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𝙑𝙊𝙇𝙐𝙈𝙀 𝑰𝑰. ── CASUALTY OF YOUR DREAMS!

❛ 𝒅𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒉 𝒉𝒂𝒔 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒎𝒆 ❜
─── chapter fourteen! ❫

014. ╱ ✹ ⠀⠀ ❝ dug yourself a grave,
no surprise. . . should've known better,
so now, it's time that you die in it. ❞

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     CHAD MEEKS-MARTIN NEVER KNEW LOVE WITHOUT KYNLEE MANRAL. He loved her before he even knew what the word love meant. From meeting when they were only a year old and in daycare together with Mindy, Wes, and Tara, to the playgroup their parents put together to give themselves a much-needed break to all the birthdays to going to school together and becoming inseparable from all the holidays spent together to all the ups and downs to the discreet looks of longing to the subtle touches and verbal hints of affection to the romantic relationships they had before getting together to Ghostface last year and to college— Chad loved her through it all. Kynlee loved him equally as much through it all, too.

     And they never failed to remind each other of their love. Every chance they got, they took it. Even if it was in the tiniest or silliest of ways. Such as taking turns giving one another a piggyback ride up each flight of stairs.

     Sam and Tara lived on the fourth floor of their apartment complex, providing Kynlee and Chad with two flights each. It took them approximately ten minutes to get upstairs. That was primarily because neither of them could stop laughing and almost tripping. Not to mention Chad's insistent making fun of Kynlee since she struggled at times to carry him. He earned many middle fingers from that.

     By the time they'd arrived on the fourth floor, Kynlee was out of breath and red in the face. Chad had hopped off her back but wrapped his arms around her waist from behind. He repeatedly kissed up and down her neck until she was good to go. Then, she kissed him sweetly over her shoulder for a moment. After that, they were ready to join their friends.

     When the couple entered the apartment, it took a decent amount of effort for Kynlee to unwind herself from Chad's grasp. He'd protested, stating that Tara could cook dinner alone— a comment that earned him a punch to the arm and double middle fingers being flashed in his direction. Eventually, Kynlee managed to convince him to let her go by pecking him on the lips eight times (which Sam teased them about) and promising that he could braid her hair that night.

     From there, she joined Tara in the kitchen while the twins went back and forth from the kitchen to the dining room, setting up for dinner. As they did so, Chad would kiss Kynlee on the cheek every time he entered and every time he left. Mindy mocked him and did the same with Anika while Anika sat on the couch listening to the television and working on an assignment on her laptop. Sam was busy setting up her room for Mindy and Anika to stay in for she'd bunk with Tara. Kynlee and Chad were going to take the living room and sleep on the air mattress again.

     Meanwhile, Quinn was in her room with the guy she was currently sleeping with, and Ethan was at Econ. He'd promised Kynlee and Chad that he would stay safe and let them know if anything came up.

     Everyone was accounted for and things were calm for the time being.

     However, for the past few minutes, Tara continuously darted her line of sight from the cilantro she was slicing to Kynlee's relaxed frame. The Manral girl was leaning over the large metal pot, stirring the pasta and adding in spices. There was not a singular thought in her head. She was going through the motions and unconsciously humming.

     Nobody had spoken for a while and it was quiet, aside from the noise coming from the TV. Everyone had been moving in silent harmony and preparing for dinner. Nevertheless, Tara Carpenter's mind was anything but silent. It was full of worries, what-ifs, and a burning desire for her loved ones to get as far away from New York and Ghostface as possible. Especially Kynlee.

     Finally, Tara turned to the tattooed girl. "I think you should get out of the city," she blurted.

     The statement caught the twins' attention and they paused in setting up the dining table. Both of them shared a look before diverting their line of sight to the pair in the kitchen. There wasn't enough money in the world that could get Kynlee Manral to abandon any of her friends.

     Like Mindy said last year, Kynlee was loyal to a fault when it came to her friends. That's her fatal flaw and biggest weakness.

     Blinking, Kynlee glanced away from the pasta and to Tara. What the hell was she talking about?

     "You know, considering what happened to you last time. I-I wouldn't blame you if..." Tara momentarily glanced at the floor before flickering her gaze up, "you wanted to go. The same applies to the twins."

     Kynlee leaned her head to the right and stared at her solemnly. "Me haces sonrojar," she mumbled, causing the latter to narrow her eyes. Sighing, she stopped stirring and angeled herself so she was fully facing her best friend. "T... That's very thoughtful of you, but I'm not going anywhere. I'm not leaving you or Sam or anyone. I'm staying right here."

     Tara frowned. "Are you sure? I don't want you getting hurt again. We already almost lost you once. I almost lost you." The mental image of Kynlee Manral lying in a pool of blood and unresponsive in Amber's kitchen haunted her. She still had nightmares about it from time to time. After all, she'd found her best friend bloodied and broken with no heartbeat. That in itself was traumatizing and scarred her.

