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𝙑𝙊𝙇𝙐𝙈𝙀 𝑰𝑰. ── CASUALTY OF YOUR DREAMS!

❛ 𝒄𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝒐𝒇 𝒅𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒍𝒔 ❜
─── chapter fifteen! ❫

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

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     "SAM, NO. NO WAY. IT COULD BE A TRAP. SAM, DON'T! SAMANTHA!" Those were the words shouted at Sam Carpenter by Danny Brackett and Mindy Meeks-Martin as she hoisted herself back onto the ladder. There was no time to waste. Determination fueled every move she made. There was no way in hell that she was going to wait for the police and paramedics to get to the apartment first.

     Saving Kynlee Manral's life was all that mattered to Sam.

     She promised Andi that she would protect his daughter and keep her safe. The possibility of Ghostface luring Sam back into the apartment and killing her for good didn't matter. If she died protecting the tattooed girl, then so be it.

     "Samantha! Don't!" Danny yelled, holding down the ladder in an attempt to keep it still. Beside him, Mindy was crying her eyes out and shaking from head to toe. For all they knew, Kynlee was dead too.

     Wind blew her long black hair out of her face and Sam crawled past every rod, holding her breath. "Fuck, fuck, fuck." The ladder was shaking and felt like it would give out at any second, but she didn't care. She couldn't care.

     "Sam... Kynlee, please..." Mindy sobbed, collapsing into Danny's side while he continued to stabilize the ladder. The shock and overwhelming grief of watching her girlfriend die and seeing her dead body coupled with her best friend's unknown status was crippling. It was getting harder to breathe and she didn't know how to process it.

     For once, she couldn't compartmentalize a traumatic event and Mindy knew she wouldn't be able to. Tonight hit harder than anything else from the Woodsboro attacks, aside from Wes.

     Finally, Sam reached Quinn's windowsill and clutched onto the end of the raised panel. She bent her knees and swung them inside, ducking her head. She jumped down and landed on the carpet with a soft thud.

     The masked killer was gone and the room was wrecked.

     Quinn's disheveled bed held shallow pools of blood at the edge of it where Mindy and Anika had been sitting. Various trails of crimson liquid covered the floor while dark splatters and streaks decorated the walls, slowly dripping and sliding down. Pictures on the walls were crooked or had been knocked off— likely when Ghostface attacked Quinn first. The dresser the girls used to keep Ghostface out was slammed against the wall next to the bathroom and stuck in a giant dent. The bathroom door was bloody and ajar, creaking as its hinges barely held it up. The full-length mirror a few feet to the right had been shattered at some point and shards of broken glass reflected off the ceiling lights. In between the dresser and the remaining frame of the mirror was a hole with blood splattered around it and a small indention located a few inches below. Sam swallowed thickly. It was where Ghostface had hung Kynlee and smashed her head.

     Hastily rounding the full-sized bed, Sam immediately dropped to her knees at the scene. Tears welled in her eyes and she crawled to Kynlee's side. "Kyn? Kynlee?" she called, grabbing the Manral girl by the shoulders. A warm substance coated her left hand and she pulled it back to see blood. The sight of it made Sam's throat close up.

     "Hey, Kyn," she choked out, putting her hand back on the girl's shoulder. Gently, she jostled her from side to side. "Hey. Hey, come on."

     Kynlee's eyes remained shut and she lay on her back. Her left hand was positioned a foot away from her torso and the right was sprawled out to the side, bleeding profusely. There was a visible stab wound going straight through her palm and also a long slash that Ghostface carved on her arm near her elbow. She'd sustained it when trying to close Sam's bathroom door. On her chest was another stab wound. It was positioned under her left collarbone and bleeding, too. It was the result of Ghostface's final blow with their knife.

     "Hey, hey," Sam tried again, cradling Kynlee's face with her clean hand. Nothing changed. "No. Don't do this. Wake up." As her vision muddled, she lowered her ear to Kynlee's chest and pressed two fingers to the side of her neck. It took a second, but she heard and felt a heartbeat. "Fuck. Thank God."

    A forked laugh and sob escaped her mouth and she fell back on her knees. "All right, all right." Sam inhaled deeply and gathered herself. "We're getting you the fuck out of here," she told an unconscious Kynlee.

     Suddenly, the sound of wood snapping and breaking echoed in the distance. Sam flinched and glanced over the bed, wide eyes focused on the locked bedroom door. Multiple voices and words being exchanged over walkies could be heard. Heavy footsteps were present, too.

