The Final Casualty

It was just supposed to be a simple fun game. Nothing serious right? I mean who gets hurt in solving a fake murder case?

Today marked just a few days before my birthday. The anticipation was palpable among my small group of friends. Birthdays were never a big deal for me – no parties, no gifts, nothing special. My parents couldn’t care less either.

Serenity, my closest friend, was as excited as I was. She was my favorite person, my confidante since forever. Two peas in a pod as they say, similar yet different. Seren enjoyed a good drink or two and cozy nights in, while I also preferred staying in I hated the alcohol. The only party we ever attended together was her quinceanera. We both despised the chaos of high school parties, the overpowering musky scent of boys, the fucking and kissing against the walls, and the unnecessary drama. Who needs all that?

I am doing my best to navigate my life and determine my path. Why is it so challenging to figure it all out? Seren aspires to become a lawyer, while I have been considering a career as a therapist. Perhaps I could also pursue law? One thing about me is that I enjoy talking and discussing about various topics that interest me. Seren always pays attention and listens attentively when I speak, which makes me feel valued.  

One of the topics I often discuss with Seren is murder mysteries, particularly crime shows. I find the process of solving a murder case intriguing, from the clues to the final resolution. Therefore, it was no surprise when she and our friends purchased an unsolved case kit from Walmart.

“Come on ma, we’ll go to Calix’s house since your parents are coming home today,” Seren said, taking my hand before I could even finish putting the other half of my hair in the second braid. Getting into the car she quickly finished braiding the other half before we embarked on the journey to Calix’s house.

The drive lasted approximately an hour due to the fact that the neighborhood where he resides is situated on the outskirts of the town the rest of us lived in. As we entered the house, I was immediately greeted with a warm embrace from Kaiza, who lifted me off the ground in a tight hug. “Enyo, happy early birthday!” he exclaimed excitedly, his words whispered into the side of my hair. After a moment, he released me and gently placed me back on the floor. It was then that Alexa thrust the unsolved case in front of my face, urging me to take a look. “Look! We’re going to solve this tonight,” she declared with determination.

Seren chuckled softly before gliding across the room and making her way to the kitchen, where she grabbed a can of Red Bull. It was evident that if she was going to spend the entire night with Calix, Kaiza, and Alexa, she would need the energy boost to ensure she didn’t lose her temper with them and try to rip their heads off.

After we settled on the floor, Cal proceeded to open the materials and lay them out on the carpet. The items included pictures of the victims, clues, and sheets detailing the game and case.

“Okay so…” Cal extended the word “so” as he examined the papers, pausing with a furrowed brow. I exchanged a puzzled glance with Seren before Cal cleared his throat and announced, “Let’s begin shall we?” He clapped his hands and placed the paper down, prompting us to each pickup something and start deciphering the clues. Despite hours passing, we only managed to make sense of a few things.

The sound of rain outside intensified, followed by a sudden lightning strike that made me jump. I shook my head in frustration, focusing on the clue in front of me. Seren moved closer, offering a comforting touch on my inner thigh while keeping her gaze on Cal throughout the game.

“What’s wrong Cal? You’re acting weird-“ Seren started but her words were interrupted by a chilling scream from outside. Alexa being the curious being she is, after a moment of hesitation, stood up and opened the door. As it closed behind her, the rest of the group exchanged concerned glances. Holding Seren’s hand tightly, we both rose from our seats and moved toward the couch near the window. Kneeling on the cushion, I pulled back the curtain slightly, with Seren by my side. Peering out into the darkness and the gentle rainfall, I initially saw nothing. However, my confusion turned to alarm when I spotted Alexa returning slowly, limping and clutching her side.

In a hushed tone, I muttered, “Oh my god,” before letting go of Seren’s hand and rushing out of the door. I managed to catch Alexa as she collapsed, my clothes drenched from the rain.

I exclaimed, “Alexa! What the hell happened?!” I firmly held her face in my hands and gently tapped her cheek. “Don’t close your eyes. Stay with me, Lex.” Fortunately, Seren, Cal, and Kaiza quickly came to our side. Kaiza took over applying pressure to Alexa’s wound, which appeared to be a stab wound in her stomach. The situation was dire as she was losing blood rapidly and were all at a loss on how to help.

“I-I’ll call 911,” Cal stammered. I glanced at Seren, who looked horrified as she watched Alexa’s condition deteriorate. Blood splattered everywhere, staining my hands, clothes, and Alexa’s body. My heart raced with fear as the hand that had been trying to rouse her now trembled as I saw no response, her eyes closing.

