Home For Fall // Emison and PLL

No Rest For The Wicked

"Whoa, Spence, are you implying that whoever killed Charlotte is living in the old dollhouse?" Aria asked skeptically.

"I'm super convinced she's speeding again," Hanna said worriedly to Toby who's large arms were crossed against his chest.

"Spencer, this is ridiculous. No killer would do that. Especially not the home of his victim," Toby said.

"Are you sure? -A has done some pretty close things that have made us question it," Caleb said from his seat in the corner. His eyes were still half shut from his plane ride.

Toby glared at him. "Don't encourage her."

Ezra shrugged, Aria's legs draped over his. "I want to side with you Spence, but in a way, he's right. It's too obvious. Em, where did you say you got this poem again?"

Emily blushed and shook her head. "I don't remember."

Ezra squinted at her but dropped the subject.

Em... What would you do if you were looking to kill somebody.

Emily squeezed her eyes shut at the sound of Alison's bitchy voice. What would she do?

You know what you would do. Just like in the desert. Don't be stupid when I know you can be smart, The Other Alison said again.

"No... Spencer is right the killer definitely probably went to the dollhouse. But Toby has a point. He isn't living there," Emily said.

"Thanks Em," Toby said nodding in agreement.

Spencer scoffed sarcastically. "Yeah. Thanks Em."

"He went there searching for something. Something he knew was close to Charlotte and the -A Game. He's looking for something," Emily said quietly.

"What could he possibly want? There's probably nothing even there anymore! That was years ago! And he could be long gone! Charlotte is dead!" Hanna objected after the silence that hung in the air.

"That's not true. Charlotte was smart. Unbelievably smart. Not even Mona could uncover her and Mona was the queen at having hiding places," Spencer said.

"But so is Alison," Ezra said.

Emily's head shot up. "What are you saying?"

He seemed uncomfortable. Aria rubbed his hand. "Emily, please."

"No. I want to know. How you guys all think Alison is in the middle of this. She didn't kill Charlotte. She loved her!" Emily spat.

"Then why do all the signs point back to her? It's always been that way Emily. Alison has always been involved. From the beginning. And whoever this is, it isn't Charlotte anymore. This person took the law upon their own hands to kill a patient of a mental facility. One that Alison had easy access to because they were sisters. That can't stand," Toby said.

"And it won't in a court, Emily. I know law. She's looking more and more guilty," Spencer said.

"Except we know nothing. We don't know how Charlotte died, how she was killed, who she was talking to before she died. We have a report that could be false, and a body that isn't even in Rosewood. We're chasing ghosts, and you all know it!" Emily yelled.

"What are you even talking about?" Caleb asked.

"We all hated Charlotte. Any one of us could have killed her. But we love and trust each other enough to know none of us would. Ali is one of us. And she loved her sister. If she truly wanted to kill her, she's had plenty of opportunities. She wouldn't have stayed in Rosewood to take care of her the way she did. Stop pointing fingers," Emily said.

Toby scratched the back of his head. "Alright. Who's driving?"

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Emily stepped out of the back of Spencer's car and hugged her rifle close to her chest, feeling at home with her uniform still on.

"I can't believe you brought that thing," Hanna said as she stared uncomfortably at the muzzle.

"When in doubt, shoot the shit out of it," Emily said.

"That's comforting," Aria said as she snuck out behind them.

"Okay. Time to split into teams," Spencer said.

Emily shook her head. "I'll go alone."

"You're joking right?" Spencer asked.

Emily rolled her eyes. "No. I'm not. I've gone on a million convoy missions alone in Afghanistan. Trust me. I'm better off on my own. I'll let you know if I find something."

"At least let me go with you," Toby said.

"You need to protect Spencer and the rest of them. They don't know the first thing about self defense," Emily pointed out.

"Actually, not true. I've immersed myself in the culture of martial arts," Aria said.

They all stared at her, including Ezra.

"What? When you're small you have to be mighty," Aria muttered.

Emily ignored her comment. "Again. I go alone."

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Each one of the groups debated over who would go where once they were inside the old dollhouse. Spencer, Toby, and Hanna went left, while Aria, Caleb, and Ezra went right.

Emily followed them up the middle with her rifle. Caleb and Ezra had baseball bats, and Toby and Spencer had two of Toby's police pistols.

Emily creeped in front and checked the surrounding area.

Look for disturbed dirt. Don't want to hit an IED.

She shook the thought from her mind. There were no IEDs in Rosewood. This wasn't the desert.

"Stop," Emily commanded as Caleb was about to take a step into the clearing from the bushes.

She bent down close to the ground and saw the fresh boot tracks leading to the now rusty doors that led into the basement like house.

"Somebody's been here. Not that long ago. These tracks are recent," she said.

"That's definitely a man's sized boot," Spencer said.

"Or a girl with super big feet," Aria said.

"Or Bigfoot," Hanna added.

"Shut up, Hanna," they all said in unison.

Emily looked both ways before inching forward and pushing forth the bushes in which the opening to the dollhouse stood.

She could feel the cool air coming from beneath the ground.

Remember when I found you here Em? How scared you were? Yet how happy you were to see me? I saved you. Now do me a favor. Save me, The Other Alison hissed in her head.

Hanna and Aria held onto Caleb and Ezra. Even Spencer gripped Toby's arm despite them being separated.

Emily's hand rested on the cool latch as she pulled it open and revealed a pit of pure darkness. The terror crawled up their spines. She wasn't ready to be back here. None of the girls were.

Down below, it was where the real nightmAres started.