     "Hey, I'm right here, and I am more than sure. I'd never leave you." Kynlee reached over and tucked Tara's hair behind her ears. A reassuring smile lined her face.

     Suddenly, the sound of gagging came from the dining room. No words needed to be exchanged. They already knew who it was.

     In unplanned unison, Kynlee and Tara looked over at Mindy with exasperated expressions. Kynlee's hand dropped to her side.

     "Will you two just make out already?!" she retorted, throwing her hands up. In each fist, she held a bundle of silverware.

     "Minds!" Kynlee laughed, not at all shocked by the comment. Only Mindy would say that shit to them.

     Chad blinked in surprise and rotated his head toward his sister. "That's so inappropriate, dude. That's my girlfriend." He finished setting the plates and bowls up on the table.

     Waving a dismissive hand at all of them, Mindy huffed. "Oh, whatever. Get it over with!" she yelled at the two girls, placing down a fork, knife, and spoon in front of each seat.

     "I mean..." Tara trailed off and shrugged casually, setting the knife down. "Okay." It only took four steps until she was standing in front of Kynlee. Throwing her arms around her neck, she stood on her tiptoes and planted a kiss on her cheek. "Mwah!"

     Laughing again, Kynlee hugged Tara tightly and swayed them side to side. "Mwah!" She returned the gesture and kissed Tara's forehead. Then, they separated and winked at each other.

     "Really?" Chad remarked, feigning offense. "Right in front of me?"

     Tara rolled her eyes and ignored him. "Listen," she said lowly with a smirk, "we can always take this to my room."

     Kynlee lifted a brow and checked Tara out flirtatiously. "Oh, really now?" A playful smirk formed on her face.

     "That's hot," Mindy stated, motioning between the pair as she joined them in the small kitchen.

     "Mindy!" Chad exclaimed before swiveling toward Kynlee and Tara. "Yeah, nope," he spoke directly to them, walking over. "Absolutely not."

     Tara scowled at him when he entered and slid the cut-up cilantro into the pot. "Rude. Way to kill the mood."

     Chuckling, the tattooed girl spun around and gestured for him to come closer with her finger. "Come here, come here." When he was inches from her, she lightly squished his cheeks and kissed him. "The only person I'd take into a bedroom to be with is you, but you already know that."

     He nodded sheepishly, blushing under her knowing stare. Flashes of earlier that afternoon played in his mind. "Yeah, I do," he murmured, pecking her on the lips. He could see the hickeys above her collarbones near her lower neck peaking out from under her mesh green top.

    Across from Tara, Mindy opened her mouth and stuck a finger in it. She pretended to gag at the couple and rolled her eyes. Tara giggled quietly.

     In her peripheral vision, the curly-haired girl saw Sam arrive with blankets. "Sam!" she shouted, waving her over.

     "Yep?" Sam responded, giving the blankets to Anika with a smile that the girl returned. Anika set them on the couch next to Kynlee and Chad's bags.

     "We do not have to stay here again," Mindy told the eldest Carpenter, watching as she retrieved a bottle of unopened wine upon joining them in the kitchen. There was a corkscrew lying on the counter behind Mindy, and she grabbed it.

     "Well, too bad. I insist." Sam gratefully took the corkscrew Mindy held out to her. "Safety in numbers."

     Chad situated himself between Kynlee and Tara and leaned against the side of the stove that wasn't on. "This is gonna be so much more fun than last night," he said excitedly. "A real slumber party with the High Five!" A bright and proud smile covered his face. This was a nickname he'd come up with a couple of days ago but didn't know when to share it. Now seemed to be the perfect time.

     Kynlee blinked in confusion and tilted her head as she stared up at him. "The what?"

     "The High Five?" Sam repeated and her eyebrows formed a jagged line.

     "Yeah." Chad smiled again.

     "Did you just give us a nickname?" Tara asked, sharing an incredulous look with Kynlee and Mindy.

     Chad hummed. "I sure did. I mean, we've been through a lot together. Not to mention, you three—" he pointed at Mindy, Kynlee, and Tara, "—like to get high every time we go to a party. And all five of us have gotten high together a couple of times."

     "Okay, that happened twice." Sam interrupted, holding up a palm indicating to hold it right there.

     However, Chad took what he could get and nodded. "My point exactly," he declared, taking what she said as a win. "Besides, it's a pretty cool nickname."

     "That's debatable," Sam replied.

     "It's extremely debatable," Tara added.

     Kynlee was simply staring at her boyfriend with raised eyebrows. Sometimes she wondered what went on in that beautiful and special brain of his.

     "You can't just give yourself a nickname, dingus." Mindy objected, folding her arms over her chest.

     Sam snorted and unscrewed the bottle of wine.

     "Oh, of course, I can, dingus, because I just did," Chad stated triumphantly. "High five, up top!" He held his hand out to his sister with a goofy grin.

     Mindy blinked. "No."

     "Down low." Chad turned to Tara and extended his palm to her.

     Tara shook her head without a second thought. "Get that away from me."

