000 — prologue

season one —
episode twenty two

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ASPEN ARRIVES AT SPENCER'S house to go over the videos they've recently found on a flash drive in an abandoned storage unit.

Seeing the videos that are full of the five teenagers in their bedrooms and some of each of them being on their own.

Aspen most of all notices the camera aimed at her bedroom window, Spencer and Aspen both sit at the head on the brunette's bed looking at Hanna, Aria and Emily looking through the multiple other videos, "Is that Jenna?" Hanna asks.

"You're late" Jenna Marshall's voice says through the video, "Who's she talking to?" Aria curiously asks as the unknown figure becomes known on the tape.

"Toby" Spencer states shocked coming closer to the laptops screen, before all five girls watch Jenna undress Toby as the said male is uncomfortable in doing so.

"Turn it off" Spencer demands disgusted in seeing the male she's growing close to being manipulated into sleeping with his step sister.

"Hold on, there's another video labeled under Aspen's name" Emily states scared for her cousin.

Aspen frowns pressing play before it reveals Aspen smiling to herself looking her figure over in her bedroom's mirror before a figure comes into the room.

Aspen slams the laptop shut shocked that her and her ex boyfriend's intimate moment was recorded for some pervert to get off too.

"Do you realize what these videos are? They're of us, Ali, Jenna, we're young girls in our bedrooms changing clothes, we're naked" Aria states disturbed at the sight of the videos.

"Exposed" Spencer states looking beside her to see Aspen fidgeting and biting her fingernails due to her anxiety.

"Do you think someone was watching us and getting it off on it?" Hanna asks also shocked.

Aspen sighs adjusting herself in-between Emily and Hanna now hugging them closer.

Being the eldest of the group, Aspen feels the need to be protective of them.

"Well, we all know who had a thing for younger girls" Spencer snarls looking at her close friends, who all silently agree with one another.

Melissa's now husband Ian, "I feel sick" Emily mumbles snuggling herself closer into her cousin's side.

"In some of these, we were just kids" Aspen states, "Ian's been watching us for years" Aria says.

"And he killed Alison to make sure nobody found out" Spencer softly replies looking at the other surrounded together on her bed.

"I wish Ali would've told us about these videos" Emily says growing emotional.

"You guys, it is not too late to help her, we can use this to prove that Ian killed Alison" Spencer states grabbing the flash drive out of the laptop and standing at the end of her bed.

"How are we gonna do that?" Emily asks confused.

"We start by finding out what Jenna knows" Spencer explains.

"Are you on something?" Aria asks shocked looking at the eldest of the friend group.

"Jenna's at the top of our A-list" Hanna states shocked

"Look, I get it, okay, but she knows that these videos existed, she was looking for them, that's why she hired Caleb to find that key" Spencer states as Aspen sighs to herself holding onto her slightly pounding head.

"Spence, how are we ever supposed to believe anything that bitch says?" Aspen asks.

"If that bitch is A, this could be a trap" Emily states.

"You guys, Ian was watching all of us, for all we know, he still is, and I for one didn't feel comfortable seeing all of the videos in Aspen's folder, he has an obsession, Spencer's right, we have to try" Aria explains looking at Aspen while talking motioning to the laptop where all the videos were previously played.

"We've been afraid of her since the Jenna thing, and now we finally have something that she wants and Alison gave it to us" Spencer states, Aspen shrugs agreeing, along with the others around the room.

The next morning after all girls separated to their own homes, Aspen looks at her laptop studying for her test coming in the next few weeks.

Before seeing her phone vibrating beside her, said girl looks at her mobile phone seeing her ex boyfriend Jason Dilaurentis calling her.

Aspen sighs before answering the phone call, "Hey" Aspen says softly into the phone.

"Hey Asp, sorry for the random call" Jason says on the other line.

"It's all good, do you need something though? I've got to run to school and pick up the girls" Aspen asks before sighing at the nickname Jason called her, feeling all the pain and rage coming to the surface again.

"Just letting you know I'm moving back to Rosewood soon and would really like to talk to you about our relationship" Jason states.

