I sit alone, between the four closed walls of my room concealed from the world. After all, I am used to this - hiding away. I have done this for 7 long years of my life.

I have been hiding in this room for two long days now. Not even switching on my phone. Now and then, Brian would bring me a plate of food.

But I know that now I will have to face this world. After the conversation with Brian, I know that I will have to face the people and their fake sympathy. I had promised Brian.

I nestle the heart pendant as I immerse all my energy into getting up from the bed. I open the door, sigh, take a deep breath and plaster a fake smile onto my face as I take a step out of the room.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My tiny fingers search for my mother's comforting hand as I sit next to a very traumatised mom. We are safe in Aunt Rubys' home....for now. Aunt Ruby walks into the room ans slowly and switches on the small TV that sits on the low divider in front of me.

Even though the news reporter repeats the very same abominable news as the others have, this past week, the cold words still manage to cause me to tremble and bring tears to my innocent eyes.

"Former employee of Multi national cold drink manufacturing company, Cola Buddy, has recently passed away after his house had caught on flames and burnt down this Thursday afternoon. It is reported that his wife and two children had been trapped in the massive inferno and could not escape the burning flames."

I gulp the lump in my throat as the huge suffocating flames comes before my red eyes. I grab onto the green shawl that drapes the frail body of my mother.

"Adam Khan is the same employee that was accused of poisoning the plant and handing over important information about Cola Buddy to their rival companies."

Aunt Ruby grabs the remote from the sofa and switches the TV off. She approaches mom and hugs her grief stricken body.

"Take Amy and leave this country! Sara, leave!"

I clutch onto mom's shawl hoping for her comforting hand. For her to hug me. The scars on her face hide away her facial expressions, if there are any. I crave to know what is going on in her mind. My tiny hands reach out to her but she fails to see them.

My hands overcome their weakness and become stronger wrapping their fingers around the pendant in my pocket. The truth will come out. One day....

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Amy p.o.v .

I take a step into the game room and frisk the area. There I spot them. Unusually quiet and serious. Layla sees me first and shakes Jhon. Jhon raises a brow when his eyes meet mine. I take a deep breath and walk up to them.

All of them. All of them had been at the play house that night. Except... Richard and Malak ofcourse. I had spoken to Brian last night about the mask and the sock.

"This is very shockingly odd and weird. ", said Brian thoughtfully. "The murderer had shoved a sock in her mouth as well as he/ she had tried to leave the batman mask onto her face, as a mark or signature. The mask had failed to remain on her face though. And you say...that...All of this had been enacted in the play you had watched just before Malak had been murdered."

I nodded at him. "Indeed! Does this mean that the murderer had watched the play?", I had asked.

He looked at me with a grin plastered onto his face. "Ofcourse Amy! The monster had to have watched the play that very night. That night had been the very first time the play had been enacted, he couldn't have known the tricks otherwise. The stuffed sock...The mask."

I had been extremely happy that I had helped in some way. Then he looked up at me, earnesty in his eyes. He said those words that got me thinking. "Amy, do you remember who had watched the act with you that night?"

A sense of relief washes over my friends' faces as I walk over to them. "Where were you Amy? We were so worried about you?", Mr murderer runs up to me and embraces me, interlocking me in his huge arms. I latch on too, somehow contented and glad to see him. He pats my back comfortingly.

Finally someone decides to comfort me. I feel safe. I had longed for a shoulder to cry on and I feel a need to be consoled.

I almost get carried away by my emotions, but the lifeless face of Malak flashes before my eyes and switches me back to reality. I pull away and, like the past few days, refuse to allow the tears to fall.

Jhon looks hurt and confused when I push him away and don't meet his gaze.

Someone is missing. Sabrina! Where is Sabby? I walk past Layla and sit on the empty chair next to Richard.

Wait! Richard!
I turn to look at him properly. His face holds no expression. He stares at me blankly. "Richard", I say softly but he does not respond.

This shocks me. I had expected crocodile tears, but here, there are no tears. The person that sits before me reminds me of myself at the night of the murder. Then it hits me.

Richard never did hate Malak. In fact, he didn't hat anyone. Maybe that is why Malak had fallen for his charm. But the question is, did he love her?

Looking at his hopeless self, I am guessing that he must have had some genuine feelings for her. If not love, then like myself, friendship.

I then turn to notice the grief on Jhon's ashen face. He slumps down onto the chair and stares emptily into space.

Oh my god? They absolutely cannot be faking it. It is for real. How could I have doubted our friendship. Jhon had also been a good friend of Malak's. I feel ashamed of myself for thinking so lowly of them. I feel like banging my head onto the wall for not answering their calls. But then again... can I really trust everyone.

Who do I trust? Who do I not? I don't know anything anymore. Layla walks up to me and breaks the silence. "Did you eat?", she whisper asks. I shake my head in the negative. "I'm not hungry!", I exclaim curtly. She ignores my rudeness and replies, "I am going to get some food for all of us.", and she walks away.

Jhon speaks finally, as I catch a glimpse of hope in his eyes, "Did you see Sabrina anywhere. Where is she?", he asks. "No why?", I ask as I frown due to the unexpected question.

His hopeful face turns into one of worry and concern as soon as I take the words out of my mouth.

"Oh no! We were hoping that she was with you. We haven't seen her since we heard the news of Malak's death. Sabrina had disappeared and did not even go to her room since. Layla doesn't know where she could be. Since you were also not to be found, we assumed that she was with you."

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James Whittaker p.o.v

I walk up to the busy bar near the pool side. A group of young girls giggle as I pass them. Usually, I would turn around and wink, or would have walked up to them and showcased my charm.

I must admit that most can't resist it, especially my blue eyes. But today is different. I am not in the mood. The only thing that plays through my mind is Amy. And Malak.

I go up to a very drunk girl slumped on the table. Her hair covers her face and she doesn't even bother to look at me, so I decide to sit here for a while as I put my thoughts together and plan what to do next.

I had witnessed Amy's ashen face as she stared at Malak's dead body.

I couldn't resist it. Even though the security team and the chief crime investigating officer had been present at the time, I had to come out of my hiding and move Amy from there. I had to get her out of there before she went nuts.

I don't think that she realised that it was me who had taken her away from the room. As soon as we were out of there, she had collapsed onto the floor right before my eyes.

I had wanted to console her, go up to her and comfort her, but I had known better. I had to leave before anyone had recognised me.

A hand waves before my face. I look up at a pair of clicking fingers trying to gain my attention. "You all right?", the bar tender asks me.

"Yeah!", I nod. "The usual?", he asks me and I nod again.

Suddenly, the girl that was sitting next to me shrieks and yells words that I fail to understand. The only words that I finally get are those that she now yells to the bar tender, "one more." , and he nods sympathetically.

He hands me my drink. I nod and he goes up to her. She grabs it from his hand, gulps the thing down in one go, and begins to shriek again.

Wait! Do I know her? Why do I feel like I have seen her somewhere? I tap her shoulder, and I jump in fright when she suddenly turns to look at me. I have seen her before with Amy.
I stare at her, my mouth agape.

The face of Sabrina stares back at me.

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