"You know, this is why nobody will go out with you!" -Spencer Hastings
It was a month since Caleb was shot, and he had pulled through. Isabel strutted the streets of Rosewood with the girls, discussing costumes.
"Give me a hint," Hanna begged.
"I will not give you a hint. We made a deal," Spencer huffed as they walked along. "You'll see my costume tonight at the party."
"But what if we end up wearing the same thing?" Hanna complained.
"We are not going to be wearing the same thing," Spencer laughed. "I promise you."
"Look, I'll give you a hint if you give me a hint," Hanna bargained, and Isabel also laughed.
"No hints, okay?" Aria reminded them. "We said we're gonna pick somebody from a movie, and we're all gonna surprise each other."
"Whose stupid idea was that?" Hanna frowned.
"Yours," they all said in unison, staring at her as she tried to remember.
"Em, you sure you want to do this thing?" Isabel said gently, turning to her.
"I want to do this. I need to do it," Emily assured her. "I want something big and splashy to mark the whole 'before' and 'after' of everything."
"Symbols and ceremonies?" Spencer asked as they rounded a corner.
"And plus, there's mystery live entertainment," Aria added.
"Mm-hmm," Hanna nodded, but then she sighed. "I have to get to the dentist."
"How is Caleb?" Spencer smiled, and for the first time in a while, Isabel's stomach didn't clench when she heard his name.
"He's getting better," she replied.
"It was easier when he was in the hospital, though," Hanna explained, and Isabel smirked. "Now he's got out, and we have to go under the radar."
"You're sure you want to go on the Ghost Train?" Spencer asked.
"Yeah. Otherwise I'm stuck with my mom and Pastor Ted handing out candy to rug rats," Hanna griped, and they all stared at her, surprised.
"Your mom and Pastor Ted?" Spencer blinked.
"Yeah. They're getting pretty domestic," Hanna said, making a face as they came to a halt.
"I'd tell her to go for it," Aria shrugged. "My mom moved on."
"Oh, my God," Emily said suddenly. The girls turned around to see a coffin with a 'RIP Alison DiLaurentis' written in red.
"Okay, who would do that?" Hanna huffed.
"It's Clifford Yerdley's house," Spencer sighed.
"He's such an astonishing jerk," Aria agreed.
"Joke's over," Isabel scoffed, walking over. Suddenly, he jumped out, scaring the girls. He laughed and scampered back into his house.
"You are such a tremendous loser!" Hanna yelled.
"You know, this is why nobody will go out with you!" Spencer shouted as Emily threw a rock at his house.
"Let's get outta here," Isabel huffed, and they all followed her.
-
"So, it's at five, right?" Isabel asked Jason. She was in her bathroom, applying some eyeshadow to match her fabulous Cleopatra costume.
"No, on the poster it says four," he called from the kitchen. Isabel looked at her phone, and her eyes widened. Four? Four o'clock was in ten minutes! She applied her makeup faster and was finally done.
"Okay, I'm ready-" she began, walking out, but she grinned when she saw Jason. "You've got to be kidding me," she laughed, walking over. He was dressed as her favorite actor, James Dean, and she knew right then that that was true love.
"I know," he smiled. "I heard from, you, actually, that you had a crush on him when you were twelve."
"What? When did I tell you that?" Isabel frowned, looking around helplessly.
"Uh, a few years ago," he replied sheepishly.
"You remember that?" she asked incredulously, and he shrugged. "Well, I'd stay and admire your wholeheartedness, but the train leaves in six minutes."
"Well, we have time for that later," Jason said with a wink as they walked out.
-
Later, Isabel arrived with Jason at the Brew.
"Hi," Hanna smiled as they walked over. "Who're you supposed to be?" she frowned at Jason.
"Han," Isabel sighed. "We've literally watched 'Rebel Without a Cause' like, three times at sleepovers."
"Oh, wait, you're that one actor..." Hanna frowned, screwing up her face trying to remember. "Uh..."
Emily walked over with Paige, and Isabel waved. Emily turned to Jason and looked at him confusedly. "What are you supposed to be?"
"I give up," Jason sighed, and Isabel laughed.
"Hmm, let's see... Marilyn Monroe, Daisy from the Great Gatsby- book, not movie- Marie Browning, and... Barbarella?" Isabel guessed, pointing to each of them in turn.
"Wow," Aria said, impressed.
"And you're that one Egyptian queen," Hanna frowned.
"See, she doesn't even know who I am," Isabel joked, turning to Jason, who smiled wistfully.
