Flatline ((Jughead Jones)) 3

29

I thought that I would start feeling worse slightly further into the night. I had hoped that this poison was very slow acting. But, having already had it in my system for a few hours, it was beginning to take effect. It wasn't like a sudden ache or a sudden urge to throw up. No, instead my vision that had been focused on a tree stump in the distance that had been made into a table, started to sway a little. With a shake of my head, I thought I had gotten rid of the fuzziness.

Jughead overtook me, turning to face me as I stopped, waiting for my eyes to start working properly again. Instead, I stumbled backward, not quite being able to stand up straight anymore.
"Jug, don't." I heard Betty say, and felt strong arms catch me. I looked up to see a bruised face topped with red hair and I smiled gratefully. Archie kept his hands firmly on my waist, waiting to feel me get my balance back. Betty's words meant she had stopped Jughead from reaching out to me.

I knew how hard that would have been for Jughead. The Serpent King couldn't catch his falling Queen, or even hold her hand to tell her she would be fine. There hadn't been a point in the past few years that Jughead hadn't been my support, and now all that was ripped away; I wanted nothing more than to have him hold me.

As my vision cleared, and I started to see straight once more, I turned back to my brother, telling him I was alright and feeling him reluctantly let go.
"We better get moving, it seems like Thia's getting worse." Jughead stated, turning and walking off back where he had come. Just from his hunched over posture and tense muscles, I knew he was angry. He was angry that he couldn't help me, that he hasn't prevented me from getting involved in this. During the last few meters, I felt Archie walk beside me, ready to catch me at the slightest stumble.

On the tree stump were six chalices filled with liquid, a bottle in the centre, along with a scroll and character card. We all crowded around the tree, seeing it was the enchantress on the table. Veronica was next. Jughead picked up the scroll and began to read.
"The Fate and Fortune Challenge. Before you are six chalices, each filled with Gargoyle Blood. The Enchantress must choose her closest companion. They will each take turns spinning the bottle and drinking from the chosen chalice. But beware, for one of the chalices contains a lethal, ra[id-acting venom." Veronica's task would involve Betty, that was clear because she was her best friend. At the mention of the poison, I couldn't help but shake my head at my mother's audacity. Not only was she poisoning her own daughter to endure a slow, drawn out death that would mean she wouldn't see the morning, but now she wanted to kill off another one.

Veronica's first response was to compare it to spin the bottle, only for Archie to compare it more to Russian Roulette. As I looked over the makeshift table, I couldn't help but feel like there had to be more to this challenge.
"That's suicide. I refuse." Veronica said. The sooner she accepted the fate of this challenge and this night, the quicker we could get this over with. Jughead then read the last bit on the scroll.
"Refusal to participate in the challenge results in the imediate torture until death of the Angel." They all looked at me, taking a deep breath.
"That's my mother, folks." I said to no one in particular, listening to Jughead inform everyone that they were watching us. My mother could be wicked.

Betty volunteered before Veronica could choose, Archie and Jughead moving away from the table slightly and leaving Betty and Veronica to step up. Ronnie tried to decline her offer, only for Betty to mention the alternative of being shot in the woods by snipers. I thought the more likely would be a group of Gargoyles coming to beat me up. The last time the pair had played spin the bottle was at my sisters party after the dance, the one that I had spent in Pop's talking to Jughead.

Veronica went first. Lifting the chalice that the bottle landed on to her lips. Archie watched her intently as she sipped the contents of her cup, everyone silent as we waited to see if Ronnie was affected. When nothing happened, Betty took her turn.

It was silent as we all watched the game, both girls taking a sip before tossing the cup to the side, watching each other for any sign that the other was poisoned. During school, I had never taken part in the pointless games that were associated with drunken one night stands and the latest scandals. Now I was watching, waiting for one of them to die.

On Betty's turn, was the last cup. The pair exchanged teary looks as Jughead and Archie bowed their heads in shock. Everyone was trying to think of some way, some loophole that would mean Betty would survive. I looked at the cup, feeling my body become a little heavier than before as I felt the poison crawl through me. Betty reached for the cup.

