Crestwood Investigation

Chapter 44: Familiar Faces

As the chilling laughter of Rache echoed through the phone line Joshua's world seemed to shatter around him, with trembling hands he ended the call, his mind reeling with a maelstrom of emotions, how could Rache still be alive? How were they trapped in his realm? The questions swirled through Joshua's mind each one more terrifying than the last.

Before anyone could even begin to process the implications of Rache's words, a sudden noise from behind them all caused the group to whirl around in alarm. Joshua's heart froze in his chest as he saw the figures of Kevin and Matt standing in the doorway their faces twisted into sinister smiles as they brandished knives slick with blood.

"How..." Joshua's voice trailed off his mind unable to comprehend the sight before him Kevin and Matt alive and well standing before him covered in the blood of Isabelle and Pete, it was like a nightmare come to life a twisted parody of reality that filled Joshua with a deep sense of dread.

Tyler and Hannah stared at the pair in shock, their minds struggling to process the surreal scene unfolding before them, the air in the room seemed to grow heavy with tension as Kevin and Matt advanced slowly their eyes gleaming with malice as they closed in on their unsuspecting prey

Before anyone could react, Kevin spoke with a chilling calmness. "Hey There Missing some of your group it seems." he said his voice dripping with menace.

Hannah spoke in horror
"How are you two alive I thought Rache killed you both? You're both working with him now?"

Kevin's smile widened revealing glinting teeth stained with blood "That's right we did die didn't we" he said his tone oozing with satisfaction. "You see Rache has a plan and he needs our help to see it through, and in exchange we're gonna be immortal, you could be too if you want to join us."

Tyler's hands clenched into fists at his sides as he listened to Kevin's words his mind racing with thoughts of escape, but even as fear coursed through his veins he knew that they were trapped caught in this deadly game with no way out.

Joshua shouted
"Absolutely not, I will never join you sick fuckers!"

Matt laughed
"We killed your girl twice bro, it's not that deep, we left that bitch Hannah alive even."

Hannah shouted
"How about you shut up before I smash your balls in again you prick!"

In a blur of motion, Kevin and Matt charged at them their knives gleaming in the light of the house, with a primal FBI instinct kicking in Tyler lunged forward grabbing Matt and slamming him to the ground with a powerful force flipping his legs under him, he wrestled the knife from Matt's hand easily and with a ferocious determination plunged it into Matt's stomach instantly with a giant rage.

Meanwhile Joshua and Hannah grappled with Kevin overpowering him together and snatching the knife from his grasp, Joshua threw the knife aside sliding across the floor leaving Kevin defenseless against their combined strength.

But as Joshua turned in horror to see Tyler brutally murdering and stabbing Matt to death the demon form seemed to vanish and Matt's voice spoke in horror "Why... why would you do this?"

To all of their shock Matt's form shifted transforming into Emma, Tyler's face twisted in horror as he looked down at Emma lying dead in his arms now after he had just went insane stabbing.

"No! This was Matt! No fuck you Rache!" Tyler shouted his voice filled with anguish as tears streamed down his face "this isn't real!

Emma spoke
"You ruined my life again Tyler, it's all you do, you ruin everything, you don't deserve love you cheating heartless monster."

Tyler dropped Emma's body to the ground as it began to rot and turn into a sludge-like substance as he cried out again "you're not real, this isn't real I'm going to get out."

Meanwhile Joshua held the Kevin lookalike against the wall his grip tight as he demanded answers "Who are you and what's your game? Where are we and how do we get out?"

Kevin's eyes flashed with a sinister glint as he smirked his voice dripping with malice. "You're in Rache's realm now" he said. "And you'll never escape, everything you do is pointless."

As Tyler's anguish turned to more rage he charged behind Joshua still holding Kevin against the wall, his eyes burned with determination as he demanded answers, his voice a fierce growl.

"Tell us everything now" Tyler snarled his grip now grabbing and tightening on Kevin's shirt. "Why are we here? What does Rache want with us?"

Kevin's smirk widened, a malevolent gleam in his eyes as he reveled in their torment, but as Tyler's threats grew more intense a sudden transformation began to take place. The figure in Joshua's grasp started to shift and contort his form melting into a sludge-like substance that oozed through Joshua's fingers leaving only a dark stain on the wall.

"We need to find another way out" Joshua said as he turned to Tyler and Hannah. "We can't stay here, we have to keep moving, and keep searching for answers, this isn't real and I know Isabelle and Pete are alive in our world, and if this is Rache's world then Rache is here and he should be as vulnerable as anything else real."

Tyler's jaw clenched with determination as he nodded in agreement, his resolve hardened by the events that had unfolded before them "We'll find a way out of here" he said his voice filled with conviction "No matter what it takes."

With a shared sense of purpose, the three friends turned away from the dark scene before them at Joshua's home Tyler grabbing a knife off the ground that was tossed and putting it into his pocket in case of emergency, their minds were set on the darkened corridors of Rache's realm to find the revenge demon himself.