IF LOOKS COULD KILL
xi. Sadistic killer

scream vi,
chapter eleven

✸

          Quinn had decided to let the group stay at the apartment for the remainder of the night. They'd decide that it would be the dumbest thing if they'd split up, so the boys took the floors while the girls took the couches.

Starr was the first to wake up in the middle of the night, her eyes still felt heavy even though she'd slept. They wandered across the floor to see Chad, Arlo, and Ethan all relaxed against the cold wooden floors.

She slowly stepped towards the kitchen, quietly taking out a glass before filling it with ice and cold water.

Starr felt her stomach turn, something felt off as she stood in the quiet kitchen. It felt oddly familiar, but she couldn't exactly pinpoint exactly what was causing it.

"You alright?" The flaming voice of Arden McDaniel made her flinch.

Starr places a hand over her racing heart, "Christ, you scared the hell out of me."

"Sorry,"Arden chuckles, "you weren't on the couch, you were starting to worry me."

Starr shakes her cold glass of water, "just thirsty and tense." She shared an awkward smile.

"I'm sorry this is happening to you again...you and your brother, everyone else, it must not feel great." Arden slowly makes her way toward Starr as she continues speaking.

"You know what sucks the most?" Starr clenched her glass, her eyes moving towards the living room where everyone slept, "the killer could be with us right now and we would never know it."

Right after those words left her mouth, all breathing left her lungs when a knife came slashing through her stomach, causing her eyes to widen and her vision to blur.

Arden had an evil look in her eyes as she moved the blade in more, muffling Starr's scream with her balm. "You're right, the killer is with us." She roughly yanked the blade up more, causing Starr's blood to spill across the knife and onto the floor.

Starr's body went into complete shock, there was no moving nor escaping from the death that was lingering.

Arden's warm breath brushed against Starr's ear before she spoke, "But I'm not the only one." She finally give the knife one more hard yank, almost splitting Starr's front side into two.

Starr woke up from her nightmare with a heart-wrenching scream.

Arlo was the first to her side, his eyes filled with terror, "Starr, calm down, Starr—"

Starr woke up shaking, her screams awakened the entire apartment. Arlo could feel the vibrations traveling onto his own body, her bones felt like an unstable building waiting to fall.

By now, the sun had come up, an early 8 am morning sun peaking through the windows.

Mindy had turned all her attention to the frightened girl. Anika notices this and puts a hand on her shoulder.

Starr felt her eyes blur, "it was her—it was her." She whispers, her eyes connected with the floor.

Arlo only nods, rubbing his sister's shoulder, "Let's go outside for a minute, it's okay." He helps her up off the couch and to the door.

✸

          The Kimen siblings had sat outside the apartment complex, both up against the bricked walls. Starr had finally calmed down, her violent shaking had mostly decreased, even though if you looked closely, there was still a slight tremble.

Starr was feeling more embarrassed than anything. "Arlo, I'm—"

"No," Arlo pushes himself off the wall mf stands up straight, "Look, I haven't pushed you to tell me anything if you're not ready, but I can't keep doing this, Starr."

Starr's eyes softened, "I can't just say it—I—"

"Yes, you can," Arlo pushes her limits, "tell me what's wrong, let me help you."

"You can't help me," Starr's vision blurred, "there is something wrong with me, Arlo. Telling you won't magically make it disappear."

"Maybe it won't disappear, but you won't be going through it alone, now tell me—"

"I killed someone." Starr finally got the words to come out of her mouth.

Arlo blinks, his hands stopping where they were. "This is about Amber?"

"No..." Starr shakes her head, "I was ten, Arlo, I didn't mean to, I swear I didn't mean to—"

Arlo grabs his sister's shoulders, "Hey, what are you talking about?"

"Ophelia." Starr mutters, "Her name was Ophelia, she was—"

"Burns?" Arlo questions, his eyes widening, "Ophelia Burns?"

Starr frowns, "how did you know that?"

Arlo's eyes filled with something Starr had never seen, she couldn't recognize it. "Starr—"

Arlo heard his phone ring. "It's Sam," He says before answering. "Did the police keep you there all night?" He spoke on the phone.

Suddenly, Arlo's tone seem to increase in pitch, his fingers tightened around the speaker and his eyebrows turned into a steep frown.

Whatever Sam's saying, is not good.

"Yeah, Arden can drive us over to the station, we'll be there soon." He hangs up the phone.

"What's going on?" Starr raised a brow, her eyes filled with curiosity.