Just before her hand could pick up the chalice, my hand took it away. Both girls looked at me in shock and Jughead took a step closer, asking me what I was doing. Betty and Veronica, eyes filled with unshed tears, watched as I tilted the cup towards my lips.
"Well, I'm dying anyway." I stated, sipping the 'Gargoyles Blood' in the cup before dropping it to the floor.
"Why would you do that?" Betty asked me, Veronica looking stunned and both my boyfriend and my brother looking heartbroken.
"Because I can't let anyone die because of my mother. This is not your fight, it's mine." I told them, holding my head as I felt a pounding ache begin. Archie, held my back as I shook away the pain, the feeling diminishing as I heard the vipers hiss from the shadows.

"Remarkable, Angel of Death." At her side were two Gargoyles, proudly stood defending their queen. I wishedI had my Serpents, I wished I had Fangs, free from the Farm's clutches and Sweet Pea to make me smile, and Jughead stood in front of me, protecting me like an Alpha. "You have all completed the challenge, proving your loyalty." Betty and Veronica were the first to question it, not understanding what had happened.
"Of course. It was a character challenge." Jughead said. The task was never about who would die, it was whether we would let a friend die. Because I hadn't allowed Betty to drink from the chalice, I had proven that we had loyalty to each other, a kind of loyalty the midnight club hadn't shared. He explained that the challenge was about seeing if we had honour and loyalty. The part that I knew was false was when he stated that none of the chalices were poisoned.
"No."
"On the contrary, Hellcaster, all of the chalices were poisoned with the same liquid slowly killing my dear daughter." Mother informed us and I knelt to the floor in defeat. I had hoped I was saving them, preventing them from being subject to my mother's schemes. Now there were three poisoned players to deal with. "As you know, it's slow-acting but the only way to obtain the antidote is to finish the game. Even then, you might not make it." Everyone in our group glared at my mother.

We all started moving away again, continuing on our journey in hopes of ending this game with minimal casualties. Our group came to the edge of the woods before Veronica spoke from her place holding Archie's hand. In front were Betty and Jughead, me in between. Over the course of the short minutes we had been walking, I had stumbled twice due to double vision and had to stop once to try and gain the strength back.
"How do we know we'll get the antidote?"
"One thing the witch has always been good with is keeping her word. It's how I ended up taking Ballet lessons. I'd keep quiet in the house and stay out of her way, in return I got professional training." I told her. This seemed to be enough for Veronica. If my mother, who so clearly despised my very existence, could agree to pay for dance training for me in return for something, she was clearly true to her word. A psychopath. But one that kept her word.

As we kept walking, I noticed that Veronica and my brother had stopped. When I turned back, the pair were holding each other closely. Archie pulled her closer and I turned away, giving my brother some privacy, happy that they were back together.

Then I turned back to continue on our path, finding Jughead trying to reassure Betty. If I didn't love him so much, I would let him be with her, knowing what a perfect match they could make. The reason I didn't was because I knew he'd just come right back. Jughead Jones, as he had said multiple times, was entranced by his Queen and nothing was going to turn his head away. If he was going to leave me though, I hoped it was for Betty. Betty's torch landed on a tree with a card and a scroll. We all crowded around it to see the Hellcaster card, meaning it would be Jug facing his task next. Betty took the scroll down and handed it to me, telling me to read it and sending me a smile. With her father forbidding Jughead touching me, she had stayed away from me, hoping that it wouldn't anger her father further. "The Battle of Kings. Only one shall lead the kingdom of Eldervair." Jughead looked to me, nodding to lead the way. The group followed behind as I moved to wherever the 'King' would be waiting. I hope it was Chic so Jughead could teach him that messing with his queen does not come without punishment. We made our way forward, looking at the Gargoyle King statues that had been made from skulls and sticks. Flame torches lit the path as a shirtless Chic made him way down to the arena. His eyes glanced at the ax that was stuck in a tree stump, Jughead seeing where he was looking. The moment Chic made a move to run forward, he sprinted into action, trying to reach the weapon. Sadly it wasn't the Serpent King that made it there first.