Lily turned around and froze, her breath catching in her throat as she stared at the figure standing before her. Tears immediately welled up in her eyes, her chest tightening with disbelief.
"Jake?" she whispered, with a voice barely audible. It couldn't be him. But there he was, standing just a few feet away, looking exactly as she remembered.
Her heart ached with longing and confusion, she couldn't process what was happening.
"Hey, Lily baby," Jake's voice was too calm, almost soothing in its familiarity.
"Are you not going to do the dares?" he asked, his eyes boring into hers. There was something off about the way he spoke, though—his tone was too measured, too cold. It sent chills down her spine.
Lily's chest heaved with silent sobs. She knew deep down this wasn't really him. It was just another twisted trick of the house, another cruel game to break her spirit. "Why?" she choked out, her voice cracking. "Why are you using him against me? Why, of all people?"
She screamed in desperation, her hands balling into fists at her sides. "ISN'T IT ENOUGH THAT YOU'VE TAKEN SO MANY LIVES? And now you're using the people we love against us? WHY? TELL ME WHY, YOU MONSTER!" Her voice echoed off the walls, she was angry and helpless.
JAKE tilted his head slightly, and the eerie smile that spread across his face made Lily's blood run cold.
"Don't shout, Lily," he said softly, but his tone was laced with something sinister. "It's not good for you."
"SHUT UP!" Lily screamed, tears streaming down her face now. "STOP IT! JUST STOP!"
But the figure before her only chuckled, a low, menacing sound that reverberated through the room. "Kill Ava... or you will die," he said, his voice suddenly devoid of any warmth. The change was so abrupt it felt like a slap to the face.
Lily's heart skipped a beat, "What?!" she gasped, her voice barely a whisper. The shock of his words hit her like a physical blow.
"You heard me," he continued with his robotic voice, but it could be a robot from a horror movie.
"This is your dare. You have exactly seven minutes to complete it."
Her breath came in short, panicked gasps as she shook her head, backing away slowly. "No… no, I can't… I won't!"
The figure's expression didn't change. "And don't think of skipping this dare," he added, his voice chillingly calm. "If you complete it, at least you'll live. If you don't, you'll die. And don't think Ava will escape either. If you fail, she'll die because of the next dare I have in store for her."
"You… you monster!" Lily spat, her entire body trembling with fear and rage. But before she could say anything else, the figure vanished, dissolving into thin air as though he had never been there at all.
Lily fell to her knees, her body wracked with sobs. "Why, God?" she cried, her voice barely above a whisper. "Why are you doing this to us? We were so close… we were about to end this…"
The door to the room creaked open slowly, but Lily barely noticed. She wiped her tears, her face set in determination as she stood up. She knew what she had to do. Even if it meant losing everything.
...
Lily descended the stairs, her footsteps heavy as she made her way back to Ava. She found her sitting by Noah's lifeless body, her eyes were filled with sorrow. Ava looked up, relief flooded her face when she saw Lily.
"Oh my God, Lily, you took so long!" Ava said, giving her a worried smile. "I was starting to think something happened to you."
"S-sorry," Lily stammered, her voice catching in her throat. She could barely meet Ava's eyes, knowing what she had to do.
Ava's face softened, her smile growing more genuine. "It's okay! Come on, we're almost done. Let's finish this, together."
Lily stared at Ava, her heart breaking in her chest. She forced a small smile, even though her insides were screaming in agony.
"What?" Ava asked, her brow furrowing. "What's wrong?"
Lily stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Ava, pulling her into a tight embrace. "Ava, I...," she whispered, her voice thick with emotion.
"We are best friends. Always have been and always will be. Promise me… promise me that no matter what happens, you'll stay strong."
Ava, clearly puzzled by Lily's sudden display of emotion, patted her back gently. "Yeah, of course, I promise. Are you okay?"
Lily pulled away, her eyes glistening with unshed tears as she handed Ava the lighter. "Let's go to the basement and burn this place to the ground."
Ava hesitated for a moment, but then nodded, her determination returning. "Okay. Let's end this."
...
The two girls made their way to the basement. Once they reached the gas tank, Ava flicked the lighter and held it to the oil-soaked surface. Flames ignited instantly, and spread with terrifying speed.
"RUN!" Ava shouted, pulling Lily with her as they bolted up the stairs. But just as they reached the top, Lily shoved Ava out of the basement and slammed the door shut, locking it from the inside.
"LILY, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" Ava screamed, pounding on the door. "OPEN THE DOOR! PLEASE, OPEN IT!"
Lily pressed her hands against the door, tears streaming down her face. "I'm sorry, Ava. I'm so, so sorry… but I can't."
"LILY, STOP IT! THIS ISN'T FUNNY! OPEN THE DOOR!" Ava's voice cracked with desperation, but Lily remained silent, her heart shattering with every word.
"I got my dare," Lily finally said, her voice barely audible through the door.
"What… what do you mean?" Ava's voice wavered, horror slowly dawning on her.
"It means I won't make it, Ava," Lily said, her voice trembling. "But you… you have to go on. You're our only hope now. Whether I survive or not, it doesn't matter. You have to burn this house completely. It's the only way to end this for good."
"B-but I can't leave you here!" Ava cried, her voice breaking.
"Promise me, Ava," Lily whispered, her voice filled with resignation. "Promise me you'll do your best to beat this thing. Promise me you'll save us all."
Ava's sobs echoed through the door. "I promise," she whispered through her tears.
Lily smiled sadly, wiping her face. "Then go. Don't worry about me. Just… go."
Ava didn't waste another second. She ran to the kitchen and lit the lighter, tossing it onto the gas cylinder. The explosion was deafening, and within moments, the house was engulfed in flames.
She sprinted toward the main door, but it slammed shut in her face. "OPEN IT!" she screamed, frantically pulling at the handle. Just as all hope seemed lost, the door swung open, and she stumbled outside, only to be thrown to the ground by a massive explosion behind her.
Her back burned painfully, but as she lay there, she managed to lift her head just enough to see the house fully consumed by fire.
A small, bittersweet smile touched her lips before everything went dark, the house collapsing behind her.