Forevermore

Murder

Song: The Prophecy
Reputation
"Right. Here's what I've got from... experience" Evermore dumped a sack on the dining room table and tipped it upside down. A large assortment of knives, ropes, small glass bottles labelled CHLOROFORM- DO NOT INHALE and even a pistol and small ammunition box. Evermore picked up a leather-handled knife and ran her finger along the blade delicately.

She murmured, "It's been so long" then sighed and placed the knife back on the table. I grinned, this was probably the coolest thing I've ever found out about the boring old soul, who was now a lot more interesting. I looked up, my smile dropping faintly as I noticed not everyone had similar reactions to me. Folklore was staring incredulously at her sisters, shock written across her face. Lover had grabbed my bicep in fear before relaxing as the surprise subsided. Red had giggled maliciously at her girlfriend and shot her a loving grin.

"Alright girls. Who's coming?" Evermore asked, looking back up more seriously now.

"Me" I said, starting to look through the weapons in front of me.

"If you're going, I'm going" Lover said firmly, her voice full of determination.

"Love I-" I started, turning to her.

"No, Rep. I wanna be there with you too" she replied. I nodded solemnly.

"I'll go" Midnights spoke up.

"Mid-" 1989 said, making Midnights turn to her.

"Babe I promise I'll look after myself. Will you stay?"

"I think I should, I won't be much help" 1989 chuckled. Midnights nodded.

"I'll stay too, with Red as well if she's not going either" Folklore said, getting a confirmation nod from Red.

"What about Speak Now?" Red wondered aloud.

"I'll go" Speak Now walked back to her spot around the table, a suspicious leaf in her hair that didn't go unnoticed by me.

"You sure?" Red frowned.

"Yeah I- I just think I should" Speak Now replied, wringing her hands.

Evermore looked around. "Fearless?"

Fearless wasn't looking so fearless at the moment, I noticed.

"I'm not sure if I want to go... I know that's so shitty of me and-"

"It's fine Fearless, Debut will forgive you I promise. You can come and wait in the car if you want?" Folklore offered kindly.

"Okay... yeah I'll do that"

Evermore clapped her hands together. "It's settled then! Rep, Lover, Midnights, Speak Now, Fearless and I will be leaving in 10!"

I nodded and looked down at the table laid in weapons. Karma always used her signature dagger, so something with a longer blade would be idea... my mind spun into a large brainstorm of fighting tactics in case it came to that. With any luck, we could barge our way in, threaten Karma into releasing Debut and skedaddle. But it was Karma, it was never going to be that easy.

Lover
As our car rumbled out the driveway, I examined the knife in my hands. I wasn't used to holding such a weapon and I wasn't sure how I felt about it. I turned to face Rep who was next to me, staring out the window.

"Hey- Rep" I placed my hand on her shoulder as she turned to me.

"Yeah love, everything okay?"

"Everything's fine I just... I love you"

"Oh, I love you too" Rep placed a delicate kiss on my forehead and smiled gently.

"What if- what if something happens today?" I finally voiced my thoughts.

"Nothing will happen, I promise. We outnumber them, I know the place and once we free Debut we can dip and get away"

"Yeah but- even if we do get away, we're not out of the woods. Karma's still always here and she'll probably never be satisfied and never leave us alone"

"I'll find a way to get us in the clear, I want us to be safe as much as you do... but there's only one way I can of having peace for the rest of our lives" Rep's voice lowered and she glanced out the window again.

"No. You can't- I won't... I won't let you do that. I get that want us to be safe but I don't want you to be a murderer".

"Me and Evermore have a plan" she mumbled, looking at her lap.

"And you didn't tell me?" I was shocked.

"Look I don't want it either, she's my sister. But I need you to be safe. I need all of us to be safe. Besides, it will be Evermore who's the murderer, not me"

I looked straight ahead, trying to process this information.

"But Rep- that's actual murder. I don't want people in my life who have killed someone" I replied, a frustrated tone leaking into my voice.

"Babe, I need this for us. You said so yourself, she'll never leave us alone".

"I don't want that" I sat back, avoiding my girlfriend's gaze and crossing my arms.

"Neither do I but I strongly believe it's the only way" Rep persisted.

"There's always another way" my voice was steely and firm. The other conversations in the car that had been happening had drifted away to eavesdrop on us. A cricket sound came from somewhere near me and I looked in that direction. Midnights was smirking guiltily and holding up her phone.

"Turn that off" I snapped, glaring at her.

"Fine, jeez" Midnights rolled her eyes playfully and put her phone down.

I looked through the front window, we were travelling through a sort of forest now. The trees were different to the forest out the back of our house though, these were a dense pine blocking out the sunlight. But as soon as we entered the forest, we have left it. The outside scenery converting to open fields and broken down farmhouses. Every third paddock had a few horses in it, and I watched as they wandered around lazily swishing their tails at flies. I sighed and looked back at Rep who was looking at me with shame and concern.

"I'm sorry" she mumbled, reaching for my hand. I let her pick it up. "I don't want us to go in there mad at each other. I'd never forgive myself if anything happened".

"I know" I nodded. "Just- I hope you can see my side of the argument".

"I can! I promise, but... what's our other option? Move to freakin Australia or something?"

"I'm not sure" it was my turn to mumble now.

"Well if you don't know I don't see another choice"

A tear pricked at my eye and I tried to brush it away without being noticed. I failed, of course.

"Oh, baby don't cry" Rep wrapped her arms around me and laid kisses all over my face and neck. Her embrace triggered the rest of my tears and I let myself cry for a bit before they subsided.

"Sorry- crying right now is so pathetic" I rolled my eyes at my own actions.

"Don't be sorry. I know it's not fair"

I closed my eyes and let her hug me, inhaling deeply through my nose.

"I hate to break up the lovey stuff girls" Evermore called from the drivers seat, "but we've arrived".

AN: This is the last chapter before the big event 🫢 Prepare yourselves my turnips