Shadow of Death (SOD)

Chapter 65

"Hahahahahaa!"

A loud laugh suddenly erupted with unhinged momentum.

Rick was on his knees, muttering prayers to whoever he could pray to, only for the sound of laughter to suddenly cut through his fearful prayers.

The laughter itself wasn’t what surprised him.

It was the voice behind it.

Rick blinked a few times, tears sliding down the corners of his eyes as he stared at the brown soil beneath his knees.

Slowly lifting his head, he could see a human figure standing over him and laughing his mind off.

"Oh my, oh my. What a scaredy-cat. Man... that was fun."

"Ash-Asher?!" Rick called out with a slight stutter, as if uncertain about who was standing before him.

Blinking again, he watched the figure stretch out a hand toward him.

Looking at the hand for a moment and then back at the figure, Rick finally got a good look as the figure flashed his light over his face.

"Yup, it’s me, scaredy chicken."

Rick frowned.

His teeth gnashed as he glared at the hand offered to him.

With a sneer, he slapped the hand away and pushed himself to his feet.

"Ouch. That hurt," Asher uttered in a mocking tone as he stared at Rick, who was glaring daggers at him.

If looks could kill, Asher would have been stabbed over and over again, slumping dead on the ground with his soul already miles away in the afterlife.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?! How could you do something like that? What if I had high blood pressure, huh?! Or what if I had died from that scare? What would you have done?!" Rick shouted in annoyance.

His gaze hardened with immense fury, making even Asher taken aback for a moment.

Over the years they had been friends, he had never seen the boy this angry.

It was shocking and also kind of scary, hence Asher couldn’t even say anything for a moment.

"What?! You won’t even say anything now?! You fool! You dumbass! Idiot! Is that how you want to treat your best friend? By giving him a heart attack?!"

Asher was about to reply when his nose wriggled for a moment.

His gaze naturally drifted toward the source of the smell.

Only to see that Rick’s pants were stained with a golden mark, with drops still rolling down his leg and onto the ground.

’Damn! How much liquid has he been carrying inside his bladder?’

Staring at the small pond of golden liquid, Asher almost wanted to chuckle.

’At least it’s not number two. That would have been a hell of a mess.’

"Oi! Look at me when I’m speaking, idiot!" Rick bellowed angrily upon seeing that his friend was actively ignoring his rant.

Asher sighed and lifted his head to reply—

Only for him to freeze the next moment.

His eyes slowly widened in horror.

"What happened? Cat got your tongue now?!" Rick questioned with a prominent frown on his face.

Asher’s hands trembled as he slowly began lifting one toward Rick.

"Be-Be-Behind you."

Rick lifted a brow.

The next moment, his frown returned.

"Once bitten, twice shy. You think I will fall for that again? Tsk. Never."

Rick folded his arms across his chest and then closed his eyes.

"Rick, behind you!"

"There’s nothing there, I’m sure."

"Fool, I’m serious. It’s coming."

"Haha! Nice try, Asher, but I’m not go—"

"Ri-Rick."

Suddenly, Rick slowly opened his eyes again.

There was something about the way Asher was speaking that bothered him.

It was like he was stuttering in fright.

And from Rick’s knowledge, Asher wasn’t scared of many things.

So what was...?

Unless...

Almost instantly, Rick spun around in the direction of Asher’s gaze.

And there...

There...

As Asher pointed his torchlight forward a little more in an attempt to pierce through the fog, the thick white mist gave way for a few seconds.

And that was when they saw it.

A figure stood before a grave.

It wore a flowing white gown that was torn in multiple places, especially around the hem.

The figure was pale.

Not merely pale like a sick person.

Pale like a corpse that had been dead for decades.

Its hair was as long as a woman’s, falling over its head and completely covering its face.

Its fingernails were long and filthy, resembling the claws of a sloth.

Saliva dribbled slowly from the corner of its lips.

For a few seconds, the figure remained completely still.

Then it felt the light shining against its body.

Slowly—

Very slowly—

It lifted its head.

And there, beneath the curtain of its long hair, a pair of blood-red eyes glared directly at the duo.

Almost instantly and in perfect sync—

"Blood of God! RUNNN!"

They screamed in unison.

Without waiting for a warning or even a signal, the two friends whirled around and darted away with all their might.

Behind them, the figure continued glaring at their fleeing backs for a second or two.

Then—

It moved.

Giving chase after the duo.

"Don’t look back. Don’t look back. Don’t look back. Don’t look back."

Rick repeated the words loudly, almost like a mantra.

He ran with all his might, his legs moving as fast as they could.

Yet, he couldn’t catch up with Asher.

Due to the fact that Asher was built like an athlete, he was naturally quite quick on his feet.

On seeing that his friend was still far behind him, Asher spun around and darted back toward Rick.

Before his friend could even protest, he swooped him into his arms in a princess-like style and continued running with all his strength.

"Oh my days! Oh Lord, save us from this mess! I promise not to do it again! I promise, I fucking promise! I won’t try this again!"

Rick screamed with tears falling down his eyes.

He could feel the wind slamming against his face as they raced through the cemetery, while the thick fog continued clouding their visibility.

Asher’s mind spun as he tried his best to navigate through the fog using the memory of the route they had taken when entering the cemetery.

He was scared.

But he wasn’t nearly as shaken as Rick was.

"Asher, have we lost it?!" Rick demanded, refusing to look back as he buried his face into his friend’s shirt.

Gritting his teeth, Asher inhaled deeply.

Then he turned his head behind him.

His eyes widened.

The ghost—or whatever creature that thing was—was hot on their tails.

And it was gaining on them fast.

"Nope," Asher exhaled in fear.

He quickly turned his head forward.

But then—

"Ack...!"

His leg struck something on the ground.

Asher stumbled.

His balance vanished instantly.

Rick flew from his arms and tumbled away across the ground while Asher crashed forward, his head slamming against a stone.

Blood immediately gushed from the impact.

Asher gritted his teeth against the pain.

He couldn’t stop.

He couldn’t fall here.

Grinding his teeth again, he reached toward the stone with all his might, using it to pull himself upright.

The surface was smooth beneath his fingers.

Too smooth.

It felt like a tombstone.

Asher’s breathing became heavier.

Then the moon flashed overhead, briefly illuminating the cemetery.

And the tombstone.

Asher’s eyes moved toward the words carved into its surface.

"Ba.... thump.... Ba.... thump...."

His heart pounded harder.

"Wha—?!"

His lips quivered.

Shock slowly spread across his face as he stared at the tombstone.

It read:

[In Loving Memory Of:

Clara Rose Dawson

17th August 1995 – 14th October 2027

Beloved wife of Jack

Devoted mother.

Forever in our hearts]

"Ba.... thump...."

"Wha—?!"

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