     Maybe it was the police?

     "Clear."

     "It's clear!"

     Yup. That was definitely the police.

     Relief overcame Sam and she let out a breath. "We're in here!" she screamed, ignoring the burning sensation in her throat from yelling so much tonight. She glanced down and smiled at Kynlee. "I'm gonna let them in, okay?" No response was given.

     Stumbling to her feet, she dashed to the door. The heavy footsteps barrelled toward Quinn's room at the cry. Before law enforcement could knock on the door or bust through, Sam threw it open. Two S.WA.T. agents and two NYPD officers were there, weapons drawn.

     Immediately, she raised her hands and backed up. "My friend is unconscious on the other side of the bed. She's been stabbed," she rushed the words out her mouth, almost breathless. "We need a medic."

     The S.W.A.T. agents entered and cleared the space. They stepped over Kynlee's body and went into the bathroom and Sam's room, clearing those as well.

     One of the officers motioned for Sam to lower her arms and the latter entered, rounding the bed. "Oh, shit... Medic!" he shouted over the clamor of voices in the apartment. Not a moment later, a medic raced past Sam and to the unconscious girl.

     "Ma'am, come with me." The officer that'd motioned to Sam tugged on her arm, pulling her body and her attention out of the room. "Ma'am, please."

     Sam almost misstepped when she allowed the man to relocate her. "Kynlee..." she whispered, face twisting in pain. If Kynlee didn't make it, she didn't know what she'd do.

     Another medic went into Quinn's room.

     "The medics will take good care of her. I need you to come with me, please."

     Turning around, Sam took in the state of the apartment. The chairs at the dining table were knocked over and everyone's phones were on the table itself. In the living room, the elongated couch was crooked and the right side of it had been pushed back from where Anika and Quinn fell. Speaking of Quinn, her body was covered with a plastic tarp, and her blood decorated the carpet and hardwood. Off to the side, the blue bookshelf Anika had been pinned against was dripping with blood and a small pool was forming on the floor. A green umbrella was lying near the front door, as was a knife block.

     A few more police officers were searching the space and speaking into their walkies. One was calling for the entire apartment complex to be taped off while another requested for C.S.I. techs to be sent there right away. Lastly, there was an officer at the door, ensuring no one came inside.

     "Ma'am, are you hurt?"

     Blinking, Sam swept her gaze to the officer. "W-What?"

     He almost grimaced at the forming grief on the woman's face. What happened tonight was unknown to him, but he could tell it would likely haunt the survivors. Two bodies were already discovered. "Are you injured?" he rephrased, holstering his gun.

     Oh.

      "No, I'm uh, I'm not. This is, this is my friend's blood," the black-haired woman answered shakily, raising her hand a little. She glanced at the name badge on his chest and saw the last name PLATT engraved into it.

     Right as he went to respond, two voices shouted.

     "Kynzie! Let us in!"

     "Hey, move! I fucking live here!"

     Sam and Platt looked at the front door. Chad and Tara were outside and trying to squeeze their way in. A few of the neighbors stood behind them in the hallway, trying to get a peak at what was going on. Everyone had heard the screams.

     The other officer guarding the entrance shook his head and readjusted his stance when Tara tried to push past him. "You can't be in here," he stated firmly.

     Neither of them listened.

     "Kynzie!" Chad screamed, peering over the man in an attempt to get a better view of what was happening. A few minutes ago, Danny had told him and Tara outside that Sam and Kynlee were still in the apartment. Mindy was too much of a mess to tell them anything. His eyes landed on Sam, but Kynlee was nowhere in sight. "Sam!"

     Tara was on the verge of tears. "Y-You have to let us in," she begged the officer, desperation laced into her every word. "That's my sister and best friend in there!"

     "And I have to do my job. Leave."

     In unison, the pair responded coldly, "No."

     "Fine." He snapped his fingers and whistled. "Burgess! Waters! Get these two out of here."

     Sam's jaw slackened and she glanced at Platt. "T-That's my sister and friend, they're good to come in," she insisted, pointing to the right.

     At the sound of their names being called, two cops made their way to the door.

     "This is an active crime scene. They can't come in and contaminate anything, and you can't leave until the C.S.I.s get here and take photographs. I still need to take your statement, too. I'm sorry," Platt apologized, trying to empathize with the woman as much as he could while still doing his job.

     When a set of foreign hands landed on her shoulders, Tara immediately shrugged the officer off of her. "Don't touch me," she snapped, yanking her arm back.

