Like so many times before, Y/n was surrounded by deafening blackness on all sides. It was all she could see for miles and miles, stretching out to every corner of the earth.

She tried moving through the dark, aimlessly wandering around in the hopes of finding something. There was always something for her to find in the dark.

Suddenly, a hiss of pain from behind her.

Turning on her heel, Y/n was taken aback to see a younger version of her mother laid crumpled on the floor in front of her.

She panted heavily, hair frazzled and eyes squeezed tightly shut. She had one of her delicate hands wrapped protectively over her rounded belly, the other desperately gripping onto someone's arm. 

Her father's arm. 

He was kneeled beside her, trying his best to soothe his lover in her time of need. His hands were coated in the dried blood of his wife and his heavy sweat. 

He also donned the familiar crimson robes of the cult that had sentenced her to death. 

 He winced against M/n's nails digging into his flesh but softly cooed to her, "It'll be alright, sweetie. Just a little bit more."     

M/n let out a wail of agony that made Y/n's bones stiffen. Her father cursed under his breath, pleading for her to be quiet. But she just couldn't stop screaming. 

A moment later, the faint sound of a door clicking open and the clack of boots against the cold stone made F/n scramble away from M/n, regrettably casting one final glance over at her as he stood up and turned away from her shaking figure.

As the cult's leader made his entrance, F/n puffed his chest and starred forward, as though unfazed by the shrill shrieks of pain from behind him. 

"You have done well to guard the traitor," He remarked, nodding over at the unnerved man. "But why is she screaming so loudly?"

"Her water broke, sir," F/n responded. "She's gone into labor." 

"Hm. How. . . irritating. Well, we shall proceed with the execution anyhow." F/n's jaw clenched as his superior lazily waved the executioner over to M/n's trembling form. 

"P-please, please don't kill my baby!" She sobbed, clutching her stomach. "I can feel it coming out of- AARGH!" She let out another pained scream, sobbing and desperately trying to squirm away from the executioner. 

The executioner stepped towards her, unnerved by this display. The surrounding torches shadowed over his face, though they seemed to illuminate his axe with a fiendish glint. He raised it above his head, looking over to his leader to await confirmation. 

"On your command, sir."

The moments that the cult leader spent tapping his fingers against his chin were the longest Y/n had ever experienced. She wanted nothing more than to rush forward and call out to her parents, but she knew by now that any attempt to interfere wouldn't change the outcome of the encounter. All she could do was cast a hateful glare unto the man who had orchestrated her destruction and pray for her parent's triumph.

He stood there for longer, gaze darting from the terrified M/n to the silent executioner to the slightly trembling F/n. Thoughtfully, he stood there. Tapping a finger against his chin. Taking it all in.  

Tap. Tap. Tap.

Y/n could hardly believe it. She dug her nails into her palms, quivering from the perilous danger her parents were in. Taking in a breath, it took her entire will to stay standing up. "God, if you're out there, please don't let them kill my mom and dad, please don't let them. . ." 

"Put the axe down, executioner. You are dismissed."

Everyone sat in stunned silence. The executioner, appearing quite baffled by this unexpected decision, hefted the axe down. He cast a questioning glance at his leader, but he only gave a doglike smirk in response. Giving one more glance down at M/n, the executioner walked away, heavy boots clunking against the cobblestone as he scratched his head in confusion.

And then there were three. M/n, F/n, and the cult leader. Once the executioner had left the cell, the leader turned to address F/n, who remained still as a statue when he felt the calculating gaze size him up.

"She is to give birth to the child," He said. "When she does, you will notify me. Understood?"

"Y- yes sir," F/n breathed. "I- I won't let her out of my sight." He nodded curtly, then turned on his heel to leave.

Then there were two. 

F/n and M/n. Lovers in secret.

 He rushed to her, sobbing loudly over her body. She placed a shaky hand on his back to reassure him she was unharmed.

"We can't just stay here M/n," He growled. "We have to get out of here. Who knows what he'll do to our child, who knows what he'll do to you?!"

She tried to respond, but another cry of pain was all she could manage to get out.