The ambulance arrived, and they found us seated on the damp concrete road, rain continuing to fall as I cradled her seemingly lifeless form. The paramedics swiftly took charge, transporting her into the ambulance. “If she was stabbed by someone, you should seek shelter somewhere safe. We will dispatch some officers to monitor the area,” one of the EMTs advised us. Seren helped me to my feet. “We’re gonna head to my brother’s place down the street. We will be safe there,” she murmured before directing us towards Cal and Kaiza. “Let’s go ma. We aren’t trained medics; maybe she still has a pulse and will be fine,” she whispered to me. It was meant to be an enjoyable evening, a simple game filled with laughter and bonding. How did it escalate into this?

Upon entering Seren’s brother's place, a sudden and alarming sound of a plate shattering filled the air. “Don’t ask,” Seren muttered to her horrified brother who acknowledged the blood that stained not only me, but also herself, and Kaiza. The rest of the group went and sat on the couch, while Jax, Seren’s brother, hurriedly fetched towels and spare clothes for the guys to clean themselves. Seren on the other hand, guided me to the bathroom, where she diligently used a damp cloth to cleanse my hands and arms, removing the traces of Alexa’s blood. Still, in a state of shock, I stood in the bathroom, my mind lost in a daze until Seren returned with spare clothes. Slowly and cautiously, I dressed myself, feeling a sense of defeat as I let out a long sigh and vigorously rubbed my face. The night seemed to drag on endlessly as if time itself slowed down.

“I’m going to try and get some sleep,” Kaiza announced wearily, rising from the couch and making his way toward one of the spare rooms. The door closed gently behind him, leaving Jax, Seren, Cal, and myself in a heavy silence.

“What exactly happened guys?” Jax inquired softly, his voice filled with a desperate need for answers that even we ourselves were clueless about. Cal glanced between us, his behavior throughout the night indicated that he possessed some knowledge that he was unwilling to share. It was evident that his peculiar demeanor was linked to the paper he had read earlier. After all, he wouldn’t be acting so strangely if he didn’t know something, right? Soon, the TV began playing a show, capturing my attention and momentarily pulling me out of my shocked state.

“Come on just rest,” Seren offered a gentle smile and pulled me down onto her lap, encouraging me to lie down. Finally, after a few episodes, exhaustion overcame me and my eyes fluttered shut, succumbing to sleep. I couldn’t determine how much time had passed, but I abruptly jolted awake when the piercing sound of a gunshot reverberated through the house. This sudden disturbance also roused the others who had fallen asleep. Jax was the first to react, rushing towards the guest room and attempting to open the door, only to find it locked.

“Shit!” he grumbled under his breath, pushing his side against the door in an attempt to open it.

Seren also rose from her seat and hurried over. “Fucking kick it in Jax!” she shouted at him. He gave her an angry look before complying with her request, stepping back and delivering a powerful kick that reverberated throughout the house as the door gave way. I remained seated on the couch, observing the pair and waiting for them to speak, to say anything. However, they simply stood there in shock, motionless and silent. “What the fuck…” Seren finally uttered quietly. I glanced at Cal, who met my gaze. Then, in one swift movement, I materialized behind Jax and Seren. Confronted with the horrifying scene before us, I immediately averted my eyes. Kaiza lay on the floor, a gun beside him, his brains splattered on the wall, and blood seeping into the carpet. He had killed himself. The window was closed, so he must have shot himself, right? But why was there a firearm in the house in the first place?

“Why the fuck do you have a goddamn gun?!” I shouted, turning to Jax. He glanced at me and stared. “For protection, obviously! I had no idea this idiot would shoot himself,” he retorted. Seren grabbed Jax’s arm and glared at him.

“Don’t call our friend a dumbass. We don’t know what happened. Someone could’ve gotten in since you don’t lock the fucking windows.” She expressed her frustration towards him. He simply scoffed and forcefully pulled his arm away, brushing past me and returning to the living room with Cal. Seren closed the door and massaged her forehead, displaying her confusion, which mirrored my own. All of my friends were dying, and the reason remained unknown to me. It was at that moment when Cal finally stood up and approached us. I placed my hands over my face and exhaled deeply.

“What I saw in the paper I was reading from the unsolved case was something I’ve read before.” Cal began. Both Seren and I exchanged glances before directing our attention towards Cal.

“Calix…” Seren whispered. He looked at her briefly before shifting his gaze towards me. “It was an ancient legend, a tale about a demon that possesses people and compels them to commit acts like killing themselves, despite their attempts to resist. I didn’t pay much attention to it as it was just an unsolved case we got at fucking Walmart.” He nervously toyed with his fingers.

Seren’s voice began to exude frustration as she questioned, “Are you fucking with us, Calix?” In response, he emitted a lengthy sigh and earnestly replied, “No, I’m being serious. It traces back hundreds of years. Maybe us buying the unsolved case somehow unleashed it.”