     Chad pivoted to his girlfriend and stared at her expectantly. "Down low," he tried again.

     "Absolutely not," Kynlee replied, smirking when he narrowed his eyes.

     Huffing, he turned to Sam with a hopeful countenance. "Please, for the love of God," he pleaded.

     There was clear hesitance on Sam's face and Mindy interjected, "Don't do it!"

     Tara giggled and saw Kynlee switch off the stove. The food was nearly done.

     "You know, I would like a little more respect and support—"

     "Oh, my God." Mindy groaned dramatically, throwing her head back.

     "—from my fellow members of the High Five."

     Kynlee did an exaggerated cringe at the nickname. "Lover, you're making it worse."

     "Guys!" Anika unexpectedly called, not looking into the kitchen.

     The conversation halted and the five survivors noticed that the Kayoko girl was watching the news. This couldn't be good. In sync, they all made their way into the living room.

     "What the hell?!" Anika turned the volume up.

     The same reporter from yesterday was back and reporting live again. He was located outside of the police station. "We're hearing from sources inside the homicide division..."

     Lowering her line of sight, Kynlee's eyes widened at the headline. "PRIME SUSPECT SAMANTHA CARPENTER," she silently mouthed the words to herself and shook her head. People have a lot of nerve nowadays.

     "...that the prime suspect is none other than Samantha Carpenter, one of the survivors of the Woodsboro killings in twenty-twenty-two..."

     From where she stood between Tara and Chad, the tattooed girl swept her gaze to Sam. This wasn't going to elicit a flattering reaction.

     "...seen here attacking a woman on the street last night."

     Right as the live news report switched over to a recording, Chad reached for Kynlee. Their fingers intertwined and she squeezed his hand.

     "What the [bleep] is wrong with you, [bleep]?" Sam yelled in the video, diving in to hit the girl when Chad stepped in.

     Everyone could hear Chad breathing, "Woah, woah, woah," as he shot the random girl a glare.

     "Sam! Sam, stop!" On-screen, Tara ran into the frame and inserted herself between her sister and the stranger.

     "You got a problem with me?" Sam shouted, visibly shoving Chad and Tara away.

     Swallowing harshly, Kynlee looked over at Sam again to see that her face had fallen. She was significantly paler and regret was etched into her features. Last night was not one of her proudest moments.

     "Fuck you, you fucking bitch!" Mindy screamed in the footage, lunging for the group of girls.  Anika was seen swooping in and tugging her back.

     Finally, the video stopped playing and returned to the reporter.

     "In the wake of the Woodsboro tragedy last year, rumors sprouted online that Carpenter was actually responsible for the killings..."

     Tara glared at the news and crossed her arms.

     "...blaming the crimes on her boyfriend Richie Kirsch..." Sam gritted her teeth and maneuvered around a chair. "...and teen Amber Free—" Suddenly, the TV was shut off for Sam had taken the controller from Anika. She dropped the remote onto the coffee table and went into the dining room, not looking anyone in the eye.

     Nobody moved for a second. Nobody wanted to move.

     Holding her breath, Tara peered over her shoulder at her sister. A frown spread on her lips and she slowly approached her, exiting the living room. She sat down next to Sam and chewed on her bottom lip before saying, "I know you're not a fan of the way that I've been handling things, and that I've been giving you a really hard time. But I can say that none of us can relate to what you are experiencing."

     Sam turned her head toward Tara with tears obscuring her vision. This was the first time she'd been in tears in front of any of the young adults, including her sister.

     "And I'm really, really sorry that you have to do that alone."

     Forcing a nod, Sam braved a smile. "It's not your fault," she said, glancing down at her fingers, which were fiddling with a fork. "And I know I shouldn't care what people think." She wiped away a fallen tear and sniffed. "It just sucks being this hated."

     At the sound of Sam shakily exhaling, Kynlee found it in herself to join them at the end of the table. She sat on Tara's right and extended a hand out to the eldest Carpenter.

     Sam gratefully took her hand and held it tightly.

     "Hey," Chad called, walking toward the table with Mindy. "Hey. Just a reminder, not a single person in this room hates you. Okay?" he raised an eyebrow and waited until Sam looked at him. The twins sat down. "We have all been through some fucked-up stuff, and we are coping with it differently. But, I mean, we moved here together for one very specific reason."

     Nodding along to what her brother was saying, Mindy gave Sam a supportive smile.

     "We are a team," Chad stated with finality, gesturing in a circle at all of them.

     Sam let out a shaky breath and stared down at the fork in her hands. She appreciated what her friends were doing more than they could ever know.

     "We are the High Fucking Five," Mindy added, nearly cringing at the words that left her mouth.

     Kynlee cringed for her. "¡Ay, Dios mío!"

     Breaking into a grin, Chad shifted to the right and raised a hand. "Thank you very much. That's absolutely right!"

     "Ah, I hate myself," the curly-haired twin grumbled, high-fiving him nonetheless.

     With a groan, Tara covered her face. "No, you said it," she whined.

