Chapter Thirty-Seven: Silas

(Bricks And Mortar, Part 4)

***

Just like in the car, they were silent as they trekked through the woods toward Silas.

Travis lead the way while Allison, Ryan and Laura brought up the rear, an arrow drawn and ready in Allison's bow. The woods were near-silent around them, the shadows less thicker and darker, like dawn was just about to break. Allison was relieved that it was—that just before the moon could set, either she or Laura would kill Silas and free everyone from the werewolf curse.

But despite the determination flooding her, the woods were insanely creepy, especially with the near silence. Allison watched them warily for any sign of white fur flashing between the trees, fingers itching for the moment to release the arrow,

As they walked, Laura muttered, "God damn, this place has got some uncool vibes."

"Podcast didn't do it justice," Ryan remarked.

"You don't know the half of it," Travis hissed, as they all stopped and he turned to them. 

Allison arched a brow as Laura looked around and remarked, "This is where I saw her."

"'Her'?" Travis asked as Allison looked at her in confusion.

"I thought she was... I thought Max hit. But then I was out here and she was... something else," Laura answered, the words chilling Allison's skin.

"Who?" Travis demanded.

"The woman. The old woman. She was saying something over and over again," Laura responded, before realisation came and she said, "Oh my God. She was saying 'Silas'."

"That's impossible. Who you're talking about," Travis said.

"I saw her too. In the rum tunnels," Ryan revealed.

"I saw her in the tunnels too. And I heard her voice, before Nick and Sarah were bitten," Allison divulged.

"It's Eliza Vorez. Silas' mother. I... think," Travis revealed.

Allison stared at Travis as Laura asked, "Who was she?"

"And why is it impossible for us to have heard and seen her?" Allison questioned.

Travis hesitated, before explaining, "She ran a travelling sideshow called Harum Scarum. Came here six years back. She kept her son in a cage. Called him 'Silas the Wolf Boy'. Died in a fire. Some say she never left."

Allison froze, looking at Ryan as he realised, "The Hag of Hackett's Quarry."

A beat of silence before Travis said, "We've been looking for Silas ever since."

Allison digested it as Laura questioned, "How did the fire start?"

Travis looked down, before he turned away from them.

"ReallY? You're still hiding stuff now?" Laura demanded.

"I think I know why you're hiding it," Allison muttered, glaring at him as the pieces clicked together. "Your family started it, didn't you? That's how Caleb got bitten, Silas got free and this whole shitshow got started. You did it, and now you're trying to clean up your mess while trying to keep everyone in the dark, which is why Sarah said no one has gone into the woods for six years, before someone finds out you were responsible for it all in the first place if they or their loved one got bitten. That if it wasn't for you... Max wouldn't have been bitten. Sarah wouldn't have been bitten. Nick wouldn't have been bitten."

Still glaring at him, she finished, "And now you have us agree to finish cleaning up a mess that you started."

Travis glared at her. "You done?"

"Is that a yes, then?" Allison spat back, glaring at him.

The cop returned it before he said to Laura," You blew half the head off my niece, Kaylee Hackett, one of the kindest, gentlest souls to ever walk this earth. All she wanted to do was help that little boy. Locked in a cage by that... freakshow witch."

"Considering what's happened, as fucked up as that is, that freakshow witch had a good reason to do it," Allison said lowly.

"What did she do? Kaylee?" Ryan asked.

Travis paused, and then answered, "She just... wanted to help him."

"Travis," Laura said pointedly.

The cop turned away, before he revealed, "Your friend's right. Kaylee convinced Caleb to start a fire. Just a distraction. Some hay bales. Give 'em enough time to get Silas out of his cage and give him his freedom."

Allison gaped. "In summer? What was she thinking?"

"That's not what happened," Laura murmured.

"No," Travis confirmed. "Because within minutes everybody was dead. Ever see hay burn? Eliza... the whole crew. Kaylee managed to get Silas to freedom... but Caleb got bit in the process."

He pointed to Allison. "A crew member ran up to me, holding that quiver and that bow, full of those silver arrows. He knew, he knew what Silas was, and he gave us the arrows to take him down before he got burned alive as well. We stuck to bullets and locked those arrows away—they're evidence of what happened with the fire. But... you found 'em, and been using 'em all night."

Allison's eyes widened as she stared at her bow and arrow, whispering, "That's why Bobby asked me where I got these."

"And that's why you've been hunting him. Silas, I mean," Laura realised.

"Every full moon. For six fuckin' years," Travis confirmed.

Then he turned and walked into the woods as Allison looked at her bow in a new light, digesting the information that had been revealed.

"Some hunter you are," Laura muttered.

Allison nodded in agreement, glaring at him. "His family is responsible for this whole mess. Might as well fucking clean it up for them."

