I'm not the only one in my reflection.

Part three

— No one is safe anywhere. No one can protect anyone. — Murphy said simply, and silence fell between her and Prescott.

— How's Leslie? And Vince?

— Mom and brother... mmm, they're fine, they've already visited me. — A lie, brazen and uncovered. None of her few surviving relatives bothered to come to her, but the redhead couldn't just tell Sidney what kind of life a friend of Prescott's youth had come to, like her other godson. She fiddled with the pendant, but without her godmother noticing. The woman knew all her habits and by this one movement she could tell that her goddaughter was lying.

So she lied every time Prescott asked about her family, saying that «heir relationship is good, that Leslie is just a great mother, and Vince is a good, slightly overprotective brother, but, no, it's okay, she doesn't mind».

Vince, although he had never been Prescott's favorite, still received a certain maternal tenderness and support from her. E Even despite his rebellious adolescence, which lasts until his twenty-three years.

— Good. — A female adult voice was heard from Sidney's side, and another one that belonged more to a little girl, judging by the slightly squeaky intonation.

— Is this who I'm thinking of? Auntie Sid's wife! — The girl screamed into the speaker of the phone, a smile immediately appeared on her lips. There was a rustle and a muffled female voice. — Hello to you too, Tatum! — The redhead relaxed, remembering how her mother, drunk on her day off, told her that she had attended a party, or rather a massacre, that Stu and Billy had staged. Then, when she saw her friend, who was dating her brother, go alone to the garage for a beer, she followed and together, Tatum and Leslie, were able to overcome the Ghostface for a while by throwing beer bottles and they got out of the ill-fated garage back into the house. They were also able to survive all the events included in the so-called «act three».

It was one of the very rare occasions when Leslie recalled and talked about what happened in 1996.

— Well, since we've remembered love here, I think now I'm ready to share it. I have a girlfriend that I love very much, her name is Amber.

— Really, girlfriend? — Prescott shushed the people nearby and gave her goddaughter all her attention. — How long have you been dating?

— Uh, maybe five or six months? I really started dating her about 6 months ago, but we met even earlier. I resisted my feelings because I felt it was wrong, that I was three years older, I was twenty-one and she was eighteen. It wasn't such a big age difference, but it still confused me. But Amber was Amber, and I fell victim to her charm.

Sidney began to calm Katherine's still-vivid concern about the three-year difference. She was proud that she was able to build such a trusting relationship with her goddaughter that the girl is not afraid and shares her experiences, feelings and fears with her.

Something Murphy could never do to her blood mother. Or more so with her brother, for that matter.

— Well, I won't take you away from your family. It was nice to talk to you again, Auntie Sid. — The redhead tore the phone away from her ear, sobbed into her shoulder, muffling the sound of sobbing so that her godmother would not hear it, and brought the smartphone back to her ear. — I can call you back later if you want, Auntie Sid. Preferably after the next Ghostface disappears into oblivion.

— Of course. — Sidney answered in a soft voice and, after saying a few words about love, ended the call.

Jill rolled her eyes and ran her fingers over her temples, as if remembering something specific herself or reminding Katherine of something. Stu, surprisingly, was silent, just looking at the watery eyes of his blood niece.

Murphy decided to leave the room and walk down the hall. Of course, there was nothing soothing about the fact of the hospital, but the redhead needed to clear her head and move away from talking to Prescott.

The final girl at the end of each of her phone calls with her goddaughter said «I love you», which, without knowing it, brought the girl almost to hysterics. It was just the only time Katherine could feel such maternal care and love, hear it and accept it.

She didn't even expect such a display of love from Leslie anymore. She shouldn't even hope that this woman would tell her own children «I love you», because she was still traumatized by her brother's actions.

Katherine walked to Tara's room, but stopped when she remembered that Sam and her boyfriend were most likely inside. Stu kept telling her that she shouldn't trust Richie since he is a love interest, so clearly hinting at the situation with Sydney and Billy. Macher also added, as if by chance, that although her jealousy plays a large part in her distrust of Kirsch, she should listen to her feelings and follow them.

Murphy sighed heavily, glanced at the policeman who was sitting on a chair near the door, with his nose buried in the phone, and she turned around, intending to go to her room and, maybe, to pass the time, watch some movie. Anything but a Stab.

Judy Hicks promised that she would assign some kind of policeman to her son's red-haired friend for protection, but due to the employment of the entire police force, the man would arrive only tomorrow.

The girl was passing by the recreation room when a scream was heard from there, a sharp crash and the door flew open, revealing a disheveled Sam Carpenter, who, without looking if someone was standing in front of her, rushed forward.

She crashed right into Katherine, sending the two of them to the floor.

Murphy groaned as she felt Samantha's knee hit her right in the stomach. At least it was lucky that Carpenter had time to react and lean on her palms.

The redhead sighed heavily, expecting a new sharp wave of pain that should have pierced her side due to the collision, but it never appeared. It was lucky that Sam's knee hit her in the middle of her stomach, and not in her side, where the knife blade plunged into the Ghostface when attacking her.

Samantha, without even giving herself time to blush from the position she found herself in with her ex-best friend, jumped up and screamed that they needed help, at the same time standing defensively in front of Katherine, who was curled up on the floor. She was looking through the doorway, where she thought the Ghostface that attacked her would pop out.

The policeman guarding Tara, hearing Sam's few panicked words about the attack, pulled a gun from his holster and burst into the break room.

Carpenter turned to Murphy and held out her hand, offering to help her. She helped the girl up and pulled her to herself, placing her hands on her waist, helping her stand upright in case the redhead accidentally hit her wounds.

Samantha looked at the policeman who came out into the hallway and shook his head. He didn't find the attacker.

Sam turned her full attention to Katherine and slowly led her towards Tara's room, which was closer than the girl's own room.

Maybe, just maybe, it wasn't so painful for the redhead that she couldn't walk without help, but she took advantage of the situation and leaned against her former best friend, secretly enjoying being held by those strong, but attractive and feminine biceps.

So what? Sue her for this.