The Mystery Of Eastbrooks High

Chapter Sixteen: The Murder Club

NORAH SIGHED, HER EYEBROWS RAISING to her hairline as she glanced at her phone, which was flashing a red low battery sign one last time before the screen turned blank. "Wonderful," she muttered, wringing her hands with annoyance as she scanned her surroundings.

Everything was bright and colourful. She felt as if she were plunged into one of those too vivid, dazzling dreams coated with a layer of sheen. She had to admit it, they did an excellent job in setting up the carnival in such a short time.

Kids cried with delight as they ran around, twirling and sucking their lollipops. Many speakers played loud music of different genres, the end product oddly comforting. Her emotions were a stark contrast to what she was seeing around her. Norah's shoulders were slumped with exhaustion, her eyes drooping. One thing was common with her surroundings and herself: absolute chaos.

Her mind was clicking at an impossible pace, and with each click appeared a bad scenario: something happening to her friends, her brother, or Austin. She knew coming to the carnival was bad, especially with the current situation.

She continued pushing through the dense crowd, looking for her friends. She couldn't believe her luck: she had somehow managed to get lost in a carnival, and her phone was dead. Norah always laughed at how things proceeded for characters in movies: how the group of friends always decide to split up in a potentially haunted house, how the lights stop working and phones start dying, she always found the series of bad events funny and entertaining.

It wasn't funny anymore.

Considering everything that had been going on in her school, this was the worst thing that could happen to her. Despite the reassuring crowd around her, she was worried about her friends and herself. No one would hurt you with these many people around you, she chided herself.

It had been ten days since Shawn died. The police were still investigating the case carefully, interviewing and taking alibis of everyone in the book club. The four murders had been executed very quickly, with less gap between each murder, which was why the citizens of Isle Cambrooks hoped it was the last murder. It would make sense if Shawn were the last person to die, considering the Secret Santa chain rounded itself into a circle- with Shawn getting Josh's name, who was already dead.

But the fear in their hearts hadn't died yet, which was why Norah found her heart pounding and her legs trembling at the prospect of being all alone. Because the killer was still out there somewhere, watching and waiting.

The book club members grew super close in the past week, with the shared trauma, and because they knew what the others were going through. And after one whole week of bonding time together, Norah found it difficult to accept that one of them might be a murderer. A unique bond had been forged between herself and each member, and if one of them died now... it would take a lot for her to come back from that.

And though Norah was sure that wasn't the case... if one of them turned out to have a hand in the murders, she would never come back from that. She already had a hard time trusting people. If that happened, well...

Taking deep breaths to calm her racing thoughts and heart, she glanced around herself. Her eyes focused on a guy with brown curls, a pang going through her heart when she saw he wasn't her best friend.

She tore her eyes away from the guy when a kid stumbled into her arms, looking at her wide-eyed before mumbling a sheepish apology. "It's okay," she replied with a reassuring smile. "Are you okay?" He asked, poking her arms.

That surprised a laugh out of Norah's mouth, "Yeah, yeah, I'm good. Thanks, little guy." She said, smiling at him as he ran away with a delighted scream. Norah observed her surroundings keenly. She was in the kids' ride section. A mini roller coaster had been installed, and kids boarded onto it with enthusiasm and nervousness.