Paranoia

Chapter five

Rylie's point of veiw.

         I sat up staring out my window, my eyes red and puffy. At two o' clock in the morning, you can't see much, but i felt like i could see everything. Every movement, every car, every animal, I could see it all. But what i still couldn't see, was who was choking Violet. I just don't understand how some one could be so quiet whie this happened, leave behind no trace. And the fact it was someone sitting in the circle.. someone in the group. Someone had taken the game way too far, and killed Ashlinn.

        I was now pacing, tears streaming down my face again. I kept thinking about Ashlinn, and how we told her parents she ran away.. How the fuck could we have done that? I can't.. i can't sit here while she's in a hole buried six feet under the ground.. i have to tell someone.

        I picked up the phone and called Dade, hoping he kept his phone on loud. I stoped pacing, and sat down on my old rocking chair. On the fourth ring i started to get nervous, but he picked up by the fifth. He sounded groggy, and i was pretty sure i just woke him up.

"Babe, are you okay?"

I got butterflies in my stomache when he called me babe.

"Dade..we have to tell someone.The police. Anyone. We need to stop who ever is doing this!"

     My voice was hysterical, and i felt like i was gonna cry. I dropped my blanket from my shoulders, even though my windows were wide open, and i was two seconds away from hypothermia. I heard him get up, and heard slothes shuffling in the background. After a few minutes, he came back.

"come on. We're going back to the house, and proving everything was just a huge practical joke."

I bit my lip, although he couldn't see it.

"I'm not letting my girlfriend be so scared."

Girlfriend.

 I let out a giggle, and then continued to talk.

"Alright, but everybody else has to come too."

Even the people who think i killed her.

_________________________________________________________________________

Dade showed up fifteen minutes later, and i pulled a sweatshirt over my head and ran out the door.

     I slipped into the front seat, and he gave me a peck on my lips, and handed me a coffee. He must of stopped on the way here and gotten my favorite. I smiled into my coffee, and saw his expression as he watched me.

Bellie was next to get into the car, then Maddi, then Violet.

Violet got into the car, a snarky remark on how stuffed the car was.

   "It's too stuffed, and its freezing out." She said, breathing in the warmth of her coffee. Apparently Dade took the liberty of getting everybody a coffee. Mine didn't seem so special anymore.

   "It was even more stuffed when Ashlinn was here. So if you wanna join her, be my guest." Dade snapped, his eyes never leaving the road.

Violet looked down, not even putting up a fight. It was weird.

     After a while, we pulled up at the house. When the car stopped, none of us got out. We all just sort of looked around the car, making eye contact with each other. Dade let out a sigh, and got out of the car. We all followed, everyone kind of hesitating and grouping together. I could see my breathe, and i clutched my coffee tighter, but the warmth was already starting to fade. Dade came over, took my hand, and started to walk towards the bulding.

    The house was cold, and an eerie feeling washed over me. Everything was dark, and everybody was spaced out, just kind of walking around. I lit a candled, and i sat down around it, just like the first night.

Slowly, everyone started joining me. I took Dade's hand and sqeezed it, knowing what was supposed to come next.

    The candle blew out, and there were footstpes all around. i clutched his hand, and i sqeezed closed my eyes. My whole world spun, and i swear, everything was spinning. i heard screaming in the background, and then silence. I held back a sob, and I heard a match.

And everything was light.

Dade stood up right away, his eyes watery.

He rushed over to someone, my watery eyes blocking me from seeing who.

    He bent down by them, his breathing heavy and loud. I wiped my eyes, and saw Her laying there. It was Maddi, laying there, her face purple. She looked peaceful.

Dade let a tear drip down his face, and placed two fingers by her neck.

   "Barely breathing. But she's alive.." He said, his voice quivering. I walked over to him, and noticed the note on her stomach. I picked it up, and read it out loud.

You can't win if you don't play the game.

They wanted us to kill whoever we had.