Alright everyone, this is a warning: this chapter has heavy mentions of self harm. Specifically cutting, so if you get triggered, I don't want you to feel upset, I suggest skipping the second half of the chapter.

Anyway on with the story.
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Ever since Scott got into that argument with his parents, he's avoided talking to them whenever he got the chance, Micheal and Laura somewhat understood. But they were angry too, not only at their son, but at each other, most nights Micheal and Laura would go to sleep without speaking a single word to the other.

Scott wasn't around most of his parents' fights, the tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife. When he was it was endless shouting and tears, luckily, Tyler would sneak over and whisk him away for a few hours. So as he walked home from school he was with Tyler.

"Boy... with all of this drama, your life needs to be a freaking movie. Anyway, I'll see you tomorrow." Tyler said.

"You could definitely say that again Ty. See you later," Scott replied. The pair parted ways and Scott started walking, feeling the cool autumn breeze in his face. The teen already wished it was summer, he could be outside running around playing soccer with his other friends from the neighborhood.

Yet, the block was eerie, quiet, and empty. Alice has been gone for a month now and Scott can never get the thought of her out of his head. How could he? He was the one that unknowingly found her cold lifeless body.

He felt as if he'd failed her, he desperately wished every morning when he awoke for a new day, that it was all a dream. And that Alice would greet him with a hug and he'd kiss her forehead.

It just wasn't fair, why did she have to go? Why did she have to suffer pain like that? No one should ever go through that type of torture.

He kept imagining her face before she was killed she just wanted to be home with her family, with Scott, but just like millions of people around the world, The Blair family was no different. They lost something they'll never get back.

He didn't even notice the tears welling and falling from his eyes, and sliding down his cheeks, colliding with the evening dew drops of the late afternoon.

A little ray of sunshine, that was Alice. She was the beacon of hope the world most definitely needed in times like these. Yet, she's six feet underground.

Scott knew he had to do something he couldn't just sit and wait like a dog, just for the police to come up empty handed and have Alice's case go cold.

His parents have been sending him to therapy, because apparently he's depressed and socially distant. It's whatever, the only person that made his day better was Alice and without her it's like there's an empty void filling his heart.

He wanted to find the person responsible for the death of his sister. He just needs to figure out how though, the first step is writing down everything in his journal the one he was given in therapy.

To write down every emotion in the book. Why does he need to do that? It's not like talking about it out loud and how would a stupid pathetic book help anyway? The killer should've beaten me, tortured me, killed me. But he should've never, ever touched her. He thought.
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When he got home, Scott found the house empty, that meant his parents were working late tonight. He sighed, as he trudged to the kitchen to grab a snack, he stopped, staring at the snack cupboard. He kept going through and looking at each item, but was unsatisfied, that's all he's felt lately.

Unsatisfaction, Scott's thoughts have been so dim and dark, he seemed to let time fly by. It felt like he was frozen in place, his brain was telling him to move, but his legs weren't going anywhere. He slammed the cupboard door shut and ran upstairs to his bathroom, shutting the door, locking it.

Tears began to fall from his eyes, as he stared at himself in the mirror, he couldn't help but think of how pathetic it was, how pathetic he was. He kept staring at himself when in the corner of his eye, something was glimmering.

He glanced at the bathtub, to see a razor, he walked over and leaned to grab the object, Scott sat down and rolled up the sleeve of his sweater, and as he put the razor against his flesh, he hesitated, all of his dark thoughts emerged. You're weak, pathetic, Alice is dead because of you, if you cut yourself no one would notice, nobody likes you, nobody loves you, everyone wants you to kill yourself.

Scott started to cut away the skin, with dark crimson oozing away, making him scream out in pain. Alice's voice brought memories back, but the dark room and broken windows of guilt, and pain no one else could ever imagine, was enough to somewhat bring Scott into a deeper and darker place.

Scott sobbed harder, why was his life this way? Why couldn't he have died instead of his sister? What was the point of living? No answer was good enough. He glanced down at his now bloodied arm and sighed, his thoughts died down, as if they were numb.

He got up and grabbed gauze out of the medicine cabinet, bandaging his arm, and cleaning the blood that dripped to the floor. After he did that Scott retreated to his room and started on his homework. Cutting brought a sense of clarity, like his feeling of being a burden was lifted, then he frowned, knowing that feeling wouldn't last forever.
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Kylie Bunbury as Kara Bowen

Meanwhile Ryan was at his home, with his wife and daughter, he hated bringing his work life into his private home life. He didn't want those worlds to collide. But unfortunately, he had to bring some paperwork home. His wife, Kara, knew this case weighed heavily on his heart, because it made them think about what if they lost their daughter.

As she finished fixing him a plate of food, she carried it to Ryan's study, where he had been cooped up for the past few hours. Sitting at his desk, typing away at his computer, he looked up to see her walking over to him. What caught his eye was the piece of sweet potato pie with a dollop of whipped cream on top. "You're lucky, I saved you a piece. Otherwise, me and Rachel would've eaten it all." She said.

Ryan smiled, "Thank you." Silence filled the room, for a few minutes the air felt thick, Kara could tell her husband was stressed. Ryan always held a soft spoken and quiet composer, Kara had never seen any other side of him, it worried her. She could tell the case was taking a toll on him, it was changing him.

"This case is so overwhelming." Ryan mumbled under his breath, Kara leaned her head on his shoulder.

"I know babe, I know. But you need to take a break Ryan, I can tell this is eating away at you." Kara told him.

Ryan sighed, "If I stop, what's to say this murder won't strike again? What if another kid gets taken and we find another body? I can't take a break."

"Yes, you can, and you're going to. Or else I'm hacking your computer. Once you're done eating, you're coming upstairs and we're going to watch a movie, with our daughter. Who wants to be with her father." Ryan knew he couldn't argue, he was beyond exhausted.

"Alright, I'll finish eating and then we can watch a movie." Kara kissed his cheek and started to leave the room before Ryan stopped her. "I love you." She looked at him, and gave him a soft smile.

"I love you too, Ryan." After Kara left, Ryan sighed, all he wanted to do was to get this killer off the streets. He wanted the Blair family to get some peace, and not have to go through life knowing Alice won't get justice.
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The End of Chapter 11