It was well after midnight and Lainey still hadn't called. Fawn was so worried about her she couldn't sleep. She felt as if she'd been watching her phone for over an hour, waiting for a call. Or a text. Anything. Why did Lainey have to be so naive? Nothing about Rita's ridiculously creepy story made any sense.
Nothing!
Fawn decided to try calling Lainey a third time. This time she managed to reach her voicemail.
"Lainey, please call me as soon as you get this message," Fawn said after the beep. "I'm worried about you. And so is your mom! She came by twice looking for you." Fawn sighed. "Please be okay. Bye." She ended the call and stared at her phone for a full ten minutes before deciding that she wouldn't hear from her best friend that night.
She exited her room and made her way down the hall to her parents' room, slowly peaking inside. Mama and Papa was sound asleep, Papa snoring loud as ever. She watched him for a few minutes. She missed him. Whatever was keeping him working so late the past few weeks was also keeping him away from her. She crept inside and made her way over to his side of the bed and kissed his cheek before queitly making her way back out. She made her way into the kitchen to make some coffee. Since it was the weekend, she'd decided to pull an all-nighter doing more research on the Grisly Murders. One online chat room that she'd been visiting the past few nights catered to the idea that the deaths were caused by creatures of mythology and folklore. Many users had their own beliefs. Some believed demons were behind the deaths. Some thought the murders were caused by vampires or werewolves. Others believed it was angels sent by God to punish the wicked. Fawn didn't believe any of that nonsense, but couldn't help but feel intrigued by the idea.
Fawn had always been interested in mythology and folklore. When she was younger, Mama would tell her stories of witches. But the witches in her stories were different from the evil witches Fawn read about in fairy tales. The witches she had spoken of were righteous. They were guardians of nature and humanity.
And they were beautiful.
Fawn wanted nothing more at the time than to meet a real witch. She'd beg her mom to show her one. Mama would smile at Fawn and tell her that the witches were busy protecting the world and everything in it. Every person. Every plant. Every animal. Fawn would stay awake all night and think about the witches. She was obsessed with the idea of good and beautiful witches. So much so that she cried herself to sleep out of frustration for not being able to see one for herself.
Fawn sat her steaming coffee mug on her desk when she returned to her room and started up her desktop, causing pale blue light to illuminate her dark bedroom. She tapped her desk as she waited for her computer to boot.
"Come on, you old thing!" she said impatiently.
When her computer finally booted up, she opened her Web browser and typed "Grisly Murder victims" in the search engine bar. Several graphic images showed on her screen. Mutilated bodies. Bloody corpses. All photos of people killed in the Grisly Murders from around the world.
"Holy hell," Fawn gasped.
Every bloody photo was a slap of reality. It was all too real. Every one of those mutilated corpses were people. Now they were hardly recognizable. One photo made Fawn tear up. The victim was an older woman. Maybe in her mid to late thirties. Blood was leaking from the huge wounds on her neck and arms. She was being held up by a distraught-faced man in tears. As heartbreaking as that scene was alone, the woman was pregnant.
Fawn quickly closed the tab and leaned back in her seat with her hands over eyes. She'd never seen anything more traumatizing in her life. She almost understood why some people were looking toward mythology; what human being would commit such heinous and unforgivable crimes?
Fawn took a large gulp of coffee and decided that she'd continue her research when it wasn't dark out. She signed into the chat room she had been visiting the past few nights. She never really participated in the conversation--she just liked reading what others were saying about the murders. But that night she eventually felt compelled to share the photos she had seen. She shared three of the gruesome photos with the entire chat, including the one with the pregnant woman. It wasn't long before people began responding.
Those pics r old one person said.
I've seen worse said another.
But what really intrigued Fawn was the private message sent to her by a user who went by the name Lazer97700.
These demons need to be stopped.
You're a believer? Fawn wrote back.
Aren't u?
Not really.
That means yes.
Oh, really? Fawn asked.
Ur here aren't u?
It's one in the morning and I'm bored.
You could be watching infomercials.
Fawn laughed.
