☬ Ashley's Pov ☬

It was Kevin's funeral. I was determined to find that culprit. I hadn’t told anyone about my plan. I was doing this plan for three days. I was going to tell them today, I hoped they agreed with me.

I had worn a simple lacey black dress which end at knee length. I ran my fingers through my hair again, nothing could calm me down. I looked at my reflection in the mirror. A broken and tired girl was looking back at me. Brown eyes were red and puffy, black hair was just thrown back, some freckles were on my skin.

I sighed, and I was ready to go. I walked to the living room and saw my friends were standing there. We hadn't talk much. We knew there was nothing talk about it. We got in the car. There was no music, laughter, just nothing...I broke the silence.

"Guys, I have something to say,"

"Tell us, Ash."

"I will but I need everyone. We're gonna meet Ben there right?"

"Yeah."

"Ok."

We reached to Kevin's house. After funeral, I just couldn't take it. It was too much for me. The atmosphere was so heavy and gloomy like a rainy day with everyone's feelings and agonies. I was silently watching everything. I hadn't talked with everyone in the car after that conversation. I felt my heart was crushing inside of me. 

'I am hoping that everyone would agree with me. If they don’t, I'm gonna do it my self. How I'm gonna approach this plan? Damn it...' I thought.

My thoughts broke by a deep and gravelly voice.

"Hello, I'm agent Maxwell. I'm a FBI Agent. Here's my id. You are Ms. Smith and Mr. Willson? Kevin's friends?" he asked.

I looked up to him. He was a handsome guy with brown hair, candy apple green eyes and a defined jaw. He had slightly subtle in his jaw. He was about around six feet one. Then I saw my friends were coming closer to me.

I took a deep breath and said,"Yes. We are. I'm Ashley. "

"Well. I have some questions for you. Can you answer me? I have asked Mr. and Miss. Arthur...But they haven't talked with us that much. I have asked your other friends to come. I'm going to ask all of you. Because Kevin had always hangout with you people," He said.

I saw my friends reached closer and stood beside me. We were standing in a circle and I was sitting.

"Okay, Officer. We're gonna answer your questions. But please don't ask heavy questions. It just difficult for us to answer. But we will try our best to help you," Sam answered for me. He voice was gruff.

"Sure. My first question for everyone. Did anyone find anything wrong with his behaving past this days?"

Savannah looked at us then said, "Yeah. He was distant. He wasn't talking with us. He was looking sick and pale. Everytime we asked him, he just avoided us."

Officer hummed thoughtfully and asked, "Ok. You're saying that he was distant. Was he going somewhere? Like seeing somebody?"

"We don't know that. But I think that  he was going somewhere. "

"How are you so sure, Mr.Willson?"

"First he would excuse himself when we got break. Ben and Kevin would come and go home together. They were neighbours. But Kevin had stopped coming with him. One day I was going on shopping. I had seen him. It looked like he was waiting for somebody. When he looked at me, he just ran way."

"Oh. Do anyone see any suspicion thing on his death day? Anything? "

"Um...He had not come that day. We really don't know." Ben said.

"Okay. I will take this statements. We might need your help. So, don't leave unless you have our permission."

"Yes, Officer Maxwell. "

After his questions, he had gone to others.

"Well, Ash you have something to say in the car...What is it? We have got Ben here." Charlie asked me.

"Yeah. I want to say something. But promise me you won't get angry."

"Okay, We really don't know what you are gonna say. But we will try. " Sam said, looked at everyone, then back at me. He was silently encouraging me. I calmed down a bit. My heart was pounding viciously.

"Guys, I have made a plan."

"Plan! What's the plan, Ash?! You haven't said me anything." Savannah asked.

"I want to investigate this murders."

"No, Ashley! You won't do such a thing. I don't want to hear anything about it." Savannah said in a clam tone. But that voice sent a chill run through my veins.

"Ash, there's nothing we can do...Cops and FBI are investigating it. If they need any help, then we can do something. " Ben tried to reason.

"Yeah, Ash. We have to wait and see." Charlie said.

