It Lives In The Woods

Chapter Twentyone

"She asked me to get you all here when she was strong enough, so I did. Though mouse was a bigger challenge than I assumed, she really can put up a fight when she needs to." He said, pointing to the blood smudges on his face as he escorted them up the stairs, into the main hall, their feet crunching on the ashes they'd placed only a week before. "You bastard! If you hurt her I swear to god I'll-'' Ava growled, Noah cocked the gun, clicking the safety off, raising his black eyebrows at her. "You'll what? Curse me? Grow up Ava. It's not like I'm enjoying this. I'm just doing what needs to be done to help my sister move on." Bee shook her head, brain buzzing with thoughts, all bad. "How do you even know for sure if it's her? What if it was just Blue playing a trick on you to get you to do what he wanted? What if you're just the weak link?" Noah sighed, rolling his eyes at Bee, like he expected more from her. "Look up," Bee and Ava looked to where his eyes were focused, and both gasped in horror. All over the walls were red scribbles, like crayon, that made up Norah, Norah all over again. "She was trying to tell us she was here." Ava whispered, sadness washing over her face. "We just weren't listening." Noah replied, frowning sadly at them as he motioned to the stairs, the stairs they hadn't been down since the night Norah died. "Noah, what's going to happen down there?" Bee asked, not bothering to hide her fear. Noah sighed, looking away in shame. "Norah needs someone to take her spot. But don't worry, she told me she need someone weak enough to let the power in, the three of us we're strong." Ava glared at him, "What about the others ?!" She snapped. Noah bit his lip, the shame twisting his face. "I guess we'll see, come on." He demanded impatiently, waving the gun at Ava again. The two finally came to the bottom of the stairs, and were horrified by what they saw. Paul was struggling to get Tanner to sit down, the chairs looked the same they had all those years ago, and everyone was in the same seat, an empty chair where Norah had sat. "Go and sit down while I help Paul with Tanner." He ordered, motioning to their empty seats. They obediently sat down, Stacy was struggling against Norah's powers, her curly blonde hair sticking to her neck in a cold sweat of terror. Bee felt the same paralyzing power that took over her eight years ago grasp her once again, making her limbs useless. "Oh my god Andy!" Bee cried, sobbing roughly as he gazed in a daze around him, his nose sat at an unnatural angle on his face, blood gushing down his chin, coating his t-shirt in blood. "She's coming. It's time." Noah announced, taking his seat next to Norah's empty chair. Right when his butt hit the seat she appeared in the center of the circle, her shadowy form taking up any light in the room. Paul fell to the ground unconscious and Jamie awoke with a cough on her command, she was letting them know who was in charge. "Friendssss, you allllll cameeee tooooo playyyy!!" She said, joy in her ice cold voice. "Norah please don't do this!" Lily pleaded, her bottom lip puffy and bleeding. "Mouseeee, nooo tears." She purred, reaching out and stroking Lily's brown hair, each strand she touched searing off her scalp with a hiss. Norah hovered in front of her empty chair, her shadow figure melted away, leaving the girl they all once knew, Bee gasped, her heart flooding with joy despite the dire situation. "It's really you." She cried, smiling. They all looked over at Norah in a mix of fear and joy, fearful for their lives, but happy to see their friend again. "This is where the monster got me." She said, not bothering to turn around and respond to them. "I was so scared. I didn't want to die, I had plans, dreams. But you all let me get taken by Blue." The air in the room grew tense, like someone had electrically charged it as Norah clenched her shaking fists. "But now," she turned slowly towards the others, brown eyes being replaced by blue balls of Fire, ",now I'm the monster. So let's play a game, a game I like to call," Lily sobbed loudly as Norah melted back into her shadow form, "ARE YOU AFRAID?"