     Sam laughed at her sister's reaction.

     "I'm sorry," Mindy whispered while wearing a smile that was anything but sorry.

     "That is what I'm talking about!" Chad cheered excitedly, looking at Kynlee proudly. "It's the High Five."

     Kynlee blushed at the expression he wore and how blissfully happy he was at that moment. It made her heart swell. "Yeah, it's the fucking High Five," she caved in, holding out a fist.

     "Fuck yeah, it is!" Chad immediately fist-bumped her.

     "Say it," Mindy said, nudging Tara's foot under the table. "Come on, say it."

     Tara nudged her foot back. "I'm not gonna say it. Not now," she protested, and Kynlee stared at her pointedly. Sighing, she recounted her statement. "I mean, yes, we're a team, but..."

     "The High Five— it's got a nice ring to it," Chad reasoned.

     "Say it!" Mindy repeated, nudging the black-haired girl's foot one more time.

     Tara gasped and returned the action. "I think this is bordering on harassment, you guys."

     Raising her eyebrows, Kynlee scoffed. "Harassment? Oh, please—"

     "I've been sleeping with Cute Boy from across the hall." Sam suddenly blurted, silencing everyone.

     Instantly, Kynlee and Tara locked eyes and identical smirks appeared on their lips. They so called this last month with Mindy when Sam came back one morning sporting a hickey that poked out from under her shirt.

     "Boom!" Mindy slammed her palm against the table with a satisfied grin. This was the best news she'd heard all day.

     "I fucking knew it!" Tara and Kynlee shouted in unison, clapping their hands.

     Sam's jaw dropped and she gaped at them in surprise. What the hell? How did they already know?!

     Tara hastily motioned between herself, Kynlee, and Mindy. "We knew it, we knew it!"

     "You guys really did call it," Chad snorted at the prideful expressions the trio wore.

     Cackling, Mindy threw her head back. "Oh, we knew it from the day you had that hickey." She felt like she'd just won the fucking lottery.

     "Hell yeah, we did," Kynlee pointed in Mindy's direction in agreement.

     The group burst into collective laughter and Sam's face reddened.

     "Wait, wait!" Tara giggled, waving her hand in the air to gather everyone's attention. "With the name Chad gave us, I feel like we should high-five or something."

     Chad eagerly nodded. "The High Five high-five, may we, please?" He raised a hand and spread out his fingers.

     Predictably, Kynlee was the first to participate, overlapping her fingers with Chad's.

     "Okay, don't call it that, but we'll do the high five," Tara placed her hand over Kynlee's.

     Then Mindy joined. "But it's kind of cute," she said, addressing Tara's comment.

     Grimacing, the youngest Carpenter tilted her head. "Is it? Is it really?"

     "Yes, it is!" Kynlee softly patted her cheek before darting her gaze to Sam. "Come on, Sam."

     "All right, all right," Sam gave in with a genuine smile on her face and placed her hand on top of everybody else's. "One, two, three..."

     It didn't take a genius to know where this was going. So on the count of three, they cheered, "High Five!"

     Once it was over and their arms were back down, Sam's phone started to ring. She reached into her back pocket and pulled out the device. It was Danny.

     Curiously glimpsing to see who it was, Tara's mouth fell open. "Oh! It's him!" she exclaimed, grabbing the phone from her sister and holding it up to the group.

     Kynlee gasped and snapped her fingers. "Speak of the Devil, and he shall appear!"

     "No, Tara!" Sam laughed at Kynlee's comment while trying to take her phone back. "Not right now!"

     Mindy instantly reached forward and tried to take the device, but Tara yanked it away at the last second. Leaning halfway out of her chair away from Sam, Tara pretended to answer the call. "Hey, so what are your—" she swatted Sam's hands away and giggled, "intentions?"

     "And have you been using protection?" the tattooed girl asked loudly, winking at Sam.

     "That's right! We're asking the important questions around here," Chad said, giving the woman a knowing look.

     Sam scoffed. "Oh, please," she mumbled, going for her phone again. "It's fine. I'll call him back later."

     Mindy cooed. "Aw, poor guy. Guess he'll have to booty call you later."

     Reluctantly giving the phone back to her sister, Tara watched her decline to call. "You know, you could always—"

     The sound of something clattering echoed throughout the apartment and it overshadowed the conversation. It appeared to be originating from Quinn's room and Kynlee swept her eyes to the door of the redhead's room. Something hit a wall and a moan reverberated.

     "Quinn and her gentleman caller are back at it again." Tara chuckled, shaking her head.

     Feeling something land on her thigh and squeeze, Kynlee glanced down to see it was Chad's hand. She fought back a smile. "Paul's not gonna be happy about that," she mentioned, referring to the guy Quinn had been regularly hooking up with since the summer semester.

     "Well, at least she's gettin' it, too," Mindy laughed, folding her arms on the table.

     Another moan could be heard, followed by another thud. Then, everyone's phone chimed.

