"Y/n," someone says in a singsong voice as they walk over. My eyes flick open, suddenly noticing I'm in my cabin once again. I look over at whoevers just come in. It's Tommy. I dont say anything.
"You've been pretty quiet recently, are.. are you alright?" He sits next to me, his hand on my thigh.
I stare at him for a moment, comprehending everything before getting up and rushing to the bathroom. I throw up in the toilet, starting to sob again. He quickly runs after me. "Oh, god, y/n." He crouches next to me, holding my hair back.
"oh my fuck." I sit back, tears streaming down my face.
"Hey, honey... It's alright, are you sick?" He grabs a piece of toilet paper and wipes the puke from my mouth
I dont say anything, moving my shirt to look at my shoulder, which is clean once again. He hugs me. "Lets get you some advil, yeah? come get some rest." he thinks I'm sick. I find it cute how much he cares, but I wish I knew how to tell him whats wrong. I let him take me back to my bed, but i dont lay down.
"Y/n, lay down please. Ill take over your stuff today." He rubs my shoulder. i shake my head.
"I'm not sick." i say quietly.
he tilts his head. "You just threw up."
"I'm not sick." i repeat.
"Y/n-"
"It happened again" i blurt out, blankly staring at the floor.
i see his stomach drop, his arms immediately pulling me close to him.
"Oh, hun.." He sounds somewhat sympathetic, but it almost feels like a lie.
I dont say anything else. after a few minutes, he asks if i can do my chores today, to which i nod.
the day blurs together, my thoughs clouded with thoughts.
Who did this? How do i stop this?
I keep thinking like that for awhile before something clicks.
Nick fucking Goode.
He was nervous when i brought up the book, he left the mess hall the first night. that voice that told me his name. its him, it has to be.
I rush into the cabin, Ziggy talking to Nick. I ignore them, grabbing a notebook and pen from my things and rushing to the nurses cabin.
I think they called after me, but i dont care. I make sure nurse lane isnt in, before searching her things and finding exactly what im looking for. The book. I take it and rush out to the woods.
I go through the book and write down the things I find necessary.
"SOLOMON GOODE HANGED SARAH FIER (THE WITCH) FOR WITCHCRAFT. 1666.
KILLERS IN SHADYSIDE EVER SINCE."
I write, shaking. My handwriting is pretty messy but its still readable. I connect all of the dots i need and then I remember something from the first night. The hand. Maybe if i put the hand with the body i can find out what i need to. But the body isnt under the tree. i groan, shoving the notebook away from me.
"... You alright?" Tommys voice says. I look up.
"No. i am not." I go to grab the notebook, but Tommy grabs it before i can. he reads everything ive written.
"who- whos solomon?" he asks.
"Uhm- one of nicks ancestors." I sigh.
"and... whats all of this mean?"
"I'm trying to find out whats been going on."
"Right." He hands the notebook back.
I write down a few more things. He sits next to me.
"Got any leads?" he asks eventually.
"You're not gonna like it." i reply.
"If it makes this shit stop, ill love it."
I hesitate.
"It's Nick. it has to be." I eventually reply. He doesn't say anything.
"I know it sounds crazy - but hear me out." I say before standing up and explaining everything to him. He listens carefully.
"so... what do we do?" He asks after i finish.
"I dont know. I- i was thinking of connecting sarah fiers hand with her body but i dont know where it is."
"Its under the hanging tree." He says, as if its common knowledge, which it wouldve been.
"Its not." i sigh.
He looks confused.
"the first night it happened, we dug up under the tree and nothing was there." I sit down next to him again.
We talk about it for a bit before someone approaches us. we look over to see the devil himself, Nick Goode.
"Hey, you guys.. alright?" he says. once he sees the book and all of my notes, he goes pale.
Tommy doesnt seem to notice this, though.
"Were fine." i reply. He quickly rushes off.
"Its him. i know it is." I say immediately. "Did you see that? he saw the book and he was as white as a ghost." I look at Tommy.
"What do we do?" He asks.
"Well... if we cant find the body.. I dont want to, truly, but-"
"We kill him." He finishes my sentence.
"... It feels like the only way. I dont-" he cuts me off.
"I'll do it."
"Tommy.."
"Hes caused you so much pain. he deserves this." he looks like a whole different person.
We talk about it and plan out what Tommys gonna do. Hes going to wait till ziggy and i are asleep and ask nick to go on a walk, then he'll take him to the woods and.. you get it.
We walk back to the cabin, i act as normal as i can, putting the book and notebook into my drawer before anyone notices.
Ziggy and i talk for a bit, before we get tired and decide to go to bed.
"Goodnight, Ziggy." I whisper, sounding relieved. relieved she's alive.
"Yeah, yeah, you too, grandma." She replies, rolling over.
I chuckle softly, facing the wall. a few silent tears fall from my eyes at the thought of everything being over. Ziggy is okay, I'm okay, Tommys okay. Thats all i care about. Soon, i fall asleep.
I have a nightmare that night, where im back in the mess hall. i can't leave, Nick is telling me everything he's done and everything he's planned to do, as if he has no idea of what Tommy has planned. this comforts me. he doesnt know that Tommy is going to kill him. he believes he can get away with this, but he cant. i wont let this happen to anyone else.
I wake up the next morning, Tommy cuddling up behind me. I turn and face him before hugging him tight. he wakes up.
"ah, morning, baby." He puts his hand on the back of my head. I look over at Nicks bed. its empty.
"... Did it work?" I whisper. He nods. I hug him tigher, burrowing my face into his neck. "I love you." i whisper.
"I love you more." he whispers back.
Eventually, we get up. I change into a tank top and jeans since its a little cooler today. As im stood infront of the mirror, detangling my hair, Tommy walks in. I notice he has bruises on his face and hands, along with a cut on his forehead.
"Oh, my god, what happened?" I put my brush down, immediately cupping his face in my hands, tilting his head to see the cut better.
"Babe, im fine." he chuckles, his hands on my waist.
"shut up." I sit him down on the toilet seat. I dig through the cupboards and get the first aid kit. I grab a disinfectant and a clean cloth, cleaning his wound. He winces and seethes through his teeth. "sorry." I whisper. i patch him up, not noticing ziggy watching until she speaks.
"Have you guys seen nick?"
I freeze.
"No, i went out to find him after he didnt come in last night and something attacked me. i dunno what." Tommy replies to her, sounding perfectly normal.
"Huh.. i hope hes alright." She says before going back to bed.
After about a day or two, a missing persons case had been filed on Nick. The cops showed up and questioned all of us over the age of seven.
Tommy and I made sure we had our stories straight. I was asleep by ten. He was out looking for Nick but was back by ten-thirty.
They asked us all the same questions; "How did you know him?"
"Did you have any kind of history with him?"
"Do you have any idea where he could be?"
Luckily, Tommy taught me how to lie the night after everything happened.
I don't feel any remorse. I know exactly what he had planned. he was going to sell Arnies soul to the devil and have him kill almost every shadysider.
What would've happened if we hadn't talked about killing him? what would've happened if we talked to him about it? What did Nick Goode tell Tommy Slater that night?
I can't answer any of these questions, although i can take a pretty good guess at all of them.
all except the last one.
What does Tommy know that I don't?
A/N
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2876 WORDS DNII
i could def write another chapter if yall really want :3
I had a whole other plan for this chapter?? deadass was gonna make arnie kill everyone, but it's fine. we gave the main character more trauma instead.
Chapter 23
Start from the beginning