"P- please," She sputtered. "Hold my hand."

Lovingly staring down at her, F/n took M/n's hand in his own and clutched it almost as hard as she did. He squeezed and cried as if it was the last time he'd be able to do so.

Then, there was abrupt darkness. There was a deafening silence.

Then, there was a baby crying.

Y/n wanted this nightmare to be over. She never wanted to live these painful memories, she just wanted to wake up.

She squeezed her eyes shut, but the baby wouldn't stop crying. She put her hands to her ears, but the crying grew louder. She pressed her hands tightly against the organs of hearing, but the shrill, ugly weeping seemed to only grow even louder.

When she could bear the noise no longer and opened her eyes, she was met with another scene, one so foreign to her, yet equally familiar. Her parents were the main focus once again, though this time, instead of on the floor, M/n was barely being supported by F/n. She hung off of his shoulder like a lame dog, struggling to keep up with his brisk walking. They both carried small bundles with their free hands, which were made up of old cult robes.

"F/n, s- slow down, I can't keep going so fast!" She stumbled over her feet, cursing under her breath. Something bundled up in M/n's robe started wailing.

She glanced over at it, desperately rocking it in the hopes that it would quiet down. "It's ok! Momma has you, it's alright. Just be quiet, for the love of God."

The baby in the bundle hushed at M/n's calming voice. M/n breathed a sigh of relief. 

The quiet was only momentarily though, as then the other bundle started shrieking in her father's arms. M/n hissed through her teeth. 

"God, Why did two of them have to come out of me?"

As they sped down the dimly lit hall, M/n looked over to her lover with a pleading gaze. "F/n, can you take Y/n? Cassandra's getting antsy."

F/n glanced at her sideways as he swapped bundles with her. "What, you already gave them names?"

"I think they're pretty names," She retorted. "Listen, we can talk about this later. The exit is only a little bit further, and no one suspects anything yet."

Y/n watched them hobble away, still dazed by the ordeal she had just witnessed. Everything was so. . . intense. Suspenseful. Horrifying. It made her want to crumple under her own weight, to dissipate into ash. 

When she had heard this story for the first time, she thought that she had been able to accurately visualize it in her head, as though she were reading a picture book in her brain. 

Her mom went into labor, Y/n came out, Y/n was taken away to be sacrificed, Y/n had been revived, and her parents had somehow escaped the cult. It all sounded so simple when she recited the events in her brain, but the more she thought about it, the less it all made sense. This nightmare recollection of her suppressed memories was at least helping her to fill in all of the gaps of her past.

Maybe, with time, she'd be able to come to terms with her curse. 

The thought of being at peace with herself was just enough to calm her down, if not by a lot. These memories certainly weren't easy to endure through, but it was all building up towards something. She was certain of it.

Y/n was half-conscious of the darkness that was now obscuring her vision. She didn't fight against it, she didn't attempt to run away, she didn't react at all in a way that was befitting of her character. She instead let it slowly wash over and blanket her, lulling her into a peaceful nirvana.

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

". . . Y/n?" M/n gently shook her daughter by the shoulder. The sleeping girl snorted and flinched awake in the passenger seat of the red minivan, blinking away the harsh sunlight that filtered in through the windshield. The car was parked on the outskirts of the town, as the familiar sight of the shops on the main street was visible over the horizon.

 At first, Y/n was confused as to why they were here, but the memories soon flooded back into her brain like a tsunami. She had died, she had been revived, and she had lived through some of the most traumatic memories of her early life- and that of her parents, as well. 

Now, she was back in the small mountain town of South Park to get rid of the group of cultists that had sentenced her to death.

She shook what was left of her sleepy demeanor away, then turned to give her mother an affirmative nod. M/n returned the gesture. The two didn't need to waste time speaking their thoughts in words, for they both knew what needed to be done. 

"If there's as many of them as you say there are, we can't just saunter around the town during the day." M/n stated. "We'll need to go somewhere where we can lay low and make a plan. Is there anywhere discreet here that you know of?"

