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"This is my other problem, There are four of us now. And I don't know why- but we're feeling MEANER than usual!"

The words echo through Evan Ross' head before he realizes he's having this dream again. The one he hasn't had since he was a kid. Practically a lifetime ago. Maybe it's because he's in a new house now or something. He doesn't know why it's chosen to come back now, really, but instantly, he's teleported back to that awful summer. More specifically, how it had ended. With himself, Andy and Kermit, encircled by four angry clones of Conan Barber. The same Conan Barber who had bullied him through middle school and made his already hell-ish life even more of a living hell, ready to devour him. Conan had eaten the Monster Blood. Of course he'd wind up doing something like that. Then again, it wasn't really Monster Blood, was it? Not the true kind anyway. The blue blobs, or "underwater fighting force" as the Professor had described them, only found their way inside that can of Monster Blood by sheer coincidence. Still, it didn't stop Evan from considering the event just another way Monster Blood had robbed him of a normal childhood. What started out as nothing more than a novelty toy- a can of green slime, the kind you'd find in practically any toy section in any store, spiraled out of control, leading to a chain of events that somehow ended with him suffocated on a street corner by Conan's clones. Not a way out in sight.

In these kinds of nightmares, Evan never survives. The three of them are torn to pieces before he can even scream. In reality, though, events played out differently. Much like the blue blobs, the Conans continued to multiply exponentially as they consumed more and more water, tearing open fire hydrants just to get what they wanted. Each new wave of them were angrier, thirstier than the last and soon, they covered the neighborhood in droves. If Evan could use one word to describe it, it would be chaos. Even the cops and firemen got involved to deal with the Conan situation. Needless to say, the pressurized hoses did little to help.

All seemed hopeless. Hopeless, that is, until Kermit suggested they just wait things out. The blue blobs had eventually turned on each other, so surely the same would eventually happen to Conan? Then bye bye Conan Barber. None of the blobs had survived, after all. That was Kermit's reasoning, and Andy was quick to agree to the plan. I'm sure you have a genius alternative, don't you, Evan? she snarked. Evan was reluctant. He hated Conan, sure, but to just let him die? It seemed a bit screwed up, to say the least, even if a darker side of him liked the idea. But before long, Andy's goading had changed his mind like it always did and the three of them were watching with stunned horror as the Conan clones turned cannibalistic, tearing chunks of flesh out of each other like a zombie flick come to life. The sight of one of the Conans, fresh blood dripping down his mouth, was left etched into his memory, and feels even more vivid as he's forced to relive the moment. As the massacre continues, one of the surviving Conan turns to him and shouts one word: EVAN. His eyes and face are full of such rage it gives Evan chills. No, Goosebumps.

Evan finds himself opening his mouth in a scream of horror before he jolts awake, covered in sweat. As Evan struggles to come back to reality, all that terror floods back into him as he turns his eyes towards something moving at the foot of his bed. Something blue in color. He panics. It must be one of the blue blobs, back to finish off the job!

Evan breathes a sigh of relief as he realizes the blue figure is nothing more than his blanket on the floor. Probably kicked off during his nightmare. Not a monster at all. Still, the color brings back bad memories. At least it's not green, Evan tells himself. He had a whole argument with his mother about it. No way was he touching anything green ever again. Not in this lifetime. It had screwed up so much of his life already. The blue blanket had been a compromise. Not one he was happy about, but a compromise nonetheless. Why couldn't she just have picked red or something? There are more than two fucking colors in the rainbow. Now awake, Evan looks at his alarm. 7 AM. Not enough time to go back to sleep. Not that he even wants to, but it leaves too much time for Evan to wrestle with all the thoughts now running through his head.

Dreams like that feel more like premonitions for Evan. At least that's how he views them. They come creeping into his brain just before something bad was going to happen. Just like the dream he had of his dog, Trigger, getting into the Monster Blood again, growing to the size of a house and swallowing Evan up. That was just days before Cuddles, the hamster in Evan's sixth-grade class, had gotten his own dose of Monster Blood and terrorized the school. Dreams meant bad news for Evan. Still, though, all that stuff was years ago. He was a teenager now, a sophomore in high school. All the terror the Monster Blood had caused finally seemed to be behind him for a change.

He chalks it up as simple nerves. Today is his first day at a new school. His parents decided it was time for a fresh start. While they'd never say it directly, he knew the Monster Blood is largely to blame. At night, he'd overhear his parents arguing, saying how worried they were about him since the green substance had become practically the only thing he'd talk about. Evan's mother once said she'd never seen him smile since that summer at Aunt Kathryn's, and maybe this was true, but it had all caused even more of a rift between Evan and his parents, and they were eager to move somewhere that didn't stir up those bad memories. So they left Atlanta for a small town in Ohio called Dark Falls. Evan had never even heard of it prior. Just the name alone sounded unsettling. Oddly familiar too. Maybe it was on the news or something? But his parents insisted upon the town. It was their first choice, in fact. From what Evan had seen of it, after a weekend spent touring it, Dark Falls looked like your everyday small town, nothing more, and the community was friendly enough. High School was a different story though. Evan didn't quite know what to expect there. Being the new kid hadn't worked out well for him before. That's just because you wouldn't shut up about Monster Blood, he scolded himself. No wonder why everyone thought he was such a weirdo. Just act normal this time around. You can avoid another Conan Barber that way. Conan. Ugh. Evan didn't want to think about him right now. Not after his nightmare.

Maybe I'll just walk to school? Evan questions. Dark Falls was small, after all, so the high school wasn't very far from his house. Plus it would give him the opportunity to clear his head a little bit. Evan made up his mind, getting out of bed and pulling a fresh long-sleeve shirt from his closet. He replaced his current shirt, throwing the new one over his head before buttoning up the top. Evan paused to look at himself in the mirror, a large one of which was fixed on the wall at a slightly crooked angle. His curly ginger hair was currently a mess and the bags under his eyes were more than evident. The shirt did compliment his muscles though, Evan had to admit. He'd spent the past few years working out, vowing if he were ever to encounter any more monsters, he'd be able to fight them this time. Andy would tease the hell out of me if she saw me right now, Evan call me a dork, among many other names. Her new favorite was "fuckboy". She learned that one online. Andy. That was another name he didn't want to think about. Leaving her was the hardest thing. While she promised to visit, Evan knew it wouldn't be the same without her as a neighbor. Now he was back to being on his own again. He hardly had any friends before he met Andy, and surely, Evan never met anyone like her since. She kept things interesting, even if those same things could be dangerous and more often than not, landed him in trouble.

Even walks past the hamster cage on his desk, inside which a tiny animal is currently sleeping.

"Good morning, Cuddles." Evan says to his pet. It doesn't respond.

The hamster wasn't the original Cuddles, the one that had nearly destroyed his middle school after ingesting Monster Blood. No, that Cuddles had lived a long, happy life with him after Mr. Murphy practically gave it away, and had since passed on to wherever animals go when they die. This was Cuddles The Third, named after the original, and technically, the second too, who had also passed, and compared to the first, this Cuddles hardly moved a muscle. Evan wondered if he should get him a new playmate. Another hamster. If he did, he'd name it Andy. After all, everyone needed an Andy in their life, didn't they? Evan slings his backpack over his shoulder, having already packed (hopefully) everything he needs for the first day and leaves a note for his parents, telling them he's walking to school and will see them later. XOXO, Evan. All that jazz. And then he's off, the sound of creaking floorboards following with each step before he's outside, now staring at the front of the house.

On the outside, it doesn't look the friendliest, that's for sure. The blue paint is fading, looking almost gray in color. In fact the whole house feels as if it has been washed over with a coat of deep gray, a color that carries over to the cloudy sky above Evan. Why does Dark Falls have to be so literal in its name? The place is fucking depressing. Maybe there was a time it looked jolly and welcoming, but now is certainly not that time. The trees are practically barren, especially odd considering it's technically still summer, and there are more patches of cold air than there are hot. Maybe it was a good choice that Evan chose long sleeves to wear today, because as he walks, the brisk wind continues to walk alongside him, bringing bits of dead leaves swirling around the streets in a kind of eerie rhythm.

It's about ten minutes of walking before Evan realizes he has no idea where he's actually going. He'd been given directions, but you can bet those fell out of his head very easily. Everything around him looked the exact same. Shit, Evan thought. Shit. Shit. Shit. Am I going to be late on my first day? No. Evan started running, hoping someone could help him. There had to be another teen around here, right? Evan stops just as he reaches a patch of dark trees and freezes as a shadowy figure emerges from behind them.

"Who- who are you?" Evan calls out to the figure in a shaky voice.

It doesn't respond and keeps walking toward him. Before Evan can ask again, the figure is upon him, and this time, there's no way out!

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Evan shrieks in horror as the figure grabs a hold of him, getting a good look at his surprise attacker. It's.. a girl? A brunette, by the looks of it, and she looks just as frightened as he is.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you like that. I was just trying to get your attention." She tells him.

Evan takes a second to catch his breath. He's sure his face is probably as red as his hair now. When will he ever stop being so paranoid? Now that he's looking at her, the girl looks like she couldn't hurt a fly. How did he ever think she was some monster? She was actually kind of cute, though Evan would never say that part out loud.

"Scared?" Evan finally says. "I wasn't scared. I was just trying to scare YOU." He tells the girl. A total lie, of course, anything to gain back the sense of bravado he had just lost in mere seconds.

"Really? That scream sounded pretty real to me." Okay, now she just looks smug about it. Who does this girl think she is? Only Andy could get away with a look like that.

"Alright, you got me. I was a little spooked alright? You like scaring people like that?" Evan admits.

"Of course not! In fact, I'm not really used to being the one who scares people." She says, but part of Evan wonders if she's telling the truth. "If it helps, I'm sorry. Are you a high schooler?" She asks.

"Yeah, I'm kind of a newbie. I'm Evan. My family just moved to Dark Falls. I, uh, got a little lost walking to school."

"Oh, you can follow me. I know the way. My name's Carly Beth by the way. I'm new in town too." She says.

"Carly Beth? That's.. an interesting name. Do I call you Carly or Beth?" Evan asks. It's a legitimate question.

"You can call me Carly Beth." She says, unamused, and Evan regrets making the comment.

"You look kinda familiar, you know." Carly Beth says.

Evan wonders if she's going to say what he thinks she's going to say. Had his reputation as the "crazy Monster Blood kid" come back to haunt him, all the way in Dark Falls?

"You weren't on TV, were you? Like the-"

"The Strange Report? With Derek and Margo Strange, yeah. That was me." Evan admits, embarrassed.

The Strange Report was a television show, presenting all kinds of supernatural oddities. The hosts, Derek and Margo, brought on supposed eyewitnesses to share their experiences. Evan had been one of them. It was his mother's idea, thinking maybe sharing his experiences with Monster Blood with the world could help him deal with his trauma. Instead, it only earned him more mockery at school. Most people still seemed to think the whole thing was fake, though there were rumors of other Monster Blood incidents happening in places beyond Atlanta. Eventually, the company was shut down for good.

"Oh my god, yeah, that's it. My mom used to watch that show religiously. She loved that kind of stuff, you know? Meanwhile, I'd have to hide behind the couch I was scared so bad."

"Really? You seem like the type to love scary stuff." Evan says.

"I can stomach it a lot better now than I used to. My girlfriend, Sabrina, she loves horror, but I was scared of everything as a kid, then things.. changed."

Girlfriend? Evan feels a little disappointed at the mention, but pushes the thought to the side of his head. Romance is the least of his concerns. So he just nods in response, thinking that maybe he has more in common with Carly Beth than he expected. "Hey, I usually have to close my eyes when I watch horror films." Evan confesses. He doesn't know why he tells her this, but somehow it all comes out naturally.

"Well, I'm happy you were able to meet a celebrity, but please, keep it under wraps, okay? I'm trying to forget about all that. I'd be happy to never hear the words Monster Blood again." Evan tells her, and it comes out harsher than intended.

Carly Beth pauses to look at him, a thoughtful look in her brown eyes. "I can tell whatever happened was painful for you, and I believe you. About everything. I'm trying to forget some bad things myself. I guess you could say you're not the only one with a monster in their past. We all have our own.. darkness."

This time, Evan grows curious. The words feel as reassuring as they do chilling. It wasn't often he met anyone who believed his wild stories. Not that he blamed them, but there seemed to be a darkness around Carly Beth. Evan wasn't sure if he wanted to know what it was, but he asked anyway. "Oh? And what's your monster?"

"That's my secret, Evan. Maybe I'll tell you someday. Now come on, let's get inside." Carly Beth says, before a smirk grows on her face.

Evan realizes they've finally made it. This is Dark Falls High. The building looks practically gothic. If he knew any better, he'd call it a prison. Then again, high school and prison weren't that different. The steps leading to the front door are like one large open mouth, ready to chomp down on all those who enter. Why did everything have to remind Evan of monsters? Maybe he was doomed to be this way now. Whatever the case, he and Carly Beth stepped inside for their first day in Dark Falls High. Neither of them could have expected what would happen next.

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It all starts with a single glance. She has raven hair, a deep black the same shade as her fingernails, lipstick, and knee-high dress with white polka dots covering it. Whoever she is, she demands attention, and all eyes, not just Evan's, are on her. Earth to Evan, he imagines Andy telling him, Stop drooling over the rich snob, please. At least he assumes she's rich. Her clothes sure look expensive. As does her makeup. Even her hair looks professionally done. Did she wake up looking that good? If so, Evan was jealous. His hair was a nightmare to deal with. All he needed to know now was her name, and he probably wouldn't have to wait long for that information.

Evan watches from his seat as the teacher walks up to the front of the room to introduce herself, her blue heels clacking against the tile floor as she does so. Her mouth, currently coated with red lipstick, twists into a smile and Evan can't help but feel there's something a little off with this woman. Her skin is oddly pale, like raw chicken at the supermarket, and her head way too large for her body, with a pile of thick brown hair currently pulled into a bun. Beneath a pair of thickly rimmed glasses, she has a pair of piercing green eyes and they're currently scanning the room. For what exactly, Evan doesn't know. Ugh, why green? Evan shudders, before reminding himself once again that this is a fresh start. Forget about the Monster Blood. It's for your own good.

"Hello students, Welcome to English II. You may call me Mrs. Maaargh. I want you to remember that. Not "Mrs. M or anything like that, you will address me by my full name." The teacher speaks. Her voice comes out a lot more gravely than Evan expected.

Mrs. Maaargh writes her name on the chalkboard and Evan studies it closely. Maaargh. With three Es. That's going to be fun to spell, he thinks. The hell kind of name was that, anyway? It sounds like someone clearing their throat and hacking up a loogie. Like a smoker having a coughing fit. Like a monster growling. Stop it. Evan tells himself. She's probably a nice lady, just a little strict. You've had awful teachers before and survived.

"It's nice to see so much fresh meat here today. Excuse me, I mean fresh faces. Dark Falls isn't used to this many new students, so this semester should be.. exciting." Mrs. Maaargh begins to laugh, a kind of mad cackle. Evan isn't sure what's so funny, and neither does anyone else in the class.

"I guess we have YOU to thank for that, don't we, Lucy?" Mrs. Maaargh turns her attention to the raven-haired girl.

Lucy. So that's her name.

"Well come on, introduce yourself. It's not often Dark Falls High gets a student of such prominence." Mrs. Maaargh says, before she brings Lucy up to the front with her. Well, maybe it would be more accurate to say she pulls her, right of her seat. Mrs. Maaargh is already proving to be one aggressive woman. Lucy looks a little startled, before regaining her composure. It's hard to read her face after that, but Evan's attention remains fixed on the girl.

"Hello. My name is Lucy Dark. You might have heard of my family, the Darks."

"Dark? You mean like Larry Dark?" a boy with blonde hair interrupts Lucy's spiel.

Evan can tell she's irritated, her dark eyes casting a cold glance in the guy's direction, but she continues. "He prefers Lawrence, but yes. It's true, my father has appeared multiple times in Forbes Magazine for his various.. Investments. Most recently and most importantly, he has purchased the town of Dark Falls. He plans to make it better than it's ever been."

Her father owns the entire town? Evan can hardly believe it. Much less comprehend why someone would do something like that. Because he's rich, Evan, Andy would probably say. Rich fuckers will do whatever they want to inflate their egos. I mean come on, just listen to the name. Dark Falls. The guy's totally vain to buy a place like that. That whole family is full of selfish assholes.

No. Evan tells the imaginary Andy bickering in his head. Lucy's different, he can tell already. Who cares if her Dad may or may not be a jerk? Andy was so quick to judge people. Although more often than not she was right about them. Still, Andy wasn't here right now. It was up to Evan to make his own judgements. Not that he was ever very good with that, but he'd have to try.

"Isn't that wonderful? It's been so long since our small town received so much attention." Mrs. Maaargh licked her lips, making a wet noise that made Evan instantly uncomfortable. "Not to mention, he'll finally be tearing down that awful factory, and its place.. something new, like a phoenix born from the ashes. That's a little literary metaphor for you. You should remember it going forward."

Factory? Evan knows she must be talking about the old chemical plant on the outskirts of town. That place was in rough shape. Like it hadn't seen use in decades, which was probably true. As for all the stuff about Phoenixes, Evan has no idea what Mrs. Maaargh is going on about.

"Lucy.. you said your family is living in the *ahem*, the Dead House, didn't you? Not that any of the rumors about it are actually true, but I'm afraid that name has stuck." Mrs. Maaargh asks, a strange smirk on her face.

"Yes, he plans to renovate that old place into a house my whole family can live in. And for the record, I do believe in ghosts, Mrs. Maaargh. Ghosts.. and especially monsters. What about you? Do you believe in monsters?"

She turns.

It takes Evan a few seconds before he realizes Lucy's staring right at HIM as she asks that question. This is it, he realizes. His big secret's out!

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Nope. Evan totally misjudged. Lucy wasn't looking at him at all. He just hoped she was. In reality, she was asking Mrs. Maaargh if she believed in monsters, and Evan almost embarrassed himself once again in front of the entire class. He was fully ready to ask Lucy how she knew about the Monster Blood. Thank God he was cut off by Maaargh before that could happen.

"I don't know. I think monsters can be an interesting metaphor for the horrors we face everyday in our society. Or sometimes the monsters are the most sympathetic characters in their stories. Take Frankenstein for example. The monster was the true victim." Mrs. Maaargh explains.

Evan scoffs. Victims? Didn't they know monsters hurt and ate people? That they would just keep growing no matter how much they consumed and destruction they caused? That they dogs, hamsters and people into giants? Sure, you could make the argument the Monster Blood never had a brain to begin with, but the chaos it caused was real nonetheless. Nothing anyone could say would change Evan's mind on that matter.

But Lucy nods. "I couldn't agree more, Mrs. Maaargh."

He begins to question if maybe he was wrong about Lucy. What did she know about monsters? But then he looks at Lucy's face again and feels himself melting. You have issues, Evan. He was sure Andy would tell him that, and she was right, but he doesn't care. He was going to learn more about Lucy, even if it killed him.

The rest of class continues like most first days, and with first days come the dreaded icebreakers. You know, all that "tell me a little about yourself" and "what did you do over the summer?" type shit. Reluctantly, Evan fills out a sheet of information, thinking Mrs. Maaargh will probably never read it anyway.

Favorite color? Anything besides green.

Film? He hardly watched those anymore. Last time, he fell asleep in the theater while watching the League of Good Guys movie. It was a dark gritty reimagining of Evan's favorite comic book heroes. He hated every second of it, especially when the Galloping Gazelle broke his strict no killing rule.

As for his favorite childhood memory? Watching an evil witch get eaten up by her own cursed Monster Blood. Yeah, now that was satisfying, Evan chuckles to himself.

But then Evan sits in boredom as Mrs. Maaargh has everyone read off their sheet and listens to everyone rattling on about how great their summer was. How they went to Niagara Falls, Disney World, HorrorLand, Los Angeles, Camp Jellyjam, and so on. How nice for them. At least Evan's days babysitting Kermit were over. His cousin had already graduated college thanks to his high IQ and was currently developing projects for the US Military with the power of science. Or so Evan had been told. No, now Evan's summers were pretty boring, which was perfectly fine for him. The last "exciting" one was when Andy took him around town as she left graffiti all over the city. They had almost been arrested that night, but Evan had to admit he liked the thrill of it.

He listens as the rest of the class introduce themselves. The blonde guy who interrupted Lucy earlier, his name is apparently Jerry Hawkins. He says he's big into baseball. Something about good hands? A shy, nerdy-looking kid with wavy dark hair tucked under a gray beanie says his name is Ricky Beamer. Evan hadn't even noticed him sitting at the back of the room. He probably prefers it that way. The last name Evan hears as his mind drifts off to fantasy land is Amy Kramer, a smaller girl with tan skin and brown hair. She tells the class she's really into Reggae music, and has been trying to become an artist like her older sister.

Evan sneaks a glance at Mrs. Maaargh and wonders what she's thinking right now. She still look as if she's surveying everyone here, her eyes full of the same hungry look one would look at a piece of meat just before they chomp down. Evan hopes he's not the next meal.

As the bell rings, Evan finds himself following after Lucy, barely keeping up with the girl's surprisingly fast walking speed. Eventually, he catches up.

"Hey. Lucy? I'm Ethan." Evan says, before realizing his mistake. "Shit. I mean, I'm Evan."

He hopes maybe his slip-up will make Lucy laugh, but the girl doesn't really react, she just stares.

"I know exactly who you are, Evan." she says.

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"You- you do?" Evan chokes out.

"Of course. I have all my class rosters memorized." Lucy tells him, as if she's bragging about this fact.

"Oh." Evan states bluntly. Frankly, he feels disappointed. What else was he expecting? And most importantly, who the hell cares enough to memorize everyone on the first day? So he decides to change the subject.

"So, you dad really owns Dark Falls? Kind of a creepy place, don't you think?"

"I find it charming." Lucy says. "Don't you live here too?"

"Well yeah but.. living in it is a bit different than owning the town. Maybe a better word would be weird."

"I'm sure some people would call you weird for introducing yourself like this, Evan. Can I help you with something?"

Lucy's words sting. He was just trying to be friendly. Then again, he is acting strange, isn't he?

"You wouldn't be the first to call me a weirdo." Evan confesses, hoping that maybe it will lighten the mood.

"I'm not surprised. You are pretty cute though, Evan. I think that makes up for it." Lucy tells him. Finally, she smirks.

Evan ignores the last part and feels himself blushing. Lucy just called him cute. Maybe things are looking up after all. He struggles to come up with something to respond with.

"Oh yeah?" He asks.

"Yeah, I think it's the hair. I've got a thing for gingers."

Evan blushes more. It felt like his red hair was typically just another reason for people to tease him, but if Lucy likes it, it must be cool.

"You're not bad yourself." Evan says, and can't believe he's saying it. He's never really flirted with anyone before, so it feels unnatural, to say the least. Should he ask her out? He's about to ask when Lucy cuts him off.

"So, where do you live, Evan?"

"Oh, uh.. small house on Elm Street. My family just moved here. Kind of like right in the middle? It's blue. Well, blue-gray is more accurate."

Lucy nods. "That's close to the cemetery, isn't it? Past Cemetery Drive?"

Evan pauses. It's a strange question. "I guess so. I haven't really looked."

Lucy looks at him curiously. "Are you scared?" she asks.

He wishes people would stop asking him that question all the time. "Nah. It's just not somewhere I thought to check out. Who wants to hang out in a cemetery? There's too much.. death there, you know? I figure there's enough of that in the world that I don't need to visit some old graveyard."

Lucy's expression changes to a thoughtful one. "That's true, but it's really not that scary. I find it peaceful."

"Peaceful?" Evan questions.

"Yeah. Quiet." Lucy responds.

"Probably because everyone's dead." Evan says.

Lucy laughs, a kind of soft giggle. "Mostly everyone. I'd be respectful of the dead though, if I were you." she says.

Mostly? What is supposed to mean? Does Dark Falls have a zombie problem or something?

"Why don't you join me sometime? I can show you some of the really old tombstones. There was this huge gas leak and- Well, I'll tell you more if you meet me there tonight. Do we have a date?" Lucy asks.

Evan stutters. His dumbass hasn't screwed things up for once. Still, the cemetery is an odd place for a first date. He questions just what he's gotten himself into, but his answer comes out quickly. "Sure. I'm down."

"Great- I'll see you around, Ethan- I mean, Evan." She laughs, and Evan joins.

"Oh, and one more thing-" Lucy says.

"Yeah?" Evan asks.

"Welcome to Dark Falls."

Chapter Text

After his conversation with Lucy Dark, Evan can't think straight the entire rest of the school day, leading to him being knocked in the head with a basketball during PE. The thing is hard too, enough to leave Evan wheezing on the ground. Don't go into the light! He tells himself as his eyes start to shut into darkness. Conan Barber once did something similar to him before. On purpose. With a bowling ball. When Evan asked him why, Conan had just chuckled and said Whoops, butter fingers. He'd spent two weeks in the hospital because of that, getting his head sewn back together, all the while having the strangest dreams of his life. When she found out, Andy suggested they use Monster Blood as revenge- give Conan and his stupid bowling team a sample. Just imagine a whole team of giants. It'd be a riot! Andy laughed. Evan admitted it would be funny, but no matter how funny, using the Monster Blood always ended in disaster.

It's Amy Kramer, the short girl from Mrs. Maaargh's class, who pulls him up from off the floor. He's surprised when she seems to lift him rather effortlessly. He questions if he should start working out some more.

"You okay?" Amy asks

"Yeah, just caught me off guard, that's all." Evan says.

This seems to be enough of an answer for Amy, because she walks off almost immediately. Evan looks in the teacher's direction. Her name is Ellen. Ellen doesn't seem to have noticed what happened. Instead, she's currently snapping at Ricky Beamer for not taking part in the game.

"When you're in my class, you play, I don't care what kind of good grades you get. You won't get a good grade in mine, Beamer!" Ellen yells.

Ricky looks as if this comment amuses him, because his thin lips curl into a smirk. He raises a single dark eyebrow. He's not bad-looking, Evan has to admit, but it like he's trying to make himself look as spooky and mysterious as possible. His gray beanie still covers most of his hair, though thin, wispy strands of dark hair are poking out and covering parts of his eyes. Ricky wears a black leather jacket with tiny silver spikes on the shoulders. Underneath he wears a faded gray Radiohead t-shirt. His blue jeans have holes and tears throughout. If Evan had to guess, Ricky probably tore them himself rather than just bought them like that. No doubt he's probably sweating in this hot gymnasium, it's hardly gym attire but Ricky isn't showing any signs of weakness.

"I just don't see how this will benefit me in the future. As far as I'm concerned, this class is pointless. It's just for jocks and the feeble minded with nothing else going for them." Ricky says in a voice full of snark.

Typical nerd. He reminds Evan of Kermit.

Ellen looks like she's about to blow a fuse, but regains composure. "I'm glad you think so highly of us, Ricky, but at the end of the day, it's us athletes who are successful."

Ricky snickers wetly. "You're a high school gym teacher making minimum wage. You call THAT success? I'm going to be the one changing the world. Who gives a shit if I know how to dribble a ball?"

Evan imagines what would happen if Conan ever met Ricky. He'd be pounding him hard before Ricky got the chance to make another snarky comment like that. To be honest, it sorta made him admire Ellen for not doing the same. Although another part of Evan wanted to get to know Ricky some more. He seemed like someone who didn't give a fuck about anything and spoke their minds. It felt like Evan often fell in with that type of crowd. If Evan could get him alone, maybe he'd exchange some words with Ricky.

"Shut up and play ball, Beamer." Ellen snaps, gesturing to Amy to hand her the ball. She complies and Ellen tosses it to Ricky as soon as it enters her grasp.

Evan's surprised when Ricky catches it with both hands. He grips it tightly, curling his nails around it like a pair of claws. There's an intense look in his eyes and Evan watches as Ricky throws the ball behind his head, which successfully goes right through the hoop, bouncing several times as it hits the wood floor. Evan can hardly believe he managed it.

Ricky chuckles and Ellen looks pissed, like she was hoping he would fail. Instead, Ricky played her for a fool. Evan tries not to laugh himself but fails, letting out a genuine chuckle. Ricky notices, turning that cheeky grin of his toward Evan. It's kind of attractive.

"I'm sorry for what I said earlier. I'll play your little games from now on. They're kinda fun." He says to Ellen. "Hey ginger, catch!"

Evan doesn't realize Ricky's referring to him until the ball is thrown in his direction. This time, he catches it though and before long, he finds himself going head to head with Ricky, who's able to play quite well despite his current attire.

As Evan passes Ricky on the court, he hears the boy whisper something. "Hey ginger. Got something I need to tell you."

"Kind of in the middle of something right now. Pay attention." Evan says, but he is curious.

"The game can wait. This is important." Ricky says.

"Fine. What?"

"Well, I don't mean to alarm you, ginger, but if I were you- I'd stay far away from the Darks."

Chapter Text

"The Darks? What are you talking about?" Evan says, as if trying to sound all innocent. It doesn't work.

"Oh come on, I saw you eyeing Lucy and when you were talking to her in the hallway. She's bad news."

Lucy? This is the first time Evan's heard anything negative about her. Ricky does seem like an asshole, but Evan wonders why he would tell him this.

"What do you mean bad news? She seemed nice to me." Evan asks. He doesn't know why he's defending Lucy so much when even he hardly knows anything about her.

"Yeah, well, that's how Lucy gets you. She and her whole family- mother, father, brother. They're monsters."

Evan goes cold at the word, but scoffs at the sheer absurdity. "Monsters? Isn't that a little extreme, man? I mean, maybe her dad is a little mean-"

"No, dumbass. I mean LITERAL monsters. Not just as in "they're evil rich monsters", the Darks are literal monsters. They can make themselves look human, but whenever anyone's not looking, they shift into.. Well, something else. Something evil."

"Like what?"

"I don't know. I've never seen them." Ricky confesses.

"Then how do you know they're monsters?" Evan asks.

Ricky goes silent.

"Ricky. Are you making this up? I thought I saw you looking at Lucy too-"

"No, I'm not making this up. I know how weird this is going to sound but.. uh.. a talking ventriloquist dummy told me."

Evan feels as if he's been left frozen, just staring into Ricky's eyes. "A what?" he finally spits out.

"A ventriloquist dummy. Said his name was Slappy."

"It had a name?"

"Yes, that's not the important part though. I found him sitting in my room one night. I thought someone was pulling a weird joke on me before the thing twisted its head and started talking to me. He made some really awful jokes and then started telling me how my family had been tricked into coming to Dark Falls, and we weren't the only ones. Countless families were being lured to Dark Falls for.. well, something. He didn't spill all the details, but whatever it is, it doesn't sound good. And I think it's Lucy's family who's doing it." Ricky tells him.

All that snark in his voice is gone. Evan realizes he's telling the truth, or at least something Ricky genuinely believes to be the truth. As for Evan, he isn't sure what to think. Who's to say Ricky didn't smoke a little too much that night?

"And you believe this dummy, Snappy?"

"Slappy." Ricky corrects him.

"Right. Slappy. Why trust some talking dummy?" Evan asks. He knows he wouldn't.

"That's the thing- I don't. Well, not completely. I don't trust anyone that much. I'm not even sure I trust you, Ginger, but I think you're one of the families who was lured here. I mean, don't you think it's weird there's so many new people in Dark Falls all of a sudden? Just shortly after Larry Dark buys the place?"

"I guess? I hadn't really thought about it." Evan says.

"You don't think about much, do you?" Ricky asks, shaking his head.

"Hey!" Evan says, hurt. "I just don't like scary things that much."

"Well life is scary sometimes. And it is odd. This town is small- I hadn't heard of it. I'm sure you hadn't either, but my parents were adamant on going. They refused to go anywhere else. I didn't want to- but anywhere's better than where I used to live." Ricky tells him.

At this, Evan begins to wonder. His parents had also seemed so eager to move to Dark Falls.

"And what? You think someone is brainwashing our parents to take us here?" Evan asks.

"Something like that. And not just anyone- Larry Dark has something to do with it, but then again, there might be someone pulling his strings too."

"Who? And why? Why us? What did we do to deserve getting dragged out here?"

"It's because of our pasts. All of the teens led to Dark falls have something in common- something we've had happen that we'd rather forget about." Ricky says.

"But nothing like that's ever happened to me." Evan tells him.

Ricky looks unconvinced. "Really, Ginger? Does the name Monster Blood ring a bell?"

Shit, Evan thinks. First Carly Beth, now Ricky Beamer. He never should have gone on that stupid TV Show. "So you know about that too, huh?"

"Not at first, but once I started digging it came up. I wouldn't have expected you to have such a big secret." Ricky says.

"It's not a secret. Just something I'd rather not talk about. Monster Blood made my life a living hell and even here I can't escape it." Evan admits. It's true. It's always been true, just something he didn't want to accept. The Monster Blood would always follow him regardless of where he lived. Probably until he dies, Evan will be known as the Monster Blood kid.

"Look, I get it." Ricky says. "A group of aliens tried to take over my school. They almost corrupted me. I.. I was bullied really badly as a kid. It fucked me up a lot and so I really wanted others to hurt just as badly as I did. These aliens.. they called themselves Creeps. They convinced me I could become their ruler. You know, enslave everyone who had ever bullied me."

"Holy shit. And what did you do?" Evan asks. It's hard to wrap his head around what he's hearing, but he has to believe it. No one would make up a story as crazy as this and with such emotion unless it actually happened. He starts to feel bad for poor Ricky. He knows what it's like to be tormented and hated by everyone.

"The idea sounded awesome. I was ready to commit to the plan. The Creeps had put these.. seeds, you could call them, that would transform anyone who consumed them into creatures just like them, into the cookies for a bake sale going on. I ate one."

Evan stops, trying to process this part of the story. "You ATE one? What happened to you?"

Ricky chuckles, not out of laughter, but something else. Something Evan can't put a finger on. "Let's just say it had some nasty side effects."

At this, Ricky raises his arm for Evan to take a look. Evan looks in horror as he sees a patch of deep purple scales growing on Ricky's skin like a nasty rash, or allergic reaction.

"Oh my god." Evan says in genuine shock. "And you.. You're a Creep too?"

"Yes and no. I met someone who was able to help me. A couple of scientists named the Tuckers. Their son ended up as a werewolf, long story there, but it'll never completely go away, no. I guess I deserve it. You know, as a reminder of the day I almost enslaved the planet." Ricky sighs. His words are full of regret.

"Ricky- everyone makes mistakes. Maybe not quite as big as yours. Doesn't mean you deserve to be a monster." Evan tells him. He's not used to playing therapist for someone, but Ricky sure seems to need someone to talk to. At least he can slightly understand what the guy is going through.

"You think I'm a monster?" Ricky asks, almost hurt.

Evan wonders if maybe what he said wasn't the best thing after all. Stupid, stupid.

Evan thinks about what he's going to say next. "Well, no- it's just- I'm sorry. I've just never met a monster who didn't want to hurt anybody. I mean to say- you didn't deserve what happened to you, regardless of what may have happened."

"You didn't let me finish, Ginger. I am a monster. I got lucky that day- my friend Iris was able to stop the whole thing before anyone else consumed the cookies. If it weren't for her, I would have just let it happen. She got me back to my senses," Ricky explains, sounding slightly choked up.

Evan feels like he has a responsibility to reassure Ricky, as strange as his situation seems. Largely, Evan just can't believe the whole goddamn world was almost enslaved by aliens while he was probably taking a math test or who knows what.

"But it didn't. You beat the Creeps." Evan says. "You know, I'm not sure I wouldn't have done the same thing. I was bullied a lot too- especially because of all my Monster Blood shit. There was this one named Conan Barber. He loved to beat me senseless. I honestly might have chosen to turn him into a Creep if given the choice. My best friend Andy and I- we used to pull all kinds of jokes on him to get payback, and they typically involved Monster Blood."

Ricky looks at him curiously. "I thought you were terrified of Monster Blood?"

Evan laughs. "I was, hell yeah. I was fucking terrified. I still am. But Andy somehow convinced me revenge was the best option. She was the devil on my shoulder. And Monster Blood.. It was just so destructive. There was a part of me that really liked the idea that it could do something awful to Conan. A darker side, like the one I'm sure you went to. But instead, all that bad stuff happened to me."

Ricky seems to slightly perk up, like he's finally met someone he can share a connection with.

"And what happened to him?" Ricky asks.

Evan tenses up. "It's.. complicated. He's not dead though, if you were wondering."

"That doesn't sound convincing." Ricky says.

"He's not, I swear! He's just not the same person he once was."

Ricky looks like he wants to say more, but stops. Evan then remembers his conversation from earlier with Carly Beth. She might be part of this too.

"You know, I met a girl earlier this morning. She said her name was Carly Beth. She also knew about what happened to me with the Monster Blood and it seemed like something bad happened to her too. Like she had a dark side. And oh my god, she was a newcomer to Dark Falls too."

Ricky looks at him. "You mean Carly Beth Caldwell? I have an art class with her!"

"Well I don't know any other Carly Beths, so that must be the one." Evan says.

"Maybe I can talk to her, unless you run into her again. Maybe you should focus on trying to get closer to Lucy." Ricky tells him.

"I thought you said to stay away from the Darks?"

"I know what I said, but you might be the best bet to find out what's going on in Dark Falls, while I can try and gather more like us and try and get them over to our side. Luckily, Lucy seems to like hunky gingers. You have a date with her tonight, right?" Ricky asks.

"How did you know that? You been stalking me, man?"

"Sorta. More like eavesdropped. I make it my business to know everything about everyone."

"That's a little creepy." Evan says.

"Well I am a creep, ain't I?" Ricky laughs.

"I guess you are. What do you want me to do exactly?"

Evan really likes Lucy but after everything he's heard from Ricky, he's starting to think there might be more to Dark Falls after all. It's going to be a little shady, sure, relaying info back to Ricky, but if moving to this town has led him to an all new kind of danger it seems worth it to get to the bottom of it.

"Just listen to what she says.. but if you can, the most important part is getting inside Dead House. I think whatever we're looking for is in there."

"Dead House?" Evan asks. The name makes a chill run down his back. He's heard about it plenty, but never actually seen it. Not yet. Every town has some kind of haunted house, but the stories about Dead House seem legit. If he's going to get inside, he'll have to push any unease to the side. It won't be easy.

"Okay, I'll try my best, but I'm not going to be a total snoop." Evan finally says.

"Do what you can. It's you and me now, Evan. Dark Fall's newest monster hunters! They used to find us.. now we find them."

Evan gulps. He doesn't want to end up finding anything. He hopes Lucy is totally normal and Ricky is just making this whole conspiracy out. "Sounds like a plan," he says.

"Great!" Ricky says. "Here- if you find out anything, call me. My number is 555-C-R-E-E-P. That's not a joke, by the way."

Evan writes the strange number down and almost forgets about monsters entirely until he arrives back home. Then everything comes flooding back as he feels a pair of cold hands grab him from behind, placing an icy palm over his mouth. He can't even scream.

Chapter Text

Evan can't comprehend what kind of monster he's looking at. There's so many bright neon colors it blinds him. And then the monster starts to talk.

"Oh stop screaming, you big dork! It's just me." The monster says.

Evan knows right away who's talking, and can hardly handle his own surprise.

"A-Andy?" He asks. There's a little excitement in his voice too. He wonders if she notices.

"Who else?" Andy says.

Yep, it's her, alright. Andy and all her Day Glo clothing- a yellow top with blue sleeves, matching blue socks and pants that make Evan dizzy just looking at their texture. A green purse is wrapped around her waist and her hair is currently styled into a spiky mohawk, one with just as many colors as her clothing,The only thing different about Andy since the last time Evan saw her are her piercings- the large hoops in her earring aren't new, but the nose ring is, as is one on her lip. It's still Andy, though, and Evan thinks she looks totally awesome.

"What are you doing here?" Evan asks. It comes out harsher than he meant.

It's not the first time she's surprised him like this. Back when he originally moved to Atlanta, who else but Andy showed up as one of his neighbors? And that was just the start of the troubles that would follow.

"Am I not allowed to pay my best friend a visit?" She asks, half-joking, half-serious.

"N-no, of course not. I'm just surprised, that's all. Did you drive all the way here?"

"No. I walked. Of course I drove, Evan!" She snarks.

"You know what I meant!" Evan says. It hasn't even been five minutes, and they're already butting heads again.

"You're right, I did know. It's just funny seeing you get mad. " Andy admits.

Why was she like this? It's exhausting.

"You haven't even texted me ONCE since you got here. I thought maybe something bad had happened. I had nothing better to do, so I wanted to check on you. You know, make sure these Ohioans are treating you right. If not, I can knock some heads in." Andy says.

She's right. He has put off texting her. He's tried- drafting up countless messages before erasing them. But in all honesty, he wondered if he even needed to. They wouldn't be living close to each other anymore. But then that thought made him feel guilty. Andy was his best friend, no, she still is, she just reminds him of the bad old days in Atlanta. The days he is trying to forget it. But does that mean I should try and forget Andy? He questions, but doesn't have a proper answer. Not yet. There's another element to her words that bothers him- Andy always acts like she's his babysitter. He can take care of himself.

"I think I can handle myself, Andy." Evan assures. "Haven't you seen I've been working out?" He tries to flash a smirk, but probably just looks like an idiot.

"That remains to be seen. And as for the working out part. Yes, you look like a total gym-bro now, Evan. You should be proud." Andy rolls her eyes.

He stares at her for a second. Is that a compliment? The look on her face indicates it's definitely not.

"Well I have been drinking protein shakes." Evan teases.

"Let me guess- not the green ones?" Andy asks.

"Of course not. That's like drinking a whole cupful of well, you know-"

He doesn't say the word this time, but Andy knows what he means. "I feel like THAT probably tastes better." she says.

"Maybe. I'm never trying it again."

"Really? Because you won't believe what I brought!" Andy says.

She reaches into her purse and starts digging for something. Evan's heart starts to race. Surely she can't mean- No. No way. She wouldn't do that. Wait, she totally would.

"Andy! Don't!" He screams, in a voice loud enough to startle even her.

But it's too late, for in hands, he sees her pull out a familiar can.

"Andy, what the hell have you done?" He yells. He feels sweaty.

Andy starts laughing. "Relax, I'm teasing you again! Monster Blood's impossible to get these days anyway. Think you have to go on the dark web to get some. Not that I haven't tried-"

"What about the can?" Evan points to the blue one in her hand, on which he sees the word MONSTER BLOOD written in dripping green letters.

"Oh, this?" Andy asks. She starts to shake it. "It's empty. Just a souvenir from the good old days."

Evan listens intently. She's not lying. There's nothing in there at all.

"It was just a joke-" Andy starts, before Evan cuts her off.

"Well it's not funny. I've had enough of your jokes." He snaps, full of genuine anrger. He hasn't felt this mad in a long time.

"You used to be a lot more fun. You know, when we were kids." Andy says, looking upset he's taking her prank so seriously.

"People change Andy. I haven't been a kid since I was twelve years old. From the first time we opened that Monster Blood and my life went to hell.

Evan feels all the thoughts he'd kept holding onto come spilling out. Andy looks surprised. He's never opened up like this before. Usually, when they were together, they played a long-running game of "pretend that never happened". Unfortunately, the same rule applied for their failed romance, if you could call it that. The less said about it the better, really but it hangs in the air like a deep gray rain cloud, making a lot of future conversations awkward. It was why he struggled so much with Lucy.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to cause any pain." Andy says. He can tell she means it.

"It's fine," he mutters. "I did get a little too upset. So, your parents don't mind you being here?" Evan asks her.

"Of course not. You know them." Andy mumbles, barely audible but Evan can tell he shouldn't push the issue further.

In actuality, he knew very little about Andy's family at all, but what he did know wasn't very good.

"So.. this is your place now? Pretty bitching." Andy says, examining the place.

He can't tell if she's being sarcastic, because she's staring right at a wall that's seen better days. Spider-webs cover the top like a thin mist. A black spider, about the size of a quarter, is currently hard at work on a new web's construction. He has to stop Andy from scooping the arachnid up and petting it like it's a cat. Ugh, cats. Now there's another thing he hates.

"Mom says it's a fixer-upper. All the houses in Dark Falls are pretty old. You can check out my room if you want, it's right over here. Not completely set up yet though. Got a lot to unpack" Evan says.

Really, it was a bit of a mess, but Andy never cares about that kind of thing. Or if she does, she doesn't show it. She did sometimes call him a "trash goblin" though, so there was that. He leads her down the hall, the floor making eerie creaking noises beneath their feet. It really does feel like a haunted house, doesn't it?

"Did you bring Cuddles?" Andy asks. "I have to say hello to that little guy."

"Of course. He's probably still sleeping."

Sure enough, there the little hamster is, not doing a whole lot, but Andy coos and admires him all the same. Evan wonders if it's Andy's own guilt for being the one to feed the original Cuddles Monster Blood in the first place. She'd never admit that though.

"You know, part of me hoped you were living in the Dead House. Not that I wanted you to die or anything, but it would have been pretty cool." Andy tells him.

"You know about the Dead House?" Evan asks. He's surprised. He figured only the residents would know about it. Then again, something like that is right up Andy's alley.

"Duh. Everyone knows about the Dead House." She says, pausing as Evan doesn't respond. "You really don't know?" she asks, a little surprised.

"Only what I've heard from around here- sounds like your typical haunted house." Evan says.

"Oh, it's far from typical, Evan. I can't believe you never heard it. It popped up on one of the supernatural show I used to like- there was this family- the Bensons, they inherited the Dead House from a long-lost great-uncle of the dad. The plot twist? The great-uncle didn't actually exist. It was all just a ploy for the residents of Dark Falls to lure the Bensons to the Dead House- where they planned to brutally MURDER the entire family."

"The town wanted to KILL them? Why? Some kind of murder cult?" Evan asks. He thought he'd heard a similar story once.

"No, well, maybe, but no, that's not what the Bensons said happened. He claimed the people in Dark Falls were not human but the LIVING DEAD, turned into creatures that fed off human blood to survive after a horrible gas leak killed the entire town. They had this evil real estate guy, he was a zombie too, lure people in with promises of a new house. Instead, they were killed and turned into undead creatures themselves. And this cycle would repeat."

Evan feels a chill at hearing this story. Lucy had mentioned a gas leak, hadn't she? And with everything Ricky had told him- about families being lured to Dark Falls for an unknown reason. If something similar had happened before, then it was worth looking into. But it just all sounds so crazy. The people in Dark Falls were a bit odd from what he'd seen. Definitely quiet. But were they vicious, undead blood-suckers? Maybe. Maybe not.

"And what happened to the Bensons?" Evan asked.

"They actually survived. The whole family. They escaped Dark Falls. Then the father, Jack Benson wrote a story about it. Welcome to Dead House, it was called. Total Stephen King rip-off, but it was entertaining, though a lot of it was fictionalized." Andy says.

"And so what does that mean? It didn't happen?" Evan asks.

"No, he swore it did. All of them did, but you know the deal, nobody believed them. They blamed the whole thing on a mass hallucination and authorities couldn't find any proof to back their story. No real estate guy. No undead. Nothing."

"Damn." Evan says bluntly. "And that's where I'm living now, huh? Great."

"Yup. If it's true, that is." Andy says.

"Do you think it is?" Evan asks.

"I dunno. I think so, yeah. Nobody believed us about the Monster Blood so.. We kind of have an obligation to believe that kind of stuff, don't we?" Andy asks, she means it rhetorically, but Evan agrees anyway. He hasn't thought about it like that before, but Andy has a point and it makes him feel better for agreeing to help Ricky. He'd lived through a horrible experience and no doubt there were so many former kids who had while they went unbelieved. Yeah, maybe he does have an obligation to help those kids, no matter how scary things might be.

"I'm kinda glad you're here, Andy. Because I think I just might need your help." Evan tells her.

"Oh, yeah? What's the assignment?" Andy asks.

"I'll warn you- it might involve hunting some monsters." Evan explains, and can't help but smirk.

"You had me at monster." Andy smiles back.

Evan explains the whole situation to Andy, who isn't hesitant to agree to help investigate. In fact, she also has little intention to leave Dark Falls at all. I go where you go, she said, though in a much more crass way. There's a reason she's his best friend. Then she teases him for being dumb enough to be brainwashed into a murder town and fall head over heels for a girl who might be an an evil monster. He still has faith Lucy is innocent. Of course, there's also an unspoken agreement he's just signed that whatever follows will take a bit of trouble. He's okay with that, he thinks.

"If we want to hunt monsters, then we need some muscle." Andy says.

"Am I not enough?" Evan asks.

"No." Andy says

They walk out the door, where Evan sees a car parked in the driveway. How had he managed to miss that? Then he stops, seeing a familiar face in the passenger's seat, taking up nearly the entirety of it.

"Oh no! Andy. Tell me you're joking!" Evan says in disbelief.

"It's no joke, Evan. Figured you could use a hand." A deep male voice bellows from the car.

The figure grins at him, and Evan isn't sure how to feel, for sitting before him is none other than Conan Barber.

"What's HE doing here?" Evan asks.

"I thought you'd want both your friends here. Conan was happy to tag along" Andy says.

Conan doesn't drop his grin. He looks like he always does- even years later, his face has barely changed, though he certainly looks closer to Conan the Barbarian than he ever did- broad-shouldered and with enough muscles to put Evan to shame. When Evan said he hadn't died that day with the blue blobs, he was telling the truth, and yet not at the same time. See, just like Cuddles, this Conan wasn't quite the original. That one that had spent Evan's childhood bullying him mercilessly had been brutally swallowed that day. Only one version of Conan had survived, miraculously, if that was the right word, unlike the blobs that had been totally eradicated.

No, this Conan was what Kermit had nicknamed "Blue Conan", a clone of the original composed of whatever material the Underwater Fighting Force had been made of. In comparison, Blue Conan was a little bit nicer than the original had been, if one could even believe that, just way thirstier, and well, monstrous. In a lot of ways. They'd even become something of friends, but it was hard to move past how the first Conan had bullied him. He knew Blue Conan technically wasn't responsible for all that, but Evan still clings on to that anger.

"And how are you going to help, Conan?" Evan asks.

Conan laughs. "What do you think? I'm going to help you break into Dead House. Then we're going to open up all that Monster Blood Andy has stored in the back."

