A/N : I'd recommend not reading this chapter cuz it's certainly not it's best n I told my friend to point out the flaws and stuff in the comments so I can edit it again.
But if u wanna read it then go on at ur own risk and feedback would be really appreciated :)

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Alexa was the first to raise her head from the articles. Swear words leaving her mouth as she gaped at Cathy in disbelief.

"You...you did-" she stammered, unable to find the correct words. So, in order to cover up her loss of speech, she turned the other way and chewed on her bubble gum.

"Alexa's had this addiction to gum since she was small," Ryan whispered in answer to Cathy's quizzical look.

"And Ryan's addicted to being nosey," snapped back Alexa before turning to face him. "I saw the way you didn't read the article. Cause you'd already stolen her book and read it."

"Hey I'm not nosey!" Replied Ryan defensively. "I'm just curious."

Double thinking if she'd chosen the right group of friends, Cathy spent a few more seconds in a daydream of thoughts until Kylie snapped her fingers.

"Ryan steals almost everyone's notebooks, it's nothing new so I apologise on his behalf." She said before adding a question on whether Cathy was okay. A worried expression wrinkling up her perfect face as she did and for a moment Cathy wondered why she looked worried, before she remembered what she had shown them.

"Yeah. Yeah I'm fine." She replied, snapping out of her haze and pointing at the two articles. "This happened last year, and it's gonna continue to happen unless we stop it. And I'm sure he's here."

"Wait so I don't know that much about Malthus so could someone please explain..." Kylie began unsurely as she trailed off to a nervous laugh.

"Oh yeah sure," Cathy said as she pulled out her phone from her pocket and typed something hurriedly before clearing her throat and beginning to read.

"Malthus is a demon that ruled under Satan...uh bla bla bla those aren't important...ok...his features contain an unnaturally tall humanoid body with three red eyes which supposedly show the flames of hell." Cathy said as the picture on the screen loaded. "It is said that shadows cover him from head to toe and protrude from his spine in extreme conditions. Though not to mention his ever unpopular stitched up smile that is said to be sewed with his own blood which was hardened.

The demon is said to receive happiness with the torture of humans while its main victims contain children and teenagers due to their mixed and conflicted emotions.- well that's new- Thriving in darkness to make his eyes seem more fearful, Malthus is said to turn humans into monsters like him while watching the former human's loved ones see their friends and family turn insane.

Other superstitions contain stories about Malthus opening his arms in an embracing manner and hipnotizing everyone that looks at him in that postition, unconsciously luring children into the woods, where their torture began."

Looking up from her screen, Cathy almost laughed at the look of sheer terror on her friends' faces. Well atleast on everyone except Alexa's.

And then finally the awkwardness was broken by the black haired girl. "Are you mad?" She said staring at Cathy with- with...pity. Damn, Alexa actually thought Cathy was mental.

Just lovely.

"So you're just gonna let it happen?" Cathy snapped.

"Bro what else do you think?" Alexa snapped back.

Affronted, Cathy glared at the girl while Alexa gave back her signature scowl. People were dying to this demon, and more were going to die, and no one's bothered to do anything.

"I'm in."

In comical sync, all the heads in the room turned towards the speaker. "I mean..." trailed off Anther as he scratched the back of his head. "I mean it can't continue forever can it? Like Cathy's right, before we get taken away as well we better stop it planned or just fight hopelessly till we die."

"I guess I'm in as well," said Ryan stretching out his hand, palm downwards above the book. Anther placed his on top, then Kylie and then Cathy.

"This isn't a joke!" Said Alexa looking at the group in horror. "You guys could get killed! Are y'all sure that y'all wanna do this?!" And when everyone nodded, she muttered under her breath before placing her hand on top. "Then count me in, but just to let you know I'm not gonna die even if it means leaving one of y'all behind,"

Ryan snorted. "We'll see about that." He said laughing.

Alexa shot the bird at him.

He laughed harder while Alexa audibly spoke of how immature he was.

"Wait so y'all actually believe me?" Cathy said in disbelief.

"You think we haven't noticed creepy stuff around here?" Anther said as he looked at Cathy. "I've got kindergarten friends that just suddenly disappeared to never be found again despite all the investigations been held. And the air's always alight with rumours." He continued as his eyes fell down to the article before coming up to meet Cathy's. "And I don't wanna die while screaming and regretting my life choices. I wanna die when I'm old and in bed with my family around me." Anther shrugged.