     Chad stumbled backward with tears clouding his vision. "I just want to know if she's alive, please!"

     Sam went to shout that Kynlee was alive, but Platt stopped her. "Let's go to the kitchen, yeah? I can take your statement there while the scene is processed."

     A look of defeat spread across her features and Sam swallowed harshly. "Fine. Let's get it over with."

────

     THE LACK OF COMMUNICATION REGARDING KYNLEE MANRAL'S CONDITION WAS INFURIATING. Not just for Chad, but for everybody— including Danny. The police hadn't given any updates and neither had the paramedics or hospital. The friend group only witnessed Kynlee being rolled out of the apartment complex in a stretcher, unconscious, placed in the back of an ambulance, and escorted by police to the nearby hospital. None of the group were allowed to go with them, which pissed each of them off. Chad nearly got into a physical fight, but Sam and Danny managed to step in and prevent him from getting arrested.

     Gradually, everyone provided their official statements, got checked out by EMTs, and for those with injuries, police and C.S.I.s took pictures for documentation. By the time they were finished, it was half past seven in the morning.

     Sam was standing at the gates in front of the alleyway, smoking a cigarette and watching the police officers work. Detective Bailey had gone inside a few minutes ago to confirm that it was indeed his daughter who was dead. Since then, he had yet to come out. Sam wasn't looking forward to fallout from the man seeing Quinn. It wasn't going to be pretty and the guilt she felt in her chest was only worsening.

     Danny was off to the side and speaking with a few cops, continuously glancing at Sam. He wore a semi-permanent frown.

     Tara, Mindy, and Chad were a couple of feet away at an ambulance. The back doors of the vehicle were open and Mindy was sitting inside with Tara on her left. She was staring at the ground blankly, a navy blue blanket wrapped around her frame and her arm now stitched and bandaged up. Tara was rubbing her back and anxiously chewing on her bottom lip. The two exchanged whispers every few minutes, checking in on the other for reassurance.

     Meanwhile, Chad was leaning against the ajar door on Mindy's right, arms folded and face hard. He couldn't hear a single word anybody around him was saying. Truthfully, he hadn't heard them in a long time and nobody appeared to notice. If they had, they didn't comment on it. Also, he hadn't made an effort to listen. There were more important things to focus on and he was distracted by the absence of his girlfriend and whether she was okay. He couldn't bear the thought of losing her ever.

     It was agonizing to stand there while Kynlee was miles away being taken care of. It was agonizing not knowing if she was still alive.

     As if the universe could hear the screams in Chad's head and feel the ache in his chest, it provided him and the girls with a wave of relief.

     "Scoot over before the cops noticed I snuck in."

     When his eyes landed on Kynlee Manral, it felt like the world's weight had been lifted off Chad's shoulders. He could breathe again. The same applied to Mindy and Tara.

     Kynlee had rounded the ambulance doors and stood close to the edge of the vehicle. She looked significantly better than earlier that morning. Blood no longer coated her body. It seemed she'd showered before arriving there. Her long black hair was still damp and she had no makeup on. Her eyes were a little red and puffy— signs that she'd been crying.

     The long-sleeved mesh tie-dye green top and tan shorts Kynle wore last night were gone. Instead, she was wearing a navy blue sports bra with a matching navy long-sleeve mesh top, but this time it had a marble and stripped pattern combination on it. Rather than shorts, she wore navy blue pants that she'd tucked her shirt into. On her feet, she was wearing a pair of black platform Converse that she'd stolen from Mindy.

     However, she also sported bandages that gave away where she'd been stabbed. There was a rectangular white bandage on her right shoulder blade that Chad could scarcely see from where he stood. Under her left collarbone was another bandage. Then, her entire right forearm and hand were wrapped in so much gauze and tape that it looked like she was wearing a cast.

     Out of the surviving members, she was the one who'd physically suffered the most from Ghostface's attack. There was no doubt about it. The only other person injured was Mindy, and seeing the state her best friend was in made her tear up.

     "Here. Sit next to me," Mindy offered; she and Tara scooted to the left.

     Before sitting down beside the curly-haired girl, Kynlee turned to Chad. No words needed to be exchanged. Both of them already knew.

     "Come here, sweetheart," Chad murmured, bringing her into an embrace. His arms wrapped around her waist and he nuzzled his face in the crook of her neck. He blinked back the layers of tears clouding his vision and made sure he didn't hold her too tight. The last thing he wanted was to worsen the pain she was undoubtedly feeling.