Chapter Text

"Oh no. No way." Evan cries out. "Tell me you're joking."

He turns to Andy. She doesn't respond. In fact she avoids his gaze entirely.

"Take a look. It's in the trunk." Conan says with the same smirk, as if goading Evan to check that he's telling the truth.

Once again, the only thing Evan wants to do is deck Conan right in his handsome face, square in that broad jaw. Unfortunately, his taunting works and Evan finds himself popping open the lid of Andy's car. Sure enough, he's looking at containers of Monster Blood, a whole crate of the stuff. But this Monster Blood is not as Evan is used to it. Instead of blues cans, this Monster Blood is stored in tiny plastic eggs, the same kind you'd see used for Silly Putty, only green, much like the slime itself, and the familiar dripping red text slapped on. It looks even more like a toy now. You'd never know how dangerous it is just looking at, but Evan sure does. God, does he know. He can hardly contain his anger.

"Jesus, Andy. You never learn, do you?" Evan snaps.

He wants to say he can't believe it, but he totally can. No matter how disastrous the consequences, Andy always found an excuse to use the Monster Blood. It's like an addiction. She doesn't fear it like he does. She's a thrill seeker. Not afraid of much and always searching for something that will scare her. Maybe it would be better if she was afraid, then she wouldn't go looking for trouble. In that regard, Evan supposes Andy isn't all that different from the Monster Blood because at the end of the day, she does what she wants to do, uncontrollable just like the growing slime. Evan isn't sure what this says about him, given how much he hates Monster Blood and likes Andy. Maybe it's better not to think about it. At least Andy's brand of chaos is kinda fun, though right now it's just plain irritating.

"Look, before you blow up- this Monster Blood is new. It's a trial version. It lasts only 12 hours. It wasn't easy to get. Had to search the dark web since the stuff is TECHNICALLY illegal now-" Andy starts explaining.

"I don't care how you got it or how long it lasts. You told me you were done with this." Evan says.

"Oh come on, Evan. Tell me it wouldn't be funny to see some rich asshole's house get destroyed by Monster Blood." Andy replies defensively.

"Funny?" Evan asks. "It could KILL them. You don't even know the Darks!"

"Neither do you! Listen to yourself. Lucy Dark just has you wrapped around her finger. Or should I say claw? And that's how she'll get you." Andy shoots back, before smirking at her own suggestion.

"Nice one!" Conan says.

The look on his face is a mix of amusement and something that just Oh Jesus, are these two fighting AGAIN? She thanks him anyway.

"You stay out of this!" Evan tells him. "We don't even know they're monsters."

"Really? You seemed so certain earlier." Andy looks at him accusingly. She's not wrong.

"Well we can't be certain yet. Look, I don't need your help getting into the Dead House. I'm perfectly fine on my own. When I do, I'll let you know. We need to take things slowly." Evan says.

"Slowly? It might be too late if we do that! Things could get really bad really quickly." Andy says.

"She's got a point, Ev." Conan says.

He doesn't follow up on that sentence. Anything Conan says in a conversation never helps much with anything. Not to mention he always sides with Andy, not Evan. He is right though. Maybe slow isn't the best way to do things.

Evan groans. "Fine. Just let me do this on my own, okay? Too many people will just make things all screw-y. You both can wait here. I'm sure my parents will be home soon."

"Ooh, that's exciting. Your folks love me! I'm sure they'll cook us a nice meal, right, Conan?" Andy says, turning herself in his direction.

Conan chuckles. "I sure hope so. I'm thirsty as fuck."

In reality, it was a lie. Neither of his parents care for Andy very much. They think she's a bad influence. You can imagine their disapproval when they tried dating. Now there was something almost as scary as Monster Blood. They practically danced for joy when Evan told them things hadn't worked out.

"And what about you? What happens if Lucy tries to eat you?" Andy asks.

Evan hadn't considered the possibility. "I dunno- I'll text you or something."

"Smooth plan." Conan chimes in.

Very helpful.

"It's not going to happen." Evan assures them, but neither Andy nor Conan look very convinced.

"Take some Monster Blood. Just in case." Andy tells him.

Evan's temper flares again. "I am NOT using Monster Blood!"

"Then it might be your funeral. You'll be buried right in the Dark Falls cemetery. But hey, Lucy will visit you then, won't she?" Andy says.

Evan doesn't appreciate the comment.

"Just take an egg, dude." Conan says.

"It lasts 12 hours-" Andy starts speaking.

"Yep. Just like Viagra." Conan interrupts, laughing at his own stupid dirty joke afterward.

"I'm not sure what you've been taking, Conan, but yeah. The Monster Blood will do its thing then return to normal. You don't even have to use it- just in case."

Evan wants to scream. "Fine, but I'm not using it. I don't care what happens. I'll find another way."

Once again, Andy has convinced him of doing something he doesn't want to do. With reluctance, he picks up one of the plastic eggs of Monster Blood. It's surprisingly warm. He can't tell if he's imagining the sensation of something moving beneath it or not. It's like a tiny beating heart is inside the egg. It makes him only slightly nauseous, but Evan places the thing in his pocket, praying it won't burst open. Then all hell will really break loose.

"It's getting to be time. I should head to the cemetery" Evan tells them.

"Good luck. Don't die, please." Andy tells him.

"What she said." Conan says.

Evan assures them he won't, before he starts walking away from the house. The gray sky is even darker now, like a storm is about to roll in at any time. He really can't believe he's doing this. He'd much rather be hanging out with Andy, but not here, but back in Atlanta, where none of this was happening. The street corner is lined with shops, many of which look abandoned, though he thinks he sees shadows moving in the windows. Only a few people are out now. Evan tries to scan their faces for signs they might actually be undead, but isn't quite sure what to look for. Would their skin be rotting? Red eyes? Visible fangs? Evan thinks of all the telltale signs, but that's just horror movie stuff. He's so deep in thought, Evan bumps into a much taller man. He's practically a shadow, dressed in all black, with a dark bowler on the top of his head.

I'm sorry, sir-" Evan starts to speak, but he's taken aback by the cold lifeless stare of the person in front of him.

It's hard to tell for certain if the man really is as old as he looks, but the stranger looks ancient, his hair and beard a deep gray that carries into his face, making his whole skin look as pale as a corpse. Stop staring, Evan tells himself, but he can't stop, a combo of confusion and fear. Evan slowly backs up, but the man's arm raises stiffly, reaching for him.

"Excuse me, sir-" Evan says, but the old man just grunts in response.

It's a deep noise that instantly freezes Evan. It hardly even sounds human. Evan is so caught up he doesn't even realize the strangers on the street who hadn't even been paying attention to him earlier are now surrounding him. This can't be happening, Evan tells himself. This is all a bad dream, or just paranoia on his part. These are just people, not zombies. But then why were the stares so hungry? Like sharks approaching a wounded fish. Why did they look so lifeless? Was Dark Falls that boring that it had sucked the life completely out of them? Well if the stories are true, then maybe that's exactly what happened. A horrible accident. Not that that helps him. He doesn't want to become a meal.

"I'm just trying to get to the cemetery! Please, let me out!" Evan pleads in pure terror. A wave of claustrophobia comes in as he feels the crowd of strangers come closer. Or maybe he's just imagining that part too.

At this, one of them laughs, a bald man with one lazy bloodshot eye. It's a laugh that sounds as if his throat is full of phlegm. Or blood. "The cemetery? I just came from there too!" he says.

The man starts laughing again, tossing his head back as he does and Evan swears he can see a freshly open wound carved across his neck. Evan knows he has to get out of here and does the only thing he can in that moment, he tackles the weird giggler, knocking them both to the ground. It's a decision made so fast that Evan instantly regrets it, now finding himself face to face with the guy. He can see all the deep wrinkles in his face and a subtle yellow is visible in his pale gray flesh that he hadn't noticed before. Evan expects the man to be shocked, but he only laughs, displaying a set of black and rotting teeth, a similar shade as his tongue. Out of his mouth pours a sour smell that hits Evan with blunt force. It's the smell of death. Evan doesn't even question it. He just knows. He pulls himself up and runs. Just runs. Runs like hell down Dark Fall's winding sidewalk, covered in cracks and uneven spots of concrete that Evan just has to wish he doesn't trip on. But he fails, stumbling right over a pebble that ends with him falling hard on his elbows and knees.

Evan utters an "ouch" before looking up. He almost laughs in pure shock. He's made it to the Dark Falls cemetery. The gate is wide open, broken by who-knows-what and the sign at the top is missing a letter, spelling out ARK FALLS CEMETERY. It's larger than he expects. He questions how many are buried here. The trees surrounding the graveyard are completely dead, not even a single leaf. The way their limbs twist into the air reminds him of the bony limbs of those strangers reaching out for him. It gives Evan chills. Already it felt like a nightmare he'd woken up out of, but he knows it really happened. He can't help it, he looks back, in fear they've come back after. But no, there's no one in sight, just the spirits that no doubt haunt this place.

"You make quite the entrance." A voice says. It's so sudden it makes Evan jump, but he recognizes it nonetheless.

Evan sees Lucy Dark stand up from behind a tombstone. She really is short. The cemetery gates tower over her. She's abandoned her dress from class, now sporting a black wool sweater with the words "FINAL GIRL" written in red letters and a plaid dark blue skirt. In her dark hair is a bow of the same color with a miniature plastic skull attached. The skull itself has a pair of horns. It's an odd fashion choice. Evan kinda likes it, but at the same time it makes him uneasy given all the rumors. She really does look ghostly, especially under the gray sky, Evan thinks to himself, before re-assuring himself. Whatever those undead creatures are, Lucy isn't one of them. She can't be.

"What were you hiding there?" Evan asks.

"I guess was hoping to scare you. I felt bad when I saw you trip." Lucy tells him.

"Oh." is all Evan responds. "I'm alright."

"You looked in a hurry."

"Oh, well, I ran into-" Evan thinks of telling her about those zombies, if that's the proper word, but he decides that's not information he should disclose right now, especially if Lucy is somehow in cahoots with the creatures. "I was just eager to get here." Evan says quickly.

It's obvious Lucy doesn't believe him, but she doesn't press the issue.

"Well come on, follow me." Lucy instructs.

Evan walks through the gates, feeling like he's heading right into hell as he does so.

"Oh, I wouldn't stand there if I were you." Lucy says,

Evan's not sure why, but he panics. "What? Why?" he asks.

"Evan.. haven't you ever heard of the Dark Falls toe-biter?" She inquires.

"The Dark falls toe what?"

"The Dark Falls toe-biter. It's a monster that hides in the grass and eats the feet right off any unlucky soul who steps on it."

Evan almost laughs at Lucy's ridiculous story, but then she starts to scream, and any amusement flees his body.

"Oh my god, Evan! It's too late! The monster's got you!"

Chapter Text

Evan is screaming again. He expects to look down and see some ungodly beast hiding in the grass, chomping his feet to bits. He can't feel anything, or is that just the numbness setting it already? The kind Evan imagined one would experience upon losing your limbs to a ravenous monster?

"Gotcha." Lucy snickers.

"Huh?" Evan responds.

His eyes gaze downwards. There's nothing there. Not a monster in sight. His shoes, a pair of red converse sneakers, are still completely intact save for some cemetery dirt that has now tracked on them.

"What the hell?" Evan asks Lucy. She's currently laughing like mad.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I couldn't help myself. I told you I wanted to scare you, didn't I?"

Evan doesn't know how to respond. Part of him's angry at Lucy. What the hell is wrong with her? Does she think scaring him like that is funny? Apparently so, given her giggling. It's hardly worth even a chuckle, he thinks. Another part of Evan is angry at himself for falling for her stupid joke. It wasn't even believable in the first place. But no, he believed it somehow. He had screamed and now probably looked like a total idiot in front of Lucy, who was no doubt thinking of ways to now get out of their date.

"Well you got me." Evan admits. "Do you do that to everyone or just the people you like?"

"A bit of both, really. I try to scare all of my first dates."

Sheesh, Evan thinks to himself. Those poor dates. Poor him. When he first saw her just hours earlier in the classroom, he could have never expected Lucy was like this.

"Do you have a lot of those?" Evan inquires. Maybe it's a bad question to ask, but he is curious. Lucy doesn't seem too bothered though.

"As the heiress of the Dark family fortune, I have had many suitors, yes. All kinds of monsters have tried to earn the hand of the Dark Princess.. but none have succeeded." Lucy says.

Dark Princess? Evan questions the phrase. It's more than a little vain, but that's not what bothers him most.

"Monsters?" Evan asks. Lucy had said the word so casually. It has to mean something.

"That's what I call them. Unpleasant goblins and gargoyles who frankly give me a headache just thinking about them." Lucy explains.

"Oh," Evan replies. It's not the answer he was hoping for. "Are you sure you didn't scare them off?" He asks in a teasing way.

"Oh I'm sure some I did" Lucy laughs. "But it's mostly my father doing the scaring. If you want to talk about monsters, you should meet him. Anybody who didn't meet his approval.. Well, maybe the less said the better. Don't let that scare you too much, Evan. I'm sure he'll love you. Unless you happen to… disappoint him." Lucy says, a smirk creeping across her face.

He doesn't like how she says that last part, like she knows something he doesn't. And what exactly had happened to those who didn't meet approval? They were probably killed and eaten, Evan thinks with a chill. Will the same thing happen to him, if he does indeed happen to disappoint Larry Dark, whatever the hell that may mean? He pushes the grotesque question out of his head.

"You sure love monsters, don't you?" Evan asks.

Her dark eyes flash for just a minute. "Of course. Who doesn't love a good monster story? I used to get in trouble for telling them all the time. That's all I talked about. Scared the hell out of my brother, Randy with my tales. In fact, I used to prank him with that one I just got you with." Lucy says.

Oh great, Evan thinks. He just fell for a joke meant for a toddler.

"Monsters are kind of kid stuff, aren't they?" Evan asks.

He expects Lucy to be offended, instead she looks amused, as if Evan had just told a funny joke.

"You're never too old for monsters, Evan. Now follow me, I promised to show you around the cemetery." Lucy says.

She starts to walk and Evan follows closely behind. He finds himself having to weave awkwardly between row after row of crooked white gravestones, some larger than others. Evan can't believe just how many there are. If Lucy weren't with him, he'd definitely get lost. Now that would be a nightmare. There's plenty of strange monuments too, likely for people of prominence, Evan thinks. Past the gate, there aren't as many trees, just shrubbery, but the whole cemetery is still cloaked in deep shadow.

"Did you know there are more dead people in Dark Falls than living?" Lucy asks, breaking the silence between the two.

"I'm not surprised." Evan tells her.

And what about undead? Evan wants to ask. His whole body shudders. He imagines the bodies in their crypts could come bursting out of the ground any second now like an army of hungry Graveyard Ghouls. That was a movie Andy showed him once. Evan had nightmares for weeks after that. Now those memories are flooding back. The strange, faint noises all around him do little to help, like someone murmuring far away, yet at the same time right next to him.

"They can't hurt you," Lucy assures him, as if she's reading all of his frightened thoughts.

"No, of course not." Evan replies, but of course he knows otherwise. Had he not been able to escape, those zombies no doubt would have torn him to bloody pieces.

"You said something about a gas leak?" Evan asks, remembering her brief mention in the hallway.

Lucy nods. "It's a sad story. Dark Falls wasn't always this.. Well, depressing. It was a lively town. A good place for families, but something went wrong. You see, most people made their living in the old Plastic Factory, but it was horribly unsafe, and no one really cared to do anything to fix that. The workers expressed concern that all of the violations could lead to disaster, but those warnings went unheard. Nobody really knows what happened, but there was a leak from that factory. It contaminated everything in its path. Not a single person survived. It took decades to clean up that mess and even longer before anyone wanted anything to do with the town of Dark Falls again." She explains. Her voice is grim.

For a story like this, it has to be, Evan supposes. It lines up with what Andy said about a factory accident, but Lucy's clearly skipping some important details on the aftermath.

"Jesus." Evan says. "And all of those people are buried here now?"

Well, save for the ones he saw walking on the street? Evan adds that part in his head. Why the hell would anyone want to re-open this place, anyway? Any normal person would say no way. Not after such a tragedy. But so many people profit off of tragedy, don't they? Too many. And it all could have been prevented had someone only listened and cared for others instead of themselves. Whoever ran that plastic factory probably survived without a care in the world for the townsfolk they killed. It was horrible. Wrong. Just what kind of man is Larry Dark? That's a question Evan clings onto. What could he possibly gain from Dark Falls, a town that should have just stayed dead, but somehow didn't?

"They take up a lot of it, yes, but some have been buried here long before the accident." Lucy replies. "Look at this. I don't like to stay too long in this section, but you see these low gravestones here? They're for some of the children who died."

Lucy points and Evan sees exactly what she's talking about. He scans a few of the names. They're a little faded from age, but still readable. KAREN SOMERSET 1960-1972. GEORGE CARPENTER 1975-1988. RAY THURSTON 1977-1988.

"Tragic, isn't it? They had so much life ahead of them." Lucy asks.

"Yeah." Evan replies softly, almost a whisper of sadness.

It's a lot for him to take in. Those kids were no older than Evan was that summer he stayed with Aunt Kathryn. Had things not worked, had the Monster Blood consumed him too, he would have died too, buried under a headstone just like the ones in front of them. It was an idea he thought off too often. Now it all feels a little too real.

Lucy seems to acknowledge his discomfort. "Come on. Maybe we should get out of here." she says, putting a hand on his shoulder.

Evan's about to agree before he notices something odd on the outskirts of the cemetery. It appeared to be some kind of amphitheater. A circular row of bench seats descend down, digging deep into the earth. Evan's never seen anything quite like it. Beside it, there's a large fallen tree. A real gnarled-up looking one with limbs like long, slender fingers. They've started retreating into the soil. Evan wonders if a storm knocked it down, or if it fell down naturally. Not that it matters very much. It's another creepy addition to an already very creepy cemetery.

"Hey, what's that?" Evan asks Lucy, gesturing towards the structure.

She looks hesitant to tell him. "A meeting place I think. Like a town hall. Nobody uses it anymore though."

"Weird." Evan replies.

Who builds a meeting hall in a graveyard? Then he answers his own question. Zombies. Of course. Though that raises another question- what do the undead have to discuss? Whose brains to eat?

"I wouldn't get too close. That area of ground is not safe. You could fall right through." Lucy tells him.

Evan can tell she's lying, but he has little time for interrogation as a distant shadowy figure staggers out from behind the amphitheater. It's hard to make out all the details, but Evan can certainly smell him. It reeks of death, just like the stranger from earlier. Then come the eerie groaning noises. It takes a second before Evan notices it's not just coming from one person, but multiple, as two more figures come into view. More of the undead, he can see that plainly, and he knows Lucy can too. Evan takes one step forward before she pulls him back.

"Evan, don't." Lucy says. Her eyes are full of dire warning.

"This isn't another one of your pranks, is it, Lucy?" Evan asks, though he knows the truth already.

She shakes her head. "No. I'm not pranking you this time. This is where they come to gather. They stay in the shadows and hate the light."

"They?" Evan asks.

"The undead." Lucy says. Matter-of-factly. "This cemetery belongs to them."

Evan wants to respond in shock, but nothing comes out. He wonders if the silence gives him away.

"As long as you're close to me, they won't harm us." Lucy explains. She doesn't sound as confident as she probably intends to.

It strikes Evan as strange though. Is Lucy somehow a repellant for zombies? How convenient for her, and very fortunate for Evan.

"What makes you so sure?" He asks.

"I just know." Lucy replies. The expression on her face seems agitated now, like she's silently telling Evan they NEED to get out of here. And quickly.

"I've got to get a picture of this." Evan says.

He pulls his cell-phone out of his pocket. Evan's sure why he does it, but his brain justifies it as something necessary to collect evidence. To show Andy what's going on here. Maybe Ricky will appreciate it too.

"Evan, don't!" Lucy cries out again, but it's too late.

With a flash of light, Evan's phone camera shutters, and the undead figures in the distance notice almost instantly and don't appreciate it. Good, Evan thinks. Come and get me. Maybe it's the adrenaline talking right now. Maybe it's just anger. This is what Evan has been training for, isn't it? A head-on battle with monsters, rather than him just running away? But on the outside, though Evan is shaking. The Dark Falls zombies seem to hear his innermost thoughts and come charging hungrily to fulfill his wish.

"Shit." Evan says. It's all he can say at the moment. It accurately sums up he and Lucy's current situation.

"Run!" Lucy cries. It looks like she wants to go off on Evan. "I told you they hate light!"

She starts to run, and Evan doesn't argue with that decision.

"I thought you said being near you would keep us safe!" Evan says mid-run.

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean you didn't just piss them off!" Lucy replies.

She's a lot faster than him, but still, Evan's legs are quick. All he has to do is avoid tripping over any of the tombstones, which now seem to cover the ground like some strange labyrinth. Easier said than done. It's not a safe place to run, even without the undead chasing close behind. Evan tries to listen. Sure enough, they're saying, but it's directed at Lucy, not at him.

"LUCY DARK!" A deep voice bellows. "We know it's you! We want to talk to your father!"

Evan wonders if he hears this correctly. What do they want with Larry Dark? He's running too fast now to get a good look at her reaction. Either way, Lucy doesn't respond.

"Yeees, come on, Lucy! Help us!" another voice cries out.

"Come on!" She urges. The front gate is now in view, but still not close enough for them to be safe.

Then all of a sudden, Evan's life flashes before his eyes as he's sent flying over a gravestone he hadn't even noticed and he's sent hurtling towards the ground with enough force it sends a wave of pain through his system. Lucy doesn't seem to notice until he screams.

"Lucy! Help!" Evan yells, causing her to turn.

Is his leg broken? Evan wonders. No. He can still move it, but it still hurts like nothing else. One of the undead- a woman with stringy blonde hair stands over him. Just like the man he bumped into earlier, her gray eyes look back at him with a lifeless stare. There's a dried dark liquid around her lips, like she'd just eaten something but hasn't bothered to clean herself up yet.

"Back off him!" Lucy shouts at the woman. She isn't listening.

"Tell your father we aren't listening anymore!" She rasps in an unimaginably horrible voice. Like nails on a chalkboard.

She crouches down in front of Evan, who's still struggling to get up, both out of fear and out of the pain that he's still experiencing.

"Ah. So you're the one he's looking for." The undead woman says. "I'd recognize that hair anywhere."

"Get the hell away from me!" Evan snaps.

What is she talking about? Who's looking for him? It's too much to think about at once. He needs to escape.

The woman grabs his arm, which feels strangely limp against the cold tombstone he's now backed up against, and inspects it like a piece of meat. Evan cries out in shock and horror as the woman sinks her teeth into his flash. Maybe fangs would be a better word, because it's like he's been pierced by two sharp needles at once. The way the blood is instantly sucked from the open punctures makes Evan feel woozy. He thinks he hears her laugh, or maybe that's just his imagination, but whatever sound she's making Evan knows will now haunt him forever, just as much as the horrible bubbling noises of the Monster Blood.

Oh my god, he thinks, The Monster Blood. It's still in his pocket! He vowed he would never use it, but it might be his last resort, as much as he loathes that idea. When he looks over to Lucy who's still yelling at the creatures to stop, he sees that the other two figures have surrounded her and are probably looking to drain her blood as this one is doing to him. He has no choice. He pulls the plastic egg from his pocket and throws it at the woman's forehead. It surprises her, but does little to pull her fangs from his arm. That's until the plastic egg opens.

Evan's nostrils are instantly filled with a horrible smell. Like a mix of sewage and spoiled food. Then out of the egg comes the Monster Blood, that same shade of awful green as he remembers, and it latches onto the leg of the undead woman, who finally lets go to see just what the hell Evan has done to her. The Monster Blood crawls up her leg like a parasitic spider and Evan knows now it's her turn to be afraid. He's never seen the Monster Blood move so quickly, but then he realizes it's just getting larger. Large enough to completely engulf the woman like a tidal wave. She looks like fruit stuck inside green Jell-O. The gelatinous mass that is the Monster Blood doesn't even let her scream, but Evan can tell she is by the way she's trying desperately to claw her way out of the blob, the form of it jiggling eerily as she opens her mouth in pure horror. Then there's nothing left. Who knows where she goes, but the Monster Blood has consumed her.

The other undead creatures are so caught up in trying to figure out what to do, they've turned their attention away from Lucy, and so the Monster Blood turns its attention on them, treating them with no more mercy than it did the woman. Evan knows it won't hesitate to swallow him next. The Monster Blood doesn't care what it consumes, just as long as it's able to keep feeding. Using the distraction to his advantage, he gets up, still hurting like hell, and he and Lucy resume running, all the way out of the cemetery into the familiar sight of the Dark Falls street corner. Neither of them can say much of anything, but they know they've just survived something horrible. Evan doesn't even bother to turn around and look at the Monster Blood. He knows it will just keep growing, but Andy had said this was a lesser version, right? By that logic, it should disappear soon. And if it doesn't? Well, that's something Evan doesn't want to think about. He'd opened the Monster Blood deliberately and as much as he hates to say, it saved his life tonight. Still, it can't be allowed to happen again.

"Are you okay?" He finally asks Lucy.

"Yeah, I think so. Just a little shaken up. What was that stuff you used?"

"It's a long story. It's called Monster Blood." He explains. He doesn't have time to go into detail.

At this, Lucy's eyes seem to widen. Evan can tell she recognizes the name, but she doesn't say anything else about it. He and Lucy are about to turn a corner when he spots a black convertible pulling up and promptly stops. The window rolls down, revealing a suited man with thick dark hair the same shade as Lucy's. He looks ready to go to war, his face hardened and almost cruel in its expression. He has a broad chest and powerful-looking muscly arms.

"Daddy?" Lucy asks, and then it all clicks together for Evan.

He's looking at Larry Dark. The man has come to him, rather than Evan being the one to do so. It feels convenient, but Evan also feels he's walking into a trap as the man tells the two of them to get in the car. He has the deepest voice Evan has heard in a human. That is, if he is indeed human.

"Come on, it's getting late. You must be Evan." Mr. Dark says, his eyes turning to Evan. His face softens, but his eyes still carry a wild, sinister energy.

"Yes, sir." Evan says. He's left speechless in the man's presence, which feels too large to fit the the walls of his car.

"Polite to his elders. I appreciate that." Mr. Dark says, amused, but he doesn't smile.

As Lucy takes a seat next to her father, Evan is forced to the back. He sees Lucy lean over and whisper something in his ear.

"He has the Monster Blood" she says in a hushed voice, just barely audible for Evan to hear. Maybe she wants him to.

Finally, Mr. Dark smiles. It's a smile that chills Evan's very core.

"Good. Very good." he says, pleased.

Evan doesn't like it in the slightest.

Then Mr. Dark starts driving and Evan knows right away where they're going. It's what he had hoped for, but Evan couldn't have imagined this is the way he gets here, because Mr. Dark is driving right to the Dead House. Evan knows the house must be waiting for him.

Glancing down at his phone, he sees a text from Andy.

"You good?" it says, with an emoji next to it raising a confused eyebrow.

No, Andy, Evan thinks to himself. I don't know if I am okay.

But he just texts back, so as not to worry her too badly, praying it won't be the last text he ever sends.

"Yea, eventful night, but I think I'm about to go to Dead House now. See you on the other side."

Chapter Text

Evan wants to say that Dead House looks like something right out of a horror movie, but really, it's so much worse than that. Mansion-like in how it rises up to the sky, Dead House feels more like something out of a nightmare. Like something that shouldn't exist. Evan takes one look at the deep crimson red bricks, the black sloping roof, and rows of shuttered windows and knows without a doubt, this house is the most evil thing in Dark Falls. Not just literally dark, from the permanent shade the gnarled dead trees, like hanging, twisted corpses, cast over it, but something beyond that, a kind of darkness that penetrates Evan's soul with cold indifference. Blood has been shed here, he's sure of it. People have died. Innocent families lured to an unimaginable end. The whole place is death, from the rotting that seems to be settling into the house's bones, to the dead leaves that scatter the ground. If houses had souls, surely this building in front of him was a ghost, one with an ugly heart still beating in the basement and an open, but still very much unwelcoming door acting like a mouth for which to consume him.

Evan swears for a moment that he sees some kind of sinister figure leering at him from one of the windows, but it fades just as quickly as it appeared.

"Home sweet home." Evan hears Mr. Dark say. A sinister chuckle follows his words.

It's the inside of the place that surprises Evan the most. He has no idea what it looked like prior to the Dark's arrival, but they've clearly done some renovations. He can smell fresh paint and the furniture is neatly organized, just exact, and there's surprisingly not a sign of dust or cobwebs anywhere. Compared to the outside, it feels like an actual living space, far larger than anything Evan is used to, but it still feels cold to an outsider like him.

The front hallway, draped with a purple carpet covering the wood floor, leads up to a grand staircase, over which hovers a large portrait of the Dark family. Totally not vain at all. It's one of those paintings where the eyes seem to follow you. The artist did a good job, Evan has to admit, Mr. Dark looks just as intimidating on the canvas as he does in real-life, and Lucy just as alluring. Beside Mr. Dark he sees who must be Lucy's mother. They look quite similar, Evan thinks, though Mrs. Dark's face has a feline quality to it, like a fierce green-eyed cat is staring back at him. It reminds Evan of Sarabeth, how that witch had transformed from cat to human before his eyes. He gets a brief chill just thinking about it. Then there's Lucy's brother. Randy, Evan remembers Lucy mentioning his name. He too carries a lot of Lucy's features, from her dark hair and eyes to his deathly pale skin. He looks like some Victorian child.

It's not the only painting in the house, but it's the only one out of the bunch where Evan can actually identify who it's meant to be. Evan thinks one almost looks like a pirate right out of a movie. Captain Ben-something? Evan can't read the inscription from 's an especially odd one just across from it too, of what appears to be a young boy no older than 10 in old-fashioned clothing. The shocking part? The boy has no head on his shoulders. Rather, he has it tucked under his arm like a basketball. Evan wonders if this is some weird Halloween decoration or just a joke on the Dark family's part. Maybe they were all horror nuts like Lucy, or maybe whoever those paintings depicted were here before them.

"Follow me. I can patch up your.. bite." Lucy tells him, hesitant to say the last word, as if she still can't believe what just went down.

Evan complies, walking up the large stairway, gripping the wooden banister for support as he does so. His right leg still feels hard to walk on after he tripped over the tombstone. The staircase splits off in two different directions to rooms on the left and right side of the house, but they eventually intersect if you keep walking far enough.

Lucy leads him to her bedroom, which Evan is shocked to see is full of monsters. Not literal ones, but the whole place is scattered with figurines of gorgons, werewolves, and vampires. That's not to mention the walls. There's more movie posters than there is actual wall space. A large one of Boris Karloff as Frankenstein's Monster hangs over Lucy's bed, and even her bed, a queen-sized with a gothic black frame that's just totally Lucy summed up in a nutshell, looks like it costs more than anything Evan owns. Next to Frankie are a bunch of other classic posters, some Evan recognizes from Andy's personal collection, like all the Shock Street flicks and Scream School movies (there were so many sequels to that one, Evan knows, each more gory than the last. Andy loves that about them. Then there's The Cavern of No Return and The Beast with Three Brains (directed by R.B, Faraday, Andy's personal favorite). Others are evidently more obscure, like one Evan sees called REVENGE OF THE LIZARDMAN. The title says it all for that one evidently, as it shows a large reptilian creature chasing a scantily clad woman down a beach, while she's screaming in horror. Evan would scream too if he saw that, he thinks.

"Here. I've got some bandages." Lucy says.

She takes hold of his arm and begins wrapping it tightly like one probably would a mummy. It hurts just a little bit.

"Thanks." Evan says awkwardly and Lucy just nods in response.

"You were really brave back there." She tells him.

"Oh, it was nothing. I just thought I had to do something." Evan replies, but he's kind of smirking on the inside in response to Lucy's compliment.

He wouldn't mind sitting here while she showered him with praise for being a hero. It doesn't happen often, after all. He's more used to insults, especially from Andy. Not that that's always underserved though.

"Do you think they'll come back after us?" Evan asks.

Lucy pauses briefly. "We'll be safe once it reaches daylight. That's why it's best to avoid Dark Falls at night."

Evan thinks about what to say next. What those undead had said is still on his mind, and he's desperate to know more about the Darks.

"Lucy.. why did your family come to this town? What did those guys want with your dad?" He asks.

Lucy stares back intently. He can't tell if she's upset or not.

"My dad is an important person, of course they want something in return from him. I think they think he'll be able to turn them human again, but that's impossible, of course. You can't listen to the things they tell you." Lucy says, avoiding his gaze as she does so.

Make them human? Evan questions the possibility, but ultimately doesn't think he believes it. There's something more going on here, and Lucy's clearly trying to get him on her side. The zombies might have tried to eat him, but surely Mr. Dark isn't completely innocent. Lucy's explanation was far too simple for his liking.

"I see." Evan replies. "You didn't say why you came here though."

Now Lucy seems agitated. "My dad did all he could to fix our old home. We used to live in a town called Timberland Falls. He said improving Dark Falls was a personal mission, and basically forced us to move here. I.. wasn't too thrilled about that."

Evan nods. "Well, he got more than he bargained for, didn't he?"

"You can say that." Lucy replies softly.

As Evan rests his head against a soft pillow containing the visage of Count Dracula, Lucy turns on a large flatscreen TV, which rests above a working fireplace. Playing now is one of those paranormal TV shows, and it's hosted by someone who looks way too young to be having her own television show, probably no older than him. He vaguely tunes in, but his mind is still racing with all kinds of thoughts to pay too much focus.

"You're watching MONSTER REPORT, LIVE WITH COURTNEY KING, taking you across America's spookiest locations from my hometown here in Muddy Creek to the werewolf-infested Fever Swamp in Florida, this is where you can get all your RELIABLE news on all things that go BUMP in the night!" The host, a very talkative blonde girl, begins to say.

"For tonight's special guest, I ask you lovely viewers- what happens when a GHOST saves your life? One boy, Danny Anderson of Greenwood Falls, says that's what happened to him, and you especially won't want to miss tomorrow night's special on BODY SQUEEZERS AND KILLER LAWN GNOMES: AMERICA'S NEXT DEADLY INVASION. Now I've heard everything!" The girl says.

Evan's about to speak again, hoping to interrogate Lucy further, but a set of heavy footsteps interrupts his current train of thoughts.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but Evan.. could I speak to you in private?" a booming voice says and Evan turns to see Mr. Dark, looming large in front of the door frame, his shoulders wide enough to touch both corners.

Lucy flashes him a look that seems to read "good luck" and Evan thinks about her comments earlier about Mr. Dark being a harsh critic when it came to the guys Lucy dated. But then again, something tells Evan he wants to talk about something else beyond just Lucy's heart. His stern expression confirms that.

"Of course." Evan replies.

He follows Mr. Dark down the hall to what he assumes must be the man's office. It's far larger than Lucy's room, but just as cluttered with stuff, or rather, artifacts, stuff Evan wonders if Mr. Dark obtained while traveling. They're hardly your typical souvenirs, however. Lurking behind Mr. Dark's desk rests an upright sarcophagus, probably worth a fortune just looking at how shiny and golden it is. Evan wonders if there's an actual mummy inside, one that could spring to life at any time.

Mr. Dark seems to hear his thoughts and chuckles. "Don't worry, there's nothing in there. At least, there shouldn't be. I fear that mummy got up and walked long ago. They tend to do that."

Evan forces a laugh. Is that supposed to be a joke? He doesn't get it if so.

"It once held the great Emperor Pukrah. Did you ever hear about him in history class, Evan?" Mr. Dark asks.

Evan shakes his head no. It's true, the name doesn't ring any bells, not that he ever pays much attention in his classes.

Mr. Dark gives him a strange look. "Just curious. Pukrah was an ancient, powerful ruler of the country of Jekeziah. I like to keep him right next to me as I work as a reminder that like him, I must resolve to be the strongest leader possible, both in business and as a father, for all fathers are like rulers, aren't they? They set an example for future generations."

Evan just nods. He doesn't really know what the hell Mr. Dark is going on about. What benefit is there to taking after some dead guy probably no but he has ever heard of? Evan just pretends to stay interested for now.

"Where did you get it? Evan asks.

Mr. Dark seems to appreciate the interest. "Ah, you could say I'm a collector of such artifacts like that. It's become my life's work. This room is full of interesting stories. I'd be happy to share some, if you like."

Mr. Dark takes a seat and Evan sees on his desk what looks like a shrunken head, its skin green and wrinkled. The dead eyes stare back at Evan grimly, but it's currently being used as nothing more than a paper-weight, so Evan doesn't feel quite as intimidated by the stare. Evan continues to scan the room. There's so much stuff it's hard to focus on just one thing. It's like a museum of the strange, stuff plucked right out of the Twilight Zone or something. Evan almost wants to scoff at the sheer absurdity as his eyes stop at a small blue bottle labeled VAMPIRE BREATH, and every item next to the bottle only tops it in terms of ridiculousness, like a box with a large brown animal skin with the words WEREWOLF SKIN printed on the top, what appears to be the skeletal remains of a very, very large goldfish, and two plaster casts of two massive footprints, one labeled "ABOMINABLE SNOWMAN", and the other "SWAMP MONSTER" in crude sharpie writing.

If Evan didn't know better, he'd assume these were gag items, but if they're in Mr. Dark's collection, they must be genuine. And who knows what kind of terrifying power they have? Then there are items which seem borderline normal, like an old-fashioned looking camera and most interestingly, a large wooden cuckoo clock, currently ticking the seconds down, not missing a beat. Evan kind of wants to see the bird come popping out. That's the best part. He doesn't know why, but he gets closer to it.

"I'd be careful touching that." Mr. Dark warns. "It's very old, made in the black forest of Germany. There are some legends that say bad things will happen if anyone dares mess with it. I'd rather not find out if they're true."

"Sorry." Evan says, and turns away from the clock.

"Don't apologize. You were only curious." Mr. Dark says. "Take a seat, please."

Evan obeys, pulling up a chair in front of his desk. He almost trips in the process, failing to notice a large black case on the ground that's currently open. It looks like something vaguely human-shaped was meant to be stored here, like a doll. Then Evan remembers what Ricky said about speaking with a talking ventriloquist dummy. Had it been part of Mr. Dark's little "antique collection"?

Over his desk, the same Dark family portrait on the staircase can be seen while other areas of the room show more personal family photos, like one showing the Darks tied up in heavy chains. The bottom makes it look like a post-card with the message: "WE SURVIVED TERROR TOWER, LONDON, ENGLAND" printed beneath it, a sharp contrast from the almost-frightened looking expressions on their faces in the photo. Clearly they were just playing it up, but somehow Evan finds it unnerving.

"You wanted to talk to me about something?" Evan asks.

"Yes." Mr. Dark replies. "Now I don't want to skirt around the issue or anything, Evan, but we have something serious to discuss. I need your help."

"Help?" Evan responds.

What could Mr. Dark possibly want, and why does he sound so urgent about it?

"I brought you to Dark Falls for a reason, Evan." Mr. Dark says. "Now don't play stupid with me. I want to talk to you about Monster Blood. You're going to help me get some.. Or else I'll hurt you and everyone you love. Oh, who am I kidding? I'm planning to do that anyway!"

The only thing Evan can hear as the blood rushes to his head is Mr. Dark's deep booming laughter.

Chapter Text

Evan can feel his heart rise all the way to his throat, and it's beating fast with the kind of panic he hasn't felt in years. The kind he never wanted to feel again.

"M-Monster Blood?" Evan asks. "Why?"

"I've got big plans for Dark Falls, Evan, and it's only possible if I can get my hands on that beautiful green gunk." Mr. Dark explains.

Evan can feel the room spinning. Not only does Mr. Dark know about Monster Blood, but whatever he's planning, it involves using it, and for Evan, that only spells trouble

"I'm sorry, sir. I already used the last one. I had to defend myself.. And Lucy, of course. Surely that has to mean something?"

Evan adds that last part in last-minute, hoping mentioning Lucy will somehow appeal to Mr. Dark's emotions. He had saved Lucy's life, after all.

"You're right, Evan, and for that, I'm grateful, but any kindness between us will end here. All of this.. You see, all of this is.. it's about revenge."

Revenge? The word runs through Evan's brain as he tries to think why Mr. Dark could possibly want revenge on HIM, some kid he's never met until this moment.

"I don't expect you to understand, Evan, but let me try and help you, so that hopefully you can eventually help me." Mr. Dark says.

"Okay. You can answer my first question: Why Dark Falls?" Evan asks. He's surprised at his own boldness.

"Why not Dark Falls?" Mr. Dark answers. "The truth is because it's where all of this technically began. I first discovered its existence when Jack Benson published the book recounting his family's experience. It was then I knew I had to come here for myself. It's amazing, isn't it?"

"What's so amazing about it? Everyone who lives here has been trying to kill me all day!" Evan snaps.

Mr. Dark snickers. "Just think about it.. a town where no one actually stays dead. It's incredible! When that factory exploded, it turned ordinary humans into monsters, and instantly I knew that was a power I had to control for myself. Just imagine, Evan.. the power to control life and death itself."

Evan can't believe what he's hearing. Controlling life and death? Does Mr. Dark know how absurd that sounds? Apparently not.

"Do you know what kind of factory that was, Evan? I bet you can guess." Mr. Dark says.

"What are you talking about?" Evan asks. He doesn't know what Mr. Dark wants him to say.

"Come on, surely you can guess?"

Then his eyes widen to a size larger than they've ever been as the revelation sinks in.

"M-Monster Blood?" Evan asks.

"Bingo. Dark Falls used to make all kinds of toys.. including your beloved green slime. Can you believe it? That's what contaminated everything, turned all those innocent people into the undead! Knowing that, I can understand why you're so afraid of it."

Oh my god, Evan thinks. He wants to vomit. The Monster Blood had already done so many horrible things, but destroy a whole town? That was something he couldn't have anticipated. The kind of thing he never wanted to imagine.

"What does that have to do with me?" Evan asks. "Are you saying I'm to blame for that? I didn't make the Monster Blood! It fucked me up too, you know that?"

"Oh I know that, Evan. The Monster Blood is just a tool.. But now you're inseparable. I guess metaphorically it did swallow you up, didn't it? You can't have Monster Blood without Evan Ross!" Mr. Dark says, as if making a grand announcement, or like he's trying to prove a point.

"That's not true. I never wanted any of this." Evan says.

He repeats the phrase over and over in his head, but still somehow feels guilty. It's true, the Monster Blood is his demon to fight, but it doesn't define who he is and it never would unless he allows it to.

"Isn't it? Every time you swear you're done, Evan, you end up using Monster Blood all over again. You even used it tonight! If you ask me, I think you have a serious addiction!" Mr. Dark says.

This was true too, while he could blame Andy all he wanted, it was him at the end of the day who agreed. It was him who pulled the trigger. All for petty revenge. That's what Monster Blood often was: an easy solution to a complex problem. A very messy solution.

"Monster Blood is your dark side, Evan. And you have the gall to say you're not like us. That you're not as much as monster as we are." Mr. Dark says.

"You're a monster?" Evan asks. It feels strange to hear the words come out of Mr. Dark's mouth.

Mr. Dark gives him a confused look. "Of course I'm a monster, Evan! All of us are monsters. It shouldn't have taken you that long to figure it out."

So, Ricky was right, Evan thinks. About everything.

"I guess I just didn't want to believe it." Evan admits.

This was true. Part of him hoped Mr. Dark was a friendly guy who would welcome him into the family with open arms once he started dating Lucy. Speaking of her,, Evan now knows this revelation means Lucy's also not who she seemed to be. That might be the part that stings the most. Maybe it was on him for falling too easily, but Evan always did that, didn't he? He always fell hard and fell fast. Just like he did with Andy, and just like the day he first met Conan and thought he was cute, even if he didn't understand all those feelings in his heart yet. That first interaction had ended with Conan pummeling Evan, another side result of him always feeling the need to tell his stupid Monster Blood stories to everyone, and it was that day cold, hard reality came crashing down on Evan, just one of many times the world felt like it was slapping him in the face. Things with Conan were never going to work out, he found that out quickly, and now he can't help but feel the same heartbreak knowing Lucy is probably evil like him. That might be what stings the most. Maybe things could have been different had they met as kids, not cynical teens, but even that's just a what-if scenario. Why did everything have to end in bitter failure and disappointment?

"Do you want to see?" Mr. Dark asks, interrupting Evan's thoughts. "What I really look like?" He's practically pleading for Evan to say yes, like he's eager to shed his human form.

Evan's about to answer, before Mr. Dark chooses for him, shapeshifting before his very eyes. Evan watches in pure horror as the man's skin splits apart, retracting into him as muscly green flesh is revealed beneath. If Evan thought he was big before, he hadn't seen anything yet. Mr. Dark is a monster in every sense of the word. Most horrifying is the way his head enlarges. The monstrous one beneath is too big for his ordinary human one, so it bursts like a wrecking ball through a demolished building, revealing something almost dragon-like with glowing red eyes and razor-sharp teeth, in which Evan can see a forked tongue wiggling around. Evan imagines getting chomped up with them. Mr. Dark's broad-shoulders appear to have what look like tendril-like suckers on them and he now reaches close to the height of the room, towering over Evan with ease. He's never been more afraid.

"How's that, Evan? Scared yet?" Mr. Dark asks in a voice even deeper than before, followed by a sickly laugh.

Evan is shaking, but manages to speak. "Why- why do you want the Monster Blood so bad?"

Mr. Dark flashes a toothy, snake-like grin, and his nostrils flare, shooting out a dark gray smoke. Evan wonders if he's part dragon or something the way fire seems to spray from his mouth.

"It's easy. I want to recreate the same accident from years ago. I want to make other monsters like me. I need Monster Blood to do that." he explains. "Isn't it funny? I've spent a majority of my life tracking down all these little supernatural artifacts. The kind of stuff that would blow your mind. Hell, I don't know if any human is equipped to truly comprehend the kind of world they REALLY live in. I mean, just look at that cuckoo clock over there. If I wanted to, I could use that to control time itself. Imagine that kind of power, Evan! But no, the thing I want most is some tacky green slime.. but it might be the most powerful object of them all." Mr. Dark goes on.

"That's insane!" Evan cries.

He can't allow such an awful thing to happen. Especially not a second time, on all these innocent people. Including his family, and all his friends. Not just Andy and Conan, but the people he's just met and already feels a strange connection with. Ricky. Carly Beth. They don't deserve it. And if somehow Mr. Dark is targeting them because of HIM, then Evan owes it to them to stop this evil plot.

"So what if it is?" Mr. Dark asks. "The world's better off if we embrace that we're all just monsters. But there are those who would rather us hide in the shadows for all eternity. People like you, Evan." He says.

"Me?" Evan asks.

"Yes, Evan. YOU. Like I said before, this is revenge. I've spent years tracking down all of those like you who have slain monsters all across the country. Your friend Ricky was correct, you're all connected in a unique way. And now that same thing will be your undoing. Now that the research is done, I've been able to lure your families to Dark Falls using a very.. special tool. It wasn't easy to obtain. You'll be the first wave of many to be reborn into creatures. Then this world will finally belong to the MONSTERS, like it always should have been!" Mr. Dark explains with a grin.

"But we were all just kids when that happened! We made mistakes! None of us wanted those things to happen. Our parents didn't believe us, so we did what we had to do at that moment. And it hasn't been easy for any of us since then, trust me. I'm sorry if humanity hurt you or whatever, but you can't blame me for that." Evan tells him.

Mr. Dark looks like he's thinking about something, but his expression changes to a stern one once more. "It doesn't matter, this is the moment we monsters finally get our revenge on those who've wronged us. It's time for monsters to rule the Earth! And I've got plenty of friends to help me accomplish that."

Friends? Who else was Mr. Dark working with?

"You won't get away with this, you'll never get any more of the Monster Blood!" Evan snaps. It sounds a bit goofy, sure, but he means it with all his heart.

"Ah, so you admit there IS more, Evan?" Mr. Dark asks, a smirk creeping onto his face.

Shit, Evan thinks. Him and his big fucking mouth. He had to say it.

"I didn't mean-" he starts.

"Oh, don't worry. You don't think I knew about your friend's little stash? I've got someone dealing with it as we speak." Mr. Dark says.

"What? Who are you talking about?" Evan asks,

Suddenly, his cell phone starts to buzz. It's from Andy.

"Go on. Pick it up." Mr. Dark says.

Evan is reluctant, but complies, holding it to his ear.

"Andy?" He says. "Are you okay?"

"Andy? So that's the squealer's name?" A voice answers, giggling.

It's definitely not Andy. The voice sounds high-pitched, full of mad glee. Evan hates it the moment he hears it, and then his stomach drops when he thinks about what might have happened to Andy.

"Who the hell is this?" Evan barks. "Where's Andy?!"

"There's no need to swear, Evan! You can think of me as a pal. Your good friend.. Slappy. You and I need to have a little talk.. If you're able to find me, that is!"

So it is the dummy! Evan thinks. He's about to cuss him out with everything he's got before the line goes completely dead.

"Slappy? Answer me, you stupid fucking dummy!" Evan shouts.

"I'd obey the dummy, if I were you, Evan, before it's too late for your friends."

Evan doesn't even answer, he just starts running out of Dead House. Faster than he ever has before. But then Lucy Dark stops him at the doorway.

"Going so soon, Evan?" she asks, "We were just about to have dinner!"

Chapter Text

Evan's in a hurry. If he doesn't get going, Slappy might have obtained all the Monster Blood and worst of all, Andy and Conan might be hurt, or worse. It's the "or worse" part that scares him most. He doesn't want to imagine either of them dead, not even Conan. He doesn't have the time, not the want to talk to Lucy right now, Just looking at her makes Evan angry, but she won't let him leave.

"How can you do it, Lucy?" Evan asks.

"Do what?" she asks, totally innocent-sounding.

"Let your father do what he's about to do!" Evan shouts.

Lucy turns away, a little guilty now. Evan starts to wonder if somehow he can reach her, turn her against her father's plot. Maybe it's not too late.

"You wouldn't understand, Evan. I'd do anything for my family." Lucy says defensively.