Aspen inhales deeply, "Of course, just message me, time and place" Aspen smiles hanging up the phone and leaving the house for the rest of the day with her friends.

Arriving at Rosewood High, she walks into Mr Fitz classroom for the next lesson, sitting at her desk beginning to study looking up hearing Aria and Mr Fitz talking before the Montgomery girl walks out of the classroom rushing off to her next class.

Spencer motions for the Aspen's attention which she gets after a while of doing weird hand gestures, "What's up?" Aspen asks walking out of the classroom.

"Jenna, music room, come on" Spencer states quickly ushering the others to the music room where the Marshall girl just walked into, "Who's there?" Jenna asks, "It's Spencer" Spencer says.

"Who else?" Jenna asks, "Aspen, Aria, Emily and Hanna" Spencer explains remembering Hanna smacking Jenna in the face a few months ago, "Should I call security?" Jenna taunts.

"We have what you hired Caleb to find" Spencer states, "You didn't think it was wrong, but Toby did" Emily snarls, "So, you've seen it?" Jenna whispers.

"Every frame" Aspen smiles tauntingly, "What do you want from me?" Jenna asks, "The truth, can you handle that?" Hanna demands.

"Look, when I said Alison came to visit me at the hospital I was telling you the truth, she didn't come to talk about you, Spencer, that was a lie" Jenna explains.

"And how do we know that you're not lying to us now?" Aspen asks tilting her head.

"You knew Alison, okay? You knew what she was capable of" Jenna sighs, "We're listening" Spencer states crossing her arms standing beside Aspen.

"It was the day before she went missing, and she was on her way home from Georgia, she had just found the video; she couldn't wait to play it for me" Jenna sighs beginning to tell the five girls about Alison's visit a year and a bit ago about how she was on her way home from Georgia and not leaving with threatening the blind brunette.

"She was on her way home from Georgia?" Spencer asks confused, "Th-that's what she said and then she made some joke about her— tan, too bad I couldn't see it" Jenna mumbles smiling, "Did she tell you anything else?" Aspen asks.

"It was a short visit" Jenna states hearing all five girls sigh in annoyance, "Look, I-I have given you what you've asked for, what are you gonna give me?" Jenna asks.

"We'll make sure the video stays in a safe place" Spencer explains, "Okay, we've all made mistakes; remember, I'm still paying for yours" Jenna states leaving the five girls in the music room to go to her next class, and the five girls to stand in a circle discussing things that just happened.

"Sick" Emily mumbles before facing the others, "For all we know, she wrote that story" Aria states, "And we still don't know how Ali got the video" Emily explains.

"Yes, we do, that video was Alison's insurance policy, and she cashed it in the day that she got it" Spencer says, "Which means she was with Ian when she found it" Aria nods.

"And she couldn't wait to play that video for Jenna, god, do you remember how happy Ali was when she came back from that trip? I think it's because, for her, the Jenna thing was over" Spencer states.

"Nice of her to share the safety net with us" Hanna mutters, ""Wait for it, girls, wait for it." Emily repeats looking at Aspen who nods catching onto what Emily's saying, call it a family thing.

"Wait for what?" Spencer asks confused, "That's what Ali said when we met her at the taxi, maybe that's what we were waiting for" Emily explains.

"Do you remember at Alison's funeral, when we were all wondering why Jenna was there? If she's telling the truth, Jenna came back because she could" Aria expresses.

"And Ali's the one who got buried" Hanna realises nodding to herself, before once again the girls leave together walking towards the cafeteria to eat their lunch.

"Well, if you want, my dad can call your mom and officially offer you the guestroom" Aria suggests once Emily drops the bomb of her possibly having to move to Texas with her mother to be closer to her father.

"This is so not fair, I mean, we lost each other for a year, I can't imagine not being—" Hanna starts to say only for Spencer to abruptly sit at the table scaring Aspen.

"Hey Em, you know Aunt Pam might let you stay with me at my apartment if we ask? I'm down for a roommate?" Aspen states raising her brows at her already nodding cousin, before looking at Spencer.

