Dark shadows rise

This town dies

Tobias groaned, pain surging through his ribs and down his leg. Through the smoke he could see movement, something ethereal.

"... Logan." Tobias murmured. He looked to his side to see Logan bleeding, barely conscious, his eyes fluttering.

He pushed his door and it fell off loosely, allowing him to shuffle his way out of the car and onto the grass at the side of the road. His ribs and leg throbbing, he staggered around to Logan's side and yanked open the door.

"C'mon, we're alright." Tobias said, wrapping his arms around his body and pulling. He dragged Logan onto the grass and wriggled his jacket off, placing it under his neck for support.

"My stomach..." Logan whispered faintly. Tobias looked down to see a piece of shrapnel stuck in his stomach, blood flowing out freely. Almost yelling out and panicking, Tobias grabbed the jacket from under his neck and placed pressure on the wound, his hands trembling simultaneously.

"You're gonna be okay!" Tobias yelled frantically, looking around for his cell phone.

He grabbed it and dialled 911, stated his location and got off the line as soon as possible.

"Tobias, I haven't known you long," Logan whispered, the pain evident. "But you've been a great friend."

"You're not gonna say your goodbyes, idiot." Tobias retorted, shaking his head as if he had just told a corny joke.

"Hey - at least you got to be the first guy that kissed me." Logan chuckled. "Maybe if I survived today, we could've gotten to know each other a little more."

"Aren't you too wild and free to be held down by one boy? I'm sure you'd miss the girls." Tobias laughed.

Logan shook his head. "You're a great guy... I would've been happy to let you show me the world of the mysterious Tobias Loren."

Tobias could feel the tears emerging now, and he hated crying.

"You're crazy." Tobias said, with an eye-roll.

"The best people are."

Tobias leant forward and kissed his lips softly, cupping his chin with his fingers and closed his eyes, letting them stay there for a while, their lips joined in perfect unison.

When Tobias parted and opened his eyes, Logan's remained closed.

Tobias smiled through his tears, stroking his cheek. "Goodbye, Logan."

Shari exploded into the church, armed with a cross and a dagger in her hands. Gia was barely conscious on the floor, Scott was stood, up the shotgun aim switching between Diana and Terrence.

"Oh this is getting fun." Diana giggled, resembling a child.

Shari wasn't playing any games today - she wanted this all to end.

"Let's get this straight," Jenny Cooper said, stepping past Shari. "I'm a medium. I can make you leave this world."

Fear struck across Diana's face for a second and then vanished almost immediately, forming into a cunning grin. "Funny. The big sisters of my victims coming to save the day. Shall I tell Sadie and Conrad you miss them?"

Shari didn't feel the surge of anger she usually felt. Today, she was calm, comforted in the fact she would finally bring this haunting to an end and liberate Sachem Bay from the shadows.

Diana gave Terrence a nod, and he edged towards Shari, closing in on her, his axe held steadily. Scott hurried to Gia immediately, pulling her up with her arm around his neck.

The Entity's eyes narrowed towards Justin and Jenny, her pupils dilating and looking into blackness.

Terrence raced towards Shari, swinging his axe through the air in a swift strike of vicious attack. Shari jumped back, stumbling on her boots and landing hard on the church concrete floor. She scrambled backwards, the axe connecting with the floor, between her legs. Terrence gritted his teeth, grunting in determination.

Shari rolled and was on her feet in a second, the dagger tight in her hands.

"Come on Redhead. Let me make you bleed." Terrence Pearce sniggered.

Shari shot him a look of disgust and slashed him with the dagger, causing blood to fall down his arm. He hissed in retaliation, like a snake recoiling and preparing for venomous attack.

She didn't give him opportunity to orientate himself: she jumped, throwing her leg forward, her boot connecting hard with his chest and sending him stumbling back onto one of the benches.

He threw himself back towards her, falling on top of her and pushing her to the ground, his hand clenched tightly on her throat. Shari couldn't breathe, his fingers clenching tighter like a vice machine, crushing her airways. As her vision began to blur in panic, she brought her knee up and pummelled him in the ribs, throwing him off. With a sharp shout of finality, she plunged the knife into his chest, digging it deep and sure into his heart. His eyes glared at her in pure hatred, as his life pooled out of him in the form of sticky dark blood.