M/n began listing off a bunch of places where they could go, muttering a bunch of different strategies to herself under her breath. Y/n was only half listening to her mother's ramblings, though she found her mind wandering elsewhere.

That elsewhere being her now official boyfriend, Kenny. 

Would he have remembered what had happened to her? Was he mourning her death, even now? Y/n didn't want to think of the effect that her death could have had on him, or anyone else for that matter. The thought of someone crying over her unfortunate end made her sick in the stomach.

"But wait, couldn't I go see him right now?"

Y/n bolted up at the revelation. She snapped her neck to M/n, who was still muttering indecisively. "Mom, I know where we could go." M/n looked up, giving her an inquisitive look. "Really? Where? Is it structurally sound? Will it-"

"Can I just see your phone? I need to give someone a call."

She gave Y/n a pointed look. "Y/n, I don't think that you understand the severity of the situation we're in right now. We're going up against some very powerful people, we can't just be calling anyone here."

"I think you meant that I'm going up against some very powerful people." 

M/n scoffed. "Listen here young lady, this is my fight as much as it is yours. I've been burdened by this cult my entire life, and now that I finally have a shot at making them pay for tearing my family apart, you better believe I'm taking it!" 

Y/n stared ahead, eyes narrowed in irritation. 

"You tore our family apart just as much as they did, it was your decision to leave." 

Though she wanted so badly to say it, Y/n bit her tongue. After the memories she had seen in her sleep, she could see the truth behind her mother's motivations.

"Listen, mom, I understand what you mean. Really. It's just. . ." She trailed off, trying to think of the best way to explain her thoughts. "It was your choice to fake your own death. The cult didn't force you or dad to abandon us, you made that decision on your own. That alone infuriates me in a way I can't express in words, but at the same time, I understand why you did it." 

Y/n turned around in her seat to look at M/n. "All you wanted to do was keep me and Cassandra from meeting another gruesome end, and you thought that abandoning us was a necessary evil. Simply put. . . you did all the wrong things for all the right reasons."

She paused her monologue to wipe the corners of her eyes with her sleeve. Speaking in such a raw manner made her feel so . . . vulnerable.

"Y/n." M/n took hold of her daughter's hands, squeezing them tightly in her own. "I know my words don't mean anything to you anymore, but I swear I will do anything and everything in my power to keep you safe. I've let you down once, and I have no intention of letting you down again. I promise."

Tears were starting to spill from her own eyes now. Before Y/n could interject, M/n hastily dug around in her purse and produced a cellphone. She placed it in Y/n's shaky hands and motioned for her to make her call.

Y/n gave a small nod of gratitude and turned her attention to the phone, stumbling over entering Kenny's number into the dial-pad. She put the device to her ear, tapping her foot anxiously as it rang.

Ring. . .

What would she say to him? How would she explain herself to him?

Ring. . .

Would he believe her? How would he react to the voice of a dead girl?

Ring. . .

Static. But only for a moment. Y/n held her breath.

Then, his voice.

"Hey. . ."

She wanted to throw up. Everything she had planned on saying went out the window and the words just flooded out of her like a broken faucet.

"Kenny, oh my god you have no idea what's been going on. I thought I died, but then I woke up in my mom's house and-"

". . . you've reached Kenny McCormick. Sorry, I couldn't get your call. Leave a voicemail if you want, but no guarantees I'll be able to get back at you. My phone plan sucks."

A long beep followed, and then there was silence. Y/n thoughtlessly hung up. Sighing, she put the phone into her lap and stared down at her feet. M/n offered an awkward pat on the shoulder, which was oddly comforting in a weird way. 

"It's alright, dear. Who was this 'Kenny' boy you were trying to reach, anyway? Is he a friend of yours?" Y/n's mouth twinged a slight bit. "Yeah, I guess you could say that." She tried holding back a grin at the thought of her mother figuring out she had a boyfriend. "He's a really good friend of mine."  

Before anyone could say anything more, the phone in Y/n's lap buzzed. She picked it up and squinted down to read the notification. Her heart skipped a beat to see that Kenny had sent a text message. 

"Who is this?"

Y/n fumbled with the device, hastily typing a response.