"Oh yeah? So you'll just let him turn everyone on the planet into monsters? For some stupid revenge?" Evan asks her.

"Is being a monster such a bad thing? I don't think you get the kind of things humans have done. We're a horror show for you to gawk at!" Lucy says.

Evan stops. It's true, he doesn't understand. How can he? Hell, all of this is brand new to him. A couple days ago, the only monster he'd ever met was an uncontrollable can of green slime, and even that one was capable of destroying his life. What could monsters like the Darks do to him then? What even is all out there? Maybe Mr. Dark is right. The supernatural is too difficult for the human brain to comprehend, but surely there is a better way, a way to fix a battle that's been going on for god-knows how long? Evan is hardly the best candidate for the job. He can hardly understand people in general. He isn't sure if he even understands himself.

"You're right, Lucy. I can't, but you have to listen to me: Your father is luring people like me to Dark Falls because of what happened to us as kids. Somehow, we were unlucky enough to encounter things we shouldn't have. Nobody would believe us, so we had to fight that battle for ourselves. Then when all was said and done, it was like nothing ever happened, our experiences were swept under the rug." Evan says.

This was something he'd never really spoken about to anyone. After the whole incident with the blue blobs, the authorities were all too eager to cover everything up in a way that made the story a lot easier to stomach. Any evidence the blue blobs had ever attacked Atlanta was erased. Maybe similar things had happened to the other kids, and maybe this is why Mr. Dark is so angry at them. Because at the end of the day, monsters are still forced to hide in the shadows.

"Lucy, when I first met you, I felt somehow connected. I don't think you want to admit it, but you're one of us, aren't you? I think you had an experience of your own as a kid. That no one believed you either. You might want to forget it, but you can't. I know I certainly can't either. Because those kinds of things stick with you. It's not your fault. You have to see what your father's doing is wrong. Please" Evan pleads with Lucy, still trying to reason with her.

She's still turned away, but Evan can tell he's made some kind of impact.

"Evan, stop. You'll never understand." She replies.

"Then help me!" Evan begs. "Before it's too late."

"No. I won't turn against my father." Lucy says. "Not even for you, Evan."

"Fine," he says. "Now the least you can do is let me leave, because all of my friends might be dead now because of you."

Evan doesn't hold back his rage. He wants it to sting. But Lucy doesn't really respond, she just opens the door, finally allowing Evan to run down the dilapidated stairs of the Dead House out into the inky black of Dark Falls, which somehow feels more sinisterly alive now that it's night. Maybe it's just the fact Evan is now running like hell down the street, narrowly avoiding any creeping shadow that might be a threat ready to pop out at him and suck him dry of blood. Evan knows there must be a lot out here. Something still bothers him though. How much control does Mr. Dark have over the town? The ones back in the cemetery were certainly disobedient, but was there someway the Darks were immune to becoming victims? Evan isn't sure. He also wonders just what the "special tool" Mr. Dark mentioned is. Frankly, there's too many questions, Evan thinks. The important part now is getting back home.

Evan expects to find the windows smashed or something, but his house seems to be okay on the outside, besides the obvious imperfections due to old age and general creepiness the buildings in Dark Falls provide. His parents aren't home yet. Strange, considering they usually are at this time. Another thing to worry about. Reaching the front door, Evan uses his shoulder to bring it down, but finds it's completely unlocked. When he flicks on the lights, he sees the walls are now smeared with red paint- messages like "SLAPPY WAS HERE" and "WELCOME HOME EVAN" alongside tiny dummy-sized handprints.

As Evan walks, something crunches under his shoes. Looking down, he sees it's shards from a broken vase. His mother's, to be more specific. She's not going to be happy about this. She'll have to forgive Evan if he saves her life from monsters though, right? That seems like a fair trade. But then he starts to feel the fear creep in. A broken vase means there must have been a struggle.

"Andy?" Evan cries out. "Are you here?"

Suddenly, Evan hears something else crash, then the familiar sound of Andy shouting.

"I've got you now, you fucking dummy!" Andy says.

In response, Evan hears an evil cackle. The same from the phone call.

"The only dummies I see are you bozos!" Slappy rasps. "I've strangled puppies more threatening than you!"

Evan picks up the pace. In the living room, he sees a sight he can't say he ever expected to see- Andy, her arms raised with a baseball bat, fending off a walking ventriloquist dummy the size of a child. Slappy is just as creepy as Evan expected. He wears a gray suit, currently buttoned all the way up, though part of a white undershirt is still visible as a large red bowtie rests beneath his chin. His limbs are lanky. Evan wonders if his whole body's made out of wood, or just certain parts, because he seems to have no trouble walking, as if someone brought a ragdoll to life. Meanwhile, his head looks shiny and polished, sporting dark brown hair and a pair of eerie blue eyes, which look like they're almost glowing in the darkness of the room. The worst part though are the dummy's lips, which curl into a permanent red smile.

"Newsflash, girly-girl, those kinds of clothes went out of style YEARS ago. I'd say you're colorblind, but even colorblind people have more fashion sense than you! Did a rainbow vomit on you or what?" Slappy insults Andy with an evil grin.

Evan hates how unnatural the dummy's jaw looks as it opens up to speak, wide, allowing Evan to see the hollow blackness inside Slappy's mouth. He never liked dummies very much to begin with.

"Come on, Conan! Pin him down or something! I swear to god, I'm going to gag you!" Andy shouts.

"What? No way! You know dolls freak me out!" Conan says.

"Christ. Do I have to do everything around here?" Andy snaps at him, and goes for a swing.

With a crack, Evan watches as Andy smacks Slappy with her bat, sending the dummy flying into the wall. It's an impressive hit. The dummy makes a noise of pain when it hits. Do dummies feel pain? This one apparently does.

"Chucky doesn't have shit on me!" Andy says with a laugh.

"Andy! Thank god you're okay." Evan says, rushing over to her side.

Andy doesn't look quite as happy to see him. In fact, she's more than a little bitter.

"Took you long enough." She says. "As you can see, we have a little problem!"

Evan watches as Slappy sits right back up, standing once more.

Slappy giggles. "Hello Evan. You're even UGLIER than you sound on the phone!"

"Slappy." Evan grimaces. "You want to talk? Okay, first things first- I'm going to need you to get the hell out of my house."

"Sure thing, kiddo. Just as soon as you give me the Monster Blood!" Slappy says.

Andy looks over at him. "In case you're worried, I didn't give ANY of it to him. What does he even need it for?"

"It's okay. I didn't think you would. It's a long story- short version, Mr. Dark is going to use it to turn the whole world into monsters. He's a monster too- he blames kids like us for monsters having to hide themselves, so all of this- the whole luring people to Dark falls stuff, is part of some revenge scheme. He chose us for a reason." Evan explains.

"Geez, talk about karma." Conan says.

Both Evan and Andy choose to ignore him. Andy seems surprisingly unphased by the information. "Wow. Typical rich guy plot, huh?" she says.

Evan struggles to respond. "A bit simplistic way of putting it, but something like that."

"So I guess things aren't going to work out with Lucy?" she asks

Evan cringes a bit. "Nope. I don't think so."

Andy looks at him apologetically.

"Yes, too bad so sad, Evan. Not even a monster wants to be your girlfriend! And if the rumors are to be believed, Lucy Dark is quite repulsive under all that makeup!" Slappy says, still amused as ever.

"Shut up." Evan snaps at Slappy. He's already had enough of the dummy's wisecracks.

"Are we taking this guy down together?" Andy asks.

"Let's do it." Evan smirks.

"Bring it on! At least you won't die alone!" Slappy says.

Without hesitation, Evan grabs Slappy with brute force. He's heavier than Evan expected. Evan isn't sure if all dummies have a bit of weight, or if somehow Slappy actually has organs and a skeleton beneath all that wood. The second option unnerves him. In Evan's grasp, Slappy squirms around and struggles, making cries of protest, followed by continued insults.

"You think you can stop me, carrot-top? I'll peel you like one! Then your stupid little hamster too!" Slappy warns Evan.

Okay, now Evan's angry. No one threatens Cuddles, especially not this dummy.

"Hold him down, Evan! I'll get the tape!" Andy instructs.

Evan obeys, keeping Slappy in a tight chokehold as Andy begins to tie the dummy to a chair in the living room. Evan's still struggling to comprehend what's going on right now. It's like they're kidnapping someone. Said someone is an evil dummy, but still, it's strange. Before long, Slappy is tied up completely. Andy seems satisfied, a little too happy to see the dummy now completely helpless but Evan hopes duct tape will be enough to hold him.

"Can we tape his mouth shut or what? I'm tired of hearing his voice." Andy asks.

"Not yet.. I need answers." Evan tells her.

"Of course you do. You're already so clueless!" Slappy says.

"Ricky Beamer? You know him, don't you?" Evan asks the Dummy.

"That nerdy loser with the lizard skin? How could I forget?" Slappy sneers.

"He said that you paid him a visit.. You were the one who told him about Mr. Dark's plan to lure us to Dark Falls. Why do that if you're working with him?" Evan asks.

Slappy begins to laugh. "You think I'm working with him? That dummy's just my puppet! I'm the one pulling the strings. Larry Dark found me for his collection and used the words to bring me to life. He's nothing more than my slave! I told Ricky the Rat the details because it was a trap, you idiot! I needed you all together to launch what will be my ultimate revenge." he explains.

Evan wonders if what Slappy's saying is true. He can't imagine Mr. Dark actually served this dummy. No. It seems both have their own conflicting agendas.

"Why?" Evan asks. It's the only question he can really think of now.

"Honestly? I just thought it'd be fun." Slappy giggles. "Larry Dark's kidding himself if he thinks all monsters will just magically get along. That's why the only answer is to put me in charge. Then everyone will be my slave, for all eternity!" The giggle turns into a long cackle.

"Yeah, I've had enough of this fucking guy." Andy says, and places a string of tape on Slappy's mouth as a gag.

Evan doesn't stop her. He's rather glad to shut Slappy up, but there's still a big problem weighing him down.

"What the hell do we do now?" Evan asks.

"Why not just let him go to war with the Darks? It would benefit us all in the long run. Let them kill each other!" Andy says.

"It's too risky." Evan tells her. "For now, what matters is they don't have the Monster Blood. I say we dispose of Slappy. Shouldn't be that hard, right?"

Slappy begins to speak, but it's muffled by the tape. He's definitely getting angry. Too bad.

"I can get behind that idea. I'm sure there's room in Dark Falls cemetery, isn't there?" Andy asks.

Evan stops. He doesn't like the idea of anyone venturing back there, especially not Andy.

"I don't think it's safe. The place is crawling with dead people and uh.. I may have released some Monster Blood there."

Andy flashes him a familiar look.

"It was an emergency, okay? I didn't have a choice." Evan explains.

"I'm not judging. Look, I'll find a sewer or something to drop the dummy in if it bothers you that much."

Evan considers the option. It's not like there's many alternatives.

"Okay." he says.

"Good, now help me lug him into my car."

Evan nods and soon he and Andy have picked up the chair like they're moving furniture into a new house, all the while Slappy keeps on squirming. Evan wishes he'd shut up for five seconds. Carefully, Evan and Andy open the trunk but stop in complete shock and horror at what they see.

The Monster Blood is gone. Slappy was nothing more than a distraction for someone else to come and take it. Even though the tape is still over his mouth, Evan can tell the dummy is laughing in victory. Mr. Dark is one step closer to achieving his goal.

Chapter Text

Evan can hardly stop swearing, even as he, Andy, and Conan are driving down the street with Slappy trapped securely in the trunk. At least as far as Evan can see. He's stuck in the backseat while Andy and Conan are in front. Somehow this was always their car set-up and it felt humiliating to say the least. Perhaps now more than ever. He's not a kid anymore, for God's sake, so why treat him like one? Then again, there are worse things at hand.

"God damn it." Evan snaps bitterly. "I can't believe I was that stupid!"

"It's going to be okay, Evan. We'll get it back." Andy assures him in a soft voice.

Her head is turned and focused on the road so Evan can't tell if she believes this or not.

"How do you know that, Andy? Mr. Dark said he had a lot of friends working with him. Just about anyone could have taken the Monster Blood and Dark might even have the stuff now!" Evan says.

"I'll admit things don't look good, but we've survived worse, haven't we? We can do it again." Andy says.

While Andy does have a point, her attempt to be optimistic doesn't quite work. Things feel different now, like this might really be the end of everything as they know it.

"Or else the world is destroyed by Monster Blood." Conan chimes in.

"Not helping, Conan." Andy barks at him. "I'm not going to let anything bad happen to you guys. Now who wants to help me get rid of the dummy in the back?"

Evan hates to admit it but he sides more with Conan now, though he can't help but admire Andy's pure ferocity and determination. He's always admired that about her and is glad at least she's still on his side in all of this. As Andy steps out of the vehicle, Evan follows, watching as she pops open the trunk-lid. Slappy's still lying there, and as he turns his head, Evan can see a mix of both anger and odd satisfaction in the dummy's cold blue eyes. Andy reaches out for him before Evan stops her.

"Wait." Evan says. "You don't think Slappy could maybe tell us who really took the Monster Blood, do you?" he asks.

Andy turns to look at him with a look he recognizes. It's her trademark "don't be stupid, Evan" look. He can't blame her for activating it, but if there's a chance the dummy knows, Evan wants to take it. Meanwhile, Slappy has a different look. It's almost one of intrigue. He's staring right at Andy, who's deliberately avoiding him, as if pleading for her to listen to Evan.

"I don't know. What makes you think he'll tell the truth, even if he does? He'll just try to trick us again." Andy tells him.

She has a point. Slappy is far from trustworthy. Hell, he probably would have killed them all earlier had he been able to, but Evan is more than a little desperate.

"I know how it sounds, Andy, but we have to try." He pleads.

"Fine. But I'm not letting that dummy out of my sight." Andy replies, clearly reluctant.

Evan steps forward and as he reaches for Slappy, he expects the dummy to grab his arm, before remembering the dummy's limbs are currently tied. He still manages to look creepy, however, and just as quickly as Evan removes the tape from Slappy, he recoils his hand in fear.

"So, Evan. You finally came to your senses, huh?" Slappy giggles. "And hey, just WHO gave YOU a driver's license?!" he says, looking at Andy. "I think a blind old lady would do a better job than you!"

Slappy starts laughing, and Andy just flips her middle finger at him. This only seems to amuse the dummy, but Evan can tell it's satisfying. Andy's hatred for Slappy is practically radiating off of her.

"Enough jokes, I want answers, Slappy. And you're going to give them to me." Evan says. "I know Mr. Dark sent you as a distraction so someone else could take the Monster Blood. And I think you know who."

Slappy narrows his dark eyebrows and smirks "You sound so certain of yourself. Maybe the Monster Blood just happened to fall out?" he says snidely, as if taunting Evan.

Evan just glares back at Slappy. How else could things have gone? The answer seems so simple, but Evan still doesn't have all the pieces.

"Nice try, but I have a pretty good guess as to what happened. Now tell me, or I'll have Andy here break you into a million pieces. I think you and I both know there's no coming back from that." Even threaten, and Andy nods in agreement. In fact, she looks pretty eager to carry things out.

Slappy only laughs, however. "Oh, Evan. You can break me as many times as you want. I always come back. You think you and your friends can do anything worse to me than what's already been done? I've been torn apart, sawn in half, steam-rolled, and guess what? I DIDN'T DIE!" Slappy throws his head back and laughs, his wooden jaw hobbling uneasily as he does so.

Evan knows this time he's telling the truth. Who knows what the hell the dummy's done in the past or who he's hurt, but clearly something keeps bringing him back. Maybe that same thing brought him to Dark Falls.

"You wanna know why, Evan?" Slappy asks. "Why I keep on coming back? Go on. Ask. I know you're curious." He teases.

Fine. I'll humor the dummy, Evan thinks. It's true. He is curious how a wooden doll is somehow so powerful.

"Why?" Evan asks.

Slappy smiles. "BECAUSE I'M A STAR, EVAN! There can be no Goosebumps without SLAPPY THE DUMMY!" he rasps, not able to contain his laughter.

Evan doesn't know what the hell Slappy's talking about, or what a "Goosebumps" even is, but Evan doesn't care to find out.

"You're not a star, Slappy. You're just a wooden dick." Even says.

He can hear Andy trying to hold in laughter. She'll probably tease him about that comment later.

"Well I guess that's true too." Slappy teases. He's about to say more before Evan cuts him off.

"If you're not afraid of me, maybe you'll be afraid of Mr. Dark. I'm sure he won't appreciate you wanting to spoil his plan." Evan says.

"That 2nd rate villain?" Slappy raises an eyebrow. "He's a nobody. He WISHES he could be me!"

"So you're not afraid of monsters?" Evan asks.

"I AM a monster, Evan. The kind that gives little kids nightmares! You'd know all about that, wouldn't you? Big Baby Evan Ross. Still afraid of green slime." Slappy says.

He's trying to get into Evan's head and it's working. He can't let himself be outsmarted by a goddamn DUMMY. That name had to exist for a reason, right? But then an idea creeps into Evan's head and he can't help but smirk back at Slappy.

"So then, Slappy.. if the whole world is turned into monsters. Aren't you afraid you'll be outshined? You said it yourself- you're a star. Now you're going to be replaced with something brand new and shiny." Evan says, taunting the dummy for a change. It feels surprisingly good.

This time, Slappy looks angry. "THERE'S NO REPLACING ME!" He snaps. It's almost like a venomous hiss, full of malice. "I'M ONE OF A KIND!"

Evan scoffs. All that scary exterior Slappy has while underneath he's nothing more than a child craving attention. He's trying to make himself bigger than he actually is. Maybe Evan can relate to that in a sad way. He's felt neglected his entire life.

"Yeah, I don't think so, Slappy. Nobody's going to give a shit about you once Mr. Dark releases that Monster Blood."

"Oh, they'll care, Evan." He rasps. "I'll do something so horrible they'll never forget me. Look, you want your stupid little slime? Ask Agatha Maaargh." Slappy tells him.

Maaargh? As in Mrs. Maaargh? Evan questions. It's hard to imagine there's anyone else with that name, especially in as small a town like this. She had been acting strange during class, Evan remembers. And the way she talked to Lucy? It was like she was a friend to the Darks. It makes a strange amount of sense.

"And why should I believe you?" Evan asks, even though he suspects Slappy is indeed telling the truth.

"You probably shouldn't." Slappy says. "But I like a little chaos. Now, are you going to free me or what?" he asks.

"What?" Evan responds. He doesn't know what Slappy means.

"Our deal. I tell you where the green gunk is, and you let me free." Slappy replies.

Evan almost laughs. Surely Slappy doesn't really expect to be freed? Where had he even suggested that possibility?

"Yeah, not happening. You're still getting dropped in the sewer. I guess you're not that smart, huh?" Evan asks.

A condescending smirk crosses his face as he looks down at Slappy. Now Evan feels like a giant in comparison. Just like he did after eating the Monster Blood that time at Kermit's. Like he could just stomp Slappy into oblivion. Maybe the part that satisfies him the most is knowing he finally outsmarted someone. That's rare indeed, and Evan is going to relish the victory for as long as he can.

He and Andy waste no time in grabbing the dummy, who continues struggling as they drag him to an open grate in the road. Out of his mouth, Slappy makes more vile threats.

"Oh, Evan! We're more alike than you think!" Slappy rasps. "You still don't know the whole story- nor do you know how this is going to end. You think Mr. Dark just cares about the Monster Blood? No, he also needs YOU. YOU'RE-"

"I don't care!" Evan shouts.

He's done listening to Slappy, as curious as he is, he can't afford to let the dummy keep getting in his head. Whatever the truth, he'll have to find out on his own. Evan watches in amusement as he drops into the darkness below, making an audible thud as he hits the bottom.

"That's taken care of." Andy says. "You think he'll be back?"

"I think he will, yeah. No doubt." Evan replies, and this is true. Slappy had said he's survived all kinds of damage. A fall is probably nothing.

"Well, we'll have to be ready." Andy replies. "Who's Agatha Maaargh?"

"My English teacher. I guess she's just another monster we have to deal with." Evan explains.

Andy nods. "Not my first time fighting a teacher."

Now there's a long story, Evan thinks. He'd rather not make a comment though.

"I think we should recharge. It's been a long night for all of us." Evan says.

Andy doesn't argue, driving back to his house, where both of Evan's parents are still nowhere to be found, and the house remains a mess after Slappy's rampage. It feels bleak and empty.

"I'm taking the couch." Conan says. "I'm exhausted."

Evan almost wants to comment about how Conan hardly did much of anything, but he bites his tongue. He's shocked as he watches Conan practically swan-dive onto the couch, which is a lot smaller than him and within what feels like seconds, he's asleep. And snoring. God, is he snoring. Evan wonders if the real Conan was this heavy of a sleeper, or if it was all part of his blue blob physiology.

"Great." Andy says. "I guess I'll have to listen to that all night. Unless you want to let me stay in your room?" she asks.

Evan just stares and Andy looks instantly regretful over her comment.

"Sorry, I shouldn't have said that. That was awkward." Andy says, avoiding his gaze.

Evan does the same. "Right." he replies. It's all he can say in the moment.

Why were things so awkward between them? Evan would love to know. Even after beating up an evil dummy together, stuff like this seemed scarier and Evan would rather avoid it all entirely.

He watches Andy grab a blanket and curl up in another of the chairs in the living room. He has to stop himself from staring for too long.

"Goodnight, Andy." Evan whispers.

That night, Evan struggles to fall asleep until finally, he finds himself dreaming again. But it's not what he expects. This isn't something from his past- but something he's never seen before. Or has he? Evan realizes he's looking at the interior of the Dead House- He, Andy, Conan, Ricky, Carly Beth are others he doesn't quite recognize are seated around a large dinner table. It doesn't take Evan long before he realizes he is in fact strapped down securely with no way of leaving. As he looks around, he sees the same has happened to his friends. Struggling, Evan watches as Mr. Dark places a large bowl in front of each of them. From the bowl, Evan begins to hear a horrible gurgling noise.

Evan inside and his fears are confirmed as he sees the bowl is full of Monster Blood. It smells foul and continues to move and jiggle in an eerie motion, even as he forcibly moves his spoon into the gelatinous mass. The Monster Blood is hungry no doubt, pulsating like a heart, before it starts to expand, just like it always does, pouring right over the bowl, and creeping ever so slowly onto Evan's lap. As the slime comes down in droplets onto his torn jeans, Evan screams in pain as it burns him. The Monster Blood is doing something to his skin, he realizes, and as he looks down, he sees the slime is now acting like a very corrosive acid, eating away at his flesh until only melty bits of skin and bone are revealed. Evan wants to scream, but no words come out.

"Come on, Evan!" Mr. Dark pleads with a dark chuckle. "Eat the Monster Blood before it eats YOU!"

Evan begins to raise the slime to his lips. It's thick, actively trying to escape the spoon and latch onto him and that pungent smell continues to sting his nostrils. He watches as his friends do the same. Once the Monster Blood enters their mouths, Evan sees them react in pure horror, as the green slime begins to pour down their lips like fresh vomit or pea soup, and then it begins to melt their faces down into nothing but a horrifying gray-green skull. While their hollow eye sockets contain nothing but darkness, Evan can tell they're somehow looking at him accusingly, and he can't blame them. He continues to stare at the quivering Monster Blood down on his spoon. He hates it. He fucking hates it so much. And it hates Evan just as much.

"Come on, Evan! EAT!" Mr. Dark urges. "You need that to grow big and strong!"

"Here. I'll help." A familiar voice says from behind Evan.

He realizes Lucy Dark is standing there, and can do little to stop her as he takes the spoon out of his hands and begins propelling it towards his mouth.

"You know, most people learn how to properly eat their food when they're a baby." Lucy taunts. "Oh well. Here comes the airplane!" She laughs.

"You can't blame Evan, honey. He never got a chance to grow up." Mr. Dark says. "Very sad, if you ask me."

"Shut up, Shut up!" Evan shouts.

He's had enough hearing himself say these things, much less people who hardly knew a damn thing about him.

"Just remember this is your fault, Evan. This is why your friends have to die. Why the whole world has to die." Mr. Dark says.

Evan starts to scream before the cold spoon is thrust into his mouth. He gets a taste of the Monster Blood once again. He hates just how good it tastes. Like getting an instant dose of power and strength. But it's not worth it. His body falls apart just like the rest of them.

Somehow, though, Evan is still screaming. He realizes then that he's not sitting at the table but instead watching from afar- not as he is now, but a kid again. Twelve years old, just like the summer he went to his great-aunt Kathryn's, and just as helpless as he was then. And he's just shouting. Shouting without an end. But no one can hear him. Maybe all of this really is his fault.

It's hard to tell if Evan's still screaming when he wakes up or if he's just imagining it, but as he wakes up covered in sweat and with a mouth dry as cotton, he still feels trapped in the nightmare. It takes longer to fall back into reality this time. If dreams are premonitions, as Evan has often considered them, then what does this one mean?

Reaching for his cell phone, Evan begins to call Ricky Beamer, who picks up almost instantly.

"That you, Ginger?" He asks.

"Yeah. It's me." Evan replies.

Evan proceeds to explain everything to Ricky, and as he's all caught up, he seems practically in disbelief, but somehow, Ricky knows all of this wild stuff is true, and is all aboard the Evan train without much hesitation,

"We need to gather everyone we can before it's too late and stop Mr. Dark." Evan says.

"I'll say." Ricky replies. I guess the only question now is... When will the Creeps meet?"

Chapter Text

After a morning having to convince Andy she couldn't exactly come along to school with him (Conan wasn't interested in going to class, not exactly surprising there), and especially not without getting herself noticed or somehow becoming a target, Evan finds himself back in Mrs. Maaargh's classroom, first period. As he looks at the teacher herself, he now knows she's just another monster in disguise. In retrospect, he should've known there was something beastly behind those eyes. He was so focused on Lucy, who ALSO just so happens to be a monster, that he missed the other one right in front of him. Funny how things work out. A little bit cruel too. Ironic, maybe?

Maybe Maaargh's last name is a dead giveaway after all, and now he's stuck in a class with both monsters who are probably thinking about eating Evan and his friends. Evan tries his hardest to ignore looking at Lucy, and he might as well not even exist the way she's not bothering to acknowledge him. Evan begins to wonder just where she's hiding the Monster Blood, if she is indeed the one who took it as Slappy said. He stares at her desk. More specifically, its many drawers. Teachers always use those to store Gameboys and other confiscated goods, right? Maybe that's where Evan will find his eggs, he thinks.

"Attention, class," Mrs. Maaargh begins to speak, getting everyone's attention. Her voice is still raspy beyond belief, like there's a tiny fork scratching against her tonsils.

We've made it past first-day introductions, and I want to talk about something I consider very important: Discipline." Mrs. Maaargh says.

Evan watches as she unrolls a poster and tacks it on the wall with pieces of tape. Evan sees this is in fact what looks like a chart of names- the ones of everyone currently in the class. Evan scans the list and there he is, where else but the very bottom? Life sure does love laughing at him, doesn't it?

"This is my Weight Watchers chart." she says. "I will be using this to keep track of who's at the top of the class. That would be you, Mrs. Dark. Congratulations." Mrs. Maaargh says to Lucy.

"Thank you, Mrs. Maaargh. I aspire to keep being the best." Lucy replies, doing a slight head bow to the teacher.

Evan rolls his eyes at this. She aspires to be the best? He almost wants to laugh. Lucy was already at the top of the chart the minute Mr. Dark moved here. There's no effort in something like that. Somehow. Mrs. Maaargh catches him doing this, even though she's currently facing away from him. Evan wonders if she somehow has eyes at the back of her head. He wouldn't be surprised. Teachers always loved saying that to threaten kids, don't they? But with Mrs. Maaargh, that may be very literal. What the hell have I gotten myself into? Evan thinks to himself again. He's thought the very same thing over a dozen times since arriving to Dark Falls. Right now, Mrs. Maaargh's dark brown hair is tied up into a large bun and she's wearing a green dress with a floral pattern- only said flowers have a grotesque-looking skull planted right in the middle. Andy would probably love it.

"Do you have a problem with that, Evan? Because as I see things, you're at the very bottom of the chart." Mrs. Maaargh says that last part with amusement.

A dark smile appears on her face. Evan freezes as everyone turns to look at him. Well, everyone but Lucy, that is, and now Mrs. Maaargh is staring at him too with a very intent look on her face.

"I wouldn't be laughing, unless my class is just one big joke to you, Evan? Is it?" Mrs. Maaargh asks.

Meanwhile, Evan just wants to know why HE'S at the bottom, though part of him already knows the answer to that question.

"Of course not, Mrs. Maaargh.. But what did I do to be placed at the bottom?" Evan asks her, slightly stuttering.

Mrs. Maaargh laughs and begins to lick her lips hungrily. "Oh, Evan. What HAVEN'T you done?"

Evan starts searching through his mind for an answer to that question, before he stops himself. That would take too long.

"Well.. can't I boost myself to the top?" Evan asks.

Mrs. Maaargh acts as if he's just told a really funny joke. "Well.. I guess we'll just have to WAIT.. and WATCH, won't we? But frankly, I doubt it. From what I've seen, Evan. You lack commitment." she says.

Oh yeah? And you've determined this from what? One, barely two, days of class? Evan thinks bitterly to himself. Even though she's a monster, Mrs. Maaargh is reminding him of one too many past teachers who said similar things about his lack of "commitment" to learning or trying to improve. They didn't know what kind of person Evan was, and surely Mrs. Maaargh doesn't know anything either. He has to stop himself from lashing out, because Evan knows that will only make things messier for him.

"Did you even do last night's reading assignment?" Mrs. Maaargh asks him.

Evan blinks a few times. "There was a reading assignment?"

"YES THERE WAS A READING ASSIGNMENT!" Mrs. Maaargh snaps at him. "This is why you're at the bottom of my chart, Evan. You don't listen!"

He hears a couple slight chuckles from the rest of the class, probably Jerry Hawkins from the sound of it. That guy's a joker, Evan already knows. He had pretended to fall out of his desk in Math class while introducing himself to everyone. According to Jerry, it was one of his favorite pranks. Most look like they feel bad for Evan, however, It's definitely a step above what he's usually used to- all the pointing and laughing from his peers always stung like hell. But no, most just look awkward, and Amy Kramer looks as if she's about to tell Mrs. Maaargh to stop the way her eyes keep darting between Evan and the teacher with a look of unsure panic.

"Sorry. I've had a lot going on lately." Evan replies.

It's not a lie. Far from it. He'd been out practically the whole rest of yesterday dealing with zombies, monsters, and an evil ventriloquist dummy after all. Not much time for reading there.

"Well then. I'm sorry your life is too important to take your education seriously." Mrs. Maaargh says mockingly. "For the rest of the class, why don't we fill Evan in on what he missed? Obviously he could use some help."

The rest of the class sits in silence.

"And by that, I mean pull out your books!" Mrs. Maaargh orders, and this time, they comply.

Evan's just wondering when exactly they got their books. Had he really not been paying attention or was Maaargh just trying her hardest to screw him over in every way possible? Glancing at the text, Evan is shocked to see each student has a copy of Welcome to Dead House, the very same book Andy had mentioned to him, by a "J.R. Benson", which Evan assumes must be the pen name of the father from the story.

"I don't think I got a copy." Evan says.

Mrs. Maaargh rolls her eyes. "Of course you didn't. Amy. why don't you hand Evan a copy and fill him in on what he missed, since it seems to me you want to help him, don't you? That's very nice of you, but helping others too much without focusing on your own work will bump you down in my chart." she says.

As Mrs. Maaargh turns her attention to Amy, the girl practically jumps hearing her name mentioned and scrambles to get a copy.

"I- Yes, Mrs. Maaargh." Amy says in a meekly voice. She seems almost terrified.

"There should be one more in my desk." Mrs. Maaargh says.

Ah, Evan thinks. So she does keep things in her desk! Maybe he might have a chance getting that Monster Blood back after all.

Amy pulls out a copy and practically throws it onto Evan's desk. He thanks her nonetheless though, it's not Amy's fault Maaargh picked on her.

As Evan looks at the book he gets a chill just seeing the front cover. It's a perfectly painted image of the Dead House, looking grim as ever. The front door is wide open, as if inviting anyone who dares enter. In the window Evan can make out what looks like a shadowy figure peering out. Exactly like the strange one he saw last night. The artist obviously did a good job, because Evan feels like he's back there just staring up at the massive, rotting old house just looking at it. It's an image he'd rather forget.

Mrs. Maaargh is smirking again. "Is something wrong, Evan?" she asks.

Another chill runs down Evan's back. "N-no, not at all. This book just looks a bit.. I dunno, creepy, that's all." he explains.

In reality, Evan is just thinking that it feels more than a little fucked to read about the tragedy of a town in the very same town said tragedy took place. Especially now that he knows it's all true, having seen the undead walking around Dark Falls for himself. Part of him is curious about what the book contains, however, after Andy's little synopsis. Maybe it could reveal some useful information he doesn't have? That would be nice. Then again, Andy said the author had made up a lot of details, right?

"This is about.. our town, isn't it? Dark Falls?" Evan asks.

Mrs. Maaargh seems strangely proud of him. Well, Maybe.

"So you have been paying attention to something, Evan. The answer is yes. While I had wanted to teach Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, a CLASSIC monster story, administration thought this book would be.. much more relevant to our class." she explains.

It's hard to tell if she's disappointed or just playing the part. Either way, Mrs. Maaargh would have chosen a horror book. Evan really can't catch a break from monsters. Then he finds himself questioning her words. Who picked the book out in the first place? He wouldn't be surprised if Mr. Dark has a hand in this too. He probably finds it funny.

"When I introduced this book, I wanted you to consider the difference between fiction and reality." Mrs. Maaargh begins explaining. "While many believe Dark Falls to be haunted, just as many believe tales such as Jack Benson's are nothing more than the product of a haunted mind. The imagination can bring the greatest terrors of all. And that's how nightmares like this book are created. But why- why do we feel the need to make up stories about the supernatural? Why do we like to be scared? What do the monsters of the page say about the dark monsters within us?"

Maaargh asks the question rhetorically, but the way she looks at Evan it's like she wants him to have all the answers when he doesn't. Honestly, he hadn't spent any of his life thinking about any of this stuff. Before he encountered the Monster Blood, Evan might have said "oh, because monsters are totally cool!" but now he just thinks any fiction pales in comparison to the reality. Monsters. The supernatural. Witches. It's all real. Sometimes people, kids, even, are unlucky enough to encounter them, and they're far too powerful to understand. They take a heavy toll even when beaten, but most of the time they win over us. He doesn't say all of this, however. Evan keeps it buried deep in the dark recesses of his mind. It's not something he even wants to share.

Evan chooses not to say anything, and feels relief when Mrs. Maaargh looks away and begins lecturing again.

"Last night, you should've read up to midway through the book- siblings Amanda and Josh had just entered the cemetery in Dark Falls, in search of their beloved dog, Petey, much to the reluctance of their strange new friend, Ray. There, they get the shock of their lives as they discover Ray and all of their new playground friends are actually undead creatures of the night! So today I ask you this question: Are the people of Dark Falls monsters, or are they victims, caught in a cycle of violence? Should the Benson family just accept their fates and become undead like them? Are they as human beings, the same human beings who caused the factory incident in the first place, not just as greedy and cannibalistic as the zombies?" Mrs. Maaargh asks.

"Actually, I was wondering why this book moves so SLOWLY? I want to see some zombie action!" Jerry Hawkins interrupts Mrs. Maaargh with a groan of boredom. He is enthusiastic about that zombie action, however.

This earns Jerry some laughs, but Evan's surprise, Mrs. Maaargh doesn't seem angry, or even upset. Just slightly amused.

"Sometimes you have to appreciate the slowness, Jerry. Let the story take its time and unfold in the only way it can. Dead House is all about build-up to a fateful ending. You can't expect instant satisfaction in every book." Mrs. Maaargh tells him with an odd half smile.

Jerry doesn't seem impressed by Mrs. Maaargh's answer but nods anyway. Soon enough, the bell rings and Evan stuffs the book into his backpack for later reading. He wants so badly to walk out the door and leave, but he can't. Not until he confronts Maaargh about the Monster Blood. The only question is, well, how the hell is he going to do that? Mrs. Maaargh has currently retreated to sitting at her desk and as Evan walks up to her, a wave of nausea rolls over him. At first, it's just from the pure anxiety of the situation. Then it's from actual disgust as he sees Mrs. Maaargh has discarded her shoes, fully exposing a pair of large, nasty feet. They certainly look monstrous, gray and wrinkled, with black toenails that look like talons. Very sharp talons. Evan has to fight the urge to vomit but maintains his composure. He has to. He can't afford to look as weak as he already does. Just one bad move, and Mrs. Maaargh would eat him right up. Probably literally, unless Mr. Dark already has dibs on that. Either of the options sounds awful. When Mrs. Maaargh finally notices Evan standing there, she looks up from her copy of Frankenstein, her face contorting in a way that tells Evan right away she doesn't really want to talk to him right now.

"Can I help you, Evan?" she asks gruffly.

"Well-" Evan starts.

"Before you ask, no, I do not offer extra credit. You'll have to try harder than that to boost yourself on my chart." Mrs. Maaargh cuts him off without a care in the world.

Wow, she really is tough, Evan thinks. What kind of teacher doesn't allow extra credit?

"I wasn't going to ask about that- I-I, well, I guess I wanted to know if you might have confiscated- no, not confiscated, but seen something of mine? It's really, really, important." Evan explains, fumbling with his words.

How is he even going to explain this? "I think you took my green slime!" sounds a bit silly. It's not easy for Evan to be that confrontational, and something about Mrs. Maaargh scares him even when she was in this human form. Maybe it's because he was always weary around strict teachers like her. The kind that felt no remorse for yelling at kids and treating them poorly for their own twisted amusement. Mrs. Maaargh is the embodiment of all those bad teachers he had, like Mr. Murphy, and just being around her is bringing those bad memories back.

Mrs. Maaargh raises an eyebrow. "Evan. I really don't care what you lost. And if I took it, you're not getting it back. That's another rule of mine. Shouldn't you be going to your next class?" she tells him.

Evan is shocked just how rude Maaargh is. What if he was genuinely looking for some family heirloom, not a bunch of cursed ooze? What then? Would she turn him away? He thinks hard for the next words to say.

"You don't understand just how important it is. It- it belonged to my Great-Aunt.. before she passed." Evan explains, trying to seem bold, or maybe even gain some sympathy from Mrs. Maaargh, though frankly that seemed impossible.

This time, Mrs. Maaargh seems curious. "You mean your Aunt Kathryn?" she asks.

Evan can't conceal his surprise. There's some fear too. How did she know about his aunt?

"You know her?" Evan asks.

He wants to lie, like Mrs. Maaargh had guessed wrong, but can't. Evan can't really place a finger on why.

"Of course." Mrs. Maaargh says. "Lawrence Dark told me everything about you, Evan. I know exactly what you're looking for. Your precious Monster Blood!" she laughs.

This time, Evan doesn't bother with any more formalities. No more pretending like he's some student talking to a teacher. No. He is someone trying to stop something evil from winning like it always does.

"Where is it?!" Evan snaps.

This seems to infuriate Mrs. Maaargh. "DON'T YOU EVER RAISE YOUR VOICE IN MY CLASS!" she hisses. "I AM YOUR TEACHER!"

Evan just smirks. "I'm done listening to you." he says. "Not to a monster."

"Really?" Mrs. Maaargh snarls. "Not even one that looks like THIS?" she asks.

Evan stumbles back in fright as Mrs. Maaargh gets out his chair and begins to transform before his very eyes. Leering over the desk, her fingers extend into bony claws ready to sink their nails deep into his skin. From behind her glasses, her eyes pop right out of her head like a pair of those drooping eye-glasses you'd find at a gag party store, breaking the frames completely so they're just staring intently at Evan. Mrs. Maaargh takes a lot of delight in seeing Evan's own fear, especially as her jaw begins to unhinge just like a snake's, revealing a massive open mouth full of razor-sharp teeth, four full rows of them, swollen gums, and an impossibly large red tongue dripping saliva down her mouth that's now larger than the rest of her body.

"You're lucky Dark wants you to himself, because if not, I'd eat you right here. RAW! And I like my meat properly barbecued." Mrs. Maaargh snarls in a dark and gravelly voice. She sounds hungry.

Maybe Evan should consider himself lucky, he thinks. He's not exactly on Mrs. Maaargh's menu, or rather, not allowed to be. So Mr. Dark really MUST have called dibs on eating him. The information doesn't help the situation though, as he's still shaking.

"Too bad, Evan. I bet you would have tasted good! I would have marinated you in Monster Blood too, just for a bit of irony!" Mrs. Maaargh laughs evily. "Oh well, I'll just eat the person before you. Less satisfying.. But still a whole meal."

Evan finds her comment about Monster Blood not in the slightest bit funny, but the idea of Maaargh somehow consuming the slime horrifies him. What would happen then? But then he glances back to her chart and sees that Jerry Hawkins' name is right above him. He doesn't really like the guy that much, but he doesn't deserve to be eaten by Mrs. Maaargh.

"Where's the Monster Blood, Mrs. Maaargh?" Evan asks.

It's the only thing he can muster up the courage to say, especially as her drool starts to drip down onto him. He can feel her hot breath in his face.

"Come on, Evan. Surely you must realize I gave that stuff to Mr. Dark already." Mrs. Maaargh replies. It sounds rather condescending.

A bunch of thoughts race through Evan's head. Mostly panic. So all of this has been in vain. That's the one that hurts most. Maybe he should have accepted the possibility sooner, but he thought maybe, just maybe there was a chance to fix this before it even happens. But nope, good things like that don't happen to someone like Evan Ross. It's always the worst case scenario. Always.

"Fuck," Evan mutters. He wants to say more but can't. He feels hopeless.

Evan starts running out the door, not even sure where the hell he's going, just hoping he can somehow find Ricky. Dead House. He knows now the only way to stop Mr. Dark is going back there, but first, they have to gather everyone. This will be a team effort, Evan accepts that, even if he's willing to just go back there himself. But no, that's too dangerous, he reminds himself. As he finally reaches the outside of the hallway, Evan hears Mrs. Maaargh yell at him once again.

"Hey, Evan! You forgot another rule of my class: NO SWEARING!" Mrs. Maaargh cackles.

The way her laughter echoes behind him makes Evan feel like Mrs. Maaargh is chasing right after him. But after a long time of running, Evan realizes there's really no one behind him at all. Maybe there never was.

Chapter Text

Evan is thumbing through the pages of the book, skimming the text for anything that could be useful later on. His attention lingers on a specific passage close to the ending which he then commits to memory. It's just as Andy described it.

"This was a normal town once. And we were normal people. Most of us worked in the plastics factory on the outskirts of town. Then there was an accident. Something escaped from the factory. A yellow gas. It floated over the town. So fast we didn't see it… didn't realize. And then, it was too late, and Dark Falls wasn't a normal town anymore. We were all dead, Jack. Dead and buried. But we couldn't rest. We couldn't sleep. Dark Falls was a town of living dead.""

Reading it, everything takes on a whole new meaning just knowing Monster Blood was to blame for the whole thing. It makes a sad story all that much worse. Evan closes the book and looks again at the haunting image of Dead House on the front then at the author. J.R. Benson. Evan wonders if somehow he could reach the author? He hadn't even heard of the guy before Andy mentioned him, but if he lived this experience, he might know what to do. Evan spends so much time thinking that he almost forgets he's back in gym class, and Ricky Beamer is currently waving a hand over his face. He's back in gym class. The gymnasium feels somehow smaller than usual. From what Evan has heard, it doubles as an auditorium for plays and such. Right now, the school's advertising try-outs for a production of The Phantom, as a larger poster of the titular character hangs on the wall outside.

"Earth to Ginger." Ricky says in a snarky voice. "I didn't think you read. Guess you're full of surprises, huh?"

"Sorry." Evan replies, deciding to ignore that last comment because hey, it wasn't exactly false. And because he's getting used to Ricky's teasing and odd sense of humor.

Right now, Ricky's wearing a red plaid jacket, torn jeans and a gray Nirvana tee to match his beanie. Somehow, his dark hair looks even longer, covering his eyes so as to make him look even more mysterious, and his long fingernails were painted a shade even darker, almost metallic. From his pocket, he unfolds a list of names. The handwriting is messy, but still legible.

"Here are our Creeps. That's what I call them, anyway, of everyone I believe has been brought to Dark Falls on account of Larry Dark's little revenge scheme." Ricky explains.

Evan nods, before the two are interrupted by the blowing of Ellen's whistle.

"Ross! Beamer! I'm having a class here." She snaps at the two.

Ricky just looks at her with those condescending eyes. "I'm just talking to my buddy over here. He needs help with his Math class." Ricky tells her.

He does this before wrapping a single arm around Evan so as it to make it look like they're all buddy-buddy and Evan is surprised at just the sheer strength Ricky has. Maybe it's a side-effect of having become a Creep, or maybe Evan needs to keep up the deadlifting.

Ellen just rolls her eyes and Evan can tell she's probably going to write them up or something. Not that he cares all that much. Soon there might not be a school, and no school meant no detention for him. That might be a good thing in an alternate reality, but here it's definitely not.

"Okay." Ricky says. "Obviously, there's the two of us. You're Dark's main target. Who would have thought?"

Evan gulps in response. Yeah, who WOULD have thought?

"Then we have Carly Beth Caldwell." Ricky says.

"You talked to her?" Evan asks.

"Yep. Caught her outside of school." Ricky replies. "I barely talked to Carly Beth for five minutes and I already love that girl and might die for her. Talk about a bad-ass. You could learn a thing or two from her."

"Okay, okay. I get it. Let's not get too extreme, Ricky. What about Carly Beth?" Evan asks.

He wishes Ricky would just get to the point and stop knocking him for five seconds.

"Well for one, she also suspected something strange was going on. Maybe even before we did. Said her mom was acting out of character and wanted to move to Dark Falls out of the blue." Ricky says.

"So that tracks." Evan replies. "Anything else?"

"She's all in on taking down Mr. Dark. I think that's the most important thing." Ricky tells him.

Evan nods. At least that's another ally for them. A mission like this is going to need as many people as possible.

"Good." Evan replies. "What about the others?"

"Here's an interesting one: Amy Kramer. The very same Amy Kramer playing ball over there." Ricky says.

He nods his head in Amy's direction. She is indeed playing ball, rather impressively, Evan has to admit. He's just surprised at the fact her name is on Ricky's list. How had Amy slipped under his nose like this? She certainly doesn't seem anything like himself or Ricky, but how exactly can Evan judge something like that? There's not really a certain "type" for this kind of thing, is there?

"You talk to her?" Evan asks.

"I thought you were going to. Isn't she in your English class? Do I have to do everything?" Ricky asks. It's part joking, part serious.

"Well, yeah, but you didn't exactly give me the list in advance." Evan replies.

"Right. My bad." Ricky says, actually admitting his own mistake, before he turns again to Amy. "Hey, Amy! Over here!" he shouts to her.

Still focused, Amy turns to glance at Ricky. She raises a curious eyebrow.

"Come on!" Ricky repeats, waving a hand that tells Amy to walk in their direction.

Amy doesn't seem very interested, but compiles anyway. Of the two of them, she's the only one in proper attire for gym class- just a white tee with the number one on the front, pink shorts, and a pair of pink Converse shoes to match. Her brown hair, though it looks almost blonde under the lights above the gymnasium, is tied into a ponytail in the back.

"What do you want, Ricky?" Amy asks, crossing her arms as she does so.

Ricky seems amused at her contempt for him, because he flashes a toothy grin. Amy quickly turns her attention to Evan.

"You. Evan, right?" Amy asks. "I'm sorry Mrs. Maaargh lashed out at you like that this morning. That wasn't fair."

"It's okay." Evan replies.

Really, it's not okay, and Evan would rather just forget about the whole incident. Mrs. Maaargh had nearly bitten his head off, and he was just glad to have left that classroom alive and in one piece. Ellen doesn't look pleased that Amy, her star player, has just wandered off the court to Evan and Ricky, but maybe if Amy's by them, she'll start thinking all of this is much more important and therefore not worth getting too worried about.

"So, Amy." Ricky says. "When you were a kid.. did anything STRANGE happen to you? Like of the spooky sort?" he asks.

Amy looks at him, a bit confused, but Evan starts to wonder if she's hiding something after all, because she also looks embarrassed too.

"Like what? Like was my house haunted or something? Because no." Amy says bluntly and abruptly.

She starts walking away before Ricky stops her, placing a hand on her shoulder that she slaps away.

"Not just ghosts." Ricky says. "But well.. Interactions with cursed objects? Aliens? Lawn gnomes?"

"Evil ventriloquist dummies?" Evan butts in and asks.

"Yeah." Ricky agrees. "Evil dummies are a possibility too."

This time, Amy looks super uncomfortable. "What the hell do you know about that?" she asks.

Evan's shocked. He can't believe he managed to guess it right on the first try.

"Was his name Slappy?" Ricky asks.

"I don't want to talk about this." Amy says and starts walking away again.

"Amy, wait!" Evan urges her with every ounce of desperation. "You have to listen to us, please!"

"Why?" Amy snaps. "Why won't you two just leave me alone?"

"Because we think you have an important role to play in what's happening in Dark Falls. Just like us. The redhead most of all." Ricky tells her.

"Amy, last night, my friends and I were attacked by Slappy. He's here in Dark Falls." Evan tells her.

Amy shakes her head, be it out of denial or fear Evan isn't sure. But she's on the brink of tears already.

"That's impossible. I killed Slappy." Amy says. "He's dead."

"I wish that was true, but somehow, he keeps coming back. It's not the first time he died, and probably won't be the last, either." Evan explains.

Amy continues shaking her head as Evan tells her everything- how Mr. Dark had sent Slappy in search of the Monster Blood, and how that was just a distraction for Mrs. Maaargh to take the stuff.

"So that's why she was so mad at you?" Amy asks. "She was a monster the whole time?"

"Yep." Evan replies. "But it's too late, Mr. Dark now has his hands on the Monster Blood. Slappy told me he wants to enslave the whole world. He doesn't really care what Mr. Dark wants."

