The Other Side

Unstoppable (Ch. 3)

There have been numerous scary moments in Aron's life. But nothing quite matches the look on Cassie's face at this very moment. A look that screams of both horror and sadness. Her reddish eyes and shaky voice are clear evidence of tears.

Her hands squeeze Aron's as she quickly rushes him down the stairs. Standing by the front door is Dylan who pockets his phone and looks at his two friends.

"Cops are on the way," he says. "They better get here soon."

"What the hell is going on?!" Aron asks.

Dylan and Cassie turn to him, confused on how to break the terrifying news.

"Aron, Jamie is... dead," Cassie barely gets out.

At first, Aron simply smirks. Is this it? Is this his friends' sad attempt at playing a prank on him? However, two things cross his mind. One: Dylan is a horrible liar. Two: with all of the years Aron has known Cassie, he knows she would NEVER even attempt a prank this cruel.

As the realizations sink in and his two friends' dreaded faces linger, it becomes regrettably clear that Cassie and Dylan are telling the truth. Somehow, someway, the news of Jamie's death is the truth.

"What-?"

"We have to get out of here," Dylan says, cutting off Aron. He turns back to face the hall leading to the rest of the house. "Where is that old woman? HEY, ANNABELLE?"

"Dylan..." Cassie whispers, gripping his arm.

"What is it?" Dylan asks, turning to Cassie.

"Think about it," she says. "That old woman... what if she..."

Picking up on what she's suggesting, Dylan's eyes widen in shock at the possibility that hadn't once crossed his mind. As he responds, he does so in a whisper.

"You're thinking she killed Jamie?"

"Maybe- I don't know," Cassie says, trying to keep it together. "But what if she did? We need to get to the car and wait for the cops."

Dylan nods in agreement.

"Alright, we need to be quick," he says before turning to Aron who has both of his hands at the side of his head.

It's clear the news of Jamie's death is struggling to process in his head. Dylan doesn't blame him. He wasn't there, he hasn't seen the aftermath. But this is no time to grieve. Not while all of them are in danger. He walks over and grabs his friend by the shoulders.

"We need to get to the car," Dylan tells him. "Do you hear me?"

Aron nods.

Dylan walks over to the door and places his sweaty hand on the knob.

"Alright, everyone," Dylan says. "On three. One. Two. Three!"

The front door swings open and from it sprints out the three friends in what is likely the fastest they've ever run in their entire lives. In a flash, they've reached the ancient Ford. Dylan grabs the handle of the front door and tries to open it. It isn't budging. He slaps his forehead.

"How could we forget the key?!" Dylan grunts.

Cassie looks at Dylan from across the passenger side of the vehicle in horror.

"We need to turn bac-!"

Cassie's words stop at the sound of something flying right past her head. In the blink of a second, she finds out what it was. A small arrow that is now lodged in Dylan's right eye socket. Both she and Aron scream in terror, watching Dylan's corpse fall to the ground with a thud softened by the grass below.