my r/nosleep favorites | volume one

I Dared My Best Friend to End My Life [Part 5]

continuing from part 4

I didn't go home. I was too stubborn.

It was starting to get dark out as I went back to my car. Since it was parked at the bar, I decided to take a picture of that wall, then head home. Even if Zander didn't want me involved, someone had tried to kill me. I was involved now whether he liked it or not.

I walked inside the bar behind a group of twenty people. The gruff bartender now had another, younger one helping out. Good. The place was filling up quickly.

I sidled over to the wall of pictures and looked around while I fished Zander's phone out of my pocket. When I pulled it out, it had another message.

M4N513THO: Where's Zander?

I got irritated.

2463573Z4B: Who is this?

I sent the message, then opened the camera app. I pointed it at the wall and took a series of photos, hoping I'd be able to zoom in later and see every image clearly. Glancing around, I made sure no one was staring at the idiot taking pictures. No one was.

Ordering a water, I sat at an empty table with two seats and began scrolling through the pictures to make sure they were good enough. I zoomed in close and found the image that the bartender had shown us earlier. The faces were clear and recognizable in the picture.

I recognized the guy from the bar, and the asshole who'd tried to kill me. I hadn't ever seen Sophie in real life, but her face was clear in the picture. There were still three out of five unknowns.

"Five psychopaths," I muttered to myself.

I spent some time looking at the other images on the wall. None of the five were appearing in any other photos. Then I came across one picture that startled me.

David Fucking King's face stared at me from the wall. My heart exploded in my chest, and my palms started to sweat. I closed my eyes to take some deep breaths. Just a picture. David King is dead.

When I was calm, I looked at the image again. He was grinning his usual charismatic smile, but had his arm around someone. I zoomed in on them.

It was Sophie Atrikson.

The confirmation was startling. David King had known Sophie Atrikson.

Then Zander's phone pinged in my hands.

The same person had sent an image. It was a picture of me. In the bar. Sitting at the table, phone in hand. They had taken it from an angle where you could see my face.

Fuck.

I could tell from the image that they had taken it from the front door of the bar. I looked around, searching for any of the five faces.

Nothing.

But the place was packed.

And, as a result, I was safe. Right?

I took deep breaths and tried to look as calm as possible. The picture was a threat meant to scare me. If I acted normal, it would throw them off.

Ping. Another message.

M4N513THO: Where's Zander?

I replied.

2463573Z4B: I don't know.

M4N513THO: Don't know or don't care?

2463573Z4B: Both.

M4N513THO: Come meet me outside.