TATUM IS LYING ON HER BED, LOST IN THOUGHT, WHEN SHE HEARS A KNOCK ON HER DOOR. She ignores it, hoping whoever it is will go away. But the knock comes again, more insistent this time. She sighs, getting up from her bed and opening the door.
It's Anika. "Hey, Tatum," she says with a smile. "You coming out to join the rest of us?"
Tatum hesitates. "I'm not really in the mood for socializing right now."
She nods understandingly. "I get it. But come on, it'll be easier if we stick together."
Tatum looks at her for a moment, then sighs. "But I'm not making any promises about being social."
Anika grins. "That's all I can ask for."
She follows Anika out of her room and into the living room, where Anika procedes to throw herself on the couch and pick up the book she'd been reading since pretty much the start of the semester.
She can't help but feel a pang of loneliness as she watches her friends laughing and joking together in the kitchen. Despite being around them all the time, she has always felt like an outsider, like she's the weak link of the group. It's not just a feeling either, she knows that she's not as smart, talented or confident as the others.
Growing up, Tatum was always called a strange child. She had strange interests, like collecting butterfly wings and doing autopsies on dead animals she found in the woods. She was never the type of kid who fit in easily with others. Chad and Mindy, who she had known since they were little, always seemed to tolerate her presence more than enjoy it. They were probably forced to hang out with her at first, she thinks. It seemed like something their mom would do, she always had a soft spot for Dewey.
Tatum had never even talked to Tara before eighth grade when Amber suddenly decided to befriend the girl. For a long time, actually, she believed that Amber was her only real friend, which is a pretty sad statement in itself. What does it say about her when her closest companion is a killer?
Did Amber like her because she was weak, easy to manipulate?
Or did Amber see something in Tatum's eyes that looked a lot like a mirror?
Anika jumps up and turns up the TV's volume even louder. Tatum winces at the sudden noise and Anika yells out, "Guys, what the hell?"
As the others walk out to see what's going on, Tatum feels a lump form in her throat. She can't believe what she's hearing. The reporter is suggesting that Sam could be the killer responsible for the recent murders, and even the ones from last year.
Chad is the first to break the silence, muttering a curse under his breath. Mindy looks at Tatum with wide eyes, as if she's expecting an explanation. Tara seems to be in a state of shock, her mouth slightly open as she stares at the screen. Sam looks like she's about to cry.
Someone was claiming that Richie Kirsch was just an innocent victim, framed by the big bad wolf, when Tatum still could feel the scars on her back aching from when Richie fucking Kirsch had stabbed her and left her for dead.
The reporter shows a video of Sam fighting with a girl outside the Halloween party, and Tatum feels a pang of anger. She knows Sam didn't do it, but of course the media is always looking for someone else to blame. Her mom had once told her that conspiracy theories are what keep the people watching, not the truth.
As the reporter continues to speculate about Sam's involvement, Tatum takes the remote and turns off the TV.
"Enough," she says firmly. "Sam didn't do this, we were all fucking there. So it doesn't matter what they say, just what we know, right?''
The others nod in agreement, but Tatum can see the doubt lingering in their eyes.
The girl watches as Sam walks over to the table, her expression drawn and her shoulders slumped. Tara follows her, a sympathetic look on her face. Tatum, Chad, and Mindy exchange a look and soon join the other two at the table. They can see the worry on Sam's face, and it's clear that she's been affected by the news.
As they sit down, Sam mutters, "It just sucks being this hated."
Chad puts a hand on her shoulder, saying, "Hey, hey, just a reminder, not a single person in this room hates you, ok? We have all been through some fucked up stuff and we are coping with it differently. But I mean, we moved here together for one very specific reason. We're a team."
Mindy nods in agreement, "We are the five fucking fab."
Everyone lets out a small chuckle, except for Tatum, who chimes in, ''Fab Five? Seriously?''
Chad catches her confused expression and jokes, "Just go with it, we are."
Everyone giggles, and Tatum can't help but feel a sense of belonging wash over her. It's true that she's always felt like an outsider, but in this moment, she feels like maybe she's part of something special.
Tara nods in agreement, "Chad's right. We've been through so much together. We can't let anyone or anything tear us apart."
After a minute, Sam speaks up, breaking the silence. "I've been sleeping with cute boy from across the hall," she confesses, and everyone looks at her with surprise. For a moment, the room is silent, until Tara breaks the tension. "I knew it!" she exclaims, grinning.