Spencer looks at all of her friends, "I got it" said girl states, "Okay, you're sure Ian can't trace this number back to us?" Aria asks double checking.

"It's a prepaid phone, I used cash, and the number isn't registered, so; service is anonymous" Spencer explains to the darker haired brunette, "How do you know this stuff?" Aspen asks curiously.

"Don't you ever watch CNN?" Spencer asks looking at both Hanna and Aspen who raise their brows at the Hastings girl, "Not any chance of that" Spencer shrugs.

"Homeland security is trying to ban these things" said girl explains while the others look over at Ian and the team chatting and laughing about something.

Ian looks up smiling at Aspen noticing the dirty blondes look at him.

Aspen jumps and turns around quickly, "He acts like he doesn't have a care in the world" Aria snarls looking at the man, "He thinks he got away with it" Hanna mutters.

"Well, he hasn't" Emily states, "Okay, so we convince Ian that this isn't about anything but money, hopefully that'll throw him off of us, if he wants his home movies, it's just gonna cost him and then when he shows up for the swap, we—" Spencer exclaims while Aspen smiles holding up a her phone camera.

"Make our own movie" Aspen tilts her head, "Right, and we take that, the flash drive, and the prepaid phone into the police" Spencer explains.

"The second he responds with a text, we know that he's guilty" Aria adds, Spencer begins typing the message before showing the others who nod at her, growing hesitant of pressing send.

"Send it already" Hanna states nodding at Spencer who exhales pressing send, before Aria, Spencer, Hanna and Emily all look over at the male.

Aspen looks around not wanting it to be obvious it's them who sent the text before frowning hearing the man's phone beep signifying the texts delivered.

Ian frowns reading the text message before quickly excusing himself and walking towards his office.

"There must've been a part of me that didn't believe it, because I just—I-I feel" Aria whispers looking at the others, "Numb?" Aspen asks quietly.

"Somehow I-I thought I'd feel better when we found out for sure" Spencer says looking at the table shocked that they were right about her brother in law.

"Well, I know what they do to guys like him in prison, and that makes me feel a lot better" Hanna explains to the shocked girls around the table.

Aspen looks at her phone seeing a text message from her ex boyfriend, Aspen smiles thinking about the male she adores and loves, although their differences.

Hanna smiles seeing her best friend chuckle at the message on her phone knowing about the girls previous relationship with Alison's older brother.

Spencer's burner phone chimes with a text message and everyone gasps, "He wants to know what we want" Spencer states before Aspen and Hanna agree with one another.

The Marin girl grabbing the phone and Aspen whispering in her ear the message to send.

BRING $10,000 TO
WILLOW PARK.
9PM. COME ALONE

Aspen states as Hanna presses send shocking the others around the table.

Mona shortly arrives behind them, "Is this the "Let's love on Hanna" lunch committee?" Mona asks sitting down beside Aspen and Hanna, Aspen looks around awkwardly.

"Feeling better, sweetie?" Mona asks rubbing Hanna's shoulder.

"I'm sorry, I have to go, unpack you know, see you Mona" Aspen says smiling at the girl before rushing off out of the school towards her car to drive back to her apartment to study and message Jason all afternoon until one of the girls need her.

Aspen sits at the Grille drinking her coffee while typing on her laptop unaware of Ian's gaze on her from the entrance door, "Aspen?" Ian asks making himself known.

"Ian, hi" Aspen says looking at the male who sends bad shivers down her spine.

"How are you and Jason going? Still seeing one another or did miss perfect and the troubled man break up?" Ian smiles tauntingly.

"Ian, you know what? That's none of your business; although you're already aware we are no longer together" Aspen smiles mockingly before packing up and leaving the Grille and Ian smirking behind.

Aspen walks into the Fields household seeing Hanna and Emily already in Emily's bedroom.

"Did you want to speak to Aunt Pam about you moving in with me or did you wanna stay with Mrs Marin and Hanna? I don't mind Em" Aspen smiles.

"I wanna stay with you Aspy" Emily states smiling at the older Harley-Fields woman and Hanna beside them on the bed.