     Kynlee dug her phone out of the pocket of her jeans and typed in her passcode— ninety-one-two-thousand-and-three. A banner popped up, notifying her that an unknown number was requesting to share a picture with her. She really needed to turn off her AirDrop. With furrowed brows, she clicked 'allow' and immediately wished she hadn't.

     Grunting and more thuds came from Quinn's room.

     There, staring back at Kynlee, was a blurred image of Quinn covered in blood and being held against Ghostface. The killer was wielding a knife and appeared to be slicing it down toward the redhead.

     All color drained from her face and she abruptly stood up, knocking back her chair. Out of the five, she was the first to react. It appeared Anika had received the picture, too, because she was already on her feet.

     "Help! Stop!" Quinn cried, and something could be heard shattering.

     Kynlee wasted no time in sprinting to the closed door. There was no way in Hell she was going to sit there and do nothing.

     "No! Kynz, wait! Wait!" Chad knocked back his chair and managed to grab her in time. He yanked her back from the door and brought her into his chest.

     Mindy raced over to Anika and grabbed onto her. Sam did the same with Tara. All of them stood together, staring apprehensively at Quinn's door.

     "Why are we just standing here?!" Kynlee hissed, lunging forward again, but Chad kept her close to him.

     Suddenly, everything went deathly silent. All anyone could hear was the group's heavy breathing. The screaming and banging had ceased.

     A few seconds passed before Mindy whispered, "Run."

     The door to Quinn's room burst open and everyone watched in horror as Ghostface was revealed, holding the redhead's bloodied body before throwing her forward. Quinn crashed into Anika and sent them both on the floor.

     "Oh, shit!" Chad gasped, jumping him and Kynlee away.

     Mindy dropped to the ground and pushed Quinn off of Anika. An ear-piercing scream carried throughout the apartment when Anika saw Quinn's dead body lying next to her. Kynlee flinched at the sound. Glassy green eyes stared solemnly at the ceiling and Quinn didn't move.

     Sam crouched down to help Mindy pick Anika up.

     "Fuck this," Tara went with her gut instinct and fled toward the door. As she ran, she grabbed onto Kynlee and Chad. "Guys, come on!" she shouted at everyone else.

     Tears pooled in Kynlee's eyes while she fixated on Quinn. No. It took everything in her not to fight back against Chad and Tara as they dragged her out of the apartment. The last thing she heard was Mindy gasping, "Oh, fuck."

     Keeping a firm yet somehow gentle grip on Kynlee's arm, Chad steered her and Tara out of the apartment. Shouts of terror continued to echo as the three rushed down the stairs. The longer they stayed, the higher their chances were of dying and they needed to get to safety.

     Kynlee peered over her shoulder halfway down, hoping everyone else was following them, but they weren't. Only she, Chad, and Tara had managed to escape.

     No. God, no.

     They couldn't leave without them. Quinn was already dead. Kynlee refused to lose any more friends that night. So, she ripped her arm out of Chad's grasp and spun on her heels.

     First Chad came to a stop and then Tara. They turned to see the tattooed girl running back up, taking the stairs three at a time.

     Chad's stomach plummeted and he didn't hesitate in going after her. "Kynzie!" he shouted, moving as fast as he could. There was no way in Hell he was losing her. He promised her that he would keep her safe.

     "They're still up there. I'm not leaving without them!" Kynlee shouted, referring to Sam, Mindy, and Anika. Shouts of terror rained down the stairwell. "Go and get help! I'll be fine!"

     Tara was right behind the jock. "K, no!"

     "Shit! Kynz!"

     Those were the last words Kynlee heard before she recognized the screams as belonging to Anika. That motivated her to move quicker and in under five seconds she was back in the apartment.

     The first person she saw was Mindy leaning against the couch, holding her left arm, which had been cut. Blood covered her sleeve and hands. Meanwhile, Sam was nowhere in sight and Kynlee gulped. At the sound of Anika screaming again, that's when Kynlee saw the killer pinning her against the bookshelf. The knife was in her stomach and being yanked upward, creating a long gash.

     A weapon. She needed something to defend them.

     To her left was an umbrella rack and she grabbed the long green one she recognized as Quinn's. It was a small reminder of the redhead and it made her smile for a split second.

     "Hey, fuckface!" Kynlee yelled, causing Ghostface to look over. With a sharp swing, she struck them across the face. "That's for Nelly, dipshit!"

     Ghostface stumbled backward, closing the door to the apartment in the process. Anika dropped to the ground, clutching her abdomen.

     Appearing from the kitchen, Sam rushed over and swung a wooden knife block at Ghostface's head. The blow contained enough force to knock them down. For her satisfaction, though, Kynlee whacked them several times while Sam got Mindy and Anika to their feet.

     "Guys, come on!" Sam dragged the girls into Quinn's room and Kynlee joined. There was no way any of them were leaving through the front door with Ghostface blocking it off. It was too risky.

     The door to Quinn's room slammed shut and Sam locked it. Behind her, Kynlee was ushering Mindy and Anika to the bed and sitting them down on the edge of it. Mindy was grasping onto her arm and breathing heavily while Anika was still bleeding out from the large wound.