This last part seems to trigger a pained response from Amy, as if she's remembering something from the past.

"You know about him, don't you, Amy? What did he do?" Evan asks.

Amy bites her lip and look down. "I used to want to be a ventriloquist when I was a kid. My family did these stupid "talent nights" one day a week and my old dummy was just falling apart. His head fell off each time I did my routine. So one day, my dad brings home a new dummy for me to enjoy." Amy explains.

Evan imagined the visual of a dummy's head falling off and a chill ran down his spine. That would be unsettling, to say the least.

"Slappy?" Evan asks.

"Bingo. It wouldn't have been so bad had I not found this card in his pocket, but when I did, that's when things got really bad. The words on it brought Slappy to life and he immediately started causing chaos. He'd tell really nasty jokes during my routine, and my parents thought I was the one making them. Then he started wrecking things, like my sister's artwork. I knew Slappy was behind it, but my parents wanted to send me to the psych ward. Then Slappy revealed himself- he wanted to make me his slave for all eternity and would hurt my family if I didn't comply- and would just keep wrecking things until everyone thought I was crazy." Amy says.

As she does, Amy wipes tears away. Evan can tell this is a painful memory.

"But then we destroyed him. I thought it was done. You're saying he's back?" Amy asks.

"I'm afraid so. And because of what happened to you, you're on Mr. Dark's list of targets for revenge." Evan explains.

"I see." Amy says softly. "So what happened to you two?"

Evan and Ricky exchange awkward glances.

"Monster Blood." Evan says simply.

"I almost let an alien invasion happen." Ricky says.

Amy just stares at them blankly. "You guys are odd, you know that?"

Ricky just laughs and Evan can't help but join.

"Understatement of the day right there." Ricky says.

"I'll help you," Amy says. "I'm looking forward to killing that fucking dummy again."

"Great." Even says. "We strike tonight- we're going to the Dead House."

Chapter Text

The sky is orange by the time everyone has gathered at Evan's house. Ricky, Andy, Conan, Carly Beth, Amy, and now Jerry Hawkins, another one that managed to slip under Evan's nose, but according to Ricky, he's a target too, and Evan trusts Ricky despite his teasing. Overall, it's far from the army Evan had hoped for, but it's something. No doubt others were being summoned to Dark Falls as they spoke. Others like them, but it was now or never for Evan, and you can guess which one of the two he was choosing. Gathered in Evan's living room, the group doesn't look like much, but they do, in a strange way, look like survivors and Evan knows now he's standing amongst some of the bravest people he'll ever meet. People who actually share some kind of connection with him.

"What we're doing tonight may be the stupidest thing we've ever done in our lives." Evan says at the front of the room, as if he's giving a lecture or a pep talk. Evan's not used to being a leader.

He glances at Andy as he says this statement, fully expecting her to make some kind of side comment on this, and his intuition proves correct as she bites her lip and chooses not to say whatever it was she was going to say.

"It might also be the most important." Evan says. "Because breaking into Dead House might be the only way to save the world as we know it. We're not kids anymore. We can do this." Evan lingers on that last part, wanting to focus on the sheer drama of his words and let it float in the air like a ghost.

Andy just furrows her brow at him. Her "be serious, Evan" expression. He recognizes that one too. It was true, though, and none of them can deny it.

"All of us are here because one way or another, we encountered something supernatural as kids. More likely than not that experience changed who we are. And now Mr. Dark wants to punish us for something that was out of our control." Evan explains.

"Hell yeah!" Ricky says, as if wanting to lead a group cheer.

It doesn't work, and the others are just staring at Evan intently, waiting for what he'll say next.

"This isn't the first time I've been drawn into some crazy conspiracy," Carly Beth says. "Mr. Dark doesn't scare me."

Evan tries to read Carly Beth but ultimately fails. It's hard to know whether she's truly scared or just trying to play brave.

"As you know, my name is Evan Ross. For years, I've been haunted by my experiences with a substance known as Monster Blood, a green slime that grows and consumes everything it can. The first summer I encountered it, the Monster Blood was cursed by a witch named Sarabeth to get revenge on my great-aunt Kathryn. It wouldn't be the last time I encountered Monster Blood, far from it, and now Mr. Dark wants it for himself and his own evil goals." Evan explains.

"You mean like the toy Monster Blood?" Jerry asks. "I thought that stuff was just a gag item, like for pranks and stuff."

"It's far more deadly than you can imagine, Jerry. It has the capability to destroy an entire town." Evan replies. "I can't let it hurt anyone else ever again. It's done enough damage already."

"Damn." Jerry replies. Evan wants him to know he's not joking around here.

"This is my best friend, Andy. She's been with me since the first summer, and we've dealt with the Monster Blood each time together. She knows what it can do." Evan says pointing at her.

Evan knows how much Andy hates being the center of attention, maybe just as much as she hates being called Andrea, which always struck him as a little odd considering her penchant for bright neon colors, but he has to mention her, or else she'll kill him.

"Uh-huh. Hi everyone." Andy replies simply, doing an awkward little wave, waggling her fingers, before flashing a wink right at Carly Beth.

Evan can hardly believe it, but then he totally CAN believe it, because it's exactly something Andy would do. She always has a better flirt game than him. Not that that's very difficult, but still.

"And.. Conan Barber." Evan says. He almost doesn't want to proceed. He wants to say "my friend", but can't bring himself to. "He's been there too."

Conan flashes a thumbs up at everyone and ALSO winks at Carly Beth. Amy too. Jesus, Evan thinks, but he decides not to say anything.

"Ricky.. want to introduce yourself?" Evan asks.

Ricky has no problem with the attention. In fact, he seems to crave it.

"Sure thing! My name is Ricky Beamer. When I was 12, I was bullied by pretty much everyone. Including these 4 kids- Wart, Brenda, David, and Jared. I called them my four enemies. You can probably guess why. One day, I wanted to pull a little prank on another enemy of mine- a girl named Tasha McClain. I put an ad in the school newspaper with her phone number asking "Creeps" to call her." Ricky says.

At this, Amy gives him a disgusted look. "Why would you do something that gross, Ricky?"

"Okay, Yeah, I know how that sounds but hear me out- it gets worse. I wasn't exactly that great of a kid to begin with. The prank backfired. Totally. Tasha found out and put my own number in the paper, and soon, I was getting calls from these Creeps, and I quickly found out these weren't pranks at all- but actual aliens. My four enemies were in fact Creeps and they wanted to turn the whole planet into creatures like them by planting identity seeds inside food for them to consume. I was so tired of being picked on, I almost let them go through with it.. but not before I let myself become one of them."

Everyone is listening to Ricky's story in pure horror, and it becomes even more shocking as he shows them the same purple scales he showed Evan. That earns quite a few responses.

"Holy shit." Jerry exclaims. "Doesn't that itch?"

"Eh, I've mostly gotten used to it." Ricky replies. "It's just part of me now. As you can probably tell, the Creeps did not succeed and now.. I regret what I did. A whole hell of a lot. I guess you can consider this my redemption. If I stop Mr. Dark, maybe that can alleviate some of the guilt I feel."

"You don't have to feel guilty, Ricky. I understand what it's like to want revenge on your bullies, so badly you'll resort to the darkest of measures." Carly Beth tells him. "Maybe I should tell my story?"

"I'm all ears." Ricky tells her.

"Me too." Evan says.

It's true. Out of them, Carly Beth seems the most secretive by a longshot, and hearing exactly what happened will definitely help him in understanding what kind of a person she is.

"I don't tell this story to most people, just because I'd rather forget it. But I was a lot like you, Ricky. I was bullied when I was little, mostly because I was so easy to scare. I really was afraid of everything. You could jump out and say boo and I'd scream loud enough you'd think there was a murder happening. And so that's just what everyone did. I had these two bullies named Chuck and Steve who loved tormenting me and making me scream, so I wanted payback. It was around Halloween, so I decided I was going to scare them for a change and went to this little party store in town. It was there, I found a basement full of the most horrifying masks I'd ever seen. They were so life-like. The shopkeeper refused to sell me one until he finally relented, and soon, I found out why. When I put on the mask, it became part of my face and began to alter my personality into something darker. All I wanted was pure chaos and sure enough, I scared the hell out of Chuck and Steve, but it wasn't worth it. At all. As I found out, the mask was really some sick experiment by the shopkeeper. He wanted to make real, living faces but they quickly became corrupted and turned into what he referred to as the "Unloved Ones"- neglected for their appearance, until I showed them attention for a change." Carly Beth explains.

"Not going to lie, a mask like that sounds like an awesome prank. Probably not worth getting your face permanently monsterized though." Jerry replies.

"Unloved one? That's a good nickname for Evan." Andy says.

"Shut up, Andrea." Evan tells her.

"Hey, don't you call me Andrea!" Andy snaps. "I've got a lot worse names for you."

This, Evan knows, is definitely true.

"Guys! Stop acting like kids! Let Carly Beth continue." Amy says.

Evan and Andy look at each other a little embarrassed and drop the brief feud.

Ricky is just nodding, too focused on the story to care about what else is going on in the room, as if he's glad to hear someone had a similar experience, even if there are quite a few apparent differences. Evan, however, is pretty spooked by the tale. He can only imagine what Carly Beth, who seems so shy, was like under the evil power of the mask and just what that thing might have looked like. Knowing what the Monster Blood does, he can definitely understand the damage the mask probably caused.

"I know how weird this sounds, but that power must have felt pretty good, didn't it, Carly Beth? I know it did for me."

Carly Beth looks a little reluctant to answer. "It did, yes. It was like I could bury my old, timid self and be someone else. The Haunted Mask was my dark side, and I liked making people afraid for a change."

Ricky continues nodding. "Yeah. I get that." he replies softly. It clearly hit a nerve.

"How did you get it off, Carly Beth?" Evan asks her. "Unless you've got your new face hiding somewhere under there?"

Evan laughs at his own joke, but nobody else does.

"It was my mother. She made this piece of art out of love for me, and it was that love that enabled me to remove the mask from my face. I was able to accept myself for who I was, beneath that ugly mask." Carly Beth replies.

"That's deep." Conan says, always unhelpful.

"I'm just glad I got it off. Like you, Evan. It wouldn't be the last time I dealt with the mask. It's been awhile since then, but I always fear it could come back. If Mr. Dark wants to turn others monstrous like I became, we have to stop him." Carly Beth says.

Everyone agrees, in unison this time.

"There were times me and Andy used the Monster Blood because we wanted revenge.. each time it ended in disaster. I think Mr. Dark's need for revenge could end the very same way it did for us." Evan tells Carly Beth.

"I don't want Slappy harming anybody else either. Him being involved is bad news," Amy chimes in, and she begins to tell her own story. "That dummy almost ruined my entire life. I want to see him pay."

"This may be hard to believe, but I also had an experience with Slappy. In HorrorLand of all places." Carly Beth says. "I guess we'll have to talk more, Amy, but I'm sorry all of that happened. I'm glad things are better between you and your sister."

"Me too." Amy says. "I can't imagine life without her now that we're closer. I'm glad you got rid of that awful mask, Carly Beth."

"This is all hard to wrap my head around but.. I believe you guys and your crazy stories." Jerry says. "While I've tried to forget it myself, something really bad happened to me too. Not exactly like yours. No evil dummies or haunted masks, but bad nonetheless, even if no aliens are involved. Sorry, Ricky."

"No problem." Ricky replies.

Like Carly Beth, Evan's eager to hear Jerry's story, just to see what's beneath his joke-y exterior.

"So, my family moved to a new house in a new town- a real creepy-looking place. I always had an overactive imagination and while exploring, I found an old piano in the attic. My dad brought it downstairs to fix it up and I decided I wanted to try out some lessons. So I started seeing the only music teacher in town- a guy named Dr. Shreek, which should be a dead giveaway already this guy is up to good, and you'd be right. The guy would teach me piano but was totally obsessed with my hands. Like, he'd stare and pet them, calling them beautiful and perfect." Jerry says.

At this, everyone responds in uncomfortable disgust.

"I know, right? Disturbing. To make things weirder, my house was totally haunted by this, like piano-playing ghost. She wasn't bad-looking, well, until her face melted off, that is."

"Nice." Conan replies.

"Like you, Amy, neither of my parents believed me about her and eventually, my lessons with Dr. Shreek graduated to going to his school. Meanwhile, this ghost was warning me to stay away from Dr. Shreek, but I didn't listen. There, I found out, and brace yourself, folks, Shreek was just a robot built by a crazy janitor named Mr. Toggle. He wanted to play beautiful music free of human error so he created Dr. Shreek to lure in children for their hands- which he then took for that very goal." Jerry says.

"Wait," Andy chimes in. "Why not just make robot hands?"

Jerry forces a chuckle. "He said hands were too hard to build, so he needed real ones. That ghost in my house was actually one of Mr. Toggle's victims, hence explaining her lack of hands and well.. it all ended with him getting dragged away by those ghosts. I'd call that poetic justice. Who knows what they did to him? But hell, Mr. Toggle deserved it. I was lucky not to die that day. They saved my life and I guess I'd like to be the one to save someone else's for a change." Jerry says. Now he looks terrified.

Evan never could have imagined he was hiding a story like this, but it's wild enough to be real.

"That's horrible, Jerry. I'm sorry you went through that." Carly Beth tells him.

"Thanks.. life has been pretty normal since then. No ghosts, and I've definitely dropped any kind of interest in piano or other music. Guess somehow I've been dragged right back, huh?" Jerry asks.

"We can do this guys." Evan tells them. "I have faith. Mr. Dark underestimates us."

"Fuck yeah he does." Andy says. "And he's going to get what's coming to him. Now how about we break into that house?"

Evan can't exactly say no, and soon, all of them are piled into Andy's car, shoulder to shoulder, driving back to the Dead House, where Evan hoped he'd never have to return. But this, this is definitely a HAVE TO kind of moment.

"Don't make me turn this car around." Andy teases.

Somehow, Evan's still in the back, in-between Conan and Ricky, while Carly Beth is in the passenger seat. Soon, the ominous sight of Dead House is back in view, looming over them with its sloped roof and dark shutters and the six of them pause to take it all in.

"This is AWESOME." Andy admires the building from afar.

She's the only one who seems to appreciate the building for its gothic exterior, except for Conan, who really doesn't say much of anything, just goes along with Andy. But even he seems a little spooked.

"This is way more horrifying than I imagined." Jerry says.

"It's even worse than the Carpenter Mansion." Carly Beth comments.

"God, why are we doing this again?" Amy asks. "Just look at it! That's a murder house!"

"Yeah, we're definitely going to die here." Ricky says. He means it too.

"We're not going to die, Ricky. We just need to move carefully. Mr. Dark has a room full of supernatural antiques- stuff he's collected related to cases like ours. We should hit there first." Evan tells him.

"I'll hold you to that, Ginger." Ricky says.

They unbuckle their seat belts and Evan points toward an open window.

"We go through there. It shouldn't be that difficult to climb. That way, Mr. Dark won't see us coming." Evan says.

The rest nod, before they hear what sounds like a creaking door behind them.

"Is that door opening?" Andy asks.

Sure enough, Evan sees the front door of Dead House opening up, pouring out rays of fiery orange light. From inside a silhouette emerges- Mr. Dark, currently in a fancy red suit, made bulky by his large frame and with his black hair slicked back and shiny. It's hard to tell if it's hair-gel or slime, but Evan can tell just how greasy and sticky it is from down here. With a slight smirk, he raises a black candelabra, illuminating his face with flames in the darkness that covers the whole house in shadow.

"Ah, children. I'm so glad you came! I was just about to send an invitation!"

Chapter Text

Everyone is looking at Evan, as if they're expecting him to have a plan, but he doesn't. They can't exactly just run back to the car and drive away, as much as he wishes they could. No. They've made it this far and now all of them are face-to-face with Mr. Dark, who seems to sense their fear and revel in it, as evidenced by the triumphant smirk on his face.

Don't smile yet, you bastard, Evan thinks, you haven't won anything yet.

"Oh, come in, please. I've been expecting you, sooner or later." Mr. Dark says, motioning them in his direction, up the rotting steps of Dead House.

Evan pulls them together for something resembling a group huddle. "We can still do this, guys. We just have to rethink our plan. I've been here before. I can get to Dark's antique room while he's distracted." he whispers.

"Are you sure?" Andy asks. "What if this is a trap?"

"Yeah. I don't like this." Carly Beth says. "What did he mean when he said he was expecting us?"

"It IS a trap. I think Dark wanted us to show up." Ricky says. "But I'm with Evan. We've got this."

"I am too." Amy says. "It's the only way."

"We'd better." Andy mutters bitterly.

"Well then. Let's go, team." Jerry says with sarcastic enthusiasm.

"Let's crack some skulls!" Conan cheers.

He's the first to start walking towards Mr. Dark. who looks all too pleased, and the rest follow not far behind.

"I'm glad you've decided to join me. It gets cold out here at night so I'd hate for you to freeze out here, and certainly wouldn't want you to be bitten by any of the… nocturnal animals that live around Dark Falls." Mr. Dark says, chuckling at the last part.

With a soft blow of air, Mr. Dark extinguishes the candle's flame, reducing it to thin gray mist easily carried off in the cold air around them. He opens the door, allowing Evan and the others to enter the hostile house.

Inside, Evan finds Dead House has once again changed. Now, it's covered in purple balloons and black streamers, as if the Darks are about to host a party. Maybe they are, Evan thinks with a chill. Only it's one he'd rather not attend. The rest of the group seem unnerved too. Faintly on a radio in another room, the song Dead Man's Party by Oingo Boingo plays for all to hear.

"Sorry. I love that song." Mr. Dark says, shutting it off. "Brings back good memories."

Evan's about to say something when Andy steps in front of him, walking right over to Mr. Dark.

"You don't scare me, you know that?" Andy says, getting up in Mr. Dark's face. "You're just some rich asshole with too much time on his hands. What kind of guy hangs a portrait that big of himself?" she asks, pointing at the one above the staircase.

Mr. Dark's smirk doesn't fade. He just shakes his head. "Ah, Andy. Always the rebel, aren't you?"

"You don't know anything about me." Andy snaps.

"Of course not. I assume all of you must be very angry with me. I think we should try talking peacefully for a change."

"We're not here for peace. We want the Monster Blood back." Evan says.

"Yeah. We know you have it. So give it back." Ricky adds.

"All in due time, All in due time. You're a pushy bunch, aren't you? I'm hosting a party tonight, and all of you are my very special guests. As your host, I think it's only right that I invite you to dinner. I am a gracious host, after all. Then we can talk about everything from werewolves to flying monkeys." Mr. Dark says. "Say, you like cherry pie? My wife made one special just for this occasion."

Nobody answers. Evan's not sure what they're supposed to say.

"Well, you'll have to try it." Mr. Dark says. "Then you'll see. It's totally mind-blowing."

"We really don't want dinner, Mr. Dark." Carly Beth says.

Mr. Dark glares at Carly Beth with a dark expression. "Oh, but I insist. Don't worry, Miss Caldwell, I promise there won't be anything TOO scary. Then again, it takes a lot to scare you now, doesn't it?"

"Lay off her." Amy says, coming to Carly Beth's defense. "We'll join you for dinner, whatever. Right, guys?"

Nobody can really argue with her and quickly, they're being led down the hall by Mr. Dark. He makes a sudden stop in the living room. Evan sees a large piano. It's a shiny black, so shiny any light in the room is currently bouncing off it, attracting all eyes to the instrument. It's currently uncovered so as to show all the various keys, which are in similarly pristine condition.

"Look familiar, Jerry?" Mr. Dark asks with a snide grin.

Evan turns to look at him, and sees that Jerry is in a state of disbelief. He's shaking his head and mouthing something that's hard to make out.

"No.. no way." Jerry mutters.

"What is it, Jerry?" Carly Beth asks.

Jerry struggles to speak. "It's.. it's the same piano from when I was a kid. How the hell did you get it?" he asks Mr. Dark, seemingly genuinely angry for the very first time. Maybe he's afraid too.

"I have my ways." Mr. Dark replies. It's not much of an answer. "I had it restored and now, look at it, it looks practically brand-new!"

It takes Evan a moment to realize he's not just imagining that soft melody. There really is a song coming from the piano as he looks down, he sees an invisible force somehow pressing down each key. Jerry looks even more frightened now, and even the others aren't quite sure what the hell is going on,

"H-how is it doing that?" Jerry asks. "There shouldn't be a ghost here anymore."

"That's my secret, Jerry. Now go on, why don't you play us a song?" Mr. Dark says, goading him towards the piano.

"What?" Jerry asks in sudden confusion.

"Play the piano, Jerry. You still remember how, don't you?"

"I haven't done it in years." Jerry replies.

"You don't have to do it, Jerry." Carly Beth says. "What's the meaning of this, anyway?"

"The meaning, Miss Caldwell, is that tonight is all about facing your fears. I want to see firsthand that you've truly changed from what happened to you all those years ago. To see if it was worth it." Mr. Dark replies gruffly.

"I can do it." Evan says. "I'm not afraid of a piano."

"That's exactly my point, Evan!" Mr. Dark snarls. "This isn't your test, it's Mr. Hawkin's. Now, Jerry, put those beautiful hands on the piano and show me you're no longer afraid of the ghosts that reside within."

"I-I don't know if I can." Jerry says shakily.

"Don't do it, Jerry. You have nothing to prove." Carly Beth tells him.

"Yeah, this is stupid." Andy says.

"Play. It." Mr. Dark orders, slamming his large hairy fist onto the keys.

The noise they make produces a horrible off-key melody. It makes Evan jump.

"Okay." Jerry replies, exhaling a breath of cold air.

Evan and the others watch as he takes a seat at the piano bench. His whole body is shaking, but he plants his hands on the keys anyway.

"I-I think I remember this one." Jerry says softly.

Pausing just another second, Jerry begins to play a rendition of Chopsticks. It's definitely rusty, and Jerry misses more than a few notes along the way but it seems to satisfy Mr. Dark, who cuts the song early.

"Very good, Jerry. See? That wasn't hard, was it? I always love to listen to some music before I eat. And by that, I mean food, of course." Mr. Dark says with sinister amusement.

Jerry leaves the bench, running over to Carly Beth. She begins to comfort him, and Evan sees his hands are still shaking. He feels awful. Like he should have stopped this from happening.

Then, In a blur of motion and intensity, so quick Evan doesn't even realize what's happening, Andy races over to Mr. Dark and hits him with a fist colliding right into his nose. It's a quick strike, but a powerful one. Made even more impressive by how short Andy is in comparison to Mr. Dark. And when she recoils, even he seems to be in a state of shock, especially as a small trickle of blood comes down from both nostrils. Evan is amazed. Andy actually drew blood. He's damn proud of her for that. Conan seems to be too, looking like he's about to burst out laughing and Ricky is silently cheering her . Dark uses a handkerchief in his pocket to wipe up the crimson liquid. Most of everyone else has their mouths open wide, especially Amy, who's looking like she can't even believe what she's just witnessed. But she doesn't exactly disapprove either.

"Note to self," Mr. Dark mutters, "watch out for that one."

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Andy asks, anger in her voice. "Just what are you trying to prove?"

Mr. Dark regains his composure. "I'm trying to prove a lot of things. About fear. About humans and monsters, but I can't do that if you keep up this violent behavior. Do you attack everyone who's nice to you?"

Evan already knows the answer to that question is yes, but Mr. Dark is hardly what one would call "nice".

"Now let's forget about this.. Incident, and eat, shall we?" Mr. Dark says.

The seven of them follow him into the dining room, which is every bit as gothic as Evan imagined. It's exactly where you'd imagine a wealthy vampire to eat, completely black with lit candles everywhere- from the large polished wood table to right above the fireplace, which has yet another large family portrait of the dark resting above it. There's even a chandelier hanging overhead, ready to crash down, and one of those large treasure cabinets full of fine China worth who knows how much. The only thing out of place is an old newspaper on top of it, currently open to an advertisement for Dawes' Real Estate.

Evan hates it already. Hates just how unnerved it makes him feel and how even the sound of chairs scraping the floor as they all sit down, sound like the screams of tortured souls, or the faint roar of monsters unknown. He remembers his dream just the night before. How everyone was seated around a table like this. Once again Evan's nightmares have come true and he fears that maybe the green, oozing Monster Blood is hidden underneath the silver trays that currently cover the table, standing out on top of the red oblong tablecloth.

Evan looks to his friends. It feels like they're still expecting him to have some solution for this, but he just doesn't, and he hates this too because of how much it terrifies him. Somehow he's become the leader and is the least qualified person ever for that role. The seven of them are between the table- three on one side, four on the other, while Mr. Dark sits on the very end. He instructs them to sit exactly where he's assigned them, as apparently each seat has a name tag for all seven of the guests. Evan takes a moment to read them all, trying to figure out what they all mean.

EVAN: THE PROTAGONIST

ANDY: THE REBEL

CONAN: THE BULLY

CARLY BETH: THE SCAREDY-CAT

RICKY: THE WEIRDO

AMY: THE MIDDLE CHILD

JERRY: THE PRANKSTER

Why did Mr. Dark feel the need to give us all nicknames? Evan can't find a proper answer, and he doesn't like the idea he's somehow the protagonist. While each seat has a plate already down, only Carly Beth's has a gift box, currently wrapped so as not to reveal whatever's inside. Right now, she's eyeing it curiously.

"Don't open that just yet, Miss. Caldwell. It's a surprise." Mr. Dark says with a smirk.

Lucy's there too, still avoiding him. Evan wants so badly to say something to her but he doesn't know the right thing to say. Things had become too weird between them. Too tense. But he senses somewhere in there that Lucy isn't completely for her father's plan. If only that part would come out soon. It would be very helpful.

"Hello Evan. Long time no see." Lucy says.

Evan awkwardly says hi back and sitting beside him, Andy leans over to whisper in his ear.

"That's Lucy Dark?" Andy asks in a hushed voice only Evan can hear.

Evan nods. "Yeah. Why?"

"She IS cute. Shame she's on the dark side. No pun intended." Andy says.

"I really don't want to talk about this right now, Andy. You think there's a chance we bring her to the light?" Evan asks.

Andy takes another glance. Perhaps one that lasts a little too long, and now she's caught the attention of Lucy.

"Hey. I'm Andy." she says to Lucy, reaching out a hand to shake. "If you hurt Evan, you die, okay? That's my job." Andy tells her.

Lucy looks like she isn't sure what to reply to that, and chooses nothing at all. Evan just feels a flush of hot embarrassment.

From the kitchen, a woman Evan recognized as Mrs. Dark walks in and plants a brief kiss on Mr. Dark, leaving a black lipstick mark on his face. She proceeds to pour what looks like a thick purple liquid into Mr. Dark's goblet, and one into her own. He takes a sip. Refreshing.

"Thank you, darling." Mr. Dark says. "I can't do without my Brain Juice for too long!"

"Trust me, I know." Mrs. Dark replies.

Just like the portrait, Mrs. Dark looks a lot like an older Lucy but her cat-like eyes are even more piercing in person. Evan wonders what her monster form may look like. Surely she and Mr. Dark make an interesting pair. How exactly does finding a monster mate even work? Dating apps? Are there places he doesn't know about reserved only for monsters? Evan has a lot of questions he can't exactly ask right now.

The two begin to lift the shiny silver trays to reveal the food beneath. Evan waits in suspense, expecting them to be full of raw human guts or other disturbing things monsters probably thought of as food, but no, it's surprisingly normal. No different than what his family eats at Thanksgiving. Conan looks eager to dig in, but Evan and the others are still hesitant to try it.

"Randy! Time for dinner!" Mr. Dark shouts, peering out of the room. "We have guests over, don't be rude."

A few moments later, in walks a younger boy who looks like a mini version of Mr. Dark, suit and all, and his slick-backed hair is somehow even more greasy. He really has no expression of all and Evan is so focused on trying to read Randy he doesn't notice the boy is carrying another child in his arms. Wait, no. Evan's heart stops. It's not a kid at all, but someone all too familiar.

"Well, well, well. The gang's all here! Finally!" Slappy rasps.

"Oh my god!" Amy shrieks.

"Slappy!" Carly Beth cries in surprise.

"Not this guy again." Andy groans.

"I hate dummies!" Conan screams.

"Why are you guys so upset? The kid's just throwing his voice!" Jerry says.

"Because he's not." Ricky replies. "The dummy's doing the talking."

"Oh." Jerry says. "I guess that makes sense now."

"Yuck, you smell like sewage, Slappy!" Randy tells the dummy, plucking a rotten banana peel off of him, which he throws on the floor.

"Well that's what happens when SOMEONE drops you in a sewer." Slappy snaps, looking at Evan as he says this and furrowing his wooden eyebrows in anger. "I had to crawl my way out, but I did it."

Evan sees Slappy now has a small crack on his cheek, probably from the impact of the fall. Evan knew he'd be back. He just didn't think it would be this soon. He watches as Randy sits down at the only open seat, placing Slappy in his lap.

Evan looks at Amy, seeing how she's reacting to all of this, and she looks almost frozen in fear at just the sight of Slappy."

"Randy, honey, do you really have to bring him to the dinner table?" Mrs. Dark asks.

"Ugh, he smells HORRIBLE!" Lucy gags.

"Excuse me? I have a RIGHT to be here. Heck, I'm the guest of honor! You're just lucky your husband hasn't tossed you out yet!" Slappy cackles. "And as for you Lucy, at least I SMELL better than you LOOK."

Evan sees Ricky cover his mouth to stifle a laugh. Lucy just rolls her eyes but Mrs. Dark is clearly offended over the comment. Mr. Dark seems upset at Slappy's joke too. Now he looks as if he has to get control of the situation back. Evan isn't used to seeing him like this, without all his power. It's almost funny.

"Now Slappy, you know I value your help, but when you're in my home, you respect my family." He orders.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Larry. But if you value my help so badly, WHY DON'T I GET MY OWN SEAT AT THE TABLE?" Slappy asks with a snarl.

Mr. Dark is even more agitated now. "You're right. I shouldn't treat you like a dummy, but I only have so many chairs."

Slappy giggles. "I'm only joking, Larry. I know you need me. Say, YOU look familiar." he says, looking at Amy.

She's finally broken out of her state of panic, and looks at Slappy angrily.

"You almost ruined my life when I was a kid." Amy says. "My parents all thought I was crazy."

"That sounds about right." Slappy says, amused. "Doesn't narrow things down very much though."

Amy looks even angrier now. "You mean you don't remember me?" she asks.

Slappy just stares at her with those eerie blue eyes. "Of course. You're Lindy. Or is it Kris?"

"My name is Amy Kramer." she tells Slappy.

Now she's leaning over the table to look the dummy in the face. "Ring a bell?" Amy asks.

Slappy again laughs menacingly. "Amy. Lindy. Trina. Jillian. Britney. You're all the same to me, just failed slaves who couldn't even beat me!"

His painted red grin widens at the sight of Amy's anger. "I'm afraid there's nothing particularly memorable about you at all. Your brother was the funny one. Your sister was the talented. And what were you, Amy? A wannabe ventriloquist? You always were the family disappointment!"

"Shut up!" Amy snaps, nearly in tears.

Slappy cackles some more, enjoying Amy's pain. "Hell, and you weren't even a good ventriloquist to begin with! Everybody could see your lips moving! Your parents only let you do your little puppet show because they felt bad for you. I don't blame them for liking Sara better! There's really not much to like about Amy Kramer. When I came into the picture, Amy, let me tell ya', your family would have been HAPPY to get rid of you!"

"Don't listen to him, Amy. He's trying to get in your head!" Carly Beth tells her.

Amy doesn't listen. "YOU SON OF A BITCH!" she shouts.

Then the second violent act of the night happens as Amy dives right for Slappy, knocking over her own chair and Randy's, as well as Randy himself in the process. Things get messy real fast, especially as Amy grabs a plateful of green beans and mashed potatoes and shoves them in Slappy's face. This is a complete disaster, Evan thinks. Mr. Dark is just going to forget the plan and kill us all right here, isn't he?

"Here's something to remember me by!" Amy shouts, and she starts wrapping her hands Slappy's tiny wooden throat and chokes him."

"GET HER OFF ME!" Slappy cries.

"You do realize the dummy doesn't have lungs, right?" Ricky asks.

"Oh, I know. It just feels really good!" Amy says, squeezing harder.

"You're living my dream, Amy!" Andy says. "Choke him even harder!"

Finally, she lets go.

"Maybe you really are crazy, Amy! I was only joking. How could I forget a face as pretty as yours?" Slappy asks menacingly.

Evan feels disgusted and Amy looks about ready to fight him again, before she's stopped by Mr. Dark, who looks about on his last nerve.

"STOP THIS NOW, MISS KRAMER!" he shouts. "I can't have you wrecking a nice dinner like this! From now on, we keep things peaceful."

"Oh, screw your dinner." Amy says. "Why did you even bring him here if you wanted peace and quiet?"

"I'd ask you the same question! YOU'RE the one who almost destroyed the table!" Slappy states.

Mr. Dark sighs. "I had hoped seeing Slappy would generate a response and help you face your fears. Clearly, you passed that test, just not as I expected."

"So you wanted to traumatize me?" Amy asks. "Too bad."

Mr. Dark doesn't respond to the question.

"Randy, please keep Slappy with you. I need things to actually be quiet." Mr. Dark orders.

Randy complies as he sits back in his seat with Slappy on his lap.

"My lips are sealed, Larry. We just gotta worry about Amy having another crazy outburst!" Slappy laughs.

"You're evil." Amy snarls at Slappy. "Evil incarnate."

"Aww, you know me so well." Slappy replies.

"Enough, Slappy! Apologies for my friend's behavior. He has a bad sense of humor." Mr. Dark chuckles. "We're here tonight to celebrate."

"Why don't we get back to that topic at hand." Evan interrupts. "The Monster Blood."

He's tired of all the games. All the nonsense. Hell, he probably could have ran off and found it by now, just looking at how much chaos is going on in this room.

Mr. Dark rolls his eyes. "Is that all you think about? We're here to celebrate, aren't we?"

"Hardly a party. Haven't we done enough? Just tell us." Evan says.

"I just want to know why you hate us so much, Mr. Dark. We've never even met." Carly Beth says.

Mr. Dark's eyes soften a bit. "Hate you? Ha. The truth is a bit more complicated than that, Miss Caldwell. For years, monsters like me have been at odds with the ones who control reality itself. They've forced us into the shadows so we can never reveal ourselves. From time to time, there are instances when monsters defy these rules, but they're taken care of just as quickly by the ones who put the rules in place. I'm talking about cases like yours- they happen and then all of a sudden, it's like they never happened at all. As far as the world knows, monsters don't exist. But soon, all that's about to change, I promise you that."

"I'm sorry." Carly Beth tells him. "But you can still do the right thing."

Mr. Dark laughs in response. Not an evil cackle, but an actual laugh, and Slappy joins.

"Geez, you really do think the world's problems can be solved with hugs and kisses, don't you?" Slappy giggles. "You think a symbol of love can stop ME?"

"Love can help anybody. I'm sorry you can't see that. It's obvious no one's ever showed you any." Carly Beth says.

"It's better to be feared than loved." Slappy replies.

Everyone rolls their eyes at that.

"I'm sorry, Miss Caldwell, but it's too late for me to change my mind. This is a plan that's been DECADES in the making. If you really want to prove that love conquers all, why don't you open your gift?" Mr. Dark asks.

"Huh?" Carly Beth says, before she remembers the box left for her.

Without much hesitation, she begins to tear at the paper, slowly revealing a large white box with a lid on it, the kind you'd use for office supplies or whatever else.

"I think you forgot to pack this when you moved to Dark Falls." Mr. Dark says.

Evan doesn't know what he's talking about before he watches Carly Beth remove the lid. Instantly, she lets out a scream and jumps back.

"Oh god." she utters.

"Is that what I think it is?" Slappy asks with evil intrigue. "COULD IT BE?"

Slowly, Carly Beth pulls a rubbery green mask from out of the box. The Haunted Mask. The very same one Carly Beth had worn that Halloween. It's the most terrifying mask Evan has ever seen. The skin looks surprisingly realistic, like he could touch it and it'd probably feel hot. Two pointy ears stick out from the sides and it has a bulging, bald forehead. Evan can't tell if he's imagining it, but it's as if the mask is moving in Carly Beth's hands, but she reacts in discomfort just holding. Right now, its lips are curled back into an evil smile, showing off a set of jagged, animalistic fangs. Then there's the eyes. A fiery shade of orange that seem to glow from the eye sockets without any light source.

Suddenly, the mask's lips begin to move, making a wet smacking sound as they rub together. Evan sees a red tongue inside the mouth. It's wet too, covered in thick drool that's dripping down.

"Hello Carly Beth," The mask rasps. "Been a long time."

Chapter Text

Carly Beth drops the mask in horror. Pretty much everyone else shrieks at the sound of its voice, even Evan. The mask continues to move on the surface of the table and smack its lips together wetly in an evil toothy grin.

"Halloween is just around the corner…" It whispers. "Our favorite holiday!"

"Holy shit. The mask can talk too?" Jerry asks.

Evan hates the shrill sound of the mask. It's demonic, for lack of a better word, and its repulsive appearance doesn't help things.

"It feels good to bring old friends together!" Mr. Dark says.

"I know what you want me to do," Carly Beth says. "You want me to put on the mask again."

"Bingo." Mr. Dark replies.

"That's crazy! You can't do that!" Evan protests. "That thing got stuck to her face!"

"I know." Mr. Dark sneers.

"I can do it, Evan." Carly Beth says. "I'm not scared."

"What? You have to be joking!" Evan says. "You told us the mask changes you!"

"And what if it doesn't come off this time?" Ricky asks. "You don't know it won't!"

"Yeah! Come on, Carly Beth, you said it yourself, we don't have to do what this guy wants. You don't have to either." Amy says.

"I know. But I've never been one to take my own advice." Carly Beth admits.

"If she wants to do it, I say let her." Andy says.

"Andy!" Evan scolds.

"No, she's right. I have to take this risk. I have faith and I know there are people out there who love me for who I am. I know it's enough to defeat the mask."

"Yes, people like us, Carly Beth!" Amy shouts. "Don't do it!"

"I'm afraid she has to." Mr. Dark says.

Carly Beth gulps and picks up the mask again, raising it slowly over her head, but as she does, her frightened expression changes to one of determination.

"Carly Beth, don't!" Ricky protests.

But then her brown hair begins to disappear beneath the mask, as does almost her entire head, which is soon replaced with the monstrous face of the Haunted Mask, which is now staring back at all of them with its glowing eyes. As Carly Beth moves, so too does the mask. With what sounds like an awful sucking sound, they all watch as the mask begins to tighten around Carly Beth's skin as she opens her mouth to speak, a voice that's no longer Carly Beth comes out, raspy and distorted, with only hints of the girl underneath.

"It feels good to be back!" the mask rasps in pure ecstasy.

A chill runs down Evan just hearing the dark voice come out of his friend. He wants Carly Beth back. He doesn't like this new version at all, and it's just plain odd to see the kind girl he knows with the head of something absolutely monstrous. The juxtaposition makes it all the more frightening.

"You're a lot braver than I expected, Carly Beth. I must admit it's good to see you embrace your monstrous side." Mr. Dark says with glee.

"I agree, Larry! Who cares about that scaredy-cat LOSER Carly Beth? She looks better with the mask on!" Slappy cackles.

"I'm sorry, there's no Carly Beth here!" the mask says. "I'm just borrowing her body!"

"That's not true. We know you're in there, Carly Beth!" Amy says.

"Don't let it control you! Don't listen to whatever it's telling you. Any kind of power it can give you isn't worth it! Don't make the same mistake I did!" Ricky says. "You can beat this!"

"She's not listening!" the mask snaps.

"Just imagine all the fun you can have in my new world." Mr. Dark says. "You can have as much chaos as you desire."

"YES! I love chaos!" Slappy says. "We can team up together, masky!"

"No.. no.." Carly Beth says from inside the mask. "I want to be me. I want to be me!"

"That's it, Carly Beth!" Ricky yells. "I know you can fight this thing!"

"Prove to us that love is all it takes", Mr. Dark says. "Maybe you can actually open my eyes to the truth."

"I do have love." Carly Beth says. "I have the love of my mother, who's always been there for me and supports me. And the love of my girlfriend Sabrina, who makes me happier than anything. I have the love of myself. I finally accept who I am."

"NO! NO!" the mask growls. "You only have me, Carly Beth! I know the kind of person you really are! You know that together we're unstoppable!"

"That mask is using you!" Amy shouts.

"I know. I know that. It's not true." Carly Beth speaks to the mask. "You don't know me. You think you're good for me? You're toxic! You don't know what a good relationship is, and I'm sorry. I'm sorry that you were so unloved. I know it must have twisted you into something evil."

In response, the mask lets out a blood-curdling scream.

"Keep lying to yourself, Carly Beth!" the mask says. "I know how much you desire revenge. You've always wanted to bring pain to the ones who've hurt you. To make them feel terrified. Well I do too! WE ARE THE SAME!"

Carly Beth shakes her head. "No. No. It's true. Sometimes I would love to hurt those who've harmed me. I have a lot of darkness inside me still, and maybe I do like making people feel afraid of me. But I also have love. The only thing anger does is turn you ugly. We might be similar, more than I'd care to admit, but we're not the same. I still care about people, unlike you. I care for my family, for Sabrina. For myself. And now I have the love of my new friends. I'm giving that love to you so I can finally be rid of you!" Carly Beth says in proud defiance.

"NO!" the mask cries out. "YOU WILL NEVER BE RID OF ME! WE ARE INSEPARABLE!"

"Hell yeah!" Andy shouts. "You have us."

"Yeah." Ricky replies. "We won't let anything happen to you, Carly Beth, right, Evan?"

Evan pauses. It feels a bit strange to tell this to someone he just met but Carly Beth is like him too, isn't she? Certainly she doesn't deserve to be consumed by the mask.

"Right. The mask is nothing against you. Against all of us together." Evan says.

"We love you, Carly Beth." Amy says.

"Oh god. This really is an episode of the Carebears, isn't it?" Slappy says with disgust.

The mask lets out one last scream before Carly Beth tears it from her face, reducing it to nothing more than just a mask. Her hair is standing up all over and she's covered in sweat, breathing heavily, but she looks relieved to be free once more from the Haunted Mask. Hopefully for the last time.

"I hope you can find peace." Carly Beth tells the mask. "From all that anger. All that hatred. I know I have. My darkness will always be a part of me, but you no longer will."

She slams the mask back into the box, sealing the lid tight. None of them can hear the mask's cries anymore.

"You did! You actually did it!" Jerry says.

"Told you she could." Andy says.

"Color me impressed, Miss Caldwell. You handled that with grace." Mr. Dark says.

"No thanks to you." Carly Beth says with disgust.

"You must forgive me for putting you through that, Miss Caldwell. See, I only wanted to prove a point. One I've been thinking about for a while."

"What kind of point?" Evan asks.

"It's all about you, Evan." Mr. Dark says. "It seems to me all your friends have been able to face their fears and change from their experiences. Jerry played the haunted piano, Amy defied Slappy, Carly Beth separated herself from the Haunted Mask and even Ricky showed that he's moved away from his darker side. Hell, and I was just going to see if he had the courage to eat another cookie! Everyone but you, Evan."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Evan asks.

He already doesn't like the point Mr. Dark is trying to make.

"I think you know. It's like I've always said. You still can't move on from the Monster Blood. It still haunts you." Mr. Dark says.

"Of course it does. But I'm not the only one. All of us have had trouble forgetting the past." Evan argues.

"Yes. ALL of us." Carly Beth butts in. "If you're judging Evan, you're judging all of us."

"Damn right." Ricky says.

"I know that, Evan, but when I look at all of you, your friends have something you lack. Bravery, resolve, hope, love, whatever word you want to pick. You're the protagonist, but there's nothing special about you, and I find myself wondering why all these things keep happening to a nobody like you, Evan. I don't know if you have what it takes to conquer your own fears, or if you'll be too terrified to stop what's coming." Mr. Dark says.

Evan expects for that evil grin to be on his face, but no, Mr. Dark is completely cold, and that's almost worse, because he knows Mr. Dark believes what he's saying is true. Evan almost believes it too. At the end of the day, he is a nobody, isn't he? Everything that's happened to him has been caused by sheer bad luck.

"You shut the hell up right now!" Andy snaps at Mr. Dark.

"Andy, it's okay- I can handle this myself." Evan says.

He doesn't need Andy once again trying to beat up a bully for him, especially one as big as Mr. Dark. He wants so badly to prove himself for once but Andy ignores his request.

"Evan's not a nobody. If you want to blame someone, blame me. I've been the one pressuring him into using the Monster Blood, for my own stupid reasons. If I weren't here, I can guarantee Evan never would have touched the stuff again. Maybe then he could have properly moved on." Andy says, sounding guilty.

"Ah, so you admit it too, Andy? Evan can't move on!" Mr. Dark says.

Evan ignores him and looks at Andy. "Don't say that, Andy. I guess it's been both of our fault's all along. We've both done some stupid things, but I'm glad you've been there. I don't know where my life would be without you. A lot less meaningful, I'll say."

"Puke!" Slappy cries out.

Evan smiles at Andy, which she returns and both are just looking at each other flushed and laughing for no reason. It's like old times. Evan almost forgets they're in the Dead House.

"This is all very sweet, but just look at who you choose to surround yourself with, Evan. Someone who enables you to keep using Monster Blood, furthering your trauma and hell, a bully who's tormented you since you were a kid." Mr. Dark says. "Clearly, you have problems."

"He has a point, bro." Conan says. "I don't even know why I'm here."

"Conan, could you please just shut up?" Evan asks.

"You're here because you prove my point further, Mr. Barber. Evan surrounds himself with the very things he's afraid of, but he's still unable to conquer those fears."

"Ah. Makes sense." Conan replies.

"Okay. I admit it, I'm still afraid of Monster Blood. I'd rather never see it again, but I'm done being afraid. Is that what you want to hear, Mr. Dark?" Evan asks.

Mr. Dark grins again. "It's one thing to say it, another to prove it, Evan. I think it's time for your test."

Evan grits his teeth. "And what's my test?"

Mr. Dark sighs. "I'm afraid that despite your best efforts, Evan. You're too late. I've already put my ultimate plan into motion! As soon as the clock strikes ten, Dark Falls will once again be covered in a mist of Monster Blood, turning you and your families into undead monsters, and countless others will follow."

In response, Slappy cackles madly. "Finally, some good news!"

Evan begins to feel sick to his stomach, like he's about to vomit right here. And the whole room is spinning around him, any familiar sights now a total blur. This is the nightmare scenario he feared. After all this time, he wasn't able to stop Mr. Dark. He's failed.

"Evan! Evan, are you okay?" Andy asks, noticing Evan's sudden nausea.

He can hardly hear her voice over the buzzing in his ears.

"What?" Evan asks.

"Please tell me this is a joke." Jerry says. "This can't be happening."

"You can't do this!" Carly Beth says, now almost in tears.. "Please, leave my family out of this!"

"I'm afraid I can, and I will. And no, this is no joke. The clock is ticking. Just minutes now and I will have successfully recreated the Dark Falls' factory incident to a T." Mr. Dark says.

"Then what was the point of all this?" Ricky asks. "Why have this stupid dinner if you were going to do it anyway?"

"Truthfully I just wanted a chance to get to know you all better. I'd say I have." Mr. Dark chuckles.

"Wait, so we're not getting cherry pie?" Conan asks.

All the voices are just noise and Evan finds himself running out his chair out of the room, everything Mr. Dark said is still echoing around his mind on loop.

"Evan! Come back!" Andy shouts.

"Let him run." Mr. Dark says. "He has to accept he's lost sooner or later."

"Oh god, all of us really are just nobodies, aren't we?" Amy asks.

"Oh no, not nobodies at all. You should feel grateful you're here to witness a new era for monsters!" Mr. Dark laughs.

Evan is still running. Running right up the steps into Mr. Dark's room full of haunted antiques. All of the stuff from last time is there. The shrunken head. The cuckoo clock. The mummy case. But no, not a sign of the Monster Blood anywhere. Evan has been on a wild goose chase. Had he actually broke in earlier, he probably still would have failed. That crushes him. Just knowing how hopeless the situation really is.

After a few minutes of continued searching, Evan stops in his tracks as he hears Mr. Dark's voice behind him.

"It's not here, Evan."

"I know." Evan manages to choked out in a hushed voice. One of defeat. "What is the point of all this, Mr. Dark? All this stuff?"

Mr. Dark chuckles. "I'm a collector. Everything has meaning. Say, how about I show you something extra special? Now that the whole world's about to end I might as well."

"What are you talking about?" Evan asks.

Truthfully, he doesn't want to see whatever Mr. Dark is about to show him, but the man doesn't even let him answer before he's walking up to the mummy case, proceeding to open it.

"I told you there's no mummy inside, which is true," Mr. Dark says. "but what I didn't tell you is there is actually a whole room behind it."

Sure enough, Mr. Dark is telling the truth, as the opening of the case reveals an entrance to a small chamber. But what's more surprising, and even more horrifying is a large quivering purple mass in the middle of the room, pulsating like a giant heart. It smells horrible and the growling noises it makes send waves of panic through Evan.

"Glorious, isn't it?" Mr. Dark asks with a sinister smile.

"What the hell is it?" Evan asks in disgust.

"I told you I had a special tool. This right here is my special tool. My pride and joy. With its incredible power, I've been able to summon your parents to Dark Falls for their untimely end." Mr. Dark explains.

Evan isn't sure how to process the information. He had always suspected something had gotten his family to move out of the blue, but he never expected this.

"You're saying this thing hypnotized my parents?"

"Exactly." Mr. Dark replies. "This glorious beast right here was once part of an entity known as King Jellyjam. With his mind control powers, he was able to make a whole summer camp do his bidding. It wasn't easy to track down his remains given the king's tragic end. But I found it. And I used it. I sent little tiny pieces of purple blob to all your families and just like that, they were compelled to come to Dark Falls, all part of my hypnotic suggestion."

"This is crazy." Evan says. "You really had everything planned out."

"Of course I did. Now it's time for me to finally win. And no one can stop me. Not you. Not your friends. Not even the Reality Police will be able to do anything." Mr. Dark says triumphantly.

