Don't Act Like You Forgot (#JustWriteIt) - Editing

Prologue

A desperate cry for help pierced through the air like a knife. No one heard it. No one except for a few old, scraggly crows sitting on the thick wire of electric poles. Another scream cut through the cold air, making them jerk their small heads to the source, their beady eyes staring intently at the empty streets before they took turns responding to it with loud, scratchy croaks.

High Pond was the name of this place. But to most people these days, it was The Cursed Neighbourhood. Many people from Ashmoure who passed through this area to get to South Shore—it was the shorter route after all—reported seeing intruders wandering around the neighbourhood. Those who lived or knew the residents back in the days told a different story—those intruders seen were residents of High Pond who didn't make it out alive.

As time went on, more and more people heard about the lingering residents. There were speculations about the degree of truth. There was no concrete proof that ghosts exist, after all. However, travellers from Ashmoure who caught wind of this chilling story started to avoid using this shortcut despite the two-hour decrease in time travel to South Shore. It was always better to be safe than sorry. Besides, no sane person would like to have a supernatural encounter no matter how much they doubted it.

No one would. Not even the ones living at the borders of AShmoure and South Shore. In fact, those living there moved out as soon as they could, migrating towards the inner city of the two places, putting a good distance between themselves and the abandoned town. Well, except for the occasional paranormal fans and those who needed a safe haven to get high. Or like the six of them who brought a girl along three days ago who needed a place to do their work.

"Stop!" the same voice shouted, ending it with a sob.

The owner of the cries belonged to a girl who everyone dreamt of becoming. Perfect locks of honey coloured hair, eyes the colour of the ocean, clear soft skin, an hourglass figure and a cheery personality—the beauty queen of Ashmoure High. What set her apart from the people at the top of the social pyramid was her heart. She was one of the few popular kids who was genuinely kind. In a school like Ashmoure High, that was rare. It was also her uniqueness that made her the prime target within the good and the bad. The perfect friend, the perfect enemy.

"How does it feel to be ugly now?" a blonde mocked, smiling as she glided the sharp blade of a knife across the girl's face, stopping just below her left cheekbone. Then, her smile vanished and she pressed the blade against the soft skin, gradually increasing her force until the blade cut through the epidermis.

Shifting backwards, the girl pressed herself against the boxes of crates behind her in an attempt to escape the torture, but there was no space left for her to back away. Even so, she tried, just in case it worked. Her hands were tied behind her back rubbed against the rough surface of the crates, peeling bits of her skin off.

"Please," she begged between sobs, the pain from the opening of her skin summoning tears from her eyes. "Let me go. Please. I won't tell anyone about this if that's what you're worried about. I swear! Please just let me go!"

Blood trickled down from her face to her thin, trembling shoulder. The blade moved ever so slightly to the side, forcing more red out of her skin. She snivelled, her body shaking in pain and cold. Drip by drip, her blood soaked into the white, lacy bra strap over her left shoulder, dying it a deep, crimson red.

"But we're having so much fun!" The blonde pouted, finally lifting the cold metal away from the girl's face. She held the knife between herself and the girl, eye level. Slowly, she flipped the knife in the harsh light of the single bulb hanging on a wire above them. The fresh, red blood shimmered under the light, making the blade of the knife look like it was glowing. "You're really the sunshine in everyone's life, aren't you? Even your blood glows." the blonde continued to taunt, a smile reappearing on her oval face.