"Well, we'll organise things with Aunt Pam and all that and see how that goes from there" Aspen smiles seeing Emily nod before Aspen leaves the Fields household, getting ready for tonight's plan.

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LATER ON IN THE EVENING Aspen picks Emily, Hanna and Aria up and arrives in the woods awaiting for Ian to show up unaware of the situation happening with Spencer and Melissa and the car accident.

"Spence, it's us again, it's 7:30 and we're at the park, where are you?" Aria asks into her phone after calling Spencer's number for the fourth time.

"Maybe she's on her way and she just doesn't have a signal" Hanna suggests.

"I don't know, if she's not here in ten minutes, we're calling the cops" Aria states.

"We should call Garrett, he'll come as soon as possible unlike the others" Aspen suggests knowing the male will drop everything and help them if needed.

Aria, Hanna and Emily all nod gesturing for someone to call Garrett.

Which happened to be Emily, although Aria's phone chiming captures their attention, "What?" Emily asks confused.

"It's not Spencer, it's from A, it's for all of us—"

BUCKLE UP, BITCHES,
NOTHING IS AS IT SEEMS
— A

Aria reads, "Does A know we're here?" Emily asks, "A knows everything" Hanna states before looking around for any sort of figure or camera watching them.

Aspen gasps seeing her phone ringing, "It's Spencer" Aspen states answering the phone call immediately as they all wait for Garrett to arrive at the park.

"Spencer, where are you?" Aspen asks as Spencer fills her in on what happened tonight, "No, stay with Melissa, we're safe" Aspen explains.

"Okay, bye" Aspen says quickly ending the phone call with the distraught Spencer seeing Garrett arriving at the park, "Thanks for coming" Emily says as Garret looks at Aspen nodding at her.

"Trust me, I'm glad you called" Garrett states smiling at the girls, "Okay, so, no one else knows you're here but me, right?" Garrett asks showing his gun on his waist.

"Well, I left a note for my mom in case anything happened to us" Hanna explains receiving confused looks from the others.

"All right, well, this looks like the only way in, so if Ian shows, I'll see him coming" Garrett explains pointing at the entrance of the area they're in before walking away from the girls leaving them confused and scared in the dark woods.

"He's got a gun" Hanna whispers, "He does?" Aria asks alarmed, "Guys, he's a cop" Aspen states, "Did you really leave a note for your mom?" Aria asks.

"Yeah, 'Dear mommy, I went to the woods to trap a killer'" Hanna replies sarcastically, before Aspen, Emily, Hanna and Aria all look at Garrett standing guard at the entrance road.

Hearing an incoming vehicle and seeing Garrett rushing towards them, Aspen gasps, "Someone's coming" Hanna whispers.

"I want the three of you to stay out of sight" Garrett demands seeing all four of them nod and hide in the bushes, Aspen frowns seeing the male figure getting out of the vehicle.

"Stop right there" Garrett demands cocking his gun and aiming it at the male.

"Put your hands where I can see them and turn around" Garrett demands still aiming the gun at the figure, "It's not Ian" Aspen states looking at her friends.

Garrett slams the male onto his car, "Look, someone paid me to drop off this bag and pick up a package, he found me online, my name is Logan Reed, I'm telling you the truth" Logan states.

Garrett searches him against his vehicle making sure he has no weapons on him.

Aria calls Spencer to fill the girl in on what's happening unaware of the girl to be in her own situation at the church with the person they were set to meet tonight.

"Spence, um, Ian didn't show, he sent a messenger, we're on our way to the hospital, okay?" Aria states ending the phone call looking at Aspen and Hanna looking at the money the messenger brought them.

"Come on, let's go to the hospital, you okay to drive As?" Aria asks looking at the older girl who nods grabbing her keys and saying a thank you and goodbye to Garrett while walking towards her vehicle.

Aspen frowns seeing her phone calling on her bluetooth with Spencer's number, "Spence?" Aria asks seeing the frowns of everyone in the car.

