Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Killer Capital, USA. After a week of terror, Shadyside continues to live up to its twisted nickname. Clad in a Halloween skull mask, Shadyside High graduate Ryan Torres kicked off the days of terror with a massacre at the mall. And now an already mourning community is plunged into horror yet again as the sheriff’s department reports more carnage at East Union Medical. Police believe the murders were fueled by amphetamines. Local teenagers Kate Schmidt and Simon Kalivoda are the primary suspects. The scene of the final carnage was the local grocery store. Sheriff Nice Goode found the Grab and Bag soaked in blood and broken dreams,” the newscast blared, and the woman sitting on the couch watching felt herself grow sick to her stomach. An alarm going off snapped her out of her daze, reminding her that it was time for dinner. She quickly turned off the TV and headed to the kitchen, trying to shake off the disturbing news. As she prepared and ate her meal, she sat there, lost in thought.

“Major, Jesus! Goddammit!” The woman yelled as her dog started barking for dinner.

“You’re an impatient bastard, aren’t you?” She asked dryly as she fed him.

After going through the rest of her evening routine, she ended up falling asleep on the couch, the TV playing softly in the background. Rapid knocking on her front door jerked her out of a dead sleep, and she froze as her mail slot was opened and a flashlight shone through, illuminating the dark room. The woman’s heart raced as she scrambled off the couch, scooped up her dog, and rushed to her bedroom.

“It’s okay. You stay here. I'm gonna keep us safe, okay?” The woman whispered as she locked Major in her closet.

She crept out of her room, studiously ignoring the whimpering of her canine companion. She grabbed a kitchen knife and waited, breath shaking as the kitchen window was opened. After a moment, she lashed out, grabbed an arm, and threw that person to the floor.

“Don’t fucking move!” She screeched, knife raised.

“Wait, wait! Stop, please! Please! We called you,” the girl on the floor gasped. The woman blinked, recognizing the girl's voice from the phone call she received earlier. She glanced at the window, seeing the boy with her, and lowered the knife.

“Why the hell would you come here?” C. Berman hissed, her heart still pounding with adrenaline.

“No!” C. Berman snapped upon seeing the possessed girl in the trunk of Deena and Josh’s car. “No, no, no! You need to leave! Right now! You have no idea what you’re doing!”

“Wait! Yeah, exactly. You are the only person who knows what we’re dealing with,” Deena said, desperation evident in her voice.

“I don’t want that thing anywhere near me. Get that car and it off my property,” C. Berman said, near-snarling.

“Her name is Sam. You could’ve watched us dead on the six o'clock news, but you didn’t. You called us back,” Deena said quietly.

“I can’t help you with this!” C. Berman exclaimed, fear evident in her eyes.

“You are our last chance! The witch—” Deena said, but C. Berman shook her head.

“No, I’m sorry,” she muttered, moving to go back inside her house, but Deena stopped her.

“My girlfriend is possessed by her and tied up in a trunk, but you…you saw her and you survived. What was different? Please. Maybe something happened to you, something that can help us stop her,” Deena pleaded, desperation creeping back into her voice.

“There’s not! You can’t stop her. Run, far as you can, fast as you can! That is your only chance,” C. Berman said, going back to her house.

“Look, I can’t just run! Look, Sam…I can’t let her die. I won’t! I love her. Please!” Deena said, miserable and teary-eyed. C. Berman paused, turning back to Deena, and something in her expression flickered and softened slightly.

“Just keep her away from Major Tom,” C. Berman ordered before marching back into her house. Deena and Josh shared a look before grabbing Sam and following C. Berman back inside. After tying Sam up in the bathroom, Deena and Josh stood awkwardly in the living room, waiting for C. Berman to find what she was looking for.

“It’s completely fine. She’s tied up in the bathroom, so she, like, totally can’t leave now. We’re cool,” Josh said when C. Berman gave them a look of wary cautiousness. Sam let out a loud snarl from the bathroom, causing Deena and Josh to exchange nervous glances.

“Yep, cool. Cool, cool,” Josh repeated, and C. Berman sighed, shaking her head in exasperation before pointing to the couch.

“Take a seat,” she told them. Deena and Josh quickly obeyed, sitting down on the couch as instructed. C. Berman then sat in the loveseat across from them, a journal in her hands.

“In Shadyside,” she began, opening the journal slowly, “the past is never really past.”

C. Berman gingerly flipped through the pages, looking like she was on the verge of a mental breakdown.

“This was July…12th,” she forced out, tossing a Polaroid on the coffee table in front of Deena and Josh. The photo showed two teenagers, one smiling and the other frowning, unaware of the horrors that awaited them.

“The summer of 1978. The first day of camp,” C. Berman whispered, her eyes filled with a mixture of fear and nostalgia.

“A week later, my sister was gone,” she added, her voice barely above a whisper, as if afraid of what memories might resurface. 

Deena and Josh exchanged a concerned glance, each seeing the weight of the situation. They knew there was more to the story, and they were determined to learn the truth behind C. Berman's troubled past.

Chapter Text

"Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit!" Ziggy Berman gasped as she ran through the woods.

The branches clawed at her arms and face, leaving stinging welts in their wake. She could hear the distant footsteps behind her, growing louder with each passing second. Ziggy's heart pounded in her chest as she pushed herself to run faster, desperate to escape. All of a sudden, she ran into something, and she toppled to the ground, clutching her nose. When her vision cleared, she sat up, scowling when she saw Sheila and her cronies standing there with smirks on their faces.

Sheila sneered, "You're gonna hang, witch."

Seconds later, Ziggy's wrists were bound in rope, and she was being dragged towards a nearby tree.

"Before the witch's final breath, she found a way to cheat her death. By cutting off her wicked hand, she kept her grip upon our land. She reaches from beyond the grave to make good men her evil slaves. She'll take your blood, she'll take your head, she'll follow you until you're dead!" The teenagers chanted in unison as Ziggy's eyes widened in terror. The legend of the witch's curse echoed in her mind as she struggled against her restraints, desperately trying to break free.

"String her up," Sheila ordered, and Ziggy's arms were forced up as the rope was tightened around her wrists, cutting off circulation.

"No, stop it! Stop it! Stop!" Ziggy shrieked, anger etched across her face. "Let me down, you shits! Let me down!"

Sheila just searched her pockets, smirking when she found what she was looking for.

"Well, well. What do we have here?" Shelia asked rhetorically, waving around the money.

"Goddamn thief!" Will Goode spat, his eyes filled with contempt as he glared at Ziggy.

"No, no, she's no thief. She's possessed by the witch. The only way to explain her psycho behavior," Sheila said condescendingly as she counted the stolen money in her hand.

"Fuck you!" Ziggy snarled, swinging her elbow around and smacking Sheila across the face.

"Guess we're even now," Ziggy grinned maniacally, seeing the blood dripping from Sheila's nose.

"You do know what they did to Sarah Fier, right? They hanged her, from this very tree," Sheila said, her voice cold as she pointed to the large oak Ziggy was tied to. "But she'd have died forever if you did what you always do to witches…You burn them."

Ziggy's heart dropped, but she refused to show fear.

"Give me your lighter!" Sheila ordered, her eyes filled with malice as she turned to Will.

"What?" Will sputtered in confusion at Sheila's sudden demand.

"Give it to me!" Sheila snarled, grabbing the lighter from Will's pocket and igniting it.

"Now hold her legs," she said, a wicked smile spreading across her face as she glared at Ziggy.

"Seriously, Sheila?" Her friend asked, not believing what was happening.

Sheila's eyes flashed with anger as she responded, "Do it!"

Ziggy felt a surge of panic as Will and the girl hesitantly obeyed Sheila's command, realizing the danger she was in.

"No, no, no! Stop it! Stop! Stop! Stop! Stop!" Ziggy shrieked, trying to wrestle her legs away from Will and the girl, but they held her down with surprising strength.

"Shut up, you witch!" Sheila sneered, the flame in her hand growing larger and hotter.

"Sheila! You made your point," Sheila's other friend said, trying to intervene before things escalated further.

"Don't! Don't!" Ziggy snapped wildly.

"Sheila, it was only ten bucks," Will said, trying to reason with her. Sheila's eyes flashed with anger as she ignored Will's plea and brought the flame dangerously close to Ziggy's face.

"Are we really gonna do this?" someone said, but Ziggy shrieked in pain as she felt the fire singe her arm.

"Sheila!" another person tried to argue.

"No, no, no!" Ziggy gasped, trying to get away.

"Sheila!" someone shouted desperately. A loud whistle made Sheila wrench the lighter away from Ziggy and shove it into her pocket.

"Shit! Will, it's your brother," Sheila hissed through clenched teeth. Will's heart sank as he saw his brother and another counselor running toward them.

"The hell is this? Let her down!" Nick Goode shouted, rushing forward to separate Sheila from Ziggy.

"Nick, I can explain!" Will tried, but Nick glaring at him shut him up.

"Let her down, Will. I swear to God I'll tell Mom!" Nick snapped, grabbing Sheila by the arm and pulling her away from Ziggy. Will untied the rope, allowing Ziggy to collapse to the ground in relief.

"I went back to my cabin, and the door was open. The next thing I knew, all my money was gone, and Ziggy was just sprinting away," Sheila said a few minutes later, finishing up her version of events.

"Because you were chasing me," Ziggy interjected, pointing an accusing finger at Sheila.

"Ziggy! You talk when I tell you to talk," Kurt said, stepping forward with a stern expression.

"Did you see her take it?" Nick asked, and Sheila scoffed.

"Everyone did," Will said as Sheila and her two friends nodded vigorously.

"Alright. Well, that's it, Berman. Five strikes. You're out," Kurt said, making Ziggy sputter in shock.

"I'm out? They just tried to murder me!" She said, her voice rising in indignation.

"Yeah, and I'll deal with them," Kurt replied firmly. "But first, get back to camp, and call Mommy because you're done at Nightwing."

"I didn't do it," Ziggy said for what felt like the millionth time that day.

"Oh, yeah? Just like you didn't set the camp flag on fire? Or let out the camp rabbits? Or graffiti the outhouse stalls?" Kurt countered, raising an eyebrow skeptically. Ziggy's face flushed with anger as she clenched her fists, feeling unfairly accused.

"I warned you—" Kurt said, pointing at Ziggy.

"Kurt. It's not her fault. Really. She's possessed by Sarah Fier," Sheila said, making Ziggy turn her anger-filled stare toward her.

"Oh, you—!" Ziggy muttered, stomping toward Sheila, but Nick was quick to hold her back.

"Hey, hey, hey!" Kurt yelled, glaring harder at Ziggy.

"Look, we kick her out, somebody's gonna ask about the burn on her arm. Then who's in trouble? Huh? Why don't we just let this one slide? Yeah?" Nick said, trying to diffuse the situation. Kurt thought it over before nodding like it made sense.

"Alright. But one more strike, and you're out for real. You hear me, Berman? One more," Kurt warned, crossing his arms.

"Being bossed around by a Goode. Wow. Some things never change," Ziggy said as Nick let her go. Ziggy then raced off, unable to stand being around Sunnyvalers for more than a few more minutes.

"Hey. Should have Nurse Lan check that burn out," the familiar voice of Nick Goode said from beside her. Unamused that he had followed her, Ziggy let out a huff.

"I think I'm gonna let it get infected and die," she muttered as she rolled her eyes and continued on her way, determined to avoid any further interactions with the Goode family.

"I don't get a thank you?" Nick teased. Ziggy screeched to a halt and turned to face him, scowling.

"Oh! I'm sorry, I forgot! Thank you, King of Sunnyvale, future police chief Nick Goode, for rescuing poor, helpless Shadysider me! How could I ever repay you? Oh, I know. I'll bat my eyes at you like all the other dumbass girls," Ziggy said sarcastically, her tone dripping with disdain.

She then flipped him off before stomping into Camp Nightwing, leaving Nick standing there with a dumbfounded expression on his face. As she disappeared into the camp, Ziggy couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction at putting him in his place. As she walked through the camp, Ziggy couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction at putting him in his place.

"Color War begins tonight, guys! Line up and grab a shirt! Do you have a shirt?" Ziggy heard Counselor Gary say as she passed by.