Evan doesn't respond, he just stands there, before following Mr. Dark out of that tiny room, glad to be free of the horrid odor of King Jellyjam.

"How much longer?" Evan asks.

"Just a few seconds. As soon as that clock goes CUCKOO!" Mr. Dark laughs.

"What?" Evan replies, a sudden, desperate idea suddenly coming to him at the mention of the word "cuckoo".

The clock, Evan thinks, The cuckoo clock, Mr. Dark had said it was powerful enough to control all of time. Maybe, just, maybe, he could use it to go back and fix all of this, prevent Mr. Dark from winning in the first place. It's crazy, Evan knows, but what choice does he have? He stares at its wooden exterior, marked with tabs containing various years and Mr. Dark instantly knows what Evan's thinking. Now even he looks afraid.

"Evan, don't you dare do what I think you're going to do." Mr. Dark snarls. "You have no idea what you're dealing with here!"

"Fuck you," Evan snaps. "I'm not going to let you win."

"EVAN! LISTEN TO ME! You use that clock and the Reality Police will be after the both of us! Do you want that?" Mr. Dark says, urgency in his voice.

He really is scared. Evan kinda likes that, as dark as it may sound. It allows Evan to temporarily feel a sense of victory.

"I don't care what the cops do." Evan replies. "I'm not letting you hurt my friends. Like I told you, I'm done being afraid."

"EVAN, STOP!" Mr. Dark growls.

He once again transforms into his hulking monster form, diving at Evan with pure rage. Normally, Evan would be afraid. Not anymore.

It seems the exact second has been reached because out of the clock pops a bird with a cruel, evil-looking face. It makes a loud CUCKOO and this is the only noise now that's echoing through Evan's head. He smirks and takes his hand to the bird's neck, quickly turning it backwards. As the bird retreats back into the clock, Evan is crushed under the heavy weight of Mr. Dark, who has tackled him to the floor, Evan doesn't do anything. He just lets it happen, just waiting now for time to start moving backwards.

Chapter Text

"Did you fall asleep back there?" a familiar voice calls to Evan from the front seat.

Evan groans tiredly in response, the haziness of sleep around him slowly fading into reality. He's awake now, and something immediately feels off. He's in the backseat of his parents' old car, the one they sold two years ago and there his parents are in the front, looking younger than when Evan last saw him. Panic settles in. What is he doing here of all places? Just what had the clock really done?

"What are we doing here?" Evan asks and instantly he shrieks in horror. His voice sounds younger too! Like a total pipsqueak.

Evan's mother sighs. "Evan, we've been over this. You're staying with your aunt Kathryn, and that's final!"

Oh no, Evan thinks, No, no, no, no way he's been transported all the way here, but as he catches a glimpse of himself in the mirror overhead, he sees a 12 year old looking back, the very same age he'd been when he spent the summer with his great-aunt. The very summer any chance of a normal life for Evan was tarnished. And now he's back here. It's cruel. Evan wants to scream. So he does.

"No, no, this can't be happening!" Evan yells.

His loud voice seems to agitate Trigger, who's currently sitting beside him with his head out the window, letting out a startled whimper. Oh god, Trigger! Evan can't believe it. Trigger had been there that summer too, eaten some Monster Blood and grown to the size of a house. Before he met Andy, Trigger really was his best friend, but he'd eventually passed on, as all old dogs tend to sadly do, and just seeing him again brings on an emotional response. Instantly, Evan wraps his arms around Trigger in a tight hug, petting his soft fur. The poor dog looks surprised at the sudden affection, and so too do Evan's parents.

"Evan, I really don't know what's gotten into you, but you can't come to Atlanta with us. We'll only be a couple weeks at most." his mother says.

"You have to listen to me, Mom, Dad, I know this sounds crazy, but I shouldn't be here. I'm not 12, I'm 17! Last night, I was almost killed by a monster who wanted to take over an entire town. I tried to time-travel to stop him, but now I'm here. I know everything that's going to happen, and you have to take us far away from here. Aunt Kathryn's cat, she's really an evil witch named Sarabeth who's enslaved her and taken away her hearing. She's going to use her magic to curse this stuff called Monster Blood, and it's going to keep growing and growing, eating whatever it wants, and it's almost going to KILL me. I can't stay with her! I can't live through this again!" Evan pleads.

Evan's parents just stare at each other, looking like they're not sure how to respond, but then they look just plain angry.

"Evan. I really don't have time for your crazy stories. I don't know where you've gotten this one from, maybe you've been reading too many comic books or your dad let you watch a scary movie, but Kathryn is not a witch and her cat is just a cat. And I don't know what this Monster Blood nonsense is about, but you're staying here. End of story." Evan's mom says.

"Your mother's right. I wish you'd stop being such a child for once and start acting like a man." his father scolds him.

Evan just scowls. Of course they don't believe him. Why did he ever expect them to? Before he can say anything else, the car has pulled into the gravel driveway and Evan sees the familiar sight of Aunt Kathryn's small gray house. Already he has chills, and as he opens up the car door to let Trigger out, the dog begins running in circles around the rectangular yard. Evan's heart breaks seeing him look so happy, because to him, it was Trigger in better days.

Evan has practically this whole neighborhood etched into his memory. Every house is as he remembers. But then he spots something across the street that makes him pause. A black car, almost a limousine. Evan doesn't know if he's imagining it or what, but the driver, an odd, thin-looking man with a suit and sunglasses, looks as if he's staring right at Evan. Studying him. If the guy was there when Evan was a kid, he doesn't remember, but he feels very out of place, and that makes Evan nervous. Stepping up to the front door, he watches as his mother knocks on the door.

"Mom—why are you knocking?" Evan asks, "You said Aunt Kathryn was totally deaf."

Evan doesn't know the words even leave his mouth. He hadn't been thinking them. It's as if he's just following a script and going along with it. He watches as his mom's face reddens with embarrassment.

"You got me so upset, Evan, with all your complaining, I completely forgot. Of course she can't hear us." his mother replies.

And then the door finally opens. Evan finds himself once again startled just looking at his great-aunt. She's intimidating, with her black hair pulled into a long ponytail and pale sunken face. Not to mention the knife in her hand, currently dripping blood.

"I was slicing beef," she says in her deep voice, waving around the bloody knife. "You like beef?"

"Uh… yeah." Evan replies. Even now seeing the blade makes him nervous. Kathryn obviously doesn't have great knife skills. One wrong move and she'll take out someone's eye.

"He's big," Kathryn says to his mother, "A big boy. Not like his father. I used to call his father Chicken. Because he was no bigger than a chicken."

Then she laughs at her own joke and Evan is groaning having to relive this conversation, so he just starts drowning it all out, only snippets of information managing to enter his ears.

"I can tell by looking he's a good boy," Kathryn says before grabbing Evan's face to inspect.

Evan feels himself squirming as she examines his face. At least Mr. Dark kept his hands to himself.

Good-looking boy," Kathryn says, giving his chin a hard squeeze. "He likes the girls?"

Well, sorta, Evan thinks to himself. How would Kathryn react if he told her liked guys too? As Aunt Kathryn continues to get up in his face, embarrassment rushes through him. Her cold blue eyes just leer at him, and then there's that pungent breath. Evan has to remind himself that while his great-aunt is odd, once this little adventure is over, he'll discover she is a good woman after all, someone who, like him, had something bad happen out of sheer bad luck. Evan may never truly know all the details to her past and what exactly happened with Sarabeth to begin with, but surely, Kathryn didn't deserve this punishment. Still, her strange sense of humor as she starts to threaten to bake Trigger into a pie is more than a little grating. Made even more so by the fact that he's lived through all this before.

Evan helps his mother carry his suitcase up to his room and he's instantly hit by the smell of mothballs. It makes Trigger sneeze, and Evan too. He peers out the window that faces the backyard. All of this is too familiar, and just like he did way back then, he wants to be out of this stupid house and anywhere else.

"I'm late. Don't want to miss my plane," his mother says.

She gives him a hug, a long one, and he's struck by the scent of her perfume. She really doesn't wear it anymore as far as Evan knows but he still associates it with her. He's not really used to getting hugs anymore either. That seemed to fade away once he reached a certain age. Maybe it's because Evan really was concerned with wanting to seem tough, or something else, but in hindsight, it seems pretty silly now. Evan starts wondering just where his parents are, back in the present in Dark Falls, and he once again feels afraid. If Mr. Dark was able to hypnotize them as he said he had, just what else does he have in store? While his parents are far from perfect, Evan hopes they're safe.

From out of her pocket, Evan's mom hands him a ten-dollar bill. "Buy yourself a treat. Be good. I'll hurry back as fast as I can."

She says goodbye and Evan is left alone in the room staring at the ten-dollar bill in his hand like it's a cursed object he shouldn't be touching. This is what I'm going to use to buy the Monster Blood, Evan thinks, This is what's going to cause all the trouble. Just glancing at it, Evan realizes now he's faced with an interesting choice. He's literally gone back in time. He can change what happens by just not buying the goddamn Monster Blood in the first place. Maybe then he can finally fix his nightmare of a life and have an ordinary childhood free of bad dreams. But then new thoughts creep in. Who's to say something even more terrible won't happen? What if Sarabeth curses some other object and that's what terrorizes him? And what about the costs? Will he be erased from existence if he doesn't purchase the stuff? Evan has no idea how this whole time travel thing even works.

Then he thinks of Andy and his other friends in Dark Falls and knows he can't just abandon them. Evan sighs. Why does making the right choice have to be so hard? But the problem remains of how exactly Evan's going to escape. Does he really have to wait five years just for a chance to get the upper-hand on Mr. Dark? No. There has to be an easier way, right?

He pockets the money and finds himself drawn to the closet, passing shelves of dusty old books. Evan knows exactly what's going to happen when he opens that closet- Sarabeth, the evil black cat, really a witch in disguise is going to come flying out. Sure enough, that's exactly what happens, but Evan has the tact to avoid it this time and now he's just staring at the cat on the ground, barely noticing as Aunt Kathryn appears in the doorway.

She begins talking to the cat as Evan watches as Sarabeth rubs against her leg. The mewing noises she makes unnerves him.

"Did Sarabeth scare you?" Kathryn asks. "That cat has a strange sense of humor. She's evil. Pure evil."

Yeah, no kidding, Evan thinks, and now he knows just how evil Sarabeth really is. The cat is looking at Evan strangely. He's tempted to just cut the bullshit and demand the cat reveal itself, but he's unsure of how exactly that would end. Then Evan wonders if it's possible Sarabeth somehow knows he's time-traveled? It sounds a bit crazy but surely there must be some kind of magical detection for this sort of thing. Looking at Trigger, Evan wonders if the dog can sense her true form too, because he wastes no time taking a swipe at the cat. Maybe it's true that animals can see things humans can't. Evan finds himself cheering on Trigger until he's reminded of Aunt Kathryn's rules about fighting in the house.

I have to find a way out of here, Evan thinks, The more time passes the more he risks something catastrophic, be it screwing up the timeline or whatever. The next events play out just as Evan remembers. He takes Trigger on a walk, only for the darn dog to start chasing after a squirrel. Evan's just about to grab the dog when a hand grabs him from behind and he hears an all too familiar voice.

"Hey—who are you?" it says.

He sees it coming, but it somehow startled nonetheless. Then Evan turns to see her. Andy. He can barely contain his excitement. Finally, Evan thinks, Andy will be able to help him get out of this. But then it hits him. This isn't quite his Andy. In fact, they're not even friends yet. It's hard to believe he's re-living their very first encounter and even stranger to see her look so relatively.. normal, for lack of a better word. Even now, though, Andy's look draws attention- an oversized yellow shirt over black spandex leggings and yellows Nikes. It's the kind of yellow so bright it hurts your eyes, but now it just makes Evan smile.

"Boy am I glad to see you!" Evan says. He doesn't mean to say it.

Andy looks at him oddly. "Do I know you?" she asks.

Not yet, but you will, Evan thinks to himself.

"Yeah. I'm me." Evan says. "I meant that I'm just glad to see another kid around here."

Nice save, Evan.

Andy nods. "Did you move into the Winterhalter house?"

"No. I'm just visiting." Evan replies.

Andy starts following him. She almost looks disappointed. Evan starts to think about how he's going to proceed with this conversation. Should he just play along or scare Andy off by telling her how he's time traveled and in the future they're trying to defeat an evil family of monsters?

"I'm staying with my aunt. Actually, she's my great-aunt." Evan says.

"What's so great about her?" Andy asks.

This time Evan laughs at her joke. Somehow it's a lot funnier knowing what someone's going to say before they say it.

"She's weird, but she's okay." Evan says.

He's surprised to hear himself coming to Kathryn's defense.

"I like weird people." Andy says. "Is that your dog? He looks real stupid. I like stupid dogs."

"What about stupid people?" Evan asks.

She likes him at least, doesn't she? Andy kneels down to pet Trigger, looking confused at his question.

"Not so much." Andy replies.

"His name's Trigger." Evan tells her

"Yeah. That's pretty stupid," she said thoughtfully. "Especially for a cocker spaniel."

Here it comes, Evan thinks.

"I have a stupid name, too," Andy says.

Evan almost forgets he has to ask her what it is. "What is it?"

"Andrea." Andy replies.

Evan chuckles. While so much has changed, one thing hasn't. Andy still despises being called Andrea. It was his one trump card over her.

"Let me guess." Evan says. "It's too stuck-up, like you should be wearing a corduroy jumper with a prim, white blouse, walking a toy poodle so everyone calls you Andy?"

Andy looks at him stunned and a little weirded-out. That's the part Evan was afraid of. Now he just hopes she doesn't run away.

"How do you know that?" she asks.

Evan smirks, a little embarrassed. "Because I have a stupid name too. It's Evan."

"That is pretty stupid," Andy replies. "But it doesn't explain a whole lot."

Fair enough, Evan thinks.

"Well, what if I told you we've met before? That I've already lived through this whole awful summer before?" Evan asks.

Andy just shrugs. "I guess I'd just call you a wackjob."

"Andy, do you believe in time travel? No, do you believe in monsters?" Evan asks.

Andy is still staring at him. "Why not? I'll believe anything if you pay me enough."

Evan chuckles. "Well, how does ten dollars sound? "

He pulls the bill from his pants and offers it to Andy, who wastes no time accepting it.

"Sweet." she replies. "Now what is this about monsters?"

Evan takes in a whoosh of air.

This is going to sound crazy, but I'm from the future. Sorta? I know exactly what's going to happen next. You and I are going to go to a novelty store called Wagner's Novelties and Sundries. There, I'm going to buy a dusty old can of something called Monster Blood that I never should have picked up in the first place. Heard of it? Well, it's evil. The Monster Blood is going to keep growing and eating everything, including a couple of people, but don't worry, they'll get spit back out. There's an evil witch involved in this too, but that's not important right now. What's important is the two of us become best friends, which might be hard to believe since I sound like a total weirdo. But when I move to Atlanta, you follow, but that's not the end of the Monster Blood. We end up feeding it to a hamster named Cuddles. He almost destroys the entire school until I eat some myself and turn into a giant to fight him. Then there's my cousin Kermit. We want to prank him and I end up eating Monster Blood again and get chased by the cops and the fire department. Then there's the Monster Blood that's not really Monster Blood but an underwater fighting force consisting of blue blob creatures that multiply upon drinking water. Long story, but we survive those encounters, Andy, and now we're in our greatest battle yet. There's someone named Lawrence Dark and he's taken over a town called Dark Falls. He wants to use the Monster Blood to turn the planet into undead creatures. He almost succeeded until I used a magic cuckoo clock to travel back in time and I ended up here, when I first encountered the Monster Blood. And uh.. that pretty much covers it." Evan explains.

By the end of his rambling, Evan is out of breath and realizes how crazy he probably sounds. Andy is just looking at him blankly.

"You're a weird kid, Evan." Andy replies. "But I guess I believe you."

Evan can't believe it. "Y-you really do?"

He wants to cheer.

"Well, maybe, not really, but you put a lot of effort into that story and I'd feel bad for you if I didn't. Plus you DID pay me." Andy replies.

Evan shrugs. He'll take what he can get.

"Trust me, Andy. Not even I could make up a story like that."

Andy raises an eyebrow in response.

"I really want to thank you for not calling me a wackjob. I knew I could count on you. You really are my favorite person." Evan says, and feels immediately embarrassed after.

Andy laughs. "Hey, don't get all mushy on me. I still think you're a wackjob. And probably an idiot too, but eh, I don't have anything else going on. And I don't really have a whole lot of friends either."

Andy mutters that last part, but Evan can hear it and feels a little bad for her.

"Hey, me too." he replies.

"So what now?" she asks. "We get that Monster Blood stuff?"

Evan nods. "The store owner won't want to sell it, but I manage to convince him. It will only cost us two dollars!"

Andy looks at him suspiciously. "Two dollars? And will this be coming out of MY allowance?"

"Relax, you'll have eight dollars, Andrea." Evan teases.

"Don't call me Andrea!" Andy gives him a playful shove. It still hurts.

The two are about to start walking when a black car rolls up. The same one Evan had seen watching him earlier. Just who are these guys? As the door opens, out steps what look like two secret agent types, both sporting the same suit and sunglasses combo. If Evan had to guess just by looking at them, he'd almost think they're from the government.

"Evan, are these friends of yours?" Andy asks.

"N-No. Not at all." Evan replies.

"You did something really stupid kid." one of the men says. "You think we wouldn't notice?"

"Yeah, stupid, stupid, stupid," the other guy responds. "He must be pretty dumb if he thinks he can just mess with time all willy-nilly like this. GUESS WHAT, KID? YOU'RE WRONG. DEAD WRONG."

"You got that right. Now you have to come with us."

"Yeah, COME WITH US!"

"I'm not going anywhere!" Evan yells. "You stay away from me!"

The two suited men laugh.

"You hear that? This kid thinks he can get off scot-free!" one of the men laughs. "In your dreams, kid! Soon you won't be sleeping at all!"

"Leave him alone!" Andy snaps.

"You stay out of this, girl! You're lucky you aren't our target. We're just here for the boy. Although we WILL have to wipe your memories, won't we?"

The other agent laughs and nods. "You got that right. The knowledge this boy has passed onto you is a severe violation of the Reality Codes. If he tells you anything more, or alters this timeline further, he may break reality itself."

Evan sweats nervously as the two men now surround him and Andy. They tower over them.

"Reality?" Evan asks. "Just who are you guys anyway?"

Both of the men laugh, like Evan's just told a joke.

"You want to know who we are? We're your WORST NIGHTMARE!" one of the men says with mad glee.

Evan stares blankly. It's not a helpful response.

"You really don't know? We're the Reality Police, kid, and we've come to arrest you for your crimes against reality!"

Chapter Text

"Now listen, kid. We can do this the easy way or the hard way. Your choice," One of the men says, a serious look on his face.

"Yeah. Either way you're coming with us!" the other one adds.

As the Reality Police walk closer to him and Andy, Trigger is barking ferociously, which only seems to irritate the officers more. Evan wonders if maybe Trigger can sense something about these guys too. The Reality Police. That was the name Mr. Dark had mentioned just before Evan used the cuckoo clock, but he really hadn't thought very much of it. Maybe he should have. Already they seem like bad news.

"Andy, run!" Evan yells at the top of his lungs.

"No! You're not going anywhere!" The first officer snaps. "You know too much already."

Andy looks frozen as her eyes dart from Evan to the Reality Police. Then her eyes are locked on Evan.

"Come on, there should be room on my bike!" she says.

"No, it's okay. You go!"

"Evan, just get on the bike!" she orders.

Now she's the one looking irritated. Now that's the Andy I know, Evan thinks. He obeys, taking a seat, and then they're off, biking down the road as Trigger runs beside them. Meanwhile the Reality Police are cursing.

"Damn it, kid!" one of them barks.

"Thanks for the assist." Evan tells her. "We need to get to that store and get the Monster Blood before it's too late."

Sure enough, the officers have gotten back in their car and are trailing the two kids. Evan can't see either of them through the dark tinted windows. He can only imagine how angry they probably are.

"Just who were those guys?" Andy asks. Her attention is focused on pedaling as fast as possible.

"I don't know!" Evan replies. "I think they're mad because I went back in time!"

"You mean you were telling the truth?" Andy asks.

"YES I WAS TELLING THE TRUTH!" Evan yells. "And now they probably want to kill me!"

"Geez, you really are weird. If I were you I'd find a lawyer." Andy replies. "But whatever you do, DON'T TALK TO THE POLICE."

Now there was a piece of advice Andy always followed. She seems panicked too. Any second now the Reality Police could gain on them. It's a wonder they haven't already, Evan thinks. Who knows? Maybe they're enjoying the chase.

"If they give me the opportunity, I'll keep that in mind." Evan replies.

"The toy store is on the next block. There's a new one and an old one. I like the old one best. I need to get a gift for my cousin anyway." Andy says.

"The old one is where we'll find the Monster Blood."

Andy nods and as they drive past the familiar sight of the video store on the corner, there it is. WAGNER'S NOVELTIES & SUNDRIES, the crude hand-painted sign identifying it as such. The building looks in even rougher shape. Evan wonders how long the store even stayed in business after he bought the Monster Blood. He hasn't been back here since.

"Sometimes the owner can be a little mean. I don't know if he'll let you bring your dog in." Andy says.

"Well, we have bigger problems right now." Evan replies.

The two push their way into the warehouse-like store, a tiny bell overhead ringing to announce their entrance. The place is jammed with boxes of toys and other stuff, leaving little room to walk. It makes Evan feel a little claustrophobic. Then Evan sees the owner, a grumpy-looking man with a single tuft of white hair in the center of a red, bald head. He doesn't look any happier now than when Evan remembers seeing him, barely acknowledging their existence, including Trigger's, who is excitedly sniffing the dusty shelves and regretting it. Perhaps it's for the best. He's trying to lay low, after all.

"Do you see your Monster Blood?" Andy whispers.

"No. It's in another room. A dusty one." Evan replies.

"Well, that narrows it down."

"Just keep going, it's here."

As they walk, Trigger leading the way, Evan remembers the narrow hallway all too well. It leads to the room where he feels his heart instantly stop as he spots it. The thing that ruined his life: a dusty blue can labeled MONSTER BLOOD in faded letters, then below it, SURPRISING MIRACLE SUBSTANCE. Yeah, some miracle, Evan thinks. Even now he has no idea what the hell that's supposed to mean. Beside him, Trigger sits on the floor and whimpers.

"That's the stuff?" Andy asks. "It looks old."

Evan just nods. It's hard to believe, really. The can doesn't even look like much, but he's currently shaking just walking up to it. Evan knows he has to set aside his fears, though, and takes in a whoosh of air as he picks up the can of Monster Blood.

"Let's just get out of here. I don't want to be here longer than I need to." Evan says.

The two are walking to the entrance when Evan hears the bell ringing again. Someone else is in the store, he realizes, and it doesn't take long for him to find out who.

"Where's the kid?!" the voice of one of the Reality Police snaps at the store owner.

"What kid?" the owner asks, hardly interested in whatever the men want.

"Don't play games with me, old man! The redhead! Came in here with a brunette accomplice and a dog." The officer replies angrily.

"They're in the back!" the owner tells him, now sounding a little frightened.

"Shit!" Evan cries. "Now we really need to leave!"

"Look, let's just make a run for it. The old guy won't even notice it's missing." Andy replies.

"You have a point."

Evan pockets the Monster Blood, which is just small enough to fit. Once again, he feels that hopeless feeling. Evan knows he can't afford to screw this up. But then Trigger starts to growl at the sound of the officer's voices. Evan tries to shush the dog, but then he accepts the fact he's screwed as the Reality Police fill the doorway. They look angry.

"Well, well, well, the pooch gave you away." The first officer says. "We should have known you'd come back here. Just couldn't stay away from the Monster Blood, could you?"

"What do you guys want?" Andy asks. "Evan is trying to save the world! ..Or something."

The officers have a good chuckle at this one.

"You think he's some kind of hero, huh? Your friend here is a wanted criminal."

"Oh yeah?" Andy replies, her voice full of snark, "Well then I'm a criminal too!"

"Don't push it, girl!" The first officer snaps. "We want the boy."

"It's okay, Andy." Evan tells her. "You want me? Fine."

He steps forward in the direction of the Reality Police.

"Evan, don't be stupid!" Andy scolds, trying to stop him. It doesn't work.

"I'm sorry, Andy."

"You'll have time to apologize later, when you appear in court for breaking reality!" the second, angrier officer says. "Hold out your wrists."

Evan complies, as he just stands there as the two officers slap a pair of glowing blue handcuffs on him. Evan's never seen anything like them before.

"Reality Cuffs." The first officer explains. "You won't be getting out of those. They're infused with the magic of the great sorcerer Morgred himself. Come in handy for time travelling punks like you."

Watch me, Evan thinks. But his cockiness turns to panic as the cuffs glow around his wrists, overwhelming him with an intense energy that fills the entire room. Then everything goes dark.

When Evan wakes up, he's still cuffed and in an interrogation room. The kind you see on pretty much every crime drama TV show, with a light hanging overhead and a plexiglass window for others to peer into. He has a splitting headache. Evan goes to rub it, before remembering his hands aren't free right now. He can feel the Monster Blood in his pocket and breathes a sigh of relief.

"Wakey, wakey." The voice of the first officer says harshly.

Evan groans from the pain. "Where am I?" he asks.

Evan is startled at the deeper sound of his voice and realizes somehow he must be back to 17. He's rather glad about that. Being 12 isn't fun.

In response to his question, The Reality Officers look at each other and laugh.

"You hear that? He wants to know where he is!"

Then the second officer grabs him by the collar and Evan finds his face just inches away from the cop's. His face is full of rage. It's hard to tell if it's genuine or if they're trying to play the "good cop, bad cop" routine on him.

"I'll tell you where you are," he rasps "YOU'RE IN TROUBLE!"

"You're in a place where reality doesn't exist." the first officer explains. "Where existence itself does not exist. That's where the Reality Police resides."

"And you guys… are the Reality Police?" Evan asks. It almost sounds too absurd to believe.

"Perhaps we SHOULD introduce ourselves. My name is Bruce. My partner here is Wayne."

"Oh yeah, and you better believe we know YOU, Evan Ross." Wayne says. "We know all about your crimes."

"You guys can go fuck yourselves. I'm not talking to you without a lawyer present." Evan tells them.

Andy's advice comes in handy sometimes. He expects them to look angry, but they don't. Then they start laughing again.

"Come on, Evan," Bruce says "Do you REALLY think we have REALITY LAWYERS in this dimension?"

Evan just stares. Truthfully, he hasn't thought about it.

"Guess what? THERE AREN'T ANY." Wayne snaps. "The only person available to defend you here is YOURSELF."

Evan groans and feels a pit in his stomach. He's never been very good at doing that. He thinks back to his days babysitting Kermit. Whenever his cousin did something wrong, he got blamed for it, and did a poor job looking innocent in front of Aunt Dee, who always took Kermit's side.

Wayne can detect Evan's anxiousness and grins.

"You guys have to listen to me," Evan says. "I didn't mean to break reality or whatever, but I was trying to stop an evil monster!"

"Ah yes, Lawrence Dark. We know all about him." Bruce says, nodding. "He's been an enemy of the Reality Police for quite some time now."

Evan feels his head spinning. Then he just feels angry. If the Reality Police know about Dark, why not do anything about it?

"Then why not go after HIM?" Evan asks. "He's the one trying to turn everyone into monsters!"

Bruce and Wayne look at each other and shrug.

"We will deal with Dark as he can. For now, you are the greatest threat to reality." Bruce says.

Evan's jaw drops. "ME? It was a cuckoo clock! How was I supposed to know what it did?"

"You knew EXACTLY what it did!" Wayne growls. "You said it yourself Evan- you deliberately traveled back in time, an immediate violation of the Reality Police's Timeline Maintenance Codes and you proceeded to disclose information of the future to people of the past."

"Yes, Evan. Do you know just what kind of damage you could have done to reality?" Bruce asks.

"I guess not," Evan admits. "But you have to let me out of here! Reality is in serious danger and you don't even realize it!"

"You're not going anywhere!" Wayne says. "We realize well enough that reality is in danger and now you have to pay for it!"

Bruce sighs. "Evan, maybe it might be better if we explain just what the Reality Police does, so you understand the gravity of this situation?"

Evan starts to respond before he's cut off by Bruce, who apparently had no intentions to even give him the option of saying no.

"The Reality Police has existed since the beginning of time," Bruce explains. "In our world we have two halves: The natural, being humankind, and the supernatural, which encompasses a variety of things. It's our job to ensure humanity is protected from the existence of the supernatural. In essence: We make sure that people believe that myths and legends are exactly that- myths and legends that do not exist."

Wayne nods. "Have you ever heard of the Body Squeezers Invasion of Los Angeles?"

Evan looks at him, a little confused. "No?"

"EXACTLY." Wayne replies. "Because we made sure it was thoroughly covered up. Now the only people who believe it are seen as nutty conspiracy theorists."

"Yes, we've dealt with many alien invasions in our days. Creeps, Egg Monsters, Pumpkinheads, you name it." Bruce says. "It's cases like these that, if anything were to be exposed to the public, it would be absolute panic. Wayne, why don't we take Evan here and give him a little tour?"

Wayne looks at him suspiciously. "I don't like the idea, but fine, if he stays in cuffs."

Evan feels Bruce loosen his restraints and he's led out the door by the two officers. Beyond the room, Evan finds himself greeted with a large tunnel and he realizes he's actually in some kind of strange facility, where other Reality Police agents seem to be working. Passing by one of the room, he sees a group of agents taking apart a sleek-looking blue car.

"That car used to be haunted by the spirit of an evil girl." Bruce says. "Now we use it for spare parts."

Some of the place feels more like a prison, as the whole place is lined with cells. The more Evan walks, the more cells he sees. Most of them are filled with the most horrifying creatures Evan has ever seen and he isn't even sure how to process this. Nevertheless, he feels afraid.

Stopping at one particular cell, Evan sees what looks like a group of furry blue creatures. They almost look like koalas, Evan thinks, until he gets a closer look. Whatever they are, they're big, with two sets of razor-sharp yellow teeth, green eyes and long snouts. Their bear-like heads don't match the bodies at all, which almost resemble chimpanzees, especially in how they walk, and then a beaver-like tail extends from behind their backs. It's a bizarre combination, and Evan would rather not look at them for too long. The way the creatures seem to be whispering amongst each other creeps him out too. Evan almost swears he can hear a strange language coming from their mouths. Whatever it is, Evan can't decipher it.

"Ah, the Beasts from the East." Bruce says. "Quite intelligent creatures. Once we discovered they had taken over a large area of the Pacific Northwest, we knew they were a danger to reality."

"Isn't it a little messed up to keep them caged like this?" Evan asks.

As scary as they seem, it doesn't seem right to keep them locked up like they're in a zoo.

"I don't think you heard my partner." Wayne butts in. "These are dangerous monsters. They almost killed a group of kids before we stopped them. Part of some sick game they love to play."

Bruce nods. "But their game is quite fun. In our research, they've told us all the rules, so we've adapted it in a way that humans can play."

"So what's the point of this then? This research?" Evan asks.

"You ever heard the phrase "know your enemy", Evan?" Bruce asks. "Understanding the supernatural is the only way to protect the very foundation of reality. Just take a look at this."

Bruce points in the direction of another cell, which currently contains a large vat of an unknown liquid. Evan thinks he sees it moving in there. It reminds him of King Jellyjam back in the Dead House, but whatever this is is different.

"These are the remains of the Masked Mutant, a dangerous terrorist we managed to defeat." Bruce explains.

Evan looks at him. "The Masked Mutant? You mean like the comic book villain? But he's not even real!"

Wayne shakes his head. "Fiction and reality doesn't mean shit here, kid."

"Precisely." Bruce says. "Sometimes the lines between what's real and what's not become blurry and our world is overtaken by the world of the imaginary. Pretty wild, isn't it?"

"So everything supernatural- you guys just lock up here?" Evan asks.

"Oh no," Bruce replies. "It would take too much time to deal with every supernatural threat out there. We respond only to the most urgent of cases. The ones that pose the most threat to reality."

Evan can feel his temper flare. "Where were you guys when the Monster Blood attacked me?"

Bruce chuckles. "Monster Blood? Hardly our concern. Nobody believes you about it anyway, so really, that just makes our jobs easier!"

Wayne laughs too, which only makes Evan madder.

"So you guys just pick and choose who to help? What to deal with?" Evan asks.

"Evan, Evan," Bruce tsks tsks at him. "There's no need to get upset. We are committed to keeping Reality safe, and that's what we care about most. I don't think you have the right to judge us, considering the grave violations you've made. If we hadn't caught you, reality itself may have collapsed entirely."

"You know, Bruce, this reminds me of the last kid we had to arrest for tampering with reality. You remember him, don't you?" Wayne asks.

"How could I forget? Poor Matt Amsterdam. We sure taught him not to mess with reality," Bruce snickers.

"Unfortunately this world has no shortage of kids making stupid decisions, does it, Bruce?"

"Nope, not at all, Wayne. At least we get paid for it."

The Reality Officers look at each and laugh, as if they've just heard the funniest joke imaginable.

"Fuck you." Evan replies. "I did what I did to help people. Can you say the same?"

"I think I've had enough of this kid." Wayne says. "He needs to stand trial. I bet our leader will know exactly what to do with him."

"Leader? What are you talking about?" Evan asks.

In honesty, he had been thinking Bruce and Wayne were the heads but it does make sense for there to be some kind of higherup. Who exactly it could be though Evan has no idea.

The officers don't respond. They just laugh.

"I agree, Wayne. I think she'll have a good punishment in mind for him. Then we already have a special cell in mind for you, Evan."

"Cell? I don't belong here!" Evan protests.

"That's the thing, Evan," Bruce says. "You've managed to evade us for so long, but we know this is where you really belong. With all the other monsters."

Evan feels the room spinning, and his headache is now somehow even worse.

"Belong here? I'm not a monster, I'm a teenager!" Evan yells.

"Come on, Evan. You can't lie to us." Bruce says. "We know what you are. And our leader knows exactly what to do with you."

"W-what am I?" Evan asks. "What are you guys talking about?

"You're just like your great-aunt, kiddo." Wayne laughs. "You've got witches' blood running through you!"

Chapter Text

Witches' blood?

At first, Evan thinks they're joking but the look on the officers' faces say otherwise. Now he doesn't know what to think, and he knows he must look confused as all hell. Probably pretty stupid too.

"What do you mean I have witches' blood?" Evan asks. "As far as I know, I've never used any magic."

Bruce and Wayne look at each other and grin before staring right back at Evan. It creeps him out.

"You and that Monster Blood are more connected than you think, kid." Wayne chuckles. "You ever wonder why everything turns to shit when you get in contact with that stuff? I'll let you in on a little secret: it's not just a coincidence. IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT!"

"Let's calm down, Wayne. I'm sure all of this must come as a shock to you, Evan." Bruce says, as if trying to calm Evan.

Evan doesn't appreciate the attempt, and makes it known.

"Look, I don't appreciate being talked to like I'm a kid!" Evan snaps. "What exactly is so shocking?"

Bruce sighs. "I thought you'd understand, but I suppose I'll have to spell it out for you. It's been you all along, Evan. You've been cursing the Monster Blood and not even knowing it."

Evan shakes his head. There's no way any of this is true.

"That was Sarabeth, not me."

"It was in the beginning, yes. The Witch Sarabeth did indeed curse the Monster Blood the very first time." Bruce replies. "But the other subsequent times? I'm afraid not. There's something about you, Evan, something we don't quite understand yet. Maybe it's your fear, your anger, whatever it may be, it causes the Monster Blood to react in, well, monstrous ways each time you've come into contact with it."

Evan continues shaking his head. Now he just feels plain angry. How could he possibly cause the Monster Blood to grow? To make OTHERS grow? It simply doesn't make any sense. Could his own fears really be the trigger for all the disastrous experiences he'd had with the Monster Blood?

"You both are liars!" Evan yells. "I don't believe a word of this."

"Believe what you want, it's the truth." Bruce says. "You'll have to accept it sooner or later. We intend to find out how you've managed to make the Monster Blood do what it does. See, I don't think you even know either, and for this reason, you are the greatest threat to our reality. Who knows what else you could curse without even realizing?"

"Kinda funny, isn't it?" Wayne asks. "The more terrified you are, the stronger the Monster Blood seems to become."

"No. No way." Evan replies. "I don't care about whatever stupid rules for reality you guys have. I'm leaving this place!"

Before the Reality Police can say anything, Evan finds himself breaking into a mad sprint away from them. His cuffs are on tight, but his legs are free to run like hell. Evan knows he'll probably get caught, but he doesn't care. He has to get away from here, back to Dark Falls, back to his friends. The idea of being stuck in a cell forever amongst all these strange creatures, or worse, terrifies him. He still can't bring himself to accept the possibility his great-aunt has passed on her own magical abilities. It's simply too wild to believe. He is a normal teen, Evan tells himself. A normal teen who's had four different frightening experiences, but a normal teen nonetheless, not some witch like Sarabeth. Evan knows exactly how things ended for her. If the Reality Police have any say in it, who's to say they won't sentence him to a similar fate? For something he didn't even know about until a few seconds ago? No way is that even close to fair.

"Damn it, kid!" Wayne barks. "STOP RUNNING!"

Evan can hear Wayne bolt after him before he comes to a sudden stop, probably stopped by Bruce.

"Let him run, Wayne." Bruce tells him. "He won't get very far. Then we just up his punishment even more."

"Hm.. you do have a point." Wayne replies. "YOU'LL COME BACK, KID! ONCE YOU SEE WHAT ELSE WE HAVE LOCKED UP IN HERE!

Evan keeps running, the yelling of Wayne echoing behind him. Hardly any of the other Reality Cops seem to react beyond mild disapproval. Is this really what my life has become? Evan wonders with a bit of amusement. I'm some wanted "Reality Criminal"? Who knew that was even a thing, but apparently he's not the only one wanted for messing with reality, as pinned on the walls are countless wanted posters for alleged Reality Felons.. Evan wonders what their offenses are. One of them catches his eye, a skinny boy about Evan's age by the looks of it, with wavy brown hair and dark eyes. He's wearing an Oakland Raiders cap too big for his head. Evan reads the words under it.

WANTED FOR CRIMES AGAINST REALITY: TODD BARSTOW AKA "THE WORM KING", 17. WANTED FOR BREAKING DIMENSIONAL RIFT BETWEEN HUMAN AND INSECT WORLD. SHOULD BE CONSIDERED ARMED AND VERY DANGEROUS.

Finally, Evan sees what looks like a potential way out- a flight of stairs leading downwards, but he stops as he notices a bright yellow warning sign. CAUTION: AUTHORIZED REALITY PERSONNEL ONLY- STAY OUT OF THE BASEMENT!

Basement? Evan says the word aloud in his head. He's not very fond of those. It was always there, in every horror movie Evan ever had the displeasure of watching, that some kind of monster or killer lurked. But he has to try, regardless of whatever might be waiting for him. So down the winding stairs Evan goes. There's a lot more steps than he expected. Evan's struck immediately by just how warm it seems to get the deeper he goes, like he's plunging into Hell itself, and maybe he is. Evan's so preoccupied with his own thoughts he barely registers as something seems to creep up from behind him. But then he feels it. Something slowly wrapping around his shoulder, like a long spindly vine.

Because it is a vine, Evan realizes with horror. He manages to push it off of him before the tendril starts to strangle him but soon finds himself confronted with even more strange plants that seem to be growing on the walls like moss, and just as green. Their roots reach down, breaching the tile floor, so much that Evan sees the ground beneath him is starting to crack just to handle the growth. Above him, more vines and branches are creeping in from the ceiling and what was once a basement now looks more like a jungle to Evan. It's barely recognizable to the facility above. Evan starts to wonder if maybe this is a greenhouse or something, but it seems way too out of control to ever pass as one, like nature run wild. Then there's the noises. Oh god, the noises. The plants around Evan sound like they're crying out in pure agony. He's never heard anything like it and it chills him to his core. He knows plants are alive, sure, but these ones, they really feel ALIVE, like they have tiny hidden eyes and are watching him. Like he could press his hand and feel them breathing. He tries not to stare too long.

After making his way through the jungle, Evan reaches what seems to be the actual basement itself, and it might be even worse. Large plants cover the room like a canopy, casting everything in eerie shadow. Evan finds himself bathed in a deep green light. The vines around him continue to move as various plants Evan doesn't even recognize make more eerie noises. They sound even more animalistic now that he's closer to them, but yet so strangely human at the same time. Covering this garden of a room also is what appears to be lab equipment. Evan figures this must have been a place for scientific research before whatever happened to it. The tiny basement is so cramped it leaves little room for him to walk, nor for these massive plants. Evan thinks there's no way this environment can possibly be healthy. Even he's finding it hard to breathe down here.

"Hey! Can't you read?" a harsh voice calls from behind Evan. "You shouldn't be down here."

It makes Evan jump in his tracks. As he turns to see the source, he spots a thin man in a lab coat and jeans. Evan can hardly make out his features until he walks closer, but as he does, Evan finds himself even more afraid at what he sees. In the man's white coat are little rips and tears, exposing bits of green flesh and leaves that seem to be growing from them. The same leaves cover his body in random places, including his head, sticking out like his skull is some kind of succulent vase. If Evan hadn't gotten a closer look, he might have mistaken it for hair. As Evan examines it closer, he sees how dark some of the leaves are, like they're dying.

His face is gaunt, sunken-in cheekbones and a circular pair of glasses that conceal two piercing green eyes that almost seem to glow in the dark. Much of his face is green too, a sickly off-shade on which Evan can see visible veins and what look like bits of tree-bark starting to grow. This carries down to his neck, which is even veinier. Evan feels sick to his stomach as he sees what looks like a mushroom sprouting from it. It makes Evan's skin crawl the way it's practically bursting from his flesh like a growth. As Evan looks at the man's hands, he sees they're hardly hands at all, his fingers more like long, slender branches, some of which almost droop down to the floor. Now the man is looking at Evan with a cold, inhuman look.

"You should have listened to the warning. Stay out of the basement." the man says.

The tone of voice reminds Evan of a scolding parent.

"Are you that worm kid?" the man asks. "Todd Barstow?"

Evan shakes his head.

"Oh, good," he replies, studying a beaker of glowing green liquid. "I'm scared of that guy."

"W-who are you?" Evan manages to choke out despite his own terror. "I-I'm sorry if I'm interrupting your work. These guys want to kill me!"

The man narrows his dark eyebrows, somehow still present on his face, but then he looks as if he's deep in thought. As he grits his teeth, Evan can see they're caked with dirt in a kind of grimy film. His hoarse, raspy breaths make it sound as if something is growing inside of him too. Evan wonders if maybe there is and shudders.

"Who am I?" he repeats back to Evan. "I'm a scientist. Or maybe I'm just a plant just dreaming it's a scientist. You be the judge. My name is Dr. Michael Brewer, or at least that's what my memories tell me. They tell me I'm just another copy. Maybe they're right."

Evan just looks at the man in confusion. "You work for the Reality Police?"

This seems to make Dr. Brewer angry.

"No, I don't work for those animals!" Dr. Brewer snaps. "Why would you ever ask such a preposterous question?"

Evan chokes on his own saliva. "I-I just assumed, I guess. Since you're just walking around down here. So what are you, a prisoner too?"

"I was." Dr. Brewer replies. "But the thing about plants is… they grow. The Reality Police knew they couldn't contain me once my plants started to outgrow my entire cell. So we came to a little deal. They let me continue my research, providing me with fresh test subjects, as long as I promise not to kill them all."

"Test subjects? You mean- they gave you people to kill?" Evan asks. He feels sick.

"Kill?" Dr. Brewer looks at Evan like he's studying him. "I prefer to think that I gave them new life."

"New life?" Evan questions.

"Yes, take a look at this." Dr. Brewer says to Evan, leading him to a large plant at the corner of the room. "This is what's often known as a snake plant."

Evan reluctantly obeys and as he looks at the large leaves coming out of the dirt he spots what look like tiny pink growths sprouting from it.

"You know another name for a snake plant?" Dr. Brewer asks.

Evan shakes his head.

"Some people call it the mother-in-law's tongue. Who knows why? But as you can see, I decided to make things a little more literal. I've allowed this plant to grow actual human tongues from its leaves. Quite astonishing, wouldn't you say?" Dr. Brewer asks with genuine pride.

Evan feels like he's going to vomit. Sure enough, there's definitely a bunch of tongues here, but they don't look right.

"As you can see, mine has started to degrade over the years." Dr. Brewer says, opening his mouth.

Inside, Evan sees his green tongue is starting to break down. Like his skin, branches have seemingly sprouted from inside, and are scraping against the roof of his mouth. Evan can only imagine how scratchy that must feel.

"Oh god." Evan chokes out.

He backs away, right into another plant, where he sees what can only be described as a human face growing from within, its mouth open in an expression of horror. The flesh looks surprisingly realistic, only feeling all the more jarring in contrast to the green hue of the plant it's growing on.

"The ones that fail make great fertilizer for my plants to keep growing." Dr. Brewer says.

Evan looks down at the soil beneath him and shudders at the sudden realization.

"I'm- I'm walking on corpses?" Evan asks in a combination of horror and disbelief.

"It's all part of the natural cycle of life and death." Dr. Brewer says. "Humans live and then they die, giving nutrients to the soil and allowing new life to be born from death. Plant-life. That's how it's always been. There's nothing scary about it."

Evan has to disagree there. Not only is it horrifying, but all the plants Dr. Brewer has made can only be described as unnatural.

"That's how it was in the beginning, and how it will be in the end. Plants ruled the Earth long before humanity, and they will continue to flourish long after everyone is in the ground."

Evan isn't sure what to say. He failed Biology. All he remembers about plants is photosynthesis and he doesn't even remember what that means. He's more worried about getting turned into another horrific creation.

"But now my own plants are dying around me. My poor children, the more I've been kept away from a proper environment in which to thrive, the more I find myself weakening, and so my plants start to wither away too." Dr. Brewer says. "Maybe that's what the Reality Police want to happen. All the leader cares about is her silly little vendetta against those who break reality, not any of us. But maybe you're just what I need though, maybe you can give my plants energy again."

"Please don't kill me." Evan begs. "You must hate these Reality guys as much as I do."

This time, Dr. Brewer looks amused, but the expression fades as quickly as it appeared. Evan realizes he does look a little weak.

"It's true. They've kept me down here for too long. All I want is to escape and finally be allowed to grow again."

"Okay, so that's a good start." Evan replies. "I want to get out of here too."

Dr. Brewer looks like he's thinking again. "Perhaps we can help each other then."

Evan nods. Good, I'm actually getting somewhere with this guy, he thinks.

"Exactly what I was thinking."

Dr. Brewer eyes him with suspicion. "What do you have there in your pocket?"

Evan's heart stops. The Monster Blood. Dr. Brewer has seen the Monster Blood. Evan can only imagine what things the doctor could do with the stuff. But it's a little too late to hide it.

"It-it's really nothing important." Evan stutters. He knows how much of a liar he sounds like right now.

"Show me what you have. Now." Dr. Brewer orders. "Or maybe I will kill you. I'm sure you wouldn't like that, would you?"

Now he really sounds like a parent, Evan thinks, like he's shouting at Evan to show him his report card or like he's a dog with something they shouldn't have in their mouth.

"My hands are a little tied up right now." Evan says, motioning down to his cuffs.

Dr. Brewer makes a noise indicating his frustration but to Evan's surprise, he's actually able to remove his ties, freeing Evan's hands. It feels good to move them again. Now if anything goes south, he might actually be able to fight back. Not that he stands much of a chance against Brewer and his plants. The doctor seems powerful.

Evan knows what he has to do, and reluctantly removes the dusty blue can from his pocket, handing it to Dr. Brewer. He doesn't expect the doctor to be able to grip it considering his hand-branch situation, but Evan's surprised to see Brewer fully able to wrap his fingers around it. He looks down at the can and studies it, reading the label aloud.

"Monster Blood. Surprising Miracle Substance." Dr. Brewer reads. "What the hell is this?"

"It's not something you should mess with." Evan warns. "It's partially why they want me here."

"Now you've sparked my curiosity."

"I'm serious. It's not a joke. If I open this can, the Monster Blood will start to grow. And it will keep growing. No container will be able to hold it because it will outgrow everything you throw at it. And it'll keep eating to sustain its appetite. But it's never satisfied. Anything that consumes it will start to grow too." Evan explains.

"Anything?" Dr. Brewer asks. "Fascinating."

Evan knows immediately what Dr. Brewer must be thinking, and the idea horrifies him.

"You want to use it on your plants, don't you?"

"Yes, and why shouldn't I? I'm a scientist. I want to run every possible test to see how my plants grow and adapt to new changes. What if your Monster Blood is what allows my plants to live? To evolve more than they ever have before?"

"Because it's dangerous!" Evan says. "And what if the Monster Blood kills your plants?"

Dr. Brewer shakes his head. "No. They'll survive. That's what plants always do. We survive, regardless of challenges. Do you want to get out of here or not?"

"Of course I want to get out!" Evan snaps. "But not at the risk of opening that can again. I can't do it."

"You mean to tell me you'll give up your freedom because you're too scared of some green ooze?"

Dr. Brewer sounds upset, but Evan is angry too. He's so sick of hearing people making fun of his fears. They'll never understand what it's like to be him.

"Look, two of the Reality Police guys up there, they told me somehow I've been cursing the Monster Blood. I don't completely believe it myself, but even if it's true, the Monster Blood can't be controlled. Once it's open, all hell breaks loose." Evan tells Dr. Brewer.

The doctor still doesn't sound convinced. "And what are the rules for this Monster Blood?"

Evan shrugs. "I don't know. Not completely. I guess as soon as it's exposed to air is when it starts to happen."

Dr. Brewer looks as if he's just had a bright idea. "Air, you say? My poor plants have been devoid of so much of their necessary oxygen you might just be able to open that can without much of a problem. Not that I believe in this magical nonsense anyway. It's simple science."

Evan looks at Dr. Brewer and thinks. He's still finding it hard to breathe in this environment and starts to wonder if the doctor might be onto something. He's never tried it before. Still, he's reluctant.

