IF LOOKS COULD KILL
xvi. Control

scream vi,
chapter sixteen

✸

Starr was starting to recognize the changes in herself as she walked through the crowds to get onto the subway. She'd never stopped to think about what changed, but she had.

She was a tad bit colder, a little less warm-hearted when it came to new people trying to get close to them. Starr saw it as a threat and warning.

They'd called Detective Bailey in hopes he would help trap Ghostface inside the Shrine so they could execute him. Detective Bailey seemed hesitant before he reminded himself of Ghostface killing his daughter.

"Is this even a good plan?" Ethan objects.

"You don't have to come if you don't want to." Tara bites her cheek at his comments.

Starr did her best to keep up with the group, shoving past people if needed.

Mindy calls out to her, "Shit—Starr."

Starr looks back at the same time she'd stepped onto the train. Seeing Mindy still bumping and pushing through the crowds of people. "Hold on, Mindy's still out there."

Chad snaps his head in her direction. He held his hand out for her to grab, but the doors started to close and Danny pulls him in, causing Chad to yank his hand back.

The huge crowds made it take longer to tell that Mindy was missing, "where's Mindy?" Sam asks.

"She got left behind. I tried waiting for her but cute boy here dragged me on." Chad side-eyes Danny.

Danny tilts his head, "I was trying to keep us together."

"By pulling us apart?" Tara questions.

"Don't worry, she's with Ethan," Chad informs everyone when he gets a text from her.

"Just her and Ethan?" Starr's hand tightens around the pole.

Chad nods, "Yeah, What's wrong?"

Starr sighs, shrugging. "I just—I don't trust him."

"Well if he is a killer, he can't kill her on a train." Arden shrugs, "Wait...he can't, right?"

"Not unless he's stupid." Chad scoffs.

"Well, the point is— No Ghostface can hurt us while on this train." Arden nods.

"I'd take that back if I were you." They hear Chad mumble.

"What?" Tara frowns.

Starr's eyes trail over to where Chad's eyes were stuck, soon enough, hers were just like his. Frozen by the sight. At least ten people were wearing Ghostface masks, sending the entire group over the edge.

Tara was able to get the words out of her throat, "How many stops do we have?"

Sam looks at the map, "...ten."

"It's alright...we're okay—we're gonna be fine." Arden calms everyone at the same time the subway comes to a stop and lets more people off.

The train sped up. The lights began flickering, causing repeating momentarily darkness.

Starr's eyes snap to a Ghostface mask and she could've sworn it was looking directly at her. Starr holds her ground, not breaking the intense stare.

The lights disappear, causing Starr to blink rapidly before they returned.

Ghostface was gone.

"Guys..." Sam's slight shake in her voice let everyone know something was up. They look over to see Ghostface coming directly their way.

Arden takes hold of Starr's hand.

Danny steps in front of Sam.

The Ghostface suddenly takes a sharp right turn out of the exit door causing everyone to sigh in relief. 

"I officially hate subways," Starr admits.

✸

         The group finally got off the subway and made their way to the street. Post lamps and car headlights replaced the glow from the sun.

Kirby was standing a couple of feet away, "Hey, I talked to Bailey, I've got everything set up...where are Mindy and Ethan?"

"They're five minutes behind us," Tara replies.

"Let's get inside."

Starr looks over to Arden before turning it away.

Sam turns around, eyes set on Danny, "not you."

Danny was taken aback by the words, "What?"

"Don't trust anyone, remember? We don't know you...not really." Sam's eyes filled with slight guilt.

"You know me."

"You're not Woodsboro," Sam takes a step forward, "I'm sorry."

Danny only nods, "It's, okay—I get it. Be safe, okay?" He places a kiss on her cheek.

"You too." Sam returns the same affection before he walked away.

Arden slightly elbows Starr, "What's up with you?"

"Nothing." Starr shrugs.

"I've seen you look at me about twenty times now, what's up?" Arden chortled.

Starr stuffed her hands inside her cargo pants, "I don't want you to come."

Arden felt her chest fall, "you still don't trust me."

"No, I trust you, I do," Starr admits, "but I can't have you getting hurt, Arden, I can't."

Arden places a hand on Starr's should, "I'll be okay, Starr."

"I'm not taking that chance...not with you." Starr pleads, "Please, don't do this, don't put yourself in this situation."

"What about you, huh?" Arden reminds her, "Why put yourself in this situation."

Starr steps closer so that Arden could hear her words, "Because I'm going to kill whoever it is that murdered Arlo. I'm not doing this just for the fun of it."

Arden couldn't respond to that, so she gives in, "Are you sure."

"Positive." Starr nods.

"Okay...okay, I'll go," Arden says.

"Be safe, Arden." Sam smiles and so does Tara and Chad.

Arden returns the loving energy. Before pulling Starr into a hug.

