"WHAT . . . IS THAT?"
"Sarah Fier's lost hand."
The four girls stared at the witch's hand as Carmen scrunched her nose in disgust. "Nurse Lane, spent her entire life looking for this. A way to stop the curse that took her daughter," Cindy whispered as Ziggy and Carmen looked to each other. Alice pushed the journal forward.
"Without her hand, her grip on the land holds firm. The curse will last until body and hand unite. This led us to the hand bone, and if the legend is true, her body still buried"
"By the hanging tree," Carmen answered studying the map. Cindy looked up as Carmen cursed. "Shit, so we have to put her back together, to—"
"To end the curse. W-we can end this," Cindy answered as Alice gave a nod. "No more murders, no more curse. No more . . . pain . . . We can save Shadyside." Ziggy dragged the skeleton hand over. Resting her's on top, her nose began to bleed.
Carmen raised her brows, calling Ziggy's name who ignored her. The red-head's blood dripped onto the bone as her body went slack. Ziggy gasped as she was faced with a sequence of red flashes. An angry witch screamed as Carmen quickly grabbed her shoulders.
"Ziggy?"
Ziggy gasped for air touching her bloody nose. "I bled on the hand and . . . I think I just saw her," she mumbled as Cindy's eyes widened.
"Who?"
"Sarah Fier"
Carmen's eyes widened as she quickly began to wipe away at her girlfriend's nose. She furrowed her brows at her now bloody hands. "She was angry" Ziggy answered between breaths. Alice looked to Cindy sternly.
"We have to bury this thing . . . right fucking now," she muttered as Cindy nodded to the three. The two counselors got up as Ziggy looked to Carmen fearfully.
"Carmen, I messed up," she whispered but the brunette shook her head.
"No, you didn't, you're gonna be fine. We're gonna be fine. We're getting out of here remember?" Carmen added unconvincingly attempting to give a charming smile. Ziggy ran her hand through her red waves worryingly. Carmen thumbed her pocket knife before placing it into her girlfriend's hand.
"There's no way we're letting her get to you," Carmen added pulling Ziggy in. She sighed in relief as the two rested their foreheads against each other. "I love you," she added as Ziggy smiled.
"Sorry for getting blood all over you," Ziggy answered placing a small kiss on Carmen's lips. The brunette looked to her sadly before walking hand in hand to the door. Cindy passed out shovels as Alice frowned. "What? I have to use my hands?"
"No, you're staying here."
"Come on, I can hop just fine," she hopped proving her point. Carmen stifled a laugh as Cindy tilted her head. Alice's smile faded.
"I watched my dad go to jail when I was six . . I watched my mom steal so I can eat . . . the first time I cut myself I was 12, it was after . . . well you know, but tonight, I watched your perfect boyfriend turn into a monster and kill the only person I've ever loved . . . I've waited my whole fucking life for this. Let me see this through . . . for Arnie , for Tommy,"
"For Max," Carmen chimed in as Alice shook her head.
"For Shadyside."
Cindy's jaw relaxed as she slowly nodded. "For Shadyside," she answered turning to Carmen and Ziggy. "For Shadyside," they answered in unison.
Cindy suddenly screamed. The Nightwing killer barged in swinging the axe at Alice, who fell to the floor. Carmen jumped apart from Ziggy throwing a look at Cindy.
"I thought you killed him!?" She yelled as Cindy
knocked down the now-dead killer. He regained his stance but not before Cindy sent him into the wall. "Fuck! Why won't you fucking die?" Cindy cried beheading her perfect boyfriend. Ziggy gasped as his head rolled onto the ground with a sickening crunch.
"Shit, why didn't you tell me your sister was that cool," Carmen muttered shakily walking towards Alice. She crouched to her knees as Cindy fell besides her.
"Alice—Alice? Just stay with me Alice," Cindy whimpered.
"You did it snitch," Alice gasped as Cindy shook her head. "Guess that's why I've always loved you," her breath shook. Slowly it stopped. Cindy sobbed placing a hand on top of the dead counselor. Ziggy crouched besides the brunette. In front of them, singing echoed.
"You always hurt the one you love, the one you shouldn't hurt at all".
"W-what the fuck is that?" The brunette asked fearfully as Cindy looked forwards. Slowly, Cindy and Ziggy crept towards the kitchen. Carmen stood up to follow, but was caught off guard by a static noise. Reaching into her pocket, she grabbed the black walk-ie talkie.
"Hello?"
"CARMEN? I'm here—WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU?" A voice yelled on the other side. Carmen furrowed her brows hearing her brother's voice. "Max? Wait you're still alive? What the hell?" She asked before watching Cindy and Ziggy sprint out of the kitchen.
