Cathy walked into her room with Anther to see the rest of the gang waiting for them along with a tray of burgers.

"We didn't want to start without you," said Kylie looking up.

"Where did you get these from?" Question Cathy dumping her bag on her bed as she cracked her neck from side to side to get rid of sore muscles.

"Chillax, I don't want your money." Piped up Ryan smugly as he removed the wrapper around the burger.

Alexa snorted. "Chillax? That's way outdated." She said digging into the burger while Ryan half frowned, half scoffed at her.

"Please tell me you didn't finish your pocket money." Cathy said as she pulled out her notebook before sitting beside the others.

"Nope."

Cathy exhaled. "I'm asking you from where you got the money." She said, the last thing she needed being food cops barging in and make a scene.

"My mom's."

"She let you?"

"Nope."

"But then..." Cathy's eyes went wide and her voice lowered as realisation hit her. "You stole it?" She asked even though it sounded more like a statement than a question.

"I didn't technically steal it since it's my mom's money, but ya."

"Does-"

Ryan cut off then rest of Kylie's sentence with a groan. "Look, last night I needed some fresh air so I went for a small walk to the grocery store to buy something because I didn't like whatever was in the fridge." He said dramatically waving his arms in the air as he spoke. Leaving the other blinking in confusion by his sudden mood switch.

"And when I came home, for some reason my parents were pissed. Well my mom was, not my dad since he was the guilty person, not me." Ryan paused to take a bit off his burger.

"How come I didn't know about any of this?" Kylie muttered.

"That's cause you sleep like the dead." Ryan said through a mouthful.

"As if you don't." Alexa said grinning through a bite of bun and lettuce.

"Anyways..." said Ryan swallowing and ignoring Alexa's comment. "Mom had gone to use the washroom and for some reason she decided to use the one near my room.

And when she noticed that my room light was off- I sleep late by the way- she decided to peep in. And when she realised that I wasn't there she started thinking that I was going out at night and doing drugs- oh and did u know mom did drugs when she was our age?-"

"Wait what-"

"So then she began pulling out stuff and guess what she found under my bed?" Ryan continued while ignoring Kylie as he paused for a dramatic effect which went on for quite some time until Alexa whacked him on the back of his head to make him speak up.

"Ow..ow..okay...a wine bottle!" Screamed Ryan while rubbing his head slightly. "And after that she turned into a total banshee and started giving me all sorts of shit. And when she finally left....Dad decided to come clean to me." He said sighing before continuing.

"Turns out it was his wine bottle... he's a heart patient you know, so mom doesn't let him drink so he hid the bottle under my bed."

Silence followed Ryan's speech until Anther shook disapprovingly. "Parents these days suck."

"I know right." Chimed Ryan in agreement.

"But that still doesn't justify you stealing your mom's money." Anther shot back.

Ryan simply shrugged in reply.

☠︎︎ ☠︎︎ ☠︎︎

"Everybody ready?" Called out Anther checking his watch. The digits flashing exactly 6.30 on his arm.

The five teens stood in front of the fence where it was supposed to be loose according to Anther, who went all 'I'm not gonna answer mode' when he was asked how he knew about it.

He placed a fallen twig on fence to make sure that the electricity -which was supposed to be guarding their side from carnivores that didn't exist- wasn't on. Anther dropped the twig on the ground when it didn't burn, raised the fence off it's poles easily before creeping underneath.

Cathy went next, then Kylie, then Alexa and finally, Ryan.

And once all of them were on one side, beams of light flashed from their switched on torches.

Anther took the lead. Trying to make as much noise to get their prey to come out, the teens continued snapping twigs and crunching leaves while dodging branches. But no tall figure appeared.

Ryan and Kylie fussed and whined about being thirsty all the way and Alexa muttered on how she could kill each and every one of them and leave their bodies in a place no one would find while Cathy laughed menacingly as she scared all of them with more tales of Malthus that she'd read ; tales which included abnormally twisted bodies and missing eyeballs or widely slit mouth with pools of blood around them.

After getting sick of the twins lack of endurance and Alexa's and Cathy's very evident mental issues, Anther managed to lead them to a slow going stream with clear water."Is there a waterfall close by?" He asked, given the fact that he'd followed the sound of rushing water.

"I think there's one a bit towards the east," said Ryan and he and Kylie kneelt down and held their torches towards the water. They cupped their hands and filled it with the fresh liquid before gulping it greedily. "Damn, this place is amazing for fishing." Commented Ryan as he gazed at the whizzing fish that swam without a care in the world.

"Ryan focus." Anther muttered as he turned his torch around with the girls and scanned the area. No sight of Death.

Scratching his neck impatiently, Anther was about to voice his thoughts about their time going to waste when he felt something cold brush across his fingertips. Something too cold to be real.

And even though it lasted only for a fraction of a second Anther could swear on his life that something had touched him.

He angled his head around with his torch as the light beam went left to right and then right to left, but still nothing expect tall trees and bushy shrubs showed up.

Taking a few steps forward, Anther felt it again. This time it wasn't something tangible. But it was there. His gaze shot from the ground to what was directly in front of him. His heart beat quickened and the temptation to move closer whispered his name like an old friend.