"Sam and Tara were attacked at the bodega. The police are finishing up on questioning." Arlo stuffs his phone into his pocket. "We'll get Arden to drive us." He informs before running to the staircase of the apartment building.

Starr rolls her eyes, "great."

✸

You'd think Starr would be terrified to be in the same car as the girl who almost ripped her body into two, but Starr was more confused than anything. She didn't understand why she would have a dream about Arden hurting her, it didn't make sense.

A dream about Amber? Understandable.

But Arden? Not so much.

Starr's foot was tapping against the floorboard, her thoughts drifting a way into the back of her mind as she tried her best not to think about anything.

Not Ophelia.

Not Sam and Tara being attacked by Ghostface.

Not the dream she'd had.

Starr just wanted her mind to be completely blank, a mind filled with nothing but the good memories of whatever was left in the burning pile of her life.

But it was becoming harder, especially when the bad memories start to outweigh the good.

Arlo checks his watch. "We've been sitting here for fifteen minutes, what the hell is taking so long?"

Starr hums in agreement, "I'll go inside."

Arlo turns his head to the back seat, "hold on—"

"I'll be fine," Starr opens her door, "you two better not start making out, nasties." She jokes.

Arlo smirks, singing the words, "no promises." Until Arden had to slap his shoulder.

Starr walked out towards the large station, much bigger than the one in Woodsboro, but then again, Woodboro was just a small town with a shit load of bad history.

What Starr didn't expect to catch the eyes of journalism teams and reporters that stood on the side of the station. They were all holding their cameras and microphones, seeming to be waiting for Sam and Tara Carpenter.

But when they saw Starr, it was quick to change.

"Starr Kimens, a survivor of the 2022 Woodsboro Massacare." A woman journalist got into her face, causing Starr to tense. "Tell me, Starr, what did it feel like killing your own best friend with razor wire?"

Snap. Flash. The light hit Starr's eyes.

Starr squints.

Starr tried to turn and go around her but was met by a male journalist with a curious grin. "How does it feel to know that you have one of the most gruesomest kills in all Woodsboro murder history?" He raises the microphone to her mouth.

In a flash, Arlo was by her side, pushing away the journalist. "Back the hell up."

Most of the journalist's attention was turned back to the station when Sam and Tara finally walked out.

"Are you okay, are you alright?" Arlo turns to his sister.

Start nods, "Yes." She mumbles.

Sam and Tara finally made their way through the nosy crowd.

Arlo looks up at them, "we can leave now, right?"

"Yeah," Sam nods, "let's get the hell outta here before—"

"Gale weathers, channel four, do you ladies think you're the reason the Ghostface killer has made its way to the big apple?"

"You've gotta be fucking kidding me?" Arlo glares.

Listen, Arlo Kimens does not support hitting women, but after Gale put in her book about Starr, he was willing to break that belief.

It seemed Sam was reading Arlo's mind, because she goes in for a strong punch to her nose, only for Gale to doge and for the news cameras behind them to become more intrigued by the action.

Gale smile sweetly, wiping on her sky blue suit, "Nice try sweetie, but I've done this dance be—"

Tara's fist caught Gale in the side of the jaw. Gale cups her jaw, mouth gapped at the unexpected hit. "Stay away from us." Tara orders, her throat itching for a good yell, but doesn't.

The group was close to making it back to Arden's car, only for Gale to stop them yet again. "Are you guys still mad at me?"

"You said you wouldn't write a book about what happened," Sam snaps her body around, "and then you wrote a book about what happened."

"Someone was gonna write about," Gale defends her hurtful actions, "It's what I do."

Tara crosses her arms. "I heard you couldn't sell the movie rights."

Gale tried speaking again, but Sam cut her off, "After everything we've been through, what would Dewey think?"

"That's a low blow." Gale's eyes softened.

"So was your book." Sam snarls, "You called me unstable and a born killer, you called Starr a sadistic killer in the making, and for what? So you could get more reads?"

Starr leaves them there to talk, she didn't want to hear anything else.

Gale didn't know her, not that well. Starr could only feel a mix of confusion and frustration every time she looked at her.

Gale sees this and tries to apologize, "Starr, I didn't—"

"The next time you decided to make me out as a sadistic killer in the making, make sure you write that this sadistic killer saved your ass from being choked to death."

Gale stayed quiet.

"You know, I thought I would get a little bit of respect from you because of what I did," Starr shrugs, "guess not."

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word count: 1721

SIREDNOTES !—
Did you guys think the first
scene was real, lmao.