that I grabbed every part of him. I couldn't handle it if this plan failed because I forgot to grab a single toe bone. Alistair filled in the hole in once I was sure that I had grabbed everything and he made sure that the topsoil of the grave site looked as undisturbed as possible. The night guard was still in his office when we snuck out, completely unaware that we were smuggling out a corpse.

Alistair opens the passenger side door and I step out with Igor Petrov wrapped up in my arms. We head straight to the shoreline of Lake Kepner, Alistair's long legs carrying him faster than me and I have to practically sprint to keep up.

"Let's get this done quickly," Alistair keeps looking around to see if there is anyone watching us commit yet another crime for tonight. "I don't want to be out here longer than we need to. If we don't get this done now then we'll need to come back tomorrow night, which just I don't need to remind you that that happens to be the last night of the 7 days."

He's raising my blood pressure the more he's talking and it takes all my willpower not to yell at him to shut up. Alistair is here out of the goodness of his heart and I need to remember that he doesn't have to be here helping me. I wouldn't even blame him for leaving me alone to deal with this curse by myself because if I don't figure out how to lift this curse or just sacrifice the remaining five people, then whatever happens afterwards is going to be my fault and my fault alone.

"Can you help me into the water?" I ask Alistair, trying not to sound snappy but I want this over just as much as he does. I adjust the blanket holding Igor Petrov's remains so I'm gripping it better. Alistair leads me to the water's edge and out of my slip on shoes before I turn to face him. "No matter what, you are not allowed to step into this water. If the plan doesn't work and things go south, I can't put you at risk. If you were to put your foot into the lake while I'm still in the water you risk becoming a sacrifice for the water demon." I can't lose you too. I'd break if I lost you. I want to add, but the words catch in my throat. Alistair stands up straighter as he realizes what I'm asking. If I get into trouble and my life is on the line, I don't want him coming out to help me. I want him safe on the shore.