     The door was being pounded on and they all knew it was Ghostface trying to break in. Sam held onto the knob, ensuring it stayed shut.

     "Okay, okay," Kynlee murmured to herself, panic coursing through her veins. "We're gonna be okay," she pressed a kiss to each of her friends' foreheads. "Stay here."

     Then, everything fell silent again.

     The hair stood on Kynlee's arms and a shiver of fear snaked down Sam's spine. The two glanced at each other, scared for whatever was coming next. They needed to make it out alive.

     Behind the tattooed girl, Sam noticed that the entrance to the bathroom was wide open and so was the adjoining door from the bathroom to her room. Shit. "Kyn, bathroom door," she hissed, nodding at it. "Hurry!"

     Wasting no time, Kynlee sprinted over to be met with Ghostface standing in Sam's room, staring directly at her. "Oh, fuck," she said, darting to close it but the killer rushed at her, hitting it against the wall. He reached over and sliced the knife through the air, missing Kynlee by an inch. Lunging forward, he tried again and managed to slash across her right arm, near her elbow.

     Kynlee gasped in pain. "Fuck!"

     "Kyn!" Sam shouted, rushing over and jerking her into Quinn's room. Together, they slammed the door shut but struggled to lock it as Ghostface stomped his foot into it. Sam pulled away and went for the dresser next to them, sliding everything off the top. "Let's put this against it."

     While the pair moved in sync, Mindy and Anika leaned on one another for support.

     "You okay?" Mindy asked, adjusting her hold on the cut on her arm.

     "F-Fine," Anika choked out, hunching over. "I'm fine." It was getting harder to stay fully conscious, but she knew she needed to.

     Suddenly, Sam moved to the other side of the bedroom where the window was. Outside, Danny was calling out to them. The girls watched her unlock the window and slide it open. The cold wind slapped against her face and Sam looked to see how high up they were. "Shit." The banging of the masked killer attempting to break in echoed and she was brought back to their present situation.

     Across from her, Danny was peering out, too. "Hey! Don't worry, I got you," he called, pulling a ladder from what seemed to be out of nowhere.

     Sam's jaw slacked. "Are you fucking kidding me?!"

     He couldn't be serious...

     Danny began pushing it out of the window, unwinding the ladder so it grew longer. "You have a better idea?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

     "Fuck." She couldn't think of any alternatives. Their only way out was the window. "No."

     "You have to come one at a time," Danny told her, keeping it stable while she grabbed the other half.

     Once she had the ladder securely positioned on the windowsill, Sam turned to face the three, feeling guilty for all of them being stuck in this situation. Kynlee and Mindy had been through this before, but Anika? This was new to her and the odds weren't looking in her favor.

     "You three go first," Sam ordered, motioning them to go. "Kynlee!"

     Kynlee's back was pressed against the dresser and her feet were planted firmly on the ground. Her right arm and hand were covered in blood. The cut she'd received wasn't deep enough to cause any real harm; she'd be okay. Even with being knocked back and forth every other second by the killer's kicks to the door, she refused to give up and let her discomfort win. She had to keep her friends safe for as long as she could.

     "What? No!" Kynlee argued, holding back a groan at Ghostface's next hit. "Someone needs to hold this goddamn door. I'll send Anika and Mindy next. Go!" Darting her eyes from Sam to the window, she gave the older girl a nod of reassurance.

     It was clear that Sam was hesitant to leave them, but Mindy and Anika gave her small nods, too. So with a deep inhale, she whirled around and wrapped her fingers around the sides of the ladder.

     "Sam, come on," Danny said, keeping his end steady. "Eyes on me, baby. Keep your eyes on me."

     "Oh, shit," Sam muttered, eyes widening at the view below. "Oh, my God." Slowly, she crawled out of the window and onto the ladder.

     With a grimace spreading across her lips, Kynlee anxiously watched Sam get further and further away. Good. That was good. One down, two to go. Her safety and life were the least of her concerns.

     "You're losing a lot of blood!" Mindy raised her voice to be heard above the sound of Ghostface beating the shit out of the bathroom door.

     Anika grunted in pain, struggling to stay awake. "Say something more positive!"

     "Hey, Nik," Kynlee breathed, feeling the knobs on the dresser dig into her shoulder blades. "You're going to be okay. It's going to be okay." The intention behind those words was pure, but it did little to ease anyone's fear.

     "Come on!"

     "Let's go!"

     The sound of Sam and Danny screaming at the trio made them glance up. Sam had successfully made it to Danny's apartment. Now, it was their turn.

     "Come on, Mindy!" Sam shouted. "Anika! Kynlee!"

     "Let's go, we got to move!"

     Mindy grabbed one of Anika's arms and threw it over her shoulder while encasing her arms around her waist, dragging them to the window.

     "Anika, come on! Anika!"

     "Mindy and Anika move!"