"I can't give you the videos more than once" Spencer grunts, "Spencer?" Aria calls once again.

"My mom knows I'm here, she knows I'm in the church" Spencer rushes out dropping her location and grunting.

"Picked a perfect place for your suicide" Ian taunts, Aspen gasps hearing the male on the other line attacking Spencer, "It's Ian" Hanna states shocked.

"Call 911" Aspen states looking from the road quickly to Hanna before pressing her foot to the gas petal to get to the church faster for the sake of their friend.

"Oh, you didn't mean to hurt Alison, huh? It was an accident, you pushed her, and she fell" Ian grunts.

"Is that what happened?" Spencer asks trying to fight herself off to the male as her friends listen in shock, "She just hit her head and she never woke up" Ian taunts holding Spencer against the wall.

"Alison died of suffocation" Spencer states fighting Ian off her once more leading the one of the beams near the church bell to break

"Yeah, the letter that I wrote on your computer won't answer all the questions, but it will answer enough, the guilt was just too much for you" Ian smirks pushing the brunette off the beam breaking the wood sending it to the floor.

Spencer screams in fright, said girl gasps latching herself on the male so she can't fall, "Please, if you love my sister, you won't do this" Spencer sobs all while her friends still hear everything on the phone call.

"I'm doing it because I love her, next one on my checklist is that sweet Aspen, god she was good" Ian states smirking.

Spencer screams and Aspen flinches remembering that night that Ian attacked her a year ago, but she was dating Jason so didn't say anything about the horrific incident.

Aspen pulls up outside of the church not even turning her car off and running into the said church to save her best friend only to see Ian's body being hung from the bell, which is ringing.

"Spencer" Aspen gasps skidding to a stop beside the distract Hasting's child as everyone else does behind them as well helping the quivering girl up from the beam.

"Hey, look, you did what you had to do, okay?" Aria says quietly after seeing Ian's body below them, "No, I didn't, someone else did" Spencer sobs.

"No, Spence, there was nobody else here" Hanna states looking around the church, "Maybe he fell" Emily suggests, "All I saw was a black hoodie" Spencer whimpers.

"A?" Emily asks shocked, "Ian killed Alison, and he tried to kill me" Spencer explains between her breaths, "No, hey, Spence, hey, he's dead, okay?" Aspen states rubbing soothing circles on the girls back.

"It's over, it's over, okay?" Aria responds while holding in her own sobs as Spencer hugs Aspen tighter, the friend group immediately breaking into tears together repeating the words 'it's okay'.

After calming down and finally getting Spencer to walk down the staircase of the church, the five girls walk outside towards Aspen and Spencer's vehicles huddled together.

"Stop right there, is this some kind of a joke?" An officer calls out towards the five teenage girls, "What do you mean?" Spencer asks confused.

"There's nobody in there" the cop states as all five girls look at one another shocked and stunned at the sudden news, "Come with me" the officer states leading the friend group back into the church.

Showing them that no one is inside or at the bells where they said the body was.

Aspen gasps suddenly feeling nausea rush through her entire body; before they walk out of the church once more seeing the crowd forming around outside.

"Those girls knew Alison" a bystander states seeing the five girls, "Are they lying?" another bystander asks confused, "Why would they lie?" the same male bystander asks confused.

The girls walk towards the vehicles once more this time with tired, exhausted and sick looks on their faces, hearing their phones chime in their bags or pockets.

"Oh my god" Aria states reading the text message, "Does this mean?" Emily asks confused.

IT'S NOT OVER UNTIL I SAY IT IS,
SLEEP TIGHT, WHILE ALL
OF YOU STILL CAN, BITCHES
— A

Spencer reads out the first line as the group of five girls read the last of the text together standing outside of the church after experiencing the gruesome sight of the hanging body of Ian Thomas hanging and the lies beginning to spread around the town of Rosewood, Pennsylvania.

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TO BE CONTINUED...

𝖊𝖑𝖘 𝖘𝖕𝖊𝖆𝖐𝖘 ⛧
oh, this is just the beginning,
sleep tight, while we still can, readers :)

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