Eyes Around Us

15

errorist
(n) Someone who repeatedly makes mistakes, or is always wrong
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That same night
Kiara's POV:

In the middle of the night, I was lying in bed, waiting for sleep to claim me. My mind was abuzz with not only thoughts of the investigation, but also everything else.

As my eyelids began to succumb to the weightiness, my phone rang, jolting me awake.

Groaning inwardly, I reached out to the nightstand to answer the call.

The caller ID showed an unknown number, which I typically avoided answering.

Taking a cue from all the horror movies I've watched, I declined the call. But when the unknown number called again, and then a third time, my annoyance got the better of me.

Annoyed, I finally answered and conveyed my irritation, hoping this would deter the caller. "Look, I don't know who you are, but stop calling. It's 3:45 in the morning," I snapped, raising my voice.

Despite my outburst, the caller remained silent. "Hello?" I asked, again met with silence—so profound that I could hear the faint, erratic breathing on the other end. Starting to feel unnerved I said "Alright.. uhm.. i'm gonna go ahead and hang up then"

My statement somehow drew a reaction out of them because a female voice spoke up and said. "Sorry! Must've called a wrong number. I apologize for the late disturbance but you know with time zones and all-" before she could finish I interrupted her. "Uh it's fine.I'm gonna hang up now" I said now filled with a sense of uneasiness.

She responded " Yes, Of course, so sorry for the disturbance once again." I frowned and hung up the call quickly and set my phone down.

I huffed and laid back down in my bed now as awake as ever. It would most likely be a while before I fell back to sleep.
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I woke up the next day, a Saturday. Eden was coming over for another meeting. Since my dad wasn't here this meant we could have our meeting in the living room.

I had already informed Layla and Imani that our meeting was "canceled" again.

Obviously it wasn't actually canceled but they didn't know that. I knew lying to them wouldn't be helpful, and I needed any assistance I could get on this case.

However, I also needed to keep my distance until I figured out how to handle the situation of someone going behind my back and telling my dad about the investigation.

I needed more time to figure it out, but I knew I had to do so soon because time was running out.

The question was how much time did we actually have left? Before we get caught or even before someone gets murdered again. I dreaded the second possibility. As unfortunate as the first scenario would be the second one would mean that we failed to put a stop to the killings.

That we failed to save the life of another victim. That we failed Violet and that would be a weight I would carry on my shoulders forever despite the murders not necessarily being my fault.

The only person who could help me was Eden, which is why she was currently sitting with me on the living room couch. Two days ago, she had shared everything that was said during her interrogation with Ivy.

I felt as though she was holding back. I don't necessarily doubt anything she said but I felt as though she had more to tell me but didn't.

Although we didn't make much progress with the interrogation,we suspected that Ivy might know or recognize someone who owns the necklace.

This was our main lead for furthering the investigation. Eden spoke up and brought me back to reality, saying, "Look, I've got something to do, so let's make this quick."

Eden could be quite intimidating when she was impatient, so I decided not to waste her time and said, "Based on what you told me the other day, Ivy might recognize the necklace. Logically, we should start by asking people from her friend group if they recognize it since they're always together"

I should have mentioned the Layla and Imani situation, but I chose to push it aside for now due to Eden being in a rush.

Eden nodded in response and asked, "Have you figured out the whole Imani and Layla situation?" I was grateful that she brought it up because I wasn't sure how to handle it alone. "I've thought about it, but I haven't come up with any ideas," I admitted.

She nodded and zoned out for a few seconds, with a look on her face that indicated she was deeply thinking about something.

Suddenly, her eyes lit up. She looked at me and said, "Okay, I have an idea. It might cause some tension between you and your friends, but it will confirm your suspicions about them." I nodded, signaling her to continue and share her plan. She sighed and began explaining the plan...

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After she shared the plan, she said, "I really have to go now, so I'll see you on Monday." I nodded, and she placed the necklace in my hand. I instinctively curled my fingers around it and stuffed it into my pocket. I dismissed her, and she hurriedly left. She was right. This plan would create tension within our group, but it would be worth it in the end.

At least, that's what I thought at the time...

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A/N
I wrote this half asleep so it really isnt the best.😭
Don't forget to vote & comment!
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