The three of them left the house heading for the cemetery. As they walked, Dye recalled his fight to Mack. He went through all the details about what happened, including him overcoming his PTSD. This was a shock to Mack because he wasn’t aware that Dye had been killed.

“Wait, you died?!” he reacted. He backhanded Jason in the arm.

“Ouch — hey!”

“Why didn’t you tell me Dye had died?!”

“I didn’t think it was important. He’s standing right there!”

“But he died! And you and Sam knew and didn’t bother to tell me!” Mack was almost furious that such a thing happened and no one told him. Jason started to reply but all that came out was a high pitched eh with no words following. Mack rolled his eyes, “Can’t believe you two!”

The sight of tombstones and the cawing of crows filled them with an existential dread as they knew that one day they would join the dead. The gates of the cemetery were standing before them and slowly Dye opened them while Jason stayed a few feet behind. Mack was tailing them.

“What's the matter?” Asked Dye.

“Like I said, places like these freak me out.” Jason eyed the graveyard with a bothered gaze.

“Oh, stop being a baby and let's go,” added Mack

Jason entered the eerie feeling space and slowly followed behind his little brother. The vast plain was covered with tombstones and angel statues. Some parts were shaded by trees giving an ominous peace to the land of the dead.

“Hey,” said a voice coming from nearby. Dye and Jason turned around and coming towards them was a dirty old man carrying a shovel.

Jason jumped behind Dye, startled. Mack face-palmed.

“What are you kids doing here?” Said the old man pointing his shovel at them. “Visiting hours are at eleven.

“Oh, sorry, we didn’t know,” said Mack.

“We’re just looking for a grave – um Corrine Haven?” Dye asked.

The groundskeeper took a look at all three of them. He could tell they just wanted to pay their respects. “He pointed to the top of the hill showing them an angel statue”

“Just be quick.” he grumbled.

The man walked off and the three brothers began on their way

“That guy was weird,” said Jason.

“Stop being so mean,” said Dye. “He helped us out didn’t he?”

“Dude, he almost looked dead himself.” Jason wasn’t far off. The groundskeeper's face was ragged and old. He’d probably been there for decades. He had a scraggly beard and his hair was tied back. One could suggest that the constant digging of graves was enough to transform the man into what he looked like today, but that could only be a suggestion.

Mack laughed. “Dude, you can watch horror movies all day but when it comes to a cemetery you almost crap yourself.”

“Shut up, Mack. You gotta admit this place is really, really creepy,” Jason said as a crow cawed in the distance. “I wonder how long some of these people have been here?”

“Frankly, I prefer not to think about it,” Dye replied.

They were getting closer to the statue. It was dressed in a robe and was holding a harp. It was kneeling on one knee, weeping at the poor soul who had tragically lost her life. Its wings gave shade to the ground in front of it. Dye, Mack and Jason looked down at the foot of the statue and saw inscriptions carved deep into the stone.

Corrine Haven

1984–1989

Our Beloved Daughter

May the light of the Sun guide you

To the gates of Heaven.

“She was only five years old when the accident happened,” said Dye,

“Yeah,” Mack confirmed.

The two brothers stopped and were in complete silence for a few moments, giving prayer to their departed sister until they were interrupted by a voice.

“What are you doing here?” Said the voice of a girl from behind them. Jason, Mack and Dye turned around. There she was, standing in front of them. Dye couldn’t believe his eyes. The unkempt hair, the torn and ragged clothes, and above all, the unnecessary angry attitude. As he eyed her, Mack caught him staring at her and immediately he knew something wasn’t right.

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

“Who are you?” she demanded.

“Girl, this is a free country, we can do what we want,” Jason snapped back.

“Jason, cool it!” said Mack.

“I’m not going to ask you again!” she said aggressively, “what are you doing here?”

Mack, who had already connected the dots, leaned into Dye.

“Dye, is this her?” he whispered.

Dye looked at his brother, giving an obvious nod, not saying a word to ensure not to provoke her.

This was a coincidence.

What were the odds that the person they were looking for would simply be in the same place they would be?

“This is my place,” she said with a harsh tone. “Nobody comes here but me. You’re not welcome here. Leave now!”