     With a heavy exhale, Kynlee placed her arms around his neck as best she could and tugged him closer. For the first time since last night, she could relax.

     Every inch of his body pressed against hers felt like home, and they cradled the other, savoring every second that passed.

     "I love you," Chad whispered, pressing two kisses to her skin.

     Kynlee swallowed the lump in her throat. "I love you." And just like every time he said those three words to her, she blushed.

     "We love her, too, you know," Tara informed them, desperately wanting a hug from the Manral girl.

     "Shut up, Tara," Chad grumbled, waving a dismissive hand in her direction. He just wanted to be in this moment with Kynlee for a few more seconds before reality kicked back in gear.

     Mindy and Tara rolled their eyes but wore small smiles.

     Right as Kynlee began to pull out of his arms, Chad pressed a kiss to the side of her head. Once she untangled herself, she gave him a tiny nod. There was no way she was faking a smile today. It wasn't happening, and he understood that.

     "I love you both very much," she mumbled, briefly hugging the two girls and giving them forehead kisses.

     "Shouldn't you be at the hospital?" Tara soon asked, peering around Mindy and watching Chad lift Kynlee and place her inside the ambulance next to them.

     Kynlee adjusted herself until she was comfortable. "Probably," she sighed, meeting her concerned stare. "I woke up alone in a hospital room with no one to tell me what happened or where you guys were. I was stitched and bandaged up. A doctor came in and told me what my injuries were and that none of them were life-threatening. The stab wounds I got didn't hit any major muscles or arteries. He did say I have a concussion and advised me to stay. I said fuck no, denied further treatment, and had the cop that was stationed outside my room to take me back to our dorm." She glanced at Mindy and placed a hand on her knee. "He waited for me while I took a shower and then brought me here."

     "I'm glad you're here," Mindy breathed, eyes glassy when she looked at the tattooed girl. Those words held a double meaning, and everybody quickly caught on.

     Kynlee felt that lump in her throat again. "Me too," she croaked out as she was reminded of the fact that Anika and Quinn weren't there with them, and never would be.

     At that, the conversation died and time gradually ticked by.

     Eventually, Sam and Danny came over and expressed their relief at Kynlee's presence. Sam shed a few tears but managed to gather herself enough to not lose it completely. Shortly after, she returned to her position by the gate at the alley and an officer dragged Danny away for some follow-up questions.

     Presently, for the last hour, Chad's attention had been flickering between Mindy and Kynlee. It was primarily on Kynlee seeing as Tara had taken over as Mindy's main source of comfort again. That was largely due to Kynlee being severely injured and too out of it to interact with anyone anymore. Once she'd gotten settled and finished speaking to Sam and Danny, she'd shut down and grew quiet. It didn't take a genius to know what was likely replaying in her mind.

     Neither Chad nor Tara witnessed the horror that occurred after Kynlee disappeared inside the apartment. Neither knew exactly what the others endured, but it was traumatizing from what Sam and Danny shared and resulted in Anika Kayoko's untimely death. Only a few words had come from Mindy about the situation, and Kynlee hadn't spoken about it. Nobody expected either of them to discuss it for a while.

     At the edge of the crime scene, Ethan Landry had arrived and was ducking under the yellow caution tape. He wore a countenance of confusion and gripped the straps of his backpack. The presence of NYPD and S.W.A.T. only meant one thing— something terrible had happened— and it likely involved his friends.

     His eyes searched for a familiar face and stopped when he spotted Chad. The jock was leaning against an open door of an ambulance. Kynlee, Mindy, and Tara sat inside of it. Only two of the three were visibly injured while another two people were missing. His stomach dropped.

     "Chad..."

     At the sound and sight of his roommate, Chad's arms fell to his sides and he marched across the pavement. His jaw was set and his anger regarding everything was reaching a tipping point. When he reached him, Chad grabbed Ethan by the straps of his backpack and slammed him against a nearby black C.S.I. tech van.

     "Where were you?"

     Ethan's eyes were wide in surprise. He was too taken aback by the attack to process the ache in his backside. "What? When?!"

     Chad slammed him against the vehicle again. "Last night!"

     "What? I-I had Econ. You and Kynlee know this!"

     The mention of her name made Kynlee bring her attention to the scene unfolding yards away. She hadn't even noticed it until now.

     "Bullshit, man!" Chad spat, throwing him at the van a final time. People were watching, but he didn't pay them any mind. "You disappear, and my sister and girlfriend almost get killed!"