Mindy nods in agreement, "Yeah, we've seen you two sneaking around."
Tatum smirks, "Looks like you owe me ten bucks, Chad," she says, and he begrudgingly hands over a bill.
Tara then turns to Tatum, "And when are you going to tell us that you're sleeping with Chad's geeky roommate?"
Her face turns red, "Hey, I am not!" she protests.
Chad jumps in with a smirk, "But you want to, right?"
Tatum playfully punches him in the arm, "Shut up, shirtless cowboy."
Everyone laughs and continues chatting, teasing each other, like it used to be before last year's attacks.
Tara adds, "I feel like we should celebrate, high five or something."
Chad chimes in, "The Fab Five High Five," and Tatum groans, "Don't call it that."
But everyone laughs and joins in on the high five, slapping their hands together with enthusiasm. Tatum can't help but feel a small burst of joy at the sight of everyone laughing together, all of their worries forgotten somewhere.
Sam's phone rings and she glances at the screen, seeing it's the cute neighbor guy. Tara notices and quickly grabs the phone from Sam's hands, holding it up to her ear with a grin.
"Hello?" she says in a mock-serious tone. "What are your intentions with our girl Sam here?"
The others chuckle as Tara continues her pretend conversation with the guy on the other end of the line, making silly faces and gestures as she speaks. Sam rolls her eyes but can't help but smile at her sister's antics.
After a few moments, Sam takes the phone back from Tara and declines the call. "Sorry, this is a Fab Five moment only," she says, holding up her phone to show the others.
Chad nods in agreement. "Yeah, no boys allowed," he says with a grin.
Tatum giggles. "Except for you, Chad. You're allowed," she says.
Their laughter dies down as they hear sounds coming from Quinn's room. The moans grow louder and more frequent, causing Tatum to roll her eyes and Tara to make a face. They're used to Quinn's antics by now.
Suddenly, their phones start buzzing with airdrop notifications. Tatum checks hers quickly, nearly dropping it on the ground, and sees a picture of Quinn's window, taken from the other side of the building. Her heart drops as she sees Ghostface in the photo, attacking Quinn.
Everyone is frozen in shock, their eyes glued to the photo. As if they've been sharing a brain, they all jump up from the table and start running towards Quinn's room. But before they can even reach the door, Chad grabs Tatum and Tara by their waists and pulls them back.
Tate tries to kick him away from her. ''Let me go, we have to help her.''
"We can't just rush in there," Chad whispers, his eyes scanning the hallway for any sign of danger. "We don't know what's going on."
The group stands in tense silence, waiting to hear what's going to happen. But the moans from Quinn's room have stopped, replaced by an eerie silence. They can hear their own heartbeats pounding in their chests.
The door swings open with a force that startles them all. Quinn's lifeless body is thrown out, landing on top of Anika and Tatum, who let out piercing screams. Blood oozes from her wounds and stains their clothes as they try to push the body off of them.
Ghostface emerges from the room, his menacing presence sending chills down Tate's spins. She sees Chad pulling Tara by the hand towards the exit and she knows they have to move fast.
"We have to get out of here, now!" she yells at Anika, but Quinn's body is heavy on top of theirs and the amount of blood is making it hard to grab her.
Tatum watches in horror as Ghostface attacks Mindy, slashing her arm. Finally managing to push Quinn's lifeless body away, Anika rushes instinctively to protect Mindy, but Ghostface grabs her and throws her to the ground, his hand tight around her neck.
Unaware of where Sam was and whether Chad and Tara were close to getting some help, Tatum springs into action, jumping on Ghostface's back and wrapping her arms around his neck, trying to pry him away from Anika.
But Ghostface is too strong. He tosses Tatum aside like a rag doll, and she crashes into the table, hitting her head hard. Everything goes blurry and then black, and Tatum feels herself slipping into unconsciousness.
As she fades out, she hears the sounds of chaos and fighting around her. She hears Anika screaming for help, and feels a pool of blood cover her.
Was it hers? Quinn's? Anika's?
Tatum doesn't know. Everything is a blur, and she can't focus on anything except the pain throbbing in her head.
She sees her dad, Dewey, standing in front of her. At first, he looks like himself, his warm smile, his kind eyes. But then, everything turns grim. Dewey starts coughing up blood. His face twists in pain and he cries out for Tatum's help.