     Sitting her girlfriend on the bed, Mindy briefly glimpsed at Sam and Danny before turning back. "You have to go first," Mindy pleaded, tears muddying her vision. She wasn't as injured as her. She could wait.

     "I can't." Anika whimpered, shaking her head. Deep down, she knew how this was likely going to end.

     "Nik, go!" Kynlee shouted, grunting when the dresser shoved against her spine. "I swear to God, if you don't go across that ladder, I'll kill you myself."

     Mindy grabbed both sides of her girlfriend's face. "You have to go," she repeated, practically begging.

     Shaking her head, Anika blinked. "Mindy, no! I'll be right behind you with Kyn, I promise."

     Kynlee watched with burning tears as Mindy and Anika shared one last kiss. Her lips twisted to the side and she grimaced. Both in pain for the couple and the increasing ache in her backside.

     "Mindy, come on. You got to get over here!" Sam screamed desperately, hating how long it was taking them.

     Danny added, "Let's go! We got you."

     Finally, the curly-haired girl faced the window and crept onto the ladder. Every inch of her was telling her not to look down. The second she looked down, she'd probably fall. Heights were never her favorite.

     "That's it, Mindy."

     "Slow and steady."

     "Come on. We got you."

     "Fuck!" Kynlee yelped, nearly toppling over at Ghostface's next kick. The door was cracking open and he was waving the knife in the air, desperate to hit anything. Kynlee didn't know how much longer she could keep doing this. Sure, she was relatively strong, but whoever was behind that mask was slowly overpowering her.

     At the commotion, Mindy looked over her shoulder to see her best friend struggling to keep herself and her girlfriend safe. Part of her craved to go back and help.

     However, Anika caught her lingering stare and weakly gestured for her to keep going. "Baby, you can't stop," she cried.

     Swallowing harshly, Mindy nodded and continued until she was on the other end. Sam and Danny helped her inside Danny's apartment, making sure she was steady on her feet. Then, they all looked out the window.

     "Anika, come on!" Mindy shouted, holding onto both ends of the ladder. "Come on, baby!"

     Kynlee grit her teeth and adjusted her footing. "Nik, go," she choked out, jerking forward at another kick.

     "No, I can't do it," the Kayoko girl sobbed, clutching onto her abdomen.

     "You have to," Kynlee gasped, feeling her feet beginning to slide. "I-I can't hold this forever. You need to go. Please. You've got it."

     Anika forced a nod, aware that time was running out for them both. "Okay, all right," she muttered, inhaling deeply and getting off the bed. Three steps was all it took for her to get to the window and four seconds was all it took for her to climb onto the ladder. She began inching across when the door to the room burst open.

     On the opposite side of the ladder, Sam, Danny, and Mindy watched Kynlee fly to the ground. The dresser slammed against the wall and left a dent from the force of the blow. Ghostface stalked into the room with their knife gripped tightly.

     The wind was knocked out of Kynlee and she rolled onto her back to see the killer standing above her. Grunting, she kicked her foot up once they were close enough and struck them in the gut. Ghostface stumbled but quickly steadied themselves, tilting their head. Kynlee flipped onto her stomach and scrambled to get up. Ghostface took advantage of the opportunity and didn't waste any time. They swung down and plunged their blade into the skin of her right shoulder blade.

     Kynlee let out a cry and felt the familiar sensation of blood running down her back. Before she could move any further, the killer grabbed her by the back of the neck and lifted her off the ground. The tips of her platform boots dragged against the hardwood and she clawed at the hand holding her. Her air supply was being cut off and she was already red in the face.

     Gulping, Sam glanced at Anika. "Hey," she called, noticing how the girl was looking into Quinn's room and sobbing. "Anika, you can't stop. Come on! You can do it!"

     At the encouragement, Anika resumed moving. She had to.

     Back in the apartment, Ghostface pinned Kynlee to the wall and let go of her throat. With one hand, they grabbed her by the forehead and bashed her head into the wall, effectively knocking her unconscious. Then with the latter, they swung her right arm up and stabbed the knife straight through her palm.

     Once Kynlee's body was successfully hanging on the wall, Ghostface spun toward the window. The sound of boots thudding could be heard from Danny's apartment.

     The shouts for her to keep moving stopped and Anika glanced up. "W-What?" she asked, recognizing the horror on everyone's face.

     Mindy felt a surge of panic overwhelm her. "Anika, you have to move right now! Anika!"

     Looking over her shoulder again, a sob tumbled from her lips when she saw Ghostface standing there. Their hands were wrapped around the end of the ladder. "No, God! Please, no!" she wailed, shaking her head back and forth.

     "Anika, you got to move!" Sam screamed.

     "Anika, let's go!" Danny shouted, rapidly motioning for her to hurry up before it was too late.

     Her arms were shaking and Anika was crying. "No! I—" The ladder swung underneath her and she gripped onto it for her life depended on it.

     Ghostface was swinging it left to right and up and down. They moved the ladder in every direction, almost tipping the girl off, but not quite yet.