     "Dude, I was in a study hall with a hundred other people." Ethan protested, holding his hands up in defense. "You can ask any of them."

     From where they sat in the ambulance, the girls could overhear the confrontation and none of them believed a word Ethan said. It was too much of a coincidence to overlook. The only new member of their friend group left alive was nowhere to be seen last night, but Ghostface sure was. It was obvious, and coincidences didn't exist in the Stab franchise or their lives.

     It took a few seconds of Chad scanning Ethan's face for any signs of lying before he huffed. He still didn't know him well enough to know when he was lying. There was no telling, and that bothered him.

     "Fuck, man," he muttered, reluctantly letting him go and putting space between them.

     Out of the corner of his eye, Ethan noticed movement. In the alleyway between both sides of the apartment complex cops and C.S.I.s were gathered. A bloodied body was on the concrete and police were covering it with a tarp. From where he stood, he couldn't tell who it was.

     "Oh, my God. W-Who?" he stuttered, glancing to the right.

     Chad's gaze swept up and down his roommate for a final time. "Anika and Quinn." Then, he turned his back to him and returned to the ambulance.

     Loosely trailing behind the jock, Ethan saw Mindy glaring at him. His heart paused. "Mindy, I'm so sorry—"

     "Step the fuck back." Immediately, he took a timid step away. "You're at the top of my list."

     Jaw slackening, he stammered out, "I-I had Econ!"

     No one was buying it.

     Mindy glanced over at her brother with a hard expression, silently daring him to stick up for the brown-haired boy. She'd be damned if he didn't see what was happening here. Thankfully, Chad didn't say anything and took her side. He averted his stare when Ethan gaped at him desperately.

     Inhaling deeply, Ethan looked at the injured tattooed girl. He already knew Tara wouldn't come to his aid. She was looking anywhere but at him. "Kynlee..." he pleaded, wanting someone to stick up for him.

     However, that person wasn't going to be Kynlee Manral. Not today.

     "Go fuck yourself." Tears glistened in her eyes and she was restlessly tapping her feet against the ledge of the ambulance.

     Ethan flinched at her sharp tone and took another step back.

     Suddenly, Tara sat up and hopped out of the vehicle. "Hey, I'm gonna be right back," she told the group, kissing Mindy and Kynle on the foreheads before running to her sister's side.

     Everyone followed her tiny frame and who she and Sam were talking with. It was a teary-eyed and devastated Detective Bailey.

     For the umpteenth time that morning, Kynlee's eyesight blurred. The searing pain of losing a loved one wasn't unfamiliar to her. She knew it well. However, she didn't know what it felt like to lose a child and she prayed she never had to.

     "Hey."

     Flinching, Kynlee shakily met her boyfriend's concerned stare. A few tears trickled down her face.

     "We're gonna get through this," Chad whispered, holding his hand out to her, "together." He reached over and wiped away her tears with his free one. Their fingers overlapped and she squeezed his hand.

     Ethan observed them from a few feet to the side. He chewed the inside of his cheek anxiously.

     "I love you guys," Mindy muttered, scooting over and leaning into the tattooed girl's side.

     Kynlee glanced at her and wrapped an arm over the curly-haired girl's shoulders. This was her family. "I love you both more than anything." Those were the first words she'd uttered in an hour.

     "Hey!" The trio and Ethan looked to the right and saw the Carpenter sisters walking toward them. Trailing behind were Detective Bailey, Gale Weathers, and Kirby Reid. They knew Gale from last year but recognized Kirby. "How do you guys feel about a field trip?"

     The three blinked solemnly at Sam while Ethan tilted his head. None of them were in the mood to do much of anything.

     "I've got a lead," Gale shared, folding her arms over her chest. "You're gonna want to see this."

────

     KYNLEE DID NOT WANT TO SEE THIS. Well, whatever "this" was. The group had yet to reach their destination— not that they knew where they were going. All Gale told them was that it was an abandoned building and nobody would be there but them— which sounded promising and like a great idea.

     Instead, Kynlee wanted to see the inside of her dorm room and the inside of her eyelids. She was tired and worn out. Her body hurt and her heart was heavy with grief. Whatever this was didn't matter to her. At least not right now.

     "What'd you tell Mom?" Mindy asked over her shoulder, merely glimpsing back at her brother and best friend. She was walking hand-in-hand alongside Tara with Sam, Kirby, and Gale leading. Behind them were Kynlee and Chad, and then Detective Bailey and Ethan.

