"Don't look at me like that!" Layla exclaimed, folding her arms across her chest while the others stared at her accusingly. "You-" she turned to Kylie. "-told me that you were going 'into the woods to kill a demon.'' Layla said, making her voice go an octave higher in the last sentence. "And then you wouldn't answer my calls! So of course I called the cops."

"You told her?!" Ryan gasped while Kylie grimanced.

"I didn't mean to alright?" Kylie confessed. "We were talking about our future and I thought I might not make it and ugh it just came out." She looked down, her words becoming quieter as the sentence ended.

"Kylie omg once all of this is over we're so gonna kill you but for for now we need to figure out what we're gonna tell them." Alexa said, kneeling down and picking up each of their bags and handing it to them.

Cathy sighed.

Honestly, at this point what were they going to say? She was tired. They all were. And the noise of those stupid police dogs barking in the distance wasn't helping.

But despite all that was going through their minds -and coming out of their mouths. Something about how to Layla's a friend?- Or were they back to the dogs and the men that were always depicted as doughnut eating slobs I'm cartoons? Cathy didn't really know.

The ground felt like cotten under her feet while her hazel eyes were focused on what was above them. Her head angled up. It was a really pretty night. Starts stretched out as far as the eye could see, gazing down at them as if to say everything was going to be okay.

Even the moon was absolutely stunning, it was the perfect cresant shape while the light around it glowed like a bulb.

"Ryan you give us some advice."

"You want my advice?"

"We're not gonna take it! I just want to hear it."

Cathy exhaled deeply as she lowered her head from the sky, cutting off whatever Anther and Ryan were blabbering about. "We tell them the truth." She said, watching as all their eyes turned to her. "They'll be here any minute anyways," she stretched out a hand towards the sound of approaching footsteps, "and his body is still here," she swung her hand at the mass of black. "So now we finally have the chance to do what we've been wanting to do for the past 5 months. Prove that Malthus is real."

"And you're sure it won't just disappear like last time?" Ryan asked skeptically.

"Ry it's literally dead." Anther cut in.

"Cuz we could just run away now." Ryan insisted anyways.

"Why don't we just stay this time." Alexa suggested.

Ryan inhaled deeply as the sound of dogs sniffing the air reached no more than 15 feet away from them. "Okay then."

"We're here!" Cathy called.

And then the pace of the footsteps increased and flashes of light fell on them. The beams of the torches piercing into their eyes and washing over their clothes while wide eyes stared at them.

"Put your hands in the air!"

Cathy smiled. Despite every single thing that happened, despite the way the men in blue were looking at her right now, for the first time in forever, Catherine Williams felt safe. Even as a torch light fell on Malthus' body.

"What the hell is that!?"

*  *  *

"Why is the Sun so bright?!" Cathy groaned as she slipped out of the blanket and into a pair of fuzzy slippers.

Turning the tap on in the bathroom, she stared at her reflection in the mirror as she brushed her teeth. Her parents voices could be heard from below, it didn't sound as if either of them were yelling at each other so Cathy was grateful for that at least.

What she wasn't grateful for though, was school.

It was Monday, 2 days and 3 nights had passed since their last trip to the woods. Gosh that Friday felt so long ago.

It was still 6:50 and school didn't start till 8, but before that, they had some work to complete.

Running down the stairs after getting dressed, Cathy stopped short as she heard her name being said on the TV.

She should be used to it now, this isn't the first time she's been spoken about on the news.

The difference is, this time it was good news.

That didn't make facing her parents any easier though.

To say they'd been pissed would be the understatement of the century.
They had been livid, furious, wrathful, crying, screaming.

Basically think of all the words to describe "angry as hell".

And now they were acting all...plain.

So in order to avoid another awkward encounter, Cathy grabbed am apple from the fruit bowl and hurriedly washed it while her mom meddled with her tie in front of the mirror in the hall and her dad flicked through the channels on the TV.

"Have a good day," Cathy called before grabbing the bouquet of flowers and her school bag on the coffee table and hurrying towards the front door.

"Cathy wait."

Almost tripping as she skidded to a halt, Cathy turned around to see her parents looking as uncomfortable as she felt.

"Your mom and I just wanted to say that we love you." Her dad continued.

"More than you'll ever know." Her mom added.

"Aw you guys," Cathy smiled. "I love you both two," she said. Making sure to look them both in the eye to show she meant it.

And then she turned around and walked out the door. She'd already explained about the things she was going to do today (they'd wanted a step by step list) and yet she thought they were going to ask again. So relieved she was when they didn't.

But the moment she shut the door behind her did she see the black figure behind the bush to her right.

And in no time did half a dozen of them appear. They were all dressed in different coloured clothes and some of them held microphones in their hands while others balanced cameras on their shoulders.

"Ms. Williams do you have anything to say about your dead best friend?"

"Do you know how her body ended up here?"

"Would you like to say anything to the town?"

"No thank you," Cathy said, flashing a tipped lipped smile at the hoard of reporters as she elbowed past them.

"The town thinks you and your friends are heroes? What do you have to say about that?"

"That if they believed us sooner none if this would have happened." Cathy snapped (as politely as she could) out loud before crossing the road, towards the woods, and heading round the corner.

Coming to a halt at the diner opposite of the cemetery, the brown eyed girl waved her hand towards a group of people.

"Sorry I'm late," she said, glancing down at her watch. The numbers 7:08 looked back at her.

"The reporters still there?" Alexa asked as she handed Cathy a drink. Her black boots crunching leaves under her feet as she went back to stand beside Ryan.

"They were at our place too," Kylie replied, wiping her palms on her black jeans.