"But guys first Lisa then Kevin. Maybe that culprit will kill somebody else. We're not saf.." I was cut off by Savannah.

"Yes, Ash. We're not safe. You won't do anything."

I looked at everyone. Sam hadn't said anything. He looked like he was in a deep thought.

'Does he agree with me? I'm going to do it my self and ask Sam if he will agree with me in this plan.' I thought.

"Ok. I won't do such a thing. "

We said our goodbyes and headed to our apartments. I took a mental note to talk Sam later.

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Next day I had gone to work. I was having a order from a old lady. Then I saw Mr. Maxwell. Why was he here? I saw him approaching  to me with a polite smile. He looked handsome in his black t-shirt, red and black stained flannel and dark jeans. He completed his looks with sunglasses and boots .
I couldn't see his beautiful emerald eyes.

'Beautiful eyes! What the hell are you thinking brain?!'

"Hello, Ms. Smith. Nice to meet you."

"Call me, Ashley. Is there any problem, Officer Maxwell?"

"Oh. No no. There's no problem. Call me Henry,"

"O-Ok...So, what do you want?" I stammered .

'Smooth Ashley...Very smooth.'

'Shut up, brain. How could you tease me? You are in this too. So, shut the hell up.'

'I know. It just I'm disappointed in you. You just have a crush and you're
making yourself fool in front of him,'

'Brain...I don't have a crush on him! He's just good looking. Maybe he has a girlfriend or wife and children. He is older than me! He's not my type! '

'Ha! You are always so dramatic. Let's see...'

"Ashley...Are you with me?" Henry asked and waved a hand at my face.

"Yeah. Yeah. Give me your order," My cheeks were getting warm. I didn’t need to see that I was blushing, I was really embarrassed.

"I'm gonna have a simple black coffee and this special dish."

"Ok. Your order is coming right way."

I gave him his order and went back to my work.

'I should call Sammy and ask him to come,' I thought.

So, I dailed Sam's number. He picked  up the phone after three times.

"Hey, Ash."

"Hi, Sammy. How are you?"

"Fine. I have just finished a class. Do you need something? Why didn't you  come to college?" He asked worriedly.  His voice was laced with concern.

"Um...Well, Kinda need your help. Would meet me after my work? I wasn't feeling good, Sammy. That's why I didn't come to college,"

"Ok. I have one class. I will be free after one hour. When you will finish your work?"

"About thirty minutes later. I will meet you in the college,"

"Ok, Bye."

"Bye."

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One hour Later....

I was waiting in front of Sam's car. When he saw me, he waved at me. I saw him, running towards me.

"Hey, Ash. What happened?! Is something wrong?! "

"I will tell ya. I'm starving. Let's have some burger."

"Ok. Let's go."

He got in his car and I got in mine.  We reached and ordered our burgers. I took a couple of deep breaths and started talking.

"Sammy. When I proposed that plan, you hadn't said anything. Do you agree with my plan?"

"I really don't know actually. I hope that they will find out. But the things you have said, it's also very important. It's dangerous, you know."

"I know that, Sam. It's just I really want find out. We have always stick together from the start. You guys, all are my family. I don't want anyone get hurt. Savannah, Charlie and Ben had declined it. You hadn't said any thing. I thought...I thought your gonna agree."

"Um...I will help ya. Just don't do anything stupid with your plan." Sam said and smiled a little.

"Great! I won't do anything stupid!" I laughed and winked at him.

"I know you very well. Your gonna do that anyway."

"No, I won't. You stupid monkey."

"Yeaaahhh, rightttt." He teased me.

"Shut up, bitch."

Our foods had arrived and we started to working on our plan. First we were gonna see the murder place. So, we settled on that. After searching that place, we were going to proceed to what we should do next. We came out outside and chatting normally. But suddenly Sam became visibily pale, like he remembered something. I asked him and he said, "We're gonna die if Savannah finds out."

"Well, That's true." I agreed.

☬  No One's Pov ☬

Sam and Ashley had been looking for evidence for two days. They hadn't find anything. Lisa and Kevin's deaths were similar. But they couldn't find any evidence or any common thing. Ashley was sitting in her classroom thinking about what to do. She saw her friends were approaching toward her.