"She's Cleopatra," Spencer answered, and Isabel nodded.
"It's cute that you two dressed up in a couple costume," Isabel smiled at Spencer and Toby.
"Thanks," Toby grinned.
'The shuttle is now leaving for the ghost train.'
"Let's go," Paige said with a smile.
-
The girls and their dates entered the dark car.
"Okay, what's the point of dressing up if no one can see you?" Hanna complained.
Suddenly, all of the lights flashed, and music started playing. Isabel gasped when she saw Adam Lambert. He was a famous singer, how'd they book him?
"You have got to be kidding me," Spencer laughed. They made their way to the dance floor and danced.
After the song ended, Jason turned to Isabel.
"Hey, I'm gonna go grab us some drinks," he shouted over the music.
"Okay, I'll go wait over there," she smiled, and he kissed her goodbye.
He left, and Isabel sat down at the empty table.
-
"I can't tell if you're having fun or not."
Isabel turned her head to see Adam Lambert smiling down at her.
"Hi," she chuckled.
"Hi," he replied.
"Um... No, no, no, no," Isabel answered his prior question. "This is... Incredible. I... is... is this fun for you?"
"This is absolutely fun," Adam nodded. "So, did you come alone, or...?"
"No, um, my boyfriend's getting drinks," she explained, twisting her hands nervously.
"What's your name?" Adam asked, but the train went through a tunnel, and she couldn't hear him.
"Isabel!" She shouted over the deafening noise.
"What?" he called, confused.
"Isabel!" she repeated.
"I can't hear you," Adam pointed to his ear. "What?"
She suddenly had an idea and wrote 'Isabel' on the condensation on the window.
"Isabel, ah," he nodded. "That's great. That... that really suits you."
"Thank you," Isabel smiled.
"Well, listen, um, I have another set, so..." he explained.
"Okay," she replied, smiling. "Yeah, I won't miss it."
"You're gonna be in the front?" Adam asked.
"Absolutely," Isabel chuckled.
"Okay. Promise?"
"Promise."
"Okay, bye," Adam grinned and left. Isabel looked at the window with her name written on it. It illuminated for a second, and then went black again. She took her drink that she had gathered off a platter seconds before and took a sip.
-
Isabel woke up in a box with her hands tied and tape over her mouth. Her eyes widened in panic as she realized she was trapped. Again. Like, seriously, 'A', get creative.
Anyway, she tried to shout for help, but her voice was muffled.
No one heard her. No one could have heard her.
Her breathing was labored. If only she could get this stupid tape off her mouth. Also, her claustrophobia was certainly getting worse. Getting trapped in a coffin twice in a span of two months isn't exactly gonna help...
After who knows how much longer, Isabel felt the crate being lifted up. It seemed like one or more persons were hauling it-
She started shouting for help, but her mouth was still taped. She used her teeth to get it off, and when she finally did, she yelled. But no one heard her.
She turned to the side and saw something that made her stomach churn, and she screamed.
It was Garrett's body.
-
The crate was put down for a second. It sounded like the two people were arguing. Isabel's eyes landed on a nail sticking out of the top of the coffin as her search for an escape became a race. She could use it to get the duct tape off her hands, but she would probably get an awful infection.
Screw it.
She furiously scraped the duct tape against the nail, trying to poke a hole without stabbing herself. Tears sprang into her eyes when the nail hit her skin.
"Come on!" she said to herself. She gasped every time she accidentally poked herself.
Finally, she got the damn tape off. But now she had a new problem:
The two people were back.
"Push, damn it!" the woman's voice whispered.
"No!" the male's replied.
Isabel searched for something to help her. But they were already pushing her to the edge. Quite literally.
"I can't!" the male hissed.
"Shut up!" the woman whisper-shouted. "Come back here!"
Isabel yelled out, but no one rescued her.
"Push!" the woman repeated.
Finally, Isabel found a screwdriver. She picked it up and waited for a shadow to come over the top. She panted and heard someone shout, 'WHAT!?'
Then the shadow hovered over her. She stabbed whoever it was with the screwdriver. She heard him groan, and two sets of scampering footsteps.
"Damn it, Isa, I'm trying to help you!"
"Jason?!" she gasped. Well... that was stupid... She dropped the screwdriver and went silent.
"Isabel? Jason?" she heard Emily shout. "What the hell are you doing?"
"Come over here and help me!" Jason shouted. She heard running footsteps.
"Isabel! What the hell?" Hanna, she guessed.
