Chapter 35:

*EDDIE'S POV:

One more minute.

One more minute.

One more minute until I can move again.

This has been the longest fifteen minutes of my life. Where is he taking her? How long do we have to find her?

"Oh my god, I can see again." Luna breathed, looking in all directions. "Eddie, do you feel anything?"

My body must've been exhausted holding its position because I collapsed when I finally got feeling back in my limbs. "Yeah, I'm fine. We need to go."

"What do we do? I just found out about all this last night so I'm still trying to take it all in. Where did he take her?" she asked.

"My house, he took her to my house. He needs energy and that's where he'll absorb the most. There's too much grief built into the walls. We have to leave─now." MeMe huffed, trying to recuperate from the episode.

"We need to take your car." I stated, "He took mine."

"Yes, just get in. I'll be out in a minute with the keys." she said, disappearing around the corner.

"Can you walk home or call someone for a ride? You don't need to be involved in this." I said, grabbing Luna's wrist and dragging her outside.

She yanked her wrist from my grip and stopped in her tracks. "Whoa! Listen, buddy, I know this has nothing to do with my and Cait's your girlfriend and all that, but she's also my best friend. She did not spend her entire night comforting me over a fucking breakup just so I could leave her in a situation like this. I'm helping you guys whether you like it or not."

"Okay, fine, get in." I sighed, knowing she was going to persist. I ran my hand through my hair, frustrated and worried. "I don't know how you can considering none of us know what the fuck is going on, though."

MeMe came out seconds later, running to the driver's seat. Luna sat in the back as I took my place on the passenger side. She pulled out of the driveway, speeding towards her house. It was a painfully silent drive, no one knowing what to say or how to feel. Legs were bouncing erratically, teeth were gnawing at fingernails, and I couldn't help but to fidget every second. My heart was beating out of my chest and my hands were sweating like fucking crazy. What are they doing? Is he hurting her? Is she fighting back? Are we going to be too late? Is she already dead? Don't ask that question. But what if it's true? No, it can't be true. It's not true. I refuse to believe it. Don't ask that question.

The dead trees along the side of the road appeared to be familiar, signalling that we were close to the cabin. Cait's gramma made a sharp right turn, not bothering to use her turn signal, which caused the car behind to lay on the horn. The jagged dirt road flung the car around, making sounds that shouldn't have been audible. Luna looked like she was about to puke and I hit my head on the inside car roof when we hit a hole.

"What are we going to do once we get there?" Luna asked from behind.

"Depends on what the situation is when we get there." MeMe answered. "I've never seen or heard of Noken physically surviving outside of his host."

"He was talking to me last night after what happened─I'm so sorry for that by the way─and he said he didn't need me anymore, that I was free." I explained. "I couldn't ask for an elaboration because this whole sensation came over me and I passed out."

"It must've been his energy level leaving you. You feel no connection with it now?"

"Not really. Does that mean there's no connection between us?"

"I don't know." She shrugged. "But if he's vulnerable, I'm going for it. What will happen to you if he's destroyed is unknown, but I'll do whatever it takes to save my granddaughter."

I looked in the rear view mirror, seeing the pained look on Luna's face. I quickly gazed away, agreeing. "As long as she's safe, I don't care what happens."

The car took another right and sped towards the lonesome house sitting in the middle of a wave of trees. My jeep, with the back door open, was parked in front of the porch steps. MeMe barely had time to put the car in park before I jumped out and sprinted to the house. I busted the door open and looked around the living room. Cait, I yelled, running into the kitchen, Cait, where are you? Luna came running behind, going to check the washroom.

"They're not in the basement," MeMe said, out of breath, "they must be upstairs."

I dashed through the kitchen and living room before climbing the stairs as quickly as I could. "Cait? Where are you?"

"Eddie? Eddie, I'm in here!" a muffled voiced yelled, followed by pounding.

Following the noise down the hall, I came to the only closed and locked door. Open up, I said, twisting the doorknob, it's me.

"I can't, it won't open. The lock won't budge." she replied.

"Is she in there?" Luna asked frantically, running up behind me. "Cait?"

"Luna?" Cait questioned. "Luna, are you okay?"

"Am I okay?" she laughed, "Cait, I'm fine! Are you okay?"