     At the sound of his sister's voice, Chad averted his attention from his girlfriend. "Not much. We just got our phones back from the cops, Mindy," he jabbed a thumb in Detective Bailey's direction.

     Before everyone left with Gale, Bailey managed to get the young adults their phones back from his colleagues. After all, they'd been left in the apartment when the attack initially occurred and were considered evidence until Bailey convinced the police otherwise.

     "What about you, Kynz?" Mindy stepped over a pile of rocks and continued moving down the extended alleyway.

     Kynlee held onto Chad a little tighter. "My phone's dead, so I can't contact Pa, Malik, or Ibrahim. I'm going to call them later. The hospital asked if I wanted the staff to contact Pa, and I said no. I doubt they haven't heard about this, though."

     "We'll call them later, yeah?" Tara sent her a reassuring smile.

     Nodding, Kynlee let out a soft breath, "Yeah." A kiss was placed on top of her head and she peered up. "Thank you," she whispered to Chad, nearly cracking a minuscule smile when he pecked her lips.

     "'Course," he matched her volume and smiled sweetly.

     "Jason and Greg were little Atlanta rich boys," Gale told everybody, raising the volume of her voice so they could hear her. All the chatter died down. "Apparently, they used fake names to rent this place."

     On the right, there was a black-and-white spray-painted mural of Ghostface. Underneath the side portrait of the masked killer was the phrase, "What's your favorite scary movie?"

     When Kynlee saw it, she scrunched her nose in distaste and shook her head. With a roll of her eyes, she glanced away.

     "How did you find it?" Kirby asked, eyebrows knitting together. Nothing about this was adding up for her.

     Gale glanced at her skeptically. "It's called "investigative journalism" for a reason. How didn't you find it? Weren't you tracking them?" she retorted, shaking her head at the incompetence among law enforcement. Whenever it came to Ghostface, it was as if police officers forgot how to do their job properly. They never searched deep enough like she did.

     The question Gale posed made the Carpenter sisters share a similar look.

     Kirby took offense. "I went through their financial records dozens of times. This was not in any of them. It doesn't make sense," she insisted, unappreciative at the obvious doubting of her job capabilities.

     "Don't worry." Gale didn't meet her gaze and kept walking. "I'm just really good at my job. You'll get there."

     Scoffing, Kirby rolled her eyes.

     All movement came to a halt while Gale dug a set of keycards out of her purse. They stood at the back of a tall, worn-down brick building that looked like it could fall apart at any second.

     Kynlee furrowed her eyebrows and watched the journalist swipe one of the cards through a card reader. Something buzzed and the small red light on the reader flashed green.

     One by one, everybody followed Gale inside and up a set of stairs. Sam, Tara, Chad, and Ethan turned on the flashlights on their phones. Particles of dust were floating in the air and the atmosphere was cold.

     "Where the fuck are we?" Kynlee muttered, taking in the smell of dust and what was maybe stale popcorn.

     Maybe Gale Weathers finally snapped and brought everyone there to kill them. 'Cause what the hell was going on?

     Mindy didn't look at Kynlee. "The seventh layer of Hell," she muttered out of the corner of her mouth.

     At the remark, Kynlee, Tara, and Chad snorted.

     Ignoring the commentary, Gale swiped the second keycard through another card reader. Again, there was a buzz, and she threw open the final rusty gate. It creaked loudly and the noise made her involuntarily shiver.

     "What is this place?" Sam questioned. "What's with all the security?"

     Rather than replying, Gale wordlessly excused herself and went to the left where a power box was located on the back wall. She grabbed the handle positioned on the right side of the rectangular grey box and flipped it. The sound of a machine starting up reverberated throughout the building.

     The group inched forward some more, curious yet anxious as to what was hidden in the shadows.

     Every lightbulb was illuminated and Kynlee squinted at the sudden light. Slowly, she took in the setting and the random chairs and broken popcorn machines. A couple of yards away was a series of glass cases that held unknown objects. No one could tell specifically what from where they stood.

     The realization dawned on Tara first. "It's a movie theater," she stated matter-of-factly.

     Gale hummed in confirmation. "It's not just a theater. It's a shrine."

     "A shrine for what?" Kynlee and Chad asked in unplanned unison.

     "Not what— who."

     There was more creaking and in the distance, Kynlee saw a wine-red curtain rising. A stage was hidden beneath it and was home to nine cloaked silhouettes that she could have gone her entire life without ever seeing again.

