IF LOOKS COULD KILL
xiv. Panic Attacks
scream vi,
chapter fourteen
✸
Starr Kimens didn't know it was possible to feel nothing and everything at the same time. The burning feeling was like two things canceling each other, like two magnets repelling one another.
The paramedic had sat Starr on the emergency truck, her legs dangling off the side. Usually, Starr would flinch and hiss as they stitched her up, but Starr didn't feel it.
She didn't feel anything.
Tara tries comforting Starr, leaning her head on her shoulder. Starr kept her eyes on the ground.
They all sat there in silence, they'd lost three people who they'd cared for dearly.
Mindy was also thinking about moments before. She truly didn't believe it would happen again, she didn't think she would be stuck in this same situation...again.
Arden came their way, eyes glistening and cheeks wet with salty tears.
Arden expected Starr to be crying as well but was shocked to see a glare Starr was sending in her direction.
"Starr—"
"Save me the bullshit, Arden!" Starr snaps immediately, catching the eyes of Tara, Mindy, and Chad.
Arden was taken back, "you don't think I—"
"You're a fucking liar." Starr gets in her face, fingers pointing. Starr's strangely strong strength shoved Arden to the ground.
"Are you kidding me!" Arden jumps up. "You think I would kill my own boyfriend?"
"It doesn't take that long to grab medicine from a fucking Walgreens!" Starr scoffs, "Where the hell were you, huh?"
"You guys, stop—"
Arden unexpectedly sent a strong slap in Starr's direction, causing her head to snap to the side.
The entire group stopped in their tracks. Their eyes fell on Starr.
Starr was quick to send a punch to Arden's face before fully throwing her to the ground.
Starr's mind felt like it was going down a downward spiral. Every punch she sent to Arden's face only made her angrier.
Two police officers were needed to pry Starr off of Arden. A paramedic came around, checking on Arden's fresh wounds.
Mindy jumps in, "I got her—I got her, Thank you." She pulls Starr away onto the side of the emergency truck. "Starr, stop—stop. There are cameras, people are recording you."
"I don't give a fuck, this is bullshit!" Starr felt her grief kick in, "My brother is dead—the only last piece of family I had left, is dead!"
Mindy's eyes softened, her eyes yearning the more Starr spoke. She could only nod.
"I can't do this—" Starr shakes her head.
"Yes, you can, Starr." Mindy pulls her close. Starr breaks down in her arms, her dreadful sobs soaking into Mindy's sweater.
Mindy holds her and continues to do so for the next three minutes before she heard the commotion, Chad's voice being the loudest.
Starr and Mindy both snap their eyes at whom Chad was screaming.
Ethan Landry.
Chad had him pinned against a police car.
The two girls both walk back toward where they were sitting.
Chad's eyes mix between uncertainty, anger, and sadness. He huffs before finally letting Ethan go.
Ethan walks over, eyes wide and apologetic. His eyes moved between Starr and Mindy, "I am so sorry."
"Step the fuck back." Mindy Said at the same time Starr says, "Fuck off."
Mindy glares, "You're at the top of my list."
"I had Econ!" Ethan defends himself.
"Nobody cares, Ethan." Starr clenched her teeth, her jaw flexing.
✸
The day to follow was the discovery of Jason and Greg's mystery building that was kept hidden away from the city. Gale was quick to point in the direction of it. They were now walking down an alleyway, spray painted on the walls was a huge Ghostface portrait.
Kirby, the survivor of the 2011 killing committed by Jill Roberts, and Charlie Walker, now an FBI agent, joined them on a trip. Along with Detective Bailey, who'd just lost his daughter.
Arden was walking by herself, keeping her distance from almost the entire group.
"I'm sorry about Quinn." Starr apologizes to Detective Bailey, catching the man's attention. "I know she was the last family you had left."
Detective Bailey gave a saddened smile at the young girl's apology, "I'm sorry about your brother, he seemed like a sweet young man."
Starr smiles at the thought, "he was. He didn't deserve to die, and neither did Quinn or Anika or any other person who got caught up in this bullshit."
Detective Bailey chuckles.
"Sorry for the foul language but it's the truth." Starr laughs along with him.
Starr felt like Detective Bailey understood her pain, he understood what it feels like to lose the last bit of family you have left.
