lethal | hs

/46/

i'm baaaack from my two weeks disappearance.

anyways, i HIGHLY encourage that you reread 45 before this chapter. it's bolded, all-caps, and underlined, so please listen to it.

over the course of the next few days i'm dropping six updates, so start here. i'm posting 46&47 earlier than scheduled, but the rest will remain on normal time!!

please, keep in mind that in these upcoming flashbacks/chapters, it's my job to highlight important information, so i apologize if things move a little fast. some chapters aren't that long either and have minimal dialogue, so i really encourage that you read EVERYTHING, otherwise you won't understand a thing.

it's going to get a little weird for the next couple of updates, so please just stick with me here. POST QUESTIONS TO MY BOARD IF YOU HAVE ANY!!! (it's hard to filter through them in the comments)

~~*~~
Harry Styles

Talon, Utah.
FLASHBACK #1

OVER THREE YEARS AGO.

"UNNAMED SERIAL KILLER STRIKES AGAIN. FORTUNATELY, AUTHORITIES BELIEVE THAT THEY ARE NOW CLOSER THAN EVER TO UNCOVERING THE CRIMINAL'S IDENTITY."

I tighten my fists around the edges of the newspaper article, reading the chilling headline silently.

I toss it down on the marble counter ahead with a sorrowful sigh, leaning back on my stool. I take in the view of the large chandelier above. The glass is shaped into droplets, trickling down from the main light source. It casts a bright glow across the kitchen, emphasizing the rich texture of the surface below my arms.

"God, I hate when the newspapers come in with headlines like that," Jess, who's climbing on the barstool next to me, huffs with weariness.

I turn to look at her fully. She's a neatly dressed girl with pin straight, dark hair. Her gaze is tilted downward, blocking my view of her eyes, but off of memory, I know that they're a dark brown. She's dressed in a blazer, much like I am, except hers looks a little big on her, and more put together.

"My thoughts exactly," I shudder in disgust. "I hope they catch whoever's doin' this. I mean... drugging people? Children, especially. It's heartless, I'm tired of it."

For the last two months, someone's been going around drugging people with laced drugs- specifically those under the age of 18. I don't know much about the case, because the police have managed to keep a lot of it underwraps, but all I do know is that the killer's smart.

The victims aren't dying immediately after consuming the drug, so they don't know when or where it took place- or at least, that's what last week's paper said. This week's paper claims that they're close to uncovering the criminal's identity, so I'm hoping this means that they got some sort of lead.

"I'm tired of it, too. For all we know, it was probably one of those old men at that breakfast this morning," she nudges my shoulder as we both stand up, venturing through the kitchen. "Do you think it's a man who did it? Or is that me being biased?"

"It could be anyone, so I can't say," I shrug my shoulders. "But enough of that. I'm just glad I don't have to go into work today. We have all afternoon to ourselves."

"Tell me about it," she groans, grabbing a bottle of wine from the fridge. "Is this Diane's?"

"Yeah, why?" I say, silently cringing at the fact that she used my mother's first name.