Shari fell onto the floor, staring at his wide open eyes, his glassy pupils gazing into her accusingly.

I killed a man.

.

Shari wiped the tears that had formed at her eyes, got herself up and stepped over the body, where Diana was trying to escape the burn of the cross and holy water, as Justin and Jenny surrounded her.

It seemed with every step, the Entity's rage heightened, as Scott tended to Gia in the corner.

"Use the gun!" Scott shouted over, referencing to his shotgun.

"We can't kill Diana! This isn't her fault." Shari replied, shaking her head.

Diana grinned. "Kill her. I dare ya."

"We have to perform the exorcism now. The spirits are coming." Jenny warned, her face struck with fear.

Jenny was right. From beyond the window, Shari could see them, an army of the dead, spirits marching through the graveyard towards the church.

"Scott!" Shari screamed. He realised almost instantly, himself and Justin racing to the doors to barricade them.

"I have an army. You won't survive this." Diana said simply.

"I've survived a lot worse. I'm sorry, but I'm gonna need you to vacate the body." Shari set forward, placing the dagger towards her in threat for her to retreat to the floor.

Diana's hands clamped onto her arms, lifting her from the ground and throwing Shari through the air. Shari soared backwards, falling through the air and landing at the end of the aisle with a hard thud, twisting her ankle as she landed.

Shari clenched her teeth, tending through the pain, imagining it gone.

Jenny was stood with her eyes closed, channeling something.

"What're doing?" Diana hissed, staggering on to her knees.

"I'm weakening your anchor to this world. You don't belong here!"

Justin created a circle of salt around her, muttering a prayer simultaneously.

"But Gracie is her anchor to this world..." Shari said, confusion setting in.

"Exactly." Jenny replied. "This will wake her up."

Jenny resumed, seeming to weaken Diana even more.

"If we don't exorcise her out of Diana's body before her waking her anchor, Diana will die!" Justin yelled, as a mystical wind began to pick up around them.

"Then hurry up!" Jenny cried.

The sounds of Scott and Justin's struggles came through the air as they held the church door's shut, barricading the entrance from the bloodthirsty cult spirits.

"The prayer is done." Justin said. "Now for the exorcism."

In the Name of Jesus Christ,

our God and Lord

Diana screamed out, the Entity bellowing a burst of agony into the air.

Mother of God,

of Blessed Michael the Archangel,

of the Blessed Apostles Peter and Paul and all the Saints.

and powerful in the holy authority of our ministry,

we confidently undertake to repulse the attacks and deceits of the devil

Diana's bones bulged out, her skin tightening and spreading with a web of dark veins. Her eyes widened, tears of blood pouring down her face in a line of death.

God arises;

His enemies are scattered

and those who hate Him flee before Him.

As smoke is driven away,

so are they driven;

as wax melts before the fire,

so the wicked perish at the presence of God!

Diana's bones began to snap and break, bulging through the skin, sharp and violent.

We drive you from us,

whoever you may be,

unclean spirits,

all satanic powers,

all infernal invaders,

all wicked legions,

assemblies and sects!

The Entity began to laugh, refusing to be expelled from the vessel. Spiders began to run from her nostrils and mouth, continuously scattering across her body and onto the floor, fleeing into the shadows. Diana began to cough and wretch, until a snake coiled from the depth of her throat, slithering out of her mouth and onto the stone floor.

Deign, O Lord,

to grant us Thy powerful protection

and to keep us safe and sound.

We beseech Thee through Jesus Christ Our Lord!

Amen.

Diana roared in disbelief, the Entity screaming out, creating a sound wave that rippled through the air, causing everyone except Justin to stagger back.

From the snares of the devil,

Deliver us, O Lord.

That Thy Church may serve Thee in peace and liberty:

We beseech Thee to hear us.

That Thou may crush down all enemies of Thy Church:

We beseech Thee to hear us!

With that, Justin threw a handful of holy water on Diana's crippled body and she roared, deep and animalistic, until she took a heavy breathe and fell to the floor, silent.

The spirits beyond the church windows vanished into nothing, silence spreading upon the small town.