"I guess for now. Noken locked me in here and disappeared. Please help me get out!"

"Are there tools anywhere?" I asked. "We could play with the hinges."

"I wouldn't know." Cait replied, "Ask my gramma."

"Ask me what?" her grandmother asked, appearing from behind. "Caitlin, are you okay?"

"Yes, MeMe, I'm okay. Do you have any tools for Eddie?" she replied.

"The door's locked and we can't open it on either side. Do you have anything to break the door with or unhinge it or something?" I asked.

"If it's Noken who locked it, nothing will unlock it but him." MeMe stated.

Cait squeaked, "I'm scared."

"Don't show fear─be strong, resilient. Listen to me carefully, okay? Go to my dresser and open the third drawer of my jewelry box." MeMe commanded, waiting a few seconds until Cait asked for the next step. "Rummage around and find a key. When you find it, go to the closet and move the shoe rack on the floor. Do you see a safe?"

A minute passed by. Luna and I stood to the side, anxiously waiting to help the poor girl. Caitlin then finally answered, "Oh-oh my god, Meme! This is a gun! You can't really expect me to use this?"

"You can and you will."

"I've never used a gun before. Are there even any bullets?"

"There's one already loaded. It's a simple gun, force the little lever thing down and you're ready to pull the trigger. Is that a basic enough explanation?"

"When I'm ready? When I'm fucking ready? I will never be ready! I don't want to do this, MeMe! We don't know what'll happen!"

"What'll happen if you don't pull that goddamn trigger is you'll be dragged to hell!"

"Both of you stop yelling at each other! This isn't helping anything!" I yelled, trying to clear my mind. I heard what sounded like the gun dropping and a scream. "Caitlin?"

"He's back! Fucking bastard, stop touchin─get off-"

"Stop! Stop it!" I bellowed, banging on the door frantically. "Let her go."

He cackled, "How many times are you going to have to say that before you realize I won't let her go?"

-

*CAITLIN'S POV:

I was too busy arguing with my grandmother to realize Noken had reappeared behind me. His hand quickly grabbed my wrist, forcing the weapon from my grip and throwing it to the other side of the bedroom. I backed against the door as he slowly approached, smirking evilly. The wood of the door was vibrating against my skin as Luna and Eddie screamed from the other side, their fists beating roughly.

"Sorry I keep disappearing, my love, but sometimes this new energy doesn't cooperate and I'm forced to. . .recharge, per say."

"Tragic," I huffed, "my phone lasts longer than you."

"Getting bold, are we?" he challenged, lunging forward and wrapping a hand around my throat. I dug my nails into the flesh of the arm, leaving deep slits and swollen red scratches. Hell, if he was alive he would've been bleeding. He didn't react to the pain but seemed aggravated by the noise. "For fuck's sake, I can barely terrorize with all that pounding!"

I was tossed to the floor near the bed as Noken stepped aside, rubbing his temple. The door swung open and Noken reached for Eddie's shirt, pulling him inside and back against the door once it shut.

"Get off of him," I begged, slowly inching forward.

Eddie pushed the figure away and scrambled to me, asking if I was okay. I'm fine, I answered, then searched around for the loaded weapon. Eddie realized what I was looking for and snatched it from the floor, aiming it at his doppleganger.

"Go ahead, shoot me."

"Don't think I won't,"

"No, no, Eddie, only my bloodline can kill it. You'd be wasting a bullet." I said, grabbing at his wrist. He prepared it and handed it over.

"Didn't you ever learn it's rude to point guns at people?" he huffed, throwing the weapon from my hands. "And do you know how sick I'm getting of seeing you two together? It's absolutely revolting."

"Probably because you don't know what love is." I snarled.

"Oh, I know what love is. I despise it." he retaliated, again using his dark magic to separate the two of us. Eddie slid backwards and hit the wall while I somehow flew to the bed. The gun was perched on the nightstand, Noken seemed unbothered by the sudden repossession. Shaking his head, he only snickered. "Hmm, how do we know once you shoot me, Eddie won't perish as well?"

The thought of taking my love's life broke my heart. There was a throbbing pain in my chest as my hands began to shake. No, no, he's baiting you. He's purposely trying to make you weak, make you vulnerable. Turn your emotions off, you're feeding him.