     This was a shrine for Ghostface...

     Memorabilia for Ghostface, the Stab movies, every killer over the years, and crime scene evidence was littered everywhere. The outfits victims had worn when they were murdered were displayed on mannequins. The outfits the killers had infamously worn outside of the Ghostface costume were present. Even the knives used by the killers were there.

     Off to the right, hanging from what was presumably the second floor of the theater, was a dark green garage door. Kynlee instantly recognized it, and her heart stopped. Not only was it the door that assisted in killing Tatum Riley, it was also a replica of the one at Amber Freeman's old house.

     "Woah..." Mindy weaved her way through the small crowd with a dropped jaw.

     Of course, Mindy was going to be the first one to check it out.

     Gradually, the rest of the group, minus Kynlee and Sam, dispersed. The two stood side-by-side, unsure of how to react to the shrine. It was impressive, that was a given, but it was also insensitive and cruel. Obviously, Jason and Greg lacked empathy and neglected the fact that most of this belonged to people whose lives were cut short by cowardly killers.

     "They've got the whole goddamn franchise," Mindy gasped, a little disturbed. For once, her obsession with horror dimmed. She stopped short when she recognized one of the mannequin's outfits. "Chad?" she called, peering over her shoulder.

     Glancing away from a blood-stained white suit, Chad raised his eyebrows. "Mmm?" He'd been inspecting the collection of Nancy Loomis' belongings that had been displayed behind a long glass case.

     "This was Uncle Randy's." Unmistakable horror and grief were etched into her facial features. For once, the reality of what their uncle went through was sinking in. Most of Randy's belongings that Martha had left were from when she and Randy were kids. She didn't have a lot from when he was a teenager.

     Chad joined his sister and his curiosity for what this place held in store for them vanished. Uncle Randy's old work uniform from Bradley Video, the video store that he repeatedly got fired from and re-hired at, stared back at the twins.

     "They've got everything."

     On the other side of the shrine, Tara was wandering aimlessly. Her eyes bounced from object to object with no motivation behind them. She was simply taking it in and beginning to understand that her life was never going to be the same again. Sam had been trying to tell her that for nearly a year, and she hadn't listened. Now, her sister's message was ringing truer than ever.

     Tara sighed and turned to the side. A few feet away, Kirby was staring solemnly at a crimson blade. "Is that—" Tara was promptly cut off by the woman.

     "The knife I was stabbed with."

     Bailey cleared his throat with Ethan beside him. "You all have been through so much." If any member of the group was paying attention, one of them could have caught the detective's insincere tone, but they didn't.

     "Who drew all these?" Mindy voiced, but nobody had an answer. Maybe Jason or Greg did or maybe they didn't. There was no telling.

     Holy fuck. This is insane.

     Jaw slackening, Kynlee finally and slowly made her through the theater. What kind of sick fuck had the time to put together something this elaborate and detailed? Some people truly had too much time on their hands.

     Following her, Sam made her way down the aisle and toward the stage. Her hands were tucked into the pockets of her jacket and her eyes were darting about anxiously.

     It wasn't until Kynlee spotted a sketch of someone all too familiar that the breath in her throat hitched. All color drained from her face and she came to a halt. It was so sudden that Gale walked straight into her. The pair hadn't even made it more than five feet across the rows of displays.

     "Fuck," Gale cursed, stumbling backward a bit. However, she quickly composed herself and adjusted the strap of her bag on her shoulder. She went to ask Kynlee if she was all right but stopped when she saw that the girl was fixated on something with gradual tears forming in her eyes. Following her gaze, Gale sighed.

     There, staring back at them in a locked glass case, was a sketch of Amber Freeman on a sheet of thick paper with Ghostface drawn next to her. A small splatter of blood was at the top of the page, wedged in between the small space separating Amber and Ghostface. On the bottom left was the Buck 120 knife that Amber had used to stab an array of people, including Kynlee. It was stained with dark crimson blood that was slowly peeling off in flaky bits.

     "Kynlee..." Gale started, but the tattooed girl didn't give her a chance to finish.

     Instead, she turned on her heel and stormed out of the room. Flashes of Ghostface stabbing her in the hospital, Amber's backyard, and Amber's kitchen were playing in her mind as well as images of her and Amber laughing and cuddling in bed, kissing and holding hands, and spending time together. There was such a stark difference between the two versions of Amber that she encountered. It was too much.

     Another soft sigh left Gale's lips and a slight frown appeared. Part of her heart went out to the young woman.

