An Old Friend Returns

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Max walked back to his dorm, hands in his pocket. He was cold, and the snow that was starting to fall was no comfort to him.
He usually loved winter, it was his favorite season. He loved the holidays and the feel it gave him when he was with his family.
He knew that all that would change this coming year. Could he even compete in sports or try for pro after this kid? He would be traveling the country, going to different tryouts. Was it something he could do with a baby on the way?
It was close to February now, what would that make Mona? Three months? He had to ask.
He shook his head. He really didn't want to think about her at all. He wanted to believe Roxanne about Mona but he just somehow couldn't. What did that say about him?
As he approach his dorm room he heard a scream.
He froze in place, not knowing where the screaming was coming from. He turned to look behind him and saw other guys looking out of their dorm room doors, curious about the sound too.
"Max?"
Bobby and PJ had just opened the door, surprised to see him standing there.
"What was that?" Bobby asked, pushing his glasses farther up his nose. "It sounded like a scream,"
"It did," Max said, goosebumps running down his arm. "I think it came from the common room,"
"There's a dead body in the common room!" He heard someone shout.
"It's Peter the Freshman!" Someone else commented.
"Oh my gosh," PJ said, covering his mouth.
Max ran past the group of guys that were beginning to fill up the hallway. He knew Peter. He had stopped by during one of his parties over the summer. They weren't friends per say but he knew the guy. This couldn't have happened. Not in here.
He pushed his way past several guys who were standing over Peter's mutilated body. His harms and legs had all been detached from his torso and missing. Max felt light headed as he heard someone throw up behind him.
"Someone call the police!" He yelled, trying to compose himself. "And stay away from the body! It's a crime scene!"
He turned and saw PJ and Bobby pushing everyone out.
This had to be the ghouls. There was no way. They needed to do something. Too many people were dying on campus and these bastards were running free.
"Max... look" PJ said, pointing a shaky finger to something on the wall. Max turned and saw a severed hand, hammered to the wall. In between the fingers was a folded piece of paper.
"Max, don't," he heard Bobby whisper.
He moved slowly towards it, feeling his stomach sink. Somehow he knew it was meant for them. He reached and carefully removed the paper without touching the hand.
He opened it, blood covering the corners.

We want our revenge

"What does it say?" Bobby asked, looking over his shoulder. Max could hear the sirens getting closer.
Max showed it to them, Bobby gasping and PJ turning pale.
"It's the ghouls, isn't it?" PJ asked. His voice was low. "How were they able to get into the dorms?"
"And with no one knowing," Bobby stated.
Max looked down at his watch. It was almost nine pm. The sun had set hours ago.
"We need to give this to the police," Max said. "I know they won't believe us but they have to do something,"
"The police have failed to do anything yet," PJ whispered. "What is this? The third death this year?"
"That we know of," Bobby responded.