"Blue is for beautiful if you live in Shadyside! Red is for radiance if you live in Sunnyvale! Despite our differences, we're all perfect! Even you, Ziggy Berman!" Ziggy heard Counselor Joan call out before a blue T-shirt smacked her in the face. Ziggy rolled her eyes and caught the shirt, squinting at Joan with a sense of annoyance. 

"What is this gunk?" Cindy Berman grunted as she and her boyfriend, Tommy Slater, cleaned the outhouse. She was trying to get some sort of red moss off the toilets with little success.

"It just…it won't come off!" She exclaimed in frustration.

Tommy looked at her, highly amused, and replied, "That stuff's been up there forever, babe. Just gotta give that up."

Cindy threw him a look over his shoulder before turning back to the toilet with determination.

"Tommy!" she exclaimed.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Tommy chuckled and shook his head, knowing Cindy's stubbornness was unlike anything else. "You're right. It's just, you know, Color War is tonight."

"I'm well aware," Cindy told him as she continued to scrub.

"We also have to get the mess hall ready," Tommy continued.

"Oh my gosh," Cindy said, and Tommy glanced over to see Cindy gaping at a red stain on her polo shirt.

"Oh my gosh. This gosh darn moss! It's…it's all over me!" Cindy complained as she got to her feet. Tommy couldn't help but laugh at Cindy's frustration, knowing that her perfectionism would never allow her to leave a job half-done.

"Oh, hey! It's okay! This isn't a big deal," he said with a smile.

"What? No, it's not okay! It—it—it's stained!" Cindy exclaimed, her voice rising in panic.

"Only Cindy Berman would expect to clean the outhouse and not get dirty," Tommy said, shaking his head in amusement.

"It's not funny!" Cindy said, pushing him slightly.

"It's kinda funny," Tommy countered before kissing her sweetly. Tommy's hand went lower before he retracted it when a sharp, stinging pain shot up his arm.

"Hey! What did we talk about?" Cindy said, pointing a finger at him. Tommy grinned, more amused at the fact that she smacked his hand away than the actual pain.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry," Tommy laughed, holding his hands up in surrender.

"You better be," Cindy said, poking his chest. They kissed a couple more times before Cindy felt a stab of realization.

"What is it?" Tommy asked, and Cindy frowned, knowing exactly who was missing.

"Where are they?" Cindy demanded, and Tommy sighed as Cindy whirled out of the outhouse and toward the counselor cabins, knowing that she was going to find their missing counselors no matter what it took. Cindy stepped into the cabin just as Alice and Arnie were finished screwing around.

Literally.

"Hey," Alice greeted as Cindy instantly averted her eyes.

"Um…what are you doing?" Cindy asked tersely.

"Three guesses," Alice said as Arnie pulled his pants up and smirked.

"Hey, careful. You don't wanna corrupt her virgin ears," Arnie said, and Cindy huffed at the bad joke.

"We still have to get everything ready for Color War. And you guys…uh, uh, have to finish cleaning the outhouse," Cindy said, trying to change the subject.

"We're doing the shit jobs all summer, and now we have to clean up actual shit? No," Alice said, giggling slightly.

"I'm sorry, but we don't have a choice," Cindy said as Arnie lit a joint.

"Shit," he muttered, "this is our last one, babe."

Alice groaned as she took a puff before giving it back to Arnie.

"What are you doing?" Cindy asked slowly.

"Three guesses," Alice said, making Arnie snort out a laugh.

"This isn't funny. We have a job to do. Alice, put that down," Cindy said.

"Or what? What, are you gonna snitch on me again?" Alice asked bitterly, "Okay. What if you go talk to your little friend Nurse Lane? About getting us some yellow jackets."

"Yes," Arnie agreed quickly.

"Or some red birds," Alice continued.

"Both," Arnie put out, nodding in agreement.

"And then we'll scrub all the shit you want," Alice finished.

"Yellow jackets, red—what?" Cindy asked, confused.

"Drugs, baby, drugs. Just hook us up," Arnie said, a mischievous grin spreading across his face.

"No! No, I won't do that!" Cindy denied. "Some people actually want to do things with their lives. So stop screwing with mine and just do your jobs, please!" 

"Maybe you should have considered that before blasting Captain and Tennille for two hours straight. Snitch," Alice said. With that, Cindy turned on her heel and marched out of the cabin.

"Hey!"

Cindy jumped when Kurt called out to her, and she paused, wondering what he wanted.

"Where have you been? I've been looking all over. Your sister—" Kurt said before pausing and sniffing deeply. "Cindy Berman, that smell better be skunk."

Cindy rolled her eyes and just asked, "What about my sister?"

"Nurse Lane! Hello! I'm in trouble again. Help," Ziggy said boredly as she entered the infirmary to get her burn checked out. The infirmary was oddly quiet, with only the sound of a distant clock ticking and the faint hum of the air conditioning.

"Nurse Lane, come on! I could die any minute now," Ziggy said loudly, hoping to get a response from the nurse, who was usually quick to attend to the needs of the campers. She glanced around, noticing the neatly organized shelves of medical supplies and the empty chairs in the waiting area, wondering where Nurse Lane could be. Seeing the infirmary office door ajar, Ziggy wandered over to it and peeked inside, only to find no Nurse Lane. Just a desk with some paperwork on it along with an open journal.

"Nurse Lane?"

Ziggy inched inside, looking around a little.

"Nurse Lane?"

There was no response, only silence greeting Ziggy as she stepped further into the office, feeling a sense of unease creeping over her. She peeked at the journal, seeing a strange circular mark on one of the pages labeled "The Witch's Mark." Ziggy's curiosity piqued, she inspected the page further, finding a newspaper clipping of Nurse Lane's daughter, Ruby.

"What are you doing?"

Ziggy jerked around, gasping, "Oh, my God!"

Standing behind her was Nurse Lane in a simple sweater and dress, her eyes fixed on Ziggy with an intensity that sent shivers down her spine.

"Nurse Lane, you scared the shit outta me!" Ziggy laughed nervously. "Are you okay?"

"I am," Nurse Lane said, and Ziggy raked a hand through her hair. "Oh, my goodness."

Ziggy followed the nurse's stare to the burn on her arm, and she remembered the pain she felt when it happened.

"Ziggy, Ziggy, Ziggy. What did we do now?" Nurse Lane asked rhetorically. Nurse Lane grabbed something off a shelf and led Ziggy over to one of the beds in the room.

"Okay, so you are gonna apply this once a day for three days. Okay? It's gonna protect against infection," Nurse Lane said, her voice gentle but firm. Ziggy nodded, grateful for the nurse's quick response and care.

"It's gross," Ziggy said as Nurse Lane applied the cream to her burn.

"You'll survive," Nurse Lane said with a chuckle, finishing up the application.

"So, um…what's the Witch's Mark?" Ziggy asked curiously. Nurse Lane paused, looking at Ziggy with a mixture of seriousness and hesitation.

"You know about my daughter, right? Ruby Lane?" Nurse Lane asked instead.

"Uh, I don't—" Ziggy stuttered out.

"Of course you do," Nurse Lane interrupted, her eyes softening. "Everybody talks, I know. Tell me, what do they say?"

Ziggy swallowed, unsure if sharing the rumors would be appropriate.

"Uh, um…they say she, uh…she killed people…at a party. Seven, seven friends," Ziggy mumbled, feeling uncomfortable discussing such a sensitive topic. Nurse Lane nodded, her expression unreadable.

"Eight. She killed herself that night too. So eight," Nurse Lane said quietly, her voice filled with a mix of sadness and resignation. Ziggy's heart sank at the confirmation of the rumors, feeling a surge of sympathy for Nurse Lane and her daughter.

"Ruby was such a sweet girl. Oh, and she had such a sweet voice. She was in choir. She wanted to be a singer. I was so proud of her. So proud," Nurse Lane said as she started bandaging up Ziggy's arm. "The doctors say it was a psychotic episode, that she just snapped. But the kids…The kids say Sarah Fier made her do it."

"That's a little tight," Ziggy said, but Nurse Lane didn't seem to hear her.

"What do you think?" Nurse Lane asked quietly.

"I don't—"

"Because I think you don't go from being a sweet girl with dreams to ripping someone's insides out with a switchblade."

"Nurse Lane!"

"People usually kill for a reason, and sometimes that reason is justified. Sometimes killing isn't murder. Sometimes it's necessary."

"That's kind of hurting me."

"Sometimes it is good."

"Nurse Lane!"

Nurse Lane jerked to a stop, staring wide-eyed at Ziggy, who was now visibly shaken by the conversation.

"Once a day for three days, okay?" Nurse Lane said softly, realizing she had gone too far as she gave Ziggy the burn cream. The infirmary door swung open, and they both turned to see Cindy walk in with a forced smile on her face.

"Hi, Nurse Lane," Cindy greeted pleasantly.

"Hi, Cindy," Nurse Lane said softly.

"Ziggy," Cindy said, and Ziggy sighed.

"You realize what happens when you get kicked out, right? How awful that would be for me?" Cindy asked as she and Ziggy left the infirmary.

"Did someone do something to Nurse Lane? Like make fun of her daughter?" Ziggy asked, her brow furrowing in concern.

"Ziggy, are you listening to me?" Cindy asked.

"She was upset," Ziggy said, remembering the tense atmosphere in the infirmary.

"I don't care! Do you hear what I'm saying to you?"

"Loud and clear, ma'am."

"Well, clearly you don't, because we had this conversation last week and the week before that," Cindy said, exasperated.

"And again, I'm not gonna get kicked out," Ziggy said, rolling her eyes.

"That's not what Kurt thinks," Cindy warned.

"Yeah, well, Kurt can suck it," Ziggy said defiantly.

"No! Ziggy, no! If you get kicked out, I do too. Mom can't work and take care of you. Then how will I pay for college, huh?" Cindy asked, and Ziggy scoffed. "Oh, that's funny to you?"

"Yeah, kinda," Ziggy said, shrugging.

"Well, explain to me what's so funny," Cindy requested, raising her eyebrows in frustration.

"How dumb you are? No one gets out of this town, not even Miss Perfect," Ziggy said, side-eyeing Cindy, who looked hurt by the comment. "Bet on your way out you get run over by a bus."

"Once in your life, could you just not be so—so mean?" Cindy asked, her voice wavering with emotion.

"Could you, once in your life, just stop pretending? You're Shadyside, in case you forgot," Ziggy said, picking up a blue T-shirt and throwing it at Cindy, who caught it with a sigh as Ziggy stormed off, her red hair trailing behind her like a fiery comet. Cindy stared at the T-shirt in her hands, feeling a mix of anger and sadness wash over her. She knew deep down that Ziggy's harsh words were just a defense mechanism, but that didn't make them hurt any less.

"I swear to God everyone just wants to ruin my life," Cindy ranted to Tommy later as they cleaned the mess hall. "Alice just, like…She just won't let it go. It's like we're still 12 years old, and her whole goal in life is to—to punish me for something that wasn't even my fault."

"I can't believe you guys used to be friends," Tommy said, shaking his head in disbelief.

"And Ziggy…It's only a matter of time before she ends up in jail or worse. And I'm just trying to be a good role model and make something of myself. But no, no, I'm the stuck-up priss who hates fun, which isn't even true at all. I like fun. I like fun! I just…I just wanna get out of Shadyside. Is that so crazy?"

Cindy paused, taking a deep breath as her sponge ripped in half from the force of her scrubbing.

"Shit! Shit!" Cindy huffed, throwing the two halves to the ground.

"Did Cindy Berman just swear?" Tommy joked, grinning.

"Not now, Tommy! Not in the mood!" Cindy said, stalking to the storage room to get another sponge. As she grabbed a new sponge, Cindy muttered to herself, "It's okay. You're okay, you're okay. Just breathe."

Something shuffled from behind her, and Cindy gasped, spinning around to see nothing.

"Tommy, is that you? Tommy?" Cindy called, walking forward and into the kitchen, frowning when she saw a knife drawer open. She shut the door and walked back out to the main room, her heart racing.

"Tommy, what are you doing? You're really—" she said, her voice trembling slightly before pausing when she didn't see Tommy there. "—freaking me out."