"Well if that wasn't deep." Cathy said after the not so silent sound of Ryan trying to swallow his cookie made everyone feel uncomfortable.

"Anyways, now we've got to plan it," she continued as she flipped the pages on her book. "Anth-"

"Wait!" Said Alexa interrupting Cathy. "Before we begin, could you show me where the washroom is?"

"Yeah, sure." Said Cathy raising up from her seat only because she saw something more in Alexa's words and eyes. And even if the others noticed it, they kept it to themselves.

Cathy took Alexa to the washroom on the other end of the floor instead of telling her to go to the one attached to her bedroom. Opening the door, Alexa looked around before pulling Cathy inside.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" She asked.

"I'm sure..." replied Cathy before deciding to take her chances. "Wait is this about your hand-"

"Damn it!" Exclaimed Alexa stamping her foot hard on the tile as her free fist balled up. "Ryan told you right? He swore he wouldn't tell anyone. I told him I'd k-"

"No! Ryan didn't tell me anything," rushed out Cathy in one breath, afraid she'd drag Ryan into trouble. "I just saw it and presumed."

"So it's true?" Asked Alexa curiously. "Like it said in the article, you've seen him?"

Cathy gave a slight nod while muttering "yup."

Alexa's hold on Cathy's hand tightened before she swung her arms around Cathy's neck and hugged her. Tightly. Like really tightly!

Not knowing what to do, Cathy awkwardly stroaked Alexa's spine.

"I've already lost both of them. I don't want y'all to die too."

"Who did you lose?" Asked Cathy, letting her fingers slide through the hair baby blue eyed girl.

Laughing weakly and falsely, Alexa pulled back and apologised. Wiping her eyes with the back of her hand, she sniffed before speaking.

"One was my friend Ellie, we used to be best friends in middle school. Anyways, I saw Malthus from my window," she said as casually as she could, crossing her arms across her chest. "His arms were outstretched, and then he took Ellie by the hand and led her into the woods. And I was a messed up pre teen, I'd already lost my twin Alex before, so then I grabbed a knife and ran out of my house.

I creeped under the fence like Ellie did, and set off for a suicide. I hoped that I would be able to kill Malthus and then die myself, because I knew that by the time my short legs reached Ellie, she'd already be dead.

And you know," Alrxa continued, laughing and shrugging as he averted her eyes. "I wanted to be with her, I wanted to be with Alex. But as soon as one of his spikes cut through me, Ryan just popped out of nowhere and dragged me away. That idiot. He'salways clinging around me."

But that was not the first time I'd seen his face." She paused to cough a bit before leaning against the sink.

"I was five when I got this." Alexa turned her back towards Cathy and brought her hair over one shoulder. Revealing a three inch long, stiched up white scar running across her right shoulder blade.

"It happened when Alex was taken. We were playing at the park bordering the woods, when Alex started going towards the trees. I vividly remember asking him where he was going but he just ignored me and continued walking. And then I grabbed onto his leg just before he jumped over the fence, but then my grip loosened and his shoe came off,"

"And when I looked up," she said. "He was there. He had Alex by the hand and I was on the ground." Alexa continued, her tongue running across her lips. "Another one of his spikes cut across me and I remember screaming, but by the time my mom came, I was half dead on the ground. And all- all this while all these past fricking ten years I've been consumed with guilt. That if I'd just- if I'd just held on tighter, then maybe Alex wouldn't be dead." Alexa said as she smiled lightly, clearly not noticing how Cathy didn't see any humor at all in the situation.

Turning to see her reflection in the mirror. Cathy heard Alexa's next words crystal clear in the confined space.

"Crying is for the weak."

Alexa snapped her head back when she realised that she had said the words out loud. She gulped before plastering a fake smile and hurriedly wiping the physical evidence of vulnerability "We'd better be going now otherwise the others are gonna get suspicious," she said, surprising Cathy at how genuine her smile looked. She might have even believed it if she just hadn't seen Alexa hold her tears in a second ago.

Feeling the need to at least say at least something to consol the girl in front of her. Cathy rummaged through her brain before saying, "I've lost a friend too, so when I say I understand, I mean it. "

Giving Cathy a small smile of gratitude Alexa ooened her mouth to speak. "It's good to know that I'm not the only one that's tried to fight him. And I'm not this emotional normally" she added before stepping across Cathy to turn the doorknob. "The article just brought back some bad memories." Pulling the door open as she finished her sentence, Alexa's eyes widened to the size of Jupiter before she screamed out Ryan's name.