She gripped the bow tighter, not caring about its origins or how it came to be in Hackett and, eventually, her possession. That crew member had been right—while he probably thought Silas would never have escaped, it was a precaution, one he gave up his life for to make sure these arrows got into the hands of someone who could use them to take down Silas and, for the good of everyone whether he bit them or not, end his curse once and for all.

And Allison would make sure his death would not be in vain and do just that, strengthening her along with her resolve to cure Nick and Sarah as she, Ryan and Laura followed after Travis, walking a bit farther until they came upon the ruins of half-melted cages, tents and caravans, lost within the forest.

Harum Scarum, or what remained of it.

"This is all that's left," Travis told them, pointing to it.

"Jesus Christ," Ryan breathed.

"This is... oh my God," Allison murmured.

"Man. Any sign?" Laura asked, regarding Silas.

"Negative," Travis replied as they walked into the ruins of Harum Scarum.

"I don't see anything either," Allison responded, as they kept walking.

"Damn. I never saw any of this," Laura remarked as she looked at the ruins.

"I didn't even know this was here," Travis confessed.

Allison snorted derisively. "Of course you didn't."

Still, she kept walking, looking for any signs of Silas among the wreckage, bowstring taut and arrow ready for release once she caught sight of him. Allison noticed Ryan peeling away and she followed, the two giving each a look before they kept creeping down the path, eyes alert for any sign of Silas. The tip of Allison's arrow grazed the earth, but she was ready to raise it and fire the minute she crossed paths with Silas.

That, though it was the Hacketts' fault in releasing Silas and causing Nick, Sarah and Max to be bitten, Allison was ready to shoot it into Silas and end it solely because of those she loved who were cursed and the greater danger he posed to innocent people. He needed to be killed—no matter what.

As they walked, Ryan jolted and whirled around. Allison was about to ask him if he was okay when a woman's contorted face screamed, LEAVE! LEAVE WITH YOUR SILVER AND NEVER RETURN!

Allison whirled, arrow pointed at nothing, heart pounding as she looked at Ryan and asked, "Did you..."

"Yeah," he confirmed.

"Was it..."

"The Hag," Ryan finished, nodding.

"Ryan! Allison!" Laura shouted.

Grabbing her arm, Ryan pulled her back to Laura and Travis, letting her go as Laura looked at him and whispered, "Shit! I'm sorry. That was..."

"Close. We must be close," Travis finished.

"Yeah, no shit," Allison sniped.

Looking around, Laura asked, "Did you all..."

"See it too?" Ryan finished as Allison nodded.

"Kinda wish I hadn't," Travis said.

"Same," Ryan agreed.

Allison only shivered, lowering the bow. "I don't think she likes me wanting to kill her precious son."

"Yeah. Will you?" Ryan questioned, Travis and Laura giving her the same look.

"Yes," Allison answered without hesitation, before saying louder so the Hag of Hackett's Quarry could hear, "And I'll do it without hesitation if it means saving my friends and any innocents he's doomed over the past six years!"

A chill came into the air after Allison's challenging words, Ryan saying, "I don't think she likes that."

"I don't care. I'm not leaving these woods until Silas is dead," Allison muttered. "Come on."

She charged onward, the others close behind as they walked down the path, until Ryan paused and picked something up.

"What is this?" he muttered, showing what looked like a flyer to them.

"'Silas the Dog-Boy'," Laura read out,

"Must be an advertisement for Silas' attraction," Allison theorised.

"That must be it," Travis affirmed from up ahead. "Careful."

"Yeah, like we haven't been careful all night," Allison muttered as Ryan dropped the flyer and they kept walking, before rounding a bend.

Allison heard it before she saw it—a low, growling noise.

Still, it was a shock when she saw the twisted remains of a cage, and inside...

Inside was a werewolf with white, blood-matted fur, curled up and sounding like it was asleep. The same werewolf who attacked them on the road. The same werewolf who bit Caleb after he and Kaylee started a fire and contributed to the mess of events that was tonight and Max, Sarah and Nick bitten and Sarah and Nick still needing to be cured.

Inside was Silas.

"Fucking Jesus Christ," Ryan breathed.

"My God," Laura murmured.

Allison only raised her bow and asked, "You wanna take the first shot or should I?"

In response, Laura lifted her gun, the flashlight lighting up Silas and the nest he made in the cage, stepping closer. Allison kept her bow drawn, because despite how she felt some pity to him, especially in wondering how long he'd been a werewolf—longer than any, even the Hacketts, had been—she couldn't let it control her. His death meant Nick and Sarah being back to normal, and saving hundreds, maybe thousands, of people who might have been bitten during those six years or could have been bitten by their loved ones or might have been bitten in the future if Silas was spared. This was saving not just her loved ones and Travis' nephew, but so many other innocent people. And, as Laura said earlier tonight, Allison couldn't let her conscience slow her down, not now. Not when so many lives were on the line.