"What is it, babe?" Tommy asked from behind her, causing Cindy to jump in surprise before sighing in relief. A floorboard creaked, and their attention was drawn to a familiar person walking in slowly.

"Nurse Lane?" Tommy asked, confused. Nurse Lane looked terrible. There were dark bags under her eyes, and she was trembling.

"I'm sorry. But I can't save you," Nurse Lane whispered, her voice barely audible. Tommy and Cindy exchanged worried glances, unsure of what she meant by that cryptic statement. The room suddenly felt colder as Nurse Lane continued to stare at them with a haunted expression.

"I saw your name," Nurse Lance continued, staring at Tommy, who, along with Cindy, became aware of the large kitchen knife in her hand.

"I saw it on the wall. One way or another, you're gonna die tonight," she told Tommy.

"What are you talking about?" Tommy asked before the nurse lunged towards him with the knife.

Cindy screamed in terror as Tommy blocked the attack, struggling to overpower Nurse Lane and protect himself. The sound of the struggle echoed through the empty mess hall, sending chills down Cindy's spine as she froze in fear. Somehow, Tommy managed to shove Nurse Lane off of him, causing her to hit her hand and collapse to the ground, unconscious.

Tommy and Cindy just stared at each other, shocked, before Cindy moved toward the phone to call for help, her hands trembling with the rush of adrenaline.

"You got some kind of history with her? She had a grudge against you?" A cop asked a little while later, and Tommy shook his head.

"No grudge. No, we barely ever talked. I—I go to get bug spray from her. That's it. It just…It doesn't make any sense," Tommy said, his voice shaky.

"Why…why would she do something like this?" Cindy asked, her voice filled with concern and confusion.

"She was nuts, just like her kid," the cop said, his tone grim.

"Nurse Lane, she never seemed crazy," Cindy said, her brow furrowed in disbelief.

"That's what she said about her kid, but sane people don't chop up their friends," the cop told her, his expression serious. "Now, tell me again what happened."

Tommy's voice faded into the background as Cindy looked over at Ziggy, who was off to the side with her arms crossed and a blank expression on her face.

"Hey, witch. So sorry. I know you and Nurse Psycho were close. You can visit her in jail now," Sheila told Ziggy, a smug smile playing on her lips. Ziggy's eyes narrowed, her jaw clenched in anger as she turned to face Sheila.

"Fuck off, Sheila," Ziggy replied, her voice cold and steady.

"By the way, you might wanna check your stuff. I think there was an accident in cabin five," Sheila said, and Ziggy knew immediately that Sheila was up to something. She hurried off to cabin five, her heart racing with anticipation and dread. Sirens wailed as the cop cars and the ambulance left Camp Nightwing, leaving behind a cold feeling of unease in the air. The feeling was gone when the dinner bell rang, drawing campers into the mess hall to eat.

The chatter of excited voices and clinking silverware filled the room, masking the tension that lingered beneath the surface.

"...Nurse Lane..."

"...daughter was Ruby Lane..."

"...killed seven friends..."

"...Color War...?"

"...it's tonight...!"

"...not cancelled..."

"She said one way or another, I was gonna die tonight," Tommy said, his voice trembling as he recounted the chilling words that still echoed in his mind.

"Spooky!" Gary said jokingly, and Joan nodded.

"The kiddos are right. That's, like, totally witchy behavior," she agreed as she rolled up a joint.

"It's just, there must be some explanation. The witch isn't real," Cindy said, trying to calm her friends' nerves as she took a sip of her drink.

"Like what?" Tommy asked softly.

"Well, maybe…" Cindy paused, glancing at Joan, who was still fiddling with her joint. "…maybe she was on something."

Joan scoffed and shook her head, "Drugs are peaceful, not violent."

"I'm not talking about marijuana," Cindy said.

"Just admit you're jealous that the witch wanted your hubby all to herself!" Gary teased, earning a shove from Tommy.

"Be serious, man," he replied, "why would Nurse Mary wanna do something like that? Why would she want me dead?"

"Oh, no, she wouldn't," Gary said.

"But the witch might!" he said at the same time as Joan, and they started giggling, exchanging knowing glances.

"Hey, they're just playing around. This was nothing, I promise," Cindy said quietly, seeing the fearful expression on Tommy's face.

"Did you see her eyes? There was something in there, something wrong," Tommy replied, just as quietly.

"Alright!"

Kurt's shout snapped everyone's attention.

"Chicks, dicks, listen up! We had a scary situation earlier, but we cannot let that mess with the most important night of our summer. Tonight is Sunnyvale vs. Shadyside. It is red vs. blue. It is good vs. evil. Tonight, we commencicate Color War!" Kurt shouted, earning claps and cheers from the campers.

"It's 'commence,' my God," Gary said, rolling his eyes.

"He might be dumb, but he's kinda shagadelic," Joan said, grinning.

"He's disgusting. You're disgusting," Gary said, shaking his head as Kurt continued to hype up the campers.

"Tonight's first event is Capture the Flag, baby. Yeah, yeah, yeah! Now, Sunnyvalers…we have never, ever…lost a Color War!" Kurt shouted, earning cheers from the campers wearing red T-shirts. "So let's not let tonight be a stain on our legacy. And let's go out there like our ancestors before us and murder those Shadyside witches!"

The campers erupted in excitement, ready to prove themselves in the upcoming competition. Kurt's enthusiasm was contagious, filling the air with a sense of determination and unity among the Sunnyvalers. Joan got to her feet and stood next to Kurt with a laugh.

"Uh, hi! Thank you, Kurt, for that neat-o speech. Now, Shadysiders, let's go out there and do our best, because even if we lose, we're still winners in our hearts," Joan said loudly, earning claps and cheers from the campers wearing blue T-shirts and boos from the campers wearing red T-shirts. Cindy frowned and quickly left the mess hall, intending to find Ziggy.

Ziggy slammed the base of the screwdriver into the lid of the paint can, hoping to loosen it enough to pry it off.

"What are you doing?" the familiar voice of Cindy asked.

"Art project," Ziggy said with a roll of her eyes.

"I need to talk to you."

"I'm not in the mood."

"Earlier you said Mary was upset."

"Oh, so now you care," Ziggy scoffed.

"Ziggy, this is serious," Cindy said with a furrowed brow.

"Yeah, well, it was serious earlier, and you didn't give a shit!" Ziggy said, slamming down the screwdriver, grabbed the paint can and a bucket, and marched out, Cindy hot on her heels.

"Come on, you were the last person to see her before she snapped!" Cindy protested, trying to keep up with Ziggy's quick pace. "What about drugs? Did you see any around?"

"She's a nurse, so yup."

"Well, did she mention anything or—"

"Nope."

"Ziggy, I'm just…I'm trying to understand what happened today."

"Who cares? It's over."

"Not for Tommy! He's still freaked out and acting weird and…It's just a big joke to everyone. 'Mary was possessed by the witch.'"

"Maybe it was the witch."

"Ziggy…"

"What? That doesn't fit your carefully constructed bullshit view of the world?"

"Why are you being like this?"

"I dunno. Maybe because Nurse Lane was the only person who was nice to me, and now her life is over because bad things always happen to Shadysiders."

"Nothing just happens. There's always a reason."

"Not always a rational one. Deep down, you feel it, don't you? Shadyside, there's something here. It's just holding us down, cursing us," Ziggy said as she stopped in front of a cabin door.

"Ziggy, that's enough," Cindy said quietly.

"You're too scared to admit it. When things go bad, you just wanna explain it away."

"I'm sorry. I'm not gonna blame everything on some fairy tale. Life sucks sometimes. I get that. I mean, God knows it's been hard since—" Cindy cut herself off, not wanting to say it.

"Since what? See, you can't even say it! Since Dad left. Since Mom started drinking. Since we're going to lose the house. And it's not gonna magically get better. And saving up all summer to buy a super cute polo shirt can't hide that. Trying to explain why nice old Nurse Lane almost lost it can't either. We're all cursed. For Mary, it was today. But someday, it'll be you. And this whole fake bullshit life of yours, it's gonna come crashing down."

"That's a horrible thing to say," Cindy said, teary-eyed and hurt by her sister's words. She knew deep down that Mary's situation was a wake-up call for her, but she wasn't ready to face the harsh reality just yet.

"It's not horrible if it's true," Ziggy said, with a coldness in her voice that sent shivers down Cindy's spine.

"I don't know who you are anymore, but…But you're not my sister," Cindy said, her voice breaking as she struggled to come to terms with the harsh truth that Ziggy was trying to convey.

"Then who am I?"

"A monster."

"That's what they say," Ziggy said, yanking the cabin door open and allowing Cindy to see the horrible insults scribbled on the wall around Ziggy's bed.

"Alright, alright, alright! Now, remember, keep at least three defenders by this all the time," Tommy instructed, wiggling the blue flag in his hands, and his campers nodded. "Alright? And who's the jailer?"

A boy by the name of Jeremy raised his hand, and Tommy gave him the flag with a proud smile.

"Okay, Jeremy, you may be the most important player in the, uh…" Tommy trailed off, a pounding in his head coming out of nowhere, and he groaned a little.

"Tommy…" a ghostly whisper murmured, curling around his ears like a chilling breeze.

"Tommy!"

Tommy snapped out of it, turning to Cindy, who looked extremely worried about him.

"Are you okay?" Cindy asked, concern etched on her face.

"Yeah, are you okay, Mr. Slater?" Jeremy asked hesitantly. Tommy forced a smile and nodded, trying to shake off the strange feeling that had just come over him.

"Yeah, I'm…I'm good, um…Why don't you guys get started? Go plant the flag. And I'll be right behind you. Okay? Let's go, Shadyside! Come on!" Tommy whooped, clapping his hands, and the campers scattered to follow his instructions, leaving Tommy alone with Cindy and the lingering sense of unease. As he watched them go, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was watching him from the shadows, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. With a shiver running down his spine, Tommy took a deep breath and forced himself to push aside his fears, determined to enjoy the rest of camp.

"Oh, man. My head is throbbing. She must've got me pretty good. Mary's stronger than she looks," Tommy said, rubbing his head.

"You need to lie down?" Cindy asked, but Tommy shook his head.

"No. No, I'm alright. I'm alright," he soothed, trying to reassure himself as much as Cindy.

"Good, I need your help and the key to the infirmary," Cindy said with a hopeful look on her face.

Everything was quiet at Camp Nightwing, except for the playful shouting of campers in the woods and the crackle of the occasional fireplace.

The sun had nearly set, casting a warm orange glow over the trees and creating long shadows across the clearing.

As darkness crept in, the sounds of nature began to take over, signaling the start of another peaceful night at the camp.

The lock on the infirmary was opened, and both Cindy and Tommy walked in, dim lamps illuminating the room. Cindy shivered as a cold draft swept through the building, causing her to glance nervously at the dark corners. She couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched.

"So, what exactly are we looking for?" Tommy asked curiously.

"Answers," Cindy said, giving the keys back to Tommy.

"Come on, Cindy. It doesn't matter, alright?"

"It matters. There's a reason Mary did what she did and said what she said. We're gonna figure it out. Now," Cindy insisted, her voice firm.

"Come on, Cindy. Please, I…" Tommy just sighed as Cindy stubbornly ignored him and started rooting through the drawers in the infirmary office.

"No label, half-empty. Like I said, she was on drugs," Cindy said, holding up a pill bottle. "We just have to get these to the cops, and they'll tell us what they…"

Cindy paused, staring at the journal Tommy pulled out from under random paperwork.

"What is that?" Cindy asked, her curiosity piqued.

"'A deal was made with the Devil. Sarah Fier cut off her wicked hand on Satan's stone in exchange for eternal life, scarring the soil beneath with the witch's mark, bringing Darkness upon the land'," Tommy read aloud, his voice filled with unease, and Cindy just sighed, rolling her eyes. A glass abruptly broke, getting their attention, and they froze.

"Did you hear that?" Tommy whispered, and he stepped out of the office slowly. "Hello? Hello, is somebody in there?"

A figure jumped out with a shout, making him jump before he relaxed. Alice was laughing at him as Arnie stepped out from his hiding spot.

"Come on, that's not funny," Tommy said as Cindy joined them, frowning.