Both Seren and I fixated our gaze upon him, absorbing all the information he had just told us. In that moment, a recollection resurfaced within me, a memory shared by my father during dinner time. It had long been forgotten since we hadn’t had a family dinner in ages. It was a tale about the arrival of a malevolent demon in a small town, demises of the people began. Everyone thought it was a sickness. A group of townspeople came together in their efforts to research a means of banishing the demon from its host when realizing it was not a sickness. Tragically, before they could complete the ritual, the possessed individual fatally stabbed the person reciting the spell. Subsequently, the demon mercilessly slaughtered everyone else, despite their desperate attempts to repeat the spell. It claimed the lives of all the townspeople and the body it had possessed. Rumors persist that it continues to linger in certain towns, plotting its next move.

“Oh my god…he’s not lying,” I whispered in resignation.

“What are you talking about ma?” Seren asked, furrowing her eyebrows at me.

“It’s an ancient tale my father talked about. We have to get to my house. He kept the spell you’re supposed to say to banish the demon.” I replied, pushing past Cal and entering the living room. There, I was confronted by Jax, holding a knife with bloodshot eyes fixed upon me. Seren and Cal joined me from behind before we made a hasty escape. We sprinted down the street, with Jax closely trailing behind. Eventually, we arrived back at Cal’s house. Seren fumbled in her pocket for her keys despite the relentless downpour making it difficult to do anything. She attempted to start the car. It was then that I noticed the flat tire.

“Fuck! The tire was popped.” I exclaimed, placing my hands on my head and pacing anxiously. Cal grabbed my arm and Seren followed closely behind us. He knocked on the neighbor’s door, urgently requesting their car keys. Fortunately, he knew them, and they handed over the keys. We quickly got into the car, and Cal began driving over the speed limit. After a lengthy drive back to town, we finally stopped at my house. We had managed to create a significant distance between ourselves and Jax.

In a state of panic, I frantically rummaged through my father’s office on the second floor, carelessly tossing files and books aside, creating a chaotic mess. Eventually, my desperate search led me to the paper on which he had written the crucial saying.

“Hic non es. Redi ad ignem infernum, guem repit. Audio te ex hoc corpore expellere. Exoritur.”

. I read and re-read the words to myself, committing them to memory like a sacred prayer. Hastily, I stuffed the paper into my pocket just as the front door forcefully kicked open, causing a resounding bang that echoed throughout the house. “Shit he’s quick.” I mumbled to myself. My gaze fell upon the closed office door as Seren and Cal looked at me. We hurriedly made our way out the office but before he made it too far across the hallway, Jax suddenly appeared at the top of the stairs, swiftly thrusting his knife into my side. A sharp groan escaped my lips as I collapsed to the ground, clutching my injured side. Seren valiantly bought us some time by pushing Jax down the stairs. Once his body collided with the bottom, Cal rushed to my aid, assisting me in standing by placing my arm over his shoulder and supporting my weight as I limped towards the game room.

“Enyo what the fuck do we do?!” Cal shouted at me, his voice filled with desperation and frustration. Seren firmly pushed him back, creating a momentary pause in the chaos.

“She was just fucking stabbed, do not yell at her or I swear on everything I will get you killed, Calix.” Seren threatened in a low growl. Cal, clearly taken aback by her words remained silent. I took a deep breath, still clutching my side in pain. Closing my eyes, I pondered how to do this.

Without hesitation, I stated, “We set the house on fire.” My statement hung in the air, the gravity of the situation sinking in.

“We…can climb out the window. There’s a ladder right outside that window, and matches are in the drawer,” I explained, pointing to the designated locations. Cal wasted no time and hurriedly searched through the drawer for the matches. Meanwhile, Seren’s gaze remained fixed on me, her uncertainty evident. Considering my injured state, I swiftly removed my jacket and used it to staunch the bleeding.

“You’re injured ma, you can’t just climb out of a window,” she softly protested. I glanced at her before opening the window and testing the stability of the ladder. Cal joined me, perched on the edge of the window, ready to climb out once he had lit the match. “It’s the only way,” I replied softly back to Seren.

“So I just throw the match at your signal?” Cal asked, to which I nodded in confirmation and scanned the room, brainstorming ways to slow him down.

“Seren, could you maybe kick him? Attempt to take his knife from him. Anything to delay him so I have time,” I suggested. She hesitated, understandably so, given the gravity of the situation.

“You know I’d do anything to protect you ma…” she said quietly. As soon as he entered, she swiftly kicked him in the leg, causing him to stumble. I rushed over and disposed of the knife across the room.

“Hic non es. Redi ad ignem infernum, quem repit. Audio te ex hoc corpore expellere. Exoritur asshole!” I shouted, grabbing him by his hair. Upon hearing the incantation, he began to foam at the mouth. Cal ignited the match, setting Jax on fire. Then he quickly excited first, followed by Seren. I descended cautiously, with Seren closely under me to ensure I got down safely. Once on the ground, we observed the fire as the upper level was consumed by the fire. The sound of sirens grew louder as we made our way to the front of the house.

“Happy birthday En,” Cal murmured as an ambulance and fire truck arrived at the scene.

It was all supposed to be a harmless game.