It all started with a plan.
It always started like that, it did start like that. She had her plan, all she wanted was to research about eight years ago. Alex never wanted any of this to happen, she didn’t want to find out about anything, but she did. And here she was, living a perfect lie. Hadn’t she given enough? She has done everything, but then… What if it was never enough. She’s just a kid after all, why would anyone believe her. Would anyone care if she died? Would her dad be happy that his own daughter is dead? Relishing her last day, the fear she would have in her eyes.
Like a cut that always bleeds.
She hated this feeling, the feeling of fear. She made sure her laptop was fully charged, and her phone was too. She would go to the horrible place in ten minutes. Inside white walls, with security everywhere. She checked her bag once again, and changed into something more presentable. Andrew wouldn’t go with her. Said he would be asked too many questions if he was there, so she would go alone. To the horrible, horrible place. She went downstairs, and went out the door down the sidewalk. Right to the plaza, where hell was.
Her mind recited what it would say if it went right, and what she would say if it went wrong. But she hoped it went right, because she couldn’t risk anything. Not today, not never. Her shoes softly tapped on the sidewalk, dogs barked in the distance. Her eyes landed on the police station, her feet led her towards the entrance, the automatic doors sliding open as soon as she came close.
The bright lights inside were like staring into the sun. Too bright for her grey world. The one she had drowned herself in. The man at the front desk looked up, fixing his glasses.
“Hello, what can I help you with? I’m Sylas by the way, Sylas Robert.” He smiled warmly at her, his brown hair falling into smooth curls into his eyes.
“Hello, I’m Alexandra Thomas, I was wondering if I could talk to Detective Lee?” She asked, grasping the strap of her bag too tightly. He nodded, checking his computer screen, scrolling and then looked back up. He gave a small nod.
“Yes, she’s not with anyone right now. I’ll go tell her you’re here, take a seat.” He said, standing up, as she went to sit down in one of the chairs. Her leg jumped up and down, her mind reciting both her speeches before she was called in. What if it all went wrong, it couldn’t go wrong. It had to go right, she was going crazy. Just like the mad hatter. She shook her head, trying to wipe those thoughts away, the soft sound of heels came into the listening radius, she looked up as Detective Lee came into view. She stood up, and smiled slightly at her.
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“Alexandra, right?”
“Yes, that’s me. I go by Alex, but it doesn’t matter.”
“Right, OK then follow me.” She said, turning around and walking down the hall. Alex quickly followed, passing rooms, until they reached Interview room nine. Detective Lee opened the door for Alex as they both stepped inside. A table in the middle of the room, and chairs on either side of it. She sat down on the cold chair, and placed her bag on the floor. Lee came and sat in the other chair.
“So, Sylas said you needed to speak to me?” She asked, staring into Alex’s eyes. She nodded.
“It’s important, and random. But I’m a junior in high school, and we have a project for the end of the year. I’m researching Alice and Elijah, eight years ago. I’ve been working on this since August, and well. Many things have happened since then.”
She reached for her bag, taking out her laptop.
“What kind of things have happened if you don’t mind me asking?”
Alex went to her documents, and pulled out her very first entry. Explaining what had happened, as Detective Lee just occasionally nodded, and wrote things down, listening to her. Her heart was racing, as she tried to keep Aaron out of this. Because she would deal with him, it was beast against beast. She also left David out of it, even though she knew what he had done was wrong, but she didn’t want him going to jail. Alex took out a folder, and showed her the missing poster, and the map she had made. Recalling everything that has happened.
“And then, well I found a recording inside the school. Inside the abandoned side of the school. I’m sure it’s Alice and Elijah.” She wasn’t sure, because she knew it was them, it couldn't be anyone else. Her leg tried to move, but she couldn’t seem nervous.
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Rule number one: Never show that you’re nervous in front of any authority.
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But she felt like exploding, letting that big lump in her throat just jump out and never come back. It hurt, holding back tears hurt, like millions of needles were being inserted into her skin. It hurt so badly, but she wasn’t bleeding not yet. Her eyes burned into hers, the way the pen moved the deafening silence in the room. The soft hum of the light, it felt as if she was in a waiting room to her death, being judged. Detective Lee averted her gaze down to the paper, letting Alex relax and be free of that judgemental gaze burning into her soul.
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“So what you’re saying is that you think Elijah is innocent?”
