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"An actual murder in Woodsboro?!" Tatum exclaimed as she, Sidney, Melinda and Annie walked towards Sidney's house after school. "I mean... murders aren't uncommon," Melinda pointed out with a shrug. "They have no idea who did it and the only thing that was left behind was a cupids arrow," Tatum told them as they spotted Billy, Stu, and Randy waiting outside the Prescott's home for the girls. "Did you hear!?" Randy asked rushing up to Annie who nodded. "Cupids arrow, huh?" Annie asked with an anxious breath that Billy noticed instantly. "Are you okay?" Billy asked her, his eyes cold and calculating.

"Uh, yeah... but I might need to talk to Sheriff Burke," Annie answered him causing the group to all look at her. "Back in New York, there was a series of a murders that all had the same thing left at the scene... a cupids arrow," Annie added before sighing, "I'll head there and catch you all later." Stu perked up and pulled out his keys, "I'll drive you, Annie." Annie smiled at him while Tatum frowned slightly. "We'll be back later," Stu told them before wrapping his arm around Annie's shoulders leading her to his car while Billy internally rolled his eyes having to be stuck with the group without Stu and Annie by his side; especially in the Prescott's home.

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Annie had spent almost an hour in the Sheriff's office telling him about the Cherub Killer of Queens, New York before he finally let her leave the station. Stu could practically feel the anxiety coming off of Annie, he reached over and grabbed her hand, interlocking their fingers together in hopes to ease her. Annie let out a deep breath before turning her head to Stu, "Can I stay with you tonight? I feel anxious about this," Annie asked Stu. Admittedly, she wasn't just anxious about the killer but she also wanted Stu to hold her again, she had slept so peacefully in the embrace of the boys but Stu was single which made her more comfortable with the cuddling.

"Of course you can," Stu told her with a grin, he was more than happy to have her stay and get the chance to hold her in his arms again. It wasn't long till they pulled up to the Macher home, the large house was a beautiful one that showed their wealth status, the background was rolling fields and hills of green that made the environment calming. "My parents left for a business trip so there's no one home," Stu told Annie as they got out of the car. Stu lead Annie inside after unlocking the door, he locked it behind them and they both dropped to the couch with a huff. "So you think this killer followed you?" Stu asked Annie in concern.

He knew that Billy was concerned about this new killer in town especially knowing that Annie seemed to have encountered this killer before and the boys were concerned that the person may have followed Annie. "I'm not sure. I swore they had caught the killer but now... maybe they got the wrong guy," Annie told him with a frown, she moved to lay her head against Stu's chest resulting him in wrapping his arms around her protectively. "Who was it?" Stu asked her with a soft tone. "Corey Hawkes... my ex boyfriend," Annie answered him with a frown, Stu furrowed his brows at her response.

"Did he ever...?" Stu asked, Annie turned to look into his blue eyes with a sad look in her eyes. "He wanted me to be his final girl... he killed my friends but he got caught before he had the chance to kill me. Kept saying if he can't have me, no one can," Annie told Stu who pulled Annie onto his lip, cradling her head in the crook of his neck. "I won't let you get hurt, Annie. Billy and I have your back," Stu promised as his eyes darkened, he wanted to kill Corey Hawkes and whoever this new killer was. He wanted to hear their pleas for mercy and watch the blood seeped through their skin, no one hurts his Anniebell, no one.

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「 A YEAR AND A HALF AGO 」

"Ann, are you coming with us?" Eliza asked Annie who was sitting at the picnic table with her friends, they were enjoying the summer Californian sunshine. "Nah, Corey and I are having a date night so you girls enjoy the sleepover," Annie replied to the brunette who smiled back. "Use protection," Cassie teased making Annie flush red and roll her eyes, Eliza and Gem laughing at Cassie's teasing words. "We've never..." Annie trailed off with a frown gaining the attention of the girls. "You haven't?!" Gem asked with wide eyes. "There is nothing wrong with that," Eliza reminded the ginger.

"I've tried but he─it's like he just doesn't want me in that way," Annie expressed to the girls. "Talk to Corey, Ann. You need to remember how important communication is," Cassie replied to the ravenette. Annie sighed before spotting Henley's brother, "Hey Chris, what's up?" Chris stopped at the table and sniffled, "Henley was found this morning... she was murdered and the only thing left behind was a cupids arrow." The four girls were frozen at that. "Henley's dead?" Gem whimpered out, Annie got up and hugged Chris who broke into tears at the loss of his little sister; Of someone who will never get to make her dreams come true.

And like that, the dam broke. Gem was the next to die, found by her uncle with a cupids arrow stuck in her heart. Eliza was found by her little brother hanging in the garage from her wrists with a cupids arrow in her stomach. And finally, Cassie was found on the bonnet of her car with a cupids arrow in her head. The four girls had been killed by bleeding out due to stab wounds, it was always twenty-eight stab wounds; nothing more and nothing less. No one was able to pinpoint the meaning behind twenty-eight but the deaths of the girls resulted in twenty-four-seven watch over Annie Dalton who was the only survivor left within that group of friends which only had the outcome of someone else's death.

Corey had climbed into Annie's room promising to protect her, the two were talking when Annie noticed something strange in his backpack while he was in the bathroom. Annie opened the bag and her eyes widened at the sight of two cupids arrow along with a sharpened knife. "You weren't supposed to see that," Corey spoke up from the door, his eyes dark as he watched his girlfriend stand up in fear. "It was you... you killed them," Annie breathed out with misty eyes. "They were in our way, baby. They kept taking you away from me," Corey pleaded as he took a step forward. "And Andrew? Why kill him?" Annie asked with a shaky breath. "He had a thing for you... he wanted to make you his... but your mine," Corey told her.

"And the two arrows? Who are they for?" Annie asked Corey as he took slow steps towards her leaving her backed in a corner. "We can be together, Annie... you and me... with your parents gone, we can leave and never look back," Corey expressed with a crazed look in his eyes making Annie's heart race. The moment Corey was close, Annie raised the knife and drove it into his shoulder making Corey step back allowing Annie to run out of the room. "ANNIE!!" Corey snarled before his steps followed behind her. "You're my final girl, Annie..." Corey spoke as he stood in the doorway, the knife in his hand as he glared at Annie on the other side of the counter.

"You don't get it, do you Annie?" Corey's tone was dark and harsh, the sound make Annie feel small as she tried to work out the best way to escape out to the officer sitting outside her home. "Get what?" Annie asked softly bringing a deadly smirk to Corey's face. "If I can't have you, no one can," Corey told her before rushing around, barely missing Annie as she bolted towards the living room grabbing her father's golf club and using it to hit Corey across the face. "YOU ARE MINE. YOU'LL ALWAYS BE MINE," Corey screamed as Annie rushed out the door alerting the officers who restrained him while Annie dropped to the ground in tears as they dragged him away.

Annie had fallen into her mother's arms when they got home from the movies, her father reassuring her that she was safe and okay but it felt like her whole world have been torn apart. She had lost all of her friends at the hands of her boyfriend who she thought loved her. "Why...?" Annie breathed out while Fiona and Jared shared a broken look at the sight of their daughter. They knew they had to leave, they were going to return home to Woodsboro just like Annie had wanted from the beginning. "It's going to be okay, Annabell. In time, it'll be okay," Jared assured his daughter, holding her and his wife at the knowledge that he almost lost his daughter.

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Rosemary Speaks

So Annie had her own killer scenario. How do you think she'll respond to Ghostface?

What do YOU want to see in this book?!

See you in the next chapter!