"Run!" Cindy yelled. Behind the Berman sisters, Carmen saw a 60's styled girl climb out of the vent. Her jaw dropped as she quickly grabbed her shovel. "There's more of them?!" Carmen screamed. While Tommy latched onto Ziggy's leg, Cindy pulled her sister as the three ran out the mess-hall's double doors.
Carmen looked out into the dark camp."Max—he's here!" Carmen yelled as the three girls ran towards the tree. Cindy stopped her.
"You have to go, you need to find him," she rushed out but Carmen hesitated looking to Ziggy. "Carmen, you need to go. Ziggy and I are ending this right now, we'll be fine," her voice broke off as Carmen's breath shook. Ziggy quickly pulled her girlfriend into a tight hug.
"Nothing will pull us apart," she rushed out as Carmen nodded into her shoulder.
"Never again . . . so try to hurry" Carmen mumbled pulling away. Cindy threw a sad look to Ziggy before nodding. As the Berman sister's continued running towards the tree Carmen shuddered. At the mess-hall, Ruby Lane pushed through the doors wielding a razor blade. Carmen cursed running to the side, turning her head over watching Ziggy and Cindy reach the tree. Grabbing her walkie-talkie, she pressed the button as she ran.
"MAX! Where are you?" she yelled before running into a figure. Gasping, she attempted to stab the figure with her shovel, but the tall figure grabbed her arm as the shovel fell to the ground. Looking up her gaze met a familiar pair of warm brown eyes.
"Max?"
"Carmen?"
"Why are you covered in blood?" She asked shakily before Max pulled her into a hug. She sighed into his chest as he looked to the two girls in the distance. Crouching down he held onto his sister's shoulders as his eyes met her bloody hand.
"Carmen, why are you still here? Where is everyone? " he rushed but she couldn't answer. "Fuck, okay, we need to leave, but first you need to tell me where Nick is," he heaved out as her brows shot up. She quickly shook her head.
"I—I don't know where he is. But right now we need to help Cindy and Ziggy, they're out there—"she tried to turn her head but Max cupped her face. "Max . . . are you okay?" Her voice broke off as he shuttered.
"Carmen, you need to listen to me. You want to know the truth what happened to dad?" she nodded, "Fine, he was killed, he was part of the Shadyside massacres." Carmen sunk into her brother's hand. "You know what they say about this place? Shit is doomed. Nick is the only one who knows about this so you need to tell me where he is."
"Max, he has nothing to do with that," she tried to answer pulling away but he tightened his grip.
"Carmen, you weren't there, you need to stay away from him and here but please, where is he—"
But that was the last sentence he said before making a gut wrenching sound as a knife pierced through his chest. Carmen's eyes widened watching his blood spill. She looked up angrily planning to charge at his killer but Max pushed her away.
"Go! Run!" he yelled feeling the blade rip out. He fell the the ground as the the heavy figure slashed at his chest. "Carmen—" his voice broke off. He watched his sister scream as she turned to run looking over her shoulder. She was watching him die. Turning he faced his father's killer.
"holyshitthey'rereal!" Carmen rushed out spinning her head seeing that Ziggy and Cindy were surrounded by figures. Cindy threw off her younger sister before charging at the Nightwing killer. Carmen screamed trying to run towards the two, but not before feeling her gut slashed.
The brunette screamed in pain as the Grifter held onto her. Her eyes clouded in tears as she was pulled away. In the distance, Cindy was knocked out by Tommy's axe as Ziggy was thrown to the ground, right underneath that god damn tree.
"Ziggy," she yelled but her scream was muffled. The grifter dragged her away throwing her to the ground besides Max. "Max—" she whimpered trying to reach him. As the figure attempted to plunge his knife, Carmen grasped the shovel besides her sinking it into his chest. "FUCK YOU!" She yelled but the Grifter tore out the shovel swatting it away and slamming her back onto the ground. Before she could crawl away, the Grifter sent the knife plunging into her chest . . . over . . . and over . . and over again.
At first, her chest burned, but now it was rhythmic. She coughed up blood watching the stars in the sky. Turning, she saw Ziggy and Cindy under the tree. Tommy Slater slashed his girlfriend's chest as Ziggy Berman was stabbed over and over again. Looking besides her, she saw Max's breathing shake.
"'Max—I'm sorry," she heaved out watching his dark curls covered in blood. His eyes fluttered as she tearfully closed her eyes. "Thanks for being my brother," she broke off accepting death. He faintly smiled trying to reach out and grab her hand but she was too far. Carmen felt a tear roll down her cheek. In her head, her mind went to Ziggy Berman's vibrant blue eyes.
Maybe in another lifetime they were meant to be.
But for now, Carmen Caswell stopped breathing.
It was over.
a/n : oh my gosh, two chapters left of 1978 ahhh!