"I don't know." Evan says softly. "You can't guarantee that will happen."

"Well what would life be if scientists never tried anything? That's how the greatest of discoveries are made."

"I'm not a scientist." Evan replies.

"I can tell. But even so, you don't have to be a scientist to have a curious mind. Look, the plan is simple. If this Monster Blood works as you say it does, I can give it to my plants and I'll be able to spring myself out of here, providing enough distraction for you to leave. How did you get here anyway?"

"Uh.. I time-traveled using an old cuckoo clock." Evan says.

Dr. Brewer's face is full of shock in response to this, like Evan's just told him some stunning revelation. He doesn't understand why.

"The clock? Oh, no wonder she wants you dead." Dr. Brewer says with some amusement. "This one's personal for her."

"She? What are you talking about?" Evan asks in confusion.

"Look, kid, I'm a botanist, not a physicist. I can't claim I'm an expert on traveling through time, but I know there are consequences to it, especially in the Botanical world. Even if you kill one plant, it can send ripples that alter the timeline itself, or so I've been led to believe." Dr. Brewer says.

Evan wants to roll his eyes. He's not exactly worried about plants right now, but he doesn't want to let Dr. Brewer know that.

"Yeah. I'm learning that now. But what does it have to do with me?" Evan asks. "Why is the cuckoo clock so special?"

"Tara the Terrible." Dr. Brewer says.

"What?" Evan asks. The words sound funny coming out of Brewer's mouth.

"That's what everyone calls the leader of the Reality Police. Your little clock is the same one that almost erased her from existence. I don't really know the story, but from what I've heard it was her brother. He time-traveled too. Something went wrong, like, he erased a whole year from the timeline. The very same year our glorious leader was born. So poof. It was like she was never born."

Evan is finding it hard to wrap his head around what Dr. Brewer's saying.

"So then how does she exist?" Evan asks. "She should technically be dead, right?"

"How should I know?" Dr. Brewer asks. "But she does. And she's the reason why this place even exists in the first place. Because of what happened to her. This place is her revenge. You can imagine how angry she must be hearing someone else used that clock. If I were you, I'd be very afraid."

"Shit." Evan replies. "And it had to be me of all people, huh?"

"You're in luck," Dr. Brewer says. "I've heard she keeps one just like it in her office. If you can get to it, maybe you can get back to the present and do whatever it is you need to do. That is- if you're willing to give some of that Monster Blood to me. It may be your only choice."

Evan sighs, realizing Dr. Brewer is right. It doesn't make the plan any less scary though. There's going to be a lot of chaos involved just to see this through, but if it gets him back to Dark Falls with just enough time to stop Mr. Dark from completing his plan then it might ultimately be worth it. He just wishes Andy was here right now to help him.

"Fine. I'll do it." Evan says bitterly.

Evan prays he won't regret this decision as he takes the Monster Blood back. With all the reluctance in the world, he slowly opens the lid. Not fully, but close enough he can wiggle his fingers into the plastic can. As soon as they touch the Monster Blood within, fear floods into Evan's senses. It's just as he remembers it, cold to the touch and especially slimy, leaving residue on his skin that makes him feel unclean. He pinches two fingers together and pulls off a small chunk of the green slime and as soon as it's in his grasp, he shuts the lid.

"That's it?" Dr. Brewer asks, unimpressed.

"You should be grateful I'm doing this for you at all." Evan says.

He hands Brewer the sample of the slime. He seems satisfied enough and carries the chunk of green slime to what looks like a pitcher plant, depositing the piece of Monster Blood within.

"We'll grow back," Dr. Brewer tells the plant. "We always do."

"Can I leave now?" Evan asks.

He doesn't want to be around long enough to see what the Monster Blood does to Brewer's plants. But then Dr. Brewer looks at him with a face full of animalistic rage, letting out a terrifying growl that sends Evan freezing in his tracks.

"W-what are you doing?" Evan asks, slowly backing away.

But it's too late. In response, Dr. Brewer's long finger-branches begin to wrap around his neck, squeezing it with intense pressure. I picked the wrong guy to trust, Evan thinks with a sense of hopelessness, just as the mad scientist begins to suffocate him. Evan wants to scream, but the plants do that for him.

Chapter Text

"YOU'RE PLANT FOOD NOW, KID!"

Evan hears the shouting despite his fading senses. He thinks it's Dr. Brewer saying it at first, until he realizes Bruce and Wayne have entered the room.

"Stand down, doc!" Bruce orders. "We need him alive to stand trial."

Evan feels the branches loosen around his neck as Dr. Brewer leans forward.

"I just saved your life. If they caught us talking, they'd kill us both." Dr. Brewer whispers raspily in his ear. "Now get out of here!"

Finally, the plant-man lets him go, but Evan can still feel the phantom vines around his neck. Pressing a hand to his flesh, warm blood is trickling down and Evan knows Dr. Brewer's hands must have left behind some scarring. So much for trying to save my life, Evan thinks. Surely there was a better way than strangulation.

"Take him." Dr. Brewer tells Bruce and Wayne. "He's useless to my research."

That's a little harsh, Evan says to himself. Chances are Dr. Brewer means that too. Evan has little time to react or say anything before the Reality Police seize him once more by his shoulders.

"Hey, don't touch me!" Evan shouts.

Bruce and Wayne ignore his pleas. Evan can tell they're angry, and in a rush too, as they practically start dragging him up the basement steps.

"This is the last time you'll get away from us, kid." Wayne says. "The boss wants to see you NOW."

"Really? You've done a pretty shitty job so far." Evan replies. "Maybe I'll just run away again."

Wayne grits his teeth, sticking his face close to Evan's, close enough than he can see the individual stubbles of hair on Wayne's face. Evan can smell aftershave on him, or is it cologne? He's about to open his mouth before Bruce cuts him off.

"You know, perhaps you're right, Evan." Bruce says. "I think we've been a little too kind to you so far. From now on, we'll treat you as the threat you truly are."

Bruce shoves Evan forward as they keep walking. He's a bit too happy to keep pushing Evan around. Then from the ceiling, making a horrible screeching cry, Dr. Brewer's plants descend to attack. Both Reality Cops angrily fight them off in their attempt to come back to the surface.

"Goddamn plants!" Wayne growls. "What were you doing talking to Brewer anyway? He's a lunatic."

Yeah, a lunatic that you keep feeding victims, Evan thinks. Clearly, Brewer's hatred for the Reality Police is a mutual thing.

"Nothing." Evan lies. "I thought there'd be an exit down there, and he just attacked me out of nowhere."

Wayne chuckles sinisterly in response. "Be careful what you wish for, kid. You wouldn't have stood a chance had we not stepped in."

"Indeed." Bruce replies. "Sounds like you owe us for saving your life. You could at least show a little gratitude."

Evan rolls his eyes. "Fine. Thanks. Now, take me to your leader or whatever you're going to do."

Finally, they've left the basement behind, and the horrible noises from the plants are now just an echo in Evan's mind. He'll never go back there again, that he's certain. He just hopes Dr. Brewer will keep his word.

Walking down the long halls of the facility, Bruce and Wayne lead him into a large glass elevator. The number pad reveals there are over 13 floors and as Bruce hits one of the buttons, Evan realizes they're going all the way up to unlucky Floor 13. Because of course they are. The elevator is a bit clunky, to say the least. Evan can hear the gears whirring to life as it starts to go up. He prays that it doesn't break. Being stuck here with the cops doesn't sound like his idea of a good time.

"So.. this boss lady of yours," Evan starts to ask, "She must be really scary, huh?"

"Her word is law." Bruce replies. "She has every torture method you could possibly imagine, and her means of dealing out punishment is even worse."

"I think she has a special one in mind for you, kid!" Wayne laughs. "It's going to be glorious."

Glorious? That's not really the word Evan would use, and he shudders at the mention of possible torture, all kinds of disturbing images coming to mind, like the ones in Andy's favorite horror movies.

With an audible ding, the elevator doors open and Evan is shoved into a dark courtroom by Bruce and Wayne. He stumbles forward from the push, falling to his knees onto the hard wooden floor. Wayne harshly lifts him back to his feet, snapping in his ear something Evan doesn't hear over the eerie humming in the room.

Looking up, overhead lights illuminate parts of the courtroom. To his left and right, about a dozen more Reality Officers in suits are just staring forward, their eyes hidden behind sunglasses, not moving or saying a word. It's unnerving, Evan thinks. Then his eyes are drawn to a large statue in the middle of the room, made of bronze, by the looks of it, depicting what seems to be a little girl in overalls, maybe six or seven, with her hair tied into pigtails. Evan thinks maybe it's a memorial for someone, until he looks down at the inscription etched on a plaque at the girl's feet: TARA THE TERRIBLE: OUR FOUNDER. PROTECTING REALITY, NO MATTER THE COST.

Evan isn't sure what to think. Surely the Tara the statue depicts can't really be the founder of the Reality Police, right? At the very least, maybe it depicts her when she was younger. Yeah, that makes sense, Evan says to himself. And then his thoughts are interrupted by the booming voice of Bruce, which is seemingly amplified by how the room is structured, bouncing off the walls with force.

"Officers, please rise for the arrival of our glorious founder, Tara Webster!" Bruce announces.

Evan wants to ask if they aren't already standing up right now but then from the shadows, even more Reality Police make themselves visible. He's literally surrounded by people in suits, and they're all staring up at a large judge's podium up on the balcony encircling the room. So Evan follows their line of sight, watching as a little girl emerges from the darkness until she's fully visible. There's no question about it, this is the same girl as the one in the statue, though it's easier to see all her features now. She has stringy brown hair, the same color as her eyes, and a small button nose. The way she's standing on the podium now makes it look as if she's towering over Evan, despite the fact she's, well, a toddler, and somehow the expression on her face is a stern and terrifying one, the kind you'd expect to see on someone with a lot of authority. Maybe too much authority.

Still, Evan can hardly process what he's seeing. It's too absurd to believe, and he wants to laugh.

"This is a joke, right?" Evan asks. "Someone has to be pranking me right now."

In response, the Reality Police turn to look at him. They all look furious.

"This is the dreaded TARA THE TERRIBLE?" Evan laughs. "I expected someone a little.. Taller."

"I'd advise you to keep her name out of your mouth, kid!" Wayne snaps. "You will be SILENT!"

"No, it's okay, Wayne." Tara finally says. "I'm glad Evan thinks this is so funny. It means he underestimates me."

Out of her mouth, it sounds high pitched and squeaky.

"I think you look like a Krej." Tara says. "That's jerk spelled backwards, you krej".

The other Reality Police nod their heads in agreement. Apparently they also think Evan is a krej.

"And what's the punishment for being a krej?" Evan asks.

"Ask my stupid brother." Tara replies. "Oh wait, he doesn't exist anymore!"

Tara starts giggling evily, and the other officers join in on the laugh. Evan gulps. What happened to her poor brother?

"You remind me of him." Tara says.

"Yeah, yeah, I know, I used the cuckoo clock, alright? I'm sorry." Evan says. "But I had no other choice."

Evan can't believe he's arguing with a seven year-old. And he thought it was bad with Kermit.

"Really?" Tara asks. "Do you know what it's like to be erased from existence?"

Evan just blinks. "Well, no. I guess not."

This is true enough, Evan thinks.

"It HURTS." Tara says. "A LOT."

"Look, I'm really sorry that happened to you, but you have to let me go." Evan pleads. "A really bad guy is about to do something really horrible, and I can't stop him if I'm locked up here."

Tara shakes her head. "No. Something bad always happens when you use the clock and you broke it. Now I'm going to erase you too."

"No!" Evan shouts. "You can't do this! I swear, nobody was erased this time around! I was safe! I think!"

He feels panic for the first time. Did a little kid just sentence him to death? What exactly was non-existence even like? He tries to think about it but the concept is too much to grasp it hurts Evan's brain.

"You don't know that." Tara says. "There's always consequences."

The last part comes out as sounding like "kawn-se-gwen-sis" in Tara's voice.

"At least give me some options!" Evan pleads. "I don't want to be erased!"

"Well that's just too damn bad!" Wayne says. "The leader's rule is LAW.

However, Tara looks as if she is thinking about what Evan just said. She maintains the same pondering expression for almost a minute.

"Fine. I'll give you an option number two, if it makes you shut up." Tara says. "I can let him AXE you!"

Tara points and Evan turns to see just who the "him" she's talking about is. What looks like nothing more than a shadow starts walking towards Evan, and he sees that the figure is in fact a man in a black robe and cape, which drags across the floor with each step of his heavy boots. Beneath a black wide-brimmed hat, his face is barely visible. The man appears to be bald, but has a thick beard and goatee, with bushy eyebrows and cold, dark eyes. Along with his footsteps, Evan hears what sounds like a scraping sound. To his horror, he realizes the man is carrying a massive axe beside him, the kind you'd see back in Medieval Times.

"The Lord High Executioner!" Tara announces.

Evan gulps. He doesn't like how sharp that axe is looking, and especially now that he sees what looks like dried blood on the handle.

"I've killed many witches in my days in my service to the King.." The Executioner says in a dark, sinister voice. "Now I serve a new ruler. You will come with me, boy."

"With one swing of his axe, all the magic will be severed from your body, and with it, YOUR HEAD!" Wayne mocks.

"Uh.. is it too late to go back to the first option?" Evan asks nervously, his eyes studying the room.

The Executioner comes closer. Come on, Brewer, Evan thinks. If ever there was a time to unleash those plants of yours, now would be that time.

Then, as if, answering his prayers, the whole courtroom begins to shake with as much violence as a massive Earthquake. It sends Evan and everyone else to the ground. Even from here, Evan can hear the screams of Brewer's plants. The good doctor has actually pulled off the escape attempt, which means Evan now has to make one of his own.

Tara scrambles to her feet. "WHAT'S GOING ON?!"

The officers look just as dazed and panicked.

"Uh.. this isn't good, Miss!" Bruce says, looking at a tablet displaying the prison's security feed. "I think it's Brewer! Good god, he's gotten free!"

Evan wastes no time in running himself, and Tara notices.

"GET HIM AND GET BREWER!" she orders.

Now even more Reality Police are after him, but even they have to slow down as it becomes evident that Dr. Brewer is the real threat to deal with. Behind him, Evan can hear screams as vines burst through the floor, dragging officers to their doom below, while others are torn apart from the plants descending from the ceiling. The Reality Police stand little chance against all of Brewer's plants. Even the Lord High Executioner isn't much of a challenge, as his axe does little but spray green blood all over him. The plants are clearly stronger. Evan wonders if it's the Monster Blood that's making them like this. Then all kinds of other horrified thoughts run through Evan's mind. Has he just made a terrible mistake by teaming up with Brewer?

"Oh god!" Bruce shouts. "Brewer's started releasing the others from their cells!"

As Evan finally reaches his way out, he hears a horrible combination of roars and other sounds from the floors below him as all the cages start to open. Dr. Brewer wasn't lying, Evan realizes that now. He's certainly providing a distraction, but he failed to mention the whole "jailbreak the other monsters" part of his plot. And it's all Evan's fault. He gave Brewer the Monster Blood, now who knows what kind of chaos he's just unleashed?

Just get the clock, Evan reminds himself. Get to the damn clock. That's the important thing right now. It's hard to focus, especially now that the whole facility is covered with plants but as Evan continues running, finally, he sees an open door. He knows right away it's Tara's office as sure enough, there rests the cuckoo clock, the very same one Mr. Dark has, and the same one that erased her from existence. Evan wonders why exactly she chooses to keep it around. A memento, maybe? Or a reminder to stop all other reality-breaking threats? Evan doesn't quite care what exactly the answer is.

As more of Brewer's plants start to burst through the floor, closing in on him, Evan wastes no time twisting the cuckoo's head back to normal as soon as it pops out. As Evan waits for time to start moving forwards this time, he realizes he only has one last shot to stop Mr. Dark, and if he fails this time, he might as well just let himself die here, enough already have. There might not even be a Reality Police left anymore, judging by how silent the facility has become. It's the silence that makes him feel even more afraid. For in the silence is where monsters always lurk. Is Dr. Brewer the lesser of two evils compared to Mr. Dark? Evan wonders that question before deciding that yes, yes, he is. He has to be, right? But Evan still doesn't know he believes it.

Chapter Text

Evan can't help but wonder if vomiting is just a side effect of time travel, because the very minute he realizes he's back in the present day, he finds himself spewing green chunks on the lawn. He shudders. This too reminds him of Monster Blood. He hasn't puked this hard since Andy and Conan had him try his first beer. Just the memory of the drink's awful taste makes him feel like vomiting all over again.

"Jesus, dude!" a familiar voice cries out, "You feeling alright?"

Evan looks up from his temporary nausea and realizes he's looking at Ricky Beamer. The boy wears the same leather jacket as when Even had first met him that fateful day at Dark Falls High, sporting a Misfits t-shirt beneath. His fingernails are sharp and painted a striking purple hue. Evan feels the urge to kiss him. If he's dressed in the same attire, then it must not be too late, he thinks. Dark Falls can still be saved.

"Huh?" Evan asks.

"You just puked all over the lawn, ginger. You know, I was kind of expecting a hello. Hey, that reminds me. I just got done reading a book. It's about this guy who's hopelessly in love with his best friend. Surely you can relate?"

Evan glares at Ricky, feeling a brief but noticeable sting of pain pierce his heart like a wooden stake going through a vampire.

"What are you talking about, Ricky?" Evan asks, though he already knows where this is going.

Ricky scoffs. "Come on, ginger. I'm talking about you and Andy. Ever since she arrived in Dark Falls, you've all but forgotten about your little fling with Lucy Dark. This whole time it's been Andy this, Andy that. You guys are practically inseparable. If you ask me, you guys are practically symbiotic."

"Symbiotic?" Evan raises an eyebrow.

"You can't live without each other," Ricky replies. "I'd say you share one brain cell, but really, Andy has the one, and you just borrow it."

"Hey!" Evan protests "I think you're forgetting you made me leader."

I know," Ricky replies with a smirk, placing a hand on Evan's broad shoulder. "But sometimes it takes an idiot to save the world."

Evan is about to argue further, before he starts to think about Andy again. Maybe Ricky has a point. He wants to tell her everything. How he traveled back to their very first meeting, how he made a deal with a plant monster for his freedom, and especially, how, according to the Reality Police, he had witches' blood running through his veins. Evan still can't wrap his head around that. He wants to believe it's all one big lie, but something within him fears it's all too true. It would make sense, Evan thinks, given his Aunt Kathryn's background in magic. Still, he isn't sure what this means for him in particular. Can he control the Monster Blood, just as Sarabeth did before him? Evan shuts his eyes and imagines using the green slime as his own weapon for a change, using it to crush Mr. Dark and his cronies for good. But how in the hell was he supposed to do that? How could Evan control a substance that terrified him? No good can come of Monster Blood, Evan reminds himself. It was something he'd told Andy multiple times.

"Ricky, why are you here? I mean, like, why are you here at my house this very second?" Evan asks. He has to make sure he really has successfully made it back to the present, and hasn't, god forbid, broken the timeline somehow.

Now it's Ricky's turn to glare at Evan. The look is a mixture of confusion and frustration. "Um.. Earth to Evan Ross? We're about to go kick Mr. Dark's ass, remember?"

"Oh, thank God," Evan cries, though he doesn't mean to shout it aloud. This must be how Ebeneezer Scrooge felt, being given a second chance. "Then there's still time!"

By now, Evan has realized how nuts he sounds, and grabs Ricky by the collar, dragging him into the house. "Look, I'll explain everything, okay?"

Inside, Evan finds the same people he'd broken into Dead House with before everything went to shit. His band of survivors. Andy. Carly Beth. Jerry. Amy. Conan. Evan grimaces at the last one. Conan's inclusion in the group is still something he isn't exactly thrilled about. Counting himself and Ricky, that brought the total up to a small army of nine teens, not exactly the best odds against an army of monsters, but it was better than going at it alone. Wait. Evan pauses. Nine? Something about that number doesn't sound right. He counts again, making sure he remembers to count himself.

Evan. Andy. Conan. Carly Beth. Ricky. Jerry. Amy.

Evan stops as his finger lands on two teens he hasn't seen before, a boy and a girl. It isn't hard to see that they must be siblings, the way they have the same shade of long, curly brown hair and dark eyes. Their faces are nearly identical too, both solemn and grim, though the girl appears slightly older. Evan can tell they've been through a lot. He can't imagine what. Their clothing is unassuming, especially compared to Andy's dayglo top and Ricky's black leather. The girl sports a striped shirt and jeans, while the boy is wearing a faded red hoodie and black shorts. Evan looks around the room and then back at the siblings. Nobody else seems to think strangely of their presence but Evan.

"Um,not to sound rude or anything, but uh, who the hell are you two?" Evan asks.

The brother sister pair shoot him a look not unlike Ricky's confused glare.

"Evan, I know there's a lot of us here, but you really should try to remember people's names," Andy taunts.

"No, I'm serious," Evan replies. "You two weren't here before- before I-"

Evan stutters. Oh god, he really has broken the timeline. Now the Reality Police really had an excuse to execute him, if they weren't all dead themselves now, Evan shudders. He can still hear the screams of the agents in his head as they were torn apart by Dr. Brewer's monstrous plants.

"Before you what?" the girl asks.

"Before I went back in time," Evan answers. It comes out mumbled, but everyone can hear it. Now all of them are staring at him.

"Okay, that's a good one, man. Time travel. Haha." Jerry chuckles, "Don't think I would have thought have that one myself. But come on, we need to get serious. We are going to the Dead House, aren't we?"

Evan shakes his head. "No. Not anymore. There's been a change of plans. It's too risky."

At this, an audible discourse erupts in the room. Evan can't decipher most of it, but he can tell they aren't saying nice things about him.

"Too risky? Mr. Dark doesn't stand a chance against all of us. Besides, I'm not scared." Carly Beth says, "I'm done being scared."

"Yeah! I'm with CB!" Andy shouts. "You better start explaining or I think we'll have to unanimously demote you as our oh so esteemed leader. I'm sure Carly Beth is up to the task if you can't."

Evan sighs, "I know. I'm not doubting any of your bravery. In fact, I've seen it first hand. I know how crazy this might sound, but all of us, all seven, I mean, nine, of us, have already been to Dead House before. We thought we could steal back the Monster Blood from Mr. Dark but he was already there waiting for us. He wanted us to face our fears, all that trauma from our past."

At last, the room has quieted down, all of them staring intensely at Evan. He thinks back to how he had tried to convince his parents he wasn't in fact twelve years old, but a teenager who had already experienced four separate horrific experiences with Monster Blood. They hadn't believed him. How could they? Evan just hopes his friends won't be as skeptical.

Evan looks at Jerry, "Jerry, Mr. Dark forced you to play that haunted piano from your old house. The one Dr. Shreek taught you to play."

Jerry's eyes widen. "But wait, I haven't even told you guys my story yet. How could you possibly know that, Evan? About that stuff with Shreek?"

"I told you already," Evan replies, "I've lived through already. I know all of your stories. Carly Beth, how you were possessed by the haunted mask. Mr. Dark had that in his possession too. He made you put it on. And Amy, I know how Slappy turned your own family against you. He was there too."

Carly Beth glances at Amy. Both of them are visibly pale.

"All of this was part of Mr. Dark's revenge against us. He blames us, other kids, like us, for forcing monsters back in the shadows. He invited us all to this sick dinner party with his family."

"What did he serve?" Conan asks. "Hopefully cherry pie. Or at least some drinks. Fuck, I'm thirsty right now. Is it normal to be this thirsty all the time?"

"It doesn't matter what he served, Conan." Evan growls. "The point is we lost. We faced our fears, but that wasn't enough. Mr. Dark was three steps ahead the whole time. You want to know the truth? The Monster Blood isn't at Dead House. No, not like we're expecting it to be. But there is something else. It's this big.. blob thing, I don't know what it is exactly, but Mr. Dark told me it was called King Jellyjam, or used to be, at least. That's what he used to hypnotize our parents to come here to Dark Falls. He must have slipped samples of Jellyjam into their invitations."

"You're saying we lost," Amy says, "How?"

"By the time we got there, Mr. Dark was already ready to release the Monster Blood all over Dark Falls."

"So then how are we still alive, or at least not monsters?" Jerry asks.

"Some of us ARE monsters," Ricky reminds him.

Evan exhales. "During the dinner party, I snuck off to Mr. Dark's private collection, where he keeps all his artifacts. In there, there's a cuckoo clock. Dark told me it had the power to control all of time. So when the bird popped out, I twisted its head backwards and.. I actually went back in time. Back to when I first encountered Monster Blood. When I first met.. you, Andy."

Evan glances at her. On Andy's face is disbelief. It's a look Evan isn't used to seeing on her. The same expression is plastered onto all the others in the room. He can't blame them. He opens his mouth to explain the rest, how he was captured by the Reality Police, how he narrowly got away with his life.

"So basically, I broke reality, we only have one chance to beat Mr. Dark, and now somehow there's two people who weren't here before."

The room is silent before it explodes with questions.

"You went back in time with a cuckoo clock?" Ricky asks.

"There's a Reality Police? Is that, like, more or less awful than the normal police?" Andy asks

"You got sentenced to death by a toddler?" Jerry asks

Evan answers them in rapid fire, yes to all three.

"I guess some introductions are in order, or maybe I should say re-introductions," the unknown girl says. "I'm Amanda Benson. This is my brother, Josh. I can't say we've ever been aberrations to reality before. Kinda cool."

Evan stops to think. Amanda and Josh. Why do their names sound so familiar? Then he remembers why. It's that book Andy told him about, the same one Mrs. Maaargh had assigned them to read in her class, Welcome to Dead House.

"You mean you guys are-"

"Let's just say this isn't our first rendezvous in Dark Falls," Amanda says, and Evan realizes now she has a lip piercing. "Frankly, we hoped we'd never have to come back. But once we heard what Dark was up to, we realized we didn't have a choice, did we, Josh?"

Josh nods. "Yep. Believe it or not, we're here of our own free volition. Well, Amanda is. She kinda just dragged me along."

"When we met for the first time, we all shared our stories with each other. Before I had to reset everything. Maybe you can share yours with us?"

Amanda glances at Josh, exchanging some kind of mental conversation before they come to an agreement.

"First things first, if you're expecting our life to be like the book, then you can forget it. Life is rarely like fiction says it. In fact, it's a lot scarier," Amanda says. "Okay, I guess some things are true. My dad "inherited" Dead House for an uncle who didn't really exist. If you read his novel, you'd see him claim that from the beginning, he was suspicious, but that wasn't the case. Our parents didn't find out the truth until it was too late. But I knew from the moment I saw that shadow watching me that something was wrong. My family was lured to Dark Falls to die. They wanted our blood, our flesh.. to consume us. All of us. Just so those creatures could keep themselves alive. They would have succeeded too, had I not found their weakness to sunlight. God, I can still remember their screams. I've spent years trying to forget, but I don't think I ever can. How their faces melted off their skulls. Do you know what that's like? To be 12 years old and watch that? I was just a kid and I had to learn the hard way that death isn't the end for all of us. It should be reassuring, shouldn't it? But I'm terrified. I'm afraid that when I die.. I might become just like them. Just like Mr. Dawes."

Amanda shakes her head, and Josh comforts his sister as she tells her harrowing story. Evan's never heard anything quite so horrifying. Everyone else in the room seems just as disturbed as he is.

"We thought we killed them, but they can't be killed," Amanda says. "They'll just keep coming back. It's an endless cycle of bloodshed. And now Mr. Dark is starting it up all over again. You want to know how to end all of this, Evan? Dark Falls needs to be burned to the ground. That's the only way."

Evan feels a chill run down his back as Amanda speaks, her eyes so full of anger it's almost overwhelming. Evan can't help but recognize that fury from his own experiences. It's guilt, Evan realizes. Guilt for what he isn't sure.

"Since then, the two of us have been all over the country trying to kill any more undead sons of bitches," Josh says. "We had a particularly nasty encounter involving ghouls in Highgrave, but nothing like what happened to us in Dark Falls."

"You'll have to forgive us if we don't trust you guys completely," Amanda says. "I know you must have been through a lot, each of you, but well, our past has left us with some trust issues. If there's one thing we learned from our time in Dark Falls, it's that when it comes to making new friends, it helps to know who's dead and who's alive."

"Well, all of us are very much alive, Amanda. I hope." Evan tells her. " If I might ask, why did you decide to come back? If this place brings back so many bad memories?"

"I told you, we don't have a choice," Amanda replies. "This town destroyed our family. Those creatures killed our dog. Josh and I were never the same after what we went through. We tried making friends, tried socializing… but we just couldn't. I don't know if we were afraid or what. My dad thought he could tell the world what happened to us in that book it is, but all it earned him was ridicule. The whole world thought he was nuts, that our whole family were liars and grifters trying to make a quick buck out of a ridiculous story. It drove my dad to drink. He never sold another book again. Do you know what that's like, having the whole world call you a liar?"

Evan doesn't stop to think. "Yes, I do."

"All of us here understand, Amanda." Amy says. "You're not alone."

"Maybe not. But are you willing to do what must be done? And by you, I mean, you, Evan." Amanda asks.

Evan blinks. He isn't really sure what "must" be done. Kill Mr. Dark? Burn Dark Falls?

"Yes. I think so," Evan replies.

"You think so? You need to be absolutely certain, Evan."

"This is getting way too intense for me," Jerry says. "You're talking like the guy needs to sacrifice himself or something."

"That's exactly what I'm saying," Amanda replies.

Chapter Text

Everyone waits for Amanda to reveal she's just joking, that all this is just a big gag, but the moment never comes back. Quickly, everyone is glancing back and forth at Evan and at each other. Evan feels as if he's trapped inside Da Vinci's Last Supper, the way everyone seems to be casting accusatory glances around the room.

"Amanda's right, Evan. It's clear whatever Mr. Dark wants, it starts with you. Like it or not, a sacrifice may be necessary," Josh says.

"Hold the fuck on," Andy yells. "I'm prepared to do a lot of things, but sacrificing Evan? That's a big fucking nope. He might be an idiot, but he's my best friend! If you guys want to toss him into a goddamn meat grinder or whatever, I'm out. There's not a chance in hell I'm going to let that happen. You want a sacrifice? Take me, not him."

"It's okay, Andy." Evan assures her. "If that's what it takes, then so be it."

"It's not okay!" Andy snaps. "I'll kill you myself before you do something that stupid. Come on, guys, we're not really doing this, are we?"

"I don't know," Amy says, I really want to say no, but this is all getting really intense. Life as we know it could literally be destroyed. If it comes to it-"

"Come on, Amy! Listen to yourself! Would you let Slappy take another victim if it meant you'd sleep easier at night? No! Then why would you risk Evan?" Andy asks.

"Andy's right. We're not going to let you do that, Evan. Whatever it takes, we'll find another way. Anything but that. I once thought I'd never be free of the haunted mask, but I did it. Once that nightmare was over, I almost thought I'd lost my brother. I saved him too. It doesn't have to end this way." Carly Beth says.

"Glad someone else is on my side, CB!" Andy says. "What about you, Ricky? What does the Creep Commander have to say about this?"

Ricky looks as if he hasn't been addressed by this name in a long time. "Nobody's dying on my watch."

"Then it's settled," Andy says. "Evan isn't going anywhere."

"Hey, you didn't ask my opinion!" Conan says.

Andy glares at him. "Because I made up your mind for you, Conan."

"If it makes you feel any better, I was going to say no to the whole sacrifice thing anyway." Conan says.

"Good boy, Conan." Andy says, patting his head like a dog.

"You're all foolish children," Amanda says. "You want to do things your way? Fine, But at the end of the day, you'll realize I'm right, and if you don't.. you'll just die."

"Yeah, that's not going to happen." Andy says. Her voice drips with sarcasm in an overly jovial tone.

The room is silent before Evan clears his throat, looking to Andy for some encouragement. She gives him a nod of recognition.

"When I was captured by the Reality Police, they told me something about myself that I'm still trying to wrap my head around. They said that I had.. Witches' blood."

"You have bitches blood? I already knew that." Conan says, trying to lighten the mood. Nobody laughs.

"They told me that after Sarabeth, the witch who originally cursed the Monster Blood died, that her… ability transferred to me. Maybe from my Aunt Kathryn, who was also a witch. They basically said it was my fault for every instance after that, that somehow I was the one cursing the Monster Blood. Said my own anxiety caused it to act monstrous whenever Andy wanted to use. Basically, everything the Monster Blood did is my fault. I thought it was out of control when this whole time, I've been controlling it without even knowing."

"Come on, Evan. You can't really believe that." Andy says.

"I don't know what to believe, but it makes sense, in some weird way."

"Even if it is true, how do you plan to use this.. Magic?" Andy asks. "Not even Sarabeth could control the Monster Blood, remember? She got, well, you know…"

At this, Andy does her best impression of Sarabeth being sucked into the Monster Blood. The scary part is how accurate it is.

"I have to try," Evan says, "Mr. Dark was right about one thing, we have to face our fears. All of us."

"That's all said and good, but we don't even know where to start looking for the Monster Blood. I know Dark Falls isn't the biggest town, but still, it could literally be anywhere," Ricky says.

"Yeah, and not to mention finding our parents," Carly Beth adds.

Amanda looks as if she's deep in thought. "Back when we first moved here, Mr. Dawes and the others kidnapped our parents and took them to the cemetery in Dark Falls. I have a feeling that might be where we find what we're looking for."

"And what if you're wrong?" Ricky asks.

"Then none of us will live to see tomorrow," Amanda replies.

"Well, it's as good a place as any I guess," Evan says, though he's far more reluctant to return there than he's currently letting on. He thinks back to his date with Lucy Dark and how they were attacked by the undead. The Monster Blood had saved him then. Maybe it can again. He finds himself thinking about how the zombies had reacted to Lucy. They didn't seem very happy with her father. What was it they had said? We aren't going to do this anymore, Evan remembers. He isn't quite sure what it means. Is it possible to get them on his side? Right, Evan thinks, I'm sure a bunch of hungry zombies would be totally game to team up with me. They'd probably bite his head off before he could ask.

"We'll take my car," Amanda says. "We have to be careful. It's getting dark already, and the place will be crawling with undead."

Josh nods. "As far as we know, light is their only true weakness, but guns haven't failed us in the past."

"Guns?" Jerry asks, stunned. "Are we going to war or what?"

"Yes," The Benson siblings say in unison.

"We get the Monster Blood, save our parents, and get out. I know it's not much of a plan, but we don't have a whole lot of time." Evan says.

"Suit yourself," Amanda replies, "Josh and I are going to make sure we kill as many of them as possible. They're going to stay dead this time."

Amanda and Josh step outside, with the rest following not far behind. Only Andy sticks around, looking at Evan with a worried expression.

"You're not really considering this, are you?" she asks.

"You're talking like you care about what happens to me," Evan says,

Andy gives him a playful shove. "Of course I care about you, dumbass!"

Evan smirks, and the two stare at each other for what feels like a lot longer than the five seconds it actually is.

"When this is all over, can we talk?" Evan asks, "You know, about the two of us?"

Andy blushes. Now this is a sight he's not used to seeing. The girl doesn't know the definition of embarrassment, yet here she is.

"One step at a time, Evan, one step at a time. We kinda have bigger problems at hand right now," Andy says, "So, you really went back to when we first met?"

Evan nods.

"And I believed you? About everything?"

"Well, you didn't until I gave you twenty bucks."

Andy laughs. "That sounds like me."

Andy walks toward the front door, shooting him a look to follow.

"Hold on a second, I have something I need to get."

Before Andy can ask what, Evan ascends the wooden steps to his bedroom, where his pet hamster, Cuddles, is currently spinning in his wheel with great vigor.

"Hey, Buddy. I need your help, alright?" Evan tells the tiny creature, which looks back at him with beady black eyes.

Evan picks up Cuddles' cage. The metal feels cold in his hands.

"You're bringing Cuddles?" Andy asks from behind him. It makes Evan jump.

"Yeah, I thought he could be like our mascot or something. You know, like Scooby Doo is to Mystery Inc. Maybe he's what we need to win this thing."

"Well first off, Scooby Doo was a great dane, not a hamster," Andy reminds him.

"Hey, it's the thought that counts," Evan says, and Cuddles makes a little squeak as they head out the door.

Amanda and Josh's car is a large white van without windows. Sprawled on the side is a logo in painted black letters, BENSON AND BENSON: MAKING SURE THE DEAD REST IN PEACE.

Evan has to groan. Once again, he's reduced to sitting in the back of the car while Amanda drives and Josh takes shotgun beside her. There's just enough seats to fit all of them inside, though the space is cramped, leaving many shoulder to shoulder with each other. On the radio, Amanda is currently blasting "Pet Sematary" by The Ramones, nodding her head to the beat.

"Is that a hamster?" Ricky asks.

"He's our moral support," Evan tells her, looking at Cuddles. The hamster is feeding.

"This place hasn't changed a bit, has it, Amanda?" Josh asks, glancing out at the window at the deteriorated-looking town. Just like it had been when they first moved here, it feels as if every building is painted a permanent shade of gray, the whole town bathed in a deep shadow that can never be removed.

"Not a bit," she replies. "I don't get it. It's nighttime. They should all be starting to come out by now. Where are they?"

Glancing at the sky, any sunlight is slowly fading away, covered in thick storm clouds, though there's not a drop of rain anywhere. It's like Dark Falls itself is frozen, stuck in time, just seconds before something awful is going to happen. Evan can feel it in the pit of his stomach. All of them are waiting for that bad thing to happen.

"Last time I went to the cemetery with Lucy Dark, they were gathered for some kind of meeting. Said something about wanting to talk with her father. I don't know how they factor into all this."

"Last I heard our old friend Compton Dawes sold Dark the place for a large sum. Why Dawes still needs money as a zombie, I don't know, but he's the closest things to a ringleader these things have." Josh says.

"Dawes?" Andy asks. "He's the creepy real estate guy who sold you the house, isn't he?"

"The very same," Josh says.

Amanda looks as if she's about to say something before her van pulls to a stop at the large gates of the Dark Falls cemetery. They're still wide open, as if inviting the group of teens to step inside and meet their doom. The wind howls among the many tombstones, which look now like jagged white bones emerging from the hilly ground. Evan swears he can hear the faint groaning of a secret meeting of the undead in the distance, their shuffling feet crunching the brittle leaves which scatter the soil.

"We're here," Amanda announces.

"God, is everything in this town horrifying?" Jerry asks.

"Well I for one think it's kinda cool," Andy says. "I mean, talk about Night of the Living Dead, am I right? They're coming to get you, Barbara!"

At this, Andy grabs Evan's shoulder, her long fingernails becoming the claws of a stiff, undead corpse.

"Is this everyone's first time visiting a cemetery?" Ricky asks.

"No," Carly Beth replies. "But the last time I was in one, I buried myself."

Out of all of them, it's revealed only Jerry and Amy have never stepped foot in a graveyard, the rest are more or less experienced with the whole deal.

The nine of them hop out of the van, feeling an instant chill as they hit open air. Somehow the cemetery is the coldest place in Dark Falls. Amanda leads them to the back, popping the trunk open wide and exposing the contents within. Amanda wasn't lying. She really is loaded. There's more guns and ammo than Evan can count. His eyes almost bulge out of his head.

"The guns are a last resort, do you understand, Amanda?" Evan asks. "We do things my way."

Amanda shoots him an ice cold glare. "Fine. Luckily for you guys, we also brought flashlights for everyone. Now these aren't your everyday flashlights. These are military grade stuff. If you shine them in your eyes, you'll probably go blind."

Evan watches as Amanda and Josh retrieve the flashlights from the car, handing one to each kid. Evan is surprised how heavy it feels in his hand. Its exterior is black and metallic, like the thing is made out of body armor or something. It reminds Evan of a lightsaber, and he finds himself peering down at the bulb within. It's massive. Evan can only imagine how bright it must be.

"It should be enough to melt those fuckers' faces off," Josh says, "But keep in mind, the battery can only last so long. But If you think you're completely fucked, these also make pretty good blunt force weapons."

Evan looks at the flashlight, feeling its heft like a dumbbell in his hand. He doesn't doubt that Josh is telling the truth. It probably could crack someone's skull wide open.

The group exhales a collective breath of fear and anxiety, stepping into the mangled gates of the cemetery. The sky has already grown even darker, making the uneven ground even trickier to navigate. It's hard to tell what's really an undead fiend walking by and what's a mere trick of the mind, the shadow dead trees messing with their heads as they sway in the wind, resembling bodies hanging from a tightened noose. Evan turns on his flashlight. It's even brighter than he expected, like a spotlight being cast onto the ground. As he walks, the light illuminates the dead leaves and fallen twigs which cover the ground. Once more, he hears a faint murmur, the hushed whispers of the undead, calling out to him.

Shining his light across the tombstones, Evan reads the names etched on the surface. Names he hasn't read before.

"I can't see a damn thing in this place," Andy says, "How do we even know where to look?"

"We keep moving," Evan says, "This cemetery is bigger than you think."

As Evan finishes his sentence, the agonizing howl of the wind is cut off by a real scream, a blood-curdling shriek that causes the group to turn in a wave of sudden panic. It doesn't take long to realize it's Carly Beth screaming.

"There's something else here with us.." she chokes

Evan turns his light, and to his horror, one of the undead ghouls is peering over Carly Beth's shoulder, a bony hand on her shoulder. The man looks like he's walked straight out of the grave, his dapper suit covered in soil. Tears in the fabric reveal the pale bones beneath, the same shade as his ghostly white skin. His cheek bones are sunken in, leaving his face resembling a skull. One side sags to the ground, looking as if it's been burned. It reminds Evan of a wax figure melting. One sickly yellow eyeball bulges out of his face, almost to the point of falling out.

"It's been so long since we've had fresh faces around here!" the ghoul cries, "I'm so hungry! Give me your blood, children! Please. I NEED YOUR BLOOD! I CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT IT!"

Carly Beth manages to break free of the skeletal man's grasp, running as he lurches forward. A series of guttural sounds come out of his throat, and he licks his lips, looking at the group as if they're nothing but food to him.

"I need to eat! Don't deny an old man his last meal!"

"Eat this!" Amanda cries, turning her flashlight on to hit the ghoul's face.

He lets out an agonizing cry as the light starts to boil his skin. Evan watches in disgust as the whole thing begins to melt off in one disgusting clump. His screams continue as he claws at his face, but it's not long before all that's left is a sinister-looking skull gnashing its teeth.

"I NEED TO FEED!" the man screams in a distorted bellow, just before his jaw drops to the floor and his eyeballs follow suit, landing with a wet squish on the ground.

"Join us, children, Join us." More voices cry out from all around them.

Before they know it, the nine teens are surrounded by an army of the undead, all of them staggering forward, reaching out to grab them. In unison, they chant.

"Dark Falls is our town! We must feed!"

"Join us, children! It doesn't hurt to die!"

"Give us your blood! We promise it will be painless!"

"I'm so hungry.. So hungry.."

A chill runs down Evan's spine. Their cries are haunting the way they seem to bleed together. It's a ghastly chorus.

"Give us your blood.. Give us your flesh."

"Dark Falls is ours!"

"Oh, fuck." Jerry cries.

"How are we supposed to stop this?!" Amy pleads

"Don't just stand there!" Amanda snaps. "They die in the light!"

Some of them follow Amanda. Amy, Ricky, and Carly Beth turn on their flashlights, aiming them at the decaying horde. Just like the last one, they let out horrible screams of pain as their faces melt off. Others, like Evan himself, find themselves frozen in fear.

As he hears a low growl over his shoulder, Evan is saved by a burst of light from Andy. As his undead attacker screams, chunks of flesh drip onto Evan's shoulder, staining it with a mix of blood and slime.

"Thanks," Evan cries.

"Don't mention it," At this, Andy takes the blunt end of her flashlight and cracks it across one of the undead's faces. It's a strong blow that sends the man's head flying right off. Josh follows behind her, using his light as a stake to drive through another's chest. As Evan looks around at the carnage, he sees that many of his friends are now covered head to toe in blood.

Exhaling, Evan begins to fight back, watching as more eyeballs fall to the ground with a splat. The once silent cemetery is filled with the pained screams of the undead.

"WE MUST FEED!" They cry in unison.

"You want to feed?" Conan asks, cracking his knuckles. "Well come on! I'm going to give all you undead freaks a good, hard pounding!"

Conan abandons his flashlight and begins fighting the ghouls with his fists. Evan knows from experience they're no joke. He's glad that for once, he's not on the receiving end. Just as Conan promises, he gives them a hard pounding, punching the undead creatures right in their jaws. As his fist collides with bone, it makes a loud cracking sound.

"They're never going to stop coming!" Amanda yells. "We need to run!"

Nobody is in disagreement, all of them taking off deeper into the cemetery as the undead continue their desperate, hungry chants. The group stop as they reach what seems like the very edge of the cemetery, the meeting hall not far in the distance. Evan pauses as he reaches a series of fresh tombstones that weren't here when he came with Lucy. He counts. Nine. There's exactly nine of them, one for each of his friends.

Turning his flashlight to the large headstones, his fears are confirmed. Their names are all etched into the granite. Carly Beth. Andy. Conan. Ricky. Amy. Josh. Amanda. Jerry. Then, there's his own gravestone, smack in the middle. Evan doesn't know how to respond. He's hit by an overwhelming wave of emotion that he's never felt before. Evan supposes this must be a result of seeing his own headstone. He glances at the epitaph.

HERE LIES EVAN ROSS, WHO DIED A COWARD TO HIS OWN MONSTERS. NO ONE WILL MOURN HIM.

Evan wants to cry. Andy always teased him that his epitaph would be, Rest in Peace, Evan. He died as he lived- a fucking dumbass.

While the memory brings a temporary smile to his face, it's not enough to suppress the sheer terror he's now feeling. It's all become too real to bear. Looking around, Evan sees that the soil of his grave is open, a large chasm dug into the dirt which exposes a wooden coffin inside the Earth. His is the only one like that. Evan knows it can only mean one thing.

"Guys," Evan says, motioning them to look. "It's us."

The group is silent, just as panic-stricken as he is.

"Mr. Dark has a sick sense of humor," Carly Beth says, reading her own epitaph.

A symbol of love couldn't save her this time.

"I don't think it's a joke," Jerry says, "This guy really wants us dead. All of us."

Evan reads Jerry's. Here lies Jerry Hawlins. He could have been a musician, but instead he chose to die a clown. How can we not then all laugh at his death?

"Don't pay attention to it, Jerry. Mr. Dark wants this to be as cruel as possible. He's preying on our insecurities, our fears."

"I can see that," Amy says, audibly choked up.

Rest in Peace, Amy Kramer, never the favorite child. Gone and always forgotten. At least her parents still have two more kids.

Carly Beth and Andy comfort her.

"Fuck this guy," Amanda snaps, reading her tombstone. "Amanda Benson- the one who started it all. Came back to Dark Falls just to die here?"

"Your's isn't as bad as mine," Josh tells her.

Evan winces.

Josh Benson. The annoying little brother. At least he'll join his beloved dog soon enough."

Ricky laughs, not at the gravestones, but at the sheer absurdity of it all. Evan wonders if he's doing it to mask his own emotion.

"I'm almost excited to read mine," Ricky says.

HERE LIES RICKY "THE RAT" BEAMER, CREEP COMMANDER. REJECTED A LIFE OF POWER JUST TO DIE WHAT HE'S ALWAYS BEEN SINCE THE BEGINNING- A LOSER.

"Not very original," he says.

"Andy, what's your's say?" Evan asks. He's strangely curious.

She's silent for a moment before she begins to read. Evan's already memorized it before Andy's lips even open.

HERE LIES ANDY, ALWAYS THE SIDEKICK AND NEVER THE HERO. THOUGH SHE TRIED, HER REBELLIOUS NATURE COULD NEVER HIDE HOW BROKEN SHE TRULY WAS.

"Don't listen to it," Evan tells her, "None of it's true."

"Isn't it?" Andy asks. "This guy has studied all our stories."

"Maybe," Evan replies, "But he doesn't know how it ends."

Now, all that's left is Conan's grave. Evan glances at it. It's written in sharpie.

RIP CONAN BARBER. HE POUNDED TILL HE COULDN'T POUND NO MORE.

"Shit. This guy knows exactly how I want to go out." Conan says.

"He wants us all to be afraid," Carly Beth tells them. "We can't let him scare us."

"She's right." Evan says, "My grave is the only one open. I have a feeling that inside is where we'll find our Monster Blood."

"You're getting into your own coffin?" Jerry asks.

"What choice do I have?"

Evan cautiously walks to his grave, kneeling down. He places a hand on his coffin. It's smooth and polished wood. He hopes this is it. That after all this time chasing Dark, this is what they've been looking for all along.

"Be careful," Carly Beth says.

Evan nods and opens the coffin. It lets out a loud creak. As he peers into the darkness, Evan stumbles back in surprise. Just as he hoped, the plastic cartons full of Monster Blood are inside, but that's not the only thing. A small corpse lies limp inside the casket. Evan turns his flashlight towards the miniature figure, which appears to be wearing a black suit on his lanky body. The figure sits up.

"It's rude to wake up someone when they're napping!" Slappy cackles with a high-pitched sneer.

"Oh my god!" Amy cries. "It really is him!"

"Hey, babe," Slappy taunts with a wink. "Long time no see! Come to help your old master rule the world?"

"In your dreams, creep." Amy tells him. "I watched you die!"

Slappy cackles. "Well, you can't keep a good dummy down!"

"What are you doing here?" Evan asks.

Slappy laughs again. "Just out for a nightly stroll, carrot top! I like long walks in the grave!"

"You think this is funny?"

"The only thing I think is funny is how ugly your face is!" Slappy shouts at Evan.

"Tell me again, Slappy. Why are you here? Did Mr. Dark send you?" Evan asks.

"That idiot couldn't send a check in the mail! I told you, I needed a nap. I always need a nap after I finish a good meal."

"Meal?" Evan raises an eyebrow. "What are you talking about?"

Slappy smiles and opens his mouth wide. From inside the dummy's wooden jaws, green slime begins to pour out. Monster Blood.