Starr just needed someone to know the feeling of what she felt and he did.
Detective Bailey gave a pat on her shoulder, his way of saying thank you.
Starr smiles at him before focusing back on following the group.
Gale had used a key card to open the doors and a gate. They walked into a dark exhorting facility, the only light being a flashlight Gale held.
Same frowns, "What is this place? What's with all the security?"
Gale flipped a switch on a side wall. Many lights lit up the place, finally bringing it into view.
"It's a theatre." Tara guesses.
"Not just a theatre," Gale corrects her, "it's a shrine."
Gale had flipped another switch, causing a churning hum to make everyone's eyes turn to the sound. That's when they saw it...nine black Ghostface robes hanging on mannequins, all creating a semi-circle.
Before you could get to that, objects were held in clear glass like rewards. All these objects somehow connect to the past Woodsboro Massacres.
"What the fuck?" Arden cringes.
"How did they get all this stuff, isn't this evidence?" Tara voiced.
"Cops like money and evidence can get lost easier than you think?" Gale informs.
"This place makes me feel super uneasy." Starr comments.
Ethan spoke up, "Um—why am I here exactly, my alibi checks out."
"Same goes for me," Arden raises her hand. "I didn't do anything."
Starr squints at Arden. She now had fresh bruises on her face from Starr, her eye lightly swollen.
Chad sent Ethan a tight smile, "So I can keep an eye on you, Roomie."
"And maybe you didn't kill anyone, Arden," Starr shrugs, "but you're hiding something and I know it. So you're staying here until you divulge whatever it is your keeping from us."
Arden was trying to keep her cool. "Whatever you say, Starr."
"I believe the killer found this place before murdering Jason and Greg and then he took the masks off the mannequins," Gale guesses, "all nine from Stu and Billy to Amber and Richie."
Everyone follows same to the mannequin. Examining every last detail.
"So someone killed these chuckle-fucks and just took over?" Chad crosses his arms.
Gale confirms, "someone who believes Sam masterminded Woodsboro."
"If this is a normal Stab movie, this would be the killer's layer." Mindy realizes.
Kirby hums, "Which means this isn't a normal stab movie."
Those words seemed to send Tara over the edge, her face shifts in discomfort before she took off, making her way down the stairs and off somewhere in the building.
Sam follows after her.
Starr's mind starts wandering yet again. Arlo would probably be comforting her right now or making some unnecessary sex joke just to make them laugh
Starr's felt her heartache. The thought of not being able to create any more memories with her brother only made her want to sob.
She walks away from the group so she doesn't break down. She finds herself wandering to the backstage.
✸
Starr doesn't talk about panic attacks, she almost forgot she even had them at one point. She thought it was under control...it was under control.
Starr feels her chest tighten. A familiar feeling she hadn't felt in ages. "Oh god, not again." She mumbles.
Starr felt like all air was leaving her lungs.
Is this what Arlo felt?
When his blood began filling his lungs? Is this what he felt?
Starr staggered to her knees. Her head became dizzy.
Unexpectedly, a hand touched her back, causing Starr to gasp and stumble backward. "It's me, calm down, it's me."
"Stay the hell away from me!" Tears fell down Starr's face as she tried to regain her breath. It felt like she was literally dying.
"Okay, uh—" Arden steps back, "this is a panic attack, Starr."
"N—no shit."
"Starr, look at my breathing, copy my breathing." Arden demonstrates a slow intake and outtake of air.
Starr listens, trying her best to turn her shortened and quick breaths into a normal even pattern.
"Good," Arden smiles, "just keep doing that."
Starr successfully does it. She fell onto the floor in relief, finally feeling a good intake of air enter her lungs. She scoots over to the counter, leaning her head back against the marble material.
"See, you did it." Arden cheers. Keeping a distance from Starr to make sure she wouldn't freak out. "Is that your first-ever panic attack?"
Starr shakes her head, "I used to get them about over a year ago. Amber always helped since Arlo and I weren't close at the time."
Arden crosses her legs. Shifting awkwardly. "You were right." She admits.
"About?"
"About me hiding something." Arden looks at her fingers, "I am."
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word count: 1572
SIREDNOTES !—
What do you guys think Arden is hiding?