Terrance POV
Terrance flinched as he and Beth heard the second scream, Horace this time. He tried to ignore it, to not think about what it meant. He failed at that. If the look on Beth's face was anything to go by, she did too. They were currently in a storage closet on the second floor. Beth managed to keep the presence of mind to follow Terrance as the group split up in the chaos. He'd thank the gods for that, but in all honesty he blamed them for the horrible situation him and his friends-... Friend. Him and his friend were in. He felt like he was going to throw up just thinking about it. He didn't want to accept that they were, more than likely, dead. They were so young, all of them were, including him. He didn't want his life or anyone else's to be cut short like that, with so much ahead of them that they would never get to experience. Though, thinking about the ghost that attacked them, it was likely that exact scenario happened to him judging by how young he looked. He shuddered, internally protesting against the unfairness of the world.
He felt something tugging on his arm. Looking down, he saw Beth was getting his attention by grabbing his sleeve. She pointed to the crack underneath the door, and Terrance noticed what she was trying to show him. A dim blue light could be seen peeking under the door. He held his breath, doing his best to not make any sound, and hoped that the undead spirit wouldn't check the closet. Thankfully, the light passed by soon after, receding until it was gone. He let out a breath in relief. He and Beth had been hiding here for what must have been four hours by this point. They spent an hour trying to get out of the mansion, only to find the doors and windows leading outside barred shut, before they settled on hiding in this closet. This was the third time they saw the light pass by them. If they could just survive a few more hours, they would get out alive. Or so Terrance hoped. Ghosts were supposed to be more active at night, so it stood to reason he and Beth would be able to escape during the day. Gods, he knew he shouldn't have come here. It was stupid and he knew it, he should have stopped them, should have talked sense into them, should have told their parents if he had to. Now he couldn't help but feel guilty for getting them into this situation. He felt responsible for what he assumed happened to Sharie and Horace. Tears gathered in his eye, ready to burst.
His line of thought was abruptly stopped as he heard a single plop as a tear fell from Beth's eye. There wasn't much room in here, it was only about three by five feet inside and full of cleaning supplies, so Beth was standing less than a foot away from him. He reached out and embraced her as she shuddered. He couldn't give up here, he had to make sure at least Beth got out of here alive. He would make sure of it. His last chance to right his wrongs. He wouldn't fail- couldn't fail. He resolved himself to his decision as Beth calmed down. Neither of them spoke for the next hour, terrified at what could happen if they did. Finally, when Terrance estimated that it was around thirty after six, he whispered into Beth's ear. She nodded, and Terrance approached the door. The sun should be coming up soon during this time of year. Slowly opening the door, Terrance peeked out, checking to make sure there was no eerie blue light waiting for them. Confirming that it was clear, he waved at Beth to follow him. Cautiously, yet still going as fast as he could without making noise, he and Beth made their way down the winding hall. Only now did he notice that all of the candles were lit, despite the mansion supposedly being abandoned months ago. If only he noticed sooner, he could have said something, he could have-
Again, Terrance's inner monologue was cut short as he turned a corner. This time it was not by Beth, however, but by the ethereal blue glow emitting from the inside of a room, through the wide open door. Past it was the entrance hall, where he knew the way out resided. He looked back to Beth, and she nodded her head, seeing the same glow from Horace and Sharie's killer. He held up his hand, holding up three fingers, then two, then one, and finally, they sprinted down the hall as fast as they could go. Barely a second after their feet thudded on the ground, a piercing shriek echoed out around them. It grated on their ears, like nails on a chalkboard, but still they ran. Closer, closer, almost there, just a little farther and-
Beth was yanked away from him and slammed into the wall. She let out a yell as she connected, crying out in pain as something in her arm cracked. Terrance pivoted on his heels, ready to dash towards her, when he too was thrown, this time into the a painting on the opposite side of the hall from Beth. Similarly, he let out an exclamation of pain. Luckily, the painting took broke some of his collision and he didn't feel anything crack as he quickly stood up.
"WWWHHHHYYYYY" The ghost screeched as it clutched it's head, floating a foot off the ground in front and to the right of him, staring at Beth with deep anguish and loathing written across the side of the it's face he could see.
Beth had stood up at some point as well, and began to run again. Terrance rushed after her, slightly behind. The ghost kept screaming behind them, and Terrance ran just a little faster as he heard it coming closer. They ran into the entrance foyer, now just a few feet away from the double doors and the windows next to them. Thankfully, he remembered this little detail as the group came in. Each window too small to fit a grown human, but just barely big enough for them to squeeze through. Maybe. Both he and Beth were so close, when he saw a floating decorational spear from one of the suits of armor, poised and ready to fling itself at Beth. Purely on instinct, without thought or logic, Terrance lunged at Beth, pushing her down just as the spear launched itself toward her. It missed Beth, instead hitting Terrance as he took her place. The spear kept it's momentum, dragging Terrance along with it, and lodged itself into the marble doors. It pierced through Terrance's chest, pinning him down and at the same time breaking whatever lock was on the door. The doors swung open as Beth scrambled to get back onto her knees and crawled over to Terrance.
"Beth... Go... Please..." Terrance uttered despite the spear he now recognized to have gone through his lungs.
"T-Terrance! NO! No, You'll be okay, TERRANCE!" Beth yelled at him with wide, shocked eyes, watching as her friend was dying in front of her.
"Just a little... farther, Beth. GO-" Terrance tried to tell her, before being seized in a couching fit, expelling blood as he heaved.
Beth looked back at the ghost behind them. As she did, both she and Terrance realized her mistake. The ghost was diving at her, arms outstretched, ready to end her life, a perpetual visage of suffering on it's face.
Just then, a wave of light entered though the open doorway, washing over the spirit and making it recoil away from them. Terrance took advantage of the opportunity, and pushed Beth with the last vestiges of strength left in his body. She tumbled out the door and out of the house. She picked her self up, took a quick glance back at Terrance, and fled down the stairs and through the open gate.
Terrance watched her go, a bittersweet smile on his face. At least he managed to save just one of his close friends. Weakly turning his head back at the transparent soul on the other side of him, he witnessed it just staring. The expression of rage and hopelessness on it's face replaced by something Terrance couldn't name.
"I guess this is it for me, huh? Well, that's a shame. There was so much more to do... But at least Beth will get those things, huh?" He said to the apparition. He couldn't bring himself to hate it, with how much it seemed to be suffering.
"Whaat... Have I dooneeeee?" It gasped out, surprising Terrance to no end. He didn't get the chance to reflect on it much, however, as just seconds later his eye lids grew heavy, and he let out his dying breath as he slouched over, his soul leaving his body.