One way or another, Silas was dying tonight. It just depended on who shot first.

But as Laura raised the gun, she hesitated.

"What's wrong?" Ryan asked.

"Laura," Allison murmured. "Do you want me to take the shot?"

Laura didn't respond, staring at Silas.

"What are you waiting for?" Travis demanded, before he exploded, "SHOOT YOU STUPID GIRL!"

Allison jumped, looking at Travis with wide eyes as Laura kept staring at Silas, still not pulling the trigger.

"Laura!" Ryan and Allison yelled.

"Do it," Travis snarled.

"He's just a boy!" Laura yelled, surprising Allison—especially given how single-minded she'd been earlier, bite or no bite, her dismissal of Kaylee who could be called just a girl.

"He's responsible for so much death," Travis spat.

"Says you!" Laura retorted.

"I have to agree with Travis here, we have no idea how many other people Silas has bitten and who have bitten others while he was free these past six years! Killing him would be saving hundreds, thousands of innocent lives!" Allison yelled. "If you won't shoot him, I will."

"Don't, Allison!" Laura ordered at the same time Travis yelled, "Do it!"

Ignoring the command Laura gave, Allison drew her bowstring further, ready to fire—

"No."

Allison turned, seeing Laura having the gun lowered, her resolve wavering.

What was going on with Laura?

"Give me the gun," Travis demanded, marching toward Laura and grabbing the gun. They grappled for it as Allison turned to Silas, blocking out the fight, focusing on the strain of muscles, the arrow shaking slightly, the inhale and exhale of her breath. Her target she was aiming for, the voice she was ignoring screaming she was a murderer.

This is for thousands of innocent people who might've been cursed or killed, she whispered. This is for Sarah. This is for Nick.

This will always be for Nick.

She released the arrow just as a gunshot went off.

The arrow struck Silas between the shoulder blades as he woke up and roared in pain, Allison seeing Travis fall at Laura's feet as Ryan breathed, "What have you done?"

Allison blocked it out again as she fired, but Silas' arm caught the arrow. He roared again, but Allison was already drawing and firing, the arrow hitting Silas through the eye and out of his skull just before another gunshot rang out and the silver bullet hit his heart.

Lowering her bow, Allison looked at Laura, at the look on her face that, despite her initial hesitation, she gathered resolve to shoot Silas and kill him along with Allison.

They'd both killed him in the end.

Ryan looked away, muttering, "Please let's just... let's just go before w-we have to see him like that in human form."

"Of course," Allison murmured as she slung her bow across her body.

"It's too late for that," Laura remarked. 

Allison and Ryan both looked at her, before Allison murmured, "Come on. Let's head back to the lodge. Might as well wait the rest of the night out in there until dawn comes."

Ryan and Laura didn't say anything, just followed Allison as the three of them walked through the woods and toward the car—toward Hackett's Quarry and the lodge and, hopefully, for the others to return if they got the van working. For Jacob and Emma to arrive if they were still alive. For Max if he was willing to come off the island and find Laura.

For Sarah and Nick, now cured and human again.

Nick.

Despite the situation, despite what she'd done to achieve it, Allison grinned. Nick was human. He was human again, he was cured. He and Sarah and anyone else Silas bit... they were all cured. She could see Nick again in the daylight and know he wouldn't be a monster anymore or ever again, that she finally had him back again, that she could hold him and see where their relationship lead to. That Hayden had Nick back, had her twin brother back at last. That Nora had Sarah back, had her beloved girlfriend back.

They were all free and alive.

And as she walked through the woods, Allison looked at the full moon amongst a slowly lightening sky—dawn was approaching at last.

And, for the first time tonight since the attack, since Nick and Sarah were cursed, Allison enjoyed seeing the sight of the full moon again.

That the full moon would always be beautiful instead of frightening to her after tonight.

***

AHHHH!!!

Okay, okay this, game-wise has officially come to an end!!! 

I enjoyed writing this so much!! I loved writing Allison, not caring about Eliza, just shooting Silas anyway for Nick and Sarah and anyone else he must have bitten (also, loved writing her figure it out that the Hacketts were responsible for the fire before Travis said anything) before Laura also shot him and they killed Silas together, and now they're making their way back to the camp and to the lodge—and to Nick and Sarah, who are now cured!

Also, while this was the "end" of the game aside from the information of who survived, this isn't the end of the fic! Oh no, there's gonna be a couple more "epilogue" chapters (and some much-needed reunions!!) before this is over, along with one last little twist >:)

See you all with the epilogue chapters that will be coming soon!!

Please read, comment and vote!

GhostWriterGirl out!