"Alice? What are you doing here?" Cindy questioned, looking confused. Alice just grinned, staring at the pill bottle in Cindy's hand, and replied, "Looks like we're both here for the same thing. Must really want me to scrub those toilets."

"This isn't for you," Cindy huffed, pocketing the pill bottle.

"Whoa, Berman. I didn't know you were into that kind of thing," Arnie said, looking amused.

"They're not for me. I'm giving them to the cops," Cindy insisted.

"Oh, yeah, the cops. Yeah, right, of course. No, what are you talking about? What, now you're gonna snitch on Mary too?" Alice asked, raising an eyebrow. Cindy sighed, shaking her head, sputtering.

"Gonna give this to the cops too?" Arnie asked, snatching the journal out of Tommy's grip and holding it up.

"Give that back!" Tommy snapped, trying to grab it, but Arnie just tossed it to Alice, who immediately started flipping through it.

"'She emerged by the Meeting House, one hand severed, lost forever. We hanged the witch, body chained and buried, but without her hand, her grip on the land holds firm'," Alice read in a spooky voice. "This is Sarah Fier shit!"

"Alice, come on," Cindy complained, trying to take the journal back, but Alice dodged her attempt.

"'When she is near, blood will fall, and the curse will last until body and hand unite'," Alice finished.

"Alice, it's Mary's diary. Let's put it back," Cindy said, but Alice scoffed as Arnie looked at the journal over her shoulder.

"It's not just a diary. It's a map," Alice said gleefully.

"What?" Cindy asked, her nose scrunching up in confusion.

"Crazy Nurse Lane made a crazy map. It's camp, but it looks like she drew all over it. 1666 Union," Alice noted, and the teens gathered around to look at it.

"Union, that's Shadyside," Cindy said.

"What?" Alice asked.

"I mean the settlement before it was divided into Shadyside and Sunnyvale."

"Really?"

"If you went to class…"

"So the camp is built in the same place as the settlement?" Tommy asked, and Cindy nodded.

"Whoa, look, look, look! Sarah Fier!" Arnie said, pointing to a name and spot on the map.

"Do you think that's her house?" Alice asked, grinning.

"What are all the x's?" Arnie wondered, pointing to several locations marked with x's on the map.

"There's only one way to find out," Alice said before snapping the journal shut and grabbing Cindy's bag.

"Hey! That's my bag!" Cindy protested, but Alice was already heading towards the door.

"Arnie, flashlight," Alice ordered, and Arnie grabbed a couple of flashlights from the shelf before following Alice out the door.

"What is this shit?" Alice asked, pulling out the pill bottle.

"Let me see," Arnie requested, and Alice gave him a pill to inspect.

"L484. Sounds familiar. Ooh, Dex, maybe," Arnie suggested, and Alice grinned brightly.

"Know what sounds fun? Seeing a witch's house high on Dex," Alice said, dry swallowing a pill.

"Oh, yes, it does," Arnie agreed.

"Alice! Bring that back! What are you doing?!" Cindy shouted after them.

"It's called fun, Cindy Berman. You used to have it, remember?" Alice said before she and Arnie raced off. "We're gonna find you, Sarah Fier!"

"Tommy!" Cindy said urgently.

"Tommy…"

Another ghostly whisper, followed by another pounding headache.

"Tommy! Come on, they took everything!" Cindy said, and they raced off as well, determined to catch up with Alice and Arnie before they got into too much trouble. As they followed the trail their peers had left behind, the sun was setting and casting long shadows over the woods.

Chapter Text

Ziggy poured the red paint into the bucket, making sure to mix it thoroughly before forging ahead with her plan. She'd been thinking about her revenge prank for hours and was excited to finally put it into action. The paint was the final touch that would make her scheme perfect. Someone knocking on the door made her frown, and she set the bucket down, hoping it wasn't her nosy sister interrupting her.

“Go away, Cindy!” Ziggy yelled, hoping to deter any unwanted visitors. She was determined to carry out her plan without any distractions.

“It’s me. It’s Nick,” a familiar voice called through the door.

“Go away, Nick!” Ziggy yelled, frustrated that her privacy was being invaded. She needed to focus on her revenge prank and didn't want anyone ruining it. The door creaked open as Nick walked in, and he made a small noise of surprise.

“I like what you've done with the place,” Nick said, nodding to the insults scribbled on the walls around her bed.

“This wasn’t me,” Ziggy said flatly, continuing to stir the paint.

“I’m shocked. ‘Ziggy is a witch bitch.’ ‘Ziggy sucks cocks in hell.’ Jeez. Sheila?” Nick said, scanning the crude messages.

“Colonel Mustard,” Ziggy said, rolling her eyes.

“Oh, looks like blood,” Nick said, looking to the bucket of red paint.

“Yeah. I didn’t have a pig, so…” Ziggy said, half shrugging.

“Carrie. Cool,” Nick said, and Ziggy looked up in surprise.

“You’ve read Carrie?” 

“Yeah. Second favorite after Salem’s Lot. Still, I dunno, paint seems a little pedestrian,” Nick grinned.

“Oh, I'm sorry. Do you have a better idea?” Ziggy asked sarcastically. 

“Maybe.”

“Shouldn’t you be, like, turning me in or something?"

“Well, I should be supervising Color War, uh…But noticed you were MIA—”

“So you decided to stalk me.”

“Check in on you,” Nick corrected. “Clearly you don’t need my assistance. All good. Go ahead. ‘Carrie’ on.”

“What’s your idea?” Ziggy asked as Nick turned to leave. “Science & Nature,” Nick replied, holding up a set of keys. 

“Alice!” Cindy shouted as she and Tommy continued to follow Alice and Arnie through the woods. “Alice! Come on, it’s disgusting in here!”

“We’re close, Berman, hang in there!” Alice yelled back, her voice echoing through the dense trees. Tommy and Cindy exchanged worried glances, unsure of what they were about to discover.

“This was the best idea,” Alice told Arnie gleefully as they pushed through the thick underbrush.

“Yeah, but I still don’t feel shit,” Arnie muttered.

“Okay, so, take more,” Alice said, giving Arnie the pill bottle.

“Thank you. L484,” Arnie said, popping a couple more pills into his mouth before they continued on their journey deeper into the woods.

“Arnie.”

“Wait up!”

“Alice! I swear to God—!” Cindy cut herself off with an asp as her shirt got snagged on a branch, which made a hole appear in the sleeve of her shirt.

“Shit! Oh, it’s ruined now!” Cindy complained as Tommy chuckled softly.

“You cursed again,” he noted, shaking his head.

“You want me to murder you?” Cindy threatened, her eyes narrowing as she freed her shirt from the branch, which turned into a look of confused concern as a grimace appeared on Tommy’s face. “Babe, you okay?”

“Yeah. Yeah, I’m fine,” Tommy replied, but his voice wavered slightly. Cindy nodded, sensing something was off but deciding to push it aside for now as they continued their journey deeper into the woods after Alice and Arnie. Suddenly, Alice screamed, causing Tommy and Cindy to stiffen.

“Alice?” Cindy called as they rushed toward the sound, and they relaxed when they saw that she and Arnie were both fine, though Alice looked annoyed.

“Watch your step,” Alice warned, and the group shined their flashlights over a hole that looked too much like a grave to be comfortable.

“Is someone digging a grave?” Tommy wondered out loud, his voice filled with unease.

“Graves,” Alice corrected, shining her flashlight over identical holes scattered throughout the area.

“Mary. Hey, where’s the, uh…” Tommy trailed off, scooped up the journal, and pointed to an entry.

“The x’s, look. Look,” Tommy said, and the others crowded around to look as well. “Look, here. Here. She was marking where she dug.”

“‘But without her hand, her grip on the land holds firm, and the curse will last until body and hand unite’,” Alice read from the journal, her voice trembling slightly.

“Maybe Mary was looking for the hand. To end the curse?” Tommy suggested.

“That made her daughter lose her mind,” Alice agreed.

“Guys, come on. This is silly,” Cindy scoffed.

“Yeah. I gotta piss,” Arnie said before marching off to relieve himself, making Alice roll her eyes fondly.

“Hey, let me see that,” Alice requested, and Tommy handed her the journal only to be intercepted by Cindy, who snatched it from his grasp.

“You can have it, but first give me the drugs,” Cindy said. Alice scoffed, squinting her eyes at Cindy.

“L484. L484. L4—” Arnie paused, spotting something through the trees. “—84.”

“If Nurse Mary took them and went crazy, those drugs are very dangerous,” Cindy said.

“Oh, my God! What happened to you? You remember when we used to have fun? Before you became a snitch?” Alice asked with a scoffing laugh.

“Just let it go already,” Cindy sighed.

“That’s easy for you to say. You lying fucking Brutus,” Alice said quietly.

“I found it!” Arnie shouted as he came back, making Tommy, Alice, and Cindy turn to him.

“I found the witch’s house,” Arnie continued with a grin, and the three teens rushed after him quickly, their curiosity piqued. As they followed Arnie through the dense forest, the sense of foreboding grew stronger with each step they took.

“Dude…Was I the only one expecting, like, I dunno, a house made out of candy?” Alice asked curiously.

“Maybe there’s candy down here,” Arnie said, gesturing to a staircase that led underground.

“Hey, Sarah, you got any candy down there? We’re high and hungry!” Alice called, laughing as she squatted down to peer into the darkness below.

“Sarah Fier!” Alice suddenly screeched at the top of her lungs, causing Arnie and the others to jump in surprise.

“Okay, we’ve seen enough,” Cindy said tensely.

“Alright, then go home, Berman,” Alice said sarcastically, rolling her eyes. “I didn’t march all the way out here for nothing, okay?” Alice then flipped her off and marched down the stairs, disappearing into the darkness below with a mischievous grin on her face.

“Are you crazy? Alice. Alice!” Cindy said loudly.

“Hey, someone’s been down here,” Alice pointed out, weirded out by the Satanic cult stuff she found scattered around the room.

“Like recently,” she added as Cindy, Tommy, and Arnie entered the dimly lit basement, their flashlights casting eerie shadows on the walls. The Satanic cult paraphernalia made Cindy feel a chill run down her spine as she realized that it seemed legit, but she didn’t want to admit it. Not yet, anyways.

“Look at all this witchy shit,” Alice laughed, trying to lighten the mood as she picked up a black candle. “It’s Sarah Fier!”

“Sarah Fier isn’t real,” Cindy denied, but the evidence in front of them made it hard to ignore the possibility.

“Well, someone lit that candle,” Alice said as she crouched in front of an opening in the stone wall. “Hey, Sarah Fier, if you’re in there, say something!” Alice looked over her shoulder at Cindy, who had a look of disapproval on her face.

“Maybe she’s shy," Alice grinned before scrambling through the opening.

“Ali—Alice! God!” Cindy huffed as she and Arnie went after her.

“Whoa. It’s some kind of, like, occult thing. Like, devil worship,” Alice said as the three stared at the mark carved into the ground. The flame in the middle of it flickered ominously, casting eerie shadows on the walls.

“It’s kinky,” Arnie laughed, kissing Alice with an agreement of his own.

“It’s the witch’s mark,” Cindy said quietly.

“That what?” Alice asked blankly.

“‘A deal was made with the Devil. Sarah Fier cut off her wicked hand on Satan's stone in exchange for eternal life, scarring the soil beneath with the witch's mark, bringing Darkness upon the land’,” Cindy read aloud from the journal after flipping to the correct page.

“That’s it,” Arnie said suddenly. Alice and Cindy looked at him in confusion, and he grinned. “It’s acetaminophen.”

“Arnie, what are you talking about?” Alice asked.

"L484. It just hit me. It’s fucking Tylenol. It’s nothing," Arnie said, and Alice sighed.

“Are you sure?” Cindy asked.

“Positive,” Arnie said, tossing the pill bottle away. Cindy went to pick it up, frowning when she saw something weird.

“Come on, Alice. Let’s get out of here. Pretty sure Joan might still have some weed if we pay her,” Arnie said, ducking out of the room. Arnie shot a grin to Tommy, who was sitting on the ground with his head lowered.

“We are outta here. Let’s go, man,” Arnie told Tommy, who didn't react. Arnie frowned slightly, wondering if Tommy was feeling okay.