     Mindy, Sam, and Danny were clamoring so loud their voices were echoing off the building.

     "You have to make it!" Mindy cried, tears streaming down her face.

     Anika tried to meet her gaze, but couldn't. Everything was moving too fast. "Baby, I don't want to die!"

     "No, Anika!" Mindy was trying to reach across with Sam, both of their arms extended. They were trying to pull her the rest of the way across.

     Ghostface raised their end of the ladder in the air and slammed it on the windowsill. Anika's body lifted off the metal rods for a moment and fear struck everyone.

     "Anika, give me your hand," Sam yelled, leaning out more. Danny held onto her waist to ensure she didn't fall out. "I got you." Their fingers brushed and almost curled around the other's. They were so close.

     And then, with one final shake and sharp jolt, the ladder tipped to the right and sent Anika flying.

     "NO!" Out of instinct, Mindy nearly jumped out of the window as if falling after her would change the inevitable outcome.

     Thinking on his feet, Danny let go of Sam and enveloped his arms around the curly-haired girl's torso. He winced at the sound of her sobbing, calling out to her girlfriend.

     With a loud crash, everyone flinched before casting their eyes downward.

     Anika Kayoko's body lay on the concrete in between the dumpsters on either side of the alleyway. Blood pooled from the gashes and cracks in her skull, surrounding her and staining everything in proximity. Drops of blood dripped onto her forehead, coming from the side of the dumpster her head had smashed against.

     On the other end of the ladder, Sam slowly glanced at Ghostface. Horror and unmistakable grief painted her face and her jaw dropped when the masked figure stepped aside to reveal Kynlee Manral's limp body still nailed to the wall. "No..." she whispered, reaching behind her to grab Danny.

     "W-What?" Danny gasped, tearing his gaze away from Anika's mangled corpse.

     A sick sensation settled in Sam's stomach and her face paled as Ghostface rotated, heading for the tattooed girl. "Kynlee," she choked out, beginning to shake her head. "KYNLEE! NO!"

     Mindy managed to collect herself enough to bring her attention to whatever it was Sam was yelling at. Immediately, her stomach plunged at the sight of Ghostface standing in front of Kynlee, ripping their knife out of the wall and her hand. "Kynz!" Mindy screamed in between sobs, trembling in Danny's arms.

     Once the blade was no longer holding her up, Kynlee collapsed and disappeared from view. She was still unconscious and couldn't hear her friends screaming her name while Ghostface raised the blade high in the air.

     "STAY AWAY FROM HER, YOU MOTHERFUCKER!"

     "NO, KYN! NO! STOP!"

     "KYNLEE! KYNZ, WAKE UP! YOU GOTTA WAKE UP!"

     The sound of police sirens neared closer in the distance, but Ghostface paid no mind. Rather than fleeing as quickly as possible, they swung the knife down toward the defenseless girl.

     Tonight was simply a message of warning to everyone and Anika and Kynlee were the messengers.

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❝ you know i'm 𝒈𝒐𝒐𝒅 at 𝒌𝒆𝒆𝒑𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒔𝒆𝒄𝒓𝒆𝒕𝒔,
you know that you're my 𝒘𝒆𝒂𝒌𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔. . .

and i'll 𝒂𝒍𝒘𝒂𝒚𝒔 repeat 𝒊𝒕! ❞

     rip anika kayoko <3 you will always be famous to me!!

     this might've been my favorite chapter to write so far, honestly. the entire apartment attack and the movie score for it is so insanely perfect to me. i love it so much and enjoyed every minute of writing it.

     lil easter egg: in the original scream, sidney stabbed billy with a green umbrella &&& kynlee hit ethan with a green umbrella in this chapter. just thought i'd point that out.

     ps... yes, the first paragraph at the beginning of the chapter was inspired by barry allen's confession of love to iris west from season one of the flash. it wasn't intentional, but as i went through the chapter and edited it, i realized that it sounded oddly familiar. then, i figured out why it did lmao.

     (i also love showing how much chad truly does love kynlee :')) it makes my heart so happy because in volume i we got to see her side + her feelings for him. it's just so sweet to me.)

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˒⠀𝑹𝑬𝑴𝑰𝑵𝑫𝑬𝑹. . . ▬⠀⤸

Thank you all for taking the time out of your day to comment on this story. It means a lot and helps the story be spread to a broader audience &&& allows me to grow as an author. All I ask is that people vote on each chapter, please. As a creator, it takes time to write and develop stories. So please, vote on every chapter. It means a lot more than I could ever express.

Don't forget to vote & comment!

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˒⠀𝑪𝑶𝑷𝒀𝑹𝑰𝑮𝑯𝑻. . . ▬⠀⤸

❝ All Rights Reserved.
No part of this publication may be
reproduced, distributed, or transmitted
in any form or by any means, including
photocopying, recording, or other
electronic or mechanical methods,
without prior permission of the author,
except in the case of brief quotations
embodied in critical reviews and
other noncommercial uses permitted
by copyright law. ❞

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