Slappy laughs maniacally, exposing even more of the slime currently sitting inside his mouth. The Monster Blood continues to drip onto the soil.

"What have you done?!" Evan cries.

"Oh, relax, Evan! I only had room in this tiny wooden stomach for one little morsel." Slappy says. "But it was enough to finally give me a growth spurt!"

Evan opens his mouth before the ground begins to rumble. At first, he feels like he's shrinking, but then Evan realizes he isn't getting smaller, it's Slappy that's starting to grow.

"Oh my god! This can't be real!" Amy says.

"Oh, it's real alright," the giant Slappy laughs from above, towering over the teens. Evan thinks he must be about 15 feet tall now.

"On the bright side, Amy, maybe I'll finally be your type!" Slappy taunts, "After all, aren't you into tall guys?"

Slappy cackles a laugh which shakes the cemetery around them. Evan can only imagine the dead beneath the soil being jostled around.

"I'm going to make all of you my slaves!" Slappy yells.

He looks down at Evan.

"On second thought, you've been a very annoying pest this whole time, carrot top! You know what I do to pests? I SQUASH 'EM!"

Evan doesn't have time to react as the dummy's giant wooden foot comes crashing down, ready to crush Evan beneath its weight.

Chapter Text

"No!" Evan screams as Slappy's menacing laughter echoes through the cemetery. The ground continues to rumble beneath his feet, and Evan nearly drops the containers of Monster Blood he's currently holding firmly to his chest, protecting it as if it were an infant in his arms.

"Fe fi fo fum. I smell the blood of my next slave!" Slappy taunts.

The dummy has fully embraced his new gigantic stature just as Evan imagines anyone who's given too much power often does. Evan waits to meet his end, for Slappy's boot to squash him like a bug. He imagines what it would feel like. Would his death be instantaneous? Would his body get splinters? He cringes at the idea.

Evan doesn't get the chance to find out as Slappy suddenly recoils back, having been hit in the face with a rock. And then another. And another. Before long, Slappy is being pelted by a barrage of stones. Evan turns to see Andy, currently picking up whatever rock she can find on the cemetery ground to chuck at the dummy, who is only growing angrier by the second. His eyebrows narrow menacingly and Slappy lurches down, staring down at them with two massive blue eyes, swiveling back and forth. From this close up, it's easier to see all the details in the dummy's face. Evan notices cracks along the surface of his skin he hadn't noticed before. Dark brown freckles cover his rosy painted cheeks. Evan feels as if he's watching one of Andy's shitty horror movies. Attack of the 50 Foot Dummy.

"Maybe I'll start with YOU!" Slappy shouts at Andy, reaching his hand out as if to grab her.

In response, the other teens begin aiming their flashlights at Slappy, shining the bright beams in his eyes in an attempt to catch the dummy off balance. It works, and Slappy stumbles backward, covering his eyes. Slappy lets out an agitated scream and slams his fist through a tombstone, shattering the heavy gray stone to pieces.

"I'LL CRUSH YOU ALL!" Slappy yells.

"Guys! You need to get out of here!" Evan instructs. "Run to the meeting hall and free our parents. I can handle Slappy!"

"Are you crazy?" Jerry asks. "That's like diving straight into the hornets' nest! Do you know how many more of those things will probably be hiding there?"

"Would you rather deal with HIM?" Evan asks, motioning to the gigantic dummy.

"Truthfully, yes!" Jerry answers. "It's what, one dummy versus TWO THOUSAND ZOMBIES?"

"I think dummies are creepier than zombies," Conan says.

"Just go!" Evan snaps. "Amanda! You can take care of them, can't you?"

She nods. "Of course."

"Good. You want to be a leader? Now's your chance."

Evan's not quite sure why he trusts Amanda. Considering his time travel shenanigans, he's only known her for an hour, if that. And yet she seems so hardened. So determined. More than the others, and certainly more than him. That's what happens when your childhood is stolen from you, Evan thinks, and he can't help but feel that his sudden trust for the Benson siblings is out of empathy for them. Just the fact they came back to Dark Falls proved they had courage.

"What are you going to do?" Andy asks him.

"I'm going to make Slappy pick on someone his own size," Evan tells her, raising one of the plastic eggs.

Andy doesn't have to ask what means, the mental conversation between them already exchanged. Evan half expects her to discourage him, but instead, Andy just nods.

"You sure you don't need me to stick around?" she asks.

Evan shakes his head. "No. You need to get out of here. The Reality Police told me that somehow I can control the Monster Blood. I need to see if they're right."

Evan sounds so confident he almost fools himself. Really, he's terrified at the thought of consuming Monster Blood again. It's something he told himself he'd never do. Not since the incident at Kermit's that summer when he'd been chased by the entire police and fire department. Evan glances up at Slappy, who's currently causing mass destruction in the cemetery, knocking down tombstones and even crushing a few zombies beneath his shoe. It was one way to get rid of them.

I'm the one cursing the Monster Blood. Evan repeats those words in his head. Does that mean he's the one giving Slappy the power to grow? That his own anxiety is fueling the destruction in front of him? If that were the case, then Evan could stop the Monster Blood's effects, couldn't he? He can get both himself and Slappy back to normal size through whatever sort of witch magic currently pumping through his veins. It's a good idea in theory, but there is still so much he doesn't know about Monster Blood. It's the biggest risk Evan has ever taken.

"Good luck," Andy says. "Don't do anything stupid."

Evan laughs. "It's me. I always do something stupid."

Evan watches as the rest of them run off to the meeting hall in the distance, marked by a massive fallen tree that has collapsed through the roof.

"Jesus christ, he really is going to eat that stuff, isn't he?" Evan hears Ricky say in disbelief. "He's so fucked."

"I have faith in Evan," Carly Beth says, "You should too."

"You really like to see the good in everyone, don't you, Carly Beth?" Ricky asks.

"Somebody has to."

Evan holds the plastic egg to his mouth, before he notices Amy Kramer has seemingly refused to follow his orders, standing still beside him despite the rest of the group taking off into the cemetery. In the dark cemetery, her bright pink jacket and boots stick out like a sore thumb.

"I'm not going anywhere, Evan," Amy says. "Slappy is my monster, remember? You were the one who said we had to face our fears, so I'm not leaving until I face mine. That dummy has haunted my dreams long enough."

Evan is about to argue until he realizes it's futile. He can't help but admire Amy's sudden boldness.

"Isn't that nice?" Slappy laughs. "So you do still think about me! You know, Amy, you always were my favorite slave! So easy to manipulate!"

Amy grits her teeth. "Shut up!"

Slappy finds this hilarious. "You know, you've put on some pounds since I last saw you. Give it some time, and you'll be as hefty as your mother! Ouch. That combined with your father's less than stellar looks, and I'll definitely be the attractive one in our relationship!"

"SHUT UP!" Amy screams, a loud shriek which carries into the rotting trees around them.

Evan places a hand on Amy's shoulder to get her to calm down. "Don't listen to him, Amy. He's trying to stir you up."

"Hey, haven't you heard of tough love, carrot top?" Slappy asks. "I just want to catch up with an old friend. So, Amy. How is the family, anyway? Your sister still an artist? Jed still a little BRAT?"

"We're doing much better without you," Amy tells him.

For Amy, this was only a partial truth. It had taken years for the family to get over what happened with Slappy. Even despite seeing the dummy move for themselves, Amy's parents still struggled to believe that Slappy had truly been alive the whole time. Their weekly family sharing night practically became therapy sessions. It seemed not a single member of the Kramer family could sleep without seeing Slappy in their dreams. Amy gave up ventriloquism for good, sealing her old dummy, Dennis away in the closet. She didn't want to look at him anymore. Meanwhile her sister, Sara, found herself trapped in an artistic block. Though she tried, all Sara could paint on the canvas were horrifying renditions of Slappy, sneering back at the family as if he really had come back to haunt them. Even Jed, the family jokester, had lost his sense of humor. It had taken a long time for things to get back to a state of "normal", whatever that meant, and for Amy's parents, the town of Dark Falls was the next step in getting their lives back. Instead, Slappy really had come back, and now Amy can feel her whole world falling apart again.

"I'm going to kill you," Amy rasps.

"Making threats? Why, Amy, I'm so proud of you!" Slappy cackles.

"Enough," Evan says.

Opening the small plastic egg, Evan scoops up a small sampling of Monster Blood onto his finger as if it were peanut butter. The slimy substance feels cold on his finger. Evan exhales and pops his finger into his mouth, tasting the Monster Blood as it hits his tongue. When Evan first saw the slime back when he was 12 years old, he expected it to taste of lime jello. After all, the color and consistency were similar. Instead, Monster Blood resembles a chunk of cold pork fat, especially in regards to how surprisingly chewy it is. It doesn't go down like a liquid. As for taste, it's hard to deny the plastic flavor as it slides down Evan's throat into his stomach. All the while, the foul odor, that stench of raw sewage stings his nostrils like nothing else. Even when the Monster Blood is gone, the terrible aftertaste remains. Evan wants to gag, feeling his heart beat loudly in his chest. This is how it starts, Evan thinks, the fear, the dread. His mind races with images of destruction, of the Monster Blood consuming everything in its path. This is how it starts, Evan thinks once more, it's my own mind which has made this thing an uncontrollable monster. But Evan can't stop. He can't soothe the anxious thoughts in his head, nor the furious beating of his heart. He pockets the three remaining containers of Monster Blood for later.

For once, let me be a monster, Evan thinks, speaking to the Monster Blood currently sitting in his stomach. You don't control me, I control you, Evan tells it. So come on, grow. Grow. Make me a monster like you.

At last, the Monster Blood obeys his commands, and at once, Evan feels the agonizing pain of his bones growing to fit the sudden change. It always looks so easy in the movies, Evan thinks, all the superheroes who can grow and shrink at will. In real life, Evan knows, it hurts like hell, every muscle stretching beneath his skin, a horrible ache like no other. Evan looks at Amy, watching as she becomes smaller and smaller, the whole cemetery around her becoming miniature as well. It's as if he's looking from a bird's eye view. Soon, Evan has reached Slappy's height, and finds himself staring into his plastic eyes. Slappy smirks, looking pleased to have a new challenger in front of him.

"Now we're talking!" Slappy shouts.

"Kick his ass, Evan!" Amy cheers.

Slappy turns his head to look down at Amy. "I wouldn't be so confident, slave! You have a ringside seat to the death of your precious little leader!"

Slappy puts up his wooden fists as if preparing for a boxing match, and Evan follows suit. Without hesitation, Slappy lands a heavy blow into Evan's face, causing him to stumble backward. Evan's not sure what he expected Slappy's fist to feel like, but given that it's made out of wood, it feels as if he's been struck by a massive 2x4. Evan feels a trickle of blood drip from his nose. It feels warm against his skin.

"Come on, Evan!"

"Yes, come on, Evan, FIGHT ME LIKE A MAN!" Slappy taunts, "Or else I'll show you how I got the name, SLAPPY!"

At this, Slappy slaps Evan with an open palm across his cheek. Evan feels the sting almost instantly, especially against the cold night air of the cemetery. Even when Conan used to pound him on the playground, he was never slapped around this hard.

"It's okay to laugh, Amy," Slappy tells her. "People getting hurt always makes me laugh! IT'S CALLED SLAPSTICK COMEDY!"

Slappy gives Evan another strike across the face, leaving his cheek raw and red. Even places a hand to that side of his face. It feels numb. He prays that Slappy hasn't broken anything.

"I've had about enough of you," Evan tells Slappy, and this time, it's his turn to drive his fist into the dummy's face.

While Slappy's punch felt like getting struck by a wooden board, actually hitting the dummy feels like Evan is punching that board himself. It seems to have had an affect, however, as Slappy lets out a cry of pain as the blow is dealt. Evan stares into Slappy's face, hoping that his hit has left some kind of crack across the dummy's wooden skull. It hasn't. The dummy drops his crimson smile and bares his teeth, his beady blue eyes full of rage.

Like Andy before her, Amy begins to pelt rocks at Slappy in what feels like an attempt to even the odds.

Evan doesn't wait for him to get in another strike, delivering another punch into Slappy's jaw. While the pain is still present, the satisfaction is more than worth it. Evan looks for blood. Can a dummy bleed? Slappy just pants, eyeing back and forth between Evan and Amy.

"Really, Evan? Fighting me with your shoelaces untied?"

"Huh?"

Evan looks down at his giant red converse shoes, and it's at this moment, he realizes he's been tricked, as the dummy sticks out his own shoe to trip Evan, sending the giant boy tumbling to the ground. Evan screams as his back lands on a hard tombstone.

"Made you look!" Slappy laughs.

The dummy continues to cackle, stomping Evan with his heavy wooden shoe. Evan lets out a gasp of pain. Gasping for breath, Evan finds himself face to face with more names etched on graves. Thomas. Jude. Nicole. Names of Dark Falls residents who have long since passed on. Evan shudders, realizing he could himself become one of those names. Dying in a graveyard? How pathetic would that be? No, Evan refuses to die here, he tells himself.

Cuddles. The word runs through Evan's head like it's been planted there by some higher power. Cuddles, of course. He knew he brought the hamster here for a reason. Back in that first school year, the original Cuddles, rest his soul, had nearly destroyed the entire school. The memory, once a source of many nightmares for him, now gives Evan an idea.

"Amy.." Evan manages to choke out to her. "Please, get me my hamster!"

"What?"

"AMY, GET ME MY HAMSTER!" Evan shouts.

Amy nods and runs off, her face still full of confusion, leaving Evan lying on the ground as the giant dummy stares over him in victory.

"Aww, want to say one final goodbye to your beloved pet?" Slappy asks."Maybe before I kill you, I'll wring his tiny little neck and MAKE YOU WATCH."

Evan spits. "See, the thing about my hamster? He BITES."

Slappy sneers. "So do dogs, and I've strangled plenty of those!"

"I've got him!" Amy yells, out of breath from having run all the way through the cemetery and back. "What do I do?"

Evan takes one of the other eggs of Monster Blood and rolls it across the soil. It lands right at Amy's foot. The uneven ground causes the egg to crack open, spilling a tiny puddle of Monster Blood onto the dirt. This is all part of Evan's plan.

"Let him out of his cage," Evan says, "Cuddles will know what to do."

Amy opens the cage, allowing Cuddles to scurry out onto the ground. With Evan's giant stature, the hamster looks like no more than a furry dot. Cuddles walks up to the slimy green puddle, sniffing it with great curiosity. The hamster squeaks.

"Cuddles, buddy. I need your help right now. I know I've told you never to eat anything you're not supposed to, but I need you to eat that green gunk, okay? I need you to become a monster for me, because this giant dummy is about to kill me, and I would really like for that not to happen!"

Cuddles squeaks and obeys, eating up the Monster Blood with a ferociousness that surprises even Evan. Despite being a tiny critter, Cuddles has an insatiable appetite, and before long, the hamster's two big teeth are coated in thick green slime. The once small squeaks have turned into low growls, and Evan watches in glee as the hamster starts to grow before their very eyes.

"Yes, that's my boy, Cuddles!"

"It doesn't matter what size he is, he's still got the brain of a hamster!" Slappy says.

Cuddles growls, opening his jaws wide. The Monster Blood coating the inside of his mouth drips from his two front teeth, hot breath pouring out. His paws have become slender, sharpened claws, sharp enough to tear human flesh to ribbons, and hopefully sharp enough to do some serious wood carving.

The hamster looks at Slappy with hatred in its tiny black eyes, continuing to grow until he's the size of a small grizzly bear, with big fluffy ears to match. Stay away from my Evan, Cuddles thinks to himself, or at least that's what Evan imagines him saying. He hopes his hamster has as much drive to protect his owner as a dog would.

Evan isn't sure if that's what causes Cuddles to suddenly dive at Slappy, or if it's just his monstrous new attitude kicking in. He sinks his claws into the dummy's chest. Cuddles has as much strength as one would expect a giant hamster to have, which is to say, a surprising amount. It doesn't take long before the dummy and the hamster are in a wrestling match, Slappy holding Cuddles in a tight chokehold as the hamster squirms to get free. At last, Cuddles breaks Slappy's hold and knocks him to the ground with a brutal headbut, letting out a terrifying roar, as if establishing his dominance over the dummy. Crawling over to the dummy's body, Cuddles gets up close in Slappy's face. His warm breath creeps into Slappy's nostrils and the dummy makes a noise of disgust.

"Look at those buck teeth! And that horrible breath!" Slappy cries. "So UGLY! How could ANYONE want a pet that's this ugly?"

Cuddles slams into Slappy like a charging bull, causing the dummy to groan in pain once more.

"You heard what I said about you, didn't you?" Slappy says to Cuddles. "You're just a STUPID, UGLY hamster! You're too stupid to realize I'm insulting you!"

Cuddles opens his jaws wide, ready to bite down, and now Slappy's expression changes to one of panic.

"STOP! WAIT, DON'T, I SWEAR I DIDN'T MEAN-"

Cuddles doesn't listen, chomping right through Slappy's arm with his massive teeth. With a loud crack of breaking wood, Slappy's right arm falls off his body, and Slappy reaches out with the one arm left to try and strangle the hamster, but Cuddles suddenly collapses onto Slappy's body with all his weight, crushing the dummy beneath his large, furry body. As the hamster starts to snore, Evan finds himself laughing. Amy starts to laugh too. It's Cuddles' naptime.

"You did good, Cuddles," Evan says. "You're a good boy."

"God, I hate hamsters! Almost as much as I hate YOU, carrot top!" Slappy yells, just before turning his head to look at Amy. "Come on, slave! Help me out! I promise things will be different this time. I even promise not to smack you around anymore!"

"Oh, shove it!" Amy snaps. "So, how the hell do we get you all back to normal size?"

Evan gulps. This was the part he was worried about. Okay, maybe not as much as the actual eating and growing part of the plan, but trying to find a way back worries Evan too. If he can use his witch magic, or whatever the hell it's called, to grow, then maybe that same magic can shrink the three of them back to normal. Evan takes a deep breath. For a moment, he places himself in Sarabeth's shoes, trying to imagine how she must have acted back then, when she instructed the Monster Blood to kill her enemies. How did witches talk? All high and mighty, Evan imagines, with lots of rhyming.

You did your job well, Monster Blood. You have done as I asked, Evan speaks in his head, "I no longer need you to be a monster. I rid you of your curse, of all your magical effects. Please, restore me, Cuddles, and Slappy. I rid you of your curse!

Evan waits, looking down as his massive shoes, expecting that at any minute, he should be shrinking back. Now Evan is really panicking. He takes a deep breath. It's my fear which fuels the Monster Blood, Evan reminds himself, I need to be calm. But how calm did he need to be? Yoga instructor level calm? Thinking about that reminds him of the times his Aunt Dee would meditate in her living room while he babysat Kermit, trying his best to get his cousin not to blow anything up while his aunt didn't have a care in the world. Did he have to speak the words aloud?

I'm not afraid of you, Evan thinks, before he realizes it's a lie. Okay, I AM afraid of you, Monster Blood, but that's okay. Everyone fears something. Fear is what keeps us alive. Sometimes we need to look at what we fear and say, I fear you, but I also respect you. That is what I am doing now. I understand now your destructive power, and I guess, the destructive power that lives in me. I rid you of your curse.

"I RID YOU OF YOUR CURSE!" Evan shouts, causing Amy to jump in surprise.

At last, Evan realizes he's shrinking again, as he looks to Cuddles, he sees they too are slowly returning to normal. The shrinking process is no less painful than growing, but at least it seems to fade quicker. As Evan gets back to his feet, he scoops up Cuddles, still asleep, and softly strokes the hamster's fur, telling him once again he did a good job. With one hand, he places Cuddles back in his cage.

Turning to Amy, he watches as the girl grabs Slappy from the ground with force. The dummy looks properly beaten, covered in dirt and wear, cracks emerging on his forehead and paint chipped in various place. Nevertheless, he manages to crack a red-lipped smile as Amy brings Slappy to her face, holding him tightly by his suit collar.

"Who's the dummy now, motherfucker?" Amy asks.

Slappy raises a wooden eyebrow. "Me?"

"You're goddamn right." Amy answers.

She throws Slappy to the ground and with a single bright pink converse, she stomps her foot right through Slappy's face, breaking his wooden head almost in half. What remains is a large, craterous hole on one side of Slappy's face. Evan thinks he resembles the Phantom of the Opera, the way the large crack acts now as a kind of twisted mask, permanently scarring the dummy's appearance.

"There, " Amy says, "I've officially broken up with you."

Amy laughs, it's a cackle full of pent-up rage that chills Evan to the bone. He can't deny it's satisfying to see Slappy beaten like this, though deep down, he fears for Amy's sanity.

"Let's get out of here and to the meeting hall," Evan says, "He's not going to be doing any walking or stalking anytime soon."

"Good," Amy says.

Evan picks the limp dummy off the ground and drags it along with him as the two of them make their way to the meeting hall. A long, gnarled root cuts through the ground beneath them like a massive serpent, or an arrow pointing them the way to danger, no doubt once connected to the now fallen tree. The path there declines the further they walk. Evan is careful not to trip and roll down. It's not long before the two hear the familiar whispers of the undead. Evan is more than a little scared to see what lurks behind the door, and as he does, the wooden door creaking open, he finds himself stepping into a cramped, dark room.

"I feel like we're walking into a trap," Amy says.

"We'll keep our guards up,"

Andy rushes over to him, examining Evan curiously. "So, you can really do it? You can REALLY control Monster Blood?"

"It's looking that way, yeah, but I'm still learning."

"Rad."

Evan finds the rest of the teens waiting for him, albeit with the exception of Amanda and Josh. It gives Evan a nervous feeling.

"Hey, he lived!" Ricky cheers. "I didn't have any doubts."

"You guys made it back just in time," Carly Beth says, "We found our parents, they're- they were tied up in here by those things. But well-"

"You did? That's great! Where are they?" Evan asks.

"I didn't finish," Carly Beth says, "I-I don't know how to put this but-"

"We have a bit of a problem. Or, well, another problem to add to the pile," Andy says

Evan's heart sinks. "What now?"

"Amanda and her brother have totally lost it!" Jerry says, "They've gone, like, full RAMBO or something!"

Evan follows Andy deeper into the meeting hall, stepping over several dozen undead corpses lying on the ground. Like the ones in the cemetery, their faces have been melted away to reveal their pale skulls beneath, staring back at Evan with two pitch-black eyes. Amanda must have burned a trail right through the horde, Evan thinks.

Andy leads him to a corner of the room where Amanda and Josh are currently interrogating a small handful of undead. As Josh has one in a chokehold, Amanda holds her flashlight up to the ghoul's face, fully prepared to turn it on at any second.

"HOW DO YOU TURN THEM BACK? ANSWER ME OR I SWEAR TO GOD-" Amanda snaps,

"I told you, Mr. Dark has control of their minds, he's the only one who can restore them!" The undead man says.

In response, Amanda drives her knee into the ghoul's stomach, causing him to spit up black blood.

Evan winces at the sight.

"Amanda! What are you doing?!" Evan yells. "This wasn't part of the plan!"

Amanda looks back at him with an icy glare. "Oh, yeah? So what, it's all good to kill them, but this is one step too far for you, Evan?"

Evan grimaces. "Take a look at what you're doing!"

"I AM," Amanda replies, "These things ATTACKED us, Evan. You remember that, don't you? Do you know what these creatures do? They cannibalize entire families to keep themselves alive, parents, little kids, they don't care. They'll spill any blood they can if they can drink it. They're MONSTERS, Evan! They almost took my family, and now they have your family."

"What?"

"Take a look, Evan. Go say hi to Mommy and Daddy. They'll tell you."

"Wait, Evan!" Andy calls. "Be careful!"

Evan isn't listening, walking to the side of the room where he finds a group of adults engaged in a deep conversation, as if nothing horrible has happened at all. Among them is Evan's parents. Evan feels a wave of relief wash over him. Though it's only been a few days, it feels like so much longer since he's laid eyes on them. He's glad they're safe. As Evan rushes to embrace his mom and dad, he's met with frigid indifference from the both of them.

"I'm so glad you guys are okay!" Evan says.

Evan's parents glance at each other in confusion.

"Okay?" Mr. Ross asks. "Well, why on Earth wouldn't we be?"

Now it's Evan's turn to look confused.

"Don't you remember?" Evan asks. "You were kidnapped by zombies, they- they brought you here and tied you up! This whole town is full of the undead! You know the guy who owns Dark Falls? Mr. Dark? He's a monster! He's lured you here, lured a bunch of families because he wants to take revenge on us kids and turn the whole world into monsters like him!"

As the words leave Evan's mouth, he sees the confusion has not faded from his parent's faces. All of a sudden, Evan is back to when he was twelve years old, trying desperately to get his parents not to drop him off his Aunt Kathryn's, or trying his damndest to convince the kids in his class that Monster Blood was for real. Evan grows silent. His words are once again that of a child's.

Mrs. Ross glances at her husband, a scowl on her face. It's a look also plastered onto the face of Evan's father.

"I don't believe this," Mrs. Ross says, "I mean, seriously Evan, how old are you? 17 and you're still talking about MONSTERS? Let me tell you, I've heard enough about you and your goddamn Monster Blood. For the last time, IT DOESN'T EXIST."

"Your mother's right," Mr. Ross says, "You really need to grow up. For once in your life, BE A MAN, for god's sake. There was a time you were a happy little kid, now look at you, Evan. You're a paranoid wreck! I always told your mother she coddled you too much as a baby. Every time you screamed about monsters, she'd rush over to check in the closet and under the bed. I'm here to tell you that not everyone's out to get you I promise.."

"I'M TELLING THE TRUTH!" Evan yells.

His parents look at him in anger. "Don't raise your voice at me, young man!" Mrs. Ross yells. "You really are still such a child, Evan. We thought moving here would help you, but I guess it turns out you can't be helped, can you?"

Mr. Ross sighs. "You really are a spoiled brat. We move all the way here, all the way across the country to start a new life, and you had to ruin everything for us. Because you're still afraid of monsters. Frankly, I'm disappointed in you, Evan. You knew how important this move was for your mother and me, and you had to go and ruin it with your make-believe stories. Why do you have to act so selfishly?"

"Why couldn't we have had a son that was normal?" Mrs. Ross asks.

"Wouldn't that be nice?" Mr. Ross laughs. "Then maybe I'd have a son I could be proud of."

Hot tears stream down Evan's face. "You really don't believe me, do you?"

"Not a word," They say in unison.

"Frankly, we never should have let him hang out with that Andy. She was bad news from the beginning," Mrs. Ross says, "And now look at all the ideas she's planted in your head."

"Don't you dare talk about Andy like that!" Evan snaps.

He turns to Amanda.

"Now do you understand?" she asks.

"I don't get it," Evan says. "Why are they acting like this? So- so cruel?"

"Because they're not your parents, Evan," Amanda says, "Mr. Dark is controlling them like puppets."

"How do we get them back?" Evan pleads. "Please, there has to be a way!"

"I'm sorry, Evan," Amanda replies. "It's too late. I'm afraid they're going to stay like this… forever."

Chapter Text

"What?" Evan cries out. "No, please tell me that's not true!"

Tears continue to fall down Evan's face. He doesn't know if he can live with his parents acting this way. He wonders how much truth is buried in their cruelty. Did they truly wish for him to be normal?

"It will be true," Amanda replies. "Unless you let me do my job."

"Huh?"

Amanda narrows her eyebrows. "You told us Dark hypnotized your parents using what, Jelly-something?"

"Jellyjam."

"Right. As long as Jellyjam has control of their minds, they'll be Dark's servants. And if you wouldn't have stopped me, I'd have squeezed the information out of this fucker to tell us how we can get them back to normal."

"I told you already!" The undead man wails. "Dark is the only one who can free them."

"Yeah, we know you said that, but see, we don't really believe you." Josh says, tightening his grip.

"Let him go," Evan. "I want to talk to him.

"Why should I?" Josh asks.

"Let him go."

Josh looks to Amanda, as if awaiting instructions.

"Do it. I don't think he'll be much of a threat anymore anyway." Amanda says.

Josh rolls his eyes and lets the zombie free from his gasp. The man looks at Evan with a look that seems an attempt at gratitude, though his eyes are lifeless and bloodshot.

"When I first came here with Lucy Dark, I heard one of you say that you wanted to talk with her father, something about "not wanting to do this anymore. Care to tell me what that was about?" Evan asks.

"We made a deal with Lawrence Dark, the people of Dark Falls did, yes. We signed over ownership to him. He promised us fresh blood in exchange for complete power over Dark Falls."

"And did he honor that deal?"

"No!" The ghoul snaps, "He treats us like servants, forcing us to hunt for any scraps we can get. Lawrence Dark has brought our town to ruin!"

"Good," Amanda says, "It's about time this damn place was destroyed."

"You say that with such malice, Ms. Benson," the man says, "But the people of Dark Falls, all we know is death. Frankly, there's hardly a person here who even remembers life before that cloud passed over our town, and most who do are lying. We do what we have to do to survive. It might seem gruesome, yes, but we've been doing this our entire existence. All we ask is to be fed. Nothing more."

Amanda scoffs. "You've killed entire families!"

"Almost killed ours," Josh adds, "But we got away, didn't we, Amanda? Bet that makes you really mad, doesn't it? See, these guys are pathetic, Evan. First, they kill your dog so he can't tell anyone, you know? Dogs can sense when somebody's dead. That's why they took Petey first. Then they take the kids, because kids are easy prey, aren't they? Easy to lure in so you can drink their blood."

"We ensure their deaths are as painless as possible," he says. "Then they get to join our peaceful existence."

"Peaceful?" Amanda asks. "From what I've seen, a lot of you seem to welcome death with open arms."

"That is true," the ghoul says, "The world of the undead requires a certain strain on the mind, but for many others, we've grown used to our lives as corpses. In fact, we're more happy now than we ever were as humans. Until Lawrence Dark came to town."

Evan stops to think. "What about Compton Dawes? Didn't he sell Dark the house?"

"Compton." The man growls with resentment. "Dark lined his pockets and he turns a blind eye to our suffering. He's never made as much money selling houses as he is now. Lawrence Dark has ensured Compton will remain loyal to him."

"You say he's selling houses," Evan says, "To our parents? Mine?"

"Of course," the undead man sneers, "Dark Falls has never been this.. populated. I fear there's so many more of you on the way here, all driving straight into the spider's web Lawrence Dark has so meticulously weaved for you."

There's so many more of you on the way. The words cause a chill to run down Evan's back. Mr. Dark told him he would get his revenge on everyone, all the kids who had seen monsters. Evan can only imagine how many others there are like him. They might even be driving to Dark Falls at that very moment, not a single clue what kind of town they're driving into.

"I told you, Evan, this town is nothing but a vicious cycle, a meat grinder for anyone who enters," Amanda tells him, "This is just going to keep happening again unless we do something. Some other kid, it might not be you, Evan, but it will be someone, and they're going to go through exactly what you did. They'll follow all the little breadcrumbs to figure out the dark secret behind this town, and what Dark is planning and it will all lead them here, to their demise. Rinse and repeat. Blood must be spilled. It doesn't matter who owns Dark Falls, that will always be the truth."

"I have no plans of dying anytime soon," Evan says,

"That's what everyone thinks," Josh laughs, "You don't even really have a plan to beat Dark, do you?"

"I have you guys, don't I?" Evan asks. "Nobody knows this place better than you two."

Amanda and Josh look at each other and laugh.

"None of us are making it out of here alive, Evan, We're just delaying the inevitable," Amanda says.

"Then help me prevent that from happening!" Evan pleads. He turns to face the undead man. "You, I need your help too. I know how crazy that must sound, but right now, it sounds like you guys are just as angry at Dark as we are."

"Your assumption wouldn't be incorrect,"

"Then help us take him down! Summon everyone in Dark Falls, you can overthrow him, take your revenge! Dark Falls can be yours again! That's what you want, isn't it?"

"I'd like nothing better than to see Dark Falls back in the right hands,"

"You've gotta be fucking kidding me," Josh says, "We can't trust these bastards. They want to eat us, for christ sake!"

"What choice do we have?" Evan asks, "Look, Dark is keeping Jellyjam locked up inside the Dead House. I say we pay one final visit to the place."

"And do what, exactly?" Amanda asks.

"We take down Dead House for good. If the house is destroyed, so is Jellyjam. Our parents will be freed, and Dark's empire collapses."

The ghoul's eyes bulge out. "But Dead House is the oldest home in Dark Falls! A relic! You can't destroy that!"

"You know, Evan. For once, I like your idea. Dead House has alway been their symbol of power. Their slaughterhouse to bring in fresh new lambs. Seeing it brought down would bring a smile to my face," Josh says.

"Are you willing to sacrifice one house to save your town?" Evan asks the undead man.

He looks deep in thought. "If that's what it takes to get my town back, then I'm willing to do anything."

"Good," Evan replies.

Evan holds out a hand, and the ghoul shakes it. His hand is freezing cold and stiff. If Evan had to shake hands with a corpse at a morgue, he imagines it would feel similar.

"You think everyone will be on our side?"

"Trust me, the people of Dark Falls are eager to sink their teeth into Lawrence Dark and his family. The only problem will be dealing with Compton Dawes."

"You don't think he'll betray Dark?"

"Not unless you have a billion dollars to offer him."

"I don't,"

"Didn't think so. Here, I'll give him a call. You do want a chance to talk with Compton, don't you?"

Evan glances at Amanda and Josh.

"If there's one person I'd like to have a reunion with, it's him," Josh says, "I've spent years thinking about how I'd get revenge on that bastard."

"The feeling is mutual," Amanda says, "Dawes deserves to suffer for what he did. So does Mr. Dark."

"Then it's settled," The undead man says.

Evan watches as the man picks up an old fashioned walkie talkie from across the room. With a decaying gray hand, he holds it to his dark lips. Evan can hear the faint static emanating from the device.

"Compton? It's Frank. I need to talk to you."

"Frankie? Now's not a really good time." a voice on the other end says. "I'm about to have a meeting with Larry Dark up at the Dead House. He's ready to enter phase one pretty soon. We'll be eating good soon enough."

The voice has a southern drawl to it. Evan figures this must be none other than Compton Dawes.

"Wait, Compton, listen. There's two people here who really want to talk to you. They say their names are Amanda and Josh Benson. Ring a bell?"

There's silence on the other end of the walkie talkie. It lasts a few seconds.

"Amanda and Josh? Well, as I live and breathe! I haven't seen those kids in such a long time. Say, there doesn't happen to be an Evan Ross with them, does there?"

"Indeed there is."

Silence again.

"Fascinating!" Dawes says. Evan can't see him, but he can tell the man is very pleased by this news. "See, Larry Dark was looking for an Evan Ross and a bunch of other kids. Too many names to remember. Said he expected them to show up at his house for a party, but never did. Frankly, he was bummed."

"Well, it's not too late to get the party started, is it, Compton?"

"'Course not. In fact, I think Larry would prefer a nighttime party. So much more exciting. And most important of all, I'll get to be there too. I'm looking forward to catching up with my old buddies Amanda and Josh!"

"Good, They're on their way to you now." The man tells Dawes.

Dawes laughs. "Oh, Frankie, one more thing. Did you give them the Dark Falls welcome?"

Frank laughs. "Oh, don't worry, I think they already know the people of this town will welcome them with open arms."

"Yes," Dawes laughs, "And with hungry mouths."

Dawes hangs up and the undead man turns to look at the three teens.

"Well, kids, you got what you wanted, now you better ensure we get what we want."

"I promise," Evan says.

"Good, now look alive! The party's about to begin!"

Chapter Text

"I just can't believe it, " Carly Beth says as she steps back into Amanda's car, "Whoever that woman was back there, she wasn't my mother. She told me she was ashamed to have such a scaredy cat for a daughter. My mom would never say something like that. She's been supportive of me since the beginning."

The rest of the teens follow suit, taking their seats in the cramped insides of the Benson siblings' van. Evan doesn't say a word, clutching Cuddles' cage in his lap. The hamster is still fast asleep. Beside him, Andy is having fun prodding at the broken remains of Slappy. The dummy lets out vulgar threats with each poke of his wooden skin. Andy doesn't seem threatened in the slightest. She passes Slappy to Conan, who looks slightly intimidated himself, before he gets a few hits in too.

"My mom and dad told me they couldn't wait to kick me out when I turned 18," Jerry says with a sigh. "Said I needed to grow up."

Andy scoffs, "Guys, I feel for you, I really do, but sometimes you just gotta face the harsh reality that some parents are just really shitty."

"Not my mom," Carly Beth says. "She bought me a pride flag the day I came out."

"Then I guess you're one of the lucky ones," Andy tells her.

"What did yours say?" Jerry asks, turning to Evan.

"Huh?"

Evan is so distracted by his own thoughts Jerry's words pass right through his ears.

"Your parents. You seem shaken by something they said,"

"Oh. Well, it was more or less the same as you. They told me I needed to stop being afraid of monsters," Evan says. It's a much nicer version of the harsh words exchanged. He can still hear his parents berating him on loop in his head like a particularly nasty broken record.

"I say screw them!" Andy says. "Did they say anything about me?

Evan looks at Andy. Her eyes are full of genuine curiosity.

"They said you were a bad influence."

"Well, they were right about one thing."

"What about me? Am I a bad influence too?" Conan asks.

"Funny thing. They didn't mention you at all, Conan." Evan says.

"Well, my parents called me a weirdo," Ricky says, "Said it was a miracle I even managed to make friends given how much everybody hates me."

"When I talked with mine, it was like I was a kid all over again. They kept comparing me to my sister," Amy says, "When I brought up Slappy, they practically blew up, told me we came to Dark Falls to forget all that just for me to dig it up again."

"What did I tell you, Amy?" Slappy rasps from the back seat in a weak voice. "Always the middle child!"

"What did I say about talking?" Andy asks the dummy, just before she smacks him around some more.

In fear, Slappy raises his wooden arms to protect what's left of his face.

"I told you guys already. Those aren't your parents." Amanda says, keeping her eyes glued to the endless stretch of dark road in front of them. "We'll get them back. I promise."

Beneath Amanda's gruff exterior, her words sound sincere. Like despite it all, she genuinely does want to help them.

"Fuck. We're here," Josh says

Amanda pulls to a stop in front of Dead House. The tall, redbrick house looms large over the teens, its sloping black roof tearing into the sky. Evan finds himself thinking of the word pareidolia, the phenomenon of seeing faces where there weren't any there. If Dead House had a face, it's rotting away, a fact made evident by the thin cracks which run jagged across the uneven brick house. Each window is a sinister looking eye, gazing down upon them from way up high, the black shutters tiny prison bars hammered in place to keep the specter of evil which resided within Dead House locked away. That very evil poisoned the house itself and yet despite so much death, the house was alive with rot, ghostly white mushrooms sticking up from the dirt. The decaying steps up to the massive front door beckons them out of the car.

"This place is AWESOME." Andy says. Once more, she seems to take immediate notice of the house's gothic architecture. "I feel like we've just walked into the house of Usher."

"Awesome? This place is way more horrifying than I imagined." Jerry says.

"It's even worse than the Carpenter Mansion." Carly Beth says.

"God, why are we doing this again?" Amy asks. "Just look at it! That's a murder house!"

"Yeah, we're definitely going to die here." Ricky says.

Evan's heard this exact conversation before. Back when they first came to Dead House and almost lost their lives. Going to the cemetery had delayed Mr. Dark's little party, but Evan is sure the man is nothing if not adaptable. He probably has this slight change of plans fully accounted for. Things have to be different this time, Evan tells himself.

"We're not going to die," Evan tells Ricky, "But we have to be careful. I have a feeling we're coming to the end of this whole thing."

"I have a feeling you're right, ginger."

Evan wants nothing more than to tear the Dead House down himself, until there is nothing left. As he glances at Amanda and Josh, both of the siblings visibly pale, he wonders if they're thinking the same thing.

"Why did we have to come back?" Josh asks.

"Because it was the right thing to do." Amanda tells him. She still has a flashlight strapped to her belt.

At last, they step out of the car, passing through a bed of overgrown weeds. Evan is surprised how sharp they are, cutting against his ankles like tiny blades as he wades through the vegetation. He finds himself thinking of Dr. Brewer's evil plants. At the side of the house, Evan see a rusty water faucet, a long, snake-like hose attached to it.

"I don't care what you tell me, Evan," Amanda says, "I'm bringing a gun with me."

Evan sighs as Amanda grabs a small pistol. "Do what you have to do."

The front door creaks open, just like last time, Mr. Dark descends from the staircase in a crimson red suit, a lit candelabra in hand.

"Children? You're later than I expected. I'm afraid your food's already gone cold. And here I went through the liberty of making my famous meatballs. Fear not, though, we still have dessert. Say, you like cherry pie?"

"You got any drinks?" Conan asks. "I'm still REALLY fucking thirsty!"

"No, Mr. Barber, we do not have any drinks."

"You can skip the bullshit, Mr. Dark," Evan snaps, "We're not having your dinner party. All of us have been here before."

Mr. Dark looks at him curiously before his eyes widen in surprise. "You used the cuckoo clock, didn't you?"

Evan doesn't respond. He doesn't have to. Mr. Dark laughs.

"I thought I felt something different. Lookie here, we even have two brand new guests! Mr. and Ms. Benson, I have to say, it's poetic to have you come back here."

Mr. Dark looks at Amanda and Josh with a grin on his face.

"Fuck you!" Amanda snaps.

Mr. Dark scowls. "You children really don't have any manners, do you? That's the problem with kids these days, no respect. Everyone was so much more polite back in the '90s!"

"Things change," Amanda says.

"Apparently so," Mr. Dark replies. "So, tell me, Evan. What on earth did you do? Frankly, I'm surprised you're still alive after messing with that clock. Most who use it don't come back."

Evan smirks. "I got the Monster Blood before you could use it. I even took out your little enforcer. Didn't I, Andy?"

At this, Andy laughs and chucks Slappy at Mr. Dark's feet.

"Now we're here to stop you. Whatever you have planned, Dark, you're not going to get away with it."

Mr. Dark picks Slappy from off the ground, examining the dummy with a panicked expression. "Oh no, not Slappy!" he cries. "How could you do this to poor Slappy?"

Mr. Dark starts to weep, obvious crocodile tears before he breaks into mad laughter, bringing Slappy close to his face. "Serves you right, you wooden bastard! I knew I should've hired your brother instead of you!"

Slappy laughs. "You should have known I'd never share power!"

"You're right, I should have," Mr. Dark says. "Oh, well, live and learn. See, that's the problem with working with evil dummies, especially evil dummies possessed by evil sorcerers. Their egos get too big for their tiny wooden heads!"

Mr. Dark throws Slappy on the ground, kicking him back to Andy.

"So, you ready to admit we've won?" Evan asks. "Hard to turn people into monsters without Monster Blood."

Mr. Dark bursts into laughter, as if Evan has just told the funniest joke he's ever heard. "Oh, Evan. You really thought you did something, didn't you? I've got enough Monster Blood to last me a lifetime, stored all over this town. See, I don't think you understand yet, but DARK FALLS IS MINE!"

"Not for long," Evan says.

"I have to admit, Evan. I admire your boldness," Mr. Dark says, "Perhaps you really have changed."

"More than you know."

"We'll see about that," Mr. Dark tells Evan. "But to me, you're still that scared little boy terrified of monsters. You want to take my Monster Blood from me, huh, Evan? Well, go ahead. I'll just move to the next best option, killing each and every one of you with my bare hands."

"There's more of us than there are of you," Evan says,

Mr. Dark smiles, his mouth full of fangs. "I have an army of my own."

From behind Mr. Dark, his family emerges to stand beside him. Lucy. His wife. Randy. All three of them are wearing the same distinct shade of red. It's the very color of blood.

"You don't have to do this, Lucy," Evan tells her. "You still have a place with us."

"I'm sorry, Evan," she says. "My loyalty is to my family."

"Then that makes you our enemy," Andy says. 'You must be Lucy Dark. I've heard a lot about you."

Lucy's expression doesn't change. "I see why Evan likes you."

"Good," Andy smiles, "Because you're about to hate me."

"Let's make this quick, honey," Mrs. Dark says to her husband. "It's past Randy's bedtime."

"Mom!" Randy yells. "I'm 14! And a monster too! They broke Slappy. I want to break them now too!"

"That's my boy!" Mr. Dark says.

It's not just the Dark family which has gathered on the lawn. Evan sees his teacher Mrs. Maaargh is also here. She's completely shed her human form to reveal the wide, open-jawed creature beneath. Thick drool pours from her massive tongue. Her large feet, with gnarled yellow toenails thud against the ground.

"Isn't it a school night, children?" Mrs. Maaargh cackles, her throat full of phlegm. "You should be studying for my next exam!"

"Mrs. Maaargh?" Amy asks in surprise.

"Ah, Amy Kramer! My esteemed pupil! Don't worry, I'll eat you last!"

"Calm your appetite, Agatha," Mr. Dark tells her, "There will be time enough for that later."

Over Mrs. Maargh's shoulder floats a hideous green mask, orange eyes blazing like hot fire. The mask opens its mouth, baring a row of fangs dripping with drool. It makes a horrible rubber noise as its lips rub together.

"Carly Beth…" the mask rasps. "It's almost Halloween. Let us join together once more!"

"Never!" Carly Beth answers.

The mask growls, throwing itself at Carly Beth. She grabs the mask with both hands, gripping its cheeks tightly. The mask has enough strength to knock her to the ground, though Carly Beth refuses to go.

"I'll never join you again, never!" Carly Beth screams at the mask. "I have friends who love me! Something you'll never have!"

Mr. Dark chuckles. "Oh, Carly Beth. Always so fearless. You know, out of all you humans, I might respect you the most. After all, it takes a certain amount of guts to survive not only your ordeal with the mask, but to survive HorrorLand as well. It's quite admirable. Alas, this is where your story ends. Where ALL your stories end. I fear, Carly Beth, that you'll never truly separate from your bond with the haunted mask. It seems you two are quite inseparable. Not unlike Evan and his dear friend, Andy. It's only been a few days, and all of you have forged a great bond. Perhaps it's fitting you should all die together."

Evan glances at Andy, before glancing back at Mr. Dark with a scowl. As Carly Beth continues to wrestle the mask, Evan turns his attention to a face he doesn't recognize. He's a good-looking man in a dark gray suit and a black cowboy hat atop his head. Evan would almost take for a human were it not for his cracked gray skin and sunken cheekbones. He looks as if he's wearing eyeliner, with two dark rings painted on his face like a tired raccoon. Heavy purple bags sag beneath them. From beneath his large black cowboy hat, the man's hair is long and stark white in color. Both Amanda and Josh are looking at the man with hatred in their eyes. Evan realizes this must be Compton Dawes.

"Well, golly," Dawes says, "Amanda and Josh! You sure have grown up, haven't you?"

"We watched you die," Amanda says.

"I know," Dawes replies. "That's the funny thing about this town. Nobody ever really dies. No matter how much they might want to."

"It must be nostalgic seeing them here, isn't it, Compton?"

"It sure is, Larry, it sure is," Dawes smiles with a mouth full of rotting yellow teeth.

Evan shudders as he looks into the man's pitch black eyes.

"Oh, pardon me, I should introduce myself, shouldn't I? The name's Compton Dawes, real estate agent."

Mr. Dawes walks up to Evan and hands him a small business card on what appears to be a slightly off white bit of cardstock. A picture of Compton Dawes is printed on it, obviously photoshopped so as to hide the man's decaying skin. Frankly, Evan thinks it resembles a Snapchat filter, as Dawes has even given himself a bright red blush on each cheek. Evan reads the text beside it.

BETTER CALL DAWES!

COMPTON DAWES, REAL ESTATE AGENT,

555-352-1266

comptondawes

GIVING YOU A HOUSE YOU'LL WANT TO LIVE IN FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE

LOCATED IN THE BEAUTIFUL TOWN OF DARK FALLS

Evan looks up from the card at Mr. Dawes, whose smile hasn't faded.

"What the fuck is your problem?" Evan asks Mr. Dawes, "How can you work for Mr. Dark? You know what he plans to do to all these families moving here, don't you?"

Mr. Dawes waves a hand to brush off Evan's concerns. "Oh, I don't fret over any of the messy details as long as my client is happy. Besides, business is booming! Just take a look!"

Mr. Dawes pulls out another sheet of paper out of thin air and hands it to Evan to read over. It's a list of names, none of whom sound familiar to Evan. As he reads the list, Evan realizes these names are all the families who have agreed to come to Dark Falls. It's exactly as the man in the cemetery said. There's so many more kids coming, their families all hoping to start a new life here. Evan reads over the names a second time.

BREWER, MARGARET

BANKS, GREG

SABRY, GABE (Crossed off, deceased?)

THOMPSON, MAX

POWELL, KRIS

POWELL, LINDY

ANDERSON, DANNY

BYRD, SAMANTHA (Crossed off)

TUCKER, GRADY

MORRIS, LIZZY

MORIS, LUKE

LUTZ, GARY

DEEP, BILLY

DEEP, SHEENA

MATTHEWS, SKIPPER

BOYD, LARRY (Crossed off, dog?)

MERTON, KAT

BURTON, JOE

BLAKE, JORDAN

ROWE, MARK

JOHNSON, DANA

WALD, GINGER

There's so many names that Evan's eyes go numb. He doesn't know a single one of them, and yet he feels an immediate desire to protect these kids from the same fate.

"You're not taking any more victims," Evan says, "This ends with us."

In response, Mr. Dawes puts his fingers in his mouth and blows them like a whistle.

In the distance, Evan hears the faint sound of a dog barking. It reminds him of Trigger, though he knows that's impossible. The closer the dog gets, the more Evan finds his nose burning with a pungent smell like rotten eggs.

"Oh my god, is that Petey?" Josh asks.

Evan watches as a large border collie emerges from the thick forest surrounding Dead House. As it takes a seat beside Mr. Dawes, Evan gets a closer look at the dog. It becomes obvious very quickly that this is no ordinary dog. Like Dawes, it's as if the animal has been painted a dull gray, not a single ounce of life left in its eyes. Its fur is matted with blood and dirt. Much of its flesh has rotted away, exposing the bones beneath. The worst part is the smell. It reeks of death. Mr. Dawes smiles at the zombified canine, stroking his mangled fur with a bony hand. Evan notices now how much of Dawes' fingers appear shrunken and purple, leaving the man's dirty fingernails looking longer than normal.