"Hey, Ash. What's up? Are you sick?You haven't eaten anything. " Charlie asked.

"Um...No. I was thinking about something. "

"What are thinking, Ash? Am I right that you're thinking about their deaths? I have told you not do anything about it. You haven't talking with me properly. I am trying to protect you, Ash." Savannah said.

"Well, I didn't tell you to do so. I just want to find those culprits, "Ashley snapped and walked way.

"She will come around, Sav. Give her time..." Charlie said.

"Yeah. I hope so. But I know her. She's gonna do something." Savannah said defeatedly.

Time passed just like that. It had been one week after Kevin's death. There had been two murders which were similar to their friends death. Ashley and Sam couldn't find anything. Sam kept researching. Everything was going back to normal. But Ashley was getting restless and upset. She started to think that they couldn't find anything...Well that she thought until that day...

"Hey, Sav. Is there any ice-cream in the fridge? " Ashley asked.

"Nope,"

"Ok. I'm gonna get it. Do you need anything?"

"Yeah. Some milk, potatoes, and chicken. That's all,"

"Surree, bitch. Bye"

"Bye, Ash." Savannah said while rolling her eyes at her.

After saying goodbye, Ashley headed to the market. She was having this feeling like, somebody was watching her like previous days. She couldn't shake off the feeling. Store wasn't very long distance from her apartment. So, she didn't take her car. She was mentally cursing why she hadn't take her car. She reached and started to buy her things. Suddenly she saw Ben. He was running towards her.

"A-sh...Ash!...Thank God. I found you!" he exclaimed through his panting breaths.

"Um...Hi, Ben. Why are you running? "

"Where is your phone?! Haven't you checked it?!" He asked impatiently.

"Uh...no. Why?" She asked and looking confused, searching her phone.

"Well. See it! There have been an accident! Your apartment is on fire and paramadics are taking Savannah to the hospital!"

"What the fuck are you talking, man?! Shit! my phone is dead...Oh my God! Is Savannah okay?! What the hell are we waiting for?!" Ashley asked. She was getting scared and terrified about whole situation.

"Yeah! Come with me. I have my car parked over this grocery store!"

"Ok! Hurry up!"

Ben and Ashley were running out off the grocery store. They went to the parking lot. It was way too dark.

"Um...Where is your car, Ben?! We don't have time! We have to reach!" She said and looked behind her. But she couldn't find him. She started to panic and yelled his name.

"Ben? Ben? Where are you, man?!"She yelled.

But there was no answer. She heard something behind her. She looked behind her. She saw nothing. Suddenly there was a sharp pain behind her head and then she fainted...

☬ Ashley's Pov☬

I woke up and I was feeling dizzy.

'Why am I feeling dizzy and why am I feeling pain backside of my head?! Where the hell am I?! This lights are blinding me...'

Suddenly I remembered everything.

'Fire! Savannah! Oh my God! Where is Ben?! How much time I was out?!' I thought and tried to move, but I couldn’t .

'Who the hell have tied me up and why is there a tape in my mouth?! Great, fucking great! Damn it!'

I tried to talk, I couldn’t move a muscle. I looked around.

The walls were black and dirty. There was a unpleasant scent like meat had rotten here for days. I was tied up in a chair. There was a table and a chair in front of me.

'Hmm, one of typical movie scenes. I have to get out of here and find...'
My thought break by a sound.

I was so engrossed with my thoughts that I hadn't seen the person in front the door. When I looked up to see that person, I thought I was going to have a heart attack. I started to sweat and my heart was beating fast. I felt like I was out of my breath. I had never ever been so terrified in my life. I knew I was staring at her. I couldn't function my brain.

She broke the silence with her sinister smirk and said,"Hello, Ashley. Oh you can't greet me, you poor thing. Here let me help you." She took out the tape from my mouth, sat in front of me.

"L-Lisa...!" I sputtered out her name.

I gasped and screamed. Suddenly I was fearful for my life.

A/N: Sooo, how was it? Please vote and comments.... ♥♥