CHAPTER FIFTEEN
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i. this is madness !

— THE AIR AROUND THE TRIO WAS OMINOUS AND UNKIND, each and every little sound causing a tidal wave of fear that coursed through their icy veins. Their breathing was short and hollow as they moved further away from the centre of Riverdale, and closer to the edge of town.

With each step Kevin became more and more aware how absolutely insane this was, his near dead flashlight flickering a few times as if to confirm that thought.

Johnny tried to explain what was going on, but every sentence coming out of his mouth sounded like crazed rambles and awkward mumbles.

Kevin did notice, though, that Johnny truly believed this would help him. That his devastating psychosis would just disappear after this incredibly morbid scavenger hunt, and that idea alone was enough to keep Kevin going.

The moon lingered somewhere above them, pale and bright against the inked sky, but the trees that loomed over them like giants and the canopy of leaves made the earth's natural light difficult to see, let alone help them get around in such a dark environment.

Kevin had nearly tripped a few times, over dead branches and dips in the earth- but he kept going, pulling his sweater closer to his pyjama clad body.

He probably should have changed.

Looking up from the ground after stumbling over uneven rocks, Kevin's gaze caught the odd look on Jonathan's face for a moment before the boy began mumbling into the air.

"DJ, shut up. You take what you get and three o'clock in the morning is literally the fastest we could go." Johnny rolled his eyes, moving to duck under a particularly low hanging branch. "Just listen to Ethan."

There was a moment of silence before Johnny scoffed, "He's currently missing half his torso and Chris is literally blue so quit your fucking complaining."

Kevin glanced at Andie, who seemed completely unbothered by the whole ordeal.

"Are we almost there?" Johnny asked, turning to the girl.

"Almost where?" Kevin spoke up, "Do we actually have an idea of where they are? I thought we were just hoping to get lucky." He cringed at his wording, but couldn't think of a better way to say it.

"Andie thinks one might be near the edge of town, so that's where we're going." Johnny explained, turning back to Andie, who looked distant as she examined their surroundings.

"Four more minutes and we should be at the raspberries." She spoke, her voice having matured and become accented, which threw Kevin off for a moment.

"Thanks, Meredith." Johnny smiled, moving forward, remaining wary of his surroundings.

It was quiet, save for the bustling wildlife, but a certain silence fell over the group.

Until Kevin spoke up, wringing his flashlight in his hands awkwardly, "Do we know where the others are?" He asked, slapping his arm as a mosquito escaped the attack.

Johnny glanced to his side, at the darkness surrounding them, and squinted in thought.

"Why is Chris so cold? It's been insanely hot for months, tonight being no exception." He observed.

"Maybe he's indoors?" Andie offered. Kevin nodded along, "Air conditioning could do that, right?"

"It doesn't make sense though." Johnny muttered. "What's outdoors and can be cold even in Summer weather?" He asked.

The question left them thinking, a hush falling over them yet again as they looked into the darkness for any ideas as to the answer.

"The river can get pretty cold." Kevin spoke up awkwardly.

A look of realization reached Johnny's face, "The river! Skittles, you're a genius." He laughed, dodging a felled tree on the ground.

Kevin flushed at the compliment, huffing as he also slid past the log.

"Why is he even here, though?" DJ asked, grabbing Johnny's attention. "We could have gotten that ourselves." He stated with disdain.

"DJ, we gotta get that spider out of your ass because you're starting to act like one." Ethan stated.

DJ looked confused, "I'm acting like a spider?"

"N-no, you're a-cting like a-an ass." Chris laughed.

Meredith's voice broke through their conversation as she paused in her movement, "That's it." She stated, moving to grab Kevin's arm and point the flashlight at a dark berry patch.

Kevin averted his eyes from focusing on where the light pointed, not wanting to see anything that would mentally scar him more than this night already had.

Johnny pushed another branch away from the trio as he rushed to the large, waist high patches.

Meredith saw two small orange figures dart away from the scene as the group stumbled towards them, "Oh my god." She muttered.

Kevin couldn't help but repeat that statement, as they got closer and closer to an unmoving silhouette on the ground, looking straight out of a horror film.

"Ethan?" Johnny called, getting closer and closer to the beaten figure.

And it was. Ethan laid face down against the dirt ground, his arm outstretched, reaching for something while the other seemed curled painfully and awkwardly at his side.

"You look like shit, man." DJ groaned, taking note of the horrific state his body was in.

There was a pause, before Ethan spoke up, "You're looking worse." He said remorsefully.

Johnny turned away from his friend's body, his gaze trailing past the bullet holes in his back and the boy's outstretched arm, towards where the psychosis Ethan had spoken, and found him looking down at a shallow dip in the dirt.

DJ joined Ethan, grimacing at the sight before him.

"At least I only have bugs." He clapped a hand on Ethan's shoulder.

"You're half buried, no shit you only have bugs." Ethan muttered.

Johnny felt sick again, but he swallowed his pain and turned to Kevin, "Call your dad." He stated before looking at Chris, who was still shivering and looking on at the scene with a certain sadness.

He was alone out there. Cold and alone.

That was all he could think of as he caught Kevin dialing a number and bringing a phone to his ear.

"Dad- yeah I know it's four in the morning. That's besides the point, listen- we need help." Kevin insisted.

Jonathan King watched as two of his friends, arms wrapped around the others shoulders, disappeared into the night air, leaving only a physical, painful presence in their wake.

author's note

like— one more chapter guys we almost there wOo

ik this is literally such a morbid storyline but let's be real, first thing they did in teen wolf was go searching for a body— not even a body— hAlf a body,, im just keeping up that Dylan O'brien brand u kno 😎✨
hope y'all liked it wOoo