“Exactly. If you want we can go to the school right now.” She said, hoping it would cause a change in history. In her history, balance between life and death. Detective Lee shook her head, letting her pen down, the simple action making Alex panic on the inside.
“It’s fine, I’ll go with the forensics team tomorrow. I know exactly where the classroom will be”
“When you get closer there is a beeping sound.” Alex added, just to make sure they would know what exactly to expect. She nodded, and stood up as Alex stood up as well. She didn’t know where her mind was, maybe in a bad place somewhere long ago. Maybe that one night she decided she would do this, go through with it. Maybe when she talked to her teacher about it.
She remembers when they told her it was her everyday decision to go with it.
And they were right.
Everyday she has made decisions, and it turned into this.
She walked out the station, feeling free. But it felt as if she couldn’t breathe, maybe it was just her. Her eyes felt teary, but they were completely dry. Everything was covered in white, soft crunching under her shoes. Snow, pretty yet sad. Nothing will ever be new.
Only her old self will be new.
She kept walking, relishing the first moment. When they arrived at this plaza, at night. And were ready to leave this fucked up place. Both ending up dead, and perfect lies arised. That’s when she comes in, over and over again. Promised each other to always be there for each other, and it was going to be OK, right? Like two birds…
She’ll believe everything once it comes to an end. That she lived and not died, that she killed and never was murdered. She kept walking, a soft tear finally made its way down her face. And more came with it, she started to cry. She fell to her knees, not caring if it was cold. She cried and cried, until she was empty. Nothing but that big void she was slowly filling up at first, once again to the point where it spills. She looked down at her hands, tears turned into blood.
She stood up, feeling too heavy, too empty. This was the biggest part of everything. Her breaking point, where she would turn off those emotions she used to have. Those emotions of that innocent sixteen year old months ago.
The world was grey, it always had been. Alex was just too happy to see it, too simple. Her life had changed forever, she passed the cemetery, knowing that there was nothing in there, no real people, no real evidence. Just lies.
One more week, no one more week and five days was what she had left to prepare herself to face Aaron, her own father.
She’d change her name after… Become someone completely different. She looked up at the sky, asking anyone up there for help. Elijah maybe, Alice, her not so dead father. The one who has lied for so long, the one who hid away from everyone. Yet came back to kill her.
Blurry, everything was getting blurry. Her legs felt weak, was she about to faint? No she had to keep going, her vision was cloudy. Damn, what the hell was happening to her?
A car pulled up behind her, but she didn’t look back. She kept walking, slowly feeling more and more hazier.
And then it all went black, the world had gone away. Arms carried her, and threw her into something, some sort of car because she heard an engine, but she was still unconscious, but she knew she was in a car. At least she hoped.
She was terrified, terrified to death. She was going to die, and if she did then. She never got to say goodbye to anyone she loved, maybe her mom when she said love you, and to Max. Maybe she did say goodbye to the people she loves. But this wasn’t according to plan, she never asked to be kidnapped, or anything. She was supposed to go to St. Bernard in less than a week, not this. And this wasn’t the worst part. There was a faint sound in the car, music. And faintly talking, she didn’t know who it was but wait, she did know who was talking or at least one of the voices.
Aaron was in the car, either driving or sitting in the passenger's seat. So whoever was with him would be one of the suspects in her disappearance, unless they were a perfect liar just like Aaron, and everyone else in her life. The car abruptly stopped, making her hit her head on the car door, her senses came back, everything restarting, but her eyes wouldn’t open, and now her senses were running away from her, back to where they didn’t exist, back to how they were when she first fainted, long gone. A hand touched her face, turning it side to side.
“She’s fine.” Said someone, was it Aaron, or this other perfect liar that was with him.
“Good.” Said another voice, the hand went away from her face, leaving that tingly feeling people get when someone’s touch leaves the skin.
The car moved once again, either from a stop or a light. She didn’t know, but the music had been turned down, only the soft hum of the engine. Her head hurt, more than ever more than what it should. The only sense she could feel right now was her sense of hearing. More talking, but she couldn’t make out what Aaron and his companion were saying. It was about her, she was sure of it. Her hand moved slightly, fingers coming back to life, her heart was coming back. Beating to where she could feel it in her ears, that void she had dumped out now filling over again, waiting to spill once again. The car stopped again, one of the doors opening, and closing.
