Still stained with Gavin's blood, Isabeth sat on the couch with Malachi, Fiona, and Troy. Maya paced in front of the fireplace nibbling on her fingernails. In an oversized Dawson Prep hoodie, Faith sat in a tufted chair as Lucas stood behind her with a black eye. They were staring at Sheriff Washington but their minds were still on Gavin. The paramedics stabilized him and blazed through the raindrops to the hospital. Officers swarmed through the premises like a beehive struck by a bat.
"You lied!" Sheriff Washington yelled at Isabeth causing the girl to jump. Water still leaked from his fluorescent green raincoat.
Isabeth looked away from her blood-soaked nails, "It was wrong. I know but it got you here." She sniffed. "And that's all that matters."
"The truth would've worked just fine." Brad's voice boomed. "Then I wouldn't had to call the State Troopers and bring all these men out in the middle of a storm for one boy."
Isabeth tried to stop her fingers from sticking together, "Well, the next time someone gets attacked I'll try that."
"Can we stop with the lecturing?" Troy stated, deflecting the fury off Isabeth. "We have parents for that...wherever they may be. You should be investigating, so we can know how this happened!" Isabeth grabbed his shaky hand off his leg and held it close.
"That's what I need the seven of you to explain?" Sheriff Washington stated.
Fiona inched to the edge of the sofa, "We were in the theater." She gestured to everyone on the couch.
"I was in the library," Maya cleared her throat. "Reading."
Sheriff Washington's eyes rolled over to Faith. "Washing the chlorine out of my hair." She combed her hand through her wet tresses.
"What about you?" Sheriff Washington pointed to Lucas, who was staring off in the distance.
Lucas rubbed his hand down his blackening jaw and then stated, "Sleeping."
Malachi looked over at Lucas with suspicion and Troy shook his head.
Brad examined each of them, soaking in their demeanor. Faith plaited her wet hair hanging over her shoulder. Fiona wrung her hands with trepidation. Troy nervously shook his leg. Maya paced back and forth, treading a path in the hardwood. Half there, Lucas tried to fight a war with sleep. Isabeth sat still and calm, staring at Sheriff Washington firmly in the eyes. While Malachi's attention was not on the scene ahead but on the shouting behind him.
"What's going on back there?" Brad yelled.
A short stocky man ran into the living room," He won't come out!" He said out of breath. "He locked himself in the bathroom and refuses to come out!" The man said immediately. He drew his weapon from the holster beckoning back down the hall.
The sight of the black pistol worried Malachi. "Who trapped themselves in the bathroom." He tracked after the officer.
Sheriff Washington rushed in front of Malachi, "Stay here!" He ordered.
"No." Malachi pushed Sheriff Washington's hand away from him. "Not until I know who's in that bathroom.
"Stay behind me." Sheriff Washington firmly held his finger out.
Malachi gestured for the Sheriff to go and they followed the shouting. Troy, Isabeth, and Faith joined them in the hallway.
The authoritative sheriff hushed the chaos of his battalion. He ordered his men to holster their weapons and they did as they were told. Sheriff Washington cut through the swarm of frustrated officers. A trail of sweat rolled down his face as he stood in front of the bathroom door. He took a long breath in and breathed it into his hand, which was over his mouth.
The teens were ordered to get back but they ignored the instructions and held firm to their positions in the hallway.
"Son, I need you to come out. I just want to talk," Sheriff Washington sincerely said.
A fly could've buzzed by and everyone would've heard it in the silent hall. Everyone paused waiting for a reaction on the other side of the door.
"You lie! You lie!" The heated voice yelled. "If I come out the last thing you'll do is talk."
"Benjamin!" Malachi shouted pushing his way through the officers.
"Chi!" Benny hollered on the other side of the door. "I didn't do anything. Trust me!"
An officer held Malachi back. "You're my little brother." Malachi tried to break away from the muscular man. "Of course I trust you! I believe you."
Malachi's friends' astonishment was all over their faces, everyone except Isabeth, that is.
"I didn't do anything." Benny's voice began to break. "I...stopped playing video games...and went to the bathroom." He took a labored breath. "It just slid under the door. It hit my foot.... and I picked it up without thinking."
"What did you pick up?" Sheriff Washington asked. Benny remained silent. Washington looked back at Malachi.
Malachi stopped fidgeting with the officer, "Ben, what did you pick up?"
The brass doorknob turned and Sheriff Washington took a step back. The eggshell door opened. Benny stood in the doorway, shaking with fear.
"A knife." Benny divulged then dropped the cutlery to the floor.
Malachi forged toward Benny but Sheriff Washington pushed him back as police rushed into the bathroom. They shoved him to the ground. He called for Malachi as the officers pummeled his frail body with their strong force. Once the handcuffs were locked around Benny's wrist, they yanked him up. Malachi fought to get to his brother, past the cops, but he couldn't break through the brigade of law enforcement.
"I'm right behind you, Ben!" Malachi shouted trying to ease Benny, who was fighting with the police while they put him in the squad car. "Right behind you!" He repeated.
After the police cars sped off, a distraught Malachi staggered back into the house. His friends followed him and watched as he grabbed the vase off the side table and flung it into the wall. The glass sprinkled to the floor as Malachi dropped to his knees completely falling apart. His seven amigos stood back confused, not catching a sound from his falling tears.
Isabeth broke away from the pack and pull Faith with her. Once down the dark hallway, Isabeth whispered, "We have to go to Everclear now. Or Benny goes to jail." She pulled the keys out her hoodie pocket and showed them to Faith.
"The Psychopath Maker did this." Faith declared and Isabeth nodded. "You know what this means."
"What?"
"The Psychopath Maker is one of us." Faith disclosed as they looked back at their friends in the living room.
"No." Isabeth shook her head dazzlingly, "Can't be. No."
It's time to go to the funny farm. What adventures does Everclear Asylum behold?
Is Faith right, is the Psychopath Maker one of them?