Tatum feels a sense of helplessness and fear wash over her. She tries to move towards her dad, but her feet feel like they're glued to the ground. The sound of her dad's screams reverberate in her ears, and Tatum's heart feels like it's going to explode from the intensity of her emotions.
She tries to call out to her dad, but her voice is weak and barely audible. Tatum feels tears streaming down her face as she watches her dad suffer. She wants to help him, but she's paralyzed with fear.
As the dream continues, Tatum's mind feels like it's drowning in despair. The image of her dad, covered in blood and screaming in agony, is burned into her mind. She couldn't save him. She couldn't save Wes or Judy. She couldn't save Liv.
She couldn't save Amber.
Tatum slowly opens her eyes, her head pounding with pain. She sees Sam's worried face hovering over her, and feels a sharp stinging sensation on her cheek.
"What the...?" She starts to say, confused.
"Come on, Tatum! We have to go!" Sam interrupts, slapping her again.
Tatum tries to focus on her surroundings, realizing they're still in the apartment. The apartment that was supposed to be safe, better. But now, Ghostface is right in front of them, his knife glinting in the dim light.
Without a second thought, Tatum uses all her strength to push herself up and grabs Sam's hand. Together, they stumble towards the door.
As they reach it, Ghostface lunges at them. Tatum pushes Sam out of the way, and slams the door shut just in time. They both collapse on the floor, gasping for air.
"What do we do now?" Tatum asks, still disoriented.
Sam answers her question by helping her get up and leading her towards the door. They brace themselves against the door as Ghostface continues to try to push his way through.
Fucking New York apartments and their shitty fucking doors.
Her heart is pounding so hard she can feel it in her throat. She looks back at Anika and Mindy, and her panic increases as she sees the severity of their injuries. Anika's eyes are closed, and blood is seeping through her fingers as she tries to hold onto the wound on her stomach. Mindy is whimpering in pain, tears streaming down her face as she clutches her arm.
She tries to steady herself, taking deep breaths as she hears Ghostface's heavy breathing and the sound of his knife scraping against the door. She glances at Sam, who looks just as terrified as she is, but determined to hold the door.
"Tate, whatever you do, don't let go," Sam says through gritted teeth. "We can't let him in."
And like their prayers are answered, the movement suddenly stops, as if Ghostface had just disappeared or lost interest.
Tatum's heart is racing, and she feels like her body is going to give up any minute now. She turns to look at the bed where Anika and Mindy are lying, and again the sight of the two girls sends another wave of panic through Tatum's body.
"We need to get out of here," she whispers to Sam. "We're sitting ducks right now, and I don't think Anika has a whole lot of time for us to just wait for help."
Sam nods in agreement, and they both slowly release their grip on the door. Tatum takes a step forward, but suddenly freezes when she remembers the open bathroom door. She tells Sam that she needs to close it and heads towards the bathroom, trying her best to move quietly.
As she steps into the bathroom, Tatum's eyes land on a lifeless body in the tub. Blood covers the walls, and the gruesome sight sends tears streaming down her face.
"Sam," she whispers, her voice shaking. "There's dead guy in the tub, it's fucking Psycho the aftermath."
Tatum feels her body start to crumble, and her vision starts to go black. Her head is pounding like crazy as she tries to close the bathroom door, her eyes fixated on the lifeless body. But before she can even register what's happening, Ghostface is back, and the door is still open.
She jumps, but her head collides with the door again, and the impact sends shockwaves through her entire body.
As Tatum struggles to stay upright, Mindy and Sam rush over to help her close the door. Her vision is blurred, and the world around her feels like it's spinning out of control. She feels bile rise up in her throat and vomits, her body trembling with fear and exhaustion.
Anika takes Tatum's head in her hands, her expression one of concern. "You can't pass out, Tate," she says, her voice barely audible above the chaos around them.
She manages to lift her head, her eyes meeting Anika's. "Neither can you, Ani," she replies, her voice shaking.
Mindy and Sam finally manage to push the furniture against the door, and Tatum sinks to the ground, her body shaking with sobs. The room is filled with the sounds of their ragged breathing, the stench of blood and fear hanging heavy in the air.
Tatum feels herself drifting in and out of consciousness, her head pounding and her body weak. Sam's sticking her head outside, talking about ladders and windows, but Tatum can't make out the words. She tries to focus, but her vision is blurry and her ears are ringing.
She hears the voice of the neighbor guy from across the building. Whatever he's yelling about, Sam is nodding vigorously.