"Annoying as hell." Ryan added, wiping drink off the collar of his black T shirt.

"I know," Cathy sighed. "But at least everyone believes in Malthus now." She fidgeted with the buttons on her black dress. She quickly put her hand down and glared at the people in the parking lot that gave them weird looks instead.

"Yeah..." Anther agreed, pulling at the strings of his black hoodie  "Anyways, you guys ready?" he asked, glancing back as he started walking towards the cemetery.

Just a cross of the road and then the 5 of them walked though the gates at the same time.

The graveyard didn't seem as creepy and grief ridden as Kylie had thought the last time she was here. Instead it felt...happy?

There were gently bowing branches, tombstones that glittered in the sunlight and flowers of all colours of the rainbow dotting around near the bushes. There was just a sense of serenity to the cemetery.

Walking upto a certain tombstone she knew all too well, Kylie knelt down and placed a bouquet of sunflowers at the foot of it. The letters "KYLE BLOOM" looking down at it.

"I'll always love you Kyle," the blonde girl said said, her words no more than a whispered. She stared at the gravestone for a long couple of seconds, taking in every single weed that grew around it along with the tiny holes set in the stone.

Exhaling, she squeezed her knees with her palms before standing up while yhe rest of them each took out a couple of flowers from their bouquets and placed them down. Their eyes staring at the remaining of what used to be one of their best athletes.

And then they moved on.

Down was placed a bouquet filled with red roses at the grave of Isabella Lewis, one of their best cheerleaders. Words of farewell escaping their lips.

And then they stopped at one that looked older than the rest. The words "ALEXANDER TAYLOR" were covered under a layer of dirt and Alexa knelt down and brushed it clean with her fingers.

She placed the yellow daffodils down and smiled. "Thank you Alex." She said, the corners of her eyes pulling sadly even though the smile on her lips stayed firm. "I love you."

flowers were placed at the graves of all the lives lost to Malthus. Even the ones with just empty caskets underneath them.

And last but not least, they reached the grave with the words "BETHANY LESTER" carved on it.

All 5 of them knelt down near this one and placed their flowers. Carnations, tulips, daisies and more.

"You were amazing Bethany," Anther began.

"And funny too," Kylie added.

"And brave," said Alexa

"And strong," Ryan said.

"Goodbye Beth," Cathy finished. Her lips trembling and her breathing hard. "I'll love you till the end."

*  *  *

It was 7:30 now, cars zipped past the 5 teens as they walked towards their school; their spirits happy and free.

"-yeah they were so accepting it's crazy." Kylie continued her talk about her parents. "Anyways I'm going on my first date with Layla this Saturday so that's awesome. Her parents don't know anything about this but we couldn't care less."

Congratulations and hoots of appreciation filled the air while Kylie laughed along, a light skip to her step as she watched Alexa and Ryan walk in front of the group. Anther and Cathy bringing up the rear.

"Hey Cathy?" Anther whispered. "Cathy? Yo Cat?"

"Ah yeah sorry what?" Cathy replied with a slight shake of her head as she turned to face Anther.

"Slow down for a bit." Anther said as he slowed his own pace. "So...you know now that this is all over, I just wanted to say...I think I can love you." He smiled his mischievous grin. "Even though you're an enormously stubborn pain in the ass."

"I-" Cathy blinked once then, then twice. And then just plain stared at him before bursting out. "Anther you idiot had prepared an entire speech to tell you!" She said, punching him on the arm. " "Like oh come on," she took his hand in hers and pulled him along. "Like seriously I was gonna ask you out but noo you had to ruin it." The brunette rolled her eyes.

"I hate you," she groaned, a fat grin plastered on her face.

"Sure you do babe." Anther replied w a smirk as he draped his arm around Cathy's waist.

"Shut it."

"Make me."

Cathy just gaped at him in response before bursting out laughing. "I'm still buying you flowers though," she said, banging the back of her head against his chest, his arms still around her.

Kylie glanced back and rolled her eyes with a smirk. "Get a room. There are innocent eyes here you know?" She said before her eyes suddenly widened, a grin taking over her face. "Wait-" she said as she walked up to Ryan and Alexa in front.

"Hey are you guys free on Wednesday around 4?" She asked.

"Yeah?" Ryan frowned in confusion.

"What about you?" Kylie turned to Alexa.

"Yeah I am."

"Great! Cuz I'm not so you two will just have to go without me. Enjoy your date!" The blonde said. "I totally didn't get that off pinterest or anything." She called as she walked ahead.

"Well..." Alexa began. "I mean if you're okay with it then we could go to that new park they opened last week."

"Wait wait wait-" Ryan's green eyes went round. "Al are you asking me out?"

"No I'm asking your grandmother out." Alexa replied. "Yes I'm asking you out."

Ryan smiled like a 5 year old being gifted with a basket of candy before he let out a laugh. "It's a yes from me!" He slung his arm over Alexa's shoulder.

Anther smiled as he huddled closer to the other 3 along with Cathy. "Hey by any chance are you guys up for group therapy?"

And he wasn't disappointed when 4 voices shouted back a "YES" at him.

And together, the 5 of them walked through the gates of Kingswood High.
And as the clouds above their head parted, allowing a bright blue sky to shine through, and birds chirped melodies from the trees around them and students chatted around them ; Finally, they were happy.

THE END

A/N

OMFG

OMFG U LITTLE SHITS IT'S FINALLY OVER

AAAAAAH

KSJAGSGSGSYSHE

Ok so back to normal Lylie.

THANK YOU SO FUCKING MUCH IF YOU MADE IT UP TO HERE

SERIOUSLY

THANK YOU SO MUCH U DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH I APPRECIATE IT