"Caitlin, it's okay." Eddie whispered, looking at me. "It's okay."

"You won't be getting off that easily─let's make this interesting."

Holding his hand towards me, my eyesight weakened. Everything faded to black─my vision was stolen as Luna's was earlier. "Make this interesting? By taking my eyesight?!"

"It's another game, no? Let's see if you can spot the real Eddie. If you win, well, I'll finally be out of your hands. If you lose, well, what a sad day this will be for you and the Munson family." he cackled, "Well, the happy ending one still isn't a sure thing, however."

Noken's voice was laced with mystery and bitterness, Eddie's was soft and considerate. Listen to their voices and locations. Stay focused and this might be easier. Eddie was on the left side of me, while Noken was on the right.

"You're being a smart girl and listening to the voices, aren't you? That's not challenging enough." he said, and soon my ears started ringing. Hearing was stolen, also.

With two key senses missing, feeling useless was an understatement when my boyfriend's life was on the line. What was I supposed to do? Hearing came back in spells, but it was the same voice yelling from two different directions. Noken must've adjusted his voice to sound like Eddie's again, meaning it was like staring at twins when both senses flooded back. They both sounded like Eddie. They both looked like Eddie. They were both Eddie.

"Cait, hey, Cait, listen to me. Look at me, it's Eddie. I'm Eddie." one said.

"No, no! You fucking liar! It's me. I'm Eddie. I am Eddie Munson─"

"Don't listen to him! He's tricking you! Please, baby, please!" the one on the right begged.

The same clothes, same hairstyles, same sweaty foreheads. The same facial expressions and stress wrinkles above their eyebrows.

"I- I- I don't know!" I said shakily, the gun practically slipping out of my hands. "MeMe, they both look the same. I don't know what to do!"

"You have to shoot! Just shoot, god dammit!"

"What if I shoot the wrong one?"

"What if you don't take the chance of shooting the right one? Take a deep breath and pull the trigger."

"Caitlin, Caitlin listen to me." the one on the right choked, slowly stepping towards me. "I want you to look at me, listen to my voice, feel my touch, anything. It's really me."

"You can't believe that! Remember at the house? He did the same exact thing at your house earlier! Get away from her! You don't love her like I do."

"Stop messing with her head! She needs to think clearly. All you've done is played tricks on us!"

"Don't accuse me of being the devil when it's you! Go to hell!"

The one boy lunged at the other, slamming him against the wooden dresser. The two started fighting, taking swings and hits from the other. One didn't seem eerily stronger than the other, they were both throwing the same punches with the same force.

"Both of you stop! Stop! This is proving nothing!" I screamed, clutching the handle of the gun.

"Cait," Luna called, "Try asking a question only the real Eddie could answer."

They both pushed each other and stood still, the one agreeing with Luna, "Yes, yes! Ask me anything, I'll know it."

"How can you know? I'm the one who's actually experienced everything with her. Go ahead, ask a question. I can prove I'm the actual real one. Please, ask anything." the other suggested.

"Uh-um," I hummed, trying to think of a question, "Where was our second date?"

"The summer carnival." both of them answered.

Fuck, okay. I asked a second question, "What happened that night we swore to never bring up again?"

"You threw up after the tilt-a-whirl and I threw up because you threw up." they simultaneously answered again.

One turned to the other and argued, "How could you know that?"

"How could I know that? How could you know that!" the other shouted. "You must be connected to my thoughts!"

"No, you're connected to my thoughts!"

"This isn't going to work!" I screamed in frustration, not sure of what to do.

"Caitlin! You have to hurry! We're running out of time!" MeMe boasted from behind the locked door.

"Out of time before what?" I replied, pointing the gun again.

"Before I kill us all." a voice whispered in my head. I looked at the boys. Both looked confused when I jumped from the voice.

"Stop putting voices in my head." I said sternly.

"You heard her. Stop putting voices in her head! She's trying to think." one said.

"I'm not doing it! Stop accusing me of everything when you're the one causing all of this! For God's sake, Caitlin! Please, it's me. The boy you actually fell in love with. It's not him. He's Noken─"

"You bastard!" the other interrupted, lunging at him again. He seemed too impulsive to be Eddie. . .but as they kept fighting, the other appeared stronger. He ended up getting him into a headlock. Now they both seem violent. I pointed the gun.