“Wake up-” Someone said, and she did, her eyes opened blinking. Surroundings coming back to her, like a big tidal wave. She looked up, eyes meeting with the other person in the car.
She recognized who it was, quickly.
“Katie?” She asked, blinking slowly sitting up. How the hell was she here, after all this time. She was supposed to be in Korea with her grandparents, but she was here. In Westmore, Chicago. Taking her hostage in Aaron’s car.
“Yeah, it’s me. This is so sudden isn’t it?” She said, shifting more to look at Alex. This was wrong, so wrong. Why was she here?
“What are you doing here?”
“Well, I kind of helped Aaron with everything. Anyway, here you go thought you needed some water, you look like you need it.” She passed Alex a bottle of water, smiling. A not so innocent smile on her face, but Alex took it anyway. Opening the bottle cap, and placing it on her lips, taking a sip. It tasted funny, she’d never tasted anything like this. And her surroundings began to fade away once again, just the way they faded when she fainted.
“OK, we’re all set, we just need to go get something else, and then we head to our destination. Did you give it to her?” Aaron said, climbing back into the driver's seat.
“Yeah I did, I think it’s working.” Katie replied, as he looked back to look at Alex, her eyes closing slowly. But she was still awake, she coughed once, twice.
“Good, let’s go.” The engine started once again, driving off.
This wasn’t good none of this was, did she still have her phone?
Her hand slowly reached for the back pocket of her pants, good she did. But she was too weak to text or call anyone. She coughed again, looking at Aaron from her spot through the rearview mirror.
“Where are you taking me-” She whispered, her voice hoarse, that it hurt with each syllable she spoke. Aaron smiled, stopping abruptly at a red light. He fixed the mirror, so it focused more on Alex than anything else.
“Somewhere you’ll be.. Safe, you’ll have friends there too. I think they’ll be happy to see you, very happy.” He said, looking back at the road as the light turned green.
Friends? What did he mean by friends? Weren’t they all here, in Westmore? Nowhere else?
“What friends?” She asked.
“Oh you’ll see when we get there, we just need to stop for something and we’ll be on our way to St. Bernard.” He said, turning and then turning again until they reached an old warehouse. Katie, and Aaron got out, closing the doors. She looked out the window of the car trying to see what they were doing. Someone emerged from the corner, a face too familiar, too distant. Was she dreaming? Was it one of those ghost visions she kept having, no this was different this was real, she was staring at him. Eight years ago, believed in killing his best friend, and secret girlfriend.
Elijah Jun Song.
In the flesh, right there standing right there in front of Aaron, and Katie. He looked the same, just a bit older. Someone else appeared, Alex’s eyes growing so wide that they could pop out her head any moment.
Alice Jane Cortez.
How were they alive? They were dead. Long gone, a memory to this town. Almost to her, Elijah looked far into the window where Alex sat, his eyes blinking, three times, she counted. He looked back at Aaron.
“I told you not to go anywhere near her.” Elijah said, or so Alex thought, she was never good at lip reading. Aaron laughed, and Katie just stood there. Her eyes searched anything, yes the window. She rolled it down, just a bit not to where they could see the gap between outside and inside, but now at least she could hear them clearly.
“Oh please, it’s not like she’s gonna end up like the others, I just gave her some water with some little flavor to it. She’ll be fine, she’s my daughter anyway.” Aaron said, crossing his arms.
Elijah rolled his eyes, looking at the ground for a moment.
“Fine, but I swear to everything I’ve ever done if you lay a finger, and I say one finger on her I will kill you myself, understood?” He said, looking at Aaron giving him something as he grabbed it.
“Oh son, I understand completely. And no need to kill me, I might be dead before the night finishes, unless I live for another month or so. See you guys around, and… Your secret is safe with me, maybe.” Aaron said, turning around. Katie looked away, as Elijah stared at her. Siblings who haven’t seen each other in ages, a secret that will remain buried until Alex finds out what it is. She quickly rolled up the window, begging it to go up faster, and finally it shut as she went back to the position she was when they first got out of the car. As they got in Aaron placed something on the dashboard, Alex peeked from the side of her eye, a black duffle bag.
“Let’s see, OK the gun, money, knife, hammer, duct tape. Pills. Yeah, all set.” He placed the bag in Katie’s lap, and started the car.
How could any of this be possible?
