Three more rules have been added to Feminist's survival guide.
Rule Seven: When Death comes for you, don't panic and act rashly. Staying still is better than moving recklessly. If you don't move, you have a chance to think calmly; if you do, you'll just fall into Death's trap. Of course, don't linger too long in one spot—when Death strikes, you only have a split-second window.
This rule is based on the experiences of Tilia and Bill. Most of the time, people die because they ask for it.
Rule Eight: 'Death' isn't the absolute concept of 'dying.' Death isn't that grand—even though it looks like some god ruling over life and death, at its core, it's not a law of nature. It's a curse—and it mostly works only on man-made things. If you're in a wild jungle, your chances of dying to 'Death' are lower than your chances of getting bitten by a snake.
This rule was added by Jack Young. Ever since he could sense Death's 'aura,' the mysterious force behind these deaths didn't seem so mysterious anymore. Since then, Death has tried attacking a few more times, but Jack Young easily defused every attempt. Sometimes, Wendy and the others didn't even notice anything had happened—they just saw Jack Young suddenly reach out to steady a falling pillar, and then everything was calm again. Later, everyone realized Death had planned to use the collapsing pillar to trigger a chain reaction and launch an attack.
At that moment, Jack Young was a prophet, a god, in everyone's eyes. He found that Death's aura was pretty powerless against natural things, so he wrote down this rule. Thanks to this discovery, Jack Young concluded that 'Death' is just a curse, not some grand, untouchable concept of 'dying.'
Rule Nine: There's an untested way to defeat Death—where you die, from there you live.
Kevin got this tip from the Mortician—just those eight words, no further explanation. Jack Young later tried to find the Mortician, but maybe he knew something in advance and had already disappeared. Jack Young didn't ask Feminist to investigate further, because he had his own ideas about those eight words.
"We all know now that Death's aura is always hanging around, but the aura itself can't actually attack anyone. It has to latch onto something physical to create those so-called 'coincidences' that kill people. It can't attach itself all the time—each time it does, it burns up some kind of inner energy and needs time to recover. That's why Death doesn't attack continuously."
Jack Young pulled out a blackboard, writing as he spoke, going full-on teacher mode: "But there are two situations that break this rule. First, if Death wants someone dead and they just won't die for a long time, it gets impatient—if it even has feelings. It'll ramp up its attacks to get the job done quicker. Second, anything Death has attached to before is easier for it to latch onto again."
"So, what 'where you die, from there you live' really means is—go back to the places Death attacked us, provoke it, mess with it, and finally hit it so hard it won't dare show up again!" Jack Young tapped the chalk on the blackboard, making his point: "Death is like a vicious dog, only bullies the weak! If you keep running, it'll sniff you out and chase you down, so we have to beat it up until it's scared of us! Come on, let's go kick Death's butt!"
The four students in class exchanged glances. Finally, Feminist added a note after Rule Nine: "Death is just a vicious dog—you have to whip it hard to keep it in line (I know this sounds crazy, but when Jack Young said it, I really believed him)."
Next, Wendy, Kevin, and Julie described the details of their first encounter with Death, while Jack Young planned to visit all the places Death had left its mark. The locations were in a small town just north of the city, so the five of them set off right away. Thanks to Jack Young's help, Feminist finally had the guts to drive.
Two hours later, they arrived at the small town. The burned-out tanning bed, the nail gun in the police evidence locker, and the festival lawn—everyone walked through each spot. These were all places Death had visited during the last incident, and at each one, Death tried to stir up trouble using the terrain. (For details, see 'Final Destination 3'—a classic movie. Personally, I think the first film in the series is the best.)
Jack Young neutralized each attack, and Death's aura grew more and more agitated. Finally, they arrived at the place where it all began—the amusement park.
It was Thursday, the fourth Thursday in November—Thanksgiving in America. At 3 a.m., the five of them reached the amusement park entrance. Even though there'd been a sensational accident six months ago, Americans are forgetful, and the park was still packed on regular days. To avoid dragging innocent people into the mess, they could only come late at night.
Feminist found the circuit breaker and flipped on the power for the whole park. Instantly, the dark grounds lit up. The security guard in the office was just waking up when Jack Young chopped him on the back of the neck—out cold before he could even make a sound.
He still couldn't do the kung fu move where you make someone sleep with a poke—that's not something you can do with just qi and blood.
The five regrouped in the amusement park plaza. The world around them was garish and surreal, the music was goofy and silly, but in the empty park, it all felt extra creepy. The carousel spinning with no one on it gave off a seriously bad vibe. Kevin shivered: "Okay, Jack Young, I get what you mean now. I can kinda feel that aura too."
As a medium, Wendy was more sensitive than most. She stared wide-eyed at the surroundings: "Death's aura is stronger than ever. Everything shiny or reflective looks like it's covered in a black cloth. I don't know if you guys can see it too."
"I see it too," Julie replied immediately. "This is the place—it all started here."
Feminist encouraged everyone: "Guys, it's Thanksgiving—a great day. Maybe it's superstitious, but on a day like this, you can't lose!"
"Uh..." Jack Young said, a little awkwardly, "The fourth Thursday—back home, today really is considered a 'good day.'" Then he took the lead, his voice full of confidence: "It's the perfect day to send Death packing!"
The Roller Coaster at the amusement park was the real starting point. After repairs, it was back in business, but still looked the same as before. The fierce, roaring Satan statue made the three survivors feel lost in memories.
"Everyone ready?" Feminist stood at the control panel. Since she wasn't involved in the Roller Coaster incident, she got to be in charge of the switch.
Kevin and the other two sat in their old seats, glanced at each other, and put their six hands together in a tight grip. They took a deep breath: "Ready." This was where their biggest fear lived, and tonight, they were going to face it head-on—do or die.
Jack Young sat at the very front of the first car. He didn't even bother with the safety lock, just sat there, totally relaxed. He adjusted his posture and breathing, feeling both his body and mind wake up.
Sitting alone at the front, Jack Young raised his left hand and gave a thumbs-up. Feminist hit the button, and with the rattling of iron chains, the Roller Coaster took off with Jack Young's thumbs-up, soaring into the night sky.