“Hey, you alright, man? Hello?” Arnie asked, concern evident in his voice as he waited for a response. Tommy just continued to sit there, unmoving and unresponsive. Arnie’s concern grew as he realized something was definitely wrong with his friend. He clapped his hands twice in Tommy’s face, but still, there was no reaction.

“Cindy…” a ghostly whisper called, wrapping around Cindy much like a cold, eerie embrace. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up as she turned around, only to find herself completely alone in the room. She felt a chill run down her spine as she continued to stare at the second opening in the cave.

“Cindy!” The voice called again, and Cindy swallowed nervously. Cindy gasped when she felt Alice put her hand on her shoulder, but when she turned around, Alice had a terrified look on her face.

“I need to show you something,” Alice said seriously.

“This place…It keeps on going,” Cindy said, glancing at the opening again.

“Now!” Alice insisted and dragged Cindy over to the thing she wanted to show her. It was a smooth wall and it was covered in names, the first one being—

“Cyrus Miller,” Alice said, shining her flashlight on the name as well as a couple of others, “Billy Barker. Ruby Lane.” 

“Mary’s daughter,” Cindy breathed.

“Yeah. Isaac Milton, Harry Rooker. You don’t have to go to fucking class to know those names.”

“The Shadyside Killers.”

“Yeah. Except one,” Alice said, shining her flashlight on the last name on the list. 

Thomas Slater.

“Tommy? This isn’t funny, Alice,” Cindy warned, her voice shaking.

“What, you think I carved your boyfriend’s name into solid stone with my fingernails?” Alice asked, her tone defensive. “Someone else did this.” Cindy looked over at the first opening, knowing deep in her bones that Arnie was out there with Tommy. 

“Tommy,” Arnie said, “Hello?”

After another second of no response from Tommy, Arnie rolled his eyes.

“Whatever you’re on, man, thanks for sharing,” Arnie muttered sarcastically, patting Tommy on the shoulder as he moved to leave. “Dick.”

Tommy just stood up and picked up a double-bladed axe just as Cindy and Alice came through the first opening.

“Tommy?” Cindy asked slowly as Tommy stalked toward Arnie.

“What the hell are you doing, man?” Arnie asked with a small smile, which quickly faded. “Tommy…” Tommy reared back and lodged the axe in the middle of Arnie's face, splattering blood and brain matter everywhere.

“Oh, my God! No, no, Tommy! Stop! Tommy, stop!” Cindy shrieked, and Alice screamed in horror as Tommy continued to axe Arnie in the face until there was nothing left but a mangled mess. Tommy then turned to them, blood dripping from his hands and face, his eyes empty and void of emotion. Cindy and Alice screamed in terror as they realized they were next in Tommy’s path of destruction. They turned and scrambled back through the opening, their hearts pounding in fear as they tried to escape the blood-soaked nightmare that had once been their friend.

“Come on! Come on!” Cindy screamed.

“Fuck!” Alice swore as they crawled, the sound of Tommy's heavy footsteps echoing behind them. The girls knew they had to find a way out before it was too late.

“Here. Help me!” Cindy said, and Alice helped her shove a bookcase out of the way that led to the second opening Cindy had been staring at earlier.

“Go, go, go!” Cindy screeched as Tommy entered after them, expression blank and menacing.

With adrenaline coursing through their veins, the girls squeezed through the narrow passage and breathed heavily. Cindy felt a hand grip her ankle, and she let out a blood-curdling scream as she kicked at Tommy. She ended up kicking him so hard, he hit the opposite wall and caused the low ceiling to collapse. Alice grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the opening of a different tunnel as dust and debris filled the air around them. They scrambled to safety just as the tunnel collapsed behind them, sealing off their pursuer. As they caught their breath, Cindy realized they were now faced with a new challenge: navigating through the unknown tunnel in search of an exit. Unable to help it, Cindy started to sob, feeling overwhelmed by the situation. Heavy breathing cut her off as she met Alice’s wide eyes.

“Do you hear that?” Alice rasped.

“He’s still alive?” Cindy gasped, her heart pounding in her chest. Alice nodded, her expression grim.

“He can’t…He can’t get us,” Alice got out, her voice barely above a whisper.

“He can’t get us,” she repeated, trying to convince herself more than Cindy. They both knew the danger was far from over, but they had to keep moving forward. 

"Will! This is too cute! Could've done it in your bunk, but I guess this is kinda hot," Sheila said, grinning  as she opened the toilet stall. She picked up the note, which read, "Look up!" 

When she did, she screamed as she got a face full of bugs.

Ziggy and Nick ran out, giggling, as they locked the door behind them, ignoring Sheila's screams the entire time.

"Did you hear her?" Nick asked gleefully as he shut the door to Science & Nature behind them.

"She sounded like a frog," Ziggy laughed, mocking Sheila's screams.

"What'd I tell ya?" 

"Fuck paint."

"Fuck paint," Nick agreed.

"Who are you?" Ziggy asked, eyes gleaming with joy. 

"Nick Goode. Nice you meet you," Nick said, holding out his hand. Ziggy laughed again as she shook his hand firmly. 

"It's some kind of cavern," Cindy said the second she pulled herself together, wiping away her tears. "I don't know. It seems to just…go on forever."

"I don't care," Alice said boredly.

"Alice, can you please just…help me?" Cindy asked as she tried to move a large rock.

"What, you're just gonna pretend everything's okay?"

"Alice, I just…"

"Tommy split Arnie's head in half. Do you realize that?"

"Please, can you just help me?" Cindy asked, starting to sob again.

"With what? This shit weighs, like, a million pounds. I thought you got an A in physics," Alice snapped, rolling her eyes.

"We have to get out!"

"Well, tough shit! Because we can't. We're gonna die down here. Just like Arnie," Alice said before stalking off in a random direction.

"No, no. We have to get out! We have to!" Cindy protested as she followed her. "Those names on the wall, they didn't stop with one murder. Seven, nine, ten, fifteen people. Those were serial killers. The campers…"

Cindy felt herself choke up as she realized the gravity of their situation.

"My…my sister, they're up there. And now, so is he," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

"I thought you didn't believe in the witch," Alice said quietly.

"Yeah, I don't! The—There must be some—some explanation!" Cindy tried, but Alice scoffed loudly.

"Oh, my God, you are fucking unbelievable, Cindy, okay? He was possessed!" Alice snarled, but Cindy didn't want to admit it.

"Maybe…maybe he took a pill, or—" Cindy suggested, but Alice was quick to cut her off.

"No! No! Cindy, no! It wasn't the fucking Tylenol, alright? It was the witch. Alright, you saw those names. And that—that ritual, the witch is real. And she's doing some—some fucking spell shit and possessing people. Okay? Every name on that rock. And Mary knew it, alright?" Alice insisted seriously, her expression mixed with fear and anger as she picked up the journal.

"She knew it. And it's all right here," she added.

"This isn't real!" Cindy snapped, slapping the journal out of Alice's hand.

"You want an explanation? Well, here it is, okay? She looked for the hand bone to fucking stop the curse, to save Shadyside, but she couldn't find it. Wanna know what she did find? Your boyfriend's name on that fucking wall," Alice sneered.

"No."

"So she tried to kill him."

"Stop."

"Which I also would have done if I knew there was a chance that Tommy fucking Slater would axe my boyfriend in the fucking head!"

"Listen! Shut up!" Cindy exploded, shoving Alice away from her.

"There we go. That's the Cindy Berman I knew," Alice said, smirking as she straightened her shirt. Cindy just turned on her heel and started walking off. "Hey, where are you going?"

"To find another way out. Don't follow me," Cindy snapped before disappearing around a corner.

"Well, don't come back here, alright!" Alice shouted after her, feeling a pang of guilt for pushing Cindy to her breaking point. "Alright, you hear me! Don't come back!"

"Cindy."

Cindy gasped when she heard the ghostly whisper of her name behind her. She turned around, but no one was there. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up as she quickened her pace, determined to find a way out before things got even more bizarre.

"You're fine, you're fine," she whispered, trying to calm herself down as she navigated the dimly lit corridors. The echo of her own footsteps seemed to mock her, making her heart race even faster.

"Boo!" Alice snapped, making Cindy jump.

"Jesus, what the hell? I told you not to follow me," Cindy huffed, socking Alice's arm.

"Yeah, I didn't," Alice snarked, socking her back. "You went in a circle. Fucking circle."

Cindy noticed the journal on the ground, showing the drawing of the Witch's Mark, and something occurred to her, and she quickly picked it up.

"One, two, three, four. One, two, three, four. One, two, three, four," Cindy murmured, looking around the cavern, referencing the journal as she did so.

"What are you doing?" Alice asked.

"This symbol, it branches off here. Four times," Cindy said, pointing to the drawing and then gesturing with her flashlight. "Three there, one there. Just like this cave. It's the same. 'Sarah Fier cut off her wicked hand on Satan's Stone, scarring the soil beneath with the witch's mark.' 'Scarring the soil'."

"So, what, like, the witch made this fucking place?" Alice asked.

"Or the settlers claimed she did. It doesn't matter. All that matters is this symbol. It's a—" Cindy said, and Alice grinned.

"It's a map," she finished with a grin of her own.

"Man..." Jeremy groaned, wiping the splattered eggs off his glasses with his shirt.

Stupid Sunnyvalers.

Jeremy put his glasses on, and frowned when he saw Tommy standing there with a blank expression on his face, covered in blood and wielding a double-bladed axe.

"Tommy?" Jermey asked hesitantly. 

Tommy just walked forward and smashed the axe into Jeremy's head, Jeremy's screams echoing through the woods.

"Okay. Um...How about...Would you ever kiss the weird girl?" Ziggy asked, smirking. Nick just leaned and kissed her sweetly. The kiss was getting heated but they jerked apart when a girl screamed in the distance. They both looked at each other before racing off toward the sound. 

"He's dead! Jeremy's dead!" A boy wailed, and Ziggy nearly gagged when she saw the disemboweled body of Jeremy. 

"No, you guys! Okay? Hey!" Gary said from behind her, but Ziggy barely heard him.

There was so much blood. The smell was even worse. It was metallic and made her stomach turn. She felt Nick's hand on her back, offering comfort as she tried to hold back her tears. Jeremy's glasses sat in a pool of blood, shattered and bent. Ziggy couldn't tear her eyes away; the image burned into her memory forever. The reality of the situation hit her like a ton of bricks, leaving her numb and in shock.

"We're done. Everyone, get back. Hey, no! Color War's done! Alright? Get out of here! Get out!" Gary called, trying to regain control of the chaotic scene. Ziggy finally looked away from the gruesome sight, feeling a wave of nausea wash over her as she and Nick herded the group of campers away from the scene.

"Alright, it branches off again here. Just stay left," Cindy said a few minutes later as they continued deeper into the cave, following the path illuminated by their flashlights.

"I cannot believe this is working," Alice breathed, her heart racing.

"It's taking too long. He could be back at camp already," Cindy fretted, feeling the pressure of time ticking away.

"If you have to kill him, could you?" Alice asked quietly.

"Earlier, when Mary attacked, I just…I froze. I couldn't do anything. So, no, I—I couldn't kill anyone, much less Tommy," Cindy said just as quietly.

"Well, good news. I would happily kill him," Alice said, her voice firm and resolute.

"God, even now, after everything, you're—you're still a jerk," Cindy said grumpily.

"Okay, I'm sorry. I just…I never got what you saw in him. And that was before the witch possessed him," Alice said.

"Tommy…Tommy was sweet. He made me feel like everything was going to be okay. I loved him. I really did," Cindy said with tears in her eyes, memories flooding back.

"I loved Arnie too. I loved that gross, high little shit," Alice said with a sad smile. Something rumbled in the distance, getting their attention.

"Did you hear that?" Cindy asked slowly. "There's this space here up ahead. All roads lead here."

"Is there any other way around?" Alice questioned, but Cindy just shook her head, and they forged ahead. A moment later, they noticed goop covering the stone walls, accompanied by thousands of flies.

"What the hell? Flies? What is this stuff?" Alice wondered aloud, her voice tinged with unease. Cindy hesitated before responding, "It's everywhere."