     "Hey, how'd they get all of this stuff? I mean, isn't this evidence?" Tara spoke, pivoting to face everyone. Her eyes landed on each person, waiting for one of them to answer her. However, she didn't meet the gaze of one particular person and her stomach dropped.

     "Well, cops like money," Gale replied bluntly, shrugging. "And evidence can get lost pretty easily. Present company excluded, of course."

     Bailey glanced away from Stu Macher's infamous red robe with a blank face, not at all listening. Meanwhile, next to him, Kirby gave Gale a sarcastic smile.

     "Um, why am I here exactly? My alibi checks out." Ethan stated, gaining the attention of the Meeks-Martin twins.

     "So I can keep an eye on you, roomie." Chad forced a smile on his lips as he leaned on a glass case. The twins had been re-examining the collection of Nancy Loomis' belongings.

     Mindy stood across from Chad and glared at the brown-haired boy. She brought two fingers up and gestured from her eyes to him, signaling that she was watching him.

     Ethan's innocent countenance fell.

     "The killer must have found this place before he murdered Jason and Greg. And then he took the masks off the mannequins. All nine, from Stu and Billy to Amber and Richie." Gale pointed out, motioning at the stage where Sam was climbing up.

     With a slightly panicked expression, Tara surveyed the theater for a third time. "Uh, where's Kynlee?" she choked out, not liking how she couldn't find her best friend.

     At her question, Chad immediately tensed and stood up straighter. Quickly, he looked around the room and noticed that Kynlee was, indeed, missing. "Shit," he hissed, walking away from Mindy. The one time he left Kynlee's side and she was gone.

     "She walked out a minute ago," Gale informed the group, noticing how alarmed the young adults were.

     "I'll uh, I'll find Kynzie. You guys stay here," Chad told Mindy and Tara, forgetting about Ethan altogether. The others did too, though, as no one noticed that he'd disappeared the moment Kynlee's absence was announced.

     Outside the theater and in a long, narrow hallway with dim lighting, Kynlee had her back pressed to a wall. Her chin was tilted up and she was staring at the ceiling, blinking back tears. It wasn't a good idea to separate from the group, she knew that, but if she'd stayed in that goddamn theater for one more minute, she would have gotten sick.

     It was too much too soon.

     The betrayal from last year's attacks was still fresh, and all that shrine did was remind her of the horror she and her friends went through. All it took was two cowards in masks motivated by twisted dreams to destroy the lives of those they "loved."

     "Kynlee..."

     Kynlee jumped and swung her head to the right. At the end of the hall, hiding in the shadows was Ethan. There were a few streaks of light shining diagonally on him. One streak went straight across his face and highlighted his light-brown eyes. They were almost glowing.

     "Hey, are you all right?" Ethan asked softly, taking a few steps forward.

     Blinking, she inched away from his approaching figure. "Don't come any closer," she instructed, holding out her uninjured hand.

     Ethan frowned. "A-All you've ever done is be nice to me," he said, scratching the back of his neck. "I'm just trying to return the favor..."

     "Or you're taking advantage of the fact that I'm alone and are trying to plead your nonexistent case because you're the killer," she argued, highly aware of how vulnerable she'd made herself. "Like Mindy said, nobody suspects the shy, dorky guy because he's so shy and dorky."

     "Kynlee... I would never hurt you."

     Kynlee took another step back. "I don't believe you," she shook her head adamantly. The distance between them was growing shorter and she didn't like it. "I can't afford to believe you, Ethan. I can't."

     Ethan frowned again. "Kyn—"

     "Everything all right here?" Chad entered the hallway with raised eyebrows and a clenched jaw. His expression was locked on Ethan and he was silently daring him to try something.

     Clamming up, Ethan darted his gaze between the couple. "Uh yeah, ev-everything's fine," he responded, finally retreating.

     "Good. You—"

     "Guys." The three spun to the left and saw Kirby and Sam standing in one of the doorways. The women wore mildly excited expressions. "We've got a plan."

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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! ❞

     the ghostface shrine is one of the coolest things to be in the scream movies. i said what i said.

     since all the characters wear the same outfit from this point on in the movie, here's what i'm imagining kynlee wearing:

(one side without the filter, one side with. obvi. also, navy pants instead of a skirt because it's october in new york and cold.)

     this was supposed to be done and published earlier this week, but work has been insane. i apologize for such a late update but the next chapter will be up soon! it's much shorter than this since we're getting closer to the end.

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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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