"You're going to think this is some kind of sick joke, but please don't leave. Just hear me out."

A few seconds went by, and they were the longest of Y/n's life. Then he replied. 

"I'm listening. Who is this?" 

A pause for emphasis.

"It's me, Kenny. It's Y/n."

He didn't send an answer for a long while. Y/n was worried that she might've scared him off, but he was back online soon enough. Y/n was certain that he would demand an explanation or refuse to accept that she was alive, but his reply was so simple it was almost suspicious. 

"Prove it."

Y/n was a little off-put by the message, yet she obliged. She snapped a quick picture of herself waving at the camera, then sent it his way. His reaction was almost immediate. 

"Who is that woman behind you?"

She looked back at the photo. It appeared that M/n had a small bit of her face poking in from the side. Y/n scratched the back of her neck, almost sheepishly. 

"It's a long story, but uh, that's my mom."  

Y/n had expected Kenny to express some kind of confusion. Anything that could hint at what he was feeling, what he was thinking.
His lack of sentiment was starting to irk her. It was as if he didn't even care that she had been literally raised from the dead.

"Your mom. . . interesting. Listen, meet me at these coordinates at 8 o'clock tonight. Lay low until then. We can talk later. I need to go."

He sent a set of map coordinates, then went offline without so much as a goodbye. Y/n was speechless. She looked over at her mother, who was pretending as if she wasn't poking her head over Y/n's shoulder to read the exchange.

Though she was insistent in feigning her innocence, M/n did her best to offer her daughter words of encouragement. "Well, your little friend was certainly rude, but he did offer some good advice. We can't be stupid and let the entire clan that we're here." 

She gave a wry smile. "At least, not until we've got them at our feet."

Y/n was hesitant. She knew Kenny was right in telling her to lay low. He was very clever and rational, it was one of the many things she loved about him.

But, why wouldn't he tell her to go meet with him sooner so they could formulate a plan together? What about the Freedom Pals, and what about Cassandra? Surely she wouldn't be faulted for wanting to let her sister know she was alive. She entertained multiple different thoughts in her head before coming to a decisive conclusion.

"You know what?! SCREW IT!" She exclaimed out loud. "I'm Y/n L/n the walking corpse! Nobody- not even Kenny- is going to tell me what I can and can't do anymore!"

Y/n turned to M/n, a wild glint in her eye. "Mom, step on the gas! We're going to go see Cassandra and a bunch of sweaty teens!"

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

Kenny had insisted upon walking Cassandra home as Mysterion after the rest of the group turned in for the night. She politely (but not so politely) declined.

"It's alright, My good old' friend Professor C. is letting me crash at his place for the night." She had said. "He has his farting friend over there now, said we could all have a sleepover. That kind of works out well for me, because I don't think I'm too comfortable with being alone right now."

He had understood, and the two parted ways.

He felt as if he owed it to Y/n to keep her sister safe. After everything, he couldn't help but fear that something bad might happen to Cassandra if he left her alone.

It was an ironic fear, in retrospect.

As Kenny walked down the dimly lit street in his costume, he'd been so absorbed in his own emotions that he wasn't on his guard. He had barely taken notice of the red-clad troupe that had gathered a few feet ahead of him.

And by the time he did see them, they had already stabbed a needle in his neck. He tried to fight back, but whatever substance they injected him with stunned him to a point of paralysis.
As he fell to the ground, the last thing he saw before they put the bag on his head was the steel-toed boots of his captors and a flash of Y/n sleeping in a lonely bed.

_______________________________________________________________________________

Why hello there, fam squad

Hope you're all having a swell day and whatnot

I just wanted to thank you all once again for the support of the story! Every vote and every comment means so much. (Also no, I will not stop repeating that sentence in every author's note so nice try but it's not gonna stop <3) 

Also, we hit 5k reads! I had my fingers crossed that we would be able to reach a milestone like this, and I'm so glad we have like seriously you guys are the coolest ♡♡

But yeah, I should prolly skedaddle 

I love you all in a way I cannot express in words bye ( ･_･)♡

 -Ever