"Cindy? What is that?" Alice squeaked, staring at a large lump of flesh that beat like a heart in the center of the room that was covered in goop and flies. Cindy's eyes widened in horror as she whispered, "Let's get out of here."

"Alice…Alice…" a ghostly whisper cooed, and Alice leaned closer to the lump of flesh, her curiosity overpowering her fear. As she reached out a hand to touch it, she swallowed hard, feeling a sense of dread wash over her. The second she touched it, Alice went rigid as the lump of flesh began to pulsate violently.

Ruby Lane, slitting the throat of her friend with a maniacal grin on her face. The room filled with the sound of gurgling and choking as Ruby's friend gasped for air, blood spurting from the wound.

Harry Rooker, stabbing a housewife in her front yard, looming over her as he plunged the knife into her chest repeatedly. He was sniffing her hair and licking her cheek.

Billy Barker, bashing his brother's head in with a baseball bat, the sickening sound of bone crunching echoing through the room. The air was thick with the metallic scent of blood as Billy's brother lay motionless on the bed, a pool of crimson spreading around him.

Isaac Milton, shoving a girl under an unknown lake, the water swallowing her whole as she struggled against his grip, her desperate cries muffled by the water. He was going to gut her like a fish, just like he had done to the others before her.

Cyrus Miller, his eyeless sockets staring blankly ahead, tapping a hook on the church's pulpit, muttering under his breath too quietly to hear. The children were dead, and their bodies lay scattered around the room, their eyes as empty as his.

Tommy Slater, smashing an axe into Arnie's skull repeatedly until there was nothing left but a bloody mess on the floor, his eyes filled with a cold, detached satisfaction. The sound of bones crunching beneath the force of the blows echoed through the room, mixing with Tommy's heavy breathing as he finally stopped and stood over the lifeless body. The metallic tang of blood filled the air, a stark contrast to the blank smile on Tommy's face as he turned to them.

Alice's hand was suddenly ripped away from the flesh, leaving behind a trail of sticky residue.

"Alice!" Cindy gasped, and Alice screamed when she saw a ghoulish version of Cindy standing before her, her eyes hollow.

Alice fled, her heart pounding in her chest as she ran through the dark corridors of the abandoned building. The ghostly whispers continued to echo in her ears, urging her to stay, but Alice knew she had to escape before it was too late. She kept seeing ghoulish versions of the victims of the Shadyside Killers, their twisted faces contorted in agony as they reached out to her. The air grew colder as Alice's breath quickened, her only thought being to find a way out before she became another victim of its dark history. Alice suddenly pitched forward, landing in a small pit and breaking her ankle in the process.

Alice wailed in pain as she clutched her leg, feeling the cold dampness seeping through her clothes as she realized she was unable to move. The sound of footsteps echoed in the distance, signaling that someone—or something—was approaching.

"What are you talking about?"

"Sheila!"

"Where the fuck is Sheila?" 

Ziggy's eyes went wide as she let out a loud, "Shit!" before rushing outside.

"Nick! Nick, we forgot Sheila! Shit!"

"Just admit that Shadysiders do it better!" Joan said, grinning delightedly.

"I ain't admitting shit," Kurt grumbled as he went into the bathroom to shower. 

"He knows," Joan giggled as she got dressed and lit a joint. 

"Joan, I can smell that shit from here! Put it out!"

"You know, you Sunnyvalers are really missing out. This shit, like, really...opens up your mind."

"Put it out!" 

Joan put it out with a roll of her eyes, and stood up, pausing when she saw the door open. Seeing nothing, she smiled. 

"Okie-dokie!" Joan chirped, turning back and freezing when she saw a blood-covered Tommy. "Tommy!"

Joan only managed to loudly scream once before Tommy's axe brutally landed on the junction of her neck and shoulder repeatedly, silencing her forever.

"Alice! Jesus!" Cindy gasped, rushing over to her, thankfully normal-looking.

"I was there, in the past," Alice babbled.

"You're okay," Cindy soothed, but Alice shook her head.

"I saw the—the killers. They killed so many, and you're next. You're fucking next!" Alice continued to ramble incoherently, her eyes wide with fear and panic.

"No, no, no, no. That's not true. I'm right here," Cindy said firmly, trying to calm Alice down. She knew they needed to find a way out of there before whatever Alice saw became a reality.

"The witch did this. She did all of this. She put a curse on Shadyside. Mary was right," Alice whispered, her voice trembling.

"I know. The cave was alive, Alice. Tylenol can't do that," Cindy admitted, her mind racing with the realization that they were facing something supernatural. Alice giggled, her giggles turning into gasps of pain as she clutched her leg. Cindy grabbed her bag and grabbed a couple of things.

"You were right. I am a snitch. The day after we stole Mr. Evens's JVC player, Harold Hines saw me with it," Cindy said, and Alice let out a pained laugh.

"Fucking Harold Hines," she said, squealing in pain when Cindy shoved the bone back into her leg.

"Next thing I know, I'm in the principal's office, and my dad can't come in because he just ran off with some girl not much older than I am now. And my mom, well, she was having a few drinks at O'Connell's. And I knew then…I wasn't different from the other Shadysiders. I was cursed. I told myself if I was perfect, if I did everything perfect, I could beat it," Cindy said, making a makeshift splint out of pads, a knife, and a part of her shirt. "I snitched on you, I got new friends, I started dressing like this. I dated sweet Tommy. I avoided you, but I couldn't avoid Ziggy. Because she was always there, reminding me of the truth. That this town, this place…was cursed."

Cindy sniffled, tears streaming down her face as she realized the weight of the curse that had plagued Shadyside for generations. The realization hit her hard, leaving her feeling helpless.

"And so were we. Now I know. She was right…all this time. I've been a bad sister. I've been a bad friend. I should've just…skipped class, partied, had sex, had fun," Cindy said, her voice breaking with emotion. She wiped away her tears, trying to come to terms with the harsh reality that had been staring her in the face all along.

"I hate to break it to you, but the fun…it's not any more real than your polo shirt," Alice told her, her tone firm yet sympathetic. "There's a reason why I wear these. And it's not just because they're awesome." Alice took off her thick black bracelets, revealing the small scars that lined her wrists. "We all have our ways to deal with Shadyside."

Cindy saw something next to Alice's head and blinked, confused.

"What? What is it?" Alice asked hesitantly as Cindy reached over and plucked the red moss growing on the wall.

"This. This moss, it stained my shirt. The outhouse!" Cindy whispered, her eyes wide with realization. Cindy shined her flashlight over the cavern walls, revealing red moss everywhere, and her hope soared. "This stuff is all over the outhouse. Camp. It means we're close."

"Counselor Tommy?" Stacy asked, confused as to why Tommy was covered in blood, sweat, and dirt as well as holding a double-bladed axe. 

The terrified screams that followed echoed through the Camp Nightwing woods.

Cindy helped Alice to her feet, and they continued on through the cavern, following the trail of red moss. The realization that they were getting closer to their destination filled them with hope and a renewed sense of purpose.

"Ugh, it smells like shit," Alice complained a moment later. Then, "Is that toilet paper?"

"It's the outhouse. It's gotta be," Cindy said confidently.

"Holy shit."

"There it is. Look."

Alice and Cindy heard shouting in the outhouse, and Alice suddenly got an idea.

"Help! Help! We're down here! Help!" Alice screamed at the top of her lungs. Cindy looked at Alice in surprise, but then a smile spread across her face as she realized what Alice was doing.

"That's brilliant," Cindy said, joining in on the shouting for help.

"Down here!"

"Help us!"

"Please, help us!"

"Get us out of here!"

A moment later, a toilet lid opened, and Ziggy poked her head out, utter confusion appearing on her face when she saw Cindy and Alice.

"Cindy?" Ziggy asked, and Cindy nearly laughed in relief.

"Ziggy? Oh, my God!"

"What are you doing down there?" Ziggy demanded.

"It's…It's kind of a long story. Are you okay?" Cindy called.

"Yeah, just hold on a second," Ziggy said, and vanished from view.

"Ziggy, are you okay?" Cindy repeated, her heart pounding with worry. Moments later, Ziggy reappeared with a rope and a bucket, ready to help Cindy and Alice escape from the underground chamber. Ziggy lowered the bucket down to them, saying, "Get on! We're pulling you up!"

"Yes! Dude, oh, my God!" Alice celebrated.

"Pull it. You first," Cindy said, gesturing for Alice to go first. Alice climbed into the bucket, and Ziggy began pulling her up to safety.

"Come on, keep pulling!" Ziggy ordered as the door creaked open, and Gary gawked at the person who entered.

"Tommy! Tommy, what are you doi—?" Gary began, but Tommy had already swung his axe, removing Gary's head with one swing. Ziggy screamed, letting go of the rope, as Gary's head, along with his body, tumbled into the toilet below. Tommy turned to Ziggy with a blank look, raising the axe once more. Alice fell to the ground with a groan, her groan turning into a wild scream as Gary's headless body landed on her legs.

"Ziggy! Ziggy!" Cindy screamed, borderline hysterical.

"Get him off me! Get him off me!" Alice howled, and Cindy was quick to help her, continuing to scream for her sister.

Tommy's eyes were cold and distant, his grip on the axe tightening as he advanced towards her. The horror of the situation finally sinking in, Ziggy turned and ran for her life, praying that she—as well as Cindy and Alice—would make it out alive.

Chapter Text

Ziggy slammed into a body, making her scream in fear.

“What are you doing out here?” Nick demanded.

“He’s here!” Ziggy wheezed.

“Come on,” Nick said firmly, grabbing Ziggy's hand and pulling her along as they both ran towards the Science & Nature building. Nick locked the door behind them, and they ducked behind a desk, trying to catch their breath.

“Did we lose him?” Ziggy asked breathlessly.

“Yeah, I think so. Are you okay? You hurt?” Nick asked, checking Ziggy for any injuries.

“It’s not my blood. It’s Gary’s. And yours?” Ziggy replied, looking down at her shirt, stained with blood, before looking at Nick's equally blood-stained shirt.

“Um, Sean, Jesse, Rod, Stacey,” Nick said, and Ziggy shook her head.

“Shadysiders. It’s the curse,” she murmured, her voice filled with dread.

“No, it’s, uh, it’s just some psycho,” Nick said quietly.

“No, no, it’s not some psycho. It’s Tommy. My sister’s perfect, virgin, boring boyfriend, Tommy. She did this,” Ziggy insisted.

“Cindy?” Nick asked, confused.

“The witch!” Ziggy huffed, her eyes wide with fear.

“That’s not real, Ziggy,” Nick told her, and Ziggy rolled her eyes in frustration.

“Exactly what a Sunnyvaler would say. I thought you were different,” she said gloomily as a bell rang in the distance.

“They’re getting on the bus. We have to go!” Nick urged. 

“I can’t! My sister is still out there!”

“Ziggy, I know I’ve let a lot of people die tonight.”

“Nick, this isn’t your fault.”

“Not you! I’m not letting you die. Because, uh, yeah! I do like the weirdo from Shadyside. Maybe once we get out of this, we could, uh, we could start a book club or something. Maybe…I dunno, Stephen King's new one is supposed to be good, I hear.”

“I’m done with King. Judy Blume for me from now on.”

“Yeah, Judy Blume sounds, uh, sounds perfect.”

“You believe me, right? About the curse?”

“Yeah, of course. I'm different. Now, come on. We gotta get outta here. We’ll call the cops. Your sister’s gonna be alright. First, we gotta get on that bus.”

Rapid, heavy pounding on the door made Ziggy and Nick freeze in fear, and they watched as Tommy’s hand crashed through the window and unlocked the door from the inside. They ended up dropping to the floor when Tommy entered, his face blank and eyes glazed over. The only sound that was heard was the sound of Tommy’s heavy breathing and his equally heavy footsteps. They silently scuttled over to a different part of the room, both wincing when they heard a glass cage containing a snake break with his axe. Ziggy swallowed her scream when the snake made contact with her leg, its cold scales sending shivers down her spine. Not even a second later, she actually did scream when Tommy grabbed her by the hair and slammed her down onto the table, knocking the wind out of her.