"Petey?" Josh asks in a shaky voice. "Petey, it's okay, boy. It's Josh, remember? Come here, boy."

Petey stares blankly at Josh before he begins to bare his teeth, barking violently at both him and Amanda.

"What did you do to him?" Amanda asks.

"Funny thing," Mr. Dawes says, "You know how dogs can sense when people are dead? Well, it turns out dead dogs can detect the living!"

"You bastard!" Amanda screams, unholstering her flashlight and pointing it directly into Mr. Dawes' face. She turns it on, waiting for the light to melt his face off. Instead, nothing happens, and Evan watches as Amanda tries desperately to get it working again.

"Out of batteries, Amanda?" Mr. Dawes asks with a sneer. "Yeah, I reckon those don't last too long."

"Yeah? Well, this won't,"

"What?" Mr. Dawes raises an eyebrow.

Pulling out her gun, Amanda fires a single round through Mr. Dawes' head. The bullet passes through swiftly, leaving a large hole in the man's forehead from which black blood pours from. Gray brain matter lands on the ground with a splat. Dawes falls to the ground like a fallen tree. Evan can barely conceal his surprise.

"I hope it hurts, Compton," Amanda says, standing over his body.

"I'll be back. Amanda… I'll be back." Mr. Dawes rasps, dark liquid trickling down his forehead. "Nobody in Dark Falls ever dies."

Amanda fires another round into Dawes and Petey lets out a frightened whimper in response. Evan watches as the dog scurries back off into the woods.

"Petey!" Josh cries, attempting to chase after his dog before Amanda stops him.

"Leave him, Josh, He's one of them now." she says.

As the air is full of silence, it's interrupted by the scream of Carly Beth. It's not a scream of fear, but a battle cry of triumphant victory. Evan turns to see the girl has started to tear the mask in half with her bare hands. The mask lets out a pained scream.

"I hope you can find peace." Carly Beth tells the mask, her voice far more aggressive than it had when she originally removed the mask in front of them. "From all your anger. All that hatred. I know I have. My darkness will always be a part of me, but you no longer will."

Carly Beth throws the scraps of the Haunted Mask to the ground, and by now, Mr. Dark is frantically glancing back and forth between the mask's remains and Mr. Dawes' corpse.

"That's two more of your army down," Evan says. "Kind of seems like our odds are improving."

Although Mr. Dark smiles. Evan can see from the beads of sweat that he's starting to show some signs of worry.

"You think they matter?" Mr. Dark asks. "My family is what matters. See, that's the thing about monsters. They can present themselves as big and scary, but in the end, so many of them are weak. That's why they need a strong hand like mine to lead them."

"And what am I, Lawrence? Weak?" Mrs. Maaargh asks.

"Of course not, Agatha," Mr. Dark says. "You are one of the finest monsters I know, which is why I'm letting you pick which one you want to eat right now."

Mrs. Maaargh licks her lips, looking at the nine of them in anticipation of her next meal.

"Why are you doing this, Mrs. Maaargh?" Amy asks.

"I'm sorry, dear, but we all have to eat, don't we? Fortunately, I always work my way from the bottom up. Let's start with the worst student here."

As Mrs. Maaargh's eyes scan the crowd, she finally lands on Conan.

"YOU," Mrs. Maaargh growls, pointing a monstrous figure at him.

"Me?" Conan asks.

"Yes, YOU," she rasps, "You're every teacher's nightmare. The brainless jock who does the bare minimum in class."

Evan has to admit she has a point. Conan certainly wasn't a favorite of many teachers. Evan had never seen his grades, but he imagined Conan's were less than stellar.

"Listen, lady, I only care about one class," Conan says, "Pounding 101. How about you let me teach you?"

"I prefer EATING 101," Mrs. Maaargh cackles.

As much as Evan would like to see Conan get his just desserts, the thought of Mrs. Maaargh chewing him up isn't one he can entertain without feeling at least a little bit guilty.

"Hey, Conan!" Evan says, "You still thirsty?"

"Always,"

"Then how about a drink of water?" Evan asks, unwinding the hose at the side of the Dead House and cranking the faucet on. It takes a bit of strength, given just how rusty it is, letting out a shrill squawk as he does so. Eventually, though, it does, and Conan knows just what Evan has in mind. For perhaps the first time, Evan is grateful that Conan is here.

"What is the meaning of this," Mrs. Maaargh asks.

Conan lets out a growl as he drinks up the hose water like a dog on a hot summer day. It's not a pretty sight, the way the water drips from his mouth. It doesn't take long before Conan is soaked. This is just what Evan had hoped for, though, as from Conan's flesh sprouts another Conan, fully formed. After the incident with the blue blobs that summer, this was Conan's hidden talent. Call it Mitosis, call it whatever, Conan could now make as many clones of himself as he wanted.

As Conan continues drinking the water, more clones appear, creating a massive circle around Mrs. Maaargh, who by now looks very confused until she realizes the more Conans there are, the more food to eat.

"Clone yourself all you want, boy!" Mrs. Maaargh yells. "You're just making me hungrier!"

"So, you're hungry, huh?" Conan asks. "How about a knuckle sandwich?"

At this, Conan punches Mrs. Maaargh in the face. It's the first time Evan has ever supported someone hitting a teacher. He can't help but smile.

As Mrs. Maaargh stumbles backwards, Jerry walks behind her, his fingers wiggling.

"You know what teachers hate just as much as a brainless jock?" Jerry asks. "The class clown!"

Jerry takes his fingers and begins tickling Mrs. Maaargh. In response, she lets out a husky laugh full of rage.

"Stop that!" Mrs. Maaargh orders, trying to stifle her giggles. "You're not going to make me-"

With one final tickle, Maaargh collapses on the ground, her eyes shut. Evan knows she's not going to wake up anytime soon.

"How'd you know to do that?" Amy asks.

"Lucky guess," Jerry answers, "Not the first time I've annoyed a teacher to near death."

Evan chuckles and looks to Mr. Dark, his face full of red hot rage. Veins bulge out of his thick neck.

"Are you happy now, Evan? You come here and ruin everything I've worked so hard to achieve?"

"Yes," Evan answers with a smile. "You wanted us to face our fears? Well, guess what? We're facing them!"

Mr. Dark grits his teeth. "The only thing you should fear is ME. You should all be very afraid of what I'm going to do to you!"

"Yeah, we're a bit past that," Ricky says, "Right now you seem pretty pathetic."

Mr. Dark turns his gaze to Ricky. "Frankly, I'm disappointed in you, Mr. Beamer. You should be up here with me, helping bring about a new age. You hate humanity just as much as I do. Join me, and I'll create an environment where the Creeps can rule at last!"

"Tempting, but no," Ricky answers, "You're right, I do hate people, but I hate rich assholes like you even more."

"Fine," Mr. Dark snarls, "You want to die among the humans, be my guest! You know, I've spent a lot of time trying to figure out the best way to test you, Ricky, and I thought there was no better way than to show you what you've lost. Oh, honey, you did make some cookies like I asked, didn't you?"

Mr. Dark turns to his wife with a smile.

"Of course," Mrs. Dark says, carrying a red tray of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies. Their dough is golden brown.

Evan raises an eyebrow, though he can see an expression of agitation forming on Ricky's face.

"Would you like one, Ricky?" Mr. Dark asks, throwing him one from the plate.

Ricky catches the cookie without much effort, examining it in his hand.

"This can give you your power back, Ricky" Mr. Dark says, "Remember what they told you? Humans are the past. Creeps are the future! You belong up here with us. They'll never accept you as one of them."

Evan turns to Ricky, still studying the cookie intently.

"Don't do it, Ricky!" Evan pleads. "You're stronger than this!"

Ricky turns to Evan with a menacing look in his eyes. "Sorry, Ginger. Humanity had its chance."

Ricky takes one last look at the cookie and Evan watches in horror as he bites down.

Chapter Text

Evan watches as the thick purple scales cover Ricky's face and realizes he's watching his friend turn into a Creep. Though the boy's clothes remain unaltered, Ricky's whole head morphs into that of a massive purple lizard with sharp teeth and a long red tongue. His hands have become four-fingered claws, and a long, winding tail now sticks out behind him, dragging on the ground.

There's a devious look in Ricky's green eyes.

"Humans are the past! Creeps are the future!" Ricky chants, his voice raspy as if he's both speaking and growling at the same time.

"That's it, Ricky!" Mr. Dark cheers, "Embrace your destiny! Tear them apart!"

"Humans are the past! Creeps are the future! Humans are the past! Creeps are the future!" Ricky cheers again.

"Yes, that's right, Ricky! Humans are the past! Creeps are the future!" Mr. Dark joins in.

"Yessss!" Ricky hisses, "But you know what? I make my own future!"

"WHAT?!" Mr. Dark yells.

Ricky pounces at Mr. Dark, knocking the man on his back. With one claw, Ricky slashes across his face with his sharpened claws, leaving four deep cuts in his skin from which blood trickles down. In pain, Mr. Dark covers his face and roars in anger.

"I really thought you'd turned to the dark side, man." Evan tells Ricky.

"Of course not. Just needed a little boost. Sometimes it takes a monster to beat a monster," Ricky says with a growl.

Mr. Dark gets back to his feet, clutching his face. "I've had about enough of this!" he snaps. "Lynne! Randy! Lucille! It seems to me our guests want monsters. Let's give them what they want!"

Evan watches as the Darks transform, Mr. Dark into that same hulking, dragon-like beast Evan has lain eyes on before, with a forked tongue, and broad shoulders covered in suckers. His massive form tears through the red fabric of his suit, leaving strips of cloth hanging from his scaly chest. The scar from Ricky is still carved across his face. Mr. Dark roars, shooting out hot orange flames from his mouth.

"Holy shit!" Jerry exclaims.

"Yeah, and I thought he was ugly before," Andy says.

"He's just another monster to take down, guys," Amanda says, pointing her pistol right at Mr. Dark. "He'll go down as easy as Dawes did."

Amanda fires her gun. As the bullet flies out, it strikes Mr. Dark's chest. Rather than passing through, the round bounces off his hardened scales. Mr. Dark starts to laugh, a booming cackle that shoots more flames from his hungry jaws. Amanda drops her gun and goes instantly pale.

"That tickled," Mr. Dark says, "Your weapons aren't going to work, Ms. Benson. There are no guns allowed in a Goosebumps book. You're all going to play this game by MY rules."

Mrs. Dark follows, her body shifting into a feline creature with slender proportions, so thin that Evan can see the bones visible beneath her skin. Mrs. Dark doesn't lose her cat-like eyes, which now seem to be glowing intensely. Pointy ears stick out of her head, a long mane of black hair flowing past them.

"You look beautiful, darling," Mr. Dark says. "You remember the first human we shared together?"

"How could I forget?" she hisses.

Randy Dark is next to change, looking like a combination of all his parent's most terrifying features, resembling a massive panther with scales running down his back. Evan can see what looks like wings starting to form.

"Make daddy proud, Randy!"

Randy pounces at Ricky like the massive feline he is, wrestling the Creep to the ground. Evan imagines this is what it's like when a cat catches a lizard. Then again, most regular lizards don't have giant tails they can swing around like a mace. Ricky growls as Randy hisses, whipping his tail across the creature's face.

"Come on, Lucille. Show them what happens when they mess with the Darks!"

Lucy stands frozen before she looks at Evan. "Are you afraid?" she asks.

"No," Evan replies, even though his heart is beating in his chest. "You don't have to join him, Lucy. You're one of us!"

She ignores his comment. "You should be very afraid right now, Evan."

Evan watches as Lucy's jaw unhinges like a snake, revealing rows and rows of sharp teeth. Too many to count. She sprouts just as many eyeballs across her face, beady yellow little eyes that watch all of them at once. Lucy seems to have inherited her father's ability to spit fire, as out of her mouth comes an erratic burst of flame and smoke. Like her mother, Lucy's long black hair remains atop of her head, creeping down in thin strands across her face. Dark tentacles sprout from her back, and as Evan watches her contort her body even further beyond recognition, he can feel his brain turning to mush. Whatever Lucy's true monster form is, Evan can barely comprehend it. He can feel himself losing his grip on sanity. All he can do is laugh.

"Are you terrified yet?" Lucy asks. The answer is a resounding yes.

"Evan, snap out of it!" Andy says, and the sound of her voice wakes Evan from his temporary madness.

"Yes, Evan, it's time to WAKE UP!" Mr. Dark yells.

He lunges at Evan with terrifying speed, delivering a punch into Evan's face that knocks him to the ground. If Slappy's punch felt like being hit by a wooden board, Mr. Dark's fist feels like a wrecking ball smashing into his face.

"Evan!" Andy yells.

"Do you know how SICK and TIRED I am of you children? Damn kids. You always think you know better than us, don't you? You really think you're strong enough to change the world. Here's a reality check. This world is OURS."

Mr. Dark delivers another crushing blow into Evan's face. Evan can feel blood gushing from his nose.

"And I can't believe all of you followed this IDIOT into battle! Evan Ross. The boy who's still terrified of monsters. Come on, Evan. Even if you did beat me, who would EVER believe you? Who would believe that a boy like Evan Ross saved the world from monsters?"

He punches Evan again.

"I was going to make this so nice and easy, but now, I think I'll just beat you to death right on this lawn," Mr. Dark growls. "I want you to feel every hit. You deserve it for all the pain you've caused me, sticking your nose where it didn't belong."

Evan spits up blood.

"I don't care who believes me," Evan chokes, "As long as I have my friends."

"That's right," Andy says, "You're still outnumbered, Dark."

Evan turns his head, his bones aching as he does so. He watches as Andy leads the charge right into Mr. Dark. From all sides, the eight teens attack the massive monster in front of them. Conan jumps on his back, delivering a series of punches as Andy delivers a hard knee into Mr. Dark's stomach. Jerry and Amy pelt stones into his face and Carly Beth grabs a stick from off the ground, striking Dark's kneecaps. Meanwhile, Ricky continues his bloody battle with Randy Dark, and the Bensons are getting slashed up by Mrs. Dark's claws.

Mr. Dark growls in anger, a loud roar before he throws Conan off his back. Stomping the ground with a fury that sends everyone flying back. Opening his mouth, he breathes an intense ray of fire, creating a large circle of flames around him and Evan, preventing the others from getting close.

"You son of a bitch!" Andy screams. "Come on, Evan! GET UP!"

Evan's ears are ringing. He wants to get up, but every muscle in his body is screaming in agony.

"See, I was angry before, " Mr. Dark says. "NOW I'M REALLY PISSED OFF!"

Mr. Dark continues beating Evan as Lucy watches.

"Lucy!" Evan chokes, "Please. You once told me when you were a kid, you saw a monster. You said your parents didn't believe you, did they? Not until it was almost too late."

"That's not true!" Mr. Dark says, "You don't know Lucille like I do. She made up so many tall tales I didn't know what to believe. I had to make sure."

"And so what?" Evan spits. "You claim you care about monsters and yet you killed one just to eliminate the competition. All you care about is keeping your power."

"HOW DARE YOU?" Mr. Dark growls in his face, hot breath wafting into Evan's nose. "How dare you come to MY house, call me a BAD FATHER, and say I don't care about monsters? Everything I've ever done has been for my family!"

"He's lying, Lucy!" Evan says. "I know what you've been through, all of us know what you've been through."

Evan looks through hazy vision at Lucy and she has reverted to her human form and is starting to approach the circle of flames that is only growing in heat and intensity. As she walks to the flames, her father takes notice. He doesn't look happy.

"Lucillle, what do you think you're doing?"

"This isn't right, Dad," Lucy says, "You don't have to kill him!"

"I'm sorry, Lucille, but yes, I REALLY do need to kill him."

"But he's… my friend!" Lucy pleads

Mr. Dark's eyes narrow. Smoke huff from his nostrils. "You really want to risk your life for this idiot, Lucy Dark? Would you truly betray your family for some worthless bags of meat?"

"Maybe I would," Lucy says.

Lucy shoves her father with a surprising amount of strength, causing him to stumble backwards. His leg lands right in the hot fire. It doesn't take long for the flames to spread on his skin. Mr. Dark begins growling in panic, swatting at his flesh to put the fire out. He lets out a loud roar of pain.

"LUCILLE!" he screams, shaking his head. "I should have expected you would betray me. The Girl Who Cried Monster. It all makes sense. You're the last one."

Evan sees what he means. The circle of teens is complete. Evan. Andy. Conan. Carly Beth. Ricky. Amy. Jerry. Amanda. Josh. Lucy Dark now made the tenth member of their little team.

"I'm sorry I didn't realize it sooner," Lucy says, helping Evan up to his feet.

Mr. Dark snarls, having successfully put out the fire consuming his body. The distraction is enough for Evan to pull out the final egg of Monster Blood from his pocket.

"What do you think you're doing?" Mr. Dark asks.

"I'm ending this once and for all," Evan replies, "You were right, Mr. Dark. I'm still scared of Monster Blood and yet I can't seem to stay away from it. I realize now that I can control my fear, and now I'm going to use that fear to destroy you."

Mr. Dark laughs as Evan opens the container of Monster Blood, spilling sticky green slime all over the ground. Evan shuts his eyes. He imagines how he must look like right now, covered in blood and bruises. His heart still beats in his chest. He had managed to control just a tiny sample of Monster Blood before, but this felt different. Somehow, he had to find enough strength to get the Monster Blood to consume Dead House and free his parents. Evan isn't sure he has the strength required to do that. He takes a deep breath.

I invoke this curse upon you, Monster Blood, I need you to grow," Evan thinks. Once more, he puts himself in Sarabeth's shoes, channeling the witch's rage with all the hatred he feels for Mr. Dark.

I want you to crush my enemies, consume all that is in your path until Dead House is no more.

The Monster Blood gurgles, starting to grow as it consumes stones and twigs, absorbing them into its gelatinous green body.

"Gross!" Amy exclaims.

"No, it's beautiful," Andy tells her. "Come on, Evan. I believe in you. You can control it!"

Evan focuses on the sound of Andy's voice as the Monster Blood gurgles in his ear. Like a massive tidal wave, it grows over the hills of Dead House, consuming everything in its path, including Mrs. Dark and Randy. As the two of them are sucked into the Monster Blood with a loud slurping noise, the slime grows to massive proportions, like a giant slug, leaving a long trail of thick slime across the dirt.

"LYNNE! RANDY!" Mr. Dark yells, watching his family get sucked into the massive green blob. "You'll pay for this! You think you can control that stuff? You can't! It will just as easily destroy you as it will destroy the rest of us!"

Evan thinks about what happened to Sarabeth, how the Monster Blood had consumed her despite all her efforts to control it. Evan fears the very same could happen to him. After all, it didn't matter what words he spoke, the Monster Blood was an uncontrollable force of nature. Mr. Dark was right. It would consume anything it wanted to. Evan's heart races. He tries to stop the beating. He can't let the Monster Blood know he's afraid.

Destroy the house, not me, Evan pleads, Destroy the house, NOT ME.

"Come on, Evan!" Andy cheers.

The Monster Blood rumbles, its slimy body jiggling like a pile of green gelatin. The cheering of his friends continues as the Monster Blood turns its attention at last to Dead House. The slime gurgles hungrily, ready to absorb all of Dead House in a single gulp.

Evan can't help it. He smiles. This is it, he thinks. The moment they've been waiting for. Dead House would be no more. But Evan's happiness soon changes to horror as he feels the Monster Blood tugging on his shoes.

Looking down, he sees his foot has been caught in the slime. Panicking, Evan struggles to free himself. It's too late. The Monster Blood begins to pull him in. He screams, finding himself drowning in the green slime. It doesn't take long before The Monster Blood absorbs him completely. Evan can hardly breathe. All he can see is the dark green of the monster's gelatinous stomach.

"EVAN!" Andy screams.

Sorry, Andy, Evan thinks. I've failed. I've come so far, just to die here. I guess I couldn't get over my fear after all, Evan tells himself.

"I guess this is what you meant by sacrifice, huh, Amanda?" Evan asks. "I really should have seen this one coming."

As Evan waits for the Monster Blood to consume him, the whole world goes dark.

Chapter Text

Evan wakes up to darkness. Not the inside of the Monster Blood like he expects, but an endless black void that makes him feel as if he's drifted off into outer space. Or worse, Evan shudders, that he's died and gone on to the next life. Evan gulps. The bright light emanating in the distance seems a confirmation of his greatest fears. Evan begins walking toward it, fully aware this is the one you should never do in the case you see a light at the end of the tunnel. The only thing Evan can hear is a faint buzzing, a white noise that reminds him of times spent staring at the wall in study hall. Evan can't even hear his own footsteps as he walks closer, but with one final step, his ears are greeted by the sound of a loud mechanical clicking.

Evan realizes the light is not some portal to the afterlife like he expected, but instead a door leading to what appears to be a tiny room with four walls connected to nothing, floating in the pitch-black void which surrounds Evan from all sides. Stepping into it, Evan realizes he's not alone. The silhouette of a man in a trenchcoat and fedora sits with his back turned to Evan, typing away at a large typewriter on his desk, the source of the loud clicking. Evan jumps as he notices what appears to be a skeleton sitting on the man's desk. Evan does a double take. The skeleton has a wild pink mohawk and shades covering his eyes. Around the skeleton's neck is tied a red ascot with a large green G.

"What if in the end, they all turned out to be dogs or something?" the skeleton asks.

"Been there, done that," the man in the trench coat says, "I need something REALLY scary."

"Um, excuse me?" Evan says, interrupting their conversation. "This might sound weird, but am I dead?"

The man in the chair glances at the skeleton, who shrugs, looking back at Evan with a smile. The darkness of the room obscures the man's face, though Evan can tell he's wearing glasses.

"Nobody ever dies in a Goosebumps book," the man says.

"Yeah, not unless you're Spidey," the skeleton says.

Evan looks at him with a confused expression. "I'm not talking about books, I'm talking about real life. I just want to know if I'm dead or not."

"He looks confused, R.L., I think he's one of your… protagonists." the skeleton says, "Maybe we should explain things from the beginning,"

"You might be right, Curly," the man says, "Hello, Evan. It's nice to finally meet you."

"So… are you, you know, God?" Evan asks.

The man laughs in a jovial way. "God? I wouldn't go that far. Really, I'm more like a puppet master, and right now I'm pulling a lot of strings."

"Who are you then?"

The man looks as if he's pondering what to say. "You can call me the author."

"And I'm Curly," the skeleton says, "BOO DUDE!"

"I'm still not following," Evan says."How do you even know who I am?"

"Have a look here, Evan," the author says, motioning Evan to come closer to the typewriter, "I've written a lot of stories over the years. I've even written yours."

"Mine?"

The author nods, pulling a book from the black abyss around them, handing it to Evan. His eyes widen as he takes a closer look at it. It's a lightweight paperback in blue and yellow, the blue dripping across the yellow like slime, spelling out the word Goosebumps. The cover shows a wooden staircase in dim lighting. It reminds Even of the one at his Aunt Kathryn's. From the stairs drips a puddle of green slime all the way down, an abandoned pair of glasses caught in the muck. Even pans down to read the bold white title beneath: MONSTER BLOOD.

Evan feels rage wash over him. "Is this a joke? This is- this is-"

"It's your story, Evan," the author says, "I'm just the one who wrote it. In fact, I wrote all your stories. From Welcome to Dead House all the way up to Monster Blood IV! Yours just happened to be so popular that it needed a few sequels. Everything in your life, Evan, I control."

"So you're telling me YOU'RE the one who's made my life a living hell?" Evan asks. "I should kill you right now!"

"Take it easy, dude!" Curly says. "Let's all just chill and watch Goosebumps on Fox Kids! Besides, you kill R.L., your whole existence goes poof."

"It's not personal, Evan, it's my job," the author says, "I make my living scaring kids. And you know what? They love to be scared!"

"Isn't that a little fucked up?" Evan asks. "You're messing with the lives of real kids, filling their lives with trauma they can never move on from! All for, what, some cheap entertainment?"

"But they're not real, Evan," The author says, "As far as I was aware, these were all just books. Actually seeing you here in the flesh is a tad bit… unprecedented."

Evan scoffs. "And yet the lives of your characters continue even though the story ends. Did you ever think about what happened to kids like me when your books were over? We had to survive."

"That's my problem, Evan!" the author says, "My audience is demanding I bring back some of their fan-favorites! You see, teen dramas are all the rage right now, and they're demanding I update my books to incorporate some teenage angst!"

The rest of the author's words go through Evan's ears. "I'm a fan favorite?"

"No," the author replies.

Evan frowns. "So what's the problem?"

"I can't think of an ending!" the author says, "Can you believe it? This never happens to me! I've got writer's block!"

"I've suggested a bunch of endings!" Curly says, "Like, "Dark Falls is actually on another planet! But this guy thinks he's too good for my ideas!"

"This ending has to be special," the author says, "Something I haven't done before."

"Well, how about a happy ending?" Evan asks. "Mr. Dark is beaten, and everyone lives happily ever after."

The author shakes his head. "No, it has to end with a horrible, shocking TWIST. That's what the fans want. For everything to be shaken up in an instant."

Evan stops. "Well maybe that's what needs to change. Maybe not everything needs to have some big twist. Maybe stories can just end."

The author strokes his chin. "No twist? That's unthinkable."

"You said you wanted something new, this is your chance! Give us the ending we deserve!" Evan sys, just before he pauses. "Wait, no, I get it now. This is the moral of the story, isn't it? We have to make our own endings! Defy the expectations society places on us!"

The author glances at Curly before he looks back at Evan.

"If you say so, kid. There typically aren't any morals in these kinds of stories."

"Then let me write one!" Evan pleads.

"You sure you can handle the job?" the author says,

"Of course I can," Evan says, though in truth, he doesn't have a single clue about how to write a good ending.

"Then be my guest!"

Evan takes a seat at the typewriter and gets to work, just before he feels an icy hand on his shoulder, one as cold as death!

Chapter Text

Actually, Evan is just joking about the whole hand on his shoulder thing. Something about taking the author's place leaves with him a strange desire to write chapter cliffhangers.

In reality, Evan finds himself being spit up, vomited out by the very Monster Blood which had consumed him. He's never felt this disgusting, coated head to toe in green slime. Evan knows it will probably never wash out of his clothing.

"You don't know when to die, do you?" Mr. Dark says with a sneer.

"I'm afraid not," Evan says.

As he stumbles back to his feet, Evan's friends rush over to him.

"Evan! Thank God you're okay!" Andy says, pulling him into a tight hug that smears Monster Blood all over her neon yellow top.

"Don't pull anything like that again, Ginger," Ricky says, "I really thought you were a goner!"

"Good to have you back, man," Jerry says, patting his shoulder.

"You should be proud of yourself, Evan," Carly Beth says, "Not everyone could pull themselves out of Monster Blood like that."

"I don't really feel 'proud'," Evan says, "I feel gross."

"How the hell did you even get out?" Amy asks.

Evan wants to tell them about his conversation with the author, but decides it would be better not to dump all that information on them right now. Maybe he'll never tell them, Evan thinks. Perhaps the dark truth to the universe he lived in would be his secret to keep forever.

"Luck, I guess," Evan says, "I couldn't allow myself to die in that thing."

"If you got out, maybe there's a chance my mom and brother still can too," Lucy says, a solemn expression on her face. "I just hope I've made the right choice joining you guys."

"You have, Lucy. I'm sorry, but there's no other way this ends than bringing an end to your father's reign of terror." Evan tells her, "You saved my life back there, you know."

"I know," Lucy says, "I did what I thought was right,"

"Hey, Lucy," Ricky says, "I know I've said some bad things about you in the past, you know, how you were a spoiled rich girl and all that. I'm starting to see I was wrong. Oh, and you know that thing you did with your mouth? That was pretty damn cool."

"Thanks," Lucy says, "You have some pretty cool… claws."

The two smile at each other with red cheeks and Evan raises an eyebrow in Andy's direction.

"I'm happy you're okay too, but we still have an out of control blob to deal with," Amanda says.

Evan turns his head to look up at the Monster Blood, currently devouring everything in its path except for the one thing Evan actually wants it to consume. Dead House still looms large over the teens, as if it's taunting them.

I am not afraid. I am in control, Evan thinks once more, I am not afraid. I am in control. You must obey me!

The Monster Blood gurgles and Evan's heart races. How can he control the Monster Blood when all he feels now is pure panic? Evan turns to his friends, looking at Andy. He thinks about what Ricky said about the two of them being inseparable, two halves of one whole. Maybe I don't have to do this alone, Evan thinks.

"Andy! I can't do this without you," Evan tells her.

"What?" she raises an eyebrow.

"You've been there from the beginning. Every time we've messed with the Monster Blood, you were there by my side. Truthfully, I can't imagine a world without you. Maybe I can't control this stuff unless I have you beside me."

"But all those times, I forced you to use the Monster Blood, even when you didn't want to. You're afraid of the stuff because of me."

Evan shakes his head. Maybe there was some truth to that, but he didn't care at this point. "That doesn't matter right now. I need your help. Just like old times."

Evan holds out a hand for Andy to take, and she does. He grips it tightly.

"I love you, Andy," Evan tells her. He can feel himself blushing. "More than anything."

Andy's face goes red too, her eyes widened in surprise.

"Evan, you're an idiot" she says, before a smile breaks out on her face. "But I love you too."

Evan can hardly keep himself from smiling.

"Well, that took you guys long enough," Ricky says.

"You're right, Ricky," Andy says, "Now come on, let's destroy that fucking house."

We are not afraid. We are in control. Evan and Andy think in unison. We are not afraid. We are in control. We invoke this curse upon you!

The Monster Blood growls and passes over Dead House in a tsunami of green slime, completely encasing the house. The Monster Blood lets out a loud sucking noise as it absorbs the Dead House into its body, until the house itself is no more. Amanda and Josh start to cheer. Everyone joins in on their celebration.

Having absorbed Dead House, the Monster Blood has grown to massive proportions. But the house inside it is too much to contain. The slime lets out a series of loud gurgling noises before the Monster Blood explodes, covering the teens in slime. Whatever was trapped inside the Monster Blood spews out in the green explosion, including Mrs. Dark and Randy, both of whom appear alive, but rather shaken up.

"Oh, honey, I want a divorce!" Mrs. Dark says, wiping Monster Blood off her clothes.

All that's left of Dead House are bits of brick and wooden boards. Evan isn't sure if it's all in his head, but he can feel the gray cloud hovering over Dark Falls finally fading away, all those years of evil being washed away with Dead House's ultimate destruction.

"We did it!" Andy cheers.

Evan reacts in surprise as Andy pulls him by the collar into a kiss. He doesn't protest, kissing her back with a passion that feels like a thousand fireworks going off at once. Despite them being covered in Monster Blood, it's a pretty awesome kiss. The rest of Evan's friends cheer in celebration.

"Well isn't this sweet?" Mr. Dark asks. "Young love. You really think you can take everything from me and walk out of here alive? Take away my family? DESTROY MY HOUSE? This isn't over. DARK FALLS IS MINE!"

"No, Dark Falls is ours!" a voice rasps from behind Mr. Dark.

"Dark Falls is ours!" More harsh voices chant.

Evan turns to see a horde of the undead staggering behind Mr. Dark, all looking at him with hatred in their pale, lifeless eyes. Before long, Dark is surrounded by zombies.

"What is the meaning of this?" Mr. Dark asks. "I gave you everything you asked for!"

"No, you forgot one very important thing!" one of the undead says. "You forgot to feed us!"

"You want food?" Mr. Dark says. "There, there's ten fresh children over there for you to devour, and one ungrateful wife too!"

"You're not going to let them eat me too, are you, Dad?" Randy asks.

"I'm sorry, Randy, but you've disappointed daddy very much today. He's yours to eat if you want him!"

"We don't want them!" the undead creatures snap.

"Then what the hell do you want?" Mr. Dark asks. "You're wasting my precious time!"

The crowd of undead laugh, a horrible snicker that sounds hoarse and raspy.

"See, we're craving something a little… richer" one says. "We'll have all the time in the world, Lawrence, don't you worry, once you let us devour you, you'll be one of us forever! You'll always be a part of Dark Falls!"

Evan turns his head as the undead pounce at Mr. Dark. He doesn't want to watch what happens next. He can hear it though, can hear the agonizing sounds of Mr. Dark's screams as he's torn apart limb from limb by the undead inhabitants of Dark Falls. It's a sound Evan knows he'll never forget, the crunching of bones and the wet, squishing of blood and what Evan assumes must be Mr. Dark's various organs and other body parts as the undead bite into them with much glee.

"Lucille, darling, look away!" Mr. Dark says to his daughter, before his screams start up again.

Lucy does as her father instructs, averting her gaze away from the ongoing carnage. Evan can tell she's crying. He can't blame her.

"DARK FALLS IS OURS!" the undead chant in unison, their mouths full of Mr. Dark's flesh. They chew loudly on his remains.

Turning to the teens, the undead man Evan recognizes as Frank from the cemetery gives them all a smile, fresh blood dripping from his lips.

"Thank you children, for helping us finally get rid of that vile man," Frank says, "I owe you all a debt of gratitude. From now on, remember that you're always welcome in Dark Falls!"

With that, the horde of undead shuffle off into the dark woods, vanishing into the night like ghosts, their faint groans and whispers becoming nothing more than white noise.

"It's really over," Evan says.

"Yeah. Hard to believe," Andy says.

Evan can't believe it either. Ever since he moved to Dark Falls, he's felt like he's been trapped in one long nightmare. Even as he sees the undead covered in Dark's blood, and as he feels Andy's hand gripping his, he wonders if this is really the end of all the horror. He looks around at his friends, all of them in similar disbelief.

Evan is about to open his mouth again when he hears faint static. Turning his head, Evan sees there's a news report playing on a small television, one of the few things to survive the destruction of Dead House. Evan recognizes the young blonde reporter from the show he watched with Lucy about the supernatural.

"This is Courtney King, reporting live from New York City, where what appear to be giant plants are attacking the city."

On the screen, massive green tendrils are tearing through buildings. Citizens scream in horror as they're entangled in vines. What appears to be a large venus fly trap is on top of a skyscraper, mouth open wide.

"Reports that the plant attacks were caused by a breach from the facility of the so-called 'Reality Police', a shadow organization long thought to be a hoax are unverified," Courtney says, "Although one alleged escapee, 17 year old Matthew Amsterdam, has revealed his plans to take the Reality Police to court, alleging that the organization has kept him imprisoned since the young age of 12."

Shit, Evan thinks. He can't believe it. He was so caught up in celebrating the victory over Mr. Dark that he forgot all about his deal with Dr. Brewer. No doubt the mad scientist successfully escaped the Reality Police and was now leading an army of monsters across the country. It's cruel, Evan thinks, even in death, Mr. Dark is getting what he wanted, the whole world would know about monsters soon enough, and they'd learn it the hard way.

"Witnesses from at least 23 different states are reporting sightings of everything from vampires and werewolves to evil lawn gnomes. One small Ohio town has even reported seismic activity from what appear to be giant worms bursting from the ground. Again, this has been Courtney King, reporting to you the news that our government would most likely prefer to conceal from us. I fear we may be in the end times. As for now, please stay tuned."

Everyone turns to look at Evan.

"Evan. You wouldn't happen to know anything about this, would you?" Andy asks.

"Um… maybe?" he shrugs."Hey, I had to escape from jail one way or another. How was I supposed to know the mad scientists plant guy didn't have the best intentions?"

"Welp," Ricky says, "Here we go again."

As Evan waits for the barrage of insults to get thrown his way, a black limousine pulls up, driven by Curly the Skeleton. Evan wonders if it used to be Mr. Dark's.

"Boo dudes!" Curly says, "Here's your parents back, or whatever!"

Out of the limo steps everyone's parents, all of them looking confused. Evan prays they're free from King Jellyjam's mind control.

Carly Beth wastes no time to rush over to her mother, who welcomes her daughter with a hug.

"Oh, Carly Beth," Mrs. Caldwell says, "I'm so glad you're safe!"

"Me too, Mom," Carly Beth says, "Me too."

Others run off to reunite with their parents as well. Evan sees Amy talking with her Mom and Dad.

"Slappy came back," she tells them, "I beat him. He's not going to be hurting anyone ever again."

Mr. and Mrs. Kramer look at each other with frightened expressions.

"We knew you could do it," Mr. Kramer says, "We're so proud of you, Amy."

"We kicked his ass!" Jerry is telling his parents.

"Way to go, Jer!" Mr. Hawkins says, ruffling his son's hair.

"Evan?" Mr. Ross asks. "Are you alright? You've seen what's happening on the news, haven't you?"

Evan's parents stop as they notice the wreckage in front of them, everyone soaked in Monster Blood.

"Is that… Monster Blood?" Mrs. Ross questions.

"Evan, you've been telling us the truth the whole time, haven't you?" Mr. Ross asks.

Evan looks at Andy, who gives him a playful elbow in the side before he looks back to his parents with a smile that's not going to fade anytime soon.

"I sure was, Dad," Evan says, "I sure was."

Evan walks to his parents, still holding hands with Andy.

"Now, there's someone I'd like to reintroduce to you guys."

Chapter Text

Evan's not sure how exactly much time has passed since Mr. Dark was beaten and Dead House was destroyed, but it feels already like a lifetime ago. Even as he finds himself back in the town of Dark Falls, hand-in-hand with his girlfriend, Andy, looking upon the ground where Dead House once stood, tall and terrifying, everything that occurred feels like nothing more than a faint nightmare in his head. Perhaps it's better to remember it this way, Evan tells himself. It feels even stranger still to finally call Andy his girlfriend after years of being just friends. Though they had tried the whole relationship thing before years ago, this time feels different somehow. Like it will actually stick. Maybe because they've finally accepted their faults, having overcome the horror Dark Falls threw at them, coming out stronger for it, not just individually, but stronger together than they'd ever been. When Evan told his parents they were dating again, they were less than thrilled, though truthfully he didn't care what they thought. He loved Andy. That was all that mattered. They'd have to come around to her whether they liked it or not.

In the remains of Dead House, bright orange jack-o'-lanterns are lit at every corner, carved with sinister-looking expressions that glare back at Evan and Andy like they're filled with mischievous thoughts. From the decaying elm trees, plastic skeletons swing in the breeze from thin strings wrapped around the branches, their glow-in-the-dark bones rattling with each hypnotic motion.

Large cutouts of black cats, witches, and ghosts are hung up on the garage doors of long abandoned houses. There's even more dead leaves than usual, Evan thinks, all of them twirling into the air in an eerie spiral, floating past the moon, glowing with an ominous yellow light above them.

It's Halloween night. Truthfully, Evan never liked the holiday, especially after his first encounter with Monster Blood. Just the mere sight of all the various costumed creatures was enough to bring all that fear back. Worst of all, he hated the witches with their pointy hats, long noses and green skin. Real witches were dangerous, Evan thought, not something to be joked about. Whenever the 31st of October came around, Evan would lock himself in his room, not even coming out to trick-or-treat no matter how much Andy asked, not even when she asked if he wanted to cover Conan's house with toilet paper or egg Mr. Murphy's car. But that was years ago. Evan no longer felt the same fear he had as a child. In fact, Halloween seemed rather tame in comparison to everything he went through.

It was Jerry's idea to throw a Halloween party in the first place, the biggest Halloween party in the history of Halloween parties. Jerry said they all deserved to enjoy some spooky fun, the kind without any actual danger involved. Evan couldn't disagree. Everyone had shown up to celebrate the holiday, everyone except for Amanda and Josh, who, it seemed, had finally given up their job of hunting the undead to pursue a more healthy life. Evan was happy for them. If anyone deserved a little peace, it was the Benson siblings. Before Amanda left, she had given them all a heartfelt goodbye, thanking them for finally allowing her and Josh to move on. Evan would never forget her, he knew that, especially as he kept a copy of Welcome to Dead House on him at all times. Amanda was right about one thing, real life would always be scarier than fiction.

Evan had suggested to Andy they wear a couple's costume, but Andy thought that was a dorky idea. She joked that he should dress up as a scantily clad witch and when Evan bought one off Amazon for cheap, Andy nearly died laughing. Ultimately, neither of them ended up wearing a costume at all, going the easy route by scribbling Thing 1 and Thing 2 in black marker across plain orange t-shirts. Andy, of course, was as colorful as ever, her mohawk orange and black and sporting long purple stockings with pumpkins and black cats across them.

As Evan and Andy walk into the crowded party scene, Ricky Beamer raises a glass full of fruit punch in their honor, standing side by side with Lucy Dark. Since Mr. Dark's defeat, Ricky had been spending more and more time as a Creep than as a regular teen. Surrounded by dozens of monsters, Ricky saw no reason to conceal his monster form here either, and was gripping his red solo cup with a large purple claw. Evan didn't mind though, really. Ricky was still Ricky, and Evan enjoyed having a big purple lizard for a friend.

"Look at this, the lovebirds!" Ricky says with a snarl.

"I'd say the same about you two," Evan teases.

Lucy laughs. "Are you joking? My boyfriend's a total Creep!"

"Hey, I am a Creep!" Ricky says, "But I'd call you anytime, babe."

Evan has to gag a little. He and Andy are never this affectionate in public. It wasn't exactly a big secret, obviously, but Lucy and Ricky had started dating. It was a strange pairing, Evan thought, but he wished them the best and they seemed happy together. Like Ricky, Lucy had embraced being a monster thanks to her boyfriend's encouragement, and as a result, it was hard to look away from the two. They'd be winning scariest costumes for sure.

In the wake of her father's death, Lucy now lived with her mother and brother Randy, a happier family now than they'd been when Mr. Dark was alive. According to Lucy, her mother even had a new girlfriend, a woman named Ellie. Together, the remaining Dark family members were working hard to foster better relations between humans and monsters.

"And how are you holding up, Evan?" Lucy asks. "Andy?"

"Taking things one day at a time," Evan says.

"Oh, I'm living the dream," Andy says.

Lucy nods, "I'll be glad to leave this town behind for good."

"Hey, Ginger, There's someone I want you to meet," Ricky says,

From the crowd, Ricky grabs the attention of a burly-looking teen with long, wavy brown hair and dark eyes. The boy is dressed like a werewolf.

"This is my friend, Grady," Ricky says, "His parents are scientists. They're the ones who helped me deal with my whole Creep transformation issue."

Evan's eyes widen, and he shakes Grady's hand, a rubber glove with thick brown hair glued on.

"Nice to meet you, Grady," Evan says. "So you're a werewolf?"

Grady looks at Ricky with a glare. "You told him?"

Ricky shrugs. "Truthfully, I didn't expect you guys to ever meet in person."

"You're a werewolf dressed like a werewolf?" Andy asks.

"Hey, it throws off suspicion," Grady tells her, "Nobody expects the most obvious werewolf to actually be one, right?"

"You have a point." Andy tells him.

"I gotta tell you, it would have been useful to have a werewolf on our team," Evan says.

Grady laughs. "I'm afraid I wouldn't have been much use without the full moon."

"Well, it was nice meeting you anyway,"

"You too, Evan." Grady says. "Maybe you can join Ricky and I sometime on our nightly hunts."

"I'll think about it," Evan says.

What the hell were they hunting? Evan doesn't want to know.

In addition to Grady, there are plenty of unfamiliar faces present at the party. Evan had been working with Ricky to track down all the other kids invited to Dark Falls and learn their stories. If there was one thing he had learned from his time at Dark Falls it was that kids like him needed someone who could understand their trauma. Evan knew some would need more help than others in conquering their demons, and he was willing to do whatever necessary to help them do that. In the months that followed the final battle at Dead House, Evan had talked to a handful of other teens who were willing to disclose their pasts. Kids like Greg Banks, a boy who's life was nearly ruined thanks to an evil camera. Evan was trying his best to coach him in dealing with his fears. According to Greg, there wasn't a night where he didn't dream of that evil camera. It had even discouraged him from becoming a photographer. Evan could see Greg in the crowd now. As he and Andy waved through it, he gave him a wave. Evan thinks he looks strangely like Ryan Gosling. Right now Greg is making small talk with another teen dressed as The Elastic Boy.

Evan recognizes a few others. The boy in the bee costume is Gary Lutz, who Evan learned had once swapped bodies with an actual bee. Strangely enough, it wasn't the only story of animal transformation Evan had heard. Just last month, he received an email from a Crystal and Cole, two former kids turned chickens turned pigs and back again. The list of names was endless. Evan wasn't sure how he could get through them all, but he was sure going to try.

Evan wasn't the only one trying to help others. Amy Kramer had started a support group for former victims of Slappy, meeting every week to discuss their experiences with the evil dummy. Evan was amazed at just how many kids there really were, though he had really only remembered just a few of their names. Kris. Lindy. Trina. Jillian. Britney. Jackson, and even Amy's own sister, Sara. Evan still texted Amy from time to time, and she said it was remarkable how much their stories had in common. Amy had incinerated Slappy not long after Mr. Dark's death, though Evan knew she's still preparing for the day the dummy might return to wreak more havoc. Amy invited her whole group to the party, and was currently conversing with them over snacks.

"Come on," Andy urges Evan forward, "I want to say hi to CB. Have you seen Conan anywhere either?"

Evan looks around. There's not a sign of Conan. As much as it felt weird to say, Evan finally considered Conan something of a friend, not just an acquaintance, but someone who would actually help him if he needed it. Evan stops.

"Wait. Found him."

Evan and Andy watch as Conan does his own little party trick, impressing the guests as he makes clones of himself. Now this is terrifying, Evan thinks, multiple Conans at the same party spelled trouble. Andy just laughs.

Finally, they find Carly Beth, currently sharing a kiss with a dark haired girl Evan realizes must be her girlfriend, Sabrina. Evan is surprised by their choice of costume, Carly Beth as Chucky, the killer doll, and Sabrina, Chucky's bride. Evan's willing to bet Carly Beth's mom made them herself.

"Ooh, are we interrupting something?" Andy asks with a coy smile.

Carly Beth laughs. "Not at all. This is Sabrina. She's saved my life more times than I can count." she says.

Sabrina scoffs, "She's too modest."

"We know," Evan says, "Your girlfriend is really brave,"

Sabrina smiles. "I know that too."

Andy shakes Sabrina's hand, and Evan follows.

"We've all heard so much about you, Sabrina. You know, you missed a lot of action up here," Andy says.

"For once, I'm glad I missed it," Sabrina replies, "I've had enough scares to last me a lifetime."

"Haven't we all?" Evan asks.

He and Andy keep walking. They don't have a direction in mind, they just walk. Walk until they find a quiet spot where Evan and Andy can share another kiss. Around them, the oranges and blacks of Halloween become a blur, bleeding together into one color. It's a color that, at the very least, isn't slime green.

***********************************************************************************************************************

Evan can hardly believe it's been a year since his time in Dark Falls. It hadn't taken long for his family to move all the way back to Atlanta, but Evan welcomed the idea of living in a place that wasn't inhabited by the undead. Andy didn't complain either. The only thing he would miss were his new friends, though he would always cherish the short time they were able to bond together. Deep down, Evan knows he'll see them again. Maybe not soon, but sometime in the future, when hopefully all the stories they had to share had happy endings.

As for Evan, he did the unthinkable. He graduated from high school. Evan always imagined what it would be like when the day finally came, when he could say goodbye to teachers, classrooms, and textbooks, but now that it's here, it all feels rather anticlimactic. Maybe it's because he spent so long thinking that his graduation would be ruined by Monster Blood again. Now that would be a day to remember.

Getting home from his ceremony, Evan finds Andy waiting for him, sitting on his bed without a care in the world. Cuddles is in her lap, and Evan sees she's gently stroking the hamster's fur.

Recently, Andy had taken to climbing in through his window. Of course, she had graduated too, but the idea of actually sitting through the whole boring thing was, according to Andy, totally lame.

"Look at you," Andy says, "Getting all educated."

"Hard to believe, huh? On to greener pastures."

Evan cringes at the word green. While his parents weren't totally happy, he had made the decision to move into a new place with Andy. He still wasn't completely sure where they'd end up, but both agreed they were in need of a change of scenery.

Andy nods. "Hey, I got you a present. A little graduation gift, I guess."

"Oh boy. What is it?"

Andy smirks. "Let me get it."

From her pocket, she pulls out a dusty blue can made of plastic. Evan doesn't even need to read the can, though he does it out of instinct alone. MONSTER BLOOD, it says in dripping letters.

"Can you believe it?" Andy asks. "An original can! Talk about nostalgia. Pretty sure this is a collector's item now."

"Andy, please tell me you're joking." Evan pleads.

Andy's expression grows serious before a smirk creeps across her lips.

"Of course I'm joking, dumbass!"

Andy opens the can and Evan finds himself flinching. Out of the can flies one of those fake plastic snakes.

"Gotcha!" Andy snickers.

"That was so funny I forgot to laugh," Evan tells her.

"Oh, cheer up," Andy says, "Here's your real gift."

Andy gives him a peck on the lips.

Evan smiles. "I like that one better."

"I figured you would. By the way, you got a letter in the mail." Andy says, handing him a crumpled up letter.

Evan raises an eyebrow and takes the envelope. It looks badly chewed up, like it got lost in the mail or something. Evan tears it open, his curiosity getting the best of him, reading the letter inside.

DEAR EVAN ROSS,

YOU AND ONE SPECIAL GUEST ARE CORDIALLY INVITED TO THE GRAND RE-OPENING OF HORRORLAND, WHERE NIGHTMARES COME TO LIFE!

"Fuck that," Evan doesn't even read the rest before he crumples up the letter and throws it in the trash. He's had enough horror in his life.

"Hey!" Andy yells, plucking it out of the trash. "It says we can go there for free! I'm holding onto this, it could be fun! You know, like a little mini vacation?"

"I'm going to ignore the fact you picked that out of the garbage," Evan tells her, "Don't you think we could go somewhere that isn't, well, scary?"

"I guess," Andy says "What did you have in mind?"

Evan pauses. In truth, he did have one spot in mind they could go. He hoped Andy would react positively.

"It's a small little town," Evan says, "Called Shadyside."

"Sounds… peaceful." Andy says.

"I think it will be," Evan replies, "I really think it will."