You made me spill coffee on myself.
Hot.
Yes, it was hot.
No, i meant hot as in i'm hyperventilating.
Ew.
That was a joke.
Fawn noticed the numbers in the person's username. It was a local zip code.
You from Sancova?
This is a local chat. most people here are. i live in sancova heights.
Near Sancova High? That's my school.
About five minutes passed before Lazer97700 responded.
What if i told you i have proof?
Proof?
That the demons exist.
Show me! Fawn typed.
Meet me tomorrow. in front of ur school.
Umm...what kinda "proof" are you talking about?
Just trust me.
I don't usually trust strangers.
I'm a 19-year-old who lives with his mom. I'm harmless.
Okay, fine. Tomorrow at noon.
Noon it is.
Lazer97700 signed out. Fawn wasn't quite sure what she'd just gotten herself into, but she couldn't help but feel exhilarated about it.
* * *
Lainey almost screamed when she woke up in the unfamiliar bedroom. She sat up and removed the floral comforter that was pulled up to her neck. Through the small window facing the bed, she saw the sun beginning to rise over Mount Tamaya in the distance. She quickly reached for her phone in her pocket. She had seventeen missed calls and eight voicemails. Fourteen calls and seven voicemails were from home. The rest were from Fawn. As she began to call home, the bedroom door opened and the gray-eyed boy with hair like ash from the day before stepped inside.
"How are you feeling?" he asked softly.
"Where am I?" Lainey asked defiantly.
"Don't worry, you're safe."
"That's not what I asked."
The boy walked over to Lainey and examined the cut on her face. She flinched as his cool fingers met her skin.
"You were hurt when I found yesterday."
Yesterday.
Lainey suddenly remembered everything from the day before. And Rita's story. And Joseph.
"Where's Rita?"
"Rita?"
"My . . . friend," Lainey said hesitantly.
He skeptically eyed Lainey.
"Was she the girl chasing you?"
"She . . . she was trying to save me. From a man named Joseph."
The boy's gray eyes quickly faded away and his skin appeared to rot just like Rita's. His breathing became heavier. He growled as he punched the window, shattering the glass.
"Dammit, Joseph!" he roared.
"Oh my God," Lainey gasped. "You're one of them. A dead walker."
He quickly turned to face her, his aggression fading almost immediately.
"You know," he said.
"Rita told me enough. A-And your face . . . it looks just like hers did." Lainey turned to the window. "And the window . . ."
The boy closed his eyes and his skin returned to normal. His striking gray eyes had returned when he opened them again.
"Your friend is probably a fiend. If we can find her, I can . . . help her. Right now she's dangerous. Especially to you."
"Why's that?"
"Once a dead walker desires your flesh, they usually won't stop until they get it. And that's especially true for fiends."
"What's a fiend?"
"A newly-turned dead walker. We call them fiends and they're rampant and dangerous."
Lainey shook her head.
"Why did this happen to her?" Lainey demanded.
"I believe . . . Joseph changed her to kill you."
"But why? Why does he want me dead?"
The boy lowered his head.
"Because of me," he said quietly. "He wants to kill you because he's stubborn and immature and he'll do anything to get his way."
"I-I don't understand," Lainey said. "Why am I involved in any of this?"
The boy eyed Lainey for a few moments.
"Look, all you need to know right now is that I won't hurt you. Joseph . . . he's different. He has no regard for human life. But I'll do anything I can to protect you. You can trust me."
"I-I just want to go home," Lainey sighed. "Please."
"But Joseph's still out there --"
"I don't care!" Lainey yelled. "I don't want to be here!"
The boy nodded and stepped to the side to allow Lainey to exit the room. She quickly stood and made her way toward the bedroom door.
"Thank you," she said quietly. She proceeded to leave and then became hesitant. She turned back to face the boy. "Who are you?"
The boy with striking gray eyes and hair like ash stared at Lainey with digilence.
"Benjamin. Benjamin Crawford."
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A/N: Thanks so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please leave a comment and let me know what you think. And if you liked this chapter, don't forget to vote. Again, thank you!