“Whoa! Whoa! Wait up,” said Dye. “We were just here for–”

“Wait, I know you,” she said. “You’re the boy from the park.”

The tension in Dye’s mind started to ramp up. If this girl was indeed possessed by Griflore, then he would recognize Dye immediately.

Right?

“Um, no, I think you have mistaken me for someone else.” he quickly threw back. The weak lie wasn’t believed for a second.

“Dye, you sure this is Griflore?” asked Jason.

“Griflore?” Said the girl. “Who or what is a Griflore?”

She frowned.

Jason and Mack looked at each other, puzzled. Dye was confused. If she was harboring the evil Xenton Ka, could she not be aware of it?

“Hey, listen,” Mack stepped forward. She eyed him with suspicion. “We’re just here paying our respects to our sister Corrine.”

Her face changed. Dye and Jason saw the sudden shift in her look. It went from being angry to immediately surprised.

“Who are you?” she asked again, this time a bit less threatening. “Because you’re wasting your time. Corrine Haven isn’t dead. That statue is a lie!”

Mack and the boys didn’t understand.

“What do you —” Mack began.

“I’m Corrine Haven!” she said suddenly. “Now who the hell are you?!” her harsh tone returned.

The boys were dumbstruck. They stared at her as they tried to process what she’d just said.

Was this true?

Was this their sister?

Had she been alive all this time?

If so, where had she been and was she actually harboring an ancient evil Ka from the distant past?

“Forget what I said before, this is a drastic turn of events, bros…”

“Corrine?” asked Mack. She looked at him, startled, but her eyes still carried anger. “Is that you?”

She was evidently confused. “Yeah. Why?”

Mack’s eyes swelled with tears. They began to stream down his face. “It’s me –” her face became apprehensive. “It’s Mack…”

She knew that name. She remembered a baby. She would sit with him every night to make sure he was safe. She would watch him sleep.

She took a step back. “No — you’re lying!” her refusal caused her to regain her anger. “Because if you were Mack, why wait sixteen years to come see me?”

Mack fell silent. She was right. He hadn’t come to visit his sister at all in the time she was dead.

“I’m sorry —” he said.

“No! You’re lying!”

“He’s telling the truth!” Dye blurted out. “We’re your brothers too!”

Her eyes shook. “You’re all liars!”

The brothers felt sympathy for her.

There she was.

Their long lost sister.

Not dead but alive.

“You can’t be my family,” she said, starting to form tears. “They’re dead to me! No one came for me! No one!” she fell to her knees. Mack approached her.

“Mack,” said Dye with concern.

“It’s okay!” Mack gave his brother a worriedless look. “I got this.”

“Corrine,” he started walking towards her slowly. “Mom and Dad thought you were dead.” she looked up at him. “They sent out a search party for you but nothing turned up. They thought you burned in the fire.”

“Don’t come any closer!” she barked in almost a painful way.

He held out his hand. “We can take you home now.”

“I said STOP!” she grabbed her head as though a massive headache just hit her. Mack could see that some pain was arising as her face suggested as much.

“Are you okay?” Dye asked her, walking up to her.

“Stay away from me!” She snarled. She put her head in her hands and dropped to the ground with an agonizing cry.

“What’s wrong with me?” She said as she appeared in some sort of distress. Dye, Jason and Mack stood and watched the strange girl yell in agony. She turned her body away from the boys to hide her face.

She began screaming and crying in suffering.

“We have to do something,” Dye said.

‘Dye, stay back!” commanded Mack.

“Are you–?” Asked Dye, just as scared as ever, disobeying his brother.

Just then, the girl threw her head back, facing towards the sky. She slammed her hands into the ground and dug her fingers deep into the soil. Dye and Jason took a few steps back while Mack watched.

She threw her head back into her hands and started to shake uncontrollably. They watched as her teeth grew into fangs, and thick purple veins started to surface through her hands, up her arms, and through her neck. Her head lashed out revealing the thick purple veins resting just beneath her eye sockets. Mack fell backwards as a result of being absolutely terrified.

“help……me,” whimpered Corrine, as her brown eyes faded to yellow.

“Okay, double take backs.” said Jason. “This is a very drastic turn of events…”