Forest Lake

Chapter 35

Emma POV

I was scared.

No.

I was terrified.

I was his target? Why? What made me so special that he would do something like this? What made me so special that he would hurt three girls that looked like me? What made me so special that he would kill two girls just to get me? Why did he want me dead? Did I do something to him?

I tried to think back to whom I could have hurt before, but no one came to mind. I was always alone. I always kept to myself. I never really had anyone to hurt other than Mason and my parents.

Was it just because of the way I looked? Just because of the color of my eyes or the color of my hair?

No matter the reason, it was my fault. If I didn’t come here, those two girls would still be alive. If I didn’t come here, Annie would be safe.

If I didn’t come here, Mason wouldn’t be this worried. He wouldn’t look like he was about to get a heart attack. He wouldn’t have to worry about me.

Everything was my fault.

Back in the principal’s office, I was in a state of shock. I was having a hard time trying to process everything.

But as Mason was carrying me back to his room, I was hit with everything that happened.

And I was terrified.

But I needed to be brave.

Annie’s life was depending on me. She needed me to be brave.

I could feel Mason’s erratic heartbeat. I didn’t try to move. I didn’t try to tell him to put me down. He needed this, and I wasn’t going to take it away from him.

Thankfully, the hallways were mostly empty. A lot of students left the school. Also, it was Sunday. The ones who stayed behind were probably in their rooms or outside. The few students we passed looked at us worriedly, but one glance at Mason had them diverting their eyes to the floor quickly.

He looked like he was going to explode any second.

We arrived in front of his room, and he practically kicked the door in.

I heard my friends gasp in shock. I couldn’t see them, though. Mason was holding me so tightly that I couldn’t even turn around.

“What the fuck, Mason?!” Jax shouted. “What the fuck happened?!”

Mason ignored him and sat down on his bed with me in his arms. He buried his head into my neck and started rocking us back and forth.

“Emma?” Hazel called me, her voice trembling.

“I am the target.” I said quietly as I ran my hand through Mason’s hair, trying to calm him down.

“Fuck!” Jax and Chris shouted at the same time.

Hazel gasped loudly.

I heard something falling down on the floor, but I couldn’t turn around to see what it was.

“Why?” Chris asked angrily. “Why you? What did they tell you?”

“Wait a second.” I said, trying to pull away from Mason.

He only gripped me tighter.

“Massy, can I just turn around?” I asked him softly. “I won’t leave. Just so I can see them while I’m talking to them.”

Mason lifted his head and nodded. He loosened his grip on me so that I could move. As soon as I turned around, he wrapped his arms back around me again.
I saw my friends for the first time since we entered the room.

Hazel looked terrified. Chris looked angry and scared. Jax was pissed off.

“What did they tell you, Emma?” Chris repeated his question.

His fists were clenched, and his jaw kept twitching.

“They’ve found my name sewn into the two white dresses.” I said quietly.

“What?!” Chris shouted, his eyes widening.

“Oh, my God.” Hazel mumbled at the same time.

Jax just got more pissed off.

“I also match the physical description of the victims.” I continued. “I have the same hair, the same eyes, and our age and height match.”

My friends were silent after that. They were just staring at me, scared and angry.

“Are you taking her away, Mason?” Chris asked after a few moments of silence.

“Yes.”

“No.”

Mason and I said at the same time.

Chris and Jax furrowed their eyebrows. Hazel’s eyes widened.

“Emma…” Mason started speaking, but I interrupted him.

“Mason, just listen to me, please.” I said, turning my head to look at him. “Annie needs me.”

“The police will find her.” Mason said, his voice trembling. “I am not letting you do that, Emma.”

“Can someone explain what the fuck are you two talking about?” Jax interrupted us angrily.

“They want to use her as bait.” Mason said, clenching his fists.

“It’s not bait.”

“Fuck no.”

Chris and I said at the same time.

“I agree with Chris.” Jax said, crossing his arms over his chest. “You can’t do that, Emma. You could get hurt, and Mason will lose it if you do.”

“She is not doing it.” Mason said sternly. “We are packing our bags and we are leaving tonight.”

“Mason…” I started speaking, but he interrupted me.

“Give me one good reason to do that, Emma!” he said angrily, tightening his grip on me. “Give me one good reason for you to offer yourself on a fucking platter to a fucking serial killer who is obsessed with you and wants to take you away!”

“Annie.” I said quietly.

“The police will find her.” Mason said.

“They won’t.” I shook my head. “They never found Melissa and Daisy. He will kill Annie, Mason. I can’t just run away knowing that there was something I could have done to save her life.”

Mason tightened his jaw, and the fear I saw in his eyes almost made me cave in and tell him to take me away from here.

But I couldn’t do that. Annie needed me.

“Did you ask them what the plan was?” Chris asked us.

“No.” Mason said, not moving his eyes away from mine. “I didn’t ask because we don’t need to know. She is not doing it.”

I lifted my hand and caressed his cheek. He was so scared, and my heart was breaking. But I knew that I would be okay. And Annie wouldn’t.

“Annie has a brother.” Hazel spoke, making me turn to look at her. “What would you do if you were in his place? Would you beg Emma to do it?”

Mason buried his head in my neck and groaned.

“I can’t lose you again, Emma.” he said so quietly that only I could hear him. “I just can’t.”

“You won’t.” I whispered, kissing his temple. “You will never lose me again. I promise.”

“What if he takes you away from me?” Mason mumbled.

My heart clenched painfully. Mason sounded so vulnerable and so scared.

“He won’t.” I said. “Can we go back and ask them what the plan is?”

We should have done that immediately. I guess both of us were too shocked at that moment to think about that. I knew that Mason only wanted to get me out of there.

Mason was quiet for a few moments. His grip on me tightened. He raised his head and looked at Chris and Jax.

“Can one of you go to the principal’s office and ask detective Peters to come here?” Mason asked.

“I will go.” Jax said immediately.

I furrowed my eyebrows. What was Mason planning?

He turned to me and leaned his forehead on mine. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

“If I think that any part of their fucking plan is too dangerous, you are not doing it.” he said. “We are packing our bags and leaving immediately. Do you understand me?”

“I do.” I said, rubbing his back softly.

“You can’t be serious, Mason!” Chris shouted angrily.

“Shut the fuck up, Chris.” Mason said coldly, not moving or opening his eyes. “This is hard enough without you butting in.”

I looked at Chris. He sighed and sat down on Jax’s bed. He placed his head in his hands and mumbled something I couldn’t hear.

I felt terrible for making them scared.

But Annie needed me.

And I was going to help her.