“Ziggy!” Nick cried, rushing over to help her, but he was quickly overpowered by Tommy's brute strength. Ziggy struggled against him, feeling the panic rising in her chest as she screamed again when Tommy flung her to the ground. The room spun around her as she fought for air, her vision blurring as Tommy raised his axe. Ziggy scrambled back, screaming hysterically, and Nick lunged forward, groaning in pain as Tommy’s axe sank into his leg.

“Run! Argh, run! Run!” Nick ordered, pushing Ziggy towards the door before collapsing to the ground. Ziggy stumbled outside, her heart pounding in terror as she heard Tommy's heavy footsteps behind her.

“Ziggy! Ziggy!” Cindy shouted once more before collapsing next to Alice, gasping for air and clutching her side, where a sharp pain throbbed with each breath.

“We have to find another way out,” Alice determined, her eyes scanning the dark tunnel for any signs of an exit.

“What if there’s not?” Cindy asked wearily.

“No, no, there’s gotta be. We’re at the outhouse. We’re at camp. Come on, get the diary. We’re too close,” Alice encouraged, her eyes gleaming with determination as she reached for the diary tucked. “Okay, okay, these tunnels. The witch, she made them, right?”

“Yeah?” Cindy asked, wondering what Alice was getting at.

“And, ‘She emerged by the Meeting House, one hand severed, lost forever.’ The Meeting House, which is now…” Alice paused, pointing to the map in the diary.

“The mess hall,” Cindy breathed, realization dawning on her.

“There’s gotta be another way out,” Alice declared confidently.

“Oh, God! Come on!” Cindy said, but Alice shook her head.

“I’m just gonna slow you down,” she said, patting her injured leg.

“Alice!” Cindy protested.

“No, it’s fine. I’ll catch up. You gotta save your sister,” Alice insisted, knowing that time was running out.

“No…” Cindy whispered, tears welling up in her eyes as she hesitated.

“Go!” Alice urged, pushing Cindy towards the exit. With a heavy heart, Cindy ran towards the door, determined to save her sister no matter what. 

“Kurt! Will! Anybody!” Ziggy shouted as she ran through the empty camp.

The wind howled through the trees, drowning out any response to her desperate calls. She gasped when she saw the camp bus pulling away from Camp Nightwing, leaving her stranded in the darkness. Ziggy’s heart raced as she realized she was truly alone in the wilderness. She stumbled back when she saw Tommy, axe in hand and a menacing look in his eyes, emerging from the shadows. Fear gripped her as she realized she was not as alone as she thought. She turned on her heel bolted, her only thought now to escape Tommy’s wrath and find safety before it was too late.

The sound of his heavy footsteps behind her only fueled her adrenaline, pushing her to run faster through the dark. 

Alice grunted as she retied the makeshift splint on her leg, grimacing at the pain shooting up her thigh. She knew she needed to find help soon before the injury got any worse. She frowned when she saw blood on her finger, a thoughtful expression appearing on her face.

“‘Blood will fall…’” she remembered, and she grabbed the diary from her backpack, flipping through the pages to find the passage she was looking for.

“‘When she is near, blood will fall. Her hand laid to rest atop Satan’s stone,’” she read aloud, and as she read the words, a sense of urgency washed over her, knowing she had come across a warning she couldn't ignore.

“Satan’s stone,” she repeated, eyeing the large stone she was next to. Shifting around a bit, Alice started to dig through the red moss. 

Cindy carefully navigated the cave corridors, her flashlight casting eerie shadows on the walls. The damp air made her shiver as she pressed on, determined to find her sister. She gasped when she saw an opening, and she rushed towards it, her heart pounding with a mix of fear and hope. She crawled through until she came up to a grate blocking her path. It was covered in rust and looked like it hadn't been opened in years. Cindy’s hands trembled as she reached out to push against it, desperate to find a way through.

“Hello? Can anyone hear me? Hello? Hello? Can anyone hear me? Hello!” Cindy shrieked, shaking the grate with all her might, hoping to catch someone's attention on the other side. But there was only silence, the sound of her own frantic breathing echoing back at her. Desperation clawed at her chest as she realized she was truly alone in this dark, musty maze. 

Ziggy stumbled into the mess hall, slamming and locking the door shut behind her. She quickly scanned the room, her heart racing with fear as she realized she was not alone. Ziggy’s mind raced as she tried to come up with a plan to confront the unexpected intruder. She spied a radio perched on a side table, and an idea sparked. She ran over to it and quickly turned it on, hoping to distract the intruder with loud music while she made her escape. As “Carry On Wayward Son” blared through the speakers, Ziggy crept towards the back exit, ready to make a run for it if necessary. 

“Hey! Hey, I'm over here! Help!” Cindy shouted when she heard the music, hoping to attract the attention of anyone nearby who could assist her. She prayed that someone would hear her cries for help and come to her rescue before it was too late.

The door slammed open, and a blood-soaked Tommy entered the mess hall, axe in hand. Seeing footprints, Tommy followed them, footsteps stomping loudly as he searched for his next victim.

“Help!” Cindy screeched before lying flat on her back and using her feet to slam against the grate.

Ziggy froze in terror, keeping herself tucked away in her hiding spot as Tommy’s heavy breathing grew closer. She knew she had to remain silent and still to avoid being discovered by the deranged killer. She nearly squealed when Tommy started banging on the door of her hiding spot, but she held her breath and prayed for him to leave. Except he didn’t leave and started slamming his axe against the door with increasing force, causing Ziggy's heart to race with fear. She knew she had to stay calm and think quickly to find a way out of this deadly situation.

Cindy slammed her feet on the grate, feeling it come loose beneath her.

Tommy had finally made a hole in the door, and he unlocked the door to search for Ziggy. After waiting for the perfect moment, Ziggy crept out of her hiding spot, the kitchen knife she'd snagged earlier glinting in the dim light. With a deep breath, she raised the knife, preparing to stab Tommy. The music abruptly cut off, and a floorboard creaked under Ziggy’s foot, causing Tommy to turn around and spot her. Startled, Ziggy froze for a split second before lunging forward with the knife, aiming for Tommy’s chest.

The adrenaline pumping through her veins drowned out the sound of her own heartbeat as she fought for survival in the darkness. She managed to sink the knife into his chest, but Tommy knocked her off her feet with a powerful shove. As she fell to the ground, pain shot through her body, but she refused to give up. With a terrified scream, Ziggy scrambled to her feet, ready to continue the fight for her life.

“Ziggy!” Cindy screamed, recognizing the scream, and enforced her kicks with renewed strength.

Tommy slammed Ziggy against the wall, choking her with a menacing grip. Ziggy’s vision blurred as she struggled to break free, desperation giving her the strength to fight back against her attacker. With one final surge of energy, she managed to reach behind her, grab a burlap sack, and force it over Tommy's head, attempting to choke him back as he had done to her. The tables had turned, and Ziggy fought with all her might to defend herself and escape from Tommy's grasp. Tommy bucked, throwing Ziggy to the floor, and he stood up slowly, grabbing his dropped axe. Ziggy gasped, terror filling her as she realized the danger she was still in. She scrambled to her feet and tried to run, but Tommy tripped her, causing her to fall hard on the ground. As she struggled to get back up, Ziggy knew that thinking fast was her only chance at survival.

“No!” Ziggy screamed as Tommy raised his axe, ready to strike. A split second later, a squishing sound pierced through the air, making Tommy pause and turn around. There stood Cindy, covered in dirt and blood, the kitchen knife Ziggy had dropped in her hand. Not-Tommy and Cindy stared at each other for a long moment, Cindy remembering Tommy as he used to be before she remembered what he tried to do to Ziggy.

“Fuck! You!” Cindy snarled, repeatedly stabbing Tommy in the chest until he collapsed, unmoving.

“You swore!” Ziggy gasped, panting as she stared at Cindy with a mix of fear and admiration.

“It’s becoming a habit,” Cindy said as she turned to Ziggy, her eyes filled with tears as she dropped the bloodied knife and embraced her sister, both of them knowing they had just narrowly escaped death. Ziggy laughed a bit before her laugh turned into a sob as Cindy's arms wrapped around her, holding her tight.

“You smell like shit,” Ziggy whispered, feeling a sense of relief wash over her as they held each other in that moment.

“Yeah, that’s because I'm covered in it," Cindy said, chuckling through her tears. Ziggy gagged a bit as they broke the hug.

“Do you think it’ll wash out?” Ziggy took one look at her sister’s polo shirt, laughed, and shook her head.

“You might need to buy a new polo,” she told her, making them chuckle at the absurdity of the situation. They both knew that material possessions were the least of their worries now that they had narrowly escaped death.

“I’m so sorry, Ziggy. I’m—I’m sorry I wasn’t here, not just tonight, but every day,” Cindy said sadly. 

“No, you were. You just—”

“No, no, I haven’t been here. I know that now. I know that you just needed me to listen, to hear you. I thought that if I just put my head down and followed the rules, everything would be fine, that I’d get out of Shadyside, but—but now I know you were right. Everything is cursed,” Cindy said, tears streaming down her face.

“I could’ve been nicer. I could’ve been less of a—of a monster,” Ziggy said, wiping away her own tears.

“Yeah. Well…you were my monster,” Cindy said, a bittersweet smile forming on her lips. “And at the end of the day, Mom, Dad, Shadyside, Sunnyvale…I won’t let anything pull us apart again. You hear me?”

Ziggy nodded, smiling through her tears, feeling a sense of relief and understanding wash over her.

“Loud and clear, ma’am.”

Distant banging ruined the moment between them, and both sisters tensed, turning toward the sound coming from the cave that Cindy had crawled out of. Cindy gestured for Ziggy to stay there while she cautiously approached the entrance, ready to face whatever awaited them. Ziggy watched her sister go, ready to run to her side at a moment’s notice if needed, feeling a surge of protective instinct rising within her.

“Hey, snitch!” Alice greeted as she appeared and hoisted herself into the mess hall.

“What took you so long?” Cindy returned, relief clear in her eyes as she saw Alice safe and sound.

“Come on!” Cindy grunted as she helped Alice climb out of the cave. Alice glanced over and spotted both Ziggy and the unmoving body of Tommy before her eyes returned to Cindy.

“You did it,” Alice said, and Cindy nodded.

“We did it,” she corrected, and she hugged Alice.

“Okay, careful, okay? This thing’s like a million years old,” Alice said, and Cindy drew back, sparing a glance at her bag.

“I bought that a month ago,” Cindy said, confused.

“No, I’m not talking about your stupid bag, genius. ‘Blood will fall.’ Satan’s stone, okay? It was right there. All this time, buried under the moss, and I found it. I fucking found it,” Alice exclaimed, her eyes wide with excitement.

"Found what?" Cindy asked, and Alice grinned.

“Three guesses,” she said. Ziggy lurched to her feet, eyes wide, as she dragged both Cindy and Alice to the nearest table so they could sit down. Alice opened the bag and took out a dusty, old hand bone that looked like it belonged to a small child.

“What? What is it?” Ziggy asked, her voice hushed.

“It’s Sarah Fier’s lost hand,” Alice informed her.

“Nurse Lane…she spent her entire life looking for this. A way to stop the curse that took her daughter,” Cindy said, her voice filled with awe and disbelief.

“‘Without her hand, her grip on the land holds firm. The curse will last until body and hand unite’,” Alice read from the diary as Ziggy leaned over to look as well. “This led us to the hand bone. And if the legend is true, that means her body is still buried—”

“By the Hanging Tree,” Ziggy finished, her eyes widening in realization, and Alice nodded.

“We can end this. No more murders, no more curse, no more…” Cindy said, pausing as she glanced to the side, disbelief written on her face. “…pain. We can save Shadyside…tonight!”

Ziggy, carefully yet curiously, dragged the hand bone closer to her, ignoring the sudden, dull throb in her nose. A drop of blood fell onto the hand bone, and Ziggy was suddenly bombarded with the images of a furiously screaming woman being hanged, a book with strange symbols, and a ritual in her mind. Ziggy snapped out of it when she felt Cindy grab her hands, pulling her back to reality.

“My nose,” Ziggy gasped as she wiped away the blood and looked at Cindy with wide eyes. “I bled on the hand, and…I think I just saw her.”

“Who?” Cindy asked, already knowing the answer.

“Sarah Fier,” Ziggy said, her voice barely above a whisper. “She was…She was angry.”

