Poison...

The ambulance came, but it was too late. Jake was gone.

By the time Lily, Ava, Ethan, and Noah arrived, it was all over. They stood there, panting from their frantic run, only to find Jake's lifeless body being carried away.

Lily collapsed to the ground, screaming, her voice raw with grief. "No! This can't be happening!" She clutched her chest like her heart was being torn out.

Ava knelt beside her, trying to keep it together. "Lily, please…"

But Lily was inconsolable. "No! He can't die! He can't leave me! WHY?! Why wasn't I there for him? This is all my fault!"

Her cries echoed through the night, filled with pain and regret. The others stood there, silent tears streaming down their faces, the weight of the moment crushing them. People nearby stared, but no one could understand the true nightmare they were living.

*****

Wait a minute... wasn't Jack gay?

He did a sword fight with Ethan, right??

So...did Ethan dig his cave, or did he dig Ethan's??

But Lily??? She didn't break up with him??

So he is not gay??

Or does everything is OK for him???

What a fucking messed up group...

*****

Lily was sobbing uncontrollably, her entire body shaking as Ava hugged her tight, trying to calm her down. "Lily, baby, please calm down. Please," Ava whispered, her voice cracking, though she held back her tears for Lily's sake.

Lily only cried harder, her words barely forming through her gasps. "H-How can I? He's DEAD!" The grief was so heavy that it felt like her whole world had collapsed. Jake was gone. Just like that.

Noah knelt beside her, trying to catch her tear-filled eyes. "Lily," he said softly but firmly, "We have to go. We don't have time to break down right now. We need to get back to that house as fast as we can."

Ethan nodded, his face set in determination. "Yeah, he's right, Lily. If we want to beat that spirit, we can't fall apart now. You have to be strong, or we're all next."

"But... Jake... he's gone," Lily whispered again, her voice barely audible. She couldn't believe it. Just hours ago, he was alive, and now he was... gone. Forever.

Ava's voice broke through her thoughts, a firm but compassionate tone. "I know, Lily. Jake's dead. But sitting here crying won't change that. What we can do is finish this nightmare of a game and get out alive. But for that, we need to get back to that house. We owe it to Jake. Who knows if we stay outside, what we will have to face, at least dares will be limited...not like this one"

She was alarmed with all this...all recent dares are very unstable...

Lily took a deep, shaky breath, her sobs quieting a little as she nodded. "O-Okay." Her hands were still trembling, but she knew she couldn't stay there. Jake wouldn't want her to give up.

Ethan stood up and helped her to her feet. "Alright, guys, let's go." His voice was calm but urgent, knowing every second they wasted could be another deadly turn in the game.

They all piled into Ethan's car, the ride back to the house thick with tension. No one spoke. No one dared to. It was just them and the sound of the engine as they sped through the streets, each of them lost in their thoughts of fear, grief, and guilt. The heavy silence hung over them like a cloud, suffocating.

When they finally reached the house, it looked even more menacing than before, the familiar eeriness sending shivers down their spines. One by one, they got out of the car and cautiously entered the house, the creaky door adding to the dread.

Ava's voice was shaky, barely above a whisper. "So... now what?"

Suddenly, without warning, the TV in the living room flickered on. They all jumped, startled, as the screen buzzed to life. Black and white static filled the screen, and then numbers appeared, counting down.

"Ten... Nine... Eight... Seven..."

Ethan squinted at the screen, his face tightening in confusion. "What the hell is this?"

Lily pointed towards the coffee table. "Look, there are some cards there." She picked up one of the cards with shaky hands and read it out loud, her voice trembling. "Dare: Drink The Liquid."

Ava looked around nervously. "What kind of liquid are we supposed to drink?" she asked, her voice filled with dread.

They exchanged anxious glances as the countdown on the TV reached "One." Just as the final number disappeared, their eyes were drawn to the table. An empty glass, which had been sitting there, started to fill itself with a green, bubbling liquid.

...

They slowly approached the table, their hearts pounding. Noah was the first to reach out, picking up the glass and staring at the green liquid inside. "It's poison," he muttered, his voice flat with certainty.

Ethan frowned, peering over his shoulder. "How do you know what kind?"

Noah shook his head. "I don't. But what else could it be?"

Lily's voice was barely above a whisper. "Great, so now what? If I drink this, I'll die."

Ava's face suddenly lit up with an idea. "Wait, guys! Do you remember what Melanie told us earlier? We have to think outside the box. This dare says that we have to drink it, but we can drink something that can neutralize this poison before drinking the real thing."

Ethan crossed his arms, looking skeptical. "Are you sure about that? What if that doesn't work?"

Before anyone else could weigh in, Noah snapped his fingers. "Wait, I have an idea!" He rushed over to the fridge, opening the door with his good hand while his other arm was still injured from a previous dare. He pulled out a few cans of soda and grinned. "We can drink these first. The phosphoric acid in the soda will protect the lining of our stomachs, help us throw up the poison, and we should be fine. At least, in theory."