Starr didn't expect Arden to whisper something in her ear, "When you get your hands on that motherfucker, you make it the most painful and brutalist death anyone has ever seen, you hear me?"

Starr felt her eyes harden, only nodding in response.

Starr would do just that.

✸

          "So this is the only way in or out. He steps in through the first door, and both doors lock automatically, trapping him inside. We turn it into a kill box." Kirby explains to the four.

"Weapons?" Sam points out.

"One gun and I hold on to it." Kirby didn't miss the way Sam's eyebrow raised, "I am the only one with a badge here and that's the way it's gonna be."

Sam only stared worriedly back at Kirby.

"We're safe here," Kirby reassures them.

"Says every horror film before everything goes to shit." Starr doesn't even spare her another glance, walking off towards another area in the shrine.

All Starr could think about in this moment, is Arlo. He'd been in her thoughts since the moment his heart stopped beating.

"I know what you're feeling." A voice came from behind Starr, causing her to turn around with her arms crossed.

"What?" Starr stares back at Kirby.

"That rage, it burns you, eats you alive," Kirby points at her own heart. "Just, don't let it always control you, anger makes you stupid, and stupid gets you killed."

Starr takes in those words before saying, "My rage has always been there, it just worsened after my best friend, Amber, tried to kill me." Starr admits.

Kirby smiles a little, "so did mine. Her name was Jill...You never truly know hurt until the person closest to you is the one that hurts you."

Starr smirks, "Are we trauma bonding?" She unexpectedly laughs.

"I think we are." Kirby's eyebrows pull together, laughing just as hard.

"You guys are really gonna be trauma bonding in hell after this!" A stab is made directly into Kirby's side.

Starr gasps when she catches the mask of Ghostface, "No!" Starr tries getting to them but Kirby shoved them away with her foot. Pulling out her gun.

"Get outta here, Starr!"

"But—"

"Now!" Kirby demands.

"Shit." Starr goes running, "Tara—Sam!"

"Hey!" Sam's eyes are filled with horror, "we have to get Tara and Chad, now! It's Kirby!"

"No, it isn't, I was just with Kirby!" Starr runs after Sam.

Sam opens a door to the snack area, to see Chad and Tara with matching looks as Sam and Starr. A Ghostface was behind them, slowly getting to their feet.

"Come on! It's Kirby! She's the killer!" Sam pulls them along.

"Kirby was stabbed, Sam!" Starr yells, "Why would Ghostface stab their partner?"

"Detective Bailey called and told me Kirby is no longer a part of the FBI! She made this entire place a kill box...for us." Sam slows down in her tracks, trying to find a way out.

"This doesn't make sense." Starr mumbles.

Tara pointed at the top of the theatre, "There's an exit door up there!"

Ghostface came around the stage, slicing his knife through the air and Tara's stomach in the process, causing her to slump towards the ground with a scream.

"Tara!" Sam pulls her up, "Come on."

Starr runs with them, Chad taking a few moments to hit Ghostface with a large camera before following along.

Starr's heart was pumping, every ounce of her heart was telling her to turn back, but she had to be smart.

For now, she had to control this anger or else she would die.

Because anger makes you stupid and stupid gets you killed.

She followed the group through a narrow space, two walls that seemed to be a proper example of the horror that was consuming them, the terror that they were yet to face. A never-ending cycle, a heartbeat getting smaller and smaller.

They came back around near the concession stand.

Chad stepped in front of Ghostface, his eyes ready for their next move. He side steps every slice that came his way before fending off a stab.

In the middle of Ghostface's struggles, Sam and Tara grab both of their arms, pulling them back.

Starr takes the chance to kick the back of Ghostface's leg, causing them to kneel on the ground. Another strong kick from Starr to their back's caused them to grunt.

Chad comes around, punching them square in the face, making them plummet to the ground.

Tara clenched her teeth together before charging at Ghostface, kicking him in the face.

"Get outta here!" Chad tells them, grabbing what looked like an empty gumball machine, and hovering it over Ghostface's head.

Sam pulls Starr and Tara, "let's go!"

Starr pushes on the door before hearing a blood-curdling scream escape from Tara's mouth. She snaps her head back around, seeing not one, but two Ghostfaces, both taking turns stabbing Chad in every place they could find.

"No!" Starr couldn't stop herself from screaming, her eyes blurred with tears.

Both Ghostface's let Chad drop limp on the floor before turning to Tara, Starr, and Sam.

All three girls felt their blood run cold at what happened next. Simultaneously, Both Ghostface's swipe their knives clean of Chad's blood.

Starr tilts her head, tears still falling, "What the fuck?"

˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡ใƷ ♥●•٠·˙

word count: 1172

SIREDNOTES !—
Not even gonna lie, that knife
swipe was so clean!