Tatum feels someone shaking her, and she opens her eyes to see Mindy looking down at her with concern. "Tate, can you hear me?" she asks, and Tatum nods weakly.
"We're going to get out of here, all of us" Mindy says firmly. "We just need to hold on a little longer."
Tatum can feel her body trembling, and she knows she's in bad shape even though she hasn't been stabbed like Anika and Mindy.
Anika strokes her hair gently. "You're going to be okay," she whispers. "We all are."
She tries to believe her, but everything feels so dark. She keeps drifting in and out of consciousness, her dreams filled with blood and violence.
Someone shakes her body awake and Sam yells at her to go across. She can barely focus on what Sam is saying, but she hears her friend's urgency. Tatum looks around at the girls, all of them battered and bruised. Anika is holding her organs inside her belly with her bare hands, and Mindy is struggling to hold the door with all her might.
"Ani first," Tatum whispers to herself, trying to steady her breathing.
Sam shakes her head. ''You have to go before you pass out, you have to go fast.''
Anika coughs weakly, drawing Tatum's attention. "Tate, you have to go," she says, her voice barely above a whisper. "We'll be right behind you."
Tatum nods, taking a deep breath. She turns to Sam, who is looking at her with an intense expression. "Okay," Tatum says, her voice trembling. "Okay, I'll go."
Sam nods, grabbing Tatum's hand and leading her towards the window. Tatum's heart is pounding in her chest as she steps onto the ladder. She can feel it bending under her weight, and the wind is whipping her hair into her face.
As she makes her way across, her footing becomes unsteady, and she stumbles, almost losing her grip on the ladder. She hears Sam calling out to her from the other side, urging her to keep going, and it's the only thing keeping her from giving up. The darkness starts to cloud her vision again, and she closes her eyes for a brief moment, taking deep breaths to steady herself.
Tatum feels like she's walking on a tightrope. Her head is pounding from the earlier hits, and her vision keeps flickering in and out of focus. The fear of falling to her death grips her tightly, making her hands shake as she grips the rungs of the ladder. She takes one step at a time, feeling as though she's on the brink of collapsing at any moment.
"That's it, that's it Tate, keep going," Sam urges, her voice barely audible over the wind. Tatum takes another step, her knees shaking.
She takes a deep breath and continues across the ladder, her hands gripping the metal tightly. She can see the other apartment now, and she's almost there. But then the ladder shift beneath her feet, and she loses her balance.
"Tatum!" Sam screams. Tatum falls to her knees, her heart in her throat. She's dangling from the stairs now, her body swaying back and forth. She can feel the wind tugging at her hair, and she knows that one wrong move could mean certain death.
"Sam!" Tatum cries out, tears streaming down her face. "Fuck, shit, please dad!"
Dewey couldn't hear her screams all the way six feet under.
Danny is on her in an instant, grabbing her arms and pulling her up. Tatum scrambles to her feet, her legs shaking.
Her body feels like it's going to give out any moment. She stumbles towards a wall and leans against it, her vision still blurry, and her head throbbing with pain. It isn't long before she collapses onto the couch and starts vomiting again, her stomach churning with a mix of fear, pain, and nausea.
She can barely keep her eyes open and her body feels so weak, like it's been drained of all energy. Her head is still spinning and her ears are ringing, like she's trapped in a bubble. She tries to focus on Sam's voice, who'd just safely crossed over as well, but everything is so muffled and far away. She can feel tears streaming down her face and she sobs, feeling so helpless.
Mindy is the next to stumble towards the window, Sam grabbing her waist as they both collapse onto the floor, gasping for air.
Tatum is seeing two Sam's, two Danny's, two Mindy's.
No Anika.
She watches in horror as Anika struggles to cross the ladder, the others yelling out for her to go fasters. Ghostface has finally kicked over the door.
Anika is halfway through, but not close enough. Ghostface goes towards the window and starts shaking that ladder, trying to get Anika to fall.
The girl cries out to Mindy, saying, ''Baby, I don't want to die.''
It's clear that she's lost too much blood and doesn't have the strength to cross the ladder quickly.
Lamb gathered for slaughter.
Sam holds Anika's hand, but they are all bloodied and sweaty. So when Ghostface shakes the ladder one more time, Anika falls to her death.
Tatum screams out, "No! Ani!"
Sam tries to grab onto Anika, but it's too late. They watch helplessly as Anika falls to the ground, her body hitting the pavement below.