Shari pulled herself up, using the bench as support, her twisted ankle throbbing.

Shari, Scott, Gia, Justin and Jenny all looked at each other, swimming in the silence.

A murmur came from Diana, her eyes fluttering open. She looked defeated, but she looked like herself, and that was enough.

"I feel... terrible."

"It's over." Shari whispered, kneeling beside her best friend. It didn't seem real. "It's really fucking over."

Scott smiled and Shari smiled back until each one of them were laughing, tears streaming down their face as they basked in hilarity, feeling free for the first time in two decades. And Shari finally noticed, this relief was guilt-free. It wasn't the type of relief that running away gave her, or pretending that Sachem Bay and her family didn't exist. This type of relief was pure, and wonderful and so liberating.

They opened the church doors and walked out into the sunlight, the late June sun aching down on them in the most beautiful way, signalling that the storm was over and it was time to bathe in the light.

The ambulance arrived shortly after, and Diana was taken, accompanied by Shari and Justin. She was tole she would have to stay in there for a several months, to heal her numerous injuries and trauma, but the most important thing was that she was alive.

It was the same day that Gracie awoke. Gia and Scott had returned straight home from the church, to where Ryan Rivers was watching over Gracie, with his son Bennie Rivers.

Gracie came walking into the lounge, feeling a sense of disorientation and confusion.

"Mommy? Dad?" Gracie murmured, rubbing her eyes.

The two parents wrapped their daughter in the tightest embrace, squeezing her tight.

"You're home. We're never letting you go." Gia promised, her eyes filling with tears.

Shari appeared in the doorway, a smile etched upon her face.

"Welcome back, kiddo." Shari said with a wink.

Gracie ran to her, wrapping her arms around her waist. "Aunt Shari!"

Shari grinned, happy to finally have her niece back.

"Hey, you go and see how Bennie is doing, he's in his bedroom." Shari suggested. Gracie nodded enthusiastically and raced up the steps.

Shari's smile faded. "Logan's dead."

"What?" Scott cried, his voice cracking.

Shari nodded, swallowing her heartbreak. "The spirits crashed their car. Tobias survived."

Gia sat down, holding her chest. "We've had so much loss in such little time."

"We are going to get through it." Shari promised, taking the hand of her brother and her sister-in-law.

They were a family again.

The memorial was held a week later, the town of Sachem Bay gathering in the garden ground of the church, paying their respects for those lost within the previous years.

It seemed the atmosphere felt much lighter, without the heavy sense of foreboding lingering in the air.

They all held candles, lit in the memory of those lost, from Violet and Pamela Heckle, Conrad Cooper, Sadie Davenport, Rich Wheeler and his family, Prue Rivers, Logan Ledger and countless others. It seemed bittersweet to celebrate the people who left an imprint on this town, for the better.

Shari stared into the trees by the edge of Secular Woods, and saw movement. It was Conrad, smiling and joyous. Almost instantly, others stepped from the trees. Prue Rivers, placing her hands gently on the shoulders of the Conrad. She gave Shari a nod, to signal she would take care of him, sending beautiful gratitude flowing through her. She was sure Jenny would be comforted by that.

Logan stepped from the trees, his mischievous grin unmistakable. He shot her a wink, it seemed even in death their friendships was untainted. Rich Wheeler materialised there also, accompanied by a young girl and his wife. He saluted Shari, a sure nod of acknowledgment was given to her. It seemed he had finally found his family again.

Then Sloane Rayner was stood, towards the back, the girl who was killed in the Boarding House, until more and more lost ones, adults and children stepped forward, coming out of the darkness.

Then, Sadie appeared from the trees, her face happy and radiant, a smile spread, grinning. She seemed happy, and finally free. Beside her was her father, looking as young and free as he had been before the cancer hit him. And as much as it scared her, her mother would join them soon, and finally be free of the heartbreak that had plagued her since the death of Sadie.

The crowds of spirits and lost ones turned, and walked through the grass, away and out of the woods and over the hills, walking away from the shadows and into the light, finding peace with one another.

I could tell you definitely that the haunting that stained Sachem Bay - and a terror none like it - was gone. All was well.