"Get a hammer." Spencer, obviously.
"Hold on!" Aria's voice yelled. Suddenly, Isabel was back inside the train, and someone shut the open door.
Another person pried the crate open, and Isabel scampered out. She was sobbing now. Garrett's face was so... lifeless, it actually scared the living crap outta her.
"You gotta stop getting trapped in coffins," Spencer sighed.
"Come on, come on, it's okay, it's okay," Emily said as she helped her up. Isabel briefly hugged her, but then clung to Jason.
"Oh my god!" Hanna shrieked. They had noticed Garrett's body.
"Oh my god!" Aria yelped in agreement.
Isabel hugged Jason tighter, but he winced.
"Are you okay?" she frowned, pulling away.
"Yeah, of course I am," Jason nodded, but she glared at him. He was obviously lying. He lifted his jacket to reveal a gaping hole in his side, and her eyes widened. "When I tried to save you from those Queen of Hearts, you accidentally stabbed me in the side with something."
"Oh, shit, that was you?" She gasped. Yeah, totally stupid. "I'm so sorry, I- I didn't know."
"It's okay, Isa. You were trapped again, and couldn't see me. No way you'd know it was me," he replied in a soothing voice. But she still blamed herself.
-
"Are you alright?" Caleb asked, running over to Isabel. He pulled her into a hug. She had just exited the medical room.
"Caleb?" Isabel blinked. "When did you get here?"
"Long story," Hanna replied. Caleb let go of her so that she could talk to them.
"Um, they wanted to take me to the hospital, but I wouldn't let 'em," Isabel explained. Caleb nodded and sat down.
"I don't care what Garrett said about my dad, he had nothing to do with Ali," Aria said stubbornly.
"What'd he say?" Isabel frowned. They filled her in, and now she knew he was killed because of what he'd told Spencer.
"Okay, straight answer... 'A' killed Garrett, yes or no?" Hanna asked.
"Yes," Spencer huffed, crossing her arms.
"Yeah, but why?" Aria frowned.
"That was the whole point," Spencer realized.
"Wh-what point?" Hanna blinked, and Spencer looked around nervously.
"That was why 'A' pushed us to do things that would get Garrett cleared," she explained.
"Yeah, so he could get out of that jail and 'A' could kill him," Aria nodded.
"Two members of the N.A.T. Club, dead," Emily sighed. The four others watched Isabel closely.
"Crap," Isabel muttered, looking around for Jason. "I was nearly suffocated twice, my brother was shot, and now my boyfriend's gonna be killed by my stalker?"
"No, he wasn't in that room the night Ali was killed," Spencer assured her.
"What do we tell the cops?" Emily gulped.
"As little as possible," Spencer said as if it were obvious.
"They've already figured something out," Hanna snapped.
"What do you mean?" Isabel frowned.
"Look at everyone in this train. They didn't just place us anywhere. Everyone in this car has something to do with Garrett Reynolds," Hanna explained as their eyes swept the train car.
"Like how I was trapped in a crate with his dead body?" Isabel said sarcastically. But out of the corner of her eye, she saw Ezra, and she nudged Aria, who ran over and hugged him.
Jason entered the train car and walked over to Isabel. He gave her a quick kiss and grabbed her hand.
"Hey, you okay?" she smiled.
"All good," Jason assured her. At her skeptical glance, he added, "I'll be fine."
Noel and Jenna made their way to the girls, and Isabel glared at them.
"Why don't you tell the cops you did it so the rest of us can go home?" Noel huffed.
"Yeah, they did it, and her friends locked Isa in a crate with his dead body," Jason scoffed, rolling his eyes.
"Oh, really, DiLaurentis-?" Noel began, taking a step toward him.
"You know what? Can it, Noel," Hanna snapped.
"Oh, shut up, Hanna," Jenna griped.
"No, you shut up," Emily shot back.
"Stop trying to pull everybody into every mess you bitches make for yourselves," Noel spat, getting in Isabel's face.
"Back off," Jason growled, pulling Isabel away from Noel. Toby also stepped forward like the protective guy he was.
"Or what?" Noel huffed.
"You don't wanna know, Noel!" Toby yelled, pushing Noel away. Isabel and Aria gasped as Toby dodged Noel's punches. Suddenly, Toby pushed him back into the drink cooler, and it broke, sending ice and drinks scattering everywhere. Everyone but Isabel and Jason backed off, as if they were terrified of something. Jason's eyes widened, and Isabel's mouth fell open.
In the mess of ice and wood was Ali's body bag.