I was startled awake by a girl's horrified screams.

My eyelids flicked open and I looked across the room to where Mrs. Doyle was holding a knife to Georgie's throat.

She was begging for Mrs. Doyle to stop. "Mrs. Doyle, no! Please! Don't kill me! Noooo!"

I gasped and started trying to scream too. But the horrifying thing was that I couldn't make a sound. Nothing would escape my mouth.

I couldn't do anything, as I once again felt my hands and feet bound by ropes to the cold metal chair.

So I screamed in my head. I screamed and pleaded for it to stop.

I heard Georgie ask her why, why us, but all three of us knew the answer to that.

The last thing I heard was Mrs. Doyle saying, "Don't you get it?
You know too much. You've seen it all. And the only way to remove the memories is to remove the witnesses."

With that, I looked at the floor, but I heard the knife slash across my best friend's throat, and her lifeless corpse slumping to the floor.

Mrs. Doyle's cold words echoed through the room as the world was again swallowed by darkness.

⭐⭐⭐

"Georgie!"

I gasped for breath and sat straight up from the bed. I looked around at my surroundings.

"Where am I?" I whispered.

Seconds later, the door swung open and Georgie's mother came running into the room.

"Honey, are you alright? I heard you scream!"

"Yeah, I'm okay. But why am I here? I thought Mrs. Doyle got me again." I paused as I realized that the dark figure must have been Georgie's mother. She had taken me to her house. I continued, "I'm worried... about Georgie."

"I know. I'm worried too. Maybe we can look for her later..." she looked at the floor. "How about some breakfast, dearie?"

That was when I realized how long it had been since I had a decent meal. "Sounds good, Mrs. Webster."

"Okay, I'll go set the table. See you downstairs."

"Alright."

I got out of bed. Georgie would have wanted me to be strong, so that was what I was going to do. I ignored my aching heart and went into the bathroom to get dressed for breakfast.

⭐⭐⭐

Now that Mrs. Webster and I were done eating, we decided it was time to get Georgie back.

"Come on, we have to go!" I exclaimed, dragging Georgie's mother along to my car.

"Alright!" she giggled.

We got in my car, me in the driver's seat, and took off.

⭐⭐⭐

"Mrs. Doyle, we're here! And this time I'm not afraid of you!" I yelled through the darkened house.

"Is that so?" Her sinister voice, once so sweet, was muffled.

"Yes! I'm here to save Georgie!"

"Come downstairs. That's where you'll find her."

Her voice was musical, and yet sounded so evil. Georgie's mother gave me a worried look.

"Let's go," I said fearlessly. "But wait a second. I have to record this." I set my camera to record before taking sure steps towards the basement door.

I opened the door to the basement. Below me, the steps led down into the darkness.

"Hello? Mrs. Doyle? Georgie?"
There was no answer.

Mrs. Webster took my hand, and together, we stepped down the stairs.

I felt around in the darkness for the light switch, and I finally found it and flicked it upwards. I gasped at the sight that awaited me.

In the dim light, I could see Mrs. Doyle, holding a gun to the head of a quivering Georgie.

"Why, how nice of you to join us, Luna. You too, Mrs. Webster." Mrs. Doyle made a disgusted face at her, and I felt her tense at my side.
I was scared too, and I thought my heart was going to beat out of my chest.

Georgie, on the other hand, was terrified. She was shaking so hard, I was worried she would fall off the chair, and her eyes were filled with tears that ran freely down her face.

"So, we meet again, sweet Luna. But this time you won't get away. I know you won't, because I think I have something of value to you."
She nodded her head in Georgie's direction.

"W-what do you want?" I asked, my voice cracking.

"Oh, nothing much. In fact, I'm giving you a choice. Instead of killing you all, I'll let Luna decide."
She paused. "So, you see your best friend here, and you see this gun. You have a choice. Do you want to take Georgie's place here as my prisoner, or do you want to watch her die right in front of your eyes?"

"Why do you want me?" I asked, carefully avoiding her question. "Why do you want a prisoner?"

She replied plainly, "Oh, it's quite simple, really. Let's face it, the police will eventually find me. But if I have you, I have a bargaining token. They can arrest me, and I'll kill you, or they can leave me, and I'll set you free."

"But they'll only want to arrest you! It's their job!"

"Then I guess you'll die. Now choose."

How could she ask me to choose between myself and my best friend? I couldn't believe she could bargain with our lives like that! I didn't know what to do.

"Choose." I heard the gun cock against Georgie's head.

She suddenly screamed, "No! Luna! You can't choose me over you! Save yourself!"

Mrs. Doyle said, "Silence," and Georgie obeyed, but I had heard her.

"Choose, or I'll choose for you." She made a point of pressing the muzzle harder against Georgie's head. I looked into my best friend's deep brown eyes.

I knew what I had to do.

"I'll take Georgie's place."

Georgie protested, "No! Luna! I can't lose you!"

But the choice was made. Mrs. Doyle hurriedly untied Georgie, then turned to face me.

"The bond between the two of you is what weakens you," she said coldly. "Your friendship has caused you to stop thinking of yourself."

I interrupted her. "You're wrong. It's what strengthens us. You should really try it sometime. Maybe you wouldn't be such a murderous bi-"

"Language," Georgie said. She then proceeded to give me a look.

"Witch," I compromised.

"Anyway, the clock is ticking, darling," Mrs Doyle continued. "Do you have any personal items on you?"

"Yes. My phone." I gave it to Mrs. Webster, even though Mrs. Doyle looked suspicious. "What?" I asked. "I don't trust you."

"Whatever," she replied. "Give me your hands. Wait, never mind. I have something quicker."

Suddenly I felt something heavy come into contact with my head. I screamed in pain and fell on the floor. The last things I saw were Georgie and her mother walking out the door, leaving me to my fate. Whatever that may be.