“We have to bury this thing. Right fucking now,” Alice said seriously, and they got up from the table to grab what they needed. Cindy ended up finding a shovel and a trowel, which she gave to Ziggy while she kept the shovel.

"Okay, let's go," Cindy said.

"What, I have to use my hands?" Alice asked sarcastically.

"No, you're staying here," Cindy said, but Alice shook her head decisively.

"Come on, I can hop just fine," Alice laughed as she limped forward a bit before turning to Cindy and Ziggy.

"I watched my dad go to jail when I was six. I watched my mom steal…so I could eat. First time I cut myself, I was twelve. It was after…well, you know when," Alice said, nodding at Cindy, who looked at her with understanding.

"And, now tonight…I watched your perfect boyfriend turn into a monster and kill the only person I ever loved. I've waited…my whole fucking life for this. And now I've found it. Let me see this through. For Arnie…for Tommy…for Shadyside," Alice finished, and Cindy nodded in agreement, her eyes filled with tears.

"For Shadyside," Cindy agreed, wiping away a tear.

"For Shadyside," Ziggy added, clenching her fists in determination. Cindy saw movement behind Alice, and her eyes went wide.

"Alice!" Cindy shouted in warning. Alice turned around, and she stumbled back—almost like something invisible had pushed her—and the handle of Tommy's axe smacked her in the head, knocking her to the ground. Cindy howled in rage, raised the shovel, and smacked the attacker in the face, causing him to stumble back. Cindy then jammed the shovel against Tommy's neck and shoved with all her might.

"Fucking die! Why won't you fucking die!" Cindy screamed as she pushed the shovel harder, her hands shaking with adrenaline. A moment later, Tommy's head was removed from his shoulders and rolled across the floor, leaving a trail of blood in its wake. Cindy stood there, panting heavily, staring at the gruesome scene before her in shock. She didn't particularly care what she had done, only that she had defended herself against the man who had tried to harm her. She rushed over to Alice, who was still unmoving on the ground.

"No! Alice? Alice? Just—just stay with me, Alice," Cindy gasped as she scrabbled for a pulse. The second she found it, she nearly sobbed with relief, knowing that Alice was still alive. Cindy nodded to Ziggy, who looked relieved as well.

“You always hurt the one you love. The one you shouldn’t hurt at all.”  

“What is that?” Ziggy whispered, hearing the distant singing first. Cindy strained her ears, trying to make out the words of the haunting melody. The singing grew louder, echoing through the building, sending shivers down her spine. They both inched toward the noise, their hearts pounding with a mixture of fear and curiosity. All of a sudden, the young, scarred face of a girl appeared—one that they immediately recognized—her eyes blank and her voice piercing through the silence.

“Run, run!” Cindy ordered, and both sisters launched into motion, grabbing the shovel and the trowel as they ran out of the mess hall. Cindy didn’t want to leave the unconscious Alice behind, but they had no choice as they raced toward the Hanging Tree.

“There it is! Go, go!” Cindy shouted upon seeing the tree looming in the distance, its branches twisted and reaching toward the sky like skeletal fingers. The sisters knew they had to reach the tree before it was too late, before whatever haunted the camp caught up to them.

“Here?” Ziggy asked, her voice trembling as they reached the base of the tree.

“Yes! Dig! Dig!” Cindy commanded, urgency evident in her voice as she handed Ziggy the shovel. She and Ziggy wasted no time and began digging frantically, hoping to find Sarah Fier’s bones. Ziggy glanced up, doing a double take when she saw a familiar face.

“Cindy?” Ziggy gasped, causing Cindy to look up. Both girls stared as ten-year-old Billy Barker slammed his bloody baseball bat onto the ground with every other step he took.

“Just keep digging,” was all Cindy said, her eyes narrowing in desperation as they continued their search for the bones. Billy Barker's presence only added to the urgency of their mission, knowing they were running out of time before the curse would claim another victim. Not even a second later, the singing voice of Ruby Lane appeared as she too joined Billy Barker in the hunt, her haunting melody echoing through the woods.

“Faster!” Cindy urged.

“I hit something,” Ziggy said, poking at something with the shovel. Both sisters frantically dug with their hands, only to be disappointed when they dragged out a rock that said “The Witch Forever Lives.”

“The witch forever lives,” Cindy repeated dully, her heart sinking at the realization that they were no closer to finding the bones than they were before. Time was running out, and they were no closer to breaking the curse.

"Cindy, what does it mean? Cindy?" Ziggy babbled, terror gripping her heart as she looked around the dark forest, feeling the weight of the curse bearing down on them. Billy Barker's bat and Ruby Lane's haunting melody seemed to grow louder, signaling that they were running out of time.

"I don't know," Cindy said weakly.

"Where is she? Where's the body?" Ziggy continued to babble.

"I don't know!" Cindy snapped, stressed and frustrated. The darkness of the forest seemed to close in around them, adding to their sense of urgency and fear.

"This way. Come on!" Cindy gasped, dragging Ziggy to her feet so they could run. They barely took a step before freezing in place when they saw Tommy charging at them at full speed. They looked around frantically, but they were surrounded by Tommy, Ruby Lane, Billy Barker, Isaac Milton, and Harry Rooker, who were all coming toward them with menacing expressions. Cindy's heart raced as she realized they were trapped, with no way out. Ziggy grabbed her hand tightly, her eyes wide with fear as they braced themselves for whatever was about to happen next.

"What do you want, Sarah Fier? You want this? You can have it! Just let my sister live! Just let my sister live!" Cindy screamed, waving the hand bone in the air as a desperate attempt to bargain for their lives. The killers didn't stop advancing, their expressions growing even more sinister as they closed in on Cindy and Ziggy. The air was thick with tension as the two girls prepared for a fight for survival. Cindy threw the hand bone to the ground before picking up the shovel and staring at Ziggy like a fierce protector ready to do whatever it takes to keep her sister safe.

"You bled on the bone. They're after you. Get ready to run," Cindy said as Ziggy shook her head, refusing to leave her sister behind. The killers were getting closer, their eyes filled with malice and determination. Cindy knew they had to make a move soon if they wanted to escape alive.

"No, Cindy, no! No, Cindy!" Ziggy sobbed, but Cindy was already moving.

"Let's go!" Cindy ordered, shoving Ziggy to get her moving as she charged at the thing-that-used-to-be-Tommy and nailed him in the head with the shovel.

Anger and fear took over, and Cindy kept swinging, desperately trying to protect her sister and herself from the approaching danger. The adrenaline pumping through her veins gave her the strength to keep fighting, knowing that their survival depended on it. She could feel a new burst of strength flooding through her as she fought with all her might, refusing to give up even as exhaustion threatened to overtake her. With each strike, Cindy's resolve only grew stronger, determined to see them both through to safety no matter what. Ziggy screamed from behind her, first in terror and then in agony, but Cindy didn't dare turn around even though she could hear the fear in her sister's voice. She knew that their only chance was to keep swinging, to keep fighting, no matter what.

"Nothing will pull us apart!" Cindy screamed, her voice echoing through the darkness, desperate to get to Ziggy. Thunder rumbled, and the monster before her vanished into thin air, making Cindy stumble mid-swing.

"Ziggy!" Cindy shrieked, seeing Ziggy on the ground with multiple stab wounds. Ignoring her own injuries, Cindy rushed to her sister's side, determined to see them both through to safety no matter what. She quickly applied pressure to Ziggy's wounds, praying for help to arrive soon. Even more desperation flooded through her as she began CPR on Ziggy, refusing to give up on her sister's life. With tears streaming down her face, Cindy whispered words of encouragement, vowing to keep fighting until they were both safe and sound. 

"That was July 19th, 1978. Five thousand, nine hundred, and thirty-seven days ago. My sister was gone...and so was I."

"Ziggy!" Someone shouted, and Cindy was abruptly pushed out of the way as Nick Goode started doing CPR on Ziggy. Sobbing, Cindy rocked back and forth on her heels, feeling a mix of relief and guilt as she watched Nick take over. She was glad that someone had arrived but couldn't shake the fear that it might be too late for Ziggy.

"And most days...I wished I'd stayed dead."

Ziggy's eyes fluttered open as she gasped for air, and Cindy let out a sob of relief as she saw her sister come back to life. The weight of uncertainty lifted off her shoulders as she realized that Ziggy was going to be okay. She scrambled over to check on Ziggy and felt a rush of gratitude towards Nick for saving her sister's life. The sense of dread that had been consuming her slowly dissipated as she saw Ziggy breathing again, grateful for the second chance they had been given.

"Wait...Wait, you're Ziggy?" Josh asked, and C. Berman nodded. 

"Hey, what's your name? Look at me. What's your name?" A paramedic asked a little while later, bringing Cindy back to the present moment. She looked up, feeling a sense of hope and gratitude for the strangers who had come to their rescue.

"Her name is Ziggy," Cindy replied with a shaky voice, relieved that help had arrived just in time.

"Ziggy," Ziggy whispered at the same time.

"It's Christine. Her real name, it's Christine Berman," Nick added, filling in the missing pieces of Ziggy's identity. The paramedic nodded, jotting down the information before turning back to attend to Ziggy/Christine, who was now conscious and stable.

"Where's my…where's my sister?" Ziggy breathed, and Cindy reached over to squeeze her hand reassuringly.

"I'm right here, Ziggy," Cindy said softly, feeling a wave of relief wash over her as she saw the color return to Ziggy's cheeks.

"Cindy...Alice...my sister and my friend...they sacrificed themselves for everything. And almost died because of it. I told everyone the story of how we almost died. The story I just told you. And no one believed me. Cindy and Alice had left that very night the second they were released from the hospital. Cindy had made sure I knew what goes where, how this does what, that sort of thing. I was grateful for their sacrifices, but it was hard to see them leave so suddenly. They called from time to time, just to check in and see how I was doing. I knew they were out there somewhere, living their lives to the fullest after everything they had been through. It gave me hope that one day we would all be reunited again."

"And Nick?"

"It was her. Sarah Fier, the witch. The curse, it's…it's real," Ziggy gasped, staring up at Nick, pleading for him to understand.

"I thought he was different. I thought he would believe me. But Nick had a destiny in this town. And you don't become sheriff talking about ghost stories."

Before Nick reply, Ziggy was loaded into the ambulance, and Cindy was escorted to the one with Alice in critical condition. As the ambulance sirens blared and the vehicles sped off, Nick was left standing in silence, his mind racing with questions.

"What the hell happened here?" Office Kapinski asked quietly.

"Tommy Slater. He just went crazy," Nick answered, and the older man scoffed.

"Fucking Shadysiders," he grumbled as he walked off to continue his investigation. Nick watched him go, feeling a sense of unease settle in the pit of his stomach.

"I couldn't see him again. Not after that. The witch...the town curse...for one night, Cindy believed that there was a way to end it. So I thought there was too. But now I know...there is no end." 

An alarm clock buzzed.

Ziggy stood up. 

"Like I said, your best chance is to run from this place. Go as far as you can, and hope a bus doesn't hit you on the way out."

"We found the body off Highway 5 in the woods between Shadyside and Sunnyvale."

"It's not possible."

"Oh, it's there. Trust us. The chains, the bones, the whole thing."

"That could be anyone."

"Why do you think our friends are in the hospital, severely injured? For the same reason they hurt Alice, your sister. The killers came after us because we found something they didn't want us to find. And I wish to God that it never happened, but we found it. We found what you were looking for in '78. We found Sarah Fier. Look, please, we...Nurse Lane was right. We can end the curse by reuniting the hand with the body. And we know where the body is, so all we need is the hand. What happened to Camp Nightwing? Is the hand bone still there? Is it still buried underneath the Hanging Tree?"

A nod.

A race to the Shadyside Mall.

Frantic digging.

Gasps of shock.

A hand bone covered in dirt and red moss. 

A frantic drive to the woods. 

"Lock the doors."

Protests from Josh. 

Deena shushes him. 

"Deena...? Your nose is bleeding."

She knew.

Just like she knew that there was very little time. 

"I'll be right back."

"Wait. Deena! Deena!"

Running through the woods, and unwrapping Sarah's bones.

"I got you...you witch."

Hand bone met the rest of the bones, and a drop of blood fell.