Flatline ((Jughead Jones)) 3

28

Chic held my waist the entire walk outside. His grip was too firm and his face held a grin of being too smug. Jughead kept looking back at me as he was urged forward with Betty by the Black Hood, but I could see his concerned glances shooting my way. I wanted nothing more than to run into his arms and tear away from the psychopath holding me. I knew better though.

Once we were all outside, the other four were handed torches; still Chic held me.
"You can let go now." I stated, trying to step forward out of his clutches and towards Jug. I felt him pull my body hard against his, his head leaning down to my neck while I tried to wriggle free. Betty held Jughead in his place, eyeing the gun her father was holding, and the line of Gargoyles watching us. Chic inhaled, and I could almost feel his grin aimed at Jughead.
"Such a queen." He whispered in my ear before pushing me forward.

Now, I was good at walking and running in heels. I had been all my teenage life. However, a wood setting and a field that was slightly damp from the night air, and I knew I had to watch my footing. Breaking an ankle before the start of the night would not be ideal.

Jughead reached forward immediately and caught me, pulling me into his side. He gave me a look, asking if I was okay, if I was hurt.
"Did they really poison you?" He asked me as the Gargoyles were taking position. I knew the games were about to start.
"Well, the hag did pour something down my throat." I replied, looking solely at the witch herself who had a slight smile on her face. She was enjoying this torture. Finally, she was in control of the board ad getting the recognition as the evil mastermind. One thing that didn't go unnoticed by me, was the vicious glare Hal was sending my way, one that nearly made me step back from Jughead.

"The task before you is simple." Mother began, looking over all of us. "Make it through the woods. Survive the night. You will be tested, each of you. Refuse my tests, or try to escape, and my Gargoyle minions will kill you. Mat the final quest begin." All five of us stood looking at each other, baffled by the theatrics of the whole night, and the sanity that my mother had so clearly lost.
"What about Thia?" Archie questioned, glancing my way.
"Her slow acting poison is your timer. Win the antidote by staying alive. I doubt she'll see the sunrise." Mother explained, a smile on her face. The woman that carried me, birthed me, raised me, seemed barely bothered by the fact she had poisoned her daughter. And, in the event of my death, she had admitted to four others exactly what she had done. At least justice would be served if I died.
"She won't make it into the woods if she doesn't step away from him now." Hal hissed, raising his gun to me. I stepped away from Jughead before he could even process what was going on, leaving him shocked and about to object. "You touch Jughead tonight, and I promise you that I won't fail a second time." Before anyone had a chance to answer Hal, mother sent us running into the woods.

I walked in front of the group, holding up the skirt of my dress to keep from tripping over it. Betty and Veronica both had covers, I was left pretending the breeze wasn't biting my shoulders. I didn't feel poisoned, although I wasn't sure if you should feel poisoned. How many people had been in that situation? I knew that just because I felt fine now, gave no guarantee for later, and the longer we spent wondering between each task, the more likely it was that the poison would take me.

"The good news is, if Penelope wanted us dead, we would be. She wants us alive." Jughead announced from behind me. I had taken to leading the group, knowing where I would need to go. I had spent countless nights running through these woods with Jason and walking through them with mother and Cheryl, so I knew exactly where mother would hide her little tasks.
"She wants you guys alive." I scoffed from in front of them. The crown on my head was ridiculous, to keep it on I had to look up, trust my footing, be confident that I wouldn't fall because looking down would make my crown fall. I didn't want to know what would happen if it fell.
"At least long enough to complete her bizarre social experiment." Betty added, Archie stating that the alternative was we all die trying. The only plus side I could see to this whole thing was that at least I would be eligible for an open casket.