She wasn’t dreaming, no more visions, or ghosts.
As they turned the corner, they were still there standing. This was messed up, all of it was messed up.
“How are they alive?” Alex blurted out, forgetting she was supposed to be acting as if she was passed out. Aaron looked at her, and looked at Katie with a stern look. Dammit, she should’ve stayed in her act.
“Remember when they died? Never went to a grave, faked all of it? We’re all liars, Alex. Perfect liars is what you call them right? Yeah, that’s us, that’s them. That’s you, you’re a liar, along with everyone else in this town. With your family, liars. Perfect liars.” He kept driving, leaving Alex sitting there in the back seat, blinking.
“Then how- They’ve been in that damn warehouse all this time?” She said, as Katie gave a nod for Aaron.
Alex blinked one more time, looking down at her legs, and out the window.
“Like I said, perfect liars. After I do this, I’m going straight to hell, no questioning about it. Me, and Elijah had a deal, and he completed the deal, like he should. Now, shut it and don’t say a word for the next ten minutes” He said, keeping his eyes on the road. She stayed quiet, not wanting to get killed on her first night with her killer, and father.
Ten minutes and they finally reached a sort of two storied house, and a fancy looking one. Aaron got out, shutting the door, and opening Alex’s door, dragging her out by the arm. Green eyes staring into green eyes, the realization of what could’ve been if none of this was real. A sort of connection between daughter and father. He let go of her arm, denying that connection they had, that blood line, that family line they both shared.
He kept looking into her eyes, behind all of that, behind that monster was a dad. Alex could see it, as if both their pasts flashed between each other's eyes. But got clouded by the purpose of all of this, the purpose to kill her.
“Don’t just stand there, go inside.” He said, in a half whisper.
Alex walked slowly to the front door, waiting for Katie to open the door, Alex walked in behind her. This was new, different.
“Stay here, and don’t move.” Katie said, placing the duffle bag aside, searching inside for something. She grabbed the hammer, and duct tape, wrapping some of the silvery grey tape around the wooden handle, until it covered all of it. She placed it down, and grabbed the scissors and did the same, but left the gun unwrapped.
“Alexandra, come here.” Aaron said, standing by the stairs, she walked over to him and followed him up the stairs, he guided her down the hall into a room which she guessed was the game room. There were muffled whispers inside, she didn’t know from who or what but they were in there.
He opened the door, it was dark, slightly lit by a weak lamp. Alex stepped in after him, she blinked.
Jeremy, Isabell and.. Lucas?
Jeremy was in Florida.
And she had just seen Isabell earlier that day.
Lucas was supposed to be dead, she saw that flat line, saw him take his final breath. She had seen him the day of his funeral, how was he here alive?
Sophia was in a corner, wrists tied with rope.
Charlie was trying to get herself out from the tape they had wrapped around her wrists, knowing if she did something wrong she would rip her skin along with it.
Lindsey was against the wall, silent, with dead eyes.
This was wrong, all of this was wrong.
David and Sebastian were supposed to be here with Charlie, unless– No don’t think that, Aaron threw Alex to the floor, and grabbed the gun Katie was handing him.
“You stay still or I shoot.” He said, tying rope around her wrists, and taping them with duct tape, dragging her to sit next to Lucas.
“What-”
He stood up, holding the gun in hand looking at everyone. What the hell was happening?
“OK, everyone is now here.” He looked at everyone, to make sure they were looking at him, to make sure they were looking at their killer, the one who would end everything tonight or in a month.
He paced around, roaming his eyes on each one of them, double checking they were in place, that they wouldn’t stand up, and run out. He stopped right in the middle of the room, looking at the ground. This was it, this is when the truth comes out, although maybe it wasn’t the whole truth. But some of it.
“All of you are going to die, or maybe you won’t. But one of you will be dead by the end of October, one of you will survive. The thing is, the choice is yours. All of you get to choose who will die, and who will live. All I know is that one will be the one to die by the end of October. And that’s our dear friend, and my sweet daughter Alexandra.” He crouched down to her level, placing the gun under her chin and lifting her head up towards him.
“It’s your choice, sweetheart.” He whispered, and stood back up. Going to the door, and looking over his shoulder.
“Have fun.” He said, and walked out. They all looked at each other, warry eyes.
Alex looked at the ground, and she knew, she just knew. She’d be the one to survive.
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