"Wait, wait, Cait, hold on. He was attacking me. I had to defend myself."

"See? He's being hurtful!" the one pleaded.

"Me? You're the one who attacked me!"

"Just let him go! Both of you stand still and shut up for one fucking second before I shoot the both of you!" I bellowed, quivering with rage.

"She should decide who she believes." one of them said. "She'll make the right choice."

Inhaling deeply through my nose, I analyzed the two figures. Same furrowed eyebrows. Same pink lips. Same pale face. Same facial features. Same hair. Same stance. Same clothes. Same sweat bead dripping from the hair. Same clammy hands. Same shaky voice. Same everything. Oh god, which one? Which one is Eddie?

I can't even tell which one is my own fucking boyfriend!

Something kept making me glance to the one on the left. Was it instincts telling me it was the imposter? Or was it my heart telling me he was my love? Arms just kept drifting towards him, pointing the gun anxiously. I don't know why, but they did. Instinct─it had to be instinct. Maybe it's a sign from my great ancestors leading me in the right direction.

"Baby. . ." he trailed off, holding his hands up in defense, "Please. . .you have to believe me."

"He's playing the sympathy card. If something's drawing you towards him. . .it has to be him. . .baby. . ." the other spoke.

"Wait, wait, I- I- have something! I can prove it's really me!" the one on the left said, reaching into his pocket.

"No! It's a fucking trick! He's going to kill us!" the one screamed, throwing himself away from the other.

Something caused my finger to pull back.

I pulled the trigger.

The bullet flew.

My ears rang.

My knees weakened.

My heart raced.

My head pounded.

My stomach flipped.

My lungs collapsed.

My hands dropped the gun.

A gut-wrenching wail came from the boy on the ground, who was clutching his right shoulder. I stood there in silence, staring at him. My chest rose and fell erratically as I grew lightheaded. Glancing at the boy leaning against the wall and clutching his chest, he stared at the suspect with wide eyes. He mumbled, "It's over."

"What?" I asked.

"It's. . .it's over. You. . .that was him. You shot him. It's over, it's over!" he cheered, climbing over the bed and grabbing me. "It's over, Caitlin. We're free. We're finally free!"

I sucked in a harsh breath of relief and ignored the painful grunts coming from the devil himself. That silver bullet must be a bitch to be dealing with. Oh my god, we're free.

"Don't listen to him," the imposter choked, still trying to attempt an act. "Caitlin, please!"

"No, you lost. You lost the game! Don't even bother, Noken. You're going straight back to hell!" Eddie cheered, wrapping his arms around my waist. He picked me up and spun me around.

"It's over." I repeated, "It's finally over. Neither of us had to die. I love you so much, Eddie Munson."

"I love you, too, Caitlin Kidd." he replied. "I can't believe it. You went with your instinct. It's amazing─amazing what an instinct can do." he said, putting his hands up to my cheeks and pulling me in for a kiss.

I happily accepted, placing my hands on his chest and pressing my lips against his. He moved his hand to the back of my head, putting more force into it. It wasn't the passionate kiss I was expecting, but I guess he was so overwhelmed with the whole situation.

"It's just amazing. It's amazing how you can actually control someone's instinct." he said, centimeters away from my lips. His tone of voice stunned me. No.

I slowly looked up at the boy I loved─the boy I saved. His skin was now pale and ice cold, eyes black.

"What's the matter?" he asked, gripping my face. "Not the result you were expecting?"

I stood frozen in his grasp.

"But we're free, my darling. He won't hold us back any longer. You did it. Thank you." he smirked, "Although I don't have enough energy after that exhausting act. I'll return later."

And he disappeared in mid-air. He was gone. He vanished.

I just stood there, listening to the painful whimpers coming from the boy on the floor. He was still clutching his right shoulder, shirt soaked with blood. That was Eddie.

I shot the real Eddie.....................................................A/N: How do we feel about this chapter? Express your feelings in the comments! NICELY, please! I'm a sensitive individual. I will cry.

Will our certain little baby make it out of this story alive. . .? Let's sure hope so.

Love you all very much !!

Vote/Comment/Follow/Share

xoxo