His feet pressed against the dried grass and earthly soil as they moved forward. He heard his name being called in the background, but Anther easily dismissed them as futile noises. Noises which he didn't care about. And soon, they too faded like the rest of the world. Into darkness. Only what was ahead of him mattered. Straight ahead.

Death.

"You're seriously shitting me!" Exclaimed Alexa as she threw her weight on top of Anther and tried he best to hold him down.

"Ryan! Tie this baboon up!" She yelled as Anther struggled beneath her. "How many times did I tell him that if he feels something not to look."

Alexa got off Anther while Ryan dragged him away. Anther clawed at the grass and made highly inhuman noises as his eyes clouded over and he kicked the air. But Alexa didn't wait to watch the rest. She bounced to her feet and tightened her ponytail.

"Go! " She yelled unzipping her bag.

Cathy took off in the direction of the enemy.

"Time for revenge baby." muttered Alexa placing the riffle on her shoulder. Yep, a riffle. It was supposed to be regular pistol but guess who got lucky for the first time in her life. Adding the part where she knew how to use a riffle due to the afterschool lessons in middle school.

She loaded the weapon and pulled back the trigger as she looked for the victim, it's red eyes and dark figure an object that still haunted her dreams. Finally seeing the cloack of darkness and hollow face, Alexa aimed her shot on Death's neck. All the demon's attention being focused on Cathy screaming profanities at it gaving her a perfect opening.

"I'm not the same little girl anymore." She gritted her teeth as she pulled back the trigger and slowly exhaled and let her finger fall free. And in that moment, it felt as if the world had slowed down, the rifle jerked back Alexa's arms and the tiny gold bullet went forward, spinning and rolling, until it met it's target.

Alexa's stomach knotted up and her heart sank as she realised her aim had gone wrong when the gun had jerked. Instead of it piercing through Malthus' neck like it should have, it had gone down towards it's torso. But then like a rainbow after a storm, Alexa almost screamed in delight as she saw Malthus place a body fingered had to it's side before staggering to the ground. It's head turning to fix three beady eyes on her before it did.

Not now. But soon. She thought as she gave a nod to Kylie and Ryan before the three of them gave chase. Their feet hitting the soil beneath them before flying off only to land again and repeat the process.

Kylie gasped as she nearly tripped as she pressed call on the dialed number and followed Ryan and Alexa, leaving Anther struggling in a daze like sleep in between the thick ropes and tree trunk.

"What are we gonna do about Anther?" Asked Alexa putting one foot in front of the other as fast as she could.

"We'll have to come back and-" Ryan stopped talking when Kylie raised her hand for silence.

"Hello? 911?" She asked in her most innocent panicked voice possible. We're near the Kingswood national woods and there's this weird animal at large, you need to come here immediately," Pause... "I don't have time to describe it, it's chasing me and my friends, it's- Ahhhhh!" Kylie let out a fake scream and then hurriedly pulled out a leaf from her front pocket and rubbed it as hard as she could against the phone's speaker before ending the call.

"Good job Kylie, but now you need to run faster." Said Ryan turning back to look at his sister that had made a gap between them from slowing her speed to speak.

"Hey Malthus!" They heard Cathy yell. She tried get back the demon's attention, but after a bullet had passed through it's middle, it's eyes were set on someone else.

Ryan gulped as he saw the crooked stitched up smile and burning red eyes. They were definitely worse than Pennywise's. Turning to look at Kylie once more, he grabbed her hand protectively before pulling her along with him.

"Remember me?!" They heard Cathy yell once more, cupping her hands around her mouth. Malthus's smile grew even wider if possible while his eyes screamed horrible sins. The three nearing teens had a sense of dread take over them knowing that Cathy couldn't see it's expression. Raising her rifle just in time as a spike shot towards Cathy, Alexa shot it. This time having more control over the weapon this time.

Hurriedly reloading it, she shot a few more shots, the echo of some bullets missing and the noise of some bullets making contact with flesh made lights in nearby houses turn on. And in less than a minute of more fired shots, hasty footsteps and concerned shouts from the other side of the fence came through the ears of the 4 sixteen years old's like heavenly music. And no sooner did the blareing of sirens fill the once empty night air.

Cathy felt her heart beat faster and harder with excitement as if it was going to break through her ribs and jump out of her chest. And by the looks on the other's faces, they felt it too.

This is it. Justice.

But then all her hopes were snatched with the shadows.

It happened in a flash. Just like that. The moonlight shone over them and the shadows of the trees edged higher and higher until they reached Malthus. Snaking around him like slithering serpents, they clothed him before retreating into the trees. Pulling Malthus with them.

Malthus was gone.

"What the hell!" Exclaimed Ryan moving away from the trees.

Proof was gone.

The screeching of vehicle tyers sounded right before car doors slammed shut. A police officer came in to view at the other side of the fence. He's eyes immediately travelling to to the rifle in Alexa's hand before taking a hard look at all their faces.

"Now where's this so called weird animal of yours?

A/N

Ik this is really late but I was going in an order and I'm finally done dedicating chaps to all the ppl that have helped me so now this one's dedicated to _inkyfingerprints who's a reviewer in the TheCVCommunity and she gave me an absolutely amazing review.

So go check her and the community out and ty for reading upto here.