Roxanne and Stacey sat in Bradley's living room, anxiously waiting for the guys to come over. Jasmine was up taking a shower. She hadn't heard the news yet.
The rest of the gammas were huddled around the fireplace, none of them talking. They all knew this sounded bad. A death inside the dorms.
A knock at the door made them all jump. One of the guys went and slowly opened it. Bradley stepped through with Cora, followed by a taller, bulkier guy that Roxanne had never seen before.
"Gammas, ladies," Bradley said, grabbing their attention. This is old Gamma brother Tanks. He will be staying with us for the remainder of the year."
Tanks gave a slight bow. "Bradley was gracious enough to offer me my room back. The dorms on campus are clearly not safe to be in right now,"
"Yeah, what happened to that freshman was terrible," Cora said, shaking her head.
The Gammas all came up to Tanks, welcoming him to the house.
He looked familiar, but from where?
"Tank, these are my dear friends Roxanne and Stacey," Bradley said coming over to them. "It sucks that under such circumstances I have to introduce you, but we have no control over life's event's do we?"
"Pleasure," Tanks said shaking their hands.
"You used to be a Gamma," Stacey said. "I remember seeing you on tv."
A memory quickly passed in Roxanne's mind. Tank grabbing Bradley their freshman year and throwing him high onto a blimp.
"Yeah, I was. Best time of my life." Tanks said giving them a small smile.
"I'll show you up to your room," Bradley said.
"I still remember where it is," Tanks replied but let Bradley lead him anyways.
Cora sat in front of them, not bothering to take her jacket off. Snow covered her shoulders.
"I cannot wait to go back home," Cora whispered. "This school is too scary,"
"When are you leaving?" Roxanne asked.
"After the X-Games, at the end of the semester." Cora responded. She took a deep breath in and slowly let it out. "I hate having to constantly look over my shoulder."
"I know the feeling," Stacey said. "If the ghouls aren't caught-"
"We can't tell how many of them are out there," Cora said. "You do remember the large group that had gathered at the asylum- there were so many!"
Roxanne nodded. She had a point.
"They need to catch the ring leader, the person that is clearly behind these attacks, and maybe they'll stop." Roxanne said. "We got most of them locked up, but someone obviously has to be in charge."
"You think we could find any clues at the asylum?" Stacey asked.
"That the police haven't already found?" Cora asked. "Are you crazy?"
"She has a point," Roxanne stated. "I don't think the police explored that place to the fullest. We could go ask them what they have in terms of the investigation,"
"I'm not going back to the asylum," Cora said softly. "I can't."
"That's understandable. I wouldn't expect you to." Roxanne said, knowing she didn't want to think about going back there either.
"I remember the sound of their voices so clearly," Mocha said, walking into the living room holding a blue mug. "And the scent on one of the guys clothes. Very dark and woodsy,"
"I wouldn't make you go back there," Roxanne said softly, knowing how bad her friend had been traumatized by it all.
"I'm not afraid," Mocha said, taking a seat next to Cora. "I was caught unaware, blindfolded and left completely helpless. That won't happen again,"
"I'm not doing that to you," Roxanne said.
"Doing what?" Max asked as the three guys walked into the house. She hadn't heard them knock.
Roxanne's heart began to race  as she saw Max standing there, looking defeated. She got up and ran to him, throwing herself into his arms.
She hugged him tight, relieved that he was okay. That body could have easily been him.
"I'm sorry,"she said, feeling the tears forming. "I'm glad you're okay,"
She looked up at him as he bent over to give her a kiss. She wrapped her arms around him tightly, feeling safe. He made her feel whole. She couldn't give up on him.
"It's okay," he said. "I'm sorry too, for making you feel bad earlier."
She smiled at him and looked around to see Stacey and Mocha embrace their men too. They had all been worried. It could have been any of them.
"Roxanne thinks there are clues at the asylum that the police haven't looked into," Stacey said as they all sat down. The Gammas were listening into their conversation, interested.
"You can't be serious," Max told her. "We can't go back there."
"These killings have to stop. By the looks of it I highly believe it's someone on campus. This is not a coincidence. You need a badge to get into the guys dorm. This wasn't a random death," Roxanne said.
"I hate to say it, but she's probably right," PJ said, squeezing Mocha's hand tightly. "That must have been their hideout. We didn't explore the whole place, and I doubt the police did."
"You guys must be mad," Cora said. "We barely made it out of there last time,"
"If someone had been going back to the asylum they would have left tracks," Max said. "This is actually our best chance to try to figure this out."
"I agree," Roxanne said, feeling nervous.
"But, you're not going." Max said firmly.
"What?"
"Yeah, we can't put you in danger," PJ said. "I almost lost you last time,"
Mocha gave him a sad smile.
"We can't let you guys go alone! Robert, tell them!" Stacey said, looking at him.
"They're right sugar, we can't put you in danger," Bobby said, clearly shaking.
"You all have gone mad! Why can't we tell the cops to go look over there for us?" Cora asked, her face turning red. "It's too dangerous."
"They'll be too busy trying to figure this out on their own. I tried. They said they don't think it's ghoul related. They believe they locked most of them up." Max said, laying back on the couch.
"I don't know what to say," Cora said, crossing her arms. "You guys are really going to do this."
"You're not going without me Max," Roxanne said angrily. "You can't."
"The less of